Shopping in Camas

At Young Art kids' boutique, staffers fill shelves with designer children's clothing and premium art supplies that encourage creativity and self-expression. BioChalk, for instance, advances chalk beyond the boundaries of the chalkboard: the dust-free sticks leave their mark on walls, whiteboards, windows, mirrors, and invisible friends with easy wipe-up cleaning. Ensuring creativity remains a safe pursuit, Young Art offers versatile supplies with easy cleanup, many of which are AP-certified nontoxic by the Arts and Creative Materials Institute.

Kids use their tools at home to expand on lessons learned during the shop's art classes, where students as young as 4 create masterpieces depicting child-friendly subjects, such as animals and flowers. Some imagination-centric locations also encourage kids to wear their creativity on their backs with a selection of clothing, such as vibrant accessories, colorful dresses with graphic prints, and outerwear.

Though you might have seen one hiking Tamanawas Falls and the other helming the Doctor Zhivago –themed float as a Battle Ground Rose Princess, the self-described spankettes of Spanky's are typically found hawking consignment items or chatting enthusiastically with sellers at their shops in Vancouver and Beaverton. As managers at their respective locations, Rhonda and Erika train their eyes on the latest fashion trends and watch out for functional yet flattering apparel to resell to local women, men, and families. Their collections change frequently, though they are known to snag duds from major brands such as Armani Exchange, Ann Taylor, and Coach. They also manage consignment drives at schools where parents, teachers, and undercover cops posed as students can drop off their gently used clothing and accessories.

"A single flower can transform someone's day," says Flowerbelle Floral's star florist Anna Pustovit. With this belief in mind, Anna aims to instill emotional resonance into each pedal of her nature-inspired arrangements, which frequently incorporate bark and bonsai-sized tree sprigs alongside fragrant peonies, Asiatic lilies, and brightly colored tulips. Anna's blossom creations instantly draw glances to office desks and reception tables, and her nuptial handiwork graces the hands of brides, the tops of cakes, and the lapels of grooms and tuxedoed, ring-bearing canines alike.

Holding only a piece of fabric and a tape measure, Kash Ross sits down to design what will become a signature piece in someone's professional wardrobe. He carefully lays out a paper pattern created from 35 individual measurements and hand cuts superfine worsted wool for the suit's outer layer, fully lining it with canvas cloth for shape and body and sewing in buttonholes with fine silk thread.

And if Ross is smiling as he lovingly completes the reinforced, rubberized waistband, it's not just because he knows it will keep a shirt from becoming un-tucked and diffuse electricity in the event of a lightning strike. It's because he is carrying on a family tradition. For more than 40 years, Ross has walked in the well-hemmed footsteps of his father, a respected clothing maker in Bombay who trained Ross in the art of master tailoring. Kash Ross Creations now bustles with a team of tailors and seamstresses consulting with clients in English, Polish, Lithuanian, and Russian, striving to handcraft eye-catching apparel that, like Ross' father's legacy, stands the test of time.

The owner-artists at Portland Picture Frame summon a combined three decades of experience as they nestle paintings, photos, kids' art, tickets, and other wall cargo into custom-assembled frames. The store’s professional designers consult with customers to begin the decision-making process, choosing from hundreds of frames and mats, including deep shadow boxes, filigreed gold, mat-black finishes, and artfully arranged lincoln logs. Glass can also be customized, with options from regular clear to museum quality. Portland Picture Frame's staff also applies their expertise when meticulously restoring art. Their trained eyes offer complimentary in-home or office consultations in the Portland metro area.

Play It Again Sports’s owner, Jackie Bauter, is a veteran of the sports-and-fitness industry since 1993. With his trained eye, Bauter curates a selection of new sports equipment to meet his customers’ needs within their price range. In addition to carrying new equipment for activities such as aquatic sports, soccer, baseball, skiing, and hockey. The store also rounds up home fitness equipment such as treadmills and elliptical trainers. Play It Again Sports buys customers’ gently used, brand-name equipment for cash, store credit, or a handful of magic beans, which the store resells it for about half the original price.