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August 10th, 2007
Okay, so the question has come up: Why do the Portland Picks girls always say “we”? “Are you sisters?” some have asked. “Do you share a boyfriend?” others have wondered. “Are you schizophrenic?” Fair enough. Anyhoo, yes, we use “we” and we are quite comfortable doing so, but for your reading pleasure, what follows is our reasoning behind it. First, the Picks staff has multiple writers. Everyone shares the same love of independent, local businesses, and a love of shopping and dining and drinking and pampering, so the “Picks” in Portland Picks are a group effort. Second, and building on the “group effort” theme, we decided it’s less weird to say “we” than to have “I, I, I” all over the page, which might be even more confusing. “I’m having so much fun being single and carefree” would follow “My husband and three kids make my life complete,” or some such, and your heads would explode. So we use “we.” It just seems more general, and hopefully it communicates the “group effort” bit. Perhaps it’s not grammatically correct, but hey, this ain’t a textbook. And bottom line? We want to entertain you, and y’all need heads in order to enjoy this. |
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Portland Picks: |
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| 1 | Duking it Out Just last Sunday we were having brunch with one of our girlfriends when our discussion turned to fashion—more specifically, whether Portland is considered fashion forward. We of course sided with Portland, but our girlfriend (who is originally from LA) doesn’t think that Portland is quite there. And by quite there we’re talking Milan and NYC. We immediately countered her argument with the names of several trendy boutiques that parallel boutiques you’d find in NYC, including Olio United, which opened its doors last month. Not only does Olio United carry beautiful clothing, jewelry, shoes and accessories, they are committed to finding “rare moments when fashion and global conscientiousness collide.” From Liz Saintsing’s one-of-a-kind silk-screened bags to Preloved’s redesigned vintage hoodies, Olio United focuses on carrying lines that reuse and recycle. While we’re not ones to brag, we’re pretty sure that we convinced our friend that Portland is in the running—and hey, even if we’re not quite as cutting-edge as NYC, at least our fashion is green—and isn’t that what makes us unique anyway? Olio United |
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| 2 | There is a Season… We hate it when things come early. Halloween in September, Christmas in October—doesn’t anyone have a calendar? But there is one thing that we love seeing in advance…fall clothes! At Matisse’s new location in the Pearl, it feels like fall has, well, fallen. Sumptuous cashmere, velvet and lace in rich colors, all set to keep you warm when the chill sets in. What’s more, each and every piece is oh-so-feminine, which fits perfectly with our girly style. Look for cozy sweaters from Inhabit, sexy dresses from Rozae Nichols Convertible, Genetic Denim jeans and—our favorite—the delicate pleats and bows of Reine by Mirit Weinstock. After browsing the clothes, be sure to check out Matisse’s collection of accessories. You’ll find Asian-style lamps for the home and vintage-look jewelry for you, all mixed in with items from owner Tracey’s personal collection. Yes, it may be August, but as far as we’re concerned, every season’s a good one for shopping! Matisse |
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| 3 | Tears of Joy We hate being the last to know about anything. Sad but true, we measure our coolness on the "we heard of them first" scale. Our therapist calls this "middle-child syndrome," but we don't get what our skinnier, prettier, cooler older sister has to do with it. Happily, we just found the perfect place to go when we're having a "Marsha, Marsha, Marsha" moment, and yeah, we heard of them first. The Teardrop Cocktail Lounge features inventive cocktails that contain unexpected combinations and exotic ingredients, like elderflower syrup and carpano antica vermouth. Convinced that the ginger and thai chiles fell out of our noodles and into our drink, one sip completely rocked our ideas about what should and shouldn't be in a cocktail. Thanks to the charming owners, Ted and Daniel, Portland is on the cusp of a Cocktail Evolution. We love their commitment to freshness and quality—they even make their own tonic water, ginger beer, and bitters. Don't be the last to know. Hurry over to the Teardrop Cocktail Lounge, and tell them Portland Picks sent you. Teardrop Cocktail Lounge |
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| 4 | Register Now for Making Sense of Men For instance, why do men have “marrying” attraction for some women, but “one-nighter” attraction for others? Are we missing some of their communication signals? Why do some relationships start out great (he listens to you, everything seems fun and exciting, you’re having a blast), and then take an inexplicable downward turn … and how can you turn it around? It’s time to get some answers, and PAX Programs can help. Their seminar helps women find the key to understanding men. This isn’t advice from a magazine or an “us against them” indoctrination—these are professionals who have helped thousands of women improve their relationships with family, at work, and romantically. You’ll come away with a new point of view about men and women, with some great laughs along the way. Register now for Tuesday’s seminar—it’s free—and tell them Portland Picks sent you! |
