Thursday, March 31, 2011

Let's Do This

Got me a bib. Official.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Market + Brunch

We visited the Eastern Market in DC over the weekend. The inside of the market is lined with colorful stands showcasing fresh fruit, meat, and meals. I snacked on a tasty cinnamon sugar pretzel from one of the outdoor food stands while we perused the various artsy vendor stations. It was so wonderful to take a break from the monument visits and tour a neighborhood instead.

After wandering around the market we brunched at Ted's Bulletin only a few blocks away. If Portland's Hotel Deluxe had a restaurant kid brother in DC, this would surely be it. Showcased in the front café are homemade pop tarts, and patrons sip their coffee while a black and white movie plays on a vintage TV mounted to the wall. The wooden booths in the dining room are reminiscent of train station benches with charming yellow accents. The menu looks like an old-fashioned newspaper and you can even order adult milkshakes (we were full, but I want to go back for the Bailey's Caramel Macchiato shake!).

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Monday, March 28, 2011

Hello, Spring.

Richmond was a madhouse this weekend and for good reason -- two Richmond teams played in the Sweet Sixteen on Friday, and VCU advanced through the Elite Eight to play in the Final Four next weekend. 

Chris and I missed most of the hoopla because we snuck away to DC for a post-winter getaway. We meet up with old friends, ate delicious food, walked around the tidal basin to see all of the cherry blossoms in bloom, and enjoyed the incredible weather that changed from a snow threat to beautiful sunshine and blue skies.

Cat was left to her own devices for a night. She probably spent the weekend hanging out in a box or chasing her tail, as usual. Pictures from the weekend will be up soon.

And in other news, happy birthday to my best sister!!

Thursday, March 24, 2011

This Week

[Print by Becca Stadtlander, available on Etsy]
Went on a run or two. Drank wine and made yummy pasta. Booked the dreaded appointment to have my four wisdom teeth removed. This week has ranged from pretty good to ho-hum, and inspiration for posts just hasn't been there. I hope you don't mind. We're off to DC on Saturday to see some of the cherry blossoms in bloom. I'll definitely come back with photos to post. Hope you've had a nice week so far!

Monday, March 21, 2011

But Of Course

I'll admit it -- I run best when I'm listening to show tunes. I may or may not have slowly raised my open hands out to the side and up to the sky as I jogged the final notes of this song. You'll just have to ask the outdoor diners at Curbside about that.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

For Japan with Love

The lovely gals at Utterly Engaged and Ever Ours have organized For Japan with Love, an online campaign to raise funds that will send emergency shelter and lifesaving supplies to the devastated and displaced people of Japan. Donations will go directly to Shelter Box, a disaster relief organization supplying essential items like tents, cooking supplies, water storage/purification equipment, and blankets to families affected by the recent earthquake and tsunami.

Fundraising will continue through March 31, but a Bloggers Day of Silence will be happening tomorrow (March 18). The hope is that every time someone visits a blog (1000+ participating blogs and counting!) he or she will once again be reminded to donate to the crisis in Japan. There are so many ways to reach out and donate, so if you haven't already, please do so!

Visit www.forjapanwithlove.com to donate to Shelter Box and learn more about the Bloggers Day of Silence.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Butter Up, Buttercup

The more Mad Men episodes I watch, the more I'm itching to get my hands on one of those fantastic dresses (to complement my vintage glasses, of course). But an easier and cheaper first step was to spring for some retro red nail polish to spice up these hands that are glued to a keyboard all day. 

I've been tempted by butter LONDON polish before -- a number of bloggers have showcased various colors (or shall I say colours?) in those stylish rectangular bottles. What I didn't know was that butter LONDON is a '3 free' nail polish. No formaldehyde, toluene, or DBP. Adios, OPI. butter LONDON has a shade for every mood and a cheeky name to match. Right now I'm wearing the Come to Bed Red. Fash Pack is on deck.

Buy in-store or online, but be sure to stop by the butter LONDON dictionary of nail polish names first.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Monday, March 14, 2011

Reaching Out

[Image by W+K Studio, via Design Crush]
It is still unbelievable to see the amount of destruction and displacement from the tsunami in Japan... If you'd like to reach out and donate to relief efforts, I've listed a few ways to do so below.

-Donate via the Red Cross website or text 90999 to REDCROSS.

-Hilda Grahnat has set up a 'Help Japan' shop. The selected prints are photographs she took on her trip to Japan in December. All proceeds will go to the Japanese Red Cross Society.

-Kelly Beall has compiled a list of artwork created in response to the tsunami. Find the prints on her blog, Design Crush. 100% of the proceeds will go to relief and rebuilding in Japan.

-Whimsy and Spice is also donating 15% of the proceeds from their tasty treats to tsunami relief efforts through 3/18.

In light of these reputable avenues to donate, I'd like to pass along this note I read over the weekend: Dear anyone who says if we get x followers or retweets we'll donate money to Japan. Shut up and donate. Real philanthropy is anonymous & not contingent.

Please reach out to those in need by taking initiative and making a donation. It's the least we can do in response to this tragedy.

Friday, March 11, 2011

[...]

