inspiring: portland

earlier this summer we traveled to portland, oregon. for me, it was the first time. and then the second time in rapid succession. this city is everything i had hoped! inspiring, creative, small yet personal, full of foodie goodness and crafty love. i would live here in a heartbeat, and in terms of vancouver pricing we could probably afford it without selling major organs or winning the lottery! alas, for now, my love must be captured in a few meager photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 
 

my favourites? in no particular order: powell's books | ruby j ice cream | the tin shed | pambiche | little big burger | mcmenamins kennedy school | townshends tea | flutter | the doug fir | the florida room | ken's artisan pizza | king burrito | bolt | stars antique | skidmore bluffs | the lowbrow lounge | portland farmer's market | voodoo donuts | the waterfalls. so much more too! vintage & yard sales, food at every turn, outdoor spaces and people and everything you could imagine. i hope to go back this fall. really, try to keep me away...

for those who wish to go (or go again!) check out the rad city guides from lotus events. they were key for me in finding nooks and crannies. also, tips from everybody loves sandwiches were top-notch sure-fire too! i'm sure most of my recommendations were originally from each of these places!

summer turns to fall

we vancouverites had a rather rough start to summer, if temperatures are anything to factor in. july was a bleak affair, but somehow - as it always does - this fair city turned things around and we've gotten our summer after all. a few photos that remind me of mine:

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

summer is always one of those busy times where i seem to be getting a lot creatively accomplished but not always seeing the results straight away. it's a time for spending out of doors, for living, for loving and for embracing the moment. for me it was also a time to do a bit of west coast traveling & creating - more on both soon!