Bitter American: Brave the Feb Chill and Drink One on the Porch

If you don’t think session beers are a good choice for February, you haven’t tried 21st Amendment Brewery's Bitter American yet. Right now in Portland, the sun is valiantly shining on my balcony porch, and it seems like a great time to crack open a can.

This is my first experience drinking a craft beer in a can (I sort of skipped that whole chugging Bud Light as a teenager phase, and went straight to bottled beer. What can I say? I grew up in Oregon.)

My first thoughts are, “wow, this does have a ton of flavor.” With an alcohol content of just 4.4% by volume, I’m surprised by the intensity of the flavor, even though I did, you know, write the press release.

I love strong beers, but tend to shy away from super hoppy brews—this beer does have a strong hoppiness that’s not unpleasant, but definitely present. It’s not what I expected from an extra pale ale. I enjoy the maltiness mixed in with the hop flavor—21st Amendment uses an imported English heirloom malt called Golden Promise in Bitter American.

All in all, this is my best beer-in-a-can experience—I definitely recommend giving Bitter American a try, especially if you’re hanging out with friends on a Friday evening. Drinking a Bitter American, you’ll feel like you’re drinking a stronger beer—but you’ll understand why 21st Amendment co-founder Nico Freccia likes to say, "Go ahead. Give one, or three, a try."

Savvy New Beer Mag Embraces Cutting-Edge App

Last night I attended the launch party of a new magazine created by an old hand in the world of beer media – Megan Flynn. The woman behind Beer Northwest has expanded to include the entire West Coast with Beer West Magazine.

The new magazine might have been the reason we were all at this launch party, but a new app was center stage: Beer West is the first magazine to partner with Beaverton-based tech company Digimarc to provide reader-only content through a phone app. What sets this app apart is it registers what the phone is looking at. Behind 25 different images in Beer West Magazine is a special watermark (which can be printed behind anything, even, theoretically, a temporary tattoo). The app recognizes the watermark and connects to special content online.

While Megan was talking about Beer West and Digimarc in front of the audience of writers and PR reps, a news clip on KGW flashed onto the pub’s televisions featuring non other than Megan, herself, and a montage of people with iPhones flashing their screens at pages of Beer West. Kudos to Megan for having the guts to launch a magazine in these stilted economic times, and for having the business savvy to create so much buzz around it. Partnering with Digimarc was an intelligent move (and they revealed how much this cost the magazine: $4.99 a watermark, that’s a total of only about $125).

A feature article on Deschutes Brewery’s newest brewer Veronica Vega is included in this first edition of Beer West – and you got it – readers can use the app to access a reader-only interview with her online. (FYI - the print article is much longer than the blip online, with a two and a half-page spread on Vega. Should she consider creating her own fan club? With a name like Veronica Vega, of course she should!)

In the future, the app is also suppose to register what the phone is listening too, a feature that will put users, as CEO Bruce Davis put it, “in the web, not on the web.” To her credit, Megan made a little joke about how spooky that sounded.

If this new app becomes as big as Davis hopes, it could be a step towards keeping print relevant by making it more interactive with the web and more fun. Personally, I would never trade in my books, magazines and newspapers for Kindles and Ipads. But I’m old school—sometimes I like to unplug and look up from my computer screen. Interestingly, getting away from the computer is one of the motivations Davis cited, saying the app “could liberate the world.”

I couldn’t help being distracted by the six o’clock news flashing on the giant TVs looming above Megan and Davis. The screen showed interviews with Hilary Clinton, President Obama and scenes of protesters running through the streets of Egypt. “Well,” I thought to myself. “It’s not liberating the entire world.”

Strong Beer Month: Are You Experienced?

The cats at 21st Amendment Brewery and Magnolia Gastropub and Brewery are experienced, baby. Hey, it may not be the Summer of Love (okay, so it’s February) but these breweries know the 9th annual Strong Beer Month is going to warm you blood, raise your spirits and improve your conversational prowess. Both pubs continue the month-long tradition of offering 12 beers, six at each brewery, that are strong and have intense flavors.

The brewers of the 21st Amendment and Magnolia Gastropub and Brewery once again bring you an astounding range of memorable brews to lift the winter doldrums. Those who visit both breweries and try all twelve beers get to keep the special commemorative glass. Commemorative t-shirts are also available. These special beers, glasses and t-shirts will be available from February 1st until they run out. ABV ranges from 8.4% to 11.1%.

