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!

Had a great time terrarium building with Daniel! Such a great teacher and story teller. Super sweet…read moredude who took the time to set the scene, take pics of us during class and after class and was super helpful during the whole building process! We learned so much about: - history of terrariums and how it was used to transport plants up until the 1960s - how two hippies fell in love and started a terrarium shop together in Dayton - how terrariums caused colonization - Theodore Roosevelt killing a mountain lion with his bare hands and being a taxidermy and terrarium lover, also the scientific president - tea and its history of monopolization - 3 layers of charcoal/lava rock, soil and plants - to not press plants up against the glass wall which will cause them to rot - all the various plant varieties - magnets for sale on the terrarium for $5 - dart frog appetites are determined by what foods they eat (they have a few in the terrariums up front!) - Daniel's story from a pastor to a terrarium teacher / a dad of 6 - isopods and springtail care in the terrarium We also started the class early around 2:50 and stayed way past until 5:30 cuz we were having so much fun designing and talking with Daniel! Lots of sizes available and lots of figurines available as well. Can't wait for the expansion to Seattle then San Francisco! Thanks Daniel -- best terrarium teacher ever!

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!

If you're looking for an art class where the instructor shows you how to hold your brush to paint…read moreclouds, this is not the class for you. Phil Sylvester does something much more valuable: he helps you to ignore critical thinking when you paint (or draw--he has drawing classes, too). Keeping your left brain from sabotaging your artwork can be a formidable task for some people, myself included. Phil basically helps you become that 5 year old kid with crayons again, where you have no expectations of what your art is supposed to be. His exercises encourage you just to paint, while he cites mantras from himself and other artists amid occasional music. This process leads you down a path where you find yourself and lose yourself at the same time. I can honestly say, in the short time I have been painting, that Phil has made me a better artist. Any class which does that is a good thing. So I suggest taking classes that teach techniques and color theory as well as taking the types of classes offered at the Drawing Studio. Every time you expand your horizons as an artist your soul will benefit.

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 have a Bernina 830 and Baby Lock which I've taken a few times for service. The staff has always…read morebeen helpful and honest with time that it's going to take. Selection and brands of machines are nice and value to trade in seem fair and reasonable. Any location of Montavilla has never disappointed me. I've taken classes too and the instructors are knowledgeable taking time to ask questions and help us.

I brought my little sewing machine in for a tune up and general maitinence... I was quoted…read moresomething that was basically double what I paid for my little machine... But Anna took charge, she opened up my machine cleaned out all the little dust bunnies and gave it a drop of oil, put every thing back together and gave me a shiny new needle. Thank you!!

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.

Angela is an amazing eyeliner tattoo makeup artist. Her calm kind demeanor make you feel relaxed…read moreand safe. She's very communicative about what to expect and what's happening each step of the procedure. She takes time to discuss all your options and questions to prefect what you're looking for and her symmetry is always on point. She did my upper liner almost two years ago which still looks fabulous and just added my lower liner yesterday. Love Angela and everyone at Daela

DAELA is the absolutely amazing. I came here to have them help me with a bad combo brow situation…read more They did a great job with removal and the options that best fit my brows moving forward. I have gone back for PRF treatment and I cannot say enough about Dr Elizabeth McElligott. She is the best of the best. It was my first time getting injectable's and she made the process quick and painless. She has the most calming presence and talked me through everything so I knew what to expect. My final session is almost healed and I am so pleased with the results. I will 100% be back when the time comes!

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.