Baby Boy's first hair cut

When Our Little Helper was a baby Mr. W wanted to wait until he was two to have his first haircut. A very old fashioned idea which I liked too. Several of his friends were also waiting to cut thier son's hair. The only problem was all these friends were curly haired as were their sons. Mr. W and I both have incredibly stick straight hair and so did our son. Our poor boy's bangs were getting so long that he was beginning to resemble a skater from the 80's. It was so long that when we would crawl along he'd have to tip his head back so he coudl see out from underneath his bangs. I began to put "boy-rettes" in his hair to pull the bangs out of his eyes. Still Mr. W would not budge. So I put together a somewhat official looking petition for cutting Our Little Helper's bangs. I carried it around on a clipboard in my diaper bag and so people could sign off. You know how you sometimes receive unwelcome advice from strangers? Well in this case I'd just whip out the petition and have them sign it. It took about a month, but eventually Mr. W conceded and our son had his first hair cut at 14 months.
This time things the build up to the first haircut was far less painful. I only had to use the boy-rettes a few times. Mr. W was completely willing to have Baby Boy's hair cut, it was just a matter of fitting it into our house selling schedule.
The boy's barber is Barber-Q which is in this tiny little Deco era store front.A before photo, the boy is in need of a haircut.
We have a photo like this of Our Little Helper's first haircut too.
Sitting on Daddy's lap for his haircut.He's not a big fan...Meanwhile, big brother is as calm as can be during his trim.A little shave on the back.All done! Now it's time to Frankenstein walk. We are having a little buyer's remorse though. He looks like a real boy now, no longer a baby. Mr. W laments that this haircut has aged him a whole year. Sigh! He's growing up.

Frenchy birthday tea

Earlier this year I was inspired by Victoria magazine to throw an outdoor tea party. One of the spots I envisioned was my mom's arbor for Mother's Day and another was my grandmother's patio. The timing didn't work out for Mother's Day, but I did put together a Peonies & Pearls birthday tea for grandma. I decided I'd still like to throw one for my mom, and planned for her birthday instead.
While reading another issue of Victoria on the flight to Ohio I learned that Pix Patiserrie is now serving tea. Since she traveled to France for her Girls' Trip this year, I decided to do a French Provencal theme for her birthday. But I've also been pretty busy throwing parties every week for the last month so I decided to use mostly prepared treats. In addition to being a nice short cut, it would guarantee perfect pastries too.
For the first course I went to Le Petite Provence for baked goods. I was just going to get croissants, but was tempted into getting jam and curd filled treats instead. I also bought mini baguettes for the sandwich course. I drove back down Division St. to Pix for the desserts. After reading the Victoria article I knew I wanted the colorful macaroons for certain. I also selected the Opera cake and the Pear Rosemary tart.The first time I was in Paris I was a poor college student and mostly survived my long weekend there by eating brie and ham baguette sandwiches from street vendors. So good and so cheap! I combined brie, French ham, and arugula for the sandwich course.I set the table with a cheery blue & yellow sunflower tablecloth my mom brought back from her most recent visit, and her white everyday dishes. The Provencal tea pot and the yellow pitcher used as a flower vase are also French souvenirs.My dad always gave my mother sunflowers for her birthday and I planned on continuing that tradition. That is until I saw a flier for a dahlia festival posted on Division St. It turns out in the middle of Mt. Tabor there is a small urban farmhouse, Old House Dahlias, where one can buy tubers as well as cut flowers. I knew I'd already missed the Canby Dahlia fest, so this was a perfect opportunity. When I arrived at her house, my mom was so pleased with the bouquet and commented that she had never received dahlias before. I think we may have a new tradition here. I arranged them with some sedum and Russian sage from her garden.Now originally my plan was to set up a little table for 3 under her arbor, but it was too rainy this weekend so I contented myself to her kitchen table and decided to include Mr. W and my sons.I also selected a lavender flavored black tea from her stash.
The green macaroon is absinthe.

