Reading Frenzy is participating in Little Boxes this year! Little Boxes is a shop local initiative that rewards customers with discounts and chances to win prizes, it's also a great excuse to explore the city and visit new places. Come on by from 10am-7pm this Friday and Saturday, pick up your map, and start shopping! At every shop you visit you can enter the raffle, and if you make a purchase you get a stamp on your map that will entitle you to a 10% discount at the next participating shop you visit!
This year's Little Boxes event includes 170 of Portland's best independent retail shops across the entire city and every major shopping district. Download the map and game board here or pick up a paper copy in any participating business to start planning your route now!
Here are some of our favorite places by neighborhood:
DOWNTOWN/WEST END:
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Reading Frenzy (921 SW Oak St.) Get a sneak peek at some of the items we'll be featuring in our 17th Annual affordable art show -- HOMESPUN!
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Tender Loving Empire (412 SW 10th Ave.) Most covetable: Sailboat Automata -- turn the crank to float your boat!
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Radish Underground (414 SW 10th Ave.) Most covetable: leather studded -- rhinestones or studs -- cuffs and reconstructed sweaters!
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Crafty Wonderland (808 SW 10th Ave.) Most covetable: Olbapi! stuffed animals! These heirloom critters are made with vivid cotton print fabrics and recycled stuffing with felt and embroidered details.
PEARL DISTRICT
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Eden (221 NW 11th Ave.) The visionary shopkeeper behind Flutter opened this Pearl District treasure trove last year!
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Cargo (380 NW 13th Ave.) I love getting lost in Cargo and always find a pile of treasures I can't live without! A mix of vintage and new imported goods, a lovely selection of books, and a lovely selection jewelry.
NORTH PORTLAND
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She Bop (909 N Beech St.) Every town needs a "female friendly sex toy boutique"!
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Black Wagon (3964 N Mississippi Ave.) Cool kids clothes, books, toys, and art!
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Flutter (3948 N Mississippi Ave.) A wonderland of vintage and new housewares, jewelry, paper goods, perfumes, and clothing!
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Pistils Nursery (3811 N Mississippi Ave.) The sweetest little shop where you can learn how to make your own terrariums or just pet a chicken!
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Icon Tattoo (149 N Russell Ave.) These lovely ladies won our hearts at our Game of Thrones fan art show! Beautiful work!
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Queen Bee (3961 N Williams Ave.) Cool wallets, bags, and textiles made on site!
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Lark Press (3901 N Williams Ave.) Letterpress paper goods and other items -- good for special occasions and baby gifts!
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SpielWerk Toys (3808 N Williams Ave.) Waldorf inspired toys for imaginative play -- no batteries required!
SELLWOOD
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Star's Antique Mall (7027 SE Milwaukie Ave.) The biggest and the brightest!
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Sock Dreams (8005 SE 13th Ave.) Sock Dreams! Need I say more?
SOUTHEAST
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Mirador Community Store (2106 SE Division St.) Essentials for homemakers and homesteaders!
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Ex Libris (4185 SE Division St.) Everybody's favorite repurposed journal makers!
EAST BURNSIDE
- Redux (811 E Burnside St. #110) An explosion of handmade goods with a focus on jewelry and accessories!
Taking the Lane editor Elly Blue has invited two contributors, Katie Proctor and Kathleen Youell, to read their pieces from the latest issue for Print Fancy!
Taking the Lane is a quarterly bike journal exploring the psychology of biking with a feminist perspective. Covering such topics as sexuality, sense of place, body image, and-ooh la la-economics, Taking the Lane goes beyond the asphalt with stories of how biking shapes our very lives. Every issue is an eclectic and entertaining take on a central theme, as diverse as the bikes we ride. The latest installment, Childhood, features stories on cycling, childhood, and parenting, from the memory of running away from home by bike at age 7 to parents' stories of how they manage bicycling with kids of all ages. Some are funny, some are visionary, some are sad. It's hard not to notice the cargo bikes full of babies and diligent parents guiding their children to school on X-tra Cycles and training wheels these days. Childhood was inspired by the families that bike together, the kids who embrace two wheels, and memories of freedom and sparkly banana seats.
David Cooper, author/publisher of Drink Primer will be mixing mini Negronis while accompanied by a guest reader. He promises to have made everyone a Negroni (up to 50 people) by the time the 10 minute reading is done!
A straight forward and entertaining guide for the home bartender, Drink Primer contains 25 cheekily illustrated cocktail recipes from long time Portland bartender David Cooper. From the slinky Aviation to the reserved Pimm's Cup, this primer contains all the secrets to perfecting the perfect aperitifs or setting the stage for a (classy) all nighter. Full of lore and helpful hints, Drink Primer is sure to spice up your 5 o'clock!
Drink Primer is available for purchase here.
The semi-anonymous author of A Field Guide to the Aliens of Star Trek the Next Generation will join us for Print Fancy! to read from the final installment of the series.
Joshua Chapman, the (fictional) teenage author behind A Field Guide to the Aliens of Star Trek the Next Generation, loves Nine Inch Nails, cats, and Data. He hates his home, high school, and Counselor Troi. A Reading Frenzy favorite, Field Guide isn't just about Star Trek. Every review of a new life form carries the sub-text of Joshua's world view and troubling adolescent life. To him, the Enterprise represents a refuge from bullies and parental neglect. Hilarious and heartbreaking, every issue plots a new season and a new year for Joshua, documenting his journey from confused 11 year old to angry high school senior at odds with his future. A sensitive and insightful young man, Joshua has the ability to use science fiction as an allegory for real life, and makes some surprising insights on morality, sexism, and parenting. For his final installment Joshua combines seasons 6&7 in anticipation of graduating, and the lack of compelling aliens. Nonetheless, these seasons' episodes inspire Joshua to solve his own paradox.
All six issues of A Field Guide to the Aliens of Star Trek the Next Generation are available here.
Collective Tarot contributor and comic artist Annie Murphy joins us to talk about this unique project and maybe give an impromptu reading if we're lucky!
A labor of love imbued with the spirit of 20 artists, The Collective Tarot will help you divine meaning and define intention with wise words and insight. The accompanying booklet sheds light on the mystery of the cards to guide you on your journey. A hallowed tradition with a modern twist, this magical collaboration is the perfect antidote to rainy days and lost ways.
The Collective Tarot is available for purchase here.
Author, artist and musician, Lisa Schonberg joins us this evening to give a mini drumming demo!
The power to drum is in your hands! Lisa Schonberg of Kickball, Explode Into Colors, and STLS has been playing for 24 years, and with a steady hand shows the basics that make up a well-rounded drummer. From drum lexicography to drum fills and disco beats, Schonberg clearly builds upon the basics and demonstrates proper techniques with cute cartoons and lots of helpful tips. A fantastic introduction to drumming and music in general, The D.I.Y. Guide To Drums is an encouraging, easy to read, and comprehensive guide to the kick-ass art of drumming!
The D.I.Y. Guide To Drums is available for purchase here.
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