Cozyland

Leslie Patson — Mon, 14 May 2012 14:41:12 +0000

Any one who was a real Twin Peaks fan might remember this waterfall (I said a REAL Twin Peaks fan!). So along with being featured in the show Snoqualmie Falls is also home of the Salish Lodge where Marc and I recently had their fabulous Sunday brunch! About a 40 minute beautiful drive out of Seattle, we lucked out with perfect weather and really didn’t know what to expect so were quite happy to pull up to this beautiful old lodge built in 1916 and overlooking the falls. Breakfast is elegant and not cheap – even coffee is served with a small silver tray complete with chocolate shavings, whipped cream and the other usual accompaniments. The food is delicious and plentiful – I ate the other half of my omelete the next day and it was still delicious! Couldn’t resist popping in the gift shop which I have to say by hotel gift shop standards is the best I have ever been in – like a small version of Anthropologie – lots of good stuff! The falls are right there and although there is a bit of construction there was still plenty to see.The water plunges 268 feet into a 65-foot deep pool, and the average volume of water flowing over the falls is between 500 and 1500 cubic feet per second. Most surprising and delightful was the fine rain of mist resulting from the crush of water. A lovely way to spend a Sunday or any day for that matter – a great “mini excursion” outside of Seattle!

Burke Williams Move Over!

Leslie Patson — Mon, 07 May 2012 05:32:54 +0000

I’ve been so busy working that I didn’t notice that a very chic new salon has opened up in my neighborhood = apparently offering all kinds of services! I like Mannaise… This spa sounds like it could be just the thing I’m looking for… And what girl doesn’t want a makeover? The price is a bit out of the ordinary, perhaps I’ll wait for the Groupon…

SUNDAY NIGHT BOAT RIDE

Leslie Patson — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:42:32 +0000

Want to know a really fantastic way to spend a Sunday evening (or anytime for that matter?!) Try renting an eletric boat for a couple of hours on Lake Union. If you’re lucky, you’ll get to do it on a Groupon like the one my friend Kimberly had. Usually $200 for 2 hours this one was 50% off and either way, the boat fits 10 friends so you do the math – a great deal either way! Robert volunteers as our captain and happily takes the wheel! Yes, while Kimberly and I got on to more important things like starting our picnic!So here’s the scoop – for 2 hours (ours was from 7-9pm) you and 9 of your friends can sale around Lake Washington listening to our own music from your ipad (in our case it was Gavin’s playlist of musique Francaise) and bring whatever food and drink you want – how great is that! BTW, Cracker Jack makes the perfect on the fly dessert! Woman of color: Michelle Obama – Man of color: Gavin Derek Remember Sleepless in Seattle? Remember Tom Hank’s houseboat? You get to cruise right by these and get a great look at the amazing variety of these unique residences! !Also, I just bought a Groupon for a great kayak deal on Lake Washington which will enable us to get a real close up to these houses so stay tuned! Little ships and big ships – lots to see on this ride! After sunset, a ghostly view of Gasworks Park 2 hours was the perfect amount of time for this ride – and a totally perfect ending for the weekend! Check out the Electric Boat Company and happy sailing – thanks again Kimberly for a really great evening!

Cozy North Carolina: The Mast Farm Inn

Leslie Patson — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 13:45:43 +0000

There is nothing cozier than having that special someone arrange a fabulous surprise weekend out of town for you, especially when it’s celebrating your birthday!
That’s what happened to my brother John this past weekend when his partner Vinnie ‘kidnapped” him from his job and whisked him 1.5 hours away to the Mast Farm Inn nestled high in the Appalachian Mountains in Valle Crucis, North Carolina. Thank you Vinnie, Howard and Jen for making this happen, this place looks amazing! I don’t know where to start with what photo I like the best but so set the tone howabout a picture of their cottage! – this one (one of several you can rent) is called the Loom House. If this is not incredible enough how about having this fabulous bathtub in your living room? Sure, it’s alittle unusual but so what, who cares – Calgon can take me away anytime, anywhere!!!! Something we all need – a good night sleep! All this picture is missing is a cat! Oh, wait, they had one of those too! No free vet exam from Dr. Vinnie – just a cozy cuddle! This next photo is one of my ideas of the ultimate in relaxation – only thing missing is a picnic and a bottle of some delicious wine!!!! Wow, I’ve written this much and haven’t really mentioned food yet – how weird!!! Have no fear, the Mast Farm has a wonderful restaurant serving up their fresh, seasonal home grown goodies! The restaurant was closed for dinner by the time John and Vinnie arrived but the next day breakfast was not only amazing but had a quirky surprised – personalized menus! Breakfast doesn’t get any better than this – incredible! If you’re asking what you do when at Mast Farm the answer is RELAX! And sometimes relaxing means taking a beautiful hike in the woods and streams and waterfalls! I think there must be something here for everyone here (especially if you’re looking for something cozy!) and I am so glad John and Vinnie got to have this wonderful weekend! Happy Pre-Birthday bro!

Ravishing Radishes (and more!)

