Chanel Moving Forward

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portland

Portland Part 2

Writing this last recap and reminiscing about our trip really has me wanting to go back. My husband and I are talking about taking a trip in September for Feast Portland since we basically travel to eat good food. Until then I can continue to follow all the Portland instagram accounts and drool over everything I see … Back to our trip recap (and my diet). It was a good decision to keep the rental car for the rest of our stay. We wanted to explore Cannon Beach so we headed out pretty early Saturday since the ride was about 90 minutes each way. The drive was a straight shot down Route 26 and overall very easy. There was some winding roads but I think the ride could be done for at nearly age, even with kids. We stopped first at the top part of the cliff which was extremely windy. I literally thought the wind was going to blow me over. It was also freezing so after I took a few pictures and mental snapshots I hightailed it back to car since my fingers felt like ice cubes. In true Oregon fashion, the sky had parted and the sun was out by the time we got back down to Cannon beach. It was so beautiful and spacious. The coast line is definitely different from southern beaches. The sand extends much deeper into the water. I loved seeing Haystack Rock which was accessible by foot since the tide was low. buy desyrel online https://bethanyhealthcare.org/wp-content/languages/new/desyrel.html no prescription
Goonies Never Say Die.

We ended up back in Portland right around lunch time and hit up Lela’s Bistro for some bahn mis. They have a ton of vegan options and the food was pretty decent. Prices were a little high compared to Atlanta but still good. By the time we finished eating it was pouring out, of course, so we got the car and drove to the Portland Gear store which I had been dying to check out. I have followed them on instagram for months and I love their clothing and accessories. When I heard they were opening a store a few weeks before our strip, I knew I had to go and buy some goodies. I got a few shirts for my husband and myself and a coffee mug since I am a mug hoarder. The shirts are super soft with a great slim fit and the mug holds a ton of coffee since I never just have one cup at a time. Marcus, the owner, was there and he was very friendly and seemed genuinely interested in our group, asking us questions about our trip and if we were having a good time. I definitely recommend checking this store out if you have a chance to visit Portland. buy effexor online https://bethanyhealthcare.org/wp-content/languages/new/effexor.html no prescription
It’s right by Providence Park so if you’re going to check out a Timbers game, stop in there for some hometown gear.

