New Year....New Stuff

The countdown has begun...

For a night out with friends.
For a Wii extravaganza.
For 2010

That's the New Year.
....
Here's the New Stuff.

A good friend has agreed to do a book review for the blog. (I hope she'll keep them coming.)

~S is my go-to girl for new book ideas and music trivia.

She's smart.
She's sassy.

We'll just call her...

 ~S.

Her first book review will be posted soon for Soulless by Gail Carriger.

Happy New Year!

Snow Day

The snow began falling. Little flakes here and there.

Big flakes. Little flakes.

It stopped. It started.

Stopped. Started.

"Is it sticking?"

Yes, it stuck.



Only for a day.

A snow day.

Memories of a Groovy Girl

See there?


See that little doll on the mirrored ledge?

She's a Groovy Girl ~ circa 1999 or so.

This is my daughter's doll dating back to when she was about two.


She's wearing cute little overall shorts and has blond curls.

(I secretly love this doll.)

Once upon a time, said doll had LONG blond curls.

I couldn't ever quite figure out why my daughter gave her such a close haircut.

The "real story" recently came to light.

Apparently one of the brother's was behind the new "hairdo". (He shall remain nameless.)


You know what?

I have a feeling this is just the beginning of the, "Gosh mom, I can't believe you didn't know THAT!" stories.

I still love you Groovy Girl.

Squirrel vs Chihuahua

They torment her something fierce.

To Grandmother's House We Go...

No over the river and through the woods for us.

The streets were relatively deserted as we made our way North to the Grandparent's house for the Christmas morn festivities.

Obviously, the car needs a wash.

Mmmm, Christo's is good.

Hey, look, a billboard for my insurance agent.

Closer.

Closer.

We've arrived.

Let the wild rumpus start.

Secret Pleasures...

I love the morning sun through the skylight.

Night shots

I got a new camera. It's small. It's orange. I love it.

It's a Canon Powershot SD1200 IS

Just a few snaps.

Another night out in Portland

It started with tickets to The Artists Repertory Theater's Holidazed. Fabulous.

Drinks and appetizers at Jake's Grill. No comment.





A lovely walk back to our hotel. The Mark Spencer. We'll be back. Simple yet delightful.





Breakfast with friends the next morn. I highly recommend the hash. Mmm balsamic vinegar.





Topped off with a stop at Trader Joe's on the way home. I love cheese and wine. These colorful pearl onions were just so ...




Cheers!

Vietnam Restaurant

One of my kids pointed out recently that Wednesday's seem to be our dine out day. How about Vietnamese food?

Lately we've been dining at Vietnam Restaurant, located in a mini strip mall on the corner of Liberty and Center in the downtown core. It's nestled in between a camera shop and a silkscreen business and is around the corner from See's Candies. (And I mean nestled, as in, almost hidden.)

It's location is very convenient to our Central Salem home and the prices are very affordable, averaging about $7 for a well sized entree. They serve the standard selection of Pho and Bun but we've discovered something more.

We've discovered Com Tom Xao Xa Ot, which is Spicy lemon grass shrimp with steamed rice. Oh, it is heaven.

Today we ordered:

#8 Pho - Slice - Fresh eye of round steak with noodle soup

#14 Bun Tom Thit Nuong - Grilled sliced pork and grilled shrimp

#22 Com Vit Quay - BBQ duck with steamed rice and vegetables

#24 Com Tom Xao Xa Ot - Spicy lemon grass shrimp with steamed rice

#26 Com Ga Xao Xa Ot - Spicy lemon grass chicken with steamed rice

Mmmm. Nom Nom.

Give it a try.

Vietnam Restaurant

364 Center Street

Downtown Salem

503.581.1668

Monday- Saturday 11am - 8pm

Sunday 11am - 6pm

Queue

Queue, queue, queue.

I love this word. It reminds me of a children's book I used to read (or rather show) to my kids when they were young. Animalia by Graeme Base.

Quivering Quails Queuing Quietly for Quills
Two Tigers Taking the 10:20 Train to Timbuktu
Great Green Gorillas Growing Grapes in a Gorgeous Glass Greenhouse
.
Anyway. Enough of that.

The movies I have in the queue for this month are an odd assortment.

Holiday Inn
On the Town
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Grease
Fiddler on the Roof

See what I mean.

::

....one more gift.

Love these. Very fun. Drinking glasses made from bottles. Brilliant.

They can be found at Nick Paul's etsy shop. He notes that he can turn any glass bottle with a painted or embossed label into a drinking glass.

::

Decorating the Tree

We got the tree and put the kids to work.

They did good.

Merry Merry.

Ice and Rodents in Salem

I honestly can't recall a time when the Willamette Valley has had sustained below freezing temperatures for a week or longer.

