Like Nobody's Business

Like Nobody's Business We envisioned a space where artisans from places far and near would have their handcrafted items displayed and enjoyed in a protected environment.

We believe art should not only be seen, but also be touched and interacted with by customers.

NEW IN THE SHOP:Handcrafted Porcelain Lithophane Luminaire LampsThese artisans specialize in translucent porcelain litho...
03/18/2022

NEW IN THE SHOP:

Handcrafted Porcelain Lithophane Luminaire Lamps

These artisans specialize in translucent porcelain lithophanes. The images are created by light shining through the different thicknesses of thin porcelain panels. The owner of the company started in 1982, working out of his garage in Laguna Beach, CA. He learned the subtleties and challenges of porcelain with time, and then he discovered the lost 19th Century art of Lithophanes. He learned the lost secrets of this unknown art, and brought it into the 21st Century with his own design sensibility imbued in a line of beautiful and practical lighting products. His Lithophane luminaires have become a timeless line; never out of style, always an appropriate and thoughtful gift, reasonably priced, and with a range of styles to fit any taste.

These porcelain lithophane luminaire lamps are not photos. They begin from an engraving in wax, and then they are cast kiln fired porcelain created from a mold made from the original carving. On this piece, colored ceramic glaze is fired onto the back, diffusing through when lit. 13"H x 6.25"W. Nicely boxed, with 60w bulb, 6ft cord w/switch, and description. The lamps’ frames are powder coated steel. It's an amazing lamp!

To see other styles or to order, please visit our website: likenobodysbusiness.net

12/28/2021

A THANK YOU AND A LITTLE CHRISTMAS MIRACLE STORY

We just wanted to say thank you once again to all our customers, those who have visited before and those who were visiting for the first time, for all the support and purchases you made for the Christmas holidays. It was a true joy to see you all and to help you get the items for your family, friends, and loved ones that you thought they would enjoy. We hope your Christmas was happy, healthy, and bright.

And here’s the little Christmas miracle story. Every Christmas Eve when my father was still alive, he would make steaks on the BBQ outside. Neither rain nor snow nor gloom of night would stop him from doing this, so it became a tradition we all looked forward to. He would be out there all bundled up in his snow jacket, hat, gloves, boots, and scarf loving every minute of the meal he was making for us. I was thinking this Christmas Eve how much I missed this tradition and him. It made me sad. So, I took a little walk outside and there sitting in a muddy puddle at the bottom of our stairs was a penny. My father was also a big penny man. Whenever he visited someone who had bought a new home, he would place a penny on the top of the door jam. He said that it was to bring wealth into the home. And some say that the deceased will drop coins in people’s paths, usually pennies, to let their loved ones know that they were still with them. So, of course, I had to lean over and pick up the penny. I brushed the dirt off it and saw that it was a shiny penny. I brought it back into the shop, and told my husband that Dad was saying Merry Christmas Eve and that he hadn’t forgotten about our steaks on the BBQ tradition. I handed the penny to my husband. He looked at it and said, “Did you notice the date on this penny?” And I said I hadn’t because I didn’t have my magnifying glasses with me. My husband kind of hesitated for a moment and said, “I’m not sure I should tell you.” I said, “What’s the date.” He replied, “2012.” That was the year my father passed away. Tears welled up in my eyes. I said, “I don’t know about you, but I definitely believe that’s a message from Dad.” And my very scientific, needs proof of everything husband replied, “I have no doubt that it is.” So, many, many thanks, Dad, for letting me know that you remembered me and our BBQ steaks. It made me smile and cry at the same time. I miss you so so much.

We hope the New Year will bring all of you your own special little miracles. Everyone needs a miracle or two every once in a while. Oh, and put a penny on top of your door jams in my father’s honor. You never know—it might actually work!

12/15/2021

What We're Doing for the Holidays . . .

