Happy (Birthday) Weekend!

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I know it's only Thursday, but it feels like Friday and my goodness am I ready for the weekend! Tomorrow is my sister's birthday and I'll be spending it with her up in Portland having a fabulous girls day. Then, I'm off to Walla Walla with some of my best friends from high school for opening weekend at the wineries. I can't wait to see old friends and visit Walla Walla!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend as well!

Dessert, yes please!

When I came across these amazing dessert recipes my mouth immediately started watering, so what better thing to do than share with you! the kitchn is the food section of Apartment Therapy and they constantly have vegetarian recipes, which of course I love.

It's super stormy right now, but I'm going to pretend that it's warm, sunny and that I'm enjoying one of these tasty treats!

Happy Weekend!

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I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend! Aside from work I'm hoping to get outside for bike ride and enjoy the sunshine. =)

Oh, Liam's mother has posted details about a raffle to continue raising money for their remodel. Check it out and donate if you can!

Can I Have This Job?

Has anyone seen the show Man Shops Globe on the Sundance Channel? It's all about Anthropologie's buyer-at-large, Keith Johnson, as he travels all over the world looking for one of a kind home furnishings and accessories. The show documents the process that Keith goes through in searching for handcrafted goods, as well as details about the artists. It's fun to see the artists talk about their work and what inspired them. Definitely a must see!

Summer To Do List

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I was inspired by Emily's (aka dirty blonde) Summer List of 20 Things To Do and decided to create my own list of things that I'd like to do this summer. It is my favorite time of year and we're so close I can taste it! I truly hope I can do all of the things listed below so I can tell you all about it.

1. Run in a race.

2. Go camping at the beach.

3. Buy an old, used bike and fix it up.

4. Go wakeboarding. I always decline when I'm out at the lake with Jesse's parents and I'm determined to go this summer.

5. Climb a mountain. I'm thinking Mt. Washington or one of the Three Sisters?

6. Make a pillow. I know eventually Jesse and I will have our own place again and in anticipation of that, I'm going to try and make some decorative throw pillows.

7. Visit San Francisco.

8. Go to at least 3 concerts. I've already got Band of Horses and Michael Franti & Spearhead on my mind.

9. Go to a hot spring. I've lived in Oregon for most of my life and never been!

10. Make a meal with ingredients only from the Farmer's Market.

11. Try a VooDoo Doughnut.

12. Try at least 5 new restaurants. There are still a lot of places I haven't tried in Eugene and I know if I spend time in Portland this will be no problem!

13. Go to The Academy of Sciences Nightlife.

14. See The Lion King.

15. Go to the Portland Saturday Market.

16 & 17. Visit McMenamins Kennedy School and Edgefield.

18. Fill my coin jar.

19. Make iced tea.

20. Name my blog!

Birthday Weekend Getaway 4.16

Well, we had a blast camping! Jesse and I left Friday morning and went back to the same spot in Sisters where we climbed not too long ago. We set up camp, climbed a bit and just relaxed. It couldn't have been more perfect... except for the fact that we hardly slept cause we were so cold. Next time we won't forget our blankets!

I have a feeling this weekend was just a taste of what summer will be like, I can't wait for more camping trips and adventures.

Happy Birthday Jesse!

(circa 2008 - on a walk in Emeryville, with SF in the background)

Today is Jesse's birthday! He's the most amazing man, my best friend and I'm so happy to share this day with him. I'm taking him to dinner tonight and this weekend (pending weather) we're going camping and rock climbing. I'll share pics and details later... can't wait!

I've got people

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I've never been a dedicated follower of Grey's Anatomy, but while visiting my sister in Portland this week I've watched a few episodes with her. In the particular episodes that we were watching, Izzie was diagnosed with metastatic melanoma. I got chills as I was watching Izzie face cancer and the reactions of those around her. At one point, an older woman said something like, "having people is better than no people... they always come to be with me." (or something to that effect) Then, all of Izzie's friends were sitting around talking and realized that no one had gone to see Izzie that day. Just before she was going in for surgery, Alex rushed in to see her.

