Sun, Finally.

We finally have been getting some nice weather around here, so I took full advantage of it and ended up with a sunburned shoulder (yes, just one)... but I'm not complaining!

On Friday, I took Milly (the crazy eyed Boston Terrier) out to Westport. She doesn't really love riding in the car - you can tell by her loud/frantic panting and her eyes start to get bloodshot and goobery - but she seemed to be doing ok this time with the 30 minute-ish drive. Maybe it was that we had the windows down and she was too windswept to know what was happening.

We hung out at my favorite coffee shop, Tinderbox Roasters in Westport. Tara told me I have a knack for showing up when they aren't too busy, which is great because she was able to sit outside on the deck and chat for a few minutes. It didn't last long though, the crowds starting coming once again and she had to get back to work.

I spent a good hour or so there, working on a few projects and enjoying the sun... which is where I picked up that sunburn. After I realized my red shoulder, we packed up and headed back inland. I dropped off the dog and hopped on my bike. I hadn't gone on a long ride in a while.

I decided to head out to Bowerman Field in Hoquiam. Once I got past downtown Hoquiam, I rode along the waterfront and over toward the airfield. Unfortunately, I only saw one plane coming in to land as I was riding back toward home, but it was great to walk around the hangars and also down the boardwalk through the Wildlife Refuge.

I wrapped up my weekend on Saturday with band practice in Olympia with the Best F-Tigers Forever and meeting up with my friend Meghan who just got back from Micronesia where she had been volunteering for the last two years! Hard to believe how fast time flies.

A True Independence Day

I woke up on the 4th of July and thought "hmmm this is one of those holidays that people make big plans for and I've got nothing... I'll just lay here a while longer." I debated putting on some vintage red white and blue dress I have and wandering around looking desperate for a family BBQ to attend, but instead I decided to go out to Seabrook. What could be more American than spying on the families at this completely brand new beach town that looks like it was carried over by aircraft from the Atlantic Seaside? Plus my friend's band was playing and, though I'm not a country music fan, they are pretty good.

First, I had to pay my respects to Pacific Beach, Washington. I love this town. It's everything that Seabrook doesn't have - an old fashioned country-cozy bakery called Emily's, super close beach access and a place called the Wacky Warehouse which not only carries a random assortment of new and used goods but also a stage that looked ready for a live performance and the town radio station. I listened as a woman rambled out a list of businesses and what they had to offer - all within a block of where we stood.

I grabbed a slice of quiche at Emily's and wandered to the beach and around through the neighborhood. Then hopped back in the car to drive the mile or so over to Seabrook.

Seabrook is probably the Seattle family's version of paradise. It's a complete town with only one road coming into it off the highway. They have bike cruisers to roam around on, a little grocery store with espresso and a fancy restaurant. At this event they also had a photographer out taking pictures that you could purchase, a bounce-house and, as I mentioned before, a country band playing live music.

After listening to a few songs and chatting with my friends in between sets, I drank an orange soda and read my book in the sun. 

I had to head back to town to work the night shift that evening and I was lucky enough to witness a huge fireworks display right outside the window in front of my desk. Overall, it wasn't a bad Independence Day... especially if you knew my history with this holiday.

Hoquiam River Kayak

I went out kayaking with my friend Nikki yesterday. We recently started up a facebook group called The Grays Harbor Canoe and Kayak Club and have planned a group outing for next week. We wanted to check out the timing of our little voyage, so we grabbed the kayaks and got in the water before the rain came (ps - our timing was perfect... while replenishing ourselves with a beer after the paddle, it started pouring rain).

I'm very excited about our club and the potential it holds. Since I returned to the harbor in November, I've heard about so many people who kayak but there isn't any place locally for kayakers to gather or coordinate outings. The most troublesome news is that there isn't a kayak rental spot here. It's a shame because we are completely surrounded by beautiful waterways! If all goes according to "plan," we'll find a way to provide rental kayaks by next summer so start planning your visit!

We put in near the docks you see above. The Hoquiam River is a great location for kayaking: parking is easy, there is a city owned dock to launch from, the 8th Street Ale House is a mere half-block from the dock and the water is pretty quiet. Just be sure to check the tide schedule so you don't get dragged out to sea.

