Tweeting and Stuff

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I finally broke down and got a Twitter account.  I joined so we could follow along with our favorite Trail Blazers broadcasters Mike Rice & Mike Barrett during games.  Currently I follow the two of them, a few NBA players, and two actual friends.  Is that lame? I don't even know who has Twitter.  Do you have Twitter?  Let me know.

Find me here.

-Kira

Weekend Rundown

Lately I have been a bit of a homebody.  Little Pearl and I hang out around the house most of the time these days.  By the weekend I am itching to get out and do something.  Thank goodness I had a ton of fun events to go to over the weekend.

On Saturday morning, Pearl stayed home with her daddy while I attended the Portland Bloggers Meet-Up with Becca and Lauren.  I didn't take any photos of the event, but Sara and Jenni have great ones on their blogs.  There was delicious food and fun craft projects to do.  I actually ended up making one of the hair accessories I had pinned on Pinterest recently.  Thanks to Jenni for bringing the supplies!

After the event, I ran errands on my own which is so much faster than with a baby.  It was nice to check all of those things off the list.
On Saturday night we took Pearl over to a friend's house for dinner and conversation with a great group of people.  This is Pearl and her new friend Charlie.  He was born just a day after her!

Sunday morning, Pearl and I attended Lauren's baby shower.  It was beautifully planned.   The theme was "Fern" which will be her name.  I'm super excited to meet her in January!  See more photos on Lauren's blog over at Babble.

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That evening, Pearl went and stayed with her grandparents while Jeremy and I went to LaMarcus Aldridge's Rip City Basketball Classic.  It was so nice to watch a basketball game and get a little taste of the NBA.  The lockout is bumming me out.  The game was heavy on offense and very light on defense, but there were a lot of fun plays and it was exciting to see what guys like Kevin Durant can do up close.

It was such a fun weekend!
-Kira

Procrastination

I'm glad I was productive and cleaned the house yesterday.  Today the main thing I needed to check off of my list was to go to Safeway.  I hate grocery shopping.  So, I spent most of the day procrastinating.  I mostly sat/laid on the couch and watched NBA playoff games.  I also watched the Timbers game.  The dogs were more than happy to join me.

 Syd fell asleep on my neck during the New Orleans-Los Angeles game.  I guess she doesn't like to watch the Lakers lose as much as I do.

I'm getting good at yelling GOOOOOAL really loud when the Timbers score.  Jeremy was doing homework in the office so I had to yell for him to get in here to see the replay.  Since he is too busy to watch sports right now it's a good thing he has a wife to keep him up on these things.

Anyway, that was my weekend in a nutshell.  Not as exciting as most of yours I assume.  Oh, and I did eventually go to the grocery store.
-Kira

Clyde

I come from a family of Trail Blazers fans.  My grandpa Vern was there when they won the championship in 1977 and my dad raised us to be fans.  We would sit in the 300 section as kids and take turns using dad's binoculars.

I know you are not all Trail Blazers fans so let me just fill you in here...Clyde Drexler is kind of a big deal. He lead the Blazers to the championship game in 1990 and 1992 (although we did not win).  He is historically one of the best players in the NBA.  Sure, he won a championship with the Houston Rockets and works for them now, but he always will be a Blazer around here.  One of the best.

When I was in middle school my mom, sisters, and I had a Clyde Drexler sighting at the Lloyd Center Mall.  We started following him around.  He was the most exciting celebrity we had ever seen in real life at the time, but he was shopping with his kids so we eventually gave it a rest and quit stalking him.

My friend Gina is awesome, but she is not a huge Blazers fan.  She was going through some old family things and came across a Bill Walton doll and a 1986-87 media guide.  She gave them to me.  I was excited, and when she started to walk off she mentioned there was a signature or two in the media guide.  And guess who signed the book?  Clyde himself!

I am so excited about this.  It is a really fun addition to our small collection of Blazers memorabilia.
-Kira

Fun Things From Today

I have a few things from today to share...

1. One of my co-workers posted a bunch of free stuff on the personal ads today so I came home with a new tea set.  We don't really drink tea at our house so my one tea cup was quite sufficient, but I want to use them for some sort of crafty project.  Let me know if you have ideas!

2. I saw this video on CUP OF JO.  It cracked me up because it totally reminds me of Jeremy and I while we were in college, although neither of us would have ever said "last weekend was chill."  I actually have some of our instant messages saved from back when we were friends. It's pretty funny to look at them now.

3. I am super excited that LaMarcus Aldridge was voted Western Conference Player of the Week.  I really hope he makes it to the All Star Game.

 4. I got this cute print in the mail today.  It will be framed and put up in our bedroom.

5. We watched a show about obsessive coupon clippers and it kind of made us want to try them.  Those people saved so much money! I cut a bunch of coupons.  I will let you know if I actually use them.

