If you're like me, you develop a small rash if you're in Lloyd Center longer than 20 minutes, and run the opposite direction at the sight of frantic mobs. That's why Portland offers such great alternatives to corporate shopping, like the Japanese Garden Holiday Gift Sale, which starts today!

• japanesegarden.com

Peruse through the numerous designers selling ornaments, cards, housewares, jewelry, scarves, all in the peaceful environment of the garden gift store. Proceeds from your purchases also help fund the garden's programs and services. To visit the sale, you just have to purchase admission into the garden (would it kill you to put the scarves down for five minutes and look at some Bonzais?)

The sale runs until the 24th.

You don't need me to tell you yet again that the pressure to shop this month is enough to make your eyeballs burst. For instance! Shop Williams Late is the joint effort of eight businesses on N Williams (Ink & Peat, Lark Press, Lodekka, Myoptic, Queen Bee Creations/Chickpea Baby/Rebecca Pearcy Textiles, SpielWerk Toys, Tinymeat, and Yoga Shala) who are staying open late to pour you cocktails, feed you hors d'Œuvres, and help you cross off every name on your list by offering 20% off all items, all stores. When there are so many friendly, cocktail proffering opportunities to shop local it's hard to imagine why anyone would want to go to the mall.

• Leela Cyd

The event happens Friday, Dec 14 from 6:30-9:30 pm.

As you may have noticed, you are being enticed more than usual to part ways with your dollars this month in the name of holiday gift giving. And while bowing to the pressure is hardly a virtue in itself, there are certainly more virtuous ways to scratch the itch (shopping at local outlets or better yet, buying products that are actually made in the region). Ignoring the big chain giants, and in addition to the regular updates posted daily on MOD, we've given a special place on the internet over to weekly roundups of all the sales, pop-ups and trunk shows designed to make the process of local holiday shopping easy, fun, and cost effective (like the Emily Katz sample sale, where you can score Portland-designed and produced womenswear for a tiny fraction of the original retail cost). Look for a new update with each new issue of the digital edition from now till the new year.

• Randall Garcia & Mikola Accuardi
• A look from Emily Katz's most recent runway show

Last year, Design*Sponge and their Portland pals caused an oh-so-minor rumble when they announced the first-ever Portland Bazaar. One of the bigger, cooler of the season's many delightfully curated pop-up events, it was scheduled to coincide with local sacred cow Crafty Wonderland. The loyalists circled their wagons, words were flung, hands were wrung, and I made at least one comparison to those old Pace Picante commercials.

Of course there was no need to make any fuss. Portland sustained two successful events that weekend, and Christmas went on as scheduled. As it will again this year. Design*Sponge has announced that the Portland Bazaar is returning for 2012 on December 8 & 9—yes, once more on the same weekend as Crafty with a second wave of nicely chosen vendors.

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The sheer number of special shopping situations that pop up this time of year is so overwhelming that it can become difficult for the truly radical ones to get the attention the deserve, like the all-day, all-night Solstice celebration/open house/special shopping situation scheduled for December 15 at the 811 E Burnside building.

Black Friday/Saturday is over, but holiday promotions and sales events are only going to come more furiously over the coming month (example: today is Cyber Monday, which means your favorite web store is probably having some sort of sale). You can ignore 'em as annoyingly aggressive attempts to separate you from your hot toddy allowance, or you can use them as convenient, festive ways to celebrate your gift-giving generosity in ways that support your local industry—one in whose producers rarely perish in sweatshop fires.

Here on MOD we'll keep faithfully posting as many of these sales pop-ups, and fairs as we can, so be sure to check in regularly for updated info on things like this weekend's Da Vinci Arts Middle School Holiday Arts Fair, which features over 70 local vendors (the diverse array of products include "jewelry, stoneware, ceramics, exotic clocks, sculptures, metal work, paintings, photos, and wearable art"), directly benefits arts education, and features the raffling off of "PDX Mona" by Hadley Hutton here, complete with nose piercing, geek-chic glasses and a bird on it. (Cringe inducing, but think of the children.)

