Well, our 2 week jaunt through the pacific northwest is coming to an end tomorrow and booooy has it been a trip! We started off in Seattle where I got to check out the one and ONLY 100 yen store in the US of A, called Daiso in Seattle. I first saw traces of it here at Wise Craft. I usually don't get THAT excited about dollar stores....but hello!! this was a JAPANESE dollar store!! Chock full of *japanese cute*....and I left with a big bag of ceramic bowls....cool chop sticks and colorful gifting/packing tape (amongst other crap I'll never use, but will look at often)!

Then we moved on to the awesome Bavarian village of Leavenworth, Washington.....up in the 95 degree woods of fun....frolick....and nuptual adventures. We married off our friends Kyle and Tasha and celebrated our 1 year anniversary!! It's crazy to think that we've been married an entire year already. It's been a very peaceful and fun newleywed year of marriage. We learned a lot about eachother....like the fact that my husband shuts the lid to the toilet. Who does that? Not that I'm complaining or anything....but my goodness....the lid?? Okay...so that's not the craziest thing I've learned about him...but we're not going to go there! I'm sure he has a few things to say about the piles of yarn and fabric he's forced to live amongst....all....over...the house!
Then we went on to Portland. Portland o' Portland o' how I love thee. How have I lived so long without you in my life? The button store lady put it best: "Portland feels like home the minute you drive into the city". I love San Francisco...the food....the scenery....the art can't be beat....but I've never felt like it's "home". I can't say the same for Portland. I felt comfortable the minute we got there, and I hope to actually live there some day.

Top 6 things I loved about Portland:
1. The warm people.
2. The food is soooo good and healthy.
3. The music scene (even the radio was good!)
4. The greenary & outdoor activities options.
5. The arts & crafts community.
6. The sunny weather.

Okay, just kidding about that last one...the over-cast-ness is probably the only thing that I'll have a problem with.

While there, we hit up all the hot spots with help from Sally and Alicia. Including....Ella Posie, Alicia's *gorgeous* little boutique that just makes you love being a girl and forces you to wear pink...even if you're not the type to.

(By the way, when I say "we", I'm referring to my husband and I - who I found out is, by far, the most patient man on the face of the planet earth). We also went to Portland craft supply hot spots....Fabric Depot - 70,000 square feet of fabric goodness....every print you can think of....all at 30% off (I got lucky - they were having a sale). I'm bringing home lots of oil-cloth for baby bibs.

Knittn Kitten - craft supply thrift store...which is soooo much more then that! It's actually a jackpot of vintage fabric, buttons, beads and ribbon. SCORE!! The woman who owns the shop is sooooo sweet and I hope that Portland crafters are generous with their donations so they can stay in business forever. It seems like it's more a "labor of love" then a serious money making venture.

Lint - yarn store - so cool, & sweet staff. Knit-Knot yarn store...which was a very cool hole in the wall yarn store with great prices. After doing a search for the store website, I came across this review of store.....too bad....I didn't have this experience. I hate snobby yarn store workers more then anything in the world. Dava Bead & Trade was a great store with lots of Thai silver findings and semi-precious stones for jewlery making. The Button Emporium & Ribbonry where I scored some cool 1970's vintage ribbon from Germany. The shop owners were very cool ex-hippies from Haight & Ashbury.

Portland was a magical place. We kept stumbling upon these spontaneous public gatherings.
It all started as we were driving into the city during Portland's 4th of July firework extraveganza. Check out these awesome photographs.

Then it was 1st Thursday's - which is an wine & art fair throughout the Pearl District....and then the pillow fight at Pioneer Square on Friday night:

Photo courtesy of Laughing Squid.
And thousands and thousands of fans spilling out of Pioneer Square to watch the the final game of the World Cup on a jumbotron on Sunday. Of course, I can't talk about the World Cup without mentioning Zidane's infamous dead-butt:
Photo courtesy of Mumbai Mirror.

What a way to just sock-it to a guy....I'll never grow tired of watching the clip. So awesome.

We also stumbled upon an outdoor play of Alice in Wonderland at International Test Rose Garden which was so beautiful and awesome to see all the kids running around and families laying around pic-nic-ing on the grass.

.....and Pittock Mansion at the top of a hill that we magically found by just driving around enjoying the trees.


Change of subject. Does it seem like everyone and their mothers (no pun intended) is preg's right now? I have like 6 friends that are all due on like August 2nd. Seriously. So I've been thinking of everything I can make for these future little crafting victims of mine...and I found Bitty Booties by Heather Bailey....and of course, here is the flickr group. Check out this great pattern for bib's too from Poop Pockets. Is that the cutest and grossest name ever?

What do you think of this sweater designed by Glampyre Knits? Or what about this one? Here's the free pattern!

Ooohh...I almost forgot...speaking of babies....I wanted to show off the "Robot Man" baby blankie I made for my co-workers tummy bump (please excuse the crappy picture and dirty kitchen counter....life's hectic these days. Not really, but what other excuse do I have?):

I made it using the cutest "Robot Man" and red corduroy fabric with help from Nikki Shell...check out her blankets....sooooo cute!!

Sorry about the MASSIVE posts lately....thats it for now.....

August 2nd is a great birthday, good planning on all your preg friend's part! It is my best friend's birthday. Betsy will be 51!!

I want to go to Daiso now now now. did you make it to the Kinokuniya Bookstore at Uwajimya?

Yes, there's germs to think about and also you don't want to accidentally drop something in the toilet.

Atlanta, Baltimore, Houston, and NYC get more annual rain than Portland.

i *hEarT* you!
thank you for being patient with the soccer. zidane certainly rewarded you, didn't he?
happy anniversary...

You guys make a beautiful couple - your hubby seems fantastic! Your trip looks like fun - thanks for sharing all the pictures! Happy Anniversary!!!

I am so with you on loving the Pacific NW. I lived near Portland during Summer 2001 and I loved it. Isn't Leavenworth cute? You don't hear of many people that have ever even heard of it (at least not out here on the east coast). I so wish I had knitted back then because I hear there are some great yarn shops in Portland...

sounds like your portland trip was awesome....and that japanese shop sounds positively dangerous!!! i spotted something similar here a couple of days ago and you know, i wouldn't have thought to go in had it not been for your post. i've walked by it a million times without even noticing that it was a japanese dollar store (so thanks!)

Sounds like a really fun trip! I have always wanted to go to Seattle & Portland & Vancouver. One of these days ...

It was so fun looking aroun dyour blog. You had such great things to say about zephyr! You're so sweet!

And I had the most fun reading this post becuase I am from portland. Well, about an hour from. I commute to portland m-f and that is where my family lives. It is a great city and I'm so glad that you enjoyed your visit to my neck of the woods!

Have fun knitting RR. I'm sure it will be fab on you!! Your GG turned out beautiful!