The Penny Farthing

I'm moving!

2010-08-17T17:37:00.000-07:00

Just to a different blog. You can now find me and all my posts here at

http://www.katriniella.wordpress.com/

Same name, same content, new platform. I think wordpress will give me a few more options, so thanks for following The Penny Farthing to its new home!

A Terrarium Just Happened

2010-08-15T09:04:00.000-07:00

A long time ago I got a lovely apothecary jar, and it's been sitting empty for the longest time, waiting to be useful and pretty. So when I stumbled into Artemesia, on 28th and Burnside awhile ago, it was a perfect fit.

An amazing terrarium example in the store.

Mossball

This shop is inspiring, full of lovely found objects, terrariums, conch shells, jawbones, hanging glass bowls, mossballs, and air plants. Materials are laid out on tables around the store with sweet wooden labels. Bring in your own container or buy one there, wander around and pick your favorite materials, and Amy, the store owner, will help you build your very own terrarium!

This is mine--a little miniature beach scene. I used red sand underneath the white, for a little sand art effect. Two succulents look pretty happy in there, with a piece of red moss resting beside them for a pop of color. The shells are all ones we've gathered from the Oregon Coast or our recent trip to Mexico. The great thing about these is that if I get tired of the shells, I can change them! As long as the plants are safe and cozy.

I'm quite inspired. I love how you can make these as big or small as you want to, in any container you can find. I have some red sand left over, so let the hunt for the next terrarium begin!

Shiny New Bike, Courtesy of Jesse

2010-08-06T08:13:00.000-07:00

A long time ago Jesse bought a frame off craigslist, got it powder-coated a pretty apple green, and promised he'd build me a new bike.

It took awhile. He was busy.

But now it's done! And she's beautiful!! The frame has a drop bar so I can ride in skirts easier, but it's still sturdy and fast enough to get me to work on-time every morning. The saddle is supposedly going to get very soft and comfortable as it molds to my behind, but it's a little hard right now. Hammered fenders (the front one isn't installed yet) make it so classy, along with the Brooks leather saddle and pretty cork grips. I'm in love! I've already gotten compliments on it--all credit goes to Jesse.

One problem was the thumb shifter, which liked to drift back down to the harder gears, without my knowing it. I would be pedaling along and suddenly the chain would snap into another gear, and the whole bike would shudder. Jesse heroically got me a new shifter and installed that this week, and my inaugural ride to work was without mishap.

I like to get into the habit of thinking of a bike as the default mode of transportation. Work, grocery store, out to dinner, the park...all can be easily reached by bike. Lately I've been bad at that. I haven't had a bike for a few months, and both were in pieces, and then I've been annoyed with the shifter, so I've taken to driving or busing to work more often. But really--I live in Portland, one of the easiest cities in the US to bike in, so I really should be biking more. And it's summer--no rain to contend with! I've really got to get back out there. So now that the shifter is all better, we're off to explore!

Now I just need a name for her! Any ideas?

Finishing Up

2010-08-02T18:17:00.000-07:00

Everything I made this summer was gearing up for our Cabo trip. Now that it's over, I'm not sure what to make anymore! I have two dress patterns for fall--but I'm not willing to admit that summer will be over anytime soon, so those are out. So, while I figure out what I'm making next, here are two easy things I just finished up this week:

Summer Swooshy Apron

I started this months ago, but it kept getting pushed back--it's finally done! I love how full the apron is. I actually should have just extended the fabric some and made it a cute skirt, because from the front that's what it looks like. From the back, there's a nice open "framed" view... Maybe a skirt will be next time, in another fabric.

Why do my feet look ridiculously small in this picture? I don't know.

This color reminds me of watermelon, and summer, and hot days. I think a mojito would look fabulous in front of that color. It would also taste fabulous.

Braided Collar Tank

I almost got this finished in time for Mexico, but then I got lazy, and didn't. But now it's done! The fabric came from a sack-type dress I've had for years, that I was a bit tired of. It was the kind where it just hangs on you, but with a belt it looks cute. I was tired of that style, and this braided tank pattern looked cute, so I went for it. In retrospect, I should have lined up the stripes better. Stripes will be the end of my sewing career, I'm sure of it. But for a casual hot-weekend tank, it works.

Next up, I'm mulling over what to do with some gorgeous Batik pillowcases my co-worker gave me. Maybe a skirt? Is there enough fabric? Hmm.... Also, I'm still miserable about my cutting mistakes, and I don't know what to do. Now I realize I may have completely neglected to cut a section. Great. No more cutting out patterns while watching movies.

Things to ponder... for now, I will drink a pomegranate margarita and enjoy the sun.

The Tug of Travel, the Attraction of Roots

2010-07-30T18:50:00.000-07:00

I've been settling in from our vacation this week, enjoying the familiar comforts of home and reminsicing with photos. Mexico is so far away from Portland, in a lot of ways--our bottles of tequila look a little lonely sitting on the shelf here!

I always crave novelty--new sights, new things to eat, a place I've never been. But at the same time, there's nothing like coming home after a long vacation, grabbing your favorite mug, and curling up under your favorite blanket. It seems like a well-lived life is one that balances these, to the degree that is best for each individual.

And yet... I just want to travel. Yesterday I read The Lost Girls, a blog about three women who quit their jobs to travel for a year, and Nomadic Matt, who travels for a living. I was immediately struck with envy. It's such an adventure to see new things!

Jesse and I are tentatively planning a trip to Europe next year, and it's been consuming my thoughts this week. It's all I can think about--where should we go, how long, what should our route be, should we bring bikes, and how much will that cost anyway... I've been a bit distracted at work. The thought of getting up and going somewhere is just too arresting!

Getting up and Going in Sorrento, Italy, 2005

On the flip side, I like the idea of putting roots down and getting to know a place. Living in community. Recognizing the local barista or mailman. Being able to really call a place a home, and knowing what the local food is, and what the seasons are like. Having a history somewhere. Belonging.

Life in general is a struggle between global vs. local, it seems. It's impressive to know the details of the Kyrgyzstan struggle going on, but isn't it just as impressive and important to know the details of the school's struggles down the street? It's nice to appreciate the beauty of Italy or Australia, but Oregon is just as pretty!

Haystack Rock on Cannon Beach, Oregon, 2010

It's time for me to tuck my travel plans into a little drawer somewhere, keep them safe and warm for later, while I focus on living in Portland. There are too many festivals to enjoy, concerts to attend, waterfalls to see, camping spots to find, berries to pick, rivers to float, and restaurants to try. With over two years in Portland under my belt I feel like I can finally call myself a "local," but there's still so much more to do. And summer is the best time to do it!

So I've decided I will stop pining for somewhere else and start living here. The sun is shining, friends are around, and we're having taquitos and margaritas tonight. ¡Ole´!

We're Back, and We're Suntanned!

2010-07-25T16:13:00.000-07:00

We arrived home safely from our Cabo San Lucas play-cation last night. The only thing I wanted to do was watch a movie. Too much nature and conversation occurred this week, apparently.

The resort where we stayed, with a cruise ship in the distance.

The trip was a whirlwind of good times and relaxation. I don't know how we could be so exhausted from sitting by a pool and reading all day, but we were. Relaxing is hard work. Plus, when you've got 31 family members present to catch-up with, it's a lot of conversation. We celebrating my Grandma's 80th birthday with Mexican style, though, complete with a shot of tequila (which Jesse graciously drank when the waiters offered it to her.) Now my grandparents think my husband is an alcoholic. Wonderful.

It was an epic vacation. We got beat-up by killer waves, we went scooter-ing about town, we ate plenty of Mexican food, I got a little (okay, a lot) sun burned, and we took complete advantage of the poolside fun. We vacationed with gusto, to put it another way.

We scootered around town for an afternoon, turning "scooter" into a very fun verb.

A few things I learned:

1) Jesse is easily mistaken for being able to speak Spanish, especially after a few days in the sun. I'm pretty sure no one would have approached me in Spanish had I not been with him. (Side note: Jesse is not anything, really. He's a true American Mutt.)

Me and my non-Mexican man.

2) I'm ready to continue popping the birth control. There were a lot of kids on the trip, and many more on our plane rides home, and I'm pretty sure I'm not mature enough to keep from strangling any small screaming child. So to avoid jail, we'll just play it safe for awhile longer. Cuteness is best preserved from a distance. (No offense meant to Myles, Naomi, and Lilah. The screaming kids on the plane are another matter.)

Naomi and Myles: yup, they're pretty cute.

3) I can do tequila, in small doses, and in mixed drinks. Also, Mexican beer is actually quite delicious when taken with sunshine, a beach, and crashing waves. There's a reason I don't drink Corona in Portland.

4) Family is nice to be around. I have a big family, some of whom I haven't seen in years. It's nice to catch up. And to show off Jesse. It's even better to get to do it while sipping margaritas and dipping in pools. Yup, family is pretty good.


Me, my dad, and my sister.

Oh, and an update on my wardrobe. I spent so much time making clothes for the trip, only to realize that actually, I only made about three things, and my cuter clothes are ones I bought. I spent every day explaining that no, I hadn't made this shirt. No, not this one, either. Nope, just that one dress, really.

But yes, I did wear Cabo San Sundress in Cabo San Lucas, and it was beautiful. Pockets!

And now, welcome back to Portland. At least it's still a heat-wave here, too. Except for the green trees, it's like we never left Mexico!

Oh, Baby, I Was Bound for Mexico...

2010-07-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

We are jetting out of Portland for a weeklong vacation in Cabo San Lucas!

In another day, this will be us:

Only throw in a couple dozen family members, of course. And maybe a piña colada! I've spent the last few months making clothes with the idea to wear them on this trip, and now that it's here I have too many!!
But I'm bringing Cabo San Sundress, of course, my boat race dress, and my green tunic dress (for maximum airport comfort.) I had a goal to make seersucker shorts--that didn't happen. They got cut out, but nothing else. Oh, well!

I'm so ready for a week full of beaches, sun, and maybe a shot of tequila. Hey, it's Mexico!

Breakfast is yummy with goat cheese

2010-07-14T17:44:00.000-07:00

I tried my hand at making goat cheese again last week, and it was a great success! The first time I made it, the cheese was runny and mushy--tasty, but not what I was going for. This time it was firm but spreadable, and oh so tasty! i neglected to take pictures of the process, but here's something we put it on to devour:

I made this fried egg sandwich for breakfast last Sunday, and it was delicious!! Ciabatta bread, fresh tomato, fried egg, slivers of cheddar, and then fresh-from-the-herb-garden basil. And of course the goat cheese.
Photo credits go to the lovely Pamela Torres, who claimed that there was no sandwich better in Portland. Little does she know! Portland breakfasts can blow your socks off!

Boat Race Dress--Another Copy!

2010-07-08T19:01:00.000-07:00

Portland has turned into a furnace. After that wet, rainy, miserable spring and supposed-summer, it's finally summer in all it's glory here.
Of course, now it's TOO hot, so we're still complaining. But I like a good heat wave now and then, so as long as I have lemonade, salads, and very little clothing, I'm good.

I haven't made anything new in a little bit, but I did finish this dress awhile ago. Yes, it's another Modcloth copy. I'm on a roll!

This one I'm actually really proud of, because I merged two patterns into one, making up a lot of details along the way to copy the original. Here's my inspiration:

I think I like my colors better! My fabric is a little bit heavier, though, so it's not quite the breezy summer heat dress that it could be. But I still love it. Back view:

Do you see that smocking? Yup, I did that. Totally made it up, too, from a random online tutorial. It helps pull the back together, and gives it a bit more stretch when I'm pulling it over my head.

It's called the Boat Race Dress on Modcloth, and I almost finished it in time to wear it to our Dragon Boat Races...but not quite. Foiled!

But I can wear it now, and imagine keeping cool while sipping one of these. Happy Summer!

English Countryside Dress: Another Modcloth-opy

2010-07-05T10:51:00.000-07:00

I finished this one awhile ago, but I haven't gotten around to posting it yet! This is one I saw off Modcloth and thought it would just be so easy to copy:

They call it the English Countryside Dress. Doesn't it look so cozy and easy to wear? Throw on some boots and you're good to go! I went to Bolt and found a cotton/bamboo blend in a sage green color--I like the linen look of this gray above, but I couldn't quite find anything like it.

I used the Anda pattern from Burda Style, and changed it a little bit. The neckline turned out a little bit wider than I thought, but it works. And the doilies were from Etsy.

Super comfy--I feel like I can just pull it on and go! I thought the hat added to the whole outfit, too.

I think this might be a new favorite of mine!

The Danger of A Single Story

2010-07-01T19:18:00.000-07:00

I watched this video awhile ago of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and recently thought of it again when I was in the bookstore. She is a Nigerian author whose novel Half of a Yellow Sun has been on many prize lists. I'm in the middle of it right now, and I love it.

I love her points in this talk, and how she warns against having a single story of the world.

This got me thinking where my stories are coming from. I have to admit, the majority of books I've been reading lately have been some combination of white, male, and American. They've all been great books, and I'm happy I read them. But just like Adichie, I need to broaden myself. In her case, it was so she could read stories of people who were actually like her. In my case, I have a lot of those stories already. Perhaps I need some of people who are different. Different, yet similar--isn't that what we love about really good fiction?

Below is a list of books by international women authors. ("But women are the same as you," you might say. True, but in the global scheme of things, women's voices are not easily heard, so they are "different" in the sense that the global world is still pretty male-dominated.)

Half of a Yellow Sun, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

I'm reading this one right now, as I mentioned, and I love it. I've learned more about Nigeria than I ever knew! Set in the 60s in Nigeria, the book follows a few characters before, during, and after the Nigeria-Biafran War.

Dreaming in Cuban, by Cristina Garcia

A long-reaching vision of the Cuban Revolution through the eyes of the family of Celia del Pino, living anywhere from Cuba to a bakery in Brooklyn.

Anything by Isabel Allende. I really love her. I've read only a few books, but each one was wholly different and amazing, and I'm convinced that they will continue to be that way.

The Seamstress, by Frances de Pontes Peebles

The story of two Brazilian sisters, expert seamstresses--Emilia finds herself married to a wealthy, powerful politician, while the quiet Luiza is abducted by band of criminals. Political feuds, revolution, and power spin the sisters lives around.

Reading Lolita in Tehran, Azar Nafisi

This is one of those books that I always see and think "Huh, that looks good," then I walk past. But it really does look good! And, it connects to this list quite well. This true memoir tells the account of a group of women in Tehran who make their own list of "different" authors--in their case, Western classics like Lolita, The Great Gatsby, and Pride and Prejudice. What does that look like at a university in the early days of the Iranian revolution?

Time of the Doves, Merce Rodoreda

And older, smaller book by an author who lived through the Spanish Civil War, the story is about a young shop-tender in Catalan Spain who struggles to confront her country's tumultuous times.

Redemption in Indigo, by Karen Lord.

