rue de bicyclette

.dog mountain.

2011-07-16T10:21:00.000-07:00

dog mountain

an upside-down view

july 6 2011

+.peace.love.headstands.+

.serenity.

2011-05-03T13:50:00.000-07:00

a quick visit to the japanese garden this past week

+.peace.love.tranquil.+

.watching.

2011-04-27T19:50:00.000-07:00

watching me, watching you

+.peace.love.my beast.+

.new designs.

2011-04-26T17:22:00.000-07:00

new designs up on the website!

yeah! spring!

www.lovemepdx.com

love, me

+.peace.love.me.+

.amber.

2011-04-25T22:21:00.000-07:00

vancouver, bc

november 2010

chinese gardens

+.peace.love.leaves.+

.lines and curves.

2011-04-14T05:36:00.000-07:00

uptown

minneapolis, minnesota

may 2010

+.peace.love.geometry.+

.more marie.

2011-04-13T05:49:00.000-07:00

.marie has been getting a lot more attention these days.

.well, much longer rides that is.

.she may no longer look like this, but she's been one of the best bikes a girl could ask for.

+.peace.love.trust.+

.spring.

2011-04-12T08:48:00.000-07:00

walker art center

minneapolis, mn

may 2010

+.peace.love.green green grass.+

.swaness.

2011-04-11T07:43:00.000-07:00

kilarney national park

county kerry

ireland

february 2011

+.peace.love.gracefulness.+

.new website.

2011-04-08T06:31:00.000-07:00

very excited to launch my new website. it's still a baby, but is growing fast.

www.lovemepdx.com

any and all feedback and comments greatly accepted!

.picture.

2011-04-08T06:02:00.000-07:00

outside the city library

vancouver, bc

november 2010

+.peace.love.or does it?

.dublin castle.

2011-04-07T06:07:00.000-07:00

dublin castle

dublin

ireland

february 2011

+.peace.love.architecture.+

.rooted.

2011-04-06T06:10:00.000-07:00

when my hub and i first moved to portland,

we found this cute tiny apartment with old charm in nw.

close to everything in the city, it was also close to the largest

natural city park in the nation, forest park.

i have enjoyed many many hikes out my back door on sunny

saturday mornings, foggy tuesday afternoons, and rainy

thursday nights... and always going by my favorite tree:

we are moving this weekend, no too far away but to the other side

of the river. i know i will be back to enjoy washington and forest park

still, however the proximity just turned into 5 miles instead of 5 minutes.

south east portland: here i come!

+.peace.love.nostalgia.+

.san fran in 48 hours.

2011-04-05T06:04:00.000-07:00

over the weekend i took a very quick trip to san fransisco

for a friend's 30th birthday. taking quick weekend trips can

really save a person from the depressing rain here in portland.

the weather was just what i needed even if it was only two days!

what a great trip with so many fun memories in 48 hours!

my face never hurt so much from laughing and my legs from dancing...

happy bday kiki!

+.peace.love.sf.+

.can you hear me now?.

2011-04-04T06:09:00.000-07:00

galway

ireland

february 2011

+.peace.love.size.+

.rays.

2011-03-31T05:57:00.000-07:00

the sun wants to come out so bad,

it's rays were felt for 5 minutes yesterday....

i will take it!

+.peace.love.spring?

.up close.

2011-03-30T06:08:00.000-07:00

a few details...

knock, knock...

dublin, ireland

february 2011

+.peace.love.inspect.+

.lines.

2011-03-29T05:54:00.000-07:00

rothgar, dublin

ireland

february 2011

+.peace.love.wires.+

.oratory.

2011-03-28T06:06:00.000-07:00

gallarus oratory

dingle peninsula

ireland

february 2011

Gallarus Oratory was built between the seventh and eight century

and is the best preserved early christian church in ireland.

It represents the apogee of dry-stone corbelling,

using techniques first developed by neolithic tomb-makers.

The stones were layed at a slight angle,

lower on the outside then the inside to allow water to run off.

according to local legend, if a person climbs out of the oratory via the window,

their soul will be cleansed. this is, however, physically impossible,

because the window is approximately 18cm in length and 12cm in width.

+.peace.love.impossible?

.castle.

2011-03-27T09:16:00.000-07:00

ballycarberry castle

skellig ring

ring of kerry

iveragh peninsula

ireland

february 2011

+.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.+

+.peace.love.enchantment.+

.bicycle dublin.

