Sunday July 17, 2011 was looking like a day I would just rather forget.  The inaugural launch of THE BIG FLOAT, of which I am the organizer, was only two weeks away and we were having record rainfall in the middle of July.  Things were looking BLEAK, I think all of Portland was unsure if summer was ever going to start.

If you were in Portland that day I think Sunday July 17th was demoralizing for a lot of people.  Outside of my weather related anxiety from THE BIG FLOAT, I had also reserved a KILLER picnic spot two months in advance at Barton Park on the Clackamas River for what I was hoping would be a nice hot summer day to float, swim and BBQ with my friends.

For times like this you really have to go high level with your thinking.

The KILLER picnic spot, I paid $60 for? Sunk cost.

Would anyone join me for a road trip for sun?  Hope so, not sure.

All I knew was that I was not going to let this rainy day defeat my day epic swimming plans, and I needed drastic action.  Summertime is serious business to me and I do not accept defeat easily.  So I cross referenced Google maps to Accuweather to find the warmest spot I could drive to and swim that was over 85 degrees.  I just might have driven to Boise if I had to.  Luckilly for me I found a winner on paper:  Arlington, Oregon 130 miles east of Portland on I-84 on the Columbia River a two hour drive from Portland.

Sight unseen we loaded up our cars and headed east to Arilington, Oregon and Earl Snell Memorial Park.  We were rewarded with a nice hot partly cloudy 86 degree day and a very charming little town to boot with a very well appointed city park.

Dock located on the east side of the park.  The South side of the park has a very nice beach.  Dogs are not permitted on the South side but are permitted on the east side, there is a very nice grassy area there.

Here Popina owner Pamela and homegirl Peggy are setting up for a Picnic on the east side, dog friendly side of the park.

I got in a little hoops game with some local kids.  It was fun to get a little sweat in, plus my team won (and I was wearing flip flops - not too bad for an aging 40+ slacker dude).  After our run we all took a dip off the dock about 50 yards from the hoops court, then fired up the BBQ just on the other side of the hoops court.  We were only able to find one public BBQ, might not be a bad idea to bring your own littler grill as a back up.  The salmon we made was perhaps the tastiest I have ever eaten (just cooked it in tin foil).

Here is our crew who collectively said “NO I will not allow a record rain to ruin my summer vibe!”  Nice job ladies, all sporting Popina, at the time of this writing a few of these ladies are single, inquire within for more details. The beautiful woman in the center wearing the hat, my lover Pamela is taken, sorry fellas.

In closing, Earl Snell Memorial Park in Arlington Oregon is well worth the drive if the weather is not what you want in Portland.  I would suggest this swimming spot for June and September when the temperatures are likely a little lower in Portland and you want your hot fix to start your summer earlier or extend your summer later.  I will be back, hope to see you there.

Meeoww! Rianna wins my favorite one piece swimwear award for today.  I love this girl’s style; always knows how to go a little crazy and somehow keep it elegant.

One-piece Bathing Suits from Popina are great for looking sexy without showing it all.  Our online swimsuit store has a huge variety of different kinds of one-piece suits for every style!  All these are swimsuits made in the USA and inspired by that classic 1950s American style.

Popina has great Halter Top styles like this one in Pomegranate

Or the “Grace”, a great Retro One Piece that has the cutest bow tie in the center

Or the “Paula” in Espresso, an adorable one piece that has a flattering square top with a shelf bra that gives you that oomph!

July 31: Ramona Falls headlines at TBF! Awwwyeah.  Just as you thought the party couldn’t get any sweeter, we just smacked you in the face with a huge bag of whipped cream.  Oh, shut up. I know whipped cream doesn’t come in bags. 

Seeee youuuu theeerreee! 

Um.. but did you know Whipped Cream Vodka exists?

The heat is rising. And so are waistlines!  This summer we are seeing tan lines in a little different place, higher.   Popina, the retro maven of Swimwear, has all the high-rise bottoms you could imagine.  We’ve got boy-short high-rise bottoms, Foldover bottoms, skirted bottoms and more!

