Wear What When

Introducing Life’s Flix

A Pierce County company wants to make your friends and relatives into stars on YouTube.

Posted by: Laura Cassidy on May 16, 2012 at 08:00AM 0 Comments

Depending on the creativity and talent of your circle of friends and the disposition of your family, the idea of handing a select five or ten of them a video camera and letting the fate of your wedding-day movie rest in their hands might seem really crazy. Especially if you’re thinking you’d then get a pile of digital footage in return, along with maybe a well-intended, ‘Have fun with that!’

Wedding videos, whether professionally created or some Uncle Jack job, are all about the editing. A lot will happen during your approximately eight-hour big day, and a lot will need to happen in order to elegantly cram it into anything that anyone (including you) will want to sit down and watch.

If hiring a professional videographer isn’t in your budget, a couple of dudes in Steilacoom (that’s southwest of Tacoma, pardner) have a solution, and it’s called Life’s Flix.

The newly launched company sends you five or ten cameras, depending on the package you select. You bestow a special honor/duty on a few friends and family members, and then return the cameras to Life’s Flix later.

In other words, you wash your hands of the whole editing process. The company’s storytelling and digital tech pros cull the best scenes into something akin to the footage of this destination event on Life Flix’s YouTube channel. (Don’t have 35 minutes on your hands? Check out the abbreviated version above.)

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Tags: Seattle Wedding Details, Seattle Wedding Photography, Seattle Wedding Planning, Seattle Wedding Vendors

What’s Your Take On… Amazon Designer?

The locally based e-tailer has been doing fashion for almost ten years now, and people are finally starting to notice.

Posted by: Laura Cassidy on May 15, 2012 at 06:30AM 1 Comments

Photo: Amazon Fashion Facebook

The emperors at Amazon have some new clothes, like current looks by Robert Rodriguez. But the South Lake Union–based mega-retailer is not new, per se, to selling them.

Everybody’s talking about Amazon these days. Of course, people talk about Amazon a lot; the local company is pretty good at giving them new developments, issues, and general scuttlebutt to chew on. But what’s different about the recent buzz is that they’re talking about Amazon and fashion.

It started, as many things do, with the New York Times. Their May 7 headline was “Amazon Leaps Into High End of the Fashion Pool.”

The caption under the image of a slightly uncomfortable Jeff Bezos not quite relaxing on a rolling rack of brightly colored women’s clothing pieces read, “Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s chief executive, says the company’s new effort is not about selling clothes at deep discounts but at prices that ensure ‘the designer brands are happy.’”

And really, that could’ve been enough to get us all talking. Ensuring designer brands are happy? What about ensuring that I’m happy? Seems like a ballsy statement, and yes, I’m aware that it’s very Seattle of me to read it that way.

But the piece wasn’t about customer service or the lack thereof. It was about Amazon going for fashion dollars, plain and simple. Or maybe not plain and simple but dressed-up, gilded, and dyed some right-now shade of day-glo orange.

And then what happened after that was sources like Forbes coming out with headlines such as “Amazon Now Selling High-End Fashion.”

The local tech-watchers at Geekwire followed up with a piece pitting Amazon and their ‘new’ channel against Nordstrom.

But wait a minute. Amazon was already selling high-end fashion, and competing with Nordstrom and a zillion other e-tailers. While most of the news reports made mention of the company’s sub-sites like myhabit.com as well as Amazon’s existing fashion channel, the general vibe was akin to a big new department store opening on Pike Street. (If you know anyone in Seattle who works in studio hair and makeup, styling, modeling, or photography, you know they started shooting online catalog and editorial fashion three or more years ago—largely with out-of-towners, though that’s been changing, and job opportunities, if not sight lines, seem to be growing.) Were these reporters and others having a sort of new age emperor’s-new-clothes moment—or just a slow fashion news day?

I spoke with a representative at the company—it took a while to connect; the style and PR crew was at the Met Gala and related good times in New York.

