Free Find: Leach Botanical Garden

Hello there all,

This weekend, The Mister and I were able to venture to the Leach Botanical Garden which I have been meaning to go to for about a year. Last year, I saw a sign for it while riding the Springwater Corridor, and I have been meaning to go ever since. FINALLY, I set aside a day/time to go. We decided to go on a Saturday at 11 because it has a free guided tour. You can explore the garden independently, but I strongly recommend the tour (you'll see why).

 

The garden is located at the former residence of the Leach couple: Lilla and John. The residence was a little over 4 acres originally and now the garden is over 15 acres with miles of trails. Lilla Leach was a celebrated and honored botanist who brought her passion to her home. The land that their house laid on is a botany garden which works as a living museum of the flora of global regions. At this garden, you will see greenery from all over the world. You will find plaques labeling the plants with their Latin name, common name, and region where they are found. The garden has several different gardens found within it: physics garden (John used this for his pharmacy), rock garden, dry garden, etc.

Gate to the garden

Behind the manor (which you can explore)

Just some neat plants alongside the manor

 

This cabin is the original housing of the couple (before the manor), and one of the reasons it is so worth going on the tour. You actually get to go inside (which you wouldn't if you explored independently).

 

 

 

 

Flooring of the cabin

 

 

This garden has a bit for everybody, and it is FREE! However, we definitely donated because it was such a wonderful experience for us :).

We're excited to go again later this year to see how the garden has changed.

-Autumn

Twisted Cabaret

Hello there all,

A while back, The Mister bought us some tickets to the "Twisted Cabaret" without us not quite knowing what it was. We originally were thinking burlesque instead of cabaret. Although we didn't see any naked ladies, it was quite a wonderful experience.

Alberta Rose Theater

The show is based around the principle that all of the performers of a cabaret show are not able to make it, so one performer, Frank Olivier, has to do all of the performances. Let me tell you: I cannot even believe that one man can do all of the things that he does, and I also don't know how he found out that he can do some of these things!

Knife throwing at a blow up doll...

The show has an amazing mix of crazy performance art plus ridiculously cheesy or "inappropriate" jokes which is my favorite kind of humor. Therefore, I thoroughly enjoyed the show even with floss going in places that I didn't know it could go (It is not as bad as it sounds. I swear!) and seeing grown men in tutus. It is such a joy to see one man, Olivier, run around frantically trying to perform so many different unusual acts. I don't feel like I can give the credit where credit is due. Just trust me: it is a one of kind show that truly understands the spirit of Portland.

Frank Olivier and I

The show's MC mentioned that they are thinking about coming back to Portland next year, and I sure hope they do!

-Autumn

Free Find: Portland Art Museum

 Hello there all,

Who doesn't love a good free adventure? I am a sucker for anything free especially when it comes to fun experiences! I am always looking for neat things to do that can be a nice inexpensive adventure, and when those adventures are free, it makes my heart sing.

From the exhibit "Forbidden Fruit"

The Mister and I happened upon the Portland Art Museum's Free Friday which (the fourth Friday of every month) . The Museum is free from 5-8pm. It is a perfectly wonderful idea for a cheap date or a great place to introduce kiddos to art. It seems to be an especially wonderful opportunity to take kiddos because you don't have to worry about bolting if they get fussy because you didn't pay for it!

This piece is called The Rodeo, but the Mister thinks it looks like Gollum attacking. I have to agree.

The Mister says it is an alien black market, and I say it is a city next to the river. Who wins?

Be aware that the museum does have a lot more people than usual because it is free, but it is still a great way to expose yourself to some beauties.

This one has been one of my favorites in the past, and it still makes me swoon. The bottom is the big picture, and the top shows what makes up the actual work of art. It is pretty swoon worthy.

Go get your art on,
Autumn

Food Focus Friday: Pieper Cafe

Hello there all,

Let's talk about food for a second. In case you have somehow been living under rock these days, I am kind of in love with food. However, aren't we all kind of about food? Neglecting the sights, smells, and tastes of a delectable feast, food is so much more than the sensory experience of consuming the food. Food is community. Food is gathering, and food is creation.

We work to create sensory experiences to create a communal activity for all. We show our love for others by creating nourishment and experiences for others. Through this labor of love, we are able to create a moment to remember.This is why I am infatuated with experiencing new places to eat. Through visiting these places, I am able to taste a bit of the labor of love of many different individuals. Additionally, I am a sucker for a great atmosphere and a tasty, well tended meal.

On Food Focus Friday, I am hoping to spotlight places that are excellent in creating something delicious, and they possess that little something extra. They seem to understand that food is about by creating community and showing appreciation for others by sharing a delectable experience of noms.

This sounds so snooty, and these places are anything but that. Moral of the story? These people get food.

With all of that said, my first choice for Food Focus Friday is a neat little place that the Mister and I happened upon last weekend for the first time: Pieper Cafe. Why is this place so neat? Well, it gets that whole food thing that I've been talking about. We stopped in just for coffee (yes, coffee is food!), and the Mister and I both had mochas which were so delicious. I ordered a caramel mocha which I was pleasantly surprised to learn that they make their own caramel. YUM! They make their coffee with Stumptown coffee, and the flavor doesn't disappoint.

