Seattle, WA

What: Secret Garden Holiday Author Celebration
When: Saturday, Dec. 1st
Where: Secret Garden Bookshop, 2214 NW Market Street, Seattle, 206-789-5006
$$$: Free
The shop is filled with authors all day long, including Julie Paschkis (Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal: A Worldwide Cinderella) and Sara Anderson (A Day at the Market). Check the website for the complete lineup.

What: Eighth Annual Drawing Jam
When: Saturday, Dec. 1st
Where: Gage Academy of Art, 1501 10th Avenue East, Seattle
$$$: Adults $10; Children free
The public is invited for 12 hours of drawing from figure, portrait, and costumed models; a kids’ art room (10am-6pm); a teen art studio (7pm-10pm); and an interactive self-portrait gallery - plus free food and entertainment and free art supplies while they last. See the websitefor the entertainment schedule. Art books are not accepted for in exchange for admission this year.

What: Winterfest
When: Seattle Center
Where: 11am - 10pm through Dec 31st
$$$:
The Seattle Center celebrates the holiday season with a series of events over a five week period of Winterfest. There is an Ice Rink, Holiday Train, Carousel, concerts, dances, sporting events, exhibits, arts and cultural performances and New Year’s Eve celebrations.

What: Paramount Theatre Public Tours
When: Dec 1, 2007 at 10:00 AM running 1.5 hour
Where: Corner of 9th and Pine
$$$: Free
Paramount Theatre tours are on the first Saturday of every month. Please meet in front of the main entrance of the Theatre – on the corner of 9th and Pine – by 10 am. The tours will last approximately 90 minutes and will be lead by members of our well-versed volunteer staff.

What: Punk Rock Flea Market
When: 10 am - midnight, Saturday, Dec 1st; Bands start around 6 pm
Where: Underground Events Center, 2407 1st Ave in Belltown
$$$: $1
Whether you’re into vintage treasures, hunting for new music, looking for customized clothing, hoping for handcrafted household goods or a searching for a “gently used” Macbook, you’ll be sure to find many hidden treasures at this Belltown bazaar.

What: Cycle World International Motorcycle Show-Seattle
When: Nov. 30th - Dec. 2; Fri, 4:00pm - 9:00pm, Sat, 9:30am - 8:00pm, Sun, 9:30am - 5:00pm
Where: Qwest Field Event Center, 800 Occidental Avenue, Seattle
$$$: $13.00 Adult, $6.00 Children 6-11, Children 5 & under free
The World’s largest consumer motorcycle event series! Featuring all the latest and greatest major motorcycle manufacturers, gear and accessories producers and more. Custom Bike displays, sport bikes, cruisers, ATVs, and more! Entertainment features, search for next season of Metric Revolution builders, and more!

What: Santa Parade & Tree Lighting
When: December 01, Parade starts at 4:30pm, Tree lighting follows
Where: Main Street in Downtown Auburn
$$$: Free
A festive children’s parade, followed by community caroling and a tree lighting ceremony. Santa open’s his house directly after event for photo opportunities.

For a list of Christmas Bazaars and Holiday Craft Markets, click here.

Click here for 2008 Listings.

One of the things I love most about Christmas is the shopping. In particular I love all the Holiday bazaars and markets, be they big or small. Even the church bazaars with all their home made goodies.

In light of that here is a list of upcoming bazaars and markets:

ARCHIPELAGO CHRISTMAS BAZAAR
Filipino Community Center of Seattle
December 1, 2007, 10 - 5pm, Free
More than a dozen Asian American artists, craftspeople, online retailers and businesses who will offer a unique holiday shopping experience.

URBAN CRAFT UPRISING
Seattle Center, 305 Harrison Street, Seattle, WA
Phone: (206) 216-0877
Saturday, December 1 2007, 11:00am - 5:00pm
This annual show (now in its third year) is renowned for drawing the most creative, unique, and cream-of-the-crop crafters from around the region-and even some vendors from as far away as Boston and Toronto! The uprising is truly a unique showcase for rising indie craft stars, and a venue for holiday shoppers to marvel over one-of-a-kind, avant-garde creations, and at no charge to the public.

