Thursday, February 17, 2011

Oh Sassy Red Heels- Its Time for a Night on the Town!

Seriously, I have been put in some REALLY awkward and uncomfortable moments with men lately that I could begin writing a book of, “How to NOT treat a lady!”. And I don’t care if we are just friends, there have been some big “Oh no.. you didn’t” moments, that I have brushed aside with a smile and then let myself break in the car. I hate feeling awkward.

But today is a new day, and I got these fancy BCBG red heels in the mail yesterday. Today I feel sassy and ready to take on the world!


I SHALL take these beautiful shoes, dress up and plan a night out on the town with the ladies at Urban Fondue. It's my Mothers fault but I am addicted to cheese. So the thought of cheese fondue makes my mouth water. The dark, candle lit ambiance of this place also makes it the perfect setting for a romantic date, but groups are fun as well. My friend Caitlin recently had her birthday here. I was unfortunately late and had to shove fondue down my mouth before the group left. But through the quick bites, it tasted delicious and I would argue a much cheaper/better quality alternative to the Melting Pot.


Hmm… yes, I am planning this outing soon.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Despise V-day? Do what you LOVE!

Hate is a strong word, so I will go with despise. Like any single girl should, I despise Valentine’s Day. Even if I wasn’t single, this really isn’t my favorite holiday. So how crazy is it, that I participated in the Worst Day of the Year ride? Its name actually coincides with one of the coldest days of the year. But how appropriate that it falls right along the holiday…

But no really, when a day comes up that you know isn’t your favorite, what a better way to cheer yourself up? And in my life- my bike, volunteering + Portland corky culture= TRUE LOVE! Seriously, I couldn’t have had a better Sunday. Making this Monday all the more bearable.

By volunteering, you get a free ride, free meals and a free shirt. What a steal! You can choose between an 18 mile or 40 mile loop and seeing as I didn’t have much time, I chose the 18. (Along with being out of shape, I am so sore today!) Dusting the bike out of the garage, it felt so good to get outside, to ride along the river and dream of owning a house in one of the many beautiful Portland neighborhoods. Last year was a bit of rush to get back to my volunteer duties, but I made sure to get there early and enjoyed all of it with a great girlfriend. The ride was pretty flat with rest stops along the way, that served amazing drinks like Dragonfly Chai. YUM!

After the ride, I supported the Community Cycling Center (CCC) by serving up Laughing Planet Veggie Chili to those riders coming in, washing dishes, and taking down bike racks. The rain didn’t hit until we were taking down, so I think it was definitely a successful day. And I love what the CCC does for the community. You will probably hear more from me about them.

And for today…. I am not eating a tub of ice cream to myself. No, instead I am joining with my fellow single ladies and we are treating ourselves to heart shaped pizza, chocolate, cookies and chick flicks. Oh what a good life.

So stop pitying yourself and do what you LOVE to make yourself feel like a million bucks today.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Portland International Film Festival- Happening NOW!

One thing I discovered a new passion for last year, are international films. Well, I lied. I took a foreign films course in college and we were graded on watching films and analyzing themes. Tough, huh? This February in Portland brings about the International Film Festival. Check out the schedule and two of my top choices below. The first one is definitely going to be a nail bitter.

Aftershock

The Colors of the Mountain

Cheap Movie Tickets and a Glass of Hard Cider

Who really wants to pay $10 bucks for a movie ticket nowadays? I had the pleasure of joining my friends at the Laurelhurst Theater for a $3 movie and pint/small popcorn for $6.25. Now that’s a steal. I mean how many theaters can you enjoy beer, wine and hard cider in? There hard to come by, and this place screams Portland. It’s more on the casual side, with films that aren’t always in the big chain theaters. These are the films that have a deeper meaning than just a redone plot or cheesy love story. Hollywood is really starting to bore me to tears. This is why I Redbox everything and I don’t have guilt about the $10  ticket.

Anyways we saw, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest. This is the last movie in a series, you should definitely watch the other two films to fully understand the plot. My friend loved it, but I was whispering to her the whole time to catch her up on certain details. And it has subtitles as it’s in Swedish. Personally, these are my favorite kind of movies and I have heard talk that the US plans to remake these films. This I am not excited about.


Another cheap movie ticket option- check out AAA discounts!