Town + City Survey: Portland

image source + source

So, the Country Mouse + City Mouse hint.  Richard Scarry's version of that story was one of my favorites when I was wee.  I still want to live in his illustrations.

Where I want to live is precisely what I was hinting at, actually.  The City Mouse was checking out the country, and the Country Mouse was visiting the city.  This City Gal knows she wants to live elsewhere, but she doesn't know exactly where.  I thought it would be fun to survey some cities to determine their potential (but I promise to be far more polite and gracious than City Mouse was!).  So, for the next nine posts, I'll focus on nine different cities, and write about attractions, restaurants, events, and various other pull factors that seem pretty swell. 

In honor of Oregon's Rose Bowl victory yesterday, let's start in the Beaver State.  Despite almost being deterred by how the city is portrayed in Portlandia, I'm thinking Portland, Oregon, is a pretty super place to live.  (Yes, I know UO is in Eugene, not Portland. I just wanted to make my post seem timely, 'k?)  

I visited Portland about ten years ago, and I had three favorite spots: Voodoo Doughnuts, Powell's Books, and Multnomah Falls at the Columbia River Gorge.  Swoon, swoon, and swoon.  Wouldn't mind hitting up those three spots on the regular.

Brief and superficial research has led me to discover a few other promising tidbits:

• Portland boasts both the largest urban park in the United States, Forest Park, AND the smallest park in the world, Mills End Park.  Fun little juxtaposition.
• The Museum of Contemporary Craft and a number of other museums look intriguing.  (Read: Portland has an entire museum dedicated to hats.  Hats, I said!)
• Seems as though there is always some sort of fest going on.
• Somewhere in the city, an orange public restroom exists.
• Hello, no sales tax!
• Oh, and did I mention the 24 Hour Church of Elvis?!!! (Um, the official website scares me, but the yelp reviews seem reassuring.)

Tag—you're it!  Have you ever visited (or lived in) Portland?  What makes it awesome?  What are some must-sees, must-eats, and must-do's?

Welcoming you + the new year

Happy New Year, all!  I hope you are looking forward to making great things happen in 2012!  You are?!  I applaud your optimism and moxie.  :]

I added a few info bits to the blog should any strangers stumble upon it while asking google to track down a recipe for cookies that resemble sparkly butts.  Now folks can read a little about who I am, why I started this blog, and the other blogs that inspire me regularly.  See the links over there?  Just to the right of the red arrow?  Underneath the heading, Learn a little more?  If you want to know more about what's going on inside my brain, just click on Oh, hello!, Why the blog?, and My Favorite Things: Blogs.  And, yes, I am aware that as I add more posts, that little arrow is going to look mighty silly pointing over to an empty sidebar.  How's this, then?  More helpful to folks who are fashionably late to this party?

Did I just confirm that I am the biggest dork ever?  Don't answer that. 

Anyway!  Thanks so much for reading We hope for more.  Writing these posts has been quite fun so far, and I am looking forward to what I'm scheming up for the next two weeks over here.  I'll give you a hint:

The Country Mouse and the City Mouse, Illustration by Richard Scarry

image source

My Favorite Things: Memories

meet Maude

Rather than create another official year-end countdown, today I'd like to simply list some of my favorite memories of 2011.  Some snippets, if you will.  In no particular order.  (Ok, ok!  They are more or less in chronological order.  I can't help it.)   

Running my fastest mile since high school; running on the beach during a weekend getaway to Santa Cruz; listening to The 21st Century perform the song I requested at their kickstarter show; seeing Mom's reaction on Pirates of the Caribbean; picking strawberries + turning them into strawberry shortcake (the dessert, not the doll); scoring cute clothes at second hand stores; watching an afternoon thunderstorm by myself over the Serene Lakes in Tahoe National Forest; meeting my niece Maude when she was two hours old; seeing Van Gogh's La Salle de Danse à Arles at the Musée d'Orsay; eating fondue + drinking wine from a baby bottle in Montmarte, then walking up many a stair to catch the Eiffel Tower sparkle lights from Sacre Coeur; people watching at the Stravinsky Fountain; seeing Love Locks on bridges all around Europe; seeing street art all around Europe; seeing yarn bombing twice in Europe (in Salzburg + Leipzig); reflecting on the nature of humanity after visiting Anne Frank's house; frolicking where (film versions of) Maria + the Von Trapp kids sang Do Re Mi; seeing Klimt, Schiele + contemporary art at the Belvedere in Vienna; learning of + about Hundertwasser; doodling in my moleskine; taking photos (of both the staged + sneak attack variety); and everything I already mentioned in my Extra-Curricular Activities Countdown, of course.

which were staged? which were sneak attacks?