Hi folks. It seemed strange to post something of the usual sort on this heartbreaking day. Hoping everyone you know is safe and that you get to spend the weekend with the people you love and care about. 
You're in our thoughts, Japan.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Catskills: A Whole New Level

Catskill #3: Invisibility
If I can't see her, then she can't see me....
More catskills here and here.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Cut and Paste

[Image via Apartment Therapy]
The room I rearranged the other day? It's our dining room. And for just the two of us, it's HUGE. It currently houses the small table and chairs from my Beaverton apartment, the green bookcase/ hutch I painted over the summer, Chris' college futon, and a little corner devoted to paper and plastic recycling (told you I was an Oregonian at heart...). An eclectic mix for sure, but somehow it comes together and works. And the futon (while odd to have in there) has proved extremely useful for our three sets of out of state visitors.

So now that the room is laid out to my liking, the big white empty wall is staring back at me, daring me to do something with it. Pictures? It rejects nails. The white plaster is only a thin mask covering the un-nailable brick behind it. Paint? Possibly, but it seems like just the can of worms I prefer not to open right now. Hmm. Fleeting thought of removable wallpaper. Touted as a perfect solution for renters who want to see some of their security deposit eventually come back to them, it seems like a reasonable and increasingly attractive choice. The idea came from this Apartment Therapy article about reversible wall decor. Tempaper has a few fun designs.

Thoughts?

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Spring Cleaning

[Image via Hilda Grahnat]
This weekend I rearranged part of our apartment, dragging various pieces of furniture across the floor only to end up putting most of the things back in their original positions. Chris stood by shaking his head at this compulsive seasonal habit of mine. Then I tackled the haphazardly folded clothes in my dresser, followed by a mass reorganization of our storage cabinet. Regrettably, this post-winter clutter has also infiltrated my browser's bookmarks tab. I've discovered so many fantastic blogs over the past month that they've become one jumbled mess of a list.

Enter blog spring cleaning: I've added a handful of the newly discovered blogs over on the right under 'My Favorite Reads,' making all of these online inspirations easier to navigate for myself, and you. The ten most recently updated blogs will show first, but you can click to view the entire list if you want to check out all of them. I've also added a link to my ever-growing Pinterest boards if you'd like to take a look-see.

By the end of the weekend I finally visualized a layout for the dining room that I was happy with. As I awkwardly shimmied past the bookcase with a kitchen chair under each arm, I reminded Chris that rearranging is always cheaper than going out and buying new things. He started helping.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Libros!

Sometimes as a kid I would threaten to run away. I'd find a duffel bag in the closet, pack a few shirts and my entire sock drawer (why all those socks?), and announce hysterically to my suburban family from the bottom of the staircase, "I'm running away!!" I never did. Later my mom told me that if I ever actually ran away she would probably find me at the library or a bookstore. Just goes to show what kind of kid I was.

Thankfully after fifteen years I don't make those kinds of scenes anymore (Chris is especially appreciative of this), but I do like to slip away to a book club on the first Sunday of every month. I first saw a poster for the club shortly after moving to Richmond seven months ago and decided to join as a way to meet people and broaden my scope of book chocies. 

When I tell people I'm in a book club, I make sure and tell them that it's a 'no-nonsense' book club. There are no beach reads or fluffy chick-lit paperbacks in sight. We read things like Russian novels and meet at a local coffeeshop. We ride bikes, wear glasses, and munch on homemade vegan treats. I think part of the reason why I love it so much is that I feel like I'm back in Portland when I'm there. Especially since I half expected Richmond to be a city of Confederate sympathizers...

Our March book, nominated and chosen last night, is A Month of Sundays by John Updike. Some of my other 'to-read' books are pictured above. If you live in Richmond, you should come check us out sometime.... more info on Facebook, Tumblr, and Goodreads.

Friday, March 4, 2011

Things to Come

[Image via Desgin*Sponge for an article about {frolic!}]
Speaking of spring, isn't this such a cheerful picture? I love ranunculus, and even if I'm incorrectly identifying these beauties, they sure do make my heart happy. Have a lovely first weekend of March!

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Sweet Blooms

[Image via Rockstar Diaries]
I think I've finally found something to put on the calendar for March -- the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C. The festival runs from March 26 to April 10, and it would a perfect excuse for a weekend getaway. Besides, I'm looking forward to saying our final farewells to winter and commemorating the advent of spring.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

New Start

I would hardly classify myself as a runner, though I have been trying to amp up my running lately in preparation for the Monument Avenue 10k (exactly a month from today....eeek!). My goal for the upcoming race is to start small by running more of a 5k and alternate walking and jogging for the rest. 

Before moving to Richmond I wanted nothing to do with running -- probably something to do with the  obligatory mile for high school P.E. class.  But beautiful sunny days and the opportunity for a shared activity with Chris warmed me up to the idea of exploring our new neighborhood at a faster pace. I've had a trusty pair of Mizunos for the past three years, however, recent ankle problems prompted me to consider some new footwear. Thanks to the helpful folks at Road Runner, my pronation problems will hopefully be solved by my sweet new pair of Brooks Adrenaline GTC 11s. Combined with the amazing powers of the GPS watch I gave husby for Christmas, running might actually....turn into an enjoyable hobby? It's starting to look that way.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Why Hello There

So many incredible things happened in February that I didn't even notice March sneak up out of nowhere. I wasn't really prepared. My only plans for March at this point are to listen to this song until I get sick of it and daydream about adventures abroad.