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Earlier in the month we went up to Portland to do some antiquing and shopping! We went up to the Portland Antique Show at the Exposition Center. There are tons of booths… and we walked 17,000 steps (thanks apple watch and fit bit for counting!)
This post may contain affiliate links. I thought I’d share some pics from the show and various antique stores around town! At the end of the post I am going to ask your opinion about some kitchen faucets for the French Farmhouse!
Considered this antique French piece to use as a vanity base for a sink *but* it was only 27″ tall. Much too short for a sink!
The pictures from the cases below are from a fabulous booth… she always has the coolest small things!
I *may* have purchased these little lion statues. Ok I did purchase them. They are from France and probably from the 1940s, so not super old, but the shields they have on them display the Fleur de Lis!
I’ve been looking for an antique handmade quilt for my bed, but these did not quite fit the bill… maybe next time…
Love this little French shop in town, she carries both new and old items…
Well, I found a pair of sconces to go home with me… I think I will use these above the fireplace!
Oh boy, I’m tired, time for a chocolate break… (Aren’t these little chocolate and marzipan treats so cute?)
What’s this? A place full of Madeleine pots? Antique fountains and fun?
Hmmm, what color to choose to place around our little fountain? I envision a little French courtyard with what I’m calling the Orangerie but really it will have four pots around the fountain – one with lemon, one with lime, one with orange, and one with a satsuma tree! I think this dark green would look best with these little trees in them, don’t you think?
But this color is cool too. Do you spy all of the vintage/antique garden follies?
Oh, and I purchased this. Yes it’s a picture of a picture but it was in pieces in the shop. I’m going to cut off the top (the horror!) and put a marble top with a sink in it! I know wood colored wood is totally out but I don’t care I love this French piece!
We walked around the Portland International Rose Garden… one of my favorite places in the city.
This bee was totally asleep in this pretty rose…
A sailboat having a nice Summer day on the Columbia River…
Oooh, La La! Dessert? NO! This is breakfast!
You see, *these* are the desserts…
I have also been searching for the kitchen sink faucet. Found these three I really liked. I obviously like bridge faucets. I think we will go with either polished nickel or polished chrome. I think I am leaning towards polished nickel because it is a little warmer. I thought I would go with the trendy brass color but then I haven’t seen one in person that I have liked, so I don’t know about that now.
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As you may or may not know, I grew up in the suburbs of Portland, Oregon. One thing we did almost every weekend in the Summer was to go on a hike. One of my FAVORITE hikes is the Multnomah Falls – Wahkeena Falls loop hike. It is located in the scenic Columbia River Gorge
If you love waterfalls, then this hike is for you! There are officially 8 named waterfalls but the numerous little falls that “don’t count” as you hike your way up and down Multnomah creek and Wahkeena creek.
Multnomah Falls!
For my trip, I started at Multnomah Falls (mainly because there is a bathroom stop there). Multnomah Falls is Oregon’s tallest waterfall, falling 620 feet. Only 3 waterfalls in the whole US are taller!
a snail friend
You start at the Multnomah Falls parking lot (get there early otherwise there will be no parking!). Just follow the crowds to the bridge… then keep going. You go up a whole bunch of switchbacks and you will end up at the top of Multnomah Falls. Years ago you used to be able to look right over the cliff but someone committed suicide there so the viewpoint is now a ways back from the cliff.
Dutchman Falls
Now at the top of the falls, continue on the Larch Mountain trail. You follow along Multnomah creek past a whole bunch of bigger and smaller waterfalls. It is so pretty!
Weisendanger Falls
You then will come to Wahkeena Trail #420, heading to the right. Go to the right! You will climb uphill through a ferny forest. Although there is no waterfall, it is really pretty!
pretty ferny forest, sorry for blurry iPhone picture
You will end up at a 3-way junction. Go straight. The trail will go downhill and reach intersection for Angel’s rest trail #415. If you want to see Wahkeena Spring, head further up only 0.1 miles. I highly recommend doing that! This is no ordinary spring! It is literally a creek just flowing out from underground.
Wahkeena Falls
steep switchbacks. Can you count how many? there are 4.
Now, turn around and head back down. You will follow Wahkeena creek down the mountain. You will meet another stream coming into Wahkneea Creek at Fairy Falls. This waterfall is so pretty! If you need to cool off, sit on the log bench or stand in the mist of the waterfall.
Fairy Falls!
Continue on downhill, enjoying the sights and sounds of Wahkeena creek.