2011-03-26T13:53:00.000-07:00

bikes from ireland

februrary 2011

+.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.+

+.peace.love.ride.+

.dock.

2011-03-25T06:24:00.000-07:00

westport

ireland

february 2011

fishing dock at sunset

+.peace.love.silhouette.+

.acro yoga.

2011-03-24T06:14:00.000-07:00

i want to be this when i grow up

beautiful...

+.peace.love.acro flow.+

.earth hour.

2011-03-23T06:17:00.000-07:00

remember!

this saturday from 8:30-9:30pm

EARTH HOUR

turn off everything in your home and light a candle

do this one small thing for our precious planet

+.peace.love.unplug.+

.vintage jewelry box necklace.

2011-03-22T06:06:00.000-07:00

.gifted chain.

.swarovski crystals.

.onyx & black agates.

.reclaimed vintage costume earrings.

new old beauty at $56

+.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.+

+.peace.love.gather.+

.redux.

2011-03-21T06:16:00.000-07:00

i spy 'love me' at redux...

do you?

+.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.+

+.peace.love.shop.+

.yarn holes.

2011-03-18T06:17:00.000-07:00

"Artist Juliana Santacruz Herrera has filled a number

of Paris's potholes and cracks with colorful yarn.

While it certainly isn't a permanent solution,

we think it's a bright and cheery way

to improve on otherwise dreary conditions.

See more on Juliana Santacruz Herrera's Flickr stream."

- re-nest

+.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.+

+.peace.love.fill in.+

.croagh patrick.

2011-03-17T06:35:00.000-07:00

Croagh Patrick (also known as St. Patrick's Stack)

is located right outside Westport in County Mayo, Ireland.

It is the site where they say St. Patrick spent a 40 day fast,

and at the end of that fast it is said that he banished

all demons and snakes from Ireland.

During the summer solstice, people come from far and wide

as a pilgrimage to this sacred and holy place.

Back in the day, I learned that the pilgrims would hike this

difficult mountain starting at midnight (dark) and barefoot.

Having this beautiful day while in Ireland,

our group decided to hike this mountain.

There really was no defined path, but we made it up nonetheless!

Having the snow at the top made the steep last part

of the hike the most difficult.

It was much scarier on the way down I would have to say!

I couldn't believe that some people have hiked this

without shoes. I found it quite difficult with the sharp

rocks in my light hikers. The steepness made it even more of a challenge.

So beautiful...

+.peace.love.luck of the Irish.+

.crown jewels dux.

2011-03-16T06:11:00.000-07:00

.gifted crown charms.

.light amethyst quartz tear drops.

$22

+.peace.love.queen sisters.+

.crown jewels.

2011-03-15T06:20:00.000-07:00

.gifted crown charms.

.aqua marine quartz tear drops.

$22

+.peace.love.crown jewels.+

.guinness.

2011-03-14T06:15:00.000-07:00

no trip to ireland is complete without a little guinness...

view of the guinness family estate atop a cliff

in wicklow mountains national park

guinness kegs outback the local pub

our first night in dublin

my first guiness in ireland

it was lovely!

+.peace.love.stout.+

.sea glass.

2011-03-12T09:35:00.000-08:00

.sea glass.

.reclaimed chain.

.recycled leather straps.

.pineapple quartz tear drop.

$46

*close up*

.peace.love.gifted with sincerity.

.the mighty atlantic.

2011-03-11T06:14:00.000-08:00

achill island

ireland

2011

+.peace.love.waves.+

.peeling.

2011-03-10T06:19:00.000-08:00

nightfall

clifden, ireland

february 2011

+.peace.love.paint chips.+

.bike sharing.

2011-03-09T06:04:00.000-08:00

over the past year i have been three places (probably more) and seen bike sharing...

portland needs to get on it!

+.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.+

minneapolis, minnesota
2010

+.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.+

chicago, illinois

2010

+.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.+

dublin, ireland

+.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.+

however, as a traveler to these cities,

they are not intended for tourism.

they work much better as a means

for short trips around the city.

faster than walking,

not as much hassle and cheaper

(not to mention environmentally light)

than an automobile.

+.peace.love.sharing.+

.drape it.

2011-03-08T06:37:00.000-08:00

.found shell (WA coast).

.reclaimed chain.

$24

+.peace.love.drape.+

.40 shades of green.

2011-03-07T06:14:00.000-08:00

dingle penninsula

ireland

february 2011

+.peace.love.color.+

.orchid.