A book about a Senegalese fairy tale, set in a made-up village, by an author from Barbados who has studied in Canada and Wales. I don't know how to categorize it! Read Lord's thoughts about that topic here, and just try to tell me she doesn't sound fascinating.

The Book of Salt, Monique Truong. Set in Vietnam and Paris, France in the 1930s, it's the story of a young gay Vietnamese man who ends up cooking for Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas. I am so intrigued!

The God of Small Things, by Arundhati Roy. Set in Southern India in 1969, it's a family saga, love story, and political drama involving forbidden love.

I don't want to use this list as a must-read one that I have to stick to, but rather a jumping off point. Titles to remember the next time I'm wondering what book to read. I might not get through them all, but even 2 or 3 would introduce some completely new stories and settings to me!

A Date Night Smorgasbord

2010-06-25T18:22:00.000-07:00

Our housemates are gone for the weekend, so Jesse and I enjoyed a little date night in a home to ourselves. He went to the farmer's market and made me dinner, which was devoured without taking any pictures. Grilled asparagus, fresh beets, and a tomato salad were enjoyed tremendously.

After that settled, we moved on to dessert!

Don't mind the incredibly messy coffee table. What you see are two of our choice cheeses from Cheese Bar (both delicious), and three macaroons (pistachio, lemon mango, and cinnamon) and two truffles (Bleu Cheese and Chipotle Pepper), all from Pix Patisserie down the road. Yes, the bleu cheese truffle was quite good.

What you don't see is a chocolate brioche, a bit of wine, and us canoodling in enjoyment. Ah, I love food.

I am in Love with Cheese

2010-06-19T09:36:00.000-07:00

And my fix can now be satisfied at our local Cheese Bar! Oh joy! Jubilation! Excitement! This is my new favorite spot for a date, located on SE 60th and Belmont.
Jesse and I wandered over there last night--it's walkable from our house, but I think biking would be a bit better, just to get to the cheese faster.

They have a chalkboard with a rotating menu of sandwiches, salads, and a soup, and then you can also order a cheese or meat plate, olives, baguette, beer, and wine. Jesse and I went for Sandwiches #1 and #2. #1 had fontina cheese, prosciutto, greens, and tomato-balsamic dressing. #2 had sheep's cheese and arugula, both served on a demi-baguette. They were both delicious, though more of a tapas feel than a whole meal.
And then of course we got a cheese plate. It was three European cheeses, which our waiter thoroughly explained, served with baguette slices and plum chutney. My favorite was the goat's cheese Brie-type one, of which the name has completely left me despite all the goodness.
It was all amazing. The staff was so helpful and friendly, giving us samples of beer and cheese to try, helping us find exactly what we wanted. We went home with 2 little wrapped bundles of deliciousness--one a sheep's milk from Italy that fit Jesse's wish of "something pungent," and another a creamy goat's milk that will balance the pungent one perfectly! They are safely wrapped in paper, chilling out in our fridge until a later time.
The knowledge that they are sitting there is delicious and naughty, like knowing you're going on a fancy date later. And I will be! These cheeses deserve to be dressed up for! Have a table set for them, with fancy goblets of wine and crusty breads on rarely-used special dishes. Well, hello, Mr. Cheese. Welcome to my plate.

Redemption of a Shirt

2010-06-18T22:04:00.000-07:00

Awhile ago I made this shirt, my Art Nouveau Sencha, that I wasn't too happy with. I loved loved loved the fabric, but the fit was just so frustrating that by the time I finished I just hung the shirt in my closet and moved on to the next project.

Today I came across it, and thought I'd give it one more chance. Sometimes I anthropomorphize things a bit too much, maybe? I didn't want the shirt to feel bad about itself! So I tried it again. And you know what? I got so many compliments on it at work! My co-worker assured me it looked great, and doesn't even make my chest look flatter.

And then--here's the real redemption--the waitress at the Indian restaurant at lunch told me she loved it. Not even liked--loved. Those are the best compliments, when complete strangers feel moved enough to speak up. My co-workers may have felt some obligation to say they liked it, in the hopes of continued workplace peace, but a waitress doesn't really care about me after I walk away. Hooray for random compliments!

The shirt is redeemed!

Cabo San Sundress

2010-06-15T19:11:00.000-07:00

I've been finishing up my projects left and right, so prepare for an influx! I just need some photos now.

First in the Summer Dress Series is what I like to call Cabo San Sundress. I also like to sing those words to myself, to the tune of Viva Las Vegas. Whenever I wear this dress, I will probably have that stuck in my head. Just to warn anyone around me.

This pattern is one I got forever ago--before Christmas, even, and just never touched. I even have pretty purple chiffon fabric for it that is still waiting to be cut. (Why is it waiting? Probably because I'm scared of sewing chiffon.)

But when I was at Bolt for their big Spring Sale, I had my upcoming vacation to Cabo San Lucas in mind, and this fabric caught my eye. It's perfect for a Mexican fiesta-trip! What's happier than a brightly colored Day of the Dead sundress? And so apropos, too. I matched the fabric to some yellow accenting cotton with this pattern in mind, and proceeded to cut in.

I love the fullness of the skirt. And of course, pockets. I lowered the neckline a bit, which I like better, as well. But I had a bit of a hard time with the bust. As always. I did a small-bust adjustment, where I took out some of the fullness, but even with that I ended up with a lot of leftover gathers, and I needed to take it in a bit more. Or just add some kleenex...

In all, it turned out really well. I'm actually glad I tried this pattern out in a cotton first, just to see how it fits. Now I know what adjustments to make before cutting into my purple chiffon! The next one will hopefully come out a bit cleaner, but for a fun summery sundress, I'm quite happy with this one!

On a side note: some may think that brightly-colored skulls might be a bit strange to wear in a happy sundress. Though I am in no way Mexican, from what I understand the Day of the Dead holiday is a riotous, happy, parading good time that celebrates the lives of those who are no longer with us along with the lives of those who are. Because really, we could all use more celebrating.

And more sundresses.

Musings of the Day: Wrongness

2010-06-08T17:47:00.000-07:00

I like to ease into the day at work by sipping a hot beverage and browsing online news (I like to think I make up for it in soaring productivity afterwards). Lately my browsee of choice has been the online magazine Slate.com

, where I can find articles covering everything from the oil spill, the latest How I Met Your Mother, thoughts on governmental policy, and advice columns.

They've been running a blog called the Wrong Stuff the last few weeks, which leads to my Musings of the Day: Wrongness and Mistakes.

I've had a lot of opportunity to make mistakes over the past year or so--starting a new job, figuring out how to sew, a first year of marriage...all of these are inherent with making scads of mistakes, some dumb, like when I forgot to include paper in our office supply order, some honest, like not someone's prefence to keep the conference chairs the same height.

In all the situations, though, I was wrong. A lot. And I had to admit it, as it was usually quite obvious.

There's something huge in being able to admit you're wrong. And something so valuable in it, because that's how you get better. When I'm sewing, I'm wrong all the time. It's a wonder to me how my clothes actually stay on me, because about 80% of the time I'm working on it, I'm glazing over all these mistakes or just making it up as I go. But you know, my zippers have gotten better. I understand why you "press" interfacing and don't "iron" it. I'm better at taking my own measurements before deciding what size to make. And I don't wash my fabric right after Jesse bleaches his white shirts anymore.

All the same, the other night I was laying out pattern pieces to make a pretty new blouse with some pretty silky fabric, and about halfway through cutting, I realized the stripes were running the wrong way. Who makes a blouse with horizontal stripes? Apparently, I do. A few moments of thinking could have prevented that, but instead I just charged in. And now I am faced with either saying "Oops, I messed up," and thinking of something else to use it for, or saying "No, horizontal stripes are the new style," and spending hours matching up those dumb lines. I still haven't decided which road I'm taking.

In Slate's blog, the author interview's NPR's Ira Glass, who has this to say:

"Well, I register the danger that [something] might not work. But honestly sometimes you have to just do it. There are definitely interviews that we all go into knowing, "Ehhhhh, here's all the things that can go wrong and here's the one or two things that it can go right." And you just gotta do it.
I had this experience a couple of years ago where I got to sit in on the editorial meeting at the Onion. Every Monday they have to come up with like 17 or 18 headlines, and to do that, they generate 600 headlines per week. I feel like that's why it's good: because they are willing to be wrong 583 times to be right 17. "

Imagine saying you're wrong 583 times. In a row. Ug.

And yet, there's something thrilling about a culture where it's okay to really screw up. Creativity is actually just a willingness to be very, very wrong, and once in awhile be right. So, I admit. I messed up my blouse. It might be a wreck. But it just might work out.

I'll let you know.

A Birthday Shirt for the Birthday Boy. Excuse me, Man.

2010-06-02T17:37:00.000-07:00

I started a shirt for Jesse months and months ago, and have been so delayed in getting it done that it was his birthday by the time I finished! I planned that, of course.

I need to officially call this project a practice. This shirt has so many mistakes, flaws, and mis-sews in it that it would never fly on someone who wasn't obligated to love me. Look at him, so handsome in his giant shirt.

It seems like whenever I get confident in sewing, I come across a project that just flattens me, runs me over, and leaves me lying by the side of the road with my crooked seams and uneven sleeves. This was one of those projects.

The collar is huge. That's not my fault, since I was following the pattern. But still.

The buttons are on the wrong side. And I purposely tried to avoid that!

The cuffs face the same way, on both sleeves. Awesome. Good thing he's rolled them up here.

It's way too big, overall. I took in the sides, so that fits okay, but the shoulders sag down his arm, and the open chest/neck kind of evokes pirate to me...

Though surprisingly, I wasn't too dejected about any of it. It was my first foray into menswear, so I think I expected some road bumps. And the end product looks like a shirt (which was my aim, you know), so I'm happy enough. Now I think I know what to expect enough to be able to try again on nicer fabric, hopefully with better results. But what a pain! I'm going back to dresses for awhile. Sew a sack, put a belt around it, and you've got yourself a finished product.

Embroidery is to Gateway Drugs...

2010-05-27T18:42:00.000-07:00

...as sewing is to addiction. Or maybe that's just me.

I was at Powells on a lunch break, which is always dangerous. Usually I can resist, but this time I just had to buy myself a brand new crafty book: A Rainbow of Stitches. Maybe it was the bright colors, the nice thick feel and weight of it, or the beautiful simple photographs, but I just couldn't resist it. And while it's only been half a day so far, I don't regret it.

I've dabbled in stitches before. I did cross-stitch in high-school and college: those big packets you buy at Hobby Lobby with all the colors included, and a giant pattern that requires endless counting. I always got hopelessly off course on the big ones, but the smaller patterns were quite statisfying. It got less interesting as I went into college, and I put the needle and thread down and ignored them for a few years in favor of a social life.

Then, about a year and a half ago, I was in Powells Home and Garden, and came across Doodle Stitching, by Aimee Ray. This was completely different from my cross-stitch packets. Lines on fabric? It's like drawing with thread! I can do that! So I grabbed my old thread, bought some felt, and proceeded to go crazy with the homemade Christmas ornaments.

Embroidery proved to be my gateway drug. I didn't do it for long until it became unsatisfying, and after trying to sew one too many things together by hand, I began realizing, "This would be a whole lot easier with a sewing machine." So I once again put down the needle and thread, borrowed a sewing machine, and pushed on into the hardcore drugs like french seams and chiffon ruffles.

But today, once again at Powells, I was reminded of my earlier addiction, of sewing badly-stitched lines onto everything I could. This book actually has patterns, though. And directions. And over 80 ideas for projects, all beautifully photographed and most of them incredibly do-able.

Check out some of these:

So, armed with this brand new inspiration, I'm off to raid my closets and boxes for fabric! Who wants their underwear embroidered with poodles? Because I could totally do that.

A To-Do of Cabo Craftiness

2010-05-23T16:03:00.000-07:00

What is it about beach vacations that are so attractive?
We're going on a fantastic family funtime in July, and lately all I can think about is soaking up sun, sitting on beaches, and sipping those giant fruity drinks with the umbrellas. Oh, yeah, maybe it's because Portland is trying to remove sun from our lives with all this rain.
In expectation of the upcoming escape, I've created a little list of crafty to-dos. We'll be enjoying the sun in Cabo San Lucas, so these items are all beach and flower-in-your-hair appropriate.

1) Seersucker shorts. For years I've been looking for just the right beachy shorts, in perfect seersucker. The search is off--I'm making my own! I haven't made shorts before, and I don't actually have a pattern, so this might be an adventure...

2) English Seaside Dress, from Modcloth.com (The name must change before I wear it in Mexico, of course.)

Yes, another Modcloth remake! This dress is so sweet and light, and looks so easy to re-create! I've already found the perfect doilys off Etsy, and I just got a nice soft cotton/bamboo fabric, in light sage green. I'll probably use a burdastyle pattern I already have, for a simple tunic dress. This one's next on my list! Any ideas for a better name?

3) This is one I'm actually already working on, and almost done. I call it Cabo San Sundress. To keep the suspense, I won't tell you anything more, other than that I used another Collette pattern, a bright fabric print from a sale at Bolt, and that it's very appropriate for Mexico.

4) I don't have any concrete ideas for the last project yet, but I just bought this fabric off Etsy:

There's not very much of it, but I think it would make a cute little short skirt, so we'll see what I can pull off.

I have two months to work on all of these-- hopefully that's plenty of time! It's my belief that one of the best parts of vacation is looking forward and planning for it. I can just imagine how satisfying it will be when I finally wear all the clothes I've been working on all summer. It's good to have goals. Cabo San Lucas, here I come!

Fabric Find

2010-05-19T22:26:00.000-07:00

I spent last Sunday wandering around our neighborhood enjoying the sunshine. I popped into Hawthorne Vintage, a cute little vintage shop that I expected to be quite small. It actually stretched back room after room, like a giant cave filled with ancient treasure. Or, little porcelain mugs with 70s style flowers on them.

I was about to wander out empty-handed and call it a good trip, when I spied a little room with overflowing shelves. Of what? Fabric! All sorts of fabric, in all sorts of prints. There was a lot of crazy kitschy prints that I would never use, but a lot of really great ones, too! And prices were somewhere like $12 for 2 and a half yards, which is a great deal. So I settled on this one:

I think I might try to make it into a cute jumper, something like this one. This project might be down the line a bit, though, which is fine since the fabric is a bit thicker and fall-feeling. A perfect late summer/early autumn project!

A Little (Well, A Lot) of Ink

2010-05-17T19:28:00.000-07:00

As of Saturday, I have joined a critical mass of Portlanders by being officially inked.

(Yes, it hurt. Like a string of bad words.)

The strange thing about tattoos is that everyone seems to have one, but they are all different. So by getting one you are at once being unoriginal by joining a subculture, but at the same time you are strongly asserting your individuality (The Great Hipster Dilemma). Oh, paradoxes.

