We have gotten a few requests for information over the last month while we were on our summer vacation. I am going to use this dispatch as a chance to catch up a bit and give you the information you’ve been looking for! I have paired that info with photographs from my little mid-summer holiday. You can always find more photographs like these in our issues of 3191 Quarterly. Let’s jump into this post which is a bit of a mouthful but, at least I hope, will answer your questions.

+ Many of you have asked about my popsicle molds. I have the Norpro Ice Pop Maker and I like it very much! The pops freeze well and quickly. They are easy to get out (hint: run the mold itself under warm water for about 30 seconds after you take it out of the freezer) and easy to clean. I’m a fan.

+ I’ve received many emails about things to do in Portland East this summer. While many of you may use my Portland List, you should be forewarned that there are some things on that list that are out of date. Sorry! I have not had time for an update this summer. I can, however, shout out a few new/old favorites here if you have just a day or two here in our fair city. Don’t miss: breakfast at Palace Diner, baked goods or lunch at the new Tandem Bakery, espresso and coffee at Speckled Ax, bread or pastries at Standard Baking Co., bagels or baked goods at Scratch Baking Co., ice cream at Catbird Creamery, bento boxes or sweets at Ten Ten Pié, women’s clothing and accessories at Judith, home accessories at Blanche & Mimi, art at the Corey Daniels Gallery, dinner at Blue Spoon, dinner at El Camino, cocktails at the Hunt & Alpine Club and, of course, a visit to the shop my friends and I own, More & Co., and a trip to our beautiful and inspiring Portland Museum of Art.

+ In answer to a few questions I have gotten about summer “beauty products,” I can list a few favorites for you. Come autumn, I will still be using most of these! For lips these days I’m loving Weleda, for facial sunscreen I’m into Super Goop, for face oil I like Nourish, for body oil I’ve been going through my first bottle of Warm.

+ Some of you have asked when the next Beauty & Use Collection is coming out. Thank you! You can mark your calendars for September 26th. I will have a handful of new Autumn pieces for you and some old favorites I can’t wait to bring back. Stay tuned!

+ Many of you ask what apps we use for our iPhone photo-taking on Instagram. I use two: ShakeItPhoto and VSCO. It took me a very long time (like years) to get into taking photographs with my phone. I still struggle. These two apps make it more fun for me. The photographs are more beautiful, have richer tones and remind me more of the film photographs I also take every day. Everything I put on our Instagram account has been taken with one of these apps.

+ Last, isn’t as much something you have asked but something I want to tell you. This summer I have had the pleasure of meeting a lot of people who know about our little project here. I have been meeting you at More & Co. and also just out in the world. I’ve been very humbled meeting you guys! I even randomly passed and exchanged glances with the sweetest girl while I was in Michigan on holiday who said, “MAV!??” to me as we were walking past each other. How in the world does that happen? It’s amazing how small the world we live in truly is. Each week we write in this space and we never know how many there are of you out there or how many of you even care. When I meet you in person I am reminded that you are there, that you like what we are doing and I am incredibly grateful. I am looking forward to a very fun autumn in this space with lots of new energy and many fun weekly dispatches to come.

Also, if these questions are not the ones you wanted to know, you can always email me at mav(at)3191milesapart.com. xo!

—MAV