Thrift City

Photograph by Hannah Schultz

Alright folks, it's time to shake things up. Instead of going into some über-personal description of something in my room, I'm going to give you a list of my three favorite thrift/vintage stores in Portland. I may not be the most qualified or experienced "thrifter" to be giving this advice, but I've had a few successful adventures that I want to share:

1: Name: Cargo Location: 380 NW 13th Ave.
This place is insane. It also feels somewhat out of place in the high-price, clean-cut atmosphere of the Pearl District. But me oh my, I am so happy it exists. Upon arrival, the first thing you'll notice are the balloons and vintage furniture decorating the outside. It's quirky and strange and draws a lot of people in. The inside, however, is completely overwhelming (in such a good way). Everywhere you look, there are hundreds of obscure trinkets, most of which are Chinese-inspired. They truly fill ever empty space with as many items as possible. For those with legitimate incomes, they also sell some pretty wonderful and quality furniture.

Photograph by Hannah Schultz

My favorite items I've purchased here are my matches and vintage maps of Europe. Each box of matches has a different design, my favorite being the New York subway system, and they're completely re-usable. As a bonus, the bags they give you when you purchase something are like a gift in themselves. They're essentially old newspapers turned into shopping bags, which is clever, eco-friendly, and very Portland. Overall, this place is a gem. When I have a career, steady income, and my own home to decorate, a good portion of my things will hopefully come from Cargo.

Vintage Photobooth

2: Name: House of Vintage Location: 3315 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
This store and I have a history. Even before I moved to Portland, I'd been here with my boyfriend. They have a vintage photobooth in their entryway, so of coarse we documented our impending adventure. House of Vintage is Portland's largest "vintage superstore." They host over fifty-five independent dealers in a space of about 13,000 square feet. Needless to say, it's huge. With rooms connected to other hidden rooms, every corner hosts a new discovery. Walking around, you feel like the space will never run out. From furniture to clothing to any other decorative piece you could imagine (or never would have thought to imagine), this place has it all. You really have no idea what you may stumble upon. The fact that it's on Hawthorne makes it even better, since that entire street has dozens of quirky vintage shops.

Unfortunately, no items in my room are from here, but I have gone here to buy gifts for others. I bought my best friend Georgia a Napoleon Dynamite-esque wolf sweater that she (thankfully) loved. And I plan to go back in the near future, when I have a few extra dollars to spend and a desire for adventure.

3: Name: Goodwill Location: 3134 N. Lombard St.

Photograph by Allison O' Connor

This store is classic, and really doesn't require my attempt at a description. Going to a themed 70's, 80's, or 90's party and need an outfit? Goodwill to the rescue! I must admit, I have gone there for that very purpose. But they don't exist solely for the hipsters of the world. What I really love is that you can donate to Goodwill. That's probably what I use it for the most. I am a fickle young girl, and I change my mind about clothing more than I should. Goodwill has been very kind to me when it comes to cleaning out my closet.

I also admire the work they do for the disabled community. They make a difference by purposely hiring people with disabilities, people who have in many ways been shunned by society at large. It's a wonderful organization and I'm happy to support them. I also love their never-ending collection of warm winter sweaters and broken Polaroid cameras. From my experience, the Goodwill on Lombard is definitely worth checking out.

I highly recommend all of these places, but because it's Portland, I know there are a lot more stores I've yet to discover. And that's one of the things I love the most about our charming little city!
So what about you? Do you have any favorite thrift/vintage stores?

Falling close to the tree

Photograph by Tara Whitney

It's difficult to choose where to begin when discussing my relationship with my mom. But if you really look around my room, her influence is everywhere. As I sit here on my bed, with sheets and pillows that she helped me pick out, the truth of it is actually a little insane. From little items she's given me, to the color of my walls, the majority of my things are connected to her. So the entire concept of this blog would be lost if I didn't discuss our relationship, right? And it's going to be difficult to put it into words, to narrow it down to a blog post. But everyone at one point had a mother, so I might as well attempt to talk about mine.

I really believe that the bond between a mother and daughter can be the most supportive, soul-enriching relationship a person has. On the same hand, it can be the most volatile and destructive. They are powerful, even when they don't exist. My relationship with my mom has many, many layers. She has seen me at my absolute weakest (even meanest), most awful state. I have fought with her more than any other person. I have cried with her more than any other person. (Admittedly, we are both quite the emotional creatures.) Often, it's like we are each other's therapists. At this point, I should probably submit a co-pay when I walk through the front door.

