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September 22nd, 2006
A good friend made the observation that in this town, your winter wardrobe is always within reach. No folding up sweaters and packing with mothballs…those babies are useful year-round! Especially since our end-of-summer weather is so mixed up—88 one day, 68 the next! We can’t keep up. So we’re completely grateful for layering. It’s always “in” in Portland, but this year it’s taken to a new level with cute long shirts and sexy-librarian cardigan sweaters. We love that you can appropriate the layered look at any age, with any style, and still be You. So hooray for layers! And hooray for crazy weather! |
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Portland Picks: |
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| 1 | Fall Essentials With Fall officially beginning today, we no longer have to worry about that awkward transition and all those perplexing, enormously provocative questions: Can I still wear sandals? Is this skirt too summery? When can I wear my cute new boots? The answer is: Now! We can finally say buh-bye to our summer wear and bring out all those new fun fall frocks. And if you haven’t stocked up yet, are bumbling to make heads or tails on what’s essential, no better place to start than Mario’s 3.10 at Bridgeport Village. Oh yeah baby, they’ll lead you down the right path. So what is a must this season? In short, your fall staples should include a classic little black dress, wedge platforms (Christian Louboutin always makes the heart beat faster), a new sassy coat (a la that saucy Jil Sander pea coat, or the D&G military-inspired coat), cowboy boots and chunky western belts, a sweater dress, a flounce skirt, cargo pants and skinny jeans. Mario’s 3.10 is a new concept—featuring a more casual side of luxury and designer sportswear— and has all your essentials in their breathtaking new store, open just a week. They are here and ready to embrace you, just in the nick of time for all your fall shopping. (Please tell them Portland Picks sent you!) Mario’s 3.10
@ Bridgeport Village |
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| 2 | For the (Vino) Vixen in You Years ago, our parents took us to Brasserie Montmartre. At that time, it was entered via a plain door in a rather dingy wall, with perhaps a small sign above, so it was virtually unnoticeable from the street. Opening the doors, however, transported diners into a glamorous, chic café, with live jazz and a European flair. It was so stunning that the experience could literally take your breath away. We got the same feeling in Vino Vixens. It's a hidden gem, tucked away in a nondescript—verging on slightly sketchy—strip mall. But just one step inside transports you to another world, one filled with reclaimed furniture, rich colors and lots of personality. The walls of the entry area (or "Vault") are lined with a variety of wines from the U.S. and abroad, and you can pick up some gourmet nibbles, though guests are also welcome to bring their own food for a small charge. After making a selection, retire to the spacious main lounge, complete with incredibly comfy chairs, or the "Vice" room for a game of pool or foosball. Feel like a little learning? The "Vatican," inventively made out of a former freezer, is the place for wine classes. While these vixens may like to think they're bad girls, in our eyes they can do no wrong. Vino Vixens |
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| 3 | Going Down to the Chocolate Shop A refrain from our childhood: “No dinner, no dessert.” Then again, with our mother’s cooking, was it any wonder we wanted to bypass the main course to mainline Duncan Hines? That desire for sweets has only gotten stronger—and when it comes to chocolate, since when have we shown any decorum? Now there’s yet another reason to abandon restraint: Sweet Masterpieces. Open less than a month, and locally/family owned and operated, Sweet Masterpieces does more than hawk calories. Sure, there’s a case delicately filled with some of the most beautiful artisan chocolates you’ve ever seen and tasted (they carry 4 lines: their own Sweet Masterpieces, Oregon-made Lillie Belle chocolates, and two brands from New York: Knipschildt and Chocolat Moderne). But there’s also another case chock-full of desserts, all made on premises, like triple chocolate cheesecake, fruit tartlets, lemon bars, and crème brulée. Soon they’ll be adding some savory