Kitchen Revival Tour

Mr. & Mrs. F's Laurelhurst bungalow kitchen was last remodeled in the 60s. There is no dishwasher so they are going to do a kitchen remodel to update it and add a deck in the back yard which would be accessible from the kitchen. Although they already have a design established with Mr. Z, she and I thought it would be fun to go to this year's Kitchen Revival Tour. The tour is organized by the Architectural Heritage Center which is close to my heart because my father began his stained glass career in Oregon working for Jerry Bosco and Ben Milligan. When I was working for Craftsman Design and Renovation we had clients featured on the tour.
We left the boys with our husbands and headed out in their Smart car. We decided to start with the houses on the other side of the Willamette to a house in Beaverton. It was a 1949 Ranch, but the interior is completely Moderne. This house is so intact; the kitchens and baths are untouched and they are fabulous! The kitchen is paneled walls and ceiling in Marlite and the breakfast nook has the original chrome and glass table and upholstered banquets. A glass curio shelf divides the nook from the kitchen work space. Perfect inlaid linoleum is underfoot. The main bath is destined for savethepinkbathrooms.com, with original pink and blue Marlite paneling, floor tiles, and fixtures. The best part of this house in my opinion was the master bathroom. A fabulous chrome and Marlite dressing table and glass block. I am positively smitten! Who wouldn't want to get ready here? This house was a perfect fit for the homeowner too. Her mid-century collections and wardrobe are destined to live here. I caught another case of basement envy when I saw their basement bar. So fun! I also enjoyed the balustrade and the coved cork on the stairs.The theme this year seemed to be hex tile countertops. House after house had colorful hex tiles in some application. There were two houses on the tour by the architect Kenneth Birkemeier, the first of which was his home. Nestled on Alameda ridge on the North side of Fremont St. this 1951 mid-century brick house had an incredible view made all the more wonderful by the gorgeous overcast weather we had. I was remarking to Mrs. F what a beautiful day it was and another tour goer laughed at my Oregonian-ness. But, hey it was warmish, dry, and cloudy with a bit of sun peeking through. Anyway, while I'm not a Ranch girl, there is something to be said for floor to ceiling windows when the house has a view. The main countertops in this kitchen have been replaced at some point with a fat granite slab, although the cabinets are original. The upper bar and one of the lesser used side countertops retain their original blue hex tiles. It was in this house that I ran into a couple of former clients. Theirs was one of the kitchens we featured on the tour. The wife volunteers for the AHC so it wasn't surprising to meet them on the tour. We chatted about how I now have two sons and am busy but enjoying being a homemaker. They told me that they really missed me on their second project after I retired because things ran so smoothly on my project. I guess my replacement wasn't as organized as they would have liked. I must confess that their complement really made my day! It is so nice to be appreciated!
The second Birkemeier house was a 1949 Cape Cod with more intact kitchens and baths. Powder blue hex tiles on the kitchen counters, curio shelves, and wavy scallop trim along the crown are all original and make for an adorable workspace. I also enjoyed the light filled, adjacent breakfast nook. Another awesome pale pink and powder blue tiled bathroom has escaped destruction. The next house in Laurelhurst was my favorite. The 1913 Arts & Crafts house was under restoration by the new owners and is full of wonderful stained woodwork. The bi-swing door from the dining room leads into the most awesome depression era butler's pantry. Oh how I would love a house like this! The interior of the cabinets and the walls are paneled in Marlite. A pantry which used to house the refrigerator has been thoughtfully converted into a half bath. In the kitchen they solved the dilemma of cabinets too shallow to accommodate modern appliances by installing dishwasher drawers instead. A perfect solution because it would be a shame to lose these aqua and white tile countertops.There was one house from Sunnyside in which a back porch was converted into a breakfast nook in a very similar way to what I would do in our bungalow kitchen... the only difference is we don't have a back porch so we'd need an addition to the original footprint. The following house on the tour was a 1905 bungalow in Richmond. The house had a bizarre addition n the 1970s resulting in a very mismatched kitchen with Depression era tiled countertops with diagonal knotty pine paneled walls. The most recent remodel replicated the 1920s cabinetry, refurbished the hex tile countertops, and refinished the sink. There were some parts of the kitchen that I liked, but the whole space was still very odd; there is a view into the loft above. I do adore these swinging doors under the sink though.The last house we visited was a 1909 bungalow with Marmoleum Click flooring. I have a low opinion of DIY floating floor systems because they always sound so hollow and look so fake to me. But I was impressed with the Click, the seams were very tight and not noticeable. I was planning on a really involved design for Marmoleum in our kitchen, but would not invest in that now since we will probably move. However the DIY vinyl tiles are falling apart and must be replaced before we sell. I think the Click would be a good solution for us.
I always enjoy these glimpses into other vintage houses. I'm still not sure what the future will hold for us. If we stay I need a breakfast nook and mud room addition, if we move I need a butler's pantry. If it were plumbed I think I'd be in 7th heaven.

