home from home

we are back home in oakland. (more photos of our visit here.)

i am full to the brim with just what i needed. after we left the coast for portland, and after the drama with bella calmed down, i found my groove of being on vacation. the books came out. the magazines came out. wine and cocktails. conversation. sleep. friends. rain. lazy drives around portland to see all that has changed. visits to my favorite boutiques. food. more food. it was good. very good.

i find that each time we spend time with our friends in our familiar and beloved city, i come back feeling full of inspiration. and motivation. from hugs. and conversation. john and i dreamt so much while we were there about our future. but we also had lengthy conversations about what we can do now to make life a bit more fulfilling here in california. i don’t want to feel like life is on hold here until graduation. i’m feeling inspired to make some changes, mainly healthier living changes.

and can i just say that road trips are my dreams come true. coming back into california today, we had the windows down, the warm air blowing our hair all around, music on, our dog in the back seat. even a nap mixed in there. it was heaven.

i am so inspired by all that is going on in portland right now. there are crafters and artists everywhere right now selling their goods. there are artwalks, arthops, open studios, first thursdays, last thursdays, first tuesdays, etc! even the saturday market had a refreshing mix of old and new folks selling their goods. not too mention, all the new restaurants, boutiques selling locally made goods, and neighborhood cafes. everything i bought in portland this time around was locally crafted or came form a local, family owned business. it’s so easy to do in a city like portland, and it makes me smile wide.

the crafting scene has me wanting to get out my sewing machine and make all sorts of funky, sweet things. these woman, out there making a living at making cool stuff, have me so inspired right now. it makes me want to keep going. keep creating. keep painting and moving forward with it. i love the energy of all of it. the passion. the ideas that spring into my head (and there are several at this very moment). it also has me all sorts of excited about returning to portland next year and being able to participate in all the art goings ons.

i love portland. i love all my dear and sweet and creative and wonderful friends. i love my husband, my family, my dog, my life. my life, yes, yes. i am a blessed, blessed girl. i’m feeling those very specific blessings tonite as i write this. i have so much on the horizon, i have no idea how i will ever get to all that i want to do. i’ll start in the morning….

xox