When I look back on 2011, these moments are what I want to remember.  Moments of pride, freedom, heart-swelling, merrymaking, beauty,

adventure, learning, magic and laughter.

I hope for even more.  For me, and for you.

Here's to a magical and laughter-filled 2012.

Cheers, Loves!

My Favorite Things: Books

Among my favorite things to do when I can choose to do whatever I want

to do: reading.  Here are my favorite reads of 2011, aka

Sarah's Top Seven Books Read During 2011 (catchy, no?)

7. The Hunger Games trilogy.  I'll admit it: I was prejudiced against Suzanne Collins trilogy.  Figured all the buzz was hype.  I didn't read THG till this summer, and I wasn't really hooked until Katniss (our powerful, if flawed, protagonist) was launched up the tube into The Hunger Games arena.  But once I was hooked, I was enthralled.  Truly thought provoking and downright captivating, all three books are excellent.  I hadn't expected the story and message to be so political.  (I guess I thought it would be sci-fi-ish fluff?  See?  Prejudiced!)  But I am very impressed with how Collins portrayed violence and power.  Perhaps it's not for all, but I know where I'll be on March 23, 2012.*   

*in a dark theater, cursing the Capitol regime, and throwing popcorn at President Snow

6. Graceling.  Apparently I'm a sucker for Young Adult Fiction with a strong female main character.  I kind of want to be Katsa when I grow up.  She's clever, witty, and completely bad ass.  She's one of few in her kingdom "graced" with a special power, and we get to watch her make mistakes, learn, and grow—come-of-age, if you will.  Part adventure, party mystery, part bildungsroman; totally enchanting and so very cool.  A nice, and unexpected, combo. 

5. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks.  Aaaaaand, here we are again with Sarah's "strong [teenaged] female main character" paradigm.  Though I didn't love TDHoFL-B like the other books already noted, I did enjoy this read.  Frankie attends a boarding school, and when she feels she is wronged by an all-male secret society at said school, we get to watch her exact her revenge, which consists of carefully plotted, elaborate pranks.  The setting, plot, and characterization are reminiscent of John Green (which is a very good thing), but if you want to read "John Green" at its finest, read Paper Towns.  Sigh.  The best.

4. Dash & Lily's Book of Dares.  A fun read.  I'm not usually into "romance" or "rom-com" type books, but this one's pretty cheeky.  Dash and Lily are both smart, savvy, word- and literature-loving types.  Before they ever meet in person, they interact with cryptic messages passed back and forth in books (!) in a bookstore.  Solid. 

3. The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption, and Pee.  Disclaimer: Sarah Silverman's humor is not for everyone.  Most call her crass; some call her much worse.  I find her hilarious, and laughed out loud at least once per chapter.  If you don't dig her style, nothing I say will make you dig this book.  For what it's worth, I was thoroughly entertained by The Bedwetter.  

2. Great House.  In an effort to prove that I do read books intended for adults . . . ahem.  Nicole Krauss is the author of one of my favorite books of all time: The History of Love.  Though I wasn't equally enamored with her Man Walks into a Room, I was really looking forward to reading GH.  

It neither dazzled nor disappointed me.  Like always, Krauss' phrasing is gorgeous.  Her words, mesmerizing.  But I didn't really ever grow to care about the characters, so my desire to feel moved as the story unfolded, was unrealized.      

 

1. The Book Thief.  Truth be told, I read The Book Thief before 2011.  However, I'm including it in this countdown because I re-read it.  For the fourth time.  I want everyone in the world to read The Book Thief.  Just once, even.  It is stunning and heartbreaking and powerful.  A treasure.  It's magnificent.  A magnificent treasure.

 

Up next for me?  The Night Circus and The Fault in Our Stars (John Green's soon-to-be-published latest effort).  Is it possible that I'll enjoy more adult literature in 2012?  Sure, anything is possible.  ;]

What were your favorite reads of 2011?

I'm always seeking recommendations!

