Yesterday Chris and I went to the Portland Waterfront go see Kooza by Cirque du Soleil. It was a mind-blowing performance of acrobatics. The standout set for me was of three girls that bent and tangled in ways I didn't know the human body could move- I think they had vertebrates removed.
This morning when I checked out the website to find a picture of the gumby-girls I saw a tab for job opportunities. Now the idea is planted in my head to join the traveling cirque... Maybe the hula hoop lady could take me as an apprentice?
We caught the afternoon showing just-in-time to make happy hour at Oba! in The Pearl. What is better than fish tacos and blood orange margaritas on a warm Spring day? ... I can't think of much.
You're probably not shocked at this point that I have a new project! But, I am excited to bring it on... and I do enjoy a full plate!
I have a new site http://christinecollier.com focusing on my life of wine. Right now since all my free time is consumed in studying for my upcoming Sommelier exam, most of the posts will be sharing my newly gained wine knowledge with you.
The new site is definitely in its infancy, so bare with me on design and learning wordpress.org.
My work is hosting this contest and I wanted to make sure everyone knew about it!
Back by popular demand, Willamette Valley Vineyards is giving you the opportunity to win an all-expenses-paid trip to Oregon! We’re asking Pinot Noir lovers from around the country to tell us, in about 100 words, what they love about Oregon Pinot Noir. Our staff at the winery, from all departments, will choose their favorite entry and the winner will enjoy 4 days and 3 nights in the heart of Oregon wine country. Your trip will include great meals, great adventures, and of course, great wine.
Our Saturday project was to "de-ghettofy" our wine collection. Our original idea was to buy a standard metal rack, but they all seemed so sterile (our bottles deserved more). We came across these simple pine wine racks at Cost Plus World Market and figured a little "do-it-yourself" wouldn't hurt us.
Pencils and paper are packed! Wish me luck as I am traveling up to Seattle this weekend for my first Court of Master Sommelier exam. I will be spending two full days (8 a.m.- 5 p.m.) learning about wine and wine service and then take a 70-question exam on Monday.
About the Court of Master Sommeliers: Established in 1977 to promote excellence in hotel and restaurant beverage service. Though its members worldwide come from diverse backgrounds and experiences, they share a proven mastery of the art, science, and history that informs a sommelier's work.
- Caved into cravings and ate margarita pizza at 10:30 a.m.
- Organized my room while listening to a new iTunes playlist then reverted to some Fiona Apple
- Went on a Target shopping spree buying every hygiene/cosmetic item I swear I can't live without (and a few cute tanks)
- Indulged in more salty carbs
- Watched two indie romance movies (Peter and Vandy is good... other one was...meh)
- Drank more Diet Coke than water
- Took a cat nap in the afternoon sun
- Didn't answer my phone
- Promised myself I'd workout, but didn't feel guilty that I never got around to it
- Fought off temptations to go rescue a cat
- Browsed Etsy
And I did it all with unwashed hair and no makeup.... today was all I could have ever asked for :)
This weekend was the epitome of spontaneity and that means many blog posts are coming out of it.
On Friday we pulled up the schedule for the Ashland Independent Film Festival, saw a 12 o'clock showing, got in the car making it just in time to be let into the Varsity Theater to see Obselidia.
Synopsis: Believing he's the last door-to-door encyclopedia salesman in the world, George decides to write The Obselidia, a compendium of obsolete things. George believes that love, among other things, is obsolete. In his quest to document nearly extinct occupations, he befriends Sophie, a beautiful cinema projectionist who works at a silent movie theater. Sophie believe that nothing is obsolete as long as someone loves it. When they interview a reclusive scientist who predicts 80 percent of the world's population will be obliterated by irreversible climate change by the year 2100, the two must fact the question, if the world is going to disappear tomorrow, how are we going to live today?
I couldn't have written anything I agree with more than this review from Variety, "From the striking title cards to the beautifully composed visuals and unusual collected items that litter the protagonist's home, Obselidia has the look of a hand-crafted piece, something meticulously sculpted or painted in an artist's studio."
After the showing, Diane Bell, writer and first time director, got up in front of the audience for Q&A. Previously a yoga instructor in Barcelona, Diane moved to Los Angeles to pursue writing. After feeling dissatisfied writing Hollywood horror movies, Diane started working on Obselidia with inspiration from encyclopedias and climate change. Filmed in 17 days, on an extremely low budget of $500,000, and casting literally off the LA street, Obselidia was a Sundance Film Festival selection. This showing in Ashland is only the second festival the movie has been involved in, but plans to participate in film festivals in Texas, Florida, and in Diane's home of Edinburgh, Scotland are next up for the indie film. Hopefully the film gets picked up so more can enjoy its message, but if not, Diane and her husband, Chris Bryne, talked about taking the film a more viral route.
