October 2010
6 posts
“The beautiful is everywhere; perhaps more in the arrangement of your saucepans...”
– Fernand Leger
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Step into my office: Heart
Heart Coffee Roasters - 2211 E Burnside, Portland, OR Website
(Another installment of my Office Away From Home Series…)
Wifi - Yes. But, BUT, just one outlet. Full laptop batteries only, please.
Coffee - Consistently awesome.
Pastry - Small selection of gems. Try the homemade “oreos”. The GF poppy seed muffin has truly perfect crumb.
Noise - Perfect.
Location - Hard...
Adventuring in PDX: Lone Fir Cemetery
Sometimes, by virtue of having grown up here, I lapse into feeling as though I’ve seen it all: walked every street, enjoyed every charm, eaten every bite. This is, of course, not true by a mile. So this year, I’ve challenged myself to abandon that conceit, ignore for a moment those familiar pleasures and find a few new adventures.
The first is this: the Lone Fir Cemetery (SE 26th...
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Step into my office (a review): Albina Press
I have a tendency to think of the city at large as my office. My work takes me all over Portland, to all five quadrants (even the ‘burbs once in a while). I don’t spend a lot of time at my actual office on NE Alberta, though it’s quite lovely and I’m so glad it’s there when I do stop in. I have a pretty sweet home office, too, but I often crave a change of scenery to...
September 2010
3 posts
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Oh, hey! I’m on the radio!
My dear friend...
Four years ago...
we made it official.
partners in crime.
for always.
In celebration, here are a few fun details from the loveliest day in my memory:
we served dinner at l o n g harvest tables
And made tiny pots of jam for our guests to take home
The cutest little people stood atop our cake
And there was lots (and lots) of wine
To my favorite person in the universe: Happy Anniversary! Cheers to...
August 2010
5 posts
Eye Candy for Monday
One of the perks of my job is getting a first look at houses that are new to the market. While I can find something to love about all most of them, I have a deep soft spot for Modern architecture, especially the 60’s, with their low-slung, relaxed feel and spaces just perfect for swanky cocktail parties.
This beauty just popped up on the market, and I jumped at the chance to tour it.
I...
Eat a Treat
I have a wicked sweet tooth. Sometimes, I try to combat this with treats that seem decadent but are actually healthy. And then I eat them for dinner. Or breakfast. Whatevs.
This one arose out of necessity. I had 2 almost-over-ripe nectarines. Not enough to make jam, too many to let go to waste (I’m sure the chickens would have loved that outcome!) All the recent dessert-in-a-jar recipes...
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Summer Coffee Walk...
Simple pleasures are the foundation of a contented life.
Smell the roses.
Walk the dog.
Savor the coffee.
Come on a summer coffee walk with me.
This is Lucy. She can hardly contain her excitement.
This is Kevin. My partner in crime.
An essential element of any coffee walk.
Here we go!
The park is deserted.
Oops! Someone forgot their shopping cart. I’m sure...
July 2010
5 posts
Eat This
Today’s lunch was this:
Fish Tacos, grilled and seasoned with paprika, salt & pepper then topped with romaine and corn, jalapeno, grilled onion, & pinto bean succotash salsa I’m not sure what to call it. Kevin made it up and it was delicious. Plus Aardvark, of course, ‘cuz that’s how we roll.
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A homekeeping trick...
Confession: I like the house to be spotlessly clean, but I have a really hard time keeping it up to my standard ideal. Since I can’t afford a housekeeper, I decided to try a new strategy. It’s deceptively simple, and best of all, it works!
I bought this adorable timer and stuck it to my fridge. Once every day, I set it to 15 minutes, and spend that time zigging and zagging around...
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Stuff in Jars
Now that summer has finally begun, the McGovney household canning & preserving season is also in full swing. In the last week, I’ve picked and frozen 20 lbs of blueberries, made a few jars each of cherry, peach, and raspberry jam, and pickled snap peas, cherries and peaches. I’m tired just typing that!
