Woohoo for cute new boutique in my hood (just moved to 35th & Division)! I seriously heart the…read moreowner, Suzanne. No, not just because she is cute, because she gets down to biznazz. Unlike all those snooty overpriced "local pdx" places in downtown, Donna & Toots has nice clothes at reasonable prices... But wait, there's more. When I tried on a shirt that didn't fit quite right, Suzanne said, Oh, that's one of ours, I can make it for you. Huhwha? For the same price as off-the-rack, Suzanne helped me pick my favorite pretty fabric, shiny buttons, and made an adjustment so the shirt fits just right. And, she emailed me when it was ready! I loved it so much, I ordered a second one as soon as the first was in.

I love walking in and hearing the buzz of the sewing machine as some cute frocks are brought to…read morelife by an indie designer at Donna and Toots. And for a girl like me who can't even sew on a button....this place is brilliant! They offer one-on-one and group sewing classes so you can whip up something as simple as a bag, or take on a more elaborate project like making your own shirt or skirt. If you are looking to buy something right off the rack, they have a darling selection of dresses, pants and skirts from local designers. The selection is limited, but everything is cute, cute, cute!

This Christmas marks my 10th year with my best friend by my side, and I wanted to make my husband…read morefeel as special as he made me feel that first Christmas when he gifted me the most beautiful heart necklace - the first "real" piece of jewelry any guy had ever given. So after some thought, and some great recommendations from friends, I landed on Roosevelts Terrariums in Downtown Portland - the supposedly largest Terrarium shop in the world! Learning the history behind Terrariums, how they've helped decrease the cost of tea among other items, and how they once were a great center piece of 1800's households was the perfect start to an incredibly fun class! Corey picked his favorite Jar, filled the bottom with about an inch of lava rock, several inches of dirt, and meticulously chose and planted every plant, rock, glass, and soapstone sculpture (which Scarlett picked out for her Papa when we visted the Sea Lion caves last month) creating a diverse little ecosystem. He was also able to use the little mushroom figurine he made in a glassblowing coarse last year! Now this way, no matter where our paths might lead us, we will always have a little piece of the PNW in our hearts and home - Merry Christmas baby, I love you so much! And shout out to the owner for such a lovely experience! From making everyone feel so welcome to going the extra mile taking pics of everyone who wants one!

I've been wanting to do a terrarium class for a long time and recently paid the big bucks to make…read moreit happen! The class starts with an overview of terrariums in history, which is more interesting than you might think. Then you get hands-on with building the terrarium, from pouring in rocks and soil to choosing plants and adding decorative elements. It's a lot of fun and feels like a messy art project like when you were a kid in school. The whole things lasts about two hours. There were about 16 people total in the class. You're invited to bring beverages and snacks to make an occasion out of it. It costs $30-60 to join the class, depending on how big your group is. Then it's another $50-400 for the container, plants, soil, etc. So it can get quite costly depending on the size and shape of terrarium you wish to build. You cannot bring your own container to prevent contamination. One thing to note is they offer lifetime maintenance help if your plants start dying or terrarium ecosystem doesn't seem to be working right. The shop is also open to visit outside a class. You can buy a pre-made terrarium or they can also help make a terrarium in your own container outside of classes because they have time to clean it. It's a very unique shop and I'm glad it exists in Portland!

What a lovely way to learn how to create art, and to learn something about yourself at the same…read moretime. So much of what Phil teaches spills into other areas of life too--areas where perfectionism and self-criticism reside. He helps us be more gentle with ourselves as we approach creativity. The energy in the room is not competitive, it is supportive and helpful. People return, year after year, to retake the "beginner" classes, in part to stay in touch with the beginner mindset and sense of wonder. The Drawing Studio is wonderful!

Great classes and wonderfully unique approach to making art. I have taken classes from Phil and…read moreSarah - both are great.

WINE EDUCATION! I have taken many course in wine education…read morehere with Mimi Martin. Everyone loves her teaching style. I have recommended her to so many people it's insane. If you want to learn about wine, take the WSET 1,2,3 or any of the Wine Scholar Guild courses.

Great class in a great space! I'd been trying to find a place in Portland where amateurs could go…read moreto learn how to talk more about wine, and this place came right up. Specifically, I wanted to learn how to describe and find wines I like based on its components, acidity, sweetness, tannin...and Wine & Spirit Archive offers just that in a 2 hour class. I learned a lot in those 2 hours! I learned that I prefer colder climate wines, like those from Northern France or the Willamette valley because they typically have greater acidity. I prefer a red with less body and a medium amount of astringency, I particularly love a good chianti or Oregon pinot. The instructor made things interesting and the kept us all very engaged. I'm definitely keeping this place on my radar for more amateur classes.

I went in to purchase a ruffle foot for my machine. I was lucky enough to get Jess, an employee who…read morehad some wonderful embroidery work on her jacket. She located the foot for me because there were several options and we ended up buying more items at this store because there was a sale on notions. She was a joy to work with and a wonderful salesperson to interact with at the Start Street location. Thank you Jess!

