Back up and at ‘em after a wonderful Seattle weekend! Sunday we decided to hit up the local markets, starting with the one just down the street. Look at the gorgeous flower bouquet I picked up at the Fremont market…
I don’t understand why or how the flowers in Seattle are so inexpensive, but I’m definitely not complaining. This huge bouquet of sunflowers and lilies cost me $15 – insanity!
But the highlight of the weekend was not the flowers – it is the company! My wonderful friend Lindsey is here visiting this week! It’s her first trip out to Seattle, and we had the perfect weather for showing her around all our favorite spots this weekend.
In between markets, we popped back home to put these beauties into vase with some water.
They are making the house smell fabulous, and I get excited every time I walk in the door and see them.
After the Fremont market, we headed over to my other favorite – the Ballard market. My favorite thing about this particular market? The hot dog stand.
Apple sage Field Roast veggie dog with sauerkraut, dill relish, ketchup, and yellow mustard. Perfection.
Lunch eaten on the curb, as it should be.
Finished with our lunches, we walked around the market and checked out all the gorgeous vegetables and produce.
The vendors at this market seem to put a lot of care into both their products and their displays. Why do vegetables just look so much better when they are spilling out of baskets or displayed in rows of color?
Glorious sunshine and warm temperatures. The perfect Sunday for a stroll around the market.
With a few hours of sun left in the afternoon, the three of us headed over to Golden Gardens park to relax on a blanket, read, and catch up.
A little too much cloud cover to see the mountains, but still a pretty impressive view.
Rainier cherries straight from the market as our picnic snack. I had to really concentrate to not eat the entire bag.
Cruise ships in the distance. An Alaskan cruise is high on my list of things to do now that we live out here! We’re thinking about taking Baby C on one next summer.
Great weather, great company, great weekend.
63 Comments so far
Leave a comment
Oh cherries, they have tasted SO delicious lately! Though I struggle with the self control to stop eating them :)
And an Alaskan cruise is high up on my must-do list, too! I want to see a whale so badly.
[Reply]
Nothing says summer like a beach day with friends…and a yummy lookin hot dog of course! Looks like you had a blast :)
[Reply]
Seattle = heaven!!!
[Reply]
You are making me MISS Seattle! We visited my sister in August last year and the weather seemed right on perfect then as it does now! She doesn’t live there anymore :(
We love Field Roast veggie dogs..usually cut them up and put in a stew or pasta dish…I should try them as a hot dog type meal. I saw Field Roast has made a frankfurter. Haven’t seen it in Maryland yet…have you seen them in Seattle, being they’re local, right?
Also, made your Vegan Broccoli Cheese Pasta Bake yesterday. SO GOOD! We added some Old Bay to give it a Maryland twist :)
[Reply]
Wow, those flowers are impressive! Seattle looks gorgeous. Can’t wait to visit one day. So great that your friend is out visiting. Have a fabulous week!
[Reply]
I’ve read your blog for years, but this is my first time commenting (yes, I’m a total blog stalker!). Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that I met your mom yesterday! My husband and I are good friends with your cousin Dana and his wife Lynn. Dana, Lynn and I volunteer at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center and your mom stopped by yesterday to say hi. She got to see all of our seal and sea lion patients as well as Maverick, our newborn sea lion! It was so nice to meet her, she’s a lovely lady :)
Lynn and I go to the farmer’s market every Saturday after our run. I finally had to buy a cart for us to put all of our produce in because we can barely carry all that we buy!
[Reply]
Gorgeous shots! I was so tempted to buy a bag of cherries while I was out there last week. They were just screaming to be eaten at every stand I passed!
[Reply]
I did an Alaskan cruise with my family about 13 years ago and it was the best vacation ever, still. My extended family is there right now too. We are hoping to go back Summer 2013. It was really the most amazing vacation!
[Reply]
The flowers are amazing!! I have always wondering how they are able to offer them so inexpensively. Your post makes me super excited to visit my mom this fall with my little guys. They have such a great time in the area. What a wonderful place to raise a fam.
[Reply]
Seattle is such a beautiful place! and those flowers are so gorg!!!
[Reply]
I think I mentioned this before but when we visited Seattle last summer my favorite part was all the flowers at the market – so beautiful and cheap! Seattle was also my favorite trip, of the year!
[Reply]
I love the colors and the veggies spilling out! I need to get to more farmer’s markets. In Seattle. I think I just need to go to Seattle. :-)
[Reply]
Gorgeous weather in Seattle!!! OMG!! That flowers are so beautifully inexpensive. So jealous ;)
[Reply]
That’s so awesome that Lindsey made it out and looks like it was such a perfect day. Those flowers are absolutely gorgeous! A friend of mine went on an Alaskan cruise for her honeymoon and had a blast. I bet you would get some great pictures of the glaciers and such :)
[Reply]
I just got back from an Alaskan cruise out of Seattle last weekend! Absolutely beautiful!!
