Seattle’s 16th-annual Capitol Hill Block Party (CHBP) will take place July 20th-22nd, 2012, with performances by Neko Case, Major Lazer, Fitz And The Tantrums, Phantogram, The Lumineers, Grimes, Aesop Rock w/ Rob Sonic & DJ Big Wiz, Youth Lagoon, Diplo, Thee Oh Sees, Cloud Nothings, Twin Shadow, Dam-Funk, Doomtree, Porcelain Raft, Spoek Mathambo, White Arrows, Trust, El Ten Eleven Yuna, Light Asylum, King Tuff, Psychic Paramount, Father John Misty, Jaill, Onuinu, Black Breath, Blouse, Absolute Monarchs, Crystal Stilts, Yawn, The Coathangers, Deadkill, Sandrider, Eighteen Individual Eyes, Pollens, Nightmare Fortress Colonies, Yukon Blonde, John Maus, Blue Sky, Black Death, Nacho Picasso, Kris Orlowski, Lemolo, Kithkin, Hot Bodies In Motion, Kung Foo Grip, Tropical Punk, Nu Sensae, NIGHT BEATS , Freighms, Tom Eddy, Dude York, Stephanie, NUDE, FEET, Blood Red Dancers, Space Needles, Skarp, Pony Time, Murmurs, Mass Games, Slow Dance, Crypts, Crime Wave, Trash Fire, Vox Mod, Mama Utah, Silly Goose, Underground Revival and much more!
Last week, Winny and I celebrated my first happy hour of the quarter! Now, we could’ve gone to the Chieftain. We could have hit up Bimbos for a glass of sangria and a delicious snack sized burrito, but Winny and I are classy ladies!
We went to the new steakhouse on 12th called Manhattan Drugs during happy hour and ordered two orders of Macaroni and Cheese at $3 each. Not bad, right? She’s a working girl and I’m still a poor college student so really, not much has changed.
Macaroni and cheese is a meal that many of my friends grew up on as children, but I didn’t even have my first bowl until high school when I bought my very first box of Easy Mac. I’m thrilled to let you all know that I have since graduated onto Kraft, but while all of you have had the luxury of consuming it as kids – this is a meal that still possesses that “WOW!” factor for me.
I kid you not, my co-workers and I actually had a 30-minute conversation on mac and cheese just a couple weeks ago and how even though we love the simplicity of the meal, we’ll still shovel out the bills for a fancier version at a nice restaurant. Manhattan Drug’s was exactly what Winny and I were both looking for in a happy hour meal and didn’t break our wallets either.
All food things aside, the interior of the restaurant is gorgeous. It’s hard to believe that the last time I was in there, it was just a toy store. The restaurant has given the space a complete transformation packed with booth style seats and lounge furniture.
Being a student at Seattle University has opened my eyes to new opportunities. It has instilled in me reaffirmed values and perspectives. It has allowed me to reflect both independently and within groups.
We’re gonna save that for another time though because one takeaway that I have from Seattle University is being able to share highs and lows. My peers know what’s up, but for those of you who don’t know – high and low is a little game (not really) in which everyone in a group goes around the circle to share their high and low of the day.
Today, my high happened right after my low. It was within a span of 12 minutes.
Low: The girls and I ventured over to Regent Bakery & Cafe for dinner this evening. I ordered the BBQ Pork Chow Mein once again. (respective apologies to my mother for eating out once again, to my father – you know I would never leave leftovers behind, and to Ashley for eating there again…without you) After the check was all paid and we started to head home, I realized four blocks later that I left my take out box on the table. Nearly full – could have lasted me all week as leftovers. It took a great deal of strength to hold those tears in. Tori tells me that this probably wasn’t the first time for me (it wasn’t) and that it probably won’t be the last.
High: I came home to two new catalogs from Free People and Anthropologie.
Reflection: After writing my low and high, I realize now that my low is very low and that my high is nowhere near in comparison. Forever starving…
Over spring break, Samantha informed me of a website that she keeps tabs on pretty often that focuses mainly on cultural news and events in San Francisco. Just recently, she let slip to me that they have also branched off into a Seattle division as well. 7×7 SEA details what’s going on in the city, highlights an events calendar, and features guides to certain topics. My new favorite this morning? The 7 Best Neighborhoods in Seattle. And why is it on my radar? Because Capitol Hill was named the neighborhood with the Best Eats! That couldn’t be more true.
I’m happy to announce (but also stressed) that 7×7 SEA has now been added to my daily blog roll along with a couple of other websites that I peruse on the daily for my Seattle news including The Stranger blogs, Capitol Hill Seattle, and Seattle Met Blogs.
