Longboard Louie's in Bend, OR

Something that you must know about me is that I love Mexican food. I mean LOVE Mexican food. There's this little place in Bend that I discovered when I was 15 years old & it's been my favorite place ever since. The food tastes exactly the same way as when I first started coming here - & it's to die for. These days I rarely make it back to Bend, but when I do, Longboard Louie's is a must-stop-and-eat!

My favorite part about coming back here (aside from the food, of course) is the fact that over the last 15 years I've been eating here the only thing that's changed is that more stickers have been added to the soda machine :)

chips with lots of salsa, mmm

Tostada, mmm

Chicken chimichanga with guac & extra pico, mmm

Halibut burrito, mmm

Seriously, I'm gonna have to go back to Bend for a third weekend in a row...

I might start going through burrito withdrawals!

- Photos © Holly Carman -

Oregon Skies

This past Monday we drove to Bend & back (again!). This time we went to visit my dad's old boss turned good family friend, in the hospital. Along the way I snapped a few photos of the crazy clouds in the sky. Proving that just because you have a cloudy day, doesn't mean it can't be gorgeous! These pictures are such a beautiful reminder of how lucky I am to live here in the northwest.

- Photos © Holly Carman -

what I should've done on my 30th birthday...

Don't get me wrong, my 30th birthday party was amazing... I had all of my best friends with me (even Erin came from Phoenix!). We started out with a BBQ at our house, then went on a bar crawl in Portland. There also might have been a checklist of 30 crazy things that we had to do (i.e. dance on the table, sing on a street corner, get a stranger to buy me a drink, do a cartwheel, find someone else with my same birthday, hug a random dog, etc...) A picture had to be taken of each item on the list before it could be checked off. I hope to have the pictures back soon so I can share them, because it was definitely a night to remember :)

But when I saw these 30th birthday party pictures I just had to share! It's such a well designed & grown-up affair. Check 'em out!

(all photos found here)

I love bikes

I love bikes. I had many different bikes when I was a little girl (ya know from the tricycle to the bike with training wheels & then the big girl bike with the streamers at the end of the handlebars...). I had a bike in college that I rode from my apartment to classes & now I have a mint green cruiser with a wicker basket on the front. So, it's safe to say that bikes have always been in my life & my love for them has never gone away.  Really, is there anything better than leisurely riding your bike on a warm summer day? Didn't think so :) Well, I compiled a list of cute little ways to incorporate bikes into my life in different ways!

Bike Glasses :: the perfect size for a mixed drink ;)

Wearable Bikes :: cuteness!

Bike Prints :: a fun addition to our home decor!

 (1,2,3,4,5,6)

{good friends}

(Kailtin, Kristy & me)

This past Saturday Kaitlin & I drove to Bend for the day to visit Kristy, our dear friend that is expecting her first baby in just a few weeks. The three of us have quite the past together; we were roommates when we were first starting college. So that means that we've had a lot of late nights, laughs, & just all around great memories together :) I'm thankful that we're still close friends after all these years. Life has changed us much for each one of us from when we met as 17 & 18 year olds... We've graduated from college, started families, moved to different states, but still kept in touch throughout the years. I'm very thankful for these great friends & know we have many more great time ahead of us.

*not pictured: Gina & Coley, whom I also got to spend time with on Saturday. Both such great friends that I'm happy to have in my life :) 

Wordless Wednesday

Doggie Dash

This past Saturday we took part in the Doggie Dash, a fundraiser for the Oregon Humane Society. Over 4,000 dogs were at the event. It started downtown on the waterfront, took us on a path over the Hawthorne bridge, to the east bank esplanade, over the Steele Bridge and then back to the waterfront; a walk totaling 2.5 miles. It was so much fun for a crazy dog lady such as myself to be surrounded by so many dogs! Our little pup did exceptionally well & kept pace the entire time. We we're kinda worried because of her short little legs, but she was a trooper. She even looked like she enjoyed it! We made sure to give her a few extra treats afterwards :)

And let's talk about the weather for a moment. The weather on Saturday was perfect, not a cloud in the sky. It was one of those days that make living in Portland so worthwhile. It was one of those days that make Portland my perfect city & that you don't mind dealing with the rain & the gloom in the winter because this day was perfect. I think Portlanders really appreciate a good weather day more than anyone else. Because when it's nice outside, you better believe we take full advantage of it!

- Photos © Holly Carman -

beach weekend

We spent this past weekend on the Oregon Coast with some great friends. We stayed in our friends' beach house in the Salishan community that overlooked the ocean. It was absolutely perfect. There is nothing better than going to sleep & waking up to the sound of the ocean.

The weather was fantastic with no wind, few clouds & some sun shining through in the 50's - 60's. And if you know the Oregon Coast, you know this is amazing! I had my camera out the entire time capturing everything, so I'll let the pictures tell the story of our weekend. I hope you enjoy! :)

Sweet lil Kammy

The Beach House

Gorgeous views from the beach house.

The boys, trying gathering to gather driftwood.

Lil Kammy helping RD

A lunch stop at Mo's is always a good idea. So is ice cream afterwards :)

The beach is for lovers <3

Alyn & Craig - good friends :)

Luke & Craig. Bromace.

The Super Moon! Did anyone else see this on Saturday night?

Bonfire before & Bonfire after.

- Photos © Holly Carman -