“What can be better than listening to a little Jimi?” asked Dave McLean, co-founder of Magnolia Gastropub and Brewery. “Listen to Jimi with Lord and Master or Tweezer Tripel in hand and you won’t even notice it’s raining outside.”

“And don’t forget,” added Shaun O’Sullivan, Co-Founder and Brewmaster of 21st Amendment Brewery and Co-Founder of Strong Beer Month with Dave, “the most experienced drinkers know a cab ride’s the best way to get home after throwing back a couple of strong beers. They don’t call one of our beers Two Lane Blacktop for nothing.”

21st Amendment’s Strong Beer Month Brews:
Red IMP
Lower de Boom
21 Rock2
Lord and Master
Two Lane Blacktop
Imperial Jack

Magnolia Pub and Brewery’s Brews:
Tweezer Tripel
Promised Land Imperial IPA
Old Thunderpussy Barleywine
Smokestack Lightning Imperial Stout
Pride of Branthill
Rye Rye Rocco

The festivities begin February 1st, but check back often at both pubs and at www.strongbeermonth.com as special kegs and casks of vintage and barrel-aged beers will appear throughout the month.

One Day Only at Deschutes Brewery’s Bend and Portland Pubs!

Limited edition beer “Giraffe on Ice Skates” to celebrate the OnPoint Bend WinterFest on January 29, 2011

No, “Giraffe on Ice Skates” isn’t the title to a Dr. Suess book; it’s a bit of hopped-up shenanigans from Deschutes Brewery. Saturday, January 29 at the Deschutes pubs in both Bend and Portland is Bend WinterFest day. Purchase a pint of Giraffe on Ice Skates (a special beer brewed up just to celebrate WinterFest, the annual celebration of winter held in Bend’s Old Mill District) in the Portland pub and receive a free OnPoint Bend WinterFest button. Plus, Deschutes will donate $1 from each sale of Giraffe from both pubs to local charity Saving Grace.

In Portland, patrons drinking Giraffe will also be entered to win a Bend WinterFest package, including accommodation at the Riverhouse Hotel, 2 lift tickets to Mt. Bachelor, a VIP brewery tour, Deschutes swag and two Bend WinterFest wine walk glasses. In the Bend pub, patrons will be able to win some cool Deschutes swag.

Giraffe on Ice Skates is named for some experimental hops that were marooned in the Deschutes Brewery cooler this Belgian-style beer is brewed with hibiscus. IBU’s 16  ABV 13.7%

21st Amendment Brewery’s ‘Bitter American’ A tribute to unsung, unwitting heroes everywhere

After a long day at work, the average American might feel a little bitter at the curveballs life threw his way—but cracking open a Bitter American will immediately improve the mood. And seeing the astronaut chimp on the can will put average troubles into perspective—let’s face it, if you’d been rocketed into space against your will, you might be a little bitter, too. Bitter American is 21st Amendment Brewery’s newest seasonal, an extra pale ale, available now through March. This is the third in 21st Amendment’s series of canned craft seasonals, which also includes Hell or High Watermelon Wheat and Fireside Chat.

Bitter American was first created at 21st Amendment’s pub in 2006 as a response to the trend of “extreme beers” – complex beers high in alcohol and often including unusual ingredients. 21st Amendment wanted to offer the opposite: a “session beer,” or lower alcohol beer that would encourage patrons to enjoy a drinking session with friends (a staple in British pub culture). This beer packs a lot of hop and malt flavor into a refreshingly low alcohol (4.4% by volume) brew—making it the perfect session beer to enjoy with friends.

“What I love about Bitter American,” said Nico Freccia, co-founder, “is that it is the antidote to the strong, dark, intense beers of winter. Winter beers, like barleywines, are incredible styles, but after a while the palate needs a rest. Bitter American provides that.”

“The secret to Bitter American is achieving a balance between malt flavor and hops while using a smaller grain bill,” says co-founder and Brewmaster Shaun O’Sullivan. “If you just add more hops into a session beer grain bill, you get an unbalanced mess of overwhelming bitterness. Our secret is the use of a special, imported English heirloom malt called Golden Promise. This malt has a rich, full body and distinctive flavor that gives the beer a complex, caramelly and toasty flavor. Against this backdrop, we are able to hop generously to achieve a hop flavor and aroma that belies the strength of the brew.”