-Kira

Denver Trip Post #1 Blazers vs Nuggets

Our trip to Denver was mostly to attend a wedding and visit some friends, but since we are completely hardcore Trail Blazers fans we attended their game at the Pepsi Center vs. the Denver Nuggets on December 28th.  Both of us packed plenty of Blazers gear for the trip.  We had our Brandon Roy "Rip City" jerseys, but since he wasn't playing we decided to wear our retro t-shirts instead. 

 

The first half of the game was good, but our team completely fell apart in the second half.  It was weird and annoying, but nobody hassled us about being fans of the visiting and losing team which was nice. 
The stands were nearly full, but their fans were so quiet.  The loudest cheer I heard was when one of the announcers at the beginning mentioned something about Tim Tebow who plays for the Denver Broncos.  I kind of felt bad for the Nuggets, but I think maybe it's just different in Portland since we don't have an NFL team.  It seemed to me that it is much more fun to be a Trail Blazers fan.

Even though the game was bad we got a kick out of the guy next to us who was clearly a know-it-all and kept yelling suggestions to their team on how things should be done.  At half time there was a juggler and the know-it-all was telling his friend about how he had been juggling for 15 years and was much better than the guy out on the floor.  The guy declared that if people were entertained by this type of juggling then "the circus is dead."  I found that quite hilarious and we have found many opportunities since to use our new favorite phrase.

After the game, like giant nerds, we went down to the floor behind Mike Barrett and Mike Rice and waved to the camera during the post game show airing in Portland.  Then we met Mike Rice after their broadcast.  He was really nice and commented that he hoped the wedding we were attending went much better than the game did.

Overall, even though we did not get a win it was still a fun experience.
-Kira

P.S. Denver fans - why do you love the Birdman so much?  He is so GROSS!

My lucky day

Yesterday was my lucky day.  We attended the Blazers-Nuggets preseason game for which the tickets had been sent to us for free! I assumed they would be the cheap seats which was fine with me because those are the seats we usually pay for.  But, they were really good seats!  It was also a great game.  I'm so excited for the regular season to start.  I just love my Trail Blazers.

I also won this amazing giveaway yesterday! Around 740 people entered and somehow I won!  I rarely win things so this was a huge surprise.  Thank you to Joanna Goddard and My Rocking Wardrobe!  I'm still not sure what to get.  I love so many things.
The women's product is so pretty.

But, the little girls styles are way too cute. I have to buy something (or maybe multiple things) for my niece Maleah.  I already gave Kara the disclaimer that if I have a girl someday the items I choose have to be given back to me.  The top items on my list are these: 1, 2, 3, 4.

 Won't this cute thing just look adorable in those outfits?

 This photo was taken by Kacy Kizer.  The family pictures she took for Kara and Tyler turned out amazing.

-Kira

And the winners are...

Last night, in epic fashion, my friend Greg and I beat the powerhouse team of Jeremy and Brittney in our NBA Jam tournament.  For the most part we had little trouble with me as Oden and Greg switching between Aldridge and Roy.  For the championship game we decided to let the opponents choose which team we played as.  It was our Milwaukee Bucks vs their Washington Wizards.  Andrew Bogut served me well.  Here is the bracket to prove it:

-Kira

Rudy, This is How I Feel

I will start off by saying that maybe I am being slightly irrational here, but I am very upset with you, Rudy Fernandez.  Let me tell you why.

I used to love watching you play.  There were so many exciting moments in the 2008-2009 season with the fun Sergio alley-oop plays, no look passes, and watching you run down the court with three fingers out after hitting those 3's.  Your game was fun to watch.  I bought a Rudy Fernandez t-shirt.  I had jumped on the bandwagon.

I defended you during the dunk contest.  I said the competition was rigged (ok, I still believe that) and I blamed Pau Gasol for not being able to pass the ball behind his back correctly.

I was so angry with Trevor Ariza when he committed that flagrant foul against you. I still don't like the guy because of it.

This last season you were in a funk after coming back from your injuries.  I gave you the benefit of the doubt.  I hoped that McMillan would keep playing you and that you would get your confidence back.  I was excited for you when you got your start in the playoffs.  I was pretty disappointed when you didn't show up, but I still defended you.

Then you do THIS!

I've had it with you, Rudy.  I don't want you back.  You have ruined your trade value and now we can't get anything for you.  I hope you have to sit there for two years thinking about the fact that you made a mistake and nobody values you as much as you value yourself.  You're not a starter in the NBA.  The way you're talking, you must think you're on par with Lebron or Kobe.  You don't have that game, but you apparently have that ego.

If you decide to come back to the Blazers I will cheer for you to do well because they are my team, but right now you are on my bad side.  We don't deserve this from you.  Get over yourself.

Go Blazers!
-Kira

Bike Rides, Lebron James, and New York

Today was hot! It's great to have sunny weather finally, but anything pushing 100 is not really my style.  I am an Oregonian after all.  I did get out and enjoy the weather a bit.  I played sand volleyball on my lunch break and went for a bike ride this evening after watching the Lebron James Special "The Decision" or whatever it was called.  It was pretty anti-climactic for me as the outcome was basically what we all expected.  That guy is so into himself, it's just ridiculous.  I do feel kind of bad for the people of Cleveland though.

