Monika Dechene

My Favourites of 2011

Monika — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:19:56 +0000

I began 2011 with the excitement of a Hawaiian vacation. I took so many photographs on my trip, and I was ready to go with a busy photography schedule for 2011… But, we had an amazing opportunity and we moved to the Pacific Northwest under five weeks after our tropical Hawaiian holiday. I spent a good year establishing our roots in our new home, and it was a busy year! One long drive from the Southeast side of the country to the Pacific Northwest, six months of house shopping, a mini-holiday in the Midwest to visit friends, another long drive from the Midwest to the Pacific Northwest, and a lot of trying to settle into our new home. We’ve been here for almost a year, and in a lot of ways, it feels as if we’ve just arrived.

Because of our busy year, I decided to take a year or so off from my photography to focus on the move and family. I still took a number of amazing photographs to document our year in Portland, and I’m so very glad I did. My favourite photographs from 2011 are really a reflection of my favourite moments. There were so many!

Happy New Year, everyone! As always, I’ve got my camera poised and ready to capture the joys and surprises of the coming new year. I hope you’re ready!

One Last Beautiful Autumn Day

Monika — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 20:16:44 +0000

The summer months have long given way for the crisp and cool months of autumn. For most of the United States, that means sunny days that highlight the gorgeous hues of red, orange, and yellow. It’s a beautiful time before the cold pushes people inside for a mug of steaming hot chocolate. In the Pacific Northwest, it means a transitional period when the days become eerily too short and the blue sky becomes a blanket of grey clouds. There are those rare magnificent days, however, when the clouds disappear, blue clouds are vibrant, and autumn colours come alive with the lingering sunlight. Sunday was such a day, and boy howdy did I take advantage of it!

Peter is a charming young man. I should know, seeing as he’s my little baby brother and all. Okay, so he’s not so little and not a baby anymore, but you really can’t blame me for teasing. Peter is significantly cooler than my husband and I (combined). Significantly. That said, there are benefits to being the elder sibling – you get to boss around your younger sibling. I dragged him outside and made him model his coolness for my lens. With what I can only assume to be the last beautiful day in the Pacific Northwest, I’m very thankful for the reprieve from the clouds and rain. It was an absolutely perfect day, and a portrait session to celebrate the beauty that is autumn just seemed, well, absolutely perfect.

I have a bike!

Monika — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 21:41:24 +0000

Almost three years ago, my husband and I meandered into a bicycle store in Raleigh. There, I fell in love with the Gary Fisher Simple City 3. The bright aqua frame just seemed to shine with the leather seats and handlebars. The bike store had it paired with a gorgeous set of pale yellow Axiom panniers. I walked away from the bicycle, letting practicality win out over love-at-first-sight. One word: hindsight. Since moving to Portland, I’ve been on this epic search for my Gary Fisher Simple City. It proved to be near impossible to find the bicycle since Gary Fisher (since acquired by Trek) stopped manufacturing the Simple City. If I found the bicycle, it was in the wrong size. Oy. If someone had told me three years ago that the Simple City really was my bike, I would have scoffed. Who would have known that I would have found my bike on the first try… on a total whim of a visit to some random bike store.

Eight months, many -oh so many- bike stores, and several test rides later, I finally have a new bicycle. I test rode the Trek 7.2 FX and the Trek Allant. Deciding between the two was difficult because they’re both fabulous bicycles, but I’m ridiculously happy with my decision. It’s perfect for trips to the farmers’ market and the long bike trips my husband now has cooking in that brain of his. Chances are, I’ll probably go back for the Allant one of these days… because who doesn’t want a cute vintage-feel of a bike for those rare sunny days in Portland (I’ve become a Portlandian without much effort).

Many thanks to the wonderful people at the Beaverton Bike Gallery. SQUEE!

Road Trip (version 2.0)

Monika — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 00:24:56 +0000

When Mark and I planned our move, we had to leave our 8-year old sheltie, Joule, with his parents. Our temporary home would only allow for two animals, so Joule had a mini-vacation in Wisconsin while we spent six months trying to find a forever-home for our family. While we were sad to be without one of our dogs, we knew Joule would enjoy her temporary home. Mark’s parents have Joule’s litter sister, Ginger, and we knew the two would love being together for a while. When Mark and I finalized the details of our new home, I immediately made plans to pick Joule up from Wisconsin. Instead of flying, my mother-in-law suggested a leisurely road trip. When Mark and I made our cross-country trip from Raleigh, North Carolina to Portland, Oregon in February, there was no time for us to really enjoy the quintessential American sightseeing that comes with a long drive. There were no stops to try the “World’s Best Pie” or see the “World’s Biggest Ball of Twine“. So, when my mother-in-law suggested we enjoy the drive from Wisconsin to Oregon, I was so pleased to find out that we would be making a few interesting stops along the way. On our 2,031 mile drive, we walked around the Mitchell Corn Palace, drove through Badlands National Park, visited Mt. Rushmore, made a stop at Wall Drug, and walked through the Occidental Hotel. These stops really made our drive enjoyable, and I’m so very glad we didn’t zoom through our trip because I would have missed out on some fantastic photographs.

On an interesting side note, I’ve been on the road for over 6,260 miles (there was a road trip to California as well) this year. I think it’s safe to say I won’t be driving any long distances any time soon.

