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Best of Portland: Local Bloggers

March 17, 2010 by Katerina | Comments (3)

They’ve all got something to say, whether about fashion, travel, business, or writing itself! Make sure you don’t sleep on some of the savviest and resourceful female bloggers, right from the Portland community!

The Neat Sheet
Produced by writer/editor Karen Vitt, The Neat Sheet is designed as a local shopping and fashion news “blogazine,” providing stylish Portland women a trustworthy, comprehensive and advertorial-free daily hot list of NEAT things to buy, wear, try and do in Portland and beyond! Karen has covered fashion, shopping, style and culture in her hometown of Portland for more than 10 years, writing for print and web publications including Lucky Magazine, The Oregonian, Willamette Week, Women’s Wire (iVillage), Oregon Bride and many others.

Chic Steals
Check out Chic Steals for daily advice on how to look like a million bucks, without actually doing so. Shoes, dresses, accessories, fashion shows and more, writer Carly covers it all. On Chic Steals, expect to find dead-on look alikes of runway styles for a much more favorable price!

Ann Schilling
As many of us are small business owners and entrepreneurs, we are all faced with the need to master social media marketing and SEO. Ann Schilling, an SEO and Social Media Marketing Consultant, gives advice on these topics through her blog, as well on developing small businesses in general. She has been a practicing Senior Technical Writer, Writer, Poet and Travel Writer for over 12 years. Ann continues to write and has recently fallen in love with creating videos as well. Check out her blog here.

Shopping’s My Cardio
A daily guide dedicated to making life a little more stylish. Whether they’re talking fashion, trends, beauty, home design, reading or random finds, it’s always about what’s beautiful, chic or just fun to have in your life! Editor and founder Becki Singer is a reformed attorney and devoted fashion addict currently living in Portland. She’s written for other publications such as Diablo magazine, Oregon Home, The Daily Obsession, Mankind Magazine, Luxaholics, Design Sponge, and more!

Golden Wordsmith
Kerri Buckley is a freelance writer, poet and artist. She has written articles for numerous publications, including The Oregonian,Portland Family Magazine, and Rochester Woman. Kerri had also been writing weekly columns on art, culture, weddings, beauty and dining for Meredith’s (FOX TV) online city newspaper at LivePDX.com, the Portland Lit Club. Additionally, she hosts and produces the Literary Cafe Radio Show through prx.org. Clearly, Kerri has something to say and many people like to hear it.

She had been recognized for her literary skills this past November when she was awarded first place for poetry in the Inland Empire California Writer’s Club’s (IECWC) Annual Poetry Contest for her poem, “The Man from San Jose.” Her website includes a blog and collection of her writings, whether poems or essays. Kerri also teaches writing classes around Portland. For those of who enjoy using words like paints to create a vision, Kerri is an excellent resource for inspiration and technique!

The Proprietress
Kate Fulford provides inspiration and retail knowledge for the savvy entrepreneur. A former boutique owner in San Francisco, Kate moved to Portland and blogs as The Proprietress, providing other boutique owners with resources and suggestions for creating a wonderful shopping experience for their customers.

Ruba
Writer Erin is a community manager for Ruba, a virtual travel and tour review site. She is constantly updating about hot spots in the U.S., abroad, and all kinds of fun-facts that will help you find a new adventure, whether it’s a new city, mountain or restaurant.

Written by Katerina & Cecilia.

Best of Portland: Best Places for Inner Peace

March 10, 2010 by Katerina | Comments (0)

Good afternoon, Portland! For most of us, it’s another exciting, but busy day with meetings and deadlines … but don’t forget to take a breather at some point. There are many unique spots in Portland that would help to revitalize! Take a look.

Aequis Spa
422 NW 13th Ave.
(503) 223-7847

Founded by Megan Klein in 2000, Aequis Spa began as a mere idea with a small hot tub, and expanded to an all-encompassing health and relaxation spa in the Pearl. Megan has grown into what seems to be a master of her field, having gained a variety of experiences through Tony Robbins’ spa, Namale Spa, in Fiji, and is regularly being recruited for new projects. “Every guest of Aequis is honored as a sacred individual.” This draws out their approach to each client and the quality of their services. Aequis is not just a business; it is a sanctuary and a refuge in the heart of the city. In contrast to other spas, Aequis provides unique, rare offerings, including various world therapies and wellness rituals, hand and foot ‘cures,’ couple’s retreat, and special events, along with intricate massage rituals, including ayurveda, facials and beauty care. Aequis has continuously won awards of “Best Spa,” “Best Facial,” and “Best Massage” over the years. Check out their website for full listings and details.

