heather & olive

9.19.2022

a summer well spent.

weekend trip to Miami.

a cousin trip to Chicago.

sibling weekend visit which included an amazing dinner at fore street.

covid!

york harbor weekends.

a visit to prince edward island.

a trip to quebec city.

dinner at twelve.

sister surfing lesson on scarborough beach.

mabel and her favorite daycare friend, leonard.

hello! as we start the first "official" week of fall (although I always go off of September 1st) I figured it was a good time to brush off the ol' blog and get back into it. We'll see how long this lasts, but it's my blog and I'll do what I want.

I had a very good summer--there weren't any major trips but the long weekends I took and week I spent in Canada were all pretty perfect. In May I went to Eden Roc Miami Beach with my dearest friend Sarah to celebrate our 40th birthdays. Miami Beach is typically not my scene, but it ended up being a really relaxing three days and I would totally go back. It was a great way to unofficially kick off summer.

I then spent a weekend in Chicago with my sister and cousin (always a great time) and my sister and brother came to Portland the following weekend to see the Head and the Heart--we were supposed to go in 2020 but, covid. And then I got covid--it didn't end up being terrible (thanks, vaccines!) but I tested positive for eleven days which was a pain in the buns.

In July my family traveled up to Prince Edward Island to celebrate my grandfather's life and then my sister, mom and I headed to Quebec City to spend a few days at my parents' place. It's nicer than my condo, and I cannot wait to spend more time there (and I desperately need to learn French).

In August, my sister came up again and we had a jam-packed weekend of dinner at Twelve, which is a new Portland restaurant that I highly recommend, a surfing lesson where I was completely tossed around but definitely want to do again, and a Leon Bridges concert, which of course, was amazing.

Mabel and I are in a groove, and I credit a lot of that to the two days a week she spends at day care. The socialization is really good for her and she gets all her crazy puppy energy out. Also, my 73 year-old neighbor has been taking her for evening walks (she recently had to put her dog down) and there is nothing cuter than seeing them saunter around the neighborhood. She is truly a sweetheart of a dog, and I'm so glad I have her as a four legged companion.

I'm probably missing some things, but I think that's the gist--I am very much looking forward to the cozy days ahead, and I'll be popping on here again very soon.

6.21.2022

meet mabel.

Meet Mabel! This little lady came into my life in the beginning of February, and truth be told, it has taken us until now to finally get into a groove. Having a puppy is way harder than I remembered.

I knew after Olive died I would get another frenchie, and Mabel came from the same breeder. I think part of me anticipated having an Olive 2.0, but Mabel has proven to be anything but (aside from being a total sweetheart of a dog)--where Olive was a really low-key, cuddly potato, Mabel is super dramatic and super energetic. Her nickname is the bug (because she is a lovebug but also looks a bit like a bug with those bulging eyes), and I'm so grateful to have another little dog in my life.

1.18.2022

weekend in pics.

detroit-style vodka pizza

press on gel manicure

scratch-made pasta

I have to say, this long weekend was exactly what I needed. I traveled to Arizona last week for work and between the time change and stress I was pretty exhausted by the time Friday rolled around. The extra day was much appreciated.

On Saturday, I managed to venture to the grocery store but otherwise hunkered down with the most delicious pizza from noble bbq -- I'm so glad they're open again.

Sunday consisted of an at home manicure using manime stick-ons--I typically do a dazzle dry manicures but my cousin told me about these after she got them for Christmas, and I decided to give them a try. It's only been a couple of days, but so far, so good--they're staying on and they look professional aside from my learning curve with trimming them down. I also made grossy pelosi's marina and meatballs (so tasty, but be forewarned that the meatballs are absolutely massive).

And on Monday I was a slug aside from making homemade fettuccine. My parents gave me a kitchenaid pasta attachment for Christmas this year, and I used a recipe from Love and Lemons. The hardest part was kneading the dough, but it turned out great--cannot wait to make again.

Here's to a short week!

1.10.2022

olive.

Gosh, this is a tough one to write.

On November 2, 2021, I put Olive down. She had suffered a number of seizures that couldn't be controlled with medication and the vet thinks it was a brain tumor. While I didn't realize it in the months leading up to that day, it's clear now that something was up and she wasn't her usual self. Putting her down was both the hardest and easiest decision I've ever had to make: I'm so grateful I was able to take away her pain in a humane way but it was so incredibly difficult.

And that's the thing about having any pet, isn't it? You know your life with them is finite, but it's still such a massive gut punch when their time is up. I'm so, so lucky I had the ten years with her that I did. She was such a funny little dog--she loved to sleep, was always up for a snuggle and there was nothing she enjoyed more than splaying in a spot of sun or lying up against a heater to get cozy. She was with me through five different living situations, four jobs, a couple of breakups and every major and minor life event in between.

I still feel like a piece of me is missing--December was a really hard month and there continue to be times where I find myself looking for her or wondering if there's anything I need to grab for her when I'm running errands. And it’s just so quiet.

I miss her so much.

So here's to Olive: the sweetest, noodliest dog I've ever known. She will always have a piece of my heart.

9.08.2021

an amped up caesar salad.

everything you didn't know your Caesar salad needed.

Judie's Restaurant in Amherst, MA was the best. Known for its giant popovers and extensive menu, it was the go-to spot for me and my sister the summer of 2016--we made a bunch of trips to western Massachusetts to visit my grandmother since she was sick, and Judie's was a comforting spot to get nourished and reset.

I'm super bummed that they've since closed due to the pandemic, but I've been recreating one of my favorite things on the menu at home: the Caesar salad. Judie's Caesar isn't your typical Caesar--the basic version includes the addition of artichoke hearts and hardboiled eggs (which is delicious on its own) but I always loved to order the stuffed portobello with bacon version: it took the salad to the next level with the addition of grilled portobellos, roasted red peppers, bacon and warm gorgonzola. While definitely not traditional, this combo of flavors totally works together and will keep you full for a very time.

And if you're really feeling ambitious, make your our dressing: you can't go wrong with Julia Turshen's.

9.07.2021

happy september.

my parents' house, with two small friends.

Happy September! I can't believe how quickly the summer flew by, but I'm honestly not mad about cooler temps--I put my air conditioner away this weekend and I'm hoping I'm in the clear for sleeping with my windows open and not overheating. I am, however, sad about how dark it is early in the morning and at night--this is not good for my sleep cycle.

It's been a busy couple of weeks with some work trips, and it's nice to mix things up a bit--I've done visits with my parents as a result because they're on Olive-watch when I head out of town (which I greatly appreciate).

I've been playing a bit of golf and watching a lot of tennis, and this weekend I did some serious shopping. I got some jeans from Madewell (this pair and this pair: skinny jeans for life) and I also got two shirts from J.Crew (in black and white). I also snagged these booties, which are a little bit tight in the footbed but I'm optimistic they'll stretch some with wear. I also stocked up on my favorite fall Nest candles and am going to try out the Necessaire shampoo and conditioner--I've heard good things.

I'm really looking forward to the changing of a new season--here's to the unofficial start of fall.

8.19.2021

the thursday special.

the laundress no. 723

Checking in on this Thursday with the best laundry detergent I've ever tried. I've been a skeptic of The Laundress for years (mostly due to the price), but my curiosity got the best of me during their recent 20% sale. I scooped up No. 723, the Original, and the Sport detergent to see if it was really worth the hype.

And it was.

I honestly love all of them, but I think No. 723 is my favorite--the scent is light and chic and it actually makes doing laundry an enjoyable experience--that says a lot. Also, because it's super concentrated you only need a little, which makes the price point a little more bearable.

Consider me a convert.