December 29, 2009

Wild! about wildlife

There is something inspiring about wildlife. Julie Cudahy captures the strength and complexity of wild animals, which she demonstrates in her original art and reproductions. You have a chance to see her new wildlife paintings and drawings up close at her latest exhibit, Wild!, and you can see more of her work online here. I’m personally drawn to her wildlife photography and could easily incorporate “The Growl” and “Lazy Day” into my home for a little bit of ying yang.

Where: Lexus of Portland, 8840 S.W. Canyon Road (Portland)
When: 7 days a week through January 2, 2010

- Posted by Lisa

Category: Portland, art | 1 Comment »
Tags: art, julie cudahy, Portland, wild!

December 15, 2009

Featuring vintage clothing with a range of great colors and patterns, Miss Modish’s etsy shop is a wonderful find. The clothing she stocks would add flair to anyone’s wardrobe, and I’m particularly liking the outerwear. Those coats could only make my winter shopping trips more fun. As a fellow Portlander, I wonder if Miss Modish is preparing for our winter weather in great vintage finds of her own?

~Posted by: Lisa

Category: Indie Fashion, Portland | 2 Comments »
Tags: Indie Fashion, Miss Modish, Portland, vintage

December 9, 2009

I was browsing for some new art on Etsy today and came across these two cool Portland artists.

I love Matteart’s mid-century aesthetic and truly unique titles, like: “Alfred,Louis and Francois after 12 years of preparation were surprised to find a cafe at the top of mount Everest.” Available on Etsy here.

And “Edwin and Rosemary upon arriving at Yosemite for their honeymoon were lucky enough to spot a rare green friendly soft tooth bear, 1927.” Available on Etsy here.

A graduate from Maine College of art, Julianna Swaney’s pencil and watercolor art is beyond beautiful. I really like the fine details and fairy tale feel of her work. Her animal work seems to have a mischievous quality to it. Those foxes are certainly up to no good! Available on Etsy here.

~Posted by: Christine

Category: Lifestyle, Portland | Comments Off
Tags: art, matteart, oh my cavalier!, Portland

December 3, 2009

One of my favorite parts of the holiday season is decorating our Christmas tree and having our home smell like pine. We’re lucky to have some great u-cut farms near us, but the idea of cutting down a tree is usually much better than the reality. Rain, snow, mud, and crossing your fingers your tree doesn’t dry up too much before the holiday. Does hot cider really make the trip worth while? So what’s the alternative? A plastic tree? No way. How about a potted Christmas tree that is delivered to your home, picked up after the holidays, and is then planted in a water shed? Sign me up! Portland’s Living Christmas Tree Rental and Vancouver’s Evergrow Christmas Trees will do this for you. You can choose the type of tree and the height. They’re fresher, less likely to dry out and start on fire, and bottom heavy so they don’t tip over as easily. They may be a few $ more than the local u-cut, but I think it is well worth it for delivery, pick up, and to know your tree has a greater future than a wood chipper.

~ Posted by Lisa

Category: Portland, Vancouver | 1 Comment »
Tags: holiday, Portland, Vancouver

November 24, 2009

On Black Friday, we’ve got just the reason you need to escape the crowded malls and big box stores, and support some of our local fashion boutiques. Ten of Portland’s best stores are participating in the East Meets West Passport Event. Pick up your passport at any of the stores on November 27th, and then get it stamped at the other stores for sale incentives.

Radish Underground has a great overview of the deals you get with your passport, including:

• Buy one item get one 50% off: Friday 10am-12pm
• 20% off store wide: Friday 12pm-8pm
• Free entrance to VIP after-party from 8-11pm November 27th with at least six stamps
• 15% off store wide over the weekend
• 10% off any one purchase for the rest of the year

I can’t wait for this event! I’m especially looking forward to perusing the apothecary at Flora, doing some holiday shopping a Redux, and checking out the Aster Park clothing line created by Radish Underground’s co-owner, Celestial Sipes.

Featured necklace: Old Indian Rupee Necklace
Featured dress: Church & State Maple Dress

~ Posted by: Lisa Heberlein

Category: Events, Indie Fashion, Portland, Uncategorized | Comments Off
Tags: East Meets West, Events, Indie Fashion, Portland

November 18, 2009

It is cold, dreary, and windy here in Portland today and I am already reminiscing about summer trips to the farmers market. I loved wandering the market, while loading up on fresh produce and local products. I think it is a fun alternative to grocery shopping, but it usually seems like a spring and summer activity. Now that it is November, I have to remind myself that the only option for farm fresh produce is not just winter squash (I’m already getting a bit sick of squash though I am enjoying freshly toasted pumpkin seeds as I’m typing this). If you’re like me, don’t forget about the rest of the in-season produce, including hearty greens, potatoes, carrots, leeks, broccoli, and cauliflower; not to mention apples and pears. You can find all of these and more at winter farmers markets and special harvest and holiday market days. Round out your shopping trip by selecting locally baked goods, meat, and artesian cheeses.

Check our your local farmers market to see what they offer this time of year (many have great websites making it easy to research vendors and products as well as find directions and hours). Here in Portland, the PSU market is still open on Saturday’s until mid-December and the Eastbank market has a Thanksgiving reunion market on November 24 just in time for us to grab fresh, local ingredients for turkey day. In Toronto, there are 4 winter markets and 4 year-round markets, providing shopping options over the holidays. Finally, in Vancouver, winter markets occur twice a month. As a bonus, if you need a gift for someone, Eat Local has gift certificates for purchase online! And the Holiday Market on December 12th. This is the 14th year and there will be hot food, a raffle, and musicians. If you have a great summer farmers market that is closed for the season and doesn’t offer a harvest/holiday market, then it doesn’t hurt to e-mail or call the organizers and let them know you’d attend if they offered one!

~ Posted by: Lisa

Category: Events, Lifestyle, Portland, Toronto, Vancouver | 1 Comment »
Tags: Farmers Markets, Portland, Toronto, Vancouver

November 7, 2009

As the days in the Pacific Northwest get a bit greyer, a bit darker, and more than a little bit rainy one needs some kind of a pick me up. And while a doughnut or a cupcake always seems like a good option, I try to push those urges aside, and I succeed – most of the time… With so much more time spent inside at this time of year I start to think more about home decor and making our home as bright and cozy as possible. It’s nice to have a plant or two around the house, and I’ve been eyeing the work of Pigeon Toe Ceramics for a couple weeks now. Each one of their pieces is handmade in their Portland Oregon Studio by the talented Lisa Jones. Pottery is indeed a “slow art”, requiring a calm and methodical approach, I learned from Lisa’s website that each piece undergoes a 3 week journey, from lump of clay to fully finished piece of pottery.

An important note for our readers in Canada, while they can’t ship plants outside of the US, they do ship their planters, vases and other items to Canada.

Click here to visit their shop – now until Dec. 10th, get 20% off with code “celebrate” at checkout.

~ Posted by: Amy L.

Category: Home Decor, Portland | 7 Comments »
Tags: Home Decor, Portland