It wouldn’t be a birthday celebration unless I celebrated twice. I had a ball in San Francisco, but of course nothing beats having a birthday in Seattle with some of my friends from school. Yesterday my dear friend Stephanie and I treated ourselves to a Chinese feast at Regent Cafe & Bakery – a new eatery that just opened up on 14th and Pine. Now, we thought our appetites were large yesterday afternoon, but clearly not enough to put away the four dishes that we ordered.
Pictured are:
BBQ Pork Chow Mein
Pork Chow Mein
Honey Walnut Prawns
Needless to say, Steph and I quickly fell into a heavy food coma. If we weren’t on a time crunch, I’m sure the both of us could have sat there forever lounging and taking our time with our dishes. My usual qualm with Chinese food is that it can sometimes be too greasy or oily, but not this time. The chow mein was littered with fresh vegetables and the noodles (even eaten as leftovers today) are still as fresh as they were yesterday. Also, I’d like to extend a thank you to Regent for bringing out a complimentary cream puff from their bakery selection with a lit candle! You guys are wonderful and I’ll most likely be back next week.
On our way to Yogurtland today, Anna and I walked pass the new gelato shop, D’Ambrosio Gelato, set to open their doors starting tomorrow at 5PM! I believe it’s just a soft opening for now, but that’s no reason to not visit it. Like a little kid, I put both my hands up ready to press them up against the glass when I saw the interior of the shop completely finished. I actually thought it was open at first until…I noticed that no one was inside and there was no gelato.
It’s cool – it’s all happening tomorrow. No worries. The shop is on 12th and Pine just right up the street from Molly Moon’s!
To celebrate the Girl Scouts’ 100th anniversary, Molly Moon’s will be giving out free kid-sized scoops of their classic Scout Mint all day starting at noon!
OH MY Goodness. And if that news doesn’t melt your heart and warm your stomach enough, then the Girl Scouts themselves will be selling their cookies and greeting customers outside of the shops beginning at 3PM.
- Supermodel Agyness Deyn came forward earlier this week to announce that she is 29-years old, which is six years older than the age stated on her CV. [Source]
- Stefano Pilati has “left the YSL building.” Pilati has been the creative director over at YSL since 2004. [Source]
- Bethany Cosentino of Best Coast is designing a line for Urban Outfitters. [Source]
Music
- Glee’s Idina Menzel will be going on tour. [Source]
- Warner Music has launched a YouTube channel. [Source]
Movies
- Despicable Me 2 teaser trailer
- Emma Watson will star in Sofia Coppola’s new film titled, “The Bling Ring” about a group of fashion-obsessed teenagers who break into the homes of celebrities and eventually get caught. It’s inspired by a true story…and Lifetime already did it…last year. [Source]
Television
- Lindsay will make her 239479th comeback this weekend when she hosts Saturday Night Live.
- Jennifer Love Hewitt turned her Lifetime movie, The Client List into Lifetime television series, The Client List. [Source]
- Jessica Lange will be returning for American Horror Story in the fall, but will not be reprising her character from the first season. Zachary Quinto will also be back. [Source] [Source]
- Bristol Palin is getting a docuseries on Lifetime. “This show will reveal the real Bristol Palin and her journey as a daughter, a mother and a young woman making her way in the world.” Um…what?!
- Meet the newest contestants for Dancing With the Stars. [Source]
- Casting has begun for the new CW Sex and the City prequel pilot, The Carrie Diaries, and it looks like AnnaSophia Robb will play a young Carrie. [Source]
- Oprah Winfrey will interview the late Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown’s daughter Bobbi Kristina exclusively, which will air on Sunday, March 11th at 9PM on OWN. [Source]
Seattle
- Top Pot Doughnuts are headed to Bellevue Square. [Source]
- Capitol Hill’s Molly Moon’s is taking over the old Flora & Henri shop to create a Willy Wonka-esque “kitchen on display” that will highlight their specialty ice cream and signature cones being made. The space is set to open in the summer. [Source]
- Skillet will call the Seattle Center home. [Source]
- EMP’s Sound Off! finals are tomorrow night and we’ve got a Seattle University band in the running: Feet. Check out the rest of the acts here. I like these guys a lot!
Other
- Jan Berenstain passed away this week at 88. This one was my favorite because I went through a phase as a kid where I loved seeing pictures of illustrated food/candy. I kid you not, another one of my favorite books was a children’s book on the affects of diabetes.
- Wiz Khalifa and Amber Rose are now engaged! The couple have been dating for over a year. [Source]
- Ke$ha turned 25 and Justin Bieber turned 18 this week.
