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July 27th, 2007
Here’s who we have in town this week: One girlfriend from Minneapolis, one girlfriend from Phoenix, and our parents. Here’s who’s out of town this week: Our boyfriend, whom we live with. Here’s who needs a ride to and from the airport: Everybody. It’s not like they can’t take cabs or the MAX, but we pride ourselves on providing superior service—it’s important to us to make our guests happy, whether it’s stocking the bathroom with expensive soaps and the fridge with local berries or ferrying people to and from PDX. But ultimately, somebody is going to get the shaft, since we can’t be everywhere at once. The first was our girl from Phoenix, who had to rent a car and then navigate her way from 82nd Avenue to our house. At midnight. On a Saturday. After a 5-hour flight. The next was our boyfriend, whose flight into Portland was delayed by two hours. The plan was to pick him up, drop him at home, and then go downtown for the day with the parents and the girls. But since the flight was delayed, and we had four people to entertain, we had to make a tough decision. We felt guilty at the time, but he’s a grown man… and Nordstrom was having a sale. So guess who won out in the end? Sorry, honey. We’ll make it up to you soon. xoxo |
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Portland Picks: |
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| 1 | Get Active! There are many words to describe us—funny, stylish, smart—but one of them is definitely not sporty. We laugh at our co-worker who runs every Saturday… for us, a pedicure is the preferred way to relax. But even though the Pearl’s spankin’ new Lizard Lounge caters to more active types, we’re glad to say it’s comfortable and totally cool— the perfect place for athletes and aesthetes alike. The lounge is a “first of its kind” concept from Horny Toad Activewear, so it’s no surprise that the house brand makes up about 50% of the merchandise. Check out cuddly fleece and velour track suits, retro running shorts and even a flippy twill skirt. From there, venture into the more urban offerings—tees from C&C California, Farmer Industry denim and hot bags from Chrome, Freitag and J.Fold. When you’re done shopping, grab some Stumptown coffee, play a game of ping pong or catch a local band on their stage. Friday evenings even feature a “happy hour” discount! Sporty or not, combining DJs and designers is our version of the perfect way to spend a weekend. Lizard Lounge |
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| 2 | Flying High We remember Belgium fondly. It had many of our favorite things: chocolate, fruity beers, and waffles. And we remember New Jersey fondly. It had one of our favorite things: abundant restaurants that offered breakfast for dinner. We’ve been craving our waffle fix of late (and later), and we can now get it in SE Portland at Jáce Gáce. Jáce Gáce (pronounced “Yah-Say Gah-Say”) was named for a hang glider pilot with an unwavering dedication to waffles. And you’ll glide through the month-old former glassblowing studio in a similar sense of wonder: behold art, all over. The large, high-ceilinged space hosts exhibits of all kinds, like this month’s “Overkill,” a non-juried showing of artists’ work in media from paintings to photos. Furnishings are simple, so as not to clash with what you’re there to see (the pretty pictures) and eat (did we mention waffles?) And the waffles? Tasty! Both sweet and savory, like the tiramisu waffle, with rum, espresso syrup, mascarpone, and fruit, or the vegan avocado rancheros. Jáce Gáce also hooks you up with beer on draft and in bottles, as well as wines and bubbly. Even a Happy Hour. As if we could be any more elated. |
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| 3 | The Best Ideas Come to You in Dreams We just watched three hours of HGTV with a girlfriend. From “Flip This House” to “Flip That House” to “Designed to Sell” we can’t stop watching—we get so many ideas for redoing our own domicile that our heads seriously spin afterward. And Portland’s Street of Dreams™ takes that to a whole new level—the ideas are amazing, plus we can investigate up close and personally, which is like 10 million times better than seeing it on TV. This year they’re featuring six magnificent, one-of-a-kind homes with spectacular living spaces, striking gourmet kitchens (indoors and out!), spa-inspired bathrooms, wondrous gardens and breathtaking views. Seriously, there is no better place to see the latest trends in home design and décor, and Street of Dreams homes always showcase the hottest new technologies. (Dishwashers in drawers have nothing on what they’re rolling out this year!) Stop by tomorrow at 12:15 (Saturday, 7/28) to meet Mary Emmerling, noted interior designer and creative director of Country Home Magazine! Admission is $15—directions are available online. The 32nd Annual Street of Dreams |
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| 4 | We Want It All Possession is nine-tenths of the law. Call us slow, but we never understood that old adage until we stepped into Steph Morrow's stunning boutique. Two things occurred to us: 1) We should all possess this much style. 2) We must own everything in this shop. The sign outside says “Antiques” but you don't have to sift through old Coke bottles or grandma's doilies at Possession. We were amazed by the eclectic mix of old and new, like a pair of antique resting chairs reupholstered in a funky zebra print, gorgeous tableware by Michael Michaud, gilded mirrors, and whimsical chandeliers. It made us seriously rethink our recent retro-modern fixation. Possession |
