Entre Nous.

Island life

Apologies for the lack of consistent posts since April. I can't believe such a long length of time lapsed between posts. The cause of said lapse is that my life is in a bit of transition. I officially made the decision to leave Savannah in May, yet made the actual move less than a week ago. After 3 1/2 glorious years in the city, with a lovely home in the heart of the historic district (Jones St. to be exact), some really incredible friends, and a job from which I was learning a great deal about anituqes and the business, saying it was difficult to leave is an understatement. Although, I must admit the fact that it had been between 100-120 degrees (with the heat index) for June and July made extracting myself from the city a TAD easier. Where am I now you might wonder. I've decided to get a house on the island that I grew up on in Washington State for 4 or 5 months, while I figure out a game plan. Then it will be on to either Bellingham, Seattle, or...? Right now 1/2 of my belongings are in a storage unit here in Washington and the other 1/2 are making their way across country from Savannah. Everything will be reunited next week. I'm extremely eager to unpack everything and decorate my new abode. Next comes the daunting job search. Yes, I did what they tell you not to do, move somewhere without a job lined up. But I do have a business venture in the works, which I'll disclose if it comes to fruition. To life!

Top of the Pops

Shows I'm eagerly awaiting in 2010:

1. She & Him, at the Savannah Music Festival in March. 'Indie boys' movie-star crush of choice Zooey Deschanel and rootsy guitarist M. Ward pose as a great lost Seventies AM-gold couple.....they sound like they wish they were cruising in their Le Car, hitting the beach at Martha's Vineyard with James and Carly to pound strawberry daiquiris and sing 'Mockingbird.' -Rolling Stone  [Update: Just bought tickets. Tickets are 15% for the Savannah Music Festival until December 11th. News: S&H's sophmore album, Volume Two, hits stores March 23rd.]

2. The Avett Brothers, where and when is still up in the air [not any longer, just bought tickets to their Savannah show in June]. 'Hailing from North Carolina, The Avett Brothers' members embody the best elements of Southern roots music. Their vocals are earnest and earthy, they have a knack for musical storytelling and they obviously have an appreciation for family ties — singers Seth and Scott Avett are the guitarist and banjo player, respectively. The band also possesses an all-inclusive Southern musical sensibility: Its unique mix of folk, rock, country and bluegrass adds up to a uniquely catchy regional aesthetic.' NPR

3. The Magnetic Fields, either in Seattle or NYC. 'Singer-songwriter Stephen Merritt's ironically morose lyrics, Tin Pan Alley stylings, sugary melodies, and idiosyncratic sound have earned his band the Magnetic Fields cult status and the adulation of grad students everywhere.' Mike McGonigal

4. Camera Obscura, ideally in Bellingham at the Nightlight in April. Although the chances of me making it back to Washington before summer are slim to nil. Why aren't they touring the southeast? A flawless blend of sunny pop, Motown, blues and jazz. The bands gorgeous, heartbreaking and--well--maudlin songs deserve to be heard by an audience far wider than Camera Obscura's current cult- indie-pop devoteees.

"Vacation, all I ever wanted. Vacation, had to get away."

               

I got back a little less than a month ago from my trip to the left coast. Here's a glimpse into how I spent some of my time: 