I only got a little bit wet and since I recently dropped my precious iPhone and cracked the screen, I decided to just throw caution to the wind and bring my phone with me so I could take some pictures.

Up the river, there's some cool old industrial pieces that are sticking up out of the water and an old railroad bridge. We joked about turning it into some ultra-hip restaurant or modern house.

Can't wait to get out there again next week!

Lemolo Album Release Show at Columbia City Theater

Dare I say, Lemolo might be my favorite band ever. Honestly, their music is so intense and interesting to listen to. Also, they have fog machines and glitter at their concerts so obviously they are pretty cool.

I went to their Album Release show at The Columbia City Theater on Friday. It was crazy hot and muggy in there.

Kaylee Cole was first up. She did a great cover of Kanye West's Runaway (keep in mind this is just a solo singer and a grand piano). Next up was Lost Lander from Portland - they are so so great and the crowd seemed to be enjoying the tunes.

Lemolo put on a great first headlining show. I find something very intense about their performances and it's amazing how much sound can come out of just two people.

When it came down to the last song of their encore, glitter started falling from above. We quickly realized we were right in the target zone for the glitter dumping. The core group of about 6 people directly under the fan gathered up about 80% of the glitter. I'm still finding pieces in my hair.

This Weekend

I'm heading to Seattle today to see my friends and that crazy new ferris wheel and to eat cupcakes, etc., etc... but more importantly I get to see Lemolo tonight!!

Bonus: This will be my first time at The Columbia City Theater. It's about time.

Check Out My Bike Gang

I went on this awesome bike ride this week with some of the coolest people I know and my friend Ralph made this sweet video.

This Week

Life just keeps getting busier, but it's nice to have so much to look forward to!

 This week will include:

quilting

band practice

community bike ride

Lemolo CD Release show in Seattle

Sand & Sawdust Festival in Ocean Shores

It's going to be a good one.

Juicy

On Monday night, I watched the documentary Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. Basically it's about this Australian dude who comes to the US to cruise around the country for a month or two and drink juice which he makes out of the back of his car. Seems totally legit to me.

Obviously, he was on a mission to convert people to his liquid diet and he did his job pretty well. He convinced a few people throughout the movie to actually join him on this fast. He also convinced me. 

Mind you, it's not hard to convince me into trying new things that involve health crazes. I've done a raw food cleanse before. I was vegetarian for a time. Vegan for a few days. I once gave up anything made from corn for Lent (after watching the doc King Corn)... that was very difficult.

 So, obviously I had to try this juice fast. The next day, I went and bought a boat load of green stuff and the fast began on Wednesday.

Before you start to get inspired, let me tell you it's Friday and I've already failed.

Less than 24 hours in, I got the worst WORST headache ever. And it didn't go away for another 24 hours. Then I went to Starbucks.

I did a little research and it's suggested that you actually cut out a bunch of stuff like caffeine and meat 5 to 7 days before you start the juice fast. How typical that I read the directions after I screw something up.

Anyway, I'm just juicing once a day now until I can get my act together and get myself off the caffeine.

Juice Recipe:

2 Cups Kale

2 Cups Spinach

4 Stalks of Celery

1/2 Cucumber

2 Green Apples

1 inch of root ginger

Dream Home

These days, when I'm not busy working, I like to torture myself by looking at homes for sale online and pinning away... dreaming of some life where I live in a super cool house.

Here's what I know for sure...

It will have a yellow door.

Source: cinoh.tumblr.com via Britta on Pinterest

Open shelving.

Source: heltenkelthosmig.blogspot.se via Britta on Pinterest

Some slick tiles.

Source: bferry.wordpress.com via Britta on Pinterest

Indoor/Outdoor spaces.

Source: hiswii.soup.io via Britta on Pinterest

A porch big enough for bowling, of course.

Source: camillestyles.com via Britta on Pinterest

And a cozy bed.

Source: designsponge.com via Britta on Pinterest

Is this really so much to ask? Time to start saving my pennies!

First First Thursday

Last week, the Hoquiam Business Association started a new event we're calling "First Thursdays!" Similar to the First Thursdays (or Fridays or Saturdays) in many other cities, businesses stayed open late and hosted local talent and served up some great deals.