 This is a High Waist Retro Panel Bottom Boy Short | Calico Ribbons

Portland Live music announced!  Bull Ramos, Portland’s “Official Drinkin’ and Dancin’ Band” is coming to TBF.   So if you like both of those things… or either of those things, then it’s your kind of party, baby.  Bull Ramos will have us stepping into a dance party as soon as we set foot on land!

Bull Ramos is just one of FIVE fabulous PDX bands coming to TBF on July 31^st.  Five dollars for five bands is a damn deal if you ask me.

Shopping in the Pearl District gives you the special chance to support superb local businesses, all within reach.  The Pearl provides ultimate shopping experiences.  For example, all in one day trip, one could pick up a cupcake at Cupcake Jones on 10^th and NE Everett, peruse shoes at Halo Shoes, then come one block west to Popina Pearl to get your most important summer purchase!  

Getting the word out about fun Portland summer activities required the help of Dot Zero Design, a fabulous local design company that has created the Popina website as well as many other high-end websites, logos and product packages.   Dot Zero has created some little handbill beauties to pass around to our friends about The Big Float.  Because of their utter exquisiteness, we expect that everyone in Portland proper will be feasting their eyes on The Big Float.

Swimwear body type advice by Popina!

Did you know that only 8% of women are hourglass shaped? That’s not that many of us!  But if you 8% are listening, shopping for swimwear needs to be based on what suits accentuate your curves best, or uses your waist as a focal point. 

Ladies with this figure are basically free to wear any type of swimsuit! Lucky! Hourglass girls can choose which parts she wants to up-play, depending on their own preference, all you have to do is follow the advice in the other figures’ posts.

A great swimsuit for an Hourglass shape is the Red Solid Lynne top from Popina.  It’s a great underwire swimsuit with support to play up your chest features. 

Paired with the Popina Skirted Boy Short, you’ve created an ultra feminine pairing that plays on all your curves and really shows off your defined waist!

Swimsuits for Hourglass shapes to avoid:

·      Horizontal stripes (vertical stripes work better to highlight your curves!)

Kona Brewing will deliver a classic Portland Beer-drinkin’ time at the TBF after party. 

Picture in slow motion: After The Great Crossing, you will gallantly toss your survival PDX raft aside, grab a cold one, and raise a glass to Kona, for providing 15 kegs of “Liquid Aloha” beer, a symbol of their support for transforming the Willamette River for our city!

       Hip, Hip, Hooray! Hip, Hip, Hooray!

The Liquid Aloha Kona beer will be flowing all day long as you meet new friends, listen to awesome live Portland music, and celebrate the new frontier!

Being a frontiersperson of river faring never tasted so good. Aloha!

Here’s some advice for ladies who have slender legs and lower portions, and tend to carry their weight in the center of their bodies!  We want to choose a swimsuit that draws the eye to your shoulders, and has a plunging neckline, or belted center. 

A few celebrities with apple shaped figures are Jennifer Hudson, Tyra Banks and Angelina Jolie.  Sure, I know Angelina is thin (because most celebrities are unrealistically thin), sure, but she’s apple shaped!  Apple shaped doesn’t mean big… it’s a shape – duh!  Everyone with this shape has to shop with the same rules of thumb to get the suits that look good for them. 

One Piece Swimwear and Tankinis are great for Apple Shape Figures.  Popina offers a huge selection of one-piece styles that have retro charm - perfect for coverage while still being flirtatious.

One great suit for Apple girls is this Walnut Vamp Suit by Jantzen Swimwear available at Popina Swimwear.  It’s got shirring that camouflages the belly area and also detail at the top to bring the eye up to your chest and shoulders. 

Another good swimsuit for Apple shapes is the “Gina” Black and White Polka Dot Retro Tankini by Popina.  It also has shelf bra cups for extra support!

Swimwear styles for Avoid for Apple Shape Figures:

·      Two Piece (unless Tankini!)

·      Neon colors or lots of embellishments