It’s funny how the act of simply writing something down can cause it to materialize in your life.  Try it sometime.  It doesn’t have to be the vague, overreaching, old fashioned, pie in the sky “five year plan” kind of goals that have been flogged into our collective mind since infancy.  That’s boring! Actually, it can be anything.  The more simple, the better – just write it down.  The more you craft how it looks, smells, tastes- the better.

Before summer started, I made a little list of things I wanted to experience, but I had completely forgotten that I had wishlisted enjoying s’mores at Golden Gardens until after it happened a weeks ago.  (The magic of the list?) A gathering of families from our church toasted mallows, melted Hershey’s chocolate sandwiched in between graham crackers while the kids played and certain blue eyed babies ate sand.  No.15 on that list – check! Summer is slipping away, but looking at these pictures I casually shot that night, I realize I want to eek out every last drop.  What are your favorite summer memories? For us northern hemisphere-ers, we’ve still got time to make some more, right?

Have you seen the new Space Needle?

Lately there’s been a lot of running in the sprinklers, wading in baby pools, bike rides to our favorite park and always the space needle is ever by my side, right behind my shoulder, peeking around the horizon.  Summer we have had… yet – it is unbelievable to me that it is already August.  I sense summer slipping away even though I still feel like it’s barely begun!  It makes me a little nervous, you know?  It’s that sunday-night-before-school-starts feeling, like I haven’t quite felt the full ripeness of the season yet, though we’ve really done so much.  How to get that feeling to go away?

I’ll join in on Susannah’s August break idea. Cram in as many lazy, hazy picnics with as humanly possible.  Take in more sunrises and sunsets with a friend. Finish that stack of books mounded by my bed, at least one book! (the Seattle library must be making bank on me this year with overdue fines, I just know it!) Lastly, I will get out my favorite pencil and cross pretty lines through all the things I’ve done on my summer to do list and see all that I have left and just all that I have done!  I think that will make that nervous summer slipping away feeling go away, don’t you? :) Happy Weekend, sailors! xo.

If you know me, you know that Roald Dahl is my favorite.  And then you know that I love visiting our neighborhood’s very own Willy Wonka candy store to stock up on fun and whimsical treats at the Blackbird candy shoppe. The entire place is more the size of Wonka’s glass elevator than his chocolate factory, which I find just as sweet at the local Theo chocolate bars they stock.

This is one of many incredible signs in Seattle that I’m really fond of, and today it’s fitting – SUN! – you can find it on 45th street in Wallingford.

While you’re at it, get a scoop of my favorite ice cream from Molly Moon.  If the sugartastic scent of the waffle cones drifting freely in the street isn’t enough to pull your body up from the sidewalk a la cartoon style and into the store, I don’t know what else to tell you…;)

If we had to do it all over again, we wouldn’t go to Sequim on the weekend of the lavender festival - the traffic from the event just made the wait for the ferry too ridiculous (we missed two ferry rides despite waking up early!) And by the time we arrived, I missed meeting up with Shanna, ): but out of the masses of hundreds of people, I ran into another friend from Seattle – serendipity!  The drive was pretty.  While we were waiting for friends who were caravaning behind us, I jumped out of the car to pick a bouquet of flowers. I couldn’t help myself.  They were growing everywhere. And despite the long travel time there, we didn’t ever feel disappointed - Mars and I are deeply drawn to pacific northwest country, and every time we get out of the city it is only minutes before we begin talking about a place with more land… where there is more space for my studio.  Somewhere with a real swingset.  Where I can really get my garden growing.  And he plays his songs as loud as he wants without being self conscious of the neighbors.  Where we can store our airstream/scamp/trailer that I daydream about constantly.  The one we tour the west in together when the kids are a little bit older.

Yeah, getting out of the city is so good, but as soon as we come back to the skyline we know and love, I always feel an ease that I can only explain as feeling back at home.

I’ve been wanting to show you some pictures from World Cup screenings at Nord Alley in Pioneer Square over the past few weeks, where Marcus has been getting up way early to go watch the games.  I’ve been dying to join him, but our schedule just hadn’t allowed it until today – and what a perfect day to join him! Wasn’t it an exciting game?

I was too shocked (GOAL!) to snap a picture of the group of elated Africans cheering next to me when Ghana scored, but their energy was incredible. (The crowd today seemed to all be rooting for Africa, and when I was going for lunch during half time, everyone in line seemed to be the same boat. What about you? Who are you cheering for now?)

It is a pretty little place to stop during your busy day.  The sunlight comes through the plants and filters in through the rooftops, and there wasn’t too much of a crowd for such an awesome (and generously free) setup, put on by the International Sustainability Institute.  Large speakers, tables set up with complimentary drinks, nice chairs, what else could you ask for?  We didn’t stay long enough to see “our” team win on the enormous flatscreen TV tailor fit to the back opening of the truck set up in the alley, but I did run home to catch the final details – Uruguay advances!!

The now cleaned up Nord Alley as drawn by the Seattle Sketcher aka Gabi Campanario for the Seattle Times

p.s. Stuff White People #133 The World Cup. Hilarious.

Playing with Eli, crawling on the sundial at Gasworks park. (photos of us by Marcela)

Max overlooking the pier.

Did you know? Seattleites wear plaid because it’s good camouflage.

The little Stewart street mural that I have a crush on.

Gorgeous abstractions at Olympic Sculpture Park, a favorite place to walk, jog and take pictures. (of Marcela!)

I hosted a new version of my handpainted photo workshop today, where super cool moms and their adorable daughters were in attendance for a special handpainted photobooth theme.  I decided to begin the fun at Archie McPhee where there is an in-house classic style booth and fun props a plenty. The girls instinctively knew just what to do two minutes in the store and we all found horse heads, oversized plastic iguanas, garden gnomes, martian ears, giant apples, masks, and of course, mystery moustaches/nose/glasses, wigs and more.

After our photo sessions, we brought the photobooth strips to my class and applied my handcoloring technique them. It’s so magical watching everyone in the room go quiet as they get into the coloring process and how differently everyone paints and yet how fantastic each piece turns out. I hope the girls had as much fun as I did. I made some really great friends today too. Bonus. ♥.  (See my previous workshop post here.)

If you would like to take my workshop, I am willing to travel short distances in and around the Seattle area to private homes, classrooms and studios. Email me for more details. jennyvorwaller(at)gmail.com