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August 4th, 2006
We’ve been on a year-long search for the Elusive Portland Cannoli. At first we couldn’t find them at all in this town. We’d call bakeries and ask for cannoli, and they’d say, “What? Who? What’s her last name? She’s not here.” Once we established what a cannoli is (an addictive Italian confection with a sweet, creamy filling piped into a fried pastry roll, and we like them with sprinkles of chocolate chips), we had pretty much established that said bakery didn’t have what we needed. |
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Portland Picks: |
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| 1 | Take a Letter, Maria A new shop, a new shop! Oh how we love a new shop. And this one is so new it comes with the new-shop smell. (Note: the new-shop smell is to women what the new-car smell is to men.) And this is candy to allllll the senses. It’s Ecru, a new gorgeous modern stationer in the Pearl. The store has a clean, crisp and urban look and the collection is a fusion of hip and modern greeting cards, boxed notes, journals, invitations and all kinds of fun gifts. (They also have a unique selection of custom invitations that really set the tone for your shindig!) They feature Portland designers Coco-Pink’s custom calling cards and Sugar Lily Designs’ cards and notes (both previous Portland Picks!) We collect greeting cards like other people collect stamps. And Ecru has a discriminating selection of greeting cards so you are always prepared for every occasion. This store is a great addition to the Pearl and such great shopping fun! Please pop by and say hi, and tell ‘em Portland Picks sent you. Ecru |
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| 2 | More Mississippi Magic Okay, this is getting ridonkulous. Every time we check out Mississippi Avenue we discover more things to eat/shop/do. It’s like the old, grumbly cloud of patchouli has finally lifted, revealing a shiny new street with wonderful treasures and candy for everyone! Well…sorta…you know what we mean. It’s awesome. So we were skipping down the street with Toto and a picnic basket, and we saw a magical vision – feminine dresses peeking out from a sleek boutique that looked more Paris, France than Portland, Ore. The patterns and fabrics – lace and loveliness, silks and denims – were so dreamy we had to pinch ourselves. It’s called Phlox, and owner (and designer) Barbara Seipp is there to guide you through her racks of amazing clothes, from her own eponymous line of gorgeous confections to hot things from designers who share her modern-girl vision. We especially liked Corey Lynn Calter’s precious blouses and dresses (with polka dots and bows and belts). Ooh, and lines like Lili Bleu (fabulous + affordable) and Modern Vintage (shoes from Roberto Cavalli that aren’t as flashy or pricey as you’d expect) are coming soon. Ms. Seipp also offers a few choice accessories, like Giraudon shoes that can’t be found anywhere else because she selects the color combinations! And there’s still a summer sale going on! Phlox has been open under two weeks by the time you read this, so get down there before your girlfriends do. We hate to say this, but we predict they’ll be flocking to Phlox. (Ouch. Our play on words is bad but the store is fab. Go there.) Phlox |
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| 3 | We Weren’t Kidding About Mississippi When’s the last time you went to a speakeasy? You know – one of those bars they talked about in “Swingers” where there’s no sign, so you have to be in-the-know to know where to go? We found one for you…so we’re pretty much giving away the secret…but if we stagger our nights we can all enjoy it and feel supercool about it, without having to give up our prime spot on one of the (gorgeous, seriously gorgeous) barstools. It’s brand new, and it’s tentatively called The Mississippi Avenue Social Club, and you’d only know it by the neon bottle in the top of the window with the triple XXX…and it’s sleek and modern and airy and stylish and the bartenders are cute and they make delish drinks and they have sexy white leather sofas and rad local art hangs on the walls and it’s nonsmoking (puff on the patio) and…and…and it’s on Mississippi. Seriously! Do you understand how just plain amazed we are at just how many cool places we’ve reported on recently that are just…down…one…street?!? And it’s not going to stop – more are slated to open soon, and you know we’ll be there. So while you wait, pop in here for great drinks like The Sprained Ankle (raspberry puree, habanero chile, lime and tequila) or “a Cucumber Thing” (cucumber, fresh limeade and gin). And tell NO-ONE about this place, because it’s too cool to share. So shhh…we’ll see you there… The Mississippi Avenue Social Club |
