Pancakes for breakfast usually means that it's going to be a good day.

[1. c.lynn]

What a busy few weeks! I am back from New York only yesterday and I leave for Los Angeles tomorrow bright and early for a full weekend of work.

Luckily I will be spending a lot of time outside in the sunshine. I am really looking forward to that.

[1. kevin dean]

In addition to all of the stress in making preparations for my quick trip to New York to attend my grandmother's services, we also decided to move! Yes, that's us cutting up oranges to keep motoring through the unpacking of boxes. It may be a little too much for some, but we are managing. I love this new place so much that I am hoping to find the energy to leave the house in decent shape before I leave on Monday. Wish us luck!

[1. c. lynn]

My Nan passed away this morning and she will be so missed. But I hope that she is at peace with my Pop. It has been a very sad day for my family, but I have some many wonderful memories of her, which break me out of the sadness at times.

Her favorite, Hydrangeas.

[1. titanium22, 2. nyamaru kamome]

Our Valentine's Day plans included a getaway to Lake Tahoe for a reunion of sorts with friends. The cabins that we rented were ski in ski out which made the whole process of hitting the slopes at Heavenly a breeze.

I must admit that I was a little apprehensive of meeting so many of A's old friends at once, but the experience was so meaningful and marvelous that I am so happy that we were able to attend. Not only did I make some fast friends, but I fell in love with Tahoe; it is truly a magical place.

[1-2. C. lynn]

I'm feeling much better after a nice weekend and I'm ready to take on the world. Luckily for me, it's a short work week, as we're heading to Tahoe for some skiing and good times with A's friends.

[1. C. lynn]

I have been feeling a little more stressed than usual this weekend and have been trying different ways to relax. I have been soaking in tubs with lavender bath gels that my mom made for me. I also watched a movie to take my mind off things and went for happy hour margaritas with my fiance. I know that I'll feel better after a good night's rest.

-

I have been fantasizing about the tubs pictured above—although that cow hide bath mat in the top image doesn't seem very practical to me.

[1-3. Remodelista]

I love the delicacy of Carla Caruso's jewelry. I recently picked up a sweet little ring at Canoe in Portland and I haven't taken it off!

[1-4. Canoe and Carla Caruso]

My sister and I are both into scented candles and we have our favorites. T loves Voluspa candles and they are one of her signature gifts. I love Astier de Villatte candles which conjure up the world's most fascinating cities and neighborhoods. 

My other favorite candlemaker is Dyptyque—I love how I haven't even lit the one on my coffee table and yet the whole living room smells wonderful. My favorite scent from this line is Baies with a rich scent of roses and black current leaves. 

A tip for hard burn candles like this one: make sure the first burn is over two hours long. You'll want to see a pool of liquid wax reaching all edges of the candle before you snuff it out. This way your candle will burn entirely, from rim to rim, and not just in a column leaving a ring of wasted scented wax on the outer rim. 

Another good tip is to have a candle snuffer or a wick dipper, which will extinguish your candle smokelessly and coat the wick in wax for easy relighting. (You could also use a nonflammable long skewer.)

What to do with the candle glass once the candle is done for? Well, I like how Emily of Cupcakes and Cashmere uses them as makeup brush holders. 

[1. C. Lynn; 2. Emily]

This last week I decided shake up A's favorite dinner of breaded pork cutlets by brining the chops in an apple cider and Calvados mix before searing them off in a skillet. The crispy leftover bits are deglazed and worked into a delicious cider-y pan sauce. I loved the end result and you will too.

I worked off of Oui, Chef's recipe for Cider Brined Pork with Calvados, Mustard and Thyme and used the rosemary from our rooftop garden instead of thyme. I served the chops with sour cream mashed potatoes and a glass of Oregon pinot noir.

[1. Sara Shatz, 2. C. Lynn]

I love a good manicure.

Getting a manicure was always a treat with my mom or a way to squeeze in some quality time with my sister, so it's a little luxury that I find offers a pick-me-up.