The DragonTree: A Holistic Day Spa
2768 NW Thurman Street
(503) 221-4123

Described as small and warm, DragonTree compliments other local spas nicely. Founded by Briana Borten in 2003, DragonTree is interesting in how it focuses not on any one given visit, but on your overall journey towards balance and rejuvenation, and serves as a resource for tools and education in self-maintenance and healing techniques. So you will get more than a massage or a facial; you will walk out with ways to continue your journey towards wellness independently. DragonTree provides a variety of services ranging from skin care and waxing to massages, acupuncture, spas and ayurveda.

Bagby Hot Springs
Estacada, OR

Don’t forget to take advantage of Oregon’s natural wonders as well as our local businesses! We are lucky to live in the midst of mountains, rivers, forests and…. hot tubs? Yup! Check out Bagby Hot Springs in Estacada, OR. You’ll drive through green valleys and scenic views of Mount Hood, park your car, take an easy 3-mile hike past a 50 foot waterfall, and reach a cabin with hollowed-out cedar logs serving as 8-foot-long bathtubs. It’s open all year. Best part? It’s cheap! There is a Northwest Forest Pass fee of $5, or $30 per season.

Best of Portland: Home Organization

February 24, 2010 by Katerina | Comments (0)

The days are getting longer and the air is finally getting warmer, which means it’s time for Spring Cleaning. This is a good thing, since the piles of mail and magazines, cluttered closet space, and a limitless amount of other junk have accumulated beyond what is acceptable. We have researched some great local resources for organizing your life and the space you live in! Take a look:

Home Ec.
3327 SE Hawthorne
Home Ec. vintage housewares and furnishings store offers a diverse range of house-hold products, including kitchenware, furniture, appliances, art, pin-ups, vintage iron-ons, records, barware, and miscellanous useful items (or useless, but pleasing to the home, nonetheless– it’s all relative, right?) from the 50′s – 70′s. Home Ec. was rated the #1 antique/home furnishing store in the Portland area on Citysearch.com for three consecutive years, and has been featured on Fox Channel 12′s “Good Day Lifestyles ,”as well as Channel 2′s “AM Northwest.” Publications have also printed articles featuring Home Ec., including Small Business Journal, The Oregonian, Willamette Week, Portlandpicks.com and the Portland Mercury. Make sure you don’t sleep on this timeless shop that has been raved about!

Organize in Style / The Shebang
Krista Colvin, Owner
Household organization is more than choosing the right storage shelves, filing cabinets, post-its, and knife collection; it requires strategy, tact, and vision. That’s where Krista Colvin steps in. Krista Colvin is the Lifestyle Expert for AM Northwest, creator of The Shebang–the smart woman’s guide to doing it all. She runs her home, office, and she’ll help run yours, too! Follow her blog, to tune into monthly projects, weekly to-do lists, featured guest experts, and various tools and tactics on how to organize your life and the space you live in.

The Rebuilding Center
3625 N. Mississippi
If you’re undertaking a more rigorous and ambitious home organization project, such as remodeling the office or repairing that door that you’ve been meaning to fix for the past 7 months, you should look into the ReBuilding Center. Founded by volunteers in 1998, The ReBuilding Center carries the region’s largest volume of used building and remodeling materials. It provides resources that make home repairs affordable to everyone, with the goal of promoting the reuse of salvaged and reclaimed materials. Three hundred visitors come to The ReBuilding Center every day to browse the ever-changing inventory that includes sinks, tubs, tile, lumber, doors, windows, trim and much more. Other services include free pick-up, classes and workshops on how to safely work with used building materials, and volunteer opportunities. The Center has been a winner of the Oregon Ethics in Business Award, Oregon Entrepreneurs Forum Award, and The City of Portland’s “BEST Business Award.”

