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by Valynne | Sep 30, 2011 | Photography |
This sunset photo was taken from our deck at the lovely SeaQuest Inn (Oregon Coast)
The homeowner here in Portland was recently back for a couple of weeks between jobs, which allowed us to do some wandering (we do love to wander). Since attending WordCamp, I have been following The Daily Post, which has weekly photo challenges : ) When I read the latest challenge, I was taken back to this one particular evening along the Oregon Coast in Yachats. Sigh.
I will be posting a lot more photos as soon as I can. Our two weeks off were spent not only along the Oregon Coast, but in the Northern California Redwoods as well, and I did my best to capture some of the magic. What an amazing trip we had. What an amazing part of the world this Pacific Northwest is. So happy to be here!
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by Valynne | Sep 26, 2011 | Friends of Caretaking Couple, Writers and Readers |
Katy, Bethany, Me, Sara, Michelle, Jeremy, Kristen, and Andrea
WordCamp PDX was a great experience for me. I met so many friendly, creative, and SMART people! Allow me to introduce a few new blogging friends, beginning at the back row, left…
Katy blogs here at the Non Consumer Advocate. Her motto is “Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.” Katy will be proud to know that Paul and I have been “thrifting” all week for gently used items to fill our new old rental home with (stay tuned for pics).
Bethany and her husband are known as the two oregonians. They will be traveling the world starting in January 2012 (first stop, Peru). No, they aren’t independently wealthy ~ you will just have to read their blog to find out how they are pulling it off. So.Exciting.
And just in case we haven’t actually met, I am the shorter one in purple towards the middle. I’m not very short…just surrounded by taller women than myself at present : ) Anyway, that is me. Valynne. Or “V” for short. AKA Bloggess of Caretaking Couple.
Next we have Sara, the one who invited me to join this fantastic group. We met first thing at WordCamp PDX last weekend (great job on the SEO talk, by the way!). Sara blogs at Go Gingham, where simple living is “frugal, fancy and fun”.
Michelle and Jeremy recently got rid of most of their belongings and are embarking on a travel journey. They ventured west a few weeks ago and are loving Portland (it all sounds a bit familiar…). Check out Michelle’s blog Feed Your Skull for some serious raw gourmet greatness.
Jeremy is a developer and (to my delight) a writer as well. AND to everyone else’s delight – he is working on a recipe app for the group (in other words, Jeremy is Mr. Popular). Maybe said app will inspire me to actually put food on the table for once, instead of always relying on the Brit.
Kirsten’s claim to fame is that she rarely washes her hair. Yes, you read that correctly. But her hair looks great, you say. Exactly! To find out why hair washing is for sissies, click here. And to find out more about the good life, click here.
Andrea is a Dot Organizer for Automattic. I will have to find out what that means, exactly. More importantly to me at the moment is the fact that she blogs about her love of all things wine here. She is pregnant, which explains why her posts are fewer and farther between as of late.
But wait…there is also Monica, the taker of the picture. Monica has fifteen years experience with professional marketing, strategic planning and business development. She blogs here and is working on a new blog that I will be introducing to you all soon. Monica, it was so nice to meet you, and thank you for thinking to record this moment and send us all a copy.
And to everyone else I met at WordCamp and/or at Tabor Space (a delightful community coffee house and more), it was a true pleasure. You put the social in social media : )
V
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by Valynne | Sep 13, 2011 | Technology |
WordPress is Coming to Bridgetown this Weekend!
I love the randomness of life. For example, I have been struggling with this, my beloved blog for a few months now. Experimentation has led to confusion and at some point I became hesitant to even TOUCH things here.
Then, one day as I roamed Alberta Street looking for a job, a cuppa, some inspiration…I came across a sign in a storefront window advertising WordPress Services.
Next thing you know, I am meeting with a man who is to be my future boss. That is right, I went in looking for help with my blog and ended up with a j-o-b. And not just any old job, but one that I am really excited about.
Part of my new job is to learn all things WordPress (I know, I am still pinching myself to see if it’s real). Tonight, I went to a WordPress class taught by said boss and this weekend I am attending WordCamp 2011!
So, faithful friends…I am here to tell you that I am back and plan to make this blog bigger and better than ever. If you have been to WordCamp or are going to be at the one in Portland this weekend, do tell. I.am.so.excited!
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by Valynne | Sep 3, 2011 | Photography, Simple Living, Travel |
Eureka Cottage at Chateau Krupberg
Dragon Statue
Hydrangeas at the Cottage
Eureka Books
Founders Grove, Humboldt Redwoods State Park
Tree Hugger
Perspective
Awe
Looking Up
Happiness
Light
Peace
Shelter
Heading Home
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by Valynne | Sep 3, 2011 | Friends of Caretaking Couple, Music, Photography, Travel |
C'est La Vie Inn
We only had one night in Eugene, which was a bit of a disappointment, but one night is better than none, right? Paul chose this lovely Victorian B&B, and we were able to walk or take the bus everywhere. It kind of felt like we were missing out on something – I meant to contact friends beforehand regarding where to go for fun but didn’t, and the businesses were almost deserted owing to Labor Day Weekend. I wandered 5th Street Public Market for a bit while Paul had a pint or two down the street and we walked to a Thai restaurant around the corner from the B&B for dinner.
Train Village at C'est La Vie
Our waiter, Gabriel at Ring of Fire was friendly and the food and drink was delicious. Because it was a slower night than usual, we were able to chat a bit with him, and he kindly took the time to recommend a few of his local favorites: The Kiva for their rice pudding and Chocolove selection (btw, Cherries and Almonds in Dark Chocolate is my favorite too, Gabriel), the David Minor Theater for “If a Tree Falls”, Sweet Life Patisserie for the custard eclair and Tiramisu, and Hendricks Park for the rhododendron garden.
Tub Love
We didn’t make any of those places (opted for the tub, wine, and bed instead) but I am grateful for this info and plan on going back to get a better feel for Eugene, a town that is beloved by a few favorite friends of mine.
Backyard Bliss
The backyard at C’est La Vie is absolutely gorgeous and we enjoyed a bottle of red and some cheese outside before bed…comme c’est romantique! The model railroad is charming as well (see above). There are several cats that stay in the Innkeeper’s quarters and have their own outside playground that looks much like a custom chicken coop (sorry I didn’t get a picture as it was pretty impressive). I think they may be a wee bit spoiled.
Driving Back to Portland ~ Pull Over Here, Paul!
The drive back to Portland was lovely…although we weren’t quite home yet. We spent a couple more nights on the road, this time at Hotel Monaco in Downtown Portland. This was because I had a new job (I say “had” because I have since quit. Come to find out “job” was a bit of an exaggeration as that would actually entail a “paycheck”). Anyway…moving along…
Robes at Hotel Monaco
I tried to get Paul to pose for the camera in one of these beauties but no way, no how was that to happen, not even after a few pints at Bailey’s Taproom. Party pooper. We met a cool couple at Bailey’s (she is in the band Eisley, he builds custom guitars), and Silas Weir Mitchell just happened to be reading a script at the table behind us. I actually had the pleasure of being an extra on the set of GRIMM recently and was really bummed that he was not there that day as he plays my favorite character, Monroe. Mr. Mitchell was also at a Live Wire show at The Alberta Rose Theatre that my friend Michelle and I attended a couple months later. Fate? I think not, says the crazed fan.
Eisley ~ Deep Space Tour
Do you have favorite Eugene haunts? If so, please share with us in the comments section. We will get back soon. Oh, and Bend. We haven’t been to Bend yet, but it is hight on the list, so if you have any Bend suggestions, we would love to hear them as well…
