Yes, indeed, it’s that time of year again – the time for a highly concentrated weekend of arts, craft, film, and music produced by a talented collection of female artists.

Siren Nation, a unique arts organization that showcases and creates performance and exhibition opportunities for women throughout the year, is the only women’s collective that produces an annual festival showcasing the original work of women working in music, film, performance, and visual art.  And it all happens in one of the Northwest’s deepest creative pockets: Portland, OR.

As a senior in college,  I traveled four hours to attend the very first Siren Nation Festival in 2007.  There was a drum orchestra, an epic performance by Mirah at Wonder Ballroom, and every workshop under the moon at the Kennedy School, a renovated historic-schoolhouse turned hotel/bar/theater extraordinaire.

Four years later, Siren Nation is still bringing the babes together with an impressive lineup for the November 3rd – 6th festival.  On Friday, November 4, anti-folk phenomenon Kimya Dawson will play at Mississippi Studios followed by two hometown favorites, Y La Bamba and Laura Gibson, on November 5 at The Woods.

A group art show, What Comes After Yes, is currently calling for artists to display their work in an exhibition intended to celebrate the bold decision to become a working artist.  The art and craft sale will take place on Sunday, November 6 at the Kennedy School; a smattering of female-focused films will be shown throughout the weekend at the Mission Theater; and a culminating blowout of community workshops – from bicycle maintenance and women-in-rock history lessons to yoga and writing composition classes - caps off the weekend.  And it can all be yours for a trim and slim 30 bones.

I encourage you to drive, fly, bike, bus, and/or walk to any of the listed events.  For those several states away, take a moment or two to explore the links above and rejoice in the mere existence of such a badass festival.

Finding an award-winning locally owned restaurant in Portland, Oregon requires little more than getting off the couch, putting on pants, and walking down the block.  It often seems as though there are more farm-to-table eateries in this town than there are bicycles; more gourmet cupcake shops than Birkenstocks; and more upscale food carts than white people.  And that’s a tall order for a white-washed city on two wheels.

The real trick comes down to telling them apart.*

This weekend, however, I had the pleasure of eating at a restaurant that truly broke the mold.  Located on SE 14th and Morrison,  Nostrana sits modestly at the corner of a parking lot lined with a dentist’s office and a stereo store.  But walk inside and (for my Harry Potter fans in the house) it feels like opening the flap of Mr. Weasley’s tent at the Quidditch World Cup.  A wooden plank ceiling sits high above the dining room, opening the restaurant up with an incredible amount of vertical space; and large windows wrap around the south and west corners of the building, filling the seating area with natural light.  The sense of openness extends to the kitchen nestled between a large stone fireplace and a sky-high wooden shelf of adult beverages.  Nostrana, which means ours in Italian, truly feels like an intentionally created, shared, and celebrated space.

Atmosphere aside, Nostrana is also the brain child of owner and 2011 James Beard Award nominated Executive Chef  Cathy Whims.  Yep, a female chef – an unfortunate rarity in Portland’s high-end cuisine scene.  On September 5 (Nostrana’s menu changes daily), Whims included a mouthwatering roasted lamb with amish butter polenta and baby carrots.  And the tagliata, a flat iron steak dry aged seven days, was cooked to perfection in garlic-rosemary oil.  Keep in mind that I am by no means a foodie, but even I feel compelled to describe Whims’ tasty creations.

For those on a budget, I would suggest at least stopping by for an appetizer.  The insalata caprese and the scamorza cheese are enough to render your most talkative dinner date silent with enjoyment.

So get after it.  Go eat some great food, cooked by a talented lady, in a memorable environment.  You won’t regret it, and chances are – you’ll probably even remember it.

Follow Nostrana on Twitter.

Photos by Jodi V. and  Jose M. via Yelp.

*The restaurants, not the white people.

One second of silence: the person to your left sighs.  Two seconds of silence: “yep,” the person to your right mumbles. Three seconds of silence: oh no, it’s happening.  Four seconds: no.  No one needs to say anything.  Silence is natural.  I’m comfortable with this.  Five seconds: okay, someone needs to say something.  Six seconds: “awwwkward,” someone blurts.  Seven seconds: come on, why did they have to say that?  Eight seconds: standing on tiptoes, smiling at the ground, shuffling through bag.  Nine seconds: Semi-related story?  Tomorrow’s weather report?  Oddly colored mole?  Nope.  Nothing.  Ten seconds: “Well, I should get going,” says everyone at once.

For moments like these, it’s always helpful to have a few fun facts up your social sleeve; and thanks to Prince of Whales – the largest, safest, and most environmentally sustainable whale watching and eco-adventure company in both Victoria and Vancouver – my latest conversational go-to has revolved almost entirely around large aquatic mammals.

In mid-July, I had the great pleasure of joining the Prince of Whales’ Ocean Magic Cruiser Tour.  Complete with an outdoor deck and an indoor heated cabin, the boat ripped out of Victoria’s Inner Harbour and cruised all the way to the San Juan Islands in search of Southern Resident and Transient Orca whales.  Within minutes of idling, fins were breaking the surface left and right.

To my delight, Prince of Whales employees (which includes at least one certified naturalist) are bonafide knowledge bags, and each crew member seemed genuinely passionate about marine life.  The three hour tour was filled with unbeatable scenic views of Victoria and the greater Pacific coast – all set to the soundtrack of irresistibly nerdy knowledge.  The Prince of Whales team was even able to distinguish each whale (age, pods, breeding habits, etc.) based solely on its dorsal fin.

To experience the thrill of seeing whales peak out of the Pacific, you’ll have to book the tour and see for yourself.  In the meantime, it is my pleasure to share some juicy tidbits about our gigantic warm-blooded friends.  I have divided each fact into scenarios in order to help you play the hero in your next ailing conversation.  Big thanks to the helpful folks at Prince of Whales for increasing my collection of random facts:

• Mother’s Day Brunch/Defending Your Decision to Move  Back in With Your Parents: Male whales live and travel with their mothers even after they are full grown.  Males live for approximately thirty years while females have an average lifespan of seventy years.  As a result, males live their entire lives with their mothers.


• When You Want to Talk About Sex but You Don’t Actually Want to Talk About Sex: In addition to enhancing balance and navigation, the dorsal fin of a male whale is also used to regulate the temperature of the mammals’ sperm.  Unlike their human equivalent, male whales’ reproductive organs are located internally to prevent drag (three plus feet would certainly slow a swimmer down).  To maintain fertility, the whale must keep its good cooler than the rest of its body.  Enter dorsal fin.    Both fashionable and functional, the dorsal find houses major veins that connect directy to the whale’s genitalia.  To throw a pun into the mix:  a glimpse of an Orca’s fin is “cool” for eager tourists and whales alike.


• While Watching a Difficult Birth: Baby Orca whales are born tail first at approximately eight feet and 440 lbs.


• Pride Parade/Making Conversation with  a Human Rights Campaign Canvasser: During the summer and fall, males of all ages often engage in homosexual courtship and sexual behaviors.  Male-only group sessions include “beak-genital orientation” (a sexual act also seen in heterosexual courtship) which involves rubbing, nudging, and chasing that results in erections.  Some males have favorite partners with whom they interact year after year.


• When You Feel Like You Ate Too Much: An adult Orca can eat as much as 500 lbs of food per day.


• During Your Next Trip to Your Local Feminist Bookstore: Resident whales have a strict matriarchal social structure linked through the genealogy of the mothers.