Pieper Cafe has a delightful balance of nommy deliciousness along with a cutesie atmosphere. Get a load of those mushrooms on the tables and the black and white checkered flooring (I am a sucker for black and white checkers)! To top this all off, THEY HAVE PINBALL! If a place has good coffee, they are usually okay in my book, but if you give me pinball. SWOON!

If you are in the mood for some great coffee and want to team it up with some EXTREME PINBALL, head to Pieper Cafe and show your taste buds some love.

-Autumn

Snapshots

Hello there all,

here are some glimpses of the week around these parts:

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4.)

5.)

6.)

7.)

What's the deal?

1.) A picture of the mister. Why? Because look at how handsome he is. I am so in love with this man. We were enjoying breakfast at Laurelhurst Cafe. It is one of our favorite breakfast places.

2.) Carcassone because board games are neat-o.

3.) We made it to Slappy Cakes on New Year's Day. It was a nice happenstance because it was pretty much the only place open for breakfast on New Year's. Also, I have been wanting to go there for awhile. Yummmy.

4.) New Year's Eve dinner at Bridge City Taproom. Who doesn't love Tater tots?

5.) George Washington isn't at all like what I expected in person. Spotted at Bipartisan Cafe.

6.) Just leaving random notes for strangers on the max.

7.) Nature and I are friends. I miss being able to enjoy the outdoors, but I will take warm blankets and tea over the summer heat any day!

Have the most magnificent week,

Autumn

Beer Pick: December 2014

Hello there all,

It is already December! How did this happen? I can legitimately feel my youth slipping away from me. Enough with the theatrics: Onto the important stuff in life-beer pick!

The holiday season is often a time of nostalgia and remembering beautiful moments of years past. This past weekend, the mister and I went to PROST!, and I had one of my favorite beers: Maisel's Weisse Dunkel. The mister suggested that I use this for my December beer post, and it really is a perfect selection for me. I am enamored with this beer because of its delicious taste, caramel-y goodness, and it reminds me of my time living in Germany. A time in my life that really changed me and something that I still think about almost daily. This beer tastes like Germany to me. In Germany, I grew a lot, and I became more in tune with myself. Along the way, I also grew a taste for beer. What a better nostalgic beer then this one
.

Prost! in Portland always gives me an opportunity to taste on this favorite of mine while in Germany, and they also give me a bit of the German atmosphere that I yearn for. It is like they gift me a bit of myself each time that I go there, and I feel so "awwwww" when I'm there. Does that even make sense?

Moral of the story: try Maisel's Weisse Dunkel, and you'll taste a bit of me...in a non-weird way.

-Autumn

Birthday 2014

Hello there all,

Another year lived, another year older. I am now the big 2-8. Yes, I know that it might sound old OR young to you, but I have to say that I cannot believe that I am 28. It sounds so incredibly close to 29 which is deadly close to 30. Growing up, I never thought that I would be shaken by getting close to 30, but here I am slightly freaking out. I still can't believe that I have fooled others into believing that I am an adult. However, I promise you that I am the dictionary definition of an adult, but I am still not a grown up. How could I be a grown up? But I am a little frightened that my young self might think I am. How did I get here?

Anyways, this is how I celebrated the glorious day:

Ate some delicious breakfast noms with my love at Pine State Biscuits.

Some beer sampling at Growler's Hawthorne.

Did an obscene amount of thrifting. We made away with some amazing deals today, and I mean ridiculously amazing deals. It was some of our best work.

The Mister surprised me with a sweet scavenger hunt. Here are some of the clues.

Ate nachos and drank delicious beers at Migration Brewing.

All in all, it was a wonderful day full of memories, love, thrifting, and good food. It makes me a little more excited to be bringing on another year and more accepting and grateful for the years that I've had. It even brings a little excitement for the years to come. However, I don't think that I will be growing into the grown up title anytime soon.

Cheers to another happy year,

Autumn

Snapshots 4

Hello there all,

Here are some glimpses of my week.

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2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

1.) We got a growler fill at Growlers Hawthorne. We are so glad that we found this place. It gives such a wonderful selection of beers that we can sample, and the prices are ridiculously reasonable for their craft selection. Also, they have kombucha!

2.) The Mister and I have crossed another thing off of the autumn list this week. We went to Bella Organic Pumpkin Patch. While we were there, we saved three adorable greenish pumpkins because we love misfits and wanted to make sure that they got a home. They deserve love, too. We also got some delicious apple cider and shared a Voodoo ear (chocolate, peanut butter, and bacon elephant ear). No photo, but we also went to a haunted house this week. We almost got the whole list checked off in one week!

3.) All of the leaves have been extra colorful, and they are all so gorgeous.

4.) I made these delicious ginger molasses cookies. This recipe makes a billion of them, and they were all so delicious. If you make this recipe though, I'd suggest a little less butter.

5.) It has been raining like crazy here, and I have a love-hate relationship with rain. When I am inside, I love it. When I am outside, I am too wet to feel love for anything.

6.) This week, I have been obsessed with my fleece leggings. Also, I just love feet pictures.

-Autumn