This is a shout out for Nathan who is truly a Sewing Machine Whisperer! I took in my very…read moreneglected Pfaff sewing machine for repair that I had bought in that same store 42 years ago. It was no longer operating correctly on the rare occasions I got it out to use. Nathan was able to troubleshoot all the issues and get it working again. Not only is he a genius, he was truly a pleasure to interact with. Thank you Nathan! I also want to note that both the first person who greeted me and the first repair technician she called over were so courteous. They really treated me as if I was a valued customer. I was inspired to sign up for a class even though I have not actively sewed in many years.

You get what you pay for. Bodhi Tree's adult languages classes are affordable and scheduled…read moreconveniently for working people. They are not university classes and don't pretend to be. They're not even high school classes. They're "community" classes which attract learners with a very wide variety of abilities, backgrounds, and motivations. The public assumption that being a native speaker of a language somehow qualifies a person to teach that language seems to rule here. Before a scheduled sojourn in a foreign land, I was delighted to find an available class in the language of that land, and cheerfully signed up. I did the homework and attended every session. My teacher was not a credentialed language instructor but this person was generally punctual, knowledgeable and sincere. The textbook was good. My overall disappointing results were not due to any lack of good will on the part of students or teacher. The issue was that because the instructors are not trained in how to handle mixed-level classes, my teacher wasted a great deal of time (my time) in trying to cater to those unprepared (didn't do the homework) or those who have no idea how to learn a language (most Americans). For example, one woman student, in her thirties, leapt up from her seat at least three times during every class to answer voice calls, and texted constantly throughout. Having missed the instruction, she would ask the teacher to repeat the point, which he politely did. Another older man apparently had never studied a language before (perhaps had never studied anything before). He filled the class hour with random questions about basic grammar (what is a noun? what do you mean, noun?) history, and politics -- all of which the teacher politely answered, sometimes at length. Due to the teacher's lack of training in mixed-level classroom management, the pace of instruction was extremely slow and disorderly. In eight weeks I learned very little. I would not go back. Still, with so much variation among individual teachers and the possibility of a better mix of adult students, your mileage may vary. Bodhi tree is the only place in Portland to get formal instruction in Mongolian, for example -- and it's affordable. By all means give it a try, but I'd recommend to keep expectations low.

I actually only had the opportunity to take one class at this center because after someone dropping…read moreout, the class size was too small to continue. I was deeply disappointed, but I thought I would still share my experience. The only thing that really bothered me was how warm the room was. Maybe I just have a high tolerance for things, but I wasn't put off by anything. I was there to learn Cantonese Level 1. The instructor was very kind and friendly, and I hate that I forgot her name. If you're going in there expecting to be taught, then go somewhere else. This is a place to talk about the language, go through dialogue, and familiarize yourself with the way it sounds and how to speak it. But there weren't drills, memorizing or starting with the basics like tones. And that was fine for me because my memory is excellent and I can clearly remember how the instructor says it and I can repeat it. I'm thinking about doing one-on-one tutoring there, but the distance is a little out of my way. These are community classes and I had a good time.

the clinic is welcoming and professional. the artists are skilled and personable. I've recommended…read moreDaela to friends.

I'm back with another review because this place continues to deliver. I had lip blushing done this…read moreyear with Vivian, and previously I've had eyeliner and brows done here as well, all with different artists. Every experience has been consistently excellent. Vivian was incredibly clear and upfront about the lip blushing process, including the fact that it can be more intense than eyeliner or brows. For me, that was true, though I know it varies by person. My first pass healed lighter than I wanted, and at my follow-up Vivian really listened. She made sure I was thoroughly numbed and adjusted the color to a richer shade that I love. She also explained that some lips simply don't retain pigment as easily, which was reassuring and helpful to understand. Healing was easy, and I'm excited to see how the color continues to settle over the next few weeks. What really stands out to me about this studio is how kind, attentive, and thoughtful all of the artists are. One consistent approach I've noticed is that they intentionally go lighter at first, which makes total sense. You can always deepen the color at the follow-up, and it avoids ending up with something too intense. Overall, another great experience and I couldn't be happier with the care and results.

I just took the training in late Sept. 2020. I really enjoyed the class and the hand on training…read more The instructors are very knowledgeable and it's a great learning experience. The training happened during the Covid and it was kind of nice in a way because we only have 4 students which gave us plenty of time one-on-one with instructor and asking question. I highly recommend the class to any one who interested to learn more about coffee making or opening a coffee shop. It's not as simple as it seem.

So I just took this class last month and all I have to say is WOW!!!!! It was an amazing experience…read moreand I learned a lot.I took both the business/barista class. The business portion covers everything about starting a coffee house. It covers negotiating a lease, startup cost, employee management and training. There is much more involving stuff that is too long to list but they do give you a binder with all the info and a USB with their presentations and handouts. They also give you a book written by Bruce Milleto. The barista portion was 100% hands on and you learn by doing and doing and doing. They have over 10 commercial espresso machines and more than enough milk to practice latter art. They are very easy going with the equipment and are not anal at all. They are very user friendly. I had some knowledge on how to pull shots and steaming milk but they really opened my eyes and taught me knew information.They also teach you other methods of brewing coffee. The class is led by Josh and man he is such a cool ass dude. Very friendly and outgoing and patient. I can tell he really loves what he does. Great guy with a lot of soul. Matt Milleto who is the vice president is such a down to earth guy very easy going and mellow. They both gave good hospitality to the students and provided us with really good food as well. They are both very welcoming and make you feel at home from day one. The school is also very intimate and the classes stay small.