Category Archives: General

Random musings…

August 20, 2011 · 8:09 pm

20th Annual Seattle Hemp Fest

Today I enjoyed a relaxing day with hubby. We started off with brunch at Julia’s, a Wallingford restaurant. Then we went to the 20th Annual Seattle Hempfest. What started in 1991 as a peaceful protest against the government’s prohibition of marijuana has grown into the largest pro-cannabis festival in the world, with over 300,000 people expected over the weekend.

I was lured in by a free copy of Dope magazine

The sliver of a park, Myrtle Edwards, runs along Seattle’s waterfront beginning at Broad Street by the Olympic Sculpture Park. Tons of revelers listened to music and speakers (including doctors, lawyers and politicians). They danced, shopped and ate. They sun bathed, and rested in the shade. And yes, they got high (well some of them).

Top: Radish Underground
Skirt: Synapse 206
Shoes: Aerosoles
Earrings: DIY
Bag: Nine West via thrifted
Sunglasses: Target

But there’s more to Hempfest than getting high. The hemposiums aim to educate the public about the many benefits of cannabis, including the medicinal, industrial, agricultural, economic and environmental.

I want to see hemp used more as a fabric, food, and fuel. We wouldn’t be fighting for oil if our cars ran on hemp (totally possible). We could grow crops for fabric without the need for pesticides (unlike cotton). We’d have a renewable source of paper. Cannabis is a weed, after all, and grows like one, despite harsh conditions, poor soil, and limited water.

Tax the sale of marijuana (to responsible adults) and use the revenue to fund education. Legalize cannabis and dry up the main revenue stream for drug cartels. I know my arguments aren’t watertight, but I see a lot of benefits to legalizing marijuana.

Phew! To thank you for reading my soapbox rant, I present to you, a hippy school bus:

1 Comment

Filed under Fashion, General

Tagged as cannabis, fashion, hempfest, painted bus, Seattle, style

August 8, 2011 · 1:27 am

The Lucy 100th Birthday Parade

It might seem like my parents have hijacked this blog. That’s not the case; they’ve simply had a more eventful weekend than I had. Part of the 100th Birthday celebration for Lucille Ball included a parade. My Mom sent pictures.

People came from everywhere.

From Sudbury, Ontario…

And Edinburg, Texas.

They came from Sherbrooke, Quebec…

From Portland, Oregon…

And Concord, California.

Even Lucy was watching.

There were countless Lucy impersonators.

But here’s the official one.

Lucy was a style icon. The 100th birthday celebration also included a lookalike contest. Lucy’s red hair and red lipstick could be seen 900 times over. Interestingly, the majority of contestants who dressed up as Lucy wore a blue and white polka-dotted dress. That outfit is as iconic as Dorothy’s blue and white gingham dress or Marilyn’s white halter dress. Such style!

We Still Love Lucy

Today would have been Lucille Ball’s 100th birthday. She died close to a quarter century ago, but in her 77 years, she changed the face of television.

Lucille Ball is most well-known for the character she played on I Love Lucy and The Lucy Show. But she did more than star in those shows; she had one of the longest-running careers in Hollywood. She was a model, a radio actress, and a movie star (of over 40 films, mostly B movies) before becoming a TV and movie producer and the star of her own shows.

When Ball helped develop I Love Lucy, she brought her then-husband, Desi Arnaz, onboard. The two formed Desilu Productions, which made Ball the first woman in television to be head of a production company.

Desilu pioneered a number of television production methods still in use today. For example, they filmed I Love Lucy before a live studio audience with a three-camera setup, and used distinct sets next to each other. They shot on film, not kinescopes, meaning the quality of their show was never degraded. That’s part of the reason why it’s still in syndication today (well that and its astounding, universal appeal). Fortunately, Desilu negotiated to retain the rights to the film footage of I Love Lucy, meaning that after its initial broadcast, CBS no longer owned the show. As a result, Desilu made millions of dollars on rebroadcasts.

Desilu produced several other shows too. Lucille Ball, with her years of experience in Hollywood, knew how to pick a show that audiences would love. Desilu produced The Untouchables, Star Trek, Mission: Impossible, The Dick Van Dyke Show, and The Andy Griffith Show, and the first seven seasons of My Three Sons.

