SHE [clark county]

Do it for real

The wind was howling as the snow piled up last week. I woke up one morning feeling particularly crazed....the need to "run around" was building as the snow kept falling.

My cross-country skis weren't working too well in the layers of ice and powder and the hilly terrain around my house, and walking wasn't going too well either. I kept sinking up to my knees in the drifts. 

Then, a moment of brilliance. I would go into the woods, cut saplings, and make my own snowshoes. Well, I don't follow directions too well. And I really have no business listening to my inner voice(s) either. But I did. So after an hour, what I had was a mess of duct tape, twine, and sticks bent and tied into something that resembled a piece of more modern than should be allowed modern art. I taped it to my foot. It fell apart after three steps. I went inside, failed miserably at guitar hero, and made more cookies.

I'm not giving up on snowshoeing, but I won't be making my own. I'll be buying a used pair on craigslist or renting from the ski shop for a fun snowshoe event coming up.

Northwest Personal Training & Fitness Education in Vancouver is partnering with X-Dog Events on a fun outdoor adventure -- the White River 4K and 8K snowshoe race on January 25 up at Mt. Hood. All abilities are welcome, but for hard-core racers, the event is a qualifier for the US Snowshoe Association National Championships hosted by X-Dog in February.

I did this event last year and had a blast. I couldn't find racing snowshoes to rent, but was able to run much of it in my small rentals.

I'll be back on the mountain for this year's crazy fun. I have some cookies to burn off.

Chicken on Ice.... Uhh.... Snow

So I found myself stuck in the house, and finally after three days we had to get out.  Not as long as some, but this girl was getting a little stir-crazy!  More snow was on the way, so we headed out for a leisurely grocery store trip that turned into a three hour tour.  We stocked up on some essentials, and with my shopping list in my hand, we were set for Christmas dinner and about another week's worth of meals. 

Um, where should this go exactly?

When we got home from our excursion, I found that my fridge was pretty full.  That night I planned for us to have chicken enchiladas, using the lovely rotisserie chicken I had just purchased at the packed grocery store.  However, the chicken was the last to be put in the fridge, and I couldn't see a darned place for it.  So, being that I needed to cool the chicken, and it was about 28F outside, I got creative....

Thinking outside the ice box...

Betcha never thought of that?  (Oh, and it works wonders for the white wine I brought home too.) 

It worked like a charm, and we had enchiladas in no time. 

Bien apetito!

Brandie Kajino is known as "The Home Office Organizer" and the foodie behind the curtain of the "Joy of the Kitchen" blog.  She's a speaker, author, gadget girl, techie, foodie, knitter, racewalker and yoga-lovin' blogger with a serious case of wanderlust.  She can usually be found in her home office, at a local coffee shop, farmer's market, kitchen store, hanging out in downtown Camas armed with sarcasm, a laptop, her handbag and Blackberry.  You can find her online at The Home Office Organizer Blog or Joy of the Kitchen Blog.

A White Christmas

 Merry {white} Christmas... from my side of town to yours!

What matters most.

Being home in the snow with no specific agenda for my schedule has been such a gift. We finally got all of our family members here, safe and sound and at breakfast this morning I was feeling nostalgic about my own childhood Christmas memories----how most of them weren't based on stuff---they originated out of feeling safe, loved (well-fed too) and joyful. Aside from being worried about the merchants that are being hammered right now because shoppers are stuck home with the weather, I am grateful for this "down-time" to reflect on all that is important in my life, and unsurprisingly, it is all about how I feel about the people who mean most to me and that they are feeling joy.

This recession and these times of simplifying seem to come about every 10 or so years when our society needs to reassess what's important---monster homes, big cars and giant shoe collections pale in comparison to laughing with loved ones and simply just being mentally available to really listen to our friends and family. Although I, right along with everyone, worry about the financial state of many of our loved ones (small shop owners especially), I know that this scary time will also allow a lot of people to have a new perspective on their future plans---and this could be the greatest gift of all for Christmas..a new outlook and perhaps even a better, simpler, more full life.
May 2009 be your year to experience complete joy and contentment.

Lara is a mom of two sweet girls (ages 7 & 8). She is a lover of drinking soy lattes, itunes surfing the latest great artist, laughing with her husband + running her daily route in the "sticks". She loves design + is a chronic cutter-outer of interior design magazines with her ever-changing house in the woods. Photography is a very important part of her personal + work-life. www.larablairimages.com

 

Clark County Snow Pics...

  thanks Amy Prutch for this Vancouver Snow pic!

Snow Wars Clark County Style

Like the rest of SW Washington... I'm snowed in. My neigbors to the south... as in 1/2 a mile as-the-crow-flies, whipped up this little video! Who says all the creative people live in Portland ;)

Would love to see your videos + pics. Share your links + email me some pics (but keep the jpeg size small so you don't crash my system...this computer is all I've got to keep me sane during this Artic Blast ;))

And now I bring you... SNOW WARS

Another Snow Day?

Ok... the artic blast was fun on Monday... And yes, call me jaded but I WANT my kids in school tomorrow. I want to work, I want to go to Cafe Piccolo and get my daily latte. I want to drive to the market and buy more milk.

And now we've got 2 weeks of it ahead of us. *breathe Krista breathe*

I know I'm not alone here....

Toe-Tapping Fun! Misty River returns for February benefit concert

Misty River, the four-woman “Americana” music group popular throughout the Northwest and beyond, is interrupting a one-year hiatus to do a benefit matinee concert on Feb. 8 at 3 p.m. at Skyview High School in Vancouver at 13900 NW 139th St.

The afternoon concert will be the fifth consecutive winter concert sponsored by the Salmon Creek Kiwanis Club, which will again put proceeds into various local charities and programs benefiting children and needy families in the area. Columbia Credit Union is the main program sponsor.

