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October 30th, 2009
To tell you the truth, we’re not feeling Halloween this year. Yes, we know we are all “boo-humbug,” but it’s really a very stressful holiday. We loved it when we were kids—what with all the candy and the chance to be your favorite superhero for a night, and it was great in college when it was an opportunity for girls to go a little bit crazy and dress a little bit more… shall we say… provocatively… for an evening. But these days, since we have outgrown our desire to “tramp it up” or dress like a Power Ranger, we’re left wondering if we can get away with not wearing a costume to this year’s party. We aren’t one of those super-creative types that concocts some play-on-words costume, and we aren’t all that crafty, so we just get all stressed out about what to do, and would rather just avoid the whole ordeal. We’re thinking of just plopping on a pair of bunny ears or devil horns and calling it good. Meh. |
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Seattle Picks: |
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| 1 | Dining Out at Home We have a real, honest-to-goodness date this weekend! It’s a set-up, but our BFF told us this guy was perfect… and if you can’t trust your friends…? So, without thinking, we invited him over for dinner. As in, we’re cooking—we aren’t hitting up our favorite restaurant for this one. They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. There’s just one little problem. We haven’t cooked for anyone in ages, and we don’t want to blunder this one. Thank heaven for Eat Local! With organic, local ingredients crafted into handmade ready-to-eat meals, we just can’t lose! And this is not your standard grocery store frozen fare. Their artisan foods are seasonal and have a little bit of everything, from Coq au Vin and Smoked Salmon Pasta to Sweet Potato Souffle and Hazelnut Tarts. Now our biggest problem will be deciding between the Garam Masala Chicken and the Red Wine Braised Beef. Oh, and what to wear: we're torn between our favorite dark jeans and a casual (but flirty) skirt. But at least dinner is set! |
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| 2 | Hopscotch Ahhh, to be young. Doesn’t it seem like just the other day we were folding fortune-tellers and running for the best swing at recess? We can’t believe how time flies, and now instead of picking out our favorite pink socks to match our pink dress and pink Keds, we’re picking out things for the daughters and sons of our friends. And although we’re no longer tiny tots ourselves, we’re stoked that we can still indulge in the best children’s fashion has to offer, through fab boutiques like Flora and Henri. We literally squeal with excitement when we see the precious finds they have, like the tiny purple leather slippers, unique stuffed animals and toys, and the cable-knit cardis that sing to us like we’re in a scene from the “Sound of Music.” If we got our act together on our knitting, there’s a chance we could create something similar, but since we never will, we’re thankful Flora and Henri can outfit our fun-loving nieces and nephews, and let us relive the best moments of our childhood in the process. Flora and Henri |
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| 3 | D is for Delancey We can sometimes be…well, rather picky eaters. But, mention the words “real pizza” or “Italian” to us, and we will spend the whole day fasting in anticipation of the deliciousness (and thousands of calories) that are about to come our way. Once you walk into Delancey and catch a whiff of the freshly made pizza dough, you’ll be hooked, and even if you wanted to, you wouldn’t be able to leave. There was no holding back on our last visit—we ordered an appetizer: housemade burrata (a mix of fresh mozzarella and cream) served with baguette toasts, a drizzle of olive oil, and a dash of pink river salt, and we savored a pizza garnished with foraged Chanterelle mushrooms, Walla Walla onion, crème fraîche, fresh mozzarella, marjoram and guanciale (chef’s talk for a bunch of delish!). We topped off the experience with a bittersweet chocolate chip cookie with gray salt on top. Swoon. Delancey’s is so good, that they don’t even need a sign. You can’t miss it though…just look for the line of people with hunger in their eyes and anticipation on their lips. Delancey |
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| Chick Picks: | |||
| 1 | Let it Snow…or Rain! We have a confession—we cranked the heat on Saturday morning. We’re officially into boot season (and astronomical electric bills… but so worth it). And we have a new addition to our boot wardrobe this year: Sorel’s Joan of Arctic Winter Boots. Not only are they the cutest winter necessity our tootsies have ever rocked, but they are the warmest thing they’ve ever snuggled in. We say, bring it on, fall/winter! Let it snow—we’re ready for you this year. |
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| 2 | Just Like Mom Makes The women in our family are all amazing cooks. So we’re a little embarrassed that we can’t cook like the rest of ’em. They can recite recipes by heart and we’re…well, lost in the kitchen. This is where Tastebook comes in. You can create your own personal cookbook, with a hard cover and 10 tabbed chapters of your choosing. Add your own recipes (and personal photographs) or search top sites for others. We’re totally making ourselves one with all the family secrets in it for quick reference. |
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| 3 | Whoa-oh-oh It’s Magic After years of setting our own work schedule and getting up whenever we felt like it, we are back among the 9–5ers. Sigh. Finding it hard to get up in time to do the whole wash-dry-straighten thing to our hair, we need a cure for our laziness. We should have known it would come from Sidlab—they are hair geniuses. Magic is a dry shampoo for any haircolor or type, and it’s perfect for second- or even third-day hair. Not to mention it’s a volumizer. Brilliant, we tell you! |
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Hip Happenings: |
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| 1 | Shop for a Cause Kick off your holiday shopping a little early with the Dress for Success event at Clutch this week. They provide the Prosecco, sweets, prizes, giveaways, polish changes from Julep, and jewelry from Rock Star Jewelry for 25% off—you provide a gently used handbag or toiletries for 25% off a new bag! Sounds like a good deal to us! What: Bi-Annual Dress for Success Event |
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Trick-or-Treat Who says Halloween is just for kids? Not us, that’s for sure! Attend Costumes and Cocktails at Stir Martini and Raw Bar this weekend and indulge in food and drink specials (we are dying to try the Black Widow Martini), tarot card readings, and prizes for costumes. Happy Halloween! What: Costumes and Cocktails |
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| 3 | A Fond Farewell Sadly, one of our favorite neighborhood haunts, Opal Bistro, is closing their doors. Take it from us, the food is amazing, the wine is delicious, the cocktails are quite tasty, and the ambience is divine. If you haven’t been yet, make sure you go before they are gone forever—you’ll be glad you did! What: Opal Bistro’s Farewell |
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Have a safe and happy Halloween weekend, darlings! Can’t wait to hear all about your adventures on All Hallows Eve. Wink wink. xoxo |
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