Suzy came to Oregon and fell for it… let’s talk about this some more! (By: A)

Well, you came…  !  What fun, right… you will blog too about it.  And there were little moments of “I REALLY REALLY WANT TO SHARE A CITY WITH YOU” and it’ll have to be this one, because I’m not going anywhere a while, and it’s Oregon and it’s wonderful!

I wish I could remember all the very silly, funny one liners… like “bad genes”.   We dressed Ryan up to be hipster in my clothes for a totally hipster concert.  We drove in all sorts of directions and sat in all kinds of bars.  We camped at the coast.  We saw Tillamook, Cannon Beach.  We went to Mt. Hood, the Sandy River…..  it was all love and next year we will have rafts and tubes and all the things we wanted to have.

A few favorites are below… but check out pictures of the LONDON FRIENDS IN PORTLAND HERE.

And while you are at it, I took a lot of really cool photos on my trip back to Pennsylvania last week, TAKE A PEEK OF THAT STUFF TOO!

our colorful headless hippie bodies

portland rocks

cannon beach, or (haystack rock)

cool pacific

SUZY AND ALEX

ARE IN PORTLAND TOGETHER THIS DAY!

now, that’s love!

Since We’ll be together there SOON aka ALL ABOUT PORTLANT (from alexander)

THIS IS ONE OF THE MORE INTERESTING LITTLE COMMENTARIES I’VE FOUND REGARDING MY CITY YOU WILL SOON SEE… wanted to share:

CLICK HERE for the full portland, oregon guide after the jump!

Hello, design*sponge readers! I’m so excited to be here, and can’t wait to share a little (okay, a lot) about the best Portland, Oregon has to offer. I’m Becki Singer, I write a little style blog called ShoppingsMyCardio, and I’ve lived in Portland for, wow, about two years now. Since I tend to write about fashion and accessories every day, I’m thrilled to be able to chat a bit about my other passion, home design, and to share my favorite shops and sights in the City of Roses. Thanks so much for having me, Grace!

Portland is one of those cities everyone seems to have an opinion about, whether they’ve been here or not. “It rains all the time there!”, “The city’s full of hippies, right?”, and on it goes. So, before you come to visit, let me clear up a few things. We do have rain, but it’s less than you think – winter is definitely gloomy, but our summers are the reason people live here: it’s gorgeous and sunny from June through October. As for the hippie thing, well, that one’s sort of true. We do have our fair share – though I’m going to get hate mail for admitting it. Most locals love their yoga, their bikes and their alternative medicine. You’ll get glares from fellow patrons if you forget to put your biodegradable coffee cup in the compost bin, and I’ve never lived somewhere with so many options for vegetarian, vegan and raw diners. We also tend to be an outdoorsy bunch (okay, that’s a metaphorical “we”…outdoorsy is one thing I’m not) – Portland is heaven if you’re into camping, skiing, hiking, kayaking, snowshoeing…really anything that involves installing a Thule rack on your Subaru.

All that said, there’s oh-so-much more to Portland than rain and recycling. In fact, in the last ten years, this city has turned into a hip, artistic, and thoroughly cool city. If you’re into art, you’ll be amazed by the sheer number of galleries in the city, and the fact that Portland is home to all sorts of artists you already know and love (Matte Stephens, Amy Ruppel, and Jill Bliss come to mind). The indy music scene here is legendary – the Decemberists hail from its ranks, and there’s always a hot new band (or ten) to check out on any given weekend at one of the dozens of local concert venues. And the food…as a transplant from San Francisco, I take my foodie credentials seriously. The culinary scene in Portland is simply amazing, and so much less expensive than comparable spots in bigger cities. Local chefs pride themselves on sourcing the best from organic farms and free-range ranches, and doling out dishes built to make the ingredients the star. Of course, if you’re more swayed by liquid refreshment, don’t forget about those legendary Oregon Pinot Noirs, the very serious coffee bean scene, and the fact that we have more microbreweries per capita than any other city in the US.

