Stumptown Shower Hostesses

 I can mark Stumptown Coffee off of my Portland Rainy Day To-Do List, though I will definitely be returning. This place is what I call quality! Not only was the coffee delicious, and the atmosphere sophisticated yet cozy, but the baristas and staff were outstanding! McKenzie (a friend, nurse mentor,  fellow crafter, and amazing gal) and I showed up and looked at the menu and food items off to the side. We decided what we wanted and turned around to order. In a matter of seconds, a LARGE line had formed in front of us... bummer. We walked to the end of the line when one of the kind barista men came from out of no where all the way to the end of the long line. He said he'd be happy to help us in front of the line. What? Who does that? Really?.......... Impressive! That is some serious customer service! All of the staff was kind & helpful. I was entirely blown away and highly recommend Stumptown Coffee.

 

{photo from Stumptown website}

We had an afternoon full of baby shower hostess planning, craft shopping, and catching up. 

I'm so thankful for McKenzie. She is a breath of fresh air and someone that I deeply respect. I'm not sure what I would have done without her in my first 6 months of being a brand new nurse. Thanks for constantly encouraging & challenging me McKenzie! 

PS- check out her newly started blog!

Lots of fun projects planned! I'll definitely be posting updates...

Spontaneous Afternoon Date

 

 After a busy Monday, we spontaneously decided to sneak away downtown and have a little afternoon date! I love spontaneous dates (and after Andrew finishes an exam= free afternoon without feeling guilty for not studying)! We planned on grabbing some coffee from Sterling Coffee Roasters however, they closed at 3. So, we missed them. Instead, we walked a few blocks in the chilly air & sunshine until we found an apparent suitable alternative - Coffee Time. Turns out, the coffee was not my favorite and the service was unimpressive. In fact, my white mocha tasted nothing like a white mocha. I had to go ask for more chocolate... Sorry Coffee Time, but I probably won't be visiting you again.

  

 I wore a bow headband for Andrew. I feel like I look like a 3 year old. Or Minnie Mouse. But he loves bows! It's the least I could do...  

However, nothing can ruin a date with my hubby. We read from our current devotional book called 'Igniting a Life of Generosity' and were challenged to think of areas in our life that we are not giving up ownership to God. Everything belongs to God- everything. Oftentimes I forget that. Gave us lots to think and pray about. In addition, we enjoyed a few rounds of family feud. We lost. Classic. Lastly, we both got a good laugh at the following occurance. It goes something like this:

Jenna: Andrew, I found this verse the other day that has to do with medication! I have to show you!

Andrew: Ok, what is it?

Jenna: (finds it and begins to read it out loud) "My mouth shall speak wisdom, the meditat.... wait... what.... Wait a second... hold on.. ohhhhhh... HA." (Andrew realizes what I did and we both crack up).

Andrew: You're such a good reader.... you goof.

Too bad I wrote this (below photo) note in my bible margin prior to realizing my mistake.  Medication, meditation-- what's the big difference anyway? I'm not sure why medication in that verse would ever make any sense. Why did I not catch that before? Can I blame being a nurse for this?

The real verse reads, "My mouth shall speak wisdom, the meditation of my heart shall be understanding."  Psalm 49:3

After a fabulous little date, an intense yoga class, and a delicious bean chile-filled evening, I enjoyed watching Ben from the Bachelor be a fool. I'm probably the fool for watching... Don't deny it, I know you're watching too! 

Mad For Plaid

 Before spending all weekend at work, I had a few hours to make some progress on a little big project.

I'm usually not one to do projects that take more than a few hours- I'm impatient. But, this is a special one that I'm excited about and I can't wait to share the finished product! It'll be a while...

Here's a little sneak peek of some supplies used. Can you tell I fell in love with plaid while at the fabric store? Just looking at this combo makes me want to go camping... preferably right now. With my love. With hot cocoa. Plus s'mores and a campfire. I'm itching for a weekend getaway!

Hence my creation below of all things summer, outdoors, and plaid. Can this please happen right now? 

+

 =
On my list of summer getaways

True Portlandia Moment

 Urban chickens? We discovered these chickens in NE Portland last weekend. No, we weren't on a farm, weren't near a farm, just in a busy neighborhood (off Mississippi st). Strange? I guess not so strange in Portland. I think these chickens would pass as free range... 

You think they'd pass the "Is it Local?" test on Portlandia?

They kept crossing the streets and walking all over the place. I wonder how long they were able to avoid cars passing by.

Awesome & Awkward... & Avacados Too

What do you guys think of my new title banner? After more than a week of trying to figure it out on my own and reaching poor results (I'm stubborn), I finally found this awesome website with a clear video tutorial! I added my own touches of course, but this explained the process nicely.

Click HERE to see the easy to follow & short video tutorial using Photoshop.

