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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We have totes, handbags, and Chico backpacks, and other styles of bags that make getting around with your stuff more convenient. And, of course, you will look stylish and cute!

If you come in Thursday September 29th, you will find all of our bags (except baby bags) on sale for a 25% off.

Be sure to check out our website, especially if you can’t come in person, and see what bags we have available for you online for 25% off the retail price.

Our Crystalyn Kae bags will also be on sale for 25% off for one day only. If you haven’t checked out these awesome purses you should follow this link and read all about them.

You can never have too many bags, and by purchasing shopping bags you are helping to sustain the planet by lowering the use of paper and plastic bags. There-by preserving our trees and keeping the landfills empty of plastic bags.

Thrifty Thursday is an every Thursday event, created for you to help you manage your budget while still being able to pick up a little something for yourself or a gift for a friend or loved one.

Presents of Mind is open mon-thurs: 10:00-7:00 & Fri-Sat: 10:00-8:00

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We are excited to present Luscious as this Thursday’s Thrifty Thursday special.

Each online and in-store piece is 25% off the retail price. Luscious is only available at the 25% off price for one day, September 22nd.

If you haven’t checked out out Thrifty Thursday you should! Every week we offer a new item in the store and online for 25% off the retail price. It can be broad like baby clothes or all tees or it can be specific like this week’s jewelry line created by Luscious.

We like to keep it exciting and to offer you the opportunity to find that special gift at a reduced price.

Be sure to shop on our website or step into the store Thursday the 22nd of September (today!) And pick up that beautiful handmade necklace from Luscious that you have been eyeing for the past two weeks.

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Shop on line at our website for 25% off any Sock it To Me Socks or come into our store and ask any staff member where our Sock It To Me socks are on the floor.

Sock It To Me socks are fun and funky. You are making a serious statement. Are you into the classy? How about Toulouse’s Le Chat Noir? Funky? How about some strips of any color. Fashion forward? Um, bicycles, for sure.

This is a Thrifty Thursday Special so it is only available for today Thursday September 15, 2011.

Decorate those calves and show off those sexy knees!

Presents of Mind is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday’s, but you can order up till midnight on our website and still receive the 25% off.

Be sure to check out our next Thrifty Thursday Special.

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Following in the same tradition of Presents of Mind as a go-local store,  Gemini Lounge is committed to supporting local and eco-friendly options. They are committed to the continued support of local businesses and artists, and to support the growing communities and neighborhoods within Portland. Their food is purchased locally like Painted Hills Beef and Colman Farms Chicken. The taps are filled with local brews (but of course are there other brews? Sorry Portland beer pride, you know). The walls are covered with local and handmade and vintage art. Even 75% of the building materials were purchased locally.

Louie dog! Presents of Mind and Gemini Lounge's mascot! Painted by local artist Tripper Dungan

It is an adorable gem in an up-and-coming neighborhood. The flocked walls and hanging lights are inviting and warm. The layout of the bar has been designed to create conversation and community with standing tables to allow people to mingle more freely.

But it didn’t start out looking as cute as it does today.

You could say that it needed a lot of love.

It needed, oh, a couple of touch ups here and there.

Maybe a paint job or two…

And as much as the Kolls want and do support the local art community… they were thinking maybe to organize it little bit more. Not that the bathrooms didn’t look great, but they lacked, uh… flow.

Yes it was a work in progress, a diamond in the rough, basically they had a lot to do.

As is the custom of being a Portland start up family, Seasons and Richie rolled up their sleeves and got busy tearing that place up!

Through the hard work of friends and the support of the community they cleaned, scrapped, dusted, painted- they gutted the place!

These photos bring back memories of the images of Cinnamon and Seasons in Presents of Mind in the early days. As a young girl Seasons took a giant sledge hammer  to tear down a wall when Presents of Mind expanded. Things haven’t changed.

 All that hard work paid off! It looks beautiful!

You can see work from Portland artists Trish Grantham, Brenda Dunn, Emily Martin, and more (you can also find their work at Presents of Mind). It’s almost a little local art gallery watering hole where chic meets west.

EEEEts real nice!

Plus this amazing mural by Presents of Mind’s resident artist Jen Smith. It’s gorgeous and you have to see it in person to experience the detail and magnitude of this piece. By looking at it you can tell why people are rushing to ask Jen to do their murals. Girl’s gonna go places! And, we’ll be able to say we knew her when.

Look! Even the bathroom is an art gallery! That Seasons and her inner interior designer! See what we meant by flow?

Tah Dah! And there you have it the Gemini Lounge!

Come by tonight September 9th for the soft opening or look for the grand opening announcement on their website. You can try the Cinnamon Chaser named after our own momma!

They will be open Wednesday through Saturday 4:00 p.m. to 2 a.m., and Sunday 4:00 p.m. to Midnight.

Check out their Facebook page and website for menu details, happy hours, music, and up and coming happenings like the Grand Opening.

Stop by 6526 SE Foster and say hello to a couple of nice people who will be workin’ it at the bar.

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Wonderlust is one of our newer lines and we are thrilled to be carrying this unique line of jewelry.