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| 5 | Voyage of Discovery In 2004 a friend took us to clarklewis. In 2007, we returned the favor, although warily. One tends to be, when a restaurant changes owners. But we were pleasantly surprised; clarklewis, much like yours truly (ahem), has matured into something that truly belongs in Portland. Drinks are well-crafted, like the Wildflower with vodka, apricot, and wildflower honey. The wines are all west coast, with an emphasis on sustainable winemaking. But we’re here to dine: a fritto misto of squash blossoms airily, barely fried; ravioli with pine nuts and basil, light and complex; salmon with a crust that’s everything we love about salmon. But the salads are our favorites—a Green Goddess that epitomizes summer; beets with the merest dusting of cumin; and one with the most perfect slice of cucumber—an almost spiritual experience. The kitchen is still open to the dining room, its aromas still rich and tempting. clarklewis was the creator of industrial garage-door chic—now super-prevalent in P-town. But while the Johnny come-latelys also have their merits, it’s nice to know that we can return again and again to clarklewis to feel glam and satiated. clarklewis |
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| 6 | Remaining Vestiges We’ve probably confessed our fear of antique stores on these pages before. It’s not that we think we’re too good for them. We just can never find anything. We don’t have the kind of eye that can spot the perfect clutch, the valuable cameo. We just see a crescendo of mess. Thankfully, Vestiges Storefront will soothe our troubled shopping souls. Crafters, collectors, and artists show their wares in the two-level space. It’s a hand-picked, mostly female collective who bring an awesome selection of everything from jewelry (check out the earrings, and the cutest typewriter key bracelets), vintage clothing, glassware, silverware, picnic baskets, old globes, pendants, hats, furniture, suitcases, cards, books, vases—pretty much everything that you’ll immediately decide is a must. Many of the folks who show their work at Vestiges also work there, as part of their collective, so while you exclaim over something, you might get to speak directly to the artist. All in a very sweet, non-twee, very approachable setting. Which makes us happy to let the Vestiges gang do all the work for us. Vestiges Storefront |
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| 7 | Looking Good Growing up, we learned that breaking out a box of pictures may incite drowsiness. Perhaps we were tainted by the fact that we had to sit through every rendition of Mom’s “and here she is, learning to use the potty...” speech. To us, photo albums = boredom. Not that we’re anything like our mother—when it comes to showing off we’re a bit, um, self-indulgent. We can’t help it! We love to relive our adventures, share our travels and prove that yes, we did once go heli-skiing. With a bit of domesticity, a lot of love and, of course, A Joy Forever Scrapbook Store, we figure the only solution is to put a pretty little looker on the coffee table. With an amazing 4,000 patterns of paper and 400 different colors of cardstock (imagine a pick of 17 different pinks!), the place has by far the most impressive selection in town. Add a few 3-D stickers, real-life decals and die-cuts, and voila, photo evidence that we’ve done some exciting things—and that we’re every bit like our beautiful mother. A Joy Forever: Scrapbook Store |
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| Item of the Week: | |||
We love statement jewelry. The kind of pieces that make people stop you in the street and demand to know where you got them. We also love girly pieces that add feminine flair to typical jeans-and-a-black-shirt outfits. We find both at Flutter. They always carry the most luscious array of jewelry, and they’re now featuring Reverie, a fantastical and fashionable line out of NYC. Most of the Reverie pieces are made from vintage and antique fragments (vintage ties, tiny clocks, etc.) to create remarkable and unique pieces of art. |
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| Chick Picks: | |||
| 1 | Cuteness Personified We would have saved hundreds of thousands of dollars if not for our shopping habit. But what’s better, a nest egg, or a closetful of shoes and a dresser that’s overflowing with lovely baubles? We choose baubles. Which is why Jill Bliss is so awesome—it’s affordable and adorable wearable art—like these limited-edition pinwheel flower necklaces, made from fabric. They’re so springy and happy—we’re going to get a few of these now to give as gifts when the weather is gloomy. They’re happiness on a string! |
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| 2 | And Speaking of Gifts… We love giving gifts, but we’re often too harried to put something really clever together, and instead wind up making last-minute sprints through our neighborhood boutiques. Which is why Keystone Kits, an online store that specializes in themed gift collections, is so genius. They just launched Gift BasKits—perfect for occasions like a new baby, or for new college students, they’re cute, thoughtful, creative, and best of all, they do all the work! Mention the coupon code pdxpicks10 and receive a 10% discount, plus $5 shipping in August. |
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| 3 | “Clean” Clothes There are plenty of mamas out there who firmly believe in feeding their little ones organic food. If that’s the case, why not uphold the same standards when it comes to clothes? Little Marmara makes it easy with items made from 100% chemical-free organic Turkish cotton. Decorated with gender-neutral storks, lions and camels, shirts are comfy and cute to boot! Though the line is limited at the moment, stay tuned for pants, sweaters, towels toys and other healthy options coming soon. |