Black Friday sounds to me like hell on earth, and I've never done it, but I think most would agree that the big-box stores are the real danger zones. If you are recovered enough from your food coma that you can bring yourself to pull on some boots and get out there, though, we've rounded up a pretty darn comprehensive list of locally supportive, non-corporate, non-violent ways to get your holiday shopping done in one manic swoop. Heck, there's even one store that's marking the occasion by showing Frederick Wiseman's The Store, a 1983 documentary about the Dallas flagship Nieman Marcus, on loop, with the comment, "Naked capitalism is very close to what we've always heard about the nature of pure evil—it's banal." From a New York Times write-up on the year of its release:

''If you are going to have theories about American society, you've got to look at all aspects of it,'' [Wiseman] said during a recent interview in his Cambridge studio. ''You've got to look at how the images are created that affect people's lives and the choices of consumer goods they buy.''

To this end, ''The Store'' focuses on the institution, which to many, symbolizes Texas prosperity. During the four weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas last year, Mr. Wiseman's unobtrustive camera zeroed in on virtually every aspect of life within the renowned department store. Among the collage of images: a society matron who spends several days each week in Neiman-Marcus' luxurious dressing rooms trying on various ensembles with the aid of two saleswomen; in the fur salon, a customer wearing a full-length sable coat ponders the purchase of another but only if she can get the same inner lining in the new one; a member of the sales force telephones a customer for whom she is handling the Christmas shopping and reports: ''I don't have the reindeer. But surprise - I do have the angel''; an exercise teacher greets a group of saleswomen and leads them in smile exercises; the expected and countless staff meetings with various executives and staff members, addressing marketing strategies, security, sales techniques and staff morale.

Check the full list out here, and stay tuned for updates on more (ever more) events leading up to the new year in this space.

The holiday shopping season is in the process of exploding itself all over your world, an act that can be done with corporate crassness (booo) or neighborly charm. An example of the latter: The Blackbox building's Tanner Goods, Blackbird, Dunderdon, Yo Vintage!, and Solestruck all ganged up for a gift-guide photo shoot starring themselves (including MOD contributor/Yo staffer Kayla Rekofke) as models and styling each other in a mix of their collective merch, shot by Charise Cusanelli. With gift ideas in the $20 range and up, it also features "special guest" and shoot location The Good Mod. Browse it for gift ideas or just for the eye candy:

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Recently I attended the opening of PDX Pop-Ups, the shop project that was launched in 2009 by the Downtown Retail Strategy Task Force to fill vacant storefronts with local shops, designers, artists, and craftspeople. Honestly I had never visited the Pop-Ups in years past, choosing instead to just shop for immediate family members using Amazon and eBay (I know, I'm awful. I just really hate to shop, especially around the holidays!) Attending this has changed my tune however, and if you have the same aversion to holiday shopping as I do I highly suggest checking them out, and since they are locally focused you probably won't encounter the same jerks that you would at, let's say, any of the big box retailers. You are guaranteed to find something for everyone on your list between these four shops, which I will now describe for you:

Emit- 535 SW Sixth Avenue

If you love bright colors paired with geometric shapes, this shop is for you. Emit blends performance fabrics and modern silhouettes to create bold, distinctive women's apparel and home accessories. Everything is designed and manufactured locally, including the complex laser cut designs that are the focal point of each piece.

Boys' Fort- 614 SW 11th Avenue (In the Governor Hotel)

Cozy and inviting, Boys' Fort features 45 artists and counting, with a focus on locally made, re-used, recycled, and vintage goods. A "Carefully Curated Manthology of Stuff", this shop showcases custom-built furniture, reclaimed lighting fixtures, men's bags, wallets, and jewelry, and bespoke personal fragrances.

