Yesterday, in need of a dress for A Very Awesome Occasion (which I will tell you about when I'm not afraid of jinxing it!), I took the advice of a fashionable friend (thank you Cyndi Koon!) and tried Radish Underground in downtown Portland. They're known for carrying local designers -- Portland has a cool design scene that's unfussy and down-to-earth (and, you know, like, affordable, for the most part) -- and I like the idea of that, but didn't know what to expect.
Well. I loved everything in there, and had a heck of a time choosing between two awesome black dresses with just the right mix of cool-elegant-but-funky-simple-but-not-too-simple. Ended up getting one designed by Bryce Black, one of Portland's many winners of Project Runway (I think there are now four winners from Portland!) and true to what I said before, for a limited edition unique dress, it was crazy affordble. I love you, Portland!
I will show you the dress when I post pics of The Very Awesome Event, which is on Monday in New York. I am so spastically excited!!!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!! Major fangirl swoony EEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!! :-)
Around Radish Underground are other very cool boutiques, like Tender Loving Empire, next door:
... where I found some excellent stocking stuffers.
And Woonwinkel at the corner, a home goods shop with great gifties, where I found a couple of special things for Clementine that I'm sure I will not see in any other store.
As I love independent bookstores, so too do I love independent retailers of all sorts, and Portland is a rich place for them. Had a hair appointment across the river after this little shopping endeavor (girly day!) and was able to stop in at a top fave Portland shop, Frock, on Alberta.
It's small and adorable, and any time I go in there I find a dozen things I want without even blinking. Dresses, jewelry, hats, thingies. A lot of local designers here too but not only. It's dangerous. Back slowly away. Got a couple cute things for my niece. Yay!
And today is Crafty Wonderland, the big holiday craft sale of amazingness at the Convention Center! Will hopefully finish the Christmas shopping there.
Love :-)
How's your shopping going?