Hey Friends! You all won’t believe where I am right now! I’m up in Portland with Pacific Foods for their Pasture to Plate event! Follow along with me on Instagram because this Arizona desert girl is having a blast here! Can’t wait to tell you all about it, but in the meantime here is my monthly Bits and Pieces post where I share with you all the random things I think you just might want to know, and maybe a few you don’t.
1. So when I was invited to Portland, my first thought was, “Yay!” and then, “What I am going to wear?” I found this cute and versatile denim jacket from Loft and thought she might like to come to Portland with me. The fit is great, not too bulky, and I love wearing it with colored denim jeans or corduroys. I can also wear it with summer dresses so that they can stretch into Fall too.
2. Colder weather and jackets makes me want to eat a cozy bowl of soup or chili. Here are some favorites from LLK last year as well as some new ones from my food blogger friends. Can I still call them friends if I’ve never actually met them, but would really like to?
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- Beef Barley Soup from The Clever Carrot
- Easy Crockpot Chili
- Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup from Cooking Classy
- Creamy Crockpot White Chicken Chili
- Italian Orzo Spinach Soup from Gimme Some Oven
- 10 Minute Wonton Soup from The Food Charlatan
Follow my Soup board on Pinterest for more great recipes!
3. I found these letters for my fireplace mantle at Michaels. They are out of stock online right now, but I have seen them still in the stores. Do you decorate your house for Fall? I make myself wait until October 1st. I did buy a J and Y so I can do J-O-Y at Christmastime. I wonder what else I can spell with an H, O, M, E, J and a Y? Don’t forget to use your 40% off coupon!
4. Do you notice a big difference in your skin when the weather turns colder? The other day, one of my friends was complimenting me on my skin… I was like, who ME? This is the girl who had very problematic skin growing up. I know its much better now thanks to my teenage girly hormones evening out, but I was still kind of shocked to hear her say such sweet things about my face. She asked about my make-up products, and while they are really nothing fancy, I do really like my daytime moisturizer. Even though it doesn’t say anything about this on the packaging, I feel like it has little light reflecting powers and makes your skin really even and supple and moisturized all day long. Plus it has SPF 50, and with my family’s history of skin cancer, this is a must! Love that it won’t break the bank too.
5. Why have I not heard of Paper Source until now? Thank you Boxwood Clippings (another blog I love) for introducing me. Isn’t this garland perfect for Fall?
Disclaimer: the links in this post for the moisturizer are Amazon affiliate links.
Karen @ The Food Charlatan says
Julie, have so much fun in Portland! I hope you are getting a nice break from all the heat! (At least I’m assuming it’s hot in AZ still. It’s hot here in CA.) Love this soup round up. I am seriously craving fall food, even though the weather’s not right for it over here. Thanks for the shout out on my wonton soup! ps cute jacket 🙂
Renee @ Two in the Kitchen says
I hope you are having fun on your trip! I absolutely love denim jackets for the fall! Too cute! 🙂
Julie says
Thank you Renee!
Valerie | From Valerie's Kitchen says
How exciting that you’re in Portland! I went once for a conference and would love to go back sometime. My sis and her husband live there so that’s another excuse to visit. Have a wonderful time and I’ll check you out on Instagram. Loving the soup roundup. I had the pleasure of meeting Karen (The Food Charlatan) a while back. She’s a sweetie and her soup looks delish!
Julie says
That’s great that you can come visit family in such a fun city. Would love to meet both you and Karen someday in person!
Maureen says
It was so fun getting to spend time with you in our neck of the woods. I hope you had a great time in the NW. Love LLK!
Julie says
Thanks Maureen!
Lindsay @ The Local Taste says
Love seeing your Portland photos on Instagram! Looks like you’re having an amazing trip. Also, I love how you give a portion of your income from your blog to a good cause each month. Such a great idea!
Julie says
Thanks Lindsay. Portland was really fun!