Spring fever: Leek, Asparagus & Herb soup

Chop new potatoes, leeks, asparagus; throw them into a pot with broth and fresh herbs (chives, parsley, dill, and chervil if you can find it).

Cook until tender, and puree with milk. Serve with buttered, toasted bread. Dinner!


recipe from EatingWell magazine.

Christmas tree hunting

Searching for the perfect tree at Donahue Farms in the town of Boring, Oregon.


Brad was intent on finding the best-smelling tree. Mrs. Donahue recommended we find the Grand Firs, and pointed us on our way.

Brad does the sniff test.

After an hour, we found The Tree! We carried an 8-foot-tall Nordmann pine off the farm.

Happy holidays!

Persimmons

We have a persimmon tree in our backyard. It's of the Hachiya variety. Most of the year, I find it kind of an eyesore. But in November, all the leaves fall off. And the persimmons are left hanging like jewels from the branches.

Brad collects as many as he can to make persimmon pie. And the birds go nuts and eat as much persimmon as they can, before the fruit falls to the ground.

Pie Contest winner!

November: W+K's Annual Pie Contest. My peach pie took 2nd place in the fruit/berry category. Amazing! Being a novice pie baker, I thought peaches would be available in stores in November. No. Not even ratty little wrinkly ones at Safeway. So frozen peaches I had to use. Guess they worked out okay!

Boilerplate: History's Mechanical Marvel

October: Book signing for Anina and Paul's latest book, Boilerplate: History's Mechanical Marvel, a story about the world's first robot soldier. This is historical fiction so cleverly executed, many people have been fooled into believing the Boilerplate soldier actually existed at the turn of the 20th century.

Brad and I both posed with a life-size replica of Boilerplate.


And since we were at Powell's City of Books for the book signing, I was able to see some local advertising I had worked on, in situ. Stair stickers advertising the Wordstock literary festival:

Portlanders: love Egg Press?

Love letterpressed paper, delicious and tactile patterns, and great deals? If you live in Portland, you can't miss the Egg Press sample sale--it's happening right now!

letterpress cards ($1 each for single cards, $5 each for bundled cards)
infant onesies & children’s tees ($5 to $10)

“Tees while you wait!” Bring a t-shirt, tea towel, bag, or pillowcase and choose one of four designs for their master screen printer to apply while you wait ($5 per design).
Egg Press Sample Sale:
Thursday, April 9: 10am-7pm
Friday, April 10: 10am-7pm
Saturday, April 11: 10am-2pm

omiru

There once was a day when I used to think that all fashion guidance came from Lucky magazine. But fashion blogs are way more fun, more useful, and come more often than once a month!

Right now, my favorite fashion blog is Omiru, which has great styling tips. Layering, color trends, fit/figure flattery advice, where to find screaming deals, on-the-street style, and ready-made outfits (complete with purchasing info). It's a high-low mix, but heavy on the low.

Omiru's Date-Night Style


















Omiru's How to Wear a Sweatervest