My Favorite Things: Extra-Curricular Activities

Day 3 of "My Week of Favorites" Countdowns: 

Sarah's Top Five Free Time Activities of 2011

5. Sing-A-Long Sound of Music at the Castro Theater.  A few years ago, I sang-a-long with Grease, which was fun and all, but my heart belongs to the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic.  I've been on the Castro Theater's e-mail list for years, patiently awaiting the notice proclaiming, "Yes! Sarah! Soon, you will be able to sing, er yodel, along with Maria about the Lonely Goatherd".  Two of my favorite cousins, a like-minded friend, and a couple CouchSurfers joined me.  We sang about raindrops on roses, warm woolen mittens, and brown paper packages tied up with string.  Somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good.

Cousins! + the Wurlitzer dude playing Rodgers & Hammerstein of course

photo credit for Wurlitzer photo: my wonderful cousin, Melissa Mayes

photo credit for Cousins! photo: a kind stranger

4. Fantasy Football.  2011 marked my third endeavor into drafting and managing a fantasy football team.  I originally joined two years ago because Ben's league needed an even number of teams, and apparently they were having a tough time finding #8, so I reluctantly agreed.  Sure, I liked watching actual NFL games, but I knew nothing about this so-called fantasy football.  Seasons 1 and 2 were full of heartache and disappointment (for a freakishly competitive person like me, who expects to win everything she attempts, even if she knows nothing of the "how-to"), but definitely enough amusement and excitement to go for a third try.  I'm quite proud of how much I've learned and applied, and I had a good feeling going into this season.  So back in August, I dubbed this year's squad The Charm.  The third time is, well, you know . . .

sorry for the fuzzy screen shot; I blame Yahoo!

3. My Birthday Balloon Walk around Lake Merritt.  Using my birthday as a day to spread cheer, both to friends and strangers, is an annual ritual of sorts.  In 2011, I decided we would walk around the lake with bouquets of rainbow-colored, heart-shaped balloons.  Because, balloons are pretty darn magical.  (See: UP and The Red Balloon.)  To elicit maximum merriment, I encouraged friends to give balloons to children we encountered on the path.  The number of smiles I saw > the number of balloons we started with.  :]  

photo credit: Marianne Szeto

2. CouchSurfing.  In case you've no idea what I'm talking about—in a nutshell: folks from all over the world, who are willing to host people in their homes, create a profile on the CouchSurfing website.  Folks who wish to "surf the couch" of said willing hosts, make their own profile, and browse profiles looking for a good fit.  The surfer sends the potential host a couch request, and if the host accepts, the host and surfer arrange a time and place to meet.  Ben and I stayed in twelve different CS homes while we were in Europe this autumn.  And I was completely charmed by the whole experience; I am not exaggerating when I say it restored my faith in humanity.  Our hosts exuded natural hospitality, and made me feel completely home in a foreign land.  I learned so much about the daily lives of the locals.  Most hosts provided breakfasts, a few even cooked us dinner, and some either joined us at their favorite restaurants or at least recommended their favorites.  All of them served as expert translators, transportation advisers, and insiders who shared more "off the beaten path" locales to check out.  Emmanuel in Brussels taught us about Belgian chocolate and beer; Tamara in Katsheuvel cooked us pannenkoek (Dutch pancakes) and gave me dry, wool socks when we arrived on her doorstep soaked to the bone; Lena in Essen guided me on an epic bike ride through the hills and along the Baldeneysee (a reservoir surrounded by gorgeous hills); Verena and Markus in Munich cooked us some spätzle (egg pasta), recommended we visit Starnberger See (a stunning lake), and forced us to wear their lederhosen and dirndl (see evidence below); Jacques in Berlin took us on a walking tour and showed us amazing street art in an alley I'm sure we never would have stumbled upon on our own; Ermanno in Copenhagen took us to a free viewing of Pan's Labyrinth at a centuries-old church (granted, the subtitles were in Danish, but it added to the international feel of the evening!); Late and Sõlvi in Copenhagen let us play with their crazy-yet-adorable kitten when we were missing our cats somethin' fierce.  I could go on, but I'll just say that I am forever grateful for the experiences gained through CouchSurfing, and I would not hesitate to host one day.  When I have a couch of my own.  :]   
 

me + Lena; secret spot in Berlin; earning street cred in Munich;

psycho kitty in Copenhagen; Belgian beer options; Jacques + Ben

1. Mini-adventures with Ben, my partner in whatever the opposite of crime is.  Yes, we traveled around Europe together, which is not a very mini-adventure.  And he was the ideal travel partner.  Anywhere I wanted to visit or eat, he joined enthusiastically.  I dragged him to not one, but TWO theme parks, and nary a complaint was heard.  And let's just say that I'm not sure Ben would've chosen to go to quite so many museums had he planned every outing.  But, really, even when we're back in the States, one of my favorite ways to spend time is doing ordinary stuff with Ben: running around Lake Chabot, drinking bubble tea and playing board games, discussing fantasy football strategy, playing with the cats, even just reading side by side.  When Ben's around, all this stuff seems not so ordinary.  :]

Kinderdijk, Delft, Paris, Versailles, Versailles, London

What were your favorite extra-curricular activities of 2011?

