Tissue Anyone?

Remember a few months back every corner you turned there were warnings (threats really) of the feared Swine Flu? You couldn't flip a channel, read a newspaper headline or walk into a drug store without seeing the words Swine Flu/H1N1/Vaccination/Hospitalization/whatever! People were inundated with talk of the worst flu season ever. After weeks and weeks of talk, I knew 3, count it 3, people plagued with this illness. I thought we all got away easy on this trip...until now.

Last week the Flu, Head Cold, unknown illness, and the like swept across what seemed to be everyone in the Vann "circle of trust," and them some! We are talking gobs and gobs of friends and family struck down with sickness. We knew of people taking their babies to the walk in clinic due to random vomiting and other gory projections. We knew of adults taking a trip to the ER for IV injections to replenish fluids. We heard of more people at home sick, hugging the toilet and napping in the same week, than we probably did in the entire year last year. It was terrible. E-mails for prayers went out. Phone calls to cancel gatherings were made. The epidemic had hit and it hit HARD. Nick and I were amazed and grateful that we were at our peak of health. Our daily does of vitamins (Multi, Vit C, Vit D & Fish Oil), exercise, leafy green eating had paid off...we were living it large and untainted by the swooping plague. And then...luck run out...well, My luck that is.

I blame it on our quick little trip to Steilacoom and dwelling with 3 sick-with-different illnesses family members. I think my body was doing the best it could to fight off infection, until we were in the car on the way to church and there was slim to no chance I was going to get out un-tainted. My father, most recently diagnosed with walking pneumonia was hacking in the drivers seat (Ummmm...learning about that little piece of information would have been helpful BEFORE planning our trip home). My mother, coughing and sneezing in the passengers seat. My sister in the back sniffling her little heart out...all with Nick and I in the middle, staring at each other with fear in our eyes hoping for a small miracle: The germs leaking out through the cracks of the car and skidding across the freeway rather than marinating in the clean air we were currently breathing in. No such luck on the right side of the car...those germs clung to me and has left me with a bit of head cold.

For the record, I am NOT down and out for the count. I am not in any form to be in the ER or hugging the toilet or even napping 24/7. If anything, I consider my little sniffle to be a minor inconvenience...a slight cold, just passing by. This is either due to my ignorance or my Positive Psychology tendency: My behavior will follow my attitude. And my attitude is I am not going to get any more sick than the slight tiredness, with a few sneezes and sniffles that I currently have. Although, my little episode has reminded me of how horrible it is when you are not at your 100%. The exhaustion from getting out of bed to make toast. The dizziness while picking something up off the floor. The inability to TASTE food. The constant tenderness under your poor, little nose. The banishment from your significant since their desire of health overrides any sort of desired affection. So if anything...this little blog is for all my friends and family suffering through whatever YUCK you currently have. Persevere...it can't be long now until your health overcomes you! And when in doubt...convince yourself that when you wake up tomorrow you are going to be healed! A little Positive thought can go a LONG way regarding health!