I've had a long-time fascination with tattoos. Being in the Northwest means I get to see them even more, and I love seeing the differences and variations on everything. Some are completely original, some are homages to other pieces of art, some are traditional. And yes, some are dumb, ugly, and produce thoughts of "What were they thinking?" Just like any other expression of self.

People get tattoos for a lot of reasons. Historically, it was a way to say you belong to something. Gangs tattooed their members, Christians in Egypt would tattoo a cross on their wrist, and countless cultures have elaborate tattoos signifying identity, beliefs, or simply good fortune.

There's something very mysterious about the permanence of the tattoo. It's saying that no matter what, this image/idea/word will still be true. And that's scary! It's intimidating to commit to something like that. But it's very attractive at the same time, very seductive, knowing that something has enough meaning to you that you'll keep it with you always.

As for my tattoo, I love it so very much. It's been a long thought process for me--I've been thinking about getting a tattoo for years, and this one in particular for over one and a half years. Even after all that time, when I was finally sitting in the chair, it still felt like it happened so fast!

It symbolizes a lot of things for me about the nature of stories, books, knowledge and transformation. I've always felt that stories can show truth (almost better than life), and the kind of stories you tell yourself or absorb--about you, about the world, about anything, matter. They can change you, broaden you, and empower you, or do the opposite.

Past that, I just love the image, and the uniqueness, the simple lines and hint of art deco style, and the flow of the composition. I love that if I turn my head and peek at my shoulder I can just see the top bird flying up.

And once it stops itching and burning, I'll love it even more.

Goodbye, Downtown Life

2010-05-07T19:48:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we make the big move to the other side of the river. I've gotta say, I'm sick of moving. This will be the 4th time Jesse and I have packed up in less than two years. We've been averaging about six months per place--it's kind of like we have a summer home, and a winter home! Kind of.

But in our defense, these last two times really haven't been our fault. I got a job that required us to move downtown, and now I have another job that requires us to give up that downtown living. So we pack again.

I've been struggling with downtown living for awhile now. Often, I like the idea of something, but in practice I find out that it actually isn't my thing. This is very true with concerts. I love the idea of hearing a great band live, but once I'm standing there for two hours with the lower-back-concert-ache, I find myself begging the band not to come out for an encore. With living downtown, though, I can't quite decide where my expectations were--I wasn't sure I ever loved the idea of it in the first place.

I liked parts of it. Downtown is synonymous with fast, exciting, walkable, convenient-to-everything, and fun. We found a lot of new restaurants and shops--but they were all a bit more expensive than our usual. It is more walkable--but most of our friends and social lives still took place on the east side, so we found ourselves driving more than we ever used to. And it is fast and exciting--but do I want that all the time?

My biggest problem, and regret, was that I worked in a high-stress job inside the very building I lived in. I often went a couple days without ever going outside. It was hard not to feel like I was always at work. I do wish I could have enjoyed downtown without that pressure hanging on me.

And secondly, the high-luxury downtown lifestyle in such a building just didn't fit us. I don't need to have a concierge buzz friends in--I'd rather open the door to them myself. I don't need to get a 14th floor view of the city--I'd rather watch the rain splash in puddles on the ground. Waiting for elevators just isn't fun. Ever. And riding bikes in traffic downtown isn't quite as easy as the wide, tree-lined bike routes of the outlying neighborhoods.

So while I mourn for the fun downtown experience I seem to have missed, I look forward to the small pleasures of being in a great neighborhood a little bit further away. Where we are a bike-ride or short walk away from friends, great cheap restaurants, parks, and a slightly slower way of life. Plus, there are a lot of trees. Who knew I would miss that so much?

Here's to our new house!

I Capture the Castle

2010-05-03T20:36:00.000-07:00

The best part about being sick is that you get to watch movies, and no one else gets to decide but you. This weekend I watched I Capture the Castle, based on the book by Dodie Smith.
I loved this book when I was younger. It's told by 17-year old Cassandra Mortmain, who's family lives in an old castle in England with a famous author of a father (who hasn't written anything in twelve years), a stepmother who likes to take off her clothes in the rain, a beautiful older sister, a smart-alecky younger brother, and the handsome hired help. Throw in the arrival of two brothers from America, and you've got yourself quite the soap opera.
Except the great thing about the story is that it's not a soap opera, not in the least. It's such a real, down-to-earth, true story about growing up and falling in love that including a castle is the perfect counterpoint instead of a cheesy cliche.

The movie was pretty much perfect, by the way. It follows the book like all movies should--staying true to the story while adding those details that make it great to watch. And it was so great to watch, I think mostly because of the costumes and setting. It's set in 1930s England. I have such a weakness for 1930s anything. Look at some of these pictures:

The hats! The swimsuits! Trenchcoats! Curly red hair! This one is my favorite:

1) Love the hat. 2) Love the cardigan. 3) Love the fact that there's a castle in the distance, which doesn't have much to do with 1930s fashion, but still.
I couldn't find really great pictures, but there were more. Delicate sweaters, trim pantsuits, amazing hats, a cute dog. Did I mention the hats? I wish more people wore hats these days.

I was really inspired by all the styles, but it's hard to re-create hats and sweaters with sewing...but maybe I'll look for a fun 1930s or 20s dress I can make.
For now, I just need to feel better. It's getting there.

Art Nouveau Sencha Blouse

2010-05-01T10:59:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling a bit under the weather today, so these pictures do not have me in them, for everyone's sake. I finally finished a new blouse, with some of my favorite fabric ever!

My mom and I found this fabric, a Liberty of London print, at Bolt during their huge Spring sale. I love love love the print--art nouveau style circles with tulips and pretty colors! I was so excited to use this for the Sencha pattern, so started immediately. And finally I'm done! I ran into a couple issues along the way, mostly with fit. First, the neckline was incredibly high, but that was an easy fix to lower it. The second problem was a bit harder to fix.
Turns out these patterns are made for women who are much bustier than I am. Seriously, this is the first time I've wanted a boob job, just to fill out the shirt! The pintucked waist looks great, but there is such an excess of fabric around the chest that it almost looks ridiculous. I tried to help it by adding some pintucks to take in the extra fabric. It worked okay, but still not great. I'm a little disappointed, to be honest.

But I think the fabric saves it. It's just too wonderful not to show, so I'll have to wear it anyway, and find some way to make it work. Plus, I love the red buttons, and how they play with the tulips! Here's an up-close shot:

Okay, I lied. Those aren't tulips. I don't know what I was thinking.

So to sum up the blouse: Love the fabric, love the style, hate the fit. Meh, what can you do. I'll probably set it aside for a bit to get some distance, then come back later.
I got a ridiculous amount of fabric at the Bolt sale, so I have too many other projects to work on to dwell on this one. Better luck on the next one, I say!

A Few Things of Craftiness

2010-04-26T21:44:00.000-07:00

A few random things for today's blog...

1) I made a tank top shirt that I completely copied off someone else's project I saw. It was my Saturday project, and my Sunday outfit.
It was pretty easy to pull off, actually--the tank is just a regular one from Target, and all the scraps are small leftover pieces from previous (and future) projects. The only trick was sewing non-stretchy fabric to a very stretchy tank. But I like how it turned out!

2) I got a fun package from fellow blogger K*tdid. I won a give-away on her blog (lucky me!) and got two cozy and bright legwarmers recycled from an old sweater. So fun! The package also came with pink paper heart confetti, which I am to plant and watch become flowers. Yes, please. (Forgive the awful juxtaposition of baggy pajama pants and striped socks with these otherwise amazing legwarmers.)

2) Speaking of K*tdid, she just opened her Etsy shop and it is seriously cool. I don't knit, unfortunately (all my energy is spent trying not to curse sewing), but I can still appreciate the dedication it takes to make handspun and handdyed wool. Yup. Pretty awesome.

3) Back in the sewing world, two buttons off two separate skirts popped off in the last week at work. Not cool, especially when they are high-waisted skirts that really require the buttons to hold tight and be seen! The first one was luckily at the end of the day, but today's was at about 8:15am. I salvaged it with a safety pin before lunch, but it's still a bit disheartening. Two buttons? Really? Are my handmade clothes destined to just fall apart and disintegrate while I'm wearing them? They can be fixed, but I'm still a bit gloomy about it.

4) Our community has found a house! We will be living in SE Portland near Division and 50th, which is close to many good places to eat and lots of big streets to bike in. And the house is full of hardwood floors, a cute kitchen with glass cabinets, and big open rooms! This is crafty-related because the 3rd bedroom has already been dedicated to a phenomenal craft space, with names like "Room of Amazing Craftiness," "Imagination Station," and "Unicorns, Rainbows, and Crafts Wonderland."
Some names are better than others.
We'll be moving in about two weeks! Now to packing...

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes!

2010-04-22T20:02:00.000-07:00

Life has been pretty busy lately going through quite a few changes for us. Mostly, with me. I'm always the one changing things around! 6 months ago I got a new job and made us move downtown, and now I transferred to another new job, and am making us move again! Ug. I'm sorry, Jesse. Luckily he claims he likes change.

The new job is with the same company, just a transfer to their main office for an administrative assistant position. A little bit less stressful than leasing, so it's a welcome change for me. A job with regular office hours, that I don't have to work overtime for, and that I finally get weekends back to enjoy with friends and family? Yes please. It might be a little bit more boring, but I'll take it. I started last week.

Because of that, we no longer get a fancy apartment in a luxury building downtown, so we're in the market for a new place. By the middle of May. And actually, this is the perfect opportunity to do something we've been considering for a few months now.

We are moving in with our dear friends Nat and Andrea! It's funny, a lot of people have roommates for a lot of reasons, but when we say we're moving in together it means a lot more to us. It's trying to create a sense of community. It's the idea that by sharing space, food, time, music and other things we can maybe gain something amazing back.

We've been so intentional and purposeful about it--making sure we know what we're getting into, what our goals are, and how we want to reach them. I know there are things to be concerned about, but I am so confident we can get through them, and I am so excited about the possibilities.

A few goals of the house:

1) Be More Eco-Friendly. With four people eating, we can buy in bulk and use less packaging. We also want to make more things at home, like bread, granola, etc, to use throughout the week. Composting, bike-riding, carpooling, recycling...it's easier to do all of these if you have three other people committed to helping you.

2) Band Practice Space. We're looking for a house with a great basement that we can soundproof for the band. Having a practice space right in the basement means music can be more of a lifestyle for them. And I can be the ultimate groupie!

3) Live in Community. I've become more and move convinced that the idea of church is rooted around a community. It's a group of people that care about each other and invests time, energy, emotion, and support in everyone else, including people outside of the original community.

That's some of what we're aiming for. First we have to find a house that will accept us! Then, the challenge begins...

A Hint

2010-04-16T07:36:00.000-07:00

It's been a crazy busy week, but here's a hint of what's to come:

Mm....so pretty!

A Lotta Ricotta

2010-04-10T12:56:00.000-07:00

Weekends are full of small victories for me. A new recipe tried, a book finished, a hike taken. This weekend included all of those, and a dollop of ricotta! We've been meaning to try the ricotta recipe in our cheesemaking book for awhile because it looked so easy. Bascially you take a gallon of milk, heat it up, add vinegar and salt, let it curdle, then drain the curds. Voila, ricotta!

A whole gallon of milk only makes about 1 1/2 cups of ricotta, but that's about what you'd buy at the store. The weird thing about ricotta is that it doesn't actually taste like anything but the milk, but it's so delicious when you add it to things.

Suki helping us look for a pot.

The finished product! We cut up a ripe mango and ate it with that. Other ricotta uses are manicotti, of course (Jesse's favorite), mixing it with honey and berries, and then a recipe I just saw in Cooking Light for "Open-faced Sandwich with Ricotta, Arugula, and Fried Egg."

Mmm...

I love knowing that I can do things myself instead of buying expensive things at Whole Foods. And it's such a quick easy afternoon project!

Next up, Mascarpone or Creme Fraiche? Decisions, decisions...

I've been thinking about Peter Pan collars lately

2010-04-06T18:24:00.000-07:00

It's true. I've been seeing them pop up more and more, in random places. You know that weird thing when something is brought to your attention, and suddenly you see it everywhere? Not that it wasn't there before, you just didn't notice it.
That's my experience with Peter Pan collars. I've seen quite a few shirts with them lately, and it's got me thinking of making my own...

So sweet and young, but still classic. "Fresh?" Does that word fit?

I don't have a pattern, however. So I have to ask myself, how brave am I? Can I manage to pull out a perfect peter pan collar on my own? Probably not. Maybe someday. For now, I should actually just focus on making some decent shirts--that's the first step!

But I'll still be thinking about them.

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T11:50:00.000-07:00

It's been such a long time since I posted! We've been keeping pretty busy here. My parents visited this weekend, so it's been a nonstop tour of restaurants and shops and hikes and all sorts of things. A little recap:

Jesse and I at Slappy Cakes. Notice the K and J pancakes in front of us, of course.

Hiking in the Gorge: this is Upper McCloud Falls, on a very rainy day.

Easter Brunch on the roof: with lemon curd, baked french toast, quiche, hot cross buns, and mimosas!

Happy Spring!

I have new fabrics and new projects to post about, so check back soon!

Cable Car Tour Dress: A Modcloth-opy.

2010-03-24T23:24:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I found this dress on Modcloth.com, and just loved it.

So cute and chic! But I didn't want to pay for it, so when I saw a similar pattern on BurdaStyle, I just had to make it. I bought some basic cotton off Etsy, and started in, and ended up with this:

I made a few simple changes from the pattern (Madison), mostly in the collar, to get it to look more like the modcloth version. Here's my version:

Just a few issues with it:
-It's a little big, but with the belt added it looks great and you can't tell, so not a big deal.
-The pockets stick out a little funny, but I almost think they're supposed to. Either way, it gives me a bit more hips, so also not a big deal.
-I used leftover scraps of interfacing for the collar (I was too cheap to go out and buy more), so the back collar doesn't have quite as much body or shape as I want. Again, probably not a big deal.
-And last, the fabric. I was focused on savings and on the houndstooth, so when I bought the fabric off Etsy I didn't realize it was just quilting cotton. Not the best for clothing--it's kind of cheap feeling. But it turned out okay. The body in the fabric works well with the pattern, as it's not supposed to be too flowing. Next time I make this, I 'd spring for the nice wool houndstooth and maybe put a lining in it.

Overall I'm pretty happy with it, and I love the way the collar stands up and just shows hints of the neck and collarbones. Modest, but almost in a teasing way, if I do say so myself! And I love the buttons. Buttons are always very nice.

Modcloth.com version: $50 on an impulse buy.
My version:$20, a lot of time, and so much more meaningful!

New Dress is Coming

2010-03-22T12:39:00.000-07:00

It's been taking me awhile, but I'm almost finished with a new dress. It's another Burda Style pattern, slightly altered, and modeled after a Modcloth.com object-of-lust.