My Favorite Things: Gifts I Gave

At the risk of sounding a tad saccharine, I believe that gift giving can bring just as much, if not more, joy to the giver than the receiver.  The gifts we give send a message to the recipient, and I love showing friends, family, and sometimes strangers that I care about them, their interests, and what's going on in their lives.  And sometimes, it's just fun to make something shiny to make them go, "Ooooh, how did you do that?!"  ;]

Hence, for Day 2 of my "Week of Favorites" Countdowns, I present to you (get it? present. Ha!):

'Tis So Much Better to Give Than Receive -

Sarah's Top Five Gifts Given in 2011

5. Sparkly cookies.  Because who doesn't love glittery anything, really?  Especially glittery cookies that look like little butts.  I brought dozens to each holiday celebration I attended, and folks told me they were delicious.  Which is probably true.  That, or they were hypnotized by all the sparkle.

4. A cover for Ben's mom's NOOK.  She acquired the ereader Thanksgiving weekend, and did not have a case yet.  Sarah + her sewing machine to the rescue!  I followed a process very similar to the instructions in this tutorial, with a few minor adjustments (e.g. I figured the dimensions for a NOOK Simple Touch, used a strip of elastic rather than velcro, and I chose to have the device slide in from the top rather than the side).  There were a few minor snafus—my machine's timing is off now, so I had to finish by hand, and that elastic was a wily rascal!  All things considered, I think it's pretty cute, and I'm sure that NOOK is safe + snug!     

 

3. Saffy the Giraffe for my niece, Maude.  The moment I laid my eyes on The Simply Small Series of books, I knew what I was giving Maude for Christmas: a copy of the first Saffy book, and a handmade, stuffed Saffy the Giraffe.  I don't have a photo of the finished Saffy to share, but I'm pretty sure my niece approved.  The moment Maude laid her eyes on the giraffe,

Saffy went directly into her mouth. :D

 2. I sent a t-shirt to my adorable cousin.  The back story: a few years ago, when I was going through a tough time, a dear friend sent me a little care package that included an Angry Little Girls t-shirt.  That t-shirt did me a world of good.  Full of cheek and cartoonish anger, it literally made me laugh and smile each time I saw it in my dresser.  The shirt also helped me feel loved and supported; it became a symbol of my recovery.  A visual reminder that everything will be ok.  Fast forward to a more recent time when my cousin was going through a tough time of her own, and I knew what I had to do.  The t-shirt had served its purpose with me, and now it was time to spread a little cheer to someone else in need.  I love gifts that keep giving.  :D

1. 2011 marked my mom's 60th birthday.  Since that's kind of a big deal, I wanted to do something extra nice for her.  My mom freaking loves all things Disney, and hadn't visited The Land since 1994 (California Adventure didn't even exist!).  Again, I knew what I had to do.  In retrospect, what I didn't have to do was ride Splash Mountain in 58° weather.  But, the smile on my mom's face was definitely worth it.  :] 

Mary Blair concept art for Alice in Wonderland; Mom + me after Splash Mountain*

What was your favorite gift you gave this year?

Also!  Reminder that Janet is still giving away $ in the name of your simple Acts of Goodwill!  Jump on over there + tell her about all the elfin' you've been up to during this season of giving!  ♥

*photo credit for Splash Mountain aftermath: my wonderful friend, Valerie Rangel,
who also helped make the Disneyland trip for my mom possible. 

My Favorite Things: European Junk Food

Welcome back from the festivities, folks!  I hope your holiday weekend was full of nestling, snuggling, and visions of dancing sugar plums.  Or spiked egg nog.  Whatever. 

