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...