Harry Potter Giveaway on Mary Rebecca's blog!

I've been invited to partcipate in a Harry Potter giveaway over at Mary Rebecca's blog! Check it out! I've contributed a set of my small Harry Potter cards.

Now get over to Mary Rebecca's blog, check out her awesome posts, and enter the HP giveaway!

Pride and Prejudice

I am slightly ashamed to admit this, but I only recently read Pride and Prejudice. Its not that I was opposed to reading it, I just never got around to picking it up. I have friends that are positively obsessed with Ms. Austen's work and now that I have finally finished P&P I completely understand. To be fair, I did try to read P&P a few times in the past, but as Meg Ryan's character so accurately says in You've Got Mail, "I get lost in the language–words like thither, mischance, felicity..." One of my favorite movies, by the way. Fig recommended that I start out with training wheels first. So, on his suggestion I read Sorcery and Cecelia before trying Austen again. He was right, once I got used to the language and style it was so easy to pick up P&P. I still get lost in the sometimes run-on sentences, but I love her work all the same. 
Now that I have a deep love for Ms. Austen's work, especially Pride and Prejudice with the wonderful Mr. Darcy, here is small a collection of fun Austen finds from Etsy:

I just purchased this one for myself, but you can purchase a similar one here from CleverApple. Just lovely! (Photo Credit)

I own this mug, which I purchased here from Brookish. (Photo Credit)

I don't have one of these yet, but I've been thinking it might be wonderful to have one for the crisp fall weather. (Photo Credit)

This beautiful and well-crafted towel hangs in my kitchen. Brookish is a great place to find beautiful, lovingly made Jane Austen goods. (Photo Credit)

One can only hope... If I had known about this card I think I might have sent it to a dear friend who went through a terrible time in the way of love a few years ago. However, I do believe she has found her Mr. Darcy now. (Photo Credit)

Nan Lawson's work is amazing, of course, and this print is no exception. Love, love it. (Photo Credit)

Bogachiel

Over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, Fig and I took a drive up the 101 and ended up in the Bogachiel State Park. We camped overnight, hiked the Bogachiel trail, visited Forks, and made smores!
The weather was fine with just a light shower toward the end of our hike and a nice downpour that forced us into the tent to listen the rain patter while we played cards. We both agreed that the only thing that might have made it the night better was if we had a book on tape (or ipod with travel speaker)...Harry Potter or Jonathan Strange would have been perfect!

If you are in the area and looking for a fun, easy trail to hike, I totally recommend this one. The campsite is just a short drive across the street and 2 miles or so to the trailhead. It was mostly flat, after the steep hike down to the trail, and only a few slopes here and there. Beautiful mossy forest, a river, secret tree bridges! Just lovely, can't wait to get back there.

Baby Finds

My very dear friend is pregnant with her first child. This has prompted me to being looking closer at all of the adorable baby stuff there is out there. Here are just a few great finds from Etsy:

Business Lunch Bib: anaapple

Deer Shelf: MapleShadeKids

Bat Baby Onesie: CausticThreads

Dino Wet Bag: modmomME

Gnome Onesie: TheWishingElephant

Hedgie Booties: funkyshapes

Owl Hat: amberneecrochet

The IT Crowd

I've just started watching the third season of The IT Crowd on Netflix. I kept seeing it pop up on my recommendations, so I finally decided to give it a go and now I'm hooked! Its a British sitcom-type show about two IT guys and their supervisor who knows nothing about computers. Its really funny and the running gags/jokes are great.

Image source

Hurricane Ridge

A good friend came up for a quick visit for the weekend of my birthday in April and we managed to sneak in a drive up the the Olympic Peninsula. Our intention was to go for a hike at Hurricane Ridge, but as the mountain was covered in snow (higher than my car!) and still snowing as we drove up to the visitor center at the top, that did not happen. We did get a nice view and a cozy place to eat our lunch. Seriously, the views were breath-taking. I am so glad to be living so close to such beauty.

The mountain road on the way back down...the snow banks (?) on the sides are higher than my car!

View from the visitor center.

More from the visitor center

View from one of the look out spots on the way up/down.

Crazy icicles hanging from the visitor center observation deck.

Beautiful view from the beginning of the trail.

Look out trail further down the mountain.

Reading Rabbits and Pumpkin Heads

Just listed these two original paintings on wood in the shop:

Pumpkin Head

Reading Rabbit