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presenting |
| PORTLAND PICKS | ||
| life + style to you:
every Friday Jan 20, 2006 |
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After weeks of dark-as-night days, not sure you remember, but the sun came out for a sec. It was like a UFO and we had to shield our eyes. And one night, the sky was kind of clear of clouds and we even saw the full moon and a star! So we made a wish upon a star—several dozen wishes actually, since we were so past due in our star wishing—and one of the wishes was for an endless supply of Picks for you. So we’ve been picking—a pickin and a grinnin’—and here we are. After our recent spa and shopping bender, we are so full...so full of picks we practically need to unzip our pants and recline on the la-Z-boy like Grandpa Bert used to do. |
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Portland Picks: |
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| 1 | Bodylicious Periodically we think we're dying... so imagine our delight when we were invited to equilibria to try out one of their massages. They have a full massage menu, something for everyone. We chose the CST (Craniosacral Therapy). It seemed the most appropriate...considering. CST is a gentle, non-invasive method that encourages the body’s own natural healing mechanisms to improve the functioning of the central nervous system, dissipate the negative effects of stress, and enhance health and resistance to disease. Immediately following this 'to die for' massage we felt like we were definitely not dying anymore. And now it's your turn. Close your eyes. Picture soothing music, softly glistening lights, the tension releasing from your shoulders, your neck, cleansing you, removing toxins, relaxing and pampering. A massage should be a regular part of your wellness program. It’s a “must” in the Resolution department, like diet and exercise, and equilibria is a very cool place to start. And rumor has it they do a mean bikini wax, which is highly recommended by some of our savviest readers. equilibria massage and bodywork |
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| 2 | Something Saucy, Something Sexy Valentine's Day is coming up and you want to do something special. You want to somehow surprise the love of your life, the like of your life, or maybe even the "because-there's-no-one else-this-year" in your life. Well, no worries, we've got something for everyone, by golly. Whether your Valentine is special or VERY special, the Hotel Lucia has a package for you. The perfectly named "Did I Mention I Want You?" package provides champagne for sparking libidos, rose petals for increasing ambience, breakfast in bed, body crayons, a Kama Sutra book and game, massage oil, furry handcuffs complete with a blindfold, lubricant, condoms and, yes, a late check out. Package starts at $290. The "Did I Mention I Like You?" package offers champagne, rose petals (to set the mood just right), breakfast in bed, chocolate-covered strawberries, hand-blown champagne flutes to remember the occasion and, oh yes, a late check out. Package starts at $310. The "Did I Mention I Love You?" package takes place in the Gallery Suite (Lucia’s most luxurious room) with an early check-in time, high-end champagne, rose petals, red roses, breakfast in bed, side-by-side in-room massages, chocolate-covered strawberries, handmade love kit, town car ride to and from dinner at Portland’s own Ringside Restaurant and, oh, yes, and yes, a late check out. Package is priced at $1,605. Finally, Our fave is Betty and Bon Bons, for that little girl inside of you that wants to run away! Overnight hotel stay, Bottle of Oregon Wine, Bon Bons delivered to you in bed and two movies. Hotel Lucia |
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| 3 | We Love Firsts First kiss, first job, first love, first scoop on a shop opening... Oh, how we love being the first to tell you about a new place! If you’re on the hunt for exceptional, one-of-a-kind jewelry, you simply must check out Alchemy, which just opened this month. |
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| 4 | Hair's the Thing... ...we have hair issues, okay? We have good hair one day, supremely bad hair the next. We are blonde most of the time and then one day—overnight—poof, we wake up a brunette...or it seems that way. Often you can find us in a ponytail, a tell-"tail" sign that we couldn’t calm our monstrous mane. Oh, then we go through stressful phases where our hair turns frizzy and sheds and we freak out that we're going bald. And then it frizzes and sheds even more because we're freaking out we're going bald. Thank your lucky stars you're not us. We're hair tortured. But we've found these gals that can help us. They used to work in the swanky Pearl but decided to pack up and move over to historic Oregon City's downtown neighborhood where there's parking and old quaint storefronts…and now a swanky hair salon, too...and it's just across the Sellwood Bridge. And because of their location, they're far less expensive, so you get a swanky do at a suburban price. Modele Salon opened its doors September 2005, with a team of fashionable, educated stylists. Relocating from downtown’s Pearl District, this opportunity appealed to their vision of bringing an Urban Chic environment to outlying Portland. The salon is beautiful, the neighborhood charming, and the experience unsurpassed! You must check it out. Modele Salon |
