notes from a small island.

Off in the distance...

through the cloud forest...

there is paradise!

grrrrowl

Grrrrrrrr.

I now heartily distrust the post office.

Almost this exact conversation happened between me and the postal worker today.

Grrrrrrr.

If those lovely crocks don't get to their new owner in one piece...

new etsy treasure

I listed a new treasure on Etsy...take a look!

Also, I've really been wanting to make a banner for the shop but am having a hard time getting it to look just so. Anyone have any recommendations or would be willing to help me out? I would give you shop credit...or work something out to make it worth your while. Send me an email!

un bon repas, en français.

*Je écris en français parce que j'ai besoin de commencer a utiliser la langue. C'est un gaspillage de ne pas le faire - mais je ne suis pas française donc je suis désolée si je ne parle pas couramment. J'irai en France cet automne - après qu'il serai mieux! Si vous êtes français, envoyez-moi un email si je ne l'écris pas correctement, s'il vous plait! Merci! *

Ce soir nous sommes allées avec la famille d'Andy au restaurant Everett Street Bistro. Ce mon restaurant favori! Nous avons partagé quelques plats comme un steak tartare, les pâtes carbonara, les travers de porc, les coquilles St-Jacques, et la saucisse avec la choucroute, ainsi que le bon vin. Pour le dessert, nous avons partage deux petits godets de crème chocolat. C'était un très bon repas, comme d'habitude.

Je regrette les mauvaises photos! J'ai les pris avec l'appareil photo de le portable d'Andy. Mais on peut voir les couleurs de la nourriture - c'est belle, n'est-ce pas?!

(I write in French because I need to begin using it - it's a waste not to - but I'm not French so I apologize if I don't speak "couramment". I'm going to France this autumn - after that it will be better! If you're French, please send me an email if I don't write it correctly. Thanks!

Tonight we went with Andy's family to Everett Street Bistro. It is my favorite restaurant! We shared a few dishes like steak tartare, carbonara, ribs, scallops, and housemade sausage with sauerkraut, and some good wine. For dessert, we shared two small pots of chocolate cream. It was a great meal, as usual.

Sorry for the poor photos. I took them with the camera on Andy's cell phone. But you can see the colors of the food - it's beautiful, isn't it?!)

a good morning.

I had a great Wednesday morning. Not only was it not raining,

it was also our third wedding anniversary.

Eggs Florentine at Cricket Cafe on Belmont. Tasty potatoes and

a fluffy buttermilk pancake, too!

I love it when breakfast has legs!

Onwards to Heart Roasters. Such a good coffee space - lots of light and decent music, so they don't have too many hipsters going emo all day and ruining the atmosphere.

What a cool old-school roaster. Andy had jealous feelings.

Whilst enjoying coffee, being entertained by WW's Chance Meetings columns. So funny...but seriously if someone wrote one for me and they weren't a creep (and I wasn't already taken), I'd so go for it.

fill in the blank friday!

English Spode, I do love you. Except when you are made in China.

I have been so busy lately. So really all I can throw you is another "fill in the blank friday" given by Lauren from The Little Things We Do. But they're fun, so bear with me!

1. The first thing I do in the morning is hit the snooze button and, lately, check my basal body temperature, because I'm trying to do some healing work on my metabolism and thyroid after a few years of really low-calorie dieting.

2. Every night before bed I ...don't have a bedtime routine! Hm. Maybe I should start one.

3. My favorite thing to do when I'm having a bad day is eat homemade popcorn with chocolate chips and watch TV or a movie on the computer in bed.

4. Something that makes me cringe is when I see people smoking with their kids in the car. Well, not so much cringe, more boil over with rage. Or when their kids are drinking from a Big Gulp. Watch out, stink eye comin' your way!

5. Social situations are mostly enjoyable! Unless no one has anything in common. Then you have to get really creative and pull out a Wii or some sort of humiliating game. Sometimes it is also fun to start a game of charades randomly and see who catches on.

6. I like to collect are dishes and bone china. My friends and family know this well about me. Dishes dishes dishes dishes!! One of the greatest days was visiting the Potteries in England to start my collection of Spode. Too bad Royal Worcester went bankrupt...

7. Weekends are for right now, procrastination.

hubble.

My family came to town this weekend for soccer, and it also happened to be a birthday weekend for my dad and brother. We took the whole fam to the OMSI IMAX theater on Saturday night to watch Hubble. It was incredible!

"Recounting the amazing journey of the most important scientific instrument since Galileo's original telescope, viewers will experience firsthand Hubble's awe-inspiring imagery, from the heart of the Orion Nebula and our Milky Way to the edge of the observable Universe".

Yeah, those are real, and YEAH, my brain exploded too!

See more pictures at the Hubble Heritage Site.

Credits:

NASA

Hubble Heritage

fill in the blank friday!