For a late afternoon snack we braved the cold rain and stood in line at Pip’s Original Doughnuts, which was the longest wait we had since being in Portland, but it was so worth it. Their donuts were some of the best I have ever had. They were all made fresh as you ordered and came out super warm. The Dirty Wu is their most popular and I can see why. How can you go wrong with cinnamon sugar drizzled with warm nutella? You can’t. It’s also named after Sgt. Wu on my favorite show Grimm. The pricing is very cheap but that’s because the donuts are all minis. They are the perfect size for a snack or to share and you can try all flavors without overdoing it since they are light and airy. The staff was very friendly and patient. You could tell they are used to crowds and tourists and they answered everyones questions with a smile on their face. buy premarin online https://bethanyhealthcare.org/wp-content/languages/new/premarin.html no prescription
Saturday night was our last dinner together and since we were pretty exhausted from such a full day, we Yelped it for some low key Italian. Serratto, located in the Alphabet district, was quaint and quiet with dim lighting and a warm atmosphere. They had valet on site which was perfect for a busy Saturday evening since parking was scarce. I of course had a few glasses of prosecco which tasted so refreshing and the girls and I split the Pommes Frites (house-cut fries, fried twice with garlic aioli) as our starter. The Risotto with mushrooms, leeks, Grana Padano and white truffle butter was incredible. Mind blowing even. I could have licked my dish but decided to spare my friends and fellow dinner goers. As much as I would love to come back here and try other things on the menu I don’t think I could because I’d want to order the risotto again, it was just that tasty. Of course we went out with a bang and ordered the Creme Brûlée for dessert, how daring of us. I usually never order dessert because I am so stuffed from entrees and wine but the Creme Brûlée must have been a house favorite because we were watching them walk by us all night. It was delicious, which wasn’t surprising and the perfect way to end a great evening with friends in such a wonderful city.
Two of the girls on our trip booked the noon flight home so they had to head out relatively early. We decided to have one last meal together and went to Meriwether’s for brunch. This place was just down the street from our rental in the Northwest/ Industrial area and had it not been pouring we could have walked. The service here was excellent but we were also only the second table to be seated which may have played a part. Our waitress was super sweet and attentive and made us feel very at home. We ordered a stack of the classic buttermilk pancakes as an appetizer .. not really sure if people do that at brunch but they sounded, and were, delicious. I love how this restaurant operates their own farm which is located 20 minutes away so you know the ingredients are top notch. Fresh squeezed orange juice and vanilla iced coffees were flowing and the rain outside kept pouring. One of the girls ordered the chicken chilaquiles (basically nachos for breakfast) and I was lucky enough to try a bite and they were superb. The southern part of me chose the fried chicken and waffle with orange marmalade. It sucked. I’m kidding, it was everything I had hoped it would be. The orange marmalade, pure maple syrup and light dusting of powdered sugar added the finishing touch with just the right amount of sweetness.
After our group breakfast two of the girls headed to the airport and my other girlfriend and I went back to our rental house to sleep/lounge off the carbs. We packed up the car with our luggage, returned the keys and spent the next 9 hours exploring the different neighborhoods in the city. We were on the red eye which left at 11pm and had to check out by noon. It was a good excuse to really take advantage of the day and not have the house to go back to for periodic carb induced naps. On our last day the weather called for 100% chance of rain and thunderstorms but the weather pattern changed drastically and we were blessed with clear skies and sunshine. We couldn’t have asked for a better surprise since we didn’t have a house to go back to in case of continuous downpours. Since we were just down the street from the Industrial area I had to stop at Schoolhouse Electric & Supply. They had been on my “must go to” list since planning this trip. I’m a huge fan of industrial decor and lighting and being in their store made me long for city lofts with exposed brick walls and pipes.
One of my favorite things about Portland is all the beautiful murals throughout the city. They’re so gorgeous and basically outdoor works of art. I have a thing for colored and textured walls and there is definitely no shortage in Portland. My friend and I hit up Alberta street for some shopping and exploring since ironically our last day of the trip also gave us the best weather. I loved how unique each shop was and definitely did my part to help boost the economy by purchasing something in almost every single one (sorry babe).
Once the rain started to come down a little we thought that would be a good time to grab some lunch. Boxer Ramen was literally right in front of us as we were talking about food so in we went. The restaurant was very tiny but we only had to wait about 10 minutes for a table. Luckily the waiting area is outside the restaurant so there aren’t people hovering over you watching you eat and huffing while looking at their watches. The portions were huge and the prices were very reasonable ($12 for a large bowl). If I were a local I would come here all the time and get the lunch and save half for later. I ordered the Tonkotsu Shio: traditional pork broth, pork belly, soft-poached egg and scallions. We split the Okonomiyaki Tots which were tater tots with a creamy spicy sauce, tonkatsu sauce, shavings of bonito flakes, togarashi and nori. The bonito flakes actually moved and it looked like our tots were alive. One of the craziest things I have ever seen and I would definitely spend the $5 just so you can see this. Even though there weren’t kids with us, the place was kid friendly and I know my son would have loved watching the dancing tater tots.
We walked off our ramen and headed to Salt & Straw because why not? I could not leave Portland without trying this awesomeness. I chose the Stumptown Coffee & Burnside Bourbon scoops. How local of me, right? Some seats emptied at the front bar and we were able to enjoy our ice cream and people watch. By the time we left the line was out the door. The staff was also super friendly and handed out a ton of samples. Everything was delicious and I wish I lived closer so I could try all the flavors. The shop was very clean and kid friendly and I was definitely getting home sick seeing all the little boys excited for ice cream with their mamas. Until a little boy tried to pull his pants down and that reminded me of something Henry would do so I quickly snapped out of it.
After our Alberta street adventures we went to see a friend of my girlfriends who happened to be a bartender at a bar in North Portland, the Florida Room. The drinks were very well made and there was a Photo Booth so I could have stayed there all night pumping money into that machine. My friend told me about photo booth hire Birmingham since she lives in the UK and she’s considering getting a booth for her wedding. I told her to do it! They’re so fun!! This place definitely has that road-side bar feeling with graffiti in the bathroom, a pinball machine and a covered front patio for smoking. Being non smokers we sat inside at the bar which was pretty comfortable. We didn’t stay long and it was in the afternoon so it wasn’t too crowded but it sure seems like a fun and interesting place to hang out at night.

