***abbytryagain***

because what else would summer be for...

...

Can you imagine summer with no fun?
Yes, I own marbles. Aren't they pretty? They are beautiful and from work. I really like playing games in the summer. Especially dominoes-oh-and rummikub.....
Today I got new shoes. They were a gift from my boss. She rocks....
I also drank sassafras tea on ice. It's really good. At least it's good the way they make it here.
I may or may not be showing art there soon. If I did, would you come see it?
Thanks.
Hi to all the newbies-thanks for your comments!
Have a peaceful evening....
some beauty on the street for you:

happy monday

I'm in full on vacation mode. No, I'm still working full time, it's just that the days are so long and seem to be full of visitors.....
....and then there's the picture taking. I think I am addicted to film. I've been taking my tl-electro everywhere. Yes, the battery is broke so it's more like a guessing game when I shoot-but I can't stop. Got some prime photo taking activities planned for today. I love looking like a tourist here...
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Anyway, some beauty for your monday:
I am absolutely in love with this print.
These are petty cute, too.
Sometime soon, James and I will be eating these.
And, for your enjoyment-gigantic poppy pods:

I wish I had a Swedish cousin....

don't you?

If I did, I go visit and celebrate Midsummer like this

or this

or this

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I'm in love with everything by her.

I really like her little leather envelopes, they're at my boss' store and I look at them everyday....

If you check out her blog-she's doing handmade shoes! And they're not too expensive....

I'm back on the food train....

A big thank you to all the comments recently and a huge welcome to new readers!

Thanks for stopping by-it's very much appreciated!

Sometimes I am so over food. I hate to admit it, but it's true. Especially when I stress out. Now that I've had some time to unwind from a stressful few week-I am back at LOVING food. and cooking. and reading about it.
So, I really just had to take an outing.

Foster & Dobbs is an amazing little place not too far from home where specialty foods is their gig. They "get" it, you know? Cute, and quaint and very nice all around-perhaps a little bourgeois-but I love that! I can be snobby sometimes.

Their cheese selection is perfect, enough of the good stuff from around the world, but plenty of local things to choose from. They remove the obnoxious plastic labels many other grocery stores keep and brown paper abounds.

    The menu is written on a roll of that brown butcher paper and sounds just divine. My mouth waters when I read it, and I seriously need to try it sometime.

    James and I sampled the most delicious olives while there, and picked up some glorious looking pink Hawaiian sea salt.

 

I am going to use it as a garnish for hard boiled eggs-any other ideas?

     I also grabbed a jar of French tarragon mustard. I had some with cold chicken breast and it was fantastically spicy.

I think it's destined to be on a cold roast beef sandwich and also mixed into salad dressings.

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What fantastic food things have you eaten, cooked, or read about lately?

a dream day

let's begin, shall we?

So, breakfast here.

Then a walk across the bridge to stroll around the market, camera in hand of course!
I'd load a basket full of fresh fruit and veg, some local beeswax candles and a nice bunch of flowers.

Someone would magically cart that load home so I'd be free to browse the amazing selection of home goods here. Then I'd try on all of my dream dresses in this fun little boutique.

After that, I'd go see Miss Deveney's work at this gallery. Lastly, I'd hitch a ride to this bakery and stock up on cookies!
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Your dream day?

Fives Senses Monday

Remember back in the day when Shari would post five senses friday posts? Me, too.

Touch

-the hot sidewalk as I kick off my flip flops and walk barefoot for the first time in a long time

-the texture of many succulent plants as I was shopping for a houseplant at Garden Fever

-the slightly chilly wind that feels oddly like a sea breeze

Hear

-neighbors loudly barking dog as I talk to my brother on the phone

-the house sparrows that are living on our front porch

-old episodes of This American Life as I fold laundry

Taste

-homemade biscuits and gravy

-coffee from Extracto

-sample olives at Foster & Dobbs

-homemade tamale from the neighbor lady

Smell

-a Cinnamon candle

-vinegar I use to clean the bathroom

-different soft cheese all melded together when I visited James at work

See

-two young teenagers kissing on the bus

-the most glorious chocolate bars

-sunshine!

-Oriental poppies in yards that are finally beginning to wilt away

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you?

summer wardrobe

Friday brought with it the most beautiful, sunny day I have ever seen. Chugging along in heavy jeans and two layers of tunics was not smart of me-but hey, I got dressed way too early...
    So now my mind is wandering, thoughts of vintage summer dresses, lacy slips and lightning bugs are filling my day dreams. The reality is more like floaty tops, old skirts and mosquitoes...but I can dream!
    The lookbook from NoaNoa is killing me. The dress above I think is totally gorgeous and I imagine absolutley light and airy. I also am in love with this image:

 

I've already got some head scarves, but I love the black belt with that white! Gees.....

