Once you've started keeping a yearly top 15 list of your favorite albums, it's impossible to stop. I haven't been a proper music critic since 1999 and yet I dutifully compile a top 15 every year, and will probably do so until the end of the music industry itself – which, by my estimates, should happen any minute now. When society falls down, the ice caps melt and bands no longer release "albums" purchasable in "record stores," I imagine I'll adapt with the times: a list of the top 15 downloadable album-like units in a given year, or perhaps a list of the top 15 most interesting lists from preceding years.
By Geoff Carter | December 18, 2006
The key to giving good host/hostess gifts, according to hospitality experts, is purchasing something slightly novel – a luxury your gift recipient wouldn't likely buy for themselves. When it comes to deliciously scented soaps, candles and lotions, Fremont's Essenza has you covered. Check out its ample supply of L'artisan candles, 1.2 ounces for $16 each, in flavors as varied as wild blackberry and fig tree. A dainty package of black and white Maria Evora soap is another great option, particularly the $12 set of eight soaps in alternating scents of carob/sea salt and beach rose. Cote Bastide body cream is also a delicious gift idea, available for $20 in amber, fig and rose.
By Sarah Jio | December 12, 2006
Q: We are looking to buy a really nice 7-foot artificial tree this year. I have searched and searched but am not finding shops here in Seattle. We prefer to see it and thus do not want to order online unless we have to. Do you know of any great stores?
By Kathy Schultz | December 7, 2006
Say, here's an idea: Why not give a present that has to be experienced? Seattle is nothing if not an active town, and its residents love to go out and enjoy its natural and man-made attractions. They love spa days, live theater and interacting with nature. Why not give holiday gifts that enable your fellow Seattleites to do what they do best?
By Geoff Carter | November 9, 2006
On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me a Holga from OKOK Gallery. The Holga, a cheap plastic camera that shoots medium-format film, is not a precision instrument; you could shoot the same photo with a hundred different Holgas and not get any two shots that resemble one another.
By Geoff Carter | November 9, 2006
If you are thinking about hosting your own craft show, either alone or with a few other craftanistas, take a few tips from those who came before you.
By Jennifer Warnick | November 9, 2006
It’s that time of year when skies turn grey, fingers turn crafty and thoughts turn toward holiday shopping. Seattle is home to scores of designers, artists and crafters, and this is never more evident than during the holidays, as craft shows large and small pop up all over town.
By Jennifer Warnick | November 9, 2006
The event promises to be a fun and chic evening. It not only includes shopping for baubles and fabulous adornments, but champagne, a DJ, jewelry raffles and gift bags.
By Kathy Schultz | November 8, 2006