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time squared

timesquared21What are you going to do on New Years Eve? You could ring in the New Year with your standard black tie champagne toast, or with a dose of superficial bacchanalia Downtown, or you could stay at home watching Carson Daly, or…

…you could start the decade off RIGHT by heading out to Time2 at 2410, that super-fun dance club on Mississippi. Why is 2410 the spot? Several reasons. The venue features a super sound system and several bars. It’s just off the MAX Yellow Line, so you don’t have to drive. Plus, check out the music line-up: MarchFourth Marching Band, Flying Lotus, plus over a dozen other performers for you party-going thrill-seekers. See the full line-up here.

More than just a place to drink and shake it, Time2 gives you the opportunity to explore themed art installations that ask the viewer to reconsider humanity’s connection to natural history. Oh, and City Repair volunteers will be on hand with the T-Horse + Pillow Lounge for your tea-sipping, pillow lounging pleasure. Get your community on.

Admission is $30 Advance or $35 at the door. Get tickets on-line here or in-person at 360 Vinyl, Anthem Records and Jackpot Records.

Take public transportation, be safe, and stay awesome. Cheers!

Event Details
TIME2 New Years Eve 2010
2410 N Mississippi
Doors Open at 9pm
21+ Read More

Charles Phoenix’s Retro Holiday Slide Show

charlesphoenix3If you’re not in the holiday spirit, maybe you’re just not seeing how ironically funny the holidays are. Pop culture humorist Charles Phoenix will bring his hilarious holiday slide show performance to Portland’s Hollywood Theater on Tuesday, December 29. The undisputed King of Retro, Charles Phoenix re-visions vintage ’50s and ’60s Kodachrome slides, found objects obtained mainly through flea markets and thrift stores, and presents them as visual documentation of our society’s cultural history.

The slides are what they are – kitchy, random, bizarre. The narration will have you rolling on the floor.

This all-ages performance is presented by Mid-Century Modern League and will benefit the League’s efforts to restore the vintage Crown Motel sign. Tickets are $15 and can be had at the Hollywood Theater box office or online. Get tickets now. This performance sold out fast in 2008.

While we’re on the topic, anyone who’s a sucker for kitch should sign up for Charles Phoenix’s Slide of the Week. Phoenix also runs his own Test Kitchen (check out the Astro Weenie Christmas Tree) and hangs out with Martha Stewart. You’ll also hear him on NPR’s Day to Day from time to time.

EVENT DETAILS

Charles Phoenix’s Retro Holiday Slide Show
Tuesday, December 29th at 7pm
Hollywood Theater
4122 NE Sandy Blvd.
Portland, 97215


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Crafty Wonderland Is At Hand

craftywonderland3It’s super. It’s collosal. It’s Crafty Wonderland’s Super Collosal Holiday Sale and, yes, it’s big. So big, they had to move to the Convention Center to make room for the 200+ vendors, all vetted - you won’t find junk here! Sure to be awesome. You’ll find everything from handmade cards and artisan candles to custom jewelry from hip local designers, including luscious pieces by ASA Custom Jewelry. And so much more. Letterpress! Hip baby clothes! Recycled art! Check out the complete list of vendors.

Admission is free and all are welcome to attend. Here’s a tip: show up early, like before the opening at 11 am. First 200 people in get goodie bags stuffed with special crafty treats. Come for the shopping, stay for the free workshops with talented local artisans (check out the workshop schedule below), and come away with unique handmade gifts for everyone on your list.

Shopping can be exhausting. Recognizing that fatigue may set in, your thoughtful organizers made sure to include a comfy space to relax as well as booths selling vegetarian and vegan treats plus a full bar slinging craft cocktails for, you know, energy.

You might already be familiar with Crafty Wonderland through their sales at the Doug Fir, which have taken place monthly over the last three years or so. Did you hear that Crafty Wonderland is peacing out of their monthly Doug Fir venue and switching to a format of two big sales a year? Mark your calendars: the Super Colossal Spring Sale is set for May 1st and 2nd, 2010 at the Convention Center. Get the details here. If you’re a local craftsperson looking to show, or if you’re like me and just can’t get enough of the local DIY handmade action, join the Crafty Wonderland mailing list for the latest. And take the pledge to buy handmade this year…

…see you at the sale!

