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November 16th, 2007
No, we’re not proud, but yes, we’re hung over. As an anniversary gift, a friend gave us a gift certificate for a night in a downtown hotel. We called another couple, got dressed up and met for drinks … and more drinks. We started at a lovely bar to sip Olde Tyme cocktails—a Manhattan, an Old Fashioned, a Gimlet and a perfectly filthy Martini. Then, on a (regrettable) whim, we left the chi-chi spot and headed across the street to a dive bar and drank—wait for it—Yukon Jack. Why? We think somebody suggested it “because it’s cold outside.” Long story short, that swanky hotel room became nothing more than a hangover crash pad, but there was one highlight … the burger from room service was delish! One more thing—today marks our second issue of PPFM—we’re going bi-monthly now, so tell the guys #2 is here! www.PortlandPicksforMen.com! |
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Portland Picks: |
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| 1 | Tabula Rasa On a recent (and sadly infrequent, this year) sunny afternoon, we decided to eschew the car and walk to do our errands. And the good thing about walking around as opposed to driving around is that when you spot a sign for a new store, you don’t cause any accidents to anyone other than yourself.You just pick your jaw up from the ground, wipe the drool, and trot on in. Lagniappe Rasa is a brand new shop in SE, set up as a live/work space, which sells all handcrafted goods and a smattering of quality vintage from primarily Oregon- and California-based artists. Lagniappe is a Creole word for “a little something extra,” and Rasa, in Sanskrit, means “to savor.” And you’ll definitely take delight in this work/live space. We loved the rack of vintage—especially the long swish of a silk Chinese robe, very Auntie Mame indeed. And we admired the mosaics—many of which are also made into cards, as well as the cute jewelry and nifty walking sticks. Stay tuned, because this weekend Lagniappe Rasa will be holding an opening celebration, along with their neighbor, Camamu soaps. Hopefully they’ll have those heart-shaped cookies they had when we stopped by…? Just a wish. But at Lagniappe Rasa, it will likely be granted. Lagniappe Rasa |
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| 2 | Monkey Business We're all for crafts—as long as someone else makes them. We've dabbled in sewing, knitting, jewelry, etc., but we tend to lose interest mid-way through a project. We call it CDD—Craft Deficit Disorder. Thankfully, we've found a cure: sock monkeys. Yes, sock monkeys. Before you think we've gone mad, let us explain. We stopped into Fibers in Motion to get gift ideas for our mother-in-law who is an avid quilter. We were so inspired by the gorgeous selection of contemporary fabric that we were seriously considering taking up quilting. Yes, quilting. Then we noticed the sock creatures staring at us with their mocking button eyes and we thought, "Hey, we could make those!" Luckily, one of Fibers in Motion’s plethora of classes is all about Silly Sock Creatures. While we're not quite ready for the Art of Machine Quilting, our sock monkeys can't just run around nekkid. They'll need some new clothes and accessories and maybe a little quilt to keep them warm at night. So quit monkeying around and stop by Fibers in Motion to get inspired. Your sock monkey will thank you. Fibers in Motion |
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| 3 | Find Your Real Style We often struggle to figure out which trends will look good on us. Ruling them out can be easy. Ankle booties? Not with these thighs. Shift dresses? They make us look like we’re expecting. Skinny jeans? Oh absolutely not. Some trends are tougher than others, though, especially when it comes to overall “looks.” When shopping for a new party dress, are we more 40s siren or 80s rocker? Can we add a touch of menswear to our work wardrobe? Help! Navigating the trends while still complementing your shape and lifestyle is something you don’t want to risk doing alone. Call a professional—Jandi Girard of Inspire Style Coaching. She and her team will help you assess what’s in the shops, take a real (but not real hard) look at your body type, and guide you toward communicating your personal style. You’ll look modern and chic, without looking like you took forever and a day to get there. Be sure to share the love/knowledge, too. Inspire Style has some fabulous specials on gift certificates for men and women of all ages! Tell them Portland Picks sent you! Inspire Style Coaching |
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| 4 | Chasing the Dragon Like any true Oregonian, we absolutely love our microbrews. We’re talking rich, delicious beers full of hops and other goodness, no Pabst or Bud Light allowed! We look forward to the Oregon Brewers Festival every summer and the Holiday Ale Festival in the winter, so when we heard about Green Dragon Bistro & Brewpub, which opened last month, we couldn’t wait to check it out for ourselves. With more than 18 beers on tap, don’t expect to have the same beer you had two days ago because the kegs are constantly changing—and don’t look for your traditional pub grub: try the Tuscan Bread Salad or the Baked Goat Cheese in Marinara. If you’ feeling especially hungry, the Roasted Hand Rolled Beet Gnocchi is to die for. While Green Dragon is still a work in progress, their future looks hoppy—soon they’ll have a full bar, live music, dart boards, and cater to the coffee-house crowd as well (with brewing and roasting on-site!) Finally, a place where we can have our beer/coffee and drink it, too! Green Dragon Bistro & Brewpub |