(Side note: Another reason a bunch of fashion hullabaloo has been stirred up recently: Amazon was a big sponsor of the Met stuff. Of that partnership, the Amazon rep I spoke with told me, “Amazon was talking with Vogue about online fashion in general and the idea of sponsoring the exhibition developed out of that conversation.” Side speculation: What was it like when Bezos sat down with Wintour??)

Of course, no one over in South Lake Union was going to give me anything like yeah, we don’t know why they just now noticed that we sell Robert Rodriguez… (they do offer a lot of Robert Rodriguez). The official position from the company’s reps is “Amazon has been in the fashion business since 2003 and we are continuing to add new fashion experiences—we’ve acquired and built new websites like MyHabit and ShopBop. And we’ve added hundreds of brands and new features and technologies that make shopping even easier and more enjoyable.”

A little more from Amazon HQ: “The marriage of content and technology is transforming the way people consume information about fashion—and how they shop for fashion. They want their size and their color preference to be in stock; they want it delivered directly to their doorstep; and they want the freedom and comfort to try their items on in their own homes, with other pieces in their closets.”

(Another side note: the morning after the New York Times thing, I got a press release about a study from The Luxury Institute which lead with, “Wealthy U.S. shoppers earning at least $150,000 a year rank Nordstrom highest among luxury retailers.” Maybe Geekwire reporter John Cook was on to something there with his crosstown rivalry angle.)

Bottom line: It may have felt like news, especially in light of all the Met Gala stuff, but there’s nothing really newsy going on in the company’s fashion offices.

Still, it gives us this opportunity to look at the local e-tailer in a new way, and consider how and if they’re changing how fashion looks, feels, and affects the Northwest.

Does Bezos’s emphasis on pleasing the brand, not necessarily the shopper, feel a little hard to pull on? Could, on the other hand, there be positive ramifications—let’s call them designer in-stores, trunk shows, fashion shows—of designers having a reason to come to town and take a meeting with a Seattle mega-retailer? Are you not even concerned about all that, given ShopBop’s and Habit’s big-time discounts? And those in-stock, immediately deliverable options?

Does it feel unsexy to add summer brights to a shopping cart that contains the new John Irving novel and something really random and Amazon-y like a showerhead? Does convenience trump sexiness?

Do you care where you get the piece you want if you get the piece you want? How is the huge glut of online shopping shaking out in your world—and your wallet? Are you loyal to any one experience or brand? Do you consider shopping at Nordstrom or Amazon a “local” experience? Have you noticed that your favorite real-world boutiques are reacting to your click-to-buy habits?

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Tags: Online Shopping, What's Your Take On..., Retail News, Seattle Retail News, Amazon

Meet the Shopkeepers: The Sneakery

Seattle’s two Sneakery locations: Ballard or West Seattle.

Posted by: Amanda Austin on May 14, 2012 at 07:00AM 0 Comments

The Sneakery managers: Andrea, left, runs the show in West Seattle, while Erin, right, is the manager at the Ballard location.

Ballard’s favorite kick-around, casual, quasi-athletic (does anyone ever play tennis in those Converses?) shoe store, the Sneakery, recently expanded to West Seattle. The former’s Erin Gill and the latter’s Andrea Berthold see to all manner of sneaker-related inquiries, whether for Keds, Draven, Oetzi, Toms, or Adidas. Or for any number of sneaker accoutrement. Here’s a look into a day or two in their lives.

WWW: What song or album is playing on your store’s sound system right now?
Gill: At this moment we are listening to Dude York’s album Gangs of Dude York. It’s new-ish local band that we can’t get enough of.

What was you first job in retail? What did you love or hate about it and how does it compare to what you do now?
Gill: I was a clerk at a video store. It was awesome. I got to do my homework, drink soda, and snap into Slim Jims all day!

What’s your favorite thing in the store right now?
Berthold: We just tracked down some knee socks with licensed characters—Harry Potter, Batman, Superman, and my favorite, Wonder Woman. Each sock has a little superhero cape flying off the back. We carry hundreds of styles of socks, so it’s fun to have something new that makes people really, really happy to get out there and have their capes flying behind them!

