A few of our favorite things:

Portland Picks likes swanky little boutiques that feature independent and up and coming designers. We love intimate restaurants, dining with atmosphere and amazing food. We love to discover out-of-the way holes-in-the-wall, pampering experiences, ultra-cool nightlife. Each newsletter will cover a few of our favorite things for you to ponder and perhaps experience for yourself. Each newsletter is about our beloved haute, hip and sometimes random Portland Picks du jour. So kick-back and enjoy, and then discover.

Portland Picks:

Mario's – We know, we know. Certainly not little, but absolutely swanky… Enter, take a deep breath, exhale. Ahhhh. Smell that? Spring is here.....or at least it is at Marios. If you really want to be transported from this bleak cold terrain, take a trip to Mario's. It's hot in there. Their spring lines and resortwear have rolled in to bolster our dreams about far away places and warmer-than-18 degree climates. Mario's is an oasis of warm and wonderful that will send your mind on a holiday even though your body has to stay.

Glam and Girlie Galore! Have you been to Galore Department Store on NW 23rd? It's so much fun! While hardly a Department Store, we love the chunky pink watches, the lightweight ponchos, and the glorious slides. And we feel so Geisha at Galore with all their Asian-trendy shoes, tshirts, and
other luxuries You MUST check it out!

Speaking of resorts, sun, spring. Before you go there, you need to take care of all those loose ends, ahem, "down there." You need to go to The Face Place for the most fab Frenchini in town. And make sure to ask for Dorene. She's brilliant. You'll feel so groomed, your bikini will thank you. The Face Place, 503.243.7576; 826 NW Hoyt.

Well if you can't get out of the cold, submerge yourself in it. No, really. Get away from it all at Timberline's Silcox Hut. You'll have to trade in your Manolo's for a pair of fuzzy Sorels. Hell, we're Oregonians, we can rough it with the best of 'em! That is as long as we can be with 15 of our closest friends. In order to stay really warm, we'll need several bottles of Cabernet, and a roaring fire and dinner prepared for us by our host. And, uhhh, of course, running water, a hot bath.... Heck, yeah. Bring it on, we can take it. The only way to get there is by sno-cat. Very, very cool.

Definitely off the beaten path, but in a good way.
www.timberlinelodge.com

And if spring is just a twinkle in your eye, you can always check out the Pioneer Place Coach Store. They have the most adorable flower girl shoes and matching handbag...too cute.
http://www.coach.com/

Now bundle up and high-tail-it to Vespa Portland for the ultimate accessory: they have retro-cool Vespa's in Martha Stewart green or Robin's Egg blue. Oh my! A must-have with all that Christmas money that’s been burning a hole in your pocket! Nothing is as fun as a Vespa, well, almost nothing.
http://www.vespaportland.com

Have you been to Bella Moda Designs - imported shoes on NW 11th? It's a shoe-in! We looooovveeee their cowboy boots and fabulous handbags, plus they have the best local selection of sexy heels around. They're worldy chic and we're hopelessly in love with them.

Or if it's just a little post-holiday pampering your hankering for, a visit to Urbane Zen is just the ticket. We love the luscious robes and plushious jammies. Our faves though are the handmade Fizzing Bath Ballastics soaps. These handmade 3" bath balls explode in the tub and are served in little Chinese take-out containers. They make a great hostess gift. They also have Skincare for Him - Anthony Logistics for Men...more manly than metrosexual, and he won't be afraid to use it. www.urbanezen.com

Guilty Pleasures:

• Instead of an average cup of Joe, why not treat yourself to a mocha latte over at Moonstruck Chocolate Café, and then kick-back in their comfy chairs and inhale your yummy surroundings. True escapism, Willie Wonka style. We’re addicted. www.moonstruckchocolate.com
• Better than the gym! Try a safe tan for an important evening, with the spray on Mystic Tan at Tan Rio on State Street in LO or off Barnes Rd. near St. Vincents. You'll feel 5 pounds lighter and look Hot, without paying for it with skin damage later. http://www.mystictan.com/ (Even our amazing dermatologist said it was made of natural ingredients and highly recommended it to the alternative: sun damage.)

Best Seller:

The Lucy Palmer Warehouse Sale is Saturday and Sunday, January 24th and 25th from 9:30 – 5:00 pm. @ 5833 Jean Road (Jean Road Center), Lake Oswego near Wild Oats Market. Lucy Palmer has unique hostess gifts, china, jewelry, linens, cards and much, much more. You’ll want to buy everything!

Eats:

Since the Beef is the thing, we have learned that the best and safest beef in town is Painted Hills Natural Beef. Painted Hills is grass-fed beef and is sold at Wild Oats and other organic supermarkets and served at restaurants such as: Papa Haydn, Jo Bar, Higgins, Heathman, Blinns, Clarke’s, Blue Hour, Café Mingo to name a few. For more restaurants and supermarkets and other safety information, visit http://www.natural-beef.com/

Website Pick(s) of the Day:

www.apothia.com
www.chicsweeps.com

Make us Pretty Picks: (shhh...these are secrets)

• Whitening our teeth via Go Smile tooth whitening
  Forget Crest, this is state-of-the-art. Fast, lasting, and worth the extra pennies. Even Carrie Bradshaw is using Go Smile this season. What a finale! http://www.gosmile.com/
• Invisalign
  invisible braces for those of us whose formerly "embraced" teen teeth have moved back a tad. Reasonably priced and you can wear it when convenient (like a retainer). http://www.invisalign.com/US/index.html
• Origin's No Puffery
  It really works. A touch in the morning and the puff under your eyes disappears. Eliminate excess baggage. Truly amazing. www.origins.com
• Plump Your Pucker – Lip Plumper
  In addition to yummy flavors, fabulous colors, and super smooth texture, these unique lip plumping glosses use a special combination of menthol, folic acid, and vitamin C, to increase blood flow to the lips and reduce the look of fine lines. But the lip building benefits have just begun. An additional ingredient called max-lip works cumulatively over 30 days to create lasting fullness, so go ahead and plump your pucker!
• Fatgirlslim!
  While you’re at it, if you indulged like us over the holidays, there are some other
  areas on our bods that need some whipping into shape. Enter fatgirlslim…the cellulite treatment all of the celebs are talking about. Rather than rubbing coffee grinds on your thighs, try this instead…it’s full of encapsulated caffeine molecules and it’s all the rage. Rub it on thighs, abs, and arms. Indulge in a “faux’ workout and run, don’t walk to www.blissworld.com and pick up a jar!

Grab and Go Business Ideas:
(Free business ideas for our fellow girlfriends that we think are great, but wish someone else would do.)

We want to see a boutique in a swanky neighborhood that sells only jeans; hard to come by, high-end jeans like Seven, Miss Sixty, Red Star, and Lucky Brand to name a few. It could have a really simple name like, "Blue." (Course you could have other related accessories as well. High-end, unique jean jackets, or cool cowboy boots to go with the boot cut jean). Very cool. Let us know if you do it and we'll send our reader's your way!

We hate to cook, but love a home-cooked meal. We want a caterer to create healthy and delicious dinners made with the finest and freshest foods, using organic ingredients, delivered to our doorstep several days a week. We know a lot of busy people that would pay extra for this! The hitch is: delicious, fresh, organic, AND home-delivered.