kelsey malie

Jones Creek + Wilson River Trail

noreply@blogger.com (Ladies in Navy) — Mon, 08 Feb 2016 16:14:00 +0000

Two weekend's ago, Ben and I decided to load up and drive in a coast-direction toward Tillamook, home of my favorite Oregon cheese. But, in some misguided and healthy fashion, we stopped short of that promised land and went for a hike along the gorgeous Wilson River instead. It was no cheese factory with unlimited cheese samples or an ice cream counter serving up 24 delicious flavors, but we probably lost a pound rather than gained it in dairy-calories. Oh, the trade-offs.

The Wilson River Trail, or Jones Creek Traverse, is about 7.2 miles long from the Jones Creek Campground near the Tillamook Forest Center. The hike weaves along the river (which is a short way from Highway 6, meaning you can see and hear cars) that is speckled with anglers. The river is gorgeous and green and the trail is peppered with little tributaries that flow over the path and down into the rushing river below. It was all moss and ferns and peace in the woods, and though an ATV/ORV road runs along the trail to the right, we didn't see anyone out but quiet fisherman.

The trail then heads up a ridge in some beautiful undergrowth to the Wilson Falls. The falls are beautiful but are literally on the trail, meaning your shoes are quite likely to get soaking wet trying to cross this feature on the trail. To get a photo, Ben had to stand in the waterfall and precariously peer upward to see it falling. Well worth it!

From there, the trail climbs back down the ridge, with about 2-3 switchbacks down, crossing some footbridges made of giant logs to the Footbridge Trailhead along Highway 6 again. As this is a pull-off with river access it was a bit more crowded, with some great views of the river. The hike is an out-and-back, so after that, you just turn around and do it again. One way is about 3.6 miles.

I loved this trail - some lush forest, an unexpected waterfall, and constant river views - but it is close-enough to the highway to hear some pretty frequent car noise. If you can tune it out, it's pretty peaceful and wild.

Map to My Heart

noreply@blogger.com (Ladies in Navy) — Wed, 03 Feb 2016 16:06:00 +0000

Ben and I have long half-heartedly observed Valentine's Day. Our date-iversary fell on January 31st and so Valentine's has always been a bit too close to that celebration and lackluster. Seven years into our relationship, we're basically at the point of "hey can you pick me up some flowers" and "is there any chocolate in the cupboard."

I felt a bit more celebratory this year when I realized that we had to ditch our seven year date-iversary in lieu of our one-year of marriage milestone coming up at the end of March. It's a shame to throw away that count (just when it was crossing into the "approaching 10 years" range) in favor of a lame 1-year marker, but such are the rules of transitioning to married life.

With the desire to do something for V-Day came the inevitable question: what on earth do I get Ben? We try to get each other gifts on days that are about celebrating each other and not the individual. A great dinner out, or a trip, are always go-tos when we celebrate each other. And bars of chocolate and champagne never hurt anyone. But this year, as we reflect on a busy and wonderful 2015 and look forward into a relatively uncertain future as we know we have to move out of Portland in the next two years for Ben's residency, it seemed something more personalized was in order.

Enter my recent favorite place to get small-artist created, beautiful art: Minted. They've recently really upped their personalization game with their art offerings and this Valentine's Day they have some of the sweetest things to gift your significant other (or yourself, because let's be honest... you are your own Valentine, too!). Some of my favorite pieces in their collection are wonderfully reminiscent - hand-lettered wedding vows or poems, hand-drawn art, letterpress maps (customizable!) to your location.

When Minted offered me some pieces from their photo art collection, I was immediately drawn to these gold-foil maps. I picked two maps - one of our current home, Portland, and one of the Hawaiian Island chain, my former home and where we got married. It felt like the perfect way to merge both of our worlds into two pieces of art for our home. In a pretty gold frame that matches our bedside tables, lamp, and other accents in our bedroom, the pieces are currently sandwiching our bedside and serve as a little geographic reminder of our definitions of "home." Nothing more romantic than that!

Frog Lake Snowshoe

noreply@blogger.com (Ladies in Navy) — Mon, 01 Feb 2016 14:40:00 +0000

Snow Boots: Sorel (on sale!); Snowshoe Rental: Mountain Sports; Coat: Jack Wolfskin

A month or two ago, Ben pitched a snow fit. He plopped down into a chair in the living room and demanded we drive our Corolla up the mountain, to the snow, and just sit in it for a bit. I said no. Largely due to the Corolla's lack of: chains/studded tires/ability to handle a hill. And it seemed rather cold and I have absolutely zero shoes to wear in the snow. He was not pleased.

A few weeks later, however, Rachel invited me to go snowshoeing with her on Mt. Hood and had the generous support of her boyfriend's 4-wheel drive truck. We planned the trip and on the day-of, learned it was raining, then icing, then raining again on Hood and we cancelled our trip in favor of the nightmare that was the trek to Abiqua Falls (where it was also raining). I also snagged some Sorel snow boots that have worked wonders out in the wet and snow on recent hikes. I linked them above as they're wonderful shoes and are down to $69.50 right now (three colors).

Fast forward a week and the conditions were right to head to Mt. Hood to snowshoe. We rented snowshoes in Welches and then visited Frog Lake. It was surprisingly crowded all over the mountain, but Frog Lake, once we got off of the main track full of sledders, kids, and X-Country skiers, we found the path to the actual lake to be really quiet and peaceful. It was my first time snowshoeing and probably my new favorite thing.

Snowshoeing, if you haven't done it, is awesome because it's hiking (easy) that allows you to traverse puffy banks of snow without sinking through. We did some tests in bare shoes versus snowshoes and found we just fell right into the high drifts and ten or so feet of snow covering the ground. Ben was prancing through the snow like a gazelle, taking advantage of the snowshoe letting him go off-roading through the forest instead of on the main, paved track.

By the time we saw Frog Lake, trekked back, and then explored down another path, we'd gone 5 miles and were exhausted. My calves were aching the next day from lifting a heavier than usual show, but it was well worth it! I'm hoping we get to go again this year to another hike on Hood to further expand our snowshoe repertoire.

