Women will go to great lengths for a good pedicure. I recently heard a report on NPR about a spa in Virginia that has tanks filled with small carp that nibble away at the dead skin on the feet of their customers. Ewwwwww! It may be effective, but I know there are more pleasant ways to exfoliate. My favorite method is a nice, sweet-smelling sugar scrub, and my newest discovery is Sweet Nina's Revive sugar body polish with invigorating essential oils of ginger and grapefruit.
By Alison Brownrigg | August 21, 2008
This is a great time of year for pies. Berries are plump, juicy and ready for picking. And pies are the perfect picnic food, since they can be eaten right out of the tin they're baked in -- no need for plates! But if you're baking-challenged like me, leave it to professionals such as chef Jenny Christensen to provide the pie. Christensen runs Pies by Jenny, a stall at the University District Farmers Market. Since last December, her pies have been selling like hotcakes.
By Alison Brownrigg | August 25, 2008
If your taste in clothing tends toward champagne, but you're budgeted for beer, Driftwood in Madrona might be just the solution for your fashion woes. Open since the end of July, Driftwood is a consignment store par excellence.
By Alison Brownrigg | August 27, 2008
Precocious Toys in Madrona perfectly captures the giddiness of youth with its vast selection of toys for kids of all ages. Open since last October, the shop inhabits a colorful light-filled space on the south end of 34th Avenue, the neighborhood's main shopping street.
By Alison Brownrigg | August 29, 2008
Buying a couch seems like a simple thing, but it's really not. At least, it's not for me. I'm slightly commitment-phobic when it comes to choosing a couch. It's the focal point of the room, and it's got to be comfortable and cool at the same time. That's a lot of pressure. Most of the modern styles that I like are usually way outside my price range. Or so I thought until I stumbled upon Couch, a shop in Fremont that will custom make more than 200 models of couches at affordable prices.
By Alison Brownrigg | September 3, 2008
It's not hard to become enamored by the European lifestyle. There's something so charming about the laid-back pace, the high standard of living and the way centuries-old traditions are still a part of everyday life. Europe charmed Leslie Conti when she spent her junior year of college in Strasbourg, France and worked at a ski resort in Switzerland. A career in the insurance industry and three grown kids later, Conti has embarked on a quest to bring everything she loved about Europe to her new Fremont store, Eurostyle Your Life.
By Alison Brownrigg | August 2, 2008
The second annual Fall Fashion Affair takes place on Thursday, Sept. 4 from 7 to 10 p.m. at participating stores in West Seattle Junction. Enjoy an evening of shopping and champagne (two of my favorite things), courtesy of Edie's, Carmilia's, Clementine, Sweetie and West 5. I attended this event last year and had a ton of fun.
By Alison Brownrigg | September 4, 2008
I've got my favorite mascara and my signature scent, but I'm always looking for easy-to-wear lip color that adds just the perfect amount of color to revive my tired and often frazzled visage. Fortunately, I was recently turned on to glossLuxe, a new line of lip gloss formulated by local makeup artist Suresh, who spent three years developing his collection, which debuted just this week.
By Alison Brownrigg | September 5, 2008
Though it hasn't officially ended, the passing of Labor Day seems to have heralded the end of summer. It's time to put away your sundresses, flip-flops and tank tops and see what holes need filling in your fall wardrobe.
By Alison Brownrigg | September 8, 2008
Cowboy boots give me a special kind of sass. I slip on a pair and all of a sudden I'm transformed into a classic country queen, a la Patsy Cline. Wear 'em with the right outfit, and I turn feisty-yet-lovelorn like Tammy Wynette. They make me want to kick up my heels, dance the night away and ride off into the sunset. I recently visited two stores in Seattle that sell cowboy boots, Insurrection in Greenwood and Horseshoe in Fremont. While the stores attract a different type of cowboy-boot wearer, they both exhibit a reverence and love of this uniquely American footwear.
By Alison Brownrigg | September 9, 2008
