Double-Stacked Bookshelves

Spring has officially begun here in the PNW...we have the allergies to prove it!  Despite the scratchy eyes, runny noses, and overall itchy feeling Spring often gives us, there is still a lot of room for love during the season.  Here are 10 reason why I love Spring! Colorful Flowers The abundance of flowers and colors in Oregon is astounding.  This is the best time of year to really experience a fragrant, beautiful array of eye-candy (the other kind) and freshen up any room.  My favorite is the peony :) Warm Days (that don't get too hot ) I am NOT a fan of warm weather.  Spring (and Fall) offer the type of weather that I am most comfortable in: 60-80ish.  Though we've had a much warmer Spring so far, it hasn't been completely unbearable yet.  I'm very worried about Summer temps though...yikes! BBQ's Galore You really can't beat the smell or taste of BBQ.  And the fact that BBQ's are often comprised of getting together with a group ...

February 18th...National Drink Wine Day...yum!   How do I take my wine?  Great question! To be honest, it took me quite a while to enjoy wine.  I started off, as most do, with the whites...a Reisling...a Pinot Gris...a Gewuertztraminer.  All were pretty tasty, though I did prefer the slightly sweet, not too-dry options.  Sweet wines have never been my thing.  Between 2006 and 2007 I was living in Vienna, Austria teaching English at a high school just outside of the city, in Klosterneuburg.  The region is HUGE in the wine business and the school I worked at was actually a boarding school for students whose families were in the fruit growing or wine industry.  These students would eventually be taking over the family business or starting wineries of their own.  Needless to say, I learned a LOT about wine that year.  I also learned that you don't have to drink every single taster that is put in front of your face. ...

I grew up in the country...in a pseudo-farm house that had been built in the early 40s by distant relatives, one of whom still lived next door in another house he and his father had built together when he was younger.  When we moved in, the previous owner (not related to the family in any way) claimed that she would wake up in the mornings and cupboards in the kitchen would be open, the coffeepot would be on, and the toaster would be down.  My parents thought nothing of it.  I, on the other hand, am convinced that the house was definitely haunted based on several personal experiences.  Footsteps in the upstairs hallway were a constant occurrence when everyone was downstairs; everyone said it was just the house settling, but I knew different. Incident 1 Fast forward a few years and my sister and I were probably in late elementary school; I was about 10 or so and she was 8.  It was summer and we were sitting at the kitchen table color...

Fall is definitely my favorite season of the year.  That honor used to belong to Spring, but it's all about Fall now.  I just love it!  Here are a few reasons why: Crisp, Cool Weather I am not a fan of warm weather, so Fall is the perfect foil for the horribleness that is Summer.  I love stepping outside and breathing deeply of the fog filled morning.  It's refreshing and feels oh-so-good on my lungs. Pumpkin Everything I have yet to order a Pumpkin Spice Latte (from anywhere...basic?), but I love all things pumpkin.  Pie, candles, pumpkin pie spice, lotion.  If it's pumpkin, I'm game.  Mmmm Changing Leaves Ah, science.  It's so beautiful! Halloween! Only the BEST holiday of the entire year!  I love spooky things and what better time to partake in things like that than Halloween.  Scary costumes, candy, scary movies, little kids dressed up so cute!  And I absolutely love carving pumpkins!  I love it all. ...

Kat had some great prompts this week, but I'm going to go with hotels I'd love to live in.  Pure fantasy and dreaming! Sylvia Beach Hotel :  Newport, Oregon The most local and, probably, the most plausible for a visit on the list, the Sylvia Beach Hotel is a book lovers dream.  Each room is modeled after a specific author/work, they have a massive library on the top floor, the restaurant is called the Tables of Content, and there are no TVs or WiFi access.  Added bonus, you're able to visit the hotel even if you aren't staying there.  Any room that is empty is open to explore.  I've done this!  So awesome.  Plus, it's right on the beach :) Hotel Sacher Wien :  Vienna, Austria Possibly one of the most famous hotels in Austria, the Hotel Sacher is renowned for its sacher torte, a delicious concoction of dense chocolate cake with a marmalade filling and chocolate ganache.  It's perfect with a cup of coffee ...

If I had to choose a Disney Princess to live the rest of my life as, it would be.... Merida What makes Merida such a great choice?  Several things.  First, she isn't your typical Disney Princess.  She's unruly, marches to her own drum, and does not fit the often portrayed image of a traditional Disney Princess:  overly large eyes, impossibly tiny waist, ankles, feet, etc.  She's more robust.  Remember the outcry when Disney first released the newly sexualized images of Merida?  Case in point!  In addition to her appearance, Merida yearns for the options to choose her own fate.  She does not want a husband chosen for her or to be won in a competition.  This is not her idea of romance or destiny.  I also like the fact that, in the end, she doesn't end up with a prince who has to save her.  Instead, her mission is bonding and finding common ground with her mother.  In addition, Merida is a ba...

This week's prompt for the Writer's Workshop is:  10 Things That Make Me Happy...   A Strong Cup of Coffee.  I like to taste my coffee and have it kick me gently in the face.  Mmmm. Rain.  The sound.  The smell.  The feel.  The atmosphere.  The...taste, I guess.  Being from the PNW allows me to experience the beauty of rain a lot.  However, we've had an unusually dry Winter/Spring...and going in to Summer, so I haven't been able to enjoy my delightful rain as much as I would love to. Hoppy Beer.  I am also thankful that I live in a region that produces seriously outstanding beers (You go, Oregon!).  As my preferences have changed over the years, I have become increasingly drawn to IPAs and the like.  The hoppier, the better in my opinion! A Plethora of Books.  I feel completely lost without a book on my person at all times.  What if I have to wait somewhere?  What if I get sto...

Edinburgh Castle.  Photo taken May 19, 2008 Between September 2007 and September 2008 I was living in Edinburgh, Scotland working on my Masters in Comparative Literature at the University of Edinburgh .  While moving away from family and friends is difficult, it is also very rewarding.  My time spent living overseas gave my family the opportunity to travel to countries that had never been on their vacation radars.  This picture was taken in May 2008 when my sister and her best friend came for a two week visit. I am incredibly proud of this photo for many reasons.  1) I think it looks pretty damn good.  2) It offers an amazing reminder of just how awesome this city is.  And 3) It brings back so many fantastic memories.  I really wish I could walk out my front down and stroll through that garden right now... Nice weather like this was few and far between in Edinburgh, but this particular day was one for the books.  Taken while str...

Worst Gift...EVER! Sadly, the worst gift I ever received during the holidays is easy to remember.  I think I was in high school and we were at my grandparent's house (my dad's father and his third...or fourth...wife).  Now, my step-grandmother has never been the best at gifting, and her "real" grandkids we never subjected to her delightful gifts the way we were.  But this one took the cake.  Upon opening the box, wrapped in Sunday comics, I discovered the following: Pens and pencils (I didn't mind that) Men's cologne from the Dollar Tree.  I am not now, nor have I ever been, a man... A box of assorted safety pins...yeah Other various small items Safety pins!  Men's cologne!  What?!?  I think everyone was slightly horrified.  Even my brother was like "what the f*@%".  How do you even respond to that?  Naturally, I thanked them for the gift but I will never forget that... She's also given me underwear...but that's an entir...