Monday, October 20

GUEST BLOGGER: Andrea from Hula Seventy

So Victoria is in Thailand and don't you want to go too? I do. Actually, I think I'd say yes to any sort of traveling, I'd get on a plane and go just about anywhere right now. I'm consumed with wanderlust these days and will admit to planning imaginary trips and hanging out at the airport just for fun. When things really get bad, I go to Cargo. When I need a serious dose of color, Cargo is the joint. A trip to Cargo temporarily quiets the wishful world traveler in me. And so I spent the better part of Saturday afternoon there and confirmed what I already knew to be true: Cargo makes me happy.


The entire building is a lovely mess of red lanterns, plastic flowers and bright-colored banners. Visit on a windy day and you'll want to stand outside and listen to the army of rooftop pinwheels whir and snap. You'll want to watch everything blow from side to side for a while. Or maybe that's just me.

Inside you'll find:


Wooden hands that beg to be posed.



Chinese opera hats.



Muslim wedding chairs.



Nepalise baskets woven from hundreds and hundreds of bits of recycled food wrappers.



A reason to drink coffee.



A reason to collect old paint-by-numbers. (Although I don't think I could bring myself to cut up my humble collection of vintage paint-by-numbers, no matter how brilliant the idea).



Little jewelry and toiletry sets made entirely out of paper. Which I totally fell in love with.



Vintage matchbooks. There's always some sort of vintage ephemera to be found in the store. I love that.



And postcards. To send yourself once you've left the store. Because it will feel like you've been on a little trip. It really will.



(Cargo is located at 380 NW 13th Avenue in Portland, Oregon)

14 comments:

Uncle Beefy said...

Hooray, Andrea! Didn't know you were in PDX! I LOOOOOOVE cargo in all its colorful splendor! GREAT place to feature and your photos show it off perfectly but still leave a little to the imagination. Nicely done!

vantiani said...

You have no idea how bad I want to go to Portland for the last five years, and THIS is just add one more reason why I have to be there at least once in my life time.

Thank you Andrea, these pictures are just brilliant!

Vantiani

Anonymous said...

Definitely one of my fav PDX stores and yes, I agree- a fantastic lil' trip without leaving the city.

JanelleGrace said...

I'll put this on my list of places to go once I move.

Unknown said...

When I was in Hue, my hotel room came with a thermos of hot water that I could replenish by visiting the front desk. It was better than mints on the pillow and it was such a cool flowery thermos.

lisa said...

thanks for the little colorful journey.

Eden From Sweden said...

Yip! Thanks, Andrea! I love Cargo. Damn, isn't Portland awesome? While you're there you feel like your somewhere else...it's like the furniture pieces have their own strong exotic energies...lovely.

Mrs.French said...

I can't believe I have not been yet...thanks for the reminder...your photos are amazing! xxoo

Jan Halvarson said...

love that paint by number dresser lots

Jennifer said...

What a great looking store! Yet another reason I'd love to visit Portland! I think the paper toiletries are intended for burning as an offering to ancestors on certain Chinese holidays and at Chinese funerals. Joss paper is the traditional thing to burn but it seems that you can now get "hell money" as well as cell phones, fancy watches, and many other trappings of modern life. I found some info on Wikipedia and by just Googling the topic. They are really cool though!

andrea said...

thanks, all!

poppy, I knew you'd love that dresser.

jenniferz, I knew there had to be a story behind the paper toiletries! fantastic. thanks so much for sharing!

Anonymous said...

Just wanted to let you know that the toiletries sets made out of paper are most likely funeral items--in Chinese Buddhist funerals, paper effigies of money (American dollars, Taiwanese yuan, you name it) and anything that might be of use to the deceased (clothing, furnished houses, servants, even cell phones these days) are burned at the end of the ceremony. Paper money can be burned any time one visits a loved one's grave, but I've only seen luxury and daily needs items burned at the funeral.

andrea said...

thanks, stella! jenniferz pointed that out as well... I just knew there had to be a bigger story behind the paper toiletries. I was so intrigued when I initially found them!

Unknown said...

we burnt my grandma a house, a car and a rolex.
she's rolling in style.