2011-03-05T07:37:00.000-08:00

over three years ago i bought my first orchid.

it bloomed and bloomed from it's orginial shoot,

but once that shoot had it's lifespan, it went dormant.

it took 2 months for another shoot to grow

and while i was in ireland it started to bud!

yesterday morning, in the middle of a month of no sunlight,

the first blossom in three years opened it's face

to the little sunlight peeking through the clouds.

+.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.+

+.peace.love.renew.+

.ring of kerry.

2011-03-04T06:05:00.000-08:00

ring of kerry

iveragh peninsula

ireland

february 2011

+.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.+

+.peace.love.luck.+

.tweed.

2011-03-03T06:38:00.000-08:00

Ireland is known for quite a few things,

but if there was something I saw a lot of it was sheep.

The knitwear was fantastic, but with the dollar to euro conversion,

not so fantastic on my pocket book.

Fortunately, i found some beautiful Donegal Aran Tweed yarn!

100% Pure New Handspun Wool

Direct from Kilcar, Donegal

Two hard decisions, one was the color choice

as all the colors were so full and earthy.

Lately I have been making a point to buy more blues,

since I typically go with browns and greens.

Second decision was the pattern.

Luckily I found this very versatile pattern at ravelry

I wore it biking yesterday in all the rain

and it had an added benefit of keeping the rain out of my face

and directing it from dripping in front because of the ridges!

yeah! Perfect!

+.peace.love.wool.+

.granola.

2011-03-02T12:36:00.000-08:00

ahhh... drenching rain....

the best thing i can think of is making the house smell sweet and yummy...

granola time.

this time i ventured to make the granola into bars.

here's how it panned out. (pun intended!)

ingredients:

- honey

- almond butter

- pure vanilla

- oats and rolled barley

- slivered almonds

- coconut shreds

- dried cranberries

- raw sunflower seeds

- unsulfered dried apricots, chopped

they sure looked yummy before the oven

however, they did not come out of the pan as easy as i had hoped

but it still tasted great as granola!

out of my second batch i was able to carefully create 8 whole granola bars!

a bit more work than just buying a box,

but less garbage and they just seem to taste better! yummmmmmmy.

+.peace.love.scrumptious.+

.ireland love.

2011-03-01T10:21:00.000-08:00

i'm back! i just spent a lovely two weeks in ireland exploring,

drinking (mmmm.... guinness), and celebrating my 29th birthday for two weeks.

something that caught my eye were all the grand entrances in the country... here's a small sampling including georgian doors, prison doors, businesses, and cathedrals

enjoy!

+.peace.love.bain sult as an la.+

.fly away.

2011-02-10T17:56:00.000-08:00

.reclaimed vintage scarf pin.

.blue gold stone.

.reused chain.

.reclaimed butterfly pin.

~$34

+.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.+

+.peace.love.wings.+

.keys.

2011-02-09T06:15:00.000-08:00

.reclaimed leather.

.found keys.

.reused triangle charms.

$16

+.peace.love.unlock.+

.natural state.

2011-02-08T06:04:00.000-08:00

.shell - oregon coast.

.reclaimed leather strips.

.found charms.

$34

+.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.+

+.peace.love.shells.+

.urban art.

2011-02-06T12:57:00.000-08:00

burnside skate park

january 2011

.peace.love.color.

.warm neck.

2011-02-05T10:09:00.000-08:00

i have a big stellar "swap" with a dear friend in minneapolis every year.

it rocks so much to put together a little package of portland and handmade gear,

and in return receive some kick-a$$ stuff.

here are a couple of scarves i crocheted for the swap!

there was much more in the box, but this is just a taste :)

+.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.+

.peace.love.warmth in the freeze.

.dream catcher.

2011-02-04T06:15:00.000-08:00

mixed turquoise.

reclaimed leather.

found charm.

$24

.peace.love.dream.

.lights.

2011-02-03T06:01:00.000-08:00

chicago

august 2010

.coastal.

2011-02-02T06:32:00.000-08:00

oregon coast ~ january 2011

.peace.love.wood.

.watch this.

2011-02-01T06:13:00.000-08:00

vintage coach watch turned bracelet~$20

a watch that's watching you...

.peace.love. a little creepy.

.yeah vintage.

2011-01-31T19:39:00.000-08:00

yeah for creations!

.peace.love.adore.

.bike love rain.