After all of the hard work, it was so great to see this event come together. My shop was packed and everyone seemed to be having a good time... I'm guessing the wine helped.

Oh, and we had a photobooth.

Make Something

Truth: I've watched/listened to this video three times tonight.

I find this talk by Adam Savage at the Maker Fair to be so very inspirational - and I don't even know what he's talking about half the time. I mean, all of the techy/sci-fi references. I do not make these types of things. (I think the best thing I made as a kid was a replica of Garth's car from Wayne's World out of a cardboard box, complete with a rooftop licorice dispenser.)

However, it seems like anybody who makes anything can have a very similar experience, whether it's hats, space ships, quilts or businesses... yes, I've always thought of myself as a "business artist" and this talk confirms my feelings about this.

Every. Single. Thing. Adam talks about here is so relatable to me right now with regards to my business. For instance, I feel like the fact that I own a business and it is what it is has almost come from somewhere beyond myself. It was just something that I had to do. I don't really remember making a conscious decision to own a business, I've known from a very young age that this is what I was meant to do and I never really questioned it.

For instance, when I was in second grade I started planning events at my house where I would invite my friends over to have a snack and work on a craft project together. Apparently the Girl Scouts weren't cutting it for me. Anyway, now I do that for real and get paid for it. Boom.

I also love that he talks about creating things based on a desire. The reason I'm drawn to entreprenuership is because it gives me the opportunity to create the things I wish existed. My desires keep me going when things get tough. I've never been one to sit around and wait for somebody to do something about [instert whining here]. If something isn't meeting my expectations, I start seeking out a way to fix the problem. Some of these things I desire may never even happen, but at least I'll know I spent my time working toward something instead of wasting time complaining.

And I'm so happy he brought up the point about knowing that 70% of the way through a project he starts to become unsure of the whole thing but that through awareness of this fact about himself, he can power through. I go through the exact same thing with nearly everything in life, but especially when I'm working on huge projects. I always hit a point where I'm like "WTF am I doing?" and I want to just walk away from it and get a "normal" job. Then I have a moment where I remember that I've felt exactly this way before and that I should stick it out for at least another week and see how I feel then. Turns out, I usually get my mojo back.

This is especially inspirational to me right now because I was starting to forget how or why I ended up where I am. Luckily, despite all of the stress of my business, I had a really great and refreshing week and this talk really capped it off. I'm hoping that my desire to make things in my community will inspire others to do the same.

So...

I saw Pickwick play at The Wonder Ballroom in Portland last night - amazing, as always.

 

They played with Radiation City and Pearly Gates Music. They were totally great, despite some seemingly off balance sound issues in the venue.



Ummm turns out the dude in Pearly Gates Music is Zach Tillman, brother of J. Tillman (aka former Fleet Foxes drummer [aka Father John Misty]).

You Guys...

... we have an awesome new blogger at Go Go Grays Harbor and if this post doesn't make you want to leave the city and move to the middle of nowhere, I don't know what will.

Living In Secret

Adventures in Grays Harbor

The weather in our nook of the Pacific Northwest has been amazing lately! After three weeks without a real day off, I finally had myself a couple of days off to enjoy the sun and finally bust out the old camera.

After sleeping in until 11:30 am (*gasp*) I actually had the energy to get in a short run and some yoga before starting my day. I've decided that I desperately need a more regular exercise routine, not just for the physical aspect but for the mental benefits. (Note: add more yoga to my life)

A friend from high school/my old college roommate was in town for the weekend so we decided to grab our cameras and go exploring. Every time I do something fun in this town, I can't help but think about how ridiculous it is that I'd never done it before! What in the world was I doing the first 18 years of my life? Oh, right... eating cheesy fries at Denny's and filming every minute of our sleep overs wherein we hosted fake beauty pageants and remakes of the movie Scream.

Anyway...

Hoquiam is pretty cool. 

We parked at the Farmer's Market and walked along the river, taking pictures of the old pilings and talking to people who were stuck in their car waiting for the bridge to go up. Once it came back down we crossed the bridge and wandered the other side of the river and then back over the big bridge.

