Etta James came alive on friday night. The Portland Soul All-Stars honored her life by playing her most beloved songs and I was there to document it. See my post HERE

I ate my way through 50 food carts and lived to tell the tale. HERE is my latest post on bePortland.com

It had been a long time since I had seen some live reggae, and seeing Midnite was the perfect way to get back into it. Check out my post and photos on bePortland HERE

I got the chance to catch my friend Ramona Gonzalez perform with her band Nite Jewel as they passed through Portland on their US tour with Chairlift. It was beyond awesome. Check out my latest post and photos HERE on bePortland.

I went to a funky keyboard jam session this past weekend. Read about it and see my photos at bePortland!

Last night I attended a Madmen Season 5 premiere party where martinis were shaken and the two-hour show was projected onto the big screen at the Hollywood Theater in Portland, OR. I took photos of the audience members who dressed up for the occasion and wrote about the event for my friends at bePortland.com. See it HERE

I finally went to the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, UT this January and it was thrilling and inspirational and overwhelming and a whirlwind. I only went for the first four days of the fest, but I got to see a lot of films and world premieres! Here’s my list of movies that you have to see when they finish the festival circuit:

Robot and Frank, Directed by Jake Schreir (a family friend!). A quirky and dark comedy set in ‘the near future’ Frank Langella is a retired jewel thief who is given a robot caretaker to look after him. They develop an unlikely friendship and the plot thickens with twists and turns. It’s a really great film, brilliantly directed and produced and edited. Great original score, too, from Francis and the Lights.

LUV, Directed by Sheldon Candis and starring Common and Michael Rainey Jr. Set in Baltimore over the course of one full day, this is the story of a boy who idolizes his uncle and quickly comes to see who this man really is. A coming of age story where we see the transformation within one day of this boys life, it is truly moving and heartbreaking and beautiful.

Kthimi (The Return), Directed by Blerta Ziqiri. A short film about a prisoner of the Balkans war returning to his family who believed he was killed. This was incredibly powerful because it was a fictional film yet shot and written and acted in documentary style. Gorgeous.

The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom, Directed by Lucy Walker. A short documentary that begins with home video footage of people escaping the tsunami floodwaters in Japan and moves into a story of rebirth and strength symbolized by the return of the cherry blossoms after the waters recede. Stunning. It was nominated for an Oscar and will stay with you long after the credits roll.

Aquadettes Directed by Drea Cooper and Zackary Canepari. A short doc about a group of elderly ladies who do synchronized swimming and break free from their physical ailments. Brilliantly edited and shot, and available to watch in full length online! This is one of many amazing films these two director/editors have made, so see them all…again and again.

I met Edward James Olmos after the screening of LUV, he was also in the audience. It was a dream.

I’ll be going back next year for sure.

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My good friend, the talented and trustworthy food blogger Ferron Salniker, asked me to write a guest post on Ferronlandia about my recent travels on the east coast and how I dined. Read it and see some mouth-watering photos here!