2011-01-31T06:25:00.000-08:00

the look of winter

+.peace.love.puddles.+

.the white stuff.

2011-01-28T06:16:00.000-08:00

snowshoeing on mount hood, barlow pass

january 2011

+.peace.love.snow.+

.more jewels.

2011-01-27T07:48:00.000-08:00

more recent jewel recreations

now you can find me at REDUX in portland as well!

.turquoise mix.freshwater pearls.reclaimed chain.

.reclaimed drops & chain.

.vintage screw earrings refashioned with found chain.

.reclaimed coconut shell. reclaimed round shells. swarovski crystals.

.all reclaimed pieces.

.cinnabar.reclaimed chain & findings.

.mixed turquoise. 9" long.

.reclaimed wood pieces. refashioned my way!

.reclaimed chain.vintage charms.

.found shell (WA coast). reclaimed vintage chain.

.reclaimed bangles.mixed semi-precious stones.

+.peace.love.remake.+

.guac.

2011-01-26T06:13:00.000-08:00

mmm.... there's only one thing that happens when one has ripe avocados

(i think you know where i am going with this)


2 avos, juice of 1 lemon, 1/2 onion, 1 ripe tomato, cilantro & salt

simplicity is key!

after 4 years of longing after a vitamix... i received one for the holidays

from my awesome hubby. since that time

i have used it for (almost) everything!

it has been better than i expected!

on the menu tonight: chips & dip

put everything into the sweet vitamix

turn it on variable 3 until smooth

scoop out and...

viola!

yes, it was even better than it looks!

+.peace.love.raw.+

.nyc envy.

2011-01-25T06:10:00.000-08:00

this collection of photos was brilliantly put together in a short

from Mindrelic in a timelapse. instantly makes me want to return to nyc.

NYC - Mindrelic Timelapse from Mindrelic on Vimeo.

+.peace.love.the big apple.+

.summertime via.

2011-01-24T06:37:00.000-08:00

+.peace.love.baskets.+

.kombucha.

2011-01-21T06:05:00.000-08:00

it's been over a year since i started brewing

and bottling kombucha on a regular basis.

i have changed sugars, teas,

experimented with adding flavors after bottling, yummy!

here's a brief tutorial on my (every 12-14 days) brewing process

*remember, always always always wash your hands

1 gallon water (doesn't have to be filtered)

1 heaping cup (or 1 & 1/4 cup) organic raw cane sugar

3 organic green tea bags

3 organic cranberry hibiscus green tea bags

bring water to a rumbling boil

slowly add the sugar until dissolved

turn burner off

submerge tea bags and swirl around just a bit

~i use a clothespin to keep the tea bags on the outside of the pot

cover your very very sweet tea and let it come to room temperature

usually that means if you brew in the morning, wait until evening

if you brew in the evening, wait until morning

gather the other supplies after your sweet tea is cooled:

your brew that is ready (or a scoby and starter tea)

distilled white vinegar

funnel

bottle for brewed kombucha

wash your hands very well before touching scoby!

push down to expose yummy liquid

rinse out bottle with vinegar after washing it

do the same to the funnel

pour kombucha into bottle!

remember to leave a remainder in the jar

(you will need it for the next batch and to store extra scobys)

separate the mother and baby scoby keeping one in the original jar

and put one in another jar with some liquid for storage

pour sweet tea mixture in the large jar with baby scoby and remaining liquid (about 6 oz.)

cover kombucha to brew with a clean cloth and rubber band

label with today's date (for me, i do this process every 12-14 days)

store somewhere out of direct sunlight (for me, it lives on top of my fridge)

cap bottle of brewed kombucha (store in fridge for up to 2 months)

cover extra scoby jar (scobys are fine in a covered jar in the fridge for up to 2 years)

viola!

+.peace.love.kombucha madness.+

.water.

2011-01-19T06:23:00.000-08:00

water street, vancouver, bc

november 2010

.vitamin d.

2011-01-18T09:10:00.000-08:00

oh, summer...

how i long for thee...

+.peace.love.sunshine.+

.peeking sun.

2011-01-17T13:08:00.000-08:00

i had to take the opportunity of the peeking sun on my windowsill today. between the spouts of rain, emerges the most beautiful colors...

+.peace.love.renew.+

.in stores now.

2011-01-15T13:33:00.000-08:00

good news!

LOVE ME! is now in two local stores in Portland, Oregon.

