my love for seattle // the upper left usa

Hope you all had a beautiful New Year! When I woke up on the first day of 2015, I thought to myself - boy, I am beyond lucky and grateful to be where I am. Seattle is just absolutely gorgeous.

Fremont Bridge // image via

My main squeeze and I started our first day of the year with our annual walk through the city and by the waterfront (a snippet of our beautiful city above - a little moment captured on our quiet, cold morning adventure). Yes, yes... you may think I'm biased, but hey, I can't help it. I've lived in Oregon, Arizona and Texas prior to Seattle -- and there's just something about the fresh, crisp sea-salty air, all the green that is found in the ever so tall trees, the bustling noise of the city and those mountains... need I say more? Nature - city lights - open waters -- Seattle's got it all.

Green Lake // image via 

Don't even get me started on the food scene. Yes, I know I know... I'm technically supposed to be eating clean/paleo-ish BUT on the weekends when I get my cheat meals... I CHEAT. And there's such an amazing restaurant scene in Seattle.

From top left corner and clockwise -- my favorite spot for oysters in Seattle: Walrus and the Carpenter; a delicious happy hour place with an amazing lemon ricotta cake dessert at Black Bottle in Belltown; green curry pork dumplings one of the best Korean short rib rice bowls at Revel; world famous soup dumplings, spicy wontons and shu mai at Din Tai Fung. 

From top left corner and clockwise -- Korean BBQ, a parfait truck and a noodle bar at Trove; homemade, slow churned ice cream and sweet-smelling waffle cones at Molly Moon's; amazing sushi at Shiro's; my favorite go-to pasta and Italian appetizer dishes at Tavolata (it's an Ethan Stowell restaurant, and his other places are super yummy, too). 

And of course, you can't go wrong with any of the Tom Douglas restaurants - all of his spots are divine. Even Anthony Bourdain is a big fan. 

For those of you who haven't had a chance to visit yet or are planning an adventure to the emerald city -- be sure to check out my a few of my favorite spots! Here's a round-up of seattle restaurants and seattle sweet treats to enjoy.

Need more reasons to travel to the pacific northwest? Follow me on Pinterest (below) as I share more reasons why I heart Seattle - including beautiful landmarks, sights to see and more.

Follow Amanda B.'s board Seattle // Where the Heart Is on Pinterest.

Makrbox // discovering the pacific northwest

This past weekend, I had the honor of attending a Seattle Fashion Blogger Brunch hosted by Sydney of Sydney Loves Fashion and Alix of Alix Rose! It was such a great time to catch up with other bloggers in the area, learn what passions they're currently pursuing, what inspires them and just get to know each other a little bit better. The brunch (complete with bellini bar.. yum!) was held at Motif Seattle which is a newly renovated hotel in Downtown Seattle.  I had a blast meeting new faces and reconnecting with old friends. 

At the end of the brunch, each blogger was given a swag bag - consisting of fun treats, beauty products, info on upcoming events... the usual. But one thing jumped out at me -- this beautiful brown box called Makrbox - filled with handcrafted, artisan goods. 

Inside, I discovered absolute beauty -- all things handmade right here in the Pacific Northwest and carefully curated by the team at Makrbox for us to enjoy. Alongside the goods, the team also shares cards (one per item) that outlines what the item is, which local artist made it, the products used, recommend uses for the item and a little history of the local business. 

What did we find in my Makrbox? An Oakmoss candle (scent: refresh) made of soy wax, beeswax essential oils and it even has a hemp wick. Oh, how very PNW! :) A jar of wildflower honey from the Ballard Bee Company, a hardwood peanut butter paddle by Fisher Woodworking, beautiful letterpress cards from Constellation & Co, and a gorgeous leather luggage tag by Miishka Handbags.

Everything about this box was simply beautiful! Looking for a unique holiday gift this year? I highly recommend signing up your friend for a subscription to Makrbox. There are two types of Markbox - the classic ($29 a month) for 2 to 3 items per box and the maven ($59 a month) for 3 to 4 items per box. Aside from giving your friend the gift of delightful Seattle goodness each month - Makrbox is a simple way you can support your local community, inspire craft and encourage uniqueness. 

So tell me , do you shop at your local farmer's market or have a favorite local boutique? 

Share in comments below! 

Regardless if it's in Seattle or not, I'm down for exploring!

xoxo

Learn more about MakrBox here!