Here's a hint of it:

Houndstooth--so fun!

My goal is to finish before my parents come to visit on Wednesday, and I just have a few details left, so I think I can do it.

New dress for me!

La Calaca Comelona, or, "The Hungry Skeleton"

2010-03-16T17:56:00.000-07:00

I realize it's a little off to post about a Mexican restaurant on St. Patrick's Day. But I'm not Irish, so St. Paddy will forgive me, I'm sure.

We tried a new restaurant on Monday night: La Calaca Comelona ("The Hungry Skeleton"), on SE 23rd and Belmont. It was an instant favorite. It's ironic, actually, because we used to live 3 blocks away from it, but never tried it. Now we live across town, but decided to make the trip. And hooray that we did, because it was so good!
Besides a lot of burritos and taco stands, we don't actually have a good selection of tasty Mexican food around, so it was quite a nice change from a giant burrito. They make everything from scratch there, from the salsas to the tortillas, and it all tastes so delicious. A friend asked "Isn't that the place where they don't serve you chips and salsa?" Well...yes. But it doesn't matter. They do give you different salsas to drench on your food, and that's all you need. And the food!

It's inspired by central and southern traditional Mexican, and look nothing like what you'd see at the local burrito stand. They have a short menu, almost like a lunch menu, that has tacos, sopas, and tostadas to choose from, with varying ingredients, for a little as $6-7. Then the dinner menu has bigger entrees, a bit higher priced, that are delicious and wonderful.
We decided to share the pulled pork sopa: a mixture of pulled pork, cabbage, and salsa over a thick corn tortilla. And then we split the Blackberry Mole over Chicken, with pears. We just had to try that once we saw it. It was a perfect mole--a little smoky, but with a fruity taste from the blackberries. As good as that description sounds, though, we both preferred the sopa! It was a bit stronger in flavor, I think.
I sipped my horchata throughout the meal, and we gazed on the slightly creepy Day of the Dead skeletons hanging around as decor. They're brightly colored, so they come off as happily eerie. The whole atmosphere and the food all brought me back to our honeymoon in Santa Fe.

{Photos from La Calaca Comelona}

Out back of the restaurant they have a cute little garden space and an outdoor bar. It was too chilly when we went, but we'll be back! Another horchata, a few tacos, and I'll stay all night long!

Doesn't that sound way better than potatoes and green beer?
Nonetheless, Happy St. Patrick's Day!

New Bike, in Green

2010-03-12T09:16:00.000-08:00

Lucky girl that I am, I get a brand new bike! And by that I mean a bike frame from Craigslist that we got painted. Hey, it's new to me.

Isn't it such a perfect color? I almost went with a purple lilac color to get in touch with my girly side more, but I'm so glad I chose this one. It's a mixte frame, which means it's good for wearing skirts with because I can step through. Jesse will tell you other things about it, like how this frame is stiffer than a normal stepthrough frame (a good thing), and other details about the construction. It's a good city-bike frame, for riding around Portland, going grocery shopping, or meeting a friend across the river for coffee. And I can wear skirts or dresses with it!

Jesse's been slowly collecting other parts for me, and some we'll take off my old bike, so now that we have a frame, the building can begin! We have a gorgeous leather Brooks saddle, new handle bar tape, and other parts that I can't describe. but are very important. Once we get it built, I want to get one of these beautiful bike purses from Poka Cycle Accessories in Toronto:

You can put on your handlebars or rack, and then just sling it across your shoulder when you're ready to go inside a shop! So stylish! They also have amazing headbadges:

I can't wait to see the finished product! I'll post updates!

Etsy Wishings for the Day

2010-03-10T20:01:00.000-08:00

It was a slow day at work, so at lunch I found myself gazing at Etsy, and here is what I wish for.

Hungarian Scarf, from objetapetita. I just love these colors--like Saffron and Paprika. Very Hungarian indeed. Also, I particularly like browsing objetapetita's store, because she has a little story vignette with every item. It's so lovely!

Radish red Paisley secretary shirt dress from CapriciousTraveler. Oh what a perfect style! So proper and secretary like, but very sexy. At first I didn't realize this is a dress, not just a blouse and skirt. I love how the red shirt pops! This seller has a TON of great finds.

Feminine navy blue high collar blouse by CapriciousTraveler. I love the color, the dainty ruffles and high collar. It's so satisfying to wear things like this to work now that I have a job that lets me. Somehow it's just not the same wearing it to the grocery store.

Cranberry wine bow heels, 1970s, from Thrush. I can just feel these shoes going with a pencil skirt and the navy blue blouse from above. Oh, yes!

Lovely Yellow flower cotton gauze, from UniqueShiny. I can envision an adorable little blouse being sewn out of this. Cotton gauze is so light and sheer my fingers just ache to touch it! I found so many fabric samples I wanted from her store!

So there it is, a little sampling from my "favorited" tab. My budget would perhaps let me get one of these goodies, but how to decide??

Rice Pudding!

2010-03-08T22:28:00.000-08:00

We saw this recipe while browsing the other night, and just had to make it. It looked so tasty, and when we realized we had all the ingredients just laying around, it had to be done.

It's not often that we have milk on hand, actually. Soy milk is the usual thing for cereal, and even for most cooking, so we rarely have milk. But last week I was ambitious enough to think that I would try making ricotta cheese, so we bought a gallon of whole milk. But then a cup was needed for one thing, another half a cup for something else, until there wasn't enough for ricotta anyway, so we might as well just use it all. Thus, rice pudding. She suggests floating a bay leaf in the milk for a little zing, so we tried that--honestly I couldn't taste anything. But I'm a little stuffy-nosed coughy right now, so I might not be so great at detecting the subtle flavors in foods. I did detect the sweet, sticky goodness of the pudding, though, and it was amazing!

Jesse was the one that did most of the work. Sometimes that happens: he does all the cooking, I do a lot of eating, and then I brag about it later. At least I'm good at giving credit where it's due!

Hello, Spring!

2010-03-04T12:38:00.000-08:00

It's my weekend! Since I often go a few days without even leaving the building (the curse of working in the same place you live), on weekends especially I like to make a special effort to get out. Sometimes it's hard, though, when it's a gloomy day and all I want to do is sit inside, drink tea and sew.
But this morning was a cloudy, sun-spotted, spring morning, so it was the perfect day for a bike ride to Washington Park.

A few notes about this picture.
1) The hat. I bought it for $5 at Urban Outfitters, and I'm pretty much in love with it. Hats take a certain commitment to wear--you have to wear it knowing that some people might think you look ridiculous, but it doesn't matter, because you like it. And for $5?? Why not, I say.
2) The hill. This is only a slight hill, but it came after 5 major hills, a few stops for breathing, and a couple bike-walking intervals. I need to get more exercise.
3) And perhaps most important, The Tree in Bloom. I love these trees! Portland is full of them! It's like the world's signal that it's finally spring, and even though it might rain a few more weeks, it's okay, because things are blooming and the gray days are over.

Washington Park is up on a hill above Portland, giving it great views of the city, but also making it feel in certain places that you're nowhere near a city. Lots of trees, a Rose Garden, benches, green grass, and birds make it a perfect place to go look for Spring. Jesse and I brought some pastries and books, and took our time.

It makes me want to read The Secret Garden.

The first rose of spring!

What a good weekend morning!

Mini-Bloomers!

2010-03-02T08:21:00.000-08:00

I needed a quick and easy project to finish after my skirt, and I've been eyeing these mini-bloomers for awhile. The pattern is a free download from Colette Patterns--same company as the skirt.

I had an old wrap-around jersey dress that I never wore anymore, so I decided to reclaim it for this project. And in one day I whipped up my own bloomers! It's very satisfying to have an easy project you can finish in one day--especially after a long, involved one. I really like how they turned out. Next time I might make them a little bit bigger, especially the leg openings, but other than that I loved it. And they are so soft and comfy to wear!

I liked them so much that the next day I decided to take the rest of the fabric and make a little bandeau bra to go with the bloomers. Just in case I needed a matching outfit to lounge around in, you know? The bra is just a strip of fabric with elastic at the top and bottom. So no, it's not a lot of support, but it's just for lounging. Plus, it's pretty cute. I may add a ribbon detail, or even straps to it sometime, but for now it's good the way it is. Fast and easy!

It was a good detox project on my weekend. And these are both so comfy I think I will just live in them all summer--once it's warm enough!

The Geography of Bliss

2010-02-28T08:29:00.000-08:00

I finished The Geography of Bliss, by Eric Weiner the other day. It's non-fiction and a pretty fast read, but I really enjoyed it.

I was wandering through Powells about a month ago looking for a new book when I came across this one. I may have been feeling a little down lately, so a travel book about happiness caught my attention.

The book chronicles Weiner's travels to about 10 different countries that score highest or lowest on a "happiness scale." He visits them and spends a chapter mulling on what makes their culture happy, or unhappy. The very nature of the book demands that can't spend too much time in every place, so it's not in-depth research or anything--more like what he noticed when he was there. Very subjective, but still interesting.

There were too many countries for me to comment on all of them, but one that really stood out to me was Iceland.

Iceland has always fascinated me, and it always stays high on my list of places to go. Why? I don't know! A dark, icy, cold island--why visit? I think that's part of the allure. The whole island is still alive, with volcanoes blaring and earth shifting, and an entire half of the year where the sun doesn't come out. There's something fascinating about that fact that people have survived for centuries in such a harsh climate.

"Theories abound as to why cold or temperate climates produce happier people than warm, tropical ones. My favorite theory is the Get-Along-Or-Die Theory. In warm places, this theory states, life is too easy; your next meal simply falls from a coconut tree. Cooperation with others in optional. In colder places, though, cooperation is mandatory. Everyone must work together to ensure a good harvest or a hearty haul of cod. Or everyone dies. Together.
...We humans need each other, so we cooperate--for purely selfish reasons at first. At some point, though, the needing fades and all that remains is the cooperation. We help each other because we can, or because it makes us feel good, not because we're counting on some future payback. There is a word for this: love.

Another thing I loved is that Iceland isn't afraid of failure, on an individual or a national level: "There's no one on the island telling them they're not good enough, so they just go ahead and paint and sing and write. One result of this freewheeling attitude is that Icelanders produce a lot of crap. They're the first to admit it. But crap plays an important role in the art world: it's fertilizer."

There were lots of other things, too, but I'll stop there. It was a good book to mull over--I'm not sure it made me happier immediately, but I felt like it was good to think about.

Mossy Green Beignet Skirt

2010-02-25T13:38:00.000-08:00

I did it! I finished my Beignet skirt, my first swing at Colette Patterns. I have to say, I feel like this is my best, most polished work yet. This came with a lot of firsts, too--buttonholes, buttons, a lining, and a blind hem. All are now safely tucked away in my brain as certified knowledge. Of all my sewing projects, this one had the least amount of "Whoopsies! ....oh, well" going on, which is very encouraging. Not to say I didn't mess up, because it's not perfect... but it's hard to tell that. All the pieces fit together, it fits me wonderfully, and I just love how the leather buttons look. So very classy! And, it has pockets. Love it, love it. I'm quite happy that the pockets are laying nice and flat--you can't even tell they're there!

I am so happy with it! Sometimes when I wear things I made, I get compliments, and when that happens I can't help but blurting out "ThankyouImadeit!!!!" in a loud voice followed by a goofy grin. Then I feel bashful because it practically forces people to act impressed whether they want to or not. I'm working on being a bit more humble. Someday. :)
But that's okay. Because I really am happy with it. And more than a little proud, too.

I have two other Colette Patterns in my sewing to-do list now. Both of them are dresses, and both are a bit more intimidating to me. So I might try something easier next, then tackle another one. The pattern itself was so nice to work with--really clear instructions, and illustrations, it all made it go so much easier.
I feel ready for spring now! The trees are blooming, and daffodils are popping up!

A Trip of Snowshoeing

2010-02-19T21:50:00.000-08:00

Jesse's mom bought us snowshoes last October. Last December, we used them to walk up the street after the big snowstorm. Yesterday was the first time we'd put them on since then, and the first "real" snowshoeing adventure.
The weather was gorgeous--about 60 degrees in Portland, but it got chillier as we drove up Mt. Hood, and a bit snowier (luckily). I was afraid we wouldn't find any snow at all, but it seemed like just as we turned into the trailhead, it was there. Just waiting for us. And the sun was shining for us, and little birdies were chirping, and Mt Hood was beaming it's white smile at us... okay, it didn't really smile. Obviously. But it was pretty close, I think.

It really was a gorgeous day, perfect to try out our snowshoes. If we were completely honest, we probably didn't really need them. But it would have been silly to drive all that way to go snowshoeing, and then not go snowshoeing. So we strapped them on anyway.

We did a 5 mile loop around Trillium Lake, just at the base of Mt Hood. It's a popular hike because it's so easy to drive to, and it's postcard-like views. Jesse brought a pack, and we picnicked on munchies halfway through while we enjoyed the view.

First Lesson: Snowshoeing is a workout. Second Lesson: Fresh air and sunshine is a nice thing to experience. Third Lesson: Bring a bottle opener to open bottles.

Now we've had winter's last hurrah, and I'm ready for Spring! I spied some cherry blossom trees blooming on our way back into town, so now I have my eye out. Bring it on!

Valentine's Day Events

2010-02-16T19:21:00.000-08:00

We had a pretty low-key Valentine's Day here. It was Sunday, but since I had to work, Jesse took it upon himself to cook me an amazing dinner. This took days in the making, and required him to hide things in the freezer, go grocery shopping on the sly, and in general sneak around and ban me from the apartment.

My present also took a lot of sneakiness, but less so, because Jesse doesn't usually look in my sewing stash, so I figured I was safe even if I left it out in plain view. I like to take the road that if I don't tell him there's a surprise, he won't even pay attention if I leave things in obvious places. Whereas if he tells me not to look in the fridge, it takes all my strength not to look in the fridge. (I didn't. It was a pleasant surprise.)

So, without further ado, here are our respective Valentine's Day surprises. One of Jesse's presents to me:

This is Baked Alaska, in it's natural habitat, the freezer. This view allows you to see the layers inside: we have chocolate cake, then 3 layers of ice cream (Hagen Daz), topped with a layer of whipped meringue, and finally baked in the oven for a few minutes to turn the meringue night and toasty. When sliced, this is topped by homemade fudge sauce. The whole thing is, in a word, heavenly. And amazing. Delicious. Wonderful. Worthy-of-being-paid-large-sums-for. The rest of the meal was just as good, but really, everything pales in comparison to this.

And my present to Jesse:

Sorry it's sideways. I can't figure out how to turn it around. Anyway, since it's expensive to buy nice lingerie, I figured I could just whip some up! This babydoll cami turned out pretty well. I ripped the lace and the button placket from an old shirt, so the buttons go all the way up the side. It's a little loose, so it really needs straps. (But honestly, it's not like it really needs to stay up anyway. Tee hee.) This is the rest of the fabric I used for my previous pretty blouse, and I'm quite happy with how it was used. I tried to make undies to go with it, but that was a complete disaster.