Lately I've been obsessed with all of the fun nail art trends out there, from ombre and metallic tips to graphic patterns and dots. I even ended up doing a little bit of my own for New Year's Eve with what they call tinsel tips.

Here's a fun little illustrated history of nail art and a tutorial for a 30s style "moon manicure."

[1-3. Refinery29; 4-5. c. lynn]

Getting through the short gray days of winter in Portland is not an easy task, but we can all find ways of tempering the rainy day doldrums with something cozy and chic to slip over our heads. My winter fix has been Beau & Marigold's line of sought-after sweaters. I find them so easy to throw on with a pair of boots and feel so pull together and prepared for winter's chill. Not only are the sweaters knit with luxurious yarns and designed with a nod to timeless style, but the designer happens to be one of the most fantastic and talented women I've met in Portland.

With a second winter underway, I'm amassing a little bit of a collection.

PS: To keep all of my sweaters pill-free, I use a sweater stone.

[1-3. Beau & Marigold; 4. c. lynn]

A few snaps of delicious meals we had while in S.F. and Napa.

Top: an enormous croissant from Tartine Bakery
Middle: a deliciously complex pistachio and saffron kulfi from Neela's
Bottom: a crispy tamarind-glazed sea bass from Slanted Door

[1-3. c. lynn]

There are some big wonderful things happening as we start this brand new year. For one thing, I am getting married in the fall! It's thrilling and heart-warming and emotional and really fun! I'm just starting to get involved in the planning, but so far it feels so exciting and I am loving it. There is more big news where that came from but plans are still developing and I will share as soon as we make the final decision.

I have really missed posting here and I hope that in the new year, I can be much more available to document all of my projects and ideas. I know that some of you have been looking forward to this, which is a big big compliment and I so appreciate it.

[1. unknown]

Hello! I know it's been awhile. I have not been dutifully posting because I've been wrapped up with work, but not for too much longer!

I hope that you are enjoying the last weeks of summer. We are off on an annual camping trip next weekend in Cape Lookout and then will be in the Bay area for a wedding and some scouting for an exciting new adventure.


More posts to come.

[1. Greg Harness]

Inject some whimsy into your bedroom with an adorable floral quilt from Heidi Merrick.

[1. Heidi Merrick]

 

A couple sneak peeks of our BBQ preparation.

Menu:
Burgers (beef, turkey, salmon, veggie) with a toppings bar
Grilled asparagus
Pesto pasta with peas
Chile corn custard squares
Green salad
Cheese plate with five different cheeses as well as some black grapes, hazelnuts, homemade marionberry jam, and stone ground crackers
Lemon cornmeal pound cake topped with seasonal berries and macerated peaches

It's cherry season in Oregon!

We headed over to the farmers market last weekend with plans to prepare some scrumptious pickled rainier cherries (like the ones that Accanto has been serving in their in their Sauvie Island green salad the other night), but when we saw the sour cherries, I couldn't resist trying out my first cherry pie.

I worked off of this classic cherry pie recipe with the addition of Martha's foolproof pie dough and the results were magnificent! Forkfuls of cherry flavor, not too sweet, but the perfect complement to a scoop of ice cream.

[1. c. lynn]

On what was supposed to be a quick run to the market to pick up dinner, I came upon the most luscious marionberries. What are marionberries, you may ask? The marionberry is a hybrid caneberry related to the blackberry that was developed in Oregon state. These berries are really popular in town for having the punchy flavor of an amped up blackberry with a tart edge.

Even though it was getting late and I had an early start the next morning, I managed to water bath can a few jars of marionberry jam before collapsing for the night. But oh was my morning toast delish!



[1-2. c. lynn]

I'd like you to meet Kobe—he's the sweetest chihuahua mix on the block. I'm watching him while his owner is out of town and so far, we've had the best day walking around town making friends, running through the park, chasing after Kobe's favorite blue rope, and sneaking drinks from the water fountain.

We're also planning a nice run in the dog park this evening, but first Kobe has to watch me finish the dishes. Look at those back paws!!



[1-3. c. lynn]