Fall & Flatbread

The weather has changed significantly here in Eastern, WA. It is now very chilly in the evening, crisp in the morning and rainy in the afternoon. I love it.

I went for a walk with Sage the other day and noticed a few "fruits of fall". Interesting orange tree berries and a variety of mushrooms in the damp grass.

This week my brother's girlfriend Stephanie visited and we made pizza dough from scratch. 

We watched the dough raise by the fire made flatbreads and an artichoke dip bake while sipping sweet sparkling wine and brewing Canadian Maple Tea.

Our gas fireplace isn't very majestic but it worked well for dough rising.

My favorite thing about our "girly" flatbreads was the zucchini. Don't you just love summer squash?

Learn how to make a quick cheesy artichoke bake here!

It has been an eventful, yet relaxing few days. 

GOLDEN GRAHAMS

I feel as though I have failed majorly as far as posting about my golden child. Earlier in the year I wrote a few posts explaining my getting back in the saddle but never really continued the horsey stories! Butters is our baby, we are utterly obsessed and cannot get enough of this Cheeto-eating crazy. I cannot believe it has been nearly 6 months since he became ours. Butters story is a little hard to tell because I wasn't around for the first part. My 4-H leader from middle school found this wonderful guy starving in a stinky pasture on the edge of town and saved him last November. In March of this year she asked if I'd like to have him and of course I jumped at the chance. A few months in the poor boy colicked and we nearly lost him. After a few trips to the vet and some professional nutritional advice from the doc he started to bloom from underneath his tough malnourished coat. Today he is glittering and has quite the personality. As I mentioned earlier, he eats Cheetos. He is also the loudest horse I have ever known with a killer nicker. This gelding lives with three beautiful girlfriends - two arabian mares and a crazy cute appaloosa. His dad spoils him and his mommy kisses him constantly. We ride lightly but enough to help build and maintain those Quarter Horse butt muscles. He's the sweetest horse and even participates in community benefit events. 

I cannot express how it feels to provide for an animal who has suffered in a previous life. I make it a point to do something special for him everyday and I know in my heart that he is happy. Butters came into my life at a time when I felt I had no purpose. I lost my job in February and although it was quite a relief, I felt as though I was quickly losing myself as I became more and more depressed. When Butters became my "child" and as he became stronger in my care I realized what I difference I was making in his life. He is 20 years old and I have turned his life around. He will be a part of our family for the rest of his life and I want to work hard to provide him with the what he deserves. He has pushed me to get out and be active everyday, he has shown me patience and trust, and has changed my life forever.

He is more than our fur kid, he is our best friend and I love him so. 

Horses lend us the wings we lack

"GOLDEN GRAMS" MARCH-AUGUST 2015

Looking Forward:: Preston Cottage

Ever since my first summer in Kent I have dreamt of living in a oak timber-framed cottage like so. My desire to create and decorate a freshly painted modern tudor grows by the day and there is nothing I can do to make this obsession go away. Here I am trying to study mortgage interest and proration for my real estate license exam and all I can think about it muted earth tones and woodland creature illustrations. Today this desire is heightened by the sudden change in weather..

Our region of Washington has experienced some of the highest and driest temps in the United States this year and apart from acquiring a decent tan this year, it has been miserable. Today though, the skies are grey and the air is humid. I am hoping for a thunderstorm while I sit here with my comforting cup of Ceylon Maple Tea. Like many living in Eastern Washington, I am ready for fall. To me fall has always been a "new beginnings" time of year - maybe even mores than Spring. What are your thoughts are fall? Are you prepared for banana bread and pumpkin pie evenings?

I created this mood board above to try to satisfy my need for cottage living today. I admit that pinning about my future home is an addiction and like I said previously, it just can't be stopped. I know there are many romantics out there who feel the same way I do, so of course, I decided to share my findings.

So here's why I chose these specific photos and also where you may find the source..beginning from the top-left: 

1. I am really pretty fond of the shape of this little cottage. I am in love with the dormers and mesmerized by the combination of the sage green trimmings and clotted cream colored stucco - it is just perfecto. Styling and photo by Merry Albright
2. Beams, stairway and door. The hinges are seriously a must - I will be having my in-laws send these sort of things over - there is just something about authentic English finishings. Merry Albright
3. My favorite plant atop and marvelous handcrafted farmhouse - yes please! interiordesignseminar.com
4. This painting just speaks to me. It reminds me so much of a little town in England that I hold very dear to my heart. I do think that in another life I must have lived here.. Shere, Surrey. This painting is called Fox Hill, Upper Norwood and is available at Wayfair.com!
5. The bedroom fireplace - just so romantic. That's all. amyvermillion.com
6. Modern + Tudor = <3 The transparency and the modern flair of the staircase - I can't imagine a more beautiful living space! Openness and brightness is something to hold precious whilst most cottage type homes are pretty snug. lalalovelythings.com
7. That gold though.. so delicate yet so profound. I'd love a little powder room done in gold and grey/green. Can you believe that this is overstock.com? ps: this is a rug!
8. The hare. These things are curious and whimsical. The English are very proud of their hares, with the exception of the field farmer of course! I wouldn't mind a hare or two living in my garden! I found this cushion cover on a lovely little etsy.com shop!

