|
 |
June 8th, 2007
There is a limit to how much we can take when we go out at night. Things we like: well, bars. And well-mixed cocktails, a good jukebox, fun foods that won’t stain our blouses, cute boys to ogle, friendly bartenders. Things we don’t like: music so loud you can’t hear your friends, overpriced “signature” drinks that taste like Lysol or show up in weird colors (no blue, please…ever), dirty bathrooms, surly waitstaff, girls whose bazooms hang out of their shirts. We just came back from a trip to a Town That Shall Not Be Named, but you might know it, since everyone there looks like a stripper. Well, not everyone, but almost everyone. And their mothers. We were having (overpriced, under-tasty) sushi in a (way too trendy) restaurant, and there were these two women at the next table, probably mid-60s, who looked like they raided their granddaughters’ closets. Shirts down to there, boobs out to here, low-rise jeans, ridiculously high heels, tons of makeup, and what looked to be about 25 years of mediocre plastic surgery. Not sure, but it’s possible they had the exact same nose. Were they looking to pick up guys, we wondered? Did their kids know they dressed like that? Not that there’s anything wrong with it. It’s just that we had a different idea about how we’d spend our golden years. We picture ourselves more on the “book-filled apartment in NYC, picking up fresh groceries every day” tip than the “going out to bars and competing with 21-year-old girls who are competing with porn stars” tip. To each their own, of course, but we will die of shame if our grandmas turn out like that. |
||
Seattle Picks: |
|||
| 1 | You’re Such a Card Have you ever been dumped via text? These days it’s not uncommon to use a Sidekick or Crackberry to relay even the most personal message. “I wnt 2 dvrce u” was allegedly the abbreviated phrase used by Britney Spears to K-Fed. For the digital generation, getting a handwritten note or even a party invitation via snail mail is as likely as seeing Aniston and Jolie palling around Hollywood together. Happily, Moxie has transformed a West Seattle hole in the wall into a modern, loft-like paper-goods store with the ultimate in cheeky, stylish greetings. Cellophane-wrapped, retro-inspired, clever cards from artisan presses gush expressions like “Can I try some of your painkillers? Get well soon,” a simple “thanks for dinner,” or a sassy “smart ass” card for grads. (Hint to grads: Impress a future boss by dropping a handwritten thank you card in the post just after an interview.) The shop is also stocked with luscious lotions and candles, not forgetting the series of Urban Smalls onesies with pop culture references like “Nobody puts Baby in a corner.” What newborn doesn’t need that? Moxie Papergoods & Gifts |
||
| 2 | Let Them Eat Cake While in NYC last month, we visited our very first "brownie boutique," and are now terrified (yes, terrified!) that brownies will soon overtake our current favorite dessert du jour: the cupcake. How are we planning to buck this trend? We're going to eat a lot more cupcakes. And Cupcake Royale is the perfect enabler. Cupcake Royale is like Martha Stewart's hipster cousin and our standby for perfect Sunday afternoon no-frills cupcakes with a little bit of sass. How can we not love a place whose motto is "Legalize Frostitution?" Now that Royales are popping up all over the place (Madrona and West Seattle, too!), we don't have to travel far for our pre- and post-brunch fixes. Decadent frostings tempt you from atop chocolate or vanilla cake, and it's tough to choose just one. We took home a Coconut Bunny, The Lavender (real lavender buds in vanilla buttercream), a decadent Red Velvet, and a MoFro—Stumptown coffee blended with chocolate buttercream. Not too sweet, not too dense, with buttery, melts-on-your-tongue frosting to boot, these cakes are glorified crack. Consider us addicted. Cupcake Royale |
|
|
| 3 | Do-Good Decor These two things are no longer exclusive: reveling in the pleasure of decorating your house, and taking action to preserve the environment. More and more companies are figuring out how to make hip housewares that are also eco-friendly. This is precisely why it is doubly pleasing to find One Earth One Design. It satiates cravings for all things chic, while allowing one’s green side to shine ever so brightly. |
|
|
| 4 | Freakout-Friendly Hair Care Life-changing drama always makes us want to change our look. And why not? We’ve got the estrogen that tells us to go for it! Changing our locks, even during the most stressful time, is a woman’s right of passage. Gone through a break-up or a job change lately and want to pull a Cameron Diaz or a Lindsay Lohan? We do! Heck, we’ve already done it once this year! And we can actually pull it off at the hands…um, we mean styling wands…of Salon Lotus, where these Gene Juarez advanced-trained hair nomads will give you the upscale service without the attitude. You’ll even be greeted by their resident Yorkie pup, Charlie. And there’s no need to get all snazzy for this appointment, either. The ladies at Lotus will never give you that “you don’t belong here” look if you show up in your sweaty gym clothes. Just don’t expect a mani and pedi at this jewel of a salon. Each Lotus guru specializes in either cut or color—the result is simply great hair. Even if you’re not having a crisis. Salon Lotus |
||