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| 4 | Extra! Extra! I always thought for sure I would be a famous celeb. It was a certainty. But then time went by, and I was never thin enough, or in the right town, or had any experience or training (oops). But I was going to be famous one day, for sure. But more time passed and I turned, um, “older” and realized it was probably too late to be a movie star, darn it. I had blown my chance. But wait, it’s not too late. And it doesn’t even require any experience. This city (and the Northwest in general) is becoming quite a hub for film-making, if you haven’t noticed. In fact, Vince Vaughn and Sean Penn have been hanging out in Astoria recently, filming a new flick. (And of course, we’ve been stalking them nonchalantly, ubiquitously appearing everywhere they happen to be.) But you don’t have to resort to hiding in bushes to get close to celebs. You can merely sign up at Extras Only (it’s free!) and perhaps you’ll be cast as an extra in a movie! You don’t have to be thin or even have any talent to speak of. In fact, they just want regular people: all ages, shapes, sizes. And you get paid to do what you would typically do: drink coffee, walk a dog, drive by in a car, shop...and hobnob with other celebs whenever it works out with your schedule. So you can be in the movies! Even if it’s just your famous elbow in that chair behind Brad Pitt, it so counts. |
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| 5 | Knitting for Airline Health We just flew back from New York and it took soooo long. Especially because we were imprisoned on the airplane sitting out on the tarmac for a couple of those hours before even taking off. We were stuck in coach for a full workday, or a long night’s sleep (if we were actually to get in a full 8 hours). Before we even took off we had read our magazines and finished our books and lost power to our iPods, so we had nothing left to do the entire flight but try to catch some zzz’s to pass the time. There was a cute gal behind us that wasn’t bored. She was actually quite happy....in a Zen-like stupor, unfettered by the grueling flight, even as she sat between two swarthy guys that kept dozing, drooling, and snoring in her direction. You see, she was knitting. She was creating the coolest knit cap, a kit by Rooster, exclusively sold at Dublin Bay Knitting Company in the Pearl. Inspired, we just checked out this fantabulous knitting store and got an eyeful...the most gorgeous knitting bags, colorful luxe soft yarns, Gucci-esque bold-patterned needle cases and stylish designer patterns that even we could create...or so the owner presumed, not knowing quite who she was talking to. In prep for our next flight, we’ll be stopping by Dublin Bay to stock up. |
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| 6 | The Spa at Coldwater Creek Have you ever wanted to live inside a catalog? Come on, we know you’ve smelled the pies baking in a Williams-Sonoma paper kitchen, imagined yourselves nestled and productive inside a glossy Pottery Barn office. We personally want to take it a step further and move into a Crate & Barrel store, but that’s neither here nor there. What is here, however, is the four-month-old Spa at Coldwater Creek at Bridgeport Village. We first entered to find a modern yet cozy and well-stocked shop with all kinds of body creams, robes, and the type of clothes we want to pull on after a long day at the office. We were quickly whisked through a door leading to the inner sanctum—and would that all inner sanctum settings be so modern, airy, and immaculate. The changing area is spotless and huge, with elaborate showers, private dressing rooms, and secure lockers made of light wood. We were given a plush robe and perfectly fitted spa sandals to change into, and then led to another waiting area where we were given a foot soak and rub by Valerie. Post that, we were met by our masseuse, Amy, who explained our upcoming treatment, the 90-minute hot-stone river massage. We weren’t sure if we were awake, asleep, or astral-projecting, but the combination of hot and cold stones applied with gentle pressure made us forget everything we’d stored in our cell phones and to-do lists. Not to mention? Their brilliant idea of comforters on the massage tables! No more freezing in the sheets! The Spa at Coldwater Creek |
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| Quick Picks: A few of our favorite things | |||
