Portlandia

So we took a little trip to Portland last weekend.

We've also fell in love with Portlandia on IFC.

They are not far from the truth and that is what is even funnier.

So we decided to explore and jumped on the MAX.

It was interesting and kinda fun.

Portlandia beginnings

I loved all the building detail around Ankeny.

It was really empty on the Friday we were there but was packed with food, and art and entertainment the next day.  They really have an amazing flea market and we all found some awesome things. 

My leg is still not healing so a lot of these pics were taken while I was being whisked away in my wheelchair.  It was exciting, scary, and thrilling,.....not so much over the cobble stone though.

One of my favorite things in Portland is Voodoo Doughnuts!

Not only are they funny and fun but the best doughnuts I have ever eaten. 

Not to mention their outside wall is painted with glitter!!!!

YES I said glitter! 

We were there around 4 in the afternoon and there was still a line outside the building.

Me?  I really do love the interior with all the colors and slightly insane design plan 

But be warned, if you want something you better bring some cash because they take nothing else.

Their stuff is imaginative and tasty.  The girls loved the oreo covered doughnuts.  The cereal covered ones where pretty good as well.  Actually there wasn't a doughnut I didn't like. 

The even had little voodoo doughnuts with a pretzel sticking out of their heart, just in case you have some issues to work through.

We continued on exploring and taking moments to ham it up 

After all it was encouraged 

We then headed over to Chinatown but it felt dated. 

This is the first 24hr church of Elvis. 

As you can see, there was no line.

Apparently doughnuts are way above Elvis in Portlandia. 

We stopped for a bit and got to watch some local talent.

There is seriously some great graffiti art in Portland

Then we wandered into the Pearl and headed back to the hotel room.

The next morning ( 10:30) we headed over to Rockin Rose thrift store.

That is when we learned that Portland doesn't do mornings.

Nothing was open until 11 or 12 

We wandered some more. 

We finally made it back to find it still wasn't open and we gave up.

 Decided to practice our lion faces and do the flea market.

? what? don't know what the lion face is?  well you really need to watch it click here

Did I tell you it was St Paddy's Day?

There was a sea of green everywhere. 

Also hundreds of men in green dresses running around "The Pearl"

My husband and daughter went into the giant bookstore called Powell's

If you put all the sections of Powells together it would take up a city block and be three stories.

We (me and Sheri) hung outside for a while watching people but then decided to get warm in Dr Martens and I really just wanted to live there.

I mean how cool is this store? 

We did have a slight accident with our original pink box of voodoo doughnuts.

I had them on my lap and was being wheeled around Portland and decided to check out a thrift store.

Well there are lots of wheelchair ramps that are designed to launch you like the indy 500.

As my daughter built up speed to make the next ramp I was hurled into the threshold.  The wheelchair came to a dead stop.  The doughnuts continued on the projected path.  Into the thrift store with all the trendy hip people, sprinkles exploding into the air.  As all the brightly colored tasty treats fell to their death.  My daughter in a panic ran to rescue the doughnuts and let go of me as I slowly roll back down the ramp into oncoming traffic.  It's ok, I realize I had arms and grabbed the wheels and still while holding the doughnut box on my shins. There was panic, there were apologies, there where multi colored sprinkles everywhere.  It really was quite tragic.

I tell you all of that so you know why we went back before we left Portland

Yep, we grabbed another dozen for the ride home. 

The line was still there.  The doughnuts were still amazing.

Oh, the "stick a bird on it" is over but the new coming trend will be, "put a feather on it"....we got the inside scoop.

I did finish my lamps, kinda and wanted to share that really quick

short tada 

I need something in between to break up the brown and I still haven't made the pillows.

But I sure do love my lamps, I feel all hip and cool.