Look for earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and other crafty items in these shops:

GYPSY CHIC

LOCAL GOODS

+.peace.love.reach.+

.new patterns.

2011-01-15T11:33:00.000-08:00

i have been experimenting with some fun new patterns for warm things...

men's hat with liner

similar to one my husband bought at rei

+.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.+

fingerless mittens

similar to urban outtfitters version here

+.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.+

another beanie, this one i am keeping for me!

from now on i am going to add liners! they make the hat so much warmer and more comfortable. plus, it's easy to use old fleece from thrift stores instead of buying new. however, i haven't been wearing many hats as it is a bit too warm lately in portland for any of that!

+.peace.love.liners.+

.sign makeover.

2011-01-14T17:02:00.000-08:00

out with the old...

and in with the new...

+.peace.love.portland.+

.urban rainforest.

2011-01-13T15:13:00.000-08:00

this is what happens when it rains alot.

+.peace.love.urban rainforest.+

.photo happy.

2011-01-12T03:18:00.000-08:00

Portland's Lan Su Chinese Garden

November 2010

+.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.+

.brrrr....

2011-01-11T16:22:00.000-08:00

it's been unseasonably cold (an no rain!) here in portland the last few days and my craftiness has taken me towards creating some warm lovelies!

this beret style hat was created with all my scrap yarn from other projects.

well, i usually buy scrap yarn from SCRAP,

so i guess it is a normal hat i would make.

does that make sense?

+.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.+

here is a scarf i whipped up sunday afternoon...

i must be feeling awfully chilly!

it's long enough to wrap around my chin and neck two full times with little tails.

i may end up putting buttons on one end for a "scarflet" look.

"I" hook, 18 double crochet across,

stitching in the horizontal bar across the back of the double crochet stitch,

113 rows

+.peace.love.warmth.+

.paddle for sustainability.

2011-01-10T12:47:00.000-08:00

get this, my husband's-friend's-sister's-husband is doing this...

seven degrees of separation at it's best!

for all the details check out their website here: Paddle for Sustainability

Here are just a few of their goals:

To promote the education, practice,

and social integration of sustainability concepts

in the 21st century.

Improve the ecological literacy

of the human population.

Provide a link between educators, communities,

and organizations pursuing a sustainable future.

Be a source of resources for people and projects

aiming to develop sustainability in their community.

+.peace.love.sustainability.+

.photo happy.

2011-01-09T10:07:00.000-08:00

a piece of my heart still belongs to minneapolis.

i took this photo off lake near calhoun.

meet via...

+.peace.love.cruiser.+

yep! via is part of "viamarie"(.blogspot.com)

meet marie in a future post

.crochet goddess.

2011-01-07T06:13:00.000-08:00

i love crochet. my g.ma took the time to thoughtfully teach me when i was 9

and i have been whipping stuff out for almost 20 years.

however, this woman is a goddess.

wow.

OLEK AND THE CHARGING BULL ON WALL STREET from olek on Vimeo.

+.peace.love.soft bulls.+

.skirt guard.

2011-01-06T05:59:00.000-08:00

i think i am in love...

simeli

+.peace.love.no grease stains.+

.good read.

2011-01-05T06:26:00.000-08:00

well, i do a lot of reading and not much posting about books.

that will change in 2011.

i recently finished "The Life You Can Save" by Peter Singer.

it was a great book to get me thinking in the new year.

highly recommended.

if you have three minutes, here is a little video question,

giving you something to think about for the moment.

.peace.love.life.

.new look.

2011-01-04T13:17:00.000-08:00

hope you like the new look! i thought it was time since i received my first read acknowledgment! i was chosen as one of the top 50 bicycle blogs from guidetoonlineschools.com :) so excited to continue the bike love. xxoo

Guide to Online Schools

Top Bicycle Blogs

.pucker up.

2010-12-30T17:14:00.000-08:00

thanks to an awesome gift pack (from minneapolis) and even awesomer friends (who sent it), i made my first batch of lip balm! i love learning how to make my own things and sharing the wealth along the way. yeah for moisturized and luscious lips!

beeswax, grapeseed oil, vitamin E oil, cherry flavor oil and empty containers

easy enough, this recipe can be made in the microwave as well.

since i didn't have one to use, i had to improvise by warming water and using a can to melt the oils and wax. it worked perfectly!

p.s. this method is also how i melt old candles to make new ones, just make sure the water isn't too hot!

with all the oils mixed up, it smelt so good i was ready to put it on my lips!

using a disposable tincture I was able to get the melted mixture into the tubes.

perfecto!

if i were to do it again, i would reserve a little to top off the pour after the base has hardened to make the tops a little more round instead of sunken in.

for these i used the same recipe but I added a few shavings of some burt's bees lipstick into the melted mixture for just a tint of color

viola!