Where do you shop when you’re not at your store?
Berthold: I always stop in at our neighbors, Curious Kidstuff. They have stickers, toys, art projects, and strange random things like mini rubber babies and tiny decks of cards. Also, I like Northwest Art and Frame for more crafty things, scented soaps and candles. The West Seattle Antique Mall is another favorite; I can spend hours poking around looking at all the old-timey stuff.

What do you love about your store’s neighborhood? What nearby restaurants, coffee shops, etc. do you recommend?
Gill: The Ballard Sneakery is tucked away in one of Seattle’s best neighborhoods; we have the best regulars! To make your visit to the Sneakery a well rounded one, I would suggest a slice from Crash Landing Pizza, a trip to the perfectly large Goodwill, and a nice cold beer from Molly Maguires.

Berthold: I love how everybody is so proud of West Seattle and is so happy to be here. Also they really embrace local businesses and keep telling us how happy they are to not have to go to the mall for shoes anymore. Directly across the street from us is a magical place called Bakery Nouveau which makes delightful cakes, cookies, sandwiches, and pizza. They’re always baking, which makes the street smell good. A Terrible Beauty is an Irish Pub with lots of live music and yummy food (try the Belfast Burger: a burger stuffed with Camembert cheese and topped with bacon). If I need an escape, I head to West 5 for a chartreuse martini.

What’s the weirdest thing that’s ever happened in your store?
Gill: This one time, a man called and asked if this was “The Snickery” and if we sold the caramel Snickers candy. We explained the differences, and both parties were left confused.

Berthold: Previously, our building housed a printing shop called Liberty Bell that was here for almost 40 years. There are people who live in the neighborhood who have been going there forever but didn’t realize they had left. About once a week, someone wanders in with a look on their face like they might have gone crazy, and just says, “Liberty bell? Liberty bell?” It really confuses the other customers until they hear the explanation.

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Tags: West Seattle, Shoes, Ballard, Meet the Shopkeeper

Lip Color of the Month: Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Candeur

A soft and subtle shade for the long-awaited arrival of spring.

Posted by: Amanda Zurita on May 11, 2012 at 06:00AM 0 Comments

See if you don’t want to tiptoe through some tulips in this Chanel shade.

Ah, May. It finally feels like it’s time for the sandals and flowy skirts we’ve been stockpiling. There is something very pink about this month—just ask Anna Wintour who required all her Vogue editors to don the color at the May 7 Met Gala.

Maybe it’s the blooming flowers, maybe it’s the sweetness and nostalgia of Mother’s Day. Who knows. But Chanel’s Rouge Coco Shine in Candeur (French for innocent) fits right into this fresh and delicate season.

More like a luxe tinted lip balm than a lipstick, we found that the color glides on, leaving a glossy finish that isn’t at all sticky. Chanel states that the Coco Shine line has a unique Hydratendre complex (what?) that moisturizes and softens your pout; all we know is that it did leave our lips feeling particularly smooth.

This ultrafeminine peachy pink hints at shimmer; pair it with an asymmetrical maxi skirt and soft updo for a romantic look, or let the shade balance the bold quality of spring’s patterned pants.

Find May’s best shade for $33 at Chanel’s beauty counter at Nordstrom, then wait for that flouncing-through-a-field-of-tulips feeling to set in.

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Tags: Health and Beauty Road Test, Lip Color of the Month

Shop to Make a Difference

U Village shopping promotion helps fund women’s cancer research.

Posted by: Seattle Met Staff on May 11, 2012 at 06:00AM 0 Comments

WHERE: U Village

WHAT: When you purchase a $25 Cure Card (all proceeds to go to Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center), select vendors will take 20 percent off your purchases. Free valet parking is provided in the lot adjacent to Pottery Barn Kids. Visit this U Village page for more information.

WHEN: May 18 through 20 during regular business hours

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Uniqlo Rumors Revisited

Well is it or isn’t it?

