the jamie update

On gratitude

2012-01-08T17:22:00.000-08:00

Somewhere between 2011 and 2012 I tweeted something about "voicing more thanks than complaints."

Today, I am thankful for:

a supportive and understanding husband...through my anxiousness, sleepless nights, and moody moments he has more patience than anyone I've ever met. Thank you, Jesus for him.

friends. Really, really great friends. They, too, love me through my "moments." And I love them back more than they will ever know. Simple texts from friends can mean SO much.

our home. It is cozy. It heats up quickly. It has a lot of windows. A big TV with three channels. And a gas stove. And I LOVE me a gas stove.

our jobs. I work with some pretty great people and am so blessed to have been there for 4 years. Xavier is blessed at work with a business that is growing and giving him an opportunity to build great relationships.

our church. Oh, our church. Words can't begin to explain my absolute LOVE for our church.

our pastor. His way of preaching is absolutely powerful. And Godly. I love listening to that man. Thank you, Bruce.

my new brothers. They are some of the most genuine people I have ever met and they help me to be a better person. Seriously.

groceries. Right now our fridge and our pantry are full and I am able to cook just about anything my little heart desires.

working cars. xavier and i are blessed with cars that have given us little to no issues. Minus the fact that I need a new water pump, timing belt, and new brakes. :)

my mom. She is the best and we rarely go a day without talking. I love our phone calls back and forth.

So, here's to giving more thanks than complaints!

Have a great week!

Wedding video preview

2012-01-07T06:50:00.000-08:00

Parra Wedding Preview from natebaston on Vimeo.

So fun to enjoy this day over again.

2012

2012-01-04T17:59:00.000-08:00

I have come to this space so many times over the last several months and then left without writing words or posting photos that I have every intention of sharing with you.

For fun, here's a list of things I had intentions of blogging about:

My sister's bachelorette party
My sister's wedding
My bacheloretty party
My wedding
Our new house
And a lot of other things that sounded blog-worthy, but never made it out of my brain.

Oh, I also wanted to tell you all of the awesome things that happened in 2011 and all the things I look forward to in 2012. For things that happened in 2011, see bullets above. For things I look forward to in 2012 (please note, these are not resolutions, because I seriously suck at resolutions. I'm THAT annoying person who always says what they're going to do and then never does it, so I stopped bothering...sorry, tangent), okay here you go, things I look forward to in 2012:

Spending intentional time with my husband (walks, talks, mini getaways, prayers, etc)
Learning to be the most frugal person ever
Cooking our food from scratch (no more canned food!)
Reading...a lot (I subscribed to the Sunday NYT because I find most of what I read is on the computer, my iPhone or my Kindle and quite frankly I just want to read something on paper.)
Read my Bible...that is SUCH a cliche "Christian" goal so it sort of makes me cringe even writing it for some reason, but I am a better person, friend, sister, daughter and (crossing my fingers) wife when I'm soaking in Jesus via the Bible
Also, prayer, cause let's be honest, I've got a lot to pray about and give thanks for

That list was intended to be bulleted so it'd be less wordy, but that didn't really work now, did it?

Oh, one more thing, I'm off Facebook, because I AM a better wife without it. The poor hubs actually gets my attention so much more now that my nose isn't in my phone all evening.

And to prove to you that I have been doing something since I haven't been Facebooking or Blogging, check it out, a little before & after:

Neat-o, huh? Xavier had a desk in his old room and I took it. And then he had paint and paint brushes in the barbershop and I took that, too. This photo makes it look blue-ish, but it's more of a grey. I got the knobs at World Market, because I'm obsessed with that place. And those knobs. I'd like to say that I'll finish a spreadsheet I'm working on and all my thank you cards while sitting at my new desk, but I'm totally a couch girl.

That's all for now. I'll try to be a better blogger in 2012, but I've resolved to not make any promises until 2013.

Poco a poco.

2011-12-27T21:02:00.000-08:00

Little by little my husband and I are learning to live together. Little by little we're learning to live with our roommates, his two brothers. And little by little I'm learning that his alone time is as important as my alone time. I'm learning that he is quicker to forgive than I am. I am learning that he is quicker to turn to prayer and quicker to talk things out. I'm learning that even though we never discussed the "never go to bed angry" rule, he never let's either one of us go to bed angry. Little by little I'm learning what marriage is about. It's not about bliss, it's about patience and understanding and forgiveness and laughter and slow dancing in the kitchen when you have a second to be just the two of you...which is rare for us. I'm learning that being married is not just about the married couple. It's about the whole family. It's about sacrifice. And reward. It's about selflessness. It's about change and newness. Little by little I'm learning to lean on God a little more. I'm turning my crock pot on in the morning and serving my husband when he walks through the door after working extra hours at the barbershop. And I am thankful.

Little by little I'm learning to be the wife God intended me to be and I'm loving every minute of it. Even the moments when I want to go to bed angry and he won't let me.

Poco a poco. (Little by little.)

Our Rainy Wedding

2011-12-15T11:26:00.000-08:00

Three weeks ago (tomorrow) Xavier and I exchanged vows, rings, and a lot of kisses. Our wedding was a dream come true. Many details to come and many more photos to come, but for now, my favorite:

My wellies were perfect for the hours of sideways rain we endured.
More photos here.

Engagement Photos!

2011-10-25T16:14:00.000-07:00

They're all here.

Thank you, Jenny.

Jargaritas?

2011-09-30T15:20:00.000-07:00

I have really awesome friends who send me videos like the one I'm about to show you. WARNING: Watch at a time when it makes sense to eat tacos or drink...or, ideally, both.

This girl is awesome. I want to be her.

Happy Friday, amigos.

xo.

2011-09-29T15:56:00.000-07:00

photo by jenny.

A photo of me and my man at little sister's wedding.

My Sister's Wedding

2011-09-27T13:47:00.000-07:00

My sister got married on Saturday. It was one of the best days of my life to see her enjoy one of the best days of her life. She was a stunning bride. And her man was a very handsome groom.

Congratulations, Katie and Kyle.

Mid September Update

2011-09-20T16:41:00.000-07:00

Well, hello there. This month's been a doozy. A good doozy and a bad doozy.

I have good news and bad news. Bad news first, because I typically like to get that out of the way. I went to Walmart last week and Xavier and I thought it'd be a good idea to test our blood pressure in of those blood pressure tester machines. (Please note this is not the reason we WENT to Walmart. We went for ice cream.) Anyway, I put my arm that stupid machine and it squeezed the hell out of it and just as it was at its tightest I read: "CAUTION: May Cause Fainting." UH. My blood pressure skyrocketed and I wanted to yank my arm out. Guess what happened next? That's right. I diagnosed myself with hypertension. And boyfriend, who is WAY more stressed out than me? He does not have hypertension. He also didn't read the caution sign. So, that's the bad news.

The good news? I went a real doctor today, not the machine in Walmart and my blood pressure is low. Low as in normal. And for those of you who are wondering, no, I did not make an appointment after my freak out in the middle of Walmart. I already had it scheduled. And yes, you're right. Had I not had an appointment already scheduled, I sure as hell would have gone straight to urgent care.

Alright, so now that I've given you my "I'm a hypochondriac" update, I'll move on to real life.

In real life my little sister is getting married in 4 days.
In real life I'm trying not to freak out.
I'm trying to get sleep.
And I'm trying not to let myself be in a drunken stupor until that speech that I apparently have to make is over.

Okay, in all seriousness, I'm pretty excited for her big day. She is really pretty, her hair is gorgeous, she has perfect skin and her dress is GLAMOROUS. She will be one heck of a sexy little bride if I do say so myself.

Weddings are a funny thing to me. Usually I can't wait for them to get here and be gone, but then when they're here and we're all sippin our glass drinks that aren't allowed on the dance floor, on the dance floor I want them to stay well into the morning. And they don't. They quickly end.

Last night I had a dream that I walked down the aisle at my sister's wedding wearing the wrong dress. I realized it half way to the alter and someone ran to me, gave me the right dress, and I changed. Um. After that dream I was awake from 2am - 5am and hating my life.

And today? Still hating my life because I am running on very little sleep and still revising that speech. And still trying not to be drunk. You know. At work. But now, my day is over and I am headed home. Home to a book, tea, a bath, a movie, my almost Mr. and anything else that'll keep this hypertenstion at bay.

Sorry this post had some swear words in it. I usually don't swear on the interwebs. Usually only in real life. But today was an exception. You can blame the hypertension. It's fine. I did.

I cannot wait to be his wife.

2011-08-29T19:02:00.000-07:00

These days I spend so much time daydreaming about being Xavier's wife. While I realize there are so many things we could just do now, Xavier and I have carefully saved so much for marriage. One of those things is living under the same roof. Currently, we live in the same apartment complex and we spend so much time together we may as well live together, but the point is we still have our own places and we do not have OUR house. Yet. I am overwhelmed with joy thinking about moving into our little home in Mt Angel when we are married.

I cannot wait...

To make breakfast and sit on the couch while watching football games.

To nap after breakfast.

For coffee dates on our front porch in my favorite red chairs.

For hot chocolate and movies under our quilt.

For decorating the Christmas tree after cutting it down.

For decorating the house together. Or me decorating it and Xavier hammering in the nails...

To make dinner for my husband. (Is that weird?)

To plant a garden next spring.

To have a clothes line. Seriously. Love those things.

To drink tea and read a book and know he is just in the other room.

To be his wife.

This is bliss. Gushy, gushy and a little bit annoying, bliss. And I love it. All of it.

xo.

***********************

This weekend was spent rafting the Rogue River and soaking in the beauty of Crater Lake. Many photos to come. Oh, also, Nacho went to college. That was a very happy and very sad day all rolled into one. Way to go, Nacho. You make us a very proud big brother and sister.

Intentional blogging breaks.

2011-08-19T17:35:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I take a purposeful break from blogging.

As much as I love reading blogs, the problem I have with them is they make me want things.

I don't consider myself to be too much of a consumer or a "want-er," but when I see things on blogs, I find myself wanting them.

I also find myself reading blogs of women I wish I could be more like.

I don't want to want to be anyone but me.

So, I take a blogging break.

We're engaged!

2011-08-08T11:29:00.000-07:00

The Proposal from Jamie Porter on Vimeo.

More details to come.