The process of creating this jewelry is very interesting: 1st the artists applies a photo sensitive emulsion to the metal, then arranges the plants or flowers onto the coated metal and exposes them to light. 2nd-ly, the captured shadow of the plants are etched in an acid etching machine. Lastly, she bends the metal into a bracelet or attaches the hooks for the earrings. Each piece is individually done creating a one of a kind piece every time.

The earrings and cuffs are like a mirror with frosted images of flowers, plants, and musical scores.

Each piece is absolutely unique because each piece is hand done. There will never be another one exactly like the one that you have. That makes it special and you’re special!

We are offering Wonderlust on sale for 25% off for one day only as a part of our Thrifty Thursday special. Come in and see this jewelry in person, if you can, it is really beautiful. Thrifty Thursday is also available for our website shoppers as well so be sure to check out what we have on-line.

Hope to see you this Thursday September 8th for this week’s Thrifty special featuring Jewelry by Wonderlust.

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This interview has been updated with new questions and answers, but is based off an original interview with Jen done in 2010 when she was a part of the Jewelry making duo Affixments.

When did Presents of Mind start carrying your prints?

I wanna say the store started taking my prints about a year ago, maybe around this time. Seasons (owner of Presents of Mind) and I had made a pact to get together and do an original piece once a week. That lead to coming up with quite a few pieces by the end of summer. Basically, I printed up the pieces and then presented them to the store for sale.

Is that where the whale in the nest came from?

Yes and no. A friend of mine Amelia who used to work at POM is a musician, and she had mentioned once that she wanted to do an album cover that featured the art of a whale in a bird’s nest. Even though the album never came to be I never stopped thinking about the image. The piece is called “Protection”. I guess it  speaks to the desire to try to fix our environment, and what an enormous task that is. And just the thought of being able to nestle something as large as a whale in a bird’s nest reflects the hope for that or the wish for that fix.

Protection

We just started carrying some new bezeled necklaces with your imagery. Can you tell us a little about that evolution of print to jewelry?

Richard Fox, who also works at POM and has some of his jewelry in the store, approached me with the idea of taking my original fine art pieces and then putting them into pendant form. It was fun to see these pieces tiny and in full detail. It was also fun to not be the person making the jewelry.

Why’s that?

Because I was a resin caster before, and me and my business partner put lots of imagery into casting and it took years off my life. I’m not kidding.

Can You talk a little about working with resin? About the difficulties and what is fun?

Resin is very temperature sensitive. We learned that the hard way. The cool part is that you can cast in any shape, can use any kind of imagery, from fine art to photography, to found images to natural organic objects. Skies the limit. It takes about two to three days to cast a piece from beginning to end. We’ve had to learn about organics. It’s been like a science project to learn about organics. It’s sticky, it’s messy, it’s hardcore.

You recently started doing murals- what got you started onto that type of work?

I was doing a mural for Seasons’ and Richie’s (her husband) new bar the Gemini Lounge. My buddy Mark L’Allier who is a mutual friend of ours recommended me to a bike repair cart owner, Lee Hanson who has opened a cart up on 82nd avenue in Cartlandia. I’ve always painted big but now I am able to paint really big and I’m having a blast.

So is this where your whale and the bike image came from? 

That was more fantastical whimsical. I don’t even know the word. Lee Hanson wanted me to do a faux bike repair store front and I was immediately uninspired because I enjoy doing naturalistic and even surrealistic subject matter. The faux front was too architectural and exact. I wanted to create something more imaginative and capture the spirit of Portland.

How is a whale Portland?

I don’t think it is so much “Portland”. I think that this image asks you why? And it is so big and adorable and unusual but there is still that connecting feel of Portland with Mt. Hood, and the cityscape, and the bike, and it is so surprising, and I think that is very much Portland. We’re hoping it causes a bit of a ruckus- and it already has.

What do you think about the buying local and the crafty movement?

I think it is fascinating that when you purchase locally that you are putting eighty percent directly back into your community. It really keeps the art growing. I love the fact that Portland is the design directive of the country. Many city standards across the country come out of here. It is fascinating to be a part of a place that may be setting trends across the nation, maybe the world. I know that is a bold statement, but when we go to trade shows a large percentage of the booths are from Portland.

What’s the percentage?

I would be afraid to quote that, but it is huge. Sometimes we go to check out a vendor booth and we are surprised to find they are from Portland. Portland is such a supportive community. Everything is a reaction to every one’s reactions to other’s work.

You went to Magic as a buyer, how was that experience?

Magic, yes. It was my fourth time to Magic. When I go, it makes me come home feeling innovative, and gutsy as a designer. It is an insiders look into what people are into.

Do you have a hard time balancing between your art work and working at the store?

Sometimes. I think Presents of Mind feeds my social side, and I love it, and it has been fun to watch my work go out the door, but ultimately I would one day like to be a full time artist. The balance is there, Presents of Mind accommodates me, and is very supportive, and I also have my finger on the pulse of what people are in the mood for. I work three days a week at Presents of Mind, and four days are studio time, which is very providential.