Just wanted to let everyone know that starting tomorrow, Thurs. Dec 16th, we will be open every day before Christmas (even Christmas Eve), although our hours on Tuesday the 21st and Wednesday the 22nd will be a bit different due to doctor's appts. So if you haven't started your Christmas shopping or you need a few things to finish it, we'll be there to help. Our normal hours are 11 am to 5-6 pm, though please call first (971-352-6838) on next Tuesday and Wednesday to make sure we'll be there when you want to visit. We will be closed on Christmas Day. And do remember if you can't make it into the store personally, there's always our website (likenobodysbusiness.net). Same day or next morning shipping depending on whether the shipping place is open when we receive the order. And if you're within a drivable distance, we'll hand-deliver your order ourselves (Santa is borrowing our tiny reindeer this year, but In any case, we'll do our best to make sure your purchase arrives at its destination by Christmas). Happy Holidays everyone, and thank you so much for supporting small businesses like ours. We really appreciate you all so very much! ❤

12/06/2021

The True Art of Gifting

My mother taught me a great many terrific things during her lifetime, but one of the best was the true art of gifting. She bought herself a lot of jewelry, but never anything expensive or precious. She loved what they used to call costume jewelry, which were just inexpensive, often trendy pieces. She had a lot of fun wearing them, but beyond that, she had a lot more fun giving them away. If someone complimented her on a pair of earrings or a bracelet or pin she was wearing, she’d take it off and say, “Here, if you like it, it’s yours!” The looks on people’s faces were priceless. They’d say ‘No, I can’t take that” at first, but she’d say it would make her really happy if they would. And they didn’t want to disappoint her, did they? It DID make her really happy to give something right off her own ears or wrist to someone who really liked it. She said that it brought her more joy than wearing it did. Now that we have the shop, I try to carry on that tradition. If it’s a really nice customer or a friend, I’ll just give them a little freebie or let them have a little something at no charge that they were going to buy. It gives me such a rush of pleasure to do that simple thing. It’s really hard to explain how what looks like a selfless act is really selfish. Honestly, I get more happiness running through my entire system than they do, and I guess that’s the selfish part. So, Merry Christmas, my dearest mother. I miss you and your generous heart every day and I thank you every day for all the wonderful examples you taught me of doing good in the world. It IS such a happiness rush, isn’t it? 😊

Presents on the PorchGiven it’s now the holiday season, we decided to start calling these little gifts we receive from t...
12/03/2021

Presents on the Porch

Given it’s now the holiday season, we decided to start calling these little gifts we receive from time to time “Presents on the Porch.” We appreciate that people leave us these little—uh-hum—treasures, but we must admit this one has us stumped. Even more so than the prior two sticks of butter treasure from a few months ago. At least the sticks of butter were intact. Today we got an empty bottle of distilled white vinegar. We’re not sure exactly what to make of that one, but okay, a gift’s a gift, and you’re not supposed to look a gift horse in the mouth, no matter how empty he is. Did someone drink a whole bottle of distilled white vinegar? I guess we’ll never know. But if you’re in the market for an empty bottle of vinegar, you know where to find it. 😊

11/25/2021

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

We at Like Nobody's Business wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration. We also send our many thanks to all of our customers and guests for helping to keep Like Nobody's Business afloat through all these difficult times. We very much appreciate your support of small businesses like ours and your loyalty to us and our store in such a challenging world. We're raising our glasses to your good health and happiness and hoping to see you again in our shop very soon!❤

Well, it’s been a while since anybody left us any gifts on our porch at the store (see posts below to see what kind of f...
11/16/2021

Well, it’s been a while since anybody left us any gifts on our porch at the store (see posts below to see what kind of freebies we get). But we got one today! We’re not entirely sure what it means, but here’s a picture. Perhaps they’re trying to tell us that Portland is no Big Apple. So, maybe we’re the Half-Chewed Up Apple. As comparisons go, we must admit it’s not far from the truth. 😊

