I was planning to post all about Maker Faire and the free jewelry-making workshops I’m teaching, but today has kind of beaten me down and it’s getting late, so I’ll save it for tomorrow… I have seasonal allergies part 4* (!) and I’m really out of it. So, instead I’ll just show you a picture of our new treasure!

top: my favorite glasses, vases we got as wedding presents, a collectible lady, salt and pepper shakers, coasters; middle: wedding Temporama

Yesterday Andrew took a half-day off and we went out to lunch at Pambiche and then shopped at Shag (4071 NE Sandy Blvd.) and Hawthorne Vintage (1515 SE 48th at Hawthorne). Oh man, does Portland ever have some nice vintage furniture stores! I have always been more of a thrift-store and estate sale type of girl, but it was pretty exciting to look at all this beautiful stuff in one glorious place (well, two). Hawthorne Vintage is huge and has so many enticing things. The desk in the front window is spectacular, and they have a bar in the front room right now that is out-of-control cool: it has ingenious slots for six wine bottles, plus a little pull-out ice bucket, and the whole thing is stylish beyond belief. I couldn’t bear to look at the price tag.

We found this pretty hutch there — and it fits right into the recess in our dining room as if it were made for it. Then we found another huge one at Shag that Andrew loved so we got that for the living room, to hold all our records behind the swinging doors on the bottom and display cool stuff up top. A previous owner added hidden lights all along the upper edge of the shelves so everything is illuminated, which is a nice bonus! We got the bigger one from Jennifer, who also has a space at House. Keep an eye out for her vintage furniture and collectibles, which are gorgeous. John, who kindly delivered both pieces, also has spaces at both shops, and he has a great eye too.

I love our new apartment, and it’s really starting to feel like it’s coming together… and now that these two beasts are up the stairs and I don’t have to move them again I’m pretty blissed out. Oh, except for the small matter of packing and flying to San Francisco tomorrow!

*Four different climates have triggered my allergies this spring: LA, North Carolina, and Sacramento in April… and yet again in Portland this morning. blech.