Rattlesnake Ledge

December 26th my parents and I headed out to Rattlesnake Ledge for our last hike together on their trip to Seattle. The parking lot was filled with people and we ended up parking on the street. At the bottom of the trailhead is a beautiful body of water that is viewable from the top of the ledge. The hike up was dry and clear the whole way up. 



the view of the lake from the ledge


my mom at the top


beautiful view


so proud of my mama .. 3 hikes in 5 days after a broken pelvis this summer

Little Si

Christmas Eve was the perfect day for a family hike. We drove to the trailhead of Little Si for an early morning hike. The trail was packed with families and children also enjoying the sunshine and beautiful weather. The ground was wet and muddy but no snow all the way up to the top. The highest point was at 1576 ft with incredible views. The fog started coming up just as we sat to enjoy our victory beers. 



my brother, sister-in-law and i 


my beautiful parents


incredible view

Mt. Pilchuck Round 2

After the first attempt of climbing Mt. Pilchuck ended up in foggy views my brother and I decided to take another stab at it, this time with my parents and sister-in-law in tow. The day was sunny and clear making for a great day for a hike up Mt. Pilchuck. The driving path on the way to the trailhead was closed again but there was fresh snow to making the walk from the car to the trailhead a lot less icy. The hike up was much more memorable this time since the skies were so clear. The view was incredible. 


beautiful, beautiful view


heading up


my pops looking out

Video Games


my friend shannon sent this video along to me.. reminds me of summer at home. i was also told by a friend that i look like lana del rey in this video? odd.

Santa Sanarchy!

Saturday, December 17th marked the day of the Santa Sanarchy Bar Crawl throughout Captiol Hill. Santa Sanarchy is really just a couple thousand crazy drinkers all dressed up like santas, Jesus, elves, along with a blur of reds and greens. This bar crawl began at noon, however we did not partake until 2 pm, realizing that was a great idea the next morning. Surprisingly we made it around to 6 bars consisting of, Spitfire, Game Works, Blarney Stone, Linda's, Grim's Butterfly House and Cannon. Congratulations to all who enjoyed/survived the Santa Sanarchy! 

cab ride on the way to the first meeting point.. clearly WAY excited

holy santas

poly dancing santas

fun friends

passing through the city 


But Now I'm Gold





And I'm not going back
Into rags or in the hole
And our bruises are coming
But we will never fold

And i was your silver lining
As the story goes
I was your silver lining
But now I'm gold

Hooray hooray
I'm your silver lining
Hooray hooray
But now I'm gold

And I was your silver lining
High up on my toes
You were running through fields of hitch-hikers
As the story goes

Hooray hooray
I'm your silver lining
Hooray hooray
But now I'm gold

Hooray hooray
I'm your silver lining
Hooray hooray
But now I'm gold

And the grass it was a ticking
And the sun was on the rise
I never felt so wicked
As when I willed our love to die

And I was your silver lining
As the story goes
I was your silver lining
But now I'm gold

Hooray hooray
I'm your silver lining
Hooray hooray
But now I'm gold

Hooray hooray
I'm your silver lining
Hooray hooray
But now I'm gold

happiness

Etsy!



Invitations, stamps and more! Back in January I started my own Etsy site. I was creating invitations  for weddings, bachelorette parties, baby announcements and more when I realized I can put these already designed items up for sale to share with the Etsy community. Feel free to visit my site and browse around: http://www.etsy.com/shop/allisoneyoungblood?ref=seller_info

Here are some items below for sale: 


fastest selling stamp


rehearsal dinner postcard invitation (front)
(back)

address stamp

bachelorette party invitation

B E A - utiful!

in love with this quote.. thank you Pinterest.