In other news, here are a few awkwards and awesomes from the last week:

 
Awesome

• Getting positive feedback from a patient & finding it in the staff weekly updates. Always nice to hear good things! 
• Trying a Pilates class with my friend Catherine yesterday. Great workout! Is it weird that through all of the hip workout part I had "Hips Don't Lie" Shakira song stuck in my head? Mostly because my hips were huuuurrrrttting sooo bad. I was wishing my hips were lying to me at that point...
•  Lunch date with PLU friends! We ate at Little Big Burger on Mississippi in NE Portland. Perfectly portioned burgers and fairly priced. If you like salty fries- this is your place. Great news- they are opening a store near by! Great date night place- can't wait!
• Dinner with our friend Tyson (you may remember him from the unicycling post) . Best loaded nachos I've ever had!
• Getting to spend time in God's Word and being reminded why I need this every day. God is good and His Word is alive.
• Getting to grab a quick dinner out with Andrew. We went to Mexican food of course- but this time I had nothing to do with it! He picked all on his own! This must be a first...

Awkward

•  Gaining weight since I've had my gym membership... muscle? Or is it all of the avacados I've been eating? You can't just eat half of one- the rest goes bad. Andrew doesn't eat them... that leaves me to eat the whole thing! Whoa... I know. Also doesn't help that I'd probably choose to have an avacado tree in my backyard over a money tree or that I keep buying costco packs of them. They are soooooo good. At least they help combat cholesterol- Good ol' HDL.
•  Having my water glass slip completely from my grasp at a restaurant to make a loud BOOM on the table.. oops! It was slippery!
• When the lady at the local food market asked if I'd like a bag for the two ice cream containers that were freezing my hands off, I answered, "yes, paper please." After an odd look from the gal, Andrew reminded me that we are in Portland and paper is the only option. In addition, she didn't ask which type of bag, but rather, if I'd like one at all (as she holds the paper bag out in front of me). Blonde moment? Sometimes I forget I live in such an environmentally-conscious place. I'm surprised they even offer paper bags... 
• Sitting through an entire 3 hr CPR renewal class and afterword finding out that it didn't count for me (complicated to explain... I fixed it and I'm all good now). Long story short, don't ever try to get certified through anything but American Heart Association. Not sure why the last 2 hospitals I was employed at didn't catch the issue...
• Completely messing up Nurse staffing for the following shift by taking a sick call message. Who knew we had an RN and a tech with extremely similar names... Can we get a "name alert" on these two please...  now I know... 

Hope you all have had a great week so far!

Only a Med Student...

 

 

To my currently sick hubby: I love you for how hard you work even when feeling ill. I love how "un-whiny" you are (unlike me). I love how graciously you drank the smoothie I made you even though it hurt your throat. I most of all loved finding you sticking your iPhone flash light down your throat and looking in the mirror to discover why your throat hurts so bad and describing in medical terminology why it hurts all the way up to your ear when you swallow. If only I could have gotten video of you doing this. Only a med student...   Good luck on your exam today babe!

Portland Rainy/Winter Day To Do List

Here's my winter/rainy day Portland activity list thus far. I'm kind of a woos when it comes to weather. I should just be able to throw on my rain coat and go hiking or biking, or whatever else. I'm supposed to be an Oregonian right? Eh, I'm a woos. Here's my rule: If I can't take my camera out and take photos (because there's too much rain), it's a no-go. Maybe I should invest in one of those no hands umbrella hat things? That would go nicely with my unicycle! Or not...

Most of these activities aren't necessarily appealing to my hubby, but most are great solo activities for a nice day off. Or... when I'm avoiding house work....

 

1. The Portland Art Museum offers free admission on the fourth Friday of every month from 5-8 p.m. Maybe I can bribe Andrew to come with if we go get ice cream after... that usually works.

2. Find a corner in Powell's City of Books and read, read, read....
This place can be packed with tourists though. Key point- corner. Too bad I didn't save the Hunger Games for one of these afternoons at Powell's.

3. Try out new coffee shops in town. I've got my eye on Coffee House Northwest, Sterling Coffee Roasters,  Stumptown Coffee Roasters on Stark. I can get to 2 of these very easily off of the street car line that I can ride for free. 

4. Ride the aerial tram up to OHSU (free for me). Find a spot with a view and watercolor! 

5. Take an adult ballet class! for beginners of course...   Oregon Ballet Theatre
This wouldn't necessarily be the cheapest activity, but I've always wanted to learn ballet!

My Portland Warm Weather To Do List

Though Andrew and I have lived in Portland for more than a few months, we still have much to see and do in this fun city. I'm very much a "TO DO List" kind of girl and find that this helps keep me motivated! 

So, to get motivated and inspired, I made the following list of 5 free or innexpensive adventures to enjoy before the end of the year. 

1. Hike at Forest Park

Free! This Urban forest has numerous trails just calling my name! 

2.  Tour Pittock Mansion

 $8.50 for admission. I'm excited to check out this beautiful historic mansion and gardens! It's plotted near Forrest Park and hosts a gorgeous view of the city below. 

3. Photo Tour of Portland

Free! A self guided tour of downtown Portland using public transportation, walking, biking, etc. I'll photograph architecture, people, & whatever catches my eye! 

4. Picnic at Pioneer Courthouse Square with Farmer's Market purchases

$ for food purchases. Farmer's market in the square Fridays 10-2pm June-October. 