• Consumed grilled hamburgers stuffed with blue cheese at a "potluck" with all the usual suspects. Followed by the most delicious S'mores. Although not the S'Mores of my childhood, those made using a grill are nothing to scoff at. 
• Played competitive games of Badminton with people of varying skill level, age, and height.
• Had high tea at Abbey Garden Tea Room. All I can say is their version would give The Plaza's a run for their money. So delicious.
• Went to the beach with A. Where we laid out, looked for beach glass and agates (a hold over beach going activity from our childhood), took pictures, and had a much needed catch up session. 
• Ate more crab than I usually consume in a year. A generous friend shared SIX crabs he'd caught. There were crab omelets, crab BLTs, crab salads and oh I'll stop there before I sound like a character out of Forrest Gump. We dined on crab for days. Talk about contentment. 
• Saw an old crush. A boy I'd gown up with and have known since I was a child. Left the island with a renewed crush. He's still adorable.
• Watched Iron Man at the outdoor cinema in Fairhaven's Village Green. Have I already forgotten how chilly summer evenings in Washington can get? Apparently so.
• Ate sweet potato tacos, fish tacos and drank margaritas on the deck at Agua Verde Paddle Club in Seattle. I could hang out there for hours.
• Listened to an old friend sing and play piano at the one "coffee shop" on the island. Bumped into all sorts of characters from my past. Pure bliss.
• Attended the islands annual Chilli cook off. Imagine it, 20 plus chilli's to feast on, beer aplenty, live music, and sunshine. Add to that a slew of people I hadn't seen in YEARS. Perfection.
• Played the slot machines at one of the local casinos. Lost a whopping $10.
• Dinned on savory crepes with the H-------- clan in Seattle, Capital Hill to be precise. Saw a few trannys and a crackhead getting interrogated by the cops. Oh Seattle, I missed you. 
• Visited Revival Home & Garden in the Georgetown neighborhood. A store I'd had on my radar since reading about it in Rita Konig's article about Seattle in Domino. Had a lovely chat with the shops co-owner. The store is in the process of relocating to Capital Hill, so everything was significantly discounted for the impending move. Although the merchandise was clearly thinned out and the store wasn't in its prime condition, I still was smitten. Can't wait to see the reincarnation in the Capital Hill local.
• Devoured the most INCREDIBLE peanut butter & jelly cupcake at the hands down best place for cupcakes, Trophy Cupcakes. They'd opened the most adorable shop at University Village since I'd been home. But I still prefer their Wallingford Center location.
• Attended my baby sisters co-ed baby shower. Lots of babies, toddlers, and kids in attendance, along with their parents, of course. Quite the scene.
• Bought the most divine banana bread from Dahlia Bakery. I'd been craving this for ages and my Mom admitted she wasn't in the mood for baking her own. So when I spied a loaf at Dahlia, I just had to bring it home. It was the best banana bread I've tasted, no joke. I also indulge in their version of a nutter butter cookie. I died. So good. Dahlia Bakery, along with whatever else Tom Douglas touches, is pure perfection.
• Took a sunset boat ride along Bellingham Bay and down towards Chuckanut Drive. I love seeing Bellingham from that perspective. East Coast sunsets are so ho hum compared to our gorgeous West Coast version. No comparison.

Clearly I was not thrilled to return to Savannah after such a lovely two weeks at home. Oh and remember those perfect 75 degree days I was hoping for? More like eighties and nineties, then a record breaking 103 degrees on my last day. So much for escaping the heat.

Now I'm off again in mere days for another week long stint back in Washington. Black berries will be picked. Sleeping in will occur. Books will be consumed. Sunsets will be devoured. And fingers crossed another encounter with the crush will occur.

Homeward Bound

It's been almost two months now that I've been living in Savannah and I've already scheduled a trip back home to Washington.  I leave tomorrow and will return in a week.  I depart at the godforsaken hour of 6:15am (that's a 3:15am wake up call).  But it's oh so worth it because I'm scheduled to arrive in Seattle before noon.  Then it's off to Cafe Campagne for either Oeufs en meurette or Croque-savoyard, depending on my mood.  I then have seven jam packed days before me of doing everything I've missed and seeing everyone I've missed in the 8 weeks I've been away.  Is there really anything better than returning home?

"We like it! We love it!"

Saturday I went to The Trucks show at The Nightlight with Sara, Lucy and a few other girls.  Before the show we had dinner at La Fiamma.  Then headed to Caps post dinner to kill time until The Trucks ("The Trucks are four females who will make you want to dance. The sound is Electro-pop meets northwest indie rock and it’s all dressed-up in fishnets.") made their appearance.  It was The Trucks CD release party so they drew quite a crowd.  In addition, Federation X played as well as a band called A Gun that Shoots Knives.  My friend Alina and her boyfriend Brent met us at the show.  The Trucks CD is available on Amazon or through their labels (Clickpop Records) website and comes highly recommended (by me).  Plus, if they happen to be making an appearance in your city you should definitely check them out.  They're such fun.  You'll like them.  You'll love them.

 

Sunday a whole lot of nothing occurred but on Monday I went over to Alina's for dinner.  I brought the wine and Fran's sea salt caramels.  Alina's boyfriend Brent made the fried chicken, asparagus, rice pilaf, and salad.  It was sensational.  I've heard Alina rave about Brent's fried chicken but never had the opportunity to try it myself.  Brent is working as a chef in Bellingham and getting ready to start culinary school in Austin.  He's from Texas and definitely knows a thing or two about southern food.  I decided to ask Brent if he'd be interested in catering my "southern themed" going away party.  Within mere moments he came up with the perfect menu for the party.  It's going to be so fun, I can't wait.  I just might have to start moving more often if only for the going away parties.

