I am a Northwest girl, through and through....

What does that mean? 

It means that I love the rain, even if I don't want to dance in it.

I know that there are thousands of shades of green, and they can all reside in the same place.

It means that I love the smell of fresh rain on the ground.

I can see the weather in the clouds, and know what's coming.

It means that I can work on a ranch in the day, and don a little black dress to a fancy dinner that night.

I love the smell of horses, and the chaos of the city.

It means I talk a little bit slower, and know the benefits of relaxation.

I can melt into the urban forests and feel at home.

It means that my heart is here, always.

These are for the Northwest girl, at heart. A lover of rain, green, steel and trees. Wherever you may be, the Northwest is always in your heart.

I love to travel, and have been traveling all of my life. It started with my Dad--the cowboy-turned-lawyer, who was always taking us on road trips, and flights to not-so-distant lands like Canada and Mexico. I cannot count the number of hours spent in the back seat of our Suburban, watching the land pass, or clouds float by. Whether we were on our way from Alaska to Oregon, or Oregon to South Tahoe, our journeys instilled a deep love of the landscape in my heart. I continued that love with my own version of a road trip down the California Coast at the ripe age of 18, followed by moving to Australia for 4 years and traveling within Australia as well as making a trip to Thailand.

Throughout my life, I have been able to recall points in time based on where we had traveled to that year. But, in the past few years, those dreams of adventuring abroad have been pushed aside while my husband and I found our footing in our life here in Portland. Wanderlust had been replaced by the need for roots, and so roots we have built. We've taken little trips to the Oregon Coast, and visited family in Hood River, or journeyed up to Seattle for business, but it wasn't the same.

Recently, I took stock of the various dreams and goals I have had in my life, and made a long list. Some of those dreams have been let go of voluntarily, like becoming a lawyer, but one of the themes that struck me was the desire to travel. Seeing it in writing really hit home, and after talking to DW, we made an agreement to make travel a priority. Whether it's to Eastern Oregon, or India, we want to explore the world and take in the beauty and chaos that makes this world so incredible. 

This year, we decided to take a road trip to celebrate my 30th birthday and head to Sun Valley, Idaho to visit my stepmom. It was an absolutely wonderful trip, full of crazy weather, open skies, countless cows and birds, and great company (including two silly Burmese cats!).

We started on Thursday night, and decided to drive as far as we could manage. We ended up just outside of Baker City, Oregon and fell "asleep" in the car at 1 am, at a rest stop. I discovered that our Subaru is MUCH smaller than the Suburban I grew up in or the Jeep that I adventured in before, and therefore, not as desirable to lay down in. 

On Friday Morning, DW took me to Haines, Oregon where he had spent time in his younger years collecting owl pellets. We found the "Chandler Cabin" and old relics of the town as it stood in the 1800's, including the entrance to an old mine. 

We also met a very friendly, somewhat demanding, miniature horse and his buddy the Rooster.

Outside of Haines is a gorgeous old barn with a bell tower. It's in fantastic shape, and apparently is the centerpiece of many postcards and paintings. We got to talk to a local rancher who leases the property, who was very kind and shared some stories with us.

When we got to Sun Valley, we were greeted by this wiley eyed critter, one of my stepmom's Burmese cats. He and his sister are little crowns and were fantastic for entertainment during our short stay! We had a fantastic time in Ketchum and Sun Valley with my stepmom. She showed us around parts of it that I had never seen before, especially since my experience with the area had always been ski-related. We ate at some amazing little restaurants, saw a fantastic movie called The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, and had some really great conversations. And, I even introduced her to some Gluten Free cooking, using Bob's Red Mill GF Flour!

On the trip back to Oregon, the skies had cleared for the most part (it actually snowed while we were in Idaho!), and we were graced with sunny skies. DW and I stopped off at multiple places to take photos, chat with horses, or collect sage.

After another night of "sleeping" in the car (this time I pushed the back seats down and did a little better, but must bring sleeping pads next time), we journeyed to look at the Hot Lakes near La Grande, and DW took me on a little tour of all the cool old barns around the town. 

During the journey, I couldn't help but think how much things might change if everyone was able to get out of the cities and see the country that they live in, or vice versa. To step into each others' worlds, we might better understand our rural or urban counterparts, and their needs. Of course, that is a very hopeful wish. We live in an incredible place, full of vast swaths of beauty and awe-striking landscapes. I find beauty both in and out of the cities. Do you?

Some things I learned on this journey:

Always be patient

Be open to taking little side-journeys that may not be in the original plan

Share

Try to see the beauty in what the other person sees

Enjoy yourself!