As Freccia likes to say, “Go ahead. Give one, or three, a try.”

Bitter American is available in cans and on draft starting this week at quality bars and stores in all 15 of 21st Amendment’s current distribution territories, including CA, OR, WA, AK, ID, MN, OH, MA, NY, NJ, DC, MD, PA, VA, and GA. For up-to-date availability, events and promotions, visit www.21st-Amendment.com.

Campbell Consulting Joins the World of Wikipedia

I can’t keep track of the number of times I get on Wikipedia each day—five times? Ten? It’s so easy to type “bedbug” or “Go! Team” and get instant info. So of course as a public relations agency—whose whole objective is to get our clients’ messages out there to the masses—Campbell Consulting is working on creating Wikipedia pages.

With a background as a freelance journalist, the project found its way to my desk. I started with the Old Mill District. Understanding how to write the news, rather than market-speak, really helps when working on a Wikipedia page. Objectivity is crucial and so is showing your supporting documentation—in fact, if you don’t, your page will come down faster than you can tweet about it going up. (More info about public relations and Wikipedia can be found in a great interview by PRWeek last spring.)

Working your way through the labyrinth of “help” and “how-to” pages is almost as bad as filing taxes. Wikipedia states that anyone can edit pages—and in its simplest form, yes, that’s true. But creating a page—complete with photos—is more difficult than it sounds. I asked a few techie friends for their advice and they laughed at me and said they still hadn’t gotten around to figuring it out, themselves.

Not encouraging, but I kept at it—finding documentation and getting feedback from the marketing director for the Old Mill District. She was a great help with this project—sending me photos and answering my questions quickly. Finally—ta da!—the Old Mill District page is finished!

But what’s this? “This article may require clean up to meet Wikipedia quality standards?” Yes, my article was tagged. Though anyone can edit Wikipedia, a set of what I call “online librarians” live for the joys of editing and flagging Wikipedia pages. They can be annoying—but in the long run, they help keep Wikipedia as factual as possible.

So, in your opinion, how can I improve the Old Mill District article? In the spirit of Wikipedia, let’s make this a group effort!

Spreading the Word about Bend WinterFest – the Northwest’s Largest Winter Festival

Anyone who lives in Bend knows about OnPoint Bend WinterFest – with tons of snow being hauled from Mount Bachelor to construct the largest off-mountain rail jam west of the Mississippi, who could miss it?

But Lay It Out Events, the mastermind behind Bend WinterFest for the past six years, wanted to turn up the volume and grow the event to more of a regional attraction, so this year they have partnered with us—Campbell Consulting—to make sure that happens.

Our public relations goal has been pretty simple: shout from the top of Mount Bachelor that Bend WinterFest rocks. In other words, we’ve been fiends on the computer and telephone, first reaching out to regional travel magazines, such as Northwest Travel, Sky West and Alaska Air/Horizon Air, Portland Monthly; winter sports publications—check out Bend WinterFest articles in Freeskier and About.com: Skiing. The readers of Boise Weekly up in Idaho really lucked out—thanks to a contest Campbell Consulting created that gives readers a chance to win a massive Bend WinterFest prize package by creating snow-themed videos. Soon, we will be reaching out to our local media connections and a ton of parent and snow sports bloggers.

We want to make sure everyone who might want to come to Bend WinterFest knows all about it. After all, who wants to be the loser who hears about how amazing Bend WinterFest was—from their best friend, in mid-March, waaay after they’ve taken down the rail jump and the crowds have gone home.

Presented by Mt. Bachelor, Bend WinterFest runs February 18 to 20 and has become the President’s Day destination event for tourists from San Francisco to Seattle.

For everyone who hasn’t heard the buzz about Bend WinterFest – it’s time to check it out and book your trip. Seriously, Bend WinterFest is the largest winter festival in the Northwest, and includes: 

• Performances by California musicians the Aggrolites and Lyrics Born 
• Nordic SprinterFest races – all skiers welcome to enter!
• WinterFringe – bringing street performers to downtown Bend.
• The Newport Avenue Market European-style market, selling the Northwest’s best food, wine and fine art.
• Kids’ performance and craft area. 
• OMSI activities, including 3-D dinosaur puzzle and nanotechnology table.
• Snow and ice carving competition (Think of the childhood memories of a winter wonderland of ice sculptures. You’ll be voted best parents of the year.)
• Performances by motocross team Metal Mulisha 
• And of course, the snowboard and ski jumping competitions held on the U.S. Cellular Rail Jam.