Lucille Ball was a pioneer in other ways too. She married a man six years her junior—and an interracial marriage at that. At a time when women married young and had kids young, Ball was almost forty when she had her first child.

Ball and Arnaz wrote the pregnancy into the show. It’s hard to believe now, but at that time there weren’t any pregnant TV characters. At first, CBS refused to show a pregnant woman on television. They finally allowed the pregnancy storyline, but banned the word pregnant. The approved term was expecting.

Lucille Ball is known as a funny woman, but she was also beautiful, smart, and talented. She was an excellent businesswoman and influenced the path of the women in the film industry. This weekend, in her birthplace of Jamestown, NY, Lucille Ball’s 100th birthday is in full swing. My parents are there celebrating. In fact, the pictures in this post are courtesy of them. They’re all taken in Jamestown—except this last one, which I found yesterday in Everett, WA. Proof that all over the country—and the world—people still love Lucy.

7 Comments

Filed under Feminism, General

Tagged as Desilu, feminism, film, I Love Lucy, Jamestown, Lucille Ball, style, television

August 5, 2011 · 6:17 am

Dining at The Pink Door

I love restaurants with atmosphere. The Pink Door in downtown Seattle has it. If you’re in the Pike place Market area and want to relax and people watch, make a reservation for dinner.

The restaurant is tucked away in Post Alley. The door is a much paler pink that you’d expect from a place that named itself after the door. When you walk in, you’ll descend a flight of stairs as you overlook the dimly lit restaurant. In the second half of the space, you’ll see a door to a patio with great views of Puget Sound. The bar and a stage also occupy the back half of the restaurant. So be sure to sit up close if you want to catch the cabaret show or a jazz band.

I visited The Pink Door recently with friends. There’s something for everyone. The food is Italian-American. I had champagne and a delicious veggie pasta dish tossed with olive oil and pine nuts, but carnivores will love the meaty menu items. The desserts are decadent too.

It’s not a quiet place; it’s hopping, and relatively loud (the live Jazz was a welcome source of noise though). It’s a romantic as you want it to be, but if you’re not on a date, you won’t feel out of place.

Duck, Duck, Horse: Visiting the Ford Mustang Show

Last weekend I wandered through the 31st Annual Mustang Roundup and All-Ford Picnic hosted by Mustangs Northwest. All the rain in the world can’t stop American Muscle. In addition to Mustangs, I saw Mavericks, Rancheros, and even a few Panteras. Such great style!

I used the day to road test my new Lucky Duck t-shirt. I designed the logo for Lucky’s blog and Shannon worked with Cafepress to add the image onto shirts. She generously gave me one. Thanks Shannon!

T-shirt: Lucky Duck via Cafepress
Pants: Dickies
Shoes: Champion

Speaking of logos, Ford has a lot of great designs. Many of the participants at the show customized their cars and originality abounded. I think the rain (and raindrops add to the shots).

3 Comments

Filed under General

Tagged as car show, lucky duck, mustang, orange pants, style

July 9, 2011 · 7:20 pm

Remembering Betty Ford

I learned today of the passing of former First Lady, Betty Ford. Sometimes it’s not until death that someone’s contributions are apparent. To me, Betty Ford was synonymous with the rehab treatment center that bore her name. I didn’t realize all the other ways in which she was influential.

As a young woman, Ford, born Elizabeth Ann Bloomer, worked as a model, dance teacher, and fashion coordinator at a department store. The style and grace that landed her those positions was evident throughout her entire life in photos and interviews I’ve seen. But beyond the polished exterior, was an honest, genuine, and open woman.

She divorced her abusive, alcoholic first husband after five years’ of marriage. That step alone was a brave action—expecially for the mid-20th century. She married Gerald Ford, shortly after he entered his first term as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

She entered the White House as First Lady in 1974, as a stay-at-home mother of four children, but she quickly shattered perceptions of what a stay-at-home mom should be.

Shortly after becoming First Lady, Ford announced to the world that she was battling breast cancer. Her announcement was a huge win for women’s health. It seems strange today, with all our pink ribbon campaigns and events, but in the early 70s, breast cancer wasn’t talked about publicly. As a result of Ford’s candor, many more women began getting mammograms, funding for breast cancer research gained momentum, and the disease lost its taboo.

