Every year my daughter & I go to Portland, Oregon, to visit my best friend, Angie and her family. It’s always one of the highlights of my year. Do you have a friend who just “gets” you? Well, Angie is that friend to me and she & her family always welcome us with open arms.

We both LOVE shopping and so does Emma, so it was fun day to be had by all, when Angie mentioned she needed to go buy some mirrors for the winery & tasting room, she and her husband, Matt are building. Their wine is really lovely by the way. Love & Squalor does a fabulous Riesling and they also make very special Pinot Noir for which they are gaining some critical acclaim. Go Love & Squalor!!!

Our first stop was Monticello Antique Marketplace. The building is very large and houses many little booths operated by an eclectic array of vendors with lovely pieces in every one.

I spent most of my time there, taking photos, and in the end, bought only a hand mirror and some mermaid prints for Emma. Angie came away with two Art Deco mirrors for the bathrooms in the winery. They will be really pretty bathrooms!

I have a soft spot in my heart for vintage Chinoiserie and 1920’s busts. This little booth above caught my eye. And this one, below, reminds me of my country home (in the future).

Next Stop - Cargo. Angie was determined to take us there, even though it was a bit out of the way. Every single part of this place was a feast or the eyes. You could look up and find the ceiling dripping with streamers, look to the side and see an elaborate display of quilts made from vintage textiles and then step into a room filled with luscious plants from floor to ceiling.

I was instantly drawn to the left, where I found buckets of kimono scraps and upcycled pieces refashioned from vintage denim (not shown). Along side these were a beautiful collection of Japanese wooden dolls and around the bend a wall filled with Chinese bowls and a incense.

The room with the plants had the most beautiful light. You can see below, Emma and Angie and lovely the light was.

In the end, I did buy some vintage kimono scraps and some jewelry for Emma. This place was a little overwhelming but really fun as well. And the prices were pretty good too. They had a wide array of soft furnishings that were reminiscent of Anthropologie, but at lower prices. so if you are looking for that boho bedding and lots of embroidered pillows this is your place!

Emma is really into Crystals right now and the night before, we spotted a Crystal shop called Invoke. In reality, it’s more of a witch supply haven, but they do have some amazing crystal examples and little notes telling you what their properties were. We went back on our shopping day to check it out. If you are into this sort of thing, it has a lovely set up with lots of different things to choose from.

And Last but not least, a trip to Portland would not be complete without a visit to Xtabay, which is conveniently located just down the street from Angie & Matt’s home. We were greeted by a very posh Pomeranian named Gee. And as luck would have it, we were in luck to find the proprietress, Liz in the shop.

If you don’t know about Xtabay, it is a very tastefully decorated Vintage Clothing Store on the South East side of Portland. They have exquisite vintage pieces from the 1930’s through the 1970’s with a nod to vintage glamor. With pale gray walls and gilded Hollywood Regency lighting the atmosphere transports the customer to different era and feel like they’ve stepped into a little vintage wonderland.

I’m going to stop here, and leave you hanging a bit. Liz has agreed to an interview. So, you will get to see all the photos from Xtabay in that blog post.

Until Next Time, Happy Vintage Everything!

xo Jennifer