The event is surprisingly affordable: Bend WinterFest buttons (which act as passes into the event and are good for the entire weekend) are $6 in advance, $7 at the gate. A family 4-pack is $20 in advance, $24 at the gate. Children 5 and under are free.

Plus, A portion of Bend WinterFest’s proceeds is donated to local charity Saving Grace. Last year, the event donated $9000 to Saving Grace. In the past six years Bend WinterFest has awarded over $39,000 to local and regional charities.

Bend WinterFest has partnered with RiverHouse Hotel to offer a special weekend deal for the event: when people book a Three Day Ski Vacation package with the Riverhouse Hotel, they’ll receive the third night and third day of skiing for free at Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort. Plus, kids stay and ski for free.

Hope to see you there!

Perfect Picks for Portland

With the biggest football game in Oregon State history happening Monday night, I imagine it's difficult for many to think about anything else! But as always there are many exciting events happening this weekend in Portland.

The RiverCity Music Festival with square dancing to workshops to some of the best Bluegrass this country has to offer has once again returned to Portland January 7, 8 & 9th. The Red Lion on the River in Jantzen Beach hosts this year; nightly tickets and weekend passes still available!


On Saturday Portland and the Oregon Symphony will be hosting a pioneer in female comedians; Joan Rivers will be performing following a opening performance by the symphony. Joan has pushed the boundaries and paved the way for funny women for decades - the show will not be for the faint of heart. See her and the symphony at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall starting at 7:30pm. Ticket info here.

And for those unable to think of anything but football make your plans now to watch the big game. The Bossanova Ballroom is hosting a free viewing party with snacks, beer and drink specials as well as a 15 ft viewing screen. East Burn is also inviting you to join their football celebration with their beer and drink specials. And of course the Ducks don't disappoint and have had special uniforms made fo the Championship game - be sure to keep an eye out for them.

A No-Pressure NYE Guide

Here we are, another calendar year coming to a close. I always find myself scrambling at the last moment to figure out the very *best* way to say goodbye to the previous year and welcome in the new year. I hope my research saves you the trouble; this year I have determined the 3 best approaches to having the best New Years Eve in Portland.

New Year's Eve Ball, 1978 - Photo Credit: The New York Times

1. Stay home! 
Okay, I know, this sounds a little lame, but it could be amazing. With the temperature in the teens, venues packed with everyone who stays in 360 days a year (and have already had too much to drink) and the police are just looking for your car with one headlight out to pull over. do you really need to leave the comfort of your own home to ring in the new year? Grab your snuggle partner or a couple friends with a penchant for silly movies and board games and watch the ball drop from the comfort of your couch. This also frees to you get up early and enjoy New Years day; brunch, snow sports and hikes all come to mind for fun activities.


2. Roll out to your favorite bar or restaurant
Why try and make things complicated when you have guaranteed enjoyment at your local hang out? Many restaurants with special menus are booked up with reservations, but there are still options out there and many spots will be open with their regular menu. Portlanders are blessed with a neighborhood bar on every corner, many equipped with air hockey and shuffleboard tables as well as dirt cheap drinks. My local favorite has to be The Spare Room in NE PDX - classic 70s decor, fire place and exceptional service. So round up your friends, pick a destination and bring the party where ever you go!


3. Go big
Of course there are many options for those of us who feel the need to start of 2011 with a bang. Here are my picks for the Portland area:
Abstract Earth Project (A.E.P.) + Fresh give us NYE 2011 at Branx & Rotture with Lazor Sword, Eliot Lipp, Virtual Boy + many more. Tix available here for this dubstep / hip hop extravaganza. High energy, big crowd and a rowdy good time!


Shanghai Nights, presented by MAST at the Bossanova Ballroom with McTuff & Devin Phillips (funk soul jazz band with a New Orleans flavor), DJ Harry & Jans Ingber (doing a special String Cheese remix dj set) and a few other musical acts to keep the dance floor packed. Tickets still available online or at Ticket West outlets.


For something a little classier, head to the Secret Society Ballroom for their New Year's Eve Masquerade Ball where they are promising 1920s & 30s swing and hot jazz paired with amazingly delicious cocktails and beautiful masked attendees. Tickets are only available in limited quantities at the door - so arrive early.