Leslie Patson — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 13:53:29 +0000

I’ve always thought radishes were particularly beautiful, especially the French ones which I would see in abundance in many red and pink hues at the Pasadena Farmer’s Market Marc and I used to frequent. I love using a bunch of radishes as a garnish to any plate of h’or doevres. Hey, are radishes the new parsley? Below added to a bunch of lisianthus - unique and beautiful! But don’t stop there – Fruit, vegetables and flowers make a gorgeous combination – get creative! Now I’m not sure what would drive someone to make a topiary out of brussel sprouts (Gavin, you must have the answer to that? )but you must admit, it is pretty! I’m leaving you all with a new radish dip from Martha Stewart- I have not tried it yet but will do so soon and report back!

Easter

Leslie Patson — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 05:09:33 +0000

Today we celebrated Gavin’s birthday with an Easter egg hunt and Bloody Mary’s! The sky was blue (yippee!!!) and the temperature was mild – (amazing!!!) In the spirit of “out with the old and in with the new”, the apartment building where Gavin lives has some super cool new tenants so a Sunday gathering in the courtyard with an adult Easter egg hunt was as good a get-to-know-your-neighbor excuse for a party as it gets! Gavin learned when hosting an adult Easter egg hunt it’s best not to hide the eggs the night before when you come home from a 2 bottle of wine dinner (you might think the middle of the yard is a good hiding place but this is probably only true in the dark when you are drunk…!). Gavin, Janelle and Jael decorated the eggs and included all the neighbors names as well as their pets! I wonder if this doggie found his egg? Gavin re-hid some eggs for 10 year old Cole to find – here was one particularly clever hiding place (not sure if Molly even knew what was going on?!) Cole brought a bag full of bunnies! Quintessential gourmet deviled eggs and other assorted nibbles… We missed the Veuve but that’s ok – there will be many more occasions – Happy Birthday Gavin (and Happy Easter too!) Thanks for a lovely Springtime morning!

Seattle Cozy: Matt’s in the Market

Leslie Patson — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 04:32:53 +0000

Marc surprised me this Saturday night with a reservation at Matt’s in the Market.Located right across the street from the main part of Pike Place Market (where they throw the fish!) and up a dusty old set up stairs you might not know about this restaurant unless someone told you (as well as Chez Jay’s right next to it!). The view out of huge arched windows is pretty cool and quintessential Seattle! Also I love how at Pike Place Market they seasonally decorate the top of the roof – right now it is loaded with living daffodils. The restaurant was noisy and bustling and we were a bit on edge having just escaped on our drive what would have been a most unfortunate car accident by someone running a red light. Serious note to all reading: ALWAYS look both ways before you go. Marc saved our lives by shouting out for me to stop on this one. Hence, this bottle of wine was badly needed and tasted extra delicious! This might be a good time to say that Matt’s is on the pricy side so although the appearance of it’s patrons is Seattle casual, be prepared to drop some bills.Marc had the Seafood Stew. I opted for the sea scallops. The food was beautiful and delicious but somehow I don’t think we’ll be running back. Seasonal, local, the whole deal but everything a la carte and the place was a little too noisy and hustle bustle that night. Although the 10 year old boy sitting with his rock n roll parents next to us managed to fall asleep quite easily….Another new and different Seattle restaurant experience, and one we’re definitely glad we had. There’s lots out there to try and that’s a job I am definitely up to!

Leslie Patson — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 13:43:42 +0000

This weekend certainly was a mixed bag of cozy – starting out Friday night with dinner and a movie. And by dinner I mean Zaw pizza (Queen Anne location but there are several in Seattle) – such a genius business idea where your order your pizza, they make it fresh and you pick up the assembled masterpiece and bake it in your own oven! In 12 minutes, the wine is open and I’ve thrown together some semblance of a salad and voila – dinner is served! Friday night’s movie was surprisingly good – We Bought a Farm – with Matt Damon and Scarlet Johanson which I thought would be a mindless romantic comedy but turned out to be a good and pretty cool story based on a true story. What did I like about this movie? The little girl is genius and very funny. The location, Hidden Valley, California is gorgeous. The animals? well, hello – Cozyland is all about loving and taking care of critters! Saturday a blur of errands and “stuff” but dinner at a new place minutes from out house in lower Queen Anne – Boat Street Cafe. What a beautiful little gem tucked away in what looks like a mini business complex. What came to mind for me was Pacific Northwest meets Provence – now there’s a combo! Oysters were super fresh, smoked trout delicious, I had halibut, Marc and amazing pork chop and some sinful bread pudding to share as a finale – superb! Somehow we were not ready to call it a night when we got home so it was movie #2 -Extremely Loud and Dangerously Close”. What a great movie and now on earth the boy in this did not win or even get nominated for an Oscar is just wrong. Really well done and smart. Does not sensationalize 911 if you can imagine. Sunday proved to be glorious and off we went to Discovery Park. Don’t get me wrong, jackets still buttoned and even a hat for me (sea breeze can be chilly!) – it was the perfect day for a hike and the tide was really out so some good shell collecting too! Hiking can work up an appetite so we headed home towards Queen Anne and went to Homegrown. We both had this amazing sandwich under their “Seasonal Menu” which donates 10% of sales to Tilth, an organization which supports organic and local food systems. A totally new take on a grilled cheese – delicious! Time to head home and start those Sunday things like laundry, grocery shopping, you know the drill! Sure would have loved a couple extra days before the work week started, but what’s new right? Hope you also squeezed some Cozyness into your weekend!