Eating our way across Portland

The Wedding to end all weddings falls on Labor Day weekend this year. Hot Dog: The Bachelor Party took place over the weekend. Our friends Ms. H & Mr. G came into town on Wednesday because he would be going up to Hot Dog: The Bachelor Party with Mr. W and she was going to keep me company in town.
As I've mentioned before Ms. H and I love food; we nearly minored in it in college. Although I went pesca-vegan for Lent, I knew God would want me to be a good hostess to my little atheist friend, in spit of the liturgical season. The vegan diet would just have to be put on hold for the duration of her visit.
Another of Mr. W's friends, Mr. K arrived in town before the H&Gs. After dropping the littlest W off at his great grandparents' house for a sleep over we went to Pok Pok for dinner. Shamefully we haven't been there yet for dinner in spite of it being within walking distance. I was so excited about seeing Ms. H that I actually don't remember too much about Pok Pok, but I was very surprised to discover that although we arrived after nine on a winter Wednesday, that there was a half hour wait for a table. No matter, we headed across the street to Whiskey Sour Bar until our tiny table became available. Let's just say the corner was tight. Mr. W and Mr. K were in their element here, out man-ing each other with the spicy foods. After we'd had our fill we left Mr. K at Whiskey Sour with some of the other brothers and we retrieved the H&Gs from the airport. The last time we visited the H&Gs in Tucson they took us to the Kon Tiki because they have become tiki devotees. I knew instantly where I had to take them the next time they were in Portland.
The Alibi is really a perfect match when you think about it, combining both the love of tiki and love of karaoke. Fruity drinks with umbrellas were drunk. Kenny Rogers, The Rolling Stones, and Showtunes were sung. Although we arrived to a full room, we closed the place down.
On the way home, and four drinks to the wind, we stopped by the late night food carts at SE Hawthorne and 12th Ave. We've always wanted to go, but since it doesn't open until 8 pm and that is past someone's bedtime, we've not been able to do it. I finally could try the Belgian frites. From what I remember, they were tasty. I do think I need to return under more sober circumstances though to confirm.
Miraculously Mr. W made it to work the next morning while we were barely able to drag ourselves out of bed. I managed to get my baby back and we walked to Pine State Biscuits for breakfast, although it was lunchtime for the rest of the city. I really wanted to show off the glory of The Reggie, but none of us were adventuresome. We opted instead for beverage and biscuits with honey, apple butter and marion berry jam. It took us most of the day to recover from the night out so all we could manage for dinner was to order in pizza from Rovente before the menfolk headed up to the mountain.
By Friday we were back on our game and we drove to Alberta Street and the Grilled Cheese Grill. A month ago I had another sorority sister, Ms. G in town and I took her here for lunch. I knew right away that a school bus converted into a dining room for cheesey sandwiches was exactly what Ms. H would need.
She was in heaven considering they have both savory and sweet sandwiches. She had the special of the day and followed it up with a nuttela, grilled banana on cinnamon raisin bread sandwich to go. I had the Jalapenos Popper which has roasted jalapenos, cheddar, cream cheese and corn chips. They offer optional grilled ham on it and why wouldn't you?
While the Littlest W loves grilled cheese sandwiches, on both visits thus far he starts out his meal stealing and devouring everyone's pickle spears. Friday evening did not turn out the way I'd planned (more on that later perhaps) so we satisfied ourselves with a take out dinner from Laughing Planet.
Saturday we finally had an opportunity to meet up with Mrs. F and her son, who joined us for breakfast at the Waffle Window off Hawthorne. It was such a beautiful day and a pleasure to be eating outside. Mr. W and I have been wanting to try it out since it opened, but I think we somehow always get sidetracked by Pine State Biscuits. We positively have to go back; the waffles are so pretty!
Another child free night was in order so this time he went to his Grammy's. We did a little shopping in the Pearl and then went home to change. One of our sorority sisters, Ms. Mc lives within walking distance so we met up with her and bussed back to the Pearl for Ladies' Night. Our first stop was Vault Martini Lounge. Their martini menu is extensive, but we never made it past the first page: The Deadly Sins! We all picked our personal favorite sin which gave us Sloth, Gluttony, and Greed.
We would have liked more, but we had dinner reservations at Blue Hour. We'd read reviews online touting the bacon wrapped scallops, and for good reason! That bacon is sliced so thin it literally melts in your mouth without giving you any fatty bacon texture. Mr. W has been making sure I acquire a taste for scallops. I think it is safe to say that he has been successful in that endeavor. I did not care for my carrot soup at all; it tasted of the root cellar, but not of carrots. On the other hand it is such a bland, boring broth that it makes for a perfect Lenten food! And then there were the truffles! I had the truffle gnocchi, Ms. Mc the risotto and Ms H the fried risotto cakes with truffle salad. We were pleased.
We weren't at all prepared for dessert, instead we walked down to the Gilt Club, which online alluded to the old-timey, speak-easy feel. I can't say that I agree considering the place is floor to ceiling windows so everyone can see what is going on inside, but it is very beautiful and not at all what I would expect based on my days bus riding down Broadway on my way to high school. Ms. H promised that she'd order a drink with egg whites in true speak-easy style if they had one on the menu. They have two such drinks.
Ms. H has heard of VooDoo Donuts, but we've never had the opportunity to take her there before. Since we were in walking distance we headed over. On our walk down Burnside some 20- something, skater punks declared us MILFs. I didn't hear it, but considered it flattering. Since neither of my friends are mothers they were not pleased. At all. The line for VooDoo Donuts was outrageous so we grabbed a cab and headed home, pleased with our old ass selves for staying our so late.
After Mass the next day I took Ms. H to one last place. A tea party was in order. Since Ms. H isn't as frilly and old fashioned as I am I thought she'd be a perfect candidate for the tea room at Tao of Tea. It is very Asian inspired and has a large selection of custom blended teas and Indian and Asian snacks and sweets. It was an excellent way for me to wean myself back onto a vegan diet since my dear friend's trip was drawing to a close. I hope to visit them in a few short weeks during her spring break.