Apartment-Friendly Bedroom Updates

noreply@blogger.com (Ladies in Navy) — Tue, 26 Jan 2016 18:53:00 +0000

I feel like I've been on a many-year-long mission to make my bedroom a sanctuary and tranquil resort in the midst of a chaotic life. But there's something so difficult about that. And it's compounded when you rent an apartment and have limited opportunity to make real edits to a room. A perfect bedroom seems about one shade of white paint and an expensive bed frame away (well, that an home ownership perhaps). I seem to be missing the absolute lack of possessions that makes most bedrooms alluring and have too many pressing expenses to buy gorgeous linens, pillows, fabric headboards, and beautiful chairs. Maybe it is the shape of the space (small and uninteresting) or just the fact that I do own things that aren't entirely white and cream. Whatever it may be, I live in distress that I can't achieve something close to those linked spaces.

For now, I'm forcing myself to focus on small improvements to my rented space that will ultimately achieve my tranquil bedroom goals.

Most recently, we made some small changes to the bedroom space that seemed to make a bit of a difference in the airy-feel that it was sorely lacking.

Apartment-Friendly Bedroom Updates

1. White linens. This was our first change and it was a big leap as we have two brown/grey cats. But it has made a huge difference (and increased my weekly laundry loads. Going to bed in all white seems to make the space infinitely more peaceful. Our formerly grey comforter just made the space feel smaller. This duvet cover is from West Elm.

1.5 Throws. I think a well-placed, luxurious throw like this faux-fur throw in a light color, makes every space comfy. If you want to increase the cozy level, add a hand-woven light colored basket and pile some more in it. We have a basket at the foot of the bed that didn't get captured here, but it holds a knitted white blanket and extra pillows.

2. Bedside tables. I'm still struggling on this element of the room, as we don't have the proper space (or budget) for really nice bedside tables. We opted for side tables that take up minimal space, visual or otherwise. Without any drawers, they stop the room from looking very full or blocked.

3. Curtains. I am convinced that you need to update whatever window dressing is in your apartment. Our townhouse came with really nice blinds, but leaving them as-is made our home feel less home-y. It felt standard. Once we installed light, linen curtains, the entire home changed for the better. I just added them in my bedroom and am insanely thrilled with the result. Instant romance.

4. Art. Apartments often look like apartments due to the lack of art displayed. Bare walls seem to yell "I won't live here for long." We have been slowly adding to our collection of wall art and recently added this calligraphy print to our bedroom. I wrote the phrase (a Hawaiian wedding vow) and over-lay it on one of the photos from our wedding. I love the romantic vibe it gives the room.

5. Lighting. This is a big budgetary struggle for me. I hate our bedside table lamps and have my eye on these, but I did get to update my desk lamp. It has made a huge difference in the look of my desk area!

For a look back into our bedroom when we first moved in, two years ago, see here.

Abiqua Falls

noreply@blogger.com (Ladies in Navy) — Sun, 24 Jan 2016 04:17:00 +0000

Last weekend, despite pouring rain, whipping wind, a 4-wheel-drive vehicle road that was washed out by a river of mud, a wrong turn down a wrong cliff, and becoming so covered in mud it's still underneath my fingernails, we made it to Abiqua Falls. Abiqua has always been one of those beautiful, recognizable Instagram-waterfalls of the Northwest. But we've always lacked the vehicle or the interest in driving two hours out to an unpaved forest road to find an unmarked trail to the falls. It's actually only a 0.25 mile walk to the falls, which seems really doable until you do it wrong.

Though we hemmed and hawed for about a half of a week and most of Saturday morning due to the 100% chance of thunderstorms and 40 mph gusts, Rachel was kind enough to buckle us up into her boyfriend's truck and brave this rainy adventure. Abiqua is near Silver Falls State Park outside of Salem. You pass through Silverton, Oregon and keep driving for about an hour through pasture land and lichen covered trees, and pine forests until you reach Crooked Finger Road which leads to a bunch of ATV/off-road-vehicle recreation areas. From Crooked Finger Road, you take an unmarked, steep downhill road for about 2 miles until you reach the unmarked trailhead (there's a gate that prevents you from going any farther). We missed the turn off once, tracked back, and then maneuvered the truck down the washed out road for about a mile until we called that quits and decided to park at a pull out and walk the remaining downhill mile. By the time we hit the trailhead we were not only sopping wet, but already tired from a rainy walk in our waterproof boots.

The trailhead, BE WARNED, is not marked. So when you reach the entrance to Abiqua you have a couple of choices of paths to take. You can head home (path 1), head straight (the path we took), or head to the left (the actual hike). We headed straight out into a clearing with a view of the river. From there a trail... trailed off over a cliff. It seemed wrong, but not knowing the difference, having 0 cell service, and feeling ready to get moving to keep warm and see some breathtaking falls, we took the path less traveled. Turns out that was a path less traveled for a reason. We began our descent down an unsafe, steep rocky hill covered in thick, wet mud, and really loose rocks that kept tumbling to the bottom of the 200' or so mud-cliff. There was a rope tied to a tree that we decided to use to go down backwards with. I made it half way down the hill (it's very kind to call it a hill) before I realized I wouldn't be able to make it back up and I had 0 interest in falling to my death. We all committed to giving up on the falls and felt a bit peeved that the Oregon Hikers website didn't warn that we'd be cliff-climbing.

Once we exhausted all quad and shoulder effort using a rope to haul our bodies up about 100 feet for so, we discovered the actual trail. Rachel and I were shaking by the time we got down the significantly more accessible (though just as muddy) climb down to the falls. And then we trecked over some rocks on the bank of the stream. The falls were breathtaking, despite the arduous (user-error) hike. I'm not sure how we made it back out, up the muddy hike and then up another steep mile of road, but suffice it to say neither Rachel or I could move on Sunday.

Take the right turn, go in some sunshine, and I 100% recommend this hike. Just do not go down the steep cliff with the aid of only one small yellow rope.

noreply@blogger.com (Ladies in Navy) — Thu, 21 Jan 2016 16:36:00 +0000

“The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars.”
Jack Kerouac

On the Menu: Emergency Biscuits

noreply@blogger.com (Ladies in Navy) — Mon, 18 Jan 2016 16:23:00 +0000

This post could have a few alternative titles:

The Care and Keeping of Butter

Recipes That Aren't Really Recipes

and

So Easy, I Can Do It

But, other snarky titles aside, I made these aptly named emergency biscuits in an emergency "been watching too many seasons of The British Baking Show and therefore must bake something but have no ingredients or skills for any frangipane tarts!" fever. The emergency, or drop, biscuit, is basically made of butter, flour and milk. It's easy to make for breakfasts when you're hosting guests, when you're not ready to spend $40 on a Portland brunch but want to consume as many calories from bread products, or you've been inspired by a cooking show.