WHEN
Sunday, December 13th
11 am to 7 pm

WHERE
Oregon Convention Center
777 NE MLK Jr. Blvd
Exhibit Hall D

WORKSHOPS
11:00am-12:30pm Personalized Fortune Cookies w/ Kristen Rask of Schmancy and author of Plush You!
1:00pm-2:30pm Button It Up Hairclips w/ Susan Beal of West Coast Crafty and author of Button It Up and Bead Simple
3:00pm-4:30pm Vintage-Themed Glass Tile Ornaments w/ Maria Raleigh of Collage
5:00pm-6:30pm Embroidered Holiday Cards w/ Diane Gilleland of CraftyPod and author of Kanzashi In Bloom Read More

No Force on Earth Can Stop One Hundred Santas

santacon4

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, with the kids jingle bell-ing and everyone telling you to…watch out for the roving pack of Santas? Yep, it’s time for another Santacon, folks. An annual tradition, Santacon is a holiday-themed emergent phenomenon lying somewhere between a crowd-sourced happening and a hilarious costumed pub crawl. Ever since one fateful night in San Francisco in 1994, the Santarchy spread like wildfire, and Santacons have popped up in urban areas all over the world (including Beijing and Vienna) to the delight/bewilderment of the unsuspecting holiday shopper.

Here in Portland, Santacon continues to break off into splinter groups who ‘organize’ their own merry events. For this reason, Portland can boast not one but (at least) three Santacons this year, some of which have already occured. Were you one of over 200 Santas who dropped in on Mayor Sam Adams on the 5th? Check out the pic.

Santas, as well as little helpers, elves, reindeer, and miscellaneous holiday personalities will be converging for the Official PDX Santacon at noon on Saturday, December 19th. You are invited, too, provided you are in appropriate Santa gear. There’s a lot of trickery, naughtiness, and general misinformation out there, folks. Skip the spam and go directly to Portland Cacophony Society for the details on where to meet up (NOT Skidmore Fountain this year as Santa had some legal issues with that), along with some general Santa dos-and-don’ts, tips for how Santa can pace him or herself, etc.

You better watch out…ho ho ho ho ho ho ho…. Read More

Magpie

magpieportland

For a well-curated selection of vintage fashion, head Downtown to Magpie on SW 9th just south of Washington. The inventory mainly dates from the ’60s to ’80s, but you’ll also find the occasional antique as well as a few contemporary pieces from local designers here and there. I love the labels, which are lovingly hand-written, informative (sometimes providing the fabric type and era, not just the price), and occasionally hilarious. Just go there and read a few. While you’re there, say hi to Gordy, the in-house pooch who lies placidly – almost meditatively – on the glass display case. I’ve never seen such a chill Pomeranian.

Perhaps taking their cue from Gordy, the staff at Magpie are also chill, at least in my experience. I didn’t feel judged (although I did go in with a few frequent shoppers…that helps, apparently), not did I feel pressured to buy something. Even if vintage clothing isn’t your thing, you might find that perfect item among the accessories. Check out the selection of hats, shoes, costume jewelry, and such. I picked out some rockin’ shades, built to last and straight out of the ’80s, for $20.

Please don’t call it a thrift store; Magpie’s vintage fashions are very well-organized, usually of high quality, and are priced accordingly. With literally tons of stuff packed into a rather small space, you could easily spend a few hours here wandering around. Stop by and see if something doesn’t grab you.

Magpie
520 SW 9th Ave, 97205
503 220 0920

Open Monday-Saturday, 12-7pm
Sunday, 2ish-6ish (best to call and make sure they’re open)

magpie3magpie2 Read More

Cheap Art & Craft Show @ Reading Frenzy 12/3

readingfrenzy2

Bring your pocketbook to First Thursday this December 3rd, when Reading Frenzy will be hosting the opening for the Cheap Art & Craft Show. Support one of Portland’s great indie bookstores and grab a unique and visually appealing gift this year. An annual tradition in its 14th year, the Cheap Art & Craft show brings together dozens of artists selling literally hundreds of items at very low prices – penny-pincher prices. Most items will be $50 and under! Come on, you can afford that. You’ll find a wide range of highly gift-worthy items - posters, calendars, letterpress, and so on - in styles that range from cute to hilarious to subversive.

The show will be up all month long. Be sure to drop in and check it out! Here’s a ‘lil sample of what you’ll find: cute/hilarious images from Berkeley Illustration (above), linoleum prints by Pete Yahnke of Just Seeds (below, right…apologies for having to crop this beautiful print, titled Overtaken), and stylish ceramics by Pigeon Toe (below, left).

Posts at Reading Frenzy’s Facebook page provide additional information. Become a fan!

Event Details
Cheap Art & Craft Show
Thursday, December 3rd (show up through the month)
6 – 9 pm

@

Reading Frenzy
921 SW Oak St, 97205
503 274 1449
Open Monday-Saturday, 11 am – 7 pm & Sunday, 12 noon – 6 pm

pigeon-toe

readingfrenzy4

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Pizzicato: Eco-Fabulous at 7 Corners

Pizzicato, a local family-owned chain of pizza parlours, has breathed new life into the once-vacant commercial site at Read More

Be a Friend of the Trees

friendsoftrees

One of best aspects of living in Portland is our collective fondness for trees. Our older neighborhoods – Ladds Addition or Irvington come to mind – possess a sense of place, in part, because of the mature trees that line the neighborhood streets. These trees turn the street into our shared outdoor living room, shading us from the heat, buffering the sidewalk from street traffic, providing habitat for urban fauna. Trees are beautiful. They sequester carbon. The list of benefits goes on…

Thinking about putting in some trees at your place? You should think about planting your trees with Friends of Trees. This route has a number of advantages. They will actually come out to your house, scope out the area (along the street? in the yard?) and let you know which trees are most appropriate for your situation. What’s more, they’ll deliver your trees to your house, help you plant and stake them, school you on their basic needs, and even provide follow-up maintenance. What a deal!