Wahkeena Creek
You will eventually reach some switchbacks and find yourself at the base of Wahkeena Falls.
Continue down the paved trail to the road. Follow the return trail #442 eastward back to the Multnomah Falls parking lot. This section is next to the Scenic Highway. Do not walk on the road, you will get hit by a RV!
base of Wahkeena Falls
The trail is 5 miles long. The elevation gain is 1600 feet and it is moderately difficult.
To get to the hike, head east on I-84 from Portland. Take exit 31, the Multnomah Falls exit. Do not leave any valuables in your car!
For a more scenic route, I highly recommend taking the historic Columbia River Scenic Highway. Take it at exit 22, Corbett. Travel 3 miles up the hill to the top were the road makes a “Y”. Go left and head east on the Scenic Highway. Multnomah Falls is 10 miles East.
To see Wahkeena Springs just come bubbling out from the ground, check out this pretty video!
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I travel frequently and I thought I would share my guide about what to pack in your carry-on luggage bag.
I find that keeping these items in your carry-on makes you flight much more pleasant! This guide works for both domestic and international trips.
What to pack for vacation in your carry-on luggage bag
Nº 1 // Noise canceling headphones – I *highly* recommend noise canceling headphones, especially for your 12 hour flights. I have them both. I like the earbuds because they are less bulky (and the case is smaller too) and don’t mess up my hair. The over-the-ear noise canceling headphones work better than the earbuds, have nicer sound quality and are nicer for longer flights. Either way, it is up to you and your preference!
Nº 2 // Hair brush – 12 hours is a long time for your hair to look bad, especially in the dry environment . You are guaranteed to get sleepyhead after trying to snooze sitting straight up.
Nº 3 // Camera – you need to put your camera in your carry-on so it does not get lost or stolen in your checked bag. I have a GoPro camera and I cannot sing enough praise about it for a travel camera especially if you like to hike/do adventurous things. It is waterproof, you can take it surfing, snorkeling, swimming, hiking, biking.
Nº 4 // Hand cream – It’s really dry in the airplane. You will be wanting hand cream.
Nº 5 // Lip Balm – Your lips will get dry on the airplane.
Nº 6 // a Pen – You will need to fill out some customs papers at some point. Bring a pen!
Nº 7 // Granola bar – This is nice to have because you never know when you’ll need some sustenance. I am loving the Kind bars right now.
Nº 8 // Water bottle – I usually just buy one in the airport, that way if I’m desperate for space on the way home I can toss it. However, you can also bring your own!
Nº 9 // iPad – The iPad has everything I need… books, movies, music, and a notepad to jot down thoughts. I read my travel books on this on the way to the location I’m headed to.
Nº 10 // Keys – Don’t forget your house and car keys! Get this bluetooth key finder keychain if you tend to lose your keys like me!
Nº 11 //Make up bag – Trust me, you’ll want to do some touching on before landing so keep your make up organized in a chic make up bag.
Nº 12 // Hand sanitizer – Airplanes are full of germs. You’ll feel better after using this, even if you washed your hands in the loo.
Nº 13 // Charging Essentials For your Electronics! – I recommend a portable power battery pack so that way your phone or smart device won’t die on long plane! Also, when you get to your hotel room you will probably only have about two plugs and so many things to charge. We use this USB multi port charger – it has two USB ports that charge faster, and is foldable and compact for travel and has UK and EU adapters as well! It is the best.
Nº 14 //Ear plugs – You will wish you had these when the screaming baby or chatty neighbor sits behind you on your twelve hour flight!
Nº 15 //Mint gum – Gum helps your ears pop in ascent/descent and gives you some fresh breath!
Nº 16 //Munchies – You will need something to munch on, as I’m sure you’ll either get hungry or bored. I like to bring dried fruit or popcorn as they fill the munchie need but don’t fill you with tons of extra calories.
Nº 17 //Blanket scarf – The temperature of the airplane varies too much. A blanket scarf is nice for those temperature fluctuations.
Nº 18 // Evian water spray – This Evian water spray is so nice and refreshing during a long flight!!
Nº 19 // Passport and wallet – If there’s one thing you *must* bring on international travel it is your passport. If you’re traveling overseas, you will want an anti RFID theft one because apparently over there in crowded spaces/subways/buses they will use little scanners and steal your credit card information from your chip credit card.
Nº 20 //Travel size perfume – You’ll want to reapply your perfume just before you get off of your flight.