Later in the evening, once our other friends were finally off work, we went out to Westport for dinner at Bennett's Fish Shack (my favorite) and a climb up the viewing tower for sunset. It was pretty glorious.

And the fun didn't stop on Friday! I find the best way to get away from work is to literally get away from it, so I went up to Lake Quinalt with a friend to take in the awesome view of the mountains and the water. The Lodge isn't so bad either.

Dieter Rams On Good Design

Just reading this article from Fast Company...

Consumerism vs. Creativity

Is consumerism killing creativity?

When I saw a friend post this article on Facebook, I had to immediately read it. Why? Because I have felt for years that consumerism and creativity are at odds with one another.

A major part of why I moved back to my hometown after nearly 10 years of living in bigger cities was because I wanted to be somewhere that had potential. A place that didn't already have everything figured out. In the city, I could get anything I wanted in a reasonable amount of time and whenever I felt bored I would just go to the mall for some retail therapy.* I truly think that this ease of life just made me lazy and greedy.**

Now, I live in a town of 20,000 people (ish) and the only mall is practically empty. We have Walmart, which I do not dare enter for many, many, many reasons. As far as retail therapists go in this town, there are few. And I love it.

I love that going shopping isn't even an option here. I love that the nearest Target is 45 minutes away. I also don't even care. I've realized that I can get by with very few things and that it is much more satisfying to mend a torn piece of clothing than to go out and buy a new one. However, I do still get the thrill of the hunt from my frequent thrifting adventures - though I have even tried to limit my purchases there to things I absolutely cannot live without.

In the mean time, while I haven't been shopping, I have been making so many things and creating so many new projects I can barely keep my head on straight (but seriously, I may need to cut back on the creative projects - it's all about balance, right?).

*I'm not a fan of this phrase.


**sorry for my rant on consumerism. I'm pretty sure I was a buddhist monk in some past life.

New Shoes

I had a pretty lucky weekend. At least, with regards to thrift store shopping. On Friday, I picked up some practically brand new white keds from the local Salvation Army for three bucks and I quickly realized that these shoes were literally a blank canvas begging for some sweet designy type stuff. So, I stole this herringbone pattern and spent a few hours drawing it on the shoes with a Sharpie. 

Halfway through...

I'm also becoming quite attached to my store's tagline of "make something" and I think I should probably work it into everything I make from now on.

PS -  I spent nearly the entire time while I was drawing these lines listening to 60's folk music after I discovered the music of Father John Misty. Listen to my favorites over here.

Apple Quilt

Last week, I finished this Apple quilt for Caitlin in Austin, Texas. Of course, it is made from t-shirts (since that is my specialty) and I was so excited when I got her box of shirts. They were so colorful and all of them had very small designs or words printed on the front. I knew that the average t-shirt quilt would not do for these t-shirts, so I created this:

This has to be one of my all time favorite t-shirt quilts! Shoot, I even cut out that tiny apple to sew on the monitor. I'm quite proud of myself.

It's May Already?!

Oh, blogger. You tempt me.

I was going to come here today to write "I'M BACK!" but let's get real... remember, I'm the girl who set a goal to write every day this year and after exactly 31 days I took 2 months off... for shame.

I would love to write here every day, but I know that isn't an achievable goal for me right now. However, I do think an achievable goal is to write here when I feel I have something to share. And I believe in achievable goals. (I also believe in ridiculously unlikely goals, but that's beyond my point)

So, I'M BACK! I never really left.

Since January I have opened a new retail store in downtown Hoquiam, Washington. Joined a number of committees (currently trying to implement an art walk in Hoquiam - easier said than done). I became a member of the Paleo diet movement and failed because I really love ice cream (going to get back on that wagon soon). I started playing synth and singing with a local band. I'm debating selling my car and becoming a full-time bike rider/walker. Consequently, I'm trying to find a way to make the perfect bicycle cape... or I might just buy this one.

I've been trying to grow our blog project, Go Go Grays Harbor, with a fellow local bloggers. I'm trying to find time to start a number of creative side projects. My business Queen B Quilts is incredibly busy. And I really need a day off!

So, I'll be back to talk about some of these things along with all of the random things I'm making and thinking about these days.