It's all Portland Metro Week: Farmer's Markets

I love our local farmer's market.  I walk the three short blocks on Sunday morning to pick up my produce, a bouquet of flowers and lots of information for my blog.  Hillsboro is the location for three of these markets. My Sunday farmers market is here in Orenco Station, Hillsboro Oregon and downtown main street hosts one on Tuesday evening and another on Saturday morning. Here in the Portland Metro area you can find a farmers market somewhere every day of the week.

Orenco Station Farmer's Market Sundays 10 AM-2 PM

Oregon Farmer's Market Association web page lists over 100 market from throughout the state.  The organizers like to support local farmer and artisans food creators as well as local artists.  As a result the market here in Hillsboro has some rules for what vendors can and cannot sell.  For example, importing vegetable from out of the area is not permitted.  The time the market can and cannot be open is set and a bell is rung for when sales can begin and when they must end. (Don't be late!)  The atmosphere of the market is friendly and welcoming.

The last Sunday I stopped and talked to two of the artisans that were selling their creations.  The first was a woman that owns a business called Basketry Bontanica by Carol.  Her beautiful baskets are available through her Etsy Shop and are priced very reasonably. She has over 100 people rating her service and the baskets she creates at 100%.  If you are a basket lover like me I encourage you to take a look at her artwork and maybe even order a custom designed piece. (503-336-1176) Tell her I sent you over.

...specializing in Appalachian melon and Cherokee style storage baskets, open-weave garlic and onion storage, Market baskets and other styles for household use. You'll find a number of basket designs here and if you don't see what you desire, contact us with your ideas...custom baskets can be woven just for you.

Botanica basket in Orenco Station Farmer's Market

Owner of Basketry Botanica

Garden Art by Roberta

The second booth that caught my eye was one called Garden Art by Roberta.  She will teach you how to recreate the beautiful items she has for sale. Her classes for creating concrete leaves are $30 and if you can get a couple more people to join you she will have a class just for you.  The $30 includes all the materials.  Her number is 503-350-2348.  Her class schedule for 2011 is:

• June 18 Saturday 1-3
• June 29 Wednesday 1-3
• July 13 Wednesday 10-12
• Jule 16 Saturday 10-12
• August 2 Tuesday 1012
• August 13 Saturday 1012
• September 3 Saturday 10-12
• September 3 Saturday 10-12
• September 7 Wednesday 10-12

I always buy my vegetable from the Martinez Family Farms but there are many other local small farms that are selling each Sunday.  

If you are here from out of town be sure to check the schedule for the markets held downtown.  Artisans are always set up for you to enjoy their creations.

HFM Sunday at Orenco Station

Located in the parking area between NE Orenco Station Parkway and NE 61st Avenue, just off Cornell Road., Hi Hillsboro, OR

Market manager name: Laura Conroy

Market phone number: 503-844-6685

Email: support@hillsboromarkets.org

Hillsboro Farmers Market in Downtown Hillsboro

Main St. between 3rd and 1st Avenue's, across from the Courthouse, Hillsboro, OR Hillsboro OR, OR

Market manager name: Laura Conroy

Market phone number: 503-844-6685

Email: manager@hillsboromarkets.org

It's all Portland Metro Week: Links to Websites

NOTE:  all links are in orange.

Take a backroad to a Carlton, Or. winery!

Whether you are a visitor, new to the area or even a long time resident, there are things that you can learn about Portland if you do some research online.  While a few websites like City Search or Urban Spoon are just a given, there are others that give you a more personal and less commercial view.  Those are the ones I want to share with you.  I hope you find this helpful.

• MIX Magazine (online edition) is published by OregonLive.com and is an arm of our local newspaper, The Oregonian.  We received this magazine with our newspaper for a whole year and I was hooked. The online edition will give you a lot of information.  The very best of all restaurants in town are featured along with enticing pictures and personal information on bartenders, chefs and owners.  I love this website.

