By Tamara Anne Fowler | CNA Media Team

Shannon Guirl lights up the world. And it all started with inspiration from Alberta Street. Shannon grew up in Chicago and traveled through Europe prior to landing in Brooklyn to work on film and television documentaries like “Bowling for Columbine” and “Shut Up and Sing” about The Dixie Chicks, plus reality TV shows like “American Pickers” and “Cash Cab.”

She worked primarily as an editor, but also assisted with filming on documentaries and documentary-based TV shows. After 12 years in the film & TV industry, Shannon found she had hit a wall. She needed something different.

In 2009, she took a ceramics class in Brooklyn and learned the basics of slip casting and mold making.

“I researched and designed my first lamp on my own after work and on the weekends,” Shannon explained. “It was a combination of the textures and materials I had become familiar with while exploring past mid-century designs. I felt the curves and shapes expressed a more modern version of the mid-century look.”

After that, it was mostly reading books, watching YouTube.com videos and talking to other ceramicists, turners and makers that helped Shannon develop the skills to make her product and run her business.

She was drawn from Brooklyn to Portland in 2010. “Through my work with Etsy, I could see that the makers in community, and I wanted to be part of it.”

Shannon released her first design, The Alberta on Kickstarter.com that same year. The campaign was successful and she raised more than $50,000 in seed money to start Caravan Pacific.

Shannon assembled and packed each lamp for all of the backers. “It was a wonderful feeling to be supported by so many people and feel their excitement in producing that first design,” she recalled.

“During my time in Portland, I’ve had the honor to be included in a number of formal and informal groups that support women-run businesses and designers, including the League of Women Designers and the Join Collective. “

I think sharing what you’ve learned and what you’re struggling with in a supportive environment helps create an atmosphere of inclusiveness and learning,” she added. “I really hope I never stop exploring and challenging myself. It’s been quite an adventure already.”

Shannon currently produces a collection of ceramic lamps for Rejuvenation as well as her own collection, available on Caravan-Pacific.com. “Concordia is a great place to call home. I just love it here.”

Tamara Anne Fowler is a copy/content editor, fiction editor and accountability coach. Visit her at EditKitten.com, email her at Tamara@ editkitten.com or call 310.359.6038. She would love to hear from you.

By Dan Werle | CNA Media Team

In January, 42nd Avenue welcomed Tiny Moreso to its ever-growing, diverse community. The café is tucked just inside the southwest corner of the Cully neighborhood, between (com)motion & Caribbean Spice.

The sunny, cozy new home to Rawdacious Desserts provides a unique, healthy option for drinks, small plates and sweets.

Jenn Pereau named her café with wit. Small temptations come from her small bakery operation, Rawdacious Desserts. However, each delicacy achieves a greater degree of flavor and delight than any non-raw, non-vegan counterpart.

She initiated Rawdacious Desserts, after enjoying an inspiring raw dessert at a vegan/raw food restaurant in Austin, Texas, nine years ago.

Jenn returned to Portland and began experimenting with her own raw, plantbased recipes.

Many of the longtime vegetarian and vegan café manager’s creations were met with enthusiastic high-fives and pats on the back. That led her to begin making individual desserts for Prasad restaurant.

The taste for her desserts grew, resulting in Jenn starting Rawdacious in southeast Portland. She and her staff continued their work at The Ford Building for the next seven years, producing delicious desserts for events, local restaurants and other businesses, such as New Seasons.

Jenn and her staff loved their work, but wanted more interaction with the people who buy their desserts.

She met with Michael DeMarco, Our 42nd Avenue executive director, identified a suitable location and made the move.

The café’s menu includes such notable options as ohQua Jazz tea, Lion Heart kombucha, New Cascadia toast with house-made almond butter, white bean tarragon dip, smoothies, juices and – of course – cheesecakes and other top-rung desserts.

Rawdacious has a proven track-record of being ahead of the curve with respect to raw materials and environmental responsibility. Tiny Moreso continues that tradition by including cannabidiol (CBD) in some of the drinks, and uses paper and stainless steel straws instead of plastic.

The to-go drinks are poured into glass mugs, requiring a one-time, $2 deposit before they head out the door. That encourages people to re-use them at home and take them back for refills. And, of course, no plant-based, raw, northeast Portland café would be complete without a website page dedicated to bathroom selfies. Visit TinyMoresoPDX.com/bathroom-selfies for the gallery.

Special orders are welcomed for events large and small via TinyMoresoPDX. com, 503.602.4243 or in person at 4520 N.E. 42nd Ave.

Tiny Moreso is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Jenn is looking to expand the menu to include more hot foods and longer hours in the fall, and the tiny staff of four is also interested in hiring a part-time team member.

