Monika Dechene

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!

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!

A Cat’s Life

Monika — Mon, 09 May 2011 05:38:42 +0000

My wonderful –yet crazily evil– cat and I met almost 8 years ago. Back then, he was named Max and I had absolutely no clue what becoming a cat owner would involve. Max was frightfully afraid of his environment in the shelter. He caught my eye because he sat shivering with fear in the corner, hissing at all the playing kittens who would leap past him. It broke my heart, and he just seemed to desperately want to disappear. When I was able to get him alone in the meet-and-greet room, he was wonderfully affectionate and I adored how he explored every corner of the room. He and I adopted each other that day. I renamed him Philo, meaning “love”. As loving as he can be, Philo tends to be a little aloof and quite the mischievous little devil. He’s renowned in our family for biting toes, pouncing legs hanging over the side of the bed, sticking his nose into your yoghurt cup even if you’re still eating it, and sleep-typing on Mark’s laptop keyboard.

Philo is a pretty well-traveled cat, moving from Illinois to Wisconsin back to Illinois to North Carolina and (finally) to Oregon. As with most cats, he enjoys watching the world. Since moving to Portland, Philo has spent more time on the windowsill than any of our previous homes. He watches cars zoom along the freeway, cyclists fly down the roads, and birds perch on tree branches. All from the safety of a 5th floor apartment. Today, we opened up the windows to let in the fresh spring air, and Philo immediately claimed his space. Though a bit frustrated at the window screen, he eventually relaxed to enjoy the sounds and smells that accompanied the normal sights. It just seemed like a perfect moment in time for our cat.

Wooden Shoe Tulip Fest 2011

Monika — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 16:44:37 +0000

Saturday was an absolutely magnificent day in Oregon – perfect temperature in the low 70′s, perfectly blue skies, and a gorgeous bright sun raining sunshine on the world. Vanessa (you may remember Nessa as one of my brides last year and my old university friend), Mark, and I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day when we planned our trip to the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm for their yearly Tulip Fest. When Nessa informed me about this particular festival, I had no idea what to expect beyond a field of tulips. As we were driving to Wooden Shoe we passed a tulip farm, and I excitedly exclaimed, “There it is!” Nessa glanced quickly then knowingly laughed. When we pulled into our parking space at Wooden Shoe, I took one quick look at the field just beyond the end of the lot and my mouth dropped. Fields upon fields of tulips, portions a mixture of beautiful colours and others grouped by their vibrant colours. It was absolutely magnificent! The tulips burst with colour, and the baby blue sky just seemed to make the fields smile and come alive. We brought Saffron with us, and she loved meeting other dogs and smelling the tulips. Kids were running up and down the rows. There wasn’t an unhappy face in the crowd. I firmly believe that the Tulip Fest at Wooden Shoe will become a yearly tradition for us.

Springtime in Portland

Monika — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 23:22:59 +0000

Today, it’s been absolutely dreadful outside; there’s been no stop to the rain. It seemed like the perfect time to go through the photographs I took last weekend in the Sellwood-Moreland neighbourhood, located in Southeast Portland. Last weekend was absolutely magnificent, complete with clear blue skies and perfect lighting. There have been a few moments when the sun will peek out through the silver haze of clouds, and the anticipation for spring has the city in a buzz of excitement. Flowers and leaves have started to appear on branches, and there is just a hint of colour everywhere you turn.