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| 5 | It’s a Dog’s Life It seems like everyone in this town has a dog. We learned our neighbors dogs’ names before we learned the names of our neighbors. There are dog parks, dog washes, dog-friendly bars… It’s good to be a dog in Portland, and now, it just got better. Alpha Dog Doggie Daycare isn’t just for big breeds. As their motto says, it’s a place “where every dog is a top dog.” And they certainly will have a blast at Alpha Dog. It’s the biggest facility we’ve seen, with padded floors for maximum comfort while frolicking, and cute murals on the wall that transform the industrial space into a park-like setting. There’s even a fire hydrant to make “going” seem more outdoorsy. They will soon have a dog wash and grooming facility, plus agility classes and a retail space (stocking natural & organic treats and food)—all are slated for September. Plus they boast a convenient location and a staff of dog-lovers. Whether you have an active dog or a lazy dog, a Pug or a Newfoundland, Alpha Dog will make sure your pooch has his (or her) day. Alpha Dog Doggie Daycare |
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| 6 | Keep Portland Busy! To this day, we have only ever had one serious passion for collecting. A little Mariah Carey in the background, and we were happy to sit down with our big book of stickers and swap and trade, trade and swap until our scrapbooks were filled with the best bubble stickers and scratch and sniffs on the block. Yes, we were dorks. Why such a thing entertained us, we don’t know. But we do know one thing: we never felt swayed to hobby again. But if we did, we just know we would be suckers for the kitsch at Missing Link. The store is an urban collector’s dream, with designer plush and vinyl toys like robots, monsters and bunnies that are cute, evil, political or tactless (do we hear “gifting”?) Besides the toys, there are graphic novels, poster prints, design books and artwork, plus the coolest screened tees, onesies and bags around. From one collector (did we mention they have stickers?) to the next, we’re sure we’ve found the missing link for keeping Portland crazy cool—and weird—and busy. Missing Link |
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| 7 | Feel the Heat Our best guess is that Ms. Mother Nature got caught up in the iPhone craze recently and neglected to sync-up her calendar or something, because, yeah, she totally forgot that it was summer in Portland. We seriously hope that by the time you’re reading this she got everything figured out, because we cannot handle wearing our knee-length parkas in July! Honestly. We dropped into Trebol—North Portland’s newest chic Mexican spot—during this recent cool spell, and broke out in a good sweat just by tasting the house hot sauce (each table gets some with a stack of steaming tortillas). The monstrous tequila list also easily excited us, not to mention their cocktails (we chose the banana-infused-rum daiquiri). There wasn’t a thing on the menu we didn’t want to try (meaning: we’ll be back very soon), and we were blown away by what the chef (who came from Higgins) can do with a plantain. We had it as a savory cake next to our grilled calamari, and in butter form in between two slices of chocolate cake. We’re getting hot just thinking about it. Trebol |
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| 8 | Art Appreciation Much to our artsy-fartsy father’s dismay, when it comes to art museums and art museum gift shops, we’re more likely to spend 30 minutes in the museum and an hour in the gift shop, rather than the other way around. Not that we don’t appreciate art, because we do, we just really, really, really like to shop. That’s why we’re thrilled about the re-opening of Museum of Contemporary Craft (in fab new digs), which features The Gallery, where you can find everything from beautiful hand-crafted wooden bowls to elaborate greeting cards and metal jewelry by featured artist Donna D’Aquino. The Gallery boasts handmade work by artists from across North America, and half of every sale goes directly back to the artist, while the other half supports the Museum’s Exhibition and Education Programs, thus keeping their admission free. Every last Sunday of the month is Family Discovery Day, featuring a hands-on intergenerational art-making activity led by a local artist, so you can bet we’ll be putting quality time in at the Museum after all. (We just made our father proud!) Museum of Contemporary Craft |
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| Chick Picks: | |||
| 1 | Love, Exciting and New We fell in love today…with a candle. We ordered three Bistro Candles, just based on the delicious-sounding fragrances alone. Well, that, and they’re locally made. Anyhoo, we were instantly love-struck upon opening the box. The scents—even un-lit—were absolutely decadent. In fragrances like Nectarine Basil, Pomegranate Grapefruit, Indian Summer, Linen Breeze and Vanilla Cassis, combined with hip, bright packaging, these are the go-to hostess gift for 2007. (And be sure to pick up a few for yourself!) |