Picture this

   

Saturday I took a 5 hour (yes, F-I-V-E hour) long knitting class at NW Handspun Yarns.  I know that 5 hours sounds like such a long time but it really went by so quickly.  After taking a year or two off from regular knitting I needed a refresher course to get me back to my peak knitting potential.  Before the class I found the cutest knit bag, similar to the one used by Lisa Loeb on her show #1 Single.  It turned out to be the perfect bag to keep all my knitting supplies in.  Besides me, there were eight other women at various knitting levels taking the class.  The teacher, Maureen, also teaches yoga and is a talented painter as well.  Maureen even offers a "Restoring Balance Through Yoga and Knitting" class, which sounds intriguing.  We were given an hour break for lunch and one of the other girls, Ann, and I decided to head over to Avenue Bread and Deli on Railroad Ave for sandwiches.  After the class finished Ann and I thought we might start attending "Knit Night" on Tuesdays at the shop.  I just feel like knitting is great relaxing hobby to have once I get all caught up with the stress of graduate school.

Sunday was rather uneventful aside from my friend Eric (he'll be 29 in mere weeks) informing me that he just got engaged to his 20 year old girlfriend whom he has been dating for six months at the most.  But then on Monday it was Spa day for my friend Sara and I at the The Chrysalis Inn & Spa.  Before our Pedicures commenced we sat and chatted over tea in the spas "relaxation" room.  With it being the beginning of fall (which means gray days and rain are on their way) I decided that rather than getting a plain French Tip pedicure I'd add a bit of color.  So I requested a light pink nail with a darker pink tip.  The woman, Jessica, doing my pedicure was such a perfectionist.  Which I greatly appreciated.  The color turned out just how I envisioned.  After our pedicures we ordered a Spa lunch from the Inn's Fino Wine Bar.  I had scallops, which were exceptional, and Sara had the crab cakes.  After lunch Sara headed home while I stayed for a Facial.  This was definitely one of the best facials I've ever received.  Now I know that most people prefer silence when getting any spa treatments but I actually find it more relaxing when I'm able to converse with the person giving the treatment.  The woman giving my facial, Diane, had just returned from a 3 week vacation in Italy so it was great fun to hear all about her trip.  I was also able to get some tips worth mentioning.  Now I don't know about anyone else but I've been using apricot scrub to exfoliate my face for years.  I was informed by Diane that the apricot scrubs actually create little scratches on your face.  Another thing I've been doing wrong is washing my face with only my hands and cleanser.  Diane claims it's best to use a baby washcloth while washing ones face.  I always assumed washcloths were too rough on the face.  And one last thing, when applying moisturizer or other creams to the face apply in an upwards motion.  Unfortunately after leaving the spa it was right back to work.

How I spent my summer vacation

1.  The majority of my time this summer was of course spent working, working, and yes working.

2.  I did find a free moment to attend two weddings.  That of my friend Mike's and my sister Kat's.  Both were a delight.

3.  Remember months ago when I mentioned that Chanel had discontinued my shade of lipstick?  Well I spent much of my summer scouring the country for a few remaining tubes.  One I found at a store in Aspen.  Another I purchased on eBay (new in box).  The third my contact at the Seattle Nordstrom, John-Paul, finally managed to locate for me.  By far the best deal was the tube purchased on eBay, $15 including shipping.  I've always been leary of purchasing cosmetics on eBay but desperate times...

4.  My drink of the summer was Starbucks Passion Tea Lemonade.  So good and still available.

5.  A lot of raspberry picking occurred during the summer.  I managed to squirrel away a few plastic bags full in my freezer for smoothies.  I swear nothing tastes better than berries you've picked yourself.

6.  Attended two outdoor concerts at the Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery, Elvis Costello and Pink Martini.  Both very enjoyable.

7.  Located the perfect crab cakes, they can be found at the Dahlia Lounge in Seattle.

8.  Attended one evening of the Celebration of Light in Vancouver.  A brilliant firework competition that takes place every summer over English Bay.

9.  Took another class from the brilliant Karen Lockhart.

10.  Was invited to an incredible outdoor scallop dinner.

11.  Took a 2 hours boat ride around Bellingham bay.  Where we witnessed the sun setting over the San Juan Islands.  Learned more of the history of Bellingham and the harbor.  Came upon a gigantic ship from Russia.  And most importantly spotted seals sunbathing.