What does your dream home look like?

xx Meg

Sisters in the Garden

Last night I was given the opportunity to capture a childhood dream of mine. To be able to picnic in a dreamlike forest, to wonder into mossy groves with my best friend in tow. I am in no means a professional, but am creative and have a vision for everything that I do. Whether it be decorating, creating artistic logos for clients or photographing adorable little girls having a picnic in the "woods", I am always pleasantly surprised with the outcome and use these opportunities to grow in my creativity. To create the fairytale effect I used a combination of two of my favorite editing tools, Pixelmator and Lightroom. Stay tuned for an in depth "how to" post on creating the "real life fairytale" effect.

~

I hope to be able to someday fill my future home with photos of my own children enjoying nature as these little fairies are. 

Happy weekend! :]

Family Trip to Rockaway

We decided earlier this year that it had been far too long since our last family vacation. Our usual trip is to Newport, OR or the Lincoln City area of the Oregon Coast, this year we set out to do somewhere different. 

Rockaway is a quiet little beach town snug right in between the tourist hubbub of the Southern Oregon Coast and the overly crowded Cannon Beach. We rented the perfect little townhouse right on the beach and planned fishing and crabbing, horseback beach excursions and sandy campfires. 

It's times like these when you realize how precious the days are that you spend in the company of those most important, your family. 

ORCAS

I promised a thousand photos of our Belated Honeymoon in Orcas - so here they are!

Orcas Island is a magical place. After many days dreaming of clear blue waters and evergreen isles, Andrew and I set off on a short vacation to Rosario Bay the other week. 

We drove North from the Tri-Cities' terrible hot weather on a weekday. We stopped in North Bend and enjoyed the fresh mountain air for the first time since soccer season, grabbed a few groceries at Safeway (mostly interesting cheeses) and prepared to head another few hours North.

We arrived in Anacortes late afternoon and boarded the ferry alongside anxious tourists and humble locals, many dressed in windbreakers. The grey skies seemed so alien and the misty air comforting. 

Riding the ferry is always an adventure - I spotted a harbor seal and Andrew bought a hotdog at the concession. Soon enough we were in sight of the port and surprised when we were told that we'd been traveling alongside Orcas for quite some time. 

The antique buildings and narrow winding roads that we experienced upon arrival were nothing less than enchanting. We passed many small hobby farms with signs advertising wool, fresh vegetables and eggs. 

On our way to Rosario we passed through farmland, zipped by private rocky beaches and zagged though mountainous forest.

We found our room at Rosario Resort and Spa and immediately opened the curtains to a private balcony and a beautiful view of the bay! I thew together a little balcony picnic and we snacked until the moonrise. 

The staff at Rosario are very friendly, the rates are exceptional and the grounds are beautiful.. stay there if you ever get the chance to visit Orcas! 

We woke to the smell of pine trees and sea air. With nothing particular planned for the day we set out to explore the grounds and eventually stopped to eat at the Marina. The color of the water was unlike anything I have ever seen before.. so clear and such a beautiful greenish blue. Everything on the menu tempted but I opted for a blackened salmon burger on ciabatta (yum).

After lunch we drove just up the road to Moran State Park. We hiked to Cascade Falls, a beautiful waterfall tucked in the wilds. We also decided to take our 2001 Cavalier up a gigantic mountain, Mt. Constitution at 2,400 ft - it was rough, but the views were totally worth it!

We spent the rest of our day dining on cheese and crackers, enjoying a beautiful landscape and  talking about our future. 

We started Day II with an exciting whale watching trip around the San Juans. We visited "Big Mike", a resident Orca and his family which included a couple newborn babies! On the way out we were also generously given a tour of the celebrity homes included Bill Gates mysterious Lopez Island Estate. 

We took our sea legs back to our room and rested up a bit before headed out for fish and chips that night. I was able to capture a moonlit sky before snuggling up in the comfiest bed ever for our last night of vacation.

Before catching the afternoon ferry we had breakfast at the Moran Mansion and explored the mansion museum.

