Dry Farmed

Hey look! I’m proud of my garden patch over here on Sumner Street, especially the tomato plants. I tried a technique we used in Santa Cruz called dry farming- a seemingly harsh watering approach used almost exclusively with tomato plants. When you put the starts in the ground you give them a deep watering- 12 hours on a trickle. After that nothing. No water all summer long. The result is a compact little bush weighed down with a zillion tomatoes. And the flavor is amazing- sweet and concentrated and not at all diluted by water. Kinda fun to see how well the plants can handle the sun and heat. They don’t seem to mind one bit.

In the foreground is a little patch of carrots protected from the menacing cats with chicken wire.

Five and Dime

This is totally nerdy and insignificant but aren’t these shoes the best!? I just went to get some coffee at The Waypost cafe down the street and stopped in to the new five and dime next door. They have the best stuff! I got these vintage boot/shoes, a pair of clear jellies, a transparent navy blue polka dot button-up shirt, and a heathery wool derby hat all for under $40 bucks!

But it might not be for everyone. Bello didn’t find anything that he liked.

Just Right

San Francisco. Yes, he’s got it.

Pickathon

This past weekend my sister and I attended the glorious Pickathon music festival on Pendarvis farm in Portland. It was so fun! I am not one for music festivals and this was great, great, great. It was small and human- run by like three fellas and a bunch of volunteers who, like us, were “working” in order to listen to amazing music and lay in the meadow. Our booth, along with the four other non-food booths (see how small!), lined the top of the field in which three of the five stages were located. So while we sold Filly dresses and Feeleez buttons and games, we also got to listen to and watch live music that we love. Camping, dresses, music, and Nat / Echo- I could not have asked for anything more.

Market

Twice a week I work the Springhill Farm stand at the Portland Farmer’s Market. I earn enough to almost pay for my berry expenditures. We are a vegetable stand and I get to take home MOUNDS of potatoes, tomatoes, greens, and garlic, basil and parsley for homemade pesto. The other day I made a cilantro “pesto”- just cilantro, parsley, garlic, olive oil and pumpkin seeds. Super good and light.

The Park

Leila Elliott. We grew up two blocks from each other and now live ten blocks from each other. She is odd in the good way. Recent convert to an all-Filly wardrobe. Naturally bleached-blond. Potentially a bad-ass bike-riding companion. Peace-core volunteer. Spanish major. Single. But not for long.

She joined me for my evening routine of watching beautiful African men play soccer at Irving Park. I sit on the hill with my seam-ripper and clothes from the collection and admire the players while Bello chews on sticks. I like to wear a dress and tan sandals and imagine I am someone with an accent. Bare shoulders, bare legs and white clothing on my lap as the light fades cause me to fall in love with myself.

Blueberry

(picking ripe blueberries outside the trailer)

And so now I have free time, and it is kinda overwhelming. I’m trying to remember what I do with myself when I am not working. It is also a strangely sad time for me as well. My life still feels different and foreign in this new city and without long-time friends at my side-and when I am not working, I am more aware of this state of starting over. Sometimes I am frustrated at being such an emotionally slow mover.

PHEW!

I finished Spring 09! It is out of my hands and in a precious box heading to the East Bay for “official sample manufacture”. I hope it looks good. This was the largest collection I have made- 21 pieces. And this is for spring  only, there will be another separate collection for summer. I am in talks with Tracey my rep and a Portland-based belt maker about collaborating on a Filly belt to go along with the dresses. Should be cool. And the colors are nice- yes, I did use sea foam blue but it is closer to a cucumber. Mostly it just feels amazing to be done.

Enough Said

I wish I had her hair. Oh, and her coat. And shoes. And probably her dress if I could see it.

Day’s Market

(Laurie Longenecker)

All of Santa Cruz smells like the sea. Even miles from the shore the ocean asserts itself- salty and bigger than you.

I didn’t know this when I lived there but I realize it now.