Thank you, Jenny!

xo.

Samantha + Guy

2011-08-02T20:39:00.000-07:00

This wedding took place in June. Samantha and Guy kicked off wedding season better than anyone else could. My favorite thing about their wedding (besides EVERYTHING) was their vows. They each wrote their own and there wasn't a dry eye in the crowd.

Way to go, friends. Congratulations.

xo.

Wedding boots.

2011-08-02T17:35:00.000-07:00

This rustic meets SUPER bright colors wedding was incredible. Every little detail was SO well thought out.

I love anything involving boots.

Wedding photography.

2011-07-28T12:38:00.000-07:00

As I've tinkered with my camera the past few months I've become more and more interested in wedding photography. While I have no interest in being a professional photographer, I have had the great honor of joining a fabulous friend of mine, Jenny, at some weddings this summer. Here are a couple of shots I took. I've only had my camera for 5 months, so go easy on me.

More images to come.

Thank you, Jenny for allowing me to shadow you. You are SO amazing at what you do.

Friends, you can meet Jenny here.

Jessica's Wedding

2011-07-27T09:23:00.000-07:00

On July 2 one of my life long best friends wed her best friend. I was looking forward to this day for a million reasons. (Girls, I know you weren't expecting anything less than sappy and dramatic from me in this post.) I was so excited for our friends to reunite to celebrate Jess and Zack. My favorite part of this wedding was the location. We spent many summer days and nights at Jess' parents house. Despite Harlow's hate for tanning oil in his pool, we'd lather up and soak for hours, fighting over the two floaties I think we had.

This is where we celebrated our high school graudation in 2003 with our parents. It was fitting that this is where we all gathered for the first time together as couples. Our manfriends met and bromances developed. Okay, that's what I'm secretly hoping.

Enjoy the day in photographs:

Courtesy of Matt Hartz. Amy's lover.

Below you'll find two photoshoots. One for girls. One for boys.

The girls won. Kind of.

And now meet what could easily be mistaken for a MySpace Boy Band.

The amount of laughter I experienced while browsing through these photos was like no other.

This photo was taken in 2003 (obvs). It is a wall in the Harris' kitchen where we all took it upon ourselves to write on over the years.

Congratulations, Jess and Zack. It was an honor to witness this day.

4th of July

2011-07-25T19:04:00.000-07:00

I've had a lot of favorite weekends this summer, but the 4th of July weekend definitely ranks in the top 5. I witnessed the marriage of one of my best friends on the 2nd and Xavier witnessed the marriage of one his best friends on the 3rd. On the 4th we reflected on the weekend while we squished sand between our toes. I have never seen the Oregon coast look as beautiful as it did that weekend.

You know those really spectacular jumping photos that people do? Well, Xavier and I tried that. It was maybe the most awkward thing either of us have ever done and we discovered two things...

1. White girls can't jump.

2. Mexican boys can't jump (either).

But it was worth it, because the belly laughs? There were plenty of 'em.

The night before was spent dancing. And dancing. Aaaand dancing. Not only did we dance, but we DJ'd and by we, I mean Xavier. And I gladly photographed the evening. I met great people who have been a part of Xavier's life much longer than I have. I love to meet people who have known him for a long time. I love hearing stories especially from his friend's parents. I like to hear how he was growing up. It's nearly impossible for me to wrap my mind around the fact that I never knew his parents. I absolutely cherish moments when I meet life long friends or have the opportunity to have a heart to heart with Aunts and Uncles.

This darling couple is the Mother and Father of the Groom.

It was a good night.

Catching up. Sort of.

2011-07-02T10:33:00.000-07:00

This summer started off at a rapid pace. Full of graduations, parties, birthdays, bachelorette parties, bridal showers, and weddings. I can't keep up! Well, I can in real life, just not in the blog world.

In the next week I promise to post Kyle's graduation, Nacho's graduation, and one of the most beautiful weddings I have EVER been to. Because I am off to, yes, another wedding today, I have a just a few minutes to post some photos...

I hope you have an amazing 4th of July weekend! Safe travels wherever you may go!

Whatever you're celebrating this weekend, go all in! Drink, eat, and dance your heart out, my friends.
(Weddings bring out the cheesy in me...also, the weepy. It happens.)

Happy weekend!

2011-06-10T21:36:00.000-07:00

May your weekend be filled with good sunshine, good food, and good family.

To all things good.

xo.

Bride to be.

2011-06-08T23:22:00.000-07:00

Meet my friend Samantha. Isn't she lovely?

Country Chic Bridal Portrait - Sauvie Island from Black Label Films on Vimeo.

I get teary eyed when I watch this. I'm excited for your big day, Sam!

Here comes the rain (again).

2011-05-28T10:13:00.000-07:00

This Spring I've seen too much of this:

And not enough of this:

I know the whole "I hate the rain, I hate Oregon, I hate this fake Spring" is annoying when yes, we're Oregonians and we shouldn't be so shocked, but seriously, this rainy season is getting a bit ridiculous, wouldn't you agree?

Enjoy your long weekend. In the rain.

Astoria, Oregon

2011-05-27T22:17:00.000-07:00

Um, this is long overdue.

Happy birthday, boyfriend. (Two months ago.)

We celebrated with a short, but perfect getaway to Astoria, Oregon. I have many favorite Oregon towns. Astoria is at the top of the list. The best place to stay? The Cannery Pier.

Proof of the blue skies.

Awesome something.

Chatty little thing.

The short weekend was filled with good food, antique shops, and one heck of a massage at The Cannery Pier Hotel Spa. We will be back.

Here's to celebrating birthdays...even if it is two months later.

Home is where you are.

2011-05-19T17:42:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time my boyfriend lived 20 minutes away from me. It was 20 minutes too far. So, I moved. To him. After a lot of sister, mother, and boyfriend doing everything they could to get me packed up and unpacked, I am here.

Home.

Now Mr. Boyfriend and I can hop from apartment to apartment and be near each other without getting in the car. So far I love having my own little place. The day after I moved in I went to the market for food and flowers.

PS I love the Salem Saturday Market.

So much has happened in the past month: Xavier and I celebrated his 28th birthday with a short trip to one of my favorite little towns in Oregon: Astoria. My parents celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary. And I've been on the road for work and have been loving every second of it.

So many more photos to share soon.

Saturday morning at the market.

2011-04-23T12:38:00.000-07:00

I went to the Salem Saturday Market this morning. I enjoyed a $1 cup of joe and a delightful chocolate filled croissant from The Little Bakery.

I found these flowers which would be absolutely perfect for my little sister's wedding:

Agree, sister?

I enjoyed the colors of Spring. Finally. Thank you, sunshine.

And thank you, Mom for joining me for a Saturday morning date!

And because I can't get enough of his guapo-ness:

Ridiculous.

Happy Easter Eve, friends!

We went "golfing."

2011-04-18T18:41:00.000-07:00

Today Xavier and I had another "vacation Monday." We started the day with a coffee date. Xavier has such a preacher heart. Listening to him talk about our relationship, how God has transformed us as individuals and as a couple and what he wants out of life brings me to tears every time. I know it sounds cheesy...but we're kinda cheesy people so it's fine.

After our coffee chat we headed to Tukwila to "golf." I say "golf" because he golfed, I swung and missed a couple of times and then took my place on the bench to watch him do his thing.

The sun showed up at the appropriate time and for that I was grateful. I literally had a smile on my face the entire time we were on the course, because I know it's Xavier's place of peace and calmness and it makes me so happy to see him doing what he loves.

Although he was a great coach, I think I'm going to need some serious golf lessons before he takes me out there again. Instead of practicing, I just played with my camera. I was much more comfortable snapping photos than I was swinging a club.

After hanging out at the driving range we went for a walk around the neighborhood. We spent an hour or so walking and talking and me pointing to every house with a for sale sign saying what I liked and disliked about it and whether or not I wanted it. I wanted most of them.

Xavier is very good about being content with what we have and where we're out. Not even just "content," but extremely grateful. He restores my faith when I need it and reminds me to be grateful when I forget.

It was a good day. I welcome Tuesday with renewed energy and a solid dose of Vitamin D.

Stress be gone.

2011-04-15T12:17:00.000-07:00

via A Cup of Jo

I miss this kid.

2011-04-13T14:10:00.000-07:00

I have been away at a work conference and for whatever reason have not seen this kid in 10 days.

I take my job as Preston's Aunt VERY seriously. Yesterday we talked on the phone. To hear a 3 year old say: "I miss you, too," is just about the most darling thing in the world I'm pretty sure.

xo.

Discovering the sunny in all the cloudy.

2011-04-07T12:31:00.000-07:00

Lately I've spotted a lot of sunshine in the clouds.

I've been rediscovering my hometown. When I venture out in this town most 20 somethings insist on leaving I am reminded of why I've stayed. I love it here. Last weekend Xavier and I took a country drive through the back roads from Corvallis to Salem. Entering Salem we stopped at the Riverfront. I could walk around the Riverfront for hours with Xavier. It's the little things, right?

I'm loving every color in this photo.

I'm loving these sisters.

I hope you're finding some sun in the clouds.

I saw Spring today.

2011-03-30T22:00:00.000-07:00

It looked like this.

It made me really happy.

I went on a walk.

I breathed a little deeper.

I drove a little slower.

I took note of every outdoor enthusiast, the runners, the walkers, and the cyclists and every cherry blossom along my commute.

If you're an Oregonian...or, well, if you're a Northwesterner you've tweeted about, status updated about or verbally commented on this downright nasty "Spring" weather we've had this year.

Like many things, the less I see/smell/experience Spring the more I appreciate it, soak it in, and live it up.

It's so easy to get all grumpy about this rainy, windy, cold weather we've had and then realize that it really is just the weather and it really could be a lot worse, but I gotta tell ya, my mood just ain't havin it.

So, Spring, thank you for showing up in the midst of a less than awesome day. I appreciated the sun break.

If ya wanna be a Ninja Turtle, you can be a Ninja Turtle.

2011-03-29T19:26:00.000-07:00

Last week at Wednesday Lunch Preston spent a good 20 minutes being a Ninja Turtle. Plastic toy bin strapped to big bellied 3-year-old with Grandma's belt and plastic sword tucked in = Ninja Turtle.

Aunt Jamie: Preston, how about we all be Ninja Turtles for Halloween?

