friday

happy weekend! i'm currently loving this new feist song. she's playing in portland in november, but unfortunately i'm not sure if i can afford a ticket. i'll state the obvious: moving is expensive.

though we did apply for one place that would be incredibly affordable. it's a beautiful space with hardwood floors, all utilities are paid, there's a dishwasher and stacked washer/dryer in the apartment. the only downside? it's a 350 sq. ft studio. like, one room with a kitchen at one end and a bed at the other and a bathroom. we'd move in on our third anniversary. happy anniversary, drew, let's celebrate by living in the closest quarters imaginable!

rethinking a trend

when it comes to this year's trends in fashion and design, i have almost no qualms. polka dots, stripes, ombre, they're all wonderful. one trend that i will also admit to loving is the native american or southwestern trend. this is mainly because i grew up surrounded by traditional native american designs and artwork, an aesthetic my father is very partial to. but i am not native american, and i have no concept of the struggles faced by native americans to preserve their culture and have it remain sacred. through my studies of native american college students in my graduate work, i have gained more of an understanding of the challenges these students face on a daily basis. i can't imagine their frustration when they see non-native american students wearing shirts with a giant dream catcher printed across them and fringed at the bottom.

this article, in particular, is so powerful. i'm going to make a conscious effort from now on to rethink this trend. though i find the designs beautiful, i no longer want to purchase items that lose that beauty and authenticity by exploiting native american culture.

soyrizo, white bean and kale soup

on saturday night, we attended a housewarming party for our friends, tyler and julia. i may have had one too many glasses of wine, but it was a hilarious and wonderful night with lots of singing and laughing. the next morning, however, was not hilarious or wonderful at all. there was no singing or laughter, just me begging drew to make coffee and feed me aspirin...

all i wanted was comfort food, so i whipped up one of my favorite dishes from my childhood: my dad's portuguese kale soup, or caldo verde. this soup consists of a spicy broth with garlic, herbs, kale and... chorizo. the chorizo adds incredible flavor to the soup, but alas, i don't eat meat. enter trader joe's soyrizo: same spices, same flavors, no animal slaughter involved.

my version of his soup is comforting, delicious and healthy (and cures hangovers). you can't even tell that it's vegetarian. in fact, when i go home for christmas, i'm going to make this for dad and i guarantee that he won't notice the difference (don't worry, he doesn't read the blog, he's technologically challenged). 

soyrizo, white bean and kale soup

1 qt. mushroom broth
2 cans white beans, drained + rinsed
1 bunch kale, stems removed + chopped
1 package of soyrizo
1 yellow onion
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

in a large soup pot, heat olive oil on medium heat. add the onion, soyrizo, salt and pepper, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes. then add the beans, kale, rosemary and broth, cover and bring to a boil. once boiling, reduce heat and simmer until the kale is tender. i mashed the beans with a potato masher to give the soup a chunky and creamy texture, but that's optional. serve with a squirt of fresh lemon juice and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, and wait for its magical healing powers to kick in so you can get your hungover self off the couch.

where you'll find me now

happy friday! besides this being one of my favorite songs, i thought the title was appropriate. where you'll find me now.. has yet to be determined. this whole weekend will be dedicated to looking at apartments. that's right- drew, penny, and i will soon be squeezing into a little one bedroom of our own. i absolutely hate moving, but i'm excited to put the hours i've spent on pinterest and apartment therapy to good use!

rifle paper co.

lately i've seen anna bond's adorable and simple designs all over the blog world, and after a little digging, i found that a handful of her rifle paper co. products are sold in anthropologie stores! i had a seriously hard time choosing one item, but i finally settled on some recipe cards for a project that i'll be working on soon.

image via 1

not just for summer camp

when i think of woven friendship bracelets, two words come to mind: summer camp. buying the different colors of string used to be the highlight of my visits to the camp store. afterward, i'd sit around with my friends for hours and churn out bracelet after bracelet.

so imagine my surprise when i started to see these colorful blasts from past on the wrists of models in fashion editorials! soon after, retail stores began selling them (for a rip-off price), so i decided to make my own. the little summer camper in me squealed with delight as i found myself in a craft store buying string once again. i'm not sure how these bracelets made their way back to being relevant, but i'm sure glad they did. 

scenes from the weekend

well, this weekend turned out to be rather rainy and cold. i'm not sure if it's here to stay (for the next ten months) or if this is just a fluke. i don't actually mind the weather now that school has started. my law class requires an absurd amount of reading and writing time, more than i have ever been faced with, so i'm grateful that i don't have to worry about gorgeous weather tempting me to neglect my studies.

on saturday morning, i was at the gym when it occurred to me that i hadn't been to the portland state farmer's market in a long time. i made a stop there on my way home and indulged in far too many macarons, chocolates and cheese samples. note to self: don't go to the farmer's market right after running 4 miles.

oh, and remember chris? he moved here! he lives in a great area right down the street from us, which finally gave us an excuse to try the nearby grilled cheese grill. i got the havarti, tomato, honey mustard + avocado on whole wheat. it was exactly the comfort food i was craving on a rainy sunday.

 

1. the goldenrod: champagne, absolut pear, st-germain and lemon.
2. honeycrisps are back!
3. dahlias, my favorite flower, were abundant at the market.
4. baby sun gold tomatoes.
5. chocolate hazelnut macarons.
6. lavender infused caramel covered in salted dark chocolate.
7. sunday morning coffee and pleasure reading.
8. the double-decker bus where we ate. 
9. jay and chris, in all their grilled cheese glory.