Chicago, Illinois & Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Monika — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 19:45:50 +0000

One coast-to-coast road trip can be enough for most people in their lifetime. Apparently, it wasn’t enough for me… Just barely two weeks into our newly purchased home, I was on a plane to Chicago, Illinois. I spent a few days in Chicago, Illinois then traveled to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to spend some much needed with friends. It was wonderful having some down time, especially since I was about to hit the road again for another long multi-state drive.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

I like to think of Chicago as my home-away-from-home, and I’m always excited when I get to visit one of my favourite cities. One of the best things about visiting Chicago is spending time with my best friend, Nora Warens. Trips to visit Nora can be defined by two distinct characteristics: (1) stellar photographic opportunities and (2) fantastic food. I’m fairly certain that Nora is trying to bribe me with food. She keeps introducing me to restaurants I simply can’t live without. On this visit, she “dragged” me to Avec. Chorizo stuffed dates, you say? Yum!

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN

I spent a good portion of my visit to Milwaukee laughing with my old university friends. When I was able to spend some time tooling around the city, I spent it in the Milwaukee Art Museum. The weather during my visit to the museum was fairly ominous, with the sky about to drop a downpour of rain at any time during my walk. Despite the danger of getting soaked to the bone, the cloud coverage made photographing the museum especially fantastic.

Two Tarts Treats

Monika — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 04:06:16 +0000

I had wandered into Two Tarts Bakery during my search for my default macaron bakery. While Two Tarts Bakery does offer macarons, they provide so many different types of yummy sweet treats that it’s hard to walk out of that place without a beautiful childish grin on your face. Their little morsels of yumminess are perfect bitesize treats, giving your taste buds just the perfect amount of satisfaction. I’ve fallen deep in love with their Brownies (not too heavy in texture), their Hazelnut Baci (light, fluffy, nutty perfection), and their Fleur-de-Sel Chocolate Chip (rich bitterness that turns into sweet and accentuated by a hint of saltiness). Their selections vary daily, so there’s always a sweet surprise for you when you walk into their darling bakery. If you’re in the Alphabet District and you find yourself craving for a little something perfect, a little detour off 23rd Avenue onto Kearney Street will lead you to Two Tarts Bakery. Your taste buds will thank you.

Macarons from Nuvrei

Monika — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 20:08:03 +0000

I have a weakness for two types of desserts: well made artisan dark chocolate truffles and Parisian macarons. I had a difficult time finding Parisian macarons in North Carolina, so my San Franciscan friends would visit me with a gorgeous box of these perfect little sweet concoctions from Miette‘s as a gift. You see, I’m actually quite picky when it comes my macarons. They need to be bitesize, with a light crunch through the cookie portion and a not-overly-sweet-almost-savory cream in the center. I’ve actually just started my search for my default macaron bakery here in Portland, so here was my first find…

Nuvrei Pastries is located on the lower floor of a rather unassuming building, so be sure to go down the stairs to find it. I wandered into Nuvrei because their little sign outside promised rose (one of my personal faves!) Parisian macarons. As George Takei would say, “Oh my!” I walked out with one of each of today’s flavours: pistachio, orange/tangerine (I think that’s what it was… doesn’t matter, it was tasty), rose, raspberry, chocolate, and coconut. The vibrant colours made the photographer in me squee with glee and the taste just made my tummy smile with delight. Oh, oh, oh! If you’re a fan of flaky croissants, they’ve got those too! I just about died biting into one of their croissants, which paired quite nicely with my hot cup of tea. I would have taken a picture of their croissant, but my shutter was too slow (i.e. my tummy got to it first).

If you find yourself walking around The Pearl and in need of something tasty, stroll over to 10th Ave and make your way to Nuvrei Pastries for a wonderfully sweet pastry or savoury treat.

Portland Street Performers: Break Dancers

Monika — Tue, 31 May 2011 06:23:09 +0000

This week marks the Portland Rose Festival, one of the most renowned festivals in the country. Unfortunately, Mark and I will be missing most of the Rose Festival as we’ll be in California to watch my brother’s high school graduation. Since today was an absolutely gorgeous day in Portland, Mark and I took a little adventure to the City Fair. After we enjoyed a few sweet fair treats and rode the ferris wheel, we strolled along the river and happened to catch two guys enjoying the weather as they wowed the crowd with a little dance show. Break dancers are always fun to watch!

Misty Cannon Beach

Monika — Wed, 25 May 2011 07:56:13 +0000

Cannon beach is best recognized by its well-known landmark, the Haystack Rock. It’s a 72-meter tall monstrosity of a rock formation. And bonus! It’s reachable by land during low tides. It’s a popular tourist attraction for Oregon visitors. I had a chance to visit Cannon Beach during a rare dry day, but the haze of the ocean mixed with the warm air to create this amazing soft fog over the horizon. It gave Haystack Rock an amazing aura of mystery. Because it was a dry (read: beautiful) day, there were tons of people out enjoying the weather, including some adorable children. One in particular caught the attention of my lens: a brave little boy who held his red balloon so tightly in his hand. Sometimes, moments just create themselves.

Fun in The Pearl with Caroline and Lukas

Monika — Thu, 12 May 2011 02:16:04 +0000

Yesterday, I met with Heather and her darling children, Caroline and Lukas. Caroline was the adorably spunky flower girl at Nessa’s and Marwan’s wedding last June. Caroline is still as amazingly spunky, with a beautiful smile and great energy. Lukas is turning 2-years old this month (Happy Early Birthday Lukas!), and he’s just one of the most lovable toddlers you could ever meet. Heather wanted to really focus on her children’s personalities, and she picked some amazing activities. I love it when parents want to let their kids run around and get dirty! We had a lovely picnic under the shade of a new tree at Tanner Springs Park. After some running around, we wandered off to the Cool Moon Ice-Cream parlor for double scoops of double-dipped chocolate (by the way, those photographs had me cracking up in my editing stage). We burnt off all the sugar at Jamison Square to enjoy the fountain on the hot day. It was a pretty awesome day, and I was so happy to enjoy the beautiful Portland weather with Heather, Caroline, and Lukas. Thanks guys for the laughs and great company!