Since there are five more days of this calendar year, I'd like to spend this week reflecting on My Favorite Things of 2011.  I'm feeling a whole lot of gratitude + a little levity is in order.  ;] 

Today's topic?  Well, you may or may not have noticed that I nonchalantly alluded to the fact that I was in Europe this autumn.  It's true.  I was there.  And, yes, I saw priceless works of art, wandered about in many a picturesque park, and heard some world-class musicians do their thing.  I also took advantage of the opportunity to taste regional gourmet cuisines.  But, today—today, I'd like to focus on the wonderful gift of the not-particularly-nutritious foods Europe bestowed upon me.  Therefore, I present to you:

Sarah's Top Six Sweet Snacks To Nosh On 

Whilst Frolicking Around Europe 

      

6. Grom ice cream in Paris.  Heaven in a cone.  The best ice cream of my life.  I savored every lick of pistachio + salted caramel that my tongue had the honor of tasting.  In fact, I was so engrossed in the experience, I failed to take a photo of the gorgeous confection.  Instead, I give you a shot of soft serve enjoyed outside the Centre Pompidou, my favorite people-watching locale in Paris (but that's for another post!).

  

NOT Grom. Rather some soft serve outside the Centre Pompidou.

5. Galler chocolate.  Our CouchSurfing host (again—a story for another post!) in Brussels gave us a brilliant tip regarding Belgian chocolate.  The chocolate available in local markets is just as delicious and not nearly the cost of the schmancy stuff in the tourist shops.  I can vouch for the truth of this fact.  Sorry I don't have photographic evidence; even sorrier that I haven't been able to locate Galler in the States yet . . .  

4. This Alnatura Mandel thing, found in the dm (drugstore chain) in Austria.  Each package contained about ten soft, chewy rectangular pieces

made of almonds.  Kind of like marzipan, but even dreamier.

must locate U.S. retailer . . .

3.  Ladurée macarons.  I don't even know what to say.

The first bite brought a tear to my eye.

 

sigh

2. Stroopwafels in the Netherlands!  When we were at a farmer's market in Delft, I tried my first stroopwafel—two warm waffle rounds sealed together with fresh caramel!  Henceforth, I hunted them down on a daily basis.  Almost every corner store sold the pre-packaged ones, which were pretty darn tasty.  Before leaving Amsterdam, I may or may not have purchased a substantial stash to bring to Germany in case they didn't exist there.*

    

*smuggling stroopwafels into Germany

1. Toffifee!  Yet another treasure hidden on the shelves of the local grocery markets in Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic.  Hazelnut, caramel, nougat, and chocolate all in one bite.  So much awesome packed into one bite.  Toffifee is the overachiever of the bunch, but Oh! does she succeed!

as if the taste weren't enough, toffifees are shaped like lil' nuts. TOO cute.

Ok, your turn!  Do you have any favorite snacks from elsewhere in the world?  I gotta know what to look for when I travel the rest of the globe!  ;] 

Dear Global Winter Wonderland,

You are equal parts creepy,

(the snowman, not my darling pal, Grayce)

bizarre,

blue fox with a beak (?) kickin' it @ "your favorite childhood shoe house"

perplexing,

bikini-clad woman guarding pirate ship with gun + sword

adorable,

how happy does Santa look to deliver those TWO packages to the boys + girls of the world?!

 kawaii,

libra + gemini

 and genius!

I mean, WHO would've thought to include dinosaurs in the mix with other traditional Winter Wonderland fare?  Not I, Global Winter Wonderland, not I.  You are awesome, and I thank you for an evening of pure entertainment.  Consider yourself added to the illustrious list of activities that get me feeling all Christmassy.  Cheers! 

xoxo,

Sarah

Coutdown within a countdown within a countdown

Top 5 activities that'll get me in the Christmas spirit, even when it's 65˚ here in sunshiney Northern California:

5. Listening to Christmas music
4. Viewing strings of lights festooning homes
3. Baking cookies
2. Consuming peppermint-flavored anything
1. Watching my favorite Christmassy movies

Top 5 movies that are guaranteed to give me warm fuzzies:

5. Home Alone
4. Elf
3. Scrooged
2. A Charlie Brown Christmas
1. The Nightmare Before Christmas

Alternates that will suffice in a pinch if none of the above are available for viewing:

3. Edward Scissorhands
2. You've Got Mail
1. Watching Puss in Boots tell the story of "Santa Claws" about 27 times in succession 

I'll give you a cookie if you work the line, "I have shamed myself," casually and naturally into a conversation today.  Please include a transcript in the comments.  ;]

Tradition!

I recall forcing my mom to listen to Christmas with the Chipmunks, Volume 1 once or twice.*

*Or 8 times a day, 7 days a week, 4 weeks a year.  For approximately 13 years.  If she didn't want to hear it that much, she shouldn't have given me a boom box with auto reverse, right?  I still stand behind my DJing skillz.