first of all, i’m so sorry posting has been so lax this week.  i’ve been dealing with some of the craziest days i’ve had in, well, ever – including many, many hours at the emergency room with family.

all of the things i’ve found to love this week have a single connection:  my (new) home town.  sure, i gripe about the weather, the hippies and the notable lack of brand names, but there are definitely some perks.  specifically, the number of amazing local designers and artists that live here.  sure, some are a little crunchy granola for my taste, but i think you’ll find each one of these picks in nothing but the very best of taste.

a friend turned me on to these wool scarves by native(x), which i’m thoroughly enchanted by.  though the “upcycling” movement is so not my bag, i do sort of love that these are made from old pendleton blankets.  each one’s handmade, and no two are alike, but i love the touch of old-school pattern on this scarf for an otherwise preppy ensemble.  oh, and they’re dirt cheap at around $25.  i have a feeling you’ll be seeing these from me again in our gift guides, but i couldn’t resist a sneak peek.

the very talented kim sly of albie design emailed me this week to let me know about her lovely city-inspired art prints, and i was thrilled to tell her i’d spotted them before on one of my marathon etsy trolls.  i absolutely love her style, and the artist is sweet as can be, which is always a big perk.  she has all sorts of city designs to choose from, but i’m still torn between wanting the portland edition and the san francisco edition.  maybe a diptych is in order…

these little morse code necklaces from coatt ($36) popped up on my radar because a local boutique i adore was having a trunk show for the designer this week (she was also featured over at a cup of jo, the lucky girl!).  i loved these even before i knew the designer was in portland, which is always a good sign.  you see, these clever necklaces are in morse code, readers!  with beads for dots, and links for dashes, they spell out any number of cheerful words and phrases – “i love you”, “mom”, “peace”, and so on – or you can customize and make it all your own (a secret pet name between loves, perhaps?).

and last but not least, in case you’re wondering what else i’m up to these days, i’ve been writing a little fashion column for a local site called neighborhood notes.  it’s very focused on portland designers, so my job can be a bit tricky at times.  but i’m trying to find the best of the best in a town famous for fleece, so you understand the challenge.  in any event, if you’re curious about portland-made coats or party dresses, you might enjoy a little trip over here.  for what it’s worth, i especially love these made-to-measure coats by local designer adam arnold – definitely splurge-y, but can you imagine how divine it would be to walk around in a coat that was custom made for you?  i know.

that’s it for today, dear readers.  have a wonderful weekend…i’ll be trying to simultaneously wind down from this week’s crazy and prep for my entire family to descend next week for thanksgiving.  wish me luck!

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