Interior Photos of the New House

As promised, here are some photos of the interior of our new house! I haven't been inside for awhile so I'm assuming the seller will be removing the personal items you can see in some of these photos.

This is the main living space, you can see a clawfoot tub back there in the hallway.

This is the dining room, it is much smaller than the one in our rental for the past three years.

This is the kitchen, small but very functional with tons of storage.

Overall we are downsizing from a large farmhouse-style home to a cottage-style home. Every space is smaller: living room, dining room, kitchen and bedrooms. Our rental was a two-story home with a finished attic, a bonus room and a huge basement. Our new house is a one-story home with a finished attic and a huge basement. We are losing our guest room and both offices. Jeff's office will go in the basement, to be finished someday. My office will go into the attic. We are going from 1.5 bathrooms to 2 bathrooms, and believe me, 2-bath houses were rare in our search.

Stay tuned next week for photos of some of the charming details and the house hunting story in more detail.

Did you miss the first post about the house? You can find it here.

In Escrow

In mid-May, my husband and I began the home buying process here. This was our intention when we left California, to move to Portland and eventually quit renting and become homeowners. Our timing on this process was less than ideal as the market has changed substantially since we moved here in 2011. It is now a seller's market and buying a home in a seller's market is not something I would wish on anyone. I will write a separate post about what we went through, but know that this process has consumed nearly every moment of my days since May 12th. However, we are in the final days of escrow on a home and I wanted to share a few Instagrams on my blog this week as it is all feeling more real now.

The chimney with an S on it. We'd like to DIY it into a J.

There is a ginko tree in the back yard! For two years, I have vowed when I bought a house that I would plant a ginko tree. Well I didn't even notice it when we made the offer on the house, I noticed it during one of the inspections!

There is a custom greenhouse in the backyard! Honestly, it was a totally unexpected, and dreamy, bonus.

We are moving to a totally different neighborhood of Portland, but one we have spent lots of time in. It is closer to school, so less of a commute also. Our number one goal in our house hunt was a neighborhood where families are outside hanging out with kids close to the Noodle's age. Our new neighborhood scores high on that goal.

I will share some interior photos later this week in a separate post. If you can't wait, you can always search my hashtag on Instagram: #theJsnewhouse.

Springtime with Jess: Highlights

With only 9 days of spring left, and the school year coming to a rapid end, I thought collecting the highlights of my spring Instagrams would be a small way to slow down time. We collectively ask, "How is time flying by so quickly?" and one answer for me is being too busy. It is not my preference to be over-scheduled and busy but my need for slow and calm is often trumped by family and school activities. Let's face it, I'm the mom of an active 11 year old boy. Watching the wind in the trees happens sometimes for a few minutes during the summer, but certainly not for hours. Forget about it when school is in session. School is GO TIME and the school year has its own engine that zips me along the fast track from the start of the year to shiny book bags and brand new lunch containers to joining the Board to HalloweenThankgsivingChristmasNewYearsValentinesDaySomethingAboutBeingIrish (see how that happened right there?) and then comes Birthday Season. We have four birthdays  in our family from March 29th through May 7th, followed right up by Mother's Day. Then before you know it, we are here in June with three days of school left and shaking our heads asking, "How is time flying by so quickly?"

So, here is my invitation to slow down. Let's reflect upon the season that is ending before rushing headlong into the next.

Here are my highlights of spring!

In Honor of Maya Angelou

It took me 10 years to put myself through college, there were many semesters that I wondered if it was worth all the struggle. To be honest, there have still been times over the past 16 years since graduation when I wondered if was worth it. However, yesterday when I found out the world had lost Maya Angelou, I knew it was worth it. It was in the final few years of my college experience when I was introduced to Maya's work. Her words busted my heart open to myself. She was one of the first women who helped me to own my voice, use it in my writing and love myself in that way.

I was so moved by those words yesterday. I paused. I reflected. I shared on my personal Facebook that "In Maya's honor, today I stand proud of myself for all that I have overcome in my life, starting from way back in 1974. I rarely give myself credit, rarely acknowledge it all. It can be uncomfortable, yet therein lies my strength."

Someone asked me "What happened in 1974?" You see, I was born in 1970 and 1974 is the year my parents got divorced and my mom left me. That is the year everything changed for me. I don't remember the years between 1974 and 1978 very well, I have glimpses of things in between. I've always called it a "swiss cheese memory." And I have been overcoming things ever since, all my life. Haven't we all?

As I said on Facebook, I want to be stronger, lighter and more free with every passing moment.

Thank you Maya for everything you have taught me and for all I still have to learn. For now, today, I stand proud of myself.

P.S. This poem of Maya's, "When Great Trees Fall" was extremely soothing to me yesterday.  Did you know I used to have a series called Friday Poems on my blog? When I read poetry, I feel called to write. When I read Maya Angelou's work, I feel called to write. I was a writer long before I was a photographer.

A Secret Hideaway

“Of course there must be lots of Magic in the world," he said wisely one day, "but people don't know what it is like or how to make it. Perhaps the beginning is just to say nice things are going to happen until you make them happen. I am going to try and experiment.”

― Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden

I woke up this morning feeling achey, which is not uncommon for me sadly, but it is a discouraging way to start my day. One of my best forms of medicine is going on a short walk with my camera in search of the magic of the ordinary (my preferred phrase) or even in search of a trip down memory lane. The world shows up with this magic every day, like right around the corner from home next to a utility pole.Do you see? I am telling you with this photograph that nice things are going to happen.

That's worth at least 1,000 words.

Coral Charm Peony: A Color Study

Peony season has arrived. I purchased my first one as an early Mother's Day gift for myself. The astonishing transformation in color has been astonishing and delightful to observe. Photographs were taken on May 11th, May 13th and May 14th (from top to bottom). I never knew about peonies until I lived in Oregon, so my first year here I fell in love with their newness, my second year here I went to a peony farm and this year, I plan to study them in detail with my camera. I was asked recently what florals represent to me and my answer is that they represent triumph over adversity. They remind me of me in that way and that is why I am so drawn to observing them with my eyes and my camera.

Springtime with Jess: Golden Chain trees

Suddenly this week, I started noticing these dripping yellow trees blooming all around town. I don't recall noticing them any other year, but this year, I'm hyper aware of them. I love how they beckon to you, reaching out to say hello as you walk by on the sidewalk. So I did. I stopped and said hello. I looked up and up trying to see the sky through all the yellow. We met and chatted but didn't exchange names. Lo & behold, later that day on Instagram, I learned the name from a flower farmer that I follow. Introducing laburnum, aka golden chain.

Springtime with Jess: White Rhododendrons

My husband had to work all weekend and then flew out at 6 a.m. for a two-day business trip; we hosted a sleepover playdate for the Noodle (and the term "sleepover" is always used loosely, am I right?); I tried a new-to-me exercise class on Saturday and can hardly walk; traffic was horrible on the way into school this morning. Ahh, Mondays. Gotta love 'em. I drove straight up into the hills after I made it to school and went on a photo walk hobble. I needed the breath of fresh air and now I want to pass it on to you. I truly felt like Alice in Wonderland standing under this giant white rhododendron with my camera, as if I swallowed the Drinking Potion which shrank me. I think I can even still faintly taste the "cherry tart, custard, pineapple, roast turkey, toffee, and hot buttered toast." (Lewis Carroll)

Summer Lovin'

When I look at this photo from a camping trip last summer, Grease pops into my head immediately.

Summer loving had me a blast Summer loving happened so fast

I remember standing in the warm, dripping sunshine, staring at this vintage Plymouth station wagon with surf boards on top and thinking, "Seriously? Am I dreaming? Am I on a movie set?" Nope, I was only at a typical beach campground on the Oregon coast, on a typical summer camping trip. The key here is what was not happening: I was not tending to the fire,  I was not fussing with the camp kitchen, I was not tidying up the tent. Instead, I was out walking with my eyes wide open, because I knew I knew there was a photo waiting to be taken. I knew there would come a day when I needed to be reminded of the warm, carefree days of summer. . Today is that day.

Coral Amaryllis

I’ve been getting my hair done at Gold + Arrow for more than a year now, the longest I have ever gone to one place for my hair in my life. It is a delight for my senses from the moment I walk in the door. Last week, I was greeted with this coral amaryllis. It took me a few tries to get my composition to reflect what my eye saw immediately: the contrast of the petals against the salon’s dark wall, the way the leaves were splayed out. It felt like it was painting before me, only it was three dimensional and living. What gets me the most is how the stem changes color on the leaf!

Soft Sunlight

When the city of Portland is blooming the way it is right now, it’s visually overwhelming at times for me. I am hard wired to notice details anyway, and after a long winter, the abundance of colors and textures in spring is truly uplifting. I feel almost like a toddler as I move through my days: I am easily distracted and it takes me quite awhile to move from point A to point B. Every petal, every stem, every tiny bud demands my attention. I have been diligently watching the dogwood trees in my neighborhood, and my patience has been duly awarded! With my camera in hand, and my dog at my feet, I clicked away giddily.

P.S. I'm sharing Portland during spring daily on Instagram with the hashtag #springtimewithjess.

Shadows Catch My Eye

I’ve been fairly busy lately: I’m enrolled in 10ThousandFeet with Tara Gentile and Brigitte Lyons, I’m photographing a book for Jessica Swift (read more on her blog!) and I’m a new board member at my son’s school. All of these activities involve huge learning curves, so taking a moment to notice the beautiful details around me, like shadows on the walls or floors or tables, is a moment that restores me. When the sun makes a fleeting appearance here, I always pay close attention. Light creates superb shadows, which catch my eye and I photograph them so I can get lost in the memory of their dance whenever I want.

Cherry Tree Blossoms

Have you ever been to Portland in the spring time? The cherry tree blossoms all over the city create a "pink snow" and it never ceases to delight, amaze and distract me.

I encourage you to pin away and share the joy of spring with everyone you know.

