Girls Guide to City Life: Seattle » Relaxin’

Open Books

Amanda Ford — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 01:49:07 +0000

I met Tennyson when I was in the third grade. Anne Shirley introduced us and ignited what has become my quiet affair with poetry. Upon hearing Anne recite Tennyson, I took myself straightaway to the library and told the librarian, “I’m looking for the poem from Anne of Green Gables.” She knew immediately: “The Lady of Shallot.”

I spent the next week memorizing the poem’s twenty stanzas. At age 8 I had never experienced the type of heartbreak described in the poem, but that did not matter. I recited those words over and over. I felt the Lady of Shallot’s loneliness. I knew her longing.

After Tennyson, I memorized Lewis Carroll’s “The Jabberwoky.” For years mimsy and Bandersnatch were my favorite words, although I never spoke them aloud for fear that my friends would think me weird for using made-up language.

I memorize poetry the way the devoutly religious memorize scripture. Emily Dickinson, Robert Herrick, Kenneth Rexroth, Sandra Cisneros, e.e. cummings, Rumi, Dorothy Parker, Shell Silverstein, Mary Oliver, Billy Collins, Naomi Shihab Nye…and these are just the ones coming to mind at this moment. There are so many whose words have sunk into my bones. The lines of these poets resurface from my subconscious like old friends: Unexpectedly and when I need them the most.

You can imagine, then, my delight upon discovering Open Books, a sweet store dedicated entirely to poetry. Tucked into the first floor of an old house on 45th, the store’s slim shelves are filled with poetry from the known to the obscure. The white walls are decorated with quotes like this one from Wallace Stevens, “One reads poetry with one’s nerves.” Oh yes! Glorious!

I bought two slim volumes on my recent visit. The first is entitled War by Klaus Rifbjerg, because it is the subject on all of our minds lately. The second is a small selection Tennyson’s poems. It has been nearly twenty years since I spent time with the Lady of Shallot, and I figured it’s about time we catch up.

Open Books
2414 N 45th ST
(206) 633-0811

Reflexology Foot Path at Bastyr University

Amanda Ford — Thu, 07 Sep 2006 04:26:23 +0000

September always catches me off guard with its hint of cool and sideways light. The ninth month arrives and I am jolted. It’s the same every year. “Wait!” I exclaim. “Where has summer gone? Time is moving too fast. Slow down! Slow down!” The problem is, if you are a naturally high, mile-a-minute, see it all, do it all, busybody, go-getter like myself, slowing down is a task as difficult as stopping a rolling 3,000-pound boulder from crashing down the side of a mountain.

Fortunately I have discovered just the thing to reduce my speed and help me soak up the final days of summer. It’s the Reflexology Foot Path located in the community gardens at Bastyr University. Built during the summer of 2004 by a group of volunteers, this winding path of Pacific Northwest river stones is meant to guide visitors on a “step-by-step journey toward wellness” using the ancient technique reflexology. The process is simple: shed your shoes and walk barefoot across the stony trail. As you walk, you will notice certain spots to be more tender than others. This tenderness may mean an imbalance in a particular part of your body. Grab a small printed guide at the beginning of the trail and you can learn where your sensitive reflex zones correspond (for me it is number 18 or my liver). Then massage the sore areas of your feet and walk the path again to release toxins.

I first tread upon the reflexology path on the first of this month and have gone back every day since. I have decided to make this my daily ritual for entire month. While the river stones are not as big as boulders, they are just as powerful at stopping me in my tracks, forcing me to savor the sweet moments of subtle, transitional September.

Reflexology Foot Path
Bastyr University
14500 Juanita Drive NE
(425) 823-1300

Holly James Salon and Spa, Kirkland

Amanda Ford — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 00:57:57 +0000

When I was in junior high I hired a beautician to apply my makeup for my school’s famous ninth grade spring dance. The beautician had recently moved to Seattle from Dallas and declared it her mission to beautify the women of the entire Pacific Northwest, one sweep of her mascara wand at a time. “Y’all are so grungy here,” she announced while applying foundation to my cheeks. “Before I moved here I never even heard of a woman going to dinner without lipstick on!” One hour and dozen makeup brushes later, she handed me a mirror. I gasped at my reflection and she smiled. “I worked some magic, didn’t I?”
That beautician had indeed worked magic, transforming me from a fresh-faced ingenue to a middle-aged mother of the bride. The makeup was too heavy, too loud, too big, too…Texan! I arrived home in tears and spent the afternoon in front of the bathroom mirror returning my face to normal. The moral? Only visit makeup artists whose faces you would enjoy having as your own.
If this lesson holds true for hair–which I’m sure it does–every woman wanting silky, vibrant, luminous, long locks should transport herself immediately to the Holly James Salon and Spa. All the salon’s employees, from owner Holly Bernstrom to the stylists to the esthetician to receptionist have the shiniest, healthiest hair I have ever seen. Is it magic? Is it something in the water? I don’t care. I’m taking a leap of faith that Holly will turn my dry, damaged tresses into flowing strands of gold.
The salon itself is casual and comfortable decorated with earth tones and dark wooden armoires. Tucked in back is a full-service spa. If you visit the salon don’t pass up on a pedicure from nail tech, Cassandra Bray. She gives a soothing pedicure that will rejuvenate the feet of even the hardest working Cinderella. With real life treatment this good, a girl can finally stop wishing for magic.
Holly James Salon and Spa
368 Parkplace
(425) 576-1650

