Jennifer Matthewson

Jennifer Matthewson

Jennifer Matthewson is a writer and entrepreneur based in Portland, Oregon. She is a freelance journalist, founder and managing editor of Daily Blender, and author of "Career Diary of a Caterer."

Arts and Culture

The Head and the Heart at Portland’s Musicfest NW

On a random weekday evening, as I was flipping through the channels, I came across a showing of Austin City Limits, a grand performance series on PBS showcasing some of the finest musicians in the country. The episode featured a Seattle ensemble named The Head and the Heart, and with their stunning ACL studio performance, I was instantly a fan. Formed in 2009 thanks to an open-mic night at a local bar, the folky, heartfelt tunes from Josiah Johnson, Jonathan Russell, and Charity Rose Thielen are touching but not overwrought, detailing the universal struggles between the head and the heart.

2013 Hawaii Food & Wine Festival - Malama Maui [DAILYBLENDER.COM]
Event Coverage

2013 Hawaii Food & Wine Festival Celebrates in Maui with Malama Maui Dinner

Hot on the heels of a very successful – and über-Maui-focused – Ka’anapali Fresh, the folks at the Hawai’i Food & Wine Festival swung into town to present Malama Maui this past Sunday – the first off-island, offshoot of the larger Oahu-based event taking place this weekend, September 6-9. Held oceanside at the beautiful Napili Gardens of the Hyatt Regency Maui, with honored guests, chefs Alan Wong and Roy Yamaguchi in attendance, the evening’s lineup included Iron Chef Japan’s Hiroyuki Sakai, Marcel Vigneron, Rick Tramonto, Hawaii’s Bev Gannon and Sheldon Simeon, and Greg Grohowski, executive chef of the Hyatt Regency.

St. Croix, USVI © Jennifer Heigl / Daily Blender [DAILYBLENDER.COM]
Travel Bites

The Secret Of St. Croix

I was so enamored by my experience, so enthralled by my visit, that I couldn’t wait to tell friends. Here are my pictures, I wanted to say. Let me tell you my stories, I started to stammer. Until I realized that I didn’t want to tell anyone. I didn’t want anyone to know about the treasure I had found. I wanted to keep it all to myself.

It is a gem hidden among the more popular Caribbean destinations…