A Day Berry Picking: Sauvie Island Farms

My friend Lauren and I both had the day off and we decided to head to Sauvie Island Farms to spend the early afternoon getting us some berries. Apparently I've been living under a rock because in the 19 years I've been in Oregon, I haven't once been here to pick berries. Granted, my parents had a pretty nice sized urban garden and I spent many a summer day picking the green beans, lettuce, and raspberries in our backyard. However, going to a huge island with an over abundance of fruit and vegetables to hand pick…it pretty much confirmed my desire to live on a farm. 

We loaded up our wagons with the buckets and bowls we brought and headed out. 

First stop: the Blueberries.

Oh yeah..did anyone know that cabbage grew like this? No idea! They were seriously 3 feet wide.

We pretty much picked one of the hottest days of the week to go and be berry pickers, but it was worth it. Sitting, talking, picking, and eating our way down the rows. It was so beautiful to see fruit in it's natural state. Definitely made me appreciate just going to the store to pick up a quart of berries. 

Between us we picked about 6 gallons of blueberries. They were delicious. 

We headed down the path to the Marionberries. These were definitely a labor of love. 

 We finished by the peach trees. I came out with some of the largest peaches I've ever laid my hands on. 

This place not only had fruit till your heart (and hands) were content, but had everything from broccoli, beets, and peppers, to dill, rosemary, and flowers. The Dahlias were so beautiful.

Even though it was hot and tiring, the 4 hours out in the sun was totally worth it. Walking back to the car I couldn't help myself to want to pick more and more. There was so much goodness just screaming to be picked! 

I am so glad we went and I know this will be a summer tradition from now on. I might just have to grow my own mini farm!

To berries for days,

xo leah

Birthday Bash 24

My twin sister and I turned 24 this past weekend. Because the time allowed for it, a few of my friends and I decided to take the trek up north to visit and celebrate together.  

We started the weekend separately as I celebrated with a few of my closest friends and brother in Portland. We had dinner and drinks at Henry's Tavern and ended the night with Karaoke at the Boiler Room. It was such a fun night, and I don't think I've stayed out that late since NYE…

On Saturday morning two of my girlfriends and I headed up to Seattle to meet sister. 

Our first stop was Juicebox. A seriously delicious cafe that leaves you feeling healthy + full. I had the Beet, Apple, Ginger juice which left me wanting to head straight to Macy's to grab myself a juicer.

The little cafe had some serious decor that left us talking about all the plans we had for our own spaces. Cute, simple, clean, and green. 

After lunch we headed to Pike's Market for the obligatory market experience. We wandered and tasted our way around the shops. My sister and I got matching little rings as birthday presents to each other. They were dainty and quite perfect. 

We each got a bit of Olive Oil and Vinegar, after taking some vinegar shots, at Sotto Voce. I've said this before on here, the best olive oils I've had at the best prices. After taking said vinegar shots we of course had to stop at Beecher's Cheese to have a few too many bites of the curds. We walked around downtown for a bit longer before heading to my sister's to relax before the night. 

Before going to her place though she showed us her favorite little spot to enjoy some "seattle beach". The photo below summed up our time there. Me: Let's take more photos Sister: oh my goodness, always photos. Sorry sis, you love me still. 

Once at home we relaxed for bit before getting our glam on and heading out for the night. 

I seriously have some beautiful friends and when I get them around, all of us together, I can't help myself but make them model for me. 

There is something about photos that I love. Capturing a moment in time that I can so quickly forget. I love photos. And friends that oblige me...well I love them even more. 

My sister Bekah. My other half of a woman. She isn't afraid to go for it. Put her heart on the line. She's adventurous and can't stop dreaming of how to make her life full. She's talented and a hard worker. Admirable. Beautiful. She pushes me to live healthier. She shows me how to be more present. 

 My friend Pam. Beautiful, inside & out. She has a heart of gold. She lives her life perfectly in toe with how I want to be. She's bold. Kind. Adventurous. Giving. Always thinking of how she can help the other person. She is an amazing dancer. Amazing. And is the creator of most of the photos on this page.  

My friend Lauren. The creative one. The dreamer. The friend that is ready to do what it takes to help you. She's her own woman, confident in herself. Knows where she stands. Reliable. Honest. Eloquent with her words and her life. 

These two blessed my weekend by being apart of the memories we made. They were down for whatever the weekend brought and made sure Bekah and I felt like true birthday-girls. Friends like these, you find once in your life. When you do, you hold onto them tightly. 

My turn at "best Top-Model Pose" .

We started the night at Tallulah's. This little gem was just that. Fancy enough to entertain our need to dress up and have an evening out while at the same time a perfect spot for a lunch with your mom. The place had a bar, inside seating, and a spot for outside dining. We started at the bar tasting our way through Lemonades and Royal Scandals.  We sat and drank and chatted until the rest of the party arrived. 

Once everyone arrived our friends indulged us in the perfect game for our twin celebration. The Newlywed Game but geared toward us being twin sisters. We had to answer questions about each other that ranged from "If Leah has a daughter, what would her name be?" to "What is Bekah's celebrity & actor crush?" Seeing how many we got right made us realize how close we really were. It seriously was the funnest game I've played in a while. Perfect for the night. 

The meld of woman who were there was absolutely perfect. Even though I didn't have all my Portland girls, the two that came made the night. It was fun getting to know everyone and to hear each other's stories. It was neat to see what all we had in common and at the same time hear how different each one of us are. 

We finished the meal and headed to Barca and then to Amber to dance the night away. Like I mentioned before, Pam is an a-maz-ing dancer. It was so incredible to watch her kill it on the dance floor. And my friend Lauren, well she took the term dancing #selfie to a whole new level. 

After tiring our feet out we headed to Rocco's for a slice of pizza to go. The next day we slept in, had breakfast at a very French cafe called Le Pichet, and antiqued around. 

This weekend was seriously good for the soul. It is always so wonderful to visit with my sister. Be together and just enjoy in each other's company. To have our friends, all together, just made the time even more enjoyable. Starting off year # 24 in a bang! I am excited for the more adventures we all get to have. Having a girl's weekend like this made me appreciate how important they are.  I don't have them often but things are going to change around here. Weekends like this one are a most more this year.

Here's to birthdays, being a twin, and girl time.

xo leah

Moments captured by the very talented Pamela Montanez

Thank you Pam for capturing this time I never want to forget. You are a treasure.