When Kristl Bridge opened Portland Homestead Supply Co. in Sellwood in June, a visitor asked her why anyone would take tasks such as canning, pickling, and soap-making into their own hands when it’s often easier to pay someone else to do the work. “It was our first day open, so my first response to it ... was to sort of panic,” Bridge recalls. “I thought, ‘Wow maybe nobody will [do this], and we’ll more...

Tammy Strobel just might be the poster child for success as an independent author and e-publisher. After starting a blog four years ago, Strobel decided to write about her efforts with her husband to downsize to their home in pursuit of happiness and simplicity. By 2010, Strobel had enough of a following to quit her day job. That year, she self-published two e-books from Portland, amassed thousands of blog readers, was in the spotlight more...

When it comes to e-books, the owners of small, independent book stores in Portland tend to have complicated feelings. On one hand, e-books are fancy and fun. On another hand, they might be pulling people away from neighborhood book stores. On one hand, they encourage reading. On another, they discourage readers from paying full prices. And so it goes. Portland booksellers are finding middle ground with the technological forces more...

It used to be that a collection of seeds was a vital possession, and that protecting seeds from one’s own garden meant protecting a family’s food source and livelihood. “Seeds were smuggled from Russia, from places in Europe,” says Corina Reynolds, a Portland-based permaculturist who grew up with victory-gardening grandparents. “People would sew them into their skirts or their suitcase linings when they more...

As of March, Portland has its first kava bar and has joined the list of fashion-forward cities with a John Fluevog shoe shop. Meanwhile, other new businesses in the city are revealing some patterns: old-timey cocktails, bold coffee and pastries, hearty Italian food, hookah lounges, and local corporations finding new places to expand. Pearl District This Persian restaurant’s extensive dinner menu includes entrees such as beef and more...

Sixteen new businesses opened in Portland neighborhoods last month, and our list runs the gamut. Read on to discover the newest local shops, spas and salons, bagels, microbrews, barbecue and more. Northwest District The Art Cubby is a drop-in childcare service that doubles as a kids’ art studio. During the week there are morning and afternoon open art sessions open to kiddos age 2 and up. Sessions cost $14.75 per hour for up to more...

Listen, Portland people. I don’t ever want to hear any of you complaining about not having anything to eat (accessibility issues aside, natch). Because this city cranks out piles of fanciful food options. Every. Single. Month. That is pretty remarkable. This month your new options include craft vodka, double-decker and vegan pizzas, locally-sourced menus, and, as always, meals and atmosphere with Euro-influence. Not to mention new more...

When an entrepreneur decides to open a boutique inside a trailer, bus or truck, the endeavor requires equal parts nostalgia and innovation. Portland has two fashion trucks—boutiques housed in renovated vehicles (plus one in the works)—and they are all vintage or resale clothing boutiques. That’s by coincidence, but not without reason. “There are some common lines between finding your perfect vintage dress and more...

We know, we know. Portlanders love bicycles and microbrews. Portlanders love all things artisan. Portland loves Portland, and the city is making a name for itself in the world. But does that mean anything apart from providing unique options for an afternoon out? It means plenty, according to Charles Heying, the author and editor of Brew to Bikes: Portland’s Artisan Economy. Heying is an associate professor of urban studies and more...

You don’t need to be at the Kentucky Derby or a Sunday picnic to sport a well-made hat. A hat can be the solution to a bad hair day, a wardrobe mainstay or a protector from the elements. Hats are used more practically in frigid, windy cities such as Chicago and New York, said designer ElizaBeth Rohloff. But Portlanders tend to wear hats as statement pieces. “You don’t wear a hat so people will say, ‘Who does more...