Saint Cupcake Loves You.
I know we're in one of the coolest cities in the world right now, but we're getting a little bored. I mean, seriously, how much driving around and not spending money can you do? Today we gave in though to few indulgences...
1) Anthopologie. I
needed something new to wear on the first day of work. Something that says "she's hip, yet professional." Maybe it was the pristine displays of garden tools and flora and fauna, or maybe it was the beautiful, soft, yet oh-so-cool song playing as I found myself the
only girl in the clearance room, but I gave in and bought a skirt. And I love it.
2) Sweet Tomatoes. Ben and I used to look for an excuse to drive to the Schaumburg, Ill. Ikea when we lived in Indiana just so we could eat at Sweet Tomatoes. Turns out we won't have to drive four hours anymore...there's one right down the road from us and we went for lunch. Where else can you find fresh salads, delectable soups, luscious breads and pastas and frozen yogurt, in an all-you-can-eat setting?
3) Saint Cupcake. By far our best purchase of the day. Located in the trendy NW 23rd area of town, this store only sells cupcakes, and darn good ones. I got a toasted coconut and vanilla one, and Ben got red velvet. Only $2. If you come visit us, we will take you there just so we can get more cupcakes. :)
In other news...
- We found a Presbyterian church we're going to try this Sunday and are kind of excited about it. I didn't think I'd ever say this, but I do miss the liturgy. I miss saying the Nicene Creed and the confession.
- We are meeting new folks tomorrow, Thursday and Friday! It's scary meeting new people, but we're excited for some interaction with other people than ourselves.
Kobie Moore, who we are meeting tomorrow for coffee, just moved with her husband from Minneapolis 11 days before we did.
Protesters and Unitarians
Today we visited two churches --
Imago Dei in the morning and
Ethnos in the evening. I've forgotten what it's like to be the new couple at church -- it's hard. And being that new couple, we had vastly different experiences at each church.
Imago Dei:
We had heard wonderful things about this church, first through
Donald Miller's
Blue Like Jazz. It started as a church plant about five years ago and has grown to about 1,300 people -- huge!! They meet in
Laurelhurst, a gorgeous area of town in SE Portland (across the river from where we live). The service was all right, but we felt a little out of place in the crowd. And they had something I've never seen at a church before -- protesters! There were two guys standing out front of the church holding signs which read "God is fake." Only in Portland!
Ethnos:
This church has an interesting disclaimer on their website -- they say that they are in no way affiliated with the organization whose space they rent. We couldn't imagine why they would say this, but turns out they meet at a Unitarian Universalist church! It's a gorgrous space, right in SW Portland. We liked this church from the moment we walked in. We met so many people, including both pastors, the entire elder board, and so many others. We felt very welcomed, very wanted. It was a great feeling. Before we left we were invited to next week's game night, a small group, and Ben was invited to the men's retreat! I think we'll go back next week.
And in other good news...it's almost a done deal that Ben and I are going to be able to rent the house in Multnomah Village! We went back to see it again today and I liked it even more this time around. I think it's going to be a great space for us...and our many visitors, hint hint!
Oh yes, and I also saw Mt. St. Helens for sure today! Here she is:
Seaside, Cannon Beach, Tillamook
Today we drove to the Oregon coast, a little more than an hour away, with the mountains getting closer with every mile.
We started in
Seaside, a little town that caters to toursists, but has a gorgeous beach and a good coffee shop with excellent paninis. Also, is it just us, or does every Oregonian have a
Lab? Black, Chocolate, Yellow...they were everywhere!
We then drove a few miles to
Cannon Beach, which we had heard about from friends in Minnesota. Wow. Wow. I hope the pictures we took can show even a fraction of the beauty of this beach and town!
We then took off in search of the
Tillamook Cheese Factory, about 50 miles down the road. Along the way we encountered breathtaking views -- majestic, evergreen-covered mountains and peaceful, bucolic valleys. We finally made it to the cheese factory -- it was just okay. We stood on an observation deck and watched these poor people make cheese. Felt somewhat like the
"Junior Mints" Seinfeld episode!
All in all, a great day in our great new state. The temperature was in the high 50s, and the scenery was indescribable. Just wish we had more people to share it with!
Oh yes, and I caught my first glance of Mt. Hood on the way home today. And is it possible that I saw Mt. St. Helens on the way there? If it's possible, I'm almost sure I did. Here's Mt. Hood:
Fun Fact About Oregon
Here's a fun fact about Oregon: It is illegal to pump your own gas. (For you
Ken Jennings wannabes out there, New Jersey is the other state that bans the activity.)
I like being waited on hand and foot as much as the next guy. It feeds my growing sense of entitlement. But this is a bit much. I went to fill up the car today, and four cars pulled in at the same time. The one attendant on duty seemed a bit flustered. I could have pumped my own gas in less time.
Oh well.
New address, new village?
We've been feeling a little, um, less than worthy to live in Lake Oswego since we got here (for those of you that live in Indy, it's like Geist, for those of you in Minnesota, it's like Wayzata, for those of you in Florida, it's like...Boca Raton?), so today we ventured out to look for something a little more our speed. We found a little three-bedroom rental house we really liked in an area called Multnomah Village (which is comparable to a mix between Grand Ave and DT Hopkins in MN, or Broad Ripple in IN). We're really hoping it works out! Here's a few pics of the area.
New streaks, new hair.
So I had a very ambitious hair stylist last week that decided I needed blonde streaks in my naturally brunette hair. I went along with it, but now wish my hair looked less like a rock star and more like Charlotte's from Sex and the City. Okay, okay, it's SO not a rock star look, but I'm still getting used to it. I told my mom and sister that I would post pics of my new 'do here, so here you go...(from our going away reception at church)
Us, Paul and Anne Calvin (our first friends in Minnesota), and Jim Hart and Ariana Behmer (quite possibly the two hippest people we know)
Us and Christian and Molly Ruch (our pastor and his wife, who used to live in Indianapolis and know all of our Redeemer friends)
Ben and his former boss, Christian
Ben in DT Lake Oswego
Lake Oswego is the little town we live in, just south of Portland. It's got a very cute little downtown -- very much like Wayzata, Minnesota, if you've been there! On 2/23, Ben and I walked up to the Tillamook Creamery, just about 5 minutes from our apartment.
Are we really here?
Never in a million years did I think we'd actually be living on the West Coast. Minnesota, sure, that was believable. And after Minnesota, well, we truly believed we might be headed back to our hometown of Indianapolis. But in mid-January, our next step became clear -- I (Nikki) was offered a great job with Waggener Edstrom, a well-respected PR firm in Portland, Ore., to work on the Microsoft account. Ben was thrilled at the idea of a milder climate, mountains, and ocean, and so it was settled -- we were moving to the West Coast.
On Feb. 22, 2006, we said a teary goodbye to friends and our life in Minneapolis, and boarded a plane with one-way tickets to Portland.
And since we're about 1,500 additional miles from our friends and family now, we decided we need a way to keep in touch. Ben's something of a blog expert (check out
www.christianretail.blogspot.com), so he suggested we start one about our Oregon adventures. Check us out from time to time...we'll try to post photos so we don't clog up your inboxes, and maybe, hopefully, they'll inspire you to come visit soon!
Here's a photo we took on Ben's camera phone (hence the poor color quality)...