Interview with Donna Oefinger of Center Space Studio

January 22, 2010 by Katerina | Comments (0)

Donna Oefinger, owner of Center Space Studio in southeast Portland, teaches Afro-Cuban, Afro-Brazilian, and Samba dance. She also practices cranio sacral therapy, bio-dynamic therapy, and is the artistic director of Axe Dide Music and Dance Company. Meeting Donna, she seems to be the emblem of wellness– fit, beautiful, timeless AND she can put it down to any beat…. the wilder the drums, the better, however. We wanted to hear her story as an entrepreneur, dancer, teacher, student, therapist… you name it, she does it!

What is dance for you?
It’s a way to investigate the self, especially with Cuban dance because it requires one to embody different archetypes and forces of nature that want to be expressed inside one’s self. It’s a great tool for recognizing different aspects of myself, ranging from the different elements like water and fire, to emotions like rage and pure joy. And dance has a social aspect that is crucial because it brings people together from all walks of life and serves as a form of communication that extends beyond the verbal realm. On a practical level, dance allows my body to stay limber and move energy in ways that it would not do so otherwise. For me, it’s not about staying in shape; it’s just therapeutic to the body.

Center Space Studio is described as a constantly evolving environment facilitating a variety of movement forms, Cranio Sacral Therapy, visual art, and performance. The studio is available for workshops, rehearsals and ongoing classes, as well as events and parties. Is there anything else you would have to add about what is Center Space?
What I didn’t know is that Center Space would create several different communities. It’s not every class where people actually meet each other and get to know one another. I didn’t know that it’d become a second home for some students.

Did you always want to own a dance studio?
Nope, it chose me!

So how did you get into dance in general?
Well I started dance at 11—tap, jazz and ballet—and then in college I joined a modern dance company. Shortly afterward, I became disenchanted by these styles (except for tap). I was exposed to Cuban dance at a one day workshop and immediately fell in love! I loved the relationship between the drums, the dance and the singing. I was hooked and traveled to Cuba eight months later for three weeks. I was living in D.C. at the time and couldn’t find any one of the culture to learn from. So I studied independently through watching videos and traveling. I was asked to teach Rumba in D.C., and when I moved back to Portland I was asked to teach as well. Eventually I was offered an opportunity to co-own a studio with a friend of mine and went from there.

How did you get into cranio-sacral therapy and other forms of therapy?
We chose each other… dance chose me but in this case, I’d say it was mutual! I had tried it out in 1999 and it changed my life in terms of clarity and overall wellness. I started to learn without any intention to study it seriously, but I did end up taking it seriously and find that doing this type of body work is a great balance for the external work I do in teaching dance. I never thought I would have progressed to being my teacher’s assistant.

What advice do you have for the younger baby boomers in living an active lifestyle?
Be active but go slow in your actions and in your mind. Be present. I know that sounds like such a cliché, but the slower we go, the more opportunity we have to be human and feel everything.

What do you mean by “go slow?”
To be mindful about getting on to the next. Take your time from one thing to the other.

For more information on Donna’s classes at Center Space, click here.

Express Yourself – Portland’s Best of Thank You Cards

November 11, 2009 by Katerina | Comments (0)

Have you ever walked into the standard grocery store, browsed through the greeting cards section in hopes of finding something decent with which you could express your gratitude, and instead found yourself deeply disappointed with the tacky designs and cliché messages that they offer? We have! So we’ve investigated the small local businesses that know their stuff when it comes to stationary good and accessories. Take a look!

Ecru Modern Stationer
Pearl District- 1215 NW 11th Ave
With over 10 years of experience in the business, LeAnn Dolan runs a charming boutique of stationary goods that will leave you nostalgic for ways passed—finding a letter, a real handwritten letter, in the mailbox, stamped and sealed, recording your thoughts in an intricately designed journal, or recording your memories in old-school scrap books and photo albums … whatever it is, Ecru Modern Stationer has got you covered.

Presents of Mind
3633 SE Hawthorne Blvd
Another gem in the stationary business, Presents of Mind was founded by Cinnamon Chaser back in 1989, and has been passed on since to her daughter and partner, Seasons. As she explains on her website, “our goal is to enhance people’s lives by offering high quality, fun, affordable goods for diverse and progressive social expression while providing quality service.” Many of their products come from local artists and range from creative stationary goods to jewelry, handbags, clothing and much more!

