Shopping in Portland

Vera Auvil's passion in life has always been cultivating knick-knacks and odds-and-ends—her "sweet nothings," as her husband used to say—so when the opportunity to purchase her own store came her way, she knew she wanted to fill its shelves and aisles with her favorite little things: clothes, jewelry, home décor, and makeup. She christened the shop Auvil's Sweet Nothings and set to work cultivating local artisans and national vendors who proffer goods such as De Novo, Waterford crystal, and Yellow Box Shoes. The skilled staffers at her vendor-based store can even help clients brighten smiles with Beaming White teeth-whitening services, make-over mugs with Jane Iredale cosmetics, and learn to cheat during shopping-cart races.

Swarovski crystals glitter and colorful feathers flutter on racks of Fallen Angels jewelry on display inside Tease Salon. The designer—a stay-at-home parent—handcrafts each piece from eye-catching materials and will also create custom baubles for weddings and other special events.

Familiar brands of jewelry, watches, sunglasses, and shoes abound at Premier Outlet. Customers can browse items from designers such as Armani, Casio, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, and Kenneth Cole. Since Premier Outlet has a no-questions-asked money-back guarantee, customers can return gifts that don’t fit their taste or rings of power that they don’t have time to cast into Mount Doom.

After noticing a dearth of affordable art supplies in his Long Island community, Jerry Goldstein flung open the doors of his first art supplies store in 1968, and has since kept artists nationwide stocked with paints and frames through his mail order and online catalogs. Jerry's sons David and Ira have been part of the Artarama business since their early teens, and over the years have helped their dad launch 15 discount stores in the Northeast, South, Texas, and Colorado. The family's dedication to artists and local communities is evident in the myriad workshops and store events at its locations, where staff members help customers navigate the store's shelves of rotating products and floors that switch places with the ceiling each week.

The product creators at EcoSage Company prepare and package their all-natural items with the planet in mind, just as they have since 2008. The group’s sustainable practices extend to their entire inventory, such as their natural soap—the original product made by the company—that comes in scents such as basil-sage mint and cullowhee. Each item is also packaged using recyclable or reusable materials, from soy candles to baby products and body silk lotions. Originally a hobby that started in a modest college apartment, EcoSage’s soaps and other chemical-free products still reflect that initial passion for creating products that are both natural and pleasant-smelling. The EcoSage product makers are also members the Texas Soapmakers Association, a guild that unites its artisans for some of the best-smelling meet-ups this side of the Mississippi.

Gourmet fruit baskets. Fresh, tropical flowers. Daisies and yellow roses perched in a golden smiley-face mug. These are just a few of the selections customers can unearth at Heavenly Designs Plants & Gifts, a family-owned business that celebrates special occasions with thoughtfully arranged flora. Whether ringing in a birthday with a cake made of flowers or extending a wicker basket brimming with snapdragons and purple asters to commemorate a pet's graduation from obedience school, visitors will find an abundance of fresh, aromatic bouquets and gifts to infuse any festivity with beautiful blooms.