A little over 5 years ago, my wife and I decided to do the unthinkable: leave paradise. San Diego, the city that boasts a gluttony of 70-80 degree days every year and miles and miles of soft sand hugging the endless Pacific, became a little too expensive for our quest of starting a family.
A trip to Vancouver, BC and Seattle put the Pacific Northwest on our radar. From our follow up research on cost of living, employment, crime and family friendliness, the cool little city of Portland, Oregon jumped out and put our attention on a headlock. After reading article after article, glowing review after nauseatingly glowing review, we had no choice but come up and visit. Within 3 months, my wife and I both found jobs, found a place, packed up our stuff and left San Diego for what we consider to be one of the most pivotal times of our lives.
Portland is a fantastic place to start a family. Many magazines and websites ranks Portland high in safety, recreation and air/water quality, but to really understand why, you will need to meet the people. So with that being said, we will dedicate our time connecting with your everyday families and show why Portland is such a wonderful family city.
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As we come to the conclusion of our time with Portland's Fashion Design community, we are once again struck by the amazing people we met and experiences we gained. Everyone had a unique journey and it's fascinating to see the different paths they took.
We started with the quick-witted and incredibly energetic Jenna (Bashionista) Kirwan. Jenna had a very intense past faced with emotional and physical trials and tribulations. Yet despite the challenges, she asserts to us that she is living the life she wanted and that she is happy. Without the hardships, would she have followed a different path? Perhaps without those tough times she would still be searching for happiness.
Our next stop was with the creative and ambitious Sarah Giffrow. Her current life is highlighted by courage, dedication, and passion for her work. Taking the leap to work for herself, she claims that it's her biggest decision in life and that her biggest regret is not having done it sooner. It's been two years since she started her business and there seems to be no wasted time with Sarah; no moment taken for granted. She is still moving full steam to push her company to success while simultaneously having fun and embracing her individuality.
South African born Sami Van Der Westhuizen was a pleasant surprise for us. Her kind and loving soul was evident in the way she spoke about the people in her life. She openly defines her life by her relationships with her family, partner, and friends. Sami's accomplishments, inspirations, and passions are deeply rooted in people serving as a reminder about the importance of human connection.
Next, Katie Guinn, a Portland native, musician's wife, kick-ass mother, Portland Mercury writer, freelance designer, and self-proclaimed party animal, is one of the more complete representations of Portland. Her goal is for her and her family to live a fulfilling life and with the way she swallows experiences and opportunities, she's on the right course.
Rounding out our community, Margaret Heald. Reflective, curious, and full of beautiful life. She absorbs inspiration from the world and radiantly emits it back. Unafraid of the bumps and bruises, she discards the thought of a safe life and instead choses to enjoy the ride.
We so often as humans fall into societal pressures and feel that if we don't abide we won't succeed in life. The funny thing is in this time that we've been doing MULITPLI [CITY] we have not one person's path duplicated. The only consistent them is change and leaps of faith people take. So, choose different paths, meet friends, pick up the pace, rest, celebrate, cry, embrace, escape, reach, and finish. All of it are pieces of your journey and all of it matters. Own it and make it yours! As one surprisingly wise and playful feline have said: "You have brains in you head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose..."
"My favorite part of having an old timey name like mine are the nicknames people give me."
Occupation:
"I rarely articulate my entire job title, usually I just say I am a designer. But for those playing along at home...... Senior Designer for Accessories and Equipment at Columbia Sportswear"
Hometown:
Worcester, Massachusetts
"I like to say East Coast by birth, West Coast by choice."
"I had some family friends I grew up with who went to college in Portland. I wanted to move to the West Coast but wasn’t so sure about cities like San Francisco or Seattle. I came out to visit once summer during my college days and fell in love with Portland. I went to Mt Hood, the coast, grabbed beers at the original incarnation of Bridgeport Brewing in the Pearl, went swimming in the Clackamas River......just doing all these very Portland things. I moved out here with my dog Bo in 1995 and have lived here ever since."
What are 3 words that best describe you?