Did you know that now is a great time to order some trees for next year’s planting, since they’ll be priced at a discount? With the discount, most trees run in the range of $25 to $75. Spruce up that bare parking strip with…a spruce! Or apple or maple or…just check out the tree inventory here. Also, consider visiting the Ainsworth Linear Arboretum to view over 60 species of street trees located within biking distance of each other. You can also gift a tree to someone else and watch it grow over the years.

Friends of Trees is a great Portland-based non-profit that brings community members together to plant trees. They’ve planted 375,000 trees and native shrubs since 1989. Wow! If you’re into what Friends of Trees is doing, consider becoming a member. You can also help out by donating through the 2009 Willamette Week Give Guide or sign up for a community planting. Read More

Handmade Arts Bazaar in Pioneer Square

portlandartsbazaar

Skip the mall and head over to Handmade NW’s Portland Arts Bazaar, in which over 60 talented local artisans will take over Portland’s Living Room to vend their wares from 11 am to 6 pm this Sunday, November 29th. Pick out as unique, local, handmade gift for someone special this year. You’ll find everything from upcycled fashions and jewelry to letterpress cards, artwork, natural beauty products, and much more! Check out the complete vendor list here.

You can feel extra-good about shopping with Handmade NW since you’re both supporting the local creative economy – purchasing directly from the artists – while also contributing to several great non-profits, as the bazaar doubles as a benefit for p:ear and Portland Women’s Crisis Line.

Handmade NW is a locally organized cooperative of Portland artists and artisans who have banded together to direct-market their handmade wares. They’ve scheduled a full line-up of retail events through December, each with a different group of artists, so peruse the events list below and mark your calendar.

Event Details

Portland Arts Bazaar
Pioneer Square
701 SW 6th Ave, 97205
Sunday, November 29th
11 am to 6 pm


Other Upcoming Handmade NW Events

First Thursday Arts Bazaar
along the sidewalk adjacent to Whole Foods
1210 NW Couch
Thursday, December 3rd
5 pm to 9 pm

S.U.N. Holiday Fair
Dexter McCarty Middle School
1400 SE 5th St, Gresham 97080
Saturday, December 5th
10 am to 4 pm

Formal Holiday Artisans Fair
The Chelsea Ballroom
1510 SE 9th Ave, 97214
Sunday, December 6th
11am to 6 pm

OHSU Heart Research 2009 Holiday Bazaar
BICC Gallery at OHSU
3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd, 97239
Tuesday, December 8th, 3 pm to 7 pm
Wednesday, December 9th, 10 am to 6 pm
Thursday, December 10th, 10 am to 6 pm

Photo from Sycamore Street Press, whose awesome handcrafted cards should be checked out at the bazaar in Pioneer Square this Sunday, November 29th.

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Craft Bitters Class at The Meadow

themeadowbittersclass

The Meadow will be offering an interesting class on craft bitters and vermouth this Monday, November 23rd. If you’ve ever felt a little bewildered trying to order a classy cocktail, now is the time to up to speed. Spend 1.5 hours getting schooled by the experts, then wow your friends (and, possibly, your bartenders) with your new-found foodie knowledge. $25 gets you in. Order your ticket here.

See also the Chocolate and Wine Class set for December 7th.

The Meadow does a great job of educating the public about the finer things in life. In addition to offering a variety of classes and events, the owners, a husband-and-wife duo, maintain not one but three blogs about their passion for salt, chocolate, flowers and wine. Keep up by joining their mailing list or by following them on twitter.

While we’re on the topic, I have to say that I love dropping by The Meadow. The flowery storefront on Mississippi always draws me in. Their walls, which are packed with hundreds of varieties of gourmet finishing salts, dark chocolates, and rare wines, are total eye candy. Examining the full selection would take all day!

It’s not to early to think about holiday shopping. Who doesn’t need more flowers, more salt, more chocolate, and more wine? The Meadows is a great place to find a gift for that person on your list who (seemingly) has it all. Have a question? The knowledgeable staff is more than happy to respond to queries and offer suggestions. Be sure to peruse the beautiful gift baskets!

Craft Bitters and Vermouth Class
Monday, November 23rd from 7 pm to 8:30 pm
$25, bring your on-line receipt to get it
21+, of course

at

The Meadow
3731 N Mississippi, 97227 Read More