We also LOVED Seattle – first time there! :)
[Reply]
What a fabulous weekend…so nice to have friends come and visit. Enjoy these last couple of weeks.
[Reply]
What, you didn’t do anything for Seafair weekend??! :P
[Reply]
Looks like a great weekend. Those flowers are beautiful!
[Reply]
You MUST go on an Alaskan cruise! You must you must you must! But I might recommend going when Baby C is a teeny bit older than 8-9 months. Jeff and I went on one in June and I loved it. I am actually getting ready to do some posts about my cruise experience. :)
[Reply]
I love farmer’s markets, the vendors take such care to make their produce look almost as good as it tastes! Sooo good.
[Reply]
Oh wow! I think I want to move to Seattle. It’s SO lovely!
[Reply]
That hot dog looks great! I went on an Alaskan cruise with my family, and we had blast. It’s such beautiful scenery!
[Reply]
The flowers in the Pacific NW are cheap because a lot of them are grown on flower farms in the a surrounding area :) (like the tulip farms in Mt. Vernon and such).
[Reply]
All of your photos are so gorgeous! Oh and um…yeah TOMS! :)
[Reply]
I wish we had a farmers market like that where I live! Jealous!*
[Reply]
You’re glowing next to those flowers! :) Great to know you’re doing well being preggo and staying so positive.
Looks like a great and wonderful weekend. Here’s to a amazing week!
[Reply]
I HIGHLY recommend an Alaskan cruise! I went on one last summer (mine departed from Vancouver though) and it was by far one of the best trips I have EVER taken. Alaskan scenery is unreal and there are so many fun things to do in each port :)
Rainier cherries are my FAVORITE! As are sunflowers – super jealous of your bouquet!
[Reply]
Leah Reply:
August 9th, 2011 at 10:20 am
I agree! The cruise to Alaska is AMAZING! We went on the one that left from Seattle. :)
[Reply]
Dang, I think it’s time the husband starts searching for new jobs in Seattle!!!
[Reply]
I love Seattle – score on the awesome 15 dollar flowers! Great pictures of the market! Happy Monday… xoxo from Trinidad
[Reply]
Everything about Seattle sounds amazing! Has anything about the move difficult in terms of adjustment? You look SO happy! The flowers are so beautiful- I’m jealous!!!
[Reply]
I love how stands at farmers markets display all their goodies as well. Vegetables always make me so happy especially seeing all the different colors!
The beach looked beautiful as well! I love that you can see crusie ships! How cool is that?
[Reply]
Love the Toms pic! I’m crazy about my Toms. I have both black and red, and wear them all the time.
Those flowers are absolutely gorgeous too! Sunflowers just makes bouquets look so alive and colorful! :
[Reply]
Oh why did I read this when I am starving for lunch. Now I want that Field Roast hotdog!!!
[Reply]
Looks like a great weekend. Don’t you love when friends come to visit?
Those flowers look gorgeous – I just added them to my grocery list – just what I need to cheer me up on a Monday :)
[Reply]
Ahhh I am in love with your farmer’s markets…I wish we had ones like that where we live!
And I just love weekends like that…nothing better than being outside, enjoying the scenery, fresh air, yummy food, all with those you love :)
[Reply]
Mmm, yeah, love those cherry pits and the picnic still life! I miss our cherry season already!
[Reply]
My parents just went on an Alaskan cruise and loved it but said there were virtually no children on board and barely anyone below retirement age – so research well :)
And personally I recommend vacas with babies where there is a kitchen. And bathtub. Babies need so much stuff especially while in diapers and not yet eating straight table food. It’s nice to be able to buy once you’re some place.
And I know some cloth diaperers use disposables while traveling, but I just had a laugh picturing you getting a suitcase inspected that contained 10 days worth of dirty cloth diapers. LOL!
[Reply]
I love sunflowers! They were my grandfather’s favorite flower. Weirdly, a week or so after he passed away, sunflowers sporadically sprang up in my parents’ backyard. My mom realized that one of my friends had been over the weekend before, chewing and spitting out sunflower seeds. We still thought it was amazing for the flowers to bud, without any real tending, so soon after my grandfather’s passing. I always think of that memory when I see sunflowers now.
[Reply]
Those flowers are amazing! So jealous of the markets in Seattle – our produce in practically all farmer’s markets here in Orlando are from South America :( :(
[Reply]
we took my then 8 month old on a 5 day cruise this past march- now it is fun but a whole lot different haha. and takes a lot of planning and packing but it would still be a fun family time and no cookin’ or cleanin’!!!!! also disney cruise line does cruises to Alaska and they have the flounders nursery that watches ages 2 and under and they are amazing!!!