Read on for the easy-peasy and delicious recipe!

You'll need:

1 stick (1/2 cup) of butter, cut into 1/4" pieces and kept cold

1 1/2 cups flour

2 tsps baking powder

1 tsp salt if your butter is unsalted

3/4 cups milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a baking sheet with butter. Whisk together your dry ingredients. Toss 1/4" pieces of cold butter into dry ingredient mixture, and either use a pastry cutter or your hands to work the butter into a "coarse meal" (I usually go for pea size pieces of butter or smaller in a chunky mix). Add milk and stir up with a fork quickly (the fork reduces the gluten formation and leaves the biscuit soft and tender). The dough should be sticky when done. Drop 1/4 cup of dough and mound into balls on the baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack immediately after removing from oven and serve warm.

Enjoy with condiments like jam or jelly! I love a passion fruit or raspberry jam with mine, but prosciutto and gouda would be a great savory option as well!

Witch's Castle/Stone House

noreply@blogger.com (Ladies in Navy) — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 15:51:00 +0000

Way back in early January (it certainly feels way back), Portland got a snow-dusting and Ben pitched a fit that he wanted to go up the mountain and play in it. Owning what I'd call a "not-snow-going" vehicle (an older Corolla that hates hills on a sunny day), I nixed the notion of trying to summit a snow mountain in an angry car. Ever the compromising brain, I suggested that we go to Forest Park instead and enjoy the green instead of the white. So we saddled up with new Christmas gear (a day-pack) and went for the short, pretty hike to Stone House, or the more fantastically named Witch's Castle. Surprisingly we ran into a dusting of the white stuff and Ben was able to make one lone snowball to pummel me with in the thigh. All was well.

The hike starts at Lower Macleay park in NW Portland or at the Audubon Society. The lower entrance involves walking up a slight incline, past a flowing stream. The upper hike involves a bit steeper of a hike down to start, but has a steeper climb back out, naturally. If you just stop at Witch's Castle, it's about 0.9 miles one-way, but if you continue on to the Audubon Society and back, you can get in a 2-3 mile walk in.

Witch's Castle is a stone house that was recently damaged in the storms we had this winter, so is inaccessible (hence the lack of photos of us and ghosts inside it), but it is really lovely to look at and has a great history. Though the house is actually an un-maintained rest station from the late twenties, it was the site of a homestead in the 1800s where some creepy happenings... happened.

The original owner of the land, Danford Balch was the first man legally hanged in Oregon for "accidentally" shooting and killing a hired hand that eloped with his sixteen year old daughter in the 1850s. All good stuff for a dusk-hike through the woods.

Northeast

noreply@blogger.com (Ladies in Navy) — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 15:51:00 +0000

Cardigan: Ugg; Top: Gap; Jeans: Gap; Bag: Madewell; Shoes: c/o KELSI DAGGER BROOKLYN.

There seem to be a perpetual list of places on my radar. Bored at work, I read Eater. I scroll through PDX instagram profiles. I watch other local bloggers enjoy spots that look so quintessentially Portland that I cannot miss them. Yet I usually do miss about half of them. How can one actually eat at all the restaurants in Portland without independent wealth, not a waistline care in the world, and endless time.

Ever since the first Kinfolk-y, minimalistic photos of Tea Bar surfaced online (plus the telltale black boba appearing in so many shots), Tea Bar has been high on my list of must-drinks. We finally made a trip to NE Killingsworth, skipping our favorite place Podnah's Pit, in the interest of awkwardly sucking down boba tea amongst Portland's legginged crowd. As soon as I'd ordered my insanely delicious chai boba, I realized that, perhaps, Tea Bar was too Portland for me. I can get behind just about everything in this city - it's weird, it's beautiful, and the food is/was good enough to earn us a #1 food city in America by the Washington Post.

Apparently I can't get behind a space where all the of tea sippers are also wearing printed leggings, crop-top turtlenecks, and lace-up boots. Or high-waisted mom jeans with midriff baring tanks and floral half-sleeves exposed in mid-winter. But the boba was darn good.

Feeling over-dressed in down jackets rather than breezy cotton shifts with exposed panels of skin, we quickly darted next door to the new Handsome Pizza spot and enjoyed a delicious slice decked out with sausage and jalepenos along with some other people wearing what looked like wool, heavy socks, and regular jeans. I'll be honest that these open-toed stunners from KELSI DAGGER BROOKLYN were verging on the Tea Bar-side of inappropriately dressed, but the rest of my body was encased in goose feathers for the duration of the outing.

Hoyt Arboretum

noreply@blogger.com (Ladies in Navy) — Mon, 04 Jan 2016 14:26:00 +0000

Portland has proven to be rarely-miserable in terms of weather. For the past two years we haven't had much snow, the weather has been milder than expected, and even drier. Those endless years of rain we experienced in Seattle have been non-existent here. And then, El Niño, wrench-thrower that it is, delivered torrential downpours that quite literally flooded us all this late-fall and early winter. We hit some "wettest day ever records," created landslides and sinkholes, and my walk home from work was unpleasant for a few days. After what seemed like non-stop rain for the month of November and December, we got a sprinkling of snow two days after Christmas. The mountains got tons of it, but down here in the valley, we saw it fall all day but never stick. Beautiful puffy snow that turned into giant puddles. Thanks 37 degrees.

Though this past weekend has been an entirely different story (we have about an inch of snow + freezing rain all night + dropping temps in the high twenties), the pretty snow that fell right after Christmas stuck in the hills. When we went out and about to do some walking on New Year's Day, to ring in the New Year outside (mistake), we discovered some of that formerly-known-as-snow had become massive sheets of uncomfortably cold and slippery ice and was peppering the trails and roads up by the zoo. If I look comfortable, warm, or otherwise happy about being outside in the photos above, it is a straight up lie. I nearly cried with a 20 mph wind and 30 degree temperature dropping us into the 10-degree wind chill range.