Before the sun set we really wanted to see the Cherry Blossoms that had recently bloomed by the Steel Bridge, so we booked it over to Tom McCall park to walk along the waterfront. As I mentioned before, Sunday gave us the best weather of the trip and I am so glad I decided to take the red eye back so I had another whole day to see Portland. It was also nice to spend quality time with one of my best friends who I’ve known for almost 20 years!

We had worked up an appetite and were running out of daylight (and energy), so we decided to spend the rest of our time perusing the isles at Powell’s and having some pizza at Sizzle Pie. The slices were huge and the people watching was fantastic, since the face of the restaurant sits right on the corner and there are people coming and going in all directions. At the bookstore I came across from vintage JFK coloring books and am kicking myself for not getting them, even though they were nearly $30 a pop, but still. I know what I will now be searching for on eBay.

Just like that, our trip came and went and we are all back to our real lives. Mine currently consists of registering my son for pre-k and being covered in smashed bananas, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. Portland, you were so good to us … what an amazing city you are. I’ll be back for you soon.

Portland Part 1

Thursday started extremely early with a 4:45am wakeup call. I had to drop Evelyn off with my mom since my husband had to work and Henry had school. We beat all the Atlanta traffic and made it to the airport with plenty of time to spare. After catching up with the girls and a few cocktails, we set out for our Portland weekend on the 9:00am flight. One of the best things about traveling to the West Coast is that you gain 3 hours. We arrived at 11:30am PST and basically had the whole day to enjoy. The drive from the airport to our Airbnb rental was quick and the location of the home was ideal. Located in a residential area of the NW/Nob Hill district, the house was perfect for 4 girls. There wasn’t any street noise, traffic or random people walking by at all hours. If you are traveling with a small group (4 and under) I highly recommend this listing. Besides, having an entire house to yourself and splitting the cost with friends is way cheaper than a hotel.

Portland has an incredible food truck scene (over 500!) and there are trucks everywhere you look (view map here). We headed to SW Washington since we were starving and it took forever for us to decide. I wanted a sampling from every cart. The smell was so amazing and since I was basically ready to pass out, I could have devoured everything. I chose Mac & Trees since I love all things carbs and dairy and got the Blue Cheese Please: blue cheese crumbles, bacon, spinach, carmelized onions, breadcrumbs and a balsamic glaze. No joke, it is now in my top five favorites of all time (a close second to the truffle mac and cheese in Malibu last Fall).

After putting ourselves in a food coma we walked to the Ace Hotel to take pictures in the photo booth (I do this wherever I go and must have over 1,000 strips by now) and for a pick me up at Stumptown Coffee. Most of my friends know that I drink iced coffee year round so even though it was a tad chilly and rainy out, I still had their classic brew over ice. We wandered over to Powell’s Bookstore, their flagship location with over 1 million books, and got lost in the aroma of old paperbacks. I am a huge fan of bookstores and still enjoy reading a real book. Of course I spent most of my time in the children’s section and was amazed at all the kids books I had never heard of. I bought a few for the kids and scored some amazing vintage Easter books for their baskets. We did some more wandering and shopping around the Pearl District and the weather ended up being pretty decent so we were able to do a lot of walking. After working up an appetite (i.e., craving a beer) we stopped into Deschutes Brewery for some cold beers before dinner. I split a flight with one of the girls which had six different 4 ounce beers. My favorite was the Theory of Sourtivity, since it tasted a bit like champagne. No brainer. buy fluoxetine online https://bethanyhealthcare.org/wp-content/languages/new/fluoxetine.html no prescription

For Thursday dinner we kept it low key at Mother’s Bistro & Bar. We were exhausted from being up before dawn and this home cooked inspired restaurant was perfect. It’s no shocker that I ordered the Chicken Fried Chicken: crispy buttermilk & spice-marinated chicken breast topped with country gravy and served with mashed potatoes. I chose broccoli as my side and it was the freshest broccoli I have ever tasted, even being from the South! The lighting was really dark so I couldn’t get any good pictures of my dinner, but use your imagination to figure out what fried chicken and mashed potatoes look like 🙂 buy lipitor online https://bethanyhealthcare.org/wp-content/languages/new/lipitor.html no prescription