Half way through our bike ride this evening Jeremy and I parted ways.  He went on some dirt trails and I just turned around and came home.  I'm not advanced enough for those trails yet.  I end up having to get off and push the bike up a hill every once in a while.  It makes me feel bad about myself so I decided not to do it.  Problem solved.  So, I got home about a half hour before him.

What does a girl do when her husband isn't home?  Well, I know what I do.  I sit down and watch some ridiculous girly show that he would never let me watch when he is here.  This time I picked "The City" on demand.  On this particular episode Whitney had a booth at Coterie.  Years ago I did an internship in New York and attended the Coterie trade show.  It made me think of those days and how my life is so different now than it would have been if I had stayed.  That is why I like watching that show.  It reminds me of things that I loved and things that I hated about the fashion industry.  I guess I'm still in the fashion industry in a way, but the active sportswear/outerwear business is so much more laid back and less pretentious.  I like that.  And, I prefer Portland as much as I sometimes miss New York.

This is a photo from my time at Betsey Johnson with the designer herself.  It was a great experience for me.  It taught me a lot about what I wanted in so much more than just my career.  I was very lucky to have that opportunity.

This weekend we are going up to Bremerton, WA so my twin sister and I can spend our birthday together.  I think my sister, my mom, and I are going to spend some time in Seattle on Saturday.  Should be fun!  Have a great weekend!

-Kira

My Favorite Season is Over

Many of you may know that my favorite season of the year is the NBA season.  I LOVE the Portland Trail Blazers.  Last night we went to Game 6 of the playoffs (Portland vs. the Phoenix Suns).  This year was not our year I guess, and although we had an amazing run in the fourth quarter to tie the game we ended up losing.  That means the season is over.  I am having a bit of a hard time coping with the fact that I will not have Blazers to watch until October when preseason starts up again.  But, I will make it and I bet my house will be cleaner and I will cook better dinners because of my extra time.

I just wanted to take this time to thank the team for all of their hard work this season.  Through crazy amounts of injuries these guys showed a tremendous amount of heart and I am very proud to call them my team.  I can't wait until next season!

-Kira

I Have Emerged

I am back.  I bet you didn't know I was gone.  I was away from my life for a while getting work done.  I think that whole life-work balance thing is important, but I'm still trying to completely figure that out.   For the time being though I should have my evenings and weekends back.  So, I'll take it!

I'm still trying to recuperate and I have the Blazer game to watch in a few minutes so I will leave you with this movie trailer.  Oh, Jeremy is so excited about this one:



Also, it's game 5.  The series is tied 2-2.  Brandon Roy is back! Go Blazers!
-Kira

Fun Baby Stuff

This weekend I attended my lovely friend Emily's baby shower in Medford.  She is having a little girl!  It was a long drive for one day (4.5 hours each way!).  But, it was great to see her and I was very impressed by the thoughtful gifts she received.  There were lots of crafty women at that shower!  There were two beautiful quilts, hand made toys, and a beautiful project done by Emily's sister Erica.  I took pictures of it and I really want to make one at some point, but I am not going to post my photos here.  I know she is planning on posting photos on her blog so you will have to check in there to see it.

Emily is planning on doing cloth diapers and I couldn't believe how heavy duty they looked or how amazingly adorable they are.  They also asked that people bring children's books as gifts to fill up the bookshelf.  What a great idea!  She received a ton of books that I'm sure they will be reading together for years to come.

I also had the opportunity to go to the dedication of my friends Jordan & Kelli's baby girl Lucy.  It was so great to see all of the parents committing to raise their family according to the word of God.  Hearing the fathers speak about their little ones was so sweet as well.  Lucy kept trying to grab the microphone while her dad was speaking, so cute!

Now I am waiting for the tip off of Game 1 for the playoffs Portland Trailblazers vs. the Phoenix Suns.  I am so nervous!  I really want our guys to pull this one out.

I hope you all have a great week!  I will be spending the majority of the week in my cubicle.  I have so much to do I think it would make more sense for me to just set up camp in the office.  But, things should be better once the week is done.

-Kira

*UPDATE - The Blazers Won! 

Best Christmas Gift

I love my Blazers! And the team I dislike the most (not counting the Lakers of course) is the Denver Nuggets. Last night we went to the Blazers-Nuggets game at the Rose Garden. I believe it may have been the best game I have ever attended. The Blazers won 107-96! Brandon Roy had 41 points, Steve Blake and Martell Webster were killing it with the three pointers, LaMarcus Aldridge had 13 rebounds, and Jerryd Bayless had some really awesome assists. Everyone who played contributed in a meaningful way. It was so exciting!
Read about it here. Or check nba.com, they actually have some great coverage from the game last night.

This is us, being excited!
I hope your Christmas was great too!
Kira