good morning!  how exciting to have so many new people here today…thanks for stopping by!  for my regular readers, i hope you’ll take a minute (okay, five…it’s a long piece) to check out my portland design guide over at design*sponge today.  i was beyond excited to put this together for grace – i’ve been dying to share my favorite spots in PDX ever since i moved back last year, and can’t imagine a better way to have been able to do it.

for those of you who wandered over from design*sponge, welcome!  i’m so happy to meet you.  i hope you’ll take a few moments to look around, make yourself at home, and discover something new to covet.

today, i thought i’d show you a few of my favorite finds from some of the local shops i featured in the design*sponge guide.  fortunately, most of my top picks for portland retail have online shopping…so you don’t have to wait until you visit to indulge.

that winking owl paperweight has been calling my name since i first visited canoe.  i have no need for an actual paperweight…but there’s something about this one i just can’t resist.

while i’m not much of a soft-boiled egg eater, i have a feeling that fun little alessi egg cup from hive (see the blue fellow, holding a spoon?) could convert me.  his cap is actually a salt shaker.  you take it off, put the egg in the man’s head, and dive in.  i’ve largely overcome the ‘cutesy’ decor affliction in my life…except my kitchen, where i’m a huge fan of kitsch!

ever since the shop owner at elsa + sam showed me that creamer/sugar combo pitcher by tonfisk, i haven’t been able to get it out of my mind.  i’m pretty sure it’s the ultimate wedding (or housewarming) gift for just about anyone…and i wouldn’t mind having one for myself as well.  that clever little sugar bowl actually sits inside the pitcher, and manages to stay upright even when the cream is being poured out.  fantastic!

i hope everyone’s enjoying their little taste of portland today, and i’m looking forward to seeing all of these new faces around a lot more!