quick trip to the coast

i drove up to seaside, oregon this past saturday to visit my man (he was at a conference for school). before drew started his program, i'd only been to seaside in the summer and didn't really care for it; the beach was so crowded with tourists and the boardwalk reminded me of coney island (which i'm strangely terrified of). but, for the past two winters, i've lucked out with beautiful cold, sunny days and desolate beaches. i think that's enough to make me have a change of heart. i made sure to pay a visit to the pendleton outlet and got to spend some time with drew's classmates and professors—all such lovely, warm people. and how about that sunset view from the top of the hotel? pretty dreamy.

i heart portland

portland is not an overwhelmingly bustling city, by any means, but i still miss the open fields and farms that surrounded me during my college years in connecticut. that's probably why spending time on sauvie island brings me so much joy and comfort, especially when pumpkin patches are involved. caramel apples, big red barns, hot cider and fall foliage on such a pastoral backdrop were enough to make me feel like i was right back home in new england.

i heart portland

remember when i told you that portland is between the beach and the mountains? well, it's also only about twenty miles away from some seriously beautiful hikes around the columbia river gorge (so basically, it's the best place ever). back when drew was holed up in our tiny studio apartment, spreading his germs everywhere, i was feeling the need get some fresh air. my friend kyle had also just moved here, so i figured taking her to angel's rest would be the perfect way to get out and spend some quality time together.

1. view #1

2. view #2

3. view #3

4. me

5. kyle, in a little fort

6. stacked rocks

i heart portland

as wonderful as portland is, sometimes months go by without me ever stepping foot outside city limits. but the beauty of portland is that both the mountains and the ocean are just a quick drive away. you can have your (vegan, gluten-free) cake here and eat it too. 

we traveled down to lincoln city this past weekend (and stopped at this cute market in mcminnville for supplies along the way). i took about ten naps, read my new book and basked in the sun with great company -- just what i needed after a long, hectic week.

 

 

1. lincoln city, or

2. ocean

3. chris was told to bring layers so he brought two tank tops

4. craig and drew

5. drew in the early fog

6. shannon

7. interesting little door

scenes from nyc

1. view from brooklyn

2. cute apartments

3. sister

4. grand central

5. blue bottle coffee

6. pink sunset

7. katie

8. house of small wonder

woodburn tulip festival

sometimes, you just have to stop pretending that you're going to stay inside and write your thesis on a beautiful day, and go walk through a field of colorful tulips instead.

 

 

scenes from the weekend

after feeling lousy on friday + saturday, i decided i wasn't going to let my current stomach troubles ruin the entire holiday weekend. on sunday, we drove out to the oregon coast to read on the beach and check out astoria. astoria is home to the house where they filmed the goonies! i (unsuccessfully) tried to convince drew to drive around the town aimlessly looking for it. the town itself is small, but charming. lots of little shops + restaurants that we peeked into before calling it a day.

1. beach.
2. currently reading.
3. cutest little bakery.
4. scrabble sections in a book store. 
5. drew loves books.
6. beautiful top of the liberty theater.
7. sunset just as we were leaving.

scenes from the weekend

yesterday, we went to the oregon coast so kerry could dip her toes into the pacific ocean (a bucket list item for her). though we were expecting cloudy skies, the weather surprised us with a perfect beach day. this morning, we went thrift shopping + shared the most incredible crepes i've ever eaten at a cute french bistro in my neighborhood (full review to come) before kerry had to begin her long journey back to nyc.

 

 

1. drew + i having fun at the tillamook cheese factory.
2. the view from our beach blanket.
3. kite flying.
4. a shot from a scenic point on the 101.
5. jill with a beautiful backdrop.
6. back patio of the green dragon.
7. old photograph display in a store window.
8. kerry + i.
9. cute little house.
10. new (to me) vintage polka dot dress + lake george t-shirt.