Posted by: Laura Cassidy on May 10, 2012 at 08:15AM 2 Comments

Is Uniqlo bringing dozens of polo shirts to Seattle, or not?

When I posted in March about the possibility of Uniqlo opening downtown the response was pretty clear: You’d really, really like the chance to shop the Japanese version of American Apparel.

So I continued poking around, trying to substantiate the rumor, and eventually spoke with a member of a prominent business association in the downtown neighborhood. My contact in turn chatted with her colleague, a real estate specialist, and came back to me with the news of no news. He could find no evidence of Uniqlo coming into Seattle.

But what about this, a re-post on Simply Hired for management trainees? (The Simply Hired post was what started all this speculation last winter.)

And then on Twitter via Yay Today, this popped up: “Made my day-the cashier at uniqlo in NYC just told me that 2 locations are coming to Seattle by early next year!”

Did Yay Today know something the downtown real estate specialist didn’t?

I followed up on the Tweet via a direct message, and heard back that, “Hi! I was at the soho store and asked the cashier I’d been talking to. No name :(. But he said it as if it was common knowledge & that …” (second message, character number restrictions and all…) “They’d be opening 2 stores by early 2013.”

And then I did something I probably ought to have done back in March, but didn’t because I just never trust email addresses listed on “about us” pages. (Do you?) I emailed the U.S. customer service alias and heard back in pretty short order.

The reply to Request ID :##30470## was, “We have received your email inquiry about new store information. We do not have any details about future store opening in Seattle. For future plan, please wait until we announce in our website.”

Where are we at with this, people? Do cashiers have information that customer service reps and downtown business specialists do not? Do cashiers just not know about embargoed news and the protocol of sharing it? Could it be, as my editor-in-chief suggests, that Uniqlo isn’t going into downtown but maybe U Village? Susie Plummer, general manager there, says nope. She’s talked to the Japanese retailers, and they’re doing their due diligence and checking us and our spaces out, but according to her, nothing is eminent.

Are we or aren’t we getting a Uniqlo?

I wish I knew.

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Tags: Seattle Retail News, Uniqlo

Happy Hour at Alderbrook

Posted by: Seattle Met Staff on May 10, 2012 at 08:00AM 0 Comments

Headed out toward Hood Canal? (You sort of want to now that I’ve mentioned it, don’t you?)

Alderbrook Resort and Spa wants you to know that the spa portion of their enterprise has entered the happy hour market. Theirs is called Rejuven-Hour, and it includes the Pure Bliss massage ($145 for 90 minutes; regularly $185), the Lomi Lomi massage ($150, usually $185), and other pampering treatments offered at 30 percent off normal rates.

Don’t worry, you won’t drive all the way out there only to find you have to stay the night to get the deal. The 90-minute discounted services are available to resort guests and those just passing through.

Rejuven-Hour rates are available Monday through Thursday from 12 to 3 until the end of May.

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New Venue: 1927 Events

The folks behind Sole Repair and inside the kitchen at Scott Staples’ Feed Co. Catering open a new spot in the heart of downtown.

Posted by: Laura Cassidy on May 09, 2012 at 08:15AM 0 Comments

A portion of Feed Co.’s spread at the recent Linked wedding fair; Feed Co. is the catering partner for 1927, the new downtown event space.

It’s an address, it’s emblematic of an era, it’s a new L-shaped reception space on Third Avenue from the folks who do Sole Repair up on Capitol Hill: 1927 Events has arrived.

Well, almost.

I recently met co-owner Grace Hoffman and Feed Co catering director Stacy Paczan (the Scott Staples-fronted cookery is the official food and drink outfit for the Pike Street venue and the new downtown one) inside the work-in-progress and got the scoop.

Hoffman’s partner has been holding on to the space—around the corner from the Moore Theatre and convenient to lots of downtown parking and hotels—for some time, but build-outs like these take time. (Read: Staples isn’t going to just cook any-old-where, and I’ve heard the kitchen is going to be fantastic.) The original structure, which was built around 1927, gave way to lots of great brick and exposed beams, and the architects and designers were able to repurpose materials—and add elements of Swing era charm of course. I was too early to see the chandeliers and other finishing touches, but they’ll be in place soon; several weddings are on the books for this summer.