12.  Housesat at a lakehouse.

13.  Spent several weekends with the family out on the island.

14.  The only out of town trip I took this summer was to Sequim, Washington to attend their yearly Lavender Festival and Street Fair.  Sequim is known as the sunniest and driest city in the state of Washington.  Apparently the reason for this is that Sequim lies within the rainshadow of the Olympic Mountains.  But of course as luck would have it during our visit it was cloudy.  Although at least the rain stayed away.  My favorite of the eight lavender farms participating in the festival would have to have beeen Jardin du Soleil.  Beyond just viewing the gorgeous fields of lavender you could pick your own bunches of lavender, sample lavender lemonade, ice cream and margaritas.  Each farm offered a wide variety of foods and crafts to sample and peruse.  Sequim is a quaint little town with cute shops and lots of retired people.  The food we consumed while in Sequim was mostly superb, and just about every meal had crab in it. My favorite meal would have to have been our enormous crab omelettes served at the Oak Table Cafe.  Everyone had told us that no visit to Sequim was complete without a dinner at The Three Crabs.  I actually found the service there to be quite shoddy and the food average at best.  We had made reservations but were still made to wait as they claimed to not have written down our reservation.  Then after 20 minutes of waiting they finally found it.  I found the crab cakes to be full of filler with very little crab.  Although the festival was fun and I did come home with plenty of lavender tea and honey, I don't know if I'd make a yearly pilgrimage to Sequim like some Washingtonians.

15.  And most importantly this was the summer I discovered the joys of the television show Weeds.  I consumed the entire first season in a few days.  But unfortunately since I'm without Showtime I'll have to wait a while for the next season to come out on DVD.  And finally a show with a theme song I want to sing along with.  Check out Elvis Costello's and Death Cab For Cutie's covers of the the theme song, Little Boxes.

    

I also managed to catch a few movies this summer.

1.  Material Girls (Delicious fluff.)

2.  You, Me and Dupree

3.  The Devil Wears Prada (Loves it.)

4.  The Lake House (Despite my abhorrence of Sandra Bullock I quite liked this movie.  The architecture and yes even the storyline drew me in.)   

5.  My Super Ex Girlfriend (Isn't Eddie Izzard the greatest?)

6.  Little Miss Sunshine (Definitely my favorite of the summer flicks.)

7.  Strangers With Candy (So hilarious.)

8.  Hollywoodland

9.  The Illusionist

Saturday's gone

Friday:  After work my Mom brought over a beautiful bouquet of lilies (my favorite) and a congratulations card.  Then she took me out for a "lets celebrate your getting into graduate school" dinner.  I was waffling about where I wanted to go eat.  But once we got to Fairhaven we noticed that the sign above what once was Mannino's, was back up.  Mannino's is an Italian restaurant which has a long history in Bellingham.  In 2004 they moved from their downtown Bellingham location to a prime spot in Fairhaven.  Think gorgeous outdoor seating, a darling upstairs, and a view of the bay.  Unfortunately in March the owners made the decision to stop serving Italian food, revamp the restaurant, give it a dreadful new name "Spoon: Urban Bar and Supper Club", and start serving northwest cuisine.  Fortunately the patrons of the restaurant were so appalled with the changes that after being open only about a month they decided to change the name back and start serving the Italian fare they were known for.  So I decided we must eat at the newly opened Mannino's.  The dinner was smashing (lasagna), the drinks strong (a Manhattan), the service was dreadful.

Saturday:  Had a friend over for tea and watched 28 Up.  We've been getting together every few weeks to watch an episode from the Seven Up documentary series out of Britain.  Such a brilliant series, check it out.  Then in the early evening I headed out to the island to spend the night.  After getting off the ferry we drove around the island with my Mom pointing out all the winter storm damage and new houses being built.  We ordered pizza from the Beach Store Cafe for dinner.  It was delicious, but tiny, and oh so expensive.

 

Sunday:  My Mom put together the cutest Easter Basket for me (yes I still get one!).  The basket (from Williams-Sonoma) is made of glass, it's darling.  Inside the basket were all sorts of treats and she included a Walk the Line DVD and a great mug from Starbucks.  In the early afternoon my family went out for Easter Brunch at The Chuckanut Manor, which specializes in seafood and is located on Chuckanut Drive (beautiful scenic road which used to be part of the pacific highway).  We had a great table overlooking the San Juan Islands.  The food was superb and the portions generous.  After brunch we drove down to Skagit Valley to check out the Tulip Festival.  Luckily the sun was out, but so were the tourists.  We managed to walk through several of the vast tulip fields before tiring of the crowds and heading home.

