Recycled Bus Stop
There are some interesting designs when it comes to bus stops around the world, and the Bottlestop Bus Shelter Project is no different. The work of artist Aaron Scales, it’s built from recycled soda bottles (all sources locally), and is lit up at night with LEDs.
More here.
Friday Photo: Abstract Afternoon
Standing in the Seattle ferry terminal a few weeks ago, I looked out through a crack in between two glass panels. The sky and water were various shades of gray, and the red blinking lights in various spots around the terminal stuck out against the wintry afternoon.
Big and Small Players in Carbon Emissions
I posted this blog post about carbon emissions today over on the Under Solen blog, but I think it deserves to get posted here as well.
From Under Solen:
In our ongoing coverage about how climate change is affecting us and how people in the U.S. are taking action, today we bring you a couple of graphics and statistics to show just who’s emitting carbon. Thanks to the New York Times for the visuals. And if you’re interested in carbon emissions per capita, make your way over to this useful Google guide, made with World Bank data, that you can easily search by country, and compare statistics.
The U.S. – 20% of emissions, 30% of G.D.P. 5% of people.
Per capita, the U.S. emits 19.5 metric tons of CO2. The world average? 4.5.
Sunday Morning Scones
There’s a beauty in the simplicity of Sunday mornings. Coffee, newspaper and NPR in the background. These scones are a perfect addition. The recipe is adapted from Sheila Lutkins’ Dorset Scones in All Around the World.
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled + cut into cubes
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup milk
- 3/4 cup dried currants
- 1/2 sliced, toasted almonds
1. Mix flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and nutmeg. Add cold butter and mix together until it resembles coarse meal. [Easiest way to do this is in a food processor, but using your hands to do the job works just fine!]
2. Whisk egg in small bowl and mix together with milk. Add to flour mixture and mix until dough forms large curds.
3. Knead in currants and almonds.
4. Make two round balls and flatten on greased pan. Cut each round into eighths.
5. Preheat over to 450F, bake for 15 min.
Bon appetit!
Get to Know Portland, Oregon: 5 PDX Blogs
Portland, OR is own for having a distinct flair, and there’s no better way to get a feel for the city than through some of it’s excellent style and design blogs. Ready to get to know why Portland is the up and coming hotspot? Here are my top 5 Portland blog picks.
- Urban Weeds – Simple, sleek and yet with a little bit of funk, Urban Weeds is quintessential Portland style. Features on local designers and shop owners as well as classic pictures from the street.
- Velocouture – Ok, so Velocouture isn’t exactly a Portland-centric blog, but it’s published locally and focuses on one of the city’s favorite pastimes: cycling. Plenty of proof that choosing two wheels over four doesn’t mean sacrificing style.
- Portland Loves: Local – Portland is home to a plethora of creative and cutting edge designers, and Portland Loves: Local gives homage to them all. Beyond that, the blog is simply a collection of all the things that make Portland wonderful, and sure to inspire new visitors.
- Portland Architecture – A visual exploration of the city’s buildings and designs, Portland Architecture should be the first stop for anyone with an interest in Portland’s urban feel. With all the architecture focused blogs out there, it’s nice to have one that’s committed to local coverage.
- BikePortland – You can’t experience Portland without experiencing bikes, and BikePortland is the number one spot for cycling related news, style, and beyond.
Making the English Language More Interesting
Being a language lover, I couldn’t resist posting this photo that I came across today.
Friday Photo: Seattle Ferry
Exploring Western Washington and Puget Sound by hopping on one of the many ferries is an excellent way to get to know this beautiful area of the state. Taking the ferry to Seattle, walking up to Pike Place Market and spending the day with beautiful views over the water happens to be one of my favorite weekend activities when in Washington.
I captured this shot on the way back from a day in Seattle, filled with coffee and pain au raisin at the excellent French bakery Le Panier, fish and chips at the market, plenty of window shopping, and an expertly wrapped piece of chevre flavored with ash from Beecher’s. An amazing display of clouds and sun rays played out during the whole ferry ride home, topping an urban day off with an incredible show of nature.
Want to explore the Washington Ferry system for yourself? Check out the official website here.
Creative Inspiration: Daily Journaling
As a writer, I wish I was more disciplined about keeping a daily journal, mostly because it gets the creative juices flowing. But alas, the internet takes up more time than it should, and the time I spend putting actual pen to paper is limited.
But to get those creative juices flowing again, sometimes all it takes is a little inspiration. This time that inspiration comes from my very own mother, who for one year, diligently journaled on a daily basis. Drawing and painting a daily picture of something from the natural world and writing a few words that accompanied it. The result is stunning. And I feel encouraged [if not a bit forced; my mother can’t show me up] to get out my notebook tomorrow…
Full gallery of photos after the jump.
Help Build a School in Cambodia
At about this time two years ago I was busy wandering around Southeast Asia. After several weeks in Vietnam, I made my way into Cambodia, and immediately fell in love. The perseverance of a people that had gone through a horrific history is enough to bring tears to your eyes, and despite decades of hardship, there is a genuine love and happiness that every Cambodian exudes. I was in awe.
Travel opens our eyes, and often it opens our eyes to those who are in need; Cambodia happens to be one of those places. Last year some amazing travel bloggers came up with the idea of Passports With Purpose, a fundraising campaign that would harness the power of travel bloggers and raise some money for a good cause during the holiday season. The campaign was so successful that it’s taking place again, this year raising funds to build a school in this most eye-opening of countries that I have traveled to: Cambodia.
The 2009 Passports With Purpose fundraising efforts is supporting American Assistance for Cambodia, an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving opportunities for the youth and rural poor in Cambodia. If PWP raises $13,000, a new school gets to be built in Cambodia… obviously, I couldn’t resist in taking part. Which is why we got Under Solen involved as well… we’re all excited about working on the project. And you should too!
How to partake:
For each $10 donation that you make to AAfC, you will will be entered in the giveaway(s) of your choice. The fundraiser closes on December 21 and all proceeds go directly to AAfC. Check out all of the prizes up for grabs here.
What you can win:
You can’t take on epic adventures without good shelter, so what better prize to inspire some amazing travels than a Sierra Designs XT 4 Ultralight Tent? Thanks to Under Solen for hooking it up!
So for donating some dollars to an excellent cause you can be entered to win this amazing tent which retails for $449. There are tons of other cool prizes as well, so check them all out and donate a few bucks to AAfC. It might just be the best use of your money this holiday season.
Now get to donating… And if you want to keep up with the action, head over to the Under Solen blog where we’ll be tracking everything that’s going on with PWP!
Friday Photo: Holiday Evening
Thanksgiving is over and December starts in just a few days, which means ample tree lights in cities and store windows decorated in holiday finest. It might be cold out, but evening strolls downtown are just the thing to keep you enjoying the holidays, no matter what you’re celebrating.
blog.annabrones.com 