Backyard Summer Dreams

 With all the warm spring weather we've been having lately, Joel and I have started, slowly but surely, working on getting our backyard ready for the summer.

I've even named our backyard: "Everett Oasis" ;)

 We purchased a Pergola from Lowes, and unfortunately, it looks like the price has gone up since we bought it! We ordered on line and it was delivered for free.

 I've been longing for a pergola to hang a chandelier from for so long!

It's definitely a dream come true. Eventually I'd like to get a different chandelier, and we're still trying to figure out how to get it to hang straight!

We bought a new patio set, that we still have to put together, and we have a bunch more globe lights to hang! I got anxious and just haphazardly strung them up to a tree. 

Speaking of the tree, I have plans for this one: I want to make a DIY bar to set here, and hang a disco ball above it, and I want to make an "Everett Oasis" sign for the bar.

Here are some ideas I have for the bar. I've found some DIY ideas on Pinterest. I'm going for more of the pallet look, but it's me, so I'll probably have some touch of the cute pink & white one.

1) Upper left bar 2) Upper right bar 3) Bottom bar

Oh yeah, let the summer of "Everett Oasis" begin!

Wait--what? It's only April you say?

Oh no! 8 more weeks of school still!

Summer come soon!

Halloween Bar Cart

Today I am sharing my Halloween decorated bar cart!

 I have been envying all of the beautiful bar carts that have been trending in home decor right now. I even have a pinterest board dedicated to them. I found this one for only $80 at Ross Dress for Less last fall!! I was soo excited because all of the mirrored bar carts like this that I had seen were hundreds of dollars. We didn't have room for it when we were renting so my mom has been storing it for me. So, even though we have still not finished unpacking totally, of course I had to set up my bar cart :) 

Details: mason jar glasses (gift from my cousin) Plates (Pier 1 on clearance now) Glass Skeleton Candy Dish (Pier 1 on clearance now) Napkins (Target) Tissue Paper Garland (made with craft tissue from Target & Martha Stewart Fringe cutter) Pumpkin (old) Straws (old...maybe groupdeelz?)

 It's so pretty. I love it! I can't wait to decorate it for each season.

Excited for Halloween coming up! Joel and I are going to a party! I am going to be a mermaid and he is going to be a pirate :)

Happy Tuesday!

Birthday Celebration 3: Portland Pearl Casa del Matador

Birthday celebrations continued a week later when my husband and I went up to visit my in-laws and we went out to dinner at a restaurant I've been wanting to go to for a while: The Casa Del Matador in the Pearl District of Portland.

I love interesting places with cool decor, and Mexican/Tex-Mex food is always good!

 

Me and my mother-in-law

  Details outside the door.

I have to say, I seriously failed at taking pictures for this post. The ambiance is way cooler in person than it looks in my pictures.

We ordered margaritas and items off the happy hour menu: Nachos and bacon wrapped, goat cheese stuffed jalepenos. The Nachos were HUGE and delicious, Joel and I shared them. I wish I had taken a picture of them because they were seriously, like, a mountain of nachos, and they were only $5. The bacon wrapped jalepenos were also delicious. They sneak up on you though! They are not spicy until the last bite!

The bar at Cas Del Matador is so cool! I love the eclectic decor, and there is a fireplace in the middle! I'd like to go back sometime and sit at the fireplace, I've heard, though, that its a pretty hard seat to get!

After dinner we went to the Bull Run Distillery across the street and we had a tasting flight of several different liquors that they make. Again, sorry I didn't take may pictures (I get self conscious about taking pics and sometimes Joel gets a little embarrassed/irritated.) I'm not a big drinker, so everything mostly just burned to me, haha, but it was interesting to learn about. The one I remember the most was the Aria Portland Dry Gin. It smelled so good, like juniper! It tasted a little of juniper too, but not too strong.  The bottling is beautiful!

We also went and walked around the Pearl District and looked at all the different businesses and restaurants (after I changed out of my heels!) There were a lot of interesting places: expensive stores, eclectic vintage stores, and shops like what you see in Portlandia (I'm talking feminist bookstore-esque places). There was event a little gourmet popcorn joint called "Poplandia". I wish I had snapped some pictures, but I'm dying to go back and explore more so maybe next time I will.

Happy Monday!

Spring Break Stay-cation in Portlandia: Part 2

Our Portland one-day extravaganza continued...

I was dying to get away for at least one night of our spring break so we stayed in a Courtyard Marriott that was close enough to the Rose Quarters that we could walk to get there. So after we rested a for a little, we decided to walk down to the Memorial Colosseum to buy our tickets for the next thing on my Portland bucket list: See a Winterhawks game.

After we purchased our tickets, we decided just to grab a drink and something to eat at a restaurant in the Rose Quarters, Dr. Jacks, until the game started. I didn't take a picture, so I stole the one above from oregonlive.com. We sat over by the open doors you can see in the top right corner. It was really cool because we could see the fountains and people watch, and there was an AMAZING aroma of food cooking and fresh Oregon air.

We were watching the NCAA playoff game between Wisconsin and Arizona, so when I couldn't decide what to drink, my husband ordered me the "Honey Badger Blonde"--appropriate considering I picked my March Madness bracket based on which mascot I liked the best, and I took the Wisconsin Badgers all the way to the final two (If only I hadn't picked the Anteaters to win it all!) I'm not a big drinker so I never really know what to get, but I liked the Honey Badger Blonde! ;)

I've never been to a Hockey game before, so it was nice to get to go with my husband, because his favorite sport to play growing up was roller hockey. I learned a lot about how the game works. It's pretty fast paced! The players are constantly coming on and off the ice! One thing that I didn't get to cross off the my bucket list, is that I didn't get to see my dear childhood friend dance with the rosebuds on the ice. I had always wanted to go to game to see her dance, but she finished nursing school and got a job as a nurse before I could get up to see her! Pretty cool what they can do on the ice!

This picture was taken well before the end of the game. We lost. We have decided that I am unlucky for attending first time events. The first time I went to a blazer game, they lost in double over time to the clippers--before they had Blake Griffin and Chris Paul. Oh well, I still had fun!

Later in the evening we met up with some friends at the Red Star Tavern down town. Going out to cool bars and restaurants in down town Portland is one thing on my bucket list that never gets crossed off. I love exploring and going to fun places. I've only been able to go for this purpose a couple of times (I don't get out much!)

I ordered a Montego Bay with: Bank’s 5 island rum, grapefruit, lime, allspice dram, honey, absinthe. Again, I don't drink much so I really don't really ever know what to order, but I liked this drink. It kind of had a Mojito feel to it.

It was so nice to get out with friends! We don't get to see these two enough and I had an absolute blast visiting with them! They definitely made a good choice on the bar as well! I love the decor in the Red Star Tavern. I should have taken more pictures! It has a nice relaxed, elegant feel. It's classy, and we could actually hear each other talk. It's located under the Hotel Monaco--which I since looked up and I will have to do a post on it because I am dying to stay there now! Super fun/quirky decor.

We were there so late, I snapped this shot as we were leaving. Makes me think of the song "Closing Time".

Well there's all of the excitement I had for my spring break "stay-cation". It's always a fun time in Portland!

Happy Thursday!

Only one more day til Friday!