Friday morning we all woke up at 5:30am being that we were still on East Coast time (this was 8:30 for me and I felt so refreshed since all my days at home usually start by 5am). We threw on some hiking clothes and headed to Voodoo Donuts in Old Town Chinatown to pump ourselves full of sweet before the car ride to Multonomah Falls (smart right?) There was no line at Voodoo when we got there which was shocking since every picture I have seen shows the line around the block. This was another fortunate part of our trip … we never hit any lines or had a wait time except twice. These donuts were so fun to eat and the Homer Simpson (pink) and Rice Krispy, Chocolate + Peanut Butter were my favorites. They also made a mean maple too! buy valtrex online https://bethanyhealthcare.org/wp-content/languages/new/valtrex.html no prescription

We had spent the first day Ubering around, thinking that split between 4 girls the price wouldn’t be too bad. However, with each ride averaging between $8-$12, we decided that renting a car for $35 a day would be way cheaper. We chose Avis Rental which was located right in Downtown Portland. It was easy to get to, the car was clean and they were very flexible with us extending our reservation and returning the car at the airport Sunday night. I’m not sure if we lucked out or if Portland is always this way, but driving in the city and outskirts was extremely easy. There was hardly any traffic and parking was never an issue. I highly recommend renting a car if visiting because you will need one and it allows you to see so much more of the city. It also allows you to get your bearings more. We were surprised how relatively close everything was to each other and how easy it was to get everywhere, which you don’t know while in Uber since you aren’t really aware of your surroundings because you are focused more on your drivers vampire fangs than the beautiful city. After picking up our car we headed East to the beautiful Multnomah Falls. The drive was only 30 minutes and if you are renting a car, making this trip is a no brainer because it will not eat up a lot of your vacation time. The waterfalls were so alluring and are really a sight to see. Photographs definitely don’t do this place any justice and I feel so lucky to have been able to see these falls in person. I haven’t gotten the chance to explore the West Coast that much but the Oregon coastline is simply beautiful.

After coming home to rest and freshen up, we went to get our burger on at Tilt. All the food is hand crafted and the gourmet burgers live up to their prices. Of course I chose the The Big Tilt: two chuck patties, bacon, egg, American cheese, pickles, tomato, onion and lettuce on a three layer bun. Yes, you read all that correctly. I am going on record here to say this was the best burger I’ve ever had. Paired with a cold beer and the handcrafted cheddar tots, we were all in Heaven.

We did a little shopping in Sunnyside, which reminded me of Little 5 Points in Atlanta, before going home for some R&R. Nap time definitely happened and it was nice to relax without having a baby monitor on my nightstand table or Mickey Mouse Clubhouse blaring from the TV. We had a late dinner at The Matador, one of the two times we had a wait because we didn’t make reservations and came at 8:15. Fortunately we found some seats at the bar and ordered a few margaritas which were some of the best I’ve ever had, not to mention strong, which was perfect for a Friday evening without kids. We all split the Queso Fundido and I ordered the Mushroom & Goat Cheese Quesadilla with Shrimp and it was the bomb. I’m a sucker for Mexican food and could eat it everyday, so it was such a relief to find some good Mexican while I was in Portland. The staff at the Matador were so friendly and the service was very speedy. This definitely stood out as the nicest staffed restaurant I visited on this trip.

We definitely packed a ton of food and fun into our first two days on the trip and now I am starving looking at all those yummy pictures. They get even better with part two of our travels coming later this week. Yay for Wednesday and warm Atlanta weather! xo, friends!

Five Things Friday – Rain Boots

With just under a week before my Portland trip I am feeling the urgency for some new rain boots. I bought some last Fall when it literally poured in Atlanta for 100 days straight but they are not the most comfortable for doing a ton of walking. I also hate shoes that tie up my feet so I honestly have no idea why I bought them. Until this past year we haven’t gotten a ton of consistent rain living in the South so I never really had to think about a rain boot that was comfortable yet not ugly AF but there are a ton of fun ones out there. It kind of makes me wish the rain would stick around but then I look at my house with two kids tearing it up because we can’t go outside and that thought immediately removes itself from my brain. The basic black are great for year round but the yellow and floral are perfect for Spring. The best part is that these are all under $100. Happy Friday and happy shopping, friends! buy anafranil online https://bethanyhealthcare.org/wp-content/languages/new/anafranil.html no prescription

 

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one // two // three // four // five
Here’s to another weekend! Also, how is it March already?

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