Last Call!

 

Gasp-the last Crafty Wonderland show at the Doug Fir! I am pleased and honored to be a part of the last monthly event that has been a part of Portland for 3.5 years. Don’t fret- Crafty Wonderland is still in full effect; they are just changing the format to a twice a year gig. This benefits both the vendors and the folks that attend and support said vendors. Word on the street is there will be a spring show and the big Holiday show will remain intact.
Come enjoy the last show at the Doug Fir, this Sunday from 11-4pm. There will be mini terrarium action at the DIY table too!

Astoria!

I had a lucky streak this summer and won a hotel stay at the coast. Upon picking up my gift certificate, I realized I had won a substantial prize, there was no way Corey and I would use it up. So this last weekend we took another couple to Astoria. Our friend is a fairly new Oregon resident (transplant from the East Coast) and hadn’t yet made it to Astoria. Actually, I’ve lived in Oregon my whole life and never really gave Astoria much attention before either.

In Summary: Sleeping old fishing town that is great for lazy weekends. Unlike some of the other coastal towns in Oregon, Astoria has not one, not two, but 3 awesome breweries and no outlet malls and super nice locals. My favorite beer was the Volksweisen at Wet Dog. We explored everything there was to explore-we even went up to Long Beach, WA to show them Jake the Alligator Man-it was Halloween weekend after all.

Unexpected happenings: Bob Marley cover band Ma Barley played at the Ft. George Brewery, a sweet little gallery called Lunar Boy, and a torrential down pour while we were on the beach. We were drenched.
One bit of advice: if you are scare of heights, the Astoria Column is probably not for you. It scared the beejeezees out of me. Looking up or down while on the stairs = not cool. I shook like a little leaf. I totally thought I would be fine since it was just a spiral staircase, but not so much.  Here's the view from the top; it makes it all worth it.

Busy Bee

We've started to workout in the morning at 5:30am. Just getting up that early is enough to make me tired as all get out. This morning I thought to myself-why did I sign up for this?! I've learned I am way more out of shape than I thought I once was, which wasn't too much of a surprise given that my fat clothes are tight.
Last weekend we "carb loaded" and went to Rogue Ale House and had some delcious beer and pub grub. It was fantastic! No regrets becuase now we are on the straight and narrow.
Riiiiiight. Wish me luck-the holidays are just around the corner and there is pineapple upside-down cake to be had!

Song of the Day

Happy Almost Friday, aka Thursday!
Since it's still Rocktober and all, I thought I would make a quick post with a song that fits the rainy day we are having today here in Portland. Not that rain is bad, or great, but it's good for the soul and the garden.

The song I picked conjours up so many random and good memories; Dad and I went to an Eels concert at the Aladdin with a bunch of friends and on that same night, after the concert, one of my best friends met the man of her dreams of whom she later married, my first road trip with my spouse, and watching the sunrise in the Bahamas.

With that, I give you Eels' "Woman Driving Man Sleeping" http://tinysong.com/ayq7

Every Day Wine

Last night was girl's night out and it was centered all that is crafty: sewing, beading, and even some graphic design. We don't mess around! I was really looking forward to spending some quality time with my gal pals and check out a new wine bar on Alberta Street that Jen had recommended. When Jen explained that at Every Day Wine you can bring your own food, I was stoked!
I was even more stoked when I saw the selection. They had everything-wine that I had heard of but could never find anywhere. It was all reasonibly priced too! Beth, who was behind the bar, must have seen the look on my face and came over and suggested a few bottles in a very friendly, not pushy at all way. Where has this place been all my life? My friends and I traveled all over the world via wine and had a great dinner, and some dark chocolate for desert. We even managed to make progress on our projects.
I highly recommend going in to check out the selection and the laid back atmosphere. If you are lucky, you may even get to meet Porter, the resident black lab. He's quite the gentleman.

ROCKTOBER!

Did you guys know that October is also known as Rocktober? I just learned this myself, on the first day of Rocktober, I thought I'd share a little diddy with you. "Heavy Metal Drummer" by a little band called Wilco.
You may have heard of them. Click it and rock on with your bad selves.
Want to know more about Rocktober? Check this out: http://www.rocktober.com/blog.html

Long De Long Long Long

I am so excited! I have come up with a new concept. And by new, I'm sure that someone else has done it, but I've never made it myself before. I have to recreate the first necklace I've made, it was so neato that I kept it for myself. However, I decided to post a sneek peek of the beads; I've used 10mm round beads and painstakingly hand knotted each one together using thick silk cord and finished the piece with all sterling silver findings. If you're used to my other designs, this sounds familiar, except for the length; this guy is going to be a long 33-36 inches of semi-precious stone goodness!

With all of the recent requests to re-create my previous best seller, "Flora" I decided to roll with these gorgeous green aventurine beads and of course black onyx and smoky quartz to ensure the necklaces match everything in anyone's closet. Here's to a super duper Thursday!
Cheers!
Stacy