The simple things

This weekend I took it pretty easy and got some much needed me-time. I've had a pretty full plate on my hands. So I indulged in some simple pleasures.

Took a drive out to Suburbia to visit my favorite beauty store to browse nail polish, Ulta. I picked out this charming color called Turquoise & Caicos made by Essie. I love any good shade of seafoam green. I don't know if you have ever noticed. Ha!

Kicked back for hours on end reading All About Lulu, a novel by Jonathan Evison. Bought this book over a year ago on a whim at Powell's, read a third way through. I decided to pick it up again. And I'm glad I did!

Took a stroll to a cute local pet shop, Furever Pets. I couldn't of come home empty handed! I surprised Yoshimi with a new mylar ball, her favorite toy of all time. They seem to disappear in this household.

"Sleepy Inuit Village" button ring

I'm fascinated by igloos. It's crazy to think about how early Inuits were able to live and flourish in the harshest of conditions.

There's a dreamy documentary from the 1920's (the first feature-length documentary ever) called Nanook Of The North that follows the lives of a family in the Arctic. Here's a little clip of Nanook building an igloo for his family in under an hour. Complete with a window made of ice and snow to reflect the warm sunlight inside.

And that's the inspiration for my latest creations...

One button...

Two button...

Delectable clothing buttons repurposed into...

"Sleepy Inuit Village" button rings

A miniature Inuit village sits atop the frozen lake of turquoise flecked with gold. Two stacked buttons create the scene of chilly igloos set on a pearlescent stage. Their three-dimensional character and subtle variations are the perfect splash of color for a cold winter's day. Each ring is completed with an antique brass-plated band.

The finer details...

The ring's face is made of 2 plastic buttons made in Italy. The top is a transparent light green, speckled with gold. The bottom button is aquamarine, faceted, and 7/8" in diameter with pearlish speckles. The band is a very strong, adjustable antique brass-plated, 4mm in width.

I have been creating button rings for the past year and this one will finally be listed in my Etsy shop available for purchase. Head on over to purchase your very own.

Each ring is shipped in an itty bitty box, ready to give as a gift. Special attention is given to the packaging to make it special for you or your recipient. It's a lovely gift to give a friend, family member, or co-worker.

Our Portland Story, Volume One!

Justin & I contributed to an awesome book called Our Portland Story.  Founded by Melissa Delzio, she describes it best: "Our Portland Story Volume 1 is part yearbook, part insider’s travel guide, and part collected memoirs, but is all about Portland by Portlanders." A total of 77 authors and 68 designers contributed. Kudos Melissa! We attended it's release party a couple of weeks ago and got our hands on a copy!

Here's the story we wrote about the legendary & wacky Voodoo Doughnut. We ended our story with a quote from Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, "San Dimas High School Football Rules!". Brittany Hanson, a fellow dMobber, illustrated and designed the page.

I've been wanting to share the illustration and design that I did for the book with you for many many months. Remember when I gave you a sneak peek? Well now you can see it as a whole! The story was written by a big fan of the Tualatin River. I had so much fun drawing wildlife illustrations and collaging it with the author's photo.

I loved the messages addressed to Portland that are included within the book, kinda like a high school yearbook.

If you would like to find out more info about the book, be sure to stop by ourportlandstory.com Maybe snag a copy of the book for yourself or gift it this holiday season for that Portland lover you know.

Breakfast for Lunch

My love and I took a bike ride to Mississippi Avenue for the weekend. It's one of my favorites. There are so many shops and street art.

We were so excited to see that Cup & Saucer opened a location on Mississippi. We couldn't resist eating there for lunch. If you haven't ate there I totally recommend it!

Check out the delicious grub we ordered...

Garden Omelet with scone & potatoes Broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, yellow squash, red pepper, mushroom, spinach and cheddar

Lucky Scramble Bacon, mushroom, green onion, cheddar cheese scrambled with three eggs on top of potatoes

Lastly, here's a recent drawing I did when I was visiting Nebraska. I finally snapped a photo for you to see. Enjoy!

I cheese sandwich you

I have so many things to share with you about my recent visit to my homestate, Nebraska. Being there for 2 weeks, I couldn't help taking lots of photography. I plan on dedicating a few future blog posts to the highlights. Above is a shot I snapped in rural eastern Nebraska. I do miss the drives; being out and about between Columbus, Lincoln, and Omaha. It was nice to be reacquainted with the rows and rows of corn stalks. One thing I didn't miss was the 90° - 100° humid mosquito infested summer weather.

When I left Portland at the end of June I began reading my friend, Kim's novel suggestion... The Time Traveler's Wife. Wow, it was such a good read. It's confusing at first with all the time traveling dates. I don't think I have ever read a novel (that was not a mandatory high school or college requirement) so fast. Niffenegger's writing is to die for. I fell in love with her writing style. This is really her first book? I didn't notice. Very well done Niffenegger. Before I read this book I wasn't fond of the name Henry. Felt so old-fashioned. After reading this book, let's be honest, I have a new appreciation for it. I loved the dreamy character Henry. Who wouldn't. He's compassionate, dashing, and a time traveling adventurous stud. I don't normally read chick novels but this one went well under the radar for me. I give it 5 stars. I'm a little leary of watching the movie. It seems like when books are made into movies they are just not as good.

Chick novels... chick flicks... I only like a handful of either of them. Maybe 3 or 4.  Love & Sex is an adorable and funny one. I watched this flick a couple times this week. One of my favorite quotes is when Adam says to Kate, "I cheese sandwich you." If you haven't watched it, the 2 were discussing, that after a while, saying "I love you" is like saying "cheese sandwich".  Saying "I love you" starts to lose it's meaning.

This is off subject, but I'll give you a little heads up of what I have been crafting up these days. I crafted these... "Handpicking La France Pears In Japan" earrings. When the day comes that I get to visit Japan, I do hope to visit a pear orchard. I love how the La France Pear is uniquely spherical, like these lemon jade beads. I have listed a few pairs in the ol' Etsy shop. Click here to be directed to my shop.

Well I hope you lovelies have a great weekend. If you are in Portland... stay cool. It's going to be a warm one! It would be a good time to go to the coast.