Tickets are $15, $18 at the door. They are available now from any Salmon Creek Kiwanis Club member and at 12 outlets listed below.

Misty River's song list ranges from the rousing, toe-tapping, smile-on-your-face variety to haunting and poignant numbers. The ladies’

instruments are guitar, banjo, bass, fiddle and accordion. Their vocal harmonies are often described as “knock your socks off” and they have been enlisted to teach classes in vocal harmony at various Northwest music festivals. More on Misty River is available at www.mistyriverband.com.

Tickets are available at the following locations:

Columbia Credit Union, Salmon Creek branch, 13100 Highway 99 Columbia Credit Union in the Battle Ground Fred Meyer Columbia Credit Union, Tri-Mountain Center, east of I-5 at Ridgefield exit Columbia Credit Union, 703 Broadway, downtown Vancouver, Columbia Credit Union, 11505 N.E. 4th Plain, Orchards Ape Over Music, 3909 Main St., Vancouver, Beacock's Music, 1420 SE 163rd Ave., Fisher's Landing Garside Florist, 6610 E. Mill Plain Blvd. Music World, 502 E. Main, Battle Ground River City Music, 13215 SE Mill Plain Blvd., Cascade Park World of Music, 7916 NE 6th Ave., Hazel Dell, across from JM Plaza (after Jan. 1) Hoesley ECO Auto & Tire, 210 W. McLoughlin Blvd., Vancouver (Credit cards OK for tickets purchased here).

Clark County Running: Hit the trail!

"There are few instincts more natural than the body in full motion as it races across a field or through the trees."

--NEAL BASCOMB, The Perfect Mile

A few years ago I made the switch from road runs to trails. I'll never go back. That's not to say I don't jump into a road race now and then, but truly, running on trails is a much different experience and one I love tremendously.

In fact, I'm currently training for the Hagg Lake 50K in Forest Grove, Oregon in February. It won't do me any good to train on the roads for that beast. I need some gnarly winter trails to run on all winter long.

Luckily, that's not a problem. Whether you're a runner, a walker, or simply a meandering day dreamer, here in Clark County, there's a trail for you somewhere near home. 

One of my favorite places to run is in my own back yard -- the Lacamas Lake trail system in Camas. I usually park in the small lot near Round Lake and head towards the dam. It's also easy to get to Round Lake from the larger parking lot near the boat ramp (below). The trails branch off from there (perfect for mountain biking as well) and it's open year-round and dog and kid friendly. The Lacamas Lake side of the trail is much flatter, but more crowded.

Here's a nice printable map: http://www.clark.wa.gov/parks-trails/documents/lacamas-trail.pdf

Sometimes it's hard to know exactly how far you've gone on an impromptu run or a trail route. Map My Run will tell you just how many miles short you are. I always think I've gone farther than I have. There are also some great Clark County area runs pre-mapped, including the 19+ mile bridge-bridge loop! 

http://www.mapmyrun.com/find-run/united states/wa/vancouver.

Don't stop there -- hunt down additional Clark County trails here:
http://www.clark.wa.gov/parks-trails/trails.html.

Get Fit, Live Fit!

An excellent running/fitness program offered by Fitright Northwest (located in east Vancouver near Target) offers training programs for beginners and experienced athletes. 

http://www.getfitlivefit.org/

Program offerings include group, personal and online options in Vancouver and Portland for all levels of runners.

THE CULT OF LILY............

All you gals out there living the "SHE" life in Clark County know exactly what I'm talking about.  That exquisite, glittering epi-center of the shopping universe in Camas......Lily Atelier!  Perched seductively on an otherwise non-descript corner in downtown Camas sits this most fabulous jewel of a boutique where savvy gals in the know congregate and salivate. 

It all started so quietly, almost innocently, but the buzz grew.....a place where one could get hand-crafted Italian heels, brocaded opera coats and embellished tanks devastatingly paired with the most ethereal cashmere.  An oasis of pungently fragrant leathers and raw silks in startling new formats......

In Camas???? 

Oh yes! 

And then there were the dazzling windows which changed weekly and showcased new combinations not only of color and textures but sublime affairs of casual and fiercely elegant ensembles which teased us toward new considerations....Then you would run into women here and there and it was always the same question:  "Have you been to Lily this week?  Has there been a new shipment?"  Like the standard Chinese greeting of "have you eaten?", our local war cry became, "Have you seen?  Have you seen?"......

For me, it was at Lily that I began my hopeless love affair with Junior Drake handbags.  Thirteen bags later (can you say addiction?), the corseted leather paired with the silk pin-up girl lining still makes me swoon.....I am not embarrassed to say I slept with my first Junior Drake next to my pillow so I could inhale the scent of the leather all through the night.....pathetic but true!

Moving on.......

Who could leave out the shop "girls"......these size 1 supermodel-esque chicks who, despite their perfection, you just could not hate!  The fact that they didn't take their genetic perfection at all seriously, were wonderfully genuine, quirky, thoughtful, sweet, obsessively hard-working and could look so darned avant gard in shorts with high heels just cemented this boutique in our hearts.  

As we approach Lily Atelier's six year anniversary, Lily is better than ever and we find what was a Camas anomaly has merrily pulled other glittering stars into her orbit.  Our lovely Camas is alive with flavors, textures and shopping ecstasies for newcomers and long-time denizens alike.  The angels at Lily continue to magically find just the right thing at the right time while treating every customer like a cherished friend.  And the lovely women of Camas have never been better dressed!  Dawn Staunchfield, head angel, muse, mentor and mastermind behind Lily, continues to tempt, delight and amaze us with her exquisite taste, her incredibly warm heart and her unbelievable community spirit. 

Here's to wishing Lily Atelier success, prosperity and happiness for many years to come.........