This worked out, though. I won't say much more, except that it was pretty well received. :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

The Twisty Side of Life

2010-02-09T12:14:00.000-08:00

Jesse, in all his baking fervor, tackled pretzels last week.

Or maybe they tackled him... Either way, he managed to twist his way to a delicious browned, firm crust with yeasty goodness inside. Delicious!

Here they are before going into the oven, and that was the last picture I got before we gobbled them all up. A little salt on top, a little mustard, and they were perfect (I won't mention the fact that they stuck to the pan horribly because I didn't grease it enough...).

Twisty is a good illustration of how I've been feeling about life lately. Twisty, perhaps a little restless or unsatisfied... who knows how to describe it. But it's amazing how a little unhappines can affect all sorts of things in your life. I've been reading a lot of craft blogs, and trying to sew, which is a great outlet for my creativity drive, but at the end of the day it just leaves me wanting more. Then I look at all the stores on Etsy, all the people creating whole clothing lines on Burda Style, and blogs with successful women behind them who've created careers out of their crafty drives. It leaves me unhappy.

I want so bad to create that for myself, too, but...but, but, but. Always a but. Not enough money, time, talent, direction. There's a lot in my way, most of all the fact that I have no clear vision for what I actually want. I want to earn money doing the things I love to do. I have idea how to do that, or what it is, exactly, that I love to do.

Twisty, twisty. Excuses, excuses. For now, I'll keep working on my skirt.

My guy plays the mandolin

2010-02-06T09:43:00.000-08:00

Yup, it's true. He bought an old mandolin off Craigslist, re-strung and fixed it, and now he strums the tunes of a mandolin to my ears.

What a guy he is.

Contemplation of a Dress

2010-02-03T14:34:00.000-08:00

I've been eying this dress at Anthropologie (of course) lately, because not only do I quite like it, but I think there's a good chance that I could re-create it. It's called the Sky Bridge Dress.

In looking at it, it seems like it's just a simple skirt that's gathered on both ends, then a simple triangular v-neck bodice. It seems like it should be simple. I'm still convincing myself of this, but once I get there I might try to re-create it. It's on sale at Anthropologie right now, for $78. Depending on the fabric I find, I feel confident I could pull that off for $30, tops. It's on my list for sure--we'll see when I get to it.

Another thing on my list is re-working some old clothes from my closet. There are two types of clothes you get rid of: one that you finally decide the color is just not good on you, and one that despite how much you love the color, you finally realize the fit/style is all wrong. The first kind is hard to be recycled without massive dyeing projects, but the second is a new outfit just waiting to happen. I've already culled a few options from my closet and come out with some very nice fabrics--a lot of baggy dresses or old shirts that I've just gotten tired of. So I'm mulling over projects with those.

For right now though, I've just started this skirt from Colette Patterns:

It might take me awhile, but I love it so much already! I have a fantastic green linen, so I can't wait. It'll be the perfect happy spring skirt!

A Finished Book

2010-01-31T19:54:00.000-08:00

I did it! I finally finished The House of Spirits, a book I've been reading since, oh, October. Pathetic. The weird thing about the book is that it was really good, but it just took me forever to read it! But I loved it! I think the main delay was the whole new full-time job and moving thing. So there was a good two months in there that I wasn't even trying.
Anyway, I'm finally done, and I loved it. I haven't read much of Isabel Allende, except for Zorro. And this one was completely different than Zorro. This book was more of a family epic, starting with the great-grandparents and moving through the years. It reminded me strongly of One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (and not just because they're both Latin American writers). Both were huge, sprawling family epics spanning decades of time. But even more strongly, both of them really emphasized the circuity of life--how in some weird way a child is destined to make the same mistakes as his great-grandfather. It's not something I usually subscribe to, but it makes a really interesting story, and it does make sense in a lot of ways. In Marquez's novel, it's a fatalistic approach that you can't escape it, but Allende takes that view and switches it around to say that people can better themselves despite destiny.
In The House of Spirits Allende does an amazing job of foreshadowing--I've never read a book with so much of it! She'll tell you then end of someone's story as she's introducing them, in a way you barely even realize, and it only hits you later how momentous that revelation is. For example, when Amanda tells her brother she'd die for him, Allende writes, "she did not know then that one day she would have to." It creates this amazing circle where you're always being reminded that it's a bigger story than the small section you're reading now. And every foreshadowed event actually happens--no hint is left at the end, and you see this huge story come together.
The book almost blew my mind because of the detailed and bloody story of a political coup. She never mentions the country in the book, but a quick internet search (I admit: Wikipedia) pointed me to Chile in the 1970s. I had no idea of the tumultuous, bloody politics the country went through (probably because the CIA had a small role in that, and they don't really want to spread that around).
And lastly, I love the characters of Clara, Blanca, and Alba (mother, daughter, and grand-daughter), who are shown from a woman's point of view, and therefore strong and real.

New Blouse, in Rose

2010-01-29T15:57:00.000-08:00

I finally sewed something else! I've been plagued by a couple of projects that didn't work out, so this is quite an exciting success for me.

This is based off a Burda Style pattern, and again, I felt like their instructions are just so hard to follow and very confusing. It even seemed like they left out a couple steps completely. I think I'm just more of a beginner than those patterns are geared for, so I need things spelled out pretty clearly. But, an incomplete pattern forces a bit more creativity and improvisation, so maybe it's good for me?
Anyway, the blouse turned out pretty well. The neck is bigger than I expected, and the whole shirt was a lot shorter than I thought. If I had known, it would have been a simple fix to make it longer. Guess I should have measured myself.
But, it all holds together, and with a high-waisted skirt it actually looks quite fantastic, so no complaints. I just can't wear it with my low-rise jeans!

Another note: I love, love, love this fabric. It's a pretty rosy silk-chiffon (maybe a little see-through), and lucky for me I bought extra! So now I have enough to contemplate other projects. I won't say yet, just in case it doesn't work, but it could be pretty amazing.

Now that this is accomplished, I feel sufficiently ready to tackle my Collette Patterns. Pull out the big guns!

A Day Off

2010-01-21T11:29:00.000-08:00

It was a busy week. Last week my sister was in town for way too short of a visit, then my friend Kerry came into town and we did many busy and fun things. I'll update on that later, but for now, it's a day off for me. And that's nice. I'm sitting in a lovely little bakery/cafe, Jesse's studying, I'm drinking chai tea, it's raining just a little, and I'm wearing my favorite gray jeans to match the cloudy day.

It's nice to have a day off. I didn't sleep in much, but that was okay because I didn't have to get up. I didn't even have to take a shower. Days off are exercises in "What do I want? What will make me happy?" I forget to do that too often during the busy week.

This makes me happy:

This is shortbread on a brioche bun. Okay, I haven't tried it, but just looking at it makes me happy, so imagine me eating it! This is one of the many yummies here at Lovejoy Bakers. I'm a little bit addicted to just coming in and staring at their menu, which always changes, and includes things like fresh baked bread, homemade soup, and juicy sandwiches that make my tummy rumble.

It's a perfect make-me-happy place, and since that's what days off are for, you can find me here a lot. With a book, a chai tea, and Jesse. Now, to find one of those brioches...

Homemade Cheese, of the Goat Variety

2010-01-14T18:46:00.000-08:00

Yup, you guessed it--we made goat cheese! Our dear friends The Beedles gave us a DIY kit for Christmas, straight from the local shops of Portland:

As you can see, our kit was for Chevre, or goat cheese, and as you can't see, it came with cheesecloth, a cheese thermometer, and the citric acid needed to curdle milk. Then we had everything else!

The hardest part was finding the goats milk, because it's not hanging out everywhere. What's more, you're not supposed to use Ultra-Pasteurized milk because that kills all of the good bacteria. And plain old pasteurized goats milk is hard to find. But we finally scored some at Trader Joe's, and brought it home dreaming of creamy goodness.

First, we carefully brought the milk to an almost-boil, then added in the citric acid, which curdled it and turned it a weird yellowish green color. But this was a good thing. We kept it at a good simmer until it really got a-curdling, and separated into curds and whey. At this point, I thought, "Little Miss Muffet must have been crazy to eat this stuff." It looked pretty gross.

Then we poured it all into a little baggie made of the cheesecloth and let all the whey drain out, leaving just the beautiful tasty curds: chevre! We mixed dill into part of it, because I have a love affair with dill. Then we let it cool.

And then we ate it! It was delicious! And we had made it all on our own!

Okay. it doesn't look like much, but it's pretty tasty!

So, just to recap, that's sour cream, butter, buttermilk, and chevre we've made in our very own kitchen. I just need to buy a goat, and we'll have a never-ending supply! I suggested it to Jesse, but he didn't go for that. Bummer. Maybe someday. We can have a family of goats, for Suki to make friends with. Our chevre kit makes 10 batches, so we have a ways to go still!

We're on a roll with the dairy items-next up, yogurt?

Slow Reading

2010-01-09T20:43:00.000-08:00

I'm still reading The House of Spirits, by Isabel Allende. I started it in October, about the same time I started this job, and so far I'm about 1/4 of the way through it. Pathetic! I just seem to keep so busy nowadays. I heard a quote once about how you always do the things you want to do. So, whatever you keep busy with during the day--that's what you really want to do. People say they wish they had more time for other things, but when it comes down to it, every day you have a certain amount of time, and if something is that important to you, you make time for it.
So when people say "I wish I had more time to read," I never really believe them. They have the time--they just choose to use it on other things. That's what I've been doing lately: moving, getting settled in a new job, cooking, watching tv, playing Wii games... I have free time, but I don't use it to read! That's why I'm still barely into a book I started two months ago.

It's a good book, by the way. It reminds me really strongly of One Hundred Years Of Solitude, which I loved. Now that I'm reading it a bit more often I'm more into the story: I feel more connected with it. It's kind of a long family epic which changes main characters as the family morphs and time goes on, which is sometimes really interesting, and sometimes hard to follow. But, so far, the author has done a good job of keeping me interested!
Next on my reading list? Who knows. Jesse's taking a class of Northern mythology, and is reading Icelandic myths right now, so that might be on my radar!

Pajamas, as promised

2010-01-04T21:44:00.000-08:00

I promised Jesse I would make him pajama pants. This was way back in June, when I had a lot of free time.
So we went to the fabric store, picked out fabric, and I started making them.

I cut the fabric wrong. (Sewing 101: Measure before you cut. Duh.) So I didn't finish them. It was incredibly sad. Then we did the whole wedding thing, we did a new job thing, we did the moving thing, we did the "I don't have money for more fabric right now" thing, and he did the "remember how you promised those a long time ago?" thing.

So we went back to the store, picked out more fabric, and I started making them.

This time I measured. (I'm really learning.)

(Suki helped)

I think they might turn out better. Keeping promises is a good thing. I've learned.

The Science of Butter

2010-01-03T18:05:00.000-08:00

For Hannukah/Christmas/New Years, I got Jesse a cheesemaking book. (Really, it was for me). I've heard that making soft cheeses is really easy, and I've been so excited to try it out. We tried to make sour cream for our latkes awhile ago, and it was a bit of a runny mess. By now, though, it's solidified a little, and actually tastes like sour cream! Better than sour cream! It's amazing!

With that tasty success, it was time for another try, so I attempted butter. The recipe was really easy--take cream, shake until the butterfat separates, wash it, and add salt. While I could have used the food processor, I chose to shake it in a glass jar for 20 minutes, because I figured by the time I made the butter, I will have worked off enough calories to eat it. So I shook and shook. I got a little worried when I opened the jar and just saw whipped cream, but as I kept shaking the fat in the milk began to clump together into a big blob, leaving buttermilk behind. (So really, I made butter AND buttermilk. Two in one!)

You know those experiments in science class where cool things happen with regular ingredients? Like a baking soda and vinegar volcano? It was kind of like that. I was just shaking along, and the next time I peered into the jar there was a blob of butter there! I felt like I needed Bill Nye the Science Guy to explain what I just did. Or the president to give me a medal. Either way.

So, I washed and rinsed the butter a few times, mixed and mashed the salt into it, and then put it in the fridge! And this morning, Jesse and I enjoyed fresh butter on our bagels. And it tasted good....so good.

Happy New Years!

Wilhamena the Kitty

2009-12-29T14:14:00.000-08:00

We took care of a friend's little kitty over Christmas, despite Suki's complaints.

Her name is Wilhamena, and she's pretty darn cute.

Suki had never been with another cat before, so we were a little worried that she might flip out and eat someone's face, but she surprised us by hiding under the bed, sulking, for the first few days. Apparently she couldn't even face the competition. Once she did come out she satisfied herself by hissing, avoiding contact, and in general letting us know her discontent. Whereas Wilhamena instantly overtook our couch, bed, laps: anywhere she could, really, including our hearts. She's so soft and fluffy, with her clumsy little kitten ways! And so much lighter to pick up and throw around--she was quite the cuddler. A bit of an explorer, too:

I've been mentioning to Jesse that perhaps it would be fun to get another kitty, so this was the perfect test run for us. I think we're both in agreement that fluffy kitties are adorable and cute and fun to play and cuddle with. Also, having 2 cats tearing around, climbing into the Christmas tree (Wilhamena), jumping on top of the fridge (Suki), and eating iPod headphones (Wilhamena) is a little much. Plus we'd have to empty the litter box like twice as much. So for now, probably not. But maybe someday.

Now that Wilhamena is gone, Suki is a new cat. She's been happily claiming her rightful place on our laps, whether we want her there or not.

Bye bye, kitty.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2009-12-24T16:51:00.000-08:00

We got back last night from Seattle, and here are a few pictures of fun to share.

First we went to the Space Needle in hopes of doing the touristy thing. Unfortunately, the touristy price tag was a bit too high for us, so when presented with the choice of seeing a cloudy view or going to the "Experience Music Project" Museum, we decided better memories would be made with the latter.

Here is a picture of a giant sculpture made out of over 700 instruments. And then a picture of me playing a theremin, which actually fulfilled a dream of mine. Theremins are pretty awesome, even though it sounded awful when I played it. They show up quite a bit in hokey science fiction movies from the 50s, and in a certain Beach Boys song. I like how the picture makes it look like I'm actually producing that yellow squiggly on the wall.

For dinner we went to the piers and tried a seafood restuarant called Ivan's Acres of Clams. I was hoping to get a picture of said acres, but no luck. I did get a picture of our seagull friend that visited us, though!

Then we headed to our lovely little Bed and Breakfast outside of downtown. It was the perfect little place--lovely without being too cutesy! I did notice when we grabbed breakfast that the other guests had our ages beat by a half century or so.... but it was still perfect. We relaxed and slept in, and I opened the presents we had brought. Then the next day...