A VICTORIAN COUNTRY CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL
-The Puyallup Fairgrounds
-November 28 - December 2, 2007
-Wednesday-Saturday 10am to 9pm
-Sunday 10am to 6pm. Free Parking
A Victorian Country Christmas Festival is an unforgettable event that will leave you infused with the spirit of Christmas. Step back in time as the Western Washington Fairgrounds in Puyallup are transformed into a Victorian Village filled with the sights and sounds of Christmas. Shop at over 530 Victorian stores filled with the most beautiful handcrafted and specialty items; share in a delicious meal at the food pavilion; take a carriage ride through a holiday wonderland, enjoy over 20 professional stage shows daily featuring the best music, dance, comedy and more; and don’t forget to get a picture with Santa at the North Pole or enjoy the spectacular “Living Nativity” featuring over 100 singers and dancers in a music extravaganza celebrating the best music of the season.

What: Winter Festival and Crafts Fair
When: Sunday, Dec 2nd
Where: 6532 Phinney Ave. N, Seattle WA 98103
$$$: Members $2 plus a can of food; Non-members $4 plus a can of food; Children (under 13) free
The popular event features high-quality crafts booths, photos with Frosty, live entertainment, a bake sale, and holiday cheer. A full entertainment schedule is available on the website.

THREAD SEATTLE // XMAS SHOPPING SPECIAL
Fremont Studios, 155 North 35th Street, Seattle, WA
Sunday, December 9th, 2007, 11am-6pm
$7 at the door, but, $5 when you RSVP
THREAD brings a selection of over 65 independent fashion & accessory designers from around the country to the savvy and style-conscience men and women of the Northwest. Come get first dibs and buy direct from designers showcasing wares you wont find at the mall.

HILLTOP HOLIDAY CRAFT SHOW
Northwest Arts Center (Directions), 9825 NE 24th Street, Bellevue, WA
November 28, 29 and 30, 2007 - 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
December 1, 2007 - 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Many new vendors this year, the show will feature thousands of quality crafts from more than 80 selected Northwest craftspeople.

MOKAS HOLIDAY CRAFT SALE
329 Fairview Ave. N, Corner of Fairview Ave. & Harrison, Downtown Seattle
Directions:
From I-5 North or South - Take the Mercer St. Exit.
Stay in the far left lane and turn left onto Fairview Ave. N.
Go 2 blocks. Mokas will be on the right.
Saturday, Dec. 1, 2007, 10am - 3pm
Handcrafted gifts, Christmas cards, jewelry and MORE!

Looking for a Christmas Tree? Check out the local Christmas Tree Farms.

Seattle, Bellevue, Puyallup, Holiday, Christmas, Bazaars, Crafts, Shows, Gifts, Hilltop, ARCHIPELAGO, Mokas, Thread, Washington, Victorian, Country, Urban, Uprising, Festival, Xmas

Now that Thanksgiving is over many of you will be looking for the perfect Christmas tree. For me, that means a real tree, none of that fake stuff for me, thank you very much. On the other hand, if I can get one that’s potted and can be re-planted, all the better.

Here is a list of Christmas tree farms near Seattle:

HICKS CHRISTMAS TREES
6945 115TH Ave. S.W.
Olympia, WA 98512
Phone: 1-800-892-7730
Email: TimGross53@msn.com

DIRECTIONS

Go WEST on MAYTOWN RD SW (2.81 miles)

At stop sign, go RIGHT onto LITTLE ROCK RD SW

Turn LEFT onto 123RD AVE SW. (0.24 miles)

123RD AVE SW becomes ENDICOTT RD SW. (0.81miles)

Turn LEFT onto 115TH AVE SW. (0.23 miles)

