If your resolution has to do with losing weight, you may be holding off on buying any more clothes till you reach your goal. Very admirable, but also difficult. Sometimes a new little something stylish to wear gives you the extra boost to keep on trying. Do you know what always fits, no matter what your current weight? A hat! Hats, like shoes are one of those wonderful fashion staples that you can wear for years, regardless of your changing waistline. They also are handy for keeping your head warm!

Lucky for you, this Thrifty Thursday is all about hats! That’s right this Thursday January 19th all our awesome men’s & women’s hats will be 25% off!!

This is just a sampling of our large selection of stylish hats for men & women, you are sure to find one that fits you just right. This Thursday you can find that “just right” hat for 25% off! This is a one day sale, so don’t miss it!

See you this Thursday January 19th for this Hat-tastic Thrifty Thursday!

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It’s a new year & we’re filled with inspiration & hope for the year ahead, we hope you are too!

The holidays are a great time for a little personal splurge. You never get all the wonderful goodies you fall in love with while you’re busy trying to get someone else’s perfect gift. Now maybe it’s time to get something you’ve been wishing for, for yourself. If you are a parent of a little one, you carry your diaper bag EVERYWHERE. If you are carrying something that much & for that long, it better be awesome. Petunia Pickle Bottom Baby Bags are awesome, in fact they are the most awesome of any baby bags we have ever found in 22 years of business. As you may have guessed since they are the most awesome, they are not our least expensive baby bags.

But Today, Thursday January 5th all our Petunia Pickle Bottom Baby & Travel bags are 25% OFF!

We have nearly the entire Petunia Pickle Bottom Bag Line & it’s all 25% off today only!

Open 10-7pm

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It’s the 2nd annual Hawthorne Holiday Stroll! What is the Hawthorne Holiday Stroll you ask? Well, we’ll tell you!

On Saturday December 10th from 12-7pm (We will be open 10-9pm) Hawthorne will come alive with family activities, sales, live music, free movies etc… Many of your favorite stores will be running promotions, giving out treats and staying open late for the event. The participating businesses (like us) will be donating a percentage of their sales from the evening to Fish Emergency Services and raffling off a wreath stocked with free products, gift certificates, etc… We and many others will have sales running during the event too! All you have to do is come shop at one of the participating stores and get a raffle ticket for their wreath, then they pull a name and one lucky shopper gets a beautiful wreath and all the prizes with it! The wreaths will be displayed so you know who is participating & what their wreath has to offer. Our wreath came out wonderful & has goodies & a gift certificate for a total value of $300!!

Come shop with us December 10th for a chance to win our beautiful wreath worth $300, get 20% off all your purchases & help a great cause!! We’ll be taking your raffle tickets (free with purchase), and running our 20% off sale all the way till 9pm!!

For more info on The Hawthorne Holiday Stroll go to: The Think Hawthorne website

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This November 12th & 13th we are having our 22nd Anniversary Holiday Open House!!

Who doesn’t love a party? Especially one with prizes! Every year the second weekend of November we have our Holiday Open House & Anniversary party! We work diligently from the beginning of November right up until party time to turn our store into a holiday wonderland.

What kind of party would it be without a weekend holiday sale? On Saturday and Sunday we have select items on sale for 22% off. 22 to celebrate 22 years of being in business.

Saturday, November 12th, look for all our clothing and accessories on sale for 22% off the retail price.

Come by on Sunday, November 13th, for jewelry all on sale for 22% off

All our ornaments, holiday wrap, menorahs, boxed holiday cards, decorations & other holiday treats will be out before the big event.

We have stocked up on our unparalleled gift selection for easy holiday gift shopping. Many of our lines we will only get one order of this season, when they’re gone, they’re gone. Yet another reason to get your shopping done early, and relax while everyone else is fighting the crowds in December.

Our Open House is tons of fun! We do a prize walk several times an hour where we give out awesome prizes! We also have refreshments & free balloons for the kids!