Greg’s
3707 SE Hawthorne Blvd
Also located in the Hawthorne district, Greg’s provides beautiful and colorful options for cards, stationery, random gifts and home décor that are anything but typical. Whether it’s tasteful greeting cards, vintage clocks, or goofy handbags shaped like chickens, you can count on finding something at Greg’s that you will not find anywhere else. Greg’s also uses the work of many local artists. Take a walk through Hawthorne and check them out on a lazy Sunday afternoon!

Keep Your Muscles Moving This Season – Best of Portland’s Indoor Fitness

October 28, 2009 by Katerina | Comments (0)

Fall is officially here and we all know how it goes: first comes the cold wind and the ceaseless rain soon follows. There’s absolutely no way you’re getting away from your blanket and hot mug of cocoa. Not to mention the series of back-to-back holidays that arrive with a plethora of reasons to enjoy delicious (but not-so-nutritious) dishes, desserts, drinks … the list of bad habits and guilty indulgences goes on and on.

Well, this may be the case for some, but not you! CRAVE has investigated the best indoor fitness resources around town for energy-boosting, calorie-burning, muscle-toning activities that will get you moving and sweating! Most places offer free trials so you can feel them out and find what best suits you! Just check their websites for details. Here is what we’ve found:

NW Personal Training
2714 NE Broadway, Portland, OR 97232 • Twitter • Facebook
Whether you’re looking for group classes or personal training, the team at NW Personal Training will keep you warmed up during this winter season and get you looking great by summer time. This gym has programs for all levels and at all times of day, so you can design a routine regardless of your schedule. Check out their website and sign up for great freebies like fitness newsletters and their 6-week training manual.

Portland Team Fitness
3500 NE MLK & Fremont
Portland Team Fitness offers a unique medley of classes, such as their Holiday Hustle program that is designed to work you through the winter season and comes at a discounted seasonal price! They also provide adventure trips such as camping, hiking, rafting, surfing, etc. It just depends on the day and place, and they are always open to your suggestions! Sign up now and join their trip to Kuau’i in 2010!

Yoga Pearl
925 NW Davis Street
This studio right in the heart of the Pearl offers a great variety of yoga styles, inlcuding vinyasa & power vinyasa, yin, ashtanga & mysore, yoga basics, prenatal hatha fusion, meditation and pilates. Check out their introductory special of unlimited passes for the first 2 weeks only for $20! They consistently bring in yoga specialists for additional workshops and offer yoga retreats for focused immersion in specialized practices, such as meditation or specific styles of yoga.

Core Power Yoga
2277 NW 23rd & NW Quimby and 
844 SE Morrison Street • Twitter • Facebook
Workout in a sauna? Core Power does it all. Specializing in hot yoga (room temperatures range from 80-100 degrees F depending on the level), Core Power is the perfect escape from the winter’s cold. Performing under high levels of heat not only sweats out all the toxins and allows you to stretch deeper into the muscles than ever before, but it also catalyzes greater fat-burn! Styles include power vinyasa, pilates, hotpower fusion and yoga sculpt.

Julie Lawrence Yoga Center
1020 SW Taylor St., Suite 780 (On Taylor between 10th & 11th)
Julie Lawrence is one of few places offering Iyengar yoga, which is appraised for its emphasis on joint alignment– a common culprit in injuries and muscular aches. While most studios allow for drop-ins, this studio runs by terms. This can be beneficial as it has a concrete curriculum designed to move you forward as time goes on. They also provide specialized workshops throughout the year and offer 5-day retreats.

West African Dance – Matt Dishman Community Center
77 NE Knott Street (Off MLK Blvd)
Try this 90-minute, traditional West African dance! The live drummers don’t stop, and neither do you, keeping your heart rate up the entire time!  Improve your health and sense of rhythm all at once. All levels are welcome, and you have the option to drop-in or to purchase a series of classes for the entire season.

Ghanaian Dance – Center Space
420 SE 6th Avenue
Similar to the dance style taught at Matt Dishman, but specific to Ghana, this high energy dance makes for a great cardio workout while toning major muscle groups and breaking a good sweat. Only $5 for a 1-hour class!