To Sew or Not to Sew

Last week when Nick was out-of-town for work, I decided to get a few projects done around the house during my free time in the evening. I touched up the trim paint in a few rooms, wiped down all the doors in the house (those are filthy if you take the time to look at them), painted a portion of the "bump out" in our bedroom and some other stuff. I decided to get some courage up and actually bust out the sewing machine I borrowed from my parents for a sewing project I have avoided for the past 2 years...for good reason.
See...in our bedroom, there is a bump out (same as mentioned above) with a bench and a nice window. When we bought this house, I was convinced that that would be my reading place...or a place to sit and ponder the world. I must be honest and admit that I have never sat there to read or ponder, but instead I use it as a clothes holder...typically at night when I am too tired to put them away. Although, Charlotte puts it to good use on a daily basis as the guard dog extraordinaire headquarters. Atop this bench adorns a cushion that is horrifically covered in demin (well...it's faux demin I am sure...but either way...it's ugly). One of the first things I DID do when we moved in was purchase a nice, silky sage green piece of material to cover the said demin. Though this beautiful covering goes well with our bedroom, it is a thorn in both Nick and I's sides with it's constant untucking/rippling/dishevelled manor. Each day we tuck it in, only to discover it has disheveled itself once more (only Charlotte is to blame, I am sure). This may seem like a petty and insignificant thing to be frustrated about (which it is) but I suppose we get worked up about it because there is such an easy fix: Sew it so it forms to the cushion like a fitted sheet, rather than it's floppy, stubborn companion...the loose sheet.
Now...back to last week: With my projects quickly dwindling down, I gussied up the gumption to create a fitted sheet for the bump out. It was awful. I am the furthest thing to a seamstress there is. No really. People shouldn't allow me to get withing a 10 foot range of a needle and thread. It's not because I am inherently bad at running a straight line down a sewing machine (see photo below) or anything, it's just that I lack the care and finesse it takes to ensure that whatever I am sewing is going to actually fit or match up or look good or anything else you expect when two ends of material meet. I am not a time-taker on these sort of projects. I just want them to be done. So once I hit the "good enough" marker, I take the next step, which, naturally, only ends up taking 3 times as long because I did not take the time to do it right the first time.
Instead of boring you with the nitty-gritty details of my fatal attempts to sew silky fabric, I will just say that it is done. It may be ugly and may not last long, but it is done. The good news is this project falls into the unseen category; the only category I will allow myself to be in. Unseen category include sewing projects that won't blatantly show my naivety/impatience. I wouldn't ever dare sew a skirt,a shirt or anything...that is what Anne Marie, Kristen, Ami, Holly, Diana or my dad for crying out loud are for (wow...my friends are talented!). No, I sew the insides of jacket pockets because my keys keep on falling out or something really elementary like buttons. Luckily, my horrific seams are covered up by the cushion itself, so the untrained eye would think it is a nice fitting sheet instead of 8 different sew lines on two corners to make it fit, with the back two corners stuffed down because I just wanted to be done and the front is all that really matters anyways. Few. Glad that is over with.
I told Nick what I had done (with a great sense of accomplishment I might add) and he asked to keep my parent's machine a bit longer so he could hem some pants. "Ha!" I exclaimed. "You can hem those pants and mine right along with it darling!" Thank goodness that we each posses different talents.

The bump-out:

A visual of my sewing giftedness: My keys will for sure stay in my pockets now!

29 and Feeling Fine!

Growing up, my parents always did an amazing job making me feel like my birthday was MY DAY. The whole day....from morning until evening...it's all about Andi. This ideology could have set me up for some major disappointment in the future, but my hope is that I have some groundedness and ability to flex, so as each birthday rolls around, I try my best to adapt to my surroundings and take it all in stride. This year was no different when I woke up to 29 and shouted: " Woohoo it's my birthday but I MUST remember to be flexible!!!" This isn't to say that anything too drastic happened...I am just a believer that if you set high expectations, you are bound to be disappointed. Please note that this theory does not apply to all avenues in life...usually just things like Birthdays, New Years Eve Parties, Halloween Parties, or the Perfect Date that you have been planning for months.

Since MY DAY fell on a Saturday, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to tour Seattle. Nick and I discussed our itinerary a few weeks prior to my birthday and booked the appropriate tickes: Hit up the Pacific Science Center (PSC)...take in an iMax movie...eat some delicious food, walk around the city...you know the usual. I invited my family to join in the festivities, because after all, they are some of my favorite people ever...AND Ami's birthday is 2 days following mine, so it would just be weird to not celebrate together.

Rather than type out the play by play...I like the idea of highlights for this day:
-It happened to be Educator's Day at the PSC meaning people in the Education field and their guests could get in for FREE! Thanks to Ami, we got to partake in that opportunity.

-After 3 weeks of great anticipation to watch AVATAR on iMax, we were taught a great lesson on making seamless plans: Don't. The iMax broke the day before and would not be showing our movie. Bummer! Just another reason to be flexible.

-I got my first hamburger experience at Dick's. Only don't ask for no mayo - they don't do special orders. Flexible, flexible, flexible!

-After giving mom and dad the tour of the Colonnade, dad is currently trying to set a date to meet up in Seattle and borrow one of our bikes with "shocks in the front and back" so he can play. What an adventurer!

-It was confirmed that without Nuvi (our handy car navigational system) there is no way we could get to Gas Works Park. Wow...Seattle can be so very confusing!

-The Madator is one of the BEST fusion Tex-Mex places around...yummmmm Verde Carnita Enchiladas and way too many chips! (You should go...locations in Ballard, Tacoma and Redmond)

-My parents and sister spoil me rotten! I scored some amazing Cake Stands (amongst other things)...perhaps one day I will post a blog with photos of them. They are gorgeous!