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It always seems so sudden, doesn't it? One minute you're smugly enjoying weather that's 10 degrees hotter than your friends in San Francisco, and a week later the Bay looks like a tropical paradise in comparison. VITAMIN D: CHECK. Also helpful in staving off the SADs: new rain gear you love makes dressing for the wet exciting. Kind of. Mostly. A few favorites poking around in the shops:

Una:

• Una
• Osklen: Hooded, slick, versatile enough to dress up or down, not bulky = win.

Frances May:

• Frances May
• Nigel Cabourn: A solid alternative to paying rent this month. Rain gear has never looked so nonchalant.

• Frances May
• A.P.C.: Bam, your everyday answer from the French king of basics. Bonus: hood is removable.

Studio SKB:

• Studio SKB
• Joshua Buck's menswear collections for Chicago Harper/Studio SKB walk a fine line between usability and creativity. Consider the multipurposeness of a pair of pants that make you ultra-visible as a cyclist or ped, are lightweight, water resistant, edgy, and this well tailored.

Blackbird:

• Blackbird
• Whillas & Gunn: Waxed canvas and easy to keep stashed in your bag/car/office/handy spot. Technically for men but whatever to that.

Contention: Astoria is the number-one Oregon coast destination for Portland residents, in part because it is turning into a miniaturized parallel Portland universe. Proof: We have Cargo, they have mini-Cargo. We have the Ace Hotel, they have the Commodore. We have the Rebuilding Center, they have Vintage Hardware. We have People's, they have Astoria Cooperative. And while the whole coast is choked with antique stores, Astoria has a higher number of indie boutiques and shops that are closer to vintage than thrift. Saturday Market? Yeah they got that too, along with at least one microbrewery and at least one sketchy strip club. And so on.

Many a Portlander harbors fantasies of extending their roots to Astoria (I too have a half-serious retirement plan), and an increasing number of them have done it. The latest to do so are Greg Glover and Alana Jevert—Glover hosts KNRK's Alternative Mornings and Jevert is a high school teacher/tarot reader/wardrobe and makeup stylist/costume designer. And now, on the weekends, they are proprietors of Commercial Astoria, a newly opened shop selling used and new clothing and accessories, records, and other gifts. In other words, living the dream while keeping one foot steady in the city. Stop by on your next road trip and give 'em a high five.

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I'm generally of the mind that preparing to celebrate a holiday that comes EVERY YEAR is inappropriate more than, say, three weeks before the actual holiday. Valentine's Day candy in stores on New Year's, Christmas lights up before Thanksgiving has even landed... these are all things that make me roll my eyes (I know, first world problems). But the Oregon Children's Theatre Costume Sale going on this Saturday might make me cave and buy my halloween costume shockingly early for once... especially since they promise whiskey and cupcakes at the sale's kickoff party tonight. Funky old costumes for kids and adults and vintage clothing for cheap, Big Bottom Whiskey pours, and treats from Cupcake Jones starting at 5:30 tonight - $10 advance tickets, $20 at the door, or you can wait til tomorrow's official sale from 10 am to 3 pm which has no cover (or cupcakes).

Just imagine what the Oregon Children's Theatre has been hiding backstage... you might have to get your haul cleaned a few times (actors sweat a lot) but it might be worth it.

• Owen Carey
• What if the costumes from Alice: The Rock Opera are for sale?!

The sale will be held at the Oregon Children’s Theatre Studios at 1939 NE Sandy.

Ignoring the fact that it's allegedly going to get up to 90 today (suh-weet!), the seasons are changing and soon enough you'll have to put some clothes on. But before you go charging your broke ass over to American Apparel and the Rack, know that there is a way to score a bargain and still support your lovely community of local shops. It's called the PDX Collective Sale, and it's happening this weekend, with 11 stores banding together to offer their deepest discounts for two days only. Put your game face on and get in early, because these things, which happen roughly every season, have a huge following with savvy shoppers. Let's everybody play nice.

