Living Portland

In 2009 there were 10,839 people killed in alcohol-related vehicle crashes - an average of one fatality every 50 minutes. Yea, I know how to bring down a party. But... My ask of you is that you please stay safe as you celebrate the new year. Think twice about getting into a vehicle if you've been drinking. My friends and I have lost not one - but two - girlfriends in separate drunk driving accidents....

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Everyone has to have a dark day once in awhile. Today is mine. Life will never be fair. I'll  never understand it but I do know one thing: fairy tales don't exist. I have a hard time trusting people, especially when I keep getting screwed over and slapped in the face. Do I deserve it? I don't think so. Will it ever end? I can't answer that. Which scares me. I'm the kind of girl...

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Guys, this is my 57th blog post. I first posted on January 3, 2010 and I'm proud to say I've come a long way since then. OK, so I'm still writing about useless crap that no one cares about. But look, see how much prettier it is? My first post also happend to be about resolutions, which I make every year. Let’s take a look back at what I hoped to accomplish in 2010. Spend...

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Can you believe Christmas has already come and gone? Every year it seems to fly by faster than the year before. I usually get so stressed out about finding the perfect gifts while keeping my bank account afloat that I sometimes forget to stop and remember what Christmas is actually about: the birth of Jesus. I spent Christmas Eve with my family in Washington. My grandpa greeted me wearing an Auburn shirt and laughed and...

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I think that's the general rule for photo booth pictures. We took these at my company holiday party. Fun, right? I'm oblivious to where I am in the first photo. Don't mind me. This is normal. ...

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A dozen eggs Flour Sugar Baking soda 4 boxes baking chocolate 3 bags baking chips 1 bag pretzels German chocolate cake mix Raspberry brownie mix Sprinkles Champagne In our newly established annual tradition - we've done it twice - my seester Sasha and I embarked on our Christmas baking adventure. Seester is cutesy speak for sister. You didn't know I could speak another language did you? Caveat: We are the worst bakers EVER. We apologize profusely to our...

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Don't lose hope. When you are down to nothing, God is up to something. {Image} Don't lose hope. When you are down to nothing, God is up to something. {Image} ...

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One of the most exciting projects I've been involved with to date was the launch of Button, a Portland lifestyle magazine that launched in March 2009, dreamed up by the brilliant Brittany McGrath. Acting as Managing Editor, and then Editor in Chief, I wore many hats. I worked with incredible talent, connected with the Portland community on a different level and found myself in front of people I never deemed possible. Simply put, it was...

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My parents recently rescued two kittens and, while they are adorable, they each have quite the little personalities. Like this one, who loves to clamp on my head and literally eat my hair. Tasty. Going in for the kill.                                                                                                                          Score! Nom nom nom. And yes, it hurts. ...

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In spirit of the Ducks kicking ass and making it into the Natty game, I thought today's post should be a shrine to best team EVER. God DOES watch football. I told you. {images via CBS News; Oregon Live} ...

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How was your Thanksgiving? Did you consume copious amounts of calories? My Thanksgiving involved the usual trek up to Reardon mountain (my aunt/uncle's house), though this year was a bit more snowy than normal. I tried to capture some moments with my iPhone but did a horrendous job. We'll call the blurs and bad lighting "special effects." K? Thanks.  Every road trip starts with a cup of Portland's best coffee from Anna Bannana's. Starbucks, who? ...

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Did you know the royal wedding is expected to cost $40 million? How are they going to pay for this? Here's Ellen's idea: {image: The Ellen Show} ...

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This is going around and around but I had to share. I need a print of this for my office! {image: madame cupcake} ...

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From before I can even remember, dance has played a significant role in my life. As a wee one, I bounced around the ballet studio and begged for a pink tutu. I studied ballet in hopes to dance with the American Ballet Theater (ABT). I bled and blistered, literally, for my art. And when my mom passed away when I was just 13, the studio became my refuge and the music and movement my sanity....

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This week, a good friend of mine and former colleague decided to embark on a new journey. We met as interns who, unsurprisingly, were given the copy room as our office. There were three of us crammed together. And the copier was loud and used often. But it was one of the most fun experiences I’ve ever had working.We talked A LOT, about who knows what, and we kept a running list of “Life Lessons”...

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I ran across this image and just had to share. "This is your life. Do what you love and do it often." Amen! {via Holstee} ...

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Thanksgiving is nearing but why not say thanks right now? Why not say thanks everyday? Here are things that I am feeling grateful for today!1. God. My spiritual journey has had many highs and many, many lows but without Him and his Grace I don't know where I'd be today.2. My girlfriends. Whether it's a night on the town or a night on the couch with two spoons and a gallon of ice cream, we...

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One of the many reasons I love Fall is because I get to pull out my chunky sweaters. I love a good sweater. I just snagged a few that were way on sale online and I am super excited to get them in the mail. Hopefully they look as good as I envision...The LimitedVictoria's Secret Victoria's Secret ...

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Everyone loves a free calendar. Especially when they arrive unexpectedly in the mail. The one I received for 2010 just keeps getting better and better with each passing month...What do you think inspired this shot? ...

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Everyone has a guilty pleasure. Or two...or three. One of mine is reading through Glamour each month. I literally read each page - it's packed with great information around health, fashion & relationships. I love it. One of my favorite columns is "Hey, it's OK!" - a monthly list of things we are all guilty of - and I've compiled some of my favs below.Agree? It's OK!To wear the exact same outfit this Tuesday as...

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If know me, you'll know that I've always wanted to be a wedding planner. "The Wedding Planner" is one of my favorite movies. I worked an assistant event coordinator during college. My first job interview out of college was to work as an event/wedding planner. I obviously didn't land the gig. But if I did, I wouldn't be working at the fabulous place I work now.Anyways, I still have a passion for event coordination and...

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I attempted to find a recipe online for easy enchiladas but couldn't find any with less than 10 ingredients. So I made it up myself as I went along. And these were divine!Easy Cheesy Enchiladas6 tortillas2 cups cheese of your preference1 can enchilada sauce1 can black beansHeat oven to 350Stuff tortillas with cheese & roll them upLine them all up in a panCover with enchilada sauce & leftover cheeseSpoon over black beansBake for 30 minutes...

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Do you ever hear someone say something that just clicks with you? As Oprah would say, have an aha moment? I was watching Oprah yesterday and she said something so powerful that completely resonated with me. I mean, it clicked and I GOT IT. It has changed my life and how I will handle my life moving forward.Even though I'm only 24, I've had a lot of trials in my life. I've spent months wanting...

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After months of deliberation, I finally pulled the trigger and hired a design firm to give my little blog a makeover. Much like walking into a real home, it's so uninspiring to have a virtual home that's blah blah blah boring.And boy, did they deliver! I wanted to take a moment to give a shout out to Alt Coast, who spent weeks patiently working with me on crafting the perfect design. In my job, I...

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There has been quite a bit of controversy lately around how Photoshop is being used to alter the personalities on covers of magazines and in advertising. Accused edits include enhanced breasts, small waists and hips, lighter skin, etc. This most recently came to a head with Gabourey Sidibe, star of Precious, and this month’s cover of Elle.Gaby’s case is definitely not extreme – and it may not be true – but the cover has definitely...

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