Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Betsy & Iya: a NW Jewelry Shop

You know those days when your laundry piles up like Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out? (Please tell me you get the Shel Silverstein ref). That means a trip to ye old laundromat and mine of choice is The Missing Sock on NW Thurman because I figure my chances of getting contact scabies are less than average in Nob Hill.
While waiting for the rinse cycle to finish spinning, I wandered down to this twee little jewelry shop located at 2403 NW Thurman St.
Rope-cuff bracelets, hand-hammered rings, necklaces and earrings made of tarnished brass or painted bronze, etched and oxidized, create gorgeous one-of-a-kind pieces. I practically had kittens. It's one of those places where you just keep pointing to trinkets, saying to no one in particular, "I want thaaat. And thaaat. Oh! And thaat." 

The sh*t show that was: Isabel Marant for H&M

My sister Lee asked me to go to the Portland downtown H&M for the much-anticipated Isabel Marant collection which came out Thursday, November 14th. She has her own big time fashion production company in NYC and knew everything was sold out in Manhattan and already up on ebay at skyrocketing prices. I said, sure!






I sped on down early Friday afternoon avoiding Tween-Hour, confidently believing I'd find all two of her requested pieces and the much coveted fringe boots she said she'd buy me for my birthday.


Where the f*ck was it all? I asked the salesperson where was the Isabel Marant section? Stifling a chortle, she walked me over to a lone dress there on a hanger all by itself, the last runt of the litter, a size 12 metallic dress with a cutout back. Then she said, which I could've kissed her full on the mouth for, "You're kind of petite, maybe try the kids section??"
My face showed a case of the sads, which prompted her to add, "There was a line Wednesday night at midnight. People camped. We sold $40K and all but the one piece in the first two hours of the store opening." I texted my sister the bad news and she had this to say:
I love the part, "Jesus. Who knew pp in portland know about isabel marant?"
We know, dear sister, we know.  
And we have excellent camping equipment.

Teeny Tiny Knuckle Rings!! Squeee!

As an Etsy addict -- I literally have to say out loud to myself in times of having a bad case of "the wants" to Not. Go. On. Etsy. I love to fall down it's well-edited shopping rabbit hole. I came across these wee rings while stalking my favorite fashion muse Daphne Guiness and her love of "kuckle rings" which she wears like this:
Which funneled me down to dainty little wire-like rings. I love the chevron pattern they create when you stack them. They're what my friend Autumn of Dulce Design would call, "Presh!"