Mt. Pilchuck

Saturday, December 10th my brother Cody and I headed out of Seattle around 7:30 am to conquer Mt. Pilchuck in Mt.Baker Snoqualmie National Forest. The drive there was a little foggy but we had our fingers crossed that the air would clear so we could see the incredible view from the hike. We were unable to drive to the trailhead due to snow and ice conditions so we had to park and walk. The walk was approximately 30 minutes to the trail head. The skies ahead looked nice and clear. This hike was unlike others I had been on. A nice open, clear view throughout the forest with the sun trying to peak through. The climb was steady until about 2 hours into the hike. The snow cover increased but was packed down pretty well so it made it easy to walk along without snow shoes. As we continued to climb up the visibility became less and less and the snow began to fall. The vertical climb seemed to become steeper and steeper as we neared the lookout tower. Finally, we reached the top as the snow started to fall heavier. Inside the tower we took a break to eat our sandwich and rest up. After about 20 minutes we opened the door up to start on down and the snow was falling faster and the fog a little heavier. Unfortunately, we had no views of the surrounding mountains or forest. The hike back down took about a third of the time it took to get back up. Sliding down from trail to trail made the trek so much more enjoyable. We ran into about 4 other groups heading to the top around 1 pm. We were unsure why they were heading up so late in the day especially since the visibility was so bad. After approximately 4 hours and 15 minutes and 5,340 ft we made it back to the trial head safely. Enjoy the photos below.. 


Our view from the trailhead.


on the way up


At the lookout tower.


Beautiful shot of my brother over looking the cliff. 


Sliding down the mountain. We felt like we were 12 again, riding the 'laundry shoots' in our back yard. 


Whiteout conditions on the way down


Drinking fresh water from the waterfall. 


Thank goodness this wasn't us. 

Life is Beautiful

Today I woke up to the most beautiful sunrise behind the Cascade mountains. I wish I could have captured that moment to share with you all. Instead here is a beautiful song by Keb' Mo' that fit perfectly with the moments of this morning.



Catalyst

"All men and women who have achieved great things have been great dreamers." 

There's something very rewarding about not only creating a bucket list but completing items off of your bucket list. My list grows weekly of things I want to accomplish, big and small. I thought I would share with you a few of those items to help inspire you to create your own bucket list. 


#51 -- ride a camel


#60 -- kayak in the ocean


#68 -- visit the Great Wall of China


#3 -- compete in a triathlon (spring 2012)


#7 -- play the slots in Vegas


#72 -- learn to surf

Fashion Inspired Invitations

Martha Stewart shares the link between fashion and wedding invites. The 'stich' invite is my favorite.


Those classic folds in dresses and skirts make for dramatic details when interpreted for stationery. The rice-paper cards arrive as modest little rectangular shapes (bottom left) that unfurl into color-blocked rosettes when untied (left). Bring the motif full circle by hanging accordion garlands (top) at your wedding venue and capping your favor boxes with petite pops of pleats (below). Bird + Banner invitations. Bellaterra shallow slide boxes in sand.

Read more at Marthastewartweddings.com: Wedding Invitations Inspired by Fashion 



In the fifties and sixties, dress hems were often adorned with a border of flirty seashell shapes. This elegant stationery set co-opts that iconic feature and updates it with a mix of gold foil stamp and teal calligraphy. Three pieces -- invitation, information card, and RS VP holder with reply card -- stack to form glittering tiers. To add a similar sparkle to your wedding, use place cards wrapped in gold thread and sequins (far left), coasters bearing the invitation's design (far right), and packets of sequins for guests to toss. Sugar Paperinvitation suite and coasters. Calligraphy by Lisa Holtzman. Clear glassine bags, clearbags.comM&J Trimming loose sequins.

Read more at Marthastewartweddings.com: Wedding Invitations Inspired by Fashion 



On the runway, transparent fabric overlays look romantic and ethereal. But when adapted for stationery, they appear contemporary and graphic. Here, two vellum cards, each bearing the bride's and groom's initials in vibrant yellow and blue, announce different information. Place them on top of each other to form the full invite (not to mention a new pattern and color palette). Save-the-dates, table numbers, and RSVP cards continue the see-through style. Enormous Champion invitation suite, save-the-dates, and place cards.

