Photo Friday: The Perfect Poppies

So if you assume that because I grew up in Kansas, I'm familiar with the movie The Wizard of Oz...you're wrong. I'm not just familiar with it...I'm pretty sure I could put on a fairly accurate one woman reenactment of the movie. Oh, and if you want to throw in my two sisters, we could absolutely quote the whole movie (songs included!).

Its been a really long time since I've seen the movie. Well, except the time Erik and I looked up 'Wizard of Oz Dark Side of the Moon' on youtube just to check out the urban legend for ourselves...but that doesn't really count, right? No matter how long its been, there are little things that remind me of this classic. Like the time we were out on a walk with Austin and without realizing it (until an older gentleman walking in the opposite direction pointed out), I was wearing my red tennis shoes, my Kansas hoodie, and walking my scruffy dog. Or whenever I hear any cover of Somewhere Over the Rainbow...you know the song I've mentioned a few times that I like?

And then there's poppies...I will never be able to walk by poppies without hearing The Wicked Witch of West..."Poppies...poppies...poppies will put them to sleep..". You know the scene...

No matter what your association with the flower, you can't deny it's beauty- the crepe paper-like petals and the vibrant color. I've never noticed them as much as I have this spring though...maybe I'm under their spell?!

Photo Friday: Skagit Valley Tulips

April showers bring April flowers? I know that's not how the saying goes...but April is the Tulip Festival! It was a rainy drive up to the fields but completely worth it...

Brunch Date!

I remember our first night up here...our first night in the city. Our mattress was on the floor, boxes and Rubbermaid bins stacked up around us, and outside our window...our 'night light'. We could see the very top of the Needle from our bedroom window and we fell asleep to it softly glowing in the distance.

Over the years, it has became more than just a local landmark to us...not only did it help light the apartment for those middle-of-the-night sleepy stumbles to the bathroom- it also represented a brand new life, a new beginning, the journey we were starting on our own...just the two of us (ok, technically three of us, counting our pup, Austin).

After almost five years and with the help of a gift card (thanks Leslye & Don!), we finally made it to the top! We had the biggest brunch or my lives...lets just say my appetizer was a Belgian waffle.

Facing South- The skyline and Mt Rainier

Facing East- The Cascades in the distance

I may have been a little too photo happy...

We spent our two+ hours in the restaurant pointing out every building, landmark, mountain, neighborhood we knew. We pointed out the streets, the highways, the hills we've driven down and the streets we've walked along.

We could even see our old apartment building...it was crazy to think how many nights we spent staring at the Needle in awe...

And there we were, remembering that first night...staring right back at the place where this whole adventure started.