However you choose to reflect on the old and embrace the new, Campbell Consulting wishes you a fulfilling, fruitful and joyous 2011! 

How PDX Will Save Your Xmas

I made a resolution this year to keep my holiday as stress free and simple as possible. Last night my bubble of calm and collectedness was broken and I found myself trapped in traffic jams, waiting in excessively long lines and running home as fast as I could to escape the last minute holiday crowds.


The holidays tend to be a time of stress for many of us trying to make the perfect meal or buy the perfect gifts, but where is the fun in being perfect!? While events this weekend are fewer than normal, there are still a couple that will bring a smile to your face, relieve you of the holiday stress and maybe even help you escape trying family events this Christmas.

Head up to the slopes to help burn off some of those holiday calories! Mt Hood Meadows Ski Resort is open both Christmas Eve (9am-4pm) and Christmas day (9am-9pm). Check the weather, grab your lift tickets and escape the crowds in the beautiful outdoors.


Take the Christmas spirit to the next level by visiting Peacock Lane. This Southeast Portland neighborhood has been decorating their homes since the 1920s. Make sure you dress appropriately for the weather as you will need to park and walk to see the lights. Soak in the lights and the holiday spirit for free through Christmas!


Looking to entertain the Martha Stewart of your family? Pittock Mansion has been decorated to the nines by professional interior designers and florists. More than 15 Christmas trees can be found throughout the mansion. It's as if this event was made for my mother! Entry is $9 for adults ($8 for seniors) and is open every day (but December 25) through January 2.


Need to get out of the house and dance your stress away? The Fez Ballroom is hosting a Nightmare Before Xmas 80s dance party on Friday night. Just a $5 cover, 9pm-2:30pm to release some of that holiday tension!


Whatever it is that you and your holiday crew end up doing this weekend we at Campbell Consulting wish you a happy and healthy holiday!

Portland Holiday Cheer - Not to Miss Events this Weekend

Another wet December weekend is upon us, but as usual, you have your pick of indoor and outdoor events to help you keep your mind off the rain!

Friday night local eco fashion designers and animal/environmental activists are teaming up to bring us the Wild Couture Fashion Show + Party to Benefit Elephant Ivory Project. Boothstar on Davis will be hosting the event complete with fashion show, raffle, costume contest and photo booth. With 10 percent of elephants being killed for their ivory every year the world is looking at total elephant extinction in just a couple of years. All proceeds from the event go to the Elephant Ivory Project; the mission Trip Jennings and Andy Maser of the Portland-based production company, EP Films, to travel to the remote jungles of of the Congo and complete their elephant DNA map of Africa. With the goal of sending resources to local poaching hot spots and saving as many elephants as possible. Friday December 10, 8pm (fashion show starts at 9:30pm).

The New Deal Distillery will be hosting the 2nd Annual Season's Eatings event, a local food, wine and spirits market that benefits the Oregon Food Bank. On Saturday from 12pm-6pm, come buy some of the Pacific Northwest's best cheese, chocolate, baked goods, cured meats as well as fine wine and spirits. Local favorites Random Order Coffeehouse, Briar Rose Creamery, Unbound Pickles and Clive Coffee among many others will be selling their delicious goods to you for your holiday celebrations. In a town that is so consumed by food, it's important to remember that there are some people who can't afford to eat. Come support local businesses as well as the Oregon Food Bank for your holiday shopping!


In its 56th year the Christmas Ship Parade has returned to the waters of the Willamette and Columbia. Boasting between 55 and 60 boats, the fleet of ships will be out every night from December 9 through the 21st. You can view the schedule for the Willamette and the Columbia on the site. The parade is made possible by donations from local restaurants, many of them allow you to dine and view the light parade simultaneously. Whether you choose to brave the elements or fine a nice cozy booth to relax in, the Christmas Ship Parade is so unique to Portland and not to be missed!


Thanks to PDXPipeline for finding and sharing this beautiful time lapse video of the event!

Christmas Ships from Andrew Curtis on Vimeo.


Other noteworthy events: Tuba Christmas in the Square Saturday 1:30pm-3:00pm; Baltimore Woods Planting in St. Johns Saturday 9am-12pm; The Peoples Yoga Fundraiser at the Someday Lounge - working towards community yoga, access for all! Sunday 8pm

Short & Sweet - PDX Picks for 1st Weekend of December

Have you emerged from your turkey comas yet? Survived the holiday opener? Gearing up for round 2?

