Plaid in Portland

People in Portland Oregon love plaid. It is crazy popular here. No matter how formal you might think an occasion will be, there is always at least one person wearing a plaid shirt. Yesterday, I was in a coffee shop and I looked up and half the people in the place were wearing plaid shirts. In the spirit of bringing the outside in, I realized I need to incorporate a little plaid in my décor. Luckily, I had the perfect piece; a vintage wool blanket from cleaning out my grandparent's house this fall. It looks right at home on my super soft vintage chairs (I love playing with texture, but that is a post for a different day). Keeping an eye out for more plaid pieces!

xoxo,



Megan Hayne

Meal Planning

Ever since I left NYC for this less urban life, I have been really good about meal planning. I like to use this cute little refrigerator magnet shopping pad to keep track of kitchen needs throughout the week. My husband and I have both been noticing the health benefits from simply eating out less. Pinterest is my best friend when it comes to meal plans, and I love to cook. The hardest part by far is the actual trip to the grocery store. For some reason there are a million great grocery stores in Vancouver, WA, and they are all busy all the time. I find that if I buy a special treat for myself, it sweetens the experience, and makes me more inclined (This is also an important marketing concept. See The Power of Habit).

Despite my health nut past, I have always been a major caffeine addict. These sweet little organic energy drinks are my once-a-week grocery store treat. They taste so good, and give me extra energy to put all of this away!

xoxo,



Megan Hayne

Baby Trees

Spring fever has set in. All this winter gloom has me in the mood for some spring. Taking care of house plants has always been a good way for me to relieve the winter blues. I recently purchased a little baby olive tree and a baby palm tree. Planting these little guys in large pots that they will grow into was my morning medicine today.

Since moving in to the new house, I have purchase quite a few house plants from a company called Hirt's Gardens on Amazon.com. I was skeptical about ordering house plants online, but after I have seen their care in packing and the quality of their plants, I don't hesitate anymore. Ordering these tiny plants was super inexpensive, and I bought these large pots on a super sale at Ace Hardware (I think they were leftovers from last year).

xoxo,

Megan Hayne

Bringing the Outside In – Window Coverings

As someone who has lived in several different cities in different regions, I have had the chance to decorate many different spaces. Now, as a first time home owner in the Pacific Northwest, I have been enjoying this new chance. One of the things I am realizing is that rather than try to change this space, I want to work with what is already there. A second realization is that I love it when a house “brings the outside in.” The PNW is such a utopia of natural beauty. My house in particular is surrounded by large cedar and fir trees. When my husband gently reminded me that it was time to get window coverings for all the large windows in the living room, I hesitated. Why would I want to cover up the lovely trees surrounding the room? Although I still leave the curtains open most of the time, I was able to find a tree-like print on Overstock.com (in green) that still matched the room. The slight shimmer in the fabric makes sure they don't look like camouflage, and the white background gives them a lightness. I love what the curtains have done for the room.

I did the same thing for covering the French doors leading to the bedroom balcony. I wanted something even lighter here, as the trees give us a ton of privacy. I like waking up to natural light in the room. These sheer curtains from Bed, Bath, and Beyond have been perfect!

xoxo,

Megan Hayne