autumn inspiration

one of the most difficult things for me to adjust to here is the absence of the four seasons (i think of portland in terms of either rain or no rain). fall is my absolute favorite season. each year i look forward to the foliage, the crisp cool air that warrants a cozy sweater, and pumpkin spice lattes. since i can't have my quintessential new england fall, i've been finding other ways to be inspired by the upcoming season: through fashion and food.

 

 

autumn quesadilla 

1 whole wheat tortilla 
a few slices of brie 
a few thin slices of an apple 
handful of fresh baby spinach 
1/2 tbsp honey apple butter

on one side of the tortilla, spread the apple butter. then layer spinach, apple slices + brie on top of the apple butter and fold the other side of the tortilla over. place one side of folded tortilla in a warm pan until it is crispy and brown, then flip + repeat on the other side. best enjoyed while wearing the outfit above and sipping a pumpkin spice latte.

images via 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

reflection

i left one important thing out of my weekend post: taking a moment on sunday to reflect on what happened to our country ten years ago.

since this past weekend was also new york fashion week, i thought it would be fitting to post a poignant recollection from one of my favorite fashion blogs, the sartorialist.

scenes from the weekend

this past weekend can be summed up in two words: live music. it was mfnw (music fest northwest), so there were a lot of local bands + some big names here in town. jill got us invited to a free event put on by opb at mississippi studios with coffee, alcohol, snacks + six live bands. later than night (read: way past my bedtime), we went to see my roommate jeremy play a show with seattle band, the moondoggies. they put on a really great show -- check them out here! on sunday, drew and i indulged in an outdoor brunch at one of our favorite neighborhood eateries in the sunny 90+ degree weather. parasite annoyances aside, it was a truly perfect weekend.

 

 

1. found this pretty copy of pride and prejudice.

2. ages and ages.

3. couple shot #1: jeremy + jill.

4. the moondoggies.

5. couple shot #2: drew + i.

6. drew's gorgeous french toast.

7. my (less gorgeous) vegan spelt oatmeal chai blueberry pancake.

chevron

urban outfitters is all over the chevron trend right now (and i'm absolutely loving it)!

images via 1, 2, 3, 4

saying thanks

for going on two weeks now, i have been sick to my stomach. for obvious reasons, this hasn't been pleasant. for other reasons too, like living with my boyfriend who gets to witness every minute of it. through my worries, embarrassment and tears over this mystery illness, drew has been an absolute dream. from running out at odd hours for gatorade, driving me to numerous appointments, trying to keep me away from webmd at all costs (no matter which symptoms you enter, it's always cancer), he's been so helpful. last night, i decided to put together a surprise thank you dinner for him.

i made a little card, smitten kitchen's naked tomato sauce over whole wheat linguine (i wanted to drink this sauce!), bought a favorite beer + one of portland's best cupcakes. candles were lit right before he walked in from work. it was the perfect amount of romance on a random wednesday night to let him know how much i appreciate his support.

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.

make your own stationery

not being able to go to work this week (or leave the house in general) is driving me a little bit insane. i'm waiting on some test results, but the doctors are now almost positive that i ingested a parasite from the local tap water. a parasite! for the girl who is the world's #1 germaphobe + who has nightmares about the show monsters inside me. eating has been a disaster (as a result, i've lost an unhealthy amount of weight in the last week and have zero energy). naturally, i've been trying to stay busy and keep my spirits up. crafts + mad men marathons have certainly helped.

i first got the idea to make my own stationery when i saw a cute vintage typewriter stamp in a store. i bought the stamp, some alphabet stamps, ink, card stock and matching envelopes. buying cards is always expensive + handmade items have so much charm that i think people appreciate and enjoy. on the front, i stamped the card stock with the typewriter and included the words "just writing to say..." and the back is reserved for whatever the occasion (happy birthday, get well soon, thank you, hello). the whole project cost me around $12. i think my first one will go to my parasite: just writing to say... get the hell out of my intestines.