Brad and Angelina may be splitting, but I’m still shopping local here in PDX

OK, so this blog post has NOTHING to do with Brangelina, but news of their split was on every trashy mag cover in the checkout last night … I had to pick up Us Magazine (because they tell they truth, right?) and have not read the article yet. I will, however, keep it in my trusty mini-van … ready, as a reward for shopping local (see end of post for more info!)

Shop local on a micro level!

So we are all down with the shop local theme … support the local living economy, blah blah blah.  I definitely subscribe to that theory, but recently really examined my choices.  Frock is a local small biz, AT NE 14th & ALBERTA and I truly appreciate when others shop at us to support us.

Now I just LOVE retail … not sure why, but I do truly love to shop, love to look at store displays, hear the music and find unique things.

Portland is a treasure trove of cool indie shops that do it right, and I am proud to consider Frock Boutique among them.

I recently looked into my own spending habits, and found a couple of questionable ones.  Let’s just call them by name, shall we?  Target, Ikea & Home Depot.  When the shit hits the fan, nothing sounds more therapeutic than sipping a jumbo beverage while pushing a red cart through the Target housewares dept.  There is something so American about navigating my mini-van through the parking lot and spending some time and $$ at one of the above-mentioned big boxes.  I don’t think this love will ever fade, nor should it have to entirely, but a convenience factor has creeped in, changing my thought processes a bit.

Baby numero 3

Let’s call this convenience factor “baby #3”… yep … I had a third child and just leaving home is an ordeal.  I’ve started to rethink my errand running to the benefit of little neighborhood places.

Right before the holidays, I discovered a gem of a place right on the corner of NE Killingworth and 42nd ave.  I’d driven by this place many, many times, and had always wanted a reason to pop in. One Friday night, I was solo, going to the bank and the grocery store with a mission to bring food home to a hungry family.  As I sat at the stoplight, I decided it was now or never, and sharply pulled into the parking lot of Novedades Santo Domingo.  I had been toying around with buying my kids those fuzzy flea market type blankets that are usually printed with an obnoxious Disney character for Christmas, and thought this place could deliver.

Minty-sea green color only in 100% acrylic baby wear made in Mexico.

Boy did it!  My pulse raced and my adrenaline pumped as I wandered through aisles of  Mexican knit baby sets, knit caps, authentic belt buckles, Virgin Mary sculptures and more.  I have a major weakness for this particular minty-sea green color that only seems to be available in 100% acrylic baby wear made in Mexico.  I stocked up (for baby #3 of course) and ended up having a wonderful time.  By the end of it all, I had new underwear and toothbrushes for the family as well as tons of stocking stuffers and gifts.

I dragged a girlfriend down a week later and we had another swell time, and she was equally impressed.  The prices were great and the clerk was helpful and sweet.  Next time you drive by a place that you’ve always wondered about, just stop and take a peek!  Exciting things lurk behind mysterious doorways.So…how does keeping an Us Magazine in your car relate to shopping local?

Simple…just remember when you make a special trip to a small, indie business, and when you arrive, they have the “back in 5 minutes sign up”  don’t get frustrated … pick up your trusty gossip rag and relax.  Many local businesses are run by the owners &/or a small team of employees (FROCK for example!) Everyone deserves to grab a quick coffee or take a potty break!

Novedades Santo Domingo, 5447 NE 42nd Avenue, Portland, OR 97218-1511 (503) 284-8446

XOXO