I stuffed myself silly at a West Seattle dinner party

With the cost of good ingredients these days (and this crazy heat wave of late that makes me loathe turning on my stove, except to roast marshmallows over my gas burners, which I'm sure is going to kill me someday) I accept nearly any dinner invitation, especially when I know it's going to be great. J and I knew we were in for a great meal en route to our friends L & B's home earlier this week when we saw the theme: kebabs.

A little background: L & B are one of those couples that holds group dinners on a regular basis, the fun kind with a huge mailing list and an ever-changing combination of personalities. Each meal has a theme or at least, an entree. Guests bring sides, drinks or desserts.

One amazing side: smashed potatoes with kale and sauteed onions. Come se dice "yum?"


An incredible salad with fresh peas, Easter egg radishes and rainbow carrots:


I'm realizing now that I was so busy eating my kebab I completely neglected to photograph it! I suppose sometimes we must simply eat :)

I ate at Poppy...

From N.

I've been interested in Poppy since it opened, but heard it was spendy and wasn't ready for another lecture from Mint.com. But when I read about the crazy cheap $5 happy hour, I had no more excuses to stay away.

I wasn't expecting an Ikea-ed out orange and blond wood interior. It's really cute in that Scandinavian way, but sort of a funny choice for a high-end restaurant. Perhaps it's intended to make it feel more casual, and I loved the pops of bright orange, but I prefer the natural, elegant style of Spur or Anchovies & Olives.

I can't say much about the restaurant as a whole since I was there for happy hour, but HH appeared to reflect a regular meal. Food is typically served as a thali, a platter that has several small dishes. For happy hour, you get four dishes plus naan for $5. I can't think of a better deal, except free, and cocktails also clocked in at $5.

My six twenty-two drink with rye whiskey and rhubarb and agnostura bitters and another liqueur was pleasant, but not memorable. A Pimm's Cup and Turkish Delight also were on the cocktail menu.

The thali is a beautiful way to present food, and this Thursday creation included a sumptuous tiny slice of onion, pancetta, oregon blue and walnut tart that had a lovely balance of rich and sweet. An oregano aioli livened up mussels, while a cauliflower mashed with sesame was a moist accompaniment to the naan. There also was a puffy rice, dried fruit and macadamia mixture referred to as spice crispies. The dish was probably the closest thing I've encountered to a snack vividly described in a Jhumpa Lahiri short story about a character who mixes Rice Crispies with peanuts and spices to mimic an Indian treat. A roasted beet salad with albacore tuna, green olives and lemon basil was nicely done, but didn't make much of an impression.

There's a definite Indian tang to the dishes, particularly the spice crispies, and I was less than in love. I adore Indian food but somehow adding Indian spices and accents to new American dishes didn't quite work for me. Others disagree. I could be lured back for happy hour, but for a full meal, especially with a regular thali priced at $32, it's more likely I'll be ensconced at the bar at Spur.

I *was* the bachelorette, LOL! ;)

From K

And I think that might help explain why I've not written since the weekend :)

Truth be told, I wanted to go to Miami to celebrate my upcoming nuptials. But between the economy, friends having babies and a variety of other factors, staying close to home seemed the better plan, and it ended up being so much fun! We started the party relaxing in the 35th-floor pool at the Seattle Sheraton (nothing quite like being a tourist at home), where you're at eye-level with most of the downtown skyline. My friend R kept commenting that she felt like she was in Denver. I felt calm and relaxed for the first time in weeks since this whole wedding-planning adventure began!

We got all dolled up and scooted up the hill to Oddfellows, one of my favorite spots to dine as a big group. The pulled pork sandwich was yum as usual, though I think the one at Skillet remains the sandwich to beat. It was a delight connecting with so many girlfriends! We drifted to Molly Moon's for ice cream, upstairs to the Century Ballroom for salsa and then to Havana to get our groove on. After a brief, yet lovely, sleep, we walked to brunch at Lola, where I capped off one of the happiest weekends to date with this amazing concoction:



By all means, next time you're at Lola, get the eggs benedict. Light, lemony, dilly, dainty even. Those perfectly poached eggs you tap with your fork to release the luscious yolk. That perfectly chewy English muffin that doesn't fight your knife. A sauce that does not overpower the bite-sized, thin layers of ham. Perfection!

I got a new dress (and more)...

From N.

I will never not shop, but I have had incredible restraint lately. Until Saturday, I hadn't bought anything related to my wardrobe since April 5 (except for the unfortunate eluxury incident when I ordered a $113 Loeffler Randall dress and the company called to say it made a mistake and it wasn't in stock. I shook my fist at them, but my checking account thanked me). I can't remember the last time I lasted so long.

Then there was this weekend. My parents were in town visiting, so I dragged my mom off to Nordstrom Rack. I have three weddings this year, am in two of them (one as maid of honor, one as a reader), plus have two rehearsal dinners and two bachelorette parties. It's a lot of dressing up, and Facebook makes me look like I only own two nice dresses. Yeah, the whole world doesn't need to know.

We combed through the designer racks - plenty of stuff marked an additional 50 percent off - but those designer sizes ain't always flattering. Instead, I found a shimmery bronze, loosely flattering Theory dress for $120, Earnest Sewn straight leg jeans for $49, and a purple James Perse button-down for $40. (Full disclosure: my mom bought my clothes. Moms are the best.)

But when I got home, I realized the dress looked very similar to a gold one I already own. Then shopping guru lookrichbitch told me about a Diane Von Furstenberg dress she tried on at the Bellevue Rack. I made a beeline out there. I didn't find the DVF, but instead picked up another Theory dress called Pixel Flower. It's silk, fits great and I love it. Perfect! (I won't reveal it since it'll be on FB soon enough, but the pattern is at left).

I'm still going to run it past My Fashion Barometer, i.e. my fashionista sister this weekend when we meet in L.A. She's also bringing me a couple of designer dresses from her extensive closet for back up. Flirty and Fabulous, here I come.

I picked out a wedding band (finally) ...

From K.

That was me standing in a certain engagement ring store in Belltown on Sunday, frozen in place, flanked by Mom and J, my husband-to-be, staring first at one ring, then another. And as I visualize my (ideal, I think) wedding band for the umpteenth time, I realize the source of my confusion: Too many options.

Too many options makes me fret how the design of one ring could possibly suffice throughout a lifetime of metamorphosis. Yet, it worked just fine for many of our parents and grandparents. They took what was available and made the best of it, whether jewelry, shoes, bags, cars, homes or even spouses. They probably would thrill at the options now available. But not having to endlessly comparison shop and then second-guess freed them up to spend more time doing than thinking. It calls to mind a recent read, "The Paradox of Choice," which suggests the wealth of options we enjoy actually leaves us poor -- in finances as well as spirit. I know I feel poor after a week of double-checking online to be sure I found the cutest softshell available, even though I already loved the one I bought at the REI anniversary sale!

This summer, I'm going to make the shift from maximizer to satisficer. I'm going to embrace my first choice and stop checking so many times to make sure I'm not missing out on something better. And I'm going to use all that time I save to spend more QT away from Shop It To Me with my greatest investment: My beloved J.