Preston: Yeah...but I'm already gonna be Avatar. Yeah, I'm gonna be Avatar.

Below is my favorite photo of Preston with my parent's cat. I'd tell you the cats name, but I don't know. They have two of them. Preston always has to remind me who is who. I do not like cats, but at this point in my "learning how to be a photographer" adventure, I'll photograph anything. Even cats I do not like.

Hope you liked your Tuesday more than I like cats.

Country road: Silverton, Oregon

2011-03-28T16:23:00.000-07:00

For those of you who may not know, my boyfriend is a hair stylist. Salons and barber shops are know for being open Tuesday - Saturday and closed on Sunday and Monday. What does this mean for us? With my Monday - Friday schedule it means we only have Sundays to spend together. We live in two different cities...well, towns, only about 16 miles away, but still. Every couple of months I take a vacation day on a Monday to spend with my honey. We cherish the heck out of Sundays, but they go by so quickly with church and family dinner. Mondays together are a treat for us because everyone else is at work, so we have no obligation to see anyone else, but each other and every once in awhile we want no one else, but each other.

I'm obsessed with Silverton, a small town in Oregon squished between my hometown and Xavier's hometown.

As of late I've been Craigslisting and Zillowing every 1920's bungalow I can find in Silverton. I've jotted them down, mapped them out and fantasized about what bargain I can get for my favorites. When I click through the pictures I literally decide paint color, wall paper, flooring, window treatments, etc. I decide what chairs will go on the deck, what hooks and benches will reside in the mudroom for collecting coats, umbrellas, and rainboots. I seriously dwell on the idea of country living.

Today I requested that for our "Monday Vacation" Xavier humor me and take me on a country drive,through Mt. Angel, through Silverton and up to Silver Creek Falls. I mapped out the for-sale- bungalows on a post-it note and we drove by every single one. Oh, it was heavenly. I judged the previous homeowners for their landscaping skills or lack there of and decided which neighborhoods I loved in particular. I took note of how far my walk would be to Main Street for coffee and how far I'd have to jog to the city park. We stopped in at a small diner for scrambled eggs, potatoes, toast and coffee. We drove by one house twice. It was our favorite. And it was just a hop, skip, and jump away from the theatre.

I love fences. Old crooked fences. Preferably with moss growing on them and rusted nails just barely holding them together.

I'd never been to the Reservoir before.

We met this guy there. It was just the three of us.

On the way back from Silverton we stopped in Mount Angel for a drive to the Abbey.

The Abbey is like it's own small town with its own little post office.

My first drive to the Abbey was with Xavier just a year ago. His dad had just passed and we went for a country drive in his dad's teal convertible T Bird. With the top down. It was some of the best conversation we've ever had. Long drives with Xavier always prompt the most heartfelt conversations. I love getting lost in conversation with him.

Here's to cherishing quality conversation, sunny days, and all things country.

A Saturday in Portland.

2011-03-27T01:03:00.000-07:00

I live about 40 minutes south of Portland. I venture to the city often, but today I went with an agenda: Portland Saturday Market, Farmer's Market, and Powell's. My good friend Sarah joined me. The sun stuck around for the majority of the day, we saw a few clouds come and go, we felt inconsistent sprinkles and we got out of there just as the anticipated downpour arrived. It was a perfect Portland day. I love being a tourist in my own state.

Shop here. They have some gorgeous goodies. Sarah picked up some adorable tea towels. It was my favorite shop at the market.

We went to the Portland State University Farmer's Market. Next time I'll go with a shopping list. My eyes were overstimulated.

Book browsing was next on the agenda. We spent our time skimming through the raw food books, of course.

Thank you, Portland. You are ridiculously photogenic.

J.Crew wish list.

2011-03-26T09:38:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I went to the J.Crew outlet and fell in love with everything in the store. Here are the J.Crew looks I'm currently loving.

That is the swimsuit I've decided to get for this summer. Crossing my fingers it comes with her skin tone.

Happy day, lovelies.

Rad fashion video.

2011-03-24T19:36:00.000-07:00

Tonight after dinner I was skimming through my Google Reader when I came across this awesome video posted on a favorite blog of mine, I heart this Blog.

The Row: by Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen

I love the clothes, the heels, THAT girl's hair, I love it all. Thank you Natalie for sharing. I saw it, I loved it, I stole it.

Hope your week has been blissful.

xo.

Weekend recap.

2011-03-22T20:50:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a favorite of mine.

Saturday I woke up to this:

I was particularly excited for Saturday. I spent some unexpected girl time with a long lost roommate. We went to lunch at Luis' in Woodburn - best Mexican food in town and Obama approved (he ate there during his campaign stop in Portland). After our lunch we stopped at the Woodburn Outlet mall for some mostly window shopping and a little bit of buying. Saturday night my cousin and his lady, they're called Duover and they were in town. They had a show at Christo's, best pizza in town as it turns out.

I'm so happy to have discovered this pizza. It is bomb-diggity and I am very picky about the things I describe as "bomb-diggity."

Our dinner conversation revolved around March Madness and HeyTell - the app. If you don't have that app, get it. It's like verbal texting. Best thing ever, especially for those of us who do not have texting or Facebook. Wha? Like it's weird or something...

It was a family affair. It always is.

Sunday night dinner provided hours of Preston entertainment as usual. His Uno contraption made it's debut. Grandpa "Farm" (Preston's mom's dad) made these handy things, because Preston's little fingers can't quite hold the cards in a way he is able to see all the numbers and the colors. Which is important, because as you can see, he takes this game VERY seriously.

I think we know who won.

*****************

For anyone who might be wondering, no, the Mexican food and pizza was not raw...I know, I know, I fell of the raw wagon for a bit this weekend/this week. I'm jumping back on. My two weeks of hardcore raw cleanse has come to an end. I was done last Saturday. I plan to continue eating raw, but all that crap I ate this weekend really did hit the spot. Made me feel terrible, but tasted divine.

And now, I'm headed to the store to purchase 75% raw items and 25% whatever I want.

Happy Hump Day Eve.

Wellies, Peeps, and March Madness

2011-03-18T22:44:00.000-07:00

The only thing I like about the rain is wearing these:

Do you have any idea HOW often I wear these bad boys? If you're an Oregonian, you know exactly what I'm talking about and you assume I wear these every single day. And you're right. If you're not an Oregonian, well, must be nice.

Rain for days, friends.

You know what today was? It was I Give A Shirt Friday. In theory I should wear my I Give A Shirt shirt every Friday, the only problem is every Friday I forget to wear it. Today I remembered and took a picture to prove it. Here you go.

What's a I Give A Shirt shirt you ask. It is this.

Today I decided that spring time is never coming and might as well stock up on Wellies because I'll be wearing them for the rest of my life. Then something happened and I decided spring might roll around sometime in the next century after all. I walked into the house to these:

I know spring is coming, because people do not eat Peeps in the winter, no, that's wrong or illegal or something, so obviously spring is somewhere out there. Come hither, spring, please, I beg you.

And, because I love these boys and Xavier is a good co-babysitter even when he's forced to watch Snow White, here is a photo of one of my most favoritest sights ever:

Happy Friday. And now, I am off to microwave a Peep. Or two.

One more thing, I'm currently obsessed with March Madness. The whole "I actually filled out a bracket this year" was totally and completely boyfriend induced. Also, I am not losing. So I consider myself winning.

Go Duke. Or something.

I love weddings.

2011-03-16T23:03:00.000-07:00

I fell in love with this wedding tonight.

I love weddings.

I love what they symbolize.

I love going to weddings.

I love reading about weddings.

I love that this summer is my sister's wedding.

A little secret about me: I hate the idea of ever having my own wedding.

I'd rather elope.

If my future Mr. doesn't allow eloping, I'll fight for a guest list of 20 or less.

I need to stop having so many awesome friends.

What was your wedding like? Big? Small? Intimate? A huge production?

Raw Diet Update

2011-03-16T20:20:00.000-07:00

I'm on day 11.
I still feel great. Several people have asked me what I'm eating. Let me give you a glimpse of what I've been eating. Keep in mind for the first week I did an intense raw food diet - basically a cleanse. In the first week I lost about 5 lbs. Not wanting to lose another 5 lbs the second week I ate more nuts, oils, avocados, bananas and started eating 1-2 slices of bread (look for Dave's Killer Bread in stores) to add calories.

Breakfast: fresh squeezed orange juice and grapefruit juice. (2 oranges, 1 grapefruit make about 8 oz)
Snack: Raw cashews and almonds, dried cranberries
Lunch: Large salad w/ avocado, 1 slice of Dave's Killer Bread w/ raw almond butter
Snack: pear
Dinner: If I have the option of using a juicer: spinach, celery, carrots, oranges, lemons, beets
If I don't have a juicer to use, a salad
Snack: blueberries, strawberries

I drink A LOT of water, warm water, because that's what I prefer and decaf tea.

On day 11 I am still feeling good, energized, headache free, and GREAT digestion! Let me tell ya. On Saturday I'll have been on the mostly raw diet for two weeks. After the two weeks I intend on maintaining a diet of at least 75% raw foods and I'd like to continue a meat and dairy free diet. I would like to add rice and seafood back into my diet.

I plan to continue not drinking coffee or soda and only having wine once or twice weekly.

I've joined an online group called Raw Food Rehab where folks post recipes, photos of their meals, and share tips, advice, experiences of living a raw lifestyle. It's great for motivation. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in try a raw food diet.

I've also been doing a lot of research and reading online. I find myself reading other blogs and thinking they're in my head! For example:

"Within two weeks of eating more raw foods, I had more energy, more even-keeled moods, and better digestion. It was an adjustment to eat less cooked food than I had before, but not a hard one: in fact, I was so focused on the new foods I was enjoying that my fondness for hot food at every meal diminished. Fast.

Since I started eating more raw foods, I’ve seen my IBS all but disappear and stopped having seasonal allergies. I get seasonal colds less frequently, and I’m much less susceptible to fatigue. More importantly, though, I’ve learned about a whole new world of food preparation, and fallen in love with the fresh flavors and textures of raw cuisine."

- www.choosingraw.com

I found a new recipe I'm dying to try this weekend, check it out here.

Next month I hope to buy a juicer, the past week I've been borrowing a friends. Ideally I'd like to juice every morning and every night.