Left Right Left

   

My favorite shoe store (Left Right Left) in Bellingham is having a spectacular 25% off April Fool's Day Sale on all in store and online orders placed this Saturday, April 1st.  Gretchen (a fellow art department grad from WWU) offers an array of shoes, books, and other accessories both at her store and on her web site.  If you don't live in the area do make a point of browsing Left Right Lefts website and see if anything strikes your fancy.  I have my eye on several pairs of shoes and a cupcake coin purse. 

 

One day only! All regular price items will be 25% off!

 

"This includes call-in, web and special orders placed and paid for that day. This won't be happening again until October, so get your booty in here and take advantage of the savings!  To receive sale prices that day online, just mention the sale in the comment box during checkout. We'll deduct 25% off your total before shipping when we run your card."

To and Fro

Yesterday my tax refund was deposited into my checking account.  I then promptly transferred it to my savings as it will be going towards an upcoming trip.  Then checked my mail and discovered a letter from Savannah College of Art and Design.  I sent them my application packet via FedEx on February 13th.  I checked and made sure it arrived on the 15th (the deadline), it had. But the letter informed me that out of the four items included in the packet (application, resume, statement of purpose, portfolio) only the application had been received.  They also claim to have only received one letter of recommendation (out of three) and none of my transcripts.  This is all very perplexing and upsetting news as I got all of that squared away by early February.  I tried to contact the school on Friday but of course the office in Georgia had already closed.  Will be calling on Monday and hopefully the letter was just a mix up.  Decided to end the day by finally seeing Capote.  It was sensational and everything everyone has been saying is definitely true.  Philip Seymour Hoffman was just brilliant.  Oh and purchased two boxes of Girl Scout cookies Thin Mints (a given) and a box of peanut butter cookies (my favorite). 

 

Today I had a friend over for tea and watched a documentary she's been wanting me to see for ages, called Seven Up.  "Seven Up! is a popular documentary film series that follows the lives of fourteen British people from the age 7 to adulthood. The fourteen people chosen are of different races, genders, and socio-economic backgrounds. Every seven years, the documentarians reconnect with the subjects and catch up on their lives.".  I Highly recommend this series.  We only got through the first two episodes but will def. make a point to watch the rest.  Then went to the "grand opening" of a new shop in Bellingham called Four Starrs Boutique and Beauty Bar (they should really do something about the blurry pictures on their website).  Their location is rather unfortunate as I doubt they'll get much street traffic.  Hope they have a keen advertising plan.  Not sure just yet what I think of their offerings in regard to clothes and beauty products but at least little Bellingham finally has a shop selling Citizens of Humanity jeans.

The blue sky's torn asunder

Today I sent a "thank you" card to my friend Sarah (for the care package) and sent off my tea cup for Beth's Tea Cup Swap.  I'm crossing my fingers that it arrives in Texas safely (I'll show pictures soon, once it is in the hands of its new owner).  In my mailbox today was a package from Amy, which contained the sweetest card (she made herself) along with a copy of A Million Little Pieces and an article from Time magazine regarding the whole "how truthful are memoirs" question.  Thanks so much Amy, it really made my day.  This is the first Oprah's Book Club selection that I will be reading.  Typically I tend to shy away from anything with an Oprah Book Club sticker, but this book is too intriguing not to read. 

 

After leaving the post office I grabbed a cup of coffee then went to view an apartment I was considering renting.  I'm thinking of moving in the next couple of months so I'm on the prowl for the perfect place.  The apartment I was given a tour of is in a part of Bellingham's downtown that is on the verge of gentrification.  The apartment building is on top of a stationary store and a pita place, kitty corner to a Starbucks and across the street from all kinds of interesting shops and restaurants.  Unfortunately it's also next to an adult video store.  I might have been willing to overlook the whole adult video store situation if the apartment itself had been spectacular, unfortunately it was not.  It was a bit of disaster.  Super small.  In fact the bedroom seemed too small for even a bed.  The current tenant apparently sleeps on the futon in the living room.  So I'm still on the lookout for a new place.  I have my eye on a certain new apartment building, but at the moment there are no units available.  The apartments in this particular building are all lofts and my favorite shoe store (Left Right Left) is located on the street level.  Although such easy access to a shoe store may not be a good thing.  [more updates on the apartment search to come soon]

Everybody! Everybody!

