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December 11th, 2009
You may notice that in this issue of Seattle Picks, we are all about our sister city to the south, Portland, Oregon. Sure, in the past we’ve thought of Portland as a tree-hugging, granola-eating, Birkenstock-wearing hole-in-the-wall, but after a few recent trips, we realized how wrong we were! Sure, there are a fair number of hippies and hipsters in Portland, but we have ’em here in Seattle too. Portland is awash in amazing boutiques, local fashion design, farmer’s markets, a never-ending supply of local breweries and distilleries, a transit system that far far outshines Seattle’s, and outstanding restaurants that are getting rave reviews in major publications from New York to Los Angeles. Want to go out at night? Portland nightlife can hold its own with any major city. And of course, Portland is home to one of our favorite places of all time: Powell’s Books. The Rose City’s no longer just the outdoorsy little sister to Seattle—it’s a bonafide travel destination. And remember, you heard it here first! |
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Seattle Picks: |
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| 1 | Kiss and Make-up After a bad bout with the flu and even worse fight with Father Time, we figured it really couldn’t be put off any longer. Try as we may, the expiration date on our mascara tube and our tired makeup routine is up! Luckily, we discovered the most darling little closet of a makeup store just as we caught our rain-soaked reflection in the window. How could we resist the cotton-candy-pink walls and crystal chandeliers lighting our way to the perfectly glossed lip? Shimmer Beauty Bar has a team of beauty all-stars that had our cheeks blushed, our brows arched and our lashes unbelievably long (with MINK eyelash extensions, no less) in no more time than it takes to wave a mascara wand. Even though the wind was howling and the rain was coming down in buckets, we suddenly felt all sunny and warm inside. With one bat of our luscious new lashes, Father Time was looking a lot friendlier. Just imagine what powers we’ll have over the mere mortal boys now that we’ve discovered our ability to shimmer and shine! Shimmer Beauty Bar |
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| 2 | Happy Holidays to Us As kids, our grandmother instilled in us the holiday tradition of treating yourself (not just everyone else) to one present you really wanted. We love this idea—especially when the crazy, hectic schedule of our favorite season begins to wear us down and make us feel like hibernating under our down comforter for all of January. This year we’re treating ourselves to a day at Vida Spa—just what our holiday-worn body is calling out for. As the biggest luxury healing spa in Seattle, it manages to be minimalist and urban, as well as warm and cozy. We’re huge fans of their one-of-a-kind therapeutic infrared ceiling panels that give you the added health bonus of increased blood-flow and cell oxygenation, and we highly recommend the 90-minute Pine and Juniper Berry massage to get you in the holiday spirit this year. (Especially since it comes with a $50 gift card until Christmas.) Or grab The Winter Essential Kit which includes a $100 gift card and four all-natural moisturizing products from their signature line, all housed in a Lug™ travel bag—for pampering at home, too. Convinced already? We thought so. Vida Spa |
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| 3 | Take Me Away We’ve recently been bitten by the travel bug… again. We’ve been spending hours in front of our computer daydreaming of far-off, exotic locales, and looking up airfare to places like Rome, London, Madrid… but never ever actually going through with buying it. We’re trying our best to save our nickels right now, so we decided to get away from it all a little closer to home. The Hotel Modera was just the place. In the heart of downtown Portland, surrounded by art galleries, cafés, museums, and of course, great shopping, this luxury boutique hotel has a mod, swanky, hip feel to it. There is stunning local art, Italian Carrera marble, and an inner courtyard with glass-filled fire pits—perfect for an evening cocktail. Plus, we love the restaurant inside the hotel—Nel Centro cooks in the tradition of the French and Italian Riviera with locally sourced, seasonal foods like warm hazelnut-crusted goat cheese and herb gnocchi with wild boar ragu. It was a dash of trendy L.A., a peppering of Italy and France, and the perfect weekend getaway. Who needs Rome, anyway? Hotel Modera |
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| Chick Picks: | |||
| 1 | Pash it On If we know you, you’ve got about four scarves always at the ready—and a dozen more stashed away that you’ve collected over the years. But we’ve got one more for you—the Portland-made Bamboo Pashmina from Naturally Knotty. They’re crazy cozy, they’re probably the softest thing you’ll ever touch, and they come in an array of colors that beg to be matched with your favorite sweaters. Too many scarves? That’s like having too many shoes. It can’t be done! |
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| 2 | Briefs in a Box We can’t help but think of that now-famous SNL skit (thank you, J.T.), but these Briefs in a Box are for him, not for you. Oh wait, maybe they are for you. Hooray. Beefcake. Briefs in a Box, created by PantybyPost.com, are perfect for Hanukkah, Christmas and Valentine’s Day, and never mind the fact that your man will look ridiculously sexy in them. (Bonus for you and for him.) Stay warm this holiday season. Wink, wink. |
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| 3 | Indulge the Green Fairy We never got on board the Absinthe-sippin’ bandwagon… we don’t like black licorice (don’t judge) and frankly we get enough of a buzz from caffeine… we’re not ready for a “French artiste” experience with our booze. However, that won’t stop us from enjoying Absinthe in another form. This gorgeously rich Absinthe soap from Portland-based Arcana is a luxurious way to get your green fairy on without the hangover… or the moral collapse. www.shop.camelliapurebeauty.com |
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Hip Happenings: |
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| 1 | Yes, “A Christmas Carol” It's hardly the holiday season without a visit from the ghosts of Christmases past, present, and future. Join ACT Theatre, Charles Dickens, and of course, Ebenezer Scrooge, for his journey through the holiday seasons in this delightful downtown holiday tradition! Don’t bah-humbug this one, folks—it’s a true delight! What: Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” |
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| 2 | For the Sport of It The cold has come to Seattle, but we are determined to stay active and outdoorsy despite it. To outfit ourselves for winter weather, we’re hitting the Sportswise warehouse sale this weekend—with scarves, gloves, hats, insulated outerwear, and brands like Merrell and Tonic at 50–90% off retail, we’re ready for anything! (Don’t miss the Bargain Bins!) What: Sportswise Warehouse Sale |
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| 3 | Shop ’Til You Drop We are all about making our dollars go further than ever before this holiday season, so our solution is the “Just Shop” (tax-free) package from the Hotel Lucia in Portland. With things so crazy around the holidays, you just have to dedicate time to just shopping—plus Seattle Picks readers receive a special discount—check it out! What: “Just Shop” at Hotel Lucia |
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| 4 | Howdy, Neighbor We’ve recently rediscovered our love for our Portland neighbors and their lovely city. We find ourselves sneaking down there every weekend for a getaway. This time around, we’re hitting the Hotel deLuxe for their “Staycation” (eat, sleep and be parked) package (at a $20 discount)—including food and drinks at Gracie’s Restaurant and unlimited valet parking. What: “Staycation” at Hotel deLuxe |
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| 5 | The Gift of Perfect Skin This is one of the best deals we have heard of this holiday season. Skinlogic Skin Center, home to one of the best facials ever, is offering a swag bag with a gift certificate purchase of $100 or more. Focusing on local businesses, you’ll get $125 worth of deals from BluWater Bistro, Yogalife, Belle Marie Salon and more. What: Seattle Swag Bag with $100+ Gift Certificate |
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Get your gifty-goodness on by shopping our lovely local businesses! And don’t forget to tell them that Seattle Picks sent you. |
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