If you ever plan a trip to Manhattan, take your family for a couple days to Mohonk in the Catskills, just an hour and change north of the city. It’s a cross between Hogwarts and Dirty Dancing...and totally, beautifully, timelessly surreal. This is one of those old-fashioned upstate New York family resorts. We felt like Baby in our favorite cheesy movie... So what’s so special about it? First off, there’s this incredible rambling mountain house built beside a pristine lake. Second, there are tons of activities. One morning we were on the paddleboats in the lake, then we went horseback riding, played bocci ball, did some “rock scrambling” (up a freaky vertical crevice), swam across the lake and tried log rolling. Oh, and there’s fishing, too! In the evenings there were magic shows, vaudeville acts, country music. And if that’s not enough, and trust us that’s but a mere dent in all they offer, there’s always the food—an unlimited buffet morning noon and night, in the granary overlooking the lake or in the main dining room with other families. Good thing for all that activity, or we’d be mountains by the time we left. www.mohonk.com |
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| Chick Picks: | |||
| 1 | Foot Petals |
 footpetals.com |
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| 2 | Design Your Gal |
 designhergals.com |
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| 3 | Parking Made Easy We have a warped perception. We think our car is bigger than it is, and we’re afraid that when we park we’re going to hit the side of the garage or other cars around us. And when we park in a public garage we even duck our heads down because we think the top of the car is going to hit the roof and be sliced in two. But now we’ve found something designed just for us, and it’s magic. That is, if we had a beemer. BMW has just created a technology that will park your car at the click of a button and you don’t even have to be in it. Hopefully for us, they’ll invent a remote self-driving car soon. Remote car parking—check this out www.wired.com |
 wired.com |
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| 4 | Peachy Kimono Goodness In Japanese, "Kimono" literally means "something to wear," and "Momo" means "peach." The intention behind these words is that the silk you wear on your skin should feel as soft and sweet as a ripe summer peach, even if it's snowing outside and you're wrapping up for the winter. And that’s exactly what these designs feel like, from the pink silk scarf we’re wrapped in right now to the very cool Obi messenger bag we’ve been sportin’ around. And all these are home-grown in the Oregon studio of Carol Ziogas of Kimono Momo. Carol makes one-of-a-kind handcrafted items from vintage Japanese textiles and she gives them new life with flair. |
 kimonomomo.com |
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| 5 | Hamptons Child |
 hamptonschild.com |
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| Cd of the Week: | |||
| I’ve been a fan of Death Cab for Cutie for quite a while, so when their latest album, Plans, was released, I rushed down to my favorite record store to pick up my copy. I was so excited that I ripped off the cellophane wrapper as I ran back to my car. I couldn’t imagine wasting a moment of valuable time in my car that could be spent listening to my new purchase. This indie-rock band has been in full command of their resonant and masterful guitar-shamble style since they first broke onto the scene back in 2000, but with Plans, the boys from Bellevue, Wash., have truly left their mark on the musical landscape. This album tackles one central theme, the relationship between love and death. The theme then builds, piece by piece, throughout the album, culminating in a fulfilling emotional whole |
 amazon.com |
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Hip Happenings: |
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| 1 | Summertime…And the Shopping’s Easy
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 mylifemycard.com |
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| 2 |  |
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| 3 | We Aren’t Deejays
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 saucebox.com |
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| 4 | Dog Days Sale at The Arrangement!
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| 5 | Dana Lynn 5 Year Anniversary--Steel For Men Grand Opening
Jack and Jill went up |
 view evite |
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| 6 | Fall fashion show Please come join us for an evening of great fashion, music, & wine!
For your convenience, we are providing free parking at 10th & Northrup. Please use the designated spots. rsvps appreciated, but not required Physical Element |
 physicalelement.com |
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Remember this time last year when there were just a few of us? When only about 5,000 of you fabulous-types subscribed to Portland Picks? Well, we’re coming up on almost 11,000 thanks to your devoted readership and the way you spread the good word about us. And we just want to say Thank You, from the bottom of our shoe racks, for being such good pals. We really mean it. You’re the best! |
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