I’ve been saying forever that cameras should come with an “Oregon button”. A magic button that turns dark Pacific Northwest daylight (that murky damp Twilight-ishy gray)… into happy pretty sunshiny brightness. Thanks to the Pioneer Woman - she wrote about the aperture button on a DSLR camera. Aperture… aka The Oregon Button. And the OB was staring me in the face all this time.
I had to test it out asap. I went a little extreme and over exposed myself a little too much (THAT’S gonna garner me some unwanted spam). Because I’m a PCP photographer (point-click-pray), I have no +/- numbers or metered levels to recite. I just watched my little aperture bar move up and down as I fiddled with the button. I did make this sound as the meter bar increased… [low pitch] blooooooooop [high pitch]. Decrease on the meter bar… [high pitch] bloooooooop [low pitch].
My before and afters. Because I had the aperture set to steroid levels… reality is somewhere in the middle of the before and afters.
My kitchen and front entry:
My morning joe:
My phone I never answer (I hate talking on the phone):
Throne cam:
Edited in: I was on the throne… not *on* the throne.
I’m sooo happy to have learned about aperture. Thank you Pioneer Woman - I can now make every day a happy pretty sunshiny day in Oregon.
I dream of the White Christmas we had last year… but for a brief moment yesterday I took a break from the day-dreaming to enjoy our rare sunshine. I may be envious of everyone’s snow pics… but it’s hard to top shopping at the Astoria Safeway, popping my bags in the car… and then hopping on to our beloved Riverwalk for a stroll with Mr. Z in the glorious, glorious sunshine.
If this little red riverfront building was mine, it’d be my fantasy sewing & crafting hangout (the boat on the deck is for the pizza delivery and to bring friends).
Astoria has THE best signs in THE best places. I heart my little town of Absurdia.
Rest stop where we can eyeball our next-door neighbor Washington (aka Hawai’i).
Mill Pond Village. A former toxic dump - now a jewel. These homes have magnificent views… sans the views of the bloggers who stroll the Riverwalk with cameras.
There’s something about walking on a wooden bridge. The sound. The feel. The need to peek at what’s underneath. I was hoping to see a troll or a hidden immunity idol.
Time to head back… and back to day-dreaming about snow.
There must be someone out there dreaming of sunshine and snowless sidewalks, right? Can we swap?
I spotted this TV last night at the Bridgewater Bristo. I’ve never been so enamored with recycled art as I have this funky old TV. I love lighting, and art, and re-purposing, and Astoria. I’m no Good Morning KPKM… so I hope my video works!
Works best if you pause it, let it load, and then play it. It’s hard to tell, but it’s the TV’s static that makes the magic happen.
Pics from my iPhoto… odds and ends of things that crack me up, inspire me, embarrass me and make my heart swell.
In Portland, Oregon in the South Waterfront district - peppered with train/trolly tracks. I love this sign. Though I am puzzled that the bike has no front tire. Maybe the sign means, “Caution: Ride with all tires” or “Beware of floating tire thieves”.
Five Guys in Beaverton, Oregon. It’s not every day I get to sputter things like “Let’s do 5 guys for lunch”. Thank you to Jackie who suggested I try the hot dog there. WOW! I’ve found THE perfect hot dog. Mad love fest for the Five Guys hot dogs! And yes, I really did want to word that differently.
Target in Walnut Creek, California. Thanks a lot Wipeout. Now every time I go to a Target - I have an urge to jump on the big red balls. Shout out to Sarah… Good Day, and big balls.
On I-5 near Eugene, Oregon. Oh Land of Lincoln… you are so funny. You really have to super-size this photo. The best part… the couple in the car looked like textbook Norman Rockwell midwestern grandparents. And also funny… this is a numbered plate. You mean there’s more like this? Watch out Missouri… I’d keep on eye on Illinois - they may have plans to copy (and slightly modify) your Show Me State nickname. EDITED IN: If you don’t have flickr or can’t read the plate… I’ve edited what it says on my photo’s caption here.
Lunching at Bagels by the Sea in Seaside, Oregon…. I caught the color fairies spreading a little color magic.
On I-5 near Mt. Shasta. The color fairies spreading even more color magic - and this time in my colors.
At my parents house in Walnut Creek. Yes, it’s a bull. Yes, it’s a chair. Yes, we are an odd family. After his recent trip to Australia to visit my oldest son and DIL - my youngest son brought me back a shopping bag from Oz. He said he knew I was going to go gaga over it - and that I would probably blog it. Yes - and yes. Mission complete.
Sunkist Zombie - circa late 60’s. I hated my freckles as a kid. HATED. THEM. Now I wish they’d show up more. I guess if we had that stuff in the sky (sunshine I think it’s commonly called)… my freckles might just pop out. Photo credit: George George of Berkeley, Calif. Oh yes, definitly circa 60’s.
Mami Zombie - circa late 30’s/early 40’s Germany. I’m seriously ticked at my mom for not saving her toys for me. I’m sure the captain of the Mayflower would have made room for the buggy.
Lucky me (super lucky me), Jona is visiting the motherland - and I got to be a part of her visit! Non stop talking and laughing - and even some tweeting thrown in.
Tweet-n-Eat… it’s what happens when two friends meet up for dinner and their iPhones are just as important as their forks and knives!
Then after the tweets come checking the @replies and txt’s…
Me:Pam wishes she was here too! (and we did too!)
Jona:Bari says hi! (Hi back, Bari!)
Me: Patty says it looks like we’re having a great time (we WERE!)
Me: Joanna says no fair… she wants to be here eating fish and chips instead of writing patterns & prepping ads… (us too!)