Betty Ford was also a feminist and supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment. She was an activist in the women’s rights movement, and spoke out on controversial topics—from equal pay to abortion. She didn’t let her husband’s high-profile job silence her.

At a time when substance abuse carried a stigma, Ford shared her own struggles with alcohol and prescription painkillers. In doing so, she affected millions of people and helped change the way we view addiction.

Although she never ran for office, she had a high approval rating and lobbied for the Supreme Court to have a woman on it. When her husband lost the presidential election in 1976, she gave his concession speech. They were very much equals and partners. Gerald ford once said, “I am indebted to no man and to only one woman, my dear wife.”

From humble beginnings, to a position of national power and influence, Betty Ford never lost her sense of who she was. She wanted to make the world better, and she did. Throughout her life, Betty Ford was active in women’s rights and continued a public life with speaking engagements and as an advocate for the arts. Although she had struggles (addiction, cancer), she lived the life she wanted, spoke her mind, and contributed to social change. She was married to the love of her life for 58 years. She was 93. Her’s is a life worth celebrating.

As a woman who started with humble beginnings and rose to become such a high-profile figure, I think Betty Ford fits this month’s Feminist Fashion Bloggers‘ theme: Fashion, Feminism, and Social Class. Have a look at what the others are writing about.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_ford

NBC Evening News, July 9, 2011

ABC News Online “Former First Lady Betty Ford Dead at 93” by Christiane Amanpour

5 Comments

Filed under Feminism, General

Tagged as addiction, alcoholism, Betty Ford, breast cancer, feminism, style

June 27, 2011 · 10:56 am

Stylish Blogger Award

I was recently awarded the Stylish Blogger Award from Patti at Learn More Everyday. Patti writes an inspiring blog, full of joy and reflection. She loves nature and the beauty around her. I appreciate the nomination and recommend her blog.

In turn, I’m paying it forward. I plan to meet the rules by recommending 15 bloggers for the award. It’s a great way to share blogs with readers and be part of a community.

The Adventures of Lucky Duck is a bird’s-eye view of travel, technology, fashion, and more. The brains behind the bird, writes this tongue-in-beak lifestyle blog in a way that will make you laugh—and also show you a thing or two.

The Sustainable Fashionista shows how to make ethical fashion choices and still have fun with your wardrobe. She chronicles her ethical finds and the challenges of finding ethical pieces.

And finally—and I know I’m taking the easy way out—I’d like to point you to the Seattle Style Bloggers page, courtesy of Lindsay Living. Here, you’ll find over 20 Seattle-area bloggers (including Lindsay) who are smart, funny and stylish—despite living in a rain-soaked corner of the country.

Here are seven stylish secrets about me that most people don’t know:

When I was young, say 5 or 6, I used to name my clothing after songs.
I’m a lefty, but I play right-handed guitar (not well, mind you).
In 7th grade I was a member of the Fashion Club.
In middle school, I enjoyed shop class more than home economics.
I dropped out of high school, completed my final year via correspondence, and went to university on time, with my peers.
I once had hair extensions; they drove me crazy. I lasted 6 weeks.
I have a wedding ring tattooed on my left ring finger.

3 Comments

Filed under Fashion, General

Tagged as award, fashion, style, stylish blogger award

June 19, 2011 · 4:56 am

It’s Father’s Day!

Yesterday was Sushi Day and today is Father’s Day. It’s been quite a weekend! And I haven’t even published the post about the Seattle Fashion Bloggers meetup yet. First things first. In lieu of a card (although there is a parcel in the mail), I thought I’d write a little something about my dad.

Yes, that’s me with my dad a long time ago. We had a lot in common. Firstly, we both liked vests. Dive a little deeper, and you’d learn that I developed a love of animals from my dad. I learned a lot about photography too. In fact, the very first picture I ever took was of my dad (using his SLR). Here’s that shot. I was 7. He must have been 31.

My dad and I also share a love of cars, specifically vintage German vehicles, like the 60s era Porsche 911. In a pinch, a Mercedes SLS will do the job.