In addition to top shelf catering, 1927 offers the whole seating shebang: tables and chairs are included, and they’ve got room for 300 celebratory guests for a cocktail, stand-up style affair, or 190 when a full, sit-down dinner is planned.

Pepper-crusted pork loin, red beets, green beans, walnuts and watercress with a salad of shaved summer squash, sweet peppers, grilled bread and parmesan dressing, anyone? Maybe some sage falafel bites with lemon-paprika mayo and a one or two wild boar Sloppy Joe minis with onion-sage crumbles?

Hoffman, Paczan, and their cohorts are planning an open house at the end of June. Stay tuned; we’ll make sure you have the details.

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Tags: Seattle Wedding Catering, Seattle Wedding Venues, Seattle Wedding Planning, Seattle Wedding Vendors, Sole Repair, 1927 Events, Feed Co. Catering

Moms Know Best

Seattle’s top style moms dish Mother’s Day gift advice.

Posted by: Laura Cassidy on May 08, 2012 at 07:00AM 3 Comments

Photo: Sight Unseen

At least one Seattle mom wants this necklace by local designers Iacoli & McAllister. Read on for more ideas.

When you need a straight answer, you go straight to the source. With only a few shopping days left until Mother’s Day, we asked some expert Seattle moms to put us on the quick course to spot-on gifting.

Designer Lizzie Parker
Mom of: Two children and one bulldog
Favorite gift: Every year my husband does a green screen–like picture and Photoshops the kids in for a Mother’s Day poster. My favorite was them with their light sabers wishing me a Star Wars happy Mother’s Day when they were toddlers.
Top gift picks: Breakfast in bed and the day to shop at some of my favorite Seattle haunts: Nancy’s Sewing Basket (for some new fab fabrics; perhaps I will make myself something), La Ree (I mean Isabel Marant and Rick Owens, need I say more?), and Baby and Co (I love to check out her seasonal window themes).

Jacquelynn Reasy Woodward of Sorella Spa
Mom of: A two-year-old and another on the way
Favorite gift: Day at the spa, a portrait of my family, a fun day planned by my husband.
Top gift pick: Our Mother’s Day special, which includes a massage, facial, and deep conditioning treatment for $100.

Ali Brownrigg, blogger and shopper
Mom of: Two
Favorite gift: Nothing beats a homemade gift created with intention and love by your kiddos. They’re so eager to give it to you and so proud when you display it in a place of honor. My most favorite gift ever was a paper skirt that my husband helped my daughter make for me to wear to all my fashion shows.
Top gift picks: I’d be over the moon with sleeping in, then snuggles in bed, a homemade card, and some flowers picked earnestly from our backyard. But if I were making a wish list I would include a mani/pedi at Mimisan on Queen Anne, a skinny strap belt from MMH, this necklace from Iacoli & McAllister, which I am fairly swooning over, or a Tiffany 1837 bar pendant from their new Rubedo metal collection because I think it looks like a modern cartouche.

Designer Rosanna Bowles
Mom of: Two
Favorite gift: Handmade art from my youngest daughter and mind-stretching books from my older daughter.
Top gift picks: Our fabulous cake pedestals and compotes from the Decor Bon Bon, Le Gateau, White Pedestals, and La Patisserie lines.

Makeup artist Tiffany Lowry, also known as Tiffany Colors
Mom of: One
Favorite gift: The gift of staying in bed all day. My family brought me breakfast and coffee and all my favorite mags and even a few videos on the iPad so I could cuddle and relax all day! And a cupcake from Flying Apron—chocolate with peanut butter frosting! YES!
Top gift picks: A makeover/beauty update. As a working mother I know the stresses and the lack of time we take to put ourselves together! I’m chasing my daughter to eat, get dressed, and shove her homework into her backpack and then we are out the door so I’ve figured out the best lipstick to apply in the car! Y.S.L Rouge Pur Vernis A Levres #8; it’s the “It” color and so sheer that you can’t mess up and you look so put together.

