explore. create. celebrate.
Mandi and I have been invited back to be part of Chef’s Corner at the Central Washington State Fair. We will be there on Saturday, September 21 at 4:00 p.m. in the Ag Building demonstrating some of our favorite Yakima Valley inspired appetizers. If you’re at the fair on Saturday and want to take a load off your feet, stop by to say hi and ”Taste the Fun”.
We hope to see you there.
Your Hometown Girls,
Mandi & Stacie
2013 Central Washington State Fair Schedule
This Saturday, September 7, marks the third annual Art in the Orchard. Local artists will set up shop at Johnson Orchards from 10am-4pm to raise money for Children’s Village. All donations and 20% of art proceeds will go to help children with special health care needs in our community. Read more on the Children’s Village blog.
Last year, Doug, Sophie & I atteneded and had a great time tromping through the orchard and shopping. The weather was beautiful (as it’s supposed to be this weekend!), the art was unique and the setting stunning. If you’ve never attended the event, you can get a glimpse from the post I wrote last year (Read the full post here):
Last Saturday Johnson Orchards hosted the second annual Art in the Orchard, an event to benefit Children’s Village (CV). Katie Buck, a Pediatric Physical Therapist at CV, and long term friend and employee of Johnson Orchards, came up with the idea of combining her two passions to benefit CV.
The orchard setting was unique and festive, the rows dappled with a wide variety of Yakima Valley artists and their work. In addition to live music, there was an abundance of fruit and baked goods in Johnson’s retro warehouse.
A few of the artists we came across:
Nicole Murphy () brought her whimsical felt creations and lovely quilted pieces.
Oh, and look at this sweet, sweet couple. My parents (Native Habits) rocked the show and had a spectacular day visiting and selling my dad’s custom bird houses and regionally inspired watercolors.
Lucy Valderhaug (LV Design Jewelry) and her beautiful handcrafted jewelry.
Jumping Mouse Studio’s husband and wife team, Timmothy and Sarah Wauzynski, put together a wonderful display full of her watercolors and his tumbleweed-inspired bowls and yard art.
Art in the Orchard is the perfect opportunity to enjoy friends, buy something beautiful for your home or get your Christmas shopping started–all while helping kids in our community! Definitely a win-win.
Banner image courtesy of the Children’s Village blog
On Sunday, my parents and their much-beloved neighbor and friend, Mary, created a Pop Up Shop to celebrate the recent launch of my parents’ website, Native Habits. What is a pop-up shop? It is just as it sounds: where once a shop did not exist, suddenly (pop!), it does. With Midge & Dale’s (mom & dad’s) stunning yard as the backdrop, we went to work decking the pathways and bejeweling the patios/decks with beautiful found, vintage objects and my dad’s amazing creations. To top it all off, beverages and snacks were served to keep everyone happy & browsing (Mary made these incredible cupcakes–chocolate with a peanut butter Lindt truffle baked inside and peanut butter, cream cheese frosting on top. I know.)
What an entry! My dad created this water feature from an antique water pump:
A red wine bar, turquoise chair & found objects:
Stylish fun for the kids:
A lush backdrop to enjoy while shopping:
Love the use of branches to send creeping vines skyward rather than trailing over the pot:
And besides the scenery & the cool stuff, there were also great people!
Dylan & Stacie
Mike & Kathy Paulson & Joani
Close-ups of some of the goods:
Treasures in my dad’s shop, beginning with the vibrant blue screen door:
Vintage lights with Edison bulbs & hardwood boxes
Vintage radio wine bars
Hardwood knives in their own boxes
And what a way to end the evening, paying the lovely lady on your way out:
Want to be included in the next pop up sale? Email and we’ll add you to the list. Interested in some of the pieces above? Check out the Native Habits site or email Dale & Midge Peterson at for a tour.
Take a breath, you still have time. Better yet, you have time to find/make some fantastic, unique, pretty much perfect gifts for those on your list. Though the items below all fit into a stocking, many would make excellent under-the-tree or hostess gifts. The things below are available locally (if you live in our lovely Valley), but most are also available on-line.
1. –I bought these wine stoppers at one of our local shops, Fiddlesticks. They are awesome–lightweight, easy to clean, colorful and affordable. Something that many adults on your list would love to unwrap on Christmas morning.
2. –These old fashioned candies are a special treat and many of them are made with all-natural ingredients. I bought the classic peppermint sticks downtown at . These vanilla sticks look equally delicious, as do the . Whip up your cocoa and stir away with a perfect candy stick.
3. AprèsVin Grape-seed Oil–Made in the Yakima Valley, these oils will elevate a loaf of French Bread, as well as your cooking. Absolutely perfect for the chef in your life. Available locally at
4. Personalized Poetry Book–No link here because is something that YOU can put together. Google some favorite poets, find the poem that your grandma wrote and put together a little chapbook for your family. My thought: a poem for each month with the goal of memorizing one every four weeks. Pull from culturally significant literature or something that is meaningful just to your family (brother Johnny’s 5th grade sonnet). Recognizing that so many traditions used to be handed down only verbally, create this habit in your own home. In the digital age, there are things that we should all commit to memory. The brain is the ultimate computer (especially when we use it).