In other news, I announced my March GIVEAWAY winner here.

Also, I hate this weather. A lot.

I love Oregon, but not this month.

I hope you are having a great week and I hope you have sunshine, wherever you may be.

Saturday night: Party on.

2011-03-13T14:07:00.000-07:00

Saturday night I partied with this guy:

We made dinner plans with Xavier.

Business as usual.

Man N Cheese or sushi? The possibilities are endless, really...

Multi-tasking. Stickers, phone calls...who said being 3 was easy?

Saturday night I wore many hats. I was a Mac N Cheese maker, a cupcake baker, a Pink Power Ranger, Snow White, a sticker remover, a tucker inner and a middle of the night comforter. The roles of an Aunt...

We made cupcakes. Clearly, I chose the safest place in the kitchen for him to sit...

He got to lick the spoon and the bowl, ONLY because this was a no egg recipe. (I'm paranoid of being the aunt who poisons the nephew accidentally by giving him raw eggs. Normal? Probably not.)

Finger-lickin'-good.

A cupcake ain't nothin without sprinkles. All. in. one. spot. Of course.

Men. They love the couch.

Preston sharing his sticker masterpiece with Xavier.

Preston has been doing this "mad face" since he was like 1.5 years old or something, it never gets old...ladies and gentlemen, the mad face:

Xavier prompted the "silly face." I did not get the message.

Hope your Saturday was filled with stickers and sprinkles and swords and such.

One raw week.

2011-03-12T10:59:00.000-08:00

I've made it through a week! I feel better than I would have ever expected! My favorite new thing? Juicing! My friend Megan has a juicer...lucky for me she lives right down the street. We've juiced three times this week and it's been a great way to get a lot of nutrients in my body in just one meal. A couple of nights ago we made juice with cucumbers, beets, lemons, carrots, spinach, and celery. I'd call the flavor "garden-y." But it filled me up and I felt great that night.

Since going raw I've started sleeping through the night. In the past I'd wake up once or twice every night. Now I feel energetic throughout the day and feel tired at night (when I'm suppose to feel tired!) rather than crashing in the afternoon and then feeling really awake late in the evening. I've had a lot more energy first thing in the morning, in fact one morning I woke up at 6:30 a.m. without an alarm clock. If you know me, that really is a miracle. I haven't had headaches this week. Before going raw I had headaches everyday at work -- too much coffee perhaps? I see this raw thing sticking around.

How pretty is this juice? (PS It looks a lot better than it tastes.)

Sushi is such a treat for me now! I had it two nights this week for dinner. I'm not sure if this is considered cheating, because the rice is cooked, but I'm letting that slide.

Last night after sushi we went to Buffalo Gap to see my friend Joy open for this guy. It was such a fun night out for us. We loved the music! Xavier ate all the not raw food he wanted and I may have had some wine...whoops! But also, it was delicious. The bad news? Headache this morning.

Have a great weekend.

Tuesday ramblings.

2011-03-08T20:26:00.000-08:00

It is Tuesday, right?

I love my boyfriend for supporting me during my raw food diet. Yesterday he bought me organic cashews. Today he bought me 3 bags of fruits and vegetables.

I went to the gym today. I biked for 20 minutes. That counts. There were little beads of sweat on my forehead, I swear they were there...I leaned in really close to the mirror and saw them...and then I left.

Today I wore a dress to work, because all my pants need to be washed. I was thrilled to find a clean pair of tights this morning. My other option was to call in sick. Or wear jeans on a non-jean wearing work day...oh wait...I do that...what? They're trouser jeans. Sometimes.

I ate a chocolate thing today. It was a little candy. My friend at work tried to keep it from me...I begged her, I really did. It was the best thing I've had since Friday.

My skin looks the best it's looked in a long time. Thank you, raw foods, thank you.

According to the scale I've lost 4 lbs. I'm pretty sure the scale is way off.

I can't decide if my digestive system loves me or hates me for this diet. TMI?

My moods have gone from bitchy/happy to mostly just bitchy which is fine, because I just asked for a stable mood on this diet. (That's partly a joke...)

But seriously, I do feel like I've had less ups and downs because I haven't had the up and down caffeine highs and the up and down sugar highs like I normally would.

I've replaced coffee with hot water. Terrible substitution.

Happy Tuesday. And because I don't like posts without pictures, here is a picture.

Before + After

2011-03-06T22:03:00.000-08:00

What a creative way to use dresser drawers. If you're not hooked on Design*Sponge's Before + Afters, you should be.

Design*Sponge

A Raw Food Diet.

2011-03-05T15:07:00.000-08:00

Last night Xavier and I made the mistake of watching a documentary. I love documentaries, but I always become extremely and unusually passionate about the issue at hand. For example, after watching Waiting For Superman, I went out and bought 3 books to prepare for the Praxis and I sent e mail after e mail to professors at several universities inquiring about their Graduate programs. Some say I'm a bit of an extremist. It's too bad I don't have 9 lives to live, because there are so many things I wish I could do! Luckily for those closest to me these little "obsessions" or "passions" don't tend to stick around for long - like less than 24 hours.

The documentary we watched last night was FOODMATTERS. Oh my, my. Take a look. Watch the videos. They're amazing. And educational. There wasn't a whole lot on the documentary that I didn't already either know or assume, but it was pretty in yo face and inspiring.

So, I just got back from the ONLY co op in Salem (LifeSource), washed and prepared my food for the weekend.

Friends, I'm on the RAW FOOD DIET (for this weekend at least).

Here are the things I hope to achieve from a raw food diet (assuming it sticks around for more than just the weekend):

Stabilized mood
Better ablility to focus (mainly at work...can you say ADD!?)
Sleep better
Wake up "better"
Less anxiety (I'm genetically doomed.)
More energy
Clearer skin
Less headaches
Aaaand I wouldn't be too bummed if I lost another 5 lbs.

I am committed to:
Eating only raw foods (fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, sushi, etc - all uncooked/unsteamed/unroasted,etc)
Not eating dairy (Cheese, I'll miss you always and forever - or at least this weekend - crossing my fingers)
No meat

I have a feeling a juicer will be my next purchase as I plan to drink lots of RAW/fresh carrot juice, apple juice, orange juice, etc.

I was also inspired to embark on this little raw food adventure after watching this.

Here's is what I did (and ate) today:

Life Source is the only (as far as I know) trusted place to buy fresh and local produce. (I'm sure there are others in town, but this is the only in my um, "hood.")

I'm a freak about germs and I wash everything. AND THEN I stress out about what could be in my tap water that is now in my food (it's a vicious cycle, as you can imagine).

I keep my food in handy containers so I can grab them and go.

I discovered a new favorite snack! Cashews!

I am committed to eating a salad everyday WITH avocado. I used the lemon for dressing.

Whew. I am satisfied. Physically and mentally. Let's see if I can keep it up, eh?

La vida dulce.

2011-03-04T23:11:00.000-08:00

This is the sweet life.
Last week Preston, Katie, and Kyle built a house of cards.

Preston took his little pointer finger, poked the house and the house fell down. He confessed, "I was being a people knocking at the door."

What I'd give to live the life of a 3 year old. Even just for a day.

Such a happy little man.

Lucky for us, his happiness is contagious.

May your weekend be even half of this happy, because even half of this happy is a lot of happy.

Thank you to my brother and sister in law for allowing me to take endless photos of their adorable child. Also for having this adorable child.

Can't stop, won't stop...

2011-03-03T19:47:00.000-08:00

Obsessing over THESE:

Fancy, huh?
Shop more at EmersonMade.

I want to go back to there.

2011-03-02T22:23:00.000-08:00

That's right. I want to go back to my mini vacation. On Sunday Xavier and I were leaving church and headed out for our Sunday drive. Someone (and it wasn't me) was a little grumpy and wishing we could "just have a weekend to do nothing." But guess what? We just had that weekend a couple of weeks ago for Valentine's Day and my birthday when we went to Sunriver for a couple of days of making breakfast, sipping coffee, hot tubbing, and spa treatments. The bad news? We're always going to want weekends to do nothing. The worse news? We're rarely going to get them. I guess that means we really need to soak up that rare time we do have and then we need to reflect on it. So, here's to reflecting on that vacation that I want back.

I want to eat this all over again. Twice.

Oh what I would give for that chocolate cake and that hour-long massage. (This is a hint to my lova to plan the same thing again next year.)

xo. Hope your Wednesday was alll you ever wanted.

Celebrating Mom

2011-03-01T21:38:00.000-08:00

Tonight we celebrated Mom's birthday with pizza, ice cream cake, games, and American Idol. Preston entertained us with games of Slap Jack, magic tricks, and Uno. A house of cards was built, a bunny appeared out of a hat and a whole deck of cards disappeared after everyone sitting around the living room was asked to close their eyes. It was magical.

I spy Transformer, April, and Frogger.

I have a really great mom. She's the kind of mom who makes a huge feast every Sunday for all of her children and their significant others to enjoy. She's the kind of mom who with a last minute's notice can throw together 3 extra stockings when extra friends are invited for Christmas morning. I estimated she wrapped over 90 items in stocking stuffers alone this year. That's the kind of mom we call Supermom.

Love you, Mom. Happy birthday.

March GIVEAWAY

2011-03-01T13:36:00.000-08:00

Happy March!

I'm SO excited about this month's GIVEAWAY.

(You can see the past two month's GIVEAWAYs here.)

This month I am giving away one pair of classic TOMS!

For Christmas Xavier gifted me these red TOMS. I love them. They are comfy, they are colorful, AND they are from a socially responsible company who gives a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair they sell.

TO ENTER:

Follow my blog by clicking the fancy "follow" button at the top right.

Comment - tell me which TOMS you love.

(You do not have to comment to be eligible to win, but comments are always welcome and appreciated!)

Don't care to follow?

Tweet about it! Make sure you tweet @HaiMae and mention the March GIVEAWAY linking back to my blog.

By following OR tweeting you will be entered to win a pair of classic TOMS of your choice.

If you choose to follow AND tweet you will be entered TWICE.

A winner will be announced right here on March 15.

We have a winner!

Congratulations Meg over at 11th Love!

Please send me a link of your favorite classic TOMS and where they can be shipped (porter.jamie @ gmail.com).

Thanks for playing and ENJOY!