11/08/2021

Don’t ask me how we got started on this (probably because my wife asks some pretty weird questions sometimes), but during dinner this evening, my wife and I were talking about what we wore as children. She went to Catholic school and wore the standard blue and white plaid uniform with the pleated skirt and white shirts with Peter Pan collars (which she hated with a passion and still does). She sort of already knew what I wore since she’s seen pictures of me as a child in my mismatched plaid shirts and plaid pants (or a “mobile hallucination,’ as she calls them). Then she asked me what kind of shoes I wore. At first I didn’t recall, but settled on probably tennis shoes. She said in her school they had to wear penny loafers (which she adored). I said, ‘Penny loafers—what the heck are those?” (Hey, I’m from the west coast). She couldn’t believe I didn’t know what they were. Then she started asking herself (she talks to herself a lot, since I’m not a big talker) "I wonder who invented penny loafers?” I just shrugged. So, she got on the computer and this is what she found:

In the early 1900s, a Norwegian man named Nils Tveranger wanted to improve the design of the teser, a traditional laceless shoe that was worn by local fishermen and peasants. The teser was a tough yet lightweight slip-on style that was made from leather. After going to America to study the art of cordwaining, he created the Aurland moccasin when he returned to Norway, which combined elements from the teser and the Iroquois Native Americans’ moccasins.

The Aurland moccasin was discovered by European and American foreigners around the time of the interwar period. They began to visit the Valley of Aurland in Bergen and took note of the comfortable-looking footwear that local fishermen wore. They marveled at the simplicity of the shoe and took home a pair or two as souvenirs.

These foreigners — wealthy sportsmen and the well-traveled elite — wore the Aurland shoes back home in fashionable places like Palm Beach, where an Esquire magazine staffer spotted the first pair in 1935. According to Esquire, the Aurland shoes were usually paired with light-colored suits and a Panama hat or a fedora.

Arnold Gigrich, the founder of Esquire, saw the potential of the Aurland moccasin and decided to partner with a distributor to bring a sample to John Bass, the son of the founder of American footwear label G.H. Bass. By 1936 the label had adapted the Aurland into the Weejun: a thicker-soled adaptation with a distinctive cutout in the middle of the strap.

The Weejun—an American take on the word “Norwegian”—was advertised as Norwegian fishing shoes and first retailed for $6.50. An early advertisement refers to the penny loafer’s versatility: “Not shoes, not slippers, not moccasins, they are ideal for the beach, a camping trip, or lounging about the locker room or house. Fine for informal occasions.” A later advertisement aptly calls the penny loafer the “Symbol of Elegant Leisure.” Penny loafers became an instant hit, so much so that women even began buying them for themselves and brands around the country began producing their take on the style.

Lured by the well-priced penny loafer’s convenient laceless design that was ideal for rushing to class in the mornings, it became the ubiquitous shoe for American schools and college campuses from the 1940s to the late 1960s. Worn by students year-round and paired with everything from shorts to tweed separates, the term “penny loafer” was widely used as the go-to nickname after the method of putting a coin in the strap’s slot became the popular norm. Wearing the penny loafer sockless also became a cool trend at the time, though it is widely debated whether this was due to John F. Kennedy’s influence or the lazy nature of students. The penny loafer’s place in college campuses was cemented in 1960, when a student newspaper at the University of North Carolina published an editorial with the subheading stating that the penny loafers were “the thing on the feet of those who are with it.”

OK, so obviously I’m not and never have been “with it.” I’ll stick with my tennis shoes. “Tennis shoes?” she said, “we called them sneakers. The only people who wore tennis shoes played tennis.” Geez—I just can’t win, can I? 😊

10/27/2021

Okay, so this story is a little long, but I promise if you stick with it, it’ll be worth it in the end. Those of you who haven’t been through our entire store might not know that we sell these glass balls called solar orbs. They collect power from the sun during the day and then they light up at night. They’re meant for the deck, patio, garden or other outdoor space that gets full sunlight. We had a lovely older married couple in the shop the other day who were very interested in the orbs. While my wife was telling the woman about the orbs and how different they look when lit, the husband asked if there was a restroom nearby that he could use. My wife said he could certainly use ours. Our restroom happens to be a shared one with the furniture store next door and is in a small hallway between the two shops. This hallway is short and has no windows, so it’s very dark. We often take customers in there to show them how the orbs look when they light up at night.