-Curious
-Sporty
-Kind
Who are the most important people in your life? (right now and/or ever)
-my family: mother/father/brother
-my friends: too many to count, but each and every one of them is such an important part of me and they make my life richer in so many and such different ways.
-art teachers: for encouraging me and contributing to my talents, the lessons from grade school to college have stayed with me and continue to enlighten along the way.
-previous boss: sadly, I no longer get to work with her, but she set such an sterling example of how to work, how to think, how to create, how to dream.....mentor just doesn’t quite cover it....she’s such a creative bad ass.
What are most important to you in life right now? (goal and/or passion)
"I love my career, I feel so fortunate to get to do creative work that is challenging and inspiring and satisfying. I am very focused right now on how to continue to make that path as meaningful as possible.
That being said, I am guilty of being a workaholic, so my goal for 2014 is to spennd as much time and energy for those things that inspire me outside of work, to not lose myself in the corporate grind.
I am focused on learning some new sports like stand up paddle boarding, determined to get back into triathlons as I miss the training, and creative projects - do something crafty outside of my day job. I’d also love to learn another language, maybe Spanish as I want to go to Barcelona. I’d also like to figure out how to volunteer somewhere, to start to pay it forward or pay it back somehow. It’s too bad I have a day job ( ;"
What inspires or motivates you?
inspires:
"music, art, good writing (books, poems, articles) photography, nature + being outdoors, getting my heart rate up, sunshine, people and the stories they have to tell, travel."
motivates:
"to learn as much as I can, in the time that I have; to be kind and true; to know that I gave my best"
What is your personal philosophy?
I have 2.
#1 : “Life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘Holy shit…what a ride!” - Hunter S. Thompson
#2 : “I live to laugh, and I laugh to live.” - Milton Berle
What is one of the most important decisions you’ve made in life?
#1 moving to Oregon
"It changed my life. Not just geographically, but it changed who I am and the kind of person I have grown to be. The people I have met along the way, the experiences I have had, the things I do, all of it. If you would have asked me all those years ago, if I could see myself where I am today, I couldn’t have imagined it. I love the life that I have here."
#2 changing careers
"I’ve been fortunate to have had multiple careers in a wide range of fields - worked in Montessori schools out of college, worked in the lm business after that, and i'm a designer now. Every time I made the decision to change jobs and change careers, the world opened up before me in new and exciting ways."
What is your best accomplishment so far?
"Ask me that question when I’m old and grey, i don’t really feel I have any."
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality✓ Free Actions
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
This morning I found my sneaky black lab, Cade, curled up next to my slumbering 3 year old in her tiny bed. Cade does this once in a while, but seeing the two trouble-makers peacefully enjoying each other's company always puts a big smile on my face.
You can't help but notice that there seems to be an emphasis on self-aggrandization today. You see it in the movies, sports, social media, etc. We often times have our eyes affixed or looking ahead on the best, the epic, the legendary and we lose sight of the subtle that in the end puts the same smile on our faces. These "small" moments envelop us and is abundant in our day to day, and I find that when I put a little effort in being present and being aware of things occurring around me, the smiles come more often.
Creativity-the use of imagination or original ideas. Usually associated to the production of artistic work, but definitely occurs in every aspect of everyday life. Things like your day’s outfit, the shape of your morning pancake, the design on your latte, your car’s carefully considered weaving path through traffic, the tone and inflection of your greetings, the color combination of your excel web chart, the crinkle cut of your French fries-Creativity can be found in day to day experiences.
We have only seen a small part of Katie Guinn’s life, but she is a creative person through and through. In speaking with Katie, she is in tune with the creative inspiration that surrounds her. The seasons of the Northwest, the various Oregon flowers in bloom, her daughter’s vibrance, the beautiful relationships she’s built with her family and friends all feed Katie’s creative process that lead to her beautiful designs. When you witness someone like Katie absorb inspiration, conceive an idea, and bring it to life, it’s ethereal.
Next time you take on what seemingly is mundane or routine, tap into your surroundings and use some of that creative inspiration. Don’t let the opportunity of realizing something beautiful elude your everyday life.
