city news...
Dec 14,2008
Oxalis -- Customer Service Above and Beyond
by northwest nola
I had one of the best customer service experiences of my life last weekend at Oxalis , an urban garden and clothing boutique quietly nestled into the roaring hubub of Northwest Portland. My first experience with Oxalis was several months ago right after they opened. I knew, instinctively, however, that this first visit would not be my only visit. The concept is so unique that I knew one trip wasn't going to cut it for me -- and indeed my curiosity led me back several times to re-explore the store's unique offerings; everything from plants to clothes. Over the past couple months I purchased several gifts there for friends and family, but in last weekend's visit, I went for me. I was looking for a house plant that my cats can't destory. Every green attempt I've made to Feng-shui my condo has been foiled by their greedy curiosity. PUNKS! On this visit, I took my husband with me, so we could make a good decision together. Not only did we leave with the ultra cat proof plant, we left w
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posted at 06:59 PM
1 comments 
Nov 20,2008
Hermitage is a Home
by Julie D
I dropped into Hermitage this week and had my usual head spinning desire for everything in the shop. Jennifer June is the talented proprietress of Hermitage, with an exquisite eye for the stupendously cool and unique. One of the things Jennifer does best is bring work from independent artists living outside of Portland into Portland. I like that when I go to her shop, I can say, who is this by? Instead of ... oh I love this, it is by so and so, right? While Hermitage is the home to many lovely home accessories, the main focus here is on wallpaper. Jennifer retails some of the most unique and special wallpaper designers I have come across. Much is handmade, screen printed, block printed or hand painted. A perusal of her books made me consider wallpapering my whole house. But I have refrained. For now. If this sounds too good to be true, it is. Jennifer will be closing Hermitage's Portland doors in January and relocating to Seattle. I am not sure what Seattle has done to deserve suc
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posted at 10:52 PM
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Nov 8,2008
Rachel Ann Austin
by Julie D
Rachel Austin , carpenter turned painter, is a delightful artist living in SE Portland. She is inspired by small precious moments often missed in the hustle of the day. I love the shapes and colors that she uses, and in addition to her oil paintings, she uses various other mediums, such as watercolor and mixed media. She has a private studio, but you can buy and view her work at some really cute local shops. Cheeky B , Tilde , and Noun to name a few. She will also be showing at a couple of sales in person this winter: The Sunday Best , November 30th The Crafty Wonderland , December 14th Read More...
posted at 05:21 PM
0 comments
Oct 9,2008
Shop Talk - The Arrangement
by alex
I love shopping in my own Northeast neighborhood. I'm quite lucky to have some great little boutiques practically around the corner! Take The Arrangement , for instance. I always seem to have plenty of time to shop there since it's conveniently located next to hubby-magnets such as Pizzicato, Beaumont Market and the hardware store. Take your time, honey; I'll be right over here! The Arrangement is a great one-stop shop for cards, gifts, home decor, and fashion accessories... read more »
posted at 07:18 AM
0 comments
Sep 15,2008
New Tallest Building/Observation Tower/Wind Energy Harnesser
by Jules
The much anticipated design pictures for Portland's next tallest building have now been posted over on the Portland Spaces Burnside Blog . The tower would function as both an observation tower and it would also harness enough wind energy to power all of waterfront park, which costs around $1 million/year. The proposed SMART tower would reach to about 650ft, really making a mark on our skyline. Our current tallest building, the Wells Fargo Building is 546ft. Read about the rest of the details here in the Portland Spaces interview with developer, Derek Hanna.
posted at 05:23 AM
0 comments
Aug 6,2008
Water Bureau's Patience Tested as Brass Thieves Hit Again
by jenniferd
The Water Bureau has been hit again -- hit by brass thieves at one of downtown Portland's beloved fountains - Shemanski, Rebecca at the Well. Thieves stole one of the brass fountain nozzles off of the Shemanski Fountain sometime over the past couple of weeks. As you can imagine, the nozzles are unique in design, (at least in modern terms), so buying off the shelf parts is not an option. Replacing these parts is quite a task; it is necessary to shut off the fountain to remove one of the other two nozzles to have a new replacement nozzle re-cast and poured. The foundry working on this project doesn't do brass castings on a regular basis and they estimate that it will be six weeks before the bureau is able to obtain the replacement nozzle. Once the new nozzle is installed, the fountain will be turned back on. The Shemanski Fountain, tucked quietly into the Park Blocks between SW Salmon and Main, is located in a serene little spot to rest and reflect. It has been part of the City of
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posted at 09:40 AM
3 comments
Aug 5,2008
Albea Iris we barely knew you...
by shooter
Furniture store Albea Iris has quietly closed up shop leaving the space on NW 11th at NW Everett vacant once again. Albea opened in March and closed within the last week, that puts it at about 5 months in the Pearl. A visit to their website provides interesting results, the site keeps trying to reload but never lands on the home page.If anyone has info about what happened or knows if Albea Iris will reappear somewhere else please let us know.
posted at 07:47 AM
1 comments
Jul 29,2008
Spin Designs Studio Moves to Kerns
by pearlgirl
Big news from Spin Designs Studio : they're moving their Buckman workshop into a new space at 1905 NE Oregon. You may remember that Spin Designs is the local web-based design business who cleverly used the free-standing display window on East Burnside to successfully market their business. Michelle and Dee Dee are always full of surprises—this move is no exception. Their new workshop is open to the public a few days per week and by appointment. The ladies are also putting together a fall class schedule on these topics: jewelry, garden art, glass and metal etching, PMC projects, kids classes And more!!! Stay tuned for details. Spin Designs is open a few days a week and by appointment. Call for information. 503-235-5644.
posted at 08:05 AM
0 comments
Jul 15,2008
A New Spin on Display Windows
by pearlgirl
It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of good window displays, but I recently encountered something I hadn't seen before: a free-standing display window on 24th and East Burnside. Have you seen it???? At first glance, especially from a car, it's easy to mistake this window as an actual storefront. But as you look for the door (d'oh!) and walk around the side, you can't help but notice its oh-so-slim depth and the parking lot behind it. Even then, it's a little difficult to comprehend that this is truly just a window . But for Spin Designs , the local company who has leased the space for two years, this little slice of street presence has been a boon for their online business. According to Michelle and Dee Dee, the sisters behind Spin Designs, the original idea was to use the window as a showcase for any stores that were located in the back of the building along that parking lot. When Los Baez took over all of those spaces, the owners decided to re
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posted at 01:00 PM
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