to Idaho & back

I've just touched down from a visit to Idaho, where an associate and I were documenting historic structures for the Minidoka Internment Camp. The trip was busy but productive, and rural Idaho was in peak early-summer form. The desert was green and blooming, the skies were wide and blue, and the rivers were full. The camp itself is a sad reminder of our recent history and a testament to what folks placed in rough situations can overcome.

Carin and I had a few interesting encounters while we were there. For instance, after we landed at the airport we went to the rental car place to pick up our car. I asked the woman behind the counter to add me as a driver, and she asked if we (my very pregnant co-hort and I) were spouses. We just stared at her and she paused, then asked, "Ah, or coworkers?". We got a chuckle out of that one.

Out of the two buildings we surveyed one was the former Mess Hall, which was relocated to the local fair grounds after WWII and used as a community canning operation. The building (now out of commission and used as storage) was full of remnants from its canning hay-days and included some interesting signage, like this message:

Don't we all wish we could formalize sentiments like that sometimes? Anyway, I anticipate more work travel this summer, including visits to Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks and Mt. Rainier National Park.

Documenting old buildings is dirty work. Here's a list of what every lady architect should pack when on the road for business in rural locals (you know I can't miss a good opportunity to make a list, and this is one I should remember):

Equipment
- tape measures (30' & 100')
- flash light (or head lamp)
- clip board & notepad (with rubberband for windy situations)
- multiple colored pens (black, red, green, blue)
- camera & extra batteries
- laptop (only bring that heavy contraption if you know you're going to use it)

Clothes
- brimmed hat
- sun glasses
- gloves
- head bands/rubber bands/hair pins
- layered tops
- light-weight pants that dry quickly (mine were men's hiking pants from Eddie Bauer & Columbia, which fit surprisingly well)
- work boots
- flip flops & a change of clothes for dinner
*I'd add a fanny pack to the list, because I know it would be useful, but I think I'd loose friends if I did

Food & Drinks
- water bottles (leak proof!)
- gatorade
- snacks for in the field (granola bars, trail mix)
- snacks for hotel (chocolate, tea, instant oatmeal in case the hotel doesn't serve breakfast)

Other
- business cards
- sun screen
- baby wipes & hand sanitizer
- first aid kit
- Nyquil to help with sleep

Here's to being prepared.

Quick update on my whereabouts

So where in the name of Sam Hill have I been lately and what in the world have I been up to? Nothing too exciting, mind you, but I have been dabbling in some fun stuff.

Take this, for example: Sew Mama Sew is featuring Handmade Holidays with the whole month of November dedicated to handmade gifts. I've spotted more than several clever ideas over there.

And these new [to me] and beautiful blogs, which I can't help but visit almost every day, listed here in no particular order:
- Savory Sweet Life
- Bliss
- Sooner or Later
- Bonjour - now, be sure to check out their Hot Air Balloon Ride, please
- You are my Fave
- say YES! to hoboken

What else?

Well, I learned to can (as in preserve) and now have a cupboard full of cranberry sauce and pumpkin butter. If you stop by for a visit I might share. I also packaged up my yummy soaps for gifting. And let me tell you, I love the smell of lavender, rosemary, cinnamon, clove, and pine trees coming from the linen closet where we're storing the small bundles. Very satisfying. And speaking of SATISFYING, I saw New Moon last week. I laughed. I cried. I left fully satisfied, wanting to simultaneously watch the movie on a continuous repeat loop and go read the books again. Have I mentioned here before the Twilight books are my favorite stories OF ALL TIME? I mean it.

And in a nut shell, that's where I've been. Now I'm off to start celebrating Thanksgiving. We're keeping it ultra mellow, lounging around watching our favorite Thanksgiving movies and then heading out to Skamania Lodge, on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge, for dinner. Must dash!

I splurged

How cute are these?!?

I've lived in the great northwest for how many years [seven] and never have I owned a pair of shoes suitable for navigating the floods that plague our lands nine months out of twelve.

Until now that is! I love the art-sy floral detail and the practical handles for easy on/off.

Amazon is sending them my way as we speak - not a moment too soon, I might add - and I can hardly wait.

