Category Archives: Travel

August 4, 2012 · 5:42 pm

Visiting the Twin Peaks Diner

Hubby and I recently visited Twede’s Café in North Bend, WA. It’s better known as the fictitious Double R Diner from Twin Peaks. Coincidentally, this weekend is the Twin Peaks Fest, so I thought writing about my experience was timely.

On the way out of Bellevue, the sun shone beautifully. I’d normally be happy about that but the setting wasn’t right. If I was going to Twin Peaks (aka North Bend), I needed moodiness. Luckily, as we ascended into the Cascade foothills, the clouds loomed ominously. Perfect! I turned on the Twin Peaks soundtrack and listened to Angelo Badalamenti’s compositions, Julee Cruise’s haunting vocals, and off we went.

north bend collage

We found the café, where in the TV series, Cooper and Dale often went for a “damn fine cup of coffee.” Of course I ordered coffee, black (which I later remembered I don’t like), and a slice of cherry pie (which I have to admit was pretty fine).

cherry pie

When I think of Twin Peaks, I think of lodges and owls and one-armed men. Clothing-wise, I thought my Bambi skirt from The Frock Shop was a good choice.

Bambi skirt

Top: H&M
Cardi: Old Navy
Skirt: Kimmi Designs
Shoes: Flexx
Purse: Thrifted
Ring: Gifted

Bambi Collage

I was a huge Twin Peaks fan and watched the show religiously. I’ve been a fan of David Lynch and his work ever since I saw Blue Velvet as a teenager. Do you have favorite David Lynch movie?

The Fashion Truck and SOWA Market

One of the highlights of my trip to Boston was finding The Fashion Truck, a mobile store on wheels that shows up in different parts of the city. Think food truck with clothes!

fashion truck

I’d heard of the truck and vowed to track it down if I was ever in Beantown. When Donna and I visited in June, we walked from our hotel to the SOWA Open Market and found the truck there too.

fashion truck and more

I introduced myself to Emily, the owner of The Fashion truck, and perused the space. The back of the truck has neat spaces for clothes and accessories–and a tent and tables outside, showcased even more cute dresses, tops, and jewelry.

accessories in the truck

I bought a cool pair of aviators, which you can see perched on my head in the following shot, and a couple of wrap bracelets. Emily was great and explained her vision for the store. She curates it with hand-picked pieces and packs a lot into a small space without it feeling cramped. Theres even a fitting room. And yes, an online store.

inside SOWA's artist lofts

Top: Thrifted
Shorts: Lulu’s
Sunglasses: The Fashion Truck
Bag: Nine West via thrifted
Bracelets: Gifted
Shoes: Timberland

But the truck was just the beginning. The SOWA is an open market featuring food, art, vintage clothing and goods, and a host of other fun things. I bought a necklace from the Pearl Shop, and Donna snagged a fantastic gray and rose skirt from the indoor vintage mall. We had cool gaspacho from a food truck, and got lost in an array of jewelry and knick knacks. We even found a cool vintage shop in a retro silver trailer: Haberdash Vintage. Loved their bags, shoes, and jewelry.

sowa collage

Have you been to SOWA or other markets? What do you like shopping for?

4 Comments

Filed under Art, Crafts, Events, Fashion, Travel

Tagged as Boston, fashion, fashion truck, SOWA market, style

July 21, 2012 · 7:05 am

Boston Trolley Tour

Here are some shots from the trolley tour I took in Boston. It’s a beautiful city with a rich history.

This is Trinity Church, the only building in Boston (and only church) honored as one of the “Ten Most Significant Buildings in the United States” by the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

Trinity Church Collage

Here’s the beautiful Boston Public Library.

Boston Public Library

Some people look like they can walk on water.

walking on water

Even a non-baseball-fan like me knows about Fenway Park and The infamous Green Monster.

Fenway Park

The architecture in Boston is amazing.

Boston residences

more residences

The Massachusetts State House is recognizable by its gold dome.

MA State House

A plaque dedicated to Paul Revere, patriot in the American Revolution.

Paul Revere plaque

Custom House, a skyscraper, near the waterfront.

Custom House

One of the last remains of the elevated arterial road that used to cut through downtown. The road is underground now, thanks to a project called the Big Dig, America’s most expensive highway effort.

steel post

4 Comments

Filed under Architecture, General, Photography, Travel

Tagged as Boston, style, trolley tour

July 18, 2012 · 6:26 am

Boston Blogger Meetup

While planning our trip to Boston, my friend Donna suggested a blogger meetup. I jumped at the chance to meet The Boston Fashionista and Katy Rose of Modly Chic. I wouldn’t have suggested the meetup because Donna’s not a blogger and I didn’t want her to be bored. She is, however, a fashionista, and she fit in well. She was kind enough to take a picture of the three bloggers:

three bloggers

I’m glad she did: Shortly after taking this shot, and while chatting about blogs and travel and other things, the skies opened up and it poured! I’m used to the light Seattle mist they call rain, but this was different. This was a typical east coast downpour.

