New Glasses!

I’ve been rocking the same pair of blue-gray plastic glasses (that Libby helped me pick out) for the last three years. They’re starting to show a little wear and tear and I’ve been in the mood for something new. I had literally just started shopping around for a new pair of specs when Firmoo reached out to me and asked if I wanted to order a pair to try out. Consider me floored! This is my first time working with a company like this– Now I’ve really hit the big time!! I was a little wary at first but a couple other bloggers I know of have collaborated with Firmoo in the past and it seemed like it would be fun… Time for a large photo of me in my new glasses!

Firmoo Glasses

Here’s the thing…! The site is super affordable (we’re talking like 40 bucks), which I was really excited about, since it opens the door to get a more “trendy” pair that otherwise I/you may have been too nervous to commit multiple hundreds of dollars to. I’ve wanted to try one of these “vintage” horn-rimmed glasses ever since being inspired by the character Kristen Kringle on Gotham. All the horn-rims I have tried on at optometrists have left me a bit “meh” especially when considering the price tag and the year(s) of commitment.

This is my first pair of wire glasses since fourth grade. FOURTH. GRADE. I’ve been rocking the thick plastic since middle school, and doing it with aplomb. I more or less consider it “my look” and it’s what lets people know that I have rock/emo roots and I am not to be messed with!! (Or… something like that). So, I was intrigued by wire glasses. Would they be lighter? Would they be flimsy? These are much sturdier than I expected and nicely constructed. There is Korean writing on the inside of one of the arms. I keep joking about “my funny new glasses from China,” which is accurate but the quality is quite nice. I was very pleasantly surprised with how they look especially since I was unable to try them on before buying. The website has tips like measuring the width of your current pair and basing your selection off of that.

Firmoo Glasses

My one problem has to be with the focus. The prescription is very clear, since I typed it in off of the paper I got from the optometrist, but I think I measured my pupilary distance (from pupil to pupil) incorrectly. I mean… it’s hard to be precise when it’s just you and your best friend holding up a ruler to the bridge of your nose in the bathroom. I can’t wear these at work because the computer screen is too close and it’s hard to focus my eyes. But for going out (and importantly, I have no problem driving with them), these are fine “hanging out” glasses which is really cool to me. I’ve never had a “just ’cause” pair for fashion reasons until now and it’s fun changing up my look!

Firmoo Glasses

So, in summary, if you are looking for a pair of “occasional” glasses I think it’s worth your time to check out Firmoo. I’m not going to transition to these for my main pair (i.e., can’t wear them all day at work) but I have been consistently been wearing them when hanging out with friends and love peeking in the mirror to see them since I’d been rocking my old style for so long. If you want to check them out, new customers get 15% off.

Disclosure: For the first time ever, I got free product for writing a blog post!
Photo Credit: Angela Cerda Photography 

Clicked…

A lot of bloggers I like post these little Friday “recommended reading” posts, and I came across a lot of stuff interesting to me this week (and last week) that I thought maybe some of my friends and readers would be interested in.

There’s a new book out in the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series, but it’s written by a new author (Stieg Larssen passed away). This is a controversial development for fans of the series. Check out this interesting NPR piece for a couple of perspectives. I have the book on hold at the library and will be getting my mitts on it this weekend! Can’t wait.

Ever wonder why pop songs all sound the same? They are written by the same bald Scandinavians. This is a bummer, but most of the songs are pretty solid so I guess they know what they’re doing.

Two San Diego-centric links: This cool old bandshell is a case study in the fact that San Diego almost always lets cool old things fall into disrepair. I feel we could be a little more like LA in this way (what with The Forum and the Hollywood Bowl, to name a couple). On the positive side, this very cool art installation (not sponsored by anyone, just the photographer/resident) gives me hope for neighborhood unity through diversity!

I’m trying my hardest to hop on the Podcast train. I need something to occupy my mind while exercising, and our condo’s workout room does not have a TV. So, like the rest of the internet, last week I discovered Limetown which from what I can tell after two episodes is like LOST meets Serial. Very highly recommended!!