So far, the thing that I’ve been most surprised and delighted by is the...
Back in Action - Two Weeks in Pictures
Wow! I’ve had a busy couple of weeks, unfortunately none of which revolved around the blog. Here is a peek into what I’ve been up to.
I redesigned my business website: www.erinmcgovney.com
I got some new wheels:
I spent a week hanging out with these lovely ladies:
She’s just 3 weeks old today, and has already stolen many hearts, including my own. Her mama and I have been...
June 2010
5 posts
Sunday Eye Candy
I’m holding an open house this afternoon at a really lovely townhouse. Thought I’d share a little eye candy. This is what you can get for $389,000 in NW Portland.
I’ve always thought NW would be a fun neighborhood to live in. Though it’s kind of an early-20’s rite of passage in Portland to rent a vintage apartment in NW and spend drunken nights at the Gypsy, I...
Dining Out: Lovely's Fifty-Fifty
Last night was date night. A hankering for pizza and the desire to try something new brought us to Lovely’s Fifty-Fifty on N. Mississippi St. The food and service were quite good, but what really stuck with me was the interior.
Yes, they stuck with the Portland standard: concrete floors, heavy on the wood, with a roll up garage door. The addition of the bright red-orange Tolix chairs...
Currently reading: A Piece of Cake
I’m about half way through this book, by Cupcake Brown. It is tragic, fascinating, horrifying, and impossible to put down, all at once. I imagine it’s going to take a turn towards uplifting soon. A couple more nights of reading until 2 am and I’ll be finished. I’ll pass it on to the first person who lets me know they want it. Book swap, anyone?
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A Summer BBQ Suggestion...
As sometimes happens on lazy weekend days, we ended up having a couple of dear friends over to BBQ. We popped in to New Seasons for some asparagus to throw on, and they agreed to pick up the drinks.
Those clever kids, E & D, stopped by the St Johns Pub and filled growlers with three beers: a wheat, the Ruby (a lightly raspberried brew), and a coconut stout.
Growlers are great for a few...
May 2010
12 posts
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“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are...”
– -Marianne Williamson
Posted for you. and you. and you. and me. In the last few weeks, parts and pieces of this quote have been bubbling up to the surface, reminding me that we all have necessary greatness and grace, if we can just be courageous enough to BE.
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Sneak Peek!
I spent yesterday afternoon working on a lovely apartment in the sky. The clients had great pieces to work with (most people do!) and she’s a painter, so we had large, striking paintings to move around.
One thing they just had laying around was this print, by local artist Amy Ruppel:
I immediately thought of doing an art wall and including this print, which I’ve had saved in my...
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WatchI love SNL. I don’t think it’s been great this season, but there have definitely been some moments. I didn’t stay up for this weekend’s Betty White episode, and I wish I did. The reunion of Tina Fey, Maya Rudolph, Rachel Dratch, Ana Gasteyer (who else?) and the rest of the crew was AWESOME, and pointed out what a dearth of really funny women there are on the show right...
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April 2010
16 posts
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WatchThose Wieden + Kennedy kids are so on it. Moody, inspired, offbeat. Love it.
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“I would pick it out if I saw it and throw it on the floor.”
– -My girl Julia Child, on cilantro, via the NYT. www.nytimes.com/2010/04/14/dining/14curious.html
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How is it that I went to Ikea for this:
And instead came home with this:
And this:
And very nearly this:
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On the Cheap - A Brooklyn Loft Transformed on a... →
I am loving this budget decorating series in the NYT. This loft is gorgeous.
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5 things I loved today:
1. Dr. Becker’s. Like Dr. Pepper, but without all that high fructose corn syrup to feel bad about.
2. A freshly mowed lawn. Nothing cleans up the garden faster than a haircut.
3. My new dress from H & M.
4. Homemade pizza & pie for dinner.
5. My sweet hubby, who is responsible for #2 and 1/2 of #4.
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