Ben and I, though we frequent Forest Park and Washington Park (the hill/park on which the Oregon Zoo lives), have never actually made it around Hoyt Arboretum. It's a beautiful, easily accessible spot with some super easy walking trails. Though there were absolutely no leaves on any trees, and I had no interest in turning my head outside of my puffy jacket hood and exposing it to the wind, I suppose the purpose of the arboretum was to showcase some trees. If so, we need to return in the spring or fall to enjoy that aspect of the walk. There are quite a few good walking options at Hoyt - a "2 hour loop" of a 1.5 mile trail that showcases some sweeping mountain views and some easy walking. The trails also all connect to the Wildwood Trail, a forty-mile long trail through Forest Park that's beautiful and endlessly walkable. We saw a lot of families braving the weather, dog walkers, and out of towners on the walk and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a pretty and easy stroll. It complimented our champagne headaches perfectly!

Happy 2016 all! Hope you had a chance to rest, relax and get outside during your break's!

2015: Year in Review

noreply@blogger.com (Ladies in Navy) — Tue, 29 Dec 2015 17:07:00 +0000

January 2015

We took a miserably wet trip to the coast

I opened my calligraphy Etsy shop!

We took our 6-year anniversary trip to Skamania Lodge (during which I had the flu)

February 2015

We explored the Tualatin River Wildlife Refuge and apparently didn't do much else

March 2015

We hiked the Wildwood Trail in Forest Park

and then we hiked Tryon Creek State Park

We attended Toast Portland, a gigantic distillery tasting fest

We went to Hawaii for two weeks, got married and honeymooned!!! See more of our wedding: getting ready, ceremony, and reception; our week in Hawaii and our honeymoon, and more.

April 2015

I lopped off my long locks!

We couldn't get over Hawaii and shared a great Mai Tai recipe.

We hiked Jackson Bottom Wetland Preserve.

We drove to Seattle for the weekend to visit my grandmother, tour a beautiful garden, and friends.

Ben's mom threw us a wedding reception in Eugene

May 2015

We threw our annual Kentucky Derby party

We picked the earliest strawberries ever at Kruger Farm

June 2015

I talked a bit about the second year of medical school

We turned our wedding photos into a great book by Artifact Uprising

We picked blueberries at Columbia Farms

I started a wine series

We got a kitten!

July 2015

We visited Bellingham, shared a Bellingham travel guide, and I officiated a friend's suprise wedding there

I turned 26!

We picked a few peaches in Hood River

August 2015

We tried a new brewery!

I shared a million pictures of our kitten, Charlie

We made constant visits to Hood River and tasted cider, beer, and picked more fruit!

September 2015

We took a Portland -> Crater Lake -> Jacksonville -> Ashland -> The Redwoods -> Gold Beach -> Toledo -> Portland road trip

October 2015

Ben left for a rural rotation for 5 weeks to Eastern Oregon

We started drinking Negronis!

We picked pumpkins at Columbia Farms!

November 2015

Ben came home and we tried the Ribbon Ridge AV A

We updated our home decor and art

I had Holiday Tea at the Heathman

December 2015

We hiked Powell Butte in the freezing cold!

We picked out a Christmas tree
We split Christmas between Eugene and the Coast!

The Annual Christmas Tree Hunt

noreply@blogger.com (Ladies in Navy) — Thu, 17 Dec 2015 16:03:00 +0000

I was walking to work this morning lamenting my inability to get any photos taken due to the complete and total lack of sunshine or daylight here in Oregon this winter, when I realized I hadn't shared my Christmas tree hunt photos on the blog. And going through these photos was a good reminder that once there was sunshine here in the rainy state. Since this day (the day after Thanksgiving), we've basically been in a flood. Well, quite literally, some areas of Portland and along the coast have been washed nearly away by overflowing rivers, record amounts of rainfall, and the battering winds that came along with our series of storms. I'm thankful that my dictator-style day after Thanksgiving or NEVER approach to the Christmas tree hunt spared us trying to get a tree in the torrential rains. Even on this sunshiney day, Furrow Farm was covered in mud and completely destroyed our shoes.

Every year we go to Furrow Farm (well every PDX year we've gotten a tree, so three years so far) because it's really low key, really beautiful, and not too far from home. It's about a thirty minute drive from Portland and is out on Helvetia Road in Hillsboro, for those local readers. We love that there are no carnival-esque elements. It's a farm with trees, saws, and some helpful tree balers. There is the option to ride in a tractor to carry your tree back to the parking lot, but that's about as kitschy as it gets.

We've been to Furrow in the fog, the cold, and the pouring, freezing rain, but we've never gone in the sunshine. It was beautiful to see the views of rolling hills and Christmas trees and farm animals this season. And we happened to get a gorgeous noble and decorated it that day, while eating gingerbread men and spending time with Ben's family. A success!

Holiday Tea at the Heathman

noreply@blogger.com (Ladies in Navy) — Tue, 01 Dec 2015 15:47:00 +0000

When I was sixteen, my grandmother took ten family members on an Alaskan cruise. I remember landing in Victoria, B.C. and wandering through the Empress Hotel, past the tea drinkers, and feeling it would be so royal to sit and sip tea. Naturally it was royally expensive and we passed on the experience, instead going to small shops and marveling at the fact that there were two types of money you could use to purchase your items and that changed the cost of everything tagged CAD in the store.

Moving to Portland and being obsessed with fancy things and Christmas, it was only a matter of time before I discovered that we had a high tea of our own at the Heathman Hotel in downtown Portland (for those non-locals, it's where some of 50 Shades of Grey was filmed). The holiday tea service (they have an afternoon tea all year as well), runs from November 27th through January 3rd and is a busy, bustling event with three sittings a day. It's wonderfully decorated with Christmas trees and most everyone attending is nicely dressed in their holiday attire - some are on their way to the Nutcracker showing at Keller Auditorium, and some are just practicing their own holiday tea traditions. I've been begging Ben to go with me, but somehow a tea service didn't allure him and so I've looked at the tea from afar for the past two years.

This year, I was lucky enough to get to with a group of ladies for tea and we spent two leisurely hours talking about all manner of things from AirBnb to Syrian refugees to Gossip Girl. As one does, at tea. We sipped on champagne and mimosas, drank more caffeinated tea than one (me) should on a Sunday around 2 p.m. and ate tiny little treats like mini chicken salad sandwiches in pita, delicious cupcakes, smoked salmon profiteroles, banana bread, deviled eggs, lemon tarts and fresh marshmallows. The Heathman was so kind to provide a complimentary tea to us and I plan to make this a new holiday tradition, hopefully among lovely company like the ladies I tea-ed with on Sunday.