Our Holiday Open House is November 12th & 13th from 12pm-5pm. We will be open our normal hours of 10am-7pm both days. If you can’t face the holidays till December but still want to avoid our holiday crowds, you will be happy to know starting December 1st we stay open till 9pm Mon-Sat through the 23rd. Evening & morning hours of shopping are always less crowded, and therefore more pleasant. We hope you all can make it to our party, we promise you’ll have a great time!!

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Seasons K. Designs started as an effort by Presents of Mind owner Seasons Koll (in other words me) to create what was missing from the local Portland market place. While we have carried locally designed shirts for a long time, it was hard to find shirts that really showed Portland pride. Local companies like Little Lark gave us some of our Portland loves as tees and onesies with images of  bikes, trees, birds etc… Our local product seeking Portland customers and visitors were all hoping to find more Portland in their Tees and Onesies. So, the “Made in Portland” onesie was born. With log letter script it says Portland in text and spirit. It’s still the top seller.

Due to the success of the Made in Portland onesie, a made in Oregon onesie was added & new styles of Portland Tee’s were created for Men, Women & babies, and so it grew…

Having a high volume store with a highly discerning clientele in a super cool city is a great way to find out what the public is craving. So many times it takes companies far longer to catch on to what customers are looking for in the stores.  Art nouveau, Contemporary Gothic, and Nautical are all under represented themes in the marketplace. I knew I would want to buy them anyway, I hoped customers would agree. So, I started designing a few art tees with themes such as Ravens, Octopus and Art nouveau images.

Of course I knew our Presents of Mind customers still loved Deer and Birds as much as I did so I designed some sweet pieces for women and babies.

The latest development is the use of my own photography in my art tees. Photography has been a passion of mine but I wasn’t sure how I wanted to use my images. I have loved taking photos for this blog and the Presents of Mind Facebook page. I really wanted to use them in another art form. I started looking at the photos as possible shirt designs, and it made perfect sense. This has been the most fun to work with. Photoshop is a temperamental mistress, but worth the effort.

My most recent development has been skirts, and I couldn’t be more excited. These jersey Pencil Skirts are super comfortable & look HOT! They are my new favorite piece in my own wardrobe & a perfect alternative to skinny jeans. The skirts come in some of my best selling art nouveau & photography themed graphics & are already a best seller. They have a very “body friendly” 4″ spandex waistban & hit right at the knee. They can even be worn as a tube top!

What started out as fulfilling customers requests in my store has turned into a very extensive T-Shirt line and a previously undiscovered passion for clothing design has been born out of it. I have already started sketching dress and blouse designs that will be cut and sewn with screenprint graphics. I am designing them to be flattering to a wide range of women’s bodies. Originally the Seasons K. Designs line had been exclusive to Presents of Mind. The line is now available at other stores here in Portland, a few stores scattered around the US & even a store in Canada!  You can also order tees on the Presents of Mind website, or on my Etsy page.

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Seasons Koll & Cinnamon Chaser

Seasons K. Designs Clothing & Art

Artwork by Cinnamon Chaser

We have attended many of the Crafty Wonderland shows looking for new vendors and gifts for our staff, friends and of course ourselves. It was a change of pace for me especially, to be on the other side of the table. It was fun and exciting to show my work in this way and to get the feedback of the attendees. It was also really great to be surrounded by so many artists we carry in the store and that I interact with on a regular basis. As most of you know Presents of Mind is famous for carrying local designers and many of our favorites show their work at Crafty Wonderland. Here are some of the wonderfully talented artists we carry at Presents of Mind showing their creations.

Heidi Cain creator of Passion Flower

Passion Flower is one of our favorite jewelry lines! We have been carrying Heidi Cain’s line of shrinky dink jewelry creations for quite some time now and are always surprised by how innovative and creative she is with her line. Every time we see her she has a whole new set of designs each even more awesome than the last, she even started doing wire wrapping and using stones in her work. She had a stunning display set up at Crafty this year using drift wood and her very clever handmade jewelry racks.

