My Niece and I

My niece and I have.... well... um, a special connection.  We are scarily similar, goofballs and can anticipate the silliness in one another without the need for verbal cues.

Don't believe me? 
I give you visual proof:

Still need proof?
Ok, I give you video:

Memorable Memorial Weekend | Weekend in Review

This past weekend was Memorial Weekend which meant 3 days off to play!!

The Guy and I planned to get out and explore a bit starting with the Oregon Coast.  We headed south first, driving the scenic 101 as much as possible. Along the way there were a few beautiful viewpoints where we stopped to breath in the salt air and take in the sights.

The Oregon Coast is by and large my favorite place to enjoy the ocean.  The greenery, overcast skies and consistent lapping of waves is my heaven on earth.

We drove as far south as Newport before deciding to get out and run around the beach a bit.  The tide was out so we explored a few tide pools and drew in the sand.  The Guy even drew my logo... camera and all!  I felt obliged to take a photo with it, and apparently the pose to do when someone draws your logo is a side plank??  Random, but oh well!

We headed back north after a bit, exploring Pacific City and camped out there for the night.  We found a pretty amazing spot on the beach and were tempted to pitch the tent, but were concerned that high tide might reach it, so we car camped instead.  It was SO FUN!!  We parked just off the road and could hear the waves all night.  A panoramic view of the ocean is not a bad sight to wake up to, believe me.

Also,  I don't know how this guy puts up with me.  I mean, what is that face?!

On Sunday we explored a bit more of the coast, driving the scenic route and pulling over to take in the view often.  We stopped off at the Tillamook Cheese Factory to get some cheesy treats and then drove up to Cannon Beach.  Cannon Beach was PACKED with people!!!  We decided to not stop and headed back to Portland instead.  Sometimes I forget how crazy that place can be on a holiday weekend!  I think we were pretty blessed with the light crowds on the rest of our trip!

Monday was spent decompressing a bit, followed by a trip to REI to find me a hiking backpack!!!  I've been wanting one for some time now, and with my member's dividend, plus a 20% coupon on top of the already great sale they were having, I got a pretty great deal on a beauty!

 

I ended up getting the pack, a first aid kit, a new pocket knife and some moleskin all for less than the original price of the pack!  I'm pretty stoked about my new pack and can't wait to hit the trails soon!

As if all that excitement wasn't enough, The Guy and I had one more plan to round out the BEST WEEKEND EVER.  We hopped on the Max to the Rose Garden and enjoyed an AMAZING concert with Mumford & Sons!!!  I had purchased the tickets months ago, and couldn't remember where were sitting exactly, so it was pretty cool to find out that I was basically the best girlfriend ever because I happened to score us front row seats!!  We were to the immediate right of the stage, and had a great view of the show! 

Rocking out with Mumford & Sons was a great way to cap off this amazing weekend!  I'm so looking forward to the next show we have planned to see.  This summer is going to be filled with lots of adventures and live music!

Do you like live music?

How did you celebrate your 3 day weekend?

Confession of a Stretchy-Pants-Aholic

Confession:  I am not fashionable.
Not even a little bit.

I mean, I look at magazines and other girls, and sometimes even walk through a mall and I can see what looks nice together, and I can see what the trends are, and as an artist I even notice the current color palette.  However, I go back home, throw on my stretchy pants with a t-shirt and settle back into my day.

My name is Macey and I am addicted to stretchy pants.

So when Jenn over at the Elsewhere blog contacted me about participating in her weekly link up - Curvy Girl Fashion Friday - I was both excited and scared.  I would love to participate, but this means I have to pay attention to what I wear at least one day a week, and beyond that photograph it!

So I'm linking up this week even though I really didn't have a day where I looked cute.  I figure posting two weeks in a row like this would be embarrassing, so it'll push me to make an effort at least one day next week.  And with that, I give you typical Macey...

Why yes, that is my dirty laundry on the seat behind me.  Thank you for asking.

- Hat on head
- Flannel over t-shirt
- My Portland Love necklace from GlassCast
- And yup, you guessed it, stretchy pants!

Now I know what you're thinking, "where's the full body shot??  We want to see your curves baby!"
And to that I reply, chill.
I don't have a full body mirror, so I'm going to have to get creative for my selfies in the future.  Don't worry, I'll be back with better pics next week, promise.

Want to participate in the Curvy Fashion Girl Friday link up?  

Head on over to Elsewhere and join in the fun!

New Cars, Roadtrips and Laughter.... OH MY!

So something pretty major happened around here last week.... I BOUGHT A NEW CAR!!!

Everybody,  I'd like to formally introduce you to Toby...

My old car, a beautiful 2003 Ford Taurus (lovingly named Derrik by a toddler I used to babysit) has been going downhill the past year.  He hit 140 thousand miles when I moved to Portland and was close to 150 thousand when he just stopped.  He lived a good long life, and I would love to have given him a new engine and a little extra loving, but I just couldn't justify putting more money into him that he was worth. 

