it’s been too long

i didn’t take many photos on my portland trip with my real camera.. so instagram will suffice:

perhaps my favorite photo from my favorite day.

moments before the best meal.

my favorite camping trip, ever.

post-tattoo wine guzzling on the bluffs.

a great start to my second favorite day.

→ → → → → → → → → → → → → → → → → → → → → → → → → → → → → → → → → → → → → →

since my return life has been far from sleepy, but these are a few of the quiet moments:

kombucha nightcapping while solo sunsetting

the other lake

burns park, party of one

i’ve found myself in a few too many diners lately..

and i’ve spent far too little time outside..

chelsea

we’re building up the reserves for a trip to Lake Michigan next month, we’ll be brewing our second batch this week in a few days. dad always taught us to be prepared.

willy wonka in the park last night

& yesterday’s rain

>>panty party part II<<

With two more gentlemen added to this already eclectic group, I found myself nervously driving out to the coast on Friday night. How can you have a panty party with so much testosterone? Will they laugh during our seance and subsequent tarot card reading? Can I still pee with the door open? Does Brandon even know how to french-braid? We didn’t have an apron-only game of Apples to Apples, but we managed.

A few photos from our Lincoln City retreat a few weeks ago.

the morning after:

we were all on struggle street just a little bit.. but you would’ve been too if you had been there. we also all smelled like chlorine.

this is how Saturday evening started:

i should’ve known how it would end.

look at that KD pout.

making fraaaaands

praising the Karaoke gods

oh, Liberator

best dance partner

ever

and as we stumbled back to the cabin, we planned our attack on the neighbor’s hot tub…

hey guys, let’s go back. how does May sound?

daytime beach photos soon. polaroids are here.

some favorites.

it seems like i’m rarely on this side of the polaroid. i’m obviously a little rough around the edges after our last night at the beach, but thanks amber.

film troubles, but this one still came out as one of my favorites. (PROBABLY BECAUSE IT’S OF KATEY & JORIE):

intense winds ripped the backing off of two (2!) shots before i took this one:

i myself nearly fell off of the railing with a few gusts (what kind of idiot stands on a railing at Vista House on the most blustery day she’s ever seen?)..i think i would’ve broken a little more than my camera.

 

and this one was the ONE. serendipity, a happy accident. waterfall & log cabin.

ONOURLASTTRIPTOTHECOAST

i took my last long look at haystack yesterday. i’m sincerely hoping that my path leads back there sooner than i think.

these two birds [Libby & Katey] were kind enough to accompany me.

we worked on a video that Lib is making for class. we set-up a makeshift homebase, complete with tattered american flag. [it only hit the sand ONCE, promise.]

we had awesome weather until the sun started to set, then it got coooold..

i’m slowly pouring through thefewtoomany photos that i took.. more soon.

arecentkoreanlunch

LIBBY

i’m in love with this palette.

.

we drove out to Hood River to find pumpkins, flowers and blue skies.

two out of three ain’t bad.

sauvieislandmagictown

after coming home from our amazing weekend away Katey and I decided to skip unpacking and zip out to Sauvie Island to hold on (with our dear sweet little lives) to some of the last bits of labor day weekend..

it was gorgeous.

sylvia beach hotel

contests are fun!

I’m entering a photo contest. Originally I had an exclamation point at the end of that sentence but then I realized that it’s really not very exciting. Maybe if I’d said “I landed an amazing job as Annie Leibovitz’s assistant and part-time best friend!”, or “I won a photo contest!”, it would warrant an exclamation point. I’ll try to keep my exaggerations to a minimum.

The categories are Far Away Places, Making Waves & Celebrating Oregon. Here they are in that order:

Barcelona, May 2009

Barcelona, May 2009

Paris, May 2009

—————–

Northern Michigan, Lower Herring Lake, July 2009

Lake Michigan, July 2009

—————-

Sandy River Overlook, August 2009

Cannon Beach, October 2009

Newport, March 2009

I kind of went with my gut on all of these. None were my ultimate favorites when I started browsing my files, but they’re growing on me. I hope they grow on the judges too. The grand prize is a trip to Hawaii, but I’m hoping for an honorable mention… or maybe 3rd prize so that I can get a gift certificate.. or maybe that the contest is flooded with soccer moms and point-and-shoots and that I win EVERYTHING!!! Ha.. um, wish me luck! Also, cross your fingers that we get this house that we’ve recently applied for.. ahh I hope I hope I hope..

mount hood mamma

On my mom’s last day here we took a trek around Mt. Hood. 

 We stopped at the overlook in Sandy.. after which she asked, “Are we going to go any closer?”

 

Lunch at Mt. Hood Brewery?? I think that’s the correct name..

Regardless, it’s in Government Camp.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Isn’t she adorable?

 

 

 

 

 

 

As high as we could go.

 

 

 

I told her all the cool kids were doing it.

 

 

 

 

 

The view from Timberline.

 

 

 

 

 

Snow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The mountain and me. 

 

 

From the other side. 

Parkdale, OR

 

Again, it was so nice having her here. I’m so excited to see most of my family in a couple weeks when I head back to the Mitten for our annual Watervale trip. I wish there was a way for Chris to come.. I suppose there’s always next year.. [I think I said that last year.. hmm]

Speaking of Chris, he’ll be arriving home from the other side of the world this MONDAY. The apartment has been pretty peaceful without him, but I’ve had enough peace and quiet. I’m ready for video games and the late night plaid pantry runs.

I went camping this past weekend.. hopefully photos will surface over the next couple days. 

 

coming along

Though we did blindly decide to live on the north side of our building, my (our) plants seem to be coming along alright. I don’t blame us for not thinking about sun when we signed the lease, it was mid December and we were in a bit of a rush. 

I’m impressed with the job I did in order to secure this planter to our railing, I should add that Brandon helped. I wasn’t about to risk it falling onto some innocent passerby’s head.. so it faces our bedroom window instead of the rest of the world. This means even less light, so I tried to select some shade-loving types. 

 

The begonias seem to be doing best. 

 

The tomatoes are the ones I’m worried about. Last year we had too many.. but we also had a giant plot and hours of sunlight. I bought this patio-friendly variety (Tumbling Tom) as a back-up plan if none of the others flower. Cross your fingers. 

 

      More edibles. I’m hoping to treat my mom to a salad when she gets here next week. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chris is leaving for Indonesia next weekend! I’m not exactly sure how I feel about it. There’s a little anxiety, but mostly excited happiness. I’m still basking in my wonderful memories of Spain and France and I’m convinced any travel is good travel so I’ve concluded he’ll have nothing but an amazing time… I just wish I could come. 

I’m planning a short trip to Michigan for Watervale in July. And Chris, Janet and I are heading to Skagway, Alaska in August. 

How did summer become so busy? (not a complaint) 

holy middle class batman

Round two of the tulip farm went really well. This time almost all of the bulbs were in bloom. We also got lucky with a little sunshine. Unfortunately this also meant that about a billion more people showed up too.

Though this little girl did lend herself to a decent photograph. After the fact, I wish I’d had the sense to ask her parents for an email to send this to.

 

If I had the patience I would give every photo a black border. 

 

Chris, taking [in my opinion..] one of his best photos that day. 

These always fascinate me. Why do they have that crazy fringe? Maybe my mother knows..

These purple beauties remind me of her.

 

 

And these are the rest..

 

We’ve booked a hotel in Bend this weekend for his birthday. I’m hoping for good weather.. and good food. I’m always hoping for good food. 

2 weeks until I leave for Barcelona/Paris.. I’m not ready. That also means 2 weeks until my birthday. 23 sounds pretty old.