Now that you’ve decided to visit, it will help if you take a moment to get the lay of the land. PDX is divided into quadrants: the boundary of the north and south sides is a street called Burnside, and the boundary between east and west is the Willamette River. The scene definitely changes depending on which side of the river you’re on. While it’s a gross generalization, I tend to think of the west side of Portland as the more metro, urban, hip and trendy side of things. The east side, on the other hand, is what I think most people “expect” from Portland: it’s a little more unkempt and alternative – definitely cool, but with nary a hipster vibe to be found. It’s easy to get “stuck” over on the west side. Downtown is in the SW quarter, and most of the tourist spots and upscale shopping are on the West side. But on the east side, you’ll get a feel for what really makes Portland unique and quirky…in a good way, of course. To make life easier, and to convince you to venture east, I’ve divided this guide into neighborhoods (sometimes loosely), but also listed the quadrant for each.

While you’re here, remember that PDX takes its local, homegrown businesses very seriously. Take advantage of the fact that this city nurtures independent retailers and abhors the strip mall (our mayor’s biggest campaign promise was to keep Wal-Mart out of the city), and you’ll be rewarded handsomely: we have some of the best, most uniquely curated boutiques you’ll find anywhere. Oh, and did I mention there’s no sales tax? Just in case you needed another excuse.

portland approaching (from alexander in PA)

Suzy… it is approaching faster than I ever thought…  and since I’m so OUT of my life in Portland right now, the visit is going to seem very whimsical, as I haven’t really cemented any plans, but what is the point of that.

I don’t know what high tops are?  Or I don’t know what you mean – any hiking we do will be moderate, I’m sure, being such a big group.  But the coast can be cool, so make sure whatever they are they are sturdy and something you would walk miles in without starting to bitch about!

It’s Tuesday.. I’m in my mom’s house, been doing some small chores, and hanging with family and kids I only see a time or 2 a year.  Tomorrow starts this fun carnival/italian festival that is literally in my back yard..  I will ride all the rides with kids of all ages.  As long as SOMEONE comes on that big-kid gravitron ride with me.  Do you know my SERIOUS childhood obsession with carnivals and rides… and specifically that shady rides that pull up on flatbeds in the middle of the night and are elaborate-thrill-rides-put together by men with no shirts or teeth and covered in tattooes.  LOVE IT… wanted to used to DO IT…  I think it related to my love of the film industry, the fakeness, the temporariness of sets and filming locations.. etc.

Tonight is Chinese food in Rockaway, NJ and tomorrow the rides.  Thursday I leave Newark at 7am and in Portland at 10am…  have 12 hours to rest, wash, and clean and prepare for YOU GUYS.

I don’t know if D and L are regularly reading the blog… so I won’t get into a semi-agenda here.. plus, its just hanging out in Portland for friday and saturday anyway to find Dylan Sat night…

alright…too much happening around me and i miss you and can’t wait to see you and us all together.  I got a nice camera, so I really want a fun photo shoot.  I will have another  friend take a lot of pictures of the group of us.

My tummy feels empty this lunch time… i think I might have a beer!

XOXOXOOXOXXOXOXOXOX

suzy is portland bound in three days! alex is too, in a few days! (LOVEsuzy)

hi guys! woo hoo im traveling to portland on thursday right after work. i am a bit scared to go to my office job this week, bc i was out sick due to fainting and other malaise last week, but i suppose whatever does not get done will just not get done, and, well, will be done when i am back.

((( i just read somewhere ‘no one wants to read a bored blogger’, so i bet that goes double, eh, triple, for no one wants to read an unhappy office worker. so i will promptly shut up about that!))))

this past weekend i successfully accomplished going to a wedding i was nervous about going to… a good friend from way back in junior high. we were great friends and drifted and then came back together and then i started dating her older brother when i moved to nyc, and then we broke up, and… well, although that family is one of my favorites on the planet, add the aforementioned factors, and then put a few tables of people i havent seen since my high school graduation day into the mix, and, it could be trouble. so i probably (a.k.a. surely) drank too much to deal with it, but as the ex-bf said, if there is ever a time to drink too much, its at a joyous wedding. (he said it better than that. hes a writer. i just dont want to literally cut paste what he said. so, thats basically what he said.)