Go to End of the road, House on the left

TYPES OF TREES

Premium Douglas Firs, Grand Firs and Noble Firs

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HUNTER CHRISTMAS TREES
7401 Yelm Hwy. SE
Olympia, WA 98513
Phone: (360) 456-0466

Weekdays - 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Weekends - 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Warm your tummy with Free Hot Chocolate and Coffee while warming your toes by the old-fashioned pot-bellied stove in the barn. Once the family is warm again, the kids can visit their Friendly Beast Animal Pens which includes Reindeer from the North Pole. Your visit wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the Christmas Shop which features decorated theme trees, cedar garland and trims, noble fir wreaths, and novelty tree ornaments from which holiday memories and traditions are made.

DIRECTIONS

I5 south bound: exit 109 turn right on Martin way to college st. and turn left. I5 north bound exit 108 College st. exit, turn right on College st. From College St. Travel South to Yelm Hwy and turn left, continue on Yelm Hwy 2 miles farm is on right.

TYPES OF TREES

Cultured Noble, Douglas and Grand Firs to select your perfect holiday tree (saws are provided), or visit their Fresh Cut Barn to choose from a wide selection of Noble, Douglas, Grand and Fraser Fir Trees.

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TREES `N BEES, INC.
34747 162nd Ave SE
Auburn, WA 98092, 866-627-2857
Email: carolyn@treesnbees.com

Country Store. Fresh honey, special gift items, unique ornaments as well as tree stands. Tree shaker is complimentary and baling is available. Store is open year round for honey, gifts and beekeeping supplies. Mrs. Claus on weekends; espresso, kid’s activity area.

DIRECTIONS:
From Interstate 5 exit 142a, head East on Highway 18 for 6 miles and take the Auburn-Black Diamond Rd Exit. Turn right at the stop sign, cross the Green River and take a right immediately past the bridge at the stoplight (Lake Holm Rd). Continue about 2 miles & turn right onto Lk Moneysmith Rd. Go one mile to the farm. There are red & green signs at every turn.

TYPES OF TREES:
Douglas Fir and Noble Fir to Norway Spruce and Grand Fir, plus many others.

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CARPINTO BROTHERS FARM
1148 North Central
Kent, Wa.
Phone: 253-854-5692

Precut Christmas trees, Wreaths, Boughs, Holly, Mistletoe, Poinsettias, Fruit Baskets.

DIRECTIONS:
Field Located at the Corner of South 277th & West Valley Hwy & Hwy 167 in Kent. Across from Smith Brothers Dairy. Look for Signs.

TYPES OF TREES:
PreCut Varieties: Douglas Fir, Fraser Fir, Grand Fir, Noble Fir or Nordmans. Large selection of Green or Flocked Trees.

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PFAFF’S U-CUT CHRISTMAS TREES
29204 124th Ave. SE
Auburn, WA 98092
Phone: 253-852-8244
Email: info@pfaffschristmastrees.com

Christmas trees-you choose and you cut, saws are provided, wreaths, refreshments, help cutting your tree, gift shop, restrooms, trees baled, Precut trees Christmas trees, mistletoe and/or holly, Santa, tree stands.We have tall trees, free candy canes for the kids and firewood.

DIRECTIONS:
From North: Take Hwy 405 to Hwy 167 south bound. Exit at Central Ave, Kent. Go south to Smith St. turn East (left), go up hill 1.1 miles, the road becomes Hwy 516 Kent Kangley. Continue 2 more miles to 124th Ave SE, turn right (south).

From West: 1-5 exit to Hwy 18, take Green River Community College (SE 304/312) exit. Go straight 1-1/2 miles to 124th SE, turn right, go 1 mile north to farm.

TYPES OF TREES:
Noble, Douglas-fir, Fraser, Concolor, White, Turkish fir. Pre-cut: Noble, Douglas, Grand, Fraser, Shasta fir, Spruce.