    I recently stumbled upon a lovely indie designer by the name of Shaybelle. Her clothes are simple and beautiful and seem very, very wearable. I especially adore this top.

   

A flickr user named fieldguided has posted some amazing pages from Japanese sewing books that I am gasping over. Let me tell you, the styling of these books always blows me away, just perfect and sometimes funny but always lovely.  I really love this shot, too.

And of course I love stripes...the frenchie kind as well as the seersucker...and anything that looks like ticking. This shot blows me away.

So, here are some things I've gathered:

a vintage top with crocheted details

a vintage esque slip from Old Navy clearance pile...

a floaty ba&sh top from the sale rack of my boss' shop

vintage Cydwoq shoes found a month ago for $2 at the thrift shop my sis volunteers

What is your summer wardrobe?

hello again

Hello there.
Well, I'm back from a much needed absence.
It was just one of those times when life started moving fast and I wasn't quite as fast.
Something's gotta give during those periods.
But hey, thanks for sticking around.
Thanks, but really.....
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I made gingerale recently. It's all very easy and you basically chop a ton of ginger up and boil it with sugar and water to form a syrup. Then you can add as much or as little as you'd like to some soda water. I like to add a little, along with some lime and even some mint! I'm daring, I know-but really it is great. I got the recipe from this magazine. I felt very summery whilst drinking it.

I plan on being around here a bit more. I hope.....as I try to figure some things out.
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p.s.
I really like this blog.

on bees

If you read this blog, chances are you are a lot like me-and if you are like me you probably get Martha Stewart Living (a big shout out to my mother in law, Lesa-thanks for the subscription).

     Have you seen the June issue? There's a big spread on bee related things and I am just freaking out about it!  See, me and bees go way back....

     As you know by now, I grew up Mormon and the honeybee is a huge part of our/their culture.  The Mormons identify with honeybee, which they sometimes refer to as "Deseret". There's a whole bunch that I could get into-but to sum it up-they admire the industrious, hard working bee and Utah is even known as the beehive state. (Yes, I did my fifth grade state report on Utah).

    My brother was deathly allergic to bees, and it always intrigued me to know that at any moment-something so tiny could take him down. One of my first memories is of him-swollen on the couch, sisters hovering over him-panicking and yelling that he'd been stung. He's since grown out of that allergy-a fact which also is strange to me....

     And then there's my sister Allison, who's collecting those vintage beehive ceramic pieces. Every time we saw one-my mom would buy it or talk about buying it for her.

    So this article has once again piqued my interest into the world of bees.

Bee boxes are more than beautiful:

(photo taken by blue star drop)

(photo taken by plucky tree )

(photo by mistubako)

I love it, too, when honeybees make their own, wild nests somewhere-like this:

(photo by Max )

I remember once my Dad found one somewhere and took his grandkids to go see it....funny

I'm not even going to get into how cool I think Vintage bee smokers are....just look them up on ebay.

Here are my two very favorite bee related photos, both by Shari

bee boxes

those bee boxes

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Do you have anything bee related to share?

like magic

I must admit, I can be stubborn at times.  I can be especially stubborn when someone tells me "Oh, you would just love that!". Whether it is a movie, a side dish, a clothing line, a town or a store-I've been known to be a snob. But the older I get, and the more I share with others-the more I realize that yup-some of you bloggers have got me pegged!
    Case in point-Andrea had mentioned many moons ago via a flickr comment-that I would love  a store in Portland's Pearl District named Cargo.  Now, it's not that I didn't believe her-but I went to the website and it seemed a bit bright for me-I tucked the thought of it in the back of my mind and just kind of forgot.

     Yesterday, while out and about with my Mom and my sister-we stumbled upon the store. The beautiful old brick warehouse was festooned with bright lanterns, sunny metal chairs were lined up at the door and elaborately painted wooden doors were propped up against the outside wall. Um...yeah...Andrea-I loved it!

    My Mom is my perfect shopping partner. Not only do we have similar taste, but we both love to oh and awe over all of the details. You know what I mean, right-for example
"Oh my gosh, look at the floor-it is just so gorgeous-Oh my gosh look at the way they displayed all of those lanterns-Oh MY GOSH!"
     That is pretty much how it went down.

The giant warehouse is packed to the brim with goodies, I think there is even an upstairs-but we couldn't even venture up there-we were so overstimulated in the best way.

Cargo is one of those places that is pure magic. Even if you don't feel like shopping, or it's grey outside or whatever-I can't imagine walking in here and not immediately being happy.  Even things I wouldn't normally bat an eye at were so beautifully displayed it was hard not to love everything.

Tucked inside cargo is a lovely little boutique called Matisse . They feature a very well edited selection of clothes including my favorites Velvet, and Free People as well as a new favorite Neesh . I will be going back there, I am sure!

Thank you Cargo, for brightening my day!

Cargo
380 NW 13th Ave
Portland, OR
11-6pm 7 days a week

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