I really just can't explain the feeling I had on our day of departure, I think I may have had a bit of a tantrum before leaving. In fact, I tried to have Andrew agree to leave on a later ferry..

I cannot wait to step foot on the island again.

My First Vlog

Hello Everyone! I have seen a lot of bloggers become very creative at "vlogging" in the last year so I finally tried my hand at creating a short film highlighting the events of a morning/afternoon as Megan Preston! I hope you enjoy learning a little more about me!


Life Enchanted from Megan Preston on Vimeo.

Wine Tasting with Friends

This last weekend was way too much fun - a best friends bachelorette party Friday, followed by a day of wine tasting in beautiful Washington wine country Saturday, followed by a relaxing Sunday afternoon bridal shower! Katherine, the beautiful bride-to-be was absolutely overjoyed by the series of events that us bridesmaids had arranged for her, and what a great weekend it was for all. Many of the girls came from out of town to enjoy the festivities and it was great to be able to meet a few of Katherine's college friends who I had never before met!

So Saturday was my very first wine tasting and I really can't believe it! I turned 21 two years ago and live in Washington wine country - basically nothern Napa Valley!! We all decided that as Washingtonians, we must make it a regular thing..

We all decided that Terra Blanca is the place to go (below) the views are absolutely stunning and the atmosphere is majestic - it really does feel like tuscany! High ceilings, giant 12 ft doors, a friendly host and a glass of Rose - what more could you ask for! I highly recommend visiting Terra Blanca if you're ever in our neck of the "woods"!! 

Cheers!

Planning the Belated Honeymoon

Andrew and I finally came to the conclusion that its been far too long since we've gone away.  We've been so caught up in trying to get on our feet that we haven't had that much needed quiet time together that we so desperately need.

For the past two years we've been on countless soccer trips with Andrew's teams and have passed the ferry terminal signs on the highway many times. I've always had a wanderlust for the islands and finally we are going! A few hours North of Seattle,WA are a group of Islands called the San Juans, and that is were we'll be headed at the end of June! We'll be staying on Orcas island - said to be the perfect combination of potential sea and forest exploration. We are both hoping to catch a glimpse of the beautiful orcas while picnicking and beach combing for three full days!

I have always been one to scan vacation home sights for hours no matter how user friendly they are. This time especially, I just wanted the perfect romantic getaway - so after scanning for hours and reading countless reviews I finally decided to make a reservation at the Rosario Resort on Orcas (below).

Rosario Resort, Orcas Island WA

I am extremely excited for our relaxing getaway and am finding myself dreaming of beachy picnics and heated pool dips on a daily basis.

Stay tuned for a thousand photos of sparkling water, forest and wildlife!

Butters

 

my first horse.

I thank god everyday for Butters.

When I was younger I was in a group called 4-H, sort of like girl scouts for animal lovers.
Our group leader was Sarah.
I had lunch with Sarah in February - it had been nearly 10 years since we'd met.

A few weeks later I had my own horse!
Butters previous owner had given up on him and Sarah had taken him in.
He was frail and his coat was rough but Sarah was determined to give him a new life - 
She told me that he needed his own "girl" and I agreed

Butters is a 17 year old dun Quarter Horse with the sweetest eyes. 
He's smart, beautiful and my husband treats him like our baby. 
He's my first horse and I love him so.
...
Last Thursday I drove out to Sarah's stable where he is kept and noticed her leading him in circles.
He was colicking. My heart stopped and the pit in my stomach grew as Sarah handed me his lead.

As I lead him to keep him from laying down, I held his head and spoke to him softly. 
I told him that I needed him and that I would always be his mom..
I told him to be strong.
Butters made it through with the help of good friends and a wonderful young vet.

In the last month I have become a completely different person. I have learned to love in a entirely new way - I imagine this is sort of what it feels like to have your own child?

I love him so.

First Pony Club Show - Special Moments

My first show. 

The waking up early in the morning, loading of the horses and the drive across town. The initial morning meeting with the group, sleepy eyes and show shirts hanging in the car. 

The sharing of Show Sheen and brushes, the combing of hair and pinning of hair nets with  flat bows, and numbers on the backs of collared shirts. 

The pep talks and tightening of girths, the heat of the sun on a new pair of black Wranglers. Grandma's lucky buckle shining.

Hearts thump as names are called both in and out of the area.

The silky feeling of the ribbon

and whatever the color - 

you have won.

May the whispering of "Thank-You's" and happy winnies commence.

When this photo (below) was taken there were tears in my eyes - how wonderful it was to be able to share this special day with three awesome Pony Club kids, their parents, their awesome trainer and of course the lovely ponies!