If you have questions please e mail me: porter dot jamie at gmail.com.

Thanks for playing!

We have a winner!

2011-02-28T21:33:00.000-08:00

A February GIVEAWAY winner has been announced here!

Thanks to all of you lovelies who participate in the GIVEAWAYS. Tomorrow I will announce the March GIVEAWAY. I have been very excited for March to get here.

Tomorrow is also my Mom's birthday.

It is also pay day.

Nothing bad can come out of all that good tomorrow!

On another note, today my car died in the busiest street in town during rush hour.

Two days ago my car died at the gas pump (and it wasn't out of gas).

Something tells me I know just where this month's paycheck is going.

Could be worse.

Today I forgot lunch at work and then the office got pizza!

Today I found out my "dream home" in Silverton isn't actually for sale at all. I wrote a less than friendly e mail to the person who STILL has it posted on Craigslist and said, "If your house is no longer on the market, please remove this post."

What? It was SUCH a tease!

Enjoy your week even if your car is broken.

...and now back to The Bachelor.

Weekend recap.

2011-02-27T23:22:00.000-08:00

Saturday night I played Uno with a certain 3 year old who happens to know his colors and numbers (in both English and Spanish, mind you). He has passed all Uno pre-requisites.

He hasn't quite mastered how to hold the cards in his hand. Grandma helped him fan them out perfectly, because he wanted to "do it like you guys," but soon after the perfect fan of cards, a certain Aunt Jamie pulled out a "draw four" card and Preston's little hand just couldn't take it.

He decided this method was easier. I agreed.

An ice cream date was necessary right before bed. Of course.

---------------------------------------------------

As promised, Xavier and I took our Sunday drive out to Silverton after church. It was a bit more rainy than I had anticipated, but we found this walking bridge. It was love at first sight.

Tonight after dinner Grandma shared a secret -- she had previously prepared cookies, they were in the fridge waiting to be scooped onto a baking sheet. Preston did the honors. Soon after the warm cookies came out of the oven, Preston declared himself the "cookie seller" and handed them out one by one. (I had 4. I paid him 25 cents. He turned to his mom and said, "I got a money!")

I hope your weekend was this delicious.

Main Street Antiques

2011-02-26T18:35:00.000-08:00

Today me and mom took a little country drive to Aurora, Oregon for some antique "window shopping," (we didn't buy anything) and some lunch.

If you have a Main Street in your town color me jealous. Main Streets in small towns tend to have the secret little gems - unique bookstores, tasty cafes, wine bars, homemade ice cream shops, and in Aurora, endless antique shops.

This little downtown is full of antique shops. We didn't even visit half of them. (We're going back in a week or so.)

I didn't buy anything. Shocking, I know. BUT if I had it would have been this rustic bench for an outside porch. (I'd put pots of flowers on the top.)

And if it were even a little practical to have this machine in my house, I would. (It isn't.)

I also found a colorful vintage tablecloth that I had every intention of going back for, but the jo jos and Coors Original at the local pub got the better of us and we decided it was time for some mother/daughter chit chat and then time to get back home.

And now, if you don't mind a certain 3 year old just called me and said, "I'm inviting you to Grandma P's. Do you wanna come?" So, I'm outta here for a serious Saturday night rager.

xo.

Food photography.

2011-02-25T20:45:00.000-08:00

Since my camera purchase and interest in photography I've discovered something. My favorite thing to photograph might just be food. Who woulda thunk it? But seriously, food cannot make that super awkward half-way creepy blink, food cannot fake smile, I can move it and pose it any way I want and it can't get annoyed at me for taking pictures of it. It's perfect. You know what's even better? Since I now love taking photos of food, I'm suddenly cooking more. Everybody wins! Well, okay, boyfriend wins.

My favorite nights are the ones when I have time/patience to cook a full meal and Xavier and I have time to sit down and eat together.

Tonight was one of those nights.

Some happy for your Friday.

2011-02-25T15:30:00.000-08:00

You guys, lots of great things in the blog world on this sunny, but-oh-so crisp-and-colder-than-I-care-for-it-to-be-Friday.

Luckily, there is this adorable dress giveaway.

This reminder that spring really is just around the corner.

This yummy-ness that makes me want to bake, eat, and shop for cake stands. Simultaneously.

A cozy and so snowy engagement photo session.

A thank you to a friend, fellow blogger, and adorable mama, Mallory for introducing me to this photo editor (it's free!) I'm currently obsessing over.

This weekend I'm going antique shopping with my mama, church with my honey followed by a promised and much anticipated Sunday drive through Silverton, Oregon and family dinner, of course.

Happy Friday, friends.

This is juicy.

2011-02-24T20:00:00.000-08:00

In my attempt to eat more fresh foods and cut out soda and juice (because I think soda and juice are both poison to our body - who are you calling dramatic??), I've started making my own:

If I lived in Florida I'd grow these bad boys in my yard, but let's face it, I live in Oregon. Also, I can't keep a plant alive to save my life.

I got this crazy little electric juicer for less than $15.

It only takes 1 orange and 1 grapefruit to get this:

Mmmm mmm delicious. And fresh!

Getaway bloopers (for lack of a better title).

2011-02-23T21:43:00.000-08:00

Hi friends.

I've promised all you lovely readers a recap of our getaway Valentine's Day/birthday weekend, but I've never been good with following through on things like that...you know things with some sort of a deadline. So. I'll just give you some random bits and pieces as they come up.

Tonight I was "thinking" about doing that post when I came across some real beauties from that weekend.

And for my personal favorite (thanks to my sister):

I've never been one to take myself seriously. It's a good thing I found this clan.

If these walls could talk.

2011-02-22T23:40:00.000-08:00

They'd want some style. And by style I obviously mean wallpaper.

Both found @ Anthropologie.

There are also some great affordable wallpaper options at Echo.

Home is where you are.

2011-02-21T13:15:00.000-08:00

I love this print.

Get it here.

Family dinner.

2011-02-21T10:30:00.000-08:00

I love Sundays. They're usually spent with this guy.

We start the day with a coffee and bagel date followed by church. I love going to church with Xavier. It's a couple of hours where we can reflect on the week and look forward to the week ahead, give thanks together, pray together, read together, listen together, cry together...okay, I'm usually the crier, occasionally we pass little love notes in church, and then we discuss whatever was said/taught in church on the car ride home.

Sunday afternoons are usually spent watching a movie, making lunch, taking a walk, or preferably a nice afternoon nap. Yesterday I went shopping.

And then?

Every Sunday night looks like this:

Since I can remember we've had dinner together as a family every Sunday night. It's the highlight of my weekend. When Sunday dinner is cancelled for whatever reason I'm just sure I'll starve to death or something dramatic will happen because my Sunday has been completely thrown off...

And then the next week rolls around and Mama totally redeems herself with a roast and potatoes. Mmm mmm deeeelish.

Pre dinner looks like this.

Wrestling.

Friends, meet Sinchy.

(And yes, Sinchy joined us at the dinner table last night and let me tell you the tears that almost fell when Sinchy got just a drop of milk on his little Sinchy-tummy. *Please note: Sinchy is not real, although by the looks and feel of him he could almost be.)

After dinner, birthdays are celebrated.

Preston counts the candles.

And after the cake is finished and the wine is gone and the dishes are done, puzzles are pieced together and games of Apples to Apples are played. And it is good.

Have a happy week friends and may all your puzzle pieces fit together.

Grandpa's boots.

2011-02-19T15:11:00.000-08:00

As predicted my nephew has fallen victim to my snap happiness.

But seriously. I can't help myself. Last week I visited him at Grandma and Grandpa's house. The evening was filled with boots, swords (that transform into bows and arrows, mind you), pretend food, and TV elk hunting.

Sporting Grandpa's boots.

Ever so gracefully.

Proudly and accurately naming each fruit and vegetable. Except for one: "What is this again?"

Shooting the elk on TV with his bow and arrow which was formerly a sword...a transformable sword.

Notice the focus.

Be transformable, be accurate, and most importantly, wear the shoe even if it doesn't fit.

My little sister, the birthday girl.

2011-02-19T09:10:00.000-08:00

Last night we celebrated.

This girl.

For our night out I had to get some new shoes...ya know since I do not "go out" anymore. It's a pretty big deal.

The best thing about these shoes? I can wear them to work. You know all you do is work and go home when you only buy things if they are work appropriate.

Back to the purpose of this post. Thank you sister for being born. You really are my best friend. Also, you are beautiful. After looking through these photos I decided I think your 24th year might just be your prettiest year. Which is perfect seeing as you'll be a bride this year.

Happy birthday, Katie.

Fancy camera.

2011-02-19T08:57:00.000-08:00

For my birthday my dear Ali got me just what my little heart desired: a ruffled camera strap from this cute Etsy shop.

I came home everyday excited to see if my camera strap was awaiting me. Yesterday was the day.

You're welcome camera for your wardrobe addition.

Thank you, Ali.

Wreath love.

2011-02-18T00:04:00.001-08:00

Meet my newest Etsy crush.

One of my favorite life moments.

2011-02-16T21:50:00.000-08:00

This weekend we went to Sunriver, Oregon and there was no snow. We woke up on the last day to a lot of snow.

This was one of my favorite life moments for so many reasons. Mostly because there were some serious grumpsiepants who woke up on the wrong side of the bed (I won't name any names), but I was going to get this picture regardless of who did or did not have the grumpies.

So, after balancing my camera ever so carefully on an upside down cooking pot on an uneven ledge covered in snow, I jumped over a "ledge" as my oh-so-dramatic-self likes to call what was actually more of a rail/fence, we took this horrible "jumping" photo. We did not jump all together (as you can see). But I would like you all to know how difficult jumping in snow is. VERY.

Also, there is a reason when shopping for Hunter Wellington boots you shop online under "rain boots" and not "snow boots." These boots aren't made for snow jumping. Or snow in general.

Cutest Nephew Award...

2011-02-16T19:52:00.000-08:00

...Goes to this kid:

This is what happens when you ask Preston about his most recent "owie." He shows you his owie...and his concern. And then later when he takes a bath and discovers a bruise on his knee he explains that "the owie dripped from my eye to my knee, I think it did."