Cafe Wannabee, University District

Amanda Ford — Thu, 26 Jan 2006 07:31:11 +0000

It would be easy for any woman to quickly develop a schoolgirl crush on Wally, proprietor of the University District’s latest and greatest new coffeehouse. In my first twenty-minute meeting with him, I learned that the man is dedicated (it took him a year and a half to get the cafe up and running as his fulltime construction gig only allowed him an hour or two at night to work on building his business), that he is creative (the whimsical, mosaic-inspired tabletops that fill the shop were all designed and created by him), that he is adventurous (he once risked life and limb jumping out of his car on the freeway to claim a five-foot long, rusty, antique saw that had fallen from somebody else’s truck), and finally, that he is playful (his blue eyes, although mostly full of kindness, sparkle with a bit of mischief).
Wally’s vibe permeates Cafe Wannabee. The mood is friendly; customers chat easily with Wally and with one another. Take this inviting atmosphere and pair it with the expansive floor-to-ceiling windows that make up the front of the cafe, and you’ve got a hangout where a girl could easily spend an afternoon. Wannabee has an eclectic collection of books with titles ranging from How to Be A Sex Goddess to The Joy of Signing to Japanese Cooking Class Cookbook. Don’t be startled if you find yourself greeted by a large, barking, Hungarian Sheep Dog. She only wants a little love. Give her a rub and she’ll quiet right down.
Ladies, take note: before you rush to see if Wannabee’s Wally will have your heart going pitter-patter, you must know that the man has a girlfriend. She’s the one who designed the adorable bee logo painted on the front window. (But wait! Now that I think about it, I realize that Wally said “a girlfriend” designed the logo. He said a girlfriend, not my girlfriend. This could mean an ex-girlfried or even a girl friend. Hmmm. We’d better investigate).
Cafe Wannabee
5049 Brooklyn AVE NE
(206) 523-6294

Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park

Amanda Ford — Mon, 23 Jan 2006 12:10:22 +0000

In 1989 Ray Oldenburg wrote a book entitled The Great Good Place in which he wrote that there are three essential places that all people must have in order to feel centered in life. The first is a home, the second is a school or workplace, and the third is a community space where a person can gather with others to meet, to laugh, to discuss, to banter, to unwind, to simply hang out and cultivate a sense of belonging.
It was this idea that inspired the name and concept of Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park–to be our city’s “third place.” And just look how beautifully the store has succeeded at its mission! Everyone is welcome here from kids playing, to seniors sipping mid-morning coffee, to students typing on glowing laptops. Friday and Saturday nights bring live music, while a variety authors read from their newly published works nearly every night of the week. Here you can join a book club, watch a movie, meet with a peace group, surf the net, play chess, sip a glass of a wine, eat dinner, and even get your picture taken in a an old-fashioned, black and white photo booth. Don’t forget to check out the thousands of new and used books on the shelves. Like a family room for the entire community, a trip to Third Place Books is truly a life-affirming experience.
Third Place Books
Lake Forest Park Towne Centre
17171 Bothell Way NE
(206) 366-3333

Revolutions, Greenlake

Amanda Ford — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 00:58:31 +0000

If you are a woman who gets utterly annoyed when a stranger calls you “sweetie,” you may want to avoid Revolutions as your morning latte provider. If, however, you are a woman who gets a thrill from a little unexpected sweet talk, Revolutions is your place. Here’s just a small sampling of the greetings I have received from the baristas upon approaching the counter: How you doing, Sugar? What’s going on today, Sweetheart? Hey Girl! Can I make you a drink, Baby?
Dreamt-up, designed, owned, and operated by three visionary (and might I add, quite adorable) brothers, this coffeehouse has a vibe all its own. For the men of Revolutions, coffee is an art and cool style seems to come as second nature. From the hint of flirtation in their welcoming greeting, to the grey cement floors and walls, to the changing display of paintings by local artists, to the mysterious woman who graces the shop’s logo, the space manages to be simultaneously sleek and comfortable while maintaining a playful, vibrant energy.
At Revolutions they bake their own pastries in a kitchen in the back. The muffins are not too sweet and are some of the best I have ever had. Most importantly of course, their coffee making skills are top notch which is a huge compliment coming from me, a woman whose drink (single, tall, non-fat, dry cappuccino) is often butchered by less talented baristas. The men at Revolutions have the finesse and patience to foam my milk perfectly. Thank heaven for this coffee revolution!
Revolutions
7012 Woodlawn AVE NE
(206) 527-1908