We were at The Reef, enjoying drinks and a view of the water, so we moved from the patio to the tent that serves as a bar and dining area. Finally the rain stopped. I walked 50 feet to the building where the restrooms are and when I came out, it was pouring again! I had to join Donna, Katy, and Kristen, but I waited–and then I ran! I calculated the risks. I was wearing wedges but they were stable. I could avoid puddles, and I had on a dark top so there would be no wardrobe malfunctions.

It took me about 5 seconds to get back to the tent–but I couldn’t get in! all the sides were zipped up! I panicked and ran from one panel to the next, getting wetter and wetter until finally I saw a hand waving out from between two flaps. I hurried in and was greeted by cheers from all the patrons–and hysterical laughter from Donna.

wet blogger

Luckily, it was warm and I dried off before our meetup was done. Kristen even took our photo and, as you can see, I’m waterproof:

Jean and Donna

Oh, I was so happy when after the meetup, Kristen changed from sit down shoes to transit riding shoes. I’d walked all day in flat boots and changed into my wedges for the meetup. We like style, but we know the value of comfort.

earlier that day

6 Comments

Filed under Events, Fashion, Travel

Tagged as blogger meetup, Boston, fashion, style

July 15, 2012 · 10:59 am

Summertime in Boston

A few weeks ago I went to Boston with my friend Donna. We took a road trip a couple of years ago and liked the idea of exploring another part of the US. We’d never been to Boston, but we’d heard great things about it. Let me tell you: Beantown didn’t disappoint!

The original Cheers

We walked all over the city, exploring the quaint antique stores and shops on Charles Street, wandering through Boston Common and the Public Garden, dining and window shopping on Newberry Street, wandering the winding, cobblestone streets to Faneuil Hall and the waterfront, and shopping at the SOWA Market in the south end.

On our first day, we focused on Boston Common, and Charles Street.

Boston Collage

We got to meet Kristen, The Boston Fashionista and Katy Rose of Modly Chic. We found The Fashion Truck. There’s so much history in Boston–we even took a trolley tour to learn about the city. I took over 300 photos that weekend, and culling it to just a few was hard! I promise to share more with you soon.

Visiting Vancouver

You might remember the girls’ trip I took with my friends last year. Well, we did it again. This time we chose Vancouver, British Columbia. It was out first international trip, even though it was probably the closest we’ve stayed to home.

The first thing we did when we arrived was check out the view from our hotel. We stayed at The Westin and it was wonderful. We were steps from Stanley Park (Cheryl ran its 6-mile perimeter during the trip), and we were only a few blocks from Robson Street, a popular shopping destination.

The second thing we did was find a patio and get drinks and food. I loved being able to order a rye and ginger and have the waitress know exactly what I wanted (rye whiskey–like Crown Royal–and ginger ale). The brews were local and the food was spicy. Yum.

After sustenance comes shopping. We hit Granville Street (we were saving Robson till Saturday) and looked around stores like Bedo, Plum, and Spank. We found a store that was promoting the Beagle Freedom Project in the windows display but the shop itself was closed.

Boboli had a unique stone entrance. They are a high-end boutique that carries Armani, Robert Cavalli, La Perla, and more. We thought just being near such designers made us more sophisticated.

The second day of our trip was also shopping-focused (which is why Autumn chose to visit Stanley Park and the Vancouver Aquarium–sorry Autumn!). We fought through the crowds at Brandy Melville (one of the only non-Canadian stores we visited).

We visited the oldest commercial corporation in North America: The Bay. The Hudson’s Bay Company was founded in 1670, and began as a fur trading operation. The Bay, and its quintessential striped logo are part of my childhood. Cheryl was going to buy some perfume but thought it might not fit in her suitcase.

Cheryl's perfume

Laura found great things at Bedo. Cheryl wasn’t as lucky. You can see her in the background, walking back to the hotel, empty-handed.

Vancouver is a true metropolis and has a great mix of old and new buildings. We enjoyed the architecture and public art. Every time I visit Vancouver I vow to go to the Vancouver Art Gallery but the weather’s always too nice to justify going indoors.

We got all dolled up for dinner and an improv show. On our way out, the valet offered to take our picture. I have three posed shots, but a funny comment from a passerby cracked us up and this last, candid photo shows us looking more genuine and happy. Can you believe we didn’t plan our outfits. Total fluke.

On our third day we explored more along the waterfront. Vancouver is a beautiful city, and a lot of fun. People rode bikes, picnicked, and played games. The towering condos offer a luxe life for those with a lot of money. It’s an expensive city too.

The public art brightened up an already fabulous day.

We even stumbled across the sculpture from the 2010 Winter olympics. I remember this piece from the opening and closing ceremonies. The flame is out now but it burned for the duration of the games.