Tag: Washington

Early Summer Images

~ Crystle ~ 11 Comments

It seems like we’ve been everywhere this season, and Summer has only just begun. From Washington, we drove through the beautiful Oregon on our way to my home state of California.  The drive was insanely scenic and of course any trip where we get some face time with San Francisco is a success. Visiting family was icing on the cake.

For a short time being, things have settled down around here. I’ve been cooking up a storm and taking photos of mundane things around the house.

We’ve also been getting outdoors (in town) whenever possible. We recently crushed our previous long distance records. We ran 10 miles on Tuesday, a surprise to us both. I attribute that success to cross-training with the ‘Insanity’ videos. They’re exactly as they’re titled: insane.

Now we’re working on getting both of our bikes into commission. I’m fortunate to have a husband who is super handy with road bikes.

And of course the dogs are always in our shadows, shedding on everything.

Things are pretty lax this minute, but tomorrow one of my best friends comes to visit. We’re going to be bouncing around Washington; touring Seattle, Snoqualmie Falls and Bellingham this weekend. After she departs, Jay arrives and we get to check out more local haunts. It’s going to be a busy summer!

And just so you’re in the know, I’m collaborating a giveaway with one of my favorite bloggers. More to come on that in my next post. If you have time, check out my blogroll and see if you can find the creator of my favorite Hand Crafted Pretty Little Lovelies!

Chambers Bay

~ Crystle ~ 6 Comments

Chambers Bay View

The weather this weekend has been heavenly! We’re looking at sunny skies and 70°F weather until next week. On days like this, there is no better place in the metro to be than Chambers Bay in University Place. There’s plenty of room at this park to lay out and soak up some rays, fly a kite, or take a long run.

Chambers Bay

Or if you’re like me, you’re out snapping pictures of the Olympic mountains and bird’s nests with your underused tele lens. And when you’re out doing that, a group of teenage girls call you ‘ma’am’ and ask you to take their photo (with three different cameras) while they sit on a log. No worries, happy to oblige, just don’t call me ma’am, please!

This brings me to my next topic: when does a ‘miss’ become a ‘ma’am’? When she gets married (which I am), when she looks to be about 30 years of age (which I speculate I do), or otherwise? I have no idea, but somehow my honest face automatically contorts into a stink-eye scowl when I’m referred to as ma’am. Maybe I need a lesson on embracing the aging process, because it’s a long journey and I’m really just starting out.

Until I’ve come to terms with the inevitability of teenagers getting younger as I get older, I’ll just continue bird watching on Puget Sound while sucking on lemon drops and listening to This American Life podcasts.

Tacoma, WA on Film

~ Crystle ~ 7 Comments
Last weekend after our outdoor adventure, Isaac and I settled in at home to watch some movies filmed here in Tacoma, WA. While munching on kettle corn and sipping on wine we watched “The Hand that Rocks the Cradle” and “10 Things I Hate About You”. I hadn’t watched either film since their original releases back in the 90s; both were entertaining.
The next day we went out to find the local spots where these were filmed. It was fun exploring/creepin’ our new town and the act of scouting out familiar places from film reminded me of kicking around Los Angeles back when I was still a California girl. I grew up in Bakersfield, a hop and a skip from tinsel town so cruising around Beverly Hills to scope out some mega mansions was always a delight.
Since the address used in the ‘Hand’ is the same as the physical address of the house we found it very easily in the Stadium district of Northern Tacoma (I love details like that!). The greenhouse from the film is still there, albeit hidden from view by vegetation grown over the years. This neighborhood, by the way, is incredible. Upper-middle class all the way, this area sports sprawling homes with scenic views of Puget Sound. Too bad we don’t have a cool $700k to drop on a pad in this area.
 ’10 Things’ was filmed at Stadium High School in Tacoma, WA. Just a short drive from the ‘Hand’ house, the school is located on a bluff overlooking Puget Sound. I read that originally this school was built as a hotel for a railroad. The company went under and instead of having the place demolished, the property was sold to Tacoma Public Schools who then converted it into a school. When the stadium was completed a few years later, they changed the name of the school to Stadium High School. The stadium is a huge venue that has hosted many prestigious guest speakers in the past. Thanks, Wikipedia for the 411. The stadium is most notably where Heath Ledger did his famous proposal-style prom invite to Julia Stiles in ’10 Things’.
Can you imagine spending 4 years getting your education at a place like this? Incredible.
When my friends and family come to visit this summer, I’m definitely going to grab some lattes and take us for a spin in this neighborhood. So glad to report that the novelty and wonder of living in Tacoma, WA still hasn’t worn off.