Matt teaching Delya a valuable lesson in being Camouflage:


Dad and I feeling rather small:


Sometimes the exhibits are just too exciting!!! I mean look at Nick...he is enthralled learning about Walking Sticks:

Dad and I spent a significant chunk of time in the Butterfly House. I think he enjoyed the sitting and I enjoyed the warmth...plus it was pretty cool when a butterfly landed on your shoulder, shin or shoe:

Valentines Day

Valentines Day in the Vann household is not blown out of proportion with heart shaped paraphernalia or chocolate boxes from the floor to ceiling. Instead, we tend to emphasize on the togetherness with perhaps a little extra attention to detail than any other regular day. This year was no different:
A lazy morning woke me up at 8:45am (record breaking for me) with clanking in the kitchen. I padded into the dining room to find my hubby prepping waffles and mixing cream in my coffee...what a guy! There were roses, candles, champagne and some schmoopy words written on heart shaped red construction paper cut out waiting for me as well. Cupid did not appear like last year, nor did my "Chef of Love" like the prior to that...but having Nick bust out the red apron and scamper around the kitchen as I watched him and read the newspaper out loud was just as good.
Since life has been on the busier side lately (summer wedding cake gigs = multitude of winter consultations and tastings at Starbucks/Woods/our house) we decided to use this special day for hitting nature a little harder than the quick 2 hour bike ride on Galbrieth. With rain jackets on and snacks in the back pack, we headed to Chuckanut Drive for one of our favorite local hikes: The Oyster Dome. A steep and rugged 3.5ish miles one way, with some rain, planted us at the "dome" as the skies were clearing up. It was chili, but easily overlooked when the beautiful Sound is staring you in the face (the sandwiches/carrot & hummus/chips helped too!). We spent a majority of our climb up discussing in depth AVATAR...the fabulous movie we finally got to see at the iMax in Langley the previous night (attempt #4 mind you - apparently that's not a movie you can just show up at the theater for...planning is involved) and watching Charlotte hike double the distance as she ran ahead then ran back to see why her pack was moving so very slow, just to turn around and run ahead again.
The hike down was euphoric...that may be a strong word to use when describing a descend that was so muddy and slick, it required 3 points of contact (two legs and and hand or two hands and a leg...or sometimes to hands and a butt), but really it is the best word to describe it. I have a thing for using my body as a tool to explore the earth that God gave us. What made it even better was having Nick and Charlotte there. We got to talk extensively about heavy topics and laugh at silly things with no distractions except for the occasional "feel this soft moss" or "look at the weird moving blue algae in puddles" observations mid-conversations. There were no phones ringing, no e-mail to check, no laundry to switch. It was the perfect way to celebrate togetherness with my Valentine. And, just as every marriage should have it's occasional moment or two, I feel in love that much more with Nick yesterday. He makes me laugh, he "gets" me, he is willing to get a little dirty when his wife requests a hike on the rainiest day of the week and he doesn't complain a bit when make him the deal: You wash that dirty dog...I will make dinner! Thanks babe...you're the BEST!