Favorites

Here are some of my current favorites, items I'm devouring like nobody's business:

Salted caramels. Like these from Pix. The ones at Moonstruck and Starbucks are also good. And let's be clear, I'm not literally devouring these. Weight Watchers won't let me. But I did enjoy one yesterday and it helped me get through a busy Friday afternoon at work.

The 1988 movie Working Girl. Why hadn't I seen this one before? Why had Ryan and how did he remember it? You know, he thought I might like it and I did. We were both equally struck by the 80's fashion scene, which is captured beautifully in this wonderful film.

The Lisa Scotoline thriller/mystery books, which feature an all-women law firm laying down the law in Philadelphia. I've read three in two weeks and have about seven more lined up, pushing my book club book far far away.

It's Mary Ruffle! I may have highlighted her beautiful blog here before, but I really can't get enough. It's filled with a daily group of shots that are pretty and girlie and all that jazz. I visit every day.

And finally, these beautiful letterpress campy cards (pictured above) from Oblation Papers & Press (a Portland institution), mimicking 1960's era nature-nostalgia. At eight bucks a pop, I have to be careful with where I send these, but I might just take one of each, plop them in frames, hang them on the wall, and call it a day.

Remembering

Let's take a walk down memory lane, shall we?

Ten years ago I went to prom (what a fiasco that was!), graduated from high school, moved to Boston, started college and, in so doing, launched my career in architecture.

1999 was also the year I met Ryan. Big year, wouldn't you say?

My high school reunion is coming up, which has me reminiscing on the past. Recently I pulled out an old photo album holding snapshots of a more youthful me. These images really caught my attention because I saw something in myself, a spark, I'd forgotten was there.

Take a look:

Prom.

My brother Tommy took this picture. It cracks me up.

I've been to the Obamas' residence. That's my old buddy Bryson, who now lives in NYC.

A 16 year old me. In my element at Zion, an all time favorite place.

ShellBell & moi.

Here we are, R&R, a few years after my move to Boston. I have a cold. Ryan is in a rock band. Life as pictured here by my old roomie Lana is as good as it gets.

And I suppose it still is.

Four long days

Today is Friday, bright & early. I don't have to return to work again until Tuesday because I have already worked almost sixty hours this week. Yes, its true, and really there's not a pretty way of saying it: I'm beat.

What am I going to do between now & then? Namely relax, because if I don't Ryan will start sleeping at Christian's house. OK, so here's my non-ambitious list:

01 Relax
02 Dream about that sunny, sandy, beachy warm vacation I want to take once my love defends his thesis and considers himself dun with this masters degree
03 Plan & plot my dream home. There, I said it. Why not, right? I've been inspired.
04 Sew. I am designing two new bags for Sue, one a slinky little number, the other wonderfully boxy and practical. Watch out Gucci and Hobo (what a name!), here I come!
05 Discover more bits of Portland today. Ryan has it all planned out.

I think that's all for now.

Be back with photos from the Rose Garden later, gators.

Roadtrip to Boise

Went to Boise. Checked out the library. It was great to see built what I had drawn. Building will be complete in June or July.

Just give me the art manifesto - leave the rest

Today I tagged along to a job site about 90 minutes south of Portland, where our office currently has two municipal projects under construction, plus a third one down the road (library + justice center + post office all in one small town).

*skip ahead to link at bottom of page if you want to spare yourself some weirdness and get to the good stuff*

Here are a few random observations and occurrences from my twelve hour day:

- animal trophies - as in heads - on the floor in the conference room every where, staring at the ceiling (I'm sorry, Jess)

- talk about tear gas, stun guns, and gas bombs and their unique applications (not my talk, mind you - I just listened); by the way, have I told you about the time when we lived at Athena's Paradise (if you know us you know where that darling place was) and our hippy doctor landlord (a lady, no less) attempted to sell us a stun gun? No really.

