I'm Vanessa, a graphic designer living in Portland, OR, with a penchant for beautiful things, tea, learning to bake, tattoo collecting, dreaming of far away travels, and capturing life through photos. Here I share bits of my life along with things I find inspiring and delightful.
Category: Portland
We had the weirdest mix of weather this week, but Alex has been on break from school so we’ve been trying to soak up some outdoors time no matter what the weather gave us. Luckily Friday and Saturday were amazing and we were able to get some needed sunshine. Wednesday we went to the Rose Test Garden and saw slushy snow/rain start to fall. We woke up the next morning with a bit of snow on the ground, but of course it was gone by noon.
Thursday we went to Cathedral Park underneath of St. Johns Bridge. For some reason I find bridge construction history to be kind of interesting, and this bridge was designed by David Steinman, who designed a number of well known bridges across the world. Of all the bridges in Portland, I think the St John’s is my favorite. I have a soft spot for gothic-esque design.
Friday we made a trip to the Apple store using the max line so we could enjoy the view. Later we went to catch up with friends and threw around design ideas for their wedding(ooooh!!!). Actually, Alex and I were honored to be asked to design their wedding invitations – I’ll share those closer to their special day. Saturday was especially beautiful and warmer than it has been in so long. We went to the dog park and then had a picnic at the Columbia River. So many sail boats were out!
Now I’m super ready for Summer! We’re already dreaming up plans for camping, road trips, and all sorts of outdoorsy activities. Tomorrow morning we’re heading to the coast to do a bit of camping before our busy schedules take over again. We’re crossing our fingers for even a little bit of beautiful weather, but we have plenty of ideas to keep ourselves entertained either way. Have a great week!
Not many words, just a couple photos from a walk on a beautiful Portland day.
Unrelated. One of my favorite illustrators, Sandra Juto, is offering buy one get one on her prints today!
Earlier this week I helped Alex with the execution and documentation of a project for his Ideas & Form class. The project involved creating a public display of art and I have to say this was a major highlight of my week. Sometimes I don’t feel very authentic with my creativity so I stop before I can even begin, but one of the lessons I’ve learned from my art education and through my husband is the phrase “there’s nothing new under the sun.” Recalling this concept helps to alleviate some of the pressure to create something completely authentic because even if you’re doing something that’s already been done – you’re putting your own spin on it. While you can often tell where the inspiration came from, it’s a unique creation.
It was thrilling to see a project through from concept to completion. I often have the opportunity to witness Alex’s process of creating, I create work for myself and others, but this experience was unique in that I was able to witness the positive reactions of complete strangers instantly while it was happening. It was a cold (I didn’t bring a coat and we were on a bridge on an especially windy day) but I was so distracted by watching people stop, look and smile at this simple creation. They pulled out their cameras, phones, or just stood to watch for a while. It was great. It was so beautiful.
The main focus of our documentation was through video. It’s very amateur, far from perfect, but it was fun to create! As soon I walked through the door I went straight for the computer and started uploading our footage and put together the video with Alex.
This weekend we took a break from our work to escape the city. We took a 30 minute drive east of the city to Angel’s Rest trail near Multnomah Falls. We made it about 3/4 through the trail before the rain came in and the sun was starting to set. There are a number of waterfalls, streams, and amazing views along the trail. I can’t wait to go back again and take in the view from the summit of the trail. The clean air is so sweet, it smells like Christmas!
Here’s a little composite video of our clips from the hike. Enjoy!
Alex was in classes all day on Tuesday so we celebrated our love on Wednesday. Our love ended up manifesting itself into this pretty little terrarium you see below. We stopped at Porch Light on Mississippi to check out their moving sale and then meandered over to Pistils Nursery. The shop has a beautiful front window full of so much green goodness! We checked out their terrarium building set up. We were instantly inspired – their setup includes these small drawers that are each filled with different sands, moss, and rocks to fill your terrarium.
Pistils had chickens in their garden! Pretty, fluffy chickens!
We left Pistils and drove over to Artemisia, a wonderful shop on 28th and East Burnside. They build wonderful terrariums in all sizes, and provide you with the supplies to build your own terrarium! We picked out all of the pieces and the shop manager helped us to put it all together and sent us home with a care sheet. I love how the shop is decorated with vintage typewriters, light bulbs, beautiful books, and jewelry made by local artisans. It’s one of those spaces where you can walk in and you’re instantly inspired to make something beautiful and unique. I already have plans for creating another terrarium!
Visit Artemisia at 110 SE 28th Ave and Pistils at 3811 N. Mississippi Ave in Portland, Oregon.