| 5 | Thank Goodness—Another Shoe Store! Let it be known that there can never—never—be too many shoe stores. Even in a town with 40 people, if there were 40 shoe stores, we’d consider moving there. (We’d probably wind up dating a cousin, though, which tends to be a bit off-putting in most parts of the world.) Anyhoo, thank goodness for Shoefly. They are opening next weekend in Belltown and bring adorable wedges, flats and pumps from designers like Biviel, Faryl Robin, Gentle Souls and Oh Deer (and many more) to you. Indulge yourself in the ultimate shoe fantasy at their grand opening party, from 5:30-8:30 pm on Thursday, June 14, as you sip on wine, feast on hors d'oeuvres, and peruse shelves of men’s and women’s shoes—with a special evening discount of 30% off. The first 100 shoppers get goody bags! If you miss the party, celebrate Friday through Sunday with another great offer: Buy 1 item at a 15% discount, 2 items at a 20% discount, or 3 items at a 30% discount. Stop in to shop, and tell them Seattle Picks sent you! Shoefly |
||
| Website of the Week: | |||
| Fashion Questions…Answered Ever wonder how to crib a celeb look, right as it hits the magazines? SheFinds.com can tell you exactly where on the Web to turn it up. Need a new bra? SheFinds has the scoop on the best brassieres around. This ridiculously fun site is a resource for everything from exclusive deals to answers to your embarrassing questions…there’s a blog for daily finds…and they have MomFinds.com, just for Moms!! And if you sign up for their newsletter, tell them Seattle Picks sent you! |
 shefinds.com |
||
| Chick Picks: | |||
| 1 | The Daily Show Every time we buy a new piece of jewelry, we promise ourselves we’ll wear it every day. “This is our new signature piece,” we say. And though we’re enamored for days, maybe weeks, eventually it languishes on the nightstand, forgotten, like Corduroy the Bear. Until we found Rock Star jewelry. These ethereal creations are fabulous and wearable—there’s no lingering on the shelf for necklaces of carnelian, smoky quartz, green jade or pearl shell. They’re everyday, wearable art to show off. |
 rockstarjewelry.com |
|
| 2 | Spring Flowers Throw on your summer frocks and pull back your locks…with a silk flower clip from Karin’s Garden. Local designer Karin Mital designs the most exquisite floral hair accessories—we can’t wait to get them in our tresses. Her handmade collection ranges from pins to headbands, and has won the attention of retailers like Henri Bendel in NYC and Kitson in LA. They’ve also made a “guest appearance” on the lapel of Carrie Bradshaw on “Sex and the City.” Pick up yours at J. Gilbert! |
 karinsgarden.com |
|
| 3 | Like a Bug in a Rug When we first got our pup, the only thing she came with was an old baby blanket. Ugly, but hard to give up because of the history. One look at locally-made Dream On blankets changed all that. Combining graphic prints like polka dots and camo with the exquisite softness of minky, these creations are so cute you might wonder if they're just for pets (nope—babies, too!) Now we've never seen our girl so happy—she's as snug as a...well...a dog in a blanket! |
 dreamonblankets.com |
|
| 4 | Professional Pursuit of Happiness We love our job, but sometimes even the most aspiring professional gets stuck in a career rut. That’s why we turned to the business book section for some guidance. We found local author Lisa Quast’s book, “Your Career, Your Way: Professional Strategies to Achieve Your Career Aspirations,” which provides more than just advice for breaking out of your rut, it offers a plan. Moreover, it offers “homework” to ensure that you’ll really create and execute your plan. We hope to reap the benefits for a lifetime. |
 careerwomaninc.com |
|
| 5 | A Bird in the Hand We have this weird thing with birds lately. We want them in paintings, on pillows and all over our clothes. So when we came across Portland designer Anisa Makhoul’s new Web store—Makool Loves You—we were super excited to see her one-of-a-kind birds that we could add to our avian collection! Into dresses, not doves? There’s plenty for you, too. The site also features Makool’s small, seasonal clothing lines, hard to find items by overseas designers, and handmade items individually created by Anisa. What’s not to love? |
 makoollovesyou.com |
|
Hip Happenings: |
|||
| 1 | Live Free Eat Well lululemon athletica, a yoga inspired athletic apparel company, and LUNA®, a leader in women’s nutrition, together are bringing wellness and outdoor movement classes to the Seattle area. Enjoy yoga outside at the The Live Free Eat Well Tour—it’s an opportunity for women to pause and enjoy balance and health in their lives. |
 lululemon.com |
|
| 2 | Edie’s Shoes Anniversary Edie's shoes is celebrating 7 years on Capitol Hill! Join them for a night of food, music and shoe shopping. Check out local jewelry designer Maria Carter's beautiful handmade necklaces and earrings, and try on their awesome selection of summer sandals. Print this page and bring it in for 20% off any one full-priced item! What: Edie’s Shoes Anniversary Sale |
 ediesshoes.com |
|
| 3 | The Link for Women |
 thelinkforwomen.com |
|
| 4 | Eco Encore Benefit Show Enjoy a benefit show for Eco Encore, a nonprofit environmental organization, with a good time and great music by local bands Red Sky, Doxology and headliner J-Minus. Learn about creative reuse and recycling with Eco Encore. Contemplate eco-friendly transit options with Transportation Choices Coalition. |
 ecoencore.org |
|
We don’t usually share stuff like this, but someone sent us the best link: www.youtube.com. We seriously spent about 25 minutes on this 7-minute video because we were emailing quotes from it back and forth to our friend who had just sent it to us. We couldn’t stop. And btw, our signature colors are—from now on—silver and gold. Enjoy. |
|||
Log onto www.Seattlepicks.com and check out past newsletters (archives). If you like what you see, forward to a friend and encourage them to log onto www.Seattlepicks.com and become a free subscriber. If you would like to subscribe or contribute, please email us at Contribute@SeattlePicks.com
Website and Newsletter maintained by Studio Ridge.com |
|||