Old Wheeler Hotel, Manzanita, Oregon
On the Oregon Coast

• Portland Magazine (online) This online magazine aimed at the Portland Metro area consumer has it all. You can find information on everything from food to real estate. The current issue has an article on a day trip of even an overnight stay in Manzanita that appealed to me. The Old Wheeler Hotel is only $99 per night so it is affordable. While the magazine is available on magazine racks I find that the online version is enough for me! 
• PortlandNeighborhood.com  bills itself as the "insider's guide to Portland".  Really, Portland is not a big city but the trendy and historical neighborhoods are spread out across the city.  Some of the best neighborhoods are not that easy to find.  If you take an insiders advice you can see a lot in not much time.
• Around the Sun is a website for those of us that are looking for something to do but don't have a lot of money.  If you are just wanting to fill a day this may be the place for you to go.
• Explore the Pearl Map  Portland's Pearl District is the location of one of my favorite book stores...in the world.  Powell's Books located on the corner of Burnside and 9th Avenue may be the largest used book store in the United States and even the world.  The online map of the Pearl is a must for any visitor to Portland.  In fact if you love to just look, shop and eat this is absolutely the place for you.  Be sure to check this map and the attached website with all the ads for businesses in the area.
• BikePortland.org is a website devoted to people that love to ride in the urban area.  Bicycle is a big deal here in the Portland metro area.  I am not saying that everyone in the area loves it but it is not going away.  People here are trying to find ways to get around, exercise and enjoy the outdoors without climbing in their cars.  Events like the Criterion and Bridge Pedal are a huge draw for the downtown area.
• Public Transportation Our metro area is linked by a beautiful and very useful train line that this supplemented by bus routes. We live outside the city and are about 3 blocks from a Max Line station. We can pay a senior citizen fee and ride Max to downtown Portland in less than 45 minutes. The trains run into the city center and after arrive downtown you can catch a trolley into the Pearl or even go as far as the PDX airport. It is a very good idea to check on this system if you are visiting. Parking, and traffic cease to be a concern. All you need is an all day ticket and a good pair of shoes. From downtown you can go to the Washington Park Zoo, Washington Park Rose Gardens, the Japanese Gardens and even the Children Museum. Hiking in Washington Park is very popular with locals.
• Day Trips from Travel Portland Website You really should either rent a car if you have flown in a take at least one day trip.  You can go in any direction to find what you want.  Wineries, the Columbia Gorge, the Oregon Coast, Mount Hood are all possibilities.  This website lists several suggested day trip.  The concierge at any hotel can help you our with this type of planning.  Sometimes a drive down country backroad can give a person the most pleasure. The point is there are lots of choices.

Portland is one of the most beautiful urban area you will find anywhere.  The climate, people and setting will just blow you away.  I hope you find something useful here.

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How to fit technology into a small space!

Feeling a little crowded?  Have too much stuff but still want it all?  Sharing an apartment with a friend?  Let's talk about living a studio/loft apartment or even in your bedroom.

My first apartment was a studio on the top floor of an apartment house in La Grande, Oregon. I had a view down the alley of Mount Emily. I loved that apartment with it's drop leaf table and small alcove that served as our bedroom.

I wonder now why we ever thought we needed more. Had it not been for children we could have spent our entire life in that apartment. We could have upgraded the furniture and painted the occasional wall.  That small space was so perfect for all ages. I have a feeling I might live in something like it again before I am gone.

However, the next time I live in that kind of space, I will find a way to fit in my computer.  Things have changed a lot in the last 50 years. In fact, in the world of technology, a lot has changed in the last 6 months. It is hard to keep up with the trends.

Here are two toys I spotted at the Apple Store the other day.

1. There is a device called Eye TV out now that allows you to watch TV wirelessly on any computer in your house.  The device works through your outlet for your cable. Imagine yourself in a very small space with only enough room for one TV.  Now imagine you have to share that one TV. Yuck!  My husband loves sports and I don't so much. One or the other of us will retire to the bedroom where our second TV is located. But, what if we did not have a second TV or even a separate bedroom?  Wouldn't it be wonderful if our computer station would become a second place to watch TV? We could add noise canceling head phones and pull up a very comfortable desk chair.  Bang! We have a second TV. I can see it now.



image from engadget

2. I talked about the magic track pad for my Mac computer the other day...I want it now. All the space I would need near my computer keyboard would be the space the track pad consumes.  My mouse requires a pretty large surface. These little babies sit next to the keyboard seamlessly.  Not only do they do what I would want, they also look good. I like that a lot.

I have also seen a few other ideas that would make small space living techno cool. It is all about finding room for all your toys. Making it beautiful is nice too.

Apartment Therapy Cable Decor

• Apartment Therapy's idea for making all those cords work for you in the small space...gorgeous. It is called Cable Decor. You can create this look by taking that very long unsightly cord and painting it. Then you create a design on the wall using clips that you can buy at your hardware store.  I think those clips we use for the lighted cords would work. If you don't want to make a sculpture on the wall the cute little Power Curls help keeping the cords corralled.
• While we're at it, let's talk again about the ipad keyboard dock. You can make that ipad your only computer with this device.  When you need to type on your computer, your ipad converts with the keyboard dock. While it is charging, you can type away.  It is small and works like a charm. We gave one of these to my son as a gift.  He is using it while he works on his masters program.

It is raining here (still) in Portland Oregon.  I have spent the week shopping and dreaming about what we might do next in our smallish home and computer life.  It has been lots of fun.  AND tomorrow is another day.  Friday dreams are the best of all.

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