and my bf proves yet again to be the biggest keeper on the planet, for dealing with me through all of that stuff, plus me flirting with the OTHER brother of the family, who had a girlfriend who was there. ekk. will i stop being a disaster when i am, eh, 30? please?

and, alex, can i wear hightops to hike in? hightops and a flask seem like they would work for me.
also, holy shit, i cant believe we are going to hang out w dylan in portland! me you leah ryan dylan yay yay yay im never coming back to brooklyn. lets collectively kidnap each other.
and, i found out a great guy from my highschool now lives in portland. he was always cute and quirky and we were never great friends bc i think he was very christian or something or other, and he came into my school in like tenth grade or later, but he was always really cool and from what i gather on his facebook page he is now a carpenter and just maybe had an accident where he cut a finger off:( so, he isnt boring, at least.
YES world, i will think you are boring until you have a run in with a table saw! (or, go hiking in the woods w me with a flask.)

*fred, if you are reading, i dont know why all but one of the pics i inserted became pixalated, but as long as it does not compromise your art, i think they look sort of cool. im going to get them on MM this week!!!

also, a hollywood thing and a ny thing (suzy again)

in lighter, other news: alex, i thought this may interest you
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/17/business/media/17blog.html?th&emc=th

and…
why havent i build a pandora radio station around beatles music like my friend’s computer has? whoa! its grand.

and… can i talk for a moment about the nyc subway experience i just had? hari krishnas singing and playing guitars and being all devoted and selling that krishna vegetarian cookbook they always sell and asking for change i guess by having a box w coins in it in front of them. and an overly-well dressed indian couple, who i understand probably has nothing w this religion, but it just struck me as a funny moment, holding their numerous prada and so on shopping bags and just Glaring! at the musicians. seriously glowering. the girl says ‘what an annoying sound’ to her husband/bf/sugar daddy who had way too much bling on, and i just couldnt get over how much i preferred people like the krishnas to people like her. although both are fanatic and, yes, annoying in their own right, i feel her type is the worst of all of em. end of rant, story, small nyc experience.

suzy, fainting. suzy, retreating…

ak. so.
i FUCKING fainted getting off the subway on the way to work yesterday. worst.day.ever. is not even putting it in words.
it was so scary, and i felt so vulnerable, and now i am semi-scared to take the subway/leave my apartment by myself/ do normal things. boohoo.

that was yesterday. i went to the doctor. he said i am overstressed, obv. not sleeping enough, or relaxing enough, or resting myself. and he thinks i may be anemic. which i have been through before with doctors. but still, he wants to check. blood tests today, more soon./… a series of doctors appointments were scheduled. lets see. i feel like if i found out i had something horrible wrong with me that would kick start me to start doing a million more things with my life. how bad is that! why couldnt i do them without finding out my life had a sooner expiry date! dont we all know our time is limited …

alas.

another wedding this weekend, for a high school friend. and then alex, maybe your mother’s backyard, or, maybe passing out on the beach, depending on how i feel.

i am vowing to take things so easy for the next few weeks. i am going to paint some pictures.
love, to myself. and love, to ya’ll<3

new look to ANDWELOVE today + stories from my car trip around the northwest. by: alexander

hi friends and loves…..  i have been without (much) technology for a week, embarking around the pacific northwest…. with lots on that to come.  but i’m back in portland

but HEY, DO YOU LIKE OUR UPDATED LOOK… hey, the new york times magazine does it, so will we!

and if you haven’t been to our site before (or have), do look at aboutANDWELOVE .  our beautiful picture is there, too.

so, last thursday my friend and i headed due east out of portland…  the only legitimate/planned/real goal was to visit a family friend of mine in rigby, id and get some kindly promised camping equipment and also to spend time in jackson hole (where i was born) and do some hiking…the rest was pretty much in the air and in the gas tank…      the pacific northwest has alllll so much to offer.  since rigby, id was a lengthy drive away, we decided we’d stay in the one and only idaho hostel, just outside boise, a renovated farmhouse turned hostel in the midst of cow fields, creeks, and a walmart.   not another guest arrived, so we had a night out in boise – a pretty quit imitation-like city….after some mexican food (in IDAHO) and a stop at the very dead, but still existing gay bar, the emerald club …  sadly, just a small handful of locals were there and big, empty, dance floor was no inviting.  the clubs sign read “straight-friendly”….  what a turn of events in this america, right…  we live in the DAY OF AGE that the only idaho gay bar posts in their signage an “OK” for straight people to come on in.!

