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| PORTLAND PICKS | ||
| life + style to you: every Friday | ||
| January 21, 2005 |
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To everything, there is a season and this season is for the boys! Normally, all things male thrill and excite but we just have not managed to muster the proper enthusiasm for football that one sees on the gleefully painted faces of fans. Frankly, the sport bores us. But, far be it for us to miss an opportunity to celebrate, regardless of how lame the day in question may be! Our annual Groundhog’s Day celebration is legend! Come join us in the distracting elements of this week, we have sales and cool new shops and the perfect get-away spot and if all else fails, we suggest cocktails! Boys, Boys, Boys… No, we’re not talking about your apartment; let’s face it, unless you have anything over a 42’’ television you don’t have a prayer of getting any men over to a Super Bowl Party at your love nest. So how about a pre-party with your best friends? Have each girl bring a dish (healthy or not --- it is the Super Bowl, after all), and then head out to either a favorite sports haunt or somewhere totally different to mix it up a little. We suggest getting there at the end of the first half, so as not to miss any of the groovy commercials (don’t tell anyone we said that). Don’t expect a lot of attention until the games’ over….but it has to end, right? Wait it out…giggle…flirt. Who knows? You may be celebrating Super Bowl Sunday as an anniversary next year! Okay…not likely, but a girl can dream… And don’t forget, the Academy Awards are just around the corner, and that weekend is ours, girls! |
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Portland Pick’s Girl’s Night Out: |
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| If you want an alternative to the ‘if you can’t
beat ‘em, join ‘em’ philosophy, forget the Super Bowl and
boys altogether and try some of these suggestions. Chances are unless there’s
a big screen TV, you’ll have the place all to yourself. Heck, it’s
a new year. Why not make a habit of it and do Girl’s Night Out once
a month? You deserve the girl time. How about it? |
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| 1 | How about a Movie Night? Our charming Picks include:
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| 2 | How about a Knitting class? Drink some wine; learn to knit. It’s all the rage. All the celebs knit and a new generation of groovy girls are taking it on. Great for achieving that zen moment. Check out the store and classes at Lint. Lint |
 LintInc.com |
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| 3 | How about painting pottery with your best friends at Amazin’ Glazin’? This is a GREAT ENTERTAINMENT ALTERNATIVE for small groups of gals to play, chat, eat and, oh yeah, paint and create. Get your Van Gogh on and after your fabulous evening, you'll have an interesting image to hang in the dining room, er, downstairs bath! Put together 3-4 of your friends and be their guest at Amazin' Glazin’ in charming Sellwood. They will supply the hor d'ouerves and you bring the libations. They have the pottery to paint, staff instruction, cool music, and customer service and entertainment throughout the evening. The only cost to you is your time and laughs. Call to reserve a convenient time. They will close the studio so the whole place is yours. Try something new... Amazin' Glazin |
 amazinglazin.com |
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| 4 | How about wine tasting at the swanky Vigne
Wine Bar in the Pearl? This is a fun, slick scene for Girl’s Night. Vigne Wine Bar |
 vignewinebar.com |
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| 5 | How about sharing spa time? Make an appointment at Urbaca Salon & Day Spa (120 NW 9th Ave # 101, Portland, 503-243-1061), Dosha, Nirvana, Spa La La, or the Avalon Hotel and Spa, and get together for wine and pedicures. Or if you want to try something truly unique, go to the Barefoot Sage for hot tea and a heavenly foot soak and massage. Barefoot Sage |
 nirvanadayspa.com |
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| 6 | How about ice-skating? You know you can do it. Sure, can’t you picture yourself, out their like an Ice Capade, twirling ‘round and round gloriously? Yeah, that’s you! Now if you just get your girlfriends together and get out there, you’ll be ready for the next Olympics. In the meantime, get ready for a lot of laughs and fun exercise. If you’re responsible for this Girl’s Night, hire a private instructor to give you all some pointers, not that you need them, of course.
We’re partial to Valley Ice Arena. Usually less crowded, more private.
No chance of bumping into anyone you know (e.g. Tanya) until you’re
good and ready. |
 valleyicearena.com |
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| 7 | How about eating, drinking and shopping on Wow Wednesdays? Does mid-week have you down? Retailers in the Nob Hill Neighborhood, from NW 23rd to 21st and the Uptown Shopping area, will provide new, fun distractions on the last Wednesday of each month. How about starting with cocktails and a light bite at the very fashionable Jo Bar on NW 23rd and then bundle up and go shopping! They’re open late with all kinds of special events and deals. Shake things up this new year. Learn something new while hanging with your gal pals. Be productive, creative, and have fun! So girls, how about it? |
nobhillbiz.com |
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| Portland Pick’s Cocktail of the Week: | |||
| There’s no getting around it; it’s the new year,
and that means it’s Super Bowl time. In our feisty youth, we protested
that until the men wore the skimpy uniforms and held the pom poms and women
were full backs, we were not interested, but recently (with age comes wisdom)
we’ve come to appreciate the restricting nature of the men’s uniforms
almost enough to endure the 6,000 commercials for beer and large trucks.