While most people in Portland will be glued to their televisions sets Saturday for the OU/OSU "civil war" game, there will be a few options for those of us who aren't big football fans.

Confident that Pioneer Place is probably the most secure spot in Portland, check out the Holiday Ale Festival. There will be more than 50 deliciously festive winter ales to warm you right up! Don't miss the 4 special brews featured at the European-style brunch on Sunday from 11am-1pm - tickets going fast!

Want some help getting into the holiday spirit? Look no further than the Oregon Zoo Lights. Over 1 million twinkling lights along with a holiday train, music as well as costumed animals and elves. Cute and romantic date or family outing - guaranteed festive fun! And if you don't make it this weekend, you have through January 2nd to enjoy the winter wonderland.

And one of the more unique shopping opportunities that I have heard of in a long while - 14 tractor trailers of everything National Geographic has had for sale in the last 5 years are unloading into the Oregon State Convention Center. Free access Friday through Sunday to find some serious bargains.

Portland Events Worth Braving the Weather

If you live in Portland and have left your house in the last 48 hours it's likely that you were drenched! It's coming down in buckets with temperatures dropping day-to-day and even talk of *gasp* snow is sneaking into our conversations! But those of us who have a few Portland winters under our belts know that while the weather may make us want to put on our pj pants, curl up on the couch, watch movies and eat cookies for dinner, we can't succumb to the dark and rain. Portland is definitely delivering some fine events this weekend to help us motivate out of our warm homes and brave the storms.

Like little rays of sunshine, these Portland events will make you laugh, make you think and make you dance away the blues of this cold rainy week!

Banish the gloom away by laughing it up for Hal Sparks, of VH1's "I love the 70s, 80s and 90s" as well as "Queen as Folk," at Helium Comedy Club in Southeast. He'll be performing his routine November 18-20th for Portland audiences.

Check out Clarity Miller's awesomely cute stuffed creatures at the Folks: Plush Wonders and Oddities show opening at the Land Gallery on Mississippi starting Friday. Billed as the "future of taxidermy" it is sure to put a smile on your face and bring out your inner kid.

Saturday is just packed with amazing music all around town. 
Blonde Redhead will be playing at the Roseland Theater in support of their new album release "Penny Sparkle" - that will definitely be a treat! All ages, tickets for $22.

March Fourth Marching Band has returned from journeys far and wide and will bring their own special sound to Refuge. Early show/family tickets are $9 advance / $12 day of; 21+ late night performance is $10 advance / $13 day of.

The Abstract Earth Project will be doing it up bigger and better the second time around for Flux 2.0. Musical billing is pretty impressive with the likes of Vibesquad, Starkey and up-and-commer Shigeto from Brooklyn (most recent release out on Ghostly International) in addition to heavyweight local Emancipator (fresh off his dancefloor packing national tour with Bassnectar) as well as new to the ranks PDX artist Natasha Kmeto. Flux 2.0 will be taking over both Branx and Rotture for the unveiling of Branx's new remodel. Presales are $20, otherwise $25 at the door.

And what better way to round out your weekend than eating perfectly paired bites with local craft beers? On Sunday the Hotel Monaco hosts the first annual Monaco Cup to benefit the United Way. Six Portland chefs will be doing their best to win the audiences' votes as they work to create the best pairings. Tickets just $22 with a processing fee.

So don't batten down the hatches just yet. There's too much awesome to miss this weekend in Portland!

Holiday Preparation, Event Edition

All week long people have been asking me, "So, are you ready for Thanksgiving?" and my answer has been a no with a tinge of panic. This will be the first time since my husband and I moved to Portland that we will be hosting a holiday dinner gathering. We are not new to having large meals in our home - our house was a regular holiday destination for many of our friends in New York for many years - but this year feels a bit different. Between a plethora of dietary requirements (vegans, celiacs & lactose avoiders, oh my!), house guests from distant cities and my husband's 30th birthday celebration the night before, I am feeling some pressure - much like a turkey with a target on its chest!

There are some options this weekend to help you get on the path to a successful Thanksgiving holiday:

The Northwest Food and Wine Festival at Pure in the Pearl will have your  mind racing and your taste buds dancing with happiness. With over 600 different wines to sample and food from 50 area restaurants you will sure to walk out of there with plenty of holiday feast ideas, but also a happy buzz! Tickets are $75 a pop, or discounted tickets from the Bartenders Guild for $99 a pair or $65 each. Fun starts at 4pm on Saturday, November 13!

