happy new year!

happy new year all of my portland people! what are your plans for tomorrow evening?

i think i am going to ring in the new year at a friend's house with lorenzo and our pooches but if i were going to go out, i'd definitely be going to see sallie ford and the sound outside (above). i just love her sound and personality.

she's playing a show at the doug fir if you still don't have anything planned. i'm sure it will be a lot of fun.

alas, when you work in retail, by the time new year rolls around, it's time for a little breaky poo.

any resolutions for the new year? one of mine is to spend a little more time and effort on my blogs. i'm so lucky to have my devoted readers and i admit, i've slacked off this latter part of the year. so that will be my goal...and to get a new camera with my tax return which will help said goal.

so thank you, thank you for staying tuned and i hope you all have a wonderful and safe new year. no drinking and driving, just have a sleepover where ever you find yourselves, k!

xoxo hawthorne girl, lorenzo, lulu and roy

image courtesy of willy week

sigh...

look who stopped in to shop in my store today. yes, sam elliott! oh he's just so cute, and that voice is to die for.

little bird is here!

i'm so excited that gabriel rucker's latest endeavor, little bird has opened right down the street from my work.

some coworkers and i popped in for luch last week but they were all booked up so i'm hoping to get there next week to give it a try.

we did scan the menu and everything sounds so good including a daily foie gras special. i love me some foie!

and the interiors are so frenchy and pretty. the walls are painted in robin's egg blue, there are big chalkboard menus and beautiful sparkly mirrors. i'll try to post some pictures when i finally am able to give it a try.

i hope you all hare having a great holiday season and i'll try to get some more posts and pics up soon.

happy holidays!

hello my loyal portland readers! i'm so sorry that it has taken me so long to get back with the program here. so many things going on in life and i just haven't made my little blogs much of a priority, especially lu's.

so what exactly has been going on? well, let's see. i started doing bikram yoga which was a much needed addition to my life, however, takes up quite a bit of time. i've been keeping the shop running and we have been doing very well this year with lots of fun and exciting new collaborations, my family is happy and healthy and everyone is doing great, i had another birthday last week and spent it with friends at toro bravo, pix and then mother's, lucie got a good bill of health (her eyes have not gotten any worse), roy hurt his leg and was laid up for a while but is doing much better now. and oh yeah, my camera is dead and therefore, the lack of pictures (i'm pretty much just using my iphone).

so today, i was missing all of my blogs and hopped on to see how they are holding up in this dry spell. i felt so bad to see that you, my friends, are still hanging in there and still check in on a regular basis. so, thank you so much, i really do love my portland blog. i mean, how easy is it to gather inspiration in this amazing city? and yet, i have not been doing my part. so i hope to get back to it and share with all of my friends just what i am doing around our fair city these days.


and speaking of beautiful portland, have you heard our very own lovely band pink martini's holiday album "joy to the world"?

my bff down in new mexico sent it to me for my birthday and it made me sooo happy. i put it right on and it put me in such a festive mood. i've been playing it in the store every day now.



the one thing i love about the album is that it is not your same old same old holiday album. it's totally been pink martini'd. with traditional and non traditional songs, songs i've never heard of and of course songs in exotic foreign languages. this is a definite must add to your holiday collection. i'm sure you can find it at music millenium.

i hope to be back with you much sooner but in the meantime, have a great holiday shopping season--shop, eat, drink and be merry all over portland!

before she was famous...

before she was a famous winner of project runway, gretchen jones was slinging duds for the company i work for.


work it girl!


love her or hate her, this local girl's got talent. congrats gretchen!

she and him

last friday at the schnitz, she and him played a fabulous show. i really hope you all were able to go. it was one of my all time favorite concerts. zooey was amazing, i'm in love with m.ward's voice and their two sister/back-up singers were the cutest thing ever.

the best part was zooey's 90 something grandparents from lake oswego were there. they came in right as my friend and i were entering the auditorium. how sweet is that to go see your granddaughter who happens to be zooey deschanel play a show at the amazing arlene schnitzer theater? it was pretty priceless.

if you ever get the chance to see them, you must!

nell's diner

last weekend was a quintessential portland weekend which means one thing--breakfast.

when the weather here gets yucky, do what portlander's do and head inside for some great coffee and good food. one of my favorite places when i'm craving weekend breakfast is cafe nell.

cafe nell is a little over a year old and resides in the space that formerly housed cafe des amis. i loved cafe des amis as well but the new owners of the space have really done an amazing transformation. what was once tiny and closed in, seems bright and open and spacious thanks to creative interior design and the big wall of mirrors. it may be dark and gloomy outside but certainly not inside this beautiful restaurant.


i like to sit in the bar so i can look out the window into the neighborhood. i also got a good look at the fabulous bloody marys they were making behind the bar.


nothing gets better than a cup of coffee while watching the rain outside.