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| 5 | Your New Party Pad We love holiday parties—we just don’t want to throw one at our house. We’re too busy to clean the upstairs bathroom on a regular basis much less kid-proof the living room (aka hiding the knickknacks), preparing for large groups (aka renting folding chairs), and last but not least, entertaining everyone! (Somehow, our hubby’s karaoke machine isn’t as big a hit now as it was in 1992.) So we’re wising up and booking holiday events at Inflatable Kingdom. Whether you’re planning a company party, celebrating a special occasion or you’re just trying to avoid the chaos/cleanup at your house, they can put on the party of your dreams. With everything from inflatable slides, bouncies, Sumo wrestling, inflatable joust games, bouncy boxing, pool tables and casino games to providing the food and beverages, The Inflatable Kingdom is ideal for just about any occasion! Keep in mind that children’s parties are a blast at Inflatable Kingdom, too. The price is right, and they take care of everything, so your party will be stress-free. (Priceless!) Inflatable Kingdom |
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| 6 | Gifts Gone Wild |
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| 7 | Romancing the Holidays We’ve all gotten our hopes up for the holidays. Not about what’s under the tree or menorah, but for romantic dreams coming true. So the disappointments can be huge. Instead of New Year’s nookie, hubby falls asleep on the sofa. Instead of a smooch under the mistletoe with that cute coworker, we get hit on by the boss’s lecherous brother. We don’t get it! A) We’d been hinting at hubby since Thanksgiving that we were “looking forward to Xmas,” and B) that guy from the office has been flirting with us since July! Where did we go wrong? Turns out men can’t always read our signals, no matter how clear we think they are. And obviously, we’re getting theirs wrong, too. To read between the lines, we turn to PAX Programs. The “Making Sense of Men” seminar helps women find the key to understanding men. Their professionals have helped thousands of women improve their relationships with men in all aspects of their lives. Register online—it’s free—and tell them Portland Picks sent you! Making Sense of Men—free intro |
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| 8 | DIY for the Holidays It’s been a while since we’ve summoned the DIY goddess from within. Thinking back, it’s been almost two long years since we clacked our knitting needles together or whipped up a pair of beautifully crooked curtains. We wouldn’t say that we’re hopeless, but the crafty part of us is just a little quieter than our other more boisterous qualities. So when a friend suggested that we make our Christmas gifts this year, we were more than a little skeptical. After looking at the long list of classes that the DIY Lounge at Collage had to offer though, we knew with a little help we could make our crafty girl dreams come true. We chose one of the most forgiving and goof-proof of skills and decided on a unique wire-wrapping ring class. After about an hour of instruction and more than a few laughs we felt proud of our accomplishments. We knew that our creation would bring a smile to any friend or family member’s face. Now that we think about it, these rings are too good to give away.DIY Lounge at Collage 1639 NE Alberta St. Portland, OR 97211 503.249.2190 www.diylounge.com |
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| Chick Picks: | |||
| 1 | Sweet Relief As much as we love long, hot showers, they just added to our flaky skin situation in these colder months—until we discovered locally made Sugar Pea Mystical Mountain Body Scrubs. Sea salt or cane sugar, honey, vitamin E and essential oils melt into your skin to leave you soft and scented all day. One of our faves is the Divine Dark Chocolate scrub, which contains pure dark cocoa powder. Or try Blissful Bergamot Cardamom—it’s like an exotic vacay in a bottle. |
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| 2 | The Gift That Keeps On Giving We had our teeth whitened last year and it has been 12 wonderful months of compliments and feeling like movie stars. It’s no secret that a whiter smile brightens your whole complexion. It’s easy, painless and the results … well, they speak for themselves. Let da Costa Dental whiten your teeth with the ZOOM in-office teeth whitening system, just in time for holiday parties and events. Their passion is designing beautiful smiles. Mention Portland picks and receive $100 off ZOOM advanced whitening! Offer good until December 20. Gift certificates available! |
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| 3 | More Than a Handful Sports bras flatten us like pancakes. Of course they’re just doing their job, but it can be bad for our self esteem. Now there's a sports bra made right here in Portland: Handful is the first and only “sportssiere” that's attractive in and out of the gym; designed to flatter, not flatten. And they come in a variety of styles and colors like “No Headlights White,” “Skinny Dip” and “No Nip Nude.” Now we have one (actually two) less things to worry about. |