Coffee! Wandering around! Exploring! Buying a birthday sweater! Stuffing our bellies full at Pike's Place Market! We ate, in order, a crepe, potstickers and yakisoba noodles, a Russian pastry called a Piroshky, and samples of smoked salmon and dried fruit. At this point we didn't really want to be done, but our stomachs said we were, so we ended at The Crumpet Shop with tea and a crumpet.

Then, stuffed to the brim, fat, and happy, we headed home. I am now 25 years old and still don't like baked beans. But I do like Seattle, my husband, and birthdays.

We're in Seattle!

2009-12-22T16:08:00.000-08:00

Hello from up north!

Jesse and I headed up north to celebrate Winter Solstice (it's all uphill from here), and tomorrow, my birthday!

We're staying in a cute little Bed and Breakfast (but not the kind that's too cute. It's just right.), and tomorrow we'll explore all around. I'm planning on getting a couple choice birthday nibbles from Pikes Market.

Bye for now--until later!

A Celebration of Hannukah

2009-12-16T22:40:00.000-08:00

I don't know much about Hannukah.
One year, in Prague, I went to a Hannukah party where we ended up playing "Drinking Dreidel" and having a dance party. I don't think that was a very traditional Hannukah celebration, though.

This year, I decided we should try to pull off a Hannukah celebration, complete with food and dreidels and everything! Jesse used to celebrate Hannukah when he was growing up, so I thought he'd be a pretty good source of information, but it turns out all he remembers is getting an extra 8 days worth of presents. No help there.

But I figured I knew enough to make the food okay, and we'd just kind of wing it from there. Here's how it turned out...

We mixed the traditional potatoes and onions and fried them crispy brown to make latkes. We even made our own applesauce to put on them!! These turned out delicious--I would most definitely make them again. (The sour cream we tried to make is another story...another blog post...)

We made matzo balls and matzo ball soup. This turned out...not so delicious. I didn't season the soup properly, and the matzo balls tasted a bit like wet crackers, so it was just an all around flavorless, lumpy, wet spoonful you got when you ate it. People politely pushed their spoons around while suggesting things I should have used when making it, like salt and spices. I would say "next time" if there would be one, but I'm fairly sure there won't.

We read a Hannukah story, just to get in the mood. More to know why in the world we were trying to spin a dreidel and eat matzo balls. Here you see Andrea doing a fabulous job of reading The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming, by Lemony Snicket. I recommend it, and judging by the riveted looks on everyone's faces, they do, too.

In all, there was hanging out, drinking of wine, laughing at jokes, eating of food, and sharing in the wonderful company of my dear friends who showed up to celebrate a holiday none of us knew anything about.

I might not know the details of Hannukah, but I'd call our little makeshift celebration a smashing success. Happy Hannukah, everyone!!

Next up, Kwanzaa???

The Master Cook

2009-12-11T12:30:00.000-08:00

In general, I would say I do most of the cooking here. In general. And by that I mean most of the planned dinnertime meals are things I look up recipes for, get ingredients, and try out myself.
This isn't to say Jesse can't cook, because he most definitely can. He does a lot of breakfasts for us, and he has about 3 or 4 dinner recipes that he can whip out from memory. These are all delicious, but I've pointed out to him that the same recipes often get...well...boring. So the other week he whipped out the Master Chef.
Oh, man. Let me dazzle you for a moment...

First off, he made us pizza. And I don't mean he went to the store and got the sauce and crust then put them together--no, he actually MADE the pizza. Everything. He kneaded the dough, mixed the sauce, and lovingly watched the oven to make sure they were doing okay.

(Isn't he cute?)

The final verdict was deliciousness on my part, even if he wasn't as happy with his dough.

Pizza a la individual...Mmm!

After the pizza, he tackled dessert for Thanksgiving, where he made a pie. Not just a regular old pumpkin pie--again, he took out the big guns, and made Poached Pear Tart with Chocolate Ganache. And again, he made it all, down to the pie crust and chocolate ganache. And again, it was pure deliciousness.

Sooo good...

He also did a slow-simmering Green Chili Soup, with real meat! Very impressive.

Since then, he's expressed desires to own a pastry brush for better dusting techniques, a butcher block for better ease of kneading, and several other gadgets that I can only assume will make even yummier foods for me to eat.

The Master Cook has arrived, and I am happy to welcome him to my kitchen.

I'm only a little miffed that he doesn't clean up after himself.

O Christmas Tree...

2009-12-09T12:44:00.000-08:00

On Sunday we went to cut down our own Christmas tree! This is a step up from last year, when we found our tree in the back of a tree lot, propped him up with a homemade stand, put a hat on his top for want of a better topper, and named him Olaf.

Olaf.

This year we ventured out with the Beedles to cut down our own tree and make some memories. I have to say, Andrea and I were a bit more excited than the men at this memory-making excursion, but they perked up once they were given the saw.

We wandered around a forest of tiny douglas firs, looking for the perfect tree for each of us. It's a pretty big decision! Especially when you have the power of the saw--you don't want to go cutting down the wrong tree.

We finally found the rights ones, and Jesse chopped it down in a very manly way while I sipped my hot chocolate.

Jesse and his tree.

Our marriage's first Christmas tree!

The Beedle's chosen tree.

Andrea and I were so excited to be looking for our first Christmas trees as married couples that we broke in song a few times. Mostly O Christmas tree. Then we danced around one, just to drive the point home.
Now our trees are home, watered, set up, and mostly decorated, looking oh so festive and beautiful.
How lovely are your branches, indeed.

Spices Galore

2009-12-04T19:49:00.000-08:00

I like to be organized. This is different from being a perfectionist, or being OCD, because I am neither of those. But I am organized. So when I decided that the time had come to re-organize my spice rack, it was very exciting. We have two different spice racks here, both Jesse's. One is from Costco that comes with all the spices pre-packed, and the other is a fun spinning one we inherited from his grandma. Of the two, probably about half of the bottle had spices we actually used--the other half had things like "Poultry Seasoning" and some sad looking year-old dried parsley.
So I decided it was time for a change, especially because I've often read that you should replace spices every year to keep them fresh. So we threw out all our old, unused, clumpy spices, washed all the jars and peeled off all the labels. Then we took a trip out to our favorite spice-buying store, Limbo.
I love this store. It's a little piece of organic heaven, right next to Trader Joe's. So you go to TJ's to get all your fun things, then you go to Limbo to get your produce and spices. A perfect team. And the spices--oh, my. It's in bulk, which means it's super cheap. I mean cheap. You pay $9 for a jar of whole allspice in a regular grocery store, or you pay $1.35 and use the jar you already have. Deal. And they have everything you might even remotely need, down to dandelion pollen, milkweed, organic catnip, teas, and things I can't even identify. Jars and jars, all the way down the aisle. The possibilities are very exciting.
So I stocked up on basil and paprika and curry and thyme, and brought it all home to our waiting jars, which I lovingly (and quite messily) poured them in while I tried not to sneeze. Then I labeled them all with a nice yellow label, so they are easy to locate.
Now we have one rack of herbs and seeds, and one of spices. Behold:

The herbs.

Close up. Aren't they nice labels? This is where my non-perfectionism came in, because the labels are in no way symmetrical or perfectly placed, and the labels bubble funny because of the rounded jars, but I don't care.

And the spices. I suppose I should point out that I am a slight perfectionist here: if you notice, the color goes from light to dark. The other columns do as well. It just looks better that way! I'm choosy in my OCD.

Now we have a deliciously usable herb and spice system, and I'm quite happy with myself. Now I just need to cook!

Christmastime in the City

2009-12-01T19:55:00.000-08:00

Christmas is finally here! The stores have been decorated since before Halloween, but I don't allow myself to get into the the Christmas mood until after Thanksgiving. To each holiday their due, you know. But now Thanksgiving has past, and it's Christmastime--the most wonderful time of the year! It may or may not be true, but when the cold is biting your nose, cookies are baking, and trees are lit up along the street, it's hard not to believe it.
This year is our second Christmas, but our first as a married couple. I've tried to find decorations to celebrate this important fact, but Jesse doesn't seem to think it's as important, so I've contented myself with a some nice holly branches and a very Martha-Stewart-esque cranberry-filled jar.

Notice Mr. Moose. He's new this year, and I feel he's a very welcome addition to the holidays. Also, the cranberries. I seem to have a thing for cranberries this year. I've included them in a few recipes, floated them in my spiced cider, and now they're in my December decorations. Mostly, I just love how they float. You can't see it very well in this picture, but they float very nicely, and sticking your hands into a bowl of floating cranberries is incredibly satisfying as they lightly bump up against your fingers. I've always thought cranberry farming would be a good job, solely for this reason.

So it's December 1st, and I've decorated my cozy home, baked cookies, and listened to festive music. The holidays have begun!

This Year's Thanksgiving

2009-11-27T11:00:00.000-08:00

In photos...

Jesse in the kitchen.

He made Poached Pear Tart with Chocolate Ganache... oh my word.

I made cranberry apple cider. I just love how cranberries float.

The spread of food (after we demolished half of it.) Homebaked bread, corned beef, green beans, mashed potatoes....mmm!

Suki wanted some, too.

Our Post-Dinner walk, to make room for leftovers.

We found a bridge, and drank hot chocolate!

The Ghost of Thanksgiving Past

2009-11-21T22:21:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is sneaking in on me this year. It seems like it was just Halloween! Thanksgiving is always that weird holiday that is a big deal, but no one's quite sure why. Sure, we're all thankful that the Pilgrims survived to be fruitful and multiply, but half of us came in on a later boat anyway. And we also know that the pilgrims and Native Americans didn't have the best of relations, no matter what our 5th grade school play tells us.
So it's become this strange family celebration that centers around food, and the awkward tradition of announcing what you're thankful for. But since it's always fun to eat, and it's good to be thankful for things, I won't argue. Instead, I'll remember a few Thanksgivings that stick out to me.

1) I'm about 12 or so, and it was just my parents and I for Thanksgiving that year. We'd decided to do something different, so we had gone to the library to get cookbooks from another country, and make a cultural feast. That year it was Mexico--the next it was France. The tradition only lasted 2-3 years, but I remember always being so very excited with what we could come up with.

2) I'm in college, and everyone is home for the holidays. Thanksgiving is generally a day to sleep in and veg until it's time to eat, but for some reason my parents decide it's a great idea to do our town's Turkey Trot--a 5k race way too early on Thanksgiving. Since they threatened no food unless we did it, I bundled myself up and flailed my way to the finish line. You know that terrible feeling of being out of shape plus being in cold weather? The feeling of your lungs giving out on you? That year, I was thankful I survived.

3) 2007. I'm in Prague, Czech Republic, teaching English. This memory has two parts, really. Part 1 includes the actual day of Thanksgiving, where my roommate and I got locked out of our apartment and had to borrow metro money and coats from the old Czech lady next door to find someone to unlock it. You know what we were thankful for....
Part II is where we celebrated our very own American Thanksgiving with a lot of English teachers stuck in a country that doesn't do Thanksgiving. We pulled out a potluck feast complete with turkey, casseroles, veggies, and my new tradition of making kolaches!

4) 2008: my first Thanksgiving with Jesse and his family. I was introduced to all sorts of new "traditional" food like apricot balls, chick-lets, tried a couple new recipes of my own, and continued my kolache-making tradition. Plus, Jesse and I struck gold with the leftovers and went home with our next 25 meals. Score!

So, those are just a few that stand out in my mind. It's funny, I don't really remember strong, solid, Thanksgiving traditions. We seemed to change it up every year depending on who was there, who was vegetarian, and where we were. My Thanksgiving requirements are being around good people, with good food, and maybe getting to see some of the Macy's parade. Then, putting up decorations and turning on holiday music, because it's Christmastime!!

New Pattern

2009-11-17T19:21:00.000-08:00

I just bought a new pattern today, and I'm so very excited for it to arrive in the mail. It's from Colette Patterns--made by a local Portlander with an eye for vintage style.

I just love the style:

Isn't it fantastic?

I'm quite excited to work with a real pattern. So far I've been using Burda Style, which is wonderful (not to mention free. no arguments here), but you have to tape together the pattern pieces and the instructions never make sense. This pattern comes with a little instruction booklet. So high quality! I paid a high price for it, but it's supposed to be cherished and used again. And why not have one pattern like that, especially such a cute one? I've been working with peanuts for awhile, time to move up in the world. And I'm not sure what that peanuts metaphor extends to, so I won't even try...

I like the model in white, but I'm not sure how often I'd wear a white dress, so I'm thinking of other colors. My current idea: a light periwinkle blue, with the yoke and waist a salmon-red color? I love that combination so much!

Any ideas or thoughts?

Apartment Pictures

2009-11-15T18:17:00.000-08:00

So, at last, we finally got our apartment cleaned up enough to take some pictures! Hooray! Much rejoicing! Here's a little tour...
Entryway:

Ikea shoeholder bench and cat:

Kitchen:

Across from kitchen:

Looking from kitchen:

Dining room/nook/area:

Across from dining area:

Living room:

Bedroom with sliding door:

Closet area:

Then the bathroom has a second entrance on the left of the closet.

Cat in camouflage.

The end! Hope you enjoyed the little tour. We enjoy being here!

Sickness and Health. And Netflix.

2009-11-13T21:14:00.000-08:00

It's been a sickly week for us, which is no fun at all. But amidst the piles of kleenex, mugs, water glasses, disposable thermometers, and blankets, we have discovered a new love: Netflix Watch It Instantly.
There is a whole plethora of movies and tv shows ready to been seen right away, with just a click of a button. This is amazing news to those as couch-ridden and slightly delirious as Jesse and I were. Here are a couple picks from our "recently watched" list.

1) The Incredible Hulk. This was Jesse's. I can't explain it. Apparently it's amazing, but it's really just some guy painted green with crazy bushy hair.

2) She's All That. Mine. I admit. Oh, Freddie Prinze Jr. Although for some reason I remember it being a lot better... 10 Things I Hate About You still wins in my book.

3) 30 Rock. Love this show! There's nothing better to watch when you're sick than a ridiculously funny show about ridiculous people. Plus, Tina Fey is awesome.

4) Ferngully. Again, mine. I admit. I remember this movie striking a strong "Save the Rainforest" vein in me when I was 7. Strangely enough, it had the same effect on me today...

5) Jim Gaffigan Stand Up Comedy. So, so funny... I fell into a feverish sleep about halfway through this, but what I did see was hilarious. *Hot Pockets*...

So, there's our Top Five Netflix to Watch When You're Sick.

Hopefully you don't have to utilize it anytime soon.

Monday Blues Skirt

2009-11-09T21:13:00.000-08:00

It was a Monday again... and what a Monday. Yesterday was kind of a bum day at work, then I came home to find Jesse very sick, and our place a mess, and nothing to eat...
Bummer.
But last night as Jesse vegetated on the couch I sewed, sewed, sewed, and managed to finish my new work skirt! I call it my Monday Blues Skirt. Since, you know, it's blue. And I wore it on a Monday. I'm very creative, I know.