Loss and maybe some more loss

Today was slightly dry so I decided to stop by a few old commercial buildings before they disappear forever. I'd received an update that the demolition of the Daily Grind building for a new and "improved" New Seasons Market location was going to happen this month. After a week of rain during which I did not feel adventurous enough to take a long walk with the littlest W. I decided I'd do a drive by. I was too late. The damage has been done. The old building is completely demolished and the site is empty.

Maybe it is better that I didn't get there when the actual demolition was happening because I can't be sure that I would have been able to control myself from strapping myself to the building in protest. This is very upsetting to me that we lost this building.
The news recently ran a story about the commercial storefront on NE 21st at Multnomah St. It was reported that a water line had frozen and then broke which caused extensive water saturation under the building and the land basically slid away into Sullivan's Gulch and took part of the building with it. I was worried to be losing another building, because I have long hoped that this building had a little more love and life in it. In walking around taking photos one of the crew members directing traffic befriended us and gave us the real scoop. Apparently no one knows if a water pipe froze they haven't gotten in there to be able to evaluate that yet. And the two owners can't decide whether they should try to save the building or completely demolish it. I hope the owner who is more preservationally minded wins out in the debate. And their insurance company may influence the outcome. However I'm not sure how reliable my "source" is so who knows if any of my scoop is accurate. When we were there the work crew was working to remove the section of the building that had completely given way. So Portland we are losing our architectural heritage en mass this month.

The old Daily Grind

This is the building the Daily Grind store was in before they closed. It has sat vacant for over a year now. New Seasons Market contracted with the property owner to put in a new store at this location on Hawthorne. Their proposal involves demolishing the old building, which isn't very "green". I went to a neighborhood feedback meeting in August and New Seasons claims that due to the economy, banks would no longer finance a loan for a store as small as the existing building. It is such a shame because this is a great old building that is in keeping with the majority of old commercial storefronts on Hawthorne. Far to many mixed-use hyper-contemporary buildings are going up that dwarf the neighboring businesses and buildings. Not to mention they aren't able to sell the condos so they either sit vacant or go apartment instead.
The building facade as it is has some nice brickwork. If the clerestory windows weren't boarded up it would have even more character, so many other Hawthorne buildings have their clerestory windows restored and new insulated glass picture windows. These buildings look fresh, without being wasteful.
Unfortunately no one else at the August meeting was concerned about saving the facade and trying to encorporate it into the new design. The majority of the participants were from Richmond and lived on either 40th or 41st and were concerned about the increased traffic and parking. That and they were happy to learn that one of the neighbor's suggestions to have a walk up coffee window was going to be encorporated into the new store.
Before going to the meeting I took these photos of a building on NE MLK Blvd that saves the original facade of the building, but still ends up with a multi-story/use building. I'm not saying that I love this building, but it is encouraging to see that we can repurpose original structures without turning our backs on our architectural history completely. Isn't that arch great?
I ended up not presenting these photos to Brian the owner because during the course of the presentation I learned that they were no longer designing a multi-story building. The new building with be one story with parking above accessed by a single driveway with a signaling system to let drivers know when the path is clear. I foresee trouble with that.
New Seasons recently updated the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association that the floor plan for the store is being flipped based upon feedback from the city. So now the driveway to access the parking will be on 40th rather than 41st. The plan to begin demolition this winter. Upsetting.