If you’re feeling a little under-appreciated, and you’re tired of spending perfectly good shopping days in dark sports bars checking out the transfixed gentlemen, then hang onto the last scrap of your girlhood by ordering (or mixing) a Superbull Highball. Ahhh, and now, close your eyes and pretend you’re in the shoe section at Mario’s.
Uggh, then again, maybe we’ll just go with the Cosmo. (For more Super Bowl party advice, or cocktail recipes, |
 Superbowl.about.com |
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| Portland Picks: | |||
| 1 | Oh Wrapture Le Rouge Boutique on Hawthorne is our palace. It’s warm and inviting and squeelable! We can’t but love everything at our fingertips. The darling Betsy Johnson candy color pink and orange cords, the most glorious Wrapture wraps that are to die for in faux leopard fur with a pink silk matching tie, or their recycled cashmere peace or cross sweaters that are so scrumptious and sexy. Please don’t pass up Le Rouge for a heavenly, high quality shopping experience on Hawthorne. You will not be disappointed. From local and fabulous purses to jewels to everything amazing for everyone, this is a relative newcomer you don’t want to miss out on. Please go out of your way for an extra visit (and we dare you not to leave without one of their Wrapture wraps!). Le Rouge |
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| 2 | Think Outside the Box: The Blumebox. A new enterprising business has bloomed here in Portland and we think it is genius. After years of gathering glass vases, never to be used again, Whitney Swindells created The Blumebox People. The Blumebox People were looking for an alternative to a boring glass vase. Stylishly hip in looks, satisfying to the wallet and earth friendly, they introduced the new love of flowers...a blumebox. The Blumebox People are about simply expressing style. They’ve made all the tough decisions so you don’t have to. So try one on for size. Send your Valentine’s flowers in one. Bare or fully dressed, simple sassy colors (think Kate Spade), a blumebox will add pizzazz to any floral bouquet, whether it’s flowers from the garden or a splashy table setting for a formal dinner party. And it’s 100% recyclable and will make those tacky old vases jealous. The Blumebox....finally an alternative that kicks glass! Buy online, or pick them up from Zupan’s on West Burnside, or Party Time on NW Kearney. The Blumebox People, LLC |
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| 3 | Hang Out + Pig Out: Good Gravy You roll out of bed on the weekend, a lazy Sunday, the perfect day for a lingering, leisurely brunch. Feeling like a pig out perhaps? But where do you go? Gravy in the fashionable new North Mississippi neighborhood is just the place. It’s a bright, airy diner, besieged by the public since it opened, and offering excellent breakfast organic style. Try their Challah bread French Toast, sweet potato pancakes, or a fried egg sandwich, topped off with their freshly squeezed organic OJ. And of course there is gravy - biscuits and gravy, steak and eggs with gravy, the Dalise omelet with bacon, mushrooms, ham, sausage, cheese, onions, and, of course, sausage gravy. We were happy to discover that Gravy's gravy is of the brown variety rather than the thick white stuff commonly used at other breakfast joints. But lest you get the impression that a meal here is like sending an engraved invitation to a heart attack, know that Gravy does offer a variety of healthier options as well as several vegetarian plates (including the most beautiful oxymoron of all time, veggie gravy). To avoid lines, visit for lunch. The lunch menu is equally as solid and hearty as breakfast with a focus on Southern themed items - corn pudding, red beans and rice, yams, and - you guessed it - gravy fries. You will also find fresh salads, soups and sandwiches made with local organic ingredients. On weekends, Gravy only serves breakfast so if you don't want to be mocked by the treats on the lunch menu that you can't have, visit on a weekday. It’s a binge but in a good-for-you way. This is definitely the hip
and cool new hangout, and worth every calorie! |
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| 4 | Lit is so IT. If you blink you could miss it and that would be a shame. "It" is Lit, a small but smart boutique just off Burnside on SW 8th. Lit specializes in weekend casual cool, and they do it well. Carrying lines from all over the world as well as a few locals, Lit has individual style covered. This is where you need to go when you want to find something trendy but not seen on all the others. Be sure to check out hard-to-find labels like Gsus and Paper Denim and Cloth. And don't skip over the small jewelry case - the perfect casual jewelry can be found here. If you hurry, you can catch their big sale on fall and winter items, up to 50% off. Expect spring/summer arrivals near the end of February....can't wait! Lit |
