30

December 24, 20136 Comments

Happy Birthday to ME.

As you may or may not know, today happens to be my 30th birthday. A fact I am equal amounts happy and sad about. With a dash of anxiousness. It’s the end of an era. Thirty years, I have walked this earth, several of those hopefully with a little gumption. A positive attitude kept, dreams dreamed and realities realized.

I am tentatively approaching this new path before me like a young fawn, if you will, stumbling awkwardly with naivete and without grace. I shall cling to the familiarity of the ground below me and the sky above, as I always have. I will make my way down the path no doubt, but not without my share of bumps, twists and turns. Thirty. THIRTY. What will this decade hold?

Cocktails, that’s what.

Ok ENOUGH woodland creatures and nature analogies. I ask myself, can I enjoy this decade of mortgages, Pepcid AC and realizing I can no longer shop at Forver 21? Maybe I will and MAYBE I WILL. Here are other things I plan to enjoy whilst in my 30’s:

Being one of those cool old people who can talk about hashtags, instagram and how to beat level 252 on Candy Crush.
Involving myself in conversations with people in their 40’s and being like, “Who is Debbie Gibson?”
Hugging servers when they ask to see my I.D
Finding like, the sweetest diaper bag
Getting super excited over discovering Ralph Lauren 600 thread count sheets in the clearance section of T.J Maxx
Staying ahead of the curve with baby names…I hear Stephanie is making a comeback in 2015
Seeing the faces of teenagers when I tell them I didn’t have a cell phone in college
Subsequently realizing how awesome it was that boys had to talk to my Dad when they called my house and ask, “Is Natalie home?’ when I was in high school. So presh.
Cringing at the amount of Jaeger I was able to drink
Scolding people when they don’t wear sunblock
Getting way, way, way too excited when Downton Abbey is on
Exploring the world of SPANX

Gah! The list could go on and on.

Now – I am off to drink champagne and take selfies.

Have a great holiday!

Get to Know Me Tag

December 18, 2013December 18, 20132 Comments

Oh, hello.

Omg I am soooo classy.

I was tagged by the beautiful and talented, Debe to do the “Get to Know Me” tag. So automatically, I start humming “Getting to Know You” from The Kind and I. Here goes…

1. Is your hair naturally curly or straight?

BOARD straight. I’d like to think it has a bit of natural beach-wave to it. But let’s call a spade a spade. It’s straight and kinda homeless looking.

2. Do you dye it yourself or go to a salon?

Salon, all the way. I have pulled it through a cap FAR too many times in the past and was left with cow spot highlights and a very sore scalp. Currently, I go to C.Joy Salon and I love it!

You can tell how much I love my grow-out

3. Do you wear the same style everyday, or do you change it?

I assume we’re still talkin’ hurr. It changes constanly. If it’s freshly washed, I like to do loose curls or straighten it a little. The next day they will be a bit messier but better. The next day it may be pinned back! I am CRAZY! I may throw in a sock bun (kinda done with those, though) or a messy pony for S’s and G’s.

4. Do you do your own mani/pedi or go to a salon?

DIY girl! Getting my nails done is a treat and not one that I could afford based on how often I change up my nail color. With great products like Out the Door Topcoat and Seche Vite – it’s pretty much fool-proof. Pedis are nice but I always feel horrible for the women who have to deal with my hobbit feet after sandal season.

5. How often do you change your nail polish?

I would say I change it about 4 times per month. I usually have nail polish on my nails unless I am being lazy or hate all the ones I have.

6. Do you polish your toes in the winter or just the summer?

Err…all year round! Because I am a perfectly-kept woman. JOKES. Unless my toes will be seen (i.e New Years party and I’m wearing a peep-toe) they are stored safely in fuzzy socks or boots and are likely bare with Saruman toenails…

7. How long does it take for you to put on makeup?

Monday through Friday for work, it takes me about 10 minutes. Weekends I can take up to an hour if you let me!

8. What do you do first? Face or eyes?

Face. Unless I am doing a really dark, smoky eye which will inevitably end up all over my entire face.

9. Do you collect makeup or just buy what you need when you need it?

I think I fall somewhere in the middle. I don’t have a bajillion mascaras but -Bryan – EARMUFFS! I do have an abundance of blushes, eyeshadows and lipsticks.

10. How often do you wear false eyelashes?

Special occasions only. I want to order a pair of mink lashes for my wedding! I am thinking these:

11. Do you do a full face of makeup everyday?

Oh heeeyll nah. I ALWAYS wear the following: under eye concealer, mascara, blush and lip color. Everything else comes and goes.