When we left tea and wandered back into the frigid 30 degree day, we had the bellman at the Heathman take a photo of us and though he did a wonderful job capturing the branches behind our heads, we all turned out as blurred objects, secondary to the architecture on the building. Oh well. For fun, the now-artsy photo is below!

Cyber Monday and Handmade Ornaments

noreply@blogger.com (Ladies in Navy) — Fri, 27 Nov 2015 07:02:00 +0000

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #LoveAmericanHome #CollectiveBias

I have always thought of Thanksgiving as a speed bump on the road to Christmas. Once dinner is done, I love to pull out those twinkly, sparkly, fragrant holiday things that have been sitting in boxes for 11 months. And then it all seems to roll by quickly - we traditionally cut down a Christmas tree on the day after Thanksgiving (what other people call Black Friday). Because we miss the hoopla and hullabaloo of shopping in packed, people-trampling, TV-sale-fighting, no-parking-space physical stores, we always look forward to the joy of at-home Cyber Monday sales. Cyber Monday is simple, quick, people-free, and lets you find (sometimes better than Black Friday) deals and perfect presents for those around you. I like to use the day to stock up on a few things for my family: stocking stuffers, last-minute hostess gifts, and gifts for friends.

My latest favorite gift-giving items are candles. I started decorating my own home with candles - a way to add some wonderful, seasonal scents, light, and ambiance to a room - and find that they often come with a big price-tag and I'm shy to spend that much on myself. Getting a candle as a gift has become a bit of a luxury that I look forward to during the holiday season. Once something starts feeling like a luxury to me, I think of it as a wonderful gift. Only problem? Despite the fact that a candle is a fantastic addition to a home, it can still seem like an impersonal gift. Add online shopping to the mix and you take all the handmade, personal touch out of the holidays. The solution? Add a handmade piece to your gift that shows the recipient you did more than click "add to cart." I have a tutorial for some handmade (and super simple) clay ornaments that would love lovely on any tree and double as gift tags!

This Cyber Monday, when you're comfy at home in your PJ pants (or at work wishing you were in your PJs), check out the new American Home™ by Yankee Candle® brand sale on Walmart.com. They defy the standard of expensive candles (you can get 19 oz. of happy fragrance for under $15 and smaller 12 oz candles around $10, all the way down to some $2-4 options for votive candles!). The line-up of fragrances actually had Ben and I arguing over the potential best for our home: we waffled between the happy, cinnamon fragrance of Warm & Happy Home™ and Ben's favorite, the woodsy Balsam Fir, and then we both fell for the sweet baking fragrance of Ginger Pumpkin Pie. Take advantage of Walmart's line-free sales on Monday, the 30th, and snag two 19 oz candles (in Sparkling Cinnamon Spice and Balsam Fir) for only $22, while supplies last. A serious steal! What fragrances would you pick from the Walmart assortment page?

Read on for a DIY that'll accompany your cozy shopping day and make any candle gifts you give out sparkle brighter.

You'll need:

Air dry modeling clay

Rolling pin

Holiday cookie cutters

Yarn

Metallic paint or paint pens

A paint brush or sponge

An American Home™ by Yankee Candle® brand candle to set the seasonal mood!

Step 1: Take a small handful of air dry modeling clay and roll it out, on a hard surface or cutting board, to about 1/16-1/8" thick.

Step 2: Take a cookie cutter shape of your choice (I love a star shape) and cut out as many shapes as your sheet of clay will allow. Punch a hole in the clay shape with a straw in a location where you can tie on a ribbon later.

Step 3: Let air dry until hard for 24 hours.

Step 4: Take gold or silver paint and a brush or sponge (a paint pen also works) and decorate your shapes with the sparkly paint.

Step 5: Take a small piece of yarn or string and tie a loop through the hole in your shape.

Step 6: Hang your ornament around a gift, the neck of a bottle of wine, or a candle for a homemade touch.

Powell Butte

noreply@blogger.com (Ladies in Navy) — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 15:57:00 +0000

When you've complained to everyone you know about how cold your Powell Butte hike was, there's nothing left to do but to complain to the blogosphere. This hike, as evidenced by the photo above where I am wearing not one but TWO down jackets, was the coldest hike I have possibly ever been on. But more about the positives of this (frigid, windy, Portland hike/walk/trail-run/dog walk/bike location)...

First off, Powell Butte is a butte, obviously, and a nature park that covers 612 acres out on 162nd street. As the name suggests, you follow SE Powell all the way out past the juntion to 205, until you're in a rather unrecognizable area of Portland, unrecognizable because it's actually Gresham. The butte is an extinct cinder cone volcano that offers some wonderful views of Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Hood, and Mt. Adams. The top of the butte is all meadowland and was once used as a dairy (up until 1948). It was then slated to house Portland's water reservoirs, though only one was built at the end of the nature area. In 1990, the butte became a hiking, biking, trail running, dog-walking, and family-friendly outdoor recreation area. It was also just renovated this past year and has an expanded parking lot, nice roads, a visitor center, and well maintained trails. It's a great place to watch wildlife, catch stunning mountain views, watch the moon/stars, and do all manner of outdoor activity. Warning though: it's cold up there. A fierce east wind blows in and the unprotected top of the butte is buffeted by chilly wind in the winter.

Ben and I walked the Mountain View trail, the Summit Lane (through pastureland), then down the South Trail down through the Redwood forest, and back up the Hawthorn Trail back to the visitor center. Though cold, the hike was beautiful and pretty well used. We saw a ton of families "enjoying" the frigid weather. I would absolutely recommend checking out the hike for the pretty vistas on any day that isn't 40 degrees with a 20 mph wind.

Fall/Winter Eats: Bollywood Theater

noreply@blogger.com (Ladies in Navy) — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 14:28:00 +0000

Ben and I have long been Indian food lovers. We went on our first date at an Indian food restaurant, made it a weekend habit to visit the Indian food buffet in our college town, and then branched out to more authentic Indian food restaurants for about 1/4 of all of our date nights. Indian food was always perfect when the weather turned terrible. Crawling out of a Saturday bed for the noon Indian buffet in wind and rain and all bundled up, was our favorite activity.