I worked from 7:30am to 12:30pm on Saturday.  One of my coworkers pissed me off so much that I refused to speak to *her* for a few hours.  There was something I was upset about that another coworker had done and I made the mistake of discussing the situation with *her* and she responded with "is it really that big of a deal?".  And obviously it was to me.  So how dare she respond that way.  I left work at 12:30pm because I had made plans the day before to meet my friend A**** for lunch.  So I get off work and check my messages and she has called to say that she will be catching a later ferry (she lives on the island) and can't meet me till 1:30pm.  I was of course annoyed because I could have worked an hour longer but left work at 12:30pm to accommodate HER schedule.  So then we meet for lunch in Fairhaven and decide to go to Mannino's (an Italian restaurant).  She just had a Birthday a few days before so I gave her a present and we spent some time catching up.  We haven't really hung out in a while.  The highlights of the meal was the Mint Julep and the calamari with aioli.  So then we finally discussed our Europe trip which we have been planning to take for about a year now.  We were going to take the trip last September.  Then pushed it to the spring.  Then changed the date again and had finally decided that we would go this September.  The plan was that her family would be spending a month in Poland visiting their family and then we would meet and spend a few weeks in England and France.  But her family ended up canceling their trip because their grandmother is really sick.  Now due to the fact that her family wont be paying for her plane ticket to Europe she has decided that she doesn't want to go to Europe at all.  Instead she's decided to go to South America for SIX months!  Now I knew that she was planning a trip to South America but she had decided on that trip way after we had planned our trip to Europe.  So now she bails on me a few months before we're set to go.  More than anything I think I was annoyed that she didn't even seem apologetic about canceling.  She is a notoriously flaky person so it really shouldn't have been any big surprise that she'd end up canceling.  So after I expressed my annoyance with her we managed to carry on with our lunch and move on from the subject.  But I just can't deal with people not following through with their commitments.  It's so exasperating.  So now I'm either going to find someone else to go with (Kasia are you up for it?) or else just postpone the trip for a year and go for a month with my Mom.  After lunch we walked over to Village Books and they were having this little outdoor antique sale in the courtyard out behind the book store.  A**** found a sweet little pastel bedspread for $20.  And I purchased a vintage Pollyanna book for $10.  Then we looked around Village Books for a while.  They were having a big 25th anniversary sale.  So everything was 25% off.  I bought all kinds of books I didn't need but really really wanted.  I purchased Happy Kitty Bunny Pony : A Saccharine Mouthful of Super Cute (which is not only filled with the cutest collection of colorful animals but it is also accompanied by the most hilarious commentary), Nasty : My Family and Other Glamorous Varmints, The Swell Dressed Party, and The Art of the Steal.  After A**** left the bookstore I called my Mom and had her meet me at the upstairs cafe to vent my frustration and split a dessert with me.  So after coffee and raspberry crisp we discussed the situation.  She made me feel a tab bit better.  After the bookstore we headed over to Target.  There I purchased the cutest pink laptop bag which I had been coveting for a while and I finally bought the final season of Sex and the City.  Because really if anything could make my day a bit better it's a Sex and the City marathon.

Trapper Keeper

Happy 2nd day of summer.  We've had rainy stormy weather for the past two days and I'm so over it.  I want sunshine and lots of it. 

 

There's all sorts of oddly interesting people that I've encountered since I started working at the graphic design company.  There's one girl whose boyfriend brings her a cup of Starbucks coffee every single day.  And I'm not joking.  The building we work in is locked and you need a key in order to enter it.  So EVERYday he buzzes the door and the front desk lets him in just so he can hand deliver a cup of coffee to his girlfriend.  And although I witness it everyday I still can't get over the fact that he does this.  It's so odd.  It would be one thing if he came to eat lunch with her or something but just to drop off a cup of coffee and then leave a second later seems so strange to me.  Maybe I'm just jealous.  But I don't think so.  There's also another girl whose story I find to be very intriguing.  She works 8 hour days at a health center and the graphic design company is her second job.  So she puts in THIRTEEN HOURS a day!  Then she works 10 hours on Saturdays!  Talk about workaholic.  Then she told me that she is married but that her husband is still living in India.  It turns out she met him about a week before they got married!  Apparently her family all flew over to India from Bellingham just so that she could be married.  And in a few months her husband will join her here.  This just boggles my mind.  She seems totally smitten with him despite not having known him for more than a week prior to marrying him.  She told me that they talk on the phone everyday and she says she really loves him.  And I believe her.  But it's still very hard for me to comprehend.