These beauties are bright like the sun...their sumptuous colors make the heart beat faster, lifting spirits higher...and higher. Each glance brings a shock of joy and the reminder of magic in the world.

In the Etsy Shop.

Howdy, Friends! 

So, you may have read in an earlier post that I have decided to give myself two challenges. One of those is "Nothing New". The goal of this challenge is to buy nothing new in the next year (from birthday to birthday), and the challenge will end on May 19, 2013. Here is the outline:

Goal: To purchase nothing new from May 19, 2012 to May 19, 2013. This applies to all purchases except for the following exceptions:

undergarments

shoes

toiletries

food

car and bike necessities (i.e. tires, oil, etc.)

household goods (i.e. lightbulbs)

computer parts

business items

my Matron of Honor dress

gift card items (using gift cards from my birthday, or Christmas, etc.)

gifts for others

Now, even though there are exceptions, the stipulation I am giving myself is to attempt to source recycled or vintage items for those things as well, like underwear using recycled fibers or vintage gift items.

I will be posting various items that I buy and talk about the alternatives to buying new, as well. 

Which leads me to the gorgeous new pair of jeans I bought yesterday! Most of my jeans have been wearing thin, so I finally decided to hoof it down to my local Goodwill and found a fantastic pair of Joe's Jeans that fit perfectly, and another pair that can serve as capri's through the summer. I am always surprised at what great jeans I find at Goodwill, and I only spent $33. In most stores you can't even find ONE new pair of jeans for that price! And check out what I could have paid for a new pair of Joe's Jeans!

What do you buy used? Do you buy clothes at Goodwill or other resale stores?

Here is a little sneak peak at some goodies I will have for sale at the Oregon College of Art and Craft Spring Sale, this coming Saturday and Sunday, May 19 & 20! 

The sale runs from 10 am - 5 pm in the Metals Studio...be sure to stop by and get some gorgeous jewelry from some very talented artists!

I have a secret to share.

Well, perhaps it's not so secret.

Being out of school is lovely!

This morning, I have lazed around, making smoothies for breakfast, washing dishes, creating graphics in Photoshop, and will soon jaunt off to the studio to make jewelry for the upcoming OCAC Jewelry Sale, which, incidentally starts on my birthday....

And speaking of that birthday, this year I turn 30! The big Three-Oh. A few weeks ago, I felt that flutter in my stomach, the nervousness, the voices of society telling me where I should be a this moment in my life.

Well, I shut them up. And yesterday, I began to feel ready. Ready for change, ready for turning leaves, ready for the next adventure.

What will those next adventures hold? Hopefully lots of travel, some archery, some dancing, tons of love and happiness, and the bumps that go with them. 

This summer, Dave and I already have some travel plans up our sleeves, including a trip to Idaho and another to Maui (our delayed honeymoon)! I'm so looking forward to getting out of town, being in the great wide open, smelling fresh air, and taking photos. 

Along with those adventures, I am setting up a couple challenges for myself, which will begin on my birthday. Last year, I pledged to donate blood...well, almost a year later, I have an appointment on Saturday to do just that (I am terrified of needles, so have procrastinated a bit). 

There is a lot of value in challenging ourselves to reach goals. So, I give you....

 "100 Things" is a challenge to create 100 objects between May 19, 2012 and the end of August 2012, before I go back to school. Now, these objects might be jewelry, or they could be other artistic objects. The challenge is simply to be creating. I do not have to create something every day, but have to end up with 100 objects at the end of the challenge.

"Nothing New" is a more arduous challenge, and was sparked by watching Manufactured Landscapes, a documentary about the artist Edward Burtynsky, and is a true reflection of the extent to which our consumerism and culture has had an effect not only on the Earth, but on people in poorer countries or developing countries. Watching this film was a harrowing experience. So, the challenge for this one is to buy Nothing New for an entire year, from birthday to birthday. 

Of course, there are exceptions, and those are: toiletries, underwear, socks, shoes, household goods (i.e. lightbulbs, tape, etc.), school supplies, car goods (tires, brakes, etc.), computer parts, and business items (i.e. tools, metal, stones, shipping items). Oh! And, since I will be a Matron of Honor for my best friend's wedding, the dress and shoes for that are true exceptions. My body type just does not do well with vintage dresses, and I will probably need specific shoes for this adventure :)

Even with those exceptions, though, I want to do my best to find items that are recycled or use recycled materials or can be recycled later. It's already looking like we'll be needing a couple extra fans this summer, so I'm thinking forward and remembering where I can buy vintage ones. I think this will be a really interesting exercise.

So, what do you think? Do you set up challenges for yourself? Do you like/dislike them? I love hearing stories from other people.

I hope you all are enjoying sunny days wherever you are!