Adjusting to married life, preparing for (the thought of) motherhood & satisfying my many cravings.

Southwest had a great deal on airfare so, we scored $59/way from SJC to PDX. Spent this past weekend in Portland, OR with Frank and some great friends. It was too cold for my liking but there was some great food and even greater shopping. I did some MAJOR damage and will post up my splurges later this week. No tax = no guilt. Right??

I love to travel anytime my bank, both PTO and financial, allows me to do so.  I also love to find small mementos to bring back from my trips. Until recently, I would always look for a coffee mug. The limited cabinet space in my kitchen has inhibited my collection. So, during this trip, my souvenir shopping shifted to other practical (less-space-consuming) goodies.

What’s more practical than a reusable tote bag? I found the third addition to my Tote Bags Abroad collection (1st: Harrod’s – London, 2nd: The Beatles LOVE – Las Vegas). The simplicity and sturdiness of this bag will pay for itself soon enough. Found it at Tender Loving Empire which is a small storefront but you have to circle at least 5 times to make sure you get a look at all the trinkets & knickknacks.

I love coffee (hence the mug obsession) and finding great coffee on vacation is surely a win-win. We visited Stumptown Coffee Roasters multiple times during our short weekend getaway and enjoyed every single sip. I tried the latte, a regular and decaf mocha and an Americano – all good! Had to bring some Stumptown coffee beans home with us so we could enjoy a little taste of Portland on the weekends.

Business cards from restaurants and cute shops will become future bookmarks. Going to frame the locally made postcards and use them to brighten up our side-tables. Will update future souvenir agenda to include magnets; found a round Stumptown magnet during my last hour in downtown Portland. Matchboxes are another favorite of mine and I got one from the best restaurant we had the pleasure to dine at, The Woodsman Tavern. Pix from that meal will be part of my Weekly Digest.

Other cool finds from Beam & Anchor (super random store) include barber scissors (love!) and Mast Brothers chocolate bars; with almonds for my Mom and with Stumptown coffee because I’m simply obsessed. Pretty good haul on the souvenir front.