While leaving the theater, a woman asked me what movie I saw and I responded with my favorable recommendation of Obselidia and how impressed I was with my first visit to the film festival. She too saw the film and said it was movies like that which bring her back year after year to the Ashland Independent Film Festival. Next year, attending the film festival will not be a spontaneous event in my Friday, but rather a planned out trip to catch as many wonderful films as I can.
Obselidiawill have one last showing at the festival tonight at 6 p.m. I cannot urge you enough to go see it. For more information go to http://www.ashlandfilm.org/.
If you miss its last showing tonight, or want to follow Obselidia success, join the facebook fan page.
As I am stuck inside ALL day working on my final projects, I have found myself dreaming of tangerine. Maybe it is because I want to see a light at the end of the tunnel...
Tonight my mom and I laid out the squares for the quilt she is making me. Isn't it beautiful? This will be a really sentimental piece, especially being of my mom's creation. I will cherish the heck out of it. We shopped for the fabrics together and after searching and searching, found this cheery collection in McMinnville. The tomato/rosy red really pops against the antique tans and creams.
There hasn't been much excitement at my house tonight. Just reading, writing, and cranking out school assignments. But, then as if the gods knew I needed a laughing break, my boyfriend crossed his legs and ripped his pants! Now I have been laughing for 5 minutes straight. Highlight of my day.
Last night was the Grand Awards for the 2010 DECA State Conference. All the students dress up to celebrate the end of the conference and anxiously await to see how their projects did. The night started off hot with six of the kids earning trips to Nationals in their series events. Then, a girl who wrote a 30-page Public Relations manual got 1st place in her event. Most shocking of all was that Klamath Union DECA got Chapter of the Year! Chapter of the Year is the best award you can win as a chapter. With only 20 students this year (last year there were almost double that), we never thought we would beat out chapters with over 150 members! After the awards, the kids, their parents and advisors took pictures then we go back to the chapter's headquarters for a closing meeting.
The meetings are always emotional with the students reminising over their time in DECA, the passion for the projects, and the relationships they have made. Last night their wasn't a dry eye in the room. For 3 hours we cry, we hug, we laugh, and we support each other. The seniors always talk about how thankful they are they joined DECA and how it is the best thing they have ever been involved in. I sat their last night and felt so inspired by these kids. How common is it in life to see mediocre people, and here I am in a room of 15-18 year olds being truly moved by how amazing they are. And not just by winning, but by being a team. It is crazy to think, but I have participated in or helped DECA for 9 years, been on numerous sports teams and associations, but I have never seen a better example of a team than the past three days. The kids supported each other and genuinely cared for how the other students in the chapter competed. All of us pulled long hours each night cooperatively benefitting each other. When a member of our chapter got on stage we all jumped up in enthusiasm and cheered at the top of our lungs. Other schools were envious- it was that awesome.
On a more personal note, last night was probably the first time I have ever felt more proud of the kid's accomplishments than of my own when I was competing. It was an incredible feeling and one that I look forward to experiencing. I came to work with Klamath Union DECA in a very unconventional way. I didn't go to high school there, but yet I am consider it my chapter. My mentor in high school went to teach there and I followed his work returning each year to work with the students on their business plans. Someone did that for me and I want to do that for these students.
There are about 220,000 high school students that do DECA annually. 1,200 compete at the Oregon State Conference and about 13,000 will be at nationals in a few months. It is an amazing organization.
Here are the kids on stage with their accomplishments:
I got home this evening welcomed by a nice sized package on the kitchen counter addressed to me! When does that ever happen? I gracefully opened it to find the goodies for my upcoming wine country getaway! If you recall I was awarded this $2,000 trip by winning the Oregon Wine Board's Photography Contest back in September. I got to choose how to spend my winnings and this is what the weekend will look like:
2 Nights at The Allison Inn & Spa
1 Hot Air Balloon Adventure
Dinner at The Joel Palmer House
Dinner at The Painted Lady
Additional money for wine
My boyfriend and I are going on March 19th during our Spring Breaks! I am the luckiest girl in all the land :)
I doubt I was the only one that teared up watching the new version of "We Are the World." But, I am wishing they would have taken at least $100,000 out of the Olympic Opening Ceremony production budget to help the Haitians.
