weekend snapshots: summer birthdays

Hi all! Hope everyone had a happy and safe 4th! I was lucky enough to have the highly coveted, very precious four day weekend. It was a much needed mini vacation from my, lately, very hectic work life. Over the long weekend, I celebrated many important births: the birth of our great nation, the birth of one of my style/life icons Frida Kahlo and well, me. Natch.I celebrated hard y'all! I was super lucky one of my  besties, Britt, made her annual Independence Day weekend pilgrimage back to Seattle. I love getting to see her on my birthday! We watched the fireworks at our friend's condo on Capitol Hill with a great view! On the 5th, (my actual birthday) Miles and I went to the wedding of two of our beautiful friends, Emily and Kim. It was RAD. We got to dance, yell Mozel Tov!, and the ridiculously talented Seattle Rock Orchestra put on a private mini concert. Amazing. So happy for those two. Other highlights of the weekend included bike rides, lots of reading in Volunteer Park, a (free!) trip to the Seattle Asian Art Museum, bahn mi sandwiches, dinner at Serious Pie and a birthday party in the park with all of my friends and family! It was so much fun to have a bunch of my friends in the same place at the same time. We had a BBQ, drank beers, played catch and basically just had the best time. Am a lucky girl, or what? Hope you all had a wonderful weekend, and here's to many more great summer weekends! xoxo, whit.

rompin. photo by miles

i know the cityscape photo is cheesy. but sometimes i just can't get over how beautiful this place is.

britt and whit

birthday bahn mi

wedding dates

mazel tov emily and kim!

best date ever.

 inside the gorgeous SAAM (Seattle Asian Art Museum). art deco ♥

on our way to read in Volunteer Park (again) we made new friend

 birthday party decorations! celebrating frida's birthday too 

me and alex ♥

decorations from some of my besties. sign from sarah and a photoshopped loc from, loc!

pink flamingos were a impulse buy. that i do not regret.

my beautiful friends, ellen and merrick. photo courtesy of my good friend forrest! 

 even my hometown friend, miguel was there!

some really really great friends.

weekend snapshots: many mini birthday celebrations

This edition of weekend snapshots is brought to you by birthdays. So many birthdays! My 26th birthday was last Thursday, Miles turned 27 the week before and lest we forget Amurica's birthday on the 4th! We have really lucked out with beautiful weather-Seattle summer is finally here! Really though you guys, there is no better place to be during the summer than the Northwest. I felt particularly lucky to have such a wonderful birthday with my family and friends this weekend, and the sunshine just made it that much better. Check out some a bunch of my photos below, and have a wonderful weekend!
♥, whit

Miles' mom made me this beautiful, not to mention delicious, German chocolate cake.

My adorable friend Bill of the Torn ACLs! How fun are our 4th of July outfits!?

 Ready for summer!

I had to work on the 4th. This happened.

 The birthday boy. Adorable as always.

With his new mini tripod for iPhone photos.

Cupcake Royale. Had to.

 Torn ACLs had a show on my birthday! Not sure if my little bros were as excited as I was.

Pomegranate mimosa at Plum. Gettin' my birthday buzz on.

 On our way home from dinner. Wurk.

 Another dinner!This time with my wonderful friend, Ms. Marian, looking as cute as ever.

 Enjoying this dessert from Cuoco more than you know.

Like I said, Seattle summer is the best! Beautiful day in the sculpture park.

mini gift guide: don't forget the mother's day card!

I have serious love for cards and stationary. I get it from my mama! We used to make homemade cards together for our friends and family. I have fond memories of being covered in glitter glue in our living room with my mom telling me my greeting card creations were the best she'd ever seen (they were not, by the way). So, naturally, when Mother's Day comes around I am obsessive about finding the perfect card for my mom. Need a little help finding one for yours? Take a peek at these super cute cards below!
♥, whit

Best Mom Everrr Card $4 (via etsy.com)

Mama Card $6 (via katespaperie.com)

Best Mom in Town Card $5 (via eggpress.com)

I'll Always Look Up To You Card $5 (via hellolucky.com)

 My Favorite Mom Card $8 (via etsy.com)

mini gift guide: 6 fun gift ideas for yo' mama

Mother's Day is May 13th, right around the corner! Even though all mothers appreciate anything their kids give them (ie: the burnt cookie disaster of '98...she actually ate them!) it is nice to put a little effort into your gift search, because your mom is totally worth it! If you are at a loss for gift ideas, take a look at these super cute ideas below. As my mom would say, "Whitney (reader), just get it done now so you don't have to worry about it later!" And, as she would also say, "let's just go shopping!" Love my mom. xoxo ♥, whit.

Bird Jug $53 (via donnawilson.com)

 Wall Bubble Terrarium $35 (via floragrubb.com)

 Home is Wherever Mom is Print $15 (via etsy.com)

Hone Your Craft Supply Organizer $50 (via modcloth.com)

Recipe Cards $14 (via yellowowlworkshop.com)

Sunday Market Tote $59 (via modcloth.com)

mini gift guide: top 5 valentine's day gifts for her

 1. Eskimo Kiss Print, $80; 2. Heart Pendant Watch Necklace, $25; 3.Terrarium Necklace, $27, 4. Red Rounded Wayfarer, $135; 5. Floral Doc Martin Boots, $130.

While every girl likes flowers (they do, they are lying to you if they tell you they don't), you could ditch the bouquet for these floral print Doc Martin boots. She won't have to toss them out in a week, plus they cost the same as a dozen long stem roses anyway. It's called value, people! Speaking of value, some guys tend to shy away from jewelry because in their minds, jewelry=expensive. Jewelry is classic and us ladies always appreciate it; the price tag really doesn't matter. The heart pendant and terrarium necklace above are both under $30! I also LOVE these red wayfarer sunglasses by Ray-Ban because let's face it, they're rad. Plus, another adorable print by Donna Wilson! Eskimos kissing!? Come on, it's like I'm handing this to you.
Valentine's day is growing nearer! Get moving! And while you're out shopping for your lovely lady, keep in mind, the classics are classic for a reason. Pick up some flowers (no need to spend $130, simple farmers market flowers are sweeter anyways) and a card on your way home. Trust me, we really do like that kind of stuff! (this is not computer sarcasm, promise) ♥xoxo, whit.

mini gift guide: top 5 valentine's day gifts for him

 1. You Are So Handsome Screen Print, $60; 2. Magno Wooden Radio, $150; 3. Green Rucksack #8, $220; 4. La Sardina Lomography Camera, $70; 5. We Are So Good Together Print, $60.

Valentine's Day may not be every guy's favorite holiday. Dare I say, most guys hate February 14th? While this may be true, they still deserve a little somethin' somethin'! Yes, guys are notoriously very hard to shop for on a holiday that is, let's be honest here, obviously manufactured for the ladies. Luckily, most men aren't interested in cheesy teddy bears and heart shaped boxes of chocolates. Personally, I think a framed screen print is always a simple yet thoughtful gift that goes a long way. This Donna Wilson, "You Are So Handsome" print is adorable. She is so creative! I also have yet to meet a guy that does not love a cool backpack, and this teal green rucksack from Archival Clothing is the perfect mix of cool yet functional. Plus I would totally "borrow" it and use it myself. And of course, when all else fails, gadgets. Dudes love gadgets. While I love this La Sardina camera because of the super cute pattern, I've also heard it takes really cool pictures.♥-Day is only a few days away, so I hope this helps! Good luck! xoxo,whit.