When we moved to Portland the search for our perfect Indian food spot was (and continues to be) a challenge. We have found a few places that we trust for easy take-out, though we've never identified a place for a good, rainy-day buffet. We did find a wonderful Portland variation on our favorite food at Bollywood Theater. And it has become our go to for guests and ourselves on a hungry Sunday.

Bollywood is actually a fantastic place to eat in the summer, especially on warm summer nights, as it's on SE Division (the street for good eats in Portland) and has a great outdoor seating area and big roll-up doors for those that choose to sit inside. It has defied my winter Indian food rule and continues to be a favorite all year long.

Things to know about Bollywood:

1. Order the thali meals for a good, well-rounded and diverse platter of food. I'd say about 1/2-3/4 of a thali meal is enough for one person.

2. You have to wait in a line on weekend evenings, order at the counter, and then you bus your own tables (Portland-style). Don't be discouraged - the decor is fantastic enough to observe while you're waiting, and the bus-ing doesn't seem so bad when you're full of Indian food

3. Bollywood serves street food so you won't find your normal Tikka Masala or Palak Paneer. You will find spiced beets, delicious dumplings, the Indian-food version of a burrito, and many other amazing treats

4. Don't skip the cocktails at Bollywood, they're wonderful!

Any favorite Indian food spots in the Rose city? Let me know so I can diversify and find another spot!

Ribbon Ridge AVA

noreply@blogger.com (Ladies in Navy) — Mon, 16 Nov 2015 14:26:00 +0000

On our insanely wet Halloween (that one that flooded streets, made neighborhoods rivers, and caused some garage flooding in our area), Ben loaded us into the car and took me on a surprise-destination Saturday trip. By the time we took the "to wine country" exit, I was pretty sure I knew he was taking me to my happy place - the vast selection of wineries in Dundee, Carlton, McMinnville, and Newberg - but I wasn't prepared to try out an entirely new AVA. An AVA is an "American Viticultural Area," a term that basically defines the geographic pedigree or background of a winery/wine (and one that you'll find on the back of your wine bottle). There are seven AVAs that make-up the greater Willamette Valley AVA - the Eola-Amity Hills (near Salem), McMinnville, Yamhill-Carlton, Dundee Hills, Chehalem Mountain, and Ribbon Ridge. We've done a lot of tasting within the Dundee hills and Yamhill-Carlton AVAs and usually focus our trip on wineries there. It's close to some stunning wineries with great views, close to shops, carbo-loading locations (like Red Hill Market), and a lot of easy-access tasting rooms.

The Chehalem Mountain AVA actually entirely contains the same geographic area as the Ribbon Ridge AVA, but Ribbon Ridge is a teensy little section within that was our stop on Halloween. Ribbon Ridge is only a 1,000 (plantable) acre-area and there are currently 20 wineries located within the AVA. It's terroir, or defining feature that affects the wine, is marked by an uplift of ocean sediment in the area. Because it's on a hill, the area also has less degree-day accumulation (the amount of heat required for an organism to develop and grow) than the surrounding AVAs - it warms later, has lower temperature spikes in the afternoons, and therefore has a more well-rounded ripening process (without those oppressive late summer heat spikes).

We stopped at three wineries that we saw along the way - Trisaetum, Adelsheim, and ArborBrook. By the third winery, the rain had started to fall at an alarming rate and the streets were flooded, so we headed home.

Trisaetum (named after the founder's two children Tristan and Tatum) is a pretty tasting room surrounded by pretty vines, especially during the fall, and offers some great, high-end wines to try. We enjoyed sampling their all-Pinot red flight and strolling through the tasting room, which doubles as an art gallery. We didn't buy a bottle due to the $65+ bottle price, but found the wines to be wonderful. They had a mix of styles - bolder and fruitier reds and then lighter, more minerally Pinots that I enjoyed.

Adelsheim had a beautiful tasting room and a pretty outdoor area that would have been wonderful for a summertime wine tasting afternoon. I'd been wanting to try Adelsheim ever since I tasted their wine at Feast. I'd heard a lot about their Pinot (~$30) as well but hadn't ever bought a bottle. We tried some fantastic Pinots and a great Chardonnay at their tasting room. They were also a bit cost-prohibitive at $50+ for a bottle in the tasting room, but at Oregon grocery stores you can get their most well-known Pinot for considerably less.

Finally, we stopped at ArborBrook with a free-tasting coupon from Trisaetum. We found their service to be fantastic, their views (the last photo of vines) moody and beautiful, and their offerings of delicious cheese and crackers to go with your wine wonderful! We didn't love their wines as much as the other wineries but they were a bit lower in price. The tasting room was also quite crowded on a rainy day.

Mini Apartment Tour + Upgrading Your Art

noreply@blogger.com (Ladies in Navy) — Mon, 09 Nov 2015 16:01:00 +0000

The other day Ben pitched a hissy-fit about our apartment being too cluttered for him. He said every surface was cluttered and full of knickknacks. I was inclined to disagree, considering most of the knickknacks are my beloved knickknacks - candles here and there, twinkly lights there, a jar full of rocks there. And then, this weekend, as I realized that the apartment, no matter how clean, rarely feels clean, I came to agree with Ben. There are too many knickknacks. So many, in fact, that you notice none of them. They're all obscured by each other and our room lacks a real focal point.

We had that sort of focal-point distraction happening all over the house. Our gallery wall was a bit haphazard (a bird painting, a typography painting, a photograph, a family photo) and felt unfinished in the context of the room. We'd been slowly upgrading our furniture and accessories, but the room wasn't feeling very polished.

With an awesome opportunity to get some new pieces from Minted's independent artist's collection of art, we were able to upgrade a bit of the room. We actually started our refresh by adding two new prints to our gallery wall. What was originally a wall composed of a bunch of left-over photos from former apartment's gallery walls, is now a gallery wall with a color motif (sea blues), some matching typography pieces, and photographs that have significant meaning to us (an aerial photo of our wedding ceremony location and an old portrait of my ancestors. We picked two prints that complimented each other from Minted's huge line of beautiful pieces (it was rough to have to choose). The first was a beautiful print of heron's in their nest by artist Annie Moran and the second, an oil painting of a distant pier by Julia Contacessi. I love that the blues in these photos bring out the other colors in our gallery wall and compliment each other.

