Velontines Day

VDay is a weird holiday. I love when people coordinate creative celebrations that make it feel cool instead of lame. Holland nailed it a few years ago. 

And this year, PDX is nailing it with velotine's day...drop in to the community cycle center, tell them your message and valentine, they type it (on a typewriter) and deliver it by bike. ha. portland, be mine. 

And...funny confession....looking back through my blog archives...I remember how much the kids and I got into vday a few years ago....wow. 

Vanmoof wins my heart again

The best last-minute souvenir I grabbed from Amsterdam was my Vanmoof bike. No question. She lives at my office and I ride her almost every day to get lunch. She even got a special place in our Fall Catalog (hello cover girl). 

Vanmoof is innovative in so many inspiring ways. Most recently, they have wowed us all with their elegant simple solution to a major problem. Brilliant. 

I Coulda Told You This...

It's good to be a girl in Holland. In fact they say it is one of the best places to grow up as a girl. 

PDX 2016

Portland changes fast. Some of the recent changes certainly make us think of Amsterdam...

In just the past few months there are so many more bikes...and these green crosses are everywhere...

photo cred goes to my friend and old neighbor TL

Bike Like A Rockstar

I love a good bike lane...and Portland has the best bike lanes...

I can't think of a better tribute to Prince or Bowie...

Bike Town

Portland, you just keep getting cooler. Thank you Nike. 

Naked Ride

One year, I hope to be in town and full of enough courage to do this ride. Portland does a great job of keeping itself weird. I adore it all.

Lily Love

As soon as I saw the job posted, I knew just the gal for the gig and I let them know. Sure enough Amsterdam Cycle Chic scooped sweet lily right up!

Pump It Up

Oli and MC went to work in our back yard a few weeks ago, creating a pump track. In doing so, they also created a new level of neighborhood community! For weeks now, our back yard has been the place to be after school! Every night and weekend since the track started, it has been filled with kids. Most kids keep their bikes in our yard/guest house now, so that they can have easy access to the magic. We've hosted a few pump track pizza parties, and some other adhoc dinner/lunch/snack parties. So much fun. Who says you can't create bike life when you live way up on a hill?! This weekend the track was elevated to new levels, because the experts flew in, ready to work - and they worked hard - they built up a few new bumps, burms, and drainage channels...

Visitors

This ridiculously cute couple has been with us all weekend! One of Oli's brothers-from-another-mother, and his most lovely lady AH! Such fun to spend time with them...it had been way too long. We ate like kings all weekend, as you do in Portland. Photos below were taken at one of our most favorite places, Yakuza! I hadn't been in years...and it is as good as I remembered, maybe even better. 

PS - these two are bike experts, and they invested a ton of time working in our bike track, taking it to all new levels of rad. Which reminds me, I never told you...we built a bike track behind the house. It is muddy and amazing. Photos soon.

Innovation

I'm a day late on posting this amazingness.

Twinkle Toes

Today there was a slight break in the daily rain. Enough of a break for optimistic people to grab their best sparkle shoes and go by bike (and tram).

A commute to work that involves a bike and a tram is further evidence that Portland is pretty rad. 

Yes, I said work! New job new job! Today was day 2, so far sooooo good. Lots of kinks to work out around the house, (logistics and housekeeping chores), but the gig is sweet and so worth it. 

Weekend Snaps

SC rallied the 7-8 year old crowd into making this masterpiece while the 5 year old crowd played a soccer match. Love. 

Cyclocross is a great way to spend a morning. P cheered for her papa...

And we all cheered for P...and W (not pictured)

Meanwhile, a la maison...

We are busy painting and unpacking boxes. I was going to wait to show the paint job once it is complete...but I am loving the progress and couldn't wait. She used to be a greeny-blue-ish-gray color. The white/black combo feels so fresh and new, which is exactly what I needed. Pops of color coming soon, because - duh.  

P's bookcase / bed nook / reading light / tassle-pom-pom-pull situation is my favorite part of the interior right now...

Possibly because most of the interior looks like this...

Where Am I?

Tony's Chocolonely is available for sale at the neighborhood grocer. This is pretty cool. After all, home is where the chocolate is. 

As I mentioned, Vanmoofs are coming

I have been having running dates with this girl, and soon will celebrate this made-in-holland baby turning one - in Portland.

Pot is legal in Oregon, starting today. Weird. Want to learn more about that? Maybe you should sign up for the Portland Pot Tour - a bike tour of the city that comes with a joint. Book it here. 

I have been to this shop 3 times in the last 2 weeks...because, stroopwaffels

Maybe the world really is flat, or maybe PDX is trying to make us feel comfortable. Whatever it is, I think I like it. Especially the chocolate bit.

Spinlister PDX

My sweet vanmoof may not be so unique once this service hits town. My bike and I say, bring it on! We'd love to see more and more and more dutch bikes around here!

Watch this video.


Spinlister - The Global Bike Share: Challenges Traditional and Broken Bike Share Model Through Advanced Technology from Spinlister on Vimeo.

 What say you? Will you use it? Will you invest? The project just won a big cool innovation award read about it here. What? You no speak dutch...ok fine go here to read about it.

PS - this is different than the other (main) bike share that everyone is talking about (which I also support!). What an exciting time to be a bike nerd in Portland.

Photos du Jour

Sending my bike air freight was such a good call. She and I are having a blast around town.

So fun to see the city from a new rolling perspective. I can't stop thinking about this pool I spotted under the Broadway bridge...

And how dreamy to ride under banners and blue skies

Life In The Bike Lane

I will miss this view and this life, so much.