LIFE + LIMB

OMG, I love this store. As a newly obsessed fan of cacti, air plants and standing stone, this store is my new happy place. Everything in this store is very cool and interesting. Pots, plants, (fake) moss stones, candles, books.
Just go. Especially now that they are closing at the end of the month and everything is on sale.
Molly and Benny, the awesome dog, were both great.

We’ve decided to stop naming the plants. Each time we’ve co-​parented a non-​The Cat in our household, our offspring has met a sad and abrupt end. There was the gorgeous bamboo baby we called Bunchy. And then there was the Diffenbachus named Johan that I adopted when we moved into our apartment. Both have gone to the garden in the sky. The Cat malevolently played an instrumental role in sending them there.
But we like our greens. Plus, we refuse to concede defeat to someone who licks his butthole in our attempts to beautify our house with natural things. Then we happened to eat at the counter of Biwa during the weekend, and spied a pretty and speckled succulent plant. And JB fell in love. I was drinking something with bourbon in it, and was willing to be open-​minded about the introduction of a new addition to our household.
So the next day, we stopped by Life + Limb and found a miniature version of the Biwa plant for just $ 10. The salesperson very patiently told us that it would help the cacti’s chances of survival if we 1) recreated a desert environment as best one can in a Pacific Northwest apartment and 2) basically, neglect it. Turns out, we’re pretty good at one of those things. Cacti were just made for scatter-​brained twenty-​somethings, aren’t they? Also, given the built-​in defenses that cacti already have, The Cat should be less inclined to nibble.
The only thing — while I appreciate the uncluttered and minimalist layout that Life + Limb uses, which draws attention to their plants and potential planters, the overall design feels a bit like chilling in a museum. Or a car dealership, alternately. I kept worrying that my purse would come to life and attack the glass vases. When your The Cat contributes to the herbicides of his plant siblings, you’re used to stranger things happening.

This is THE place to go for succulents! Whether looking for a new addition to your own plant family, or as a gift, you’ll surely find the perfectly minimal pot to complement your new plant.
Molly, the owner is super sweet, she knows her stuff, and she can wield a power drill right there to give your pot some drainage action. Gotta like girls and power tools.
If you’re not ready for a plant, there are lots of other cool things to buy — books, vases, bowls…

The idea of having a child is a subject that keeps coming up at the old homestead. Yet before the tall blonde and I make the decision to add our twisted seed to the general population, I figured we needed to start slow. You know, make sure it is a responsibility we can handle. So we are now the proud parents of two amazing little succulents, both unique and beautiful in their own way.
The biggest problem we had was picking out the ones we wanted. So many exceptional plants to choose from… it literally took us a half an hour to make our selection.

the good news: I bought a cactus, I think his name is Remy… or Squishy I haven’t decided.
the bad news: I accidentally touched one of those fuzzy cacti & that shiz is all up in my hand.
Verdict: after much swearing, all is good in the hood.
for clarity’s sake… Remy didn’t hurt me– it was one of his bitch ass cousins. Evil temptress looks all sweet & fuzzy– get too close & she sticks ya. Just like a dame.

I always thought that the word «succulent» was a way to refer to a piece of meat, a piece of ass or a piece of juicy gossip.
Ooooh, not so much. Ok, well it works for describing the above since the definiiton sort of involves the word «juicy», but it best describes plants that have thick, fleshy, water-​storing leaves or stems.
The darling owner of Life + Limb, Molly, clearly has a passion for succulents. Her East Burnside shop is delicately decorated with rare and carefully selected succulent plants like cacti and sedums.
Complimenting the juicy plants are modern pots, vases and a select few design books and of course a very friendly and helfpul owner!

I went to this store on my birthday and bought a plant and pot. The owner planted it right there on the spot. Maybe she was psychic and knew the poor plant would sit around my house for months before actually being potted. Alas, the plant and I have not gotten along so well and it’s dropping leaves in protest to it’s new surroundings. I called the owner for advice and after more than a month she remembered my husband’s name. Impressive! I’m taking the plant back in for a diagnosis. I just hope it doesn’t start crying for help the minute I walk in because I may just have to pick up some other plants while I’m there. I highly recommend a visit to this great shop.
UPDATE: I took the plant back on Sunday and Molly, (the owner), gave me a new plant AND re-​potted it again. We chatted for a long time and she works with several nurseries in California. She actually hand picks each plant at the shop from these nurseries and ships them to Portland. I picked up a plant and pot for some sick friends as a cheer-​me-​up and she potted that one as well. She had many incredible new plants in the shop including a 10 foot tall succulent that is amazing and must be seen. I plan on frequent stops to this incredible store.

A great new shop on E. Burnside specializing in succulent plants and amazing ceramics with a great vintage /​industrial vibe. The also have a small selection of well designed gift items. I found out about them because I was looking for a retailer in Portland carrying Perch pottery and I will be back for more!
The only negative thing I can say is that it felt a little sparse and too «curated». I didn’t feel like I could touch and really inspect the products.