Sweet Pea Bicycles July 29, 2008

We have lived here in Portland for about 9 months or so and there are 2 things that stand way out. You cannot miss all the Thai food joints and all the BIKES! Portland is a bike crazy city. Which to me seems a little funny since it rains about 37-40 inches per year. Although our rain is more like a lovely mist. Anyway… I am finding that a bike is a good thing to have here. Not to mention I have three little kids who love to be outside. So the newest item on my list of things that would be nice to have around it a beautiful Sweetpea Farmers Market Bicycle. Sweetpea Bicycles is Natalie and Austin Ramsland. Natalie has been a bike messenger (Whoa!) in Portland for the last five years so she knows what a woman needs in a bike.

Each woman gets fit to a totally adjustable size cycle, which allows each rider to feel the perfect fit before the bike is even built. This process allows us to transform each woman’s unique body mechanics and alignment into a riding position that is comfortable and efficient; and then to build the bike around that.

I have never had a bike that really fit me. So their process to fit the bike to the rider really makes sense. This Sweetpea bicycle really is an awesome investment. And to top it all off they are working with a local credit union where you can get a bike loan!

Toys July 27, 2008

My daughter and I were talking about some of the toys I had as a kid and I remembered Holly Hobby. There is just something so sweet and simple about the little Holly Hobby doll. I love the floral fabrics that were used and all the little details. So we searched around on Ebay and we found some! I felt like a little girl on Christmas when they came in the mail. I need to get some cute vintage shelves to put my toys on. :) Who says your too old for toys!

Be My Neighbor July 21, 2008

Our new favorite cartoon is My Neighbor Totoro, a 1988 animated film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli. If you have seen it you know why. If you haven’t seen it yet you must go out and find it. We rented it on Net Flix so it is totally accessible. The music is beautiful and the animation is whimsical and full of color. The characters are so adorable and the story is an inspiration of family love.

So round and cute. He needs to be happily sitting on my nick nack shelf.

The Black Apple July 17, 2008

If you have spent 5 minutes on Etsy I am pretty sure you have seen a Black Apple sweetie. The Black Apple is the work of Emily Martin. She has been around Etsy for a while now and has become wildly successful. When you see her work, full of beautiful colors and textures, you understand why she has become a full time successful artist. I have gotten to know her in a tiny online way from reading her blog and her sweetness expands far beyond her paintings. Her fashiony style is so lovely and whimsical. She is an avid baker and adorable sock wearer. She makes the cutest stuffed sweeties, Spoonflastic fabric…

…and has the best taste in cities. She will be moving her little Black Apple bottom on over here to Portland Oregon and we are super excited to have her around town! I am giddy to the brim with my two Black Apple prints and plan to have a wall full of her sweet gals.