for breakfast, i ordered the huevos rancheros. i generally do not order huevos in restaurants because being from new mexico, i'm usually disappointed with the huevos up here. well, the waiter assured me they were delicious so i went ahead and tried them because new mexican comfort food was really sounding good to me. and guess what, i was pleasantly surprised! they were really good with the chunky ranchero sauce and just the right amount of kick. the eggs were cooked perfectly and it really hit the spot.


i'm not sure if i'm ready for this everyday but sometimes it's nice to just sit and watch the rain. and cafe nell is a great spot to do this in.

it is located at nw 20th and kearney 503.295.6487

they also have a small parking lot in back which is great when visiting the nw neighborhood.

portland as brooklyn?

sometimes during down time, i like to pop on over to the selby and voyeurize (is that a word?) the homes of fabulous creative people.

today i discovered a post on the photoshoot of the cole haan fall catalog shot in both brooklyn and portland.

i have often thought to myself that there is this strong tie between brooklyn and portland and it was so strange to see it out there in the universe. i mean, i've always felt this, so clearly others must have as well.

what do you think? are portland and brooklyn just their own unique places that happen to have a similar vibe or is portland to seattle as brooklyn is to manhattan? i like to think we are our own unique places with just a great collective of similar minded open and creative people. i think there was a brief time that portland was the younger sibling to seattle but i really think we've gone out on our own and created our own feel. and i love seattle but i'm still happy that i chose to come to portland instead. besides, we need a good road trip city!

anyway, check out the cole haan shoot. it's really beautiful and fun to see portland shots side by side with brooklyn. see if you can tell which is which!

any day now...

i am anxiously awaiting the opening of the h&m store in pioneer place. i'm not sure of the exact date but it is slated to open fall 2010! 700 sw 5th ave 503.228.5800

oh my god, i die!

photo of my girl lou at the champs elysees h&m opening, courtesy of rdujour.

it's baack!

so last week i was walking through chinatown and saw this in it's former home (now ping restauraunt)which was once the hung far low restaurant, an old town/chinatown must see. it was removed several years ago when hung far low moved out to 82nd street. it turns out people make a special trip to chinatown to see the sign and there have been many disappointed tourists upon finding out it was no longer here. therefore, the owners of ping began a movement to bring it back.


this morning i was driving into work and snapped this shot. what's the deal? no fanfare? no glory? it just reappears like it was never gone.

although it has been painstakingly restored and looks even better than ever.

oh hung far low, how we have missed you!

go here to read the most recent oregonian article.

portland visitor

sorry i'm still a little behind on my posts here lately. i promise i'll get more coming here soon.

i was on the internet last week looking for pictures of my store and came across this great post about portland. i thought if i'm not posting right now, i might as well share this terrific post on portland though a londoners eyes. check out her blog as well, i really like it.

and yes, there was a photo of my store in the post...and it looked really messy. hmph!

the blog is called this is naive.

p.s. i had to post my old header 'cause i really miss my sweet old volvo named blanca! (but not that bad)

look who was in the store today...

the cute boys of vampire weekend who will be playing mcmenamin's edgefield tomorrow night.

update

hi everyone, i just wanted to say hello and give you a quick update on the blog. i will be continuing with posts but after a very busy summer, i just needed a little break. i will be back in a few weeks after the hustle and bustle of summer is over and i hope to have some more really great posts up for you all...or maybe you could just come to portland and explore all of the great places on your own!

enjoy these last few weeks of summer, i'm sorry to see it go.

mmm... beer

lorenzo and i discovered our new favorite beer joint, hopworks urban brewery, over on se powell. it's been around for a few years now but i just had never made it in. one sunday we were getting together with friends so we thought we would give it a try and, it's pretty cool.

in another location i think it would take on a whole different persona (ie the pearl) but being that it is located over on the strip of powell blvd between downtown and 39th, it gives it a little more of a working class/industrial flavor.

the owner, christian ettinger, traveled the world trying different bars to research creating the perfect brewery and bar. this is his dream business and you can tell in all of the little details.


behind the cashwrap is this well-stocked cooler of beers. wouldn't you like one of these in your pool room at home?


what a pretty use for an old keg. this is what you call a flowery beer.


the bar has this whole bike theme going on and we loved the custom light fixtures made out of bike frames.


here's a close up.

so on these hot days of summer, what better way to spend it than having great organic beers amongst friends over on powell? if you haven't checked it out yet, do it. one thing that i loved about it is even though it was pretty full that night, it's got a lot of seating so you're bound to get a good table.

we already can't wait to go back with friend's again soon.

hub is located at 2944 se powell blvd
503.232.4677

ahhh astoria

sorry for the lack of posts this week. i'm now unpacking from the big move and on vacation for the week. however, i'm needing a little break so tomorrow the girl and the dogs and i are taking a drive out to the coast. i'm hoping we can stop for lunch in astoria at my favorite cafe, the cannery cafe.

what i love about the cannery cafe is it's right on the waterfront. the food is delicious and it's in my favorite sea side town, astoria.

