With the national and world-wide focus on uplifting our Black and POC community members, there are so many ways to to support and amplify this movement. Education in the form of movies, books, and podcasts; donations to nonprofits and bail funds; attending protests; writing letters to lawmakers; and buying from Black and POC owned businesses are just a few really tangible and accessible ways.

Spice up your quarantine takeout game at Malka, a new restaurant from the folks behind Carte Blanche.

In these desperate & lonely times, we are so very lucky to have a full bar in our house. Our mid-century modern ranch (affectionately known as the Queer Compound) is located in Milwaukie, was built in the late 60s, and has lots of cool touches that I’m excited to share.

Some epidemiologists have published op-eds arguing that masks are good, and that everyday people should wear them, not only if they are sick and hoping to reduce the spread of their own germs to others. The inherent issue is that many people who have or will develop COVID-19 are asymptomatic. Those unknowingly sick people could be spreading the virus. Thus, shouldn’t everyone be wearing masks, just in case?!

Ah, the good old days of “picking”! Did you know that before I came to real estate, I spent 10 years working as a picker, and ran a stall at House of Vintage?

Milwaukie is growing and changing, and I’m stoked to have scored a Mid-Century Modern ranch there last year. Often overlooked by Portlanders, I’m here to share some of my favorite parts of Milwaukie.

Did you know that the ReBuilding Center offers affordable classes to up your home improvement know-how? A great way to gain skills to increase the value of your home!

As many of you know, the holidays are a time for your fave real estate agent to pop by with a random treat. You may have received a wreath, some fudge, or a festive tin of cookies.

Skip those enticing big box Black Friday sales and put your money back into the community right here in Portland!

Did you know that only 1% of distilleries in the U.S. are owned by women?! Lucky us, Portland is home to Freeland Spirits – a woman-founded and run distillery nestled in an industrial space just off Northwest 23rd. Former agriculture educator and nonprofit leader Jill Kuehler teamed up with distiller Molly Troupe (who has a background in biochemistry, and a Masters in distilling, nbd!), and Freeland Spirits was born.

We use it all the time in Real Estate. The clause itself makes great sense. It’s a convenient shorthand way of conveying when an old rule continues to apply to an existing situation. But of course, it’s totally racist. 

Don’t tell my Dad, buuuut we got our motorcycle endorsements last weekend! We both passed the written and the skills tests. Woohoo! And yes, I was reminded of my extreme test anxiety in the process.

I know it’s very dangerous and the statistics are NOT in my favor. But hey, if everything crashes and burns in The Big One and we have to run for the hills, you know I’ll be good to go! Special thanks to Team Oregon and our excellent instructors Theresa and Samantha. Along with the one and only Amanda Sundvor of Icon Motosports for hooking us up with all the gear. Now LEZ roll y’all. Dykes on Bikes here we come!

DID YOU KNOW THAT PORTLAND IS HOME TO AN AMAZING CUSTOM INFLATABLE DESIGNER?!

Soooooooo hot weather always has me craving tacos and margs. If Podnah’s Pit BBQ is not quite your vibe, but you still gotta get your tasty smoked brisket fix, La Taq is the place to get your snack on. They use a lot of the same meats as Podnah’s, but in their own unique way.

IT’S SUMMER, YO! Which means it’s salad season! All those farm-fresh veggies are just begging to be devoured and while I adore a good leafy greens and vinegar dressing salad, sometimes I am craving something a little different.

With the temps rising and the sun shining, it’s time for every kids favorite summer treat, popsicles! Whether or not you are still one to partake in this sticky sweet treat, you still deserve to enjoy the cringe-inducing jokes and puns found on the sticks.

Need a coping mechanism? Something a little stronger than these meditation mindfulness apps? Revisit our good friends at Hogwarts and pick the Harry Potter series again. Just for fun. Just for you.

I’ve been getting my “books-on-tape” on and enjoying the delightfully reassuring voice of stately Brit, Jim Dale, reading the Harry Potter books to me and I gotta tell ya, my peace of mind is improving by the minute.

Summer can be a crazy time in Real Estate, and finding calm in the storm helps keep the ship upright.

Portland has it’s quirks, but it’s generally been a good place to stray from the straight-and-narrow.

We have a bevy of art festivals, like TBA and the Winter Lights Festival, and a ton of movie festivals, from Hump! to Portland Horror Film Festival. It’s a good place to be a maker of cool art.

The Portland Queer Film Festival is in it’s 22nd(!) year and going strong as ever. It shows from September 28th-Oct 4th, so you are just at the tale end so don’t miss it before it’s gone! All the films are being shown at Cinema 21, and includes incredible stories across the spectrum of the queer community.

Saying goodbye to summer can be bittersweet for Portlanders. It’s farewell to long warm nights out at the river, backyard hangouts with your friends and family, crazy amazing fresh tomatoes at the local farmers market, and that glorious glorious sunshine. Dry streets perfect for bicycling turn slick with rain and happy hour on the patio has to move indoors. It can be a tough transition with a lot of mixed feelings. Here is a little list of ways to ease the shock and take advantage of this weird part of the year that is simultaneously too hot and too cold.