11 April 2007

seventy times seven (thursday love)



thoroughly enjoying:

bubble guns that work, soaks at the kennedy school with old (and new) friends, watching ava and mia spider-swing together (playdates with the little birds), blooming rhododendrons in the front yard and the peeking out of the wisteria and lilacs in the back, trips to powell's books (the dance section alone there is enough to bring on real salty tears of joy), fabulous cardboard box tunnels, new lavendar flats from urban, flowers from dear meegan, lunch with new friends, a dreamy new kitchen (so well designed it has cabinets specifically built for cereal boxes, which very naturally required the immediate purchase of seven new boxes of cereal), driving over the river and over bridges, dinner with great friends at sushi land (the wonder of food on conveyor belts), the look on ezra's face the moment he bit into seaweed, friendly librarians, salty shampoo from lush, stale peeps, a new wind-up robot from this little general store, refrigerator poetry, shopping for art supplies at collage, the deep green of everything around me, lost sequins on the sidewalk, secret gardens, a franciscan pitcher scored at the local resale shop, odwalla blueberry B monster smoothies, a daily view of mount hood, the way ezra pronounces the word rocket (RAH-dig), new hidden graffiti, a walnut-covered path at the side of the house that crunches spectacularly underfoot, fresh pink tulips like upside down skirts.



and donuts from annie's.



plus also: ava's new bubblegum-blowing skills.



highly anticipating:

a trip down to the famous saturday market, digging in amy's garden, dance classes at conduit, the blooming of our rose bushes, filling the window boxes, the unpacking of the last box (which just might be years from now), movies at the old hollywood theatre, a trip to saint cupcake with ava, yard sale season, the rose festival parade, a bicycle with a basket, old skool skating with new friends, messy art classes with ezra at collage, a road trip to seattle (and meeting more fantastic new friends), planting my first sunflower garden with the kids, a massage at the shrunken heads place on alberta, seeing my old friend julie again (for the first time in years), dinner with ward at lovely hula hands (or maybe crepes at leHappy), walks in the new neighborhood, an afternoon with the kids at avalon, the saturday morning farmers market, finding an african dance class, thrifting with stephanie, organizing a long-awaited postcard swap (I absolutely have not forgotten about that), a trip to the ocean, the purchase of a hammock, more crossing of things off the list (which may need some revising since The Big Move), backyard craft sessions where things get out of hand, an afternoon of shopping to myself, the wearing of peasant blouses and sandals, breaking out the holga, the finding of photobooths, the coming of summer.

25 comments:

  1. wow you have been quite busy in this new town. you are putting my living here to shame.

    i love reading about all of the great places we frequent and enjoy around here. as for photo booths i hear there is one in the Ace hotel downtown (by Powells). i would love to track down a few more.

    enjoy all that that is on your wonderful list of things to do.

    ReplyDelete
  2. oh, I know-- it's kind of nuts, really. I'm not normally so active. just read through it again and wondered when I found the time to sleep. being in an entirely new city makes my husband and I itchy to get out in it. and it helps to have good friends here (they have taken such great care of me). the second half of the list is full of things that I'm really looking forward to doing... though I really should be unpacking!

    as for photobooths-- I KNEW I saw one downtown. must've been in the Ace Hotel because we were very near powell's.

    thanks for the well wishes! please let me know if you have any more suggestions (portland or otherwise)... you have such a lovely blog.

    ReplyDelete
  3. another recommendation if you're looking for some more tasty cupcakes: my guy's cousin has a place down under one of the bridges. everything's gorgeous, too.
    http://www.bakerybar.com
    [click on the cake portfolio link, but you should do so on a full stomach or you might drool all over your keyboard].

    ReplyDelete
  4. p.s. you've seen the Photobooth Directory?
    http://www.photobooth.net/locations/

    ReplyDelete
  5. oh yes! must try. thanks for the suggestion, gwen! and I have seen the photobooth.net locations page... was thrilled to see that there are actually some real photobooths here in portland (they're pretty much all gone in atlanta).

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Hula, found my way here via SPC.
    Your photos are great, a really fresh take on what could otherwise be ordinary and everyday.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Well, you may have moved but your life looks as vibrant as ever!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I'm from northern Idaho and I love love love that you're a west coast girl now! i've spent lots of time in portland and recognize most of what you've done/want to do. isn't powell's the most wonderful place ever?!? and i adore lush. i got into it when i was in england. try the flying fox shampoo/bodywash, it is A-mazing!