Three Years of Marital Bliss

Yesterday Nick and I celebrated our 3rd Wedding Anniversary. We didn't really have anything planned per say...just the idea that we would wing it with what felt right. If we felt like dressing up and having a fancy dinner, we would. If we felt like hitting up Boomer's anniversary "all burgers for $2.89 sale" then we would. We're breezy.
This was the first anniversary we were to celebrate in the state of Washington. The last few years we have conveniently been on family vacations which included both Mexico and Hawaii. Both years we have flown out on the actual anniversary...but still...having a good chunk of the day dedicated to white sandy beaches, Pina Coloada's and decent weather...not too bad. Needless to say we were a bit distraught that our anniversary fell on a non-vacationing date...no special treatment this year...or so I thought.
The day was pretty much the usual run of the mill days...wake up, (although I was adorned with a bouquet of beautiful flowers), go to work, touch base with the usual phone call and so on. But at 5pm...Nick came blazing in the door (very unusual for him...6 or 6:30 is his normal arrival time) asking: "Are you ready to go?"
"Oh Goodie!" I thought..."A surprise!" Nick is very good at surprises.
I asked a few questions: "You are going to feed me right? (I was starving). "Am I dressed OK?" (My new Bellingham-esk hemp skirt). "Do I need a jacket?" (Knowing Nick he would probably make me hike 4 miles to get to a remote staged picnic scene.) After we took care of those details, we were out the door in a flash! As soon as we headed North on I-5 I knew this was going to be good. All regular food establishments that we like are downtown which don't require freeway access...let alone North-bound. I was chatting in the car like everything was normal, but when we took the Bellingham International Airport exit...I shut up and began to wonder.
We parked and was greeted/escorted onto the tarmac by our friend Laura Mills, girlfriend extraordinaire of Corley McFarland...our aviation-equipped friend. Soon I put it all together...we were headed to San Juan Island for dinner. The tradition continues...our anniversary would be celebrated with dinner on an island and on a (much, much smaller) airplane.
The smallest plane I have ever been on was from Guatemala to Belize on our honeymoon - a 20 seater. The plane we were about to occupy could have fit in that 20 seater plane. It was tiny! Corley being the oh-so professional and suave pilot that he is, gave us the grand exterior and interior tour, calming any fears that the plane was in fact functioning to it fullest ability. He had all the fancy lingo going when communicating with the towers...so I figured we were in safe hands. But I would be lying if I said I wasn't a wee-bit fearful...not because of the idea of plunging to our death (God takes us when He wants to) but of the fact that I hadn't gotten to say goodbye to my family or let anyone know that if anything did happen, they needed to go get Charlotte who was sleeping innocently in our kitchen. So after a quick prayer and a few negotiations with God, I let it go and had the time of my life!
The tiny plane only needs 1/6th of the runway to lift off. It was relatively fast and easy. As soon as we got up over the treeline though, things were a rockin'. The plane is very, very light (with, let's not forget to mention, only one engine) so the wind is boss and the plane is left to be corrected. As we swayed to and fro, dropped and raised, and shifted side to side, we admired Bellingham Bay, Fairhaven, Vancouver Island, Anacortes, Lumi Island and all other sights to be seen. Of course it was dark by this point, so the lights twinkled beautifully. My respect also grew tremendously for anyone who navigates airplanes in the dark. While over the water, the land blends in with the dark masses below so differentiating between high peaks or sea level ground is nearly impossible. Thanks to GPS and Corley's keen skills, we flew at a steady 3,000ft for about 14 minutes until landing safely (and a little bumpy thanks to those "gusts") at Friday Harbor Airport.
From there we parked the plane (which involves getting out and pushing it!!!!) and walked to the down town area for a fabulous crab cakes appetizers, a fish dinner, wine and great conversation.
The ride home was a bit smoother than the ride there. The air was much calmer this go around. I got to sit in the front which gave me a whole new perspective and appreciation yet again for people who fly...think about those Fighter Pilots who fly at Mach Speed!!! Crazy!
Our landing was seamless and night of flying was over. We pushed the plane into the hanger, locked the doors and that was it! Who would have thought that in a mere 4 hours we were flown to and from the San Juan Islands, had a terrific dinner, amazing company and a memory to last a life time.
Thanks Nick!!! I am a lucky, lucky woman to be married to you! And a special thanks to Corley for flying by the seat of his pants, so to speak (weather in January is rather undependable) and giving us a ride of a lifetime!

Thanksgiving and Christmas Tree Hunting

Thanksgiving weekend was awesome! Although I didn't take any photos of our bountiful feast, the 17 Kaczmarek family members put quite the dent in the plentiful bounty on the table. I took a poll of people's top 3 favorite Thanksgiving Day food items and amoung each answer there was one common demoninator: Stuffing. My mom makes a rockin' good stuffing! No nuts, no cranberries, no rasins. Just lots of sausage, spices, cornbread and butter of course. No wonder it is the best!

Two of my wonderful cousins, LeAnne and Lauren, flew into town to join in in the festivities from Colorado. It was so much fun to catch up with them. Check out Delya's poka dots. She is so very stylin' thanks to Omi.

We spent half the long weekend in Steilacoom and the other half at my folk's cabin at Cyrstal Mt. Saturday was spent up on the slopes. The first half of the dad was filled with clear, gorgeous skies. We failed to pull out the camera, before the clouds rolled in and limited our visability. Bummer. Dad, Nick and I had a great time though. Nice and easy pace...with many bathroom and snack breaks...just how skiing should be!

Sunday was Christmas tree shopping day. We bought a forest pass ($10 - a total score) and hit the hills. After about 45 minutes of dredging through waste deep snow, we finally found the tree to adorn our living room this December! We were so excited...I shared a kiss with Charlotte! (Too bad she can't take photos...otherwise, I could have shared a kiss with Nick!) Ahh, well.
Charlotte digs the snow! She was bouncing all over the place like a bunny. See her tail???
Tying the tree on the car is my least favorite job. That's why I take pictures and explore while Nick does the dirty work.

I would LOVE to post a photo of our tree decked out with orniments and lights in our home...but our camera has officially crapped out. When I try to turn it on, it just blurts 5 furrious beeps at me then turns off again. Guess it's time to hit consumer reports for some research!