- US Weekly shows the evolution of Lindsay Lohan’s face and it ain’t pretty. [Source]
- Lea Michele and Cory Monteith – romantically involved? US Weekly believes so. [Source]
- Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner have announced the birth of their newborn son, Samuel Garner Affleck. [Source]
Capitol Hill is a neighborhood filled with secrets. It seems like every few weeks, I’m always learning something new about it. Not too long ago, we learned that Neumos was planning on opening a new music venue…in their basement! Hello – I didn’t even know they had a basement, let alone enough room to throw shows down there.
The name for the new place is Barboza, which has prompted me to call the venue Neumos’ little brother. However, when I say the name aloud, all I can envision is some viking character for some reason. Barboza will open April 24th and the booker for the venue has already been hard at work securing shows currently being promoted.
I’ll never turn down another venue spot. I can’t wait for this place to open.
My brother and I have this really unique relationship in that we enjoy shopping at boutiques together. I’ll never be able to live this down if I say it – but I have to admit that he has had an influence on my style over the years. He has introduced me to some of the greatest boutiques in Vancouver and to blogs that I religiously read on a daily basis today. Don’t get it twisted it though – I basically dominate him in the music department.
I am sad to announce that Goods on Pike St. is closing. I remember my brother taking me here as a teenager freshman year when I was into my sneaker phase and looking to expand my collection of Nike Dunks. Over the years, we watched the store expand on the block and as I went into college, I witnessed every guy in my freshman class discovering the store and proclaiming it as the best “underground” boutique they’ve ever heard of.
Goods hasn’t released much news on their closure except for this banner advertising their sale. We’re sad to see you go, but wishing all of the owners best of luck on their future endeavors. Hopefully the end of this chapter means that we can expect something greater from them later on.
I attended my first “fashion” event in Seattle the other evening celebrating a new line by “Built For Man!” The event took place at Bako on Capitol Hill and was publicized by Social Werks Communication. Since this was my first time attending one of these, I really had no idea what to expect. Michelle and I mingled with our friends nearby and took advantage of the complimentary drinks. I even sampled a few of the appetizers provided by Bako and they were extraordinary! Char siu pork? Keep it comin’ please! Every guest received a small gift certificate for attending the event to be used when they return and I cannot wait to use it.
On a whim, I decided to stop by Kaleidoscope Vision yesterday evening for their grand opening party and was blown away by its beauty and simplicity. The space was completely transformed from when Atlas had lived there. Instead Kaleidoscope Vision utilized their large space leaving it open in the middle and having just a few racks of vintage clothing to peruse through. Around here, thrift stores like Value Village, Crossroads, or even Red Light overwhelm me because there is such a wide selection. It takes forever to go through them, but Kaleidoscope Vision’s approach was much easier to handle.
Each monthly showcase centers around an ever-changing and evolving mood, with inspiration taken from a multitude of sources including, but not limited to, anthropological studies of native peoples, alternate realities, teenagers, the natural world and the infinitely mysterious beauty of the cosmos.
Last night I learned from a friend that every month, Kaleidoscope Vision will display a new theme for their items. At the end of the month, all of the items not sold in the store will go online to be sold and then a new theme will take its place. This shop is definitely worth checking out so if you’ve got some free time today studying from midterms (and it’s a beautiful day out!) head on over to 10th between Pike and Union.
A new vintage shop has moved into the beloved space where my favorite thrift store, Atlas, used to live. Tonight – Kaleidoscope Vision will be celebrating their grand opening with a party! Sounds like fun!
The store will house vintage clothing, books, art pieces, antiques, and little trinkets. Home decor stuff? I hope so!
Click here for more pictures of the lovely shop set to open this evening and will hopefully be with us for a very long time. I can’t wait to stop by!
Earlier this morning, Capitol Hill Seattle reported that Flora and Henri would be closing their doors on January 31, 2012. Flora and Henri is a children’s boutique located on 11th and Pine. While I never had a reason to shop there, that has never actually stopped me from stepping inside for a visit to swoon at all of the adorable little pieces.
I’m actually really sad to hear them go especially because they’ve had such a presence on how I’ve viewed the Capitol Hill neighborhood since I’ve lived here. They’ve always been next to Molly Moon’s and it’s the shop that I get to walk by on my way to the park. Additionally, I’ve gotten to introduce the boutique to Gelesia and my friends and I were once accused of eating the ice cream of other kids outside of the boutique.
That never happened, I swear. It was a very bizarre story.
Flora and Henri will continue to operate out of their studio downtown and assist customers through appointments.