The wife was trying to decide between two of the orbs. My wife suggested she take a look at them both when lit and maybe that would help with the decision. So the wife accepted my wife’s proposal that they go in the dark hallway to have a look at both orbs when lit. The husband is still in the restroom whose door opens out into the hallway where there isn’t a lot of space. He has no idea what’s going on in the hallway. My wife put the two orbs on the floor in the dark hallway where the woman could see them both and come to some decision. The orbs were pretty close to the restroom door, so the woman knocks on the door and warns her husband, “Don’t open the door too fast or far or you’ll break the balls that are lighting up here in the hallway.” He asks, ‘Whose balls are lighting up?” And she says, “You know, the balls we were looking at in the shop.” He says, “No, my balls aren’t lighting up in here.” And she responds, “Well, you’d have to turn the lights off.” By this time, my wife is giggling uncontrollably. The woman then turns to my wife, jovially pokes her in the side, tilts her head, winks and whispers to her, “Trust me -- his balls haven’t lit up in years!” Then both women start laughing so hard they have to hold each other up. Meanwhile, the husband asks, “Whose balls are you two laughing about?” Which of course only makes the women laugh harder. He finally opens the door a crack and says, “Oh, those balls!” Suffice it to say that my wife will have a very hard time taking future customers in the dark hallway to see the orbs without thinking about balls of all kinds lighting up in the dark. We thank this lovely couple for their wonderful sense of humor. We only wish more customers would play along with us this way. It’s a great stress reliever in these times when laughs are few. Bless them both. They were terrific!

10/01/2021

Mom-isms

I’ve been keeping a list lately of all the little quips my mother used to say (let’s call them mom-isms), and there was one in particular that I realized I didn’t know the origin of. Which made me curious. Which, of course, made me look it up to find out about it. The quip was “The whole world’s going to hell in a handbasket.” I thought to myself “handbasket?” Why a handbasket? And this is what I found – there are other theories about the origin of the phrase, but this one seems the most likely. By the way, it’s kind of ghoulish, but it’s almost October and Halloween, so ghoulish is pretty much part of the season. However, if you’re not a fan of anything gruesome, STOP READING NOW:

“The most colorful – and ghoulish – theory has to do with the French Revolution. The origin of the phrase ‘hell in a handbasket’ can be found in the practice of capturing the heads of guillotine victims in a basket, with the presumption being that these criminals would be going straight to hell for their crimes.”

So the next time you say that, or hear someone else say it, I dare you to get that image out of your head (pun intended, I guess). 😲

Is it too early to start thinking about the Christmas season? We hope not, especially after you see the newest addition ...
09/22/2021

Is it too early to start thinking about the Christmas season? We hope not, especially after you see the newest addition to our shop -- handcrafted pewter Christmas ornaments.

The artisans who handcraft these beautiful pewter Christmas ornaments are proud to be keepers of time-honored pewter practices and methods while at the same time offering innovative designs inspired by nature. They carefully ladle hot, free-flowing molten pewter from the melting pot and capture it in a spinning mold formed from a wax sculpture carved in detail to mirror the original hand-drawn design. Once removed from the mold, each piece is carefully hand-finished in a process that ensures excellence in craftsmanship.

Trimmed with a burgundy ribbon, each ornament is ready for hanging on the Christmas tree or in a window. It comes packaged in a burgundy gift envelope that is convenient for gift giving or mailing. Begin a collecting tradition that will be treasured by generations.

You can see more of these beauties by visiting our website: likenobodysbusiness.net. You'll find them in the section titled Handcrafted Mobiles and Ornaments.

Address

904 NW 23rd Avenue
Portland, OR
97210

Opening Hours

Monday 11am - 5pm
Thursday 11am - 5pm
Friday 11am - 6pm
Saturday 11am - 6pm
Sunday 11am - 6pm

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