♥ Spending quality time with Daigoro while her human mommy was away in Las Vegas

♥ A birthday dinner for my baby brother at Ulla / a beautiful mug made by my friend Renee Sala

♥  The best Royal Wedding mug I have ever seen, a gift from Tina Athena (bless my friends for buying me royalty knick knacks, but lawd, my collection is starting to verge on crazy)

♥  A package covered in cloth and stamps from India, containing tea, soap, a colourful scarf and Party Time natural hangover relief pills, via darling Julychka

♥  The fabulous cookie spread, hot spiced cider and complimentary bourbon at the Clarence House Christmas Party

♥  Guests at our Christmas party / singing at the Kingsgate Chorus Christmas concert

♥ Soaring over Vancouver like a boss (with Tony Parsons!!) on the Helijet en route to Victoria

♥ Cookie swap party at Natasha’s grand old James Bay apartment

♥ Art on the sidewalks of Victoria

♥ SANDWICHES!!!!

I hope this champ doesn’t mind a tardy birthday shout-out. I meant to post this on Wednesday (her actual birthday) and forgot! So here it goes.

Dear Laura: You’re the best in so many ways; the best roomie, the best bird mommy, the best pretend-fighter, the best personal bully, etc, etc. I’m blown away by your strength (physically AND mentally) and your humour and your straight talk and your perpetually toned arms. Thanks for always humouring me. Let’s hang in the kitchen soon!! Love you poopy. Happy birthday!

Oh-so-handsome, oh-so-funny, he always knows how to make me laugh and when to give me straight up advice. He can hunt a deer (his freezer is always stocked with game) and knows the words to all the good Rhianna songs. Never turns down a dance party or a chance to get into the great outdoors. He knows every invertebrate on the coast and can make an apartment feel like home in under 24 hours. He’ll row you in a boat in Spain or Louisiana (or let you row him, he’s an equal opportunity kind of guy). He was the first boy to take a chance on me and even though that didn’t exactly work out, we’re gonna be rowdies for life.

Happy Birthday Kevin! Keep on bein’ ROWDY!

Sometimes it feels like all we do when in Portland is EAT. Not that I have a problem with that! This trip was no different, we ate fabulous meals all over town, thanks to Anja’s always helpful recommendations and some thorough research by Jordan.

I had adorable Scandinavian open-faced sandwiches at Broder, savoury Moroccan hash at Tasty n Sons and a rich, delicious southern benny at The Country Cat. We mixed and matched dishes at Clyde Common (where we were somewhat disappointed not to sit at a communal table!) and ate burritos and thai noodles from the food carts.

There were tasty drinks at Central, a “secret speakeasy”, where I met the OTHER Rachel and her boyfriend Alex. Both were super nice and Rachel and I discovered we are both R.A.R.s!

Birthday dinners happened at Henry’s, where we were treated to some free birthday ice cream, and at our favourite Portland restaurant, Screen Door, where we were joined by Lauren and Jillian and Adam, and from Vancouver, Laura and Tyler. It was a three birthday celebration! Later Lauren and Jillian took us to their neighbourhood haunt, The Spare Room, which was unlike anything I have ever seen. I really loved the band fronted by an uber-confident Sue Slyvester-lookalike and the carefree vibe that permeated the wood-paneled room.

Of course, no trip to Portland is complete without a trip to a Stumptown Coffee! Jordan brought home a bag of beans for our friends to enjoy at future brunches.

I’ve made some changes around here! A new layout so my photos aren’t so darn tiny anymore. This one features… me. I went a little crazy in the photo booth at the Ace Hotel in Portland this past weekend. Whose bright idea was it to add a “tap” credit card feature?! So easy to just tap and snap.

My age has also changed since my last post. Sunday was my 28th birthday. Jordan and I spent it driving home from Portland, had Screen Door fried chicken for dinner and a hearty nap. In my opinion, the most interesting person born on February 13 is Jerry Springer and the most interesting to have died on the same date was Catherine Howard, the young English queen executed by Henry VIII for adultery.

Milkshake from Lucy’s Diner. Oreo flavour!

I’m down in Portland right now to celebrate the birthdays of myself and my dear boyfriend Jordan. His is today! For two days my boyfriend is an older man than me. Happy birthday Jordan! So happy to spend another one with you.