And it is adorable and also, makes a lot of sense...to a 3 year old (and a 26 year old).
And then I tell him to make his happy face and I get this:

And his mad face looks like this:

Yes, I have the cutest nephew. I am sure of it.

I had a birthday. And now I am 26.

2011-02-16T19:23:00.000-08:00

I know I'm getting older because I no longer want to leave my house to celebrate. I don't even want to leave my couch. So, what's a girl to do? Invite all her favoritest folks over for some food, wine, and Apples to Apples. Whew...crazy, I know.

Luckily, the boyfriend showed up with these:

And these:

And sister showed up with these:

She's nice. And pretty. So, I'll keep her as my sister.

This is my friend Megan. She is also nice and pretty, so I'll keep her, too. She is also the most fit/healthy person I know. And I think by just being around her I'll be fit/healthy, so I justify not going to the gym by hanging out with my fit/healthy friend. Done.

Hiiii boyfriend. I love you to the moon and back. Sorry I'm hurting your eye here.

For some of us the night ended like this:

For others of us the night ended like this:

Happy birthday to me. It was a good one. A really, really good one. Year 26, I like ya.

Catching up.

2011-02-15T18:01:00.000-08:00

Wow. I just returned home from here. My boyfriend and my little sister's fiance had a surprise getaway all planned for us to celebrate Valentine's Day and our birthdays. It was a very fun two nights away. Job well done, boys.

I plan to/hope to post about each day of our trip, but for now I am exhausted. (Isn't it funny how we often return from vacations more exhausted than before we left?) So, here are a couple of my favorite shots.

Katie and Kyle. This is their "we are REALLY happy" photo. I love it.

And here I am with my Valentine.

(In the picture above I am wearing The Betty made by Krochet Kids. One of these adorable hats is my February Giveaway. Also, I came home to two great giveaways in the blog world today. You can find them here and here.)

Happy almost Wednesday (already!)!

xo.

2011-02-14T20:32:00.000-08:00

This weekend I have been spoiled and loved and kissed. A lot.

Here's to "laughing kisses."

I've been wined and dined.

It's been one delicious Valentine's Day.

From me and mine.

To you and yours.

Happy Valentine's Day.

Urban Nester Hosts a 31bits Party!

2011-02-13T09:24:00.000-08:00

My friend Molly over at Urban Nester hosted a 31bits Party yesterday at her little nest.

Here is our adorable host.

I love the way she displayed the jewelry.

Yummy snacks in the theme of the upcoming Valentine's Day.

Enjoy.

DIY: Chalkboard Coasters

2011-02-11T18:32:00.000-08:00

I scurried home today for some wine and creativity...this is what happened next:

You guys, these cost less than FIVE dollars to create. It's like the 5 dollar footlong that never gets eaten...or moldy.

So, for all ya'll who have a lover or want a lover, but don't want to splurge for the ol' v day, get yo pretty ol' self some of these:

What you need: chalkboard paint, chalk, floor tiles, and sticky corkboard. You'll need to make 1 trip to craft store and 1 trip to your local Home Depot-ish or Lowe's-ish store.

Also, a shout out to my workplace being super awesome and surprising me with this today:

I love where I work. I love my friends there. They are awesome.

Now, get your craft on. And remember, chalkboard coasters are for lovers. Or wannabe lovers.

Thursday Love.

2011-02-10T21:05:00.000-08:00

The other day boyfriend came across a card I'd given him during our "casual dating" not yet Facebook official days. Naturally, I snapped a photo.

I love him.

For those who haven't, meet my boyfriend, the barber. My Latino lover. My pick me up when I am down. My sunshine when skies are grey.

(He's watching the Super Bowl in this photo. Que serio, verdad?)

And then, because why only have 1 photo of a cute boy when we can have 2?

My nephew. He is 3.5 years old this month. His current interests include: dinosaurs, iphones, swords and school. Yes, he goes to school now.

I am one heck of a lucky girl.

Proposals + Wedding stuffs.

2011-02-10T19:42:00.000-08:00

I'm creepily obsessed with all things wedding. Not my wedding...because no such thing exists...just the events in general. I'd tell you to feel bad for my boyfriend, but I've talked about the fabulousness of weddings since we met and he's had plenty of opportunity to make a run for it. Seeing as he's stuck around this long I naturally assume he wants to wife me one of these days.

Today I came across this sweet proposal video on this here blog.

Josh & Mandy | A Proposal | Brilliant Event Planning from Vivid Wedding Films on Vimeo.

As many of you know because of all the Twitter chatter lately, Anthropologie is coming out with their very own wedding line, BHLDN. Naturally one of my favorite bloggers has the inside scoop (she even tried on a dress)! And don't you worry, as of today (as far as I know), they're on Twitter.

Be blissful, brides...or creepy non brides. Whichever.

Dresser: Before + After

2011-02-10T19:24:00.000-08:00

I LOVE mismatched knobs, shower curtain hangy things, frames, um, socks, things like that. So imagine my delight when I unwrapped these knobs from my friend Sarah for my birthday. (Which, by the way is on Saturday...way to be early, Sarah!)

Here is my dresser before the knob makeover:

Here is my dresser after the knob makeover:

Do you love? Me too. Try to ignore the lighting difference, the wonky lighting in my room puts my photography skills to the true test...the true test that I clearly have not yet passed.

Sarah found the knobs at World Market. My dresser is from Ikea.

Hope your day was less wonky than the lighting in my room.

Valentine's Day.

2011-02-08T09:33:00.000-08:00

You guys, Valentine's Day is less than 1 week away. I have a love/hate relationship with celebrating love, because really, we should all celebrate love everyday, but seriously...that's hard. So, it's nice to have a day where Hallmark forces us to celebrate it. As I've mentioned, my birthday is Saturday and Sunday I'll be leaving on a surprise getaway with my Valentine, my little sister and her fiance. I do not know where we are going, but I know that I can go on a hike, pack a swimsuit, and do not need to bring any food. (Those are the yes/no questions I have asked so far.)

I cannot wait to celebrate with this man:

What are your Valentine's Day plans?

xo.

Jesus thinks I can bake.

2011-02-06T18:04:00.000-08:00

I've never been too comfortable in the kitchen. I do what I can, but it's definitely not on the top of my hobby list to cook or bake. I do it randomly when I want to make dinner for boyfriend or I feel like being extra domestic. Recently at my church (that I fell in LOVE with two-ish months ago) a list was sent around to sign up for brining in baked goods on Sundays. (Yes, we have coffee/snack break after worship - one of the million reasons I love it there.) I signed up to bring baked goods every first Sunday of the month. Which means every first Saturday of the month, I am creating things like this:

Every Sunday my soul is fed here. Pastor Bruce is amazing, straight to the point, funny, y puede habla en espanol. The worship music is the kind that makes your heart dance and your eyes tear up. It feels like home. The fellowship at this little church is unlike any I've ever known. It is good.

I love that I have an opportunity to give back by feeding them with some goodies...even if they do technically come from a box. Okay, wait..the cupcakes are from a box, the cookies are from scratch. Promise.

And to make the start of your week a little better, I've included some giveaways I found this weekend: Here, here, and here. (I think you can still download the free Valentine's cards on this last "giveaway.")

Happy Super Bowl Sunday. Which by the way I refuse to care about because the Saints have nothing to do with it.

Girls night in.

2011-02-06T15:07:00.000-08:00

Last night was a small highschool/college friend reunion to celebrate the birth of this girl.

We enjoyed some delicious snacks appropriately served on this OSU dish.

We enjoyed some wine appropriately labeled for each gal.

Chelly girl.

Sarah. Obviously.

We laughed.

A lot.

(This girl is also a bride-to-be.)

The "what I wish I didn't remember, but shockingly do" was discussed from the good ol' college days. And, yes I can now refer to them as the "good ol' days," because, we, my friends are getting OLD.

Hi Kenz.

Happy 26th birthday, Jennifer.

I have been dreaming of a life as a quilter.

2011-02-05T15:45:00.000-08:00

Did you know there are clubs for people who love quilting? There's seriously this quilting cult out there in the universe...I do know many of these women I speak of spend a chunk of time in Sisters, Oregon because I drove through that quaint little town one summer and the streets were covered in quilts. It was awesome. I have a sewing machine. Now I just need some skill. And then, I'll make something like this.

I found this here.

Could you die? I sure could. I could die and be wrapped in this quilt.

Now I'm on the lookout for any fabric that looks anything like any of that. If you have some, send it my way.

Quilters, I'll see you in Sisters.

Tips for the tortilla maker.

2011-02-05T10:07:00.000-08:00

I often find that my favorite nights are nights that were not planned in advance, but thrown together last minute because everyone is hungry and no one wants to make a trip to the grocery store or cook. Everyone is calling each other talking about how hungry they are. And then? The problem is solved, because someone happens to have wine and happens to be at the store and then someone comes through with good rice and the homemade tortillas are the best we've had yet.

And this happens.

Boyfriend is in the process of mastering the tortilla perfecta.

While I'm mastering this Mexican Rice. And if you were here last night to taste it, you just might think I did, because...well, I kinda did. In my humble opinion.

Welcome to our messy kitchen.

Just wait and I'll let you in on my rice making secrets. And by my secrets, I mean Xavier's tia's. Also, his sister's. They are amazing cooks. I'm just a wannabe.

Hope your Friday night was this delicious.

I'm off to clean that messy kitchen and finish my lukewarm coffee...in my robe...while dancing.

If you haven't already, remember to checkout the February GIVEAWAY here.

Snap Happy: Mission Accomplished.

2011-02-04T22:43:00.000-08:00

Remember when I was all inspired to get into photography and purchase my new camera?

Well, it happened.

Happy 26th birthday to me. So what if I'm celebrating early.

Here comes the rain.

2011-02-04T18:44:00.000-08:00

Today I left my office overwhelmed with that it-just-rained-for-the-first-time-in-days smell. It was refreshing. I love it. I love the sound of rain, I love the smell of rain. You know what I love the most about the rain? Stomping around in these dusty ol' things that have been hiding in this corner, cause the sun's beena shinin' my friends.

Tonight I am enjoying tea and cooking up a meal for my manfriend. It's tortillas, rice, beans and a whole lot of good stuff on the side.

Tomorrow I'm having a Jamie day...cleaning (chyeah right), exercising (eh), and blogging/crafting/tweeting/photographying.