Lingerie designer Laurie Shapiro from Toad Lillie
Mom of: Two
Favorite gift: Because my boys are young, the only gift I look forward to every Mother’s Day is a sloppily written handmade card and an extra big hug. My husband is so sweet and shows his appreciation every year with something very feminine for Mother’s Day to help make up for the crazy, messy boy-filled life that I have.
Top gift picks: A lovely nightie is perfect for celebrating the woman inside every mother. My handcrafted Glace chemise has a hand-painted bodice that almost acts as jewelry and is bias-cut to flatter mom and make her feel glamorous. A close second would be perfume because what mom doesn’t want to smell fabulous? Since it’s so hard to pick the perfect fragrance, I recommend taking a custom perfume making class instead with local perfumer Meredith Tucker of Sweet Anthem. This way Mom can escape for a few hours to olfactory heaven and design a one-of-a-kind fragrance that will leave her remembering not only the thoughtful Mother’s Day gift but the experience as well.

Nancy Meade, owner of Terra Bella in Bellevue
Mom of: Four
Favorite gift: I love receiving artistic gifts made by my kids. Some of my favorites have been a watercolor painting, ceramic mask, ceramic bowls, and long, decorative love notes. I love knowing that they put energy, thought, and love into creating something special and meaningful for me!
Top gift picks: Our handcrafted gorgeous jewelry from a multitude of local and world-wide designers; Italian hand-loomed linen hand towels and tea towels; Sid Dickens memory blocks handcrafted in Vancouver, Canada; gorgeous Arte Italica serving pieces and hobnail glass pitchers; modern resin trays, vases, bowls by Lawrence Essentials; hand-blown glass candle cylinders by Marianne Guedin, made in France.

Terri Morgan, owner, TCM Models
Mom of: Two
Favorite gift: My favorite gift is just having uninterrupted time with my kids; cell phones put away, no TV—we could be doing anything, we’re just together.
Top gift pick: I really love it when I get a spa day or mani/pedi thing. It isn’t something that I normally treat myself too. I really like Mimisan on Queen Anne.

Samantha Crowley, owner of Fleurt in West Seattle
Mom of: Two
Favorite gift: Handmade paper flowers from my son Jack when he was in First grade. New shoes from my daughter this year. She was a little early but could not resist the new Geox shoes from Nordstrom. I also enjoy this one day a year where I don’t have to do anything. My kids make me breakfast, lunch, and dinner, clean the house, and wash my car.
Top gift picks: Fleurt is loaded with goodies for Mother’s Day. Of course fresh flowers are always gorgeous, but for something a bit different we have custom terrariums in all shapes and sizes, mushroom growing kits, and my all time favorite: tea towels from Studio Patro.

Sara Seumae of Spun
Mom of: Two
Favorite gift: Every mom I know says that they cherish the hand-drawn pictures and macaroni crafts that their kids make them. I am no different! My husband recently bought me a home laminate machine just so I could save my daughter’s artwork. Some of them are sweet while others are pure comedy.
Top gift picks: As a mother, I love to receive gifts that I wouldn’t normally buy for myself. My kids—let’s be serious, my husband does the gift shopping—always buy me clothes or jewelry, knowing that I seldom buy that for myself. I think that moms would love to receive anything from Cameron Levin. Her pieces are easy to wear and beautiful for going out to dinner or a fancy party. She even has pieces that can easily be layered for a casual look. I love the folded-sleeve top; I wear it over a tank top and jeans. Our Mother’s Day sale on Saturday, May 12 includes 50 percent off our remaining stock of Cameron’s Chelsea collection, 30 percent off fall/winter pieces from the talented Kate Chrisman, 20 percent off the Spun line, and 20 percent off jewelry and handbags.