Nº 21 //Travel bag – You need a bag big enough to fit all of this stuff in that fits under the seat in front of you! My FAVORITE bag is this expandable longchamp bag – I have both sizes this larger one and this smaller one. However I LOVE this non-expandable version too and actually will use it as my purse on travel!
Nº 22 //Eye mask – You will want this for when the person next to you leaves their reading light on the whole flight. I like this silk one or my favorite one here. Nº 23 // Toothbrush and toothpaste – So, 10 hours into your international flight, it is now suddenly morning time where you land and you realized you haven’t brushed your teeth in approx 24 hours. You’ll be glad you brought this!
Nº 24 //Slipper socks – I always take off my shoes while sitting in my chair on international travel and put slipper socks on over my regular socks. It keeps my toes warm… just make sure you put on your shoes before you start walking around the plane. You could take these foldable ballet flats which are super comfy and then you can wear them on your trip. They are so nice because they fold up perfectly into your carry on!
Nº 25 // Carry-on Suitcase – I personally travel an older version of this Tumi International Bag. My Father used to travel all of the time (seriously, 500k miles!) and the Tumi bag has survived! I seriously cannot sing enough praise about Tumi bags. They are expensive but worth the money. If you are mainly a domestic traveler, then this Tumi Domestic Carry On bag is GREAT as well ( have that one too!). The Rimowa Bags are extremely popular as well, but I don’t use them so I can’t give a review. Don’t know the difference between International and Domestic Bags? The international bags are slightly smaller and fit within the regulations of the European airlines!
Nº 26 // Jet Lag Mask – Since I’ve created this list, a brand new beauty mask came out this year and I cannot sing enough praises about it! It’s called the Jet Lag Mask and it is seriously FANTASTIC. Like if you had to buy one beauty thing to travel with it is this mask! It makes your dehydrated sorry looking airplane skin look amazing! It seriously did wonders to my face. The great part is you don’t have to rinse it off – you just wipe off the excess after 10 minutes.
Nº 27 // A Travel Pillow – On a really long flight it is nice to have an extra pillow besides the one they give you. There is this one that has 3000 reviews on Amazon, this one that is more like a scarf/wrap/pillow. My most recent trip I got these blocks that blow up – they seemed stupid at first but I LOVED them so much I am never going on an international flight again without them.
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Ever since watching one of my favorite tv shows, Unique Sweets, I have wanted to visit Salt & Straw Ice Creamery. Only problem was that they are only located in Portland, Oregon!!
On my Northwest Summer trip that I recently got back from, I stopped by Salt & Straw. First off, what a clever name. Like how ice cream used to be made: with salt and straw!
There was a long line out the door but it seemed to move pretty quickly. They let you sample several flavors, which is mainly why it takes so long.
image from huffington post
What’s so special about Salt & Straw’s ice cream?! Their unique flavors!
They have flavors like: Coconut with salted caramel bars. Pear with blue cheese. Coffee and bourbon. Cucumber and raspberry sorbet.
Grandma Malek’s Almond Brittle with Salted Ganache
I felt like I was a eating a candy bar with ice cream inside. The salted ganache was interesting. It helped overcome with sweetness of the almond brittle and the ice cream. But I couldn’t finish it all. (Usually I can finish ice cream no-problemo… don’t know if this is a plus or a minus!).
Sea Salt Ice cream with caramel ribbon
Sea Salt Ice Cream with Caramel Ribbon
This ice cream actually tasted like sea salt. The caramel is not salted. The ice cream has a very nice smooth texture. While the flavor combination was good, I felt like I was eating a savory dessert, which isn’t quite what I was looking for.
Birthday cakes and blackberries
Birthday Cakes and Blackberries
This one was my favorite. It was a frosting flavored ice cream with chunks of what seemed like sugar cookies in the ice cream, with blackberry swirls inside. Loved the blackberry swirls. This ice cream was very very sweet. I think either I need a smaller portion OR less cookie swirled inside.
Final Words
I felt like a lot of these ice cream flavors were more savory in nature. Like more of an after dinner dessert. They weren’t as refreshing as other mid-afternoon ice creams because of the saltiness and then also the extreme sweetness. I hate to say it, but sometimes I just like plain ol’ mint chocolate chip or vanilla. There’s a reason why they are bestsellers in America. I think next time I will actually go for their “Double Fold Singing Dog Vanilla”. I would give them another try and recommend at least trying them once.
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