Behind-the-Scenes with Shwood

Ever wonder what it takes to make a pair Shwood sunglasses? Well thanks to Hypebeast, you are now able to get a special look at the craftsmanship that goes into each style everyone is STILL talking about.

The Maak Soap Tour

One of the perks of working for Lizard Lounge and the Horny Toad company are the unique opportunities presented to the employees.  In this case, sales associates Megan and Brooke were rewarded the experience to tour the Maak Soap Lab and even make their personalized fragrance 

Here is their story told by Megan with photographs by Brooke:

"At Por que no, I drank a horchata with rum, Kelsie had a classic margarita, and Brooke had a jamaica margarita. Brooke said "Food is one of my favorite things to photograph!" We ate too much... a mess of tacos, salads with pumpkin seeds and beans, while old doo wop tunes were playing and a little black and white dog whined outside. It was perfect summer weather, breezy and in the 80s.

Lizard Lounge's women's buyer and merchandiser: Kelsie Morrow (a.k.a fish taco/vintage connoisseur)

Maak is pronounced 'make,' and means 'create' in Dutch. We spent the afternoon making a bar of soap with Anoria Gilbert, who moved to Portland in 2009 with Taylor Ahlmark from Arizona and started Maak Soap. The couple learned to make soap through a lot of experimentation. "We had a lot of dirty friends that let us test on them!" says Anoria. Their soaps are now carried in many stores throughout the west coast as well as England, and will soon be found in New York and Japan too! Anoria says they market particularly toward men and the essential oils they use are less floral than a lot of soaps.

Our first step is making cold-processed soap was to choose our fragrances. After sniffing various bottles from a shelf, we decided on lavender, fir needle, and peppermint for our bar of soap. Next we looked on as Anoria heated up water and lye, a natural powder made from wood ash necessary for the chemical reaction resulting in soap. In another container, she combined and heated a mixture of coconut and olive oils, necessary to keep the lye from burning the skin. When the two mixtures reached the same temperature, 110 degrees, we mixed them together until they reached trace, or the consistency of cake batter. Then we added the fragrant essential oils and botanicals and poured the batter into a rectangular mold.

Then the curing process began, which takes about a month. The waiting period is essential so the soap can harden, and so the chemical processes can finish and prevent the user from being burned by lye!

Anoria was kind enough to give us some funky soap end cuts to tide us over until our bar is finished.
Thanks to Anoria, Maak Soap, and everyone at Beam & Anchor!"

It's that time again...

THIS SATURDAY AND SUNDAY 

(June 8-9)

   

525 NW 10th ave. 

On the corner of 10th & Hoyt.

First Thursday | May

We love First Thursdays for several reasons. Not only does it mean winter is officially over, but it allows us to relax and hang out with some of our favorite customers.

Big thanks to Denver for providing the soundtrack for the evening and Windmer Bro's for the complimentary beer.  

Bad dreams were kept away with dreamcatchers hand-made by our friends and featured artists Carma and Scott. Truly breathtaking.

We're doing it all over again this Thursday, June 6 from 7-9pm.

Music: Palace Fiction
Artist: Ryan McClure
Non-Profit: Dress for Success

See you all there!

Valentine's Day

Ditch the roses and chocolates for Valentine’s Day, and check out Portland’s two classiest festivals this month, the Portland Jazz Festival and the Northwest Film Center’s International Film Festival. We’ve picked out a few of our favorite events, and created a style guide with items from the store so your V-day will be a no brainer this year.

Our Film Pick: Kon-Tiki

Kon-Tiki is the ultimate adventure flick on the high-seas without any eyeliner wearing pirates. The film follows ethnographer and rookie seamen, Thor Heyerdah, on his 4,000 mile journey across the Pacific on a wooden raft to prove his theory that the Polynesian Islands were settled by South Americans. Based on Heyerdahl’s own documentary and book about his real-life adventure, the movie’s cinematic grandeur and edge-of-your-seat suspense will keep you and your date’s hearts racing. Catch a screening of Kon-Tiki at Whitsell Auditorium on February 17th at 7:30pm or Regal Lloyd Center 4 on February 19th at 6:00pm.

Valentine's Day Look for Her

Portland's International Film Festival only comes once a year, so it's the perfect opportunity to dress up for the movies. Layer a floral silk dress with a military inspired wool sweater for the perfect mix of sweet and bold. Add a pair of nude heels and matching shaped jewelry for the finishing touches.

QSW Blue Stone Floral Dress, Maison Scotch Boxy Sweater, Nau Shroud of Purrin Trench, Swedish Hasbeens Grandma Boots, Sahlia Michelle Earrings, Julie Nolan Bracelet, Melange Roll-On Perfume, Seaecho Clutch

Our Music Pick: ACS

The triple threat jazz group, ACS (Geri Allen, Terri Lyne Carrington and Esperanza Spalding), combines three of the best female jazz musicians today, and is a must see at this year’s Portland Jazz Festival. Grammy Award winners and masters at their craft, ACS pushes the boundaries in the contemporary jazz realm. Catch their performance at Newmark Theater on February 24th at 7:00pm.

Valentine's Day Look for Him  

Dress to impress at the Portland Jazz Fest with a fitted button-down, wool vest, cable-knit sweater and slick black boots. Opt for colored jeans instead of regular blue, and don't forget the finishing touches with some pomade and a touch of cologne for a polished look.  

LVC Shawl Collar Cardigan, What Goes Around Comes Around Jacoba Vest, Nau Interwoven Shirt, West Third Brand Marche De Tabac Cologne, Imperial Gel Pomade, Nixon Chronicle SS Watch, Wolverine Addison Boots, Baldwin Denim - The Reed Duck Canvas, Billykirk 12" Carry All

PDX Collective Sale

Join us this weekend at The Cleaners next to the Ace Hotel along with 10 other local boutiques for some major sale shopping. We're bringing men's and women's spring clothing, shoes and accessories discounted up to 75% off. You won’t want to miss this event! Make sure to like the PDX Collective Sale page to stay updated on future events.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/PDX-Collective-SALE/234360749987574

Port St. Willow | Holiday

It still feels like winter in Portland and our favorite cold weather record right now is Holiday, the first full length album by Port St. Willow, aka Nick Principe. A follow up to the project’s first EP, Even//Wasteland (2010), Holiday was recorded over the course of a year at Principe’s Portland studio. Full of falsetto, guitar echoes, driving percussion and layers of ambient sound, Holiday accomplishes as much intrigue in the swells as it does in the empty spaces. Written, recorded and produced by Principe, the album represents all that is good in the DIY Portland music scene. It's the perfect record to take with you on a winter escape to the Oregon coast. 

Principe describes the album as meditative, “Holiday is a love record to no one. A recognition of an ending, and an awakening of the self - unarmored and honest.”  The digital album is available to download on the Port St. Willow website, and the hand-stamped limited edition CD is available to order until the end of the month (images below). Listen to one of our favorite tracks on the record, "North".