[Reply]
I seriously applaud you for not eating that entire bag of cherries. Those babies would have been a gone-r in my possession!
[Reply]
Looks like a great weekend and that hot dog looks bomb!
[Reply]
Trying to make this shorter…
You remind me a lot of myself, your habits, going to culinary school, focused on health etc. I read your blog everyday and am so interested in your pregnancy.
I own a home with my long term boyfriend and know he wants kids. I, as of now, do not. We’ve discussed it and know that if we don’t match up on this soon we’re going to end our relationship.
Did you always want kids? When you were younger? Have you feeling changed even within the last few months to an even stronger wanted of a child?
Weird thing to post, I know. Just wondering I guess?
[Reply]
Beautiful flowers! I think $15 is worth a few days worth of happiness!
[Reply]
I love all your updates about Seattle. I just moved here about a month ago and your posts have been like a guidebook for me. I love it here!
[Reply]
An Alaskan cruise is high on my must-do list, too! You should definitely go :)
[Reply]
Looks like a fabulous weekend! I am so jealous that those flowers only cost you $15! That bunch would be at least $50 here!
[Reply]
I am SO jealous of the flowers! I have never been to Seattle but your blog always makes me want to go visit!!
[Reply]
Now THAT is a farmers market! Stunning. :D
And the flowers are so pretty. Flowers are one thing I don’t mind spending money on, as they make me so ridiculously happy. :D
You look absolutely gorgeous, by the way! :D
[Reply]
Those landscape/scenery shots look like postcards, they’re so beautiful. WOW!!
[Reply]
We had an Alaskan cruise booked this month but had to cancel because I’m too far along. We keep saying we should reschedule next year, and try to bring baby. Maybe we should try to coordinate this :)
[Reply]
Seattle looks so gorgeous! I’ve been dying to take a vacation out there. Fresh vegetables are always awesome!
[Reply]
I’ve taken the Alaska cruise out of Seattle. It was amazing. It turned out to be one of the most relaxing vacations we’ve ever been on. My husband and I spent a lot of time out on our balcony on the ship. We cruised with Holland America. One of our favorite stops was Victoria BC (I think there’s a ferry there from Seattle–if so–check it out someday!)
[Reply]
The flowers are absolutely beautiful!!!
[Reply]
oh seattle in august! the sun shines like a miracle! looks lovely, rich, and colorful.
:)
Jen
[Reply]
I would love to show my meat loving husband that veggie dishes can be good too!
[Reply]
I think there might be a reason why flowers are so cheap, a friend of mine wrote a series of articles after investigating the flower business in Colombia and Ecuador, you can read the articles there if you are interested
http://thetyee.ca/News/2011/05/06/FairFlowers/
http://thetyee.ca/News/2011/05/11/FairTradeFlowers/
http://thetyee.ca/News/2011/05/16/BloomChoice/
http://thetyee.ca/News/2011/05/18/CannibalKillers/
http://thetyee.ca/News/2011/05/23/BCBuds/
Sorry for posting so many links, but here you have the whole investigation.
Take care xx
[Reply]
Oh, I am soooo envious of your flowers, market and living in Seattle. I loved every moment of the 8 days I was there.
[Reply]
I worked for a cruise line in Alaska at one of the lodges, and then lived in Anchorage for a few years, and I will say that you would be better off just flying up there and doing your own thing (or driving if you have time). There is SO much more that you can do on your own than by going with a cruise. They are a bit like being herded around like cattle. Even if you don’t do the cruise you can stay at the Princess Lodges and plan day trips through them, as well as your own personal trips. :) Alaska is absolutely stunning. E-mail me if you would like any suggestions.
[Reply]
I’ve been meaning to mention this for a while, and when I saw that we could win a cookbook by posting today I figured it was a perfect time to do so! Anyway, I have family who live on Bainbridge Island, which, as you probably know, is a short ferry ride away from downtown Seattle. On a nice day, it is a gorgeous ride (especially if it’s nice enough to be on the top deck in the sun), there are great views of the Seattle skyline, and it’s also a very nice island to explore with some good restaurants, cute shops, and nice areas to go for a walk. So if you haven’t gone yet and you get a nice day, I would highly recommend checking it out.
[Reply]
Ahh every single time your pictures make me want to just pack my bags and get on the next flight out there! :) Those flowers are absolutely gorgeous!
[Reply]
don’t you just love the Ballard market?? I just found your blog through Mama Pea! so glad I did!
[Reply]
Leave a comment