Who is your favorite artist, your inspiration?

Debra Beers, who is a local art instructor, I believe she is at Lewis and Clark, she does fantastic, authentic and amazing charcoals. And, Dustin Yellin a resin artist out of New York. Right now they are my inspiration.

You have two grown children, well adults now, and they have both become pretty adventurous.

Oh yes, my daughter is a fantastic artist and bartender in Oakland, CA, and my son works as a ranch hand in Victor, Idaho and as ski patrol in Big Sky, Montana, so he skies for work and he skies for fun, he is also a very talented woodworker. When I had my kids I packed them around with me everywhere. I raised them outside. I wasn’t standing still and ultimately they are very travel savvy and independent. No sterilizing bottles in this house.

Tell us a about little Jen.

I was a scrubby little outdoor kid that picked up everything, sticks, stones and oddities. I was drawing before I could walk. It took everything to get me indoors. I haven’t changed much since I was a child, I still talk a lot and I don’t pay much attention and I am shy (she laughs) it’s a great place to hide art.

What is in store for the future for Ms. Jen Smith?

(She giggles) Ultimately, I want to paint and draw full time. Paint, do my murals and basically build a house in the woods where a moving truck comes in every day to pick up all the painting to take to the gallery in the city and they give me a paycheck and I drink a glass of wine. Yeah! I’m not kidding.

What is your philosophy on life?

Live and play extremely hard and basically always, always have something you are passionate about everyday. Pay attention, being grateful and have gratitude.

Jen Smith grew up in Wyoming. Raised in the badlands, and mountain meadows of the Rockies, she was inspired by the drama of the landscape and its inhabitants.

She received her Associates of Arts from Northwest College in Powell, Wyoming and her Bachelor of Fine Art in Drawing and Painting from Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana.

She now lives in Portland, Oregon.

We only offer Protection on our website, but if you see something you like don’t hesitate to call and we can send it to you.

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From 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Hawthorne will be hosting a party for thousands of Portlanders, and out-of-towners.

There will be two stages with music for grown-ups of all ages. There will be puppets and magic shows for the kids, not to mention, the Bagdad theatre is showing Labyrinth for free and so much more!

 Presents of Mind, along with all the many great stores on Hawthorne, will be out enjoying the sunshine and offering fantastic sale items at great prices just for you.

Like:

Tee shirts for men and women

Books and Stationery

cool bags, wallets, and more.

We also will have many of our awesome dresses on sale this Sunday too so you wont want to miss that!

 On 34th ave the showcase stage will be set up, and from 11:00 to 4:00 you can check out live music ranging from Blues, Rock, Latin groove, Zydeco, and more.

If you are you are looking for something different, you can stroll up to 41st Ave to the Acoustic stage to watch singer songwriters, gospel, and folk music performers play their heart and souls out.

35th Ave is the Kids Area where the kids can enjoy the Tears of Joy puppet shows, face painting, music, and bubbles galore.

So, in between your face painted, song filled, food consumption wanderings, stop by our sidewalk right in front of Presents of Mind between 35th and 36th Ave, and peruse our sales table, and clothing rack. We know you will find something special or quirky for yourself or a loved one.

If you arrive between 11:00 and 3:00, you can find items on sale for 40% off, and if you decide to hit us up between 3:00 and 6:00 you can find something for 70% off.

So come by, say, perhaps after watching David Bowie dance around in his grey tights while singing songs with puppet goblins, and get something just for you.

Presents of Mind will be open during our regular hours 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. so be sure to step inside and see what we have going on inside.

For more details on scheduled events check out the Hawthorne Boulevard Business Association’s website here: HBBA- Hawthorne Street Fair.

Sounds like a great time you said? It will be and we’ll see you there.

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Season K Design Onesie

Thank goodness babies are not reserved for one season because where’s the fun in that? In celebration of all babies all the time (we know some of you friends of friends with kids would like babies only some of the time, but this post is not for you. Unless of course you are buying a wonderful gift for that part-time baby in your life.) we are putting all baby clothes online and in the store on sale for 25% off.

RuffleButts' pink bathing suit is too cute!

This is a Thrifty Thursday special so the offer is only good for Thursday the 4th of August.

RuffleButts polka dot in red!

We’ve got so many cute baby clothes in right now you’ll probably weep with indecision. Don’t worry we have tissues, and we can help you pick something out. Unless of course you know exactly what you want. That baby jumper you’ve been eyeing for a week is finally on sale for 25% off and you’re gonna go and grab it! Good for you!

Little Lark makes this sweet gnome tee.

All baby clothes on our website are on sale for 25% off so be sure to look through our selection. If you live in Portland and can make it in you’ll find our baby section full of new and adorable clothing.

Organic onesie by Local designer Little lark

Presents of Mind will be closing early this Thursday so be sure to make it in before 6:30. (We are closing for our annual employee summer BBQ. Yeah!)

A Crow tee for your toddler by Nikki McClure

You can purchase your baby clothes online for 25% off into the wee dark of night!

Was your baby made in Portland?

Happy BABY shopping!

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