A Semi-Blogged Life

Monday, October 23, 2023

Whimsy and Wonder: Halloween 2023

Here are some festive frights I've seen and eaten this month!

Cheese and Crack brought back their "Eye Scream" Sundae which has raspberry sauce, ube pudding, chocolate cookie crumbs, vanilla soft serve, and a candy eyeball on top.

Haunted House Decorations

Salt & Straw always has interesting flavors for October, part of their Scoops & Skulls series. I tried the different flavors before settling for "Don Bugito's Creepy Crawly Critters" which has chocolate covered crickets and toffee-brittle mealworms mixed in their match ice cream.

Haunted House Decorations- It was also Banned Books Week so I really enjoyed this display. People who are for censorship are scarier than all the things that go bump in the night!

Morrison Street Mini Gallery- Haunted House Diorama

Scarecrows and Tombstones in Milwaukie- I was in the neighborhood to visit a new bookstore that had just opened and had to stop by to see this display!

Mt. Tabor Creations- Impressive as usual!

Lucky Dog Library- All decked out for fall and even has dog costume ideas!

Haunted House Decorations

Mini Pumpkin Patches

Halloween Cultural Preservation Museum- Pop-Up at Lloyd Center- This randomly showed up on my social media feeds and, luckily, one of my friends was curious enough to join me to check it out. They actually have a fundraiser going on to expand this.

I was pleasantly surprised to find they had books by my favorite (living) author in their shop! I even talked a little bit to the employee there how disappointed we were Netflix cancelled The Midnight Club.

Saturday, March 11, 2023

Whimsy and Wonder: Wishing Trees

I'd been meaning to compile a list of Wishing Trees I've visited over the years. And, now is as good a time as any.

The first wishing tree I visited was in March 2014. I think it was written up in a newspaper or a neighborhood blog so, of course, I wanted to see it as soon I could! Since then, more and more have popped up. (Of course, I can't know for sure if these are still up.) In 2021, someone had compiled a list on Facebook which I used to seek them out that spring and summer.

Like my labyrinths post, I'll update this as I add more.

1- NE 7th & Morris- March 7, 2014

And the same tree in January 14, 2018...

2. N. Williams between Mason and Shaver- April 15, 2017

3. NE 17th & Dekum- May 10, 2019

4. Kindness Tree- August 18, 2019- I didn't write down the location of this tree when I walked by it on the way to work that morning but based on the owner and the message/intent, it's probably the same one I passed by on the way home April 13, 2021. What do you think?