I LOVE EUGENE!

So, I've been wanting to blog all week about my fabulous weekend, but Chad has needed the computer for school....so.....I know it's a week later, but I had to share anyway.

So, it started with the Gem Faire at the Fairgrounds on Friday.  I know this sounds weird...what is that?....do you go looks at rocks and jewels?  Although that is part of it, there is SO much more.  So there are oodles of different booths, from beads, to amazing pendants, rings, earrings, and all really unique, and as authentic as you want to get.  It's basically a huge art exhibition, but you can buy the stuff and wear it!  Every booth has a different specialty.  I had so much fun.  I must have said, Oooooh, I love that, thousands of times.  Ofcourse there was tons of hippie looking stuff too, but it was actually really pretty.  This is going to sound really bad, but I realized a lot of hippie stuff is really pretty, but when paired with smelly dreadlocks, hairy armpits, head-to-toe hemp, and dirty fingernails, it doesn't look quite as great.  I know, I'm a terrible person for saying that, I honestly have nothing against hippies, except when they complain about how the government doesn't help people enough by paying for everything, while they're sitting on the bums playing bongos.  Hello, if you want money, work for it!  The government isn't your loaded great aunt Muriel!  Anyway....back to the point, here is what I got.  If I had tons of money, I would have got more, but I'll have to wait for next year. 

Sorry the pics aren't great, I don't have my regular camera.  But those leaves, are made out of REAL ROSE LEAVES.  They treat the leaves with this metal, and then brush silver on them.  They had tons of different kinds of leaves, and in gold, silver, and this cool bronzy-copper.  Ever since I saw Jen Aniston in "The Breakup"  I've wanted a set of leaf jewelry.  Yay!  The blue earrings were $2.50.  I love them, they're kinda oriental looking.  I know this stuff is kinda funky, but i love it....and hey, I'm funky, so it matches me.  : )
That night, Chad and I went on the Art Walk in Eugene.  The first Friday of every month, lots of art galleries open their doors for free, and you just walk around downtown and take a look.  We didn't know what to expect, but all the galleries were really close together, and only 2 of them were really weird, and the rest were awesome.  Chad was having a bit of a hard time appreciating the really "modern art" but he loved the rest, and it was fun talking to each other about what we thought about all the different pieces.  In one gallery, Chad was looking inquisitively at a painting, and the curator said, "You're an artist, aren't you?"  She was so SURE of herself too.  Chad just said no, but later we laughed so hard, cuz just before he was kinda poking fun at a "weird" painting.  He's not the artist type, I doubt he has done art since middle school.  Then we went to this fun restaurant, Poppi's Anatolia.  They serve Indian and Greek food.  I love trying new restaurants and cuisines, and Chad has discovered a dining world apart from steakhouses and huge restaurant chains.  It had such charm, and was full of the local homebodies.  I love getting to know this town....I'm slowly checking off all the things I've wanted to do....and it just makes me more and more connected to my hometown.  Before I die, I'll have visited almost every street, shop, park, path, and restaurant.     

On Saturday, I went on an awesome bike ride, with my ipod, on the river.  So, Eugene has this awesome path along the river.  Seriously, I think it's among the best in the US, maybe the world.  Anyway, I didn't realize how long it was.  I thought I had seen most of it, but there was more.  I was just peddling along, with a little Dean Martin, Madeleine Peyroux, and Gwen Stefani, having myself a merry time.  The leaves were beautiful.  Then I came across these marshes.  I must have seen 10 huge cranes, perched on floating logs.  It was so cool.  I crossed all these serene bridges, watching the grey, blue water rolling along, while following a curvy path that kept leading to new sights.  I was so happy, just enjoying this beautiful place on a beautiful autumn day.  

Then, THE DUCK GAME!  Chad and I watched with his family at his parents'.  I love watching games with them.  We always have so much fun.  We ate yummy food, cheered, booed, and sat tensely as the lead almost slipped away.....but we killed 'em in the end!  Boo yah!  I couldn't imagine living in a town without a big college....who do you root for?  It's just not the same if you're not there in the town, where all the fans are, with flags on their cars, and banners in their shop windows.  

So...basically, I really enjoyed Eugene this weekend.  

Chad and I made a headboard.  Here it is.  Chad made the frame from plywood (from Jerry's) and 2 by 4's we kinda stole from a construction site.  They weren't gonna use the wood, the pieces were in the scrap pile, and had some nails in them.  So, then we covered it the back with a queen size egg-crate cuz it was gonna be cheaper than buying foam by the yard.  Then ofcourse we covered it with the brown, suede fabric.  Soft, neutral, and only $6.  So, for a King size headboard, we only had to spend $40.  As you can see, our room is tiny and there were only 2 ways to fit the bed.  Either it was against the wall w/o a window, and I would have to roll across the bed to get to my side, or against the wall w/ a window....and leaning against a window when you're reading/studying in bed, just doesn't work.  So, obviously, the solution was a headboard!  Yay, we finally finished.        

 
So...this called for a new bedspread.  I'm planning on re-doing the whole room, so here is the start.  I'll probably work on the pillows so they're not so matchy, matchy.  Lots of work to do, but I'm so excited.  I have wanted to fix the bedroom forever, but I could never find a bedspread I liked that was a decent price.  Everything was $60.  8 pieces for a KING size bed!  Comforter, 4 pillow cases, 2 pillows, and a bedskirt.  I didn't put all the pillows out.  Anyway, much better already!  
That was really long....probably my sister only made it through it.....but think of it as creative non-fiction, that genre really exists.  I just went to an author's reading of his creative non-fiction.  Great stuff BTW.