Happy and Blessed Easter!  Hubs is working today so I get to spend the day pottering about and just doing whatever I wish.  No big Easter dinner to have to hassle over!  I do like that!!  

The hubs and I have differing days off so we love when we get a day together.  We got that when I had a doctor appointment scheduled in Portland on his day off.  After the appointment and a clean bill of health, I wanted to celebrate.  Hubs has not seen a lot of Portland yet so it is fun to share things I know with him.  I chose the Grotto as he had not seen it.  We were both born Catholic so I knew he could appreciate the sanctity, serenity, and rich symbolism of the Grotto.  I have been going to the Grotto since I was a child and it never fails to take my breath away and inspire me!

 

After visiting the cathedral and the grounds below, we headed to the elevator and up into the Grotto proper.

The Grotto is so beautiful!  Home to the Servite Order it is dedicated to Our Sorrowful Mother.  To learn more about this amazing place visit http://www.thegrotto.org  After a refreshing two hours wandering around the Grotto, we were both refreshed and starved!  

We have both heard so much about Voodoo Doughnuts but neither of us had ever visited there.  A Portland Icon it is located downtown and heck I never need an excuse to head downtown Portland!  There was a line and we understand this is normal.  Now I am not a donut fan so I can not be a fair judge…..hubs got a fritter and I got a maple bar and I was sorely unimpressed.  The place is really interesting, the marketing brilliant, but the product left a lot to be desired.  Andy’s in College Place kicks Voodoos butt when it comes to a maple bar.  But now we can say we have been to VooDoo. I do love that pink box though!!  I do believe that a great deal of the novelty is in the variety of their offerings as they have some creative and innovative donuts!  I would definitely say you must check it out if ever in Portland.  

Portland is an awesome city and every time we visit we find something new and intriguing.  Perfect place to spend an afternoon just strolling around.

I love the painting on the building across from Voodoo Doughnuts!  It encompasses the entire feel of Portland!  Love it!!

 

Since I started my Budget Binder (I shared in my last post) I have had a real wake up call on my spending.  My daddy used to caution me that it is not the big expenditures that break you but the small nickel and dimeing and boy was he correct.  I can’t believe how much we spend just here and there on little things.  That will certainly stop now!  I love this system.  I also now plan my menus out two weeks at a time with shopping list.  With both of us working different shifts with different days off meals can just fall by the wayside and unhealthy eating habit reign.  Not now, I am so on top of this.  It has also helped me to be more creative in what we fix and with Pinterest I am finding so many recipes to help keep us out of a food rut.  I am really liking that binder.  I even have one now to chart my food and my workouts.  Of course I have always had binders for my crafting/sewing/knitting…but now they may be a bit more organized as I keep getting new ideas for organizing.  Yup I admit I love to be organized!!  

 

I have been on a banner kick lately. I will share a few I have made for work over the past several months.

Valentine Banner from burlap; stenciled and stitched to cording.

For our pirate theme, I simply used fabric and stenciled letters on then sewed to a cording.  

For Easter I made numerous banners.  This one was made from antique postcards that I copied and printed off Pinterest.  I simple printed on heavy card stock, cut out, and sewed them together on my machine.  I made a series of these in various sizes.  The residents love looking at the antique cards as it gave them such good memories.  I did take some of these same cards and added highlights of glitter to antique them even more.

How fun is it that I get the excuse to craft for work?  I love these monthly themes!  I also love that I have the time now to devote to creative pursuits!  I did finish the scarf from the last post and cast on this fun hat.  

I found this yarn at my local Fred Meyers.  It came with a pom pom and a simple hat pattern.  I do love simple!!

And now to do a bit of a bike ride.  Hubs got my bike down and I have it ready for a spin.  Not too sure about biking in Salem but will give it a try!

Happy Easter!

See ya round,

Patricia