Tonight is Fashion's Night Out, an international retail event invented by Anna Wintour during the depths of the recession. In Portland the festivities are concentrated on the west side, and virtually every single store downtown is featuring some type of party and/or sale, so if you're in the market for anything before the weather turns, tonight is a good time to find a deal and score some free wine while you're at it. However, I long for the day when FNO is a citywide occurrance—after all, some of the most killer shopping is on the eastside, so my roundup of transitional fall picks includes some favorites from over yonder too.

The jacket:

• Stand Up Comedy
• 69

• Agave Denim
• Agave Denim

The boots:

• Stand Up Comedy
• LD Tuttle

• The Woodlands
• Eastland

• Stand Up Comedy
• LD Tuttle

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This weekend is the Pearl District's annual four-day Labor Day sidewalk sale, wherein you can find end-of-season bargains at not only all the fancy shops, but also lots of restaurants and snack-shops too. Make a day of it (you have your choice of four!), with stops at neighborhood favorites Bella Casa, Bonnet, French Quarter Linens, Lace Salon, and Mabel & Zora, plus munch-ables from places like Pizza Schmizza and Silk—complete list of participants can be found here, and things will get started on Friday and run through the holiday.

• Facebook
• Looks by Tiffany Bean, inhouse designer and owner of participating shop Mabel & Zora.

Sort of like red tag sale for the indie set, the Bargain Hunting PDX is poised to make its summer season pass through town on August 26, with over 50 boutiques and designers offloading goods at prices as low as they get—a great opportunity to stock up on local business' goods without the boutique pricing. This year they've also added a charitable element to the madness, with an accessories drive for the Oregon chapter of Dress for Success. They're also moving the massive affair to a new home at the Castaway, which should have ample elbow(ing) room. Click here to see the list of vendors, and show up at noon for the best selection and maddest crush, or just before 5 for the near-giveaways.

• Portland Pulp
• REMAIN CALM.

It's that time of year when everyone's having a summer sale, and there's plenty going on this weekend. Here are the highlights:

Mink, July 18-22: A Midsummer Daydream: Buy any item at full price and get 20% off a second item of equal or lesser value. 3418 SE Hawthorne Blvd Portland, OR 97214

Butterscotch, July 19-22: Summer Sale: 20% off everything over $5. 114 NE 28th Ave

NE Broadway Businesses July 20-22: Super Summer Sale: Up to 70% off merchandise at participating retailers.

Pearl District Businesses, Summer Style Sale: 25-75% off merchandise at participating retailers: Mabel & Zora, Lizard Lounge, Ecovibe, Glow, Bonnet, Monique's, Popina Swim and Leanna NYC.

• Pearl District Summer Style Sale

The list of new independent shops I need to check out is starting to get lengthy. Since winter gave way to spring, a tidy pile of new addresses have quietly cropped up, expanding our already abundant options for quirky shopping based on the personalities, specialties, and obsessions of creative small business owners. Until I'm able to hit the streets, I've scoped out a few of the hotter ones (AKA stalked them online):

—Rhapsody: Celebrating its grand opening this Friday from 5:30-8 pm, the new addition to the Ford Building has a distinctly urban-bohemian vibe, with lines like Seven for all Mankind and LA Made swinging alongside casual, summer streetwear and accessories for women, with some baby gear added in for the tykes. In addition to clothing, they also carry some home goods lite, like candles, lighting and art.

—Lowell: Charming vintage dÉcor, clothing, and jewelry in as well as locally handmade renditions by Portland favorites (AK Vintage, Liam Drain). It's not thaaaat new, but somehow I've never found my way to the tucked away NE Russell location, YET. By my eyes are liking what I see.

—The Shoe Store: A longstanding complain of mine is Portland's relative dearth of shoe stores, but it's a problem that's been steadily remedied over the years by more and more clothing boutiques dabbling in footwear and the occasional openings of dedicated outposts. Sneaker fanatics got another boon this spring when the Shoe Store opened its doors in Alberta, although they also specialize in cheerful, colorful socks. FACT: Everyone loves a cheerful sock!

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• The Shoe Store