My Inspiration as of Late.

Hopefully it strikes with you as well.

Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the roublemakers, the round pegs in a square hole, the ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them, because they change things. They push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who'll do it. - Apple, Inc. 9/27/1997

Snuggle Wuggle

I have proudly owned my snuggie for two weeks now. I saw this commercial tonight and the corniness of it was off-the-charts. I had to share! I know when I put on my snuggie I want to 'raise the roof' just like the family in the commercial!

Here is my 92 year-old Grandpa modeling my snuggie on Thanksgiving. Hehehe. He is such a good sport.

Dandelion dreams

All I can say is... today might have been the best day of my life. I feel so empowered and GIDDY! I remember as a young girl walking in a field, picking up a dandelion, closing my eyes, and making a BIG wish. I think all those wishes are coming true.

My First Photography Print!

LOOK! It is my first photograph to be printed (and on such a large scale)!! This photograph of Willamette Valley Vineyards is hanging in the new Willamette Valley Vineyards Wine Center in McMinnville. It is massive, as in 6 ft. wide! Sorry this photo of the photo isn't great, I blame it on some shaky cam I had going on from all my excitement. Go check it out for yourself... pretty please. :)

One Perfect Autumn Day

A few Sundays ago we went out to Piluso Vineyards, a beautifully quaint setting, and this is what happened. This is also a tribute to my boyfriends favorite jeans that just ripped and are deemed unfixable after hours of me trying. :)

I am a little concerned over the picture quality. I think I need to stop using blogger to upload my photos.

Pumpkins After Halloween?! Oh my.

I have this theory that my mom feels so bad for gifting to me the curse of bad skin that she insists on having me try any type of skin treatment she hears of (I can recall the last one using apple cider vinegar...). The latest one consists of pumpkin pulp and sour cream. You mix up the concoction and apply it to your skin for 20 minutes. The sour cream works to open your pours if I remember right and the pumpkin is the astringent. Apparently it was the rave of some doctors on the news. Crazy combination if you ask me, but after day two it either works or I am fully fooled into the placebo effect. The first two nights I noticed it drew up a whole bunch of grossness to the surface and now it is reducing blotchiness and minimizing my pores.

But, what happens when pumpkins aren't in season anymore?

A picture is worth a thousand frustrations

This is me right now. Thanks to A Beautiful Revolution.

Being Crafty with Corks!

Two girls at work found this lovely cork wreath online. I am going to put my craftiness to work and recreate it soon. Soon as in, as soon as I can drink enough wine to have a hefty supply of corks!

You could also go to the original website and buy one, but that wouldn't be as fun now would it?

http://www.sterlingwineonline.com/catalog/item/wreaths/everyday-cork-wreath.htm

Drum Roll Please...

A few weeks ago I confessed that I had a "huge work project going on." And finally I am allowed to tell you what it is all about! I don't even know how I was able to keep it under wraps for this long. My record in keeping secrets is not-so-great, just ask my brother who knew every gift he was getting for Christmas and his birthday. Anyways, I have so much excitement for this project. It has been a blast to work on and I have full confidence that everyone who visits will be just as impressed.

Drum roll please....

McMinnville’s Downtown Historic District will soon be the home to a brand new business! It’s the brainchild of Jim Bernau, the founder and CEO of Willamette Valley Vineyards, and one of his employees, Meg Murray.

Always a man brimming over with innovative ideas, Bernau put together the state’s only stockholder-owned and financed winery operation in 1988. He then built it into the third largest winery in Oregon with distribution in all 50 states and seven foreign countries.

His latest venture, The Willamette Valley Vineyards Wine Center, combines elements that could only have been conceived by someone wearing the hats of both entrepreneur and industry booster.

Scheduled to open on Saturday, Nov. 21, at 300 N.E. Third St., the center is designed around “sustainability” — a commitment that runs deep in the Oregon wine industry.

