|
 |
August 21st, 2009
Tomorrow one of our best friends is tying the knot and we just can’t seem to figure out how we got to this day so quickly. We know, we sound a little sappy, but seriously! It feels like time is warping on us these days—where does it go? Wasn’t it just last week when we were living in a cramped college apartment, replaying bad dates for each other instead of studying, or laughing and being silly up until all hours of the night, and wondering if we would ever find Mr. Right instead of just Mr. Right-Now? And now, she is about to become someone’s wife—with a home and marriage license and…and…it’s just all so grown up! In any case, we can’t wait to celebrate our bestie’s impending nuptials tomorrow with lots of dancing, cake, champagne and naturally, plenty of laughter. We look forward to toasting the arrival of her Prince Charming—and the end of bad dates—forever. |
||
Seattle Picks: |
|||
| 1 | Bonjour Paris Some days we get bored with our Northwest wardrobes, and in an attempt to look chic, we put on head-to-toe black with a brightly hued silk scarf and think, “If Parisian girls look great in this, so can we.” We, however, don’t make it look quite so effortless and elegant. Some of the black pieces are faded and don’t quite match up. The scarf ends up being entirely too heavy and we turn out sweaty and overheated on the walk to the bus and have to tear it all off in a mad dash to cool down. Nice try. Luckily, we recently got a local tutorial in French style at a hidden gem in Fremont called LolaPop. It’s a Francophile’s dream—baskets filled with scarves of all colors, lace parasols hanging from the ceilings and shelves packed with a variety of perfect layering pieces. And all the items carried at LolaPop are, of course, by French designers, including Claudie Pierlot, Catherine Andre, Repetto Shoes, and Chantal Thomas Parasols. Go take a look, and make sure to finish off the shopping trip with an aperitif at the restaurant next door. Trés chic! LolaPop |
|
|
| 2 | A Whole New World To be honest, we are often intimidated by the world of wine. Sure, we spent a few months studying abroad in Tuscany, the land of wine and ancient vineyards, but back in those days…let’s just say we didn’t have the most discerning palate. Now, we long to be wine-savvy but are afraid to look like we know nothing about wine—besides what tastes good to us, of course. So when we met a friend at Grand Cru, the new wine bar in downtown Bellevue, we were a little nervous. Our nerves quickly faded though in this trendy, modern and lively new wine hot-spot. With 40 wines available by the glass, and more than 100 by the bottle, we were overwhelmed, but the staff was incredibly knowledgeable and friendly, and recommended a delicious local white wine. It was the perfect complement to our summer prawn salad, cheese plate and classic tarte flambé with crème fraiche. Great wine, good conversation, lovely food and a winning ambience…this place charms instead of intimidates, and we plan to be there every week to learn a little bit more about the world of wine. Grand Cru Wine Shop and Bar |
|
|
| 3 | Creative License Let’s be honest. We often dream about being artists. The nonchalant way they move through life is enviable. They don’t seem to stress about how to pay their bills. Their art is their life. Sadly, we’re just too creatively-challenged to ever dream of making a living creating beautiful things. But that doesn’t mean we can’t admire those who do. Last week we were strolling along in old-town Ballard, imagining what we’d buy from Dolce Vita if we could come up with an excuse for back-to-school shopping, when we ran smack into Venue. The hand-crafted jewelry gleaming though the window caught our eye and we were mesmerized. Inside we discovered a whole new world—one populated with real artists. The lofted rooms are studios, and the central gallery is full of hand-crafted goodies. They’ve got everything from pottery, housewares and dreamy photos to bright floral paintings, handmade bags, and jewelry. And let’s not forget the specialty truffles. Best of all, it’s all for sale. Ahh, the life of an artist! Venue |
|
|
| Chick Picks: | |||
| 1 | Ribbons and Lace We might not be going back to school this fall, but we’re not letting that stop us from doing some back-to-school shopping. After all, we need to inject some new life into our fall wardrobes too—why should students have all the fun? First stop – accessories. The repurposed lace necklaces and earrings from White Owl are perfect for taking our tops from summer to a one-part gothic, one-part old-fashioned Victorian fall look. Add some knee high boots and a cozy cardigan, and we’re ready for September! |
 |
|
| 2 | Happy Birthday to Us! In just a few short weeks, we will officially be entering our late twenties. And you know what that means—it’s party time! We are in the market for a to-die-for party dress the likes of which no one has ever seen before. Enter Keith Lissner and his amazing dresses. Done in silk charmeuse and chiffon, in nearly every color of the rainbow, our only problem is picking just one…unless we can stretch our birthday into an all-week event! |
 |
|
| 3 | The New “It” Bag Reusable green bags are, literally, everywhere you look these days—a fact that we couldn’t be happier about. But honestly, sometimes we wish they were just a tad more fashionable, to satisfy both sides of our personalities—eco-conscious and stylish. Seems our wishes have come true with the totes from Bag Ladies. With sayings like “Louis Who?” and “My other bags are Prada,” they are fabulous and fabulously funny. We’ll never forget ours in the car again! |
|
|
Hip Happenings: |
|||
| 1 | The Ultimate Ladies, get out your planners and mark this event down right now because you will not want to miss it. The Boutique Culture Warehouse Sale is coming up—two days of savings on men and women’s collections from local designers and boutiques, with 40–80% off sale merchandise, and 10–20% off new season items. Can’t hardly wait! What: Boutique Culture Warehouse Sale |
 |
|
| 2 |
Organic Kids It’s always a good idea to get kids started learning early in life—especially when it comes to being environmentally friendly. The last few days of the end-of-summer sale at Kate Quinn Organics are this weekend, so stop in to save 30–60% on baby and children's apparel made from 100-percent organic cotton. What: Kate Quinn Organics – End of Summer Sale |
 |
|
| 3 | The 4-1-1 Jaxx Boutik is offering a whole slew of special deals right now in celebration of the big 4-1. Get $41 in-store credit and a free gift with every purchase, plus for every $100 you spend, $41 will be donated to the charity of your choice, and if you buy 4 pairs of jeans, you’ll get one free. It's madness! What: Jaxx Boutik Birthday Sale |
 |
|
Want to know about our latest purchases (neon lace-up knockoff Chloe booties)? 'Cuz we'd sure like to hear about your hot finds. |
|||
Be sure to visit www.seattlepicks.com and check out past issues in our archives. If you like what you see, forward to a friend and encourage them to check out www.seattlepicks.com and subscribe for free! It's easy--there's a box in the upper left to enter your email address. If you would like to make a suggestion, please email us at contribute@seattlepicks.com. Share your favorite ideas for Picks, tell us about terrific products or services, announce a sale or event, or let us know what you think of Seattle Picks! Website and weekly issues maintained by Studio Ridge.com. |
|||