Mindy Jahn at Whole Foods, Lynnwood
Mom of: Two
Favorite gift: I love food and cooking so the best gifts I get from my kids are when they make me breakfast in bed. They have been doing this since they were very little and each year it gets better and better. I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease two years ago and now the kids even bake me gluten-free treats and bring them to me with coffee and fruit.
Top gift pick: Our store has some fantastic Mother’s Day gifts. My ultimate favorite gift would be a gift that gives back. The Blessing Basket is the perfect gift for any caring mother; these handwoven and hand-signed baskets are not only beautiful but are helping to eliminate poverty across the globe.

Sally Brock, owner of Fancy
Mom of: One
Favorite gift: Crepes in bed (dad’s contribution) and beans and cereal (Claudia’s addition).
Top gift picks: I’d love to get these 14K yellow gold earrings with pink sapphires, peridot, and champagne diamond petals, but of course, I can just make my own. I also love this Catherine Grisez necklace featuring coral, rose quartz, and carnelian.

Designer Maresa Patterson
Mom of: Three boys, and four if you count the biggest kid of them all.
Favorite gift: I received a universal remote control that was life-changing. I can actually watch Mad Men whenever I want to without having to shuffle between eight remote controls! (Can you believe this season?)
Top gift picks: In honor of Mother’s Day, consider Linda, made of 100 percent double-face cotton. It’s very comfortable, perfect for hanging out with lovely children and chasing them around! Also, a beautiful Dries Van Noten scarf from Jack Straw or anything from Far 4.

Carilyn Platt, public relations
Mom of: One
Favorite gift: Last year, I took the charms from my mom’s charm bracelet—the one she received when she first went to Europe with her parents—and had them put on a charm bracelet that she bought for me. My husband and son got me a new charm that they also added to the bracelet, and that is probably my most treasured Mother’s Day gift because of the special meaning all around.
Top gift picks: I must preface by saying I am not expecting any of these things, but they would of course be welcome any time of the year. Creed perfume, a VitaMix blender, a Glassybaby, local skincare products from Kari Gran, a birdhouse or bench from Ravenna Gardens, or jewelry from Maria Carter or Jamie Joseph.

Serpil Kaymaz, owner of Alhambra
Mom of: One
Favorite gift: Small and simple gold jewelry.
Top gift picks: Jewelry from Jane Hollinger, Sara McGuire, Beth Orduna, or Dana Kellin. The line Tucker is also a wonderful for Mother’s Day. The prints put everyone in the mood for spring and their styles are classic and timeless. I am particularly fond of the red polka dot short sleeve blouse.

Alissa Leinonen, founder of Gourmondo Catering
Mom of: Five
Favorite gift: In addition to the homemade cards and crafts I’ve received over the years, including some adorable handmade jewelry, I’ve loved it when my children have made special baked goods and desserts on Mother’s Day. I’m lucky to have children who love to bake.
Top gift pick: Gourmondo’s dressing gift sampler, which includes our Bacon Balsamic, Tuscan Herb, and Cypress Citrus dressings, is a fun gift for the foodie Mom. They are great over fresh greens from your local farmers market. The Tuscan Herb works as a marinade, with a Painted Hills steak or grilled chicken breast.

Natalie Angelillo, of Swink Style Bar
Mom of: Two
Favorite gift: Best gift ever was an elaborate breakfast in bed cooked by my two kids all by themselves without any fighting and a total kitchen clean-up afterward. Admittedly the last part was probably as great as the first.
Top gift picks: Our Mommy and Me Dry Style package, or a three-, six-, or 12-pack of blowouts. Or a gift certificate for our downtown or University Village locations.

Kay Smith-Blum, CEO Butch Blum
Mom of: Three boys
Favorite gift: When they do yard clean up. One year they even washed down the white-stained fence, saving me hours in the garden!
Top gift picks: The striped dresses from Martin Margiela and MM6, Margiela’s diffusion line. One is $545, the other $295—both are quintessential travel dresses, doubling as bathing suit cover-up after they get used once or twice for shopping and dinner.

Ruth True, owner of NuBe Green
Mom of: Five
Favorite gift: Some bubble bath and the time to use it.

