Hi Guys!  Time for your update on Maude!  My plan is to aim for once a week updates, so here ya go!

We got to work on Maude a few hours here and there in the evenings this week.  We went camping over the holiday weekend, so we didn't get a TON done, but still - some progress!  Keepin' the balance!

Maude was one dirty lady!  After sitting for so many years, she had gathered quite a bit of moss. Here you can see just how dirty she was!  She cleaned up nicely!

We got a buffer for Maude! We've decided to go ahead and give Maude a once-over so that she's most of the way to her mirror finish before the weather turns rainy. What a motivator - look at her shine!  It will take 3 different buffing compounds each of a finer grit to get her to that mirror shine that is the signature Airstream look!

Camping for the holiday weekend was glorious! We couldn't have asked for better weather!  We did a little foraging, which was fun - we found blackberries and huckleberries, but not much by way of mushrooms.  Going to need a little more rain for that!

Back from vacation, back to work!  On Monday after getting home from camping, I pulled all of the external lights while Mike finished bathing Maude.  Then I scraped all of the putty that had sealed them in preparation for buffing her.

Oh Boy.  This is going to take a while!  It took Mike about an hour to get this much buffing done - it was quite the workout.  BUT!  Holy smokes, she's going to look AMAZING! 

While Mike was buffing Maude, I got to work inside removing cabinetry doors and hardware.  We'll reuse some of the hardware when we put her back together.  Anything we don't end up using we'll sell on eBay so that other Airstreamers who want to keep with the original fixtures will have an opportunity to do so!  Plus, I figure it's good karma - we're going to be needing to find some original parts of our own!

First bag for the dump!  I'm recycling and salvaging as much as I can from Maude's insides, but not everything will fit that bill.  

Another little treasure was hiding inside Maude!  The Lifetime Warranty Certificate was hiding in her wardrobe.  I think this will get preserved and brought back in once she's all put back together!

So there you have it, her first week with us!  She's going to be a lot of work, but we're totally falling in love with our Maude!

You guys!  I have some super exciting news to share with you all!  Let me introduce you to Maude!

Maude is a 1959 Airstream Overlander trailer that is going to become my new treatment space!  Obviously, she needs a little TLC, but I'm totally smitten with her!

For the last several months, I've been contemplating what I want the future of my practice to look like, and working from home, but not out of my house, feels right.  Now, you may be wondering why I'm moving in October, just to move again once Maude is ready to go?  My current office mate is moving on and I can't afford our current space on my own.  I could have possibly found more renters, but being an office manager AND trying to renovate Maude were too big of projects to do at the same time, so I made the choice to move twice in a not-very-long-period of time.  We're HOPING to get Maude complete in a year *crossing fingers!*  So for those of you who are disappointed that I'm leaving the neighborhood, I'll be back soon!

My plan is to keep you all in the loop with her progress, so you can see her go from neglected old lady to a shining (literally!), cozy treatment space :)

So, without further ado, let's take a look at what we're starting with!​

As you can see, Maude needs a full gutting in order to be safe.  Floors need to come out and be replaced.  She's missing a couple of windows as well. What you see in this picture is the front of the trailer.  This will be a reception/waiting area.

This picture is from the front of the trailer looking back.  Again, everything you see here will be removed.  In the way back is the bathroom, which will get completely redone.  In the middle you can see two twin-sized beds and storage that will become the treatment room.  In the front is the kitchen and more storage. We're not sure exactly what this space will look like, but will be where I store all of my Chinese herbs and supplements.

Maude's previous home was in Corbett, so it was a BIT of a trek getting her home!  We had to do some fun things to make her as road-safe as we could.  The newer piece of equipment you see there attaching from Maude's tongue to our truck's hitch is the sway bar from our personal camping trailer (Harvey, in case you're wondering.  Yes, I'm a weirdo who names things ;) )!  Maude already had the proper attachments!  Not shown: the magnetic tail lights we stuck on her bumper!

Maude was a real trooper!  She gave us no trouble getting home, and even though she's quite a bit larger than Harvey (Maude is 26', Harvey is 21'), she pulled very similarly!  Very smoothly :)  Not shown: As we looked back to keep an eye on her, we could see some of Maude's windows and cabinets flapping ;)

When we got her home, we started taking a closer look at her.  Look how close we came to probably blowing a tire! EEK!  But we made it.  New tires are definitely on her wish list ;)

When we got to looking around inside, we found some treasures!  Note: the little hurricane lamp will be a part of Maude's decor once she's a treatment space :)

That 1963 penny will TOTALLY help pay for Maude's renovation ;)

Here's Maude in our driveway!  The picture on the right is after we gave her a quick bath to see how difficult it would be to get all of the moss off.  Thankfully, it was super easy - and doesn't she look better?  Eventually, she'll get a polishing that will bring her to a mirror shine!