5.  Walk or Bike the Eastbank Esplanade Waterfront Park Loop

This paved loop is approximately 2.66 miles and offers beautiful city scenery all along the way! Can't wait for a beautiful warm day to do this! 

If any of these adventures peaks the interest of friends in the area, let's get together & have an adventure! 

Brunch of Champions & Food all Women Should Daily Eat

If this isn't a brunch of champions, I don't know what is!

When working the night shift, my eating routine gets waaayyy out of whack. Switching back and forth to normal schedule makes it even worse. All in all, I was more than excited to dig into this huge and delicious meal to start off my stretch of working nights. I feel like I haven't worked in a week... oh wait, I haven't! Bonus to being a nurse who works 12 hr shifts and can organize them in unique ways= more time off (without using vacation days!).

Inspired by "8 foods women should eat every day" (seen below and found on fitsugar.com), I made this yummy meal. 

• Toasted onion bagel with cheese, lightly spread non-fat cream cheese, tomato-roasted turkey, & veggie filled scrambled eggs (orange & green peppers, tomatoes), +add spinach (didn't have any)
• Half non-fat plain greek yogurt & half honey greek yogurt with blueberries and shopped almonds

 
Yes it's large, and the bagel part sure isn't the healthiest. However, it was just what I needed before trying to go to sleep in order to be awake all night for work. This is the kind of meal I need my hubby to be around for. I think he would love it.

8 Foods Women Should Eat Every Day

---

• Blueberries
• Oats
• Walnuts
• Black beans
• Carrots
• Tomatoes
• Yogurt
• Spinach

PS- Happy Birthday to my sweet sister Jo! Here's a "foody" post for you! 

Awkward & Awesome/Exciting

Awkward

• For starters, this statue in the Houston International Airport is just weird. I couldn't help but laugh when I saw it both arriving and departing. Dear Houston Astronaut Texan Pride Cow, thank you for the warm welcome and fine farewell.
• The Asian lady that did my nails pointing to my eye brows and saying something along the lines of "you need eye brows done." Awesome, thanks. 
• Being the only one to show up to my first ever Yoga class. Thankfully another gal showed up late. Got a great workout and the instructor was "impressed with my flexibility."Still strange to just have 2 people in a class. I was hoping to just blend in and follow along...
• The odd smell coming from our fridge when opened... for the last 2 weeks. We threw out all old food & smelt everything else (Andrew has individually picked each item up and smelt it to investigate- no luck). Gross, I know... anyone who wants to investigate is welcome! We'll buy you dinner!!!!

 Awesome/Exciting

• Reading 3 books in a week! This is far more than a record in my life. I hate to jump on the bandwagon, but seriously- the Hunger Games series is worth the read. Best way to travel is with a good book! 
• Enjoying nearly a whole week with two very important people in my life (my Aunt and Grandma). Thanks for having me!
• Seeing if I could get through my grocery shopping with only healthy things in my cart. I made it until the very end when Valentines frosted cookies were staring me in the face near the check out stand. I gave in... but that was all! I'm excited to have a kitchen full of fresh, healthy, delicious food to eat. 
• Seeing my hubby after a week of not seeing him. He always knows how to make me smile. I was even very impressed to find the apartment quite clean after boys weekend. Love it!

How great is this? My Aunt has the cutest house- perfectly decorated. The best part is-- all decor is personal and important in one way or another. I loved looking at these old photos during my stay at her place.

My Heart is Forever Yours

Happy Valentines Day friends!

I made this 'eye chart' on the above website! You can make it say anything you want. Give it a try! 

An entire day completely devoted to love? What could be better? Though I love LOVE, sometimes the fakeness of this "holiday" annoys me. The store aisles are lined with cheap candy & red roses are everywhere to be found. The more I see, the less I want. I'd prefer to have a bouquet of wild flowers or even a special heartfelt love note or silly love poem (Andrew's specialty). Per Andrew, Valentines Day "is a dumb made-up holiday for people to make a bunch of money off of." For this reason, I expect little from my Valentine (this is probably his goal- that little smarty pants). However, I have to give my sweet husband credit, he has not only done some very sweet things in the past but continues to love on me in special ways on a daily basis no matter the holiday.

Besides that, we'll see if I will even get to see Andrew today- If my flight gets in on time, maybe I'll arrive just in time while it's still technically Valentines Day. 

I'll never forget our first Valentines Day (I think it was our first). As a sophomore in high school, Andrew and my Dad exchanged the most awkward hand shake on the planet a few days prior to Valentines day. A.w.k.w.a.r.d. Since when did my boyfriend and father shake hands on a regular basis? Later that week (Vday), I arrived to my super cool car (the Astro Van) after school to find it filled with sweet little gifts. It then clicked that my dad had slipped Andrew the spare key during that handshake. Ah ha! Besides being surprised by Andrew, one of my favorite parts was arriving to work (I worked for my dad) after school to find Dad so excited to find out how it all worked. I'm so glad Andrew and my Dad could work together to spread some love. I love both of these men and am so thankful for the way that they share their love.

 The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.  

Zephaniah 3:17