We’ve never been home in this house for Halloween before. I am usually not even home from work in time to see trick-or-treaters, but this year Halloween is on a Saturday. I set out on a mission to decorate. A few window clings and mouse silhouettes were Martha purchases I couldn’t resist. I dug up a candelabra from the basement to display the pumpkins and realized my Black Forest pattern china is sufficiently spooky for Halloween! I love my new mirrored candle holders from Target. I’ll be using those all year long.
Archive for October, 2009
trick or treat
October 31, 2009halloween crumbs
October 30, 2009You never know what could jump out of your cupcake!
ecola seafoods in cannon beach
October 30, 2009It was our last day of vacation. After falling in love with Dungeness crab in Seattle, I was determined to have it one more time. After a walk along Cannon beach, we went back into town for some lunch at Ecola Seafood. There are a lot of other spots with fancier decor, but we chose Ecola Seafoods on the recommendation of Roadfood.com. Jane and Michael Stern have never led us astray! Don’t miss the refreshing, cold crab cocktail. In the background you can see a piece of smoked salmon jerky. It was surprisingly tasty and not the dried, chewy piece of cardboard I mistakenly expected. It was so good we tried to bring some salmon jerky home, but were thwarted by refrigeration requirements.
I also had to try Ecola Seafoods’ thick New England Clam Chowder and their famous fish and chips. Everything we ate was simple, but delicious. There are some tables inside the marketplace, but it’s probably a better idea to carry it out and eat on the beach!
in the company of pets
October 29, 2009Tired of ugly cat accoutrements littering your home? There are no feline friends in our household, but I couldn’t resist these clever designs from The Company of Pets. Their beautiful, but pricey products are an excellent reminder that form doesn’t have to follow function. Shhh…. I’d also love to cat-nap this boldly-patterned Scottish Fold!
Photographs from www.thecompanyofpets.com
the oregon coast
October 29, 2009I was determined to see chilly Pacific surf on this trip! Fortunately, Northern Oregon coast is only 90 minutes from Downtown Portland. We saved the day with the best weather forecast, crossed our fingers and drove out to Cannon Beach hoping for blue skies. Boy were we in luck, it was in the mid-70s and sunny the whole day. It couldn’t have been more perfect!
After lunch we drove south, down towards Tillamook and turned around near Barview Jetty Park.
pdx: montgomery park
October 28, 2009
Nicole first showed me this great industrial building on the way to her office. Later at twilight, I was drawn in by the red glow of the neon sign on the roof. This Montgomery Ward building originated in the 1920s and now is subdivided for office use. I’m glad this building was saved by redevelopment back in the ’80s.
pdx: the swifts
October 28, 2009What’s so interesting about a school chimney in Portland?
There sure are a lot of folks waiting for the show in the sky?
Cue up the Vaux’s Swift. Migrating South, they pass through Portland every September and put on quite a show for neighborhood residents. They swarm the skies and finally dive in to roost inside the chimney wall each evening.
They do look like bats from the ground, but a volunteer from the Audubon informed us these birds are small enough to fit in your hand.
pdx: fun on a box
October 28, 2009When’s the last time you had his much fun?
A huge crowd assembled to watch the swifts roost in the Chapman School chimney, but if you stumbled upon this scene you might have thought the real attraction was sledding down the hillside on a cardboard box! We spied an out-of-circulation Rejuvenation box and even one from Amazon.
autumn colors
October 27, 2009In the sun (Stamford, CT)
and in the rain (Downtown Westport, CT)
AT HOME: chez n
October 27, 2009Don’t you love a peek into someone else’s home? I’m still trying to figure out a better format for AT HOME tours, but in the meantime:
Artistic inspiration in my friend’s living room.
A surprising friend next to the sherry.
Backyard Portland grape tomatoes in ceramic bowls, also a homegrown effort. Nicole has her BFA in ceramics.
Beautiful Jadie… We all miss you.