Read more at Marthastewartweddings.com: Wedding Invitations Inspired by Fashion 



Here's a nod to the craftsmanship of those skillful seamstresses behind handmade garments: a letterpressed suite that mimics the tactile quality of fine stitching. The thank-you note is adorned with the couple's monograms, and the reply card depicts a line of thread where the guest signs her name. Consider matching the color of the calligraphy to that of the letterpress -- extending the palette to your envelope is an easy way to pull it all together. Delphine stationery suite. Calligraphy by Nancy Howell.

Read more at Marthastewartweddings.com: Wedding Invitations Inspired by Fashion 




Surf's Up

If a goat can do it, so can I. 

Weekend Love

This weekend was incredible! Friday night started the weekend with games, friends and vino but ended early because of the early start a few of us were having the next day. Saturday started off at 7 am with a warm cup of oatmeal and a hankering for the ski mountain. Along with my friend Tucker, I drove to Snoqualmie Pass which is only about an hour from Seattle. The drive through the mountains was incredible with the sun was shinning from peak to peak. The anticipation of riding down the hill for the first time of the season was killing me. Once we got there we made our way to the baby hill for the first run. So far, so good. After that we advanced to the next level. I have never been intimidated by a ski hill like I was on Saturday. The adrenaline and the courage it took for me to go down the hill was overwhelming.. in a good way. We took several passes but after about 3 hours my friend Tucker bit it pretty hard and had a gash on the ridge of his nose, stopping us from taking any more runs. We headed back to Seattle. Here are some pictures from Snoqualmie. 

Tucker's mighty fall. 
Snoqualmie Pass

Today began early as well. My 7 am alarm went off with the sun shining through my bedroom window. I headed over to my friend Laura's house for a big hike up Mt. Bandera. The sun shined the entire drive there. We headed up the mountain with snow on the ground. The snow got pretty heavy as we kept ascending but that didn't stop us for about 2 hours until we realized we didn't have the proper equipment with us to keep going. The vertical on the hill forced us to turn around. Unfortunately we didn't make it to the top but the views were so incredible it didn't matter. See below :) 

the vertical.. we stopped shortly after this


Presence

"You give me presents with your presence alone." Jack Johnson


This year, I've mentally tried to steer clear of the thought of presents at Christmas. To me, Christmas shouldn't be about giving or getting that awesome new iPad or the overly expensive shoes you would never buy for yourself. It should be about giving your time to a stranger or donating your money you were going to spend on Starbucks to someone who really needs it. Don't get me wrong, I love presents (especially shoes), but to materialize Christmas as our society has done over the years.. including my guilty self ..I believe is wrong. Here are some kick ass places to donate your time or your money to this holiday season. 

Blood Water Mission: I have a huge heart for this organization. Over the years I have followed their mission, raised money for their awareness and was fortunate enough to work with them on a project during my last job. 



Blue Dolphin Restaurant: Over the past few years my family and I have helped volunteer our time on Christmas with the Blue Dolphin. They provide free meals for those who cannot afford their own. My favorite part of this was driving around town with my dad and my grandpa delivering food to a stranger's doorstep and seeing the look of gratitude on their face and in their words. They are looking for volunteers! Located in Kalamazoo, MI. 


The Girl

Tues Jan. 17th @ the Neptune in Seattle. I can't wait!


I wish I could do better by you,
Cos that's what you deserve.
You sacrifice so much of your life,
In order for this to work.

While I'm off chasing my own dreams,
Sailing around the world,
Please know that I'm yours to keep,
My beautiful girl.

And when you cry a piece of my heart dies,
Knowing that I may have been the cause,
If you were to leave, fulfill someone elses dreams,
I think I might totally be lost.

But you don't ask for no diamond rings,
No delicate string of pearls,
That's why I wrote this song to sing,
My beautiful girl.


Hair/Head Pieces

I've always had a love for hats/hair pieces but my love seems to be increasing. Check out some of my favs.. thanks Pinterest

can't go wrong with beads

perfect for a day at the beach

wedding bliss

she is beauty

feathers are ALWAYS a good idea

everyday livin'