Like pretty much everyone, I love to travel. I want to see the world, especially since my husband’s grandma lives in France and my dad works in Singapore. These opportunities are too good to pass up. But one vacation I’ve been dreaming about for years is a trip up the Pacific Northwest Coast. Ideally, I’d like to visit Napa, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle (I used to live there!) and Vancouver. But if I only had the chance to see one of these cities, I’d choose Portland.

I’ve never been there, but I just get a certain vibe about it. It seems like a big city with a small town mentality. Very green, with lots of buses and biking, fabulous gardens, a great arts scene, tons of outdoor activities…it just seems cool.

Travel Portland has a lot of great information about the town, including lodging info, the shopping scoop, and details about the arts scene. Portland is also home to four amazing gardens: the Portland Classical Chinese Garden, The Oregon Garden, the Portland Japanese Garden, and the International Rose Test Garden.

The site also breaks down the various arts neighborhoods, has dining suggestions, and even offers multicultural and gay/lesbian information. I know that I’m going to love living in Austin, but I hope that once I’m all done with school I get to live in Portland for awhile. In the meantime, I’ll be saving up for a vacation!

Photos courtesy of Flickr:

• http://www.flickr.com/photos/pleeker/126738485/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericappel/289854997/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/cassidy/8583635

In my quest to become a raw foodist, I just discovered Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen by Ani Phyo. She makes eating raw and living green seem simple, delicious and desirable. The executive chef of SmartMonkey Foods, a raw food company, Phyo has been a raw foodist and vegan for years. Her recipes seem easy and delicious, and she has come up with creative raw (vegan!) versions of her favorite cooked foods, such as pancakes, burgers, steak, and cheesecake.

One of the recipes I’m most excited to try is donut holes. I love donut holes, but not the lard, fat content, high calorie, processed-ness that comes with donuts. So I’m stoked to try a healthy version. The ingredients are:

Donut Holes
1 cup almonds, dry
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 vanilla bean, scraped
1 cup dried pineapple, chopped
1 cup pitted dates
5 Tablespoons dried shredded coconut

Her website has links to more YouTube videos of her “uncooking” demonstrations. Enjoy!

Have you ever picked up a book, gotten halfway through it, and realized it’s part of a series? But it’s not numbered, so you can’t figure out where it falls? Or looked at two books by the same author and wondered whether they were series books, and if so were they the same series, or different ones…? Maybe not, but since I work in a library, I run into this a lot with customers.

Enter the most genius website ever: fantasticfiction. It essentially catalogs a bazillion authors and lists all of their books, both series and stand-alone. It also puts the series in order and gives publication dates. It’s quick, informative, and awesome. Check it out!

Eclipse is book 3 in the ongoing saga of Edward Cullen and Bella Swan, which I’ve been looking forward to the way most people have been waiting Harry Potter. Meyer’s writing is so captivating, I just get swept away by her stories. In Eclipse, Bella finally graduates from high school, meaning her transformation from human to vampire is imminent. Though nervous, she is prepared, when suddenly things go awry. A series of serial killings in Seattle prompts the Cullen family to suspect that vampires are at work, and it doesn’t take long for them to realize that Bella is at the heart of the matter. Everything must be put on hold until the danger is past.

Further complicating the issue is Bella’s friendship with Jacob Black, who is desperately trying to save her. With her impending transformation postponed, he is certain he has time to change her mind, if only she’d recognize the depth of her feelings for him. Much to her consternation, Bella realizes that a part of her does love Jacob, but at the same time she finally accepts Edward’s marriage proposal.  Now the question is, will she survive long enough to get married…and die? Or will Jacob find a way to keep her from Edward?

Oooo. It’s compelling, chilling, romantic and delicious. I love this series. It’s going to be a long year waiting for the next one, which Meyer says will be the final book of the Twilight saga. I can’t wait to find out what happens, though I know I’ll be sad when it’s over, like saying goodbye to old friends for the last time.

My brain is always a season ahead. In March, I was shopping for tank tops, wearing coconut lotion and breaking out the bronzer. Now that the dog days of summer have kicked in, I’m ready for fall. I just bought 3 new sweaters (yay, tax-free weekend!), a new fall bag and some cute earrings. I’ve also been gathering up a bunch of fashion magazines to see what the top trends are. Here’s what I’ve got so far:

Cosmopolitan’s Style and Beauty Issue recommends:

• A prep school blazer
• Something strapless
• Plaid
• A cocoon coat
• Color blocking
• High-waisted trousers
• Textured knit
• A skinny dress

My favorite tip from the magazine is to mix unusual colors, such as a violet sweater and an emerald green skirt.

InStyle Makeover has a few suggestions as well. Be on the lookout for:

• Menswear
• Sequins
• Big sweaters in fine gauge knits
• Fitted parkas

It also recommends four big trends in jeans:

1. Trouser cut
2. Bright color
3. Dark and tapered
4. Gray

and 25 additions to update your wardrobe:

1. Stiletto oxfords
2. Art deco jewelry
3. Short-sleeved coats
4. Naval inspired
5. Zippers, chains, and buckles
6. Frame purse
7. Soft leather
8. 40s inspired shoulder pads
9. Tweed shifts
10. Gold patterned fabrics
11. Quilted
12. Sweaters with girly detailing
13. Slouchy slacks
14. High-waisted pencil skirt
15. Boxy yet feminine bags
16. Color blocking
17. Sequins
18. Paper-bag waisted pants
19. French chic
20. Ruffly blouses
21. Studs
22. Blue
23. Colorful jackets
24. Geometric prints
25. Twin-buckle belts

People Stylewatch listed their looks to keep and lose.

Keep:

• Chunky knits
• Non-grungy plaid
• Fedoras
• Trapeze dresses
• Jeans tucked into boots
• Striped knit dresses
• Metallics
• Tunic Tops
• Mary Janes
• Lockets

Say goodbye to:

• Bows
• Newsboy caps
• Mixing patters
• Legwarmers

And finally, Lucky magazine expects 4 trends to be big:

1. Anglomania
2. 40s-inspired
3. Modern gamine
4. Luxe biker

Also, be on the lookout for the following footwear styles:

• Pointed-toe pumps
• Stacked-heel pumps
• Hardware flats
• Sliver-wedge boots
• High-heeled oxfords
• Pointed-toe flats
• Platform mary janes
• Flat boots
• Knee-high boots
• Ankle boots
• Covered platforms

Need more inspiration? Here’s a terrific fall outfit I put together for a super affordable $85.97!

• Old Navy Pointelle Henley in Roasted Eggplant
• Mossimo for Target Wideleg Utility Jeans in Dark Indigo
• Isaac Mizrahi for Target Anna Ballet Flats in Brown Snake
• Xhilaration Yellow Hobo