Brown Turtleneck Sweater

Jonathan Adler Bergman Chair

 

This Jonathan Adler 'her' Bergman Chair was in the October issue of Cottage Living. Just want to sink into that camel mohair...

Brian Yates Wallcoverings

            

How much do you love this Brian Yates wallcovering, Botanicus?! Love the seams.

Cozy Yum Yum

Theo and I are off to watch Australian football at a neighborhood pub. But first - we stopped to get some noodles and curry at Cozy Noodles and Rice on Sheffield.  I love this place, not only for the food, but for the amazing collection of antique toys that completely COVER the place.  (The PEZ dispenser collection in the women's bathroom is fantastic!)

And so it begins...

Aside from it taking place next fall, Theo and I still have NO idea what we're doing for the wedding. That hasn't stopped me from thinking about dresses.... I don't want white or anything remotely traditional, the un-wedding dress.  (Oh man - I'm sure I'm the billionth person to think and talk like this - not so original! But actually - It's kind of comforting! If they found something so can I!) Love the feminine feel of these Rodarte dresses. Not into the white or the pink. Can I wear brown or burnt orange?

Kathryn Bischak Painting

I saw this Kathryn Bischak painting in a shop here in Seattle.  This photo is from Kathryn's website, and it does absolutely no justice to the painting.  The colors are so vibrant in person! It would look so great in my family room!

Wishing I was home, but...

I wish you guys could see what I see.  I'm back in Seattle again, for the last stop in a month-long business trip.  I'm so tired. I'm cranky. I miss my bed.  BUT - I just can't help but enjoy Seattle.  Every time I come here I find it lush, cool, and gorgeous. (That whole rain thing must be a big story the locals tell to keep us outsiders away!) I'm in a hotel just off the Pike Place Market, right on the bay.  The sun is going down over the water and it's fabulous. I took a walk through the market (I always love the flowers best - and what perfect timing: The dahlias are in season and they're as big as my head!). I had a cup of clam chowder for dinner, and I've finally cleared my head enough to work. Two more days...

One More Portland Gem

I just want to share one more great thing about Portland...The Kennedy School. The McMenamin brothers restore old buildings to their former glory, turning them into community gathering places like pubs, hotels, or movie theaters.  In this instance - they turned an old schoolhouse into all three (The Kennedy School also boasts a brewery and a soaking pool!)

I stopped by, and this place was packed: ladies leaving a baby shower, teens lining up for the movie theater, old couples in the restaurant, and families in the soaking pool - a true community hang-out.

And to top it off - this place looked strangely familiar!  Years ago, my Grandpa and his brothers and sisters bought their old high school in the tiny town town they grew up in: Burchard, Nebraska. They couldn't bare to have it torn down - but they weren't sure what to do with it either.  So every couple of years - the entire Dougherty clan (nearly a hundred of us) would take a road trip to this mini-town in the middle of a corn field.  We'd sleep in the old classrooms, dance in the gymnasium, play baseball in the fields, have water fights (it was always SO hot), and roast marshmallows over bonfires.  Sometimes we'd walk to the only other thing in town, the bar, for some candy.

The school is no longer in our family, and while we always went begrudgingly ('we have to spend HOW long in the car?') - we always had a great time. I was glad I stopped by the Kennedy School - if for nothing more than the memory.

 

Neisha Crosland Fabric

Love this cut velvet weave Zebra fabric from Neisha Crosland.  Two of my recent obsessions (animal print AND navy) combined!

Shop AND Dine Portland

This is the Byways Cafe in the Pearl District of Portland, Oregon.  If you look close enough, you can just make out Britt at the counter, drinking her coffee and eating her short stack of Lemon pancakes. (Don't look too closely, Britt didn't shower before she got there.)  But wait!  Who is that in the corner booth? Josh Lucas! Star of Sweet Home Alabama and Glory Road.  He is with this girl (who also appears not to have showered, but still manages to look great).  How many times have I been to LA for work, and not seen ONE famous person?!  Who knew you had to go to Portland for a good celeb-sighting these days...

I've managed to do some major exploring (read: shopping) while I've been here.  I've hit all the major (boutique-shopping-who-needs-to-see-a-landmark) areas: Hawthorne, Alberta (my favorite), Knob Hill (close second), Mississippi Ave (heard the lead singer of Modest Mouse lives just off Mississippi, but TWO celebrity sightings would be too much to hope for!), and the above-mentioned Pearl District. I've been in SOOO many great shops: The English Dept, Cork, Grasshopper, Flutter, Cielo Home, Oblation Paper and Press, and even more without websites (Mabel and Zora was my absolute favorite, read a review here!)

I actually didn't buy that much, just put a lot of miles on my favorite orange walking shoes. I did manage to get a GREAT Christmas present (no I'm not the kind of person who buys X-mas presents in April, it was just that cute) and some adorable menu cards for Thanksgiving.

Oh, almost forgot - spent TWO HOURS at Powell's Books for Home & Garden. (A WHOLE STORE full of cookbooks, as well as design, craft, and garden books (old and new). Worth the weekend in Portland all by itself (almost - miss you Theo!).

So Organic!

 

If this Jane Churchill fabric comes in Navy, it will be mine. I can already picture it on my couch.