+.peace.love.lip balm.+

a special thanks to nick and tiff

.holla.days 2010.

2010-12-30T16:55:00.000-08:00

holla! bring on 2011!

mexico!

2010-12-30T16:53:00.000-08:00

hola! recently my family and i took a week long trip to mexico in the riviera maya. my parents recently celebrated their 30 year wedding anniversary and my cousin had his wedding while we were there as well. the trip was full of family, fun, and relaxing free time on the ocean. what could be better?

my first time zip lining!

stoked to be exploring a fresh water underground cave

ben tanning (or should i say burning) in the tropical sun

nothing is better than listening to my brother strum some great tunes on the beach

the ruins at tulum

.+peace.love.mexico+.

earrings galore!

2010-12-13T13:46:00.000-08:00

well, thought i would get out a little, ahem, big post about how fantastic earrings really are. paired with a funky outfit or black dress, they are the perfect accessory! i've been making jewelry for probably 20 years or so, and my oh so favorite things to make are earrings. i have since purchased a whole bunch of reclaimed leather and materials from a reuse center... here are some creations:

.old new love, rekindled...

2010-10-05T16:48:00.000-07:00

Scrap t-shirt material, painted with acrylic paint (from SCRAP) and cut to finish. Reclaimed beads on sterling silver earring hooks, 6" long. $20

.+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~+.

Reclaimed leather scraps on

14K gold earring hooks, 5" long. $20

.+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~+.

Reclaimed vintage screw earrings and recycled leather on

sterling silver earring hooks, 3" long. $15

.+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~+.

My tiny little screen booth for Last Thursdays on Alberta!

.+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~+.

peace.love.me!

Now selling! Look for me in Portland at Handmade Craft Bazaars! More to come!

.bicycle love.

2010-09-03T07:48:00.000-07:00

here's just a few pics i entered in a bicycle photo challenge.
.+~.....................................................~+.

.+~.....................................................~+.

.+~.....................................................~+.

.+~peace.love.happy riding!~+.

.small victories.

2010-09-01T12:18:00.001-07:00

being a house guest is never an easy task. i love having people over (even in our tiny place), but not being much of a cook takes a little fun out of a gathering. i found this handy little application for my ipod touch that makes finding recipes super easy. whole foods has an application with some delicious (sounding) recipes. i decided to try one out!

roasted red peppers with quinoa (vegan, vegetarian, gluten free)

ingredients:
red peppers
red onion
carrots
mushrooms
parsley
cumin
cinnamon
spinach
quinoa
sesame seeds (roasted)
salt
pepper
olive oil

the whole process took me about 2 hours (1 hour cook time in the oven) but i hand chopped everything because i don't own a food processor.

ready to be stuffed!

ready for the 1 hour oven time

ta-da! they were quite amazing in taste!

.+~peace.love.dinner sucess!~+.

.sandy river.

2010-07-26T19:10:00.000-07:00

on a 95 degree day in portland, there is only one place to be...

lucky for our group of 15, our friend Paul made this kickin video.
(photo taken every 2 seconds)

this is only half the float. the four hour long excursion left us wanting water, food and a nap!

Sandy River Float from Paul Yih on Vimeo.

.+peace.love.rivers+.

long long time.

2010-07-13T08:42:00.000-07:00

minneapolis treats me well every time i return

in june i had the great chance to see my favorite singer/songwriter for the 4th time in a beautiful setting, the oregon zoo

between all the rain we had in june here in portland, a few sunny days left our skin enjoying every ounce of vitamin d

everyone was enjoying the great weather during sunday parkways

over the 4th of july i took the long trek back home to north dakota. i believe i saw everyone under the sun and state in the usa. family and friends from far and wide gathered this year in mandan for family reunions, birthday parties, and my 10 year class reunion. thank you leslie for the great conversation and reminding me to keep up my blog~

mandan hosts one of the largest parades every year on the 4th of july. this year was no different. it was great to see the pride of the state!

through all the craziness, i even had time to make a special trip out to minnesota and meet my best friend and her son for dinner. it was a quick but much needed hello :)

.+peace.love.relationships+.