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| 5 | The Perfect Tan With all this dismal drizzle just a peek of sun would be good. All we're asking for is a little light therapy, just a glint from the clouds. Come on, just a taste! But since there’s no vacation headed our way, we'll have to think of something else. Maybe we can at least put up a tropical screensaver and get a spray-on tan and pretend, and then our brains will think we were suffused with vitamin D. And maybe by pretending, others will treat us as if we were the sun-rich, the sun-haves (vs. the sun have-nots), and we will begin to believe it, too. Jeeze…never mind...let's just get a fake (but natural-looking) tan and at least feel less pasty white…maybethat will do something for our cloudy brains. And we know just the place to go. Illumination Tans Airbrush Tanning comes highly recommended by our readers (and our writers). It’s been touted as "the perfect tan." Let's be real, it's the realest looking fake tan around, and here’s the best news: the second tan is free for first timers. Illumination Tans Airbrush Tanning, Inc |
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| 6 | The Past Lives On… …in your closet. Reading the latest issue of “Lucky” magazine, we found that the looks they recommended were often quite unflattering and, let’s face it, somewhat ridiculous—but that’s another rant. What we did like is that they incorporated so much vintage style. Of course, you can pay $495 for a leather coat that looks like vintage, or $295 for a floaty top that resembles vintage, or you can hit the thrift stores in the hopes of turning up something perfect. But who has time for that? Not us! That’s why we love stores like Xtabay—they pick out the choice stuff as far back as the 40s that spanks of “original.” These are the designs that influenced all those people who are creating new clothes that look like old clothes. From their amazing selection of vintage shoes to a temptingly long row of coats, Xtabay has done the digging for you, and you can walk out looking like a more stylish version of what you see in the zines. Oh, you lucky girl. (And boy! Xtabay has a small but choice array of menswear, from Lacoste shirts to leisure suits to jeans, tie tacks and cufflinks.) Just one thing: they are currently remodeling—until mid-February. So until them, dream about it! Xtabay |
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| 7 | Hair and Nails, Naturally… As you know, we are constantly on the lookout for good stylists, and there are a lot of them in this town. It’s not so much a matter of finding the right salon as of finding the salon that’s right for you. And one that may be right for you (and the environment) is Ruby Moon. Its welcoming exterior (it’s in a remodeled house) leads to a cozy and inviting interior with vintage furniture, just a few stations, and intimate massage rooms. You can get cut and color, Swedish massage, Reiki, sea salt scrubs, facials and waxing, nail services and more…all with natural, organic and even Vegan products. They carry fabulous lines like Enjoy, Purology and Eminence that preserve the integrity of your body and the environment. There’s no perm smell—no chemicals from faux nails—it’s all sulfate-, formaldehyde-, and tolulene-free. Sooo Portland! And they won’t rush you—they take time to get to know you and have a chat while you relax and get your well-deserved pampering. The prices are right, too! Hours are 11-6 most days (closed Tues and Weds). Call for an appointment, and tell them Portland Picks sent you! Ruby Moon…a salon |
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| 8 | The Knittery Next Door We do love the shops and restaurants on Division. Some days we find we’ve whiled away a whole afternoon browsing and shmoozing, eating and drinking. But if you feel like an afternoon is wasted without Accomplishing Something, stop in to Mabel’s Café and Knittery to make yourself happy. Mabel’s features miles of the most gorgeous yarns: baby Alpaca silk, Bartlett bulky worsted wool, angora, merino, superchunky cashmere, and fun threads like Fizz, Fling and Gypsy! You can take private knitting classes or more general public ones to learn how to make socks, sweaters, and the ever-popular Portland necessity—the crocheted hat. Hanging out at Mabel’s is a real treat, even if you’re not a knitter. You can sip a latte or hot tea and watch the traffic on Division from a table up front, or pick up crocheting tips from the regulars parked on the comfy sofas and chairs in the back, all plushy and inviting. It’s good stuff. Makes us think we need something with Fizz…and cashmere…maybe some socks. Mabel’s Café and Knittery |