Are you in need of some new table linens? Or maybe a new gravy boat or some napkin holders that will have your mother-in-law ooh-ing and ah-ing about your new found love for decorating? Well, there is always Goodwill, but if you really want to wow them (and have some beautiful things to help turn your holiday meal into a more festive celebration) then look to some of our local amazing artisans in Portland to add some funky style to your home. The city of Portland has teamed up with Crafty Wonderland to take over and transform an abandoned store front into a shoppers paradise. On 10th & Yamhill (next to Finnegan's Toys) Crafty Wonderland will be set up through the holiday season with goods from 90 Portland area artists and crafters, you'll be sure to find something for you and everyone on your shopping list. The grand opening party is on Saturday, November 13 from 12pm-5pm. Check out their site for special events, trunk shows and sales through the end of December!

Are you in need of a breather after all of that planning (stressing?) make your way to the Central Library to watch the monks of the South Indian Drepung Loseling Monastery create a giant Tibetan Sand Mandala. The mandala is a beautiful and intricate piece of art created to invoke the Buddha of Compassion. While it will be on display through the end of the month (November 29), the live creation of the piece can only be viewed Wednesday through Saturday from 10:30am-5:30pm. A perfect escape for just a few moments to meditate on why we make ourselves so crazy during the holidays - and you thought decorating was tedious!

Reminder: If you cook a turkey and you don't want it to be a 22 lb iceberg on your path to Thanksgiving dinner conquest, I'd place an order at your local grocery for a happy free range/organic/heritage turkey. It makes life so much easier and you can tell them how many pounds you want, because throwing away any amount of turkey because you had turkey-godzilla for 5 people is just a travesty! New Seasons Markets across the Portland area are taking orders for pick up and delivery. And if you are in the NW you can order Mary's Turkeys or Diestel Turkeys for pick up from the Little Green Grocer.

Music, Art & Cocktails: The Art of a Low-Key Portland Weekend

Portland is taking a bit of a breather after a wild Halloween weekend and the excitement of local and national elections. But don't fret, there is still plenty to do in Bridgetown this weekend!

The 4th Annual Siren National Women's Music and Art Festival is taking place in our fair city this weekend. Siren Nation's mission is to inspire and empower women of all ages to create their own art and to highlight the many achievements of women in the arts. Siren Nation promotes and showcases the original work of women artists by creating year round performance, exhibition and educational opportunities. Female musicians are showcased on Friday and Saturday nights at the Someday Lounge. There will also be an art and craft fair at McMenimans Kennedy School on Sunday with a free crafty workshop from 11am-5pm for girls of all ages. Weekend passes for all art and music are $25.

The city is definitely moving towards craft fair season and local crafty artisans, Abby Powell Thompson, of abby try again, and Chelsea Fuss {frolic!} are debuting their craft fair at Ace Cleaners this Saturday and Sunday. Little Winter Market will have locally made art, jewelry, crafts and trinkets to 'ooooh' and 'aaaah' at as we gear up for the holidays. There will be a Little Winter Meet & Greet party tonight (Friday) at West Elm from 7pm-9pm in the Pearl. Go check out the goods at 403 SW 10th Ave (next to the Ace Hotel) Saturday 11am - 6pm & Sunday 11am-5pm. Free entry!

If you'd rather eat than shop, step out of your normal dining routine and head to Lincoln Saturday for their first in a series of "Bar Camps" where co-owner and tender of the bar, David, will help guide you through the basics of stocking a home bar, the history of the cocktail, how spirits are made as well as some classic drink recipes. After class, campers will sit down to a family-style meal complete with delicious cocktail pairings. Camp starts are 4:30pm, dinner at 5:30pm. Cost for both is $125. Can't make it this Saturday? They have another planned for November 20th - just in time to prepare for Thanksgiving!

Yes, it's true, Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away. Hosting a celebration at your house? In need of something to bring to a friend's gathering? Look no further than Random Order's amazing pie selection! Their Vanilla Salted Caramel Apple pie was just named one of the best in the country by Travel + Leisure magazine. Get your order in now for pick up before Thanksgiving. Or find a local market in your neighborhood, like the Pearl's Little Green Grocer, who will take your order and have your pie(s) waiting for you closer to home (and without the lines).