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...
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If you want to eat breakfast at Portage Bay Cafe on a weekend, get there early. If you arrive much later than 9:00 am you will be forced to stand in a long yet narrow entryway, crammed shoulder-to-shoulder with strangers for forty minutes while you wait for a table. This holding pattern can become incredibly awkward when people need...
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During my most recent visit to Joe Bar a man brought his new puppy, a chocolate brown Portuguese water dog named Moses, into the shop with him to get a coffee. Moses was in full throttle cuteness mode, bounding from table to table, tugging at shoelaces and licking the hands of charmed customers (myself included) who couldn’t...
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When I was a little girl, I used to dream of having my birthday party inside Toys “R” Us. I would invite my best girlfriends and we would spend the night putting on Barbie Doll fashion shows and racing the aisles on pogo sticks and roller skates. Now that I am a grownup girl, I dream of hosting a dinner party inside...
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I took my first sip of the house-made French Hot Chocolate on a Friday afternoon. Spring sun spilled through the many windows of Oh! Chocolate’s Madison Park storefront as I lifted the ceramic demitasse mug to my lips allowing the silky beverage to roll onto my tongue. “Oh my!” were the only words I could use to...
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One of the best parts about being a travel writer is that I get to experience things that fall outside of my usual activities. I could be the poster child for the saying, “creature of habit.” I have eaten the same breakfast nearly every morning for five years (onion, red pepper, garlic, and steamed broccoli scrambled...
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Right off First Avenue, mere steps from bustling Pike Place Market, lies a little boutique hotel whose guest rooms locals often mistake for condominiums. It’s easy to see why. With just a few small signs and an elegant yet modest lobby tucked past a small courtyard, away from the main road, there is not a single item that...
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A couple years ago a girlfriend of mine shared with me one of her favorite pastimes. She said, “Do you want to know what I love to do? I love to eat an early dinner at that Italian restaurant in University Village. You know that one on the corner right across from the Gap?” “Piatti?” I...
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Do you know the best place to be seen? Where the best coffee, afternoon tea and after work drink? Do you know the best boutiques and where the best fitting rooms are? Where the best linens are and the best home decor? The best place to dish with girlfriends and where the best place to relax on your own is? Do you know which hotels to stay at and where to dine? The best day trip, spa and getaway? Do you know the best splurge and the best bargain? Do you know the best places in your city?
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