Ski Ski Ski Ski Ski SKI !

Caitlin and I are in the final days of my spring break from IslandWood here in Ketchum. In the little over a week that we've been here we have been getting after it. We've been plugging away at our wedding planning and enjoying the uninterrupted time we presently have where school isn't interfering. And of course, we have been skiing... a lot.

 
Caitlin airing it out.

 
Yours truly attempting to look like I know what I'm doing.

 
A few nights ago we drove up to Galena Lodge (where we'll be married) for their "Full Moon Dinner".

1. Arrive around 6:15 p.m.
2. Sit at family style tables with other folks.
3. Enjoy some wonderful conversation.
4. Eat a fantastic meal.
5. Head out onto the trails for a moonlit ski.

Not a bad schedule if I do say so myself... And I do say so!

 
 The menu. The food was absolutely delicious.

 
After our meal Caitlin and I set out with our headlamps for a 6 km ski. Unfortunately, the moon was behind the clouds for the majority of our time out but it was still a fabulous wrap-up to our experience.

 

Tomorrow we say bon voyage to Ketchum until we'll return in June for the wedding. As for today... We're headed out to ski shortly.

Riley

Wedding Preparations are AWESOME

Planning a wedding is a very long, detailed and complicated process. There is a lot of emotion and attachment wrapped into every decision for the big day...because, well, it is a BIG DAY! Thus far in the process there have been many fun and exciting moments. Picking out my dress with my mother and my bridesmaid, Teryn, in San Francisco. Running around Seattle with my Maid of Honor, Zoe, to pick out shoes and accessories. Shopping for Riley's suit! Pleasant dinners with my parents and Riley to discuss the event. Skype conversations with Riley's parents to figure out more weekend details. A wonderful cooking lesson wedding shower in Fremont. In all these ways and many more, it has been very exciting to celebrate Riley and my engagement with so many people and in so many different ways.

What I have realized about our wedding is that it is truly about the people involved and the communities that we each have been building throughout our lives and continue to build, now, together.

Yesterday, in order to continue the wedding planning and preparations and in the spirit of joining our hands in marriage Riley and I ate cake!



There is a small Italian restaurant in Ketchum, just a block from my parents place, called Cristina's Restaurant. It is delicious. Cristina is the head chef and is fantastic. What was really special about working with Cristina is that she is an culinary artist. The entire process of tasting the cakes was a delight.

We came into the restaurant to be seated at a two person table near a window. We had coffee and water while we waited for Cristina to add the finishing details to each cake. After a few moments, we were moved to a larger table after one of the head waiters said, "There are three cakes! They must be moved to a bigger table!"

We moved out to the sun room and the cakes came out one at a time. We didn't know what to do at first because a waitress had brought out a cake knife and a bunch of plates and forks. Should we serve ourselves? Then, the head waiter came out and said, "Don't cut anything. Cristina will come out and talk about the cakes and sit down with you and serve them." What a treat!

 

We spent a couple of hours tasting the most delicious cakes. We chatted with Cristina. She served the cakes and kept running back to the kitchen to bring out special sauces and toppings to try with each cake. We chatted with everyone around us because other parties were wondering why we got to have so much cake! After trying five different types of cake, Riley was still going strong...I was spent after one but persevered through all five. There was a brief sugar high frazzled moment in the middle, but a short break helped me out quite a bit. 

In the end, we had experienced many wonderful flavors and textures. We had created a vision with Cristina for our wedding cake. We had slices to go on a take home platter to try again later (still in the fridge). AND the best part of all was that Cristina gave out the rest of the cake to everyone else in the restaurant! CAKE FOR EVERYONE! 

We love planning our wedding!

- Cait

 

Showering

This weekend I had the pleasure of being thrown a "cooking class" wedding shower by two of my surrogate "aunties" and very close family friends, Linda Suzman and Susan Adkins.  

It was exceptional!

  

We arrived at The Book Larder on Fremont Avenue in Seattle just before the cooking class/brunch/wedding shower began. Linda and Susan, with the help of the Book Larder staff, had created a beautiful space for our celebration.

 


A group of extraordinary women attended the event. I am so thankful to each one of them for coming to support me and to celebrate Riley and my engagement and forthcoming nuptials. I feel so blessed to be a part of this community.

The head chef of the Book Larder, Rachael Coyle, used the time that she had with us to share recipes, secrets and tips for creating a wonderful breakfast. We started off learning to make a spring vegetable quiche. Don't spill it as it goes in the oven!!!

               

While the quiche was baking Rachael made an apple and cherry compote to put atop Greek yogurt with a little pecan streusel. DELICIOUS! Between the bites and dishes I had time to catch up with the ladies in attendance. It was so nice to see each person. I am still overwhelmed by the talent, creativity, kindness, and positive energy that permeated the event. Thank you all so much!


  

Lastly, we learned to make a nice winter salad with grapefruit, escarole, and chives to go with the quiche. Then on to presents...thank you all again for the wonderful gifts that will make fantastic additions to our kitchen. I love that going into my kitchen now means that I get to remember each of you and this happy happy time in my life!

