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November 2nd, 2007
We are both on the short side and the frugal side, which prompts us to go an odd route when it comes to clothing alterations: We ship our pants across the country to have them hemmed. Our mate’s mom is known for being quite the seamstress and understands both our height-challenged plight and our quest for a deal. See, it’s only 10 bucks or so to ship a package of pants, whereas a single pair’s hemming would run us $15. So there we were with our latest batch of pants to send, and the post office at 4:30 pm was like the airport security line on Christmas Eve. We managed to snag one of the DIY kiosks but realized we didn’t bring the address. Determined to get rid of this box of pants, we decided we knew the address after all. Dropped it in the slot. Done and done. Upon arriving home, we double-checked the address. We had inverted the house number! Back to the post office we went. When we arrived, we saw a door open near the drop box, peeked our head in and saw a guy sorting packages. “Do you work here?” we inquired. “No,” he said. What was this non-postal employee doing sorting packages? Oh, who cares! We didn’t have time for such details. We dashed in, grabbed our box from the bin and quickly changed the number. Now we’re just wondering how we’ll get our orange jumpsuit hemmed when we get booked for mail tampering. |
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Seattle Picks: |
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| 1 | Around the World in $80 (or A Lot Less) |
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| 2 | Prelude to a Gift It’s only early November, and we haven’t even made a dent in our Halloween candy yet, but … we’ve been lured into holiday shopping already. Perhaps it’s because we’re hyper-attuned to the retail world, but we are driven to get our shopping done early this year. No more last-minute gifts! This year we’re giving perfectly suited presents to our loved ones. Luckily for us, we live near one of the two Allusia boutiques in town. Conveniently located on a quaint block in adorable Olde Burien, Allusia is a gift-giver’s dream come true (the other Allusia is on Greenwood Avenue in Phinney Ridge). Allusia stocks purses, jewelry, ceramics, stationery, candles and body care, all with a modern flair. We’ll pick up a handbag from Matt and Nat for our vegan friend, pamper mom with a fancy candle from Snow and Graham and buy an Ugly Doll for the baby on our list. And after the gift giving is over, we’ll send out the thank-you cards we purchased as we were getting our one-stop-shopping done. Oh, aren’t the holidays wonderful? Allusia |
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| 3 | Ticking of Time Modern vintage is hot, and we’re completely smitten by the combination. Stark, sleek lines decorated with gorgeously colorful, shapely, ornate vintage finds is our new design thrust, especially at home. That’s why the sight of layers upon layers of vintage ticking caught our attention last weekend, despite the dreary weather. Red Ticking in Madison Valley is rich with old treasures, most notably its stacks of vintage French fabrics for use as pillow coverings and lampshades. And you can purchase them already made—hand-sewn, too. You’ll also find “found” furniture pieces in the same vein, including tables, chairs, mirrors and more. New pieces keep in step with table and bed linens from Libeco, amazingly soft Abyss towels with round corners, and Riguad candles said to be first brought to America by Jackie O. We love the assortment of ocean shells and finger coral (sustainably harvested) for a quick decorating pick-up, and have our eye on several period design books. And don’t bother resisting the adorable market basket. The way time goes, spring is just around the corner! Red Ticking |
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| 4 | These Boots Were Made for Admiring It’s a sea of sameness in the design world as runway looks are interpreted simply and marketed to the masses. Originality is a rarity and sometimes only stumbled upon, as we did at A Mano. This delightfully quaint shoe boutique specializes in only handmade, small-production footwear designers. With a focus on old-world craftsmanship, beauty and durability, the well edited selection brings you the best from all over the world. What a wonder! And right here, in your backyard! Designers range from Chie Mahara, Loeffler Randall, TN29 and Colleen Cordero to Fiorentini & Baker. A Mano is also the exclusive U.S. retailer for Japanese designer Miho Matsui, so you can be sure you’ll have the only pair in your office! A Mano also features unique accessories such as cashmere-blend socks from Japan by Antipast and supple Italian-leather bags by Il Bisonte and Ananas. Yes, please! Quality and design can still exist in a world of mass production, but you can still appreciate the passion and artisanal value behind the workmanship and construction. Beauty, after all, is in the eye of the beholder. A Mano |
