Whether you're planning a quick trip to the farmers' market, a day at the beach, a weekend getaway to wine country, or even your daily commute, a good tote bag will help you navigate a whole host of summer activities in style. For some serious style points, though, get your carry-all bag at an indie retailer and support the local economy. Because that's how we roll in Portland. Downtown, West End Waxed canvas tote - more...

Good things happen when locally owned businesses work together. Need proof? Check out these sweet collaborations between members of Portland's indie business community. Custom-waxed cotton musette bag at Sweetpea Bicycles, $120 or $150 (loaded with awesome!) Read more about the collaboration onQueen Bee's blog. Schoolhouse Electric + Adam Arnold Images: Schoolhouse Electric 1. Adam Arnold and the Beckman Sofa more...

What's your most important business asset? It's not your customers, your products or even your website—it's YOU. Taking care of business is taking care of yourself. Here are three ways to nurture yourself and help your small business thrive. Get Your Three Squares We meet with a lot of small business owners—usually over happy hour—and we regularly hear: "This [insert bar food] is the first thing more...

Hi there, neighbors. We deeply appreciate the feedback we received from our 2012 reader survey. Our thanks to everyone who braved the open-ended questions and supplied such thoughtful responses. You're our heroes! We were doing it wrong. Well, not everything. But a lot of things are going to change here at Neighborhood Notes. And we couldn't be more inspired.We're honored to make the changes that matter to you, dear more...

Our friends at Silicon Florist shared this lovely mashup of Portland craft and tech gadgetry. We couldn't resist sharing it. Support this prenatal business on Kickstarter and make this Portland dream a reality. According to the website, "Pledges of $20 and up are essentially pre-orders of custom veneers at a special Kickstarter-only price (saving you at least $5 off the retail price)." Learn more: www.toastmade.com more...

Happy New Year, neighbors! In an effort to improve Neighborhood Notes and make it an even more valuable local resource, we've created a survey to find out what really matters to you. We invest considerable money, time and effort into Neighborhood Notes, and it is absolutely essential that we only publish information that you will read, share and find incredibly useful. Unlike the Internet, which is vast and limitless, our budget more...

As 2011 comes to a close and we celebrate the holiday season with our friends and families, we're reminded of the many gifts so many of our neighbors have contributed to our neighborhoods and city. We deeply appreciate these efforts to create a livable city and provide every Portland neighbor with a warm place to live, food to eat, and opportunities for personal and professional growth. We're proud to be part of this community. more...

The only thing more varied than how we choose to celebrate the holiday season is what we choose to wear when we make merry. We asked Portland's indie boutiques to offer up their fave party dresses made locally or in the U.S., and they supplied over 40 festive frocks that will fit the bill at holiday parties of all kinds. We'd love to know which dress makes your holiday wishlist and where you intend to wear it. The Cairo more...

“At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.” — Albert Schweitzer We’re deeply grateful to the people of Portland who continually inspire us and rekindle our spark. And we offer special thanks to the neighbors, organizations and locally owned businesses that keep Neighborhood more...

“After months of negotiating, fretting, scheduling, meeting, cold calling, drinking, worrying, complaining and agonizing,” double decker dress shop Lodekka has moved a mere half block north from its long-time perch on N Williams because of a tussle with the City over pavement, a curb cut and landscaping. Sound familiar? Southeast Salon and the Green Castle Food Court have recently sustained blows from the Bureau of more...