happy thanksgiving

 { life here :: thanksgiving }

our first thanksgiving living here in portland.

it's amazing to be living here and sharing it with all my children together and yet,  i'm feeling somewhere between...

somewhere between  by theaterclouds

this contentment and the discontent of missing my extended family and friends back east.

so many small things remind me

of traditions and memories of holidays past

so today when i sit down to dinner and raise my glass in toast

it will be a toast to all of you my dear family and friends,  near and far ...

i am truly thankful for all of the love, traditions and memories we've shared.

across the miles

happy thanksgiving

love

sue

 

holiday home :: mid century style

deck the halls,  yes it's that time again

there are so many different interior decorating styles that lend themselves to different holiday looks, it's fun to sometimes shake up your nest a bit.

i thought i'd start with a few ideas for a holiday at home mid century style.

this cutie just needs a few white branches and a few blue flower sprigs tucked in it's tail for a different holiday color look

Vintage Mid Century Dove Planter

for the more traditional red holiday lover ::  simply stated tall tapers surrounded by evergreen branches are lovely and an easy do,  for the mantel or table

Danish Modern Candle Holders

try mixing mid century style with natural organic touches and a different color combo.
this bowl filled with pine cones, boughs and Orange Pomander Balls (directions here)

 Mid Century Modern Catherineholm Enamelware Bowl

and finally roll out your mid century bamboo cart 1950s style, it's perfect for your holiday bar setup, when the holidays are over, fill it with plants and roll it to a sunny window

Mid Century Bamboo Cart

 stay tuned for more holiday home ideas using other decorating styles

what style holiday decor will be at your home be this year?

sue

saturdays

{ life here day 12 }

hi there

saturdays' portland style,  it was a very good day.

the portland saturday market, on the waterfront downtown,  hard to believe but it's the first time i've been. music, vendors, food. it's a celebration of the artist community and weekends.
i will be back

 

photo by ethanollie

lunch at mothers bistro,  charming and delicious, especially when shared with family and mimosa's

a stop at Hoo Doo Antiques, closed when i found it last march, i've been waiting to go to since then.

it was so worth the wait. there are now some awesome finds waiting in my studio for listing.

yes, portland style saturdays, they are definitely a keeper.

happy weekend

sue

non descript

{ life here day 11 }

hi there

today is almost over, but i didn't want to miss a day writing to you

a no school day, it went something like this ::

photo shoot,   play,  work on listings,  play soccer,  a failed dinner recipe (yes, it ended in the trash), play.

all in all not a bad day, just a nondescript type of day with nothing much to share. 

i did find this photo i wanted to share with you, taken a few years ago when i was on vacation here,

 one misty morning along the oregon coast

this was definitely not nondescript. it was truly beautiful.

i hope you had a lovely day

g'night

sue

holiday shopping { sellsimply and pinterest }

Vintage Handmade Felt Pillow

{life here day 10}

already,  every thing is screaming, holiday ::  really!!! 

living in this new place offers endless shopping possibilities. 

but, of course,  first i had to find them.

Fog  8x10 Nature Photograph

this time i took the easy route and started holiday window shopping on sellsimply

Classic Tweed Blazer

Vintage Leather Boots

  

Vintage Ansco Camera

i started finding so many sweet things to buy,

i decided to make it even easier by using the "pin it" button 

on each listing and create
a pin board on pinterest

a funny thing happened, it suddenly became 

a holiday wish list for me. 

so this girl is lighting a fire, making a cup of tea, opening my computer and doing more holiday shopping this year.

try it { sellsimply and pinterest } have some fun with your holiday shopping.
then send me the link of your pin board, i'll post it here and we'll have a long distance shopping trip together.

it's another way we can stay in touch

sue

today's musings ...

{life here day 9}

hi there
just sharing a few bright spots from the day :: 

the sun is shining, it's actually a beautiful november day.

 

seems, ollie wants to go out in that sun too.

 finally starting to meld together a few of our favorite things

your turn,  to share a small smile from today  ::

sue

out and about :: laurelhurst park

{life here day 8}

hi there

you've been asking to see more of my new surroundings ::

Laurelhurst Park :: 27 acres of natural beauty inside the city, with winding roads, pond,  and play areas, just about 1 mile from our house.

 

i took a walk just before sunset yesterday.  the park is a riot of color (the leaves change a bit later & stay awhile longer than back east)

 

the park has a totally different feel this time of year, gone are the concerts and activities, left is an urban oasis

dusk settled to quickly :: the feeling of quiet beauty is one i would have liked to enjoy a bit longer

for more info on Laurelhurst Park

today is beautiful here :: hoping it is there as well

sue

candlelight + family

{life here day 7}

hi there

cheating a bit here today.
but i had to share,

last night was lovely, not hampered but enhanced by the darkness ::

 

helped by,

candlelight ::

 

music ::

photo by ethanollie

and especially family ::

 

photo by ethanollie 

pretty much the perfect way to celebrate the dark nights ::

happy monday 

sue

darkness

{life here day 6}

it's here, 

the day of the year i dislike the most :: the day that lovely light leaves us early.

