unruly-things

being on my own.
interviewing sucks.
discovering cosmos.
finding a great tea place.
exploring.
meeting new a friend, and blog reader!
eating. browsing. shopping. beer drinking.
getting my first rock poster gig in portland.
cooking. cleaning. waiting... dlb comes home today.

listing for you, because list friday is back!

I love the look of the fall collection from Gentle Fawn, full of soft knits, bold prints, and color. founded in 2003, by designers Daniel and Carla Hogg, the collections are inspired by a rare collection of antique ceramic fawns.
{images from gentle fawn}

loving this image.
thinking about what they may be toasting to.
wishing I had clothes just like theirs.
yearning for hardwood floors and big bright windows.
loving the sun shining outside my window.
waiting for my shopping guide to pick me up.
hoping for a job soon.
missing everyone back in FL.
{image from sally scott, via frolic!}

when I asked if fall could be any cuter, I wasn't expecting this.
{images from j. crew}

I love these collegiate things from kate spade's new fall collection. these would definitely get me back into the mood for fall semester. I'm loving the gray, and the wool and canvas. though honestly, I'm not sure what to think about these.
{images from kate spade}

it's five days away, but I'm getting so excited about this.
and them.
and them.

and especially him.

I simply adore these bangles by Rebecca Norman. so simple, and yet so elegant.
{images from rebecca norman}

I've always been a Grey's Anatomy fan. watched seasons 1 and 2 religiously, as in, I would actually get sad when the last few scenes were occurring, knowing that I'd have to wait an entire week for a new episode. so, when I missed the first three episodes of season 3, it just began to snowball from there.

and I missed the entire season.

so. in my total boredom, and lack of creative inspiration this afternoon, I decided to click on abc.com and start watching the free episodes available online. and wow. did I miss a lot.

just when I thought I could really live another year without watching more than one tv show, I had to re-establish my love for those twisted surgeons on Grey's Anatomy.

I love these story telling, gig posters by screen printer, Diana Sudyka. her work is beautifully illustrated and executed. I especially love the constellation print, very creative!
you can view her work here and here. and she's a blogger too!
{images from diana sudyka}

so, here's to spending my first weekend by myself in the city:

walking, yes walking, to the super market. {this florida girl is loving the weather in oregon}
riding the street car for the first time.
discovering the motherload of malls, and finding out that ruehl is coming in winter!
step one to organizing the cosmetic cabinet: I bought some bowls and cups.
planning the schedule for Bumbershoot.
receiving the kindest email from a blog reader and Portlander.
trial runs of cookie baking.
two movies: the holiday - cute. running with scissors - interesting.
working on a new portfolio site.
and missing dlb. {he's at home in Idaho till Friday, working hard.}

{photo from lomokitty. I still have yet to get that hay bail picture I've been dreaming about. someday...}

my name: alyson.
four words: alomahora. anxious. azalea. attitude.
state/city: alaska/astoria.
boy name: austin.
girl name: audrey.
occupation: artist.
something found in a kitchen: anise.
something you shout: alas!
something you look for in a guy/girl: agreement.
something that is in your room: a mess.
place to shop at: anthropologie.
name a band/artist: andrew bird.

update: thanks to tiff for the idea. all those bulletins crack me up. and....feel free to start a list of your own! it's fun, a little challenging, well, maybe just for me cause I was drawing a total blank on A words. have fun!

I love his smile.
I love his beard.
I love that he jumps onto giant rocks and asks for his picture to be taken.

I love dlb.

I'm constantly irritated with the clutter inside the medicine cabinet. the new issue of domino has an article about medicine cabinet maintenance, and boy did I love it. one of the biggest things that it mentions is to think vertically. I love this, as most of the time, the things like fingernail clippers, tweezers, razors, and tubes of stuff, get in the way, and cause mass chaos. my favorite are little drawers like these to add organization to hair ties. also check out the gallery of images here.
{image from domino}

yesterday afternoon, I was driving through the crowded streets of Portland, scoping out a few shops I wanted to check out this weekend. in the middle of the rush hour traffic, happy hour drinkers, and after work shoppers, I noticed two girls sitting outside a little cafe, enjoying a martini together, and what looked like a great conversation. their smiles brought a bit of sadness to my face as I pictured my girlfriends back in Florida. such dear friends of mine, yet so far away. I miss the martini nights. I miss talking in silly voices. I miss marathon concert nights. I miss laughing at the silly things our boyfriends and cats do.

I guess it really hadn't hit me yet.

I'm loving these dresses and tunics from urban outfitters urban renewal collection. I think I'm falling for blue this season...
{images from uo}

being a huge fan of the playful stem prints by Orla Kiely over the years, I've often dreamt of owning a purse, wallet, or mug, but never bought anything simply due to my modest income. unfortunately now, dreaming has now become a lust for this particular bag. it's the cutest, most practical Orla bag that I have seen. it's big. it's black and gray, which will most likely go with everything I own. and it's just oh-so-darn-cute. I've decided that once I have a job, buy the necessary winter clothing for Portland, save money for that couch we still need, and I still have money left over, then I may just have to make my first Orla Kiely purchase.
check out the rest of her fall collection here.
{image from oliebollen}

here's the vegetarian cookbook that I bought last week. it's proven to be a good one. so far I've dog earred a lot of recipes, only made 3, but I've got plans to make much much more. here's the details:
1,001 low-fat vegetarian recipes, fourth edition
by sue spitler
isbn-13: 978-1-57284-083-6
happy cooking!