Yes...I am almost a month behind....but here it is Halloween!

Charlotte and Fairy

I am so, so behind on posting blogs. I think I have computer phobia during the evening...which is unfortunate because that is when I typically blog. So much of my work (besides the baking part) is on the computer...emailing clients, putting together quotes, doing "paperwork." So when evening comes in the Vann household and dinner has been eaten, the dog has been walked and I have free time, the last thing I feel like doing is firing up the good ol' computer once more for more screen time. Nope. Lately, I have been all about reading, playing a game of crib with Nick or movie watching. Not to mention the fact that my bedtime is around 9pm (I blame it on the time change and the dark skies arriving around 4:30pm). So I am uber behind on my posts, but whatever...it gets done when it gets done.

So...Halloween weekend we had a full house. The Mag 7 came together once again for some lounging time, participation in a ragin' BUNCO party and a home improvement project. Check it out!

We had a great turn out for our Halloween Costume BUNCO party and the Anker Cafe. The perfect venue for a large crowd! I didn't get every one's photo...but if you were there and your picture isn't below...send it to me and I will happily add it. I know I am missing some Animal Control peeps, another Polyester dude & tourist, as well as Salt & Pepper (seasonings, not the rappers)!

The Card Players:

The 1950's Housewife and her Construction Working/Beer Drinking Husband:

Poison Ivy, Pirate and Skunk

The Bump (road construction/bun in the oven) and Tourist:

Bacon & Eggs!!!

Scary hooded man with dark eyes:

The Polyester Queen and "Dave From Work"
Shrek and Fionna:

Hippie (holding our little Skunk):

Dad was the General Contractor for installing our back awning that weekend as well. Our goal was not only to protect us from the adverse weather while coming and going from the house but to also give Charlotte a dry place to perch if it happened to rain on a day she was outside.

The Before:
The After:

On Sunday, while Dad was redeeming his birthday present (a professional message) and Nick and Matt were up on Galbrieth...Mom, Ami, Delya and I went to Hovander Park for some animal viewing-park walking-pumpkin admiring time. It was great!
Thanks for a great weekend...perhaps the Costume-BUNCO party will be an annual event. You should definitely come next year!

November's Featured CREATIVE COOKIE

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble!

Available November 9th through November 24th

Minimum order of 6 cookies, $2.25 each (plus tax)...and they are shippable!

Email to place your Order: Andi@PureBlissDesserts.com

Pure Bliss Desserts and Seamless Cakes have collaborated to bring you Delicious AND Beautifully decorated cookies! Each all-natural cookie is individually wrapped, bowed and tagged to make the perfect favor for parties, client appreciation gifts, thank yous or a treat for the kiddos and YOU! Each month there will be a new themed cookie.

November's Cake of the Month

CREAMY COCONUT CAKE!

Creamy and moist white cake infused with real coconut, layered and topped with cream cheese frosting, then garnished with toasted coconut flakes for an added crunch!

Two sizes available:
The standard size; serving 20 people for $34 (plus tax)
OR
The petite version; serving 8 people for $15 (plus tax)


Pre-Order yours NOW (before November 9th)! Your cake can be available for pick-up or delivery between November 13th to the 24th. Email Andi@PureBlissDesserts.com to order.

Thinking about Christmas already??? How about giving the gift that keeps on giving? A year's subscription to Cake of the Month! A delectable CAKE (in either standard or petite size) for each month in 2010 is the perfect gift for your friends, relatives, co-workers, nanny, neighbor, employees...anyone who just really LOVES cake.
Want to learn more??? Contact Andi.

*Photograph provided by: www.taylorswedbergphotography.com

Go Sounders!

Last weekend, we were spoiled by Ben and Jen (friends of ours....met during my Effectiveness Institute days) to a Sounders game. After a rousing dinner of the much delicious bottomless fries at Red Robin, we headed over to Seattle for the game. It being our first, we really didn't know what to expect...but I can honestly say it was riveting. The crowd totally gets into it. It's like they are a part of the team. The support, the enthusiasm, the die hard loyalty they showed the Sounders was not only impressive but influential. We stood the entire game...minus half time. Nick bought himself a scarf, because ever true Sounders fan needs to have one and waved that puppy with the best of 'um.
It was great to catch up on the last 2.5 years face-to-face with Ben and Jen and made a vow to not let that much time pass again. I mean...why is life so busy that that much time can pass and seem like a blink of an eye? Scary. Oh and just in case you were wondering...the Sounders beat Texas: 2-1.