Lauren Hay of Badge Bomb & One Inch Round

Portland landmarks made with Cardboard

We love fellow Crafty Wonderland sponsors One Inch Round & their sister company Badge Bomb! If you came to Crafty Wonderland and got a free button from us, they are the ones who made them. They do great custom buttons at unbeatable prices and they help design, produce, and distribute buttons for many talented artists from near and far. They have my favorite booth by far, it’s a cardboard Portland!! Portland landmarks made out of cardboard with trees & clouds = LOVE !

Jen Woffinden of JDUCT

Jen of JDUCT was showing her clever, contemporary and ever popular duct tape wallets & flasks at Crafty Wonderland. We have been carrying her wallets for a long time now but have been extra excited about the addition of flasks to her line! Jen has created some truly cool images using only duct tape and I for one am really impressed, seems customers are too, as JDUCT is hard to keep in stock.

Barbara Soule of B. Hive Designs

B. Hive Designs is a lovely clothing line for women & children made by the lovely and talented Barbaba Soule. Clean & contemporary designs with subtle tonal color pallets on beautiful clothing are the trademark of B. Hive designs. We have had the joy of carrying her line for some time now and are hard pressed to find more precious baby clothes or pretty women’s blouses made locally. She had a charming booth set up where all the clothing popped against a clean bright backdrop.

Betsy of Betsy & Iya

We LOVE Betsy!! Beth (Buyer for Presents of Mind) & I met Betsy some time ago when she was repping jewelry that other talented folks made, little did we know we would soon be buying her stunning creations. Betsy & Iya is a newer line for us and already a best seller! The scale, style and pricepoints have quickly won our customers and us over!

Diana of Moss

Moss is a newer line for us but we have already reordered these treasures a few times. Handmade by Diana Schreiber these miniature works of art take you back to a time when all jewelry was an heirloom carefully and painstakingly handcrafted with love. They all have the look and feel of some incredible vintage find, her grandmother thinks it’s funny that she does the kind of art she did when she was younger. We are so happy she learned and shares these incredible talents.

Nicole Cipriano of Cipriano Designs

Cipriano Designs wallets are a staff favorite , 1/2 the staff own one, including me (My favorite wallet ever!). Soft, durable, beautiful and incredibly well constructed they are the sort of wallets that just get better with some wear & age and yet look sophisticated at the same time. Her designs are unique, her leather is recycled and her work is impeccable, what more could you ask for? Her men’s wallets would make wonderful Father’s day gifts for that stylish dad in your life!

Katie Raetz of Burdy Fly Away

You may remember Katie from one of our earlier blog posts Ten Questions for Burdy Fly Away. Here with her oh so sweet hubby at their lovely Crafty Wonderland Booth. Her baby and women’s clothes are like no other. She creates contemporary bright clean designs using applique and hand dyed materials with amazing skill! We have seen a lot of applique but her work surpasses any we have ever seen.

Lindsay Jo Holms of Maple XO

We just recently stated carrying this awesome line using recycled skateboards and wrote a post about it just recently titled MapleXO in the House. Maple XO is one of the coolest lines ever and Lindsay is the cherry on top! Darling, spunky, talented and a little bit bad ass Lindsay is making super cool jewelry while saving the planet , what could be wrong with that?!? Her booth was great with old skateboard decks and other clever displays, very impressive all around.

Kori Guiduci of Flipside Hats & her adorable new little baby

We have been carrying Flipside hats for a couple years now and they just get cooler & cooler! Kori is a wonderfully talented ambitious woman taking reuse reduce recycle to another level. Her hats are made using recycled curtains, clothing etc… They are all reversible making them even that much cooler. The cut is flattering to anyone and she offers a wide range of sizes so even people with giant heads (like mine) can find a cute hat that fits. She tops it all off with applique, stitch or ribbon details for some truly stylish hats. Due to the limit of each fabric many if not most are one of a kinds. Not to mention her and her little family are about as cute & sweet as they come!