The gallery wall upgrade helped launch an all-around apartment update. We removed some side-tables and ugly lamps that weren't serving any purpose other than to blind the cats and increase our electricity bill. We tamped down the figurine/knickknack collection and removed a lot of the seasonal gourds from the living room surfaces. Once that was complete, the entire room felt pulled together in a way it hasn't in a while and our eyes are immediately drawn to the prettiest pieces in the room: the cat. Just kidding. Sort of. :)

Couch: Henry Sofa, West Elm; Bar Cart: Wayfair; Blankets: Pendleton; Barstools: World Market; Coffee Table: World Market; Heron and Pier prints: c/o Minted

Happy Hour: Manhattan

noreply@blogger.com (Ladies in Navy) — Wed, 04 Nov 2015 15:55:00 +0000

We had this weird 100-degrees-every-day, no-rain, global-warming, what-the-heck's-happening weather for the past nine or so months. And then all the sudden, November slammed in with a rainstorm, windstorm and some rapidly dropping temperatures. This morning, it was a brisk 37 degrees and even my down jacket didn't seem to do any justice to the temps. I suppose when you have a really hot summer, the cold temps feel even colder! We're yet to get our first frost, but I think it's en route!

In the spirit of the chilly weather and the approach of Thanksgiving, I've got a new favorite cocktail recipe for you. I know you've heard of it, had it, and maybe made it, but it's definitely one to remember and to perfect as you feel the need for higher alcohol content and tummy-warming rye. Read on for some fast facts on the Manhattan and for the recipe.

You'll need:

2 oz rye whisky

1 oz sweet vermouth (we love Vya)

2 dashes of Peychaud's bitters (or Angostura)

Maraschino cherry

Crushed ice

Stir rye, vermouth, bitters, and crushed ice. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry or a twist of orange.

Some Manhattan notes:

A true Manhattan should be made with rye whisky not bourbon. Bourbon is really sweet and that, combined with a maraschino cherry, makes it a bit sickly sweet (like the stuff you're getting in your corner bar). It should also be made with crushed ice, not cubed, and stirred, not shaken. You can say it like James Bond when you order.

The Manhattan was invented in the 1870s at the Manhattan Club in, you guessed it, NYC. It was invented for a party in honor of Samuel Tilden, a presidential candidate.

It's also a hefty drink with a lot of alcohol and very martini-like in its oomph. Be careful when you slurp one down. They're so delicious they go fast.

There Is Only Try

noreply@blogger.com (Ladies in Navy) — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 15:45:00 +0000

Top: Gap (on sale!); Skirt: LOFT; Boots: Freebird

On October 15th (give or take a 24-hour period), the little red and green strand of Christmas lights in my head turns on and all the sudden my heart is singing about the holidays. I'm a Charlie-Brown-Christmas-Album in October, an "isn't bothered by mall Christmas trees before Halloween," a Christmas fanatic, a stocking enthusiast, a holiday decor obsessee. Christmas is my favorite thing about the entire year and makes every second rainy spring, of sunshiny summer, and cold fall bearable. I'm one of those people.

But this year, October 15th rolled on by. And then the 16th barreled through, and the 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd... they all kept coming. And my little strand was sitting there dark. I felt pretty dejected. And certain that I'd hit "end-of-life," like Microsoft's Zune MP3 player or a Palm Pilot and needed to be retired.

Everything in my life lately seems to be requiring a lot of try. Nothing seems to happen spontaneously. I don't spontaneously recover from one too many glasses of wine. It requires coconut water, ibuprofen, B12, tea, soup, and a lot of sleep. I don't seem to spontaneously lose weight any more when I feel like I'm a pound over my healthy weight. That requires dedication and the complete cessation of eating anything that's not celery.

I really didn't expect my Christmas madness to require a try as well, but it seems that this October I needed to delve in to the recesses of my brain/heart to turn on that strand of lights. They sure as heck weren't coming on by themselves and I was squandering precious weeks in October that are normally dedicated to annoying Ben by jumping the gun on the holidays. I suppose this is why adults are always so exhausted. They're using that little "try" switch, button, whatever you call it, ALL the time. They're constantly trying to muster up the energy to lose weight, to get over wine hangovers, to love Christmas as much as they did when they were children. That's a lot of try. Sigh. I suppose I better exercise that try muscle a little harder this season so I'm stronger for next year.

Wednesday Denim

noreply@blogger.com (Ladies in Navy) — Wed, 28 Oct 2015 14:04:00 +0000

Chambray: Gap; Jeans: Gap; Boots: Freebird via Zappos; Bag: Madewell

Last night my Mom said "wow, 2015 has been quite the year" and I, attempting to think back in time, thought... hmm, hasn't seemed significant to me. My Mom reminded me that this year: I got married (whoops, forgot that one), that my brother got two new jobs, that she got a new job, and that Ben had started third year rotations. I suppose it has been quite the year. And it is clearly flying by. My wedding seems like a last-year memory at this point, and everything else is just whizzing by at warp speed.

Except, apparently, the weeks. For some reason, the past few weeks have been CREEPING along. I feel like I'm on an AMTRAK train that's stopping for every single red light in Portland and is catching up with a slow freight train sure to provide further delays. The days are refusing to pick up speed and the weeks seem to drag along like months. How odd that these tiny blocks of time can go so slowly when the months are like seconds. Time is a funny thing.

I am on my LAST DAY (hip hip hooray!) of Ben being away in the wild, living alone off of stew and Gotham. He's back tomorrow to make a big presentation, turn in a few essays, and the get kicking on his next rotation: family medicine. It's a welcome change - more time, less grueling hours, and a better location (in Portland, not three and a half hours East). It'll be weird to settle back into a routine though as my cats and I have gotten pretty accustomed to our quiet time and project time in the evenings. It's also amazing how clean a house stays when one person's living in it. No dishes pile-up, no 6 loads of laundry to do, not as many garbage bags to empty. Regardless, I am happy to disturb my quiet, clean routine for another person (that speaks more than just "meow") to join me in this small, but lonely house.