When I got married, my dad was there to approve of the event, contribute to it, and enjoy the celebration on the beach in California. He’s great friends with my husband, which is a relief to me.

So, while my dad and I live miles and miles apart, we share a lot of commonalities. That keeps me thinking about my dad. Every time I use my camera, help out a little animal, or admire nice cars, he’s on my mind.

Happy Father’s Day, Dad!

2 Comments

Filed under General

Tagged as dad, father's day, Mercedes SLS

June 18, 2011 · 2:18 pm

Sushi Day

Today is Sushi Day. I didn’t make that up, but since sushi is one of my favorite foods, I’d thought I ‘d join in the celebration.

As as vegan, you might wonder what the heck I eat at a sushi place. Well, a lot! My absolute favorite is the simple, yet delicious avocado roll. Kapa maki, cucumber rolls, are a nice crunchy treat too. A lot of Japanese restaurants will have some sort of veggie roll, usually carrots, asparagus, beets, or some other yummy combination wrapped in rice and nori. Nori is a type of seaweed and is high in protein, fiber, iodine, carotene, vitamins A, B and C, E, K, and calcium and iron. Screw you milk and organ meats! I’ve got nori!

I like agedashi tofu and edamame too. Edamame is boiled soy beans in the pod, lightly salted. Pop them out of their casing and enjoy. It’s really easy to make at home too. Trader Joe’s and other markets sell them frozen and ready to cook. They take just a few minutes to make. Tempura veggies are delicious too. Sometimes the batter contains eggs, so ask if you’re concerned about that. Seaweed salad, Yakisoba noodles (stir fried with veggie, not meat), and miso soup are also great choices.

I recently discovered the ninja roll at Bellevue’s Tuna House. It’s a spicy avocado roll with tempura on top. It’s becoming my new favorite. I also like eating at Hiroshi’s in Seattle’s Eastlake neighborhood. They have live Jazz on Fridays. The Seattle location of I Love Sushi is right on the waterfront and has a great view of Lake Union. Mashiko’s in West Seattle has a lot of vegan options, including all-veggie bento box meals. They also have a webcam so you can check out the bar in real-time.

The best part about Blue C Sushi is the conveyor belt. See it, take it, and eat it. The plates are color-coordinated to the price chart so you can keep track of your tab. Blue C also has mini Mighty O donuts. No, they’re not Japanese, but they are organic, vegan, and delicious. It’s a great little after-sushi dessert.

Don’t forget to order a nice hot sake with your meal. It’s a rice-base, alcoholic beverage. You can order it cold, but the hot version has a bit of kick. In the words of my dad, it’s potent!

Tattoo shopping: Black and Purple

Most of the year my tattoos are hidden by my clothing. Every now and then you might see part of one peeking out from my collar or sleeve. Summer is the best time to catch a glimpse of the work I’ve had done. I don’t “show off” my work, but it’s hard not to notice it in the summer. I got tattoos for me, not to get attention. I didn’t anticipate the attention and comments I’d receive. It’s all been positive, but I have to admit, it weirds me out.

I got a lot of my work done at Slave to the Needle in Seattle. All the artists there are really talented. The artist who did my work, Darcy Nutt, no longer lives in the area. She works at Chalice Tattoo in Boise, Idaho. If you want a tattoo and you live near Boise, go see her!

It’s time for another tattoo. I went to scout artists and locations with my friend, Amy. I have the design in my head but it’s not drawn yet, so no sneak peek. I have my appointment booked at Two Birds Tattoo. All I’ll show you today is what I wore to shop for a tattoo.

Cowl-neck top: Ross Dress for Less
Cardigan: Nordstrom
Pants: Gap
Belt: Target
Purse: Walmart
Shoes: Dansko via Goodwill

By the way, if you’re looking for a tattoo, here are a couple of tips:

Find an artist to draw something for you. Picking flash off the wall is quick, but it’s not going to be unique.
Make sure you’re comfortable with the artist and the shop. Cleanliness and artistic talent are both top priority.
Choose a design that is timeless and meaningful to you. This will be with you for a lifetime.

Update: I got the tattoo. You can read the full post here.