So Ryan and I (he loves me enough to spend a day with me freaking out over finances and new shiny objects - lots of highs and lows in a short span of time) spent a day talking with our friend Austin who works for the Enterprise lot in Portland. 
* side note - Austin is the husband of the awesome Kayla over at Fit Life Forward!  I wasn't necessarily planning on buying anything that day, but once I drove this 2012 Nissan Versa, it was over.

I LOVE THIS CAR!!!

Toby and I went on our first road trip together this past weekend.  I packed him up and we drove to Idaho Friday to visit friends and family.

It was a pretty great weekend with my favorite munchkin (my niece Joie).  Much laughter and good times were shared.  I'll be blogging more about my photoshoots and adventures later this week!

Any major and/or exciting news happening in your world this week?  

I'd love to hear about it!  Share in the excitement in the comments below!

Perfect Summery Evenings

*WARNING* this post is picture heavy

Saturday evening was spent with 3 of my favorite people.  We enjoyed time at the park playing basketball, softball, frisbee and just generally being silly.  It was a beautiful evening.

I had been hoping for some warm sunlight for Magic Hour (the hour prior to the sun setting) so I could practice taking pictures in the orangey glow.  Unfortunately the light didn't cooperate, but I had my camera in tow anyhow.  I took some pics and let the kids play a bit too.

Here are a few of the images we came away with...

Outtakes...

A Turning Point

When I was 20 years old I went to the doctor by myself because my mom was out of town.  I had been through a year of tests, specialist appointments and doctor visits every few weeks, and figured that appointment was just another in the mass of doctor visits.  This one was different though.  At this appointment I was given my diagnosis.

I'm not a superstitious person most of the time (unless I'm playing sports, then it's pretty ridiculous) but since that day I've not been to another appointment alone.  My mom was with me at every follow up and visit during treatment, and I've managed to wrangle a friend or family member into accompanying me to for the occasional doc-in-the-box appointment over the years.  The Guy even stepped up in a big way a few weeks ago taking care of me for 4 days while I battled tonsillitis and an ER visit.

BUT last night was a turning point for me!  My throat has been sore since Friday and my tonsils are swollen once again (grrr!!).  The last thing I want it is for it to get so bad I need to go to the ER again (no thanks on that bill!) so I called up Zoom Care and made an appointment.  I went to that appointment last night
all. by. myself.

The crazy thing?  I didn't even realize I had gone alone until I was filling my mom in on what the doc said later.  She asked who had gone with me, and when I answered, "no one," her was reaction was quite comical.

Yay for being an adult and letting old superstitions die!


Also, I came home to find my new running shoes had arrived!  These were graciously sent by Skora after I chatted with one of their reps a few weekends ago about barefoot running.  The soles on these babies are amazing!  I'll be posting a full review soon...

Are you a superstitious person?  

Have you run in "barefoot" shoes before?

Some Weekends are Just Perfect | Weekend in Review

Ever have one of those weekends?  You know, one of those perfect weekends where the sun is shining, everyone's happy and you spend time doing things you love with your favorite people.  This past weekend was just that.  One of those weekends so perfect that it fuels you for the work week ahead.

Here's how it went down:

Friday began with a cute outfit.  I wanted to wear my new striped dress from Old Navy, but wasn't quite up to rocking the tank top look just yet, but wearing a sweater over it just didn't feel right.  So I threw on a black tee over the top and my red Toms.  The dress became a skirt and the look worked for 'nanny casual.'  Success!

Friday evening I enjoyed a wonderful meal with a good friend of mine.  Heather was my first girl friend when I moved to Portland last year and she has become very dear to me.  We don't see each other as often as I would like (she lives in Camas) but when we do manage to get together (every other week or so) it's like no time has passed.  She's a soul sister for sure. 

ps- if you haven't been to Le Happy yet, make plans to go soon, you won't regret it.

Saturday was a day spent outdoors in the sunshine!  The weather in Portland right now is unusually warm (80+ degrees!!) and I'm loving it!  I'm not a fan of heat, but knowing that it's only going to be around for a short time lets me enjoy it's visit.  The sunshine is getting me very excited for the summer months and I'm looking forward to lots of days spent outdoors.

My sunny Saturday was spent watching Lil' Man play soccer...

And playing catch with The Guy and Lil' Man.  Check out the glove I found at the Goodwill for just $7.99!

I signed up for a summer softball league, and I'm soooooo excited to start playing again!  I've missed the game so much.  I'm considering coaching next year too.  Coaching is something I've wanted to do for some time now, and I think next spring might be just the right time.  We'll see!

Sunday was GLORIOUS!  It was a beautiful sunny day and just right for a long bike ride.  Bee purchased a bike last week, and I was excited to take her on her first ride.  She did great!  It can be very stressful to ride with traffic, but luckily Portland drivers are nice to bicyclists (for the most part.)