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| 4 | Think Outside the Socks So explain to us why exactly socks are sold in pairs? Sure, we have two feet, but everyone knows that one sock is bound to get lost in the dryer, so why not sell pairs of three? Well, there’s at least one genius out there. She’s called the Socklady and, yes, her socks for kids come in threes. They’re also mismatched (but in the same color scheme), which makes them doubly adorable. Don’t miss the adult versions—they’re in twos, but just as cute. |
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| 5 | Naturally Pretty From boutique to grocery store, we always read the labels. So imagine our delight to find a label with all our favorite words—organic, vegan and cruelty-free! Without talc, oils or dyes, von Natur’s mineral makeup goes on smooth and comes in vivid colors that flatter all complexions. In the shower, shampoos and conditioners work on both hair and body, revitalizing with a pleasantly peppermint scent. Filled with essential oils, vitamins and antioxidants, reading the labels has never been so rewarding! |
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Hip Happenings: |
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| 1 | End Giftlessness—Shop cheeky b! Get your gift on and skip the crowded malls this weekend—shop cheeky b’s third anniversary sale. Enjoy 20% off all their fantabulous items, from home décor, jewelry and toys to handbags and hats galore, plus hands down the cutest wrapping paper we’ve seen. Today also kicks of their gift drive for local non-profit Friends of the Children. What: cheeky b Anniversary Sale |
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| 2 | Designer Furnishings Sale at Albea Iris Shop where the designers shop!Albea Iris Furniture specializes in high-end contemporary furniture at factory-direct prices. Their showroom is fantastic, and to sweeten the deals, right now they’re having an Early Clearance Event so you can save even more on gorgeous furnishings. What: Early Clearance Sale at Albea Iris Furniture |
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| 3 | Photography Show at White Canvas Studio You're invited! White Canvas Studio is proud to present JMG photographie: two French photographers whose passion has lead them to push the limits of silver bleaching development. Interested in unique, contemporary art at affordable prices? Come and check out their third art show! The reception is tonight from 6-9 pm; the open house is tomorrow from 1-6 pm. What: Photography Show at White Canvas Studio |
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| 4 | Boots, Bags & Belts Sale at Talula’s & TAGG Get ready to shop! Talula’s & TAGG are holding storewide sales—all boots, bags and belts are 30% off, plus take 15% off all regular-priced items. Prepare to enter Girl Heaven in Talula’s with some of Portland’s cutest boots, sauciest shoes and most darling handbags and accessories—plus on-site pedicures! Downstairs, TAGG has what the guys need—kids, too! What: 20% off everything at Talula’s |
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| 6 | Handmade for the Holidays The Gallery at Museum of Contemporary Craft is excited to present its most anticipated annual event, "Handmade for the Holidays." and a very special offer for you, dear Portland Picks readers! This is the place for Portlanders to find something well-crafted, stylish and exceptional for everyone on their list. Click the image on the right, print out the coupon, and Happy Shopping! What: Handmade for the Holidays in The Gallery at Museum of Contemporary Craft |
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| 8 | The Lake Oswego Holiday Home Tour |
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| 9 | Lucrecia is Closing its Doors! We will miss this shop. Lucrecia’s owner finds amazing vintage items—from small mid-century furnishings and lamps to French artwork and quirky-chic accessories—and stages them in her tiny store to lovely effect. Since the shop is closing, everything is 10-50% off through the holidays. It’s the perfect spot for gifting! Tell her Portland Picks sent you! What: Lucrecia “Shutter Sale” |
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| 12 | Night of Wonder at Bridgeport Village It’s The Night of Wonder with the launch of Santa in his Renaissance home, and Oregon Symphony’s Yuletide Spectacular featuring the Oregon Symphony Brass Quintet and Tap Dancing Elves. Plus the official illumination of holiday décor and opening of the Wishing Tree Forest featuring the NW Natural Gas Assistance Tree, and benefiting the United Way. Free hot chocolate, choraling and more! What: Night of Wonder |
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If you have friends in Phoenix, let them know that www.PhoenixPicks.com is also going bi-monthly—the latest issue publishes today! Have you checked it out yet? It’s a great resource if you’re planning on vacationing down there—it’s fun in the sun from now til April for us snowbirds. Phoenix Picks recommends everything from swank hotels to fabulous restaurants to—of course—the hottest boutiques. Locals aren’t the only ones who can shop independent in the Valley of the Sun! |
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