visualize ballard

for over twenty years, the bumper sticker "visualize ballard" has popped up all over seattle. it's been described as "so simple, so understated, so . . . puzzling." and ballard is kind of like that.

i'd read about hot cakes bakery and put it on my "must do" list for seattle. on a beautifully sunny saturday, i spent the morning with my parents in ballard. our trip to taste the famous molten lava cake turned into a food tour of seattle for the day, because we couldn't pass up pastries from nielsen's or cookies from another bakery we found...or a little stop at yogurtland. plus, my dad introduced us to his favorite ballard sandwich joint. all spaced out of course :)

this sun halo just happened to fall on my mom's face. appropriately placed.

we found a darling toy store full of wooden, natural, organic, seattle-ish toys. i'd like to buy the whole place out.

the more time i spend in seattle, the more i fall in love with this place. i don't think there is anything better than a sunny day in seattle. all that water, and green, and mountains, and molten lava cake...

i mean, really. check out mt. rainier just rising out of the clouds.

and since we're talking seattle, i have to include these phone pictures from another day in the city. we introduced sage to ivar's clam chowder, and feeding those crazy seagulls. i've probably fed the ivar's seagulls a hundred times, but never have i seen them so aggressive! it felt like a scene straight out of the movie the birds. i love that sage gets to be part of this tradition now. 

fingers crossed we'll live here someday.