Went to this concert last week. He didn't spill any gossip, just played the guitar. I'll be honest, I was a little bummed. I was hoping for some drama. But the music was great.

Time for another FITB Friday courtesy of lovely Lauren at The Little Things We Do. Thanks, Lauren!

1. The strangest thing I've ever eaten was Picked pigs feet. Grandpa dared me. They were very vinegar-y. Also, when I ordered fish ball soup at Pok Pok, I didn't know the flash-fried anchovies would be completely whole with eyeballs...I scooped up some noodles with chopsticks and a head with a little eyeball was staring right at me...I closed my eyes and just ate the little fella! Crunchy.

2. My best friend is Andy. He makes me laugh. And cry sometimes, but mostly laugh.

3. If I could live in a different era it would be 18th century England because I love the history and literature of the period, and I miss England. Although I would have to be rich in order to enjoy it. If I were poor, I would want to live in the 1800's like Laura Ingalls Wilder, because those ladies could literally make something out of nothing. A pigs' bladder balloon? Come on!

4. I like at this moment, all the spring flowers blooming their hearts out.

5. If you only know one thing about me it should be that I love Jesus. I used to not like him or understand him at all, I only liked God. But now I love him as much or more. Faith is interesting and the most challenging part of life, for sure. I think that's why I keep following him - to see what happens next!

6. My favorite book of all time is Lauren this question is just unfair! Don't make me choose! C.S. Lewis once said something like "there isn't a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me." That's my answer!

7. The one beauty product I couldn't live without is mascara and/or burt's pomegranate chapstick.

8. Blogging is a delight. Even when I'm writing for my living or for school, it feels good to take time to write about things I enjoy or want to share.

9. If I could star in a movie with any actor/actress I would want to work with Jennifer Garner. I know we would be friends! Although I think she's made some interesting movie choices lately, I adore her.

10. One of the best feelings in the world is when Andy and I spend super quality time with each other, family or good friends. We are surrounded by amazing people and I feel very blessed.

hannah's felt bag.

Well, Easter was last weekend, and here I sit looking at the Easter gifts I put together for my good friend's two babies. They live in Spokane (I wrote about our visit HERE) and I see them maybe once a year. I miss being around them!

Before I pack these up and ship them off (hopefully before the 4th of July), I wanted to share the little purse I made for Hannah. I'm really happy with it! I hope she likes it.

It was so easy and fun to make. I'm thinking about putting together a little pattern and making a free PDF so readers can download it and make their own - not that it's hard, but some people like patterns. I'm thinking my 12 year old sister could make an adorable design.

Made from one square of felt for the purse and a few scraps for handles and embellishments...

Lined polka dot fabric!

The bag and handles are machine-sewn but the flower and name badge are sewn by hand.

Now if I could only make it to the post office...

from my bleeding heart to yours.

It is raining so much in Portland right now. That's why I'm glad to have taken pictures of these Bleeding Hearts (Dicentra spectabilis) on the last pretty day about a week ago. They are growing right outside our front gate and greet me every day, even when it's raining. I wonder how long they will last?

Along the driveway, these daffodils reach towards the sun.

And buds pop like popcorn!

Just down the road, a family of tulips are just opening up. These are my mom's favorite flowers, they remind me of her.

Don't worry, spring is still here!

ahoy me treasure!

Did I mention that a few weekends ago, while Andy and I were out making general trouble and treasure-hunting, that I actually found a treasure so fabulous and valuable that I now refer to that day as, "the day that God smiled at me."

Down a suburban road deep in Beaverton, we impulsively followed the signs to a yard sale that wasn't on our list and struck gold. There, under a card table stacked with crappy kids games and discarded Happy Meal toys, was a round Le Creuset dutch oven. Creamy white. The big size. The little tag said $20. My heart stopped a little, and Andy saw the look in my eyes and realized that something important was about to happen. I purchased that dutch oven with the rest of my Christmas money (yeah, I know it's April!) and I walked to the car like an Olympic gold medalist-although, what can a medalist do with their gold besides look at it? I can cook with mine!

All this to say, my new friend Lauren at The Little Things We Do is having a giveaway of two Le Creuset blue baking dishes, and I entered myself in the running, and you should too! Visit her post HERE and follow the instructions. Good Luck! Although I'm rooting for myself, sorry.

spring break part three (jam-filled cupcakes with tangelo glaze)

We got together with our Meddy friends for American Idol night that also included steak, green beans, bread, and these little beauties. Only they weren't so little.

One of my dearest friends, Jessi, is a pastry chef. She makes amazing treats and beautiful cakes. If you're in the Rogue Valley, you should call her next time you need a cake. You really should.

These jam-filled delights are from Martha Stewart's cupcake book. There is a version of the recipe on Martha's site that you can visit HERE. These are covered in a tangelo-glaze.

Ahhhhhh...