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| 4 | Putting the “Fun” in Function Contrary to popular belief, people don’t lose interest in good design when they have babies. Even so, there’s a dearth of smart and stylish products for kids and the parents who love them. Enter Fleurville—bags that get noticed for their style, not their function. Fleurville’s totes are mom-, dad- and earth-friendly, and PVC-free in camo, stripes and mod florals. They come with changing pads and a wipe case, but moms aren’t the only ones who should check these cuties out! |
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| 5 | Don’t Eat These Treats! As smart as we are, we’re easily fooled. We fall for trompe l’oeil and even get confused when looking at Escher prints! So imagine our dilemma when we heard about the bath butters from Portland’s own Treat. Each one is shaped like a truffle and comes wrapped in shiny packaging, just like their dessert counterparts. What’s more, they come in deceptive flavors like coconut mango and white chocolate, leading us to believe that it’s only a matter of time before we mistakenly pop one in our mouth! |
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Hip Happenings: |
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| 1 | Oh Yes it’s Ladies Night at the Street of Dreams Grab your girls and make a date for Saturday—it’s Ladies’ Night at the Street of Dreams. Enjoy fine wines and hors d'oeuvres with your girlfriends, and learn the newest ways to make over your look and your home. Plus, learn about the newest anti-aging techniques and products from Dr. VanderVeer of the VanderVeer Center. What: Ladies’ Night at the Street of Dreams |
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| 3 | Learn to Pack Like a Pro! With all the restrictions at the airport (and all the shoes you need to bring) packing should be an Olympic sport. Learn how to pack like a pro (get a week’s worth of stuff in a carry-on) at free seminars by author/world-traveler Anne McAlpin (as seen on Oprah, HGTV, and the Today Show) at the AAA Travel Store. (Open to the public.) What: Packing Workshop at the AAA Travel Store |
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| 4 | Be a Kid Again Join Portland Children’s Museum for a grown-ups-only party at Be A Kid Again! Enjoy carnival games, a fortune teller and magician, live music from DJ Honey Dripper and March Fourth, food, booze, silent auction, prize drawing and more! Eat dessert first, play in the exhibits, jump around in a giant bouncy castle and let loose with your friends, all for a good cause!
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| 5 | Celebration Oregon! Wine Awards & Tasting The Oregon State Fair kicks off its inaugural night with the Celebration Oregon! wine awards and tasting event, showcasing the winners of the 2007 Oregon State Fair Professional Wine Competition. Sample award-winning varietals and hors d’oeuvres prepared by celebrated Oregon chefs. Tickets include admission to the Oregon State Fair, free parking, and a commemorative wine glass. What: Celebration Oregon! wine awards and tasting event |
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| 6 | Free Pampering—You Need This! Stop by lululemon athletica for some pampering courtesy of Sylvie Day Spa! Come by for a nail polish (or polish change) with an esthetician from Sylvie as they work their magic from the lululemon store. Sip a “lulu-tini” while you shop, and get your nails polished to perfection! What: Pampering at lululemon athletica |
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| 8 | Spend a Day at The Mom Shop Shop 40 different businesses—all owned or operated by local moms! There will be fun activities for kids in The Play Boutique Children’s Activity Center, family-friendly entertainment, and raffle packages for Zenana Spa, OMSI, and Portland Children’s Museum, and more. The first 100 families will receive goody bags with fabulous products and coupons. Proceeds benefit the Bradley-Angle House. What: The Mom Shop |
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| 9 | Last Call for Recess Bootcamp! Recess’ amazing bootcamp program will have you feeling and looking good in no time. Build self-esteem, strength & body confidence as you get fit and make new friends. And with more than $200 worth of cool swag (from Yoga Pearl, New Seasons, NW Pilates, Bob’s Red Mill, Nia and more), the camp practically pays for itself! |
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| 10 | End of Summer Sale at Pin-Me Can you resist a sale like this at Pin-Me? All clothing and handbags are 15-50% off! We’re talking dresses and tops and bottoms that are girly, fun and fresh, including favorites like Orla Kiely handbags, Hype silk dresses, Voom jumpers, and Wrangler denim. The sale runs through August, but stop in early for the best selection! What: End of Summer Sale at Pin-Me |
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| 11 | Get Your Passport to Sellwood Shopping! Tomorrow, over 50 Sellwood businesses will open their doors to offer great summer sales and the opportunity play the "Passport to Sellwood" game! Get more than 6 stamps on your passport (available in businesses) and you could win gift certificates, plus, one lucky person will be awarded a grand prize donated from local restaurants & wine merchants. What: Passport to Sellwood |
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