Please note that the glass in the background is Ginger Ale, not wine. I already have enough problems sewing--I don't need to add more risk.

The skirt pattern is a free pattern from Burda Style, called the Marie skirt. It's kind of a tulip or bubble skirt, with a high waist. I am a bit addicted to the Burda Style patterns, but I think it's out of convenience more than anything else. The instructions really leave you in the lurch a lot of the time. On the plus side, I have to kind of make up half the process, which makes me feel like I'm a designer. Sort of.

Here it is, all finished! I really like how it turned out. I wore it to work today, and felt so professional. I also wanted to blurt out that I had made it to everyone I saw. (I managed to only say it once. I was very reserved and professional.)

Here I am gazing out our balcony, as I so often do right before work on freezing cold days. Also, you can see my new haircut in this picture! I like it very much. It feels very polished.

High waisted skirts are very fun, but you have to be careful. The addition of a simple cardigan turns it from "naughty secretary" to "dull librarian" instantly.

Making this skirt solved my sewing slump, though. I feel so inspired now that I actually finished something! And wore it! And loved it! I am quite happy. Quite happy indeed.

Sewing Tragedy

2009-11-06T20:39:00.000-08:00

So, I've been frustrated in my sewing lately. Mostly it's because I haven't had much time, with starting a new job, then moving and packing everything up, then trying to unpack and get set up again. But I've been working on a dress from Burda Style called "Coffee Date Dress." It's a super cute pattern, and I got this great dark grey fabric that I thought would be perfect for work. Especially with a cute navy cardigan.

So, I started cutting and sewing a few weeks ago, and it was going great. I got the skirt part down before we had to pack up, and it was looking really good. So the other day I dug my sewing stuff out and got all excited to work on the dress again. I remembered, though, that I hadn't washed the fabric, so I thought I'd throw it in the washer to get it all nicely shrunk and ready to sew again.

I didn't realize, though, that Jesse had used the washer to bleach some white shirts of his, and apparently there was just a tiny bit left over, because it got all over my nice gray fabric! And of course that fabric was the only thing in the wash that got it. Grr...

It got hit pretty bad, so I thought "Fine. I'll just bleach the whole thing, and have a lighter colored dress." Yeah...didn't quite work that way. Take a look:

The fabric on the right is the original stuff--it's a nice, shiny, quality dark gray. The fabric on the left is what's left of the bleached stuff. Not only did it completely wash the color out to a faded denim look, there are still random dark and light spots everywhere! It's very sad... I might be able to salvage it into a rocker-chick style skirt, but that was not my original vision. I really wanted a nice gray dress for work!! And now I'm left with a sad strange mess. Oh, bleach, you devil, you.

So now I feel all stunted with my sewing. I have another skirt pattern I want to start, and a shirt I still need to finish, but first I feel like mourning the loss of this dress. It would have been so chic and cute. Goodbye, Coffee Date Dress in dark gray that would have looked great with my blue cardigan.

I'll miss you.

Soup!!!

2009-11-02T22:29:00.000-08:00

I love soup. So much. So very, very much. It is warm and flavor-bursting and delicious and yummy. As the dust jacket of my newest soup cookbook says, soup is "the ultimate comfort food."

This new soup cookbook was given to me by my dear friends Nat and Andrea (I'm suspecting it was mostly Andrea, but I have nothing to back this up) for our wedding. It's called The Daily Soup Cookbook, and is chock full of really good recipes for an entire plethora of soup-cooking. It divides the soups out into main ingredients, like Corn, Lentil and Pea, Rice, Cheese, and so on. It also throws in extra little sections like Movies to Rent While You Eat Soup, Periodic Table of the Soups, and Things to Do With Leftover Soup.

Apparently Daily Soup is a great little soup place in New York City. I didn't know this because 1) I've never been to New York, 2) Portland is very far away from New York, and 3) I think my degrees of separation with New York is like 4. Meaning I don't know anyone who lives there.

But I guess they make good soup, because the cookbook is fantastic. They have really simple recipes all the way up to making your own stock. So far we've tried Greek Tomato with Orzo, Mexican Cheese, and tonight's meal: Corn, Red Pepper and Zucchini Chowder. Of the three, I think tonight's was definitely the winner. (It was also the only one Jesse made. Should I read into that too much?)

It had been a long day at work, and I came home to find Jesse almost done making it, so the smell was overbearingly delicious. It was a perfect thick chowdery soup for a chilly day like today, and a perfect amount of vegetables for right after Halloween. My sugar-stuffed body appreciated those healthy veggies. Way to go, new cookbook (and Jesse). Thanks for giving us a winner!

Perhaps a trip to New York City should be in the works now. I mean, if the soup WE made was that good, imagine what professionals could do! I want to go to that place.

Also, since we've had clear weather lately, the moon was really pretty tonight, so here's a bonus picture. I'm still withholding indoor pictures of our apartment on account of an excessive amount of mess.

Happy Sweater Time

2009-10-30T21:18:00.000-07:00

The days have turned misty and wet, and Mt Hood doesn't poke his head up past the clouds anymore. I might miss that big buy between now and March!

It's kind of fun being on the 14th floor downtown, though, because I can just look out the window and see the state of the weather. And, working in the same building, I can completely ignore it as I leave my coat on the rack and take the elevator downstairs to my office. But even so, it's sweater weather, and no one can ignore the coziness of being wrapped in warmth and the slight smell of armpit. (Because, really, who washes/dry cleans their sweaters every time? And if you do, kudos. You're a much better person than I am.)

So there was this sweater I saw in Anthropologie awhile ago that was super cute. It was in the front of the store (i.e., not on the sale rack) so I stroked it for awhile and imagined wearing it...how attractive I would be...how much better my life would be... then tore myself away. Jesse and I have decided that we each get a monthly "allowance" in our budget, that we can spend on whatever we want and the other person can't judge at all. So when he brings home another bike off craigslist, I can't say anything. Unforntunately, this sweater was my entire monthly allowance! And everyone knows you can't blow your allowance all at once--that just causes way more heartache later. So I left the sweater, and the store, and went back to work.

A few weeks later: I wandered back into Anthropologie with no real purpose (always dangerous). On my way in, I thought "Hey, wouldn't it be cool if that sweater was on the sale rack?" I meandered through, admiring on my way. I always head straight to the sale racks with only glances to the side. otherwise I get stuck in just such a sweater situation. When I get to the sale rack, though, THE SWEATER WAS THERE! It was on sale! Oh happy day! So I bought it. And the next day I wore it and got many compliments and thoroughly enjoyed the feel of it's drapey wool on my body. The end, what a good story.

Here it is. It's called the This-Way That-Way Cardigan, and it has what seems to be old rickety ships on it. I love it. It's cozy, and so far does not smell too much like armpit. I promise I will wash it and take good care of it.

Also, it's October 30....Happy Birthday, Daddy. Don't worry, I love you more than this sweater.

We are downtown folk now

2009-10-25T12:00:00.000-07:00

So, we've moved into our new place! The official move was last Tuesday, but I haven't wanted to take any pictures until the boxes were a bit clearer. So for now you just get pictures of the view while we unpack a little bit more every night. But we're here!

It's weird to think of ourselves as "Downtown Folk." I actually really miss Southeast so far, more than I thought I would. There's a cozy sense of neighborhood over there, a sense that I feel is missing among these big buildings and busy streets. But, there's a neighborhood here, too. I just have to find it. We haven't gotten a chance to explore around much and find those little restaurants and shops that make a place. I know they're here, but it seems like they're not quite as quirky as in SE. They're trendy and chic and fancy. Which has it's place. But I'm not sure it's my place. We'll see.

It's a great building, though, and a great central location. A cool opportunity for us to hang out in downtown for awhile, and be trendy, young, and stylish. Check out our view:

The Brewery Blocks (and Henry's Tavern...mmm....)

And the east view:

Mt Hood is out there on clear days, past Big Pink.

I'll let you know what our explorations find, but so far I can say that we're 3 blocks from Stumptown Coffee, 4 blocks from Anthropologie, 2 blocks from an amazing sandwich place, and our nearest grocery store is Whole Foods, for better or for worse.

Life downtown should be exciting!

Autumn means cider and corn mazes

2009-10-24T17:20:00.000-07:00

Last weekend seemed to be the official inauguration of fall here. Up until now it's just been sort-of fall. Now it's real. Mainly because I've had apple cider, been in a corn maze, and fondled a pumpkin.

We're still in the throes of moving here, but we've had some time to savor the finer things in life like frozen pizza and watching an old tv show on dvd. (It's Angel. I can't help it, I love Joss Whedon). Last week we bought a jug of apple cider, heated it up with a bag of Chai tea, and put a shot of rum in it (just because), and sipped to our hearts content. It was beautiful. I just love hot drinks so much, any kind, but I got a kick out of how clever we were with the Chai tea. Very clever indeed.

Then last week we went to the corn maze at Kruger's Farm on Sauvie Island. Of course the powers that be picked that day to drench Portland in a downpour, so the maze was muddy, to say the least. But it was a perfect opportunity for me to wear my rainboots, which is always fun.

We went to the "Haunted Maze," which was a bit of a disappointment in both areas. It was neither very haunted nor very much a maze. Well, half a disappointment. We were never lost, but I did scream about 10 times, and even ran away from a guy with a chainsaw once. So you could call that a haunted success. Jesse, on the other hand, was heartily unimpressed, as he was very manly and did not scream once.

But it was fun, sloshing around in a muddy cornfield with zombies running past you and cornstalks towering above you. Then we went home and had more cider.

Hello, Autumn.

Bike Building

2009-10-13T12:56:00.001-07:00

Anyone who knows me knows how obsessed I am with bikes, but up until recently I had never built one from the ground up. A little over a month ago I finished my long drawn out build of my Rawland dSogn all-rounder bike. It was a long process because bike parts are expensive and I made the impractical decision to build my own wheels.

The finished product is a blast to ride and now I have the itch to build another bike so I have decided to build a fun city bike for Katrina. The requirements are it has to be rideable in any clothing so it has to be a mixte (step-through) frame. It has to be durable, but still efficient so nothing too heavy. It also has to be affordable, but that shouldn't be too hard since I'm a hoarder of bike parts and should have most of the necessary parts.

The frame on the left is the most likely candidate for Katrina's new baby. I won't however be building it up as a single-speed like the one in the picture. Katrina might kill me after a long ride in our hilly city once she regains her energy by consuming a bag of gummies.

Moving Joys

2009-10-13T12:43:00.000-07:00

We're getting ready to move pretty soon, into our fancy new building. It's really exciting, but kind of exhausting to think of packing everything up and shoving it all into a new place. We counted--this is the third time we're moving in a year. Ridiculous! I hope we're done now! Of course, the new apartment totally blows away anywhere else we've lived.
We're packing everything away, and trying to give away everything else (anyone want a table? some random dishes? clothes?). It's ironic--every time we move we get a bigger place, and we get rid of more stuff. So our first tiny apartment was packed with a crazy amount of stuff, and we're slowly simplifying and improving. At least we're going in the right direction!

There's something satisfying about having just the stuff you need. I heard somewhere that people only use 1/3 of the stuff they have. Then we have to get a bigger place to fit all our unused stuff. Then we have to get a storage unit to fit even more. Then we have to buy a 3 bedroom house, then... crazy. I like the idea of simplifying to the point where I really use everything I have. I have what I need, and no more (It's just that I NEED a lot of clothing choices... I do...).

Suki helping us pack. Sort of.

We're weeding out, but I'm not sure I can convince Jesse to part with any one of his eight guitars, so some things will just have to stay. But it's exciting to think of new spaces, and new decorating, and new views.

We just have to move in first. One more week!

A little LEED

2009-10-10T16:54:00.000-07:00

Because our building is Platinum LEED certified, the management decided it's a good idea for us to learn what that actually means. So for the next five Thursdays we'll be getting up the crack of dawn to sit in on a 7:30 LEED course. What fun.
It's actually really interesting, though, learning the process that buildings go through to get certified, and what kind of requirements it takes. The levels are Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum, so ours is the best! Yes.... It also rocks for us, because utility bills are estimated to be about $7-10. Score.

To get a building LEED certified, you have to get a certain amount of credits, out of 100. There are all sorts of things you can do that will give you credits. For example, locating the building within 1/4 mile of 2 bus lines gives you one credit. Installing bicycle storage and changing rooms gives you another credit. Painting your roof white reduces the heat of the building, so that gives you another one. If you put plants on the roof to soak up rainwater (so it doesn't overflow the sewers), that gives you more.

To get Platinum Certified, a building needs at least 80 credits, all little things adding up to one big eco-friendly building. Hooray!

In the Indigo, the native plants on the roof hold rainwater, then we harvest that and actually use it to flush the toilets in the offices downstairs. There's a sign on the toilets that says: "Rainwater. Do Not Drink." Thanks, I'll remember that the next time I'm dipping my water bottle in a toilet...

So far I've been to two sessions of the course. Some people can use the information to take the LEED Green Associates Exam, but that seems like a whole lot of work for something that might not actually help me lease apartments. So for now, I'll just soak up some information and enjoy.
And maybe get a little greener in the process...

Sewing with a Cat

2009-10-06T15:51:00.000-07:00

Sewing in a small space is already difficult, with the problems of stuff piling up everywhere. But add a needy cat into the mix, and it gets harder than ever. I've been trying to work on a cute button-up shirt (more on that later), but every time I sit down Suki thinks she needs to be on my lap. Or she jumps on the table, sits on the fabric I'm pinning together, and waits for me to give her proper petting.

If I attempt to move her, she lets out pathetic yowls of frustration. In nicer weather I can open the window, and she's satisfied hanging out on the sill, but now that it's cold the window stays shut, and she stays on my lap. If I succeed in moving her, she just comes just back. A person might pick up that they are unwanted, but Suki just charges back in. At least she's cute.

It's difficult to sew with a cat.

About that shirt...I tried making it with a scrap of cute blue cotton with small white dots, but I ran out, and had to make the lapels white. So now it looks like a tie between a bowling shirt and a maid's uniform. Not cute.
I'm going to try the same shirt pattern in a silky pink fabric, maybe with ruffles. Then it'll at least look like a fancy maid's uniform.

Hard Hats Required

2009-10-01T14:03:00.000-07:00

First week of work. I'm exhausted! This full time stuff is way more demanding than my 17 hours a week before...

But I'm enjoying every minute of it. I have a great co-worker, demanding but flexible management, and a totally awesome building to work in. We've spent the past few days frantically learning the building, showing a couple tours, looking for our new digs (hooray!), and trying not to look too stupid. It's overwhelming how much stuff there is to learn, but I'm slowly getting it. Luckily, my boss is super understanding and flexible, so if I ever have a problem I feel completely comfortable telling him!