I hope you like one or all of these links! Got something to share with me? Put it in the comments!

Portland, Oregon: 2015

Crazily enough, Doug and I found ourselves in Portland, Oregon just 52 weeks after our 2014 visit. Again, for the wedding of a close friend from college days in Kansas. Life is funny sometimes, isn’t it?

keep portland weird small

We had the privilege of being invited to three weddings in May and June, and vacation days were quickly being eaten away. For this reason, we made a trip to Portland and back, Saturday/Sunday, in about 36 hours! Alaska Airlines, the company I have my rewards credit card through, offers an annual free/discounted “Companion Fare” to members so we only had to buy one flight (plus fees). Not bad! There were like five different events in Portland that weekend and hotel prices were skyrocketing so instead of staying at the Portland Ace like last time, we ended up at an AirBnB which we loved. (It will get its own post.)

The first thing we did after getting off the plane (other than getting our rental car; we haven’t braved Portland public transit yet) was to get food. Our flight left San Diego around 6 and landed in Portland around 8 or 8:30… and we were hungry! Luckily our AirBnB hosts had already e-mailed us a fun list of places to eat in their neighborhood so we chose one and were not disappointed. We ate at Helser’s on Alberta. If you watch Portlandia, you’ll remember an episode where the line for brunch stretches on for several miles. We were lucky enough to beat the 9am rush; but a line did form as we had our meal.

Helsers 2 small

helsers 1 small

June was the month I decided to go 30 days gluten-free, and I thought that Portland would be a gluten-free utopia. Not so! Most restaurants had a few things marked with an asterisk on the menu, but not as many as I’d assumed. I was still able to enjoy delicious meals, though. Above, a yummy chorizo-potato hash with Tillamook cheddar cheese.

We stayed a little bit north of the up-and-coming Alberta Arts District. Last year, we stumbled across this area and so this time we were happy to explore it (as opposed to The Pearl District where we stayed/explored last time).

Alberta Arts District

Alberta Arts District

Alberta Arts District

The wedding itself was in the nearby town of Woodburn. I changed into my “wedding clothes” and put my makeup on at the Woodburn outlet mall. #improvising! The wedding venue was at a really pretty historic house, The Settlemier House. It was awesome! It reminded me of something from Gilmore Girls, which my friend (who got married) and I bonded over in college. So, all in all it was very appropriate. ;)

Settlemier House

The following morning we had breakfast at a gluten-free bakery called Tula, and drove all over the city window-shopping. I like how Portland seems big and small at the same time. Each neighborhood is totally walk-able, but to get from one side of town to the other in a car is also a breeze! (This conflicts with some reports I recently saw about Portland having terrible traffic. We must have missed rush hours!)

Tula Bakery

I have a number of friends up in the area and considering how our trip was so short, I just made a facebook event and suggested that we all meet at lunch at the same place at the same time. Some friends weren’t able to make it, but some were, and we had a great lunch together. I think it went really well considering the fact that Doug and I just dragged a bunch of strangers together to share a meal. I enjoyed it so much I just might pull the stunt again sometime!

Near Kennedy School

McMenamins Kennedy School

We all had lunch at McMenamins’ Kennedy School, which is an actual elementary school turned hotel, restaurant, bar, and art cinema. What a great idea–turning a decommissioned building into something so creative! It was a good place for a somewhat large group. The food was super reasonably priced and the large location was so fascinating to explore while waiting for others to arrive. The bathrooms are simply the old school bathrooms! It was like being in a time warp…

Portland Sign

This summer certainly was the year of quick weekend trips. I feel so fortunate to have had the chance to see so many of our loved ones, but it did leave me feeling pretty exhausted! I think that next year I am definitely going to take a week-long trip (take all my vacation days at once) instead of taking a Friday here, a Monday there. I think it will help recharge my batteries better. However,  I sure did love feeling like a jet-setter all summer!  Now I’m ready for fall!