It is not surprising that 2021 has been a whirlwind of a year. Wonderful clients. Lovely projects. An award or two. Ups, downs, growth and closure. As a whole picture, it's been beautiful. With much love, gratitude and respect to all of our clients, both in real estate and design who weathered many storms with extraordinary levels of fortitude in the process of working to secure their visions with our assistance.
We have morphed from a Dynamic Duo to an Ultimate Trifecta: Amy Martin is helping us with project management and design! Amy is an illustrator and art director with a background in journalism—most recently at Portland Monthly, where she spent five years. She's illustrated a wide range of advertising campaigns, political advocacy projects, and two picture books. She lives in Mt Tabor with her husband and (many) pets.
From Shannon:
2021 - whew! Highlights for me were embarking on a basement remodel in our home (still not completed), Frankie starting kindergarten and attending a few art classes this year; fishing line mat weaving, Japanese mending and natural plant dyeing. With small breaks to Manzanita with my family, this kept balance in the midst of it all.
What the holidays
mean to me:
Making as many batches of Italian fennel / pine nut cookies as I can.
Watching Love Actually and It’s a Wonderful Life.
Listening to Silent Night as much as possible
From Anna:
2021 was a balancing act (feeling like a tightrope walk) of not losing my $h!t and getting outside as much as possible. I decided/had to take a Summer Sabbatical to finish working full time on a remodel (don't ask - it's still too traumatizing to discuss). Thankfully, I'm on the other side and it's finished and lovely. The only thing that saved me was spending as much time enjoying the bounty of Oregon as possible - foraging, hiking, fishing and crabbing. Food as therapy and reward.
What the holidays
mean to me:
Drinking Negronis
Wagering house chores through board games - Backgammon and a Woodcut Memory game are our go-tos.
It is also the time of year when my partner gives me my Annual Forecast Tarot reading on my birthday (solstice).
From Amy:
My year was dominated by a still-underway kitchen reno, which I designed with the team’s help. A handful of tennis ball-centered family trips to Manzanita with the dogs rounded out the year.
What the holidays
mean to me:
About ten years ago, I took a walk by myself on Christmas Eve to look at the lights, listening to Belle & Sebastian on my headphones. It was such a great walk that I've repeated it every year since.
Listening to the Vince Guaraldi Charlie Brown Christmas album on repeat (I start in June).
I also observe an annual screening of The Royal Tenenbaums.
Can you guess whose remodel is whose? The first person to match the nightmare with the team member gets a one-hour free design consult!
As always, sending you Love and Light.
XO,
Shannon, Anna & (introducing) Amy