on a marine science center...

Today we set out to visit the Poulsbo Aquarium Marine Science Center which is located right on the waterfront in downtown Poulsbo. It 's just a ten minute walk from our house! This aquarium is non-profit and only takes donations. As soon as we set foot into the small aquarium we were greeted by friendly volunteers who walk around telling you bits and pieces about all the marine life. Sebastian was loving the conversations with all them. The first room had a neat "please touch" tank where you were able to pick up starfish and other living things. Sebastian was the most excited for this and after we looked around we saved that for last. Here are some fun photos to show you of our time there…

We saw a sleepy octopus and so many different colored starfish, Sebastian even held the brightest of them all! We found Nemo and his dad being playful in one of the tanks and they were very photogenic as you can see. Nemo's dad looked right at me for one of them! As we walked around there was even a skeleton of a gray whale above! We had fun and I can't wait to go back.

xoxo.

on the waterfront...

Hello from sunny Pouslbo Washington! Since we celebrated Christmas last night we spend the morning playing with all our gifts and then took a stroll to downtown Poulsbo where it was quiet as it will ever be. It was still nice to walk around the waterfront and snap some photos with my new Diana lens that my mom gifted me with. We saw a group of jelly fish just floating right next to the dock! It was so amazing to see them so close to us. 

Tonight we'll be popping some popcorn and cuddling on the couch to watch our new movie-- Despicable Me. Hope you all are having a very merry Christmas evening! 

xoxo. 

on a very merry christmas & a goody gift...

Merry Christmas friends! I found this rad illustration online via here and I've fallen in love with it! Coolest Santa in all the land for sure. I hope everyones Christmas has been full of magic and lots of goodies. 

Speaking of goodies I received my goody goody gift all the way from Italy and I just had to share what my new friend Silvia gifted me with. She is such a sweet gal and won my heart with her box of gems!

COFFEE and the tiniest cutest wittle percolator that I just wanted to hug when I saw. It's the perfect gift for me and totally amazing. Silvia's adorable instructions with drawings captured my heart as well. Not to forget the coffee is local to her home town which is by far the coolest thing. Check out her blog for some wonderful photos of Europe and her home!

Thank you Silvia!

xoxo.

on new traditions...

Tradition are such a fun part of this time of year. I love to think about all the different ways people celebrate the Holidays. It's so cool that our society (for the most part) accepts each others family traditions. For us, we ended up splitting the all American Christmas tradition with my own Hungarian family tradition to create something that is special and unique to us. I love it!

Growing up we celebrated Christmas on the twenty-fourth. For my family the Christmas tree was never put up until Christmas day since Jesus was the one that gifted us with a beautiful tree. It was always such an amazing feeling walking out from my room to our glorious tall bright tree in the living room with all our wrapped gifts underneath. I still remember those feelings!

Right now we still celebrate on the twenty-fourth but usually put our Christmas tree up along with everyone else. As a kid I always sort of envied all my friends that were able to help decorate and enjoy their tree all the way up until Christmas so I wanted to bring that into our tradition. I'm happy we did so because hanging ornaments with Sebastian is one of my favorite things!

I love to adapt and add new tradition every year. Big or small they just make this time of year even more cheery when you have neat things to look forward to. This year I decided to try baking homemade cinnamon rolls. I've always told myself that I want to make homemade cinnamon rolls more often but I never do so I made it my mission to bake fresh buns on Christmas morning and establish a new tradition to carry on every year!

These cinnamon rolls aren't just any cinnamon rolls, they are Cappie's Cinnamon Rolls from Sandra Claus…A South Pole Santa Adventure! Cappie herself made these gems for Sandra and all her friend (including elves!). They are the most gooey cinnamon rolls you'll ever eat and the cream cheese glaze is to die for.

Best part is the author of The Search for South Pole Santa series is gifting all of us with both books on Amazon TOMORROW! So, don't forget to skip on over to here & here and download both books to enjoy on Christmas Day. Thanks JingleBelle Jackson. If you would like to get your hands on this recipe well, buy book two the recipe is right inside at the end of the book!

What are some of our family traditions? Any new ones this year??

xoxo.

on bits + pieces of home...

1// a quirky chalkboard sign in the kitchen.

2// a grandfather wall clock that's been around since my childhood.

3// a little piece of Hungary.

4// flowers

5// my favorite piece of furniture that I hope to one day inherit!

6// sesame snaps

7// a beautiful forest green leather couch that you'll just melt into!

xoxo.

on that one person...

Have you ever had that one person in your life that's always been there? I do. We met freshman year of high school and ever since that day we had to partner up in History class because we were the only ones lift standing was when our time together started. I've always believed in fate and us meeting was just that. Even after the past seven years of us being apart hasn't really change us together one bit.

I feel like that's the true test. We met downtown today in the cold damp Seattle weather after the snow teased the early morning and it was like we just picked up where we left off. Time has changed us. I have a child. She doesn't. She has a career. I don't yet. But honestly, it's the perfect balance to our souls and that's why I know they are woven together. For all eternity.

Sometimes life isn't complete when you don't have your other half. That one person that makes you feel whole with simply being there next to you. Without any effort.

I don't know. I hope you have someone like that. I know I have a few in my life and those few are very close to me now which is what I think my entire being was pleading for. I feel like I'm floating up above the tall crisp evergreen trees full of happiness of knowing that the people that inspire me the most and love me for who I am are just across the bay. People I know I can trust with my deepest desires, who don't judge my thoughts or actions, who tell me what I need to work on and are honest with me, who only see the good things in life and are kind.

I've got a latter to the stars and I'm climbing it one step at a time.

xoxo.

on a Christmas adventure...

Tis the season! Christmas time is one of the best times of the year. Just last year my favorite lady came out with her first Christmas adventure book called The Search for South Pole Santa. Now again, we had the pleasure of enjoying the second installment. Sandra Claus by JingleBelle Jackson is a continuation of the many adventures of Sandra who is now the South Pole Santa. She is figuring out just what it means to be Santa along with finding out how it's a lot more work than it ever looked. There are many new relationships created in this book and best of all you get to know more about what the South Pole might end up looking like! 

I loved this read and loved how it kicked of the Holiday season for me and made feelings of Christmas bubble inside of me. I'm a huge believer in Christmas and all the magic it comes with and this is not only a fun book with whimsical plot twists but it also teaches us to be your own person, be kind to others and yourself and to always look on the bright side of things. 

With all that being said I truly wholeheartedly deem these wonderfully merry books to be great for all ages. Children will be thrilled by the magical world that JingleBelle Jackson creates as well as all the secrets and mysteries that follow. And heck, so will all of us adults!! I know, I was flipping pages like nobodies business. This second book is by far the best and it's thicker than the first, which was something I was without a doubt overjoyed about!! 

I've made it my mission to share these books everyone I meet. I think that every household should have them on their book case or under the Christmas tree as gifts this year! Julee Cunningham, who is the brilliant mind behind this unique story is one of my beloved friends. A women who constantly inspires me to follow my heart and do what I love. She is always living what she preaches and it's an amazing feel to know a soul such as hers. Please bring some Christmas magic into your home this Holiday season and purchase these books! She's a wonderful PNW author we all should be proud to have. 



Before I go, I wanted to let you all in on a little secret of mine. Grammarly is this neat new tool that I've been using around here. I use Grammarly's grammar check because it silently corrects my grammar and makes me feel better about myself! If you know what I'm saying. For all of you who have a blog or write you must check it out. It's so great!
Oh Oh Oh!