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| 5 | Golden Goddess Our fear of tanning started by seeing the gals in high school who, at birth, were a similar shade to ourselves but had progressed to a color as dark as coffee with just a splash of nonfat milk. Then a pal decided to “get some color” before prom with self-tanner. The orange blotches on her face only slightly clashed with the fluorescent purple of her dress. Thankfully though, bronzing one’s bod has come a long way. Case in point: Miss Madison’s Tanning Salon and Boutique. A minute in the Magic Tan spray booth at the Madison Valley salon will have you looking like you took that much-needed vacation to Maui—without those nasty UV rays or the hefty price tag. The mist of tanner dispensed from the booth’s nozzles helps you get to all those hard-to-reach areas without having to strike an advanced yoga pose. Our own faux-tan looked subtle and natural, lasting about a week before gradually fading. So while the sun may have set on Seattle’s summer, you can still get a (guilt-free) beachy glow. Miss Madison’s Tanning Salon and Boutique |
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| Chick Picks: | |||
| 1 | You’re Invited We always have the best intentions to send out nice invitations to our holiday parties, but we usually end up sending out a last-minute email. This year, we are determined for things to be different, and izzy girl can make our invites extra special—and simple to do! You work directly with izzy girl’s designers to come up with the perfect invitation for your holiday fete. Plus, izzy girl can create beautiful cards to send season’s greetings to your nearest and dearest. |
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| 2 | It’s Easy Buying Green Seattle has quite the “green” reputation—from the fair-trade coffee we sip while riding the bus to our organic cotton T-shirts and bamboo skirts. So why not our jewelry, too? The new Ananya Studio offers beautiful, fair-trade jewelry created by socially conscious artisans around the world. We love the exquisite gemstone necklaces and earrings that will go with your favorite fall fashions (and beyond). You can check out the wares for yourself at CRAVE Show this weekend. Plus, score 30 percent off on the site by entering “fallsale” at checkout! |
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| 3 | Light My Fire We are quite the wine enthusiasts, and we always feel a certain pang as we drop an empty bottle from a special occasion (or a Tuesday) into the recycling bin. But we don’t want it to just sit around collecting dust. So Amphora Candles has quite the solution: turn it into a candle! Amphora cuts and polishes your special bottle, then pours in unscented soy wax to create a unique keepsake. They also have a variety of pre-made candles that make memorable and beautiful gifts. |
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| 4 | Sweet, Salty and Sassy We are all about the perfect sweet-salty combo: pretzels dipped in chocolate, chips and ice cream, fries and a milkshake. So when we tried DAS Foods’ Caramelinis, all-natural salted caramels, we knew we had a new favorite to add to our repertoire. We love the classic lavender and honey caramels topped with Fleur de Sel salt. The velvety texture and buttery, rich sweetness balanced with tart salt make each bite pure decadence. Move over milkshake and fries; there’s a new combo in town! |
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| 5 | Blast from the Past Some of you may be too young for Shrinky Dinks, but us old farts have fond memories of spending afternoons coloring on weird plastic sheets, popping them in the oven, and then watching them bake til just the right moment so we could give them to Tim, our second-grade crush, as an expression of our love. Say hello to Kinky Dinks, sexy shrink art—the perfect marriage of a childish pastime and some truly saucy imagery. Wonder what Tim is doing now? Hmmm… |
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| Event of the Week! | |||
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Hip Happenings: |
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| 1 | Good Shop Lollipop All those frocks for kids are just too sweet, especially at the whimsical Lollipops Children’s Boutique. And there’s a bonus for making the ferry trip on Nov. 8: Lollipops, along with Blinx, Oil & Water, The Berry Patch and Flowering Around, will be celebrating their Holiday Open House with specials, including 20 percent off everything at Lollipops. What: Holiday Open House |
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| 2 | All That Glitters We recycle everything from paper to glass, but our fave recyclable? Fashion! Seattle Goodwill has been collecting formal and vintage clothing, accessories and jewelry donations all year to sell this weekend at the 24th Annual Glitter Sale at its Seattle store. Gowns, suits and sequins galore, along with designer pieces (Vera Wang, anyone?) and costume jewelry will be available. What: Seattle Goodwill Glitter Sale |
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| 4 | Hal-Alula Alula and Prairie Underground are having a party, and you are totally invited. Watch the fall and winter lines flit down the runway while you get your buzz on with $2 champagne, and then whip out your credit card so you can give those adorable clothes a nice home. What: Watch and Wear |
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| 5 | Missi Lu Marks the Spot |
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Halloween’s over and Thanksgiving is on the horizon, but it’s still not too late to reserve a spot in the Seattle Picks Holiday Gift Guide! Contact jen@seattlepicks.com for more information. The Gift Guide will publish Dec. 7—just in time for holiday shopping. |
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