Food Photography for Bliss Holistic Health

Right before I came down with a long bought of bronchitis that pretty much stole my February, I spent another wonderful day on a food photography shoot with Abby of Bliss Holistic Health. She creates magic in her kitchen, I'm serious.

This is her Berry Beet Bliss Smoothie, check out her blog post for the full recipe.

It turns out that I love photographing nature's bounty in fruit and vegetable form, as well as floral form.

Love Makes the World Go Around

I believe love (and art and flowers) makes the world go around.

Valentine's Day is a natural time to introduce you to one of my favorite companies online right now, So Worth Loving. I discovered them on Instagram last fall and I received their yummy hoodie as a Christmas gift from my husband.

Every day on the SWL Instagram feed, I am treated to wonderful reminders about the importance of living with love for yourself, daily lessons in being kind and gentle and forgiving. Please gift yourself the time to click on the SWL about page and watch the adorable Eryn Eddy explain her company and what it's all about.

Textual excerpt:

It's not about your relationship status.

You're worth so much more.

So how do you define yourself?

Snow Days in Portland

It all started Thursday when we knew snow was on the way, and we were all hoping for a snow day. Alas, school still opened as usual. I checked the #pdxtst tag on Twitter obsessively and finally the district called for an early release. Seeing how I'd been knocked out by a virus since the previous Friday (!), a kind friend offered to bring the Noodle home for us since she had to drive out anyway. And then, the forecast was right for a change and the snow arrived. It was so enjoyable because everyone I knew was home safe and sound. By dinner, we knew a second storm was on its way and more snow would come on Friday. The district officially cancelled school and all the kids all went to sleep happy.

Since we are not accustomed to snow levels like this, our neighborhood roads are not plowed and a snow day becomes a big sledfest. After another fruitless trip to the doctor for me, we stopped for proper snow boots and sleds for the boys. On the way home, I snapped those two photos to share on Instagram. You can see many more beautiful images from the city under the #snowlandia and #pdxtst tags on Instagram. We know 5.5 inches is a joke to other parts of the country, but so far Portland has handled it better than Atlanta. It's the most snow in February since 1993 according to this report.

No matter what the records or totals end up being, for my family it has been a totally new experience to have snow like this right outside our front door!

Happy Chinese New Year! Happy Year of the Horse!

Xi Nian Kuai Le!

Happy Chinese New Year!

I am really excited about Chinese New Year this year. Why? This article explaining the meaning of the Year of the Horse and what led us here resonated with me on a deep level. I feel I have been through two years of "degeneration, dissolution and chaos" while I adjusted to life in a new state and struggling with different issues in all facets of life: family, motherhood, business, health, loss of various kinds. I have been soaked, sometimes drowning, in water for two years.

And now, I have shed my skin as the Year of the Snake was ending. I said goodbye to some clutter, cleared some space; I've started trying new things, driving new routes, and saying yes to things my intuition was voting for without letting my head take over too much. It turns out I actually started this intuitive work last year. It turns out it has been leading me right to now.

The Year of the Horse is "a year to follow your inner voice like never before."

I feel so ready.

Let's gallop!

Food Photography: Bliss Holistic Health

I have been venturing into the world of food photography through my client Abby Bliss-White of Bliss Holistic Health. We are working together to create beautiful images of her healthy and nutritious recipes. Abby is a beautiful person inside and out, as well as an encouraging and enthusiastic champion of a healthy lifestyle. She absolutely loves to work in her kitchen and create delicious, nutrient-dense meals and snacks. It is a joy to be her photographer.

We are only beginning our work together so stay tuned for more images as the year goes on. I can't even imagine the magic that will happen once the summer produce season arrives!

Announcing My First Copyright Registration Workshop

Since last year when I had the idea for Don't Be a Fool Day, I've had it in the back of my mind to take my message into a small-group workshop format. There is nothing more gratifying to me after my infringement case than helping other people avoid my fate. The stars aligned for this idea recently and I'm very proud to announce my first "I'm Not a Fool!" copyright registration workshop! My first workshop will happen on February 28, 2014 in beautiful Astoria, Oregon at the brand new CoCommercial owned by Tara Gentile! Tickets are $25 for this two-hour workshop, get all the details right here. There will be beverages and snacks to make it even more fun! Registration is limited to 15 attendees.

Year of the Horse

Hello my friends and happy belated new year! I have been hibernating like a bear, as you could tell from the lack of posts. The holidays tuckered me out and I wanted to take time to rest before springing into action this year. I did a one week detox and I have been swimming and doing some decluttering. We are leaving the Year of the Snake and I love the imagery of shedding our skin to prepare to gallop into the Year of the Horse. I did choose a word to guide me this year and it is WILD.

I had considered four words: magic, let go, wild and soften. I went for a long hike with my family on New Year's Day and realized that when I am out in the wild, I let go of negative things, my rough edges soften and I see magic everywhere.

I am not the type to plan out my whole year on New Year's Day, but it took some conscious effort for me to resist the external and internal pressure to "get going already" all of this month. I am ready to get going now. I needed this rest and I'm proud of myself for taking the time. I look forward to a new year here in this space with you all!