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Portland Picks Girls’ Night: Spring Patio Soiree!
Hey, girlie girl! It’s time to kick it up a notch in celebration
of dreamy weather, sun-kissed skin, and oodles of romance potential for you
and your sassy sistas in the next few months. Time to get yourself in perfect
Spring form with a little skin & hair conditioning, mini-spa treatments,
groovin’ music & some fab cocktails with the girls you share your
ups and downs with all year round.
If you want, the boys can swing by later, or you can paint the town pink…whichever,
we’re setting the mood with candles, lantern lights, spring bouquets
& general outdoor ambience. After all, you’ve been partying all
winter at the ski house…it’s time to explore the bold outdoors
a.k.a. your backyard, patio or deck.
Okay, we’re savvy enough to know not all of us upwardly mobile divas
have the luxury of wide-open spaces, however be creative… Rooftops
will do…small decks with chairs will do…homeowner friend with
backyard will do VERY nicely… Ask around. One of your amiable amigos
must have a little outdoor space to call their own.
Worst-case scenario, you’re opening the windows real wide and breathing
a little fresh air in the hard way…through the screen. Granted, a smidge
harder to get in the mood, but we understand those glow-in-the-dark stars
and planets work wonders on the ceiling, walls, etc. to give you the feeling
of a starry, starry night! Not the best-case scenario, we know just remember
it’s all about perspective & imagination.
Seem daunting? Buck up little camper! That’s what we Portland Picks
mavens are here for --- full service festive fete’ planning. It’s
not rocket science, but we like to take the worry out of your weary soul.
One more thing, and this may go without saying, but check the weather, sweetie.
There are some things ---very few --- that are less under your control and
more tied to Mother Nature’s wanton whims…
Your Girls' Night (Outside)! Itinerary:
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 These
adorable Kate Spade invitations epitomize the theme for this evening’s
gala.
We’re thinking flowery, ladylike fun (the debauchery can occur
after the girls have had a few cocktails). A box of 10 is only $28 at
your local Kate Spade store. For more info and to look at even more adorable
card styles go to KateSpade.com.
Extra points for writing a personal note to each of your guests saying
just how much they mean to you & how much their presence is mandatory
--- talk about the hostess with the mostest!
Wanna go more elaborate?
Hand-deliver a Spring Bulb in a mini hand-decorated pot to your invitee’s
doorstep with the invite tied around with a colorful ribbon. Your ears
will be burning…in a good way.
Other “Picks” for THE perfect invitations:
- Oblation Papers, 516 NW 12th Ave., 223-1093
- Uptowne Papers, 9 NW 23rd Place.
- ThePaperRabbit.net
-
 What’s
a girl to wear?
Nothing epitomizes Spring more than Lilly Pulitzer’s fun,
feminine Spring 2004 collection. When addressing your invites, make sure
to indicate to the gals that dress is Spring Casual. We’re looking
for tanks (feel free to toss a cute cardigan on over your shoulders ---
it might get chilly), capris, sundresses & flouncy skirts --- bright,
colorful outfits that scream SPRING!
We adore the Kelly Picnic check dress, multi-colored strappy tank,
and the Mamba halter with butterflies…Do yourself a favor and visit
LillyPulitzer.com
for the ultimate in Spring Chic this season,  and
Meringue boutique in Salem and Lake Oswego carries a great array of Lilly
choices.
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Nothing will lift the mood for your shindig like a little reggae
music --- soothing, yet with enough vibe to ensure that your fellow partygoers
don’t turn into party poopers.
Remember, we’re celebrating the arrival of Spring…we want
you to kick up your heels!
 We
loved the movie soundtrack to 50 First Dates! Sit back and enjoy Wyclef
Jean, Eve, Gwen Stefani & UB40 belt out reggae takes on old favorites
like Slave to Love, Every Breath You Take & Breakfast in Bed.
Prefer something with a little more energy?
Try Wyclef Jean’s eclectic The Preacher’s Son, a Reggae/Hip
Hop/Rap compilation featuring such notables as Missy Elliott, Carlos
Santana & Patti LaBelle --- available at Amazon.com.We’re
feeling irie, mon…
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Music sets the tone, but don’t underestimate the most important
of all the pieces of this evening’s party puzzle --- ambience (that
is, besides your stellar guest list). As we always say, candles work
wonders in very simple ways.
Since it’s Spring, the selection has never been more festive
and quirky. Illuminations on NW 23rd (wall to wall romantic candles)
or old mainstay Pier 1 Imports is always a hip way to sass things
up.