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| Chick Picks: | |||
| 1 | We Must, We Must... Even if we just think our boobs have grown, that's something. |
 bust-up-gum.com |
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| 2 | Skin Chic |
 skinchic.com |
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| 3 | The Perfect Ski Helmet With this cool ski helmet with hands-free BlueTooth technology and mp3 built-in stereo, you're free to ski...and talk...and sing. We love it so much, we're living in it. So now when you spot us shopping we'll be very safe in our helmet, and ready to take on those sales. But don't stare when we start to dance or look like we're talking to ourselves. It's the helmet, dude. The Tantrum Audex 06. |
 paragonsports.com |
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| 4 | Soap Sheets Each passport comes with 20 soap sheets. |
 flipflopstyle.com |
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| 5 | Lingerie for Your "Baby Doll," Your Shmookims, Your Pookie Bear Surprise him with his fantasy Victoria's Secret Valentine lingerie (that you get to pick out), or tell him he can surprise you (within reason). A typical Valentine's gift that keeps on giving, and that he’ll so love to give to his Snuggle Bug. We love this halter flyaway baby doll...and one of our wishes upon (that one) star is that we could look like this in the halter flyaway baby doll...or fuggedaboudit! |
 victoriassecret.com |
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Hip Happenings: |
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| 1 | Ask the Organization Experts @ OFFICE on Saturday, Jan. 21 In addition, all day on Saturday, OFFICE is offering a 10% discount on ALL Russell + Hazel and M.O. products (new shipments arriving on Jan 20)! Join Ellen Damaschino of Neat (and of “More Good Day Oregon” TV fame) and Krista Colvin of “Organize in Style” as they provide, for free, their own Top 10 tip sheet on ways to organize your office, their own resource list, and answers to your burning questions. By attending, you’ll even have a chance to win a free one-hour consultation.
Free! For more info, contact event@OFFICEpdx.com www.OFFICEpdx.com |
 OFFICEpdx.com |
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| 2 | Smooch-a-Pooch: Dog Kissing Booths Benefits Oregon Humane Society A sure way to get some lovin’ this Valentine’s Day – visit the Smooch-A-Pooch booths at the Oregon Humane Society and Lexi Dog Boutiques for dog kisses.
Guaranteed to have the CUTEST love scenes that are absolutely rated “G” for all audiences! |
 oregonhumane.org |
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| 3 | Get Warmed Up For Valentine’s Day
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 hurrydate.com |
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| 4 | Art Party @ OFFICE / Thursday, Jan. 26 / 7-9 p.m. Jones has been a key figure in Portland’s design and art movement, having co-curated and designed the Compound Art Gallery at the renowned Just Be Complex, Bishop’s Barbershops, and the Missing Link toy store/gallery. He’s also shown his design prowess for the big boys like Nike and Adidas. And, heck, he hails from great art himself—his mom is a well- known modern-art gallery owner in Southern California, so this show promises to be great! Join OFFICE for the artist reception and art opening on Last Thursday on Alberta, of course!
Free! For more info, contact event@OFFICEpdx.com www.OFFICEpdx.com. |
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| 5 | Urbane Zen's FIRST EVER winter pajama sale. We've never done it before and may never again, so you can be a part of history! Now all winter pajamas and slippers are 50% to 75% off. styles from PJ Salvage, The Cat's Pajamas, Munki Munki and more! Grab them while they last!
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 urbanezen.com |
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We have been blessed in 2006 with copious amounts of reader mail. We love to hear from you, because your ear is to the ground, so to speak, makes us much more effective in our Picking Process. Do you have the inside scoop on what’s happening in Portland? Have you heard some neighborhood gossip about who’s opening their doors, or closing? By all means, let us know! We adore a good, juicy scoop. …doesn’t everyone? |
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