12. Do you wear makeup when you’re home alone or with family?

Usually I do. You never know when a good photo-bomb opportunity will present itself.

13. Will you leave the house without makeup?

I will. It is a rare occasion when I am 100% naked-faced (usually I will at least throw on concealer and mascara) but I definitely have and will.

14. How many high-end products do you have?

I would say I definitely have more drugstore than high-end. If something works, I am likely going to get it, no matter the price. The exception to this rule is (as an example) the Clé de Peau concealer because it costs $70 that sh*t is just cray.

15. Do you plan your OOTD every night or decide when you’re getting dressed?

I maybe did this the day before 8th grade…and that was the last time.

YOU KNOW this tasty outfit was planned in 2005

16. How often do you change your handbag?

I would say 2-3 times per season. Right now, I rotate between my Rebecca Minkhoff Mac bag and a gray Longchamp.

17. What time do you wake up and go to sleep?

Up and at ’em at 6:30 am. In bed usually by 9 and asleep by 9:30. I. Am. OLD.

18. How often or when do you workout?

This fluctuates ALOT. Since we joined a gym, Bry and I usually go together after work (around 6 pm) for 40 minutes or so. I try to go about 4 times a week.

19. Left handed or right handed?

Right handed.

20. How tall are you?

5’11”. I used to be 5’11”1/2 (or six-foot denial) but I am shrinking I think.

21. Do you speak any foreign languages?

I am pretty well versed in baby talk and pig latin. I can also ask for wine, vodka and candy in French.

22. How many pets do you have?

ZERO. DON’T ASK.

23. How do you blog?

Ummm. I login to WordPress and start typing.

24. Do you read comments posted on blogs?

Yes, I often times do. Sometimes people say really funny things in the comments or ask a useful question. Obviously if there is like 10,000 comments I don’t.

25. Do you keep a list of products to try as you see other posts?

I need to be better about this. Although, I usually only purchase things that lots of people are deeming Holy Grails. Then it is easy to remember.

26. How did you come up with your blog name?

It has changed over the years. It was Bry and Nat Cook, Adventures in Jackson and now The Natalie Diaries. It has morphed and changed along with what’s going on in my life.

27. What kind of camera do you use for your photographs?

My iPhone 🙂

28. How often do you clean your house?

We just moved in so I haven’t cleaned it top to bottom yet. Certain things need to be cleaned more often than others, obviously. So it will likely vary.

29. What’s your favorite color?

Do you really need to ask? PINK.

30. Do you swear?

Not often. Call me old-fashioned, but I don’t think it’s lady-like and I think it can make people sound just plain dumb. When used strategically, a well-timed cuss word can definitely enhance a story or joke. You just gotta be careful.

31. What are you doing with the rest of your day?

Since I’ve not been to the gym for a few days, I am going to spend a little time on the stair stepper and roll around on the mats, pretending to do sit ups. Then Bry and I are having pasta, wine and watching something from Redbox. Maybe a froyo run, I don’t know. We are so unpredictable and spontaneous!

I would love to hear from anyone who wants to participate in this tag! Now that you know me, I feel like I should know you…or else it will get awkward.

It’s the Holiday Season

December 16, 201312 Comments

…with the whoop-de-do and hickory dock!

One thing I most love about this holiday, besides the obvious piles of presents, libations, and fattening treats is easily the decorating.

Speaking of decorating, Bry and I got our very first Christmas Tree together. And ya know Bry, we weren’t about to drive down to the Boy Scouts Christmas tree sale and fork over $100 for a 7′ tree. We did what any mountain ~~trolls~~ ‘ folks would do, we hiked up our ski pants and headed into the hinterland. But not before grabbing a doughnut first.

My doughnut OMG

As we approached the forest-service roads leading up to the area believed to contain the noble-firs (or just nobles, to us), we were cautioned to chain up.

Chain up?! We smiled politely at the ranger and chuckled at his naive Washingtonian sentiment. This ISN’T our first rodeo. The likes of us have seen ice’thick as a window pane down in Wyomin’. Ok I’ll stop acting like I’m a hard-core ranch hand and not afraid of icy roads now.

We made our way up the hill and found ourselves a parking spot with relative ease. The only way to describe what the ranger had described as a “hill” where the nobles sat, is to utilize Microsoft Paint. An understated, yet incredibly handy tool.

As you can see from this highly sophisticated imagery, the “hill” was actually a MOTHERF-ING mountain. And the good trees were pretty high up.

Per usual, Bryan Legolased up the snowy hill as if walking on a bed of pillows. I, on the otherhand, took the Gimli approach and trudged up that hill with the grace of well, a troll. Sorry for the LOTR references by the way, sometimes they are just SO applicable.