We love the bamboo torches and the darling outdoor frog votive holders!
Pillar candles are a no-brainer & usually easy to locate, but we
adore the pretty floating candles available on DiscountCandleshop.com.
(Floating candle, $5.74 at DiscountCandleshop.com;
bamboo torches and frog votives available at Pier1.com,
$4, $15) Are we in Bora Bora?
You wouldn’t throw a party inside your house in the dark, so
don’t you dare leave your lovely patio sans mood lighting.
We love the idea of hanging lanterns strewn about your patio area…think
exotic locales and faraway places. Careful when mixing and mingling these
with your pillar candles, though!
We’re crazy about big, burly firemen, but not responding to a
911 call at your island getaway…uh…we mean…Condo!
Be safe, but get these darling patterned lanterns at Target.com
–only $17.99.
Like solid and brighter better? Go to PartyLights.com
for an amazing array of lighting for your soiree ($32.95!)
-
 We
clever girls know a festive party deserves an equally festive table!
Inexpensive and whimsical place mats and napkin rings are SO easy to
find these days.
We love these delightful round place mats and jeweled napkin holders
from SurLaTable.com.
($15.50, $19.50).
Don’t forget to adorn your tabletop masterpiece with pretty Spring
floral bouquets (maybe even some floating gardenias amongst the floating
candles?).
You’ve outdone yourself, my dear…
-
 Okay
ladies, keep your thongs on!
You thought we’d never get to the cocktail portion of
the party! A giggly evening like this begs for the whirr of a blender
in the background, and fresh, fruity tropical drinks that live up to
your fun-filled surroundings.
 If
you don’t have one, may we suggest this pretty as a picture tangerine
Waring model from WilliamsSonoma.com
($129.95)?
For a complete selection of “girly” drinks, we suggest
Rachel Federman’s fabulous book Girl Drinks 101: Cocktails for
Every Occasion --- we love even more that she set about writing the
book after a nasty breakup.
Check it out at Amazon.com.
-
 To
rev up the party a bit, serve these fabulous Spring Potion shots in celebration
of blue skies ahead!
Pick up these etched Madras shot glasses at
Pier1.com ($20).
Spring Potion
1/4 oz. Absolut Vodka
1/4 oz. Blue Curacao
1/2 oz Bailey’s Irish Cream
Shake with Ice & Serve
- Cocktails will be flowing freely, so a girl’s gotta eat ---
we don’t want this turning into some bad Club Med movie!
You’ve gone all out on the decorations & mood-setting accoutrements
for the gals’ little mini-getaway. We say keep it simple…finger
foods, easy & satisfying. Elegant and effortless need not be mutually
exclusive, however.
You can never go wrong with prawns or chicken satay with peanut sauce
--- SO easy to eat and both available at Trader Joe’s. Feel a little
fancier? Crab-salad on mini-pitas with a zesty papaya relish will wow
the crowd and flaunt your undeniable flare in the kitchen.
Get creative…asparagus & artichokes abound. Grill them and
put them on a colorful tray with a nice lemon aioli (or garlic, saffron,
rosemary)! Yummy seasonal produce can make a unique addition to your
table…Watermelon Gazpacho anyone?
Go to Epicurious.com for this and thousands of other delicious recipes.
Or, heck, pick up a platter from In Good Taste or Whole Foods.
-
It’s prep time now!
Everything’s
in place for the evening. Now it’s time to get cute little old
you in tip-top shape to greet your equally beautiful guests. Spring requires
smooth as silk skin, so no scrimping.
Showering’s never been more fun with Cleansing Queen’s
Tiki Time – A Cocktail Hour for Your Shower! Full of Dead Sea
salts and vitamins, this cocktail won’t give you a hangover! After
exfoliating, you’ll love slathering on Lounge Lizard Butter Me
Up!, a hydrating shea butter balm.
Your skin will love you for it, and so will the boys! Both available
on BeautyofaSite.com
($20, $17
-
Ooh-La-La…you’re freshly scrubbed, exfoliated & luxuriously
moisturized.
Throw on your terrycloth robe & settle in for a relaxing eye mask
by the innovators at DuWop. Cool gel in disc form disperses botanical
extracts and conforms to the shape of your eye, bathing the entire area
in a soothing, moisturizing calm.
You’ll be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when your guests arrive!
Comes in three “flavors”: Blue (lavender, chamomile &
yarrow root for tired eyes); Purple (Vitamin C & plant collagen for
fine line smoothing); Orange (arnica & Vitamin K to get rid of those
pesky under eye circles).