The tours have been interesting. The building is still under construction (heavy construction!), so we have to wear hard hats, long pants and closed-toes shoes. Such a fashion statement.

Also, we share the one working elevator with the construction men and all their supplies, which is always fun, and we're constantly stepping around wet cement, fresh paint, and new caulking.

The work is scheduled to be done before November, and people are moving in October 18. Coming up soon! I can't wait to live in the building, and be able to just walk downstairs to work. The unit that we might pick is a big one bedroom: bamboo floors, 10 1/2 ft high exposed cement ceiling, a balcony, an awesome kitchen, and a sliding bedroom door. Our craigslist couch is not going to fit in.

I know I've only worked three days, but I'm still so pumped by this job. I'm so excited to be a part of something again, and especially something awesome and cool. I'm free to suggest ways to do my job better, and I get amazing benefits from it all. That said, I am working HARD. This is my day off, and already I had a meeting this morning from 7:30-9:00, then I have to go back at 4:30 for an event tonight. My next day off is Tuesday. Whew!

Of course, I did get to buy new clothes, so that's a plus...

A new job, a new life(style)

2009-09-25T15:57:00.000-07:00

So I got good news yesterday. This past week I've been interviewing for a fancy new job, and I found out that it's being offered to me! Hooray! Huzzah! Much celebrating!

The job is at the Indigo, a brand new high-rise building right downtown. There's so much stuff to say about it that I don't know where to start! Here are a few of the main points.

Cool things:

It's a Leasing Consultant job. Which means that I'll be convincing people that they want to move into this building so that I may keep my job and earn bonuses.
I get to live there. Yup, it comes with an apartment allowance, so Jesse and I will be packing up and moving downtown!
The building is awesome. It's built by Gerding Edlen, a company that focuses on eco-friendly, sustainable development, so the building uses 100% sustainable green power, has windmills on top, rainwater harvesting, solar heating, and is scheduled to get Platinum LEED status. Impressive.
I'll be on salary, plus the living allowance, plus bonuses when I rent. Meaning we'll actually be able to save money, which just feels amazing!

Other thoughts:

I have to work weekends with this job. Not a big deal, but since I've been working every weekend for the past year, I was kind of hoping to switch that up. I'll still do 40 hours a week, and get two days off during the week, but weekends are pretty much booked.
The building is in the Pearl. It's kind of the fancy, ritzy, perhaps even "yuppie" district of downtown. I'm super excited about the job and the building, but I'm not sure how I'll fit into that area and lifestyle. It's not something I would have said fits Jesse and I, but I'm interested to see if we can still make the are our own.
I'm going to need to buy some more "professional" clothes. I scrape by, but my wardrobe is definitely lacking. Shopping trip, anyone??
I'm worried that our craigslist-found, eclectic mix of furniture and stuff will look totally riduculous in such a clean, modern, apartment.
I'm just a tad bit nervous. It's one thing to go into an interview and say "I can totally do this job." But now I actually have to prove it! It's a challenge that get me excited and nervous, all rolled into one.

Stylish windmills atop the Indigo

So, there it is! A new phase of life. That's all I know about it so far, but since I start on Monday, hopefully we can figure out when we'll be moving and what unit, and all that! So very exciting! Updates to come!

(pictures from the Indigo blog)

Pears and the things we did with them

2009-09-23T13:42:00.000-07:00

We were in Hood River for Labor Day, and bought a whole box of Red Bosch pears from a little orchard stand. Ever since, we've been figuring out what to do with them, besides just munching them straight. I love it when the pear is just ripe--not too mushy. We've recently been interested in canning and preserving, so some pears were already slated for that.

Here's a few things we've done with our pears:

Pears, cheese, and white wine. This cheese was aged gouda, recommended by the nice grocery lady. She was spot on--it was delicious! Please notice how many pears are on the octopus plate. Oh, yes. We are dorks.

Pear Ginger Preserves--a recipe from the Ball Canning and Preserving book, with pears (of course), fresh ginger, lime juice, and zest. Yummy!

Pear Butter--smooth and buttery, yet so full of pears!

I have to admit that Jesse is the master here. As much as I'd like to take credit, I tend to only get in the way and cause tense words to be said when I put dirty spoons on recently cleaned cutting boards. I like to think I helped, but really, it's Jesse who scrupulously sterilizes the jars, measures ingredients, and watches for the perfect gelling point. I just stand around and enjoy the smell. Then mention how much hard work this all takes.
I like to say "We made this." But when I'm smearing the butter on a piece of toast, then tasting the peary goodness, I don't really care who made it. It's just delicious.

We have a few more left, still, and it's a close call whether they'll be made into something like this, or just eaten up for breakfast. A perfect fall treat!

Happy Birthday, H.G. Wells

2009-09-21T11:24:00.000-07:00

I've had a little romance with science fiction ever since I was young. I'm not a scientist by any means, but I love the alternate possiblities, the fantastic places, even the social commentary it gives.

While it's drastically different from popular science fiction today, the works of H.G. Wells kickstarted the genre and gave it many of it's themes, from Martians attacking Earth and time travels to invisible men.

Wells is often named, with Jules Verne, as a "father of science fiction." His books are rooted in the scientific belief of the time, but go on to tell readers the possibilities of what science can do: a theme which runs true in much of science fiction today.

I've read a few of his books, and while they definitely have that "old" and "Victorian" feel, perhaps even "dusty" or "dry," the stories he writes are still gripping and enjoyable. Maybe that's why they've been re-made and re-hashed in radio, films, plays, and every other medium since he wrote them around the turn of the century.

I love how a good idea, or a gripping story, can be recycled so often. Take War of the Worlds, for instance. First published in 1898, it tells the story of Martians attacking Earth. Sound familiar? Not only the basic theme, but the story itself has been re-told, most recently by a terrible movie with Tom Cruise in it. Read the book, trust me. In 1938 Orson Welles put on a radio version of the story (Wells-Welles. Creepy.), in the form of real-time news broadcasts, which freaked out most of it's audience, many of whom believed Martians were actually attacking. This cracks me up, but it really pissed off a lot of people at the time. Oops.

Other favorites of mine are The Invisible Man, and The Time Traveler, where he popularized the idea of time travel, and even coined the phrase "time machine." You may have seen cheap entertaining remakes, but again, read the real things! The details he puts in when he describes the time machine, or what he saw there, is amazing.

Wells would be 143 today. He would have lived to see many of his predictions about the future come true, such as trains and cars contributing to a more disparate society, greater sexual freedom, and the existence of a European Union. Of course, he also thought submarines were impossible. But still. He was a pretty smart guy. Give him some credit and read his books.

But only if you like science fiction.

Etsy Wish List Day

2009-09-18T14:52:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I like to browse on Etsy just to look at the pretty things I can't (or shouldn't) buy. I found this today:

This Bejeweled Bee Necklace looks so gilded and pretty--I can imagine it looking very good with several of my shirts. It would add a little whimsy to an otherwise boring day, it seems, to carry around a bee with you.

Too bad my paycheck is already spoken for...

This embroidered note is pretty darn cute. Sometimes I see things and think "I could totally make that," but then again, when someone else has put so much time and love in, why bother re-creating it? I'd rather just buy it from them! It seems like this would be such a cute little gift for anyone. And then to visit later and see it hanging on a special little hook, and know you gave it to them...aww...

Actually, this isn't on a wish list for me, because Jesse has this shirt. It was part of a "new shirt package" we bought him awhile ago. I love it because it looks like a big paint splatter, but then you look closer and see that wait! It's Europe! Then you feel clever for figuring it out. Bonus clever points for naming each country. I haven't tried, which lets me feel superior for thinking that I could do it.

A Slice of Sweden in Portland

2009-09-16T12:50:00.000-07:00

I've never been to Sweden. The closest I've come, like many people, is Ikea, which is overwhelming and impressive in it's clean lines and organizational mastery.

But recently I've stepped beyond Ikea to discover that one of my favorite little nooks of this city is a Swedish restaurant called Broder ("brother" in Swedish). Purveyor of all things Scandinavian, this itty bitty place has the modernity and class you might expect, with amazingly good food. It also has "WC" on the bathroom door, which just makes me happy.

I constantly beg Jesse to take me there for brunch, to get a good helping of aebleskivers (puffy little Danish pancakes) or pytti i panna (hash with potatoes and eggs).

One of the best things about the meal, in my opinion, is that it comes on individual wooden boards, with little frying pans for the eggs, and little bowls for the jam. It satisfies my "cute" longing while being superbly functional. And when you finish every bite, you get the feeling that you're quite satisfied. You've eaten just enough food--any more or less would have been catastrophic. But another look at the menu and you know you have to come back, at least just to try the Swedish meatballs with lingonberry jam, or the Breakfast Bord (brown bread, soft-boiled egg, gravlax, sauteed greens, hard and soft cheese, fruit compote, lingonberry, yogurt and honey).

Top the meal off with hot coffee, and you're ready for the day!

Broder is on the corner of SE 16th and Clinton, and is open for breakfast and lunch. Meals are about $9-11. Happiness (or at least immense satisfaction) is guaranteed.

(Top and bottom picture from Broder.)

I've Made A Dress

2009-09-14T16:34:00.000-07:00

So I pulled out my sewing machine (well, the one I'm borrowing from my mother-in-law), grabbed a free pattern, and made myself a shiny new dress!

The pattern is called the Maryy, from the Burda Style website. It's just a cute sundress pattern, and it's labeled as novice, which may have been what attracted me. I've sewn a few things earlier this summer, but I still wouldn't say I'm any good. I figured this was a good one to practice on.

The fabric is also from my mother-in-law: she had a huge bin of leftovers that she wouldn't use, so I dug through and found this.

The sewing went okay. I sewed things on backwards, and on the wrong side a few times, so my trusty seam ripper came in very handy. My biggest problem was that I think I chose a size too big, so then I tried to to make it smaller, but that just made things go wonky when I put the zipper in. But it's not too noticeable. My attempt at making it smaller succeeded a little too much, though, since now it's a bit tight around the bust! But it's not uncomfortable.

We're experiencing a bit of a summer revival right now, with temperatures back in the 90s, so I finished the dress at the perfect time. I wore it all Thursday, and felt very summer picnicky as we walked up Belmont to a coffeeshop.

I'm already dreaming of what's next. I can't afford to go crazy buying fabric, though, so I'm planning remakes on a couple clothes I never wear. Hmm...we'll see.

A Year Has Gone By

2009-09-12T10:52:00.000-07:00

Look at me, I started a blog then forgot about it for a whole year! I guess life got busy! Here's a couple things I've been busy with in the last year:

In December, I got engaged to my best friend ever, which has hugely impacted the last year. It led to hours of scouring wedding blogs and pictures, planning our perfect shindig. It also led to hours of hating wedding blogs, which all insist that you must follow traditions, spend buckets of money, and do everything "just right" to have a decent wedding. We went a different route, which was fun and exhausting!

We got a kitty and named her Suki. She's a little crazy sometimes, but she makes up for it by making cute cooing/purring sounds and snuggling with us at night.

In an effort to make more of our own food, Jesse and I have started a fling with canning and pickling. This was our first try: pickled asparagus. It actually came out quite tasty! Our second try, dill pickles, was a complete failure, but we're not giving up. Next up is pear butter. I'll keep you updated.

On August 2nd, 2009, we became Jesse and Katrina Emery, The Married Couple. It was a wonderful day filled with our favorite people, food, and music, and I've never been happier in my life. Now we're busy adjusting to married life, which has the biggest impact in our finances, and getting used to using the words "husband" and "wife."

Now I'm just busy practicing life: that day-to-day thing that gets us all so befuddled sometimes. I'm hanging out with my dear friends Nat and Andrea, who moved here in June and play amazing music, I'm still exploring Portland by bike and mouth (restaurant-hopping), and I've just pulled out my sewing machine again with big aspirations. Good things are ahead, and updates will come.

Thanks for reading.

Bikes and Such

2008-06-04T10:25:00.000-07:00

I've become infatuated with Dutch bikes. I can't help it, they're just so pretty. I love the whole Dutch/Holland bike culture--people riding to work in their business suits and skirts with heels, carrying groceries or kids. It's so care-free and stylish!

I wish biking in the States would be a bit less sporty and a bit more casual. Less emphasis on how fast you can get somewhere and more on enjoying the ride--and everyone rides!

I've been riding my bike to work for the past month (my temp work, which may become permanent--we'll see) It's only about 2 miles, so it's not a bad ride at all. It takes about 10-15 minutes in the morning, and 15-20 minutes in the afternoon. Only because riding home is uphill a bit more, and I'm lazy. But I've loved riding so far! I have to admit that getting up and seeing the rain coming down is not very encouraging, but usually the rain is only light, misty stuff. Earlier this week I did get pretty drenched, and it took my pants an hour to dry. Gotta remember to bring a change of clothes for that...

But I've really loved biking--it does a great job at waking me up in the morning, as I ride at 7:00am, and my legs already feel like they're getting used to the exercise. Plus, I don't waste money on a bus ticket (it's faster riding my bike anyway), and I since I don't even have a car I don't have to worry about gas prices or parking or anything. The only thing I have to worry about is if my pant leg will get caught.

Which is why I've fallen in love with city bikes, because they are built for everyday riding, anywhere. I love in Denmark and Holland the thinking that you ride your bike in whatever clothes you're wearing, even if it includes two inch heels. I'm not quite that daring yet, but we'll see...

Maybe when I'm rich I can afford a fancy schmancy city bike, but for now I'll continue to ride my (well, Jesse's...) bike every day, because it's fun. And so good for the environment AND me!

new beginnings

2008-06-02T10:42:00.000-07:00

I've decided it's time to start writing again. It's been so long since I've even written semi-regularly, in any way at all. And I have so many thoughts... might as well write them down. So here I am. Flinging my words across the web as if they meant anything. I guess we'll see.

So. Since I've been back from Prague, life has sped up and slowed down at the same time. Sped up, because I'm working full-time and feel like my life is pretty full. Plus, I can never seem to get enough time with Jesse, even if we spend a whole weekend together.

And it's slowed down because there's a certain contentness of going to coffeeshops, browsing stores on my local Hawthorne street, experimenting with new recipes and making Jesse try them all, sitting in parks reading, and riding my bike everywhere. Funny how life slows down when you don't have a car.

I have few complaints, including the occasional one about enjoying my job. Currently I am doing temp office work as a receptionist. The position might open up to a full-time one--I'll know if I got it in another week or so. I'm not sure if I want to get it or not, so right now I'm at the fate of the winds. Whatever happens, happens. In the meantime, I'm enjoying getting to know Portland, my wonderful man, that clicking sound on a bike, the taste of coffee, cooking with dill weed, the ability to read at my job because it's so slow, shopping organic, and eating good food.

There are still things to do: Make friends, find a job I like, save money...but there is time to do all of that, and an open city for me to do it in.