Just for fun - my favorite moments from the shower...
*warm hugs from each person as they came through the door
*beautiful bouquet of ranunculus and tulips waiting at my seat from Linda
*Evelyne's thoughtful questions that helped us to learn more from Rachael
*the creative and artful presentation of Mari's Oatmeal Shortbread recipe
*spending time talking at the the table with Ana and remembering her kindness and warmth that I cherished while I was growing up next door and alongside her twin daughters 
*the wedding shower cookbook tradition of Susan's that she passed on to me through compiled recipes from everyone
*Molly telling me how she envisioned Riley and I using her gift in the future - perfect and true to Riley and I
*the Farm to Table cookbook from Janet that embodies everything that I hope to do with my cooking
*Spending and loving to celebrate this time with my mother
*Ellen racing to her purse to give me a coin with the beautiful knife set! Tradition and folklore live on! 
*Katie and Zoe being so helpful throughout the event and so fun to sit next to and enjoy learning and dining with!
*Heidi passing on to me my great grandmother's Borscht recipe in my Grandmother Chiara's handwriting, as well as her own recipes on stylized simple cards...beautiful


Love,
Cait

Movement Is...

Movement Is... from Riley Hopeman on Vimeo.

As promised a few posts ago, this is my final project created for my Integrating Arts Across The Curriculum course. My assignment was to spend seven consecutive days recording my relationship with nature in a creative way. I chose to focus on movement.

It is composed of individual still images played at one-tenth of a second. Each section is between forty and sixty frames.

FYI, it does contain music that I feel really adds to the viewing experience. And, if you click on the word "vimeo" it will load as a larger format in another window.

I hope you enjoy it.

Riley

Shout Out To My Bridesmaids!

This past weekend I had the pleasure of joining two of my bridesmaids (and incredible friends) for a "hen party" in Vail, Colorado. The itinerary was perfect...lots of skiing, sushi, delicious food, more skiing, pedicures, some dancing, listening to good music and snuggling up to watch a movie. A PERFECT WEEKEND!

Here are some of the highlights.











To all the Brides-To-Be out there: May your bridesmaids create a wonderful experience for you too!


Cait

Three Zero

It is official. I am thirty years old.

In celebration of my 30th, Caitlin went all out. She let me sleep in, which was highly needed, and cooked me an amazing breakfast. During breakfast she handed me a scavenger hunt flip book that would drive the day's events. Up first, catch the 11:25 a.m. ferry.

On the ferry I flipped to the next page which instructed me to go to Pike Place Market to walk around and pick out anything that looked fun and interested. I ended up with a sweet Seattle t-shirt that screams I am a tourist. I love it.

Following our time at the Market I flipped to the next card and off to 1st and Lenora we went. Here sits the Seattle Patagonia store. We walked in and Caitlin forced me to walk up to the counter and say, "I'm Riley Hopeman." Of course, the woman I spoke with had no clue who I was, it was unbelievably awkward, and Caitlin had to explain that there was something behind the counter for me. It was a priceless moment.

Following our time in Patagonia we made for 5th and Blanchard. At the intersection I panned left and then back right until my eyes landed on Top Pot Doughnuts. Inside, the cashier presented a giant box with the largest maple bar you've ever seen. Check it out.

 
We both had a small piece and then kept on motoring to 6th and Blanchard. Here we entered Velo Bike Shop and once again, I had to say "I'm Riley Hopeman, I think you have something for me behind the counter." Again, the sales person didn't know anything and had to go retrieve another employee who handed me an envelope with a gift certificate towards putting some functioning shifters on my mountain bike.

We walked around the city a bit more before heading to dinner at The Pink Door. This restaurant is near Pike Place and was fantastic. I had hands down the best scallops of my life. It was amazing. As dinner came to a close I flipped to the final card which instructed us to get on the 7:20 p.m. ferry.

Back on Bainbridge after the ferry ride we made our way to the car just as the rain started to pick up. Here, Caitlin told me there was one final surprise and that I had to close my eyes. Off we went and as best I could I tried to keep track of our location. She threw me off when she took a wrong turn and had to back up and when we parked and I was allowed to open my eyes I saw this...

 
Caitlin had reserved our favorite coffee shop on Bainbridge Island, The Pegasus Coffee House for the evening and had somehow managed to invite all of my classmates, mentors, friends, etc. It was and is unbelievable. Talk about being surprised.

At Pegasus we drank, had some appetizers, and finished the night with one of the most delicious chocolate cakes of my life. And, just before anyone could sneak out I managed to wrangle them for a group shot.

 
Everyone embracing the mustache.

It was an unforgettable day and night and I feel so very fortunate for everyone who came and of course, for my amazing fiance who went all out. It's a day I'll never forget.

Leftover cake is in the fridge!

Riley

Stills

I am in the midst of a seven day Art Experience for my Integrating Arts Across The Curriculum course. For this assignment, we each select a medium to use as we explore our connection to nature. I've been taking a ton of photographs in hopes of creating some virtual flip books and had a few photographs I thought I'd share before the finished product later this week. Enjoy!


The Olympic Mountains with Bainbridge Island in the closest foreground.

 
 Yesterday on the way to Seattle the ferry was surrounded by close to one hundred sailboats traveling south through the Puget Sound.

 
 This little creature took some patience to capture but I finally managed!

More to come as this project comes to a close.

Riley

March Arrives

Those who know me well know that March is one of my favorite months. My birthday is in March. Some of the best spring skiing can be had in March. And, of course, a mustache is donned in March.

 
Last night for my Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education course, we came in character as an educational philosopher of our choosing. I came dressed as John Dewey who, during the Industrial Revolution, was already advocating for the importance of incorporating practical experience into education. In order to fully commit, I brought out my father's wedding suit, a pair of my grandfather's glasses, and a borrowed tie from Caitlin's father. Needless to say, I think I pulled it off.

Riley

John Dewey was my top pick and his