I hope you all have enjoyed meeting my new friend Maude, and will have fun following along on our adventures to make her beautiful again!

​<3 Becca

I've absolutely loved being in the Brooklyn neighborhood, but my time in my current treatment space has come to an end. My last day in this location is September 26th.
 
Beginning October 1st, my new address will be:
3133 NE Prescott St.
Portland, OR 97211

All of the rest of my contact info will stay the same :)

Those of you who have stuck with me for a long time may notice: I’m moving back to my old office! I'm super excited to be back working with my mentor and fellow acupuncturist and to continue helping all of you to feel your very best!

Hey Guys!
I'll be out of the office 8/1 - 8/11 for vacation!  Woohoo!

If you're needing some acupuncture before mid August, or you think you'll be running out of herbs before then, come in this week!

With Mother's Day quickly approaching, I'm now offering e-gift cards here at Thrive! The cards come in amounts of $10, $20, $40, $80 or a custom amount of your choosing.

The $40 card is perfect for treating the mother in your life to a custom, 30-minute Foot Reflexology Massage or Cupping session.

The process is really easy! Simply enter your name and email, the recipient's name and email, a special message and you're done! They'll receive the e-Gift Card and I'll help them get the relaxation they deserve!

Spring is finally here! Yay!

Most people are pretty excited for spring after a long winter, but have you noticed your self feeling a little antsy? A little irritable?

​That would be because your body hasn't yet shifted from the energy associated with winter - resting, recuperating, and hibernating - to the energy associated with spring - growth and expansion.

Liver is the organ associated with spring.  I like to think of Liver energy being like a flower bulb trying to sprout up through the ground.  It's a hard fight and a bit of a struggle getting through all that soil so that it can bloom - and if you've ever struggled against a barrier, you've probably known the emotion that comes along with such a struggle - FRUSTRATION.

So here we all are, pushing against the heavy winter, ready to get moving, but the weather is still keeping us mainly shut inside!  As a result of this pent up energy, we may have been irritable and short with our families, we may be experiencing some pretty serious cabin fever.

But don't worry!  Here are some things you can do to help ease this transition:

• Since spring is the season of growth and progress, now is actually a great time to set some resolutions for the year (a MUCH better time energetically than the New Year when we should all still be hunkered down for the winter).  Set some goals for personal growth!
• Have you found yourself craving sour foods? Fresh fruits and veggies? That's your body trying to self-medicate! Sour is the flavor of the liver, and will help get your energy moving. Citrus is particularly effective!
• Use up the last of your winter energy to do some spring cleaning. Clearing out the literal and metaphorical cobwebs will help boost morale!
• Acupuncture can be a help in helping you break through into spring and cut the irritability and restlessness.  Schedule your spring tune-up today!

Happy Chinese New Year of the Earth Dog!

I'm always super excited for a change in the energy that comes with the Chinese New Year, but this year, particularly so.

Earth energy is mothering, grounding, stabilizing.  Dog energy is coming together as a pack, working together as a team.  That sounds nice, doesn't it? 

If you'd like to read more about the upcoming year, and particularly in how it relates to your Chinese zodiac sign, I liked this website, where they go into those details.

Here's to a Happy New Year!

What a wonderful, wild ride it's been!  Thank you all for being a part of the Thrive community!  As a special treat, if you come in for an appointment during the month of December, you'll get a bit of chocolate to help me celebrate being an acupuncturist and herbalist for 11 years!

I'd also like to note that I will be out of the office December 22nd through January 1st.  If you have insurance benefits or a FSA (Flex Spending Account) that need to be used before the end of the year, schedule today!  Otherwise, I'll be super well-rested and ready to help you kick butt in the new year!

What the HECK are ear seeds?

They are seeds or little metal balls that are taped to certain acupuncture points in your ears to continue your acupuncture treatment!

Ear seeds are fantastic for treating all sorts of complaints.  Some examples of common symptoms that can be treated with ear seeds include:  headaches, acute back pain, stress, anxiety, insomnia, even weight loss!

When we use ear seeds, we are using what's called a microsystem.  In a microsystem, the entire body is reflected on a single part of the body - in this case, the ears.  But we also have foot microsystems (foot reflexology), hand systems, head systems and even belly systems!

If you're interested in giving ear seeds a try, come on in and we'll get you set up with a kit to take home that comes with 120 ear seeds (enough to last about a month if used super consistently), a pair of tweezers for easy application and a map of the ear showing exactly where to put the seeds for your particular health complaint!