 

So to celebrate the first day of summer I decided I just have to purchase the book Happy Kitty Bunny Pony : A Saccharine Mouthful of Super Cute.  "What is it about fluffy bunnies with bows, baby ducks splashing in puddles, kittens snuggled in baskets, and little lambs on their way to school? Happy Kitty Bunny Pony celebrates America's "cult of the cute" in all its campy, kitschy, ironic glory."  This is right up my alley.  And I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of it. 

 

Oh and if anyone hasn't yet visited HomeStarRunner.  Go do so now.  It's hysterical. 

Hip hip

So for my Birthday, on Thursday, we went to dinner at a new tapas restaurant in Fairhaven called Flats.  The food was delicious and of great variety.  But I really must say my favorite part was the cappuccino at the end of the meal and then the pistachio gelato.

We also went to see the movie Melinda and Melinda. It was superb.  Everyone thought so.  It's one of those movies where everyone claps at the end.  Woody Allen at his finest.  And the funny thing was that the discussion between the playwrights that takes place at the beginning of the movie and throughout occurs at Pastis, the restaurant in NYC that Alina and I ate at in November.  The staff there was so intolerable that we felt compelled to leave a nasty note.

Stop. Fast-Forward. Pause. Rewind.

Last Sunday and Monday was spent in Seattle.  Our first stop was Cupcake Royale in Ballard.  Finally I've discovered a place that specializes in ONLY cupcakes and cupcake accessories.  This was my first time at this establishment and I was not disappointed.  Although I did feel a bit rushed to make my decision as to which flavor cupcakes I wanted.  We decided to buy six so that we could try a variety of flavors.  The two I liked best were "Peppermint Party" and "Dance Party with Holly Hobbie".  Plus I just had to buy some of their pins with statements like "legalize frostitution".  I also purchased a T-shirt AND about 10 cupcake toppers.  Now if only I can find a place in Bellingham that makes cupcakes (and I'm not talking about the grocery store variety). 

   

Next we hit Fremont.  Since it was Mother's Day the shops were filled with a gaggle of children.  Children are all well and good but they aren't enjoyed when they're crowding the shops I only get to visit a few times a month. 

   

Next we went to the Henry Art Gallery at the University of Washington.  The exhibits were so so this time.  In the gallery gift shop I spotted Loretta Lux's book of photographs which I just had to have. 

   

After the gallery we went to University Village and had lunch at the newly opened Blue C Sushi.  It's good to see that University Village is diversifying their previously limited dining options.  Blue C Sushi is one of those restaurants where the sushi travels around on a conveyor belt and you simply take a plate of whatever looks appealing.  This concept is apparently known as "kaiten sushi".  We went there with the intention of having a "light lunch" since we had dinner reservations later that evening.  But seeing the sushi meander past you it's so hard to restrain yourself from trying a variety of items.  The quality of the food was excellent.  After living in Berkeley, where even the cheap neighborhood sushi restaurants are sensational, I wasn't prepared to be too impressed.  But the quality was outstanding.  After shopping around University Village we headed downtown.    

 

Unfortunately to my chagrin my favorite shop, Great Jones Home, was closed.  I always seem to forget that Sunday is the one day a week they're not open.   

   

Next we went to Pacific Place and looked around a bit. 

   

Then we went to Tom Douglas's Palace Kitchen for dinner. 

I had the best hamburger ever that night.  It was topped with blue cheese.  Even the french fries were sensational.  I'm reluctant to say this but I think it might have even been better than the hamburger I had a few summers ago with D. at Father's Office in Santa Monica. 

   

After dinner we went to see The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy at Cinerama .  I love the name of that theater!  Apparently the theater was set to close but was saved by Paul Allen in 1999.  Doesn't Paul Allen seem to finance everything in Seattle?  It's one of the few theaters that boast one large screen.  It was opened in 1952.  The movie was smashing.  I'm always confident a movie will stay true to the original story when the author is selected to write the screen play.  My favorite part of the movie was the singing dolphins in the beginning.  That song was stuck in my head for the night.

   

Then we spent the night at a hotel on Lake Union.   

   

On Monday morning for breakfast we went to a place I'd heard about called Top Pot Doughnuts.  The donuts were beyond belief.  I ordered a cake donut topped with pink frosting and coconut.  Their donuts are enormous.  Go see for yourself. 

   

After breakfast we went to Great Jones Home, which was thankfully open.  I adore the shop owner.  She's one of those people who makes a point of getting to know her clientele by name.  And she has the sweetest little dog that wanders around the store.  I didn't find much of anything to buy on this visit though.  Usually I have to restrain myself because there's so much I covet.   