.tshirt of the day.

2010-05-13T08:16:00.000-07:00

woot.shirt.com
some of the best shirts and deals i've ever seen.
i thought of this today as I was sharpening a pencil, then i took it apart just to make sure the little man was ok. he was no where to be found, must have took a break.

.vineyards.

2010-05-10T07:34:00.001-07:00

i've been meaning to get out the the nearby vineyard and wineries in oregon for sometime. last time i did this was two years ago when my family came to visit.

i like to celebrate things, it gives me something to look forward to even if it's a small thing. next wednesday ben and i will have been married for 9 years. we have been in each other's lives for 11... awesomeness.

montinore vineyards were absolutely breathtaking. one more reason we love oregon, a little tasting of everything :)

personally, i love their logo and color choices. i have a thing for roots and trees

i packed a picnic and we had lunch in the hot sun on a gorgeous saturday

our view on the scenic roll home :)

+.peace.love.wine & sunshine.+

.mother lover.

2010-04-25T15:03:00.000-07:00

it was just so fantastic to have my mom come visit me in portland. during the four days she was here, we packed in as much as possible. lots of hiking, walking and tasting occured, as well as memories, stories and life discussions were had. just amazing.

steel bridge over the river

cheers to beers at amnesia!

out on the coast near cannon beach, yes, that's haystack rock in the background

ecola state park

this is where we had the unfortunate event of the westy breakdown. getting towed back to portland by a guy named ken was the adventure!

back in portland after a long day of shopping, we treated ourselves to 1/2 price martini's at bartini

the following day we rented a car and drove through the columbia river gorge, hiking multnomah falls... beautiful oregon :)

600 feet, 1.25 miles, and 11 switchbacks later, we made it to the top!

"look at those crazy trees!"

"i love it here"

climbing down to bridal veil falls

a visit to oregon wouldn't be complete without a brewery tour. full sail in hood river was just the place for a pint and a tour!

double mountain and laurelwood topped it off.

all in all, i can't wait for my parents to join me again out here! Next time, July, for berry picking and lots of awesome festivals and art faires!

+.peace.love.mommy.+

2010-04-15T06:17:00.000-07:00

this is to...

this, as...

this is to...

this.

ahhhh, the couple I live with.

+.peace.love.family.+

.farm fresh.

2010-04-11T10:47:00.001-07:00

the rains have continued and the trees are filling up.
and my allergies are in full bloom.
spring in portland is beautiful.

a friend and I took advantage of the "non-rainy-morning" this weekend to make our first trip out to sauvie's island. kruger farms had it's opening weekend and we took full advantage of the reasonable priced produce. we also took a stroll around the farm with Riley the dog.

+.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.+
Riley-roo prefers the chickens.

tired and muddy but happy!

+.peace.love.farms.+

.india. i miss thee.

2010-04-06T07:15:00.001-07:00

it's almost been a year since this...

i can't believe the feelings i have when i remember the almost 4 months i spent in this beautiful and challenging country. the experience and friends i made will stay with me always.

+.peace.love.nostalgia.+

photos

.portland japanese garden.

2010-04-03T09:48:00.000-07:00

even though the weather has been super rainy and in my opinion, depressing, there is a beauty in an overcast sky and deep blue horizons

the japanese garden in portland has always been one of my favorite tranquil spots to pace slowly while letting my thoughts take a rest.

a very brave squirrel followed us down the hill on our way home.

+.peace.love.details.+

.april.fool-me-not.

2010-04-01T07:23:00.000-07:00

not that these have anything to do with "april fools"... however, maybe a little to do with easter? in any event, too funny not to share.

.+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~+.

i seriously enjoy the looks on their egg faces, if i were facing my "crack" death, i would be the one in the far back right.

+.peace.love.crackle.+

.oh, beast.

2010-03-31T09:23:00.000-07:00

.+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~+.

.+peace.love.majestic kitty+.

a baby & a paintbrush.

2010-03-30T06:11:00.000-07:00

Last week over spring break I had an amazing opportunity. My high school BFF is on her way (about a month away) from giving birth to her first child. With the excitement of new life comes all the preparations as well.

Way back in November when she gave me the news, she also asked me to paint the new baby's nursery. Of course, I said yes!

Keeping her theme of a forest (because of the link in the family to preservation and hunters) I created a mod twist for her new son's room. It all started with that little hat I made to keep his little head warm in those Minnesota winters :)

Here's what followed!