Its Meeeeeeeeee

Anywho – after hiking more than 1,000 vertical feet, we found a tree that looked good and so we chopped it down. Then we busted out the hot chocolate, copped a squat in the snow and took in the truly breathtaking view.

Dragging the tree down to the car, we finally got a look at what we had worked so hard for. Two words come to mind. Sparse and disproportionate. Nonetheless, we happily tied her to the top of the Jeep and made our way home with smiles on our faces and a new Christmas memory in our hearts.

And here she is, in all her skinny, mis-shapen glory:

With ‘er Sunday best:

Unfortunatley she did tip over in the middle of the night a couple days ago.I think it was the fact that she only really has branches on one side. And I may or may not have tied extra branches (broken off from other trees) to her existing branches to make them appear fuller…

Say what you will about NADINE (as I have now appropriately named her). She smells wonderful and is happy to provide our new home with loads of holiday cheer, a great story and sap. Lots and lots of sap.

My Grown Up Christmas List

December 10, 2013November 29, 20227 Comments

Do you remember me? I sat upon your knee.

Unfortunately this post is anything but a “grown up” Christmas list. Although I would love for no more lives to be torn apart…it is definitely not my lifelong wish. Well, it is and it isn’t. Can’t everyone have a friend AND I get the new Jo Malone perfume?

ANYWAYS. For those of you don’t know – my birthday just happens to fall on Christmas Eve. And save your questions. YES, it is the worst day (besides Christmas day, maybe) to have your birthday on. I’ve seen it all:

The 2-fer-1’s….”Here Natalie! I got you this ONE gift for your birthday AND Christmas.”

The people who wrap my birthday presents in Christmas paper.

Going to CHURCH every single year on my birthday. Including my 21 run. How sad is it that communal wine was my first legal drink?

Although my sisters and I are well into adulthood, looking forward to years of turtlenecks, holiday bathroom towels and giftcards to Coldwater Creek, as of now – we are still hanging on for dear life to our youthful years. As a result, we still do the all-out Christmas gift exchange. Complete with a “Santa” present from Nan and Gare, exchanged gifts for one another and stockings brimming with those delicious Butterfinger bells (you know the ones).

We have grown a little since the good ol’ days. Where I had heart palpitations over anything from Zumiez and Meg and I would get in blow-out fights if her Lisa Frank pencil pouch totaled $1 more than mine. We were those girls and although it pains me to admit it, we kinda still are. Though are tastes have matured from Zumiez to say, Nordstrom, we still strive for equality and try to ensure everyone has their most coveted items on Christmas morn.

So, in light of my hearty Amurican materialism (#honesty), here is a fun Christmas list collage I put together for the year 2013.

1.) 3 Olive Cake Vodka 2.) Urban Decay Naked 3 3.) Bobbi Brown Eye Creme 4.)Turkish Delight from Lush

5.)Pottery Barn Cozy Throw 6.) The Hobbit Phone Case 7.) Pitch Perfect on DVD 8.) Philosophy’s Time in a Bottle

9.) Regal Necklace from Forever 21 10.) Laura Mercier Pistachio Body Souffle 11.) FRYE Melissa Boot 12.) Gap Fair Isle Cardigan

Just some general guidelines, you know.

HOWEVER, in case anyone out there is feeling very generous, I guess I would consider accepting this vanity from Pier 1.

Be still my heart.

November Favorites

December 6, 20134 Comments

Yep! I’m about 6 days late on this.

(I was just about to add the #sorrynotsorry hashtag but I’m sick of seeing it and I would wager you are too!)

So let’s get to them products!

Makeup

1. Stila eyeshadow in Bliss: Top row, middle shade

This color is my GO-TO crease color. It’s matte. It’s effortless. I love it.

2. Wet’n’Wild Lipstick in Cherry Picking

Such a pretty deeper, bright pink. I heard about it from Fleur and I am so glad I did. Also, it costs $2!

3. Starlooks Eye Pencil in Topaz

I received this in my November Ipsy, which I had mixed feelings about. At first, I didn’t know what to do with a silver metallic eye pencil…in 9th grade this would have been great 🙂 Anyways, I smudged a little on my lower lash line last weekend and kind dug the whole “snow fairy” effect it gave. Since then, I have been smudgin away!

Bath & Body

1. Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Body Butter

Ermahgerd. This smells like pumpkie pie and I have contemplated licking myself after I apply this to my skin just to see if it tastes good. It doesn’t.