 

this year we decided to embrace it ::

the candles are ready to light up the long night ::  the whole family will be here for dinner

celebrate the darkness today

sue

decisions

{life here day 5}

hi there

last night a dance at the new school.  a sock hop and he had a hard time deciding to go or not.

 

at the last minute, he rallied,  hesitantly went and in the end, was glad he did.

ha, oh yes, at 8 years old his feet are bigger than his mama's. 

happy saturday friend, make it a good one

sue

today

{life here day 4}

hi there

today i'm in studio doing a photo shoot. it's pretty chilly cold in here in the morning,

but i do so like to capture this morning light.

this photo is from the other day and still this basket tugs at me. i just love the sweet handmade repairs it must have truly been loved by someone.

 and today i'm working with these cuties, hopefully i'll finish and get them in the shop tomorrow.

for now it's back to work for me, and you .....

have a lovely friday

sue

butternut squash risotto

{life here day 3}

hi there
weeknight dinners are still always such a puzzle for me. the day's always seem to fly by and suddenly it's dinner time.
but last night we gave dinner a little thought ahead of time and decided to try butternut squash risotto.

i'm so glad we did,  it was warming and comforting on a cool night and so delicious.
we added a tossed salad and were good to go.

 here's the recipe i played around with: 

Butternut Squash Risotto from emeril lagasse on the food network

  

you will find easy directions following the link above

and a few notes from me:

don't be afraid to substitute ingredients. i didn't have mushrooms, so i topped it with caramelized onions. i also didn't have the shallots (didn't seem to harm the taste at all.)  the butternut squash puree was an easy way to cook the squash and the touch of honey made it even more tasty.  salt and pepper were the only spices i used or needed.

give it a try,  it wasn't hard to do at all and i think you'll love it.

until tomorrow

sue

ps; i want to hear if you tried it for yourself.

 

 

warm and cozy gift ideas

november has started out very chilly here in portland.
a little treasury of warm, cozy gift ideas was needed ::

 links to these wonderful finds and their shops here

and yes, i will try to post short sweet posts each day to keep in touch.  thank you (you know who) for nudging me

sue

hello november :: goodbye october

you felt a little strange to me, living in a new place,
but you were ... oh so sweet ...

wildflowers on Sauvie Island (still in bloom, mid October)

tree climbing and pumpkin picking Sauvie Island

luckily catching an amazing number of Geese, starting their migration

a taste of the wine at Mt Hood winery (what a spot to enjoy a glass)

apple picking mt hood river,  they call it the "fruit loop tour"

finding new places to shop

the portland flea, a new venue :: more on this later

and of course halloween and oh, portland you did it so right.

neighborhoods filled with children and adults, streets and houses fully decorated

 so bring on november portland ... i can't wait to see what you have in store. 

happy november everyone

sue

the chicken and the estate sale

hi there
this is not the post i planned for you today but some times things just happen...

trying to be uber efficient,  i spent an hour this morning prepping and cooking for dinner this evening.  popped it in the oven and continued working while the smells of roast chicken and vegetables and a bit of smugness wafted through the house.

but when a phone call comes ..  that says .. "I'm in the estate sale .. get here now!"
(the same sale we tried to get into yesterday 3 times.)

I did what I had to do >>
1.  hurriedly dressed 
2.  turned off the oven & took the chicken out (unfortunately left it on the counter)
3.  out the door

right,  the poor chicken ended up in the trash .. but, ..  the sale ..so worth it!

just a few peeks for you ...

i'm so smitten with this little chest.

so how was your day today? 

sue

ps;  and what's for dinner?

choices

sunset on the bourne bridge
Originally uploaded by solsticehome

i'd like to share a quote that really struck me today from;

Man’s Search for Meaning, written by Holocaust survivor Dr. Victor Frankl:

"We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way."

hopefully we will choose wisely friends.
sue

september

ah ... september... the busy month

i really do dislike you...
your the end of summer, the beginning of schedules

 a table filled with... fit it all in the remaining lazy play days,  school supplies,  and class catalogs

and a room filled with work.

yes, i'm back...soon ... i think i'll take this one last long summer weekend to enjoy.

see you next week

have a wonderful holiday weekend

sue

ps; yes, the photos above are from our new home in portland...more on that later ;0