Harvest Time

A weekend spent carving pumpkins with the husband and making wreaths with my mom. Pumpkins are from Baggenstos Farm and the wreath material is from Luscher Farm.

Pin It

McMinnville Groupons for Guests

I have talked to several of our guests and since the wedding is essentially a local destination wedding for most, many couples/families are making it a little weekend get-away. I came across a couple groupons from the area that I thought I would share with everyone, just in case one of these wine tastings are of interest. I'll keep a look out for any other groupons from this area to take advantage of.

Embrace Oregon Tours—McMinnville
Four hour wine tour for one or two (up to 55% off)

 













Sample wines from three vineyards, feast on gourmet snacks, and learn about the region's viticultural history.

Amity Vineyards—Dayton-Amity
Wine tasting for two or four with logo glasses and $15 store credit for wine purchase (up to 55% off)

 

Well-established winery crafts crisp, food-friendly whites and approachable pinot noirs with estate-grown grapes.

Pin It

98 Days & Counting!

I can hardly believe it is May already and we are now in the double digits of our countdown! 98 days until I marry my best friend and teammate. It can't come soon enough!

All of April swept by without even having a moment to sit and update my blog. Things are moving swiftly now, with subbing picking up for me and Kenny working full time and participating in a management program, house hunting, and wedding planning. There has been little time to pause and appreciate the moments of respite, but I believe there will be more time for that soon.

We are right on schedule with our planning. Within the last couple of weeks or so, we have booked our caterer and our day-of coordinator. This week my mother and I took a day to continue hunting for the right MOB dress for her and play with table linens at Barclay Event Rentals. Of course I have to give you all a little sneak peak, because I am just so excited to see it all come together!

Well, two of my favorite spring holidays is coming up tomorrow: Cinco de Mayo and the Kentucky Derby (Kenny and I already talked about having a derby party next year when we have our own place—complete with fancy attire, hats, horse gambling, and mint juleps). Any excuse to have a margarita, eat Mexican food, and watch 'majestic' horses run for 60 seconds (is it even that long?).

Salud!

Pin It

Wine Tasting Uncorked

Last Thursday with some dear friends of mine, and the mama, I went to an initial consultation with a caterer, Cafe Uncorked. We discussed our wants, likes, dislikes, and what would work for our wedding and our budget. We stayed for lunch and had delicious fresh salads, sandwiches, and soup. We are a step closer on our search for the right wedding caterer.

After lunch I took the ladies up to the wedding site, Youngberg Hill Vineyard, to tour the grounds and to taste some wine. It was a beautiful fall day—possibly our last before the wet, cold weather hits the Northwest (hitting today 11/16).

Allie (congratulations! she is also getting married next summer!), Caitlin (who was visiting from the far off land of Nashville), and I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening wine tasting in the McMinnville area, and even had a good ol' fashion slumber party—complete with pasta, wine, bridal mags, and great trashy reality TV. (Our thoughts and wishes were with our absent friend Mrs. Meagan Golden—we included a video chat in our evening.)

A toast to great friendships and an exciting year ahead of us!

On a Cold Afternoon, Eat Mac 'N' Cheese, Drink Hot Cider, & Put your Hands to a Craft

So I cannot divulge much about what crafts I put my hands to this afternoon—Top Secret Wedding Stuff! But I can say that I spent some time digging into a warm bowl of Macaroni and Cheese (the Blue Box kind) and some hot apple cider from Oregon Heritage Farms, while listening to the Pandora Christmas radio station (I know it may be too early for some—but I go in full-fledged Christmas mode as soon as Halloween is over).

A little something to my early Christmas celebrators: 2011 Holiday TV Schedule. Keep checking back as this site is updated often.

When celebrating—eat cake!

{drburtoni}

In celebration of my first sub job, Kenny and our moms, and I went cake tasting. When originally thinking of a place to make our wedding cake, only one came to mind: Beaverton Bakery. Not only are they a local business, their baked goods are to die for!

I am not a big frosting person, but I do love Beaverton Bakery's buttercream frosting! I cannot tell everyone what flavors we decided, but I will say that it will be delectable and elegant.

Just Opened "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle"

As I do every night before bed, I open a book, unwinding with every turn of a page (a real page, no digital page for me!) and relax in the literary word. A beloved friend of mine told me about this book by Barbara Kingsolver (author of The Poisonwood Bible and other great works) about eating organic and eating local. I was immediately interested, as I already strive to purchase produce from our local farm stands and products made in Oregon. In times like these, I find it is important to support our state economy the best I can and eat at local restaurants and shop at our small businesses.

Last night I was able to read the first chapter in which Barbara and her husband Steven, moved their family from Tuscon, Arizona to Steven's farm in Northern Appalachia. Through the pressures of the economy, they found it necessary to make the move and re-establish themselves on the farm, eating and drinking from the land on which they live.

Barbara stressed the importance of eating local by discussing 'oily foods,' foods in which super markets and the commercial food industry invests. This food is produced through the consumption of mass amounts of oil. Petroleum is used to till the land, plant the land, harvest the land, package the food, transport the food, and refrigerate the food in transport and in store. If each household ate one organic meal from local food each week, a substantial amount of oil would be saved.

With the current condition of our economy, we will either continue to deplete our American resources and shop around the world, or (as I hope) more Americans (and hopefully the next generation) will revert back to the region—they will eat and live in the same 70 mile radius.

Already, I am beginning to see the change. Several times this week I have heard that New York City has already invested in eating and living local, so much so, that their average life expectancy is more than the national average. Mayor Giuliani was on "The Chew" early this week and talked about how important it was for the local restaurants to purchase fresh produce and ingredients from Upstate New York. Hue Laurie was on Jay Leno the other night discussing the high life expectancy and how restaurants are utilizing state grown fare. Then while reading this book last night, Barbara even mentioned this. So my thought is—in a city that never sleeps, that is bright with lights and culture—this could be accomplished anywhere in America. And in a place like Portland, Oregon, eating local is as easy as looking in your own backyard!

Pinterest: two new inspiration boards.

{bathwater.tumblr}

{sleighbells}

For those who follow me on Pinterest, I have two new inspiration boards. The first is Local Gems, which features local finds/small businesses in the Portland metro area. The second is Another Time, Another Place, which I am most excited about, because if you know me I have always said that I was born in the wrong era. This board features glimpses into the past. A time when life was simpler, rustic, and in my opinion—romantic. Yes, just like everyone I know, I'm a Pinterest addict. It has helped me gather ideas for my wedding planning, craft projects, recipes, and future home. Plus, it's a great way to spend your free time!