Tea Time

noreply@blogger.com (Ladies in Navy) — Fri, 23 Oct 2015 13:49:00 +0000

Yesterday, as I walked home at 4:30, the light was insanely beautiful. It was filtering through so many falling leaves on the waterfront that every step looked like a photograph. Bright green leaves turning to yellow and red were shimmering in front of the soon-to-be setting sun. A light breeze was picking up fallen leaves and nuts and tossing them about the sidewalk until they landed in big heaps. Squirrels furiously worked at collecting stores for winter and everyone out walking was wearing mid-season jackets that kept off the bit of afternoon chill. How wonderful fall is on a quiet afternoon.

It also happens to be the perfect sort of afternoon that calls for a warm cup of tea. And, perhaps, a cup of warm tea from a local company that seems to understand the sort of tea-needing fall we have in Oregon. The founder of Plum Deluxe, a tea of the month club and organic loose-leaf tea shop that's based here in Oregon, recently sent me the perfect teas to try and I broke them out of their pretty little bag yesterday. There's something about a wonderful loose-leaf tea that blows those super market teas out of the water. First of all, even opening the bag I was greeted by a wonderful smell. The Portland Rose City Chai smelled just like what I imagine Portland to smell of - dried rose petals and warm spice. And then there's the brewing process - so much more intimate than those little stapled tea bags that clutter our office trash cans in the fall and winter (I'm guilty of excessive amounts of black peach tea during the cold months). And, of course, the rich taste that doesn't really compare to what you buy in a store. There are so many more flavors to pick up in this tea than in most of the others I regularly drink and it reminded me more of wine tasting - the mouthfeel, the layers of flavor, and the experience of tasting. I would highly recommend checking out this varietal from Plum Deluxe. It blew me away.

How do you celebrate the leafiest season?

Lechon

noreply@blogger.com (Ladies in Navy) — Thu, 22 Oct 2015 15:00:00 +0000

Good food in Portland is usually a stone's throw away. Unless, of course, you work where I work. A stone's throw would get you chain bar food, bad Irish food, and some run of the mill Thai. Two stones' throws away would get you every food cart imaginable, some great guisados, some fantastic growler bars, and some high acclaimed lunch spots in PDX (Maurice for example). But two stones' throws also leaves less time for lunch, a longer walk, and a rushed "can we have the check" experience.

That was, until, Lechon opened off of Naito Parkway and brought three things we were missing: a real happy hour, a reasonably priced lunch with fast service, and beautiful ambience. Lechon's defining feature, for me, is their beautiful jelly fish tank (pictured behind the bar in the first photo). I can watch it for hours, and after visiting Lechon about 200 times since it opened in August, have done just that. The restaurant focuses on south american food with a Portland-fusion twist. They wood fire a lot of meats outside in their smoker and the smell radiates into the surrounding blocks. It's enough to make one drool. They serve coffee and breakfast (think breakfast tacos), lunch (average lunch price is $10-$12 per meal), an amazing happy hour from 3-6 p.m., and then a dinner that runs you a bit more money but looks delicious. I've only partaken in lunch and happy hour but specials like octopus make the dinner look intriguing.

What to order if you go to Lechon?

For lunch, I recommend the Le chon mi. No place in Portland is safe from a banh mi, but lechon does theirs just right. It's packed with meat (mortadella and slow roasted pork) with a spicy aioli and slaw on a baguette. It comes with your choice of yuca chips, a salad, or parmesan fries and I'd highly recommend those parmesan fries. They're skinny just the way they should be.

For happy hour, I've tried a whole host of items on the menu but have to recommend their well drinks. They use great liquor for their wells so they're a bargain. Ben enjoyed their "Vitamin Mezcal," a grapefruit and mezcal cocktail, and I've also had their deliciously different Mezcal Mule.

In terms of food, the choripan is a great deal for sandwich lovers. It's a chorizo and chimichurri sandwich that's really filling for only $6. I'd also recommend the sweet potato ceviche which comes with a chili lime sauce and some fun foam. Make it a meal with the forest mushroom, egg and brichoe appetizer. It is full of wonderful flavors. For a carb-ier appetizer, the gaucho bread with chimichurri sauce is awesome to share over drinks.

In Check

noreply@blogger.com (Ladies in Navy) — Mon, 19 Oct 2015 14:52:00 +0000

Jacket: The Limited (old, similar); Top: Gap; Skirt: Gap; Booties: Nordstrom (run a size small)

These boots removed all feeling and skin from my toes after two wears. The perfect way to ring in fall. With a boot that runs a size too small but looks too cute to stop wearing for a stroll through fall leaves!

I actually associate fall with clothing that's uncomfortable. New boots that need to be broken in. Stiff jackets that satisfy transitional weather desires (rainy, windy, but kind of muggy). Wool skirts. Tights that make dry skin feel even worse. And sweaters that are either too small, too big, or too scratchy. When winter hits, everyone has given up hope and it's comfy socks, jeans or slacks, and comfortable long sleeves with down jackets and blanket scarves. Fall is for being stylish and less full of Christmas cookies. And so, discomfort and the wool itches aside, it remains my favorite time of year to dress. You get to layer, bring out the nice leather jackets and boots and bags. You get to add on scarf after scarf. Your prettiest long-sleeves are back in vogue. I could go on.

But instead, I'll wish you a happy, completely fall-y Monday!

Pumpkin Spice

noreply@blogger.com (Ladies in Navy) — Fri, 16 Oct 2015 17:11:00 +0000

Tee: Gap; Jeans: Gap; Boots: Lulu's (old)

Confession: I hate pumpkin-anything. No pumpkin pie. No pumpkin spice. No PSLs. It's not a flavor I grew up with and it isn't a flavor I've grown to like. Sorry, Ben!

Around the holidays my dessert is wine. And dessert wine. And boozy holiday cocktails.

But we never miss a chance to u-pick, and so some pumpkins slide in under the radar in the form of a pumpkin patch visit. We went this year in late September, right when the patches opened and all the vines were still intact and the field was 100% empty of others. In other words, perfect. We try to seek out farms that have no stands for grilled corn or apple cider or donuts. And there is no credit card machine and just a little family with their pumpkin patch selling giant, gorgeous gourds on the cheap. Columbia Farms on Sauvie is our go-to for blueberries in the summer and pumpkins in the fall. It's wonderfully low-key and gorgeous.

Also of note, Ben made me pull him in the cart for the entire pumpkin patch visit... :|