Visit Sephora.com
and prepare yourself for a spa experience ($20)!
-
 You’re
dressed and de-stressed, the reggae’s playing softly (for now) in
the background, the table is set and the candles & lanterns are illuminating
the patio with a kitschy, cozy glow.
Not only that, you’re dressed in some pretty pink gingham capris
and a sassy white halter! The guests will be arriving in minutes, so
give yourself a little spritz of perfume to put you in the mood…
We’re loving Escada’s Heavenly Island Kiss fragrance
--- and so do the celebs.
You’ll be getting a tropical vibe-on with the infusion of ripe
fruits & floral notes that make you feel miles away from home…available
at Sephora.com ($38
- $68), or hop over to Saks.
- Alas…
Parting is such sweet sorrow! But wait, you’ve got one more pretty,
petite surprise up your sleeve!
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, cosmetic gift
sets are a great way to divide and conquer, especially as take-away gifts
for your foxy friends!
  We
love Sephora Girl’s Mini Bath Bead Set! These girly scents
come in 4 scrumptious flavors: Coconut, Strawberry Candy, Sweet Almond,
and Icy Lemon. Distribute one to each of your guests…if you want
to be extra charming, attach some Spring perennial seeds in a cute mini-envelope
to each with some colorful gingham ribbon, and…voila! We adore
the idea of waking up to some pretty pansies that remind us of our best
gal pals!
Get it now at Sephora.com
and let your buddies duke it out for their favorite scent ($20).
We also can’t get enough of these long-stemmed lollipops, perfect
to fashion into cute bouquets for the girls (Bonus: only $.35 each!).
Visit RosemaryCompany.com
and leave the girls with a bouquet that reminds them of how sweet you
are!
- 7 a.m. Friday. What a hoot!
The girls had a ball, the food & drinks were divine & they
couldn’t stop talking about the dramatic patio transformation into
a tropical girlie getaway. Now, it wasn’t entirely necessary to
head out at 1 am for one last celebratory drink, but there were those
cute boys…
Unfortunately, now you need a major caffeine infusion, and we don’t
mean that Sugar Free Red Bull on your nightstand you’ve already
chugged. Your eyes are in desperate need of some serious de-puffing,
and we’ve got just the thing for you…Remede’s High
Energy Eye Contour.
 Look,
we already think you’re gorgeous, but who knows whom you’ll
run into on the way to your high-powered corporate job? This eye cream
is full of caffeine, which acts as a diuretic and gets rid of those pesky
bags you’re sporting right now.
Not only that, it’s chock full of micro collagen, anti-wrinkle
molecules. We’d hit you over the head with it but we know you’ll
do the right thing!
Go to BlissWorld.com
before we come find you ($90).
Well, ladies…we hope you’re as excited about Spring as we here
at Portland Picks are! Take advantage of this gorgeous time of year by basking
in the warmth of your friends and throwing a little Girls' Night (Outside)!
As we sit here, it’s raining outside, but that only means the sunshine
is around the corner…and proves that the optimism that arrives with
Spring is infectious!
Keep looking like the glamorous, gorgeous girls you are and get out there
and mingle with your favorite gal pals…
xoxo,
PP
A Very Special Thank You:
Portland Picks was featured on AM Northwest this last Friday, touting our
favorite Picks for spring. Thank you to AM Northwest for inviting us. We
had so much fun! And a very special thank you to our models: Kay Morse and
Sara Ward for being the glamorous lovelies they are, and so much fun to hang
with backstage. Additionally, we are so grateful to Hub Optix, Meringue,
Urbane Zen, Dana Lynn Handbags, Lena Medoyeff Studio, Galore Department Store
and Williams Sonoma for lending us their cool stuff for the show.
Hip Happenings:
Woodburn Company Stores is making charity fashionable with a new spring
fashion benefit event designed to raise funds for six local nonprofit organizations.
The Spring Fashion Frenzy, set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, May
8th, features a day of extra shopping discounts, a live fashion show, wine
tasting, gardening demonstrations and a gourmet lunch. Participants also
have the chance to win any of the hundreds of Woodburn
Company Stores gift certificates being raffled off by charities. More
than $20,000 in certificates will be raffled off at the Spring Fashion Frenzy
event. For more info contact: WoodBurnCompanyStores.com
And Happy Mother’s Day! (We are hoping your husbands, children,
and you have gotten your Mother’s Day plan and gifts together by now,
so we aren’t suggesting much for Mom this week…..but we do hope
it’s a perfect Mother’s Day!)
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