We headed out from her place and rode to Starky's in SE PDX to take advantage of their bottomless mimosas.  It was so fun to sit on the patio in the sunshine and talk about life, blogging, Portland, and everything in-between.

After a couple hours, many mimosas and a shared basket of tots (gotta soak up some of that champagne!) we headed back to her home.  It was hot by then, so we hit it hard to get home fast.  We rode about 13 miles total, not bad for Bee's first Portland Biking Adventure!

After decompressing for a little bit (and re hydrating!) we headed to the Portland Nursery.  Bee needed to exchange a few plants she had purchased the day before and I was looking to purchase a few herbs myself.  I ended up bringing home a beautiful Rosemary plant along with a Lime Thyme plant.  I've lovingly named them Fred and Ethel.  They both smell soooo delicious and I can't wait to cook many a meal seasoned with them.

All-in-all it was a glorious weekend that I just did not want to end.  How was your weekend?  Did you partake in any outdoor activities?

Friday Randoms | Let's Get Personal

One thing I MUST do before I die is photograph Santorini during Magic Hour on a hot summer's evening.

I would rather spend time outdoors than be stuck inside any day.

If I could give my younger self one piece of advice it would be to stop worrying so much and just enjoy the ride.  Life has a funny way of working out exactly as it should.

If I won the lottery tomorrow I'd jump up and down silently screaming for a few minutes!  I would then definitely donate a grip to my favorite charity - the Boys & Girls Club - pay off my student loans, and get the heck outta dodge!  I'd travel the world with nothing by my journal, camera and "come what may" attitude.

The best day ever was meeting my niece for the first time.  It was instant love.

My proudest moment was crossing the finish line of the Nike Women's Marathon in October 2010.

My biggest strength is connecting with people.

I'm most looking forward to seeing where life takes me.

That's right, I can rock a pink mustache like nobody's business.
Photo from this past weekend's Rad 80's Run

Your turn!  Tell me something about yourself that I don't know in the comments below.

Top 5 Memories of My First Year in Portland

Meeting Ryan - July 5th, 2012

There's no link to a post about meeting Ryan. I can't believe I didn't blog about this!  (Actually, what probably happened is that I blogged about it, and then worried that I would jinx it by getting so excited about it, so I deleted that post.  I'm a bad blogger sometimes).

Oh well, I can remember it like it was yesterday anyway ;)

My cousin Leeah had invited me to join her at the Ben Harper concert at Edgefield in Troutdale.  Ryan (who I had met online) had asked me to a beer for that same evening.  I accepted both 'dates' forgetting that they were for the same Thursday.  I panicked when I'd discovered my mistake and told Ryan that we would either need to reschedule, or he was welcome to get a ticket and join us.  He grabbed a ticket online and joined us!

I remember being so impressed that he was spontaneous, and was excited to meet him.  We spent the concert chatting about hiking, photography and our shared love for Amos Lee.  We were the last ones to leave the concert (actually asked by the security guy to get out because they needed to clean up) and headed to Vancouver for drinks and more chatting.  An amazing friendship grew out of that evening, and I can't believe I haven't known him forever.

Although I didn't blog about the evening, my cousin did snap a picture of the three of us.  It was sooooo awkward at the time, but I'm so thankful she insisted.   I'd known Ryan for about an hour when this photo was taken.

My Apartment - July 2012

I found my apartment on Craigslist.  It was only 3 miles from the house where I was going to be working, and the most affordable choice I had stumbled upon.  I visited, fell in love, and filled out an application.  I was told I was 7th in line and resigned myself to believing I wasn't going to get it.  36 hours later I received a phone call saying everyone else had poor rental history and the apartment was mine!

Shocked and blessed.  Yup.

Vacation in Boise - August 2012

Having lived in Boise for 7 years, I really thought I knew the town well.  Visiting it as a 'tourist' opened my eyes to Boise in a whole new way.  I thoroughly enjoyed my Boise vacation, and strangely it solidified that moving to Portland was the right decision for me.  I came home to PDX finally feeling like life had begun for me.

But don't get me wrong, I miss this munchkin (and the rest of my family) very much.

Turning 30 - September 18, 2012

30 is a birthday I have looked forward to since I was a teenager.  It wasn't necessarily everything I thought it would be, but it was still pretty darn great.  I enjoyed time in the Tri Cities with family, hikes with friends, and beach time all as celebrations.

Finding the Goonies

Perhaps my favorite memory of all my first year in Portland is running away to the coast with Ryan.  We were both frustrated and stressed for various reasons and just needed to get away and clear our heads.  We decided to visit Astoria and search for the Goonies house.  It was a fun weekend in the sun, we saw many interesting sites, but best of all, it was the first time he held my hand and kissed me.  We were officially "something."  And I was officially over the moon.

 

I can't wait to see all the wonderful things I will experience my next year in Portland!