Working For The Weekend

Before moving to Portland to do Social Media for Columbia Sportswear, I was living and working in San Francisco, for a startup, 3 days a week in-office, and life was balanced. I would get my work done in the morning and head out for a long hike in the afternoon or explore the city on the days I worked from home. Of course, if my work wasn't done that AM, I'd work a little later to button up any deadlines. Now that I live in Portland, and am working from an office most days, I hold my weekends close to my heart :)

One of our favorite places to grab breakfast in our neighborhood is Kiva --a neat little spot that doubles as a spa. Ryan and I head here for our morning acai bowls accompanied by a soy latte.

I love living in Northwest Portland because everything is so close and within walking distance. Ryan and I like to "get our steps in" for the day and, when it's not raining, and explore the neighborhood.

Just when we think we've eaten at every restaurant and sipped at every coffee shop, something new pops up and we're always excited to try it out.

Oakley Down Jacket // Oakley Hoodie // J. Crew Tote

A few of my NW Portland favorites:

Acai bowls/breakfast: Kiva Tea Bar and Spa
Coffee: Barista
Brunch: Pacific Pie Co. (The best kept secret...no lines!)
Healthy Options: Laughing Planet
Quick lunch: Elephant's Delicatessen
Sushi: Bamboo Sushi
Thai: Thai Bloom
Mexican: Casa del Matador
Dinner: Muu Muu's
Dessert: Papa Haydn
Drinks: JoBar (Their Jojito is THE best!)
Late night bites/hangover food: 21st Avenue Bar and Grill

Have you been to Portland? Any spots I should check out? Comment below!

Photos: Ryan Brandel

The Go-Getter's Guide To South Lake Tahoe

I was lucky enough to spend a season in South Lake Tahoe and it was undeniably one of the best seasons of my life. If you haven't been to Lake Tahoe, I highly recommend you add it to your Bucket List. I've never been anywhere else quite as magical and it holds a special place in my heart.

Whether you've got one weekend or one season in Lake Tahoe, here are some things you don't want to miss out on!

Heavenly Ski Resort

This a place best experienced with friends. Whether you travel here from San Francisco for the weekend with a group or you take a ride break with your favorite lifty, there's no shortage of fun.

Spanning across California and Nevada, once you reach the top of Heavenly Resort, you're treated with Mother Nature's spectacular view of Lake Tahoe. On the last day of spring, South Lake had a surprise snowfall. A friend and I hiked up to the top of Milky Way Bowl and skied down, leaving our tracks for the rest of the summer.

Tahoe Sport Fishing

Summers in Lake Tahoe are just as amazing as winter. Tahoe Sport Fishing is available for private charter trips around the lake. The best part? You're guaranteed to catch fish! You'll have to wake up at the crack of dawn to make the boat, but seeing the sunrise over the lake is something you won't regret losing a few hours of sleep over.

SUP and Swim

If boating isn't for you, hop on a Stand Up Paddle Board and cruise around the lake at your own leisure!

No balance, no problem! The water will be a little chilly, but the underwater views are totally worth falling in for!

Hike

If you're a lover of great heights, like myself, South Lake Tahoe will keep you coming back for more. Important tip to remember: there are no bad views! Check out this site for a few great hikes you'll want to make time for.

Castle Rock

Glen Alpine Falls

Cave Rock

Bike

My favorite mode of transportation around South Lake in the off season? Bike! The town is easy to navigate so biking to breakfast or to catch the sunset is a must.

Sunsets

Sure it's fun to ski, hike, bike and boat...but everyday holds the promise of a gorgeous sunset. I've never been anywhere else in the states that has as stunning sunsets. Every evening holds the promise of another astounding view. 

Photos: Wes Nobles

Mad for Plaid Monday

Oh, Monday. The beginning of the week always seems daunting until you get back into your daily routine and the wheels start spinning. I've got a pretty low-key week ahead (knock on wood), lots of rain in the forecast (go figure...it's Portland!), so I should be productive, right?!

Even though historically, Friday's are designated as casual--I believe that Monday's should be comfy just the same! Today I grabbed a boyfriend oversized plaid shirt by Garage, paired it with a simple knit, and was ready to get the day going.

This pair of Conquest Carly Boots, by Sorel, is my go-to boot for rainy days. It's rubber and great for running through puddles! These boots say "I'm a chick, but I can also kick ass." 

I threw on this gold vermeil necklace from Gilt to add a touch of girly:

Now that I've dressed to conquer Monday, I think I'd better start tackling my day. I hope you all have a wonderful week ahead!