2. Purity Face wash by Philosophy

After an hour long conversation with a sweet sales-woman at Ulta, I decided to give this crazy-popular face wash a try. I explained to her my concerns: nearing 30, currently no skincare routine and looking for a little wrinkle prevention. Among several other things (like a Clarisonic) she recommended this stuff, noting that it completely removes makeup, can be used to wash brushes and most interestingly, it removes the wax coating from fruits! So far, I am really liking it and Bryan does too!

3. Montana Mountain Air Foaming Hand Soap from BBW

I got this for 2 reasons: the blue matches our powder room and because it said Montana. I mean, whaaaat?! Anywho, I am OBSESSED with the smell of this and sadly, BBW only came out with the soap (which I can’t find online anywhere) and nothing else!

Random Faves:

1. My SEAHWAKS shirt a’course!

2. Having this car jar in my life:

3. Kristin Gehm and her husband, Bob on YouTube

I happened upon Kristin’s YouTube channel through Emily Noel or “Beauty Broadcast”. I absolutely adore her videos, especially the weekend vlogs. Also, her dear husband Bob is seriously hilarious. His demeanor is so great and I love the way they interact. Check out both her makeup and vlog channel!

What We Ate in Maui

December 5, 2013December 5, 2013Leave a comment

I don’t know how food bloggers do it.

Re-living all these meals for this post had me salivating. Literally. I have swallowed like twice as much as usual #TWSS.

But anyways, here’s what we ate in Maui. I realize we went in October and that I don’t have pictures for every single meal. DEAL WITH IT.

Friday – Sansei Restaurant

We went here our first night in Maui for two reasons: the online reviews and it’s close proximity to our condo in Kapalua. Oh! And I wanted sushi the worst. We ended up eating here twice it was so good.

We had:

Edamame
California Roll
Spicy Tuna Roll
Spider Roll

Saturday: Cheeseburger in Paradise

This place is a Nash family tradition and one that Bryan and I upheld. We each got the classic “Cheeseburger in Paradise”, split a basket of fries and had mai tais. Hit the spot.

Sunday: Aloha Mixed Plate

We went here after I had read tons of good reviews online, praising it’s Hawaiian-style menu. The prices were cheap and the food, delicious. I ordered the Aloha Mixed Plate, which came with chicken, beef and fish with two scoops of white rice and macaroni salad. Bryan had fish tacos but definitely wished he had stuck to the original.

Monday: Merriman’s

Bryan wanted to try this place out since we were staying in Kapalua and we heard great things about the food. Well, to say we were impressed would be an understatement. After dining here, we decided to cancel our reservation at Mama’s Fish House since our desire for gourmet food, amazing service and beautiful surrounding had already been satisfied.

The amuse bouche:

We shared:

Warm Crusted Big Island Goat Cheese: Kula Strawberries, Maui Onions, Strawberry and Garden Mint Vinaigrette

Peter’s Original Caesar Salad: Triple N Farm Baby Romaine, Fried Green Tomato Crouton

Merriman’s Original Wok Charred Ahi: Curried Ninole Hearts of Palm, Black Forbidden Rice, Pohole Fern Salad, Wasabi Cilantro Vinaigrette

Tuesday: Leilani’s

I feel like Sydney Fife from I Love You, Man when I talk about the fish tacos at Leilani’s. They are on-another-planet good. It is planetary. You get me. We ate here twice because of the fish tacos. Once for dinner and then for lunch. Oh, and we also ordered a caesar for balance.

Wednesday: Breakfast at Pioneer Inn

COCONUT SYRUP

Macadamia. Nut. Pancakes.

Wednesday: Mala Ocean Tavern

We dined here after a recommendation from Bryan’s mom and found it to be completely charming. Maybe a tad overpriced but perhaps we just ordered too much? Sitting on the deck was awesome and so were the fresh-made chips and pureed edemame they brought to the table.

For dinner we ordered:

Mark’s Hydroponic Caesar Waipoli Caesar Salad: Flax seed croutons, white anchovy and grated egg
Fresh Mahi Mahi Special
Ahi Tuna Sausage Flatbread with goat cheese

Thursday breakfast was none other than Krispy Kreme.

For dinner we went right on back to Sansei!
This time it was:

Edamame
Sansei’s Shrimp Dynamite: Crispy tempura shrimp tossed with creamy garlic masago aioli and drizzled with an unagi glaze
Bagel Roll
Panko Crusted Ahi Sashimi Sushi Roll: Sashimi grade Hawaiian ahi, arugula and spinach wrapped into a sushi roll, panko crusted, flash-fried and served with Sansei’s mild soy wasabi butter sauce
Takah Sushi Special Roll Named in Honor of Takah Sama, Aspen, Colorado: Shrimp, ahi, crab, avocado and cucumber, inside-out and crusted with masago

Friday: I’O

We went here on a recommendation from our server at Hula Grille and were SO glad we did. The food was totally amazing, as was the service and the view. Totes romantic.

