Flutter

Today I have the first peek into a local Portland boutique; many more of these to come in the future! Flutter is located in North Portland on Mississippi Ave. It is a great mix of new and vintage finds. Below are some of my favorites currently available in the store. I think one of my favorite things about this space is the giant cage full of live Finches! Too Cute!


I would LOVE to have these bright vintage orange chairs out on my patio...if I had a patio...

This is a suitcase full of vintage stamps! Some are already post-marked and would be fun for collages. Others are un-used and could make a beautiful collage on an invatation envelope for a special event.


Look at this piece of furniture!! The deer antlers are AMAZING! I want it!


These are a bit hard to see, but they are vintage playing cards with super cute critters. If I had a nursery/kids room, I would buy the whole deck and place them as a chair-rail-height border all around the room interspersed with a new deck of the back-side of cards...so fun!!

A very fun hand-made boutonnière; Brit, you need these for your wedding...just maybe with peacocks instead :)

Strawberry Rhubarb Tart

I just love the bright, brilliant flavors of strawberries and rhubarb. This recipe really showcases their individual strengths; a perfect balance of sweet and tart. It's especially good with Oregon strawberries...they just don't get any better.








Ingredients:

Frozen puff pastry dough...thawed. You could use your own crust recipe as well.
2 C sliced rhubarb
1/2-3/4 C sugar
1 pint of strawberries
2 Tbs. corn starch
2 tsp. water
3/4 tsp. cinnamon; divided
1 Tbs. sugar

1) Bake the puff pastry dough in your tart pan according to package directions. Usually at 400 for about 7 min. Be sure to use pie weights or dried beans! I also brushed with butter.

2) Combine rhubarb, 1/2 cup sugar, cornstarch, water, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until rhubarb is tender, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, and stir in strawberries. I stirred an additional 1/4 C of sugar in with my strawberries before adding to the mixture because it's still early in the season and they are a bit on the tart side. Spoon strawberry mixture into prepared crust. Combine 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of sugar; sprinkle evenly over tart. I also used the surplus dough to create cut-out shapes to decorate the top.

3) Return to oven and bake for about 6-9 min; until fruit mixture is a bit set and decorative cut-outs are golden brown; but be careful to watch the edges for burning.

Farmer's Market

DB and I headed out to Sauvie's Island to enjoy some fresh, local produce at the farmer's market. There were so many beautiful bits of produce. Our fridge is now fully stocked with great fruits and veggies! We also got everything we need to make a strawberry-rhubarb tart. Pics to come on that soon!! One of the reasons I love going to Sauvie's Island is because we usually go through St John's and across the beautiful bridge (below). I also love stopping in for a bite at Proper Eat's.


Petting Victor the Goat and peeking at the lovely roosters.


I love living in the Willamette Valley; there are so many great local food options. I feel so blessed to live in a place that provides so much good food!


















Pics and a recipe to come soon of the strawberry-rhubarb tart~stay tuned!

Kansas Images

My trip to Kansas was very relaxing. I ended up getting a bit sick and wasn't able to do everything I wanted; but got some very special pictures. Below are images from my home church; built at the turn of the nineteenth century.







These images below are the drive out to the church. So many roads near my hometown are still gravel; which makes for some pretty hairy driving when the weather turns.







Above is a pic that DB took of a friend's Red-Tail hawk that they use for hunting. Very interesting; and such a beautiful bird!

Above are a couple of images from a small Mennonite town, Yoder. I was hoping to see a horse and buggy...but no luck this time. Below are shots from the camp I attended as a child. I have lots of good memories running around here; there are so many trees in this little corner of Kansas!

Bridal Shower!

Here are some pics from a bridal shower I recently hosted for my BFF. It was an 'iced tea party' and we enjoyed a nice picnic in the park. We got so lucky with some early summer sunshine here in Portland!!



Just a quick side note: when I went to the fabric store and bought all these YARDS of hot-pink burlap...every single person in the store commented "wow! someone finally is buying the hot-pink burlap! that's been here forever, you're the first! what on earth are you going to use it for?" Apparently, hot-pink burlap isn't too popular; but I think this was the perfect use for it!


Above; bird mugs found at various thrift stores through the years. Below; all the guests brought a family heirloom recipe we complied for the bride-to-be.


Above, the spread of food and gifts and up above the paper banner I crafted to add some whimsy.

Above; fresh fruit and a peek at the 'prizes': handmade stationary packaged with tea.

Above; assorted iced teas and below; a glimpse of the paper flowers I crafted for the event. The silver pitcher, above, was another thrift-store find monogrammed with a "B"! Perfect!