This made me think back to when I was being treated for metastatic melanoma. I feel so lucky that my family was so supportive and always willing to go to appointments with me, so I wasn't alone. When I started treatment, my brother took me to every appointment in the mornings and when he had to leave for school my mom would come to get me on her lunch break and stay with me until I could go home. I was hardly ever at the treatment appointments by myself and can't imagine what I would have done without my family there. Thankfully, it's been a few years since I've had to deal with treatments and numerous appointments, but I know that if I'm ever faced with this disease again I will have all the love and support I need!

Liam

This little boy will melt your heart. Read about his story, here.

Weekend Fun 4.10

This weekend I didn't do much relaxing, but amongst all the work I did manage to check out the Mayer Hawthorne and Passion Pit concert Saturday night, which was awesome. I'm a newer fan to both artists, so I didn't know all the songs but it was still a good time - minus all the scene kids tripping out on the dance floor. I managed to snap a few photos to share with you...

This is Mayer Hawthorne. All the band members had matching suits on, they looked quite handsome. After their set, Mayer was hanging out at his merch table after the show and I'm a little bummed I didn't say hello. Perhaps next time.

Passion Pit

Passion Pit crowd reminded me of the crowd at a Steve Aoki concert Jesse and I saw last summer. Wild.

Inspiration Boards

Oh, I'm just loving the inspiration boards at A Thing For. Once Wed wasn't kidding, they are absolutely gorgeous! The images have a very raw, organic feel that is so enchanting. I have a feeling I could get lost in this blog for hours.

The Pioneer Woman Cooks

I have been a long time fan of The Pioneer Woman, especially her cooking. Ree is an LA native, who now lives on a cattle ranch with her husband and four kids. She writes about life on the ranch, homeschooling her kids, cooking, photography and more. If you have the time, you should read their love story, Black Heels to Tractor Wheels. It's quite charming.

Anyway, back to the important stuff - food! All of the recipes come with very detailed instructions and TONS of pictures. If there's one thing I hate when I'm looking for a recipe, it's if there are no pictures! So, have no fear there are lots of pictures demonstrating step-by-step instructions. I can't wait to try the Petite Vanilla Bean Scones she just posted today, yum! A couple of my favorites that I would highly recommend you try are:

Macaroni and Cheese

Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Must Have: Sneakers

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For casual days, these colorful sneakers from Frye are perfect! I've had my pair of Frye boots for over 5 years and they are still in excellent condition. I'm guessing these sneakers will last just as long, making them well worth the investment! I'll take them all!!!

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"I AM SIMPLY LOOKING FOR BEAUTY, WHATEVER THAT IS - IT'S NOTHING THAT CAN BE EXPLAINED - ONLY FELT. IF I FIND IT IN A SINGLE BOWL, OR WANDERING LINE OF POTS, GOOD. I AM GRATEFUL."

-gwyn hanssen pigott

It's a Leap of Faith

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"You have to wake up and get moving... or you don't. But if you're serious about this I think that you should take a deep breath, say a prayer and take a leap of faith. It's a leap of faith, it's not a baby step of faith. It's called a leap of faith for a reason."

-Kelly Cutrone

Gangsta Luv

I love this. So stoked I'm going to see Mayer Hawthorne live in just a few days!

*if anyone knows how to embed an audio file, please let me know! i couldn't figure it out.

I don't wanna

This is how I feel sometimes. Maybe more lately than usual, but I don't think it's a bad thing. I've been moving in so many different directions and trying to remember so many different tasks that sometimes I just want to go away from it all so I don't have to think.

When I want to get away from everything, sometimes I will just daydream about where I want to travel. There are so many places that I want to go and things that I want to see. I've always dreamed of going to Europe. Years ago, a friend of mine gave me a Let's Go Europe travel book. I actually read it cover to cover. It's full of notes and highlights. Still one of my favorite books, I swear one day I'll use it. Aside from Europe, tops destinations on my list are New Zealand and Costa Rica. For now, I'll just keep dreaming...

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Food Pod

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Cooking is one of my favorite activities. I hate that I don't have my own kitchen right now to play in, but hopefully that will change soon. I don't have a lot of cooking tools of my own just yet,so whenever I see something out of the ordinary I can't help but grab it. Oh, and I'm a sucker for unique design, so when I came across this fun product from Fusion Brands, called the food pod I knew I wanted to try it. You fill it with food that you want to steam or boil and the rest is pretty simple. I can't wait to get one!

What cooking tools would you recommend or do you especially like?