Murray said they decided to locate in McMinnville because it is the perfect place to begin a wine adventure. She will manage a staff of eight, offering tasting, sales, interpretive displays and detailed information about North Willamette Valley wine country touring, lodging and dining.

Visitors will be able to take advantage of a concierge-style service wherein employees suggest possible touring alternatives, assist in planning itineraries, help make reservations and arrange appointments.

The center’s interpretive element sets it apart from other retail outlets. Visitors will be able to view displays explaining the region’s geology, complete with samples of actual soil types.

Enlargements of American Viticultural Area maps will give them a comprehensive perspective of key growing areas, as well as the extent and specific locations of vineyard development within them.

Bernau said they intend to explore the long-term potential of the Willamette Valley’s wine future. Within the super-AVA’s 3.3-milllion-acre boundaries, more than 100,000 still unplanted acres have been identified as well-suited to winegrapes.

That fact, along with all the attributes that brought Oregon’s wine pioneers here in the late 1960s and early 1970s, will be conveyed within the Center’s 2,800 square feet of floor space. Fittingly reflecting the fundamental “green” theme, the flooring itself is made from recycled cork.

On the left, as you walk through the front entrance, a large wall will feature a 9-by-5-foot area upon which will be projected ever-changing, wine country images, including photographs by Carolyn Wells-Kramer and award-winning photographer and author Janis Miglavs.

One particularly impressive feature is a 19-foot-long table designed to seat 20 people for formal tastings.
The massive wooden piece was custom made for the space out of reclaimed poplar.

The central focus, of course, will be on the local industry’s ecologically sensitive practices, including LIVE and Salmon Safe, as well as the values and benefits of organics and biodynamics. Though primarily concentrating on the North Willamette Valley, staff members will also be prepared to provide information on the industry statewide.

At any given time, as many as a dozen tastes of selected wines will be available from Willamette Valley Vineyards’ current portfolio. Tasting options will be divided into three categories- complimentary tasting, reserve tasting and comparative flight tasting.

Isn't it great? From 19' reclaimed wood table to 126" screen projecting incredible Oregon wine photography, it will surely display the Oregon wine industry impeccably. I am putting together the photography show next week and the pictures are so much more than your regular vineyard landscapes. Carolyn Wells-Kramer of CWK Photography put together a collection of emotionally stimulating images that feature winemakers, vineyard workers, and Harvest activities. It will amaze you! Oh, and make sure to check out the window display I created today (then tell me how much you love it-haha).

Okay, no more details! You will just have to check it out yourself! The Willamette Valley Vineyards Wine Center will be open 7 days a week from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm with the GRAND OPENING taking place on November 21st & 22nd. Come enjoy complimentary tastings. I hope to see you there!

http://www.newsregister.com/blogentry/41998-wine+center+opening+downtown+mcminnville

Is it Odd...

That I:

* Didn't sneeze for over two years? Then asked the Doctor if I can a health condition?

* Can shop for hours, try everything on in each store, yet come home with nothing?

* Can remember every phone number or date ever told to me?

* I twitch my feet until I fall asleep at night?

* Hate video games, but can't come up with strong arguments over why?

* Wake up early to take a bath then crawl back into bed to read my daily news and blogs?

* Hate washing my hair?

* Bought a Diabetes testing supply kit when I heard I had some of the symptoms?

* Can't read more than 6 pages out of my textbooks in one sitting?

* Am addicted to looking at wedding blogs even though I am not ansy to have one?

* Would rather spend the night writing business plans than go out?

* Love working out, but absolutely despise running outside?

* Get deathly hungry right after I eat breakfast?

* My closest is organized by color and style, but my dresser is just a hot mess?

* Still hum the Rihanna song Disturbia at least once a week?

* Will not eat unmelted cheese? Ever. Ever. Ever.

Still think I am normal?

What makes you normal?

Thank you Kelly of Just A Girl in the City for this fabulous idea!