OnLine Magazines are Cozy!

Leslie Patson — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 00:07:51 +0000

I am still a big advocate of real books – and magazines. However as the recent recipient of a new iPad (thank you Marc!!!!) I have to say that digital magazines are super cool. And I know there are tons – many which we already know and many even free if you already have a subscription. One of my favorite Apps for the iPad is called Flipboard and while browsing through the fashion section I came across an article from Elle Magazine about LVMH (the Louis Vuitton Moet Hennesey Group that Selma Hayak’s husband Francois Henri Pinault is the billionaire head of) who has just launched 2 new online magazines (seems everyone is jumping on this bandwagon!) – DiorMag (all about the world of Dior) and Nowness – which will be “Monocle-like” with art, design and architecture rounding out the fashion coverage (btw, Monocle’s founder is Tyler Brulee who founded WallPaper Magazine and rebranded Swiss Air) Tres sophisticated! Perhaps a little more down to earth is the fantastic online magazine by my favorite Australian food stylist and cooking star Donna Hay – You need to subscribe to her magazine ($19.99) to get the App for free although you can sample 2 full issues before you committ (and I strongly advise checking them out, you’ll be hooked!). This online magazine is a foodie’s dream with lots of interaction going on – for example watch this perfect white cake get covered with gorgeous fruit in front of your very eyes! Donna Hay has such incredible style – check out this great interview with her and learn what the heck I’m talking about. More stunning photography… -I’d definitely say move over Martha but I have to say Martha’s online mag is good too and if you already subscribe to the magazine the App is free. Cocktail anyone? – we like that Martha! So lots of discoveries to make and sadly not nearly enough free time…Let me know what looking at! (and at the same time what book you’re leafing through – for me, it’s the Hunger Games – the first of the trilogy (thank you Gavin!).
Digital or otherwise, we just gotta keep on reading!

Book Clubs are Cozy: The God of Small Things

Leslie Patson — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 06:41:44 +0000

This past Sunday night was yet another rousing get together of the BBBGBC (that’s Bad Boy Bad Girls Book Club)- the first meeting in 2012 and held at Craig’s house to disucss Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things. We had 4 out of 5 attending (Sara,you were sorely missed!) with me skyping in from Seattle. Thanks as always Craig for being our tech guru! The book, which takes place in India, won the Booker Prize in 1997 and was the debut novel of Roy. Virtual Bindi anyone? Although Indian food is delicious and everyone thoroughly enjoyed Craig’s takeout-o-rama, food had very little to do with the story about the childhood experiences of fraternal twins whose lives are destroyed by the “Love Laws” that lay down “who should be loved, and how. And how much.” The book is a description of how the small things in life affect people’s behavior and their lives. The book is beautifully written but most of us agreed very difficult to follow. Elizabeth had read the book years ago and loved it and I kept wanting and knowing I should love it but never got there. It was just to chaotic for me, and sad. Roy switches between past and present, uses creative sentence structures mixed in with Indian language. Somehow I think there is a time and place to read certain books and this was just not the right time for me. I was surprised to find most of us on the same page regarding the book Thank you Miriam for that unintended book play on words… The book gave us lots to discuss – love, loss, incest, death, abuse, culture, politics and more. More wine that is… And maybe that’s why we have the casting of our book as it certainly lightened things up in an otherwise not so cheerful scenario! But before we get to that, thanks again bad boy host with the most and easy transferable bindi’s Craig! Here we go – THE CASTING! Our director is Danny Boyle (he knows the terrain…)
Chacko – Kishore Kumar
Ammu – Cher (with stand in Ann Miller)
Baby Kochamma – Mother Theresa (stand in and she’s gonna need it- Mindy Kaling from the Office)
Mammachi – Indiri Ghandi
Estha – Michael Cera (with stand in Dev Patel)
Rahel – Frida Pinto
Sophie Mol – Lindsey Lohan
Magaret Kochamma – Susan Boyle
Inspector Thomas Matthew – David Niven
Velutha – Amitaba Bachan or LL CoolJ
Kuttappen – Daniel Day Lewis
Vellya Paapen -Velutha’s father – Red Fox
Joe – Prince Phillips
Orangedrink Lemondrink man – Kelsey Grammar
Comrade Pillai- Shirley Temple Black
Kochu Maria – Peter Dinklage (Crown of Thorns)

I also have to mention that The Sound of Music is mentioned in this book and I’m more than sure that made Elizabeth extremely happy!
Our next book is Miriam’s choice – Mennonite in a Little Black Dress. Let’s get reading!
Until then, we remain the Bad Boy and Girls Book Club!