Happy Friday. This week was a doooozy if I do say so myself.

For some Friday goodness head over here and click all the links because they're all worth it.

Family night.

2011-02-03T23:50:00.000-08:00

Tonight I spent a good chunk of the evening with my favorite little man. We did boy things like play with swords and ninja turtles. He taught me "how to play" several games. I was a terrible game-player as I snapped shots of him. He was not thrilled. In any case, here he is in all his cuteness:

This is my beautiful Mom. She played, too.

I'm spent. I slept for 3ish hours last night.

TGIalmostF.

February GIVEAWAY!

2011-02-01T12:39:00.000-08:00

A winner has been chosen!

Congratulations Felicity!!
Please e mail me at porter dot jamie at gmail.com the color of The Betty you would like and where it can be mailed to!

I am SO excited February is here for many reasons, this GIVEAWAY being one of them, my birthday being another one...per my usual birthday-promoting-self I will mention my birthday as many times as possible between now and February 12, which is my birthday. Ahem. And now for the real reason you're here (what? it's not to talk about my birthday?)

This month I am giving away one of these adorable hats:

Friends, meet The Betty by Krochet Kids.

Krochet Kids International is on a mission: buy a hat, change a life.

Read about their mission here.

Better yet, shop to support their mission here.

To enter this GIVEAWAY:

1. follow my blog

2. leave a comment linking to your favorite current giveaway

[the givewaway you link to can be your own or another gem of a giveaway on a blog you've come across. the giveaway you link to in your comment MUST not end for 5 days after posting your comment - so fellow readers have a fair chance at entering.]

So go on, spread the giveaway love!

Questions? E mail me: porter.jamie at gmail dot com.

A winner will be announced on February 28.

The winner will win one of the two (his/her choice):

The Betty in salmon

The Betty in mustard.

My January GIVEAWAY and winner can be found here.

Happy February! Tis the month of love (and my birthday).

Las tortillas.

2011-01-30T21:25:00.000-08:00

Since Xavier and I met just over a year ago we've always talked about making tortillas together. When we began dating I knew there was one thing this white girl had to master: how to cook like a Mexican. I started with rice and I'm happy to say I am pretty confident in my rice making skills (after a lot of trial and error).

After a great Sunday of coffee, church and a sunshine-filled walk we decided to tackle the tortilla making goal we had set long ago.

All we needed was:

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup crisco

1 phone call to Tia Imelda (for a dose of confirmation)

You just mix all that stuff together in a bowl (with your freshly washed hands), flatten, roll with a pin into a circle-ish shape, which by the way is reeallly harder than it looks, put them on a hot comal (which I do not have so we made do with a cast iron skillet) and bam:

It helps to have a sexy Mexican in the kitchen:

He did all the dirty work. I just watched.

As soon as the tortillas were done we went to the store for fresh onion, cilantro, avocado, tomato, and chicken. We grilled the chicken on a skillet with onion, garlic and green peppers, and added a small can of tomato sauce. On a separate plate we sliced up the extra good stuff, including cheese. We also heated up a can of black beans and dinner was served! It was deeeelish. Just what we needed to conclude our weekend.

Enjoy your Monday!

Coffee + Cupcakes

2011-01-29T14:10:00.000-08:00

Good morning. Happy Saturday. Whatcha up to?

This morning was a hot cup of a joe and then a trip to the barbershop. I get my locks trimmed about twice a year. This morning boyfriend did the honors.

And now? Our kitchen is messy and our oven is baking lots of these little goodies:

Tonight we are hosting a birthday party. The party includes lots of girls and lots of wine.

No boys allowed.

For today I hope your coffee is hot and your cupcakes are extra sprinkled.

Some happy for your Friday.

2011-01-28T08:23:00.000-08:00

Good morning. This song sums up so much:

Need some happy in your heart after a long week?

Check out this giveaway.

Read about this mama's journey to getting her baybay.

And read about the most killer girlfriend's night out.

be blessed.

When I grow up I want to be this talented.

2011-01-27T20:40:00.000-08:00

You guys, have you seen the latest and the greatest EmersonMade goodies?
If not, please take a peak. This woman amazes me.

(Also, if anyone has a magic trick to collage generators that are way awesome-r than anything I've ever found, please leave a comment with whatever trick you've got up your sleeve.)

I have been meaning to update you all on my first giveaway - my holiday giveaway in December. As many of you know, a good friend and colleague of mine won and guess what showed up at our office just a month later? This gem of a clutch:

Such a fun gift...I can't wait to snag something EmersonMade for myself.

Year 26.

2011-01-26T19:29:00.000-08:00

You guys. My 26th birthday is near. February 12th in case you are taking notes. We all know how I feel about New Year resolutions. (Not good.) But I feel great about self-improvement and setting goals and/or challenges for oneself.

In 2004 Mark Zuckerberg or whatever his name is ruined my life. My real life, that is. He did however GIVE ME digital life. Mark Z, you da man and I thank you for Facebook and for getting me away from MySpace which I like to refer to as Facebook's whoreish sister. What? Too much? For the past six-ish years I have relied on Facebook for communicating with my friends and family. I even justified canceling my texts because I knew I could poke and/or message anyone for anything.

I like to look at all my different social media accounts as digital real estate. I'm on Twitter, Blogger, Linkedin, and Facebook. For year 26, I am letting go of one of my properties. Facebook. I do not know what it's like to not think in status updates or take photos and immediately post and tag. I need a mental Facebook vacation.

I will still be on Twitter and Blogger, so please do not think I am A. not stalk-able and B. not still stalking you.

For a complete TO DO list for year 26, please continue reading:

1. try yoga

2. cook more often

3. give back more (there are two "places" I give to on the regular, to be discussed in another post)

4. get pregnant

5. get rid of clothes (everything I haven't worn in the past year)

6. keep my job

7. get married

8. get my own place (with husband, obviously. Also, baby)

9. get engaged

10. get good at taking photos (I don't want to say be a "photographer," because that sounds too professional)

As you can see I will have a very busy 26th year.

ps if you need to contact me before or after I disappear from the Facebookiverse please e mail me here: porter.jamie at gmail dot com.

also, if you cannot read sarcasm font, please discontinue your subscription.

xo.

Snap happy.

2011-01-26T08:36:00.000-08:00

Q: Advice to anyone who wants to take good photos?

A: A good camera is the best investment you'll ever make. (If you're watching your money, start with a Canon Rebel, a 50 mm 1.4 and work up). Don't care what other people think. Believe in yourself and let passion and what you love take over. Don't try too hard and know that you will get better with practice. Trying to know everything right up front will only put pressure on you and take away your passion. Learn from others. Ask questions. Photograph what you love--whether it's your kids, home decor, food, etc. and don't forget the little details.

From Kelle Hampton's photography F.A.Q. page.

I didn't need much more convincing to buy myself a camera for my 26th birthday, but if I did, this would be it.

So, camera shopping with my lovely friend, Jenny Hill next month! I cannot wait. I will be snap happy for my entire 26th year. The two who will suffer the most? Boyfriend and nephew. Sorry, boys.

Any advice on photography? Favorite photography blogs? Send whatcha got my way.

Happy hump day.

A (whirlwind) weekend recap.

2011-01-24T17:54:00.000-08:00

Hi friends!

I hope your weekend was lovely. I hope your Monday was lovely-er, but let's be honest, no one loves Mondays as much as Saturdays + Sundays.

My weekend was grand. I stomped around in my rainboots as much as possible. If it made sense I would sleep in them. Unforunately, it does not. Also? It doesn't make sense to wear them in the sunshine, but I sure did. I wore them like it was raining all weekend, but the good news? It wasn't. Nope. It was sunshinin' all weekend and I was soakin' it up.

Friday night was a night of remembering and celebrating life.

It ended with a movie and an early bed time.

Saturday was a morning of wedding dress shopping with my little sister and mama. I sure love them. Wedding dress shopping is haaaard. And it's not even my wedding. I just do the whole strap-her-in, zip-her-up thing. Cause that's what MOH's do.

She did NOT find her dress on this day. (But this post ain't over...so, wait for it.)

Saturday afternoon Xavier and brother Nacho and me went for a sunny drive to Philomath. Nacho recieved a gazillion awards for being super talented and artsy. It was a great event in a historical museum. I loved the building. Mostly the doors. (I forgot to take pictures.)

Sunday was coffee, church, and A LOT of family. I know I say this every week, but I am so in love with my church. I just really feel a lot of peace when I am there. It is good.

Now Monday is here and I had the Monday grumpies for awhile, but I'm over it now, because my clock is past five. I love when my clock is past five.

Today was filled with meetings and hard work stuff, but I had a mid day break for more dress shopping for sister and dollar tacos with sister, mom, and boyfriend. I am happy to report that little sister said YES to her dress. And a lovely dress it is. I am very happy for her.

After returning to work boyfriend showed up with these:

His note said: "Just because." It also said: "I hope you have a better week." What he really meant is: "I hope you do not lose your identity and/or fall down any stairs."

He's nice.

I hope your Monday was filled with sunshine and flowers.

Before I go, have you entered the January giveaway?

No?

Kay, go here.

Dear Wellies.

2011-01-21T17:08:00.000-08:00

Today my Hunter Wellington rainboots arrived on my doorstep. I changed my outfit during my lunch break to accommodate said Wellies.

Try to ignore whatever is going on with my cardigan. Okay, not my cardigan...Brianne's cardigan. PS Brianne, I borrowed your cardigan. Also, I do have arms. I do not, however, know where they disappeared to for this photo.

This week has been very long. And as much as I try not to rely on things or wine to "pick me up," sometimes they do. And my dear Wellies...they picked me up today. Picked me up from being a blubbering mess. They even got me to shower and redress. And Lord knows I needed that.

Tonight Xavier and I will celebrate the birth of his Mom and we will take flowers to her. I am very excited about the precious time I will spend with him. I am thankful to his Mother for raising a son with a heart of gold. I love that man. I love him a lot.

Have a blessed Friday, friends.

These are my confessions.

2011-01-20T23:54:00.000-08:00

Two months ago Xavier and I found our church. We have been there every Sunday since and every Sunday I have cried. Mostly happy tears, but tears nonetheless. I feel like I'm now that new girl in church who always cries. But then I remember it's not about me, it's about Jesus.

