Space
Savers
BY
MICHAELA LOWTHIAN AND DEBORAH ROSSITER
EMPTY VESSEL
This sculptural
ceramic vase ($28, Dish 'n' Dat,
827 NW 23rd Ave., 279-8946) is shaped like the outline of
a square; it comprises both a graceful negative space and
a strong positive space with two niches in the vase for
flower stems. The recipient of this gift will never be able
to pass by a sidewalk flower vendor without purchasing two
long stems again. A meditative, artistic vase perfect for
the odd mother-in-law in the family--the one who ran off
with her ceramics teacher to start a new life in Santa Fe.
(ML)
PILLOW TALK
Who knows what the characters written
on these pillows spell out? Could be something like, "When
walking through a melon patch, don't adjust your sandals."
Since it doesn't look as though the West's fixation with
Eastern decor will be cooling off anytime soon--not in
this life or the next--these white cotton pillows ($32,
Cargo, 1301 NW Glisan St., 827-7377) with black Chinese
characters are perfect for the spiritualist trapped in
the dark heart of the city. With a nod to the priority
Feng Shui places on quiet, these simple cushions provide
a comfortable place for contemplation in a flipped-out
world. (ML)
ART OF GLASS
Bad hair day? Zits? Your favorite
teenybopper won't mind so much when she's smearing on
her lip gloss in front of one of The Big Ones framed
mirrors ($34, Goodnight Room, 1517 NE Broadway, 281-5516).
Designed by real teens, Lisa Rietveld and Trilby White
(2 Grrrls is the name), these vanity plates scream out
compliments like "You Look Marvelous" and "Hello, Gorgeous"
in fat black letters. Bold and sassy, the crayon-colored
art brightens any teen's bedroom wall and keeps spirits
set at high voltage. (DR)
THERE'S A PLACE IN FRANCE...
The imperial Eiffel Tower was built in 1887 in Paris
by Gustave Eiffel for the International Exposition of
1889. Made of puddled iron and spidery grillwork, the
enduring symbol of The City of Light is lit by 352 projectors
and 1,000-watt bulbs. Now you only have to travel as far
as romantic Beaverton to give the Francophile in your
life (the one with the "I Love Paris" key chain) a 40-watt
bulb and a replica of the Eiffel Tower ($29.99,
Target, 10775 SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway, 626-8345,
and other locations) fashioned into a metal lamp base.
This ought to hold them over until you can come up with
enough francs for plane tickets. Shade sold separately.
(ML)
ANTI-HANDI-WIPES
A little luxury looks great in
the powder room, but let's face it, these French-made
Bees guest and hand towels ($10 and $18, French Quarter,
1444 NE Broadway, 282-8200) are too exquisite to actually
use. Which is precisely why they make such great gifts.
Because, after all, who would ever buy anything like this
for themselves? The patterned jacquard bee design is woven
into fine-gauge European 100 percent cotton waffle linen
and comes in green, rose, yellow, blue and white. Guests
might not deign to implement them when it comes to wiping
grape jelly off their fingers, but they sure will be impressed.
(DR)
A LITTLE LIGHT SUGAR
Back in the old days, they
hung these buckets on New England maples and filled them
with sap. Now they have machines to do the job, of course,
but recycling being what it is, someone thought to dig
these white elephants from the trash heap and turn them
into Lumunarias ($28, Gardens, 425 NW 11th Ave.,
223-4443). What you get is a rustic resting place for
an otherwise naked candle to splash out lighting in the
shape of snowmen or Santas. Perfect for the front porch,
or to add authentic down-home ambience to any room. (DR)
PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY
We all know a nostalgia junkie
or two. You know, the guy or gal who mainlines I Love
Lucy reruns or requires a fix of old showtunes blaring
from a nearly exhausted turntable. Well, now you can give
them a bit of history to hang on the wall with an Alex
Bendl mounted photograph suitable for framing ($19.95,
Country Willow, 1433 NE Broadway, 281-5216). Bendl is
a local archivist who plunders the depths of private collections
and reproduces images of the old Northwest, including
everything from the lighted streets of Portland's Southwest
Broadway in 1929 to a little turn-of-the-century cheesecake:
bathing beauties kicking up sand on an Oregon beach. (DR)
LIVING ON TOKYO TIME
Keep everything on your dinner
plate organized and in its place with these Japanese-style
stackable plates ($8 each, Urban Outfitters, 2320
NW Westover Road, 248-0020). They make the perfect gift
for compulsively organized types who like to compartmentalize
everything, including their food. For the eater who abhors
the idea of their vegetables commingling with their rice,
or their pork chop "touching" their applesauce, or those
who can't swallow foods if their colors clash with the
plate's, these minimal white trays are a godsend. If this
doesn't satisfy their love of order, next year a gift
certificate for a good therapist might be in order. (ML)