    ReplyDelete
  9. oh it all just sounds and looks so lovely! you are not missing anything on the east coast. the weather is atrocious and spring is in hiding.

    ReplyDelete
  10. wow! it all sounds so exciting this new life in a new city! great bubblegum skills ava!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I had such a great time meeting you and Ezra at Meegan's house. Can't wait to get all the kids together. Maybe an afternoon at Rose City Park? Enjoy getting to know your new city! ~ Sarah

    ReplyDelete
  12. This is such a delicious post - I loved clicking on all the links last night and I've thoroughly enjoyed looking through your flickr photos this week. It sounds like Portland is going to be the PERFECT city for the Jenkins family - I can't wait to read/see it through your eyes.

    PS. I know you're up to your eyeballs in busy, but I nominated you this week for a Thinking blogger award - I think it was Wednesday's post. xo

    ReplyDelete
  13. Welcome to Portland! I've enjoyed reading (and seeing) about your adventure West. Your enthusiasm for Portland helps remind me why I love this city. It only gets better--summer arrives soon.

    ReplyDelete
  14. looks like you've got everything under control in your new digs. i've been cheering you on silently, but now I've got to speak up. i found a great article in the New York Times today called, "36 Hours in Portland, Ore." and with 3 houses in 3 distant states in 5 years, i'm always on the lookout for a little guidance when i finally land in my new digs. the only strange thing about this article is that it is dated april15 - which is two days away. just mentioning it bc it could make searching difficult. congrats on your new move and in always finding joy in what you do.

    ReplyDelete
  15. This post is so full of energy and joy. Thank you for sharing it and brightening my day!

    ReplyDelete
  16. thinking of you a whole lot. i am so glad for this new adventure in your life. so fortunate. so blessed. so thankful for your traveling:moving tales.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Look at all that Portland love! So great. I love love love Portland and can't wait to read about all the fun you have there. You'e already found some of my favorites! If you ever make it up to Seattle and have time, I would love to meet you.

    The Ace Hotel is kind of fun to check out and there is a photo booth there for sure, I've got the strips to prove it! Maybe I better post those soon...

    ReplyDelete
  18. ...ooh, and, I hope you write about Lovely Hula Hands! I saw that place last weekend and REALLY wanted to go there. There's good coffee down the street at Albina Press and over on Alberta there's great breakfast at Tin Shed. I also loved dinner at Savoy, they do the kind of dinner where you choose your main thing and then get to choose two other sides to go with. Loved the greens, mac and cheese and mushrooms. Not to mention the Clinton cocktail and the fried cheese curds. Mmm. Cheese!

    ReplyDelete
  19. such fantastic links! wowzers - so much going for you, enjoy the exploring :)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Girlfriend, I am tired reading all that you've already done! You put me to shame, and I quite a busy girl myself.

    I can't tell you how happy we are that you're here. Your energy, enthusiasm, and fun, fun spirit are gonna' make for some super fun times! People, this here Andrea is one beautiful hula girl...but I know you all know that already.

    Roller skating tomorrow?

    ReplyDelete
  21. i just read your birthday list - and i love it.

    it must be the universe at work, because my birthday is this week and i've been thinking of ways to mark the year gone by and be thoughtful about the coming year. now i know just what to do - thanks for the inspiration!

    i'm looking forward to reading more about your adventures in portland...

    ReplyDelete
  22. Lovely!

    Two things:
    Food Fight Grocery
    http://store.foodfightgrocery.com/index.html
    Snap Preview:
    http://www.snap.com/about/shots.php

    Welcome to the other coast!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Andrea- this is CRAZY! Do you know how weird it is to be reading one of my favorite daily blogs (Little Birds) and see "new friends andrea, ava, and ezra". I'm all, "that's crazy... I know an Andrea, an Ava, AND an Ezra." Duh. I forgot you guys moved! Thats why I haven't run into you at the YMCA. We'll miss you, but it will be fun to keep up with you by reading about your Portland adventures. (Don't rub how awesome it is over there and how much it sucks here... we're stuck in Hotlanta for a while.) Much love, Dera, Terry, Fiona, and Neve

    ReplyDelete
  24. Andrea,
    This is all so exciting that I find myself a tad jealous ;)
    I better go out and appreciate the town I am right next to this weekend. Seems that everything is going swimmingly. I am so happy for you.
    Smooches,
    Lep.s. did you see that Alicia stopped by a few comments back? Man do I wanna have cupcakes with the two of you!

    ReplyDelete