5. Kayla Cole iPhone Case–These cases (created by my talented & lovely cousin Kayla!) are beautifully designed and unique.
6. , Catch Phrase or other games–Giving games is a surefire way of guaranteeing some laughter on Christmas (as long as you open the box!)
7. Krochet Kids Headband in Mustard–My cousin Stewart’s non-profit provides a way to give gifts and give back at the same time. Doug wanted me to include a Krochet Kids’ hat for the men folk (there are awesome hats for women too!). And I LOVE this bow tie. All of these will fit handily in a stocking. Order by Tuesday and you can still receive by Christmas!
8. –I like to laugh and am not ashamed to admit that Will Ferrell cracks me up.
9. Coffee Card to your Favorite Local Joint–Two of my favorites (if anyone happens to be taking notes 
): (first drive-thru espresso stand in Yakima!) and Northtown (home to glorious Stumptown beans!). What are your favorites? Show them some love by stuffing your stockings with coffee cards!
10. Birdhouse Ornaments ($5) & Magnets($3.50)–These little birch and copper-roofed beauties are a favorite. Lovely and unique and a great deal to boot! And made by my too-talented father. If you’re interested in information or ordering, leave me a comment and I’ll get back to you with details.
A little “ice” skating place popped up at Chalet shopping center in Yakima. I put ice in quotes because I’m not sure if it is real ice.
When Kendall got an invitation for a birthday party on Saturday at an outdoor ice skating rink, I was confused–and worried. The temperatures were supposed to be in the fifties. I wondered how the ice would keep from melting.
When we got there we found this:
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My parents are constantly finding cool antique-y, retro stuff because they are hyper-vigilant (in a good way). They have a well-worn circuit of antique stores, Craigslist posts and newspaper ads. It takes this kind of tenacity to find the really good stuff and almost every time I stop by the house my dad regales me with some show and tell. He and my mom find amazing things, no question. But what is truly amazing is what they do with what they find. And, I have to admit, I often benefit from their scouting missions, trotting home with some of their treasures OR, in this case, falling into a really wonderful adventure.
Welcome to Bullseye Boot Ranch, a family-run farm dedicated to good food & good fun. My parents came across an ad for the ranch in the Yakima Herald while skimming for estate sales. We ventured out on a Sunday afternoon and were greeted like family.
Here is what we found:
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Stacie and I would like to congratulate the two winners of our “Follow Us” contest!
These two lucky ladies were drawn randomly from our list of Facebook and blog followers. Thanks to all of you who “liked” us, subscribed to us and commented. And please don’t stop now that the contest is finished. It makes our day to hear from you!
And if you are Dayna Schneider or Stephanie Burd Weise, please contact us and let us know the best way to send your selection of Yakima Valley goodies!
The girls and I stopped by the sale this morning. There were so many cute things it was hard to choose. But there were a couple of things I just couldn’t pass up.
I found these hand-painted mugs. At just $5/each they will make great gifts for the girls’ teachers. I’ll add some tea bags, a peppermint stick and a gift card. You can make your own custom ceramic-ware like Mandi did last year.
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The first weekend in November is a great time to get out there to support local creatives–and in Yakima we have many.
A little birdie told me (okay, I saw it on a poster) that the sale will be November 2 & 3 in Yakima.
is a pop-up boutique that happens only twice a year. The show features beautiful, vintage-inspired goods by local women. The event is usually hosted in a home, this time at 4710 Richey Road.
Another way to check off some of those must-get holiday items is to stop by at Whitney Elementary on November 3 from 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Whitney Elementary is located at 44th & Nob Hill.
Both of these events provide the perfect opportunity to buy something to feather your own nest, get a jump on your holiday shopping list or simply get inspired by all of the crafty goodness. So get out there and explore!
Mighty Tieton is hosting its annual Dia de los Muertos event for families. And, to get you in the spirit, here are some fun Dia de los Muertos faces:
From the Visit Yakima website:
Sunday, October 28, 2012 – 12pm to 5 pm – Free and Open to the Public
608 Wisconsin Ave. Tieton, Wa |
Sugar skulls, sand painting, crafts for the whole family y los muertos.
Bring the kids! The exhibition features a sandpainting by Fulgencio Lazo, seminars on the sacred traditions, contemporary and traditional altars. Sunday, October 28 is the afternoon festival featuring arts and crafts activities, food, and music. Brought to us for the third year in a row by Tieton Arts & Humanities.
Please join us for this celebration of community y los muertos!
Opening reception: Sunday, October 28, 12 – 5 P.M.
Gallery hours: Friday-Sunday, 12 – 3 P.M. and by appointment.
| We are two small-town girls who moved to big cities and eventually found ourselves back in our hometown of Yakima, deep in the heart of Central Washington’s wine country. This blog documents our quest to get to know our hometown in a way we didn’t before and recreate some of the things we loved about urban living. |
