Color Inspiration No. 9

January 27, 2022 Amanda + Isabelle

Hot pink - would you do it?!

Bold look - nothing subtle here, plenty of bright pink hues

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Fresh new take - mix in something unexpected, like bright yellow

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Classic interpretation - hints of hot pink on a more neutral backdrop

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Get a fresh start with these local businesses

January 13, 2022 Amanda + Isabelle

Every now and then we like to highlight small business in the area and the new year, with all the goal-setting going on, seemed like a good time to think about how we can increasingly shop local. Here are some favorite places to consider while you’re considering new habits!

Real relaxation

We’ve been going to **Penelope and The Beauty Bar** for years (not *often*, but when there’s a special occasion!) and it is the spa experience you dream about - calming sounds, scents, candles, quiet places to sit before and after your service. Sometimes a massage is like a doctor visit and sometimes you want to feel pampered. If it’s the latter, go here.

Lounge in style

If you’re going to be working from home or just hanging out, you might as well wear something that makes you feel a little special. **Tuesday Shop** has the most gorgeous, hand-dyed kimonos and she also makes kimonos and shift dresses from remnant and vintage fabric = zero waste!

Work it out

**Community Fitness** has such a great community, friendly staff and TONS of class offerings. During the pandemic they offered virtual classes for *free* (accepting donations) and have transitioned to reasonable virtual or in person subscriptions. If exercising is something you’ve been wanting to add to your life, but you need that extra nudge, this is a great place to start!

Eating with an impact

A Seattle staple for almost 30 years, **Fare Start** has delicious food and a great mission to empower people through job training and caring for the community by proving free meals to those in need. Next time you’re thinking about going out for dinner (or need catering!), we highly recommend checking it out.

When you need a treat

When we need a tasty treat the **Jewel Box Cafe** is a go to for us - crepes in the winter and bubble tea in the summer! It’s got a fun vibe inside and nice outdoor seating, including fire pits.

Perfectly Paired Year in Review: 2021

December 30, 2021 Amanda + Isabelle

Well this year turned out pretty well, although perhaps not as ‘normal’ as we originally hoped. But some great things happened - most importantly, we got our COVID-19 vaccine! We made lots of tasty treats and tried hot cocoa bombs. Plus don’t forget all the serious dessert research we did ;) One of the best things that happened was that we got to help make a beautiful wedding happen, we really missed getting to do that last year. Spoiler alert for 2022: there’s going to be a re-ception for Isabelle and her husband! Plus we’ve got some other fun plans…

Wishing you all the best and a happy new year!

Amanda + Isabelle

Holiday special edition: 2021 Christmas checklist

December 16, 2021 Amanda + Isabelle

We can hardly believe we’re wrapping up 2021, but have been making the most of this December. Most importantly there has been a lot of baking and treat delivery (also binge watching baking competitions feels very on brand for this time of year). We’re also in a steady rotation of tea, hot chocolate and hot cider. Last year things looked a little different (pandemic plus a new baby in the mix) and we couldn’t do all the things we normally enjoy - even though it’s not totally back normal now, we really appreciate that we are able to do some of those family traditions again. Here are just a couple things on our December ‘agenda’ this year!

Extended puzzling

You know, where you have a puzzle and people just contribute whenever they are around? That is our style of puzzling. Also, maybe it’s just getting older, but puzzles are so relaxing (minus the infuriating parts), almost makes us wonder why we only do them around the holidays…

Mini trip to England

Every year we go to the **British Pantry** for lunch sometime in December. It’s just one of those things we can’t imagine not doing and last year we definitely missed it. After eating, we always wander the little shop and pick up Christmas crackers and extra pastries for later :)

Sweet Christmas breakfast

A few years ago Isabelle made the America’s Test Kitchen ultimate cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning breakfast and we can’t quit them. Maybe not everyone is as into Christmas morning breakfast as we are, but it’s actually become a bigger deal than dinner. Dangerous, but highly recommended.

Wishing you a very merry Christmas :)

Amanda + Isabelle

Creating a budget for your wedding

December 2, 2021 Amanda + Isabelle

Definitely not the most fun wedding-related topic… But so important! Also, who doesn’t like a google doc?!

With couples able to have weddings again (and re-ceptions) in the coming year, we thought it would be helpful to talk about how to create and stick to a wedding budget .

While it’s tempting to start with all the pretty things, we always recommend working backwards from your total budget. Big or small, come up with a number that is reasonable for you as a couple and fits with your financial goals.
Prioritize. Maybe you each pick the one thing that’s the most important to you, or come up with tiers of most important to least important (maybe some things you’ll do without if the budget doesn’t allow for it).
Utilize Google Documents to organize everything and especially create spreadsheets to calculate and track everything.
Break vendors/items into categories: DIY vs. hire. The DIY category might include friends/family who are willing to do something for free, at cost or for a discount. Of course this also includes anything you will make yourself. These things still need to be in the budget because the service might be free (i.e. your time), but you still need to purchase supplies.
Remember that the guest count will greatly impact your budget, but not everything. It’s good to break down these two categories into fixed costs (items/vendors that won’t depend on the number of guests like the wedding dress, photographer, DJ) vs. variable costs (items that will depend on the number of guests such as food, drinks, invitations). The venue is kind of both - the total number will affect it on a large scale (25 vs. 200 people), but once you select one, it won’t really be affected by the final number.
Do your research and set reasonable expectations. Get lots of quotes - keeping in mind experience levels, what’s included, and how location will impact cost.
Stick to the plan. We know this is easier said than done, but you don’t want to have regrets because you went over budget or skimped on something really important *cough* photographer *cough*.