+.and the details.+

After all that work, Brenny took me out to a little tea place in Anoka. It was the perfect ending to the perfect week with my perfect little preggo friend.

+.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.+

+.peace.love.new life.+

2010-03-08T07:37:00.000-08:00

A beautiful weekend led to some beautiful blooms. I am not sure if the Portland weather fairy is teasing us, or it really is the end of the rains. I would like to think it's the latter.

Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Portland, Oregon

+.peace.love.blooms.+

.portland.amsterdam.delhi.

2009-04-17T17:01:00.000-07:00

Less than 24 hours to departure, then on my way to 24 hours of travel. I knew this day would come, I really just can not believe it is here already! I have gotten the chance to talk/text with some very important people in my life and I am overwhelmed with joy and love for the warm support they have offered me.

The experience before me is something I have dreamed about doing and without the support of my Benny it really wouldn't be possible. The first time he heard me mention it he was behind me 100%... We have had millions upon millions of conversations about this and are excited about what we are going to learn from it. I think we have a little bit of an unconventional relationship, but he is my best friend, love and soul mate. Thank you hubba for the patience, support and love!

.+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~+.

Moving on from all that mushiness: I am going to miss this one too!

oh, beast buddy!
.+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~+.

Here I go! For those of you that read this... I hope you find this as interesting as I hope to!

.+~peace.love.india~+.

.laurelwood.

2009-04-12T10:51:00.001-07:00

systems.numbers.documentation.microbrewery!

our friend here in PDX gave Ben and I a tour of the Laurelwood brewery where he is on staff to brew beer. our world has come to revolve around brewing, talking, and tasting the bounty of micro-brews here in portland and around

.+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~+.

personally I do not get into the mumbo-jumbo-lingo of the brewing world, but the brewery itself led to some awesome photo-ops!

.+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~+.

thanks for the tour Orion!

.+~peace.love.brews~+.

.biking, hiking, and soaking up portland.

2009-04-07T19:15:00.001-07:00

it all started on saturday, the beauty of portland began to show through the clouds, and it proved itself with a beautiful weekend. all the pasties (white portlanders that do not see sun for months) came out for some valuable vitamin d

west side waterfront park

hawthorne bridge

it never gets old, whenever i find a swing, i swing, and love every minute of it

gazing at fly-fisherman in a city pond

blossoms for everyone to enjoy

we ended up taking a nap in some grass and sunshine for over an hour. everyday should be like this.

i love my bike, especially since i added these sweet ribbons

funny article at "the basement pub"

ben's gloves - he loves them as holey as they are

a sweet and savory IPA at the "green dragon"

.+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~+.

so then on sunday we took a serious urban hike through the huge parks that portland is known for. it was amazing and we remembered why we moved here!

on our way to Council Crest in SW portland

view of mt. hood from council crest

view of st helens from council crest

we also came upon "pestiside free park", i laughed, only in portland

what a freaking good weekend... do i dare say "perfect"?

.+peace.love.cities+.

.city love.

2009-03-30T21:20:00.000-07:00

the trees are blooming here in portland and on the beautiful sunny sundays, after the random downpours, urban hiking is a top priority

we took a hike with michael up to pittock mansion, the great view also lead to a great long hike, we effing love portland!

Benny especially likes portland in the spring, who doesn't?

there's more and more urban knitting going on in portland, i absolutely LOVE it!

.+~peace.love.bridges~+.

.good stuff in pdx.

2009-03-26T20:13:00.000-07:00

OMSI - Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
Awesome place! We took a field trip with the kids yesterday and they had a pretty amazing Da'vinci exhibit... the Mona Lisa has so many details, it's crazy! Inspirational to say the least!

+.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.+

The mountains were out to play today and so was I, up in Washington park.

The flowers also decided to bloom in the last week, they were jealous of the mountains :)

+.peace.love.blooms.+

.oregon coast.

2009-03-22T18:23:00.000-07:00

Barview Jetty

Deirdre, Michael and I watching a crazy surfer in the waves

the Karate Kid

Sunset on the coast. It was so beautiful out there this weekend. The only pictures I got were from Friday night. We spent the weekend in a vacation rental for a friends birthday. About 30 people came out and we had an awesome time, in the process my camera was dropped and broken... sad, I know! But the weather, camping, fires and friends were awesome!

.+~peace.love.head lamps.~+.

.+~ and PeeBR's ~+.