5-8 pm
2305 NW Savier

See you there.

Who: Blaire
Where: Tube
Cutest thing about Portland: All the amazing dance parties!
Photo by: Rhys Balmer

The lovely ladies at Crafty Wonderland sent out an email last night, outlining the hip holiday craft fairs happening around town (and some cities up North) in December that have rapidly approaching application deadlines. If you’re interested in selling your homemade wares this holiday season, check these out:

The people behind Seattle’s I Heart Rummage have launched I Heart Indie Holidays, a craft fair with three NW venues!
November 24th, Seattle

December 2nd, Portland

December 9th, Bellingham

Vendors who apply for all three shows get a break in the booth fee prices. Applications are due Friday, August 31st, so hurry!! For more information, please visit their website.

Urban Craft Uprising is celebrating it’s third holiday season on December 1st and 2nd in Seattle with over 100 vendors! This year, they’re accepting applications for a fine art gallery section too. Applications are due September 7th. Please visit their website for more information.

Portland’s own Handmade Bazaar always puts on a great holiday show as well. They haven’t announced the date(s) yet, but if you sign up on their mailing list, you’ll be the first to hear when applications are being accepted.

And don’t forget to apply for Crafty Wonderland’s Super Colossal Holiday Sale on December 16th if you haven’t already! Information and applications are here.

If you’re like me, sometimes you just need to avoid Halo Shoes (1425 NE Broadway) until your finances can recover for the next visit. Well, I just took a peek online to see what they were up to, and lo and behold, the web site has had a complete revamping. It’s worth checking out, although it may whet your appetite for another footwear splurge. These brushed gold ankle boots from Fiorentini + Baker have my number:

Ah, Portland development. Whether you shudder or applaud every time a new building, business, or tram appears on our city’s landscape, there’s no question that development is on the rise. One such project on the horizon is the bside6 building to go up on E Burnside and 6th, where for years there has been only an empty lot. Sponsor OFFICE PDX is co-sponsoring, along with the bside6 team, a preview party for the building, on October 9, at Rontoms. It will feature complimentary cocktails, giveaways from the OFFICE store, art/design guests such as PICA, and… a Q and A about the new mixed-use building, set to begin its 10-month construction in September, as well as a chance to see the renderings, meet the team, and hear the vision. The event is free and open to the public, but you need to rsvp with Lance Marrs: info@bside6.com

io herbal alchemy (1130 SW Alder) is hosting a two-day trunk show of “Botanical Bags & Purses from a clutch of mostly local designers including Chanda Helzer, Butterscotch Bags, Bags by Olive, and Love Mert. This Friday, from 6-9 pm, and Saturday from 11 am-6 pm, one-stop shop for herbal body care products and organically themed bags to cart them in.

(Love Mert’s “Jessica Bag”)

A few weeks ago I wrote about the latest boutique to hit NE Alberta, IDOM (1600 NE Alberta). If you haven’t yet gone to check it out yourself, here’s a great excuse to plan on it: Tonight, from 7-10 pm, owner an in-house designer Modi Soondarotok is having her grand opening. Be sure to stop by and see the Parson’s School of Design graduate’s apparel (the line is also called IDOM, and will be featured in this year’s Portland Fashion Week), as well as handbags from Jenny Yuen and—as of very recently—my own beau Jesse Champlin’s Rush Accessories bags.

(One of my favorite pieces from IDOM)

Have you ever been out to Bridgeport Village? I can’t tell you how much it reminds me of affluent California suburbs. But if you can handle penciling a half-hour into your day for “finding a parking spot,” there’s a huge, weekend-long fashion event happening out there Sept 6-9, benefitting Susan G. Komen for the Cure. A $20 donation gets you a swag bag and an event pass to events, lectures, and workshops, including the following (the number of things happening at this event is staggering. Go here for a complete schedule):

• Thurs 9/6, 7 pm: A fashion show curated by the Portland Monthly’s Jill Spitznass, featurung clothing from the Village’s retailers, accompanied by gratis wine and munchies.

• Fri 9/7, 2 pm: Jandi Girard, founder of Inspire Style Coaching, shows you how to dress for your body type.

• Fri 9/7, all day: Denim Day at Marios 3.10, wherein a DJ spins records while the Marios staff helps you pick out new jeans for fall.

• Sat 9/8, 2-6 pm: Carl Greve hosts a trunk show for the Roberto Coin collection, accompanied by Prosecco.

• Sun 9/9, 2 pm: A finale runway show of Tommy Bahama men’s and women’s collections for fall.

• Throughout the weekend, you can visit the Ruth J. Spear Breast Center Tent for information on breast cancer, including prevention tips.

Email ljackson@centercal.com or call 968-1704 to reserve your passes.

As for Denim Day, you know they’ll be talking about the new wide leg styles. You into it after seasons of skinny, skinny, skinny? Sticking with a classic or boot cut fit? Swearing off jeans altogether?

(Hudson Jeans)

All Labor Day weekend long (Sept 1-3), businesses in the Pearl District will be offering deals, discounts, and special offers, so pencil in a shopping trip to the neighborhood. Especially if you consider the Pearl a little too high rent for your means, now’d the time to swoop. A complete list of participating retailers and their plans for the event is right here.

I have a lifelong obsession with beauty products. For as long as I can remember, I have been religious about morning and night routines that involve various lotions and potions, and occasionally, tools. These days, relatively speaking, I am low maintenance. Instead of using every type of skin product I could get my hands on, as I seemed to do in college, when Sephora collected a rather high percentage of my spending money, I keep my everyday routine sweet and simple, if still religiously maintained—these days I’ll spend a lot of time picking out products, but I’ve cut out all the BS and whittled it down to the essentials. Nonetheless, I still have a hoarde of other goodies that I break out when I want to do a full-on bubble bath with scented candles at-home spa experience. So like, about once a week. Thus, I am stoked for the new Camellia Pure Beauty store that opened recently at 49th and Fremont, which stocks all-natural and organic products, many from West Coast small businesses, with some exclusive to the store. And here’s a perfect opportunity to check it out: September 7th, from 6-9 pm, the store wil have their grand opening, with refreshments, music and art by Amelia Santiago.