we got back yesterday from a wonderful trip to the Oregon Coast. dlb, Moose cat, and I drove out to the Coast Thursday afternoon. it was gorgeous. breathtaking. quite blue. and chilly. dlb's whole family was there. yep, all four brothers and sisters, mom & dad, and three dogs, which Moose got along with pretty well... surprisingly. the Pacific Ocean is incredibly amazing. I'd seen it a few times before, but not to where it made an impact on me. we were in a little vacation town called Netarts. the home we stayed in was what I would call, beachy modern. the perfect combination of comfortability and style. and now that I'm back home, I'm missing the sand, waves, and the sound of the ocean.
whales spraying. seals diving.
waves rolling in and surfers surfing.
jellyfish at the Oregon Coast Aquarium.
the Rogue Brewery.
Chamomellow, Brewer, and Menage-a-Frog.
the devil's punch bowl and the octopus tree.
lots of salt water taffy.
catching and cleaning my own dungeness and red rock crabs.
actually holding a creepy crawly squirmy crab.
smelling the salty air from the Pacific.
camp fires and banana s'mores.

seriously? I'm think I'm in love with all the adorable fall imagery.
{image from j. crew}

I'm loving these images from the Banana Republic Fall Collection. pops of turquoise, black and white patterns, polka dots, and more.
and how fabulous is this dress?
{images from banana republic}

in light blue, gray, and navy.
{images from anthropologie}

I was tagged by Anne, of Annechovie, weeks ago, to participate in the 8 random things tag, to list 8 facts or habits about myself, and then to tag more people to join in.
so here are my 8 random things:
08: before last week, I had never been on a hike before. before last week, I had never picked berries in the wild. and before last week, I had never breathed in mountain air and closed my eyes to hear nothing but silence and wilderness.
07: I just bought, the best vegetarian cookbook ever. at least I can't keep my hands off of it and my mouth from watering just by looking at it. so far I've dog-eared a bunch of recipes I'm dying to cook, and even baked my own pizza and crust from scratch.
06: right now I'm wearing ripped up cropped jeans, a gray shirt with navy blue doves and flowers on it, and brown flip flops. and I'm patiently waiting for the oven to heat up so I can broil my sesame ginger salmon.
05: I've seen more of the country in these past three weeks that I ever have in my whole life.
04: blogging is therapeutic. sometimes I just enjoy typing. there is something about the sound of the keys clicking that I love so dearly.
03: apparently, blogging is also "unproductive", as dlb is ringing in my ears. I am currently jobless, and should be job hunting. anyone in need of a graphic designer in Portland?
02: my favorite fruits are pears, peaches, grapes, and blueberries. my favorite veggies are green onions, spinach, mushrooms, and avocados.
01: I simply can not live without chapstick. in fact, I have three sticks of chapstick in my purse right now. I simply can't stand when my lips are dry, therefore, my chapstick addiction.

now. for all of you wanting to participate, please do. if you read this, you've officially been tagged.

on my trip across country:
I hate traffic in Atlanta.
audiobooks are lifesavers, especially when it includes Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
driving through mountains can be a little scary.
conquering a backflip on the trampoline is so satisfying.
omaha is a lot cooler than I thought, with candy shops, antiques, and modern furnishings.
I could never live in Greeley, CO. too many cows.
Wyoming. the never ending state.
suspension bridges aren't that scary.
picking huckleberries: purple fingers reward you with amazing pancakes.
cliff diving. scary, but exciting.
walkie talkies are essential.
just when you think you have more money than you'll need, it turns out to be just enough.
finding a hotel with a comfortable bed can make all the difference.
take lots of pictures.
but mostly, I began to learn a little more about myself. I stress too much. I let little things upset me. I worry. and it's not always necessary. so...I'm working on that.

to view my pictures, click here. I'm off tomorrow for a week on the Oregon Coast. a much deserved vacation after the semi-vacay filled with longs days of driving.

hiking shoes that is.

bring it on, rocks.

just when I thought binth was the ultimate coolest, I found out that they added a fresh line of pillows to their collection, making them even cooler. the clean lines, simple shapes, and pastel colors of the animals screen printed on 100% organic cotton pillows, are simply adorable. now, if only we can find a couch for our apartment, then maybe I'd be able to break down and buy one or two of these!
{images from binth, post via design*sponge}

siiiggh.... after hours and hours of driving, and night after night of being homeless, {sleeping in a hotel for 5 nights}, dlb and I have finally found a place to call home in Portland. now the fun starts.
bed shopping.
couch browsing.
combining colors.
trails with my new hiking shoes.
snazzing up my kitchen. {yep, my kitchen.}
eating at fabulous restaurants. {and boy have we found some great ones... thanks for the tip on Hawthorne, Chelsea! we've eaten at some fabulous places there!}

and mostly, getting to know the city. I'm in love with the cool morning air, the sunny afternoons, the quadruple rainbows from outside our balcony, and the trails, trees, hills, and berries. and especially my long awaited trip to the coast this weekend, for relaxation!

we are officially without internet until the 21, as I'm sitting in a coffee shop just so I could check my email and blog. so hopefully I'll be back after then. I miss blogging!!!

until then...

hey everyone! thanks for the kind words of encouragement about my move. the trip has been great so far. I'm in Idaho right now, at dlb's parents house, loving the pictures of wee dlb and meeting his family for the first time. I have lots of great pictures from the trip that I'll upload when I get the chance, but for now, here's a few highlights. take care and I'll be back in full force in about a week!
atl traffic and missed stops.
applebees...everywhere.
scary little drives through mountains. {and remember, I'm from Florida.}
follow the leader, bouncing, and backflips. {just wait, this photo is classic.}
grilled cheese - 50's style.
photos, photos, photos.
redbull and starbucks.
our furry little traveler.