- 45 minute discussion with a toothless painter on his professional techniques as an artist and experimenter (this in terms of how to evenly paint the tape and the gyp., how to successfully match color, and the merits of epoxy versus semi gloss

- lunch at a Mexican restaurant, where I ordered a chimichanga and the construction crew I was with all ordered variations of a single enchilada with beans & rice, plus water

- an in-depth look and the current and tragic Mexican drug war under way and how I should avoid the border towns at all cost ( this conversation did not occur at the restaurant mentioned above)

- and yes, I was passenger in a vehicle with a driver who attempted to drive off at the gas station while the nozzle was still pumping gas into the truck; the young man on duty fortunately caught the blunder before it became a very embarrassing and expensive mistake

Can you imagine? And really, it wasn't a bad day. Just long. And intense. I learned a lot more than I thought I would. And not just about construction! I also realized that women in the building industry are extremely rare. Today it was me & about 100 dudes on the construction site.

Tonight, over dinner, Ryan asked me to please stop sharing the events of my day with him. Collectively they were bringing him down.

*and for the good stuff*

But watch this, something that instantly brightened me right up and gave me lots of hope and inspiration. Enjoy.

Sound advice

"Choose your clothes as you would choose your friends. The best tend to be warm, witty, and colorful. Don't scrimp on olive oil. Get the good stuff. Avoid clothes that are worn today, worn out tomorrow. Trends will come and trends will go (take jumpsuits). Keep a corkscrew in your picnic basket. Buy clothes because you like them. They should make you feel as happy in your own skin as you were as a child. Never stand behind a horse. Make up your own mind. Be yourself. Never give up."

Wise words from the British clothes retailer Boden. I received the catalog in the mail yesterday and spent an hour in its pages, finding inspiration in their very adorable, one-of-a-kind, reasonably prices ensembles. I peruse magazines and catalogs from back to front. This little gem (above) is on the first page of the Spring issue. Imagine my delight when I found it, thinking I was coming to the end having seen everything there was to see.

My favorite pieces of advice: Never stand behind a horse. Make up your own mind. Easier said than done!

Side note: Am strongly considering this shirt dress in purple. Thinking dresses will be my new go-to outfit this spring season.

Happy list

-most recent CD mix from Kenna - it fills my heart and home with familiar goodness; we both can't get enough - love Tanya Donelly. Thanks, bro.
-extra fancy Vietnamese Cassia CINNAMON from Penzeys
-brooches I made while watching Oprah to keep my wraps in place, in style
-vacation photo book hot of the press from Kodak
-Christmas menu ironed out: sweet goat cheese wontons with pistachios & honey, crab hush puppies, prime rib with red wine gravy, maple-glazed spiced carrots, and cheese cake (we don't eat raw fruits & vegetables in this family)
-quiet kitties, which = quiet and CALM home
-beach weekend with mom & Rhonda next weekend
-trip down south for Thanksgiving to visit the grandmas, see the cousins, meet new little ones, and maybe eat here; we might also get to fly with Matt, Ryan's cousin in Eugene, who's making the very same pilgrimage we are
-home-made Christmas gifts and a drawer full of simple holiday goodies quickly piling up
-husband home from more field work

Ah yes. There is, indeed, much to be grateful for, as usual.

Thank you Emily, for posing the question! What is your happy list today?

My day, what a day. Indeed.

Hello and happy Monday.

I'm having a good one so far, I am happy to report. I've taken a much-needed break from the ol' sewing machine and allowed myself to refocus. Don't get me wrong, I love the girl (aka sewing machine). But we talked and both agreed we needed some space.

So here's what I've been up to instead:

- Worked out after a two week reprieve.

- Took Greyson to the vet, where all the ladies, including doc, fell in love with him. I went home beaming like a proud kitty mama ought to. And, admittedly, even though I knew how adorable he was before our excursion, I think he's a little cuter now after so many compliments. I just have to be honest about that.

- Grocery shopped at Trader Joes. Chuckled remembering this post about the TJ's in my old Boston neighborhood.

- Whipped up (or am in the process of) magic in the kitchen. On the menu: more french onion soup (new recipe, less labor intensive, possibly more delicious); more olive oil bread - this time in mini loaf pans and let me tell you, they are smelling up the house something amazing; pizza dough for dinner later this week; and, cinnamon cookies. I have a sneaking suspicion these are going to be as tasty as rumors claim. The dough is currently in the fridge chilling. I'll report back on this.

Now I am going to turn on Rachel Ray and start our vacation photo book from our late-summer road trip. There are over 1000 pictures to weed through. Wish me luck.