Shop the look:

Plaid from Garage // F21 Knit Waffle Sweater // H&M Jeans  

J. Crew Downing Tote // Sorel Conquest Carly Boots 

Oakley: Continuity Sports Bra

Sure it's fun to style an outfit, but come on, you're definitely not going to be comfortable unless you're wearing the right undergarments! The Oakley Continuity Bra is my absolute favorite sports bra--I've yet to find any that compare.

It comes in such a wide array of colors that I find myself constantly going back to buy more! The Continuity Bra not only serves as great (and cute) support when working out, but I find myself using them as a little pop of color in everyday outfits where the straps may be showing. It is seamless after all!

All Oakley workout gear contains O Hydrolix™ wicks sweat away from the body keeping your girls nice and cool. The fabric is also anti-microbial which means no post-workout funk!

This is one necessity that I never leave home without, because let's be honest, bras can make or break your day!

Shop the Continuity collection:

// Oakley Continuity Sports Bra //

Sorel: Toronto Lace

My love for shoes comes as no surprise. My fiancé, Ryan, is a Senior Designer for Sorel and I love being able to see what's upcoming as well as where the brand is headed. The ladies on their marketing/PR team are the best and I always get inspiration on how to style my Sorels from them. I currently own about 10 pair, so there's never a question of 'if' i'm going to wear them, it's 'which ones should I wear today?!'

The current line for Fall '14 is amazing and has such versatility. Today I wore the Toronto Lace Boot. The best part? They're waterproof! Cute, stylish, AND functional? Perfect for all the rainy days in Portland.

 I was hesitant to try these at first because it is a narrow shoe. I have small feet (6.5), and it took me about a month of constant post-work walking through downtown Portland to break these bad boys in. Once I got past the initial,"I can't feel my feet" phase, I was totally in love.

I paired this outfit with my favorite watch by Marc Jacobs and a simple knit sweater, black jeans, and beanie.

Shop the look:

Sorel boots // Marc Jacobs watch // Noonday Collection necklace

F21 Sweater // H&M pants // ASOS beanie //


Photos: Ryan Brandel

Armada Parker Pullover Hoody

This past weekend in Portland was absolutely beautiful. We had a little fog come in, but it made me feel right at home since I've been missing San Francisco lately (actually missing it for the past year and a half!)

The weather was perfect: sunshine, but cool enough to wear this super comfy, and cute, Armada Women's Parker Pullover Hoody. I love how simple it is, yet it makes a big statement.

It's got a huge "kangaroo pocket" in the front with zippered sides. If you're like me, you don't like to carry a purse or bag around and are always dropping your credit cards or phone all over the place! The zippers are perfect to secure it all.

Since we haven't had much of a winter, I'd totally rock this spring skiing since it's water resistant! I loved wearing this with a pair of my go-to black tights and casual shoes for lots of walking around downtown Portland.

Click to shop my look: Armada Parker Hoody // Columbia Tights // Oakley Sunnies // Nike Sneakers

Photos: Ryan Brandel

Insider's Guide to the Freestyle World Cup

Apparel: Columbia Sportswear

After returning back to Portland from my Christmas vacation in Texas, I packed my bags (again) and headed to Park City, Utah for the 2015 FIS Freestyle World Cup.

What the heck is a Freestyle World Cup?

This year's competitions consisted of Aerials, Moguls, and Dual Moguls. Think, jumps, bumps, and athletes flying through the air!

After flying into Salt Lake City, I drove to Deer Valley Resort where the competitions were being held. Here I met up with two of Columbia Sportswear's social media ambassadors and their spouses for a chill weekend of skiing, food, relaxation, catching up and star gazing.

We stayed at The Lodges at Deer Valley, a warm and cozy retreat nestled in the heart of the mountains that served as our hub for the week--and après ski go-to spot.


Our days were spent shredding (skis only!) and exploring the gorgeous terrain at DV. At one point we even found ourselves on the side of the Moguls competition run.

Goggles: Zeal Optics (Voyager) and Smith Optics (I/O7)    Skis: Atomic (2015 Supreme)

Each night we had access to the VIP tent located at the base of the competition runs, which served dinner and drinks. Wanting to explore Park City, we skipped the tent food for an evening and headed to Handle for dinner. Here they served the most amazing Buffalo Cauliflower (yes, cauliflower!). Over half of our group ordered it for their entree and it was SO good.

On our last morning at DV, I got to help out our videographers who were there filming a piece about Olympic Gold Medalist, Hannah Kearney. I had no idea I'd get to follow-cam an Olympic athlete down ski runs when this trip began...such a great experience and check off on the bucket list!