Some days I shun technology [insert Laure Ingalls fantasy life here], but had it not been for technology and blogging… I never would have met Jona. Well, I think we would have met eventually… but it sure made it faster with the help of technology. Speed friending. AND… we kinda had our friends join us for dinner… three snaps in Z formation for technology!
Before dinner, I give Jona the not so E-ticket tour of Hacienda Happy Z… like making her walk through the golden retriever mine field to show her my secret forest - and show her were I want to park my fantasy camper.
We had so much fun, and it went all to fast. There was never a moment where we weren’t talking. And never ever have I ever seen such attentive service at The Wet Dog. Our twenty something waiter was at our table I think every 5 minutes. But I can see why, when this person is at your table!
Saying good-bye is hard - luckily it was bone chilling cold or we would have stood by our cars for a couple more hours chatting! Good-bye Miss Jona Arizona… hurry back soon - and thank you for making me a part of your trip home!
Come on in. Right under Pam’s bridge (aka The Astoria-Megler Bridge) is Three Cups Coffee House in the beautifully restored old Finnish Meat Market on W. Marine in Astoria’s Uniontown district. 3CCH shares this space with Columbia River Coffee Roaster, aka the Thundermuck peeps. Artisan hands and fantastic beans… 3CCH can do great coffee while standing on their heads. Blindfolded. Spinning. While jumping rope. And chewing gum.
But something else has brought me to 3CCH - not just the great coffee and panini’s. A little voodoomoojoo.
Yup. Voodoo Doughnuts of Portland.
No way.
YES WAY!
Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday they can be found at 3CCH.
Naturally I’m drawn to the closest doughnut to resemble a zombie. I’m not quite clear if that pretzel is his belly button… or something else. I’ve looked at Voodoo Doughnut’s menu and saw the bachelorette party doughnut… so I’m pretty sure it’s something else. And I do believe he’s happy to see me.
I don’t know that I’d be happy with my guts ooozing out if I were a doughnut. But the fact that I’m eating a doughnut that has guts makes me happy.
So now I have a fantasy… that Voodoo Doughnuts creates a zombie doughnut. A happy zombie doughnut, with sweet cream cheese and strawberry jam filling (because of course, the zombie just had a full supper of brains). I dream big. {{Pssst… Cat Daddy and Tres, I have sketches.}} Please tell me that everyone wants a food item/dish named after them. Right? I want to know!
After dessert, it’s time for lunch. T-man had a roast beef panini, and I a Prosciutto and cheese panini with a balsamic chaser. KILLER panini’s.
This just floated my boat. What I also love about 3CCH is that they’re so green. So here’s the thing. Those aren’t cloth napkins… they’re IKEA dishtowels cut in half and then hemmed on the raw edge. I know this… because I DO THAT TOO! I was destined to be a patron of 3CCH.
They walk the walk. I love this. I love 3CCH.
Leah and Carly, who welcomed us into their sanctuary and made us feel loved and nourished.
From The Daily Astorian’s Coast Weekend: “The name is based on the book “Three Cups of Tea,” and the new business owners hold strongly to the Middle Eastern proverb: “First cup you’re a visitor, second cup a friend, third cup you’re family.”
Three Cups Coffee House made us feel like family after the first cup.
… or to be more precise - a picture is worth the one thousand and fifty six other photos that are on my flickr.
Untouched photos taken of my Bunny Hill BOM block on my design wall. My new NikonD40 shot on the left - my Canon SD1000 shot on the right. As soon as I saw the comparison, I KNEW my money was well spent on the Nikon. Visions of the D90 had danced in my head, but now it’s the D40 accessories that dance in my head (with Bruno Tonioli providing the color commentary).
And all these years I’ve been putting much of the blame on Oregon’s weather for my lousy shots. Oh Oregon, will you ever forgive me?
Wanting an outdoor shot for my latest Moda Bake Shop project, my plan was to finish my quilt and then snap a shot later for a banner. And then it happened. The sun came out to play. Occasionally it stops raining in Oregon. And when it does… I have to grab my stuff, my camera… and shoot fast. No time for quilting and binding, dangit… the sun is out.
The SUN is OUT.
太陽は外である!
Il sole è fuori!!!!!
¡El sol está afuera!
Le soleil est dehors!
THE. SUN. IS. OUT!!!
Die Sonne ist draußen!
- …. . … ..- -. .. … — ..- -
I love writing in swoosh formation.
On my back porch… my dogs/cats are mystified at what I’m up to as they watch from behind the sliding glass door. They are jealous they never get to play with my cloth apples. They watched as I made them last winter - certain I was making toys for them.
Of course it would be wrong, wrong, wrong to post these pics on MBS since the apples are made from my scarps and not Moda pre-cuts. But I don’t want my sunshine and super sat-n-happy colors to go to waste, either. So I will plant them here on my blog. If you check out my 9-patchtastic project at MBS… you never saw these apples, k.
This easy 9-patch method makes for a perfect retreat or group project. Less thinkie - more talkie, more snackie, more laughie. Any size square of fabric can be used, as long as you trim up your square so that it can be divided equally into thirds. Example:
17¼” square ÷ 3 = 5¾” (finished 9-patch = 15¾”)
9″ square ÷ 3 = 3″ (finished 9-patch = 7½”)
7½” square ÷ 3 = 2½” (finished 9-patch = 6″)
And then it went back to rain.
And they lived happily ever after.
Wet.
But happy.
Edited in 4/4/09: Thanks for the nice comments and emails about the apples. I wish I had a pattern for those asking for one, but I have none (yet!). I just whipped the apples up with no thought or notes. Kinda like when I bake - I have no idea how much flour, butter and sugar I used either. Gulp.
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Posted by Monica in I Heart Oregon, Tips & Trix 
Unsupervised quilting, crafting, mischief and absurdity from my teenie weenie tiny little studio in the woods on the North Oregon coast.