   

We stopped off at a few more places then headed home.  Spending a few days in Seattle is so much better than just going down for the day.  And I can't get enough of three day weekends. 

Select, don't settle

Here's proof that spring has arrived in Bellingham.   

 

So they're casting for Project Runway season two.  I can't wait for that show to come back.  Bravo is where it's at.

 

For the past few weeks I've spent most of my non working hours reading, and "crafting".  I sewed another felt cake. This one is chocolate with white frosting.  And I discovered my

current favorite craft project, marble magnets.  I found the directions at Not Martha.  They're super easy to make and so cute.

Ignorance is bliss

So I found this article about chefs and their tattoos from The New York Times and thought it was worth sharing.  The first photograph shows a picture of Alice Waters (of ChezPanisse ) which a chef had tattooed on his arm.  I suppose I should explain something about myself, I hold chefs in really high regard.  Chefs are like rock stars in my mind.  I love browsing through cook books, my current favorite being anything by Donna Hay.  I devour cooking memoirs.  I read MFK Fisher.  I adore Ruth Reichl, editor of Gourmet magazine and ex restaurant critic at the New York Times.  When Anthony Bourdain (of the book Kitchen Confidential) came to Bellingham to read from his book A Cook's Tour, I was so there.  I am a huge fan of the Food Network .  I even dragged my friend Alina to the Chelsea Market because that is where the Food Network is located.  I become obsessed with certain restaurants.  Last year it was Chez Panisse.  This year it's Thomas Keller's The French Laundry.  I even visited The Culinary Institute of America's California campus.  I cannot get enough of people who cook and the food they produce.  But having shared all that I feel the need to also let you know that I myself abhor cooking.  I refuse to do it.  The most I can manage successfully is to bake a few cookies.  So to sums things up I don't cook but I can't get enough of people who do.  Now go check out the tattoos of people so passionate about their craft that they show their devotion through their ink - The New York Times Chef d'Oeuvres. 

Head over heels

Happy Easter!

So here’s a picture of my Easter Basket. It’s filled with a “Lost In Translation” DVD and "The Life Aquatic” CD along with various Easter candy (my favorite being Cadbury mini eggs). It's a Bill Murray themed Easter.  This afternoon my family went out for Easter brunch. I’ll spare you the details. But only the Mimosas made the whole experience tolerable (I adore champagne before noon). Oh and I tried Peeps for the first time ever today. They’re so vile! I apologize to all of you Peeps fans out there, but I just can’t get past their artificial flavor. But maybe that’s the whole point. They’re so vile that people just can’t help but start a fan club for them.

At one time I thought of myself as a fairly crafty person. Then I discovered websites like craftster.org and getcrafty and various crafty blogs like oh happy day! and One Good Bumblebee and Loobylu and it was then that I realized that I’m only a novice crafter. Since moving back to Bellingham I haven’t been in much of a crafty mood. In Berkeley I was in a knitting phase. Then I got into a crepe paper flowers. Then transitioned into beaded flowers. I even took up calligraphy. Then discovered the new hipster craft - embroidery. I managed to complete a lot of projects while working 50 hours AND taking a Spanish class. But since being in Bellingham I haven’t found any new projects that warranted my excitement. Until now. I’ve discovered felt cakes! Yes I said felt. a_o_i came up with the idea for them and posted instructions. So yesterday I completed my first one. Take a look. Isn’t it divine? Next I’m going to make a chocolate cake with white icing.

Ampersand after ampersand

I finally received my Belle and Sebastian calendar.  It is absolutely fabulous although a bit bent.  But due to the fact that it was sent all the way from Scotland I'll overlook the slight imperfections. 

So in honor of the Academy Awards tonight I'd like to discuss one of the nominees, Hilary Swank.  I simply abhor her.   She's from Bellingham so I feel I have the right to have an opinion about her.  She went to the same High School as several of my friends.  She was involved in the drama department there.  Although the drama teacher claims she was "nothing special".  She lived in a trailer park and left school before graduating.  Can you be any more of a cliche?  If she wins the Academy Award again this will be the SECOND time she has taken the award away from Annette Bening.  AB was sublime in Being Julia.   A person who played Steve's girlfriend on 90210 does not deserve to win the Academy Award twice.  It's just not right.

Nice day for a sulk

The highlight of my day was putting clean sheets on my bed.  There's something so fabulous about sheets that are still warm from the dryer.  I saw Rachel today.  And felt just horrible for not calling her.  She asked if I was still living in Bellingham and I actually toyed with the idea of saying "no".  Just because I felt so awful about not calling.