We shared:

I’o Crab Cakes: Panko crusted crab and goat cheese cakes with roasted red bell peppers, garlic and a caramelized Maui onion and miso aioli with green papaya slaw

Waipoli Road Salad : Assorted O’o Farm greens & vegetables, fresh herbs, Olowalu tomatoes with Maui onions and feta cheese tossed in a citrus mustard vinaigrette

Rainbow Catch Mahi Mahi: Oven roasted fish with a lemongrass pesto & Olowalu tomatoes, goat cheese fondue sauce & white truffle oil accent over rice and dill cucumber salad

For dessert we went to Lappert’s for ice cream and slowly made the way back to the car by stopping under the banyan tree. I could do this every single day of my life.

Serious face.

banyan-tree-lahaina-maui-hawaii-night-skips-beach-rentals

It’s all ONE tree!

Photo Cred

Saturday: Everything bagel at the Coffee Store

Dinner at Sea House and Hula Grille
For our last night in Maui, we decided to watch the sunset from Napili bay, while sipping mai tais. We ordered coconut shrimp and it was delicious.

Happy Camper

For dinner, we shared a burger at Hula Grille with our feet in the sand and listened to the ukulele man. It was the perfect ending to a perfect trip.

The Black Friday that Wasn’t

December 4, 2013Leave a comment

Happy December!

And how about them Hawks?!

Here’s the haps:

We joined a gym, yet again. And now we are privy to a multitude of exercise classes, ~~torture~~ cardio devices and weights. Surprisingly, I have made my way in there a handful of times and re-discovered my love/hate relationship with the stair-stepper.

Thanksgiving break! Bry and I made the pilgrimage (haha get it) over to Kennewick on Thursday morning with just enough time to help my mom prepare WAY too much food, adorn the table with sparkly pumpkins and drink a few bottles of wine. Dinner was fantastic, but the ensuing game of salad bowl was even better.

The next morning, per tradition, Megan, my Mom and I hit the Black Friday sales with high hopes of scoring dirt cheap toasters, half priced socks and the freetothefirst50customers SNOW GLOBE. I guzzled down my Starbucks misto and hitched up my gingerbread socks as we pulled into the parking lot at Target around 9 am.

Oh and a Cranberry Bliss Bar OMG

And…crickets. I swear a tumbleweed rolled through the parking lot.

Ok this is not my picture. It’s this guy’s. But it looked practically the same.

Where were the hoards of people? The crazy ladies with blue eyeliner, teased bangs and Snoopy Christmas sweatshirts with matching turtlenecks? As soon as we began our “doorbusting” at Target we figured out why: the sales were absolute flaming bags of crap.

Nothing Will Crush Nan’s Spirits

No $5 toasters. No $3 copies of The Christmas Story. Not even a lowly 10% off Christmas tree skirts.

We retreated to the car reluctantly, clutching our measly %40 off sweaters and dollar section items.

I would like to say that this trend did not carry over to our other Black Friday haunts, but sadly…it did. Black Friday was simply kicking our butts. Our cute, kinda round, but nonetheless charming butts.

We missed the $2.50 hand soaps at BBW by 10 minutes. 10 MINUTES.

Waaaaaaaaa!!

The sweater I wanted at the Gap was only available in XL.

So, we did what any good-hearted Amurican Black Friday enthusiasts would do in such a situation. We went to TJ Maxx where everyday is Black Friday! And I found this adorable Christmas decoration at Pier 1, which I might add was FULL PRICE. WTF Black Friday? wtf.

We then met “the boys” at the Sports Page to watch the Apple Cup and eat nachos. It helped a little. After we had our fill of cheese, grease and ranch dressing we headed to some antique/thrift stores to stare at other people’s crap. This is always a sure-fire way to cheer us Danielson gals up.

closed mouth smiles are the best smiles

We found a few treasures and hauled them home. Then we put up the Christmas tree and there was peace on earth. The evening was capped off by a viewing of the world’s most underrated Christmas movie: Holiday in Handcuffs.

This little gem stars Melissa Joan Hart or MJH to those who know her, and Mario Lopez or A.C Slater. The writing, the acting, the all-star cast #oscarbuzz. Then Megan, Amy, Bryan and I stayed up to late watching Marbles Harsgrove.

The rest of the weekend was spent attending Hanukkah parties, seeing old friends and gearing up for Monday Night Football. Next weekend we are getting our TREE and maybe having a tinsel fight. I don’t know.

xoxo

Natalie