Editor’s note: Look for Rawdacious Desserts Thursdays, Aug. 2, 16 and 30 from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Cully Farmers Market.

Dan Werle lives in Concordia with his wife, Anna, and their dogs.

By Vanessa Miali | CNA Media Team

From its inception at Burning Man to a fixture on Alberta Street, Frock has become one of the most unique stores in Portland for clothing, gifts and one-of-a-kind treasures.

Last month, Frock celebrated its 15th anniversary, and this month begins a 1,000-square-foot expansion.

Co-owners Angie Heiney and Ali Wykhuis met in Portland in 1997 and have been friends ever since. Ali has a bachelor’s degree in apparel design and Angie has a master’s in business administration. Their talents brought them together, and their inspiration for Frock was ignited at Burning Man.

From 1999 to 2002, they attended the event in the northwest Nevada desert and spent thousands of dollars of their own money creating a vintage clothing store that quickly became one of the most popular boutiques at Burning Man.

“It was a huge privilege because we were contacted by Burning Man’s organizers to be a partner in the center camp,” Angie reported.

The crowd was treated to a shop filled with mannequins dressed in fanciful costumes, vintage clothing, accessories and wild decor. In the Burning Man “gift economy” tradition, Angie and Ali gave everything away.

“At one point I looked around at the amazing shop we had built in the middle of the desert and said to Ali, ‘This is nuts. Our shop is as good as any boutique I’ve ever seen in the world.’”

The following year, Frock opened its doors on Alberta. “It’s like a curated collection of things that represent the Alberta vibe,” Ali said.

Walking into Frock is like being swept away at a carnival. You’ll find everything from off the wall accessories to modern and eclectic clothing mixes. Who doesn’t need platform shoes with a garden party in the sole?

“We like to offer things people cannot find elsewhere,” Ali said. “We’ve had customers burst into tears over a found purchase.”

The Frock ladies owe their long-term success to shared business goals. They let each other try out new ideas and foster a nonrestrictive philosophy.

“It takes fortune, luck and a shared level of commitment,” Angie pointed out. “This is not some come-and-go shop. We have our heels dug in for the long haul.” As to why they’ve thrived, “Last Thursday drew us to the area and the support of the Concordia community keeps us here.”

What started out as radical self expression and a costume mindset has evolved into complete fashion insanity and their customers love it.

Vanessa Miali has lived in Concordia for 18 years. She is a former public relations professional with two kids who cooks every day and gardens occasionally.

By Steve Elder | CNA Media Team

Seven Rivers Barbecue is the eponymous creation of Seven Rivers. Yes, he gave his name to his food cart, a mix of the conventional and the unconventional.

The conventional is that Seven cooks and sells fine barbecue. Seven will tell you he makes brisket primarily, but the ribs are to die for.

It’s hard to say where the unconventional starts. There’s the location. The historical location of the barbecue is at 5527½ N.E. 34th Ave., behind Tuan’s service station. There are no other food carts on the street, or within blocks. No tables outside. You can leave home without your American Express card because the cart takes just cash.

The proper name of the place is Seven Rivers Catering and BBQ. That’s more like it. The place on 34th, for example, doesn’t include potato salad as a side dish – too much risk of food poisoning from mayonnaise. Potato salad with a catered order is great.

For the conventional, flags and banners wave during business hours. Signs are up and down the sidewalks.

Seven Rivers’ real name is Seven Rivers. He was born on the seventh day of the seventh month of the seventh decade of the 20th century. His father was Ocie Rivers. His uncle was Alfred Rivers, lead singer of the Ink Spots, the pop vocal group that gained fame in the 1930s and ‘40s.

He claims no relationship to Doc Rivers, the coach of the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team, or Doc’s son and player Austin Rivers. “Don’t call him Doc. He’ll tell you his name is Glen.”

Seven’s basketball claim is David Rivers, who played for Notre Dame and briefly for the Los Angeles Lakers. Seven Rivers was born and raised about a half mile down the street.

When did he start cooking? “I don’t think there was any time when I didn’t,” he said. “My grandmother was from Birmingham, Alabama. I was always in the kitchen. She would cook stuff like chitlins. I learned to do it early.”

Seven Rivers isn’t just in Concordia. For more than 10 years, he had the barbecue outlet at the Moda Center where he sold Blazer Nachos. After a year off, he soon will start selling wings at Moda events.

This summer, Seven Rivers Barbecue is at the Cully Farmers Market in the parking lot of Los Pepitos restaurant at 5011 N.E. 42nd Ave. Thursdays from 4 to 8 p.m. in August and 4 to 7 p.m. in September.

Steve Elder, East2@ ConcordiaPDX.org, is an inactive lawyer, a developer, activist and old grouch.