There are many, MANY reasons it has taken me so long to get all these Portland posts up. Not the least of which is the fact that I had thousands of photos to wade through to come up with my favorites. Having said that, there were thousands of photos that never got taken. Like more of Ward (sorry bud, what with you workin' so dang hard I certainly didn't see enough of you...next time, next time...)! Or of the beautiful sky, always changing, always interesting...

Day 5

...or of the estate sale that I dragged these lovely Jenkins to on my last full day in town - a good 25 minutes from home. There was so very little on offer but I scored anyway...vintage electric ice cream maker, vintage 35mm camera, red pyrex bowl and more - nope, no photos of that. Or how about the black vintage bicycle for sale and parked in front of Rerun? But, then, there are these...

Lunch with these two lovelies and their lovelies was so delicious,
my oh-so-gifted girl Andrea...


and just look at Jen Downer!

Jen is such a wonderful talent, has glowy sunshiney energy and is one of the best huggers on the planet. I so enjoyed meeting she and her gorgeous family on this trip - they are damn good, loving people - and she is one DAMN good photographer.

We finished that lunch, shared many of those aforementioned hugs, and on our way to the car, I happened to catch our little Miss Ava as a garden fairy...


then off to Ampersand...


to catch Robert E. Jackson's show featuring his collection of vintage photobooth shots...


oh, is this one ever my favorite from the show...


or, no, probably this one is my favorite at the show :) ...


How fitting for me to be there with Andrea since photobooths are how she and I first became friends back in our early blogging days. The show and the shop are truly great - do visit when you are in town! I must admit it was a little hard for me not to blurt out to the awesome owner how he should ask Andrea to do a show there, though. I mean come on, right?

And the photobooth fun wasn't over yet...off to Ace Hotel and their vintage photobooth next...

and was it ever the most beautiful booth I've seen! When I stepped inside, there was this...

Oy, I am telling you, after all these years, Andrea and I still don't have a strip together!? So you know what I did right? Dragged her in anyway, turned my Nikon around and made my own. Behold the fauxtobooth strip...

satisfaction.

Then, the obligatory, heart-shaped foamy coffee...


in the best. hotel. lobby. on. earth...


and, suddenly, it was time. Time to go. Time for one more night's rest before my ten hour drive back home. Back to my kitty. Back to sweet Pickleboy who was readying to board his very long return flight. From Australia to Mama. So in the car we piled, back to Andrea's we headed, beat. I mean truly exhausted and then as I was stopped at a red light I glanced over, lunged for the camera one last time and captured this all drive-by style...

do you see it......yeppsirree...there it was...the capper to one of my favorite trips of all time...
A(ndrea) & L(eslie)
...for a reason.

A really, really good reason.