Photograph by Hannah Schultz

She made these picture frame art-things quite a few years ago. I remember when I first saw them, I wasn't the biggest fan. When I was moving into my house last summer, she offered to let me have them. For whatever reason, my aesthetic taste had changed, so I said yes. And not only is our design taste starting to mimic the others, but I've recently started to notice that we share quite a few mannerisms and behaviors. For example, when I go into a restaurant, I cannot help but make dorky-food-related jokes to the waiter or waitress. Who did I learn this from? Take a wild guess. Occasionally, we also dress the same. When I donate clothes, she always looks through them first to see if she wants them, whether I like it or not.

So I have to wonder...is this nature or nurture? Am I genetically programmed to have this awkward humor? Or is it simply due to my upbringing? Most likely the true answer is both. But personally, I'm a much bigger believer that socialization and relationships shape personal identity. And I must also mention, my mom and I are not twins. We have some very different and important values, behaviors, and beliefs. But I know that I am similar to her, as she is similar to her mother, and so on and so on. In that way, it's kind of like we are all just modified versions of our ancestors.

So what do you think? Is it possible to be nothing like your parents? Can a person be their own, 100% unique individual? I want some real opinions here. I love my mother beyond words (especially written words), and I'm well aware that not everyone shares the same connection with their parents. I'm only twenty-years-old (for two more months!), I have a lot of growing up to do. I imagine I will continue to change. But at the core of myself, that is where my similarities with her exist. So am I a rare case of the apple not falling far from the tree, or is it normal to land near your roots?

Never ending to-do lists

Photograph by Hannah Schultz

For the last two years, I've started almost every day by writing a to-do list. I'm regularly so scatterbrained that if I don't, I tend to forget what I need to do. This semester, more than any other, my to-do lists seem to be never-ending. With mostly upper-division classes, an internship, and an attempt at a "social life", my schedule has turned into a constant balancing act. These lists fill my notebooks, keeping me sane and focused. They give me much needed organization in my currently chaotic life.

However, there was a time when to-do lists and organization had no place in my mind. Transferring to UP my sophomore year brought quite the change in my study habits. When I was in high school, I really didn't care about my education. My grades were...passable, but uninspiring. Frankly, I just didn't believe that I was smart enough to do well, so I didn't try. I got into a cycle of skipping classes and not doing my homework. The worse I did, the more overwhelmed I felt. The more overwhelmed I felt, the more I avoided my problems.

Photograph of Wenatchee High School by Curtis Cronn

Now that I care about my education and feel the support of a small school environment, I've started to succeed. I took UP as a chance to start over and actually make the most of my education. Often I think back and wish I'd taken school seriously when I was younger. However, I'm well aware of the opportunities I still have that are due to my education.

Something we've been discussing in my Social Class and Inequality course is the American school system. The effect an education has on a person's income and future is a pretty clear correlation: the more educated you are, the more opportunities you have. In fact, the desire for a student to attend a prestigious University is so great, many families start preparing as early as pre-school. I'm lucky that I attended a quality public high school, but many kids, particularly in urban areas, are not as fortunate.

According to the documentary Waiting for Superman, "In America right now, a kid drops out of high school every 26 seconds. These drop-outs are 8 times more likely to go to prison, 50% less likely to vote, more likely to need social welfare assistance, not eligible for 90% of jobs, are being paid 40 cents to the dollar of earned by a college graduate, and continuing the cycle of poverty.” It's very clear that the gaps and inequalities in America's public education system need to be fixed. In fact, according to an article by The Cornell Daily Sun, "In 2020, there will be 123 million high-skilled, high-paying jobs in America, but only a projected 50 million citizens will have the technical skills to fill the positions." So what can be done to fix this? Shouldn't we want, no, require, more for our youth? I don't have the answers, but I truly believe that education is power, and this inequality in our country needs to be a priority for our government. 

There are so many factors that attribute to how hard I work in school today. The cost of UP (yikes) + previous academic struggles + a heightened awareness of how fortunate I am results in me feeling an intense drive to make the best of my education. As stressed out as I get, as much as my to-do lists keep piling up, I have a lot to be thankful for.