In a Downpour

Top: c/o Chicwish; Velvet pants: Gap; Boots: c/o Lulu*s

I find that it always starts to rain the second I leave work. At 5:30 on the dot, a sprinkle starts, often catching me unawares without rain gear, or proper walk-home shoes. This afternoon, after a day of sorta-muggy weather and off-and-on showers, the most torrential rainstorm started up at 5:30 p.m. as I stepped outside of my office onto the immediately flooded streets. Before I'd covered one city block, my shoes were soaked through and I was squelching in wet Adidas. By the time I hit the crosswalk to head onto the waterfront, my umbrella was hardly holding up and my legs were dripping with rain water. Let's not even discuss the state of my purse (well let's, it's wet). But as I started to walk home, in the late Monday afternoon, I realized that everyone was smiling. In the middle of giant drops of rain, soaked through to the skin, bicyclists and pedestrians under wilting umbrellas were grinning... big. People were huddled under bridges laughing with passers-by, ducks were swimming in the puddles formed on the sidewalks by the downpour, dogs were splashing through puddles with their sopping jogger parents. Only in Portland.

I am so happy to have Monday capped by a crazy rainstorm. It was a very very busy weekend for me and I needed a bit of rain to clear away the noisiness and busy last few days. On Friday night, Ben and I relaxed and watched movies, but Saturday we got up early to head to the pumpkin patch and stock up on pumpkins. Mid-day Saturday I headed out to buy things for a sushi party with friends and spent the afternoon baking Japanese desserts in the smoke-filled living room (bubbling-over-butter, an oven's worst nightmare). That night we enjoyed plates of delicious sushi, sake pairings, and some buttery desserts (a la my smoky oven) and came home late to tumble into bed after a few episodes of Gilmore Girls and Deadwood. Sunday we ate a yummy breakfast and then headed out to shop for a baby shower gift for Jane (hooray! Baby Graybeal arrives so soon!). Mid-day to the early evening I celebrated with a lovely crew of PDX bloggers and Jane's family, taking the photos for the shower. Then Jane and I (and her husband, dog, and Mom) headed to the rhododendron garden to take some golden-hour maternity photos. It was a beautiful afternoon full of celebrating the future-mom and I was so thrilled to get the opportunity to take her maternity photos. Can't wait until she shares them! But, phew. Busy weekends always make me feel less prepared for the week and in need of another weekend.

All in all, I was so happy to have the rainstorm this afternoon. It seemed to set the tone for the rest of the Monday - relax with wine. Not sure if that was just my brain requesting that or the actual rainstorm, but it seems better to blame the rain. Hope you all had as wonderful a weekend and as relaxing a Monday night!

If you're digging my velvet skinnies (seriously my favorite pants for Fall/Winter), check out these three options at Shopbop below!

J Brand; Paige Denim; AG Adriano Goldschmied