Pearl Bakery

 

we were amazed at how inexpensive (and delicious) everything was at Pearl Bakery.
(yes, we ate a diet consisting of coffee + treats for most every meal. but since we walked all over tarnation, we felt we earned it. ;))

Dove Vivi

crazy amazing pizza from Dove Vivi in Portland
cornmeal crust + balsamic onions + grilled sweet corn = wow.

Pastry in Portland

a hazelnut macaron at Ken's Artisan Bakery

Back from Portland

well, we're back...
portland was beautiful.
and we miss it.
(and all the treats we ate while we were there.)
:)

Chocolate Truffle Cake

(photo credit: the wonderful Heidi Swanson)

we're off to portland this morning! but i thought i'd post a little yumminess before i go...

oh my oh my oh my

this chocolate cake looks like it is equivalent to eating a truffle. i'd imagine that eating it with a hot cup of coffee would be the perfect breakfast dessert. and the best part is you don't have to turn on the oven and lie sweltering around your house for an afternoon.
yum. 

Huckleberry Cafe

MMMM, speaking of being a tourist in our fair city...once the 405 (freeway) mess is cleared up, we are most definitely visiting huckleberry cafe! so i'm wondering, do we bike first then eat breakfast there OR eat first, then bike the coastline, THEN grab a coffee and treat at urth cafe? (yes, they spell their name funny, but you'll forgive them once you eat a treat! mmmm!!!!)

:)

Tourists

(photo from a cup of joe)

I came across this picture today, and it made me laugh so hard. Its the tourist phenomena of everyone doing the same thing, I guess. Since we are about to be real live tourists in a couple of days, I thought I'd repost it. 

Truth be told, I rather like being a tourist in my own city. Its fun to go to the museums and walk on the beach and hike on the trails that are written up in magazines. I promised myself to soak up this city when I moved here eight (?!) years ago and I think I've done a fair job of it. (granted, l.a. is huge and there are vast stretches i've completely skipped since i've done a large amount of repeat visiting to lovely places like agoura hills and manhattan beach...oops) Anyway, all that to say, I highly recommend being a tourist in your city or town one weekend. Take pictures. Wear walking shoes and walk all over the place. Go to the restaurant or cafe that everyone talks about but is 'not you'...why not? Also recommended: sit at said cafe and sketch while you tourist watch.  

Portland, Here We Come!

(photo credit: destination 360)

well, in a few days, we'll be hopping on a plane to Portland. i purchased the tickets ages ago and started planning for where we'd eat and what we'd visit but goodness, then time suddenly picked up its pace and swept us to midsummer and here we are, three days away from the trip. my parents lived in portland right after they were married, and i thought of going to college there before heading off to nashville. for some reason or another, i've wanted to visit for years and have kept a little file folder of snippets of 'things to do'. now those lists kind of pale next to the vast resource of the internet, but i've still kept my sunset magazine clips for posterity's sake. :) 

we're staying in a little bed and breakfast and are planning to take public transit and walk all over tarnation (as is our custom). powells' books is a must as are an endless list of coffee shops and pastry shops. i'm sure we'll do other things too but those are the highlights. we have our priorities, people. i'm hoping that all the walking will work off all the sweets i'm planning to eat. otherwise, i'm in serious trouble.

midweek we'll hop on a teeny tiny plane (::gulp:: but it can't be worse than the ones i used to rollercoaster-fly from denver to colorado springs, could it???)...anyway, we'll fly over to boise to see one sister's new house and probably help unpack a bathroom or something, do crafts with the nieces at another sister's house and read magazines at my mom's house (with a cat curled next to me).

its summertime! :)

p.s. i found it amusing when i googled for portland photos that 90% of them pictured clear skies and sunny days. isn't that false advertising? :) hmmm 

Happy 4th of July!

Hope you have a wonderful LONG weekend...we're off to collect some more shells this morning...

Summer School

I'm in a summer school of sorts right now...just sketching my way through several books. this is from The Boy Who Drew Birds, an excellent story about John James Audubon.