Kiersten Crowley

Kiersten Crowley jewelry

Kiersten Crowley blows my mind a little. She makes the most intricate sterling jewelry I have ever seen. Her pieces look small and simple but the closer you look the more stunning intricate little details you see. She mixes metals, stones and stunning metal smithing abilities to make jewelry that is everyday wearable while being exceptional.  Her booth at Crafty had the same feel as her creations clean, simple, classic & effortlessly cool.

Jackie Imdahl of Scrumptious Suds

Jackie Imdahl is the creator of Scrumptious Suds, the soaps that smells so tasty you want to eat them & make your skin feel just as yummy. With scents like Mojito, Cosmopolitan, Sweet Margarita, la Fée Verte~Absinthe, Memphis Sweet Tea,  Bebida de Primavera, & Almond Biscotti you are sure to smell tasty. I feel blissful well moisturized yummy smelling skin from luxurious bath products is essential, at least it should be. Jackie is a doll and a powerhouse herself running Handmade NW shows as well as her successful soap line!

Julz Nally of Handmade Julz

Julz Nally is an incredibly talented lady, designer & jewelry maker extraordinaire. We have carried her line Handmade Julz for some time now but when we found her line she wasn’t even living in Portland, yet. Her designs are bright, contemporary and fun. Placed under glass then wire wrapped with various wire colors making each piece a standout. She also uses her designs on art prints & magnets. She even started making coasters, that we can’t seem to keep on the shelves!

Elizabeth Soule

Elizabeth Soule is an incredibly talented photographer with dreamy wonderful images that mesmerize. We have carried her line of art prints and cards for a couple years now and they continue to captivate. Whatever animal we are drawn to she gives life and soft subtle beauty to. She was showing her stunning art on prints, cards and mounted on wood blocks at Crafty Wonderland and the whole booth was stunning.

Barb Burwell of Ciao Birdie

Barb Burwell of Ciao Birdie is an inspired designer with earthy graphic designs that have a style all their own. Well thought out collages with block print details. She continually finds new mediums for her designs including some of our favorite mini journals, buttons etc… We have been selling her cards for a couple years now and they continue to inspire.

JoAnn of Dolcetti Jewelry

Dolcetti Jewelry is a favorite craft show find of mine. JoAnn makes some truly lovely simple charming pieces of jewelry using sterling & stones. Really easy simple daily wear pieces and truly unique geodes, pearls, mixed stones & metals. Loved her Crafty Booth with her fantastic sign, and even over 8 months pregnant as sweet and darling as ever!

Teri Sprouse of 2Monkees

Teri Sprouse of 2Monkees is a creative powerhouse! Every time she brings her latest creations to Presents of Mind I am bowled over by how many new creations & designs she has. Wonderful hair accessories, belts, necklaces, rings etc…  with great graphics, vintage components and lovely craftsmanship.

Rachel Austin Artist Extraordinaire

Rachel Austin makes art that is easy to find a home for. Stunning color pallets, simple interesting designs and clean graphic images make her paintings delightful! I would love to have the wall space in Presents of Mind to give her the show she so richly deservers, but am also so pleased to carry her cards & jewelry. Her booth at Crafty Wonderland was a perfect showcase for her art and it was wonderful to get to see her larger pieces in person.

Scott McCarty of Locket 2 You

Scott & Miranda McCarty  are business Rockstars! Locket 2 You is the brilliant result of their creative and business firepower. They put everything into this wonderful idea, and I’m so happy they did. Vintage Locket meets graphic contemporary jewelry. While some designs are purely reminiscent of your grandmother’s locket with a vintage graphic others have contemporary graphics and imagery to fit every taste. The sentimental possibilities of a locket need no explanation and their lovely chains, beads, colors & graphics make it possible to make that gift far more personal. Brilliant.

Marie of Ripe Glass

Ripe Glass is a charming line of fused glass jewelry with lovely and unique imagery fused in. The color combinations & images are what really sets this line apart. We have carried Marie’s fused glass jewels for quite some time now, I found her work at another local craft show. The addition of earrings & new graphics made this line even more fantastic. Her booth like her work was charming, beautiful, clever & unique.

