Top Notch Rivalry: Portland, Day 3

Sunday was the big day: the Sounders vs. Timbers game. This Seattle/Portland rivalry was established long before both teams were even part of the MLS. As a native Washingtonian, it's my absolute duty to support the Sounders... yet, having lived in Oregon for the last 4 years, and having been to more Timbers games during that time, it's hard to distinguish where my loyalty truly lies. So, as usual, I sat with my party on the Multnomah Athletic Club balcony wearing neutral colors and cheering for both teams. It is fair to say that this weekends match was one of the most intense games I've ever seen from either team. The atmosphere at the JELD-WEN stadium was incredible and (much to everyone's surprise), the Timbers came out on top with a 2-1 win. I'm pretty sure this is the first game the Timbers have won over the Sounders the initiation of both teams into the MLS.

Before the game we watched the first half of the England v. Italy UEFA Euro Quarterfinals in the Sports Pub. After a quick walk downtown to meet up with friends & some hydration, it was back to the Club for the game.

Outside the Field

Multnomah Athletic Club

Spots Pub @ the MAC

"Legends are born when the previous are surpassed" & an image of Clive Charles

A rowdy balcony after the final whistle

After the game I grabbed a quick bite at the Sports Pub then headed home to the Eastside. I just found out I'll be back in the 503 at the end of the week- so more adventures to come! Hooray! xx

What to Wear: To Work

The sun was finally shinning in the Pacific Northwest this week. I took advantage of the great weather and pulled out my gladiator platforms, pulled back my hair, and soaked in as much vitamin D as I could [who knows how long the sun will last around here] !! And then it was off to work I went...

Details:

Shirt: Nordstrom

Skirt: Frenchi

Belt: H&M

Shoes: Charles David

Necklace: From the boutique Jewelry By the Bay in Sausalito

Bag: Tori Burch Robinson Satchel [new!] 

xx

The Best Way to Start Your Day

I have always been a morning person. I'm not sure if it's because of all those years of waking up at the crack of dawn for gymnastics practice before school, or if it's because once I'm awake it's hard to go back to sleep. Either way, I like the morning (unless, of course, I've been heavily hydrating the night before, but that's another story entirely...).

One of the best parts of the morning is breakfast. I know a lot of people don't like breakfast and don't eat it, but it's so good for you! Breakfast increases brain function so you can stay focused throughout the day, it restores the sugar level in your body that you lost when you were sleeping and it helps you manage your stress level. There are a ton of reasons why you should eat breakfast and there are endless possibilies of what to eat!

I've recently discovered and fell in love with green smoothies. I know, I know... Spinach smoothie? It sounds weird. But here's the thing: they. are. fan. tastic.

And they're so effortless to make!

My green creation is a spinach smoothie. Spinach is brilliant- it's packed with vitamins, combats high blood pressure and inflammation and helps with your vision. 1 handful of Spinach has 20% of the recommended daily intake of fiber and vegetables.

The recipe is simple. All you need is:
       1 frozen banana
       1/2 cup of soy milk (or milk of your choice)
       2 tablespoons of peanut butter
       2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt
       3-4 handfuls of spinach

[You can adjust the amount o each ingredient depending on what you like]
Throw everything in your blender and puree away!

  

With one simple spinach smoothie you are intaking the recommended amount of vegetables for a healthy diet. And the best part about it is that you can't taste the spinach at all! To me it just tastes like banana and peanut butter -- Mmmm! It's a perfect way to start the morning. Or if you want, you can have it as a snack! I guarantee that once you try one of these bad boys, you'll be as obsessed with them as I am! Cheers! xx

Surprise Party!

This weekend was my mother's big milestone: her 50th birthday! Before graduation in May she told me she wanted me to help her plan a little party to celebrate. Now you must understand, my mother is quite the social butterfly but she rarely asks to do things like this. I told her of course I would help her but in the back of my mind I had other plans....throwing her a surprise party would not only satisfy her wish of a party, but would also be something special she could remember forever. So I made a deal with my mom: Let me plan your birthday, I'll tell you all the necessary dates and whatnot, but leave the details to me. Of course everything I told her was a lie (the date, the location, the amount of guests and so on), but having her think she knew what was going on was a crucial element to the surprise factor!

This is what she thought was happening:
The party would be June 23rd.
It would be held at the Mediterranean Kitchen in Bellevue.
25 people would be attending.

This is what ACTUALLY happened:
The party was June 16th.
It was catered by the Mediterranean Kitchen [one of her favorite restaurants on the eastside].
Nearly 50 people attended... and that's just the basics!

Here are the details:
The party was at a family friends house in Sammamish. Guests started arriving at 6:00pm and were asked to park at the church around the corner. Instead of an "Over the Hill" themed party, it was "Fabulous at 50". A much more agreeable theme and one that suits my mom quite well. I had told my dad (who had just flown in from LA that afternoon) that I was at my friends house and was "too intoxicated to drive to dinner",  so they had to pick me up. And, of course, my dad was in on this whole thing. He called me at 6:30 telling me they were on their way. This was when I gathered all the guests into the kitchen to tell them she was a few minutes away and what would happen when she finally arrived. 

When the doorbell rang 5 minutes later, everyone held their breath as my friend's mom opened the door:

Susan: "Hi, how are you?"
Mom: "Good, good. I hear my daughter is a little drunk."
Susan: "Oh yeah... would you guys like to come in for a drink?"
Mom: [turning to my dad] "Um..."
Dad: "Sure!"
Mom: "Sure? Sure! Okay! Honey, will you go get my purse? I left it in the car."
[Dad goes to get purse]
Mom: "Wow this is great, he never wants to come in for drinks!"
Susan: [laughs] 


At this point, I'm so anxious I'm ready to rush down the hall and get her. But I wait it out and soon she's in the house walking our way... and then I pop out in front of her and

SURPRISE!!!

The fact that this picture is blurry adds to the amount of excitement there was!

After minutes of "oh my god!"'s and rounds of excited hello's, I rushed her upstairs. I had somehow managed to get her birthday dress (which she had picked out weeks before), a handful of shoe options, makeup, and jewelry out of her closet without her noticing. Susan placed everything in the master bathroom with a glass of wine so my mom could ease her excitement and get ready. With candles lit and cards and gifts around the counter, my mom was in awe.

But in no time at all we were back downstairs to celebrate my fabulous mother turning the big 5-0.

By the time the crickets were chattering outside and the cool breeze of the early morning started to come through the open windows, it was time to go home. We boxed up the remaining food and took home the leftover bottles of wine and, though tired as we were, talked all night about how fabulous the surprise had been.

Dress & Necklace from Nordstrom. Bracelet from Tiffany's & Co. 

xx

Words to Live By

Motivational words to get me started with my blog. x