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| 5 | Hey, little Miss Fit Fancy yourself fit for the coming year? We consider Miss Fit services to be a luxurious necessity. Miss Fit specializes in providing a holistic approach for the busy professional. Their exercise fusion style workouts are 30 minutes of infused strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular conditioning. And they round out ones wellness with yummy massage therapy treatments and nutritional guidance. Convenience is king, or queen, and they take those extra steps to get people to integrate wellness into their daily lives. Sometimes this means you’ll be doing pushups in their loft, other times, they come to you. It's an organic experience and we love every bit of it! They are currently negotiating an amazing space off of NE Broadway ~3000 square feet of fabulousness – and they are working towards an April opening. But in the meantime you can visit their loft, or they can come straight to you and get you in Big Time New Year Working Order. Check them out. They are our kind of girls, with a matching philosophy to boot. Strength + Flexibility + Nutrition + Massage = Miss Fit Miss Fit |
 Missfit.biz |
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| 6 | Get Away Want to get out of town? Just head uphill to the mountain. But first you must stop off in Sandy for your Snow Pass and your homemade donuts at Joe's. If it's a weekend, all the local old-timers gather, a good sign you are in good company for these down-home better-than-Krispy-Kreme donuts. Frankly if you can't get out of the cold, submerge yourself in it. No, really. Get away from it all at the very civilized and historic Timberline Lodge. Spend the night in one of their cozy fireplace rooms (The beds are the comfiest we’ve ever slept in), dine in their award-winning restaurant, have a beer in the bar après ski, cozy up to the massive fireplace and have a scrumptious Hot Cocoa and do some knitting. Ski in, ski out, no problem parking in front, storing your skis in your own locker, playing games or watching a movie on the big screen. Or take a sauna, a hot tub or a dip in the pool. This is the longest short vacation you’ll ever need. But, hmmm, you’re a princess, and sometimes you demand some extra special royal treatment. If this is the case, we have you covered too. The Timberline’s Silcox Hut is your private Shangri-La. If you fancy yourself a City Girl, you will have to trade in your Manolo's for a pair of fuzzy Sorels. But heck, we're Oregonians, we can rough it with the best of 'em! That is as long as we can be with 15 of our closest friends. In order to stay really warm, we'll need several bottles of Cabernet, and a roaring fire and dinner prepared for us by our host. And, uhhh, of course, running water, a hot bath.... Heck, yeah. Bring it on, we can take it. The only way to get there is by sno-cat. Very, very cool. Definitely off the beaten path, but in a good way. Timberline Lodge and Ski Area |
 timberlinelodge.com |
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| 7 | Allison Leigh Designs Check out our local designer, Allison Leigh and her daughter, Mackenzie Fabulous. They make gorgeous local jewelry that has been featured in In Style and Lucky and are sold right here in our favorite Olivia Belle boutique, Dana Lynn and Dragonlily. This is glitz and glamour of the highest quality, every piece unique, like you. Check them out online: www.allisonleighdesigns.com
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 allisonleighdesigns.com |
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| Portland Picks Website of the Week: | |||
Guilty Pleasure What do you do when The Golden Globes are on at the exact same time as Desperate Housewives? We find ourselves in a terrible quandary – do we watch our housewives on Channel 4 or watch them win on Channel 8? How dare they do this to us? How can they make us choose like this? And what if we missed something when we surf back and forth? Gasp! Don’t those TV people have schedules to refer to? How could this happen? We don't want to admit we love reality TV, or the nighttime soaps (Lost, Housewives) or that our night, okay our lives, revolve around our shows. But okay, we 'fess...check out www.televisionwithoutpity.com It gives recaps and commentary when we just can't have enough. |
 television without pity.com |
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| Chick Picks: January Pick Me Ups | |||
| 1 | Check out these lush velvet scarf belts from Queen Marlene. Queen Marlene takes one of the hottest trends of 2004, tying scarves around the waist, to a new level. Fashion-forward women are embracing the vibrant patterns of these silk charmeuse, raw silk tweed, velvet and cotton belts. They casually drape around the waist, flattering all body types, and have a functional ring closure that makes for countless ways to wrap and wear them. Check them out online www.queenmarlene.com or at these retailers: Sole, 1033 NW Couch, Portland, 503-222-3397; Wisdom, 735 Southwest Park |
 queenmarlene.com |
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| 2 | Pocket Full of Puter – bye bye boring...hello adoring. We are freaking out about these retro-inspired laptop totes! This orange and party pink polka dot case is interlined with foam to protect your beloved. You will look so groovy and stylish. Its genuine leather trim and Teflon-treated outer body felt makes this tote not only adorable but also durable. Just like you! |
 melissabeth.com |