There were a few other vendors that we carry showing at Crafty Wonderland but with manning my own booth I regretfully didn’t get a chance to feature or snap photos of them all.

It was a wonderful experience and I look forward to sponsoring and participating in more local craft events.

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Come late February – early March most trees show signs of blooming, the Cherry blossoms are the first to pop. Just when you thought winter might go on forever these big pink and white blossoming trees line the streets of the city with gorgeous spring floral color. One of the best places for viewing these stunning trees is the Portland Japanese Garden where they are set amongst other lush green native Japanese plants and trees for a lovely contrast. The Portland Japanese Garden is stunning every time of year but there is something extra intoxicating about those soft blossoming trees in their tranquil gardens.

Another lovely place to see the Cherry Blossom trees is at Waterfront Park on the bank of the Willamette River in downtown Portland. Come early March between the Steel and Burnside bridges is a whole cluster of beautiful blooming Cherry Blossom trees. They are highly visible from the Eastbank Esplanade as well, and with the lovely days we often get in March a trip down the Esplanade is a great way to enjoy those first nice days of the year.

Aside from the Cherry Blossom Trees there are also Daphne, Rhododendrons and Magnolia Trees blooming throughout the city this month with beautiful bright blooms. The Crystal Springs Rhododendrons garden is terminally crowded around Mother’s Day but is quite and serene this time of year, perfect to see all the new buds breaking through.

Our Portland Spring comes to a close all to soon so I suggest taking advantage of the lovely weather we have been having and get out to enjoy the foliage!

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♥ 5% of our sales from today Monday 21st-Sunday 27th will be donated to Mercy Corps for Japan relief. ♥

♥ Help us help Japan & come on down! ♥

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Forest Park , with it’s 5,100 wooded acres is the largest forested natural area within city limits in the United States. With it’s size forest park is able to offer an abundance of wildlife and deep natural forests, just minutes from downtown Portland. You can even connect to our 40 Mile loop from the Wildwood Trail, linking Forest Park to pedestrian and trail routes along the Columbia River to Gresham, through southeast Portland, along the Willamette Greenway, and back to the Marquam Trail in southwest Portland.

Aside from the smallest and largest forested parks, we also have some other amazing city parks with evergreens to the sky.  Mt. Tabor is one stunning example of Portland’s green spaces where you can enjoy a full canopy of old growth forest in the center of the city.

I have been especially drawn to hiking lately as our recent morning weather is perfect for outdoor activities, Louie dog couldn’t be happier with the outcome.

There are several trails you can hike around Mt. Tabor, including a full 2 mile loop. I like to head straight up the west side from SE 60th and Salmon, it’s steep but you get a great hike in a half hour, perfect for before work. Not to mention the stunning views of the city, as your reward for reaching the top.

The recent warm weather has brought the first blooms of 2011 to the park, letting us know that spring isn’t as far off as it seems.

If you have the time explore more, you will find tons of trails all with beautiful scenery and great views of the city. Mt. Tabor also happens to be an inactive volcano, and that’s pretty awesome.

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Happy Holidays!!

Well, Christmas is over and there is only New Years left before this Holiday Season comes to a close. We hope you have all had a wonderful time with friends & family & ate your fill of delicious treats.

We know we have.

Now that the holidays are drawing to a close we are ready to end the year with an awesome After Christmas Sale!!

Come in and get 40% off all our Holiday gift wrap, ornaments, cards, stationery, decorations etc…

Stock up for next year or spruce up those after Christmas gift exchanges.

&

Get 25% off select Winter outerwear & accessories & all 2011 Calenders !!

Also good for those after Christmas gift exchanges or to get yourself a little something stylish for your Winter wardrobe.

Sale runs through December 31st!

Open 10-7 Everyday

Closing at 6pm December 31st

Don’t miss out!!

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