the next day we took rural roads to pass craters of the moons national monument in central idaho

me on the moon

friends in rigby idaho showed us a good time and donated all great gear suzy, and pals will be using in just 2 weekends all around oregon (did you hear news that dylan is confirmed today, it is on!).   and a fun night of driveway beers and fireworks and chicken salad!  praise america!

the next day’s small drive was just over the pass in jackson hole, wyoming

thrilled to be home (well, passport and birth certificate home)

with patrick above the big JH

the beloved tetons and teton national park

moose!

jenny lake

(suzy, did you know aspen trees were my favorite kind every, not just seeing how you work where you work and all)

i fell in love with an amazing blue grass band playing at the mangy moose, in teton village, wy…  they were called HEAD FOR THE HILLS and they rocked the place out….  i already downloaded their album from itunes!

we left wyoming and headed the back roads up to missoula, montana – my new favorite place to maybesomeday move/get a house/visit often…  it is a teeny liberal/hip/young/gayish/smartish tiny town in western montana.  it houses U of Montana, so acts somewhat as a college town.. but with breathtaking scenery, cool people, cool music, local indie papers, colin meloy of decemberists is from there, gay bar, coffee shops, live music, riverfront, and so on … it is small and cheap and awesome, so let’s go!  i recommend for cheap: the city center motel, walking distance from all the good spots on higgins.  and food and wine is good at the old post, sit outside in back if it’s summer.  the gay bar, “amvets” (yes because it exists in and alongside the very old missoula america veterans club space,  how weird, has supposedly crazy mixed fun crowds all weekend long.  not so much my night there – monday.   all in all, love missoula.

not to mention, missoula is just mere hour or so from flathead lake, montana – a breathtaking and quiet lake.  i did some canoeing that started very fun but has some work-real-hard- parts i wasn’t expected…  i jumped in the lake afterwards.

and also not to mention, missoula is just a fast 3 hours from glacier national park.  WHOAZERS

back side of tetons, eastern idaho

and some final and favorite pics from glacier national park<<<<<<

SO, GOOD STUFF LOVES<EH?

do take a look at all my pics taken along the road this past week at my PICASA ALBUM ! (and no fear, it isn’t ALL the pics, its an edited handful that i’m sure you will really enjoy!)

some rilke, from suzy <3!

“If your everyday life seems poor, don’t blame it; blame yourself; admit to yourself that you are not enough of a poet to call forth its riches; because for the creator there is not poverty and no poor, indifferent place. And even if you found yourself in some prison, whose walls let in none of the world’s sounds – wouldn’t you still have your childhood, that jewel beyond all price, that treasure house of memories? Turn your attentions to it. Try to raise up the sunken feelings of this enormous past; your personality will grow stronger, your solitude will expand and become a place where you can live in the twilight, where the noise of other people passes by, far in the distance. – And if out of this turning-within, out of this immersion in your own world, poems come, then you will not think of asking anyone whether they are good or not.”

- Rainer Maria Rilke

ps: i think i am done the absolute hellish work project i have been doing for so long. lets all collectively cross our fingers and see! if its not, i guess i just have to be a poet about it and find some richness in there somewhere, huh;)

pictorial of md, nj, ct, ma, nh, pa, and ny

alex, you are right about being in ny/portland but not really generally being in ny/portland. i just uploaded my pictures from about three weeks ago to this weekend. here is a whirlwind tour of what i have been up to:

from space 1026 in philly

from space 1026 in philly

house where the wedding was

crazy house in the poconos. they have been having 4th of july parties here for 25 years!

my dad brother and back of my head, on my uncle’s boat

yale art museum

and… back to nyc