appetizers and light bites to the menu. And don’t forget the wines! And the full espresso bar! Seriously, we’re drooling just recapping this! And fear not—you can stop there pretty much any hour of the day and get your sweet on: they open bright and early at 7 am for coffee and pastries, and don’t close until 10 pm. Do linger; once the Center Stage in the Pearl opens, they’ll be open even later. Staff is super-helpful, offering tastes of wine and samples of chocolate, and eventually you’ll be able to watch the truffles being made in addition to the baked goods. We’ve even met the pastry chef and she promises to hook Portland Picks readers up… Sweet Masterpieces |
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| 4 | A Brilliant Idea We have a couple of close girlfriends who need months of advance notice for girls’ night out—essentially, they work around their kids. Even if it’s just a little drinkiepoo, followed by dinner someplace nice enough to wear heels, it takes so much strategic planning that the sheer effort of thinking about who’s going to pick the kids up from school, then drop them off at music lessons/soccer practice/kiddie yoga, who’s going to make them dinner or who’s going to make sure they brushed their teeth is enough to make them toss the whole idea of leaving the house. Lucky for everyone, we just learned of a sensational service called A Brilliant Nanny. It’s a new agency that’s actually run by nannies, and they’re incredibly selective about who they hire—plus, as nannies themselves, you know they know how to judge who’s doing it right. No children will go to bed with teeth unbrushed! And you can feel secure because their customized placement service guides the family and the nanny through the hiring process. But here’s the best part—the part that gives our girlfriends their wings again—A Brilliant Nanny also offers temporary, on-call services, perfect for occasional needs like the girls’ night out, a date night (imagine!), after-school care, or even weekends. Night-owl mommies, rejoice! A Brilliant Nanny |
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| 5 | Shall We Play A Game? It was a stressful day. We needed to go for a walk and get some of that hand-clenching, teeth-gritting maladjustedness out of our systems. Where was the element of play? Why don’t we play anymore in that sweet, un-jaded world where we would lose ourselves for hours when we were kids? Sigh. But we found just the kind of stress relief we sought when we strolled into Child’s Play. We didn’t have to buy anything for the children in our life, no birthdays loomed, and the holidays are four months away. (While we love shopping here at Portland Picks, we’re not usually the people who buy the gifts a season in advance.) But we were seduced by Child’s Play’s bright colors and fun designs. Toys for all ages abounded! So we justified as we bought stickers (to send our NW Natural and Comcast bills in kicky style) and finger puppets (for our work station!) For our friends’ kids we picked up some Playmobil and Lego kits, and books and puzzles. We left Child’s Play in a much better mood, once we had favors. Except that we want a play date, and we want it now. Child’s Play |
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| 6 | Modern Love
We’re truly in nesting mode. We’ve back-burnered thoughts of vacations and dinners out and have turned our stylish eye (both of them, actually) to our home. That would include searching high and low for the perfect pieces, the right shelf, all those witty decorations that make our pad memorable. And we’ve we found a place that reminded us of the home we left. With apologies to the Golden Girls’ Sophia Petrillo…picture this: Late ’70s/early ’80s, Life magazines, those glasses with the multicolored stripes, and colorful lounge chairs. Welcome to Portland Modern. |
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| Music CD of the Week: KINK LIVE 9 | |||
| KINK LIVE 9 We here at Portland Picks love music, so when our favorite city and favorite tunes are combined, we get happy. That’s right, it’s that time of year again, when KINK puts out their compilation of the best live performances by the year’s hottest bands, recorded right here at Portland’s own KINK FM102! This year, KINK produces the ninth album in a series of limited edition compilation CDs, going above and beyond all expectations with 18 outstanding tracks that are guaranteed to keep you singing along.