My sister is getting married. When she asked me what songs she should have for different parts of the wedding, the walking down the aisle, the first dance, etc. I began my response with: "Well, these are the songs you cannot use (because I am using them in MY wedding)."

Yikes.

I cleaned my room a couple of days ago. But really I only cleaned half of it. The other half is shoved in my closet.

I am out of soap.

I am out of face wash.

And I don't currently own deodorant.

My boyfriend bought me perfume for Christmas. I use it twice as often as I should (to make up for the three prior confessions).

My roommates left me alone tonight. I cranked up the heat. Now I am writing I-owe-yous on post-its and sticking them to the fridge.

I lost my wallet and I'm doing my best to not accuse someone of stealing it. But I'm pretty sure someone stole it.

I'm bringing sexy back in the form of chipped nail polish.

I ditched my boyfriend tonight for his Relay for Life kick-off meeting, because I desperately wanted a night alone. And by alone I mean I wanted no one around me. Not just him. Not anyone.

I totally keep my social security card in my wallet. If you are reading this and now plan to come rob me and steal my identity, don't waste your time. THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE.

I had cheese for dinner. Slices of cheese.

I had toast for lunch.

I skipped breakfast.

I made up for all the missed calories by finishing off the Rocky Road tonight.

I do not know how to work our TV remote. My roommates often pause TV shows and fast-forward through commercials and I still look at them like they just walked on water.

I hate big cities. I want to live in small town. For those of you thinking I already live in a small town, no, I'm not thinking Salem. I'm thinking Silverton-ish. Here are my requirements: no bridges, no malls. I would make an exception for a covered bridge. And then I would get married in that covered bridge.

I intentionally missed a deadline today. I blamed it on the missing wallet scandal and the stair falling incident. Yes, you better believe I'm still using the stair falling incident.

When I get home from work I almost immediately change into my robe.

In my future I want to ban juice from the world. I think it is a terrible thing and I think juice is the biggest factor in the child obesity epidemic.

When I am a parent my child will hate me because it will not be allowed juice. Only water. Well water. From Silverton.

Summer, are you here yet?

2011-01-20T18:59:00.000-08:00

I love fall and winter for obvious fashion reasons: tights, boots, and scarves. In Oregon, October marks the beginning of five long, dark, cold, dreary months. I always love it. Every year when summer fades into fall, I love it. And then Thanksgiving and Christmas roll around and I'm still loving it. And then? The fun festivities are over and the darkness and the coldness and the rainyness lingers. And now I am over it. I'm over the boots, the scarves, the layers, I'm over it all.

I miss summer.

the fresh strawberry stands

the fires-just-for-making-s'mores

the sidewalk chalk

the ice cream at the arctic circle down the street from the barber shop

the coffee mornings in my red chair

the fresh flowers

the camping trips

the squirt gun fights

the slip n slide

las fiestas

y la comida

te echo de menos, el verano.

i miss you, summer

Around the world.

2011-01-19T18:16:00.000-08:00

I often dream of having a "map wall" in my house. Better yet, in my library with a ladder. A ladder the rolls along all 4 walls of my really well organized books...old and new. I like the way old books smell. I really like browsing quirky bookstores along the Oregon Coast. And you know what I like most about those bookstores along the Oregon Coast? I like the way they smell. Also, I like finding the oldest book on the shelf. And then I like to buy it...not necessarily because I'm going to read it, but just so I know I have it. It's like a souvenir.

A souvenir with a really good, old bookstore, Oregon Coast smell to it.

Back to my "map wall"...I want this one:

via Hither + Thither

And then? I want globes. Just a few. And one of them will be made like this:

diy chalkboard globe via design*sponge

I like travel, but also, I like the idea of travel...the pictures, the people, the culture, the experience, the food. I do not consider myself a real travel bug. I consider myself a homebody. And I like my homebody self. I like where I've traveled in my past and I like where I've landed in my present.

Things I like today.

2011-01-18T18:47:00.000-08:00

Today I discovered the most adorable song in the universe (thank you Jenny). (Note: There are a lot of songs I would put in the "most adorable song in the univierse" category.) Please click here and take a listen. I promise you will love love love.

Yesterday I left you with this gem of a blog. Today I thought I should put another lovely blog in your path. Joanna is a magazine writer. She lives in New York. She is married with a baybay. I like her because she doesn't just blog about one thing. Not just about being married. And not just about having a baybay (although I really love babies). She blogs about fashion, food, and fun things that ever'body enjoys. Her blog led me to great things like EmersonMade and 20x200.com.

And while we're on the topic of all things awesome and random, let's discuss giveaways. Here's the thing: I like to think there is some kind of theme to my giveaways. More than that I like to think there is goodness to my giveaways. SO. Ladies and gentlemen, but mostly ladies, a theme: my giveaways must benefit a non profit-ish company. By that I mean...I suppose regardless of how they are funded, their profits benefit a place or a group of people in need. So far this year, so good. See here for January's. I have a couple of ideas running around in my head, but mostly I want to know what ideas YOU have for giveaways that give back. I have February and March covered. That leaves me and by me I mean you with 9 months of giveaway ideas to come up with!

I hope you had a happy Tuesday. I did not fall down any stairs and I did eat a lot of chocolate at my desk, so naturally, it was a rather enjoyable day. And now, in the spirit of feeling a little bit not great I will grab a book and make some soup. I am currently loving My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. Incredible book.

ps did you know it's almost Valentine's Day?

shop here.

Do you have a favorite blog?

2011-01-17T19:55:00.000-08:00

You know those blogs you subscribe to that you're so invested in you actually feel like you personally know the people? No? Okay, well as creepy as that is, I do. I read a blog that seriously gives me the happys everytime I read it. I get so excited when Kelle posts something new for me to read. She is a mother of two ridiculously adorable girls. She does everything she can to make their lives magical and I want to be her when I grow up. Also, she's an incredibly talented photographer. She enjoys the simple things. She's funny. She's real. She's fashionable. She's downright awesome. Enjoy.

http://www.kellehampton.com/

PS We celebrated 2011.

2011-01-17T19:47:00.000-08:00

Um, I know this is 17 days late. How are we already 17 days into January? That is crazy. I never posted about our New Year celebration, but let me assure you it was a good one. We had a "party" at my parent's house which included party hats, loud noise blower things, poker, and my favorite 3-year-old.

This is a less fortunate photo of us, but it's pretty festive given the hat and the New Year's kiss and all.

2010 was a 5 on a scale of 1-10 in my book. So far 2011 is an 11. Which means it is OFF-the-charts- awesome.

I am trilled to have our new roommate, Amanda.

I am trilled to still be living with my other fab lady friends.

I am excited about wedding planning with my little sister for her upcoming September wedding.

Mostly, I am overly joyful for my relationship with Xavier. He makes me happy. The overly-cheesy-happy you see in that photo above? Yeah, he makes me that.

xo.

Mid Weekend Update

2011-01-17T01:04:00.000-08:00

This weekend ended up being a four-day-weekend rather than a three-day-weekend due to an unexpected and oh-so-dramatic tumble down some stairs. (To be explained later.)

Friday was spent mostly in bed, mostly with Advil and mostly repeating the very scary and very, very funny stair tumbling story to friends, coworkers, family, and Facebook.

Saturday was spent crafting and "cooking." When I say "cooking," I mean burning a steak and setting off every fire alarm in the house. Please know me and my roommates rent a two story, 4 bedroom house...so, it's not like filling it with smoke and setting off every alarm is a walk in the park. It took work and I'm prrrretty sure I saw flames in the oven. Just an observation. After dinner Xavier and I went to Katie and Kyle's to watch 24249829 episodes of Weeds.

Today was my favorite day. I went to church with boyfriend. Oh, first we made breakfast, drank coffee, watched morning football AND THEN went to church. I spend a lot of time in church wishing I could hit a button in my brain that would erase a significant chapter of my life...mostly the years between 19-26. I spend a lot of time reminding myself God does not want guilt, He wants transformation. So, transformation it is! (With a lot bit of guilt in the mix.) After church me and little sister went wedding dress shopping for her!! It was so surreal. Also, she looked gorgeous in all 5ish dresses she tried on. We left empty handed, but got a good feel for what she is looking for. Afterward we finished season 6 of Weeds, went for sushi dinner and Coldstone dessert.

The best part of the weekend? No work tomorrow! (MLK Day.) Xavier and I had planned to go up to Mt. Hood to help out with a Burton + Paul Mitchell event, but the weather is not cooperating so we may trade a day on the mountain for a day on the couch.

Hope your weekends have been nothing less than happy, soul-filling, and relaxing.

Dream Board.

2011-01-15T13:00:00.000-08:00

In pursuit of my Creative Space, I have created a Dream Board to post my favorite inspirational "things." l tend to keep a digital "dream board" on my desktop or my iphoto, but I wanted a crazy fun board mounted on my wall above my sewing table (which is currently getting a fresh coat of paint in the garage).

Let the fun begin...

I began with a standard bulletin board that I already had in my room.

I add fun strips of paper in a pretty random pattern. (Paper purchased at Paper Zone, my new favorite store.)

I added fun strips of ribbon. (For hanging things with mini clothespins.)

After I hung it back up in my "Creative Space" in my room I added some fun things, a couple of photos and a couple of pages I'd torn out of mags months ago.

Happy Crafting.

New coasters.

2011-01-15T12:39:00.000-08:00

Last night I crafted. I'd wanted to try something different than scrapbooking paper for my coasters. So, I tried this gift wrap from World Market. For Salem folks, another great place for gift wrap is Paper Zone. I found high quality gift wrap is a little easier to work with and doesn't tend to lift on the edges the way thick scrapbooking paper might. Here is my favorite set of 6 coasters:

These guys are still waiting for two more coats of their protective/clear spray and the corkboard on the bottom. I will spend the rest of this rainy Saturday crafting...

What are you doing today?

Vintage Cake Plate.

2011-01-13T17:07:00.000-08:00

Last week I went to Aunt Bee's House and purchased this wine rack. While I was there I fell in love with a vintage cake plate. It was the perfect color and a great price at $19.95. I couldn't quite justify my need for a cake plate seeing as I don't bake and I don't tend to host many parties with cakes at my house, but I continued to dream about this darling cake plate, so today on my lunch hour I officially made it mine:

Happy Friday Eve!