Judith Winquist, co-owner of Mane Blow Dry Bar
Mom of: Two
Favorite gift: As my children are now adults with families and busy careers of their own, my favorite Mother’s Day gift and the one I value most is the gift of my children’s time. Any outing or event they choose to do together with me on Mother’s Day is one I hold dear. It spawns priceless memories and even photos that keep giving throughout the year.
Top gift pick: In a very real way, Mane Blow Dry Bar fulfills my Mother’s day dream to spend more time with my daughter, Kate, who is also my business partner. This year, our collaboration in our new business will afford us the opportunity to pass on the gift of shared time by offering daughters an opportunity to purchase gift certificates to pamper their mom or mother-in-law. Better yet, come in together for mother-daughter blowouts. Our Mane gift certificates are available for purchase online.

Sanda Belaire, from downtown Nordstrom, Savvy department
Mom of: Two
Favorite gift: Homemade cards and paintings are always treasured!
Top gift pick: Our exclusive Nordstrom Glassybaby Evelyn candle holder makes an excellent Mother’s Day gift. Each one is locally handmade by Seattle artists and 10 percent from the sale of each is donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Toms canvas slip-on shoes can be custom painted by the kids with fabric paint for a unique gift, and with every pair of Toms shoes purchased, the company gives a new pair of shoes to a child in need.

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Tags: Locally Designed, Seattle Designer, Locally Made Jewelry, Mother's Day 2012

Mother’s Day Trunk Show at Click!

West Seattle’s design shop hosts a jeweler and a sweets maker.

Posted by: Seattle Met Staff on May 07, 2012 at 04:00PM 0 Comments

Lulu Smith shows jewelry for moms at Click! Design that Fits on May 12.

WHERE: Click! Design that Fits

WHAT: A trunk show featuring resin and sterling silver jeweler Lulu Smith, and Lisa Renoe, who crafts traditional Belgium truffles in not totally traditional flavors like maple bacon, curry, orange blossom.

WHEN: Saturday, May 12 from 11 to 5

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Tags: Mother's Day 2012

Save the Date: Diana Vreeland

A new doc about the legendary editor screens at SIFF.

Posted by: Laura Cassidy on May 07, 2012 at 06:00AM 2 Comments

At Bazaar and VogueDiana Vreeland invented the role of the modern fashion editor. She made it not just about the latest collections, but about the American women who wore them, and how, and why.

She’s sort of the anti-Anna. Where Wintour is prim and reserved and conservative, 40s/50s/60s-era fashion editor Diana Vreeland encouraged ostentatious attire and wearing one’s sweater backwards. Then again, she also declared blue jeans the best thing since the gondola.

Chances are very, very good that those who enjoyed The September Issue and Bill Cunningham New York will be slayed by Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel, the new documentary about the wild and iconic fashion genius.

Those who follow fashion folklore already know the character called Diana Vreeland. The quips, the quotes, the ‘Why don’t you’s’ But with any luck—and because the film was directed by Vreeland’s granddaughter-in-law Lisa Immordino Vreeland it’s safe to feel a little lucky—this’ll be the kind of movie that opens up the persona and gets to the person inside.

The Eye Has to Travel shows at the Pacific Place AMC on Friday, May 18 at 1:30 and Wednesday, May 23 at 7.

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Tags: Fashion Film

Estate Sale at Alana Jewelry

Score some vintage deals at Northgate Mall just in time for Mother’s Day.

Posted by: Laura Cassidy on May 04, 2012 at 03:00PM 0 Comments

Vintage treasures for sale at Alana in Northgate.

WHERE: Alana Antique and Estate Jewelry

WHAT: After 19 years of amassing antique and vintage snuff boxes, doorknobs, teapots, coffee grinders, figurines, and more to use as display props for the store, Alana herself is turning her goods over to you during a sidewalk sale. Held in conjunction with the mall’s Mom’s Nite Out event, the treasure sale includes costume jewelry and other surprises. Prices range from $10 to $50.

WHEN: Thursday, May 10 from 5 to 8

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Tags: Mother's Day 2012