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| 2 | Lather Up We love to have decadent options in the shower. We are experts at pampering, even when wet. So when we found Brown Olive’s spectacularly simple Aromatherapy Body Bars, we were smitten. These artisan soaps are handmade with rare ingredients, and they’re wonderfully moisturizing and beautifully scented. Enjoy scents like Sweet Lavender & Chamomile, Lemongrass & Tea Tree, and Balsam & Cedar. They’re 100% natural, made with glycerin and aloe, and enhanced with pure essential oils, so you’ll feel good and smell good! |
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| 3 | The Untouchables Ever have that feeling where you don’t want to unwrap a present because it’s just too pretty? Or that you don’t want to sully a handmade card with something as common as ink? When we found Portland’s Satsuma Press, we immediately ran into this very dilemma. Each letterpress card glows with good taste and graceful beauty. Whether bedecked with a branch, bird or bud, each piece of stationary leaves you wondering whether a message really is necessary, or if the card can simply speak for itself. |
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| 4 | Days of Wine and Chocolate We were perusing Every Day Wine when something special (and entirely non-alcoholic) caught our eye…handcrafted chocolates by NE Portland’s own Truffle! These sweet treats taste as good as they look, whipped up in small batches and devoured in just two bites. Our box came with spicy cinnamon chilé, coconut with the slightest hint of lime and, our favorite—Morello cherry—painted with beautiful blossoms. Whether you like truffles, chocolates or bar cookies, this candy kitchen’s got you covered! |
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| 5 | Home is Where the Bag Is The other day we were brunching with the gals and the “Native or not?” topic came up. We, of course, are Portland born and raised and couldn’t be prouder of our hometown, unpredictable weather and all. That’s why we were so pleased to see our very own waterfront immortalized on Riān Handbag’s Esplanade purse. Sure, they also have New York’s Bryant Park, Chicago’s Grant and Seattle’s Kerry, but we all know which one’s best. Fusing art and fashion, these bags are perfect for anyone who calls Portland home. www.rianhandbags.com |
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Hip Happenings: |
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| 2 | Amalee’s Amazing 15% Off Sale Amalee is having a 15% off sale on all apparel and handbags, including sale items, for the rest of the month! Save on hip and ladylike dresses, tops, bottoms, jewelry and vintage handbags. Plus they just received a new shipment of Orion London dresses—wear them year-round—they look great with flip-flops or boots! |
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| 3 | Crafty Mamas Street Fair Want a fun way to spend a Saturday with the family? The Crafty Mamas Street Fair will showcase the work of more than a dozen artists, and in addition, the event will include a free raffle with a number of items made by the featured artists, complimentary drinks and snacks, special art activities for the kids, and more. |
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| 4 | Get in Great Shape! Look fantastic and have fun getting there! Recess gives you the bootcamp to end all bootcamps. With classes like yoga and Pilates, plus nutrition, cooking instruction and free goodies, you’ll have fun and get healthy from the inside out. It’s loads of fun and two months of intense motivation to be the best you can be. What: Recess Beach Body Kickstart |
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| 7 | 15th Annual Division/Clinton Street Fair The 15th Annual Division/Clinton Street Fair is this Saturday, and Motokitty and Priced Right present "Rock, Paper, Scissors"! Featuring over 30 artists and designers, with illustrations, jewelry, clothing, and much more. Plus, a Rock, Paper, Scissors tournament (with prizes!) at 3 pm - $1 entry. Proceeds to benefit Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Portland. What: Division/Clinton Street Fair & “Rock, Paper, Scissors” at Motokitty |
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| 8 | Rolling Roadshow Presents “Stand By Me” Wil Wheaton won’t be there, but you can still enjoy the classic flick for free, right in the Oregon town where it was filmed! Partake in the blueberry pie-eating contest, attend a 50’s sock hop, or join in the “find the body” scavenger hunt. What: 2007 Rolling Roadshow Tour - Stand By Me |
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| If you or anyone you know loves jeans, we recommend you check out Soho Boutique at 16th and Broadway. With 17 brands of jeans—many of them exclusive to Portland, including our current obsession: 1921s—plus custom fittings, your tush will never look better. Be one of the first 12 people to forward today's Portland Picks to 5 friends and cc picks@portlandpicks.com, and we'll send you a $25 gift certificate to Soho! (And did we mention they're having a fantastic sale on summer clothing?) | |||
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