Not only is this incredible album a must for anyone’s music library, it also benefits an incredible cause: Start Making A Reader Today (SMART). SMART’s goal is to enhance the reading skills and self-confidence of children who need assistance. So what do you say…your favorite artists singing your favorite songs recorded in your favorite city AND you can help out an amazing organization?!? What more could you want? Pick up your copy of KINK Live 9 at your local area Starbucks locations, or online at www.starbucks.com before they’re all gone! |
 kink.fm |
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| Chick Picks: | |||
| 1 | Soles 4 Souls If you're like us, you have unending piles of shoes. They're stuffed Under the bed, stacked in boxes in the basement and covering the floor of all available closets. And although we're quick to state otherwise, we probably don't need ALL of them. The next time you're trying to break your shoe habit, think of Soles 4 Souls, a non-profit dedicated to collecting your gently used shoes and donating them to those in the most need. Soles 4 Souls isn't new to this mission - they collected almost one million shoes to respond to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. In case of emergency, wouldn't you want someone to think of your footwear needs? |
 soles4souls.org |
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| 2 | Brocade Your Home We love the clean, simple lines of modern furnishings, but the last thing we want is a room that's too sterile or cold. Instead, we like to glam things up a bit with sparkly, girly pieces that bring a little character and warmth. That's why we instantly fell in love with Brocade Home, a new brand courtesy of Restoration Hardware. The catalog, out just this month, features rich fabrics with lots of texture—look for velvets, jacquards and satins, as well as exquisite details like tufting, etching and hand-carving. Our favorites are the stunning crystal chandeliers, which range from a bargain $199 to a still reasonable $599. What girl couldn't use a touch of old-time glamour? |
 brocadehome.com |
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| 3 | For the Radical Babymama If you’re more about dressing up baby in safety-pinned plaid diapers than Garanimals, then Portland’s Baby Wit is for you. They create slightly-to-definitely radical infant & toddler t-shirts that show the world your baby has serious style, and that you have a sense of humor about “alternative” baby gear. Baby Wit's savvy decal t-shirts and one-pieces appeal to a broad range of alternative consumers—punk rockers, art buffs, those on the radical edge of politics —people who want something cutting-edge, hip, and hilarious for the radical kids in their lives. |
 babywit.com |
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| 4 | Good-for-You Paints Portland is an amazing city, truly an innovator. Now, just when we thought we couldn’t be any cooler, out comes Yolo. No, no Yolo is not a Star Wars character. Yolo is a high-quality paint in gorgeous colors that’s gentle on people big and small. And Little Yolo’s premiere Sprout collection not only looks good, it is also good for baby and the earth. The line is formulated with zero-VOC, Green Seal certified paint, so say goodbye to noxious fumes and toxic chemicals. Sprout can withstand sticky fingers and “accidental art” too—with a finish that is scrubbable and mildew-resistant. Come see what all the fuss is about at Green Sprouts, Organic Baby and Family Fest on Saturday, Sept. 23, from 11 am -6 pm at the World Forestry Center in Washington Park. Kids of all ages can try their hand at spin art and bring home a masterpiece. |
 yolocolorhouse.com |
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| 5 | The Payless Pump Some of us here simply can’t resist a bargain. If we can get something hot on the cheap, well we can’t resist. Like this gorgeous black pump from, dare we say it….Payless (shhh!) We’re happy to pay less, as long as it doesn’t look like we did. And this pump will be just fine, thank you very much, at least through the holidays. And you know what, we won’t care that much if they get wet, scuffed, or stuck in a grate. At this price we’ll just get another pair. www.payless.com |
 payless.com |
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Hip Happenings: |
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| 1 | Yes End-of-Summer Sale Yes will be having an End of Summer Sale through September 24.
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| 2 | Affair @ the Jupiter Hotel The third annual Art Fair Brings Collectors and Curators Together as the Jupiter Hotel Celebrates its second Anniversary.
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 affair-jupiterhotel.com |
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| 4 | A Whole New Way to View Wellness Providence Health System, Metro West Ambulance and Portland Children’s Museum have teamed up to imagine a place where kids can learn about, and respect, healthy bodies and healthy minds.
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 portland childrens museum.org |
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| 5 | New Seasons Delivers Locally owned and operated New Seasons Market announced today that in mid-October it will launch an online grocery shopping and delivery service.
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 newseasonsmarket.com |
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| 7 | Get the Buzz Out Margaux INC. is Portland's niche marketing and promotions agency specializing ONLY in the fashion, health and beauty industries. Their goal is to help local businesses achieve their full potential by providing the following services:
Margaux Rathbun, President of Margaux INC. works intimately with her clients to ensure their campaigns, projects, and events are successful. She is experienced, friendly, reliable, works flexible hours while providing her clients with reasonable rates. Margaux works exclusively with Adelle Designs and Shawn St. Peter Photography; Be sure to check out their work on margauxinc.com. Call or email Margaux now for a free one hour consultation! For more information visit: Margauxinc.com |
 Margauxinc.com |
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When did being sick become not-so-fun? We used to love sick days…now when we’re stuck on the sofa we stress about all the things we don’t have the energy to do. Sigh. It’s too bad we can’t go back in time when we’re under the weather…back to around 8 years of age, when sick days were a reason to eat chicken noodle soup and watch cartoons…and it was good when a day seemed to go on forever… |
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