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| 3 | Diaper Dude Camo Diaper Bag Finally a diaper bag for dads (and cool Moms too)! This messenger style bag is built with all the right pockets to handle all the baby and daddy stuff on those special daddy trips out. Used by Celebs such as Courtney Cox's hubby David Arquette! Diaper dude has been featured in/on Oprah TV Show, US Weekly, InStyle, Parenting, and seen on The View, The Wayne Brady Show & Extra. And we like it for ourselves because it’s just so darn cool. Banish cute little blue bunnies, you do not have to morph into a drooling fuzzy animal lover. Rise above with the Diaper Dude. |
 pokkadots.com |
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| 4 | Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and you need a pink slim fit polo shirt from Lilly Pulitzer, or heck, why not just get one in every color. For any girl who loves her shrunken polo, you need not look further! This season's polo is offered in an assortment of fits and in about 25 bright, bold colors! Make a colorful splash with this must-have item for spring 2005. |
 lillypulitzer.com |
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| 5 | Crappy Day Recovery Kit – speaking of Valentine’s Day…maybe it’s not your favorite. Take heart and snuggle up with this. A pity-party in a box, including 6 different luxury chocolate bars from we-broke-up peanut butter to cry-me-a-river cappuccino. And of course, a cosmo-making kit (with drink-mixing book and lounge CD) to drown those sorrows in style. Because whoever said laughter was the best medicine didn't know a thing
about proper wallowing. |
 urbanoutfitters.com |
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| 6 | Rain Rain ....Come and Get Me. We’re not out of the woods yet, or shall we say rain. Remember those April Showers...that usually start in October and end in June? Check out this darling madras raincoat, new from The Gap. It comes in Carob brown, the hot color that is so in right now and will go with anything. You’ll be pretty in pink this valentine’s day, and not to mention dry. Any true Oregonian won’t leave home without this sassy rain slicker pink and polka dot tote. And if you really want to look forward to rainy days, you can sport their hip rain slicker crusher with groovy polka dot lining. Now you’re ready to get your feet wet. |
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| 7 | Time to mix things up. Meet iPod shuffle, the unpredictable new iPod. What will it play next? Can it read your mind? Can it read your moods? Load it up. Put it on. See where it takes you. Random is the New Order Welcome to a life less orderly. Just plug iPod shuffle into your computer’s USB port, let iTunes Auto fill it with up to 240 songs and get a new experience with every connection. iPod shuffle adds musical spontaneity to your life. Lose control. Love it. This makes a tuneful fashion statement and the perfect low-maintenance valentine. And, less predictable, he’ll keep you on your toes and coming back for more. |
 iPod.com |
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| 8 | Ruffle Some Feathers No Valentine’s Day is complete without lingerie. And it’s never too early to buy it for ourselves or gently give him some tasteful hints and suggestions....like this DKNY Underwear ´Sheer Attraction´ Camisole. This Flirty camisole is soft and stretchy, trimmed with satin ribbons and a pert little bow. It comes with matching and darling boy-fit hip hugging panties. You are so hot, oh and let’s not forget smart! It’s no wonder he loves you. |
 Nordstrom.com |
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| Portland Picks Ipod Mix of the week: | |||
| Most Romantic “Lust” Songs: We can’t go into full commentary here for fear of bouncing emails and blockers that, like Big Brother, keep us from your inbox if we get too risqué. So please, use your imagination. (Or check them out on itunes.com and you’ll see, or hear for yourself, why they’re a lust must for your Valentine’s Day romance.)
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Hip Happenings: Sales! |
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| 1 | 15% Off EVERYTHING at Dragonlily boutique Jan. 15-31 Dragonlily boutique, Portland’s premier purveyor of original, feminine, sophisticated clothing, jewelry and accessories, is having their very first all-store sale January 15-31. During this time, everything in the store, from luscious party dresses and chic separates to cozy hats, boot toppers, scarves, sweaters and the sparkling jewelry to go with them, will be 15% off. In addition, there will be a special sale rack with savings of from 30-50%. Look for hot new spring arrivals the beginning of February. Dragonlily Boutique |
 dragonlily.org |
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| 2 | House Dressing Winter Sale Bella Notte is a truly wonderful bedding line that is luxurious and machine washable. Their website is www.bellanottelinens.com for more information. House Dressing |
 bellanottelinens.com |
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See, in a male-saturated season, you can find some fantastically girly distractions! Go where the boys are or avoid them and the sticky floors that seem to draw them. Gentility is only one of our many charms! This is the season to concentrate on things inside (our homes and hearts). Slowing down and appreciating all the multitude of blessings our environment provides is one way to celebrate. Fleeing and skiing and snuggling next to big fires is another way. Find your path to peace and walk it. |
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