I don't want to complain because the sunshine was wonderful.

I love the ice build up on the sides of one of the many local creeks. This may be Shelton Ditch or Pringle Creek. I can't keep them straight.

This nutria seemed a little perplexed by all of this ice.

My kids enjoyed throwing rocks in an attempt to break the ice. I loved how the ice appears to adjust the flow and direction of the water somewhat.

On the other side.

I admit this is from two days earlier and explains why I needed that extra quilt. It never hit 40 on Friday.

Keep warm everyone.

More gifts...

More local art.
Portland is localish. Right?

Anyway, Rachel Austin has some beautiful work. I love her use of maps.

This is titled Birds and Poppies. It's an archival print on premium matte paper. Peek at Rachel's etsy store for more.

::

Champagne, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Gris, Cabernet Franc, Porto.....it goes on and on.

Visit a local wine shop for a bottle of the good stuff. Grand Vines is on Court and High.

::

Isn't this fun? I'm easily amused, I know.

It's the Gin & Titonic. Take a gander at one of my favorite online sites, fredflare.com and order your gin & titonic ice cube tray.

::

Bust a move with this how-to book.

Pick up The Best Dance Moves in the World...Ever at fredflare.com

::

Par Avion. Air Mail!

The Airmail Pouch is on my gift giving list (to myself?)

Again, visit fredflare.com for all of these wonderful trinkets and much, much more.

::

As those that read this blog are aware, I love heading over to La Capitale for a nightcap every so often. A gift certificate to one of our local area restaurants couldn't be a better gift.

How about...

La Capitale Brasserie
Venti's
Wild Pear
DaVinci Ristorante
Word of Mouth Neighborhood Bistro
and the newest of the bunch
Willamette Burger Company

::

I can't resist adding one more.  These are felted pebble hand soaps. FUN!

I love, love, love, love, love felted objects. Delica has a beautiful selection of felted pebbles, bowls, coasters and jewelry. (Check out the acorns.)

Visit her etsy shop to pick up these wonderful soaps.


May your holiday season be filled with laughter and warmth.

Need gifts?

I've been zooming the interwebs and have decided to post some fun holiday gift ideas.

Here are today's picks:

Who could resist this wonderful 2010 calendar created by artist Amy Rice?

The calendar can be purchased directly from Amy. More info found here.

::

A stylie but functional way to transport lunch.

This is the 3 tier tiffin from Happy Tiffin. You can buy different sizes and even pick up a tiffin with a colorful insulated bag.

I must note that the tiffins can be periodically out of stock. Go here for more information.

::

How about a night out on the town in Portland? The Mark Spencer Hotel is my sister-in-law's favorite place to stay when she visits. They have wonderful Theater Package deals and their close proximity to Powell's Books is an extra bonus.

Take advantage of one of these. They have a Museum Package, a Theater Arts Package or a Book Worm package. Link here for more info.

::

Local art is a good thing.
I've been admiring Elizabeth Bauman's paintings from afar for quite a while.

You can see more of her work at her etsy site.

::

And finally this beautiful brooch designed and created by Tina Tarnoff.

This brooch was created from a print of one of her papercut images. Again, visit her etsy store for more lovelies. I'm also fond of her typewriter set.

A happy and peaceful holiday to all. Enjoy the quest.

Portland Center Stage - A Christmas Carol

My son's less than stellar test score on "A Midsummer Night's Dream" has turned out to be a boon for me. Extra credit involves seeing plays (for us) and writing reports (for him).

"Holidazed" was already on the list for my husband and myself and now we've added three more plays to see in December.

Today's Sunday matinee of Portland Center Stage's "A Christmas Carol" was delightful.

Our seats were front row which was a bit too close. The sets were amazing and the production was fun. Effects were well done. Ooooh Spirits.

Next weekend is Salem Repertory's "A Christmas Memory".

And the weekend after that is "Twelfth Night".

It's always fun to enjoy a night out in Portland.






And what's a night out without seeing one police car in action?

Saturday coffee

We're enjoying our morning cup o joe at Busick Court this fine, crisp Saturday morning.




I've ordered the blueberry granola cakes, which is not a usual move for me. I'm normally a potato-scramble kind of girl.

Joe's ordered two eggs, links and potatoes. Very normal.

Looking around, I can see five stocking caps and four baseball hats on the 40 or so patrons.

Sun is shining and the temperature is just above freezing. Ahhh.

Blue wood

Yes, I've been playing with the iPhone apps again.

A lovely walk

Today was a delight. The sun decided to visit.

I enjoyed a brisk walk downtown




I love these cement bridges.



The other side of the street.




What is this all about? Anyone? It's facing the wrong way on a one way street.




I love these berries. No idea what they are.




A tidy yard. I expect the lavender will be wonderful.