The love of learning about obscure things is a similarity my boyfriend and I share. A few months back Phrenology, the 1800s brain science study of the relationships between skull shape and a person's character, popped into the conversation. How coincidental that while he was gift hunting for me that he found this Phrenology model at Urban Outfitters!
Doesn't everyone love getting special deliveries in the mail? My boyfriend's grandpa sent me a gift of gold chains for my birthday! He is quite the character. When we visited him last summer he kept giving me gifts left and right. These nine gold chain necklesses and five gold chain bracelets are joining the collection of similar size he give me last summer. Isn't he adorable. Like I said, soon I will be Mr. T. :)
Here he is smoozing with the University of New Mexico cheerleading squad on his 80th birthday!
I am the newest Portland Wine Examiner! I will be writing about a variety of wine topics, including events, reviews, and recommendations of Oregon wine. Of course, a lot of my articles will be focusing on spreading the love of Southern Oregon wine, as it is my personal mission. :) I have five articles currently posted along with my bio. If you become a subscriber, you will be notified when I post new articles and you will be contributing to my bank account (or wine buying account)!
Thanks for all your support!
I can't believe I am posting this picture, but if you can't laugh at yourself...
I almost feel sorry for my co-workers and boyfriend today as I blabbered on and on about my obsession with this Anthropologie hand-carved mobile. You can see why- its gorgeous! Sadly, it is sold out, but I found one similar.
Flock of Sparrows. That wasn't mean to be for me.
Driftwood swallows swoop and dive beneath curved branches. That I want want want want.
Soon, I will have a place to decorate to my little heart's desire and I am loving these bird influences.
Thanks to Carey at CorksandCaftans for sharing her mobile, so I could go gaga.
After I watched Amelie for the first time last month, Audrey Tautou is now on my list of girl crushes- joining the likes of Penelope Cruz and Zooey Deschanel!
Audrey is as-cute-as-a-button and I am so envious of her honor of playing Coco Chanel in the movie Coco Before Chanel.
One look at Audrey's wardrobe and it was obvious she cares about fashion. Her street style is easy and careless mostly wearing jeans, black blazers, and flats. But, she knows how to pump it up on the carpet with girly dresses and fun hemlines.
Pencils and paper are packed! Wish me luck as I am traveling up to Seattle this weekend for my first Court of Master Sommelier exam. I will be spending two full days (8 a.m.- 5 p.m.) learning about wine and wine service and then take a 70-question exam on Monday.
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Synopsis: Believing he's the last door-to-door encyclopedia salesman in the world, George decides to write The Obselidia, a compendium of obsolete things. George believes that love, among other things, is obsolete. In his quest to document nearly extinct occupations, he befriends Sophie, a beautiful cinema projectionist who works at a silent movie theater. Sophie believe that nothing is obsolete as long as someone loves it. When they interview a reclusive scientist who predicts 80 percent of the world's population will be obliterated by irreversible climate change by the year 2100, the two must fact the question, if the world is going to disappear tomorrow, how are we going to live today?
After the showing, Diane Bell, writer and first time director, got up in front of the audience for Q&A. Previously a yoga instructor in Barcelona, Diane moved to Los Angeles to pursue writing. After feeling dissatisfied writing Hollywood horror movies, Diane started working on Obselidia with inspiration from encyclopedias and climate change. Filmed in 17 days, on an extremely low budget of $500,000, and casting literally off the LA street, Obselidia was a Sundance Film Festival selection. This showing in Ashland is only the second festival the movie has been involved in, but plans to participate in film festivals in Texas, Florida, and in Diane's home of Edinburgh, Scotland are next up for the indie film. Hopefully the film gets picked up so more can enjoy its message, but if not, Diane and her husband, Chris Bryne, talked about taking the film a more viral route.
I got home this evening welcomed by a nice sized package on the kitchen counter addressed to me! When does that ever happen? I gracefully opened it to find the goodies for my upcoming wine country getaway! If you recall I was awarded this $2,000 trip by winning the Oregon Wine Board's Photography Contest back in September. I got to choose how to spend my winnings and this is what the weekend will look like:
One look at Audrey's wardrobe and it was obvious she cares about fashion. Her street style is easy and careless mostly wearing jeans, black blazers, and flats. But, she knows how to pump it up on the carpet with girly dresses and fun hemlines.
I have so many aspirations for our relationship including leisurely rides, sustainable transportation, Tour de Vinos, and things like this:
