Announcing PAINLESS PANACHE!

My first subject, Marcia Strassman

I'm very excited to announce my new blog, Painless Panache! Each post will focus on one of my many unlikely - and sometimes completely unknown - style heroes, many of whom influenced me as I was growing up. I was only allowed to watch one hour of TV a night, but I made the best of it: I observed everything the grown-ups said and wore, and dreamed of leaving my rural hometown and traveling to WKRP in Cincinatti or Lower Manhattan to hang out with Danny DeVito and Tony Danza. Sometimes I would sneak in some TV on Sunday morning - typically the The Little Rascals or original Superman series - and marvel at the jargon and fashion from the 1930s - 50s.

I'll be posting photos and my memories of these folks once a week. Take a look at Painless Panache and follow me if you dare!

Lodekka + Wanderlust BIN SALE! Bargains GALORE!

Join us for our very first BIN SALE on Sunday, January 29 from 11am - 5pm!

Our shops are overflowing with Winter items, and it's time to make room for new Spring arrivals! The bus will be filled with sale racks and bins of Lodekka and Wanderlust bargain items ranging from $1 - $10: dresses, sweaters, coats, shoes, accessories, men's stuff and clothing that needs a little extra love. This sale is perfect for anyone who loves a bargain - or likes to adopt clothing that needs a small repair here and there.

Bring your friends, your keen eye and your spirit of adventure! View all the details on the Facebook event page.

The New Spot!

It's official: I love my new spot on North Williams. Most of you may remember that I moved a mere 1/2 block north of my initial spot and joined forces with Wanderlust’s Vanessa Lurie. The bus is now sandwiched between amazing bars and businesses like Lompoc's Side Bar, Hopworks Bike Bar, Grizzly Tattoo, Lark Press, Che Café and Queen Bee Creations. The employees of these establishments have become my surrogate co-workers, giving me restroom and microwave access, making change for me, hand-delivering my lunches and giving me sweet discounts on their wares. I feel blessed.


The new spot is also just a few doors down from two new food and drink establishments. Las Primas serves Peruvian street food and The Box Social serves cocktails and small plates, akin to the owner's other popular Hawthorne staple, The Sapphire Hotel. It’s great to have two buzz-worthy restaurants bookending the north end of our street.

Las Primas {Photo: PDX Eater}

The Box Social {Photo: Portland Monthly} 

I love the "nook" feel of the new space. The bus is more protected from the elements, and no longer seems like a fishbowl where patrons and passersby have nowhere to hide. The bus is all windows, after all. With the new space, the bus has a purpose: it's one-half of a retail pod. It even has its own parking spot. 

Vanessa and I have made lots of improvements to the parking lot: it now has AstroTurf, planters, an awning, lights, and other elements that draw attention to our shops. While we feel like the new spot is very welcoming, we're finding that we still need to encourage folks to "cross the threshold" and enter our stores. The concept of one retail cart is foreign to most people; they’re not sure what to do when they see two of them.

We've started playing music outside, which seems to encourage folks to enter the space. A few days ago, my iPod decided to stop working, and I could immediately sense the impact on passersby. They just weren't as apt to come and check out the shop when there was no browsing soundtrack. (My next goal for our space is to find someone to open a record store cart next to us. They could provide a constant soundtrack for our pod – on vinyl, no less!) 

I'm so happy that I was able to keep the bus on Williams, and that I found a spot that's even better than my initial home. I look forward to new adventures in 2012!