ever since i was a little girl, astoria has been my favorite place on the oregon coast. there is just something about it's scandinavian charm. once my parents took me on the little trolley ride that talks about the history of the town and as hokey as it seemed, i really enjoyed it. there is such great history in the town and i can't wait to head out in the morning for another visit.

if you are passing through astoria, check out the cannery cafe at #1 6th st 503.325.8642

hawthorne i love you

when i decided i wanted to write a post about hawthorne, i started to look for images of the heart of hawthorne and came across this one and decided that it is perfect for my ode to hawthorne. i've driven past this mural on the side of a bookstore at about 31st and hawthorne for so many years and i've always had a fondness for it, particularly because it featured one of my favorite tormented authors, sylvia plath.

why am i writing an ode to hawthorne? because as of june 30th, i will no longer reside in my much loved portland neighborhood. it's funny to think about because i thought i would live out my days in this little "quarter". but alas things change and people move on. if not, we would never evolve, right?

it is decidedly so that i have outgrown my sweet pied a terre and before my poor landlord who lives below me kicks me out of the building due to late night, wine induced tromps up above, lucie jumping up and down all day, or a big dog howling every time someone walks by my window, i have decided it is best if i leave on good terms, that and the fact that i have an amazing guy who has an amazing daughter that i want to spend as much time as humanly possible with, and this means moving out to the country to be with them.

so how do i begin to pay tribute to my home of 11 years (i cheated on hawthorne for 1 year over on corbett and quickly came back)? i wouldn't even know where to begin but here are a few things that i will always look back on fondly...

standing outside of the bagdad theater in the pouring rain the first week i lived here wondering what in the heck i had done.

great times with raney down the street in her amazing apartment.

the reunion with my dear friend racheal at the cup and saucer cafe.

hanging at the barley mill with raney, kelly, tim and marin, amanda and frank, and jessie and vince.

st. patrick's day at biddy mcgraw's.

working sunday nights at the italian joint (rip).

countless birthdays at the bombay cricket club with kjirsten and megan.

my favorite safeway and the sweet people that work there, as well as the springtime drycleaners whose owner worries about me if i forget to come pick up my drycleaning (granted i leave it there a ridiculously long time).

and there are so, so many more things i love about my neighborhood that i won't bore you to death with but will always cherish, yes, i have had some good times on hawthorne!

and by the way, i am having a huge moving sale this sunday the 27th so come on over, buy some crap so i don't have to move it, or you can just say hi! (12th ave two blocks south of hawthorne).

in the words of sylvia plath (or gwyneth paltrow playing sylvia) my life in hawthorne has been a "pot boiler", and yes, i will always be a hawthorne girl!

image from todd mecklem
mural by jane brewster

i want my maple bacon bar...

i feel like i've been on a whirl-wind tour myself. things have been pretty busy here in p-town and i'm not sure when the end will be in sight.

between packing, moving, catching whatever music i can and oh yeah, working, i've been pretty busy the last few weeks. i caught the psychedelic furs show last night which brought me back to my teen age years and then this week i'm just gearing up for a visit from one of my dear friends, finish moving, have a yard sale and host one last soiree in my much loved hawthorne apartment. whew!

luckily, with all of this mayhem, there has been some fun mixed in there to keep me going and tonight is one of those nights...i'm going to see anthony bourdain at the bagdad theater.

i have wanted to see him the previous times he came through portland but could never get it together to make it happen. so a big thank you to my friend joel for taking charge and getting us tickets.

he will be reading from his latest book medium raw which will definitely be on my summer reading list.

let's just hope he gets his voodoo maple bacon bar before the show so he isn't pissed off!

the bagdad theater is at 3702 se hawthorne 503.236.9234

ccccold!

what the heck is going on with the weather up here? this reminds me of the famous mark twain quote "the coldest winter i ever saw was the summer i spent in san francisco (sub portland)."

you know, we only tolerate the crappy weather all year because our summers are so beautiful that it makes it all worth it. i can't help but feel a little short changed.

i'm moving this weekend so cross your fingers it doesn't rain as much as the forecast says it will. oh rain rain go away!

i can't believe i forgot to mention...

that the band that is opening for the brian jonestown massacre is really amazing.

if you are a fan of the spaghetti western, or the sadies and have never seen federale, it is worth it to check them out tomorrow. they play around portland pretty regularly too, though.

dig it!

have you ever seen the movie dig! about the dandy warhols and the brian jonestown massacre? well you should.

i was not really a fan of the local portland band, the dandy warhols, but after seeing the film, i have a new appreciation for them as they seemed to carve out a niche for their sound and worked very hard.

the film follows their relationship with the band the brian jonestown massacre and their "friendly" competition with this band. i checked out the music of brian jonestown after seeing the film and i really liked it. i'm not so sure of their new stuff (there is a constant rotation of bandmates). lorenzo really wanted to go see them, just to check them out, i on the other hand, think i will pass since it's a work night and wait for his report back.

whether you like either band or not, i highly recommend the film dig! for it's character study of the respective musicians.

the brian jonestown massacre is playing tomorrow night at the crystal ballroom.