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DONNA’S TREES
4421 - S. 348th Place, Just Off Military Road Located in Lake Geneva Estates, Auburn, WA 98001.
Phone: 253-927-1911
Email: Donna1952_1@Juno.com
Hours: Saturdays and Sundays only in December, from 9:30 to 4 PM until sold out.

An approximate acre of nice trees to choose from - various heights. Not sold by the foot and tax included in the price. Some trees tagged higher or lower in price. Arrangements can be made by calling for an appointment on other days: 253-927-1911. Payment: Cash, Check. Please No Dogs or chain saws. We provide your tie and hand saws. Head-in parking. Easy access to all trees. Free holly and bay leaf branches with purchase of your tree. Nice view of Lake Geneva. Warm cider and candy canes free. Children cannot carry or use saws. Sorry, no public restroom facilities. Our prices include the tax! Donna recommends you bring an umbrella in case it rains!

DIRECTIONS:
Just off Military Road, between Federal Way and Auburn. Take South 352nd and follow signs through Lake Geneva Estates to cul-de-sac street end.

TYPES OF TREES:
Nobles, Fraziers, Grands, Douglas and Turkish Firs.

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For more listings in the state of Washington, click here. If you know of others, please let me know.

What: 29th Annual Festival of Trees
When: 10am-6pm, 11/20/07-11/26/07
Where: Fairmont Olympic Hotel
$$$: Free
Twenty-five trees, each dedicated to a patient at Children’s Hospital, are on display throughout the hotel. [206.621.1700

What: Teddy Bear Suite
When: Nov 21-Dec 26 10am-6pm
Where: Fairmont Olympic Hotel
$$$: Donation
View a large assortment of teddy bears, take holiday photos, and read teddy bear-themed books at downtown's grandest hotel. Donations benefit Children's Hospital.

What: Gingerbread Village
When: Daily 11/20/07-1/2/08, Mon-Thu, Sat 10am-6pm; Fri 10am-7pm; Sun 11am-5pm
Where: Sheraton Seattle (6th Ave & Union in downtown Seattle)
$$$: Free, but donations accepted
Seattle architectural firms and chefs from the Sheraton Seattle (Sixth and Union) team up to design, bake, and build gingerbread houses and creations. Viewing is free with optional donations supporting the battle against juvenile diabetes. [206.624.8800]

What: Winterfest
When: Daily 11/23/07-1/6/08
Where: Seattle Center
$$$: Free (except ice skating and carousel)
Seattle Center’s annual winter festival features daily free concerts and kids’ activities, world music and dance performances, lighted trees and twinkly lights. Skate at Fisher Pavilion’s Holiday Ice Rink, ride the antique carousel right outside the rink, and don’t miss the Holiday Train in the Center House - a large, intricately crafted Victorian village that never fails to fascinate the kids. [206.684.7200

What: Garden d'Lights
When: Saturday, 24 Nov. 5pm-9:30pm
Where: Bellevue Botanical Garden
$$$: Free, donations accepted
Thousands of tiny twinkling lights will transform Bellevue Botanical Garden into a fantasyland of flowers every evening during the annual Garden d'Lights festival from November 24th through December 31. Inspired by plants found in Northwest gardens, hundreds of volunteers bundle strings of commercial grade outdoor lights into three dimensional flowers, shrubs, vines, and critters. In November, these creations are 'planted' in the Botanical Garden and, with a flip of a switch, this unique holiday garden blooms every evening from 5:00-9:30 pm.

What: Magic in the Market
When: Saturday, 24 Nov., 12n-5pm
Where: Pike Place Market
$$$: Free, canned food donations requested
he market kicks off the holiday season with carolers (2pm-5pm), kids' craft activities (12n-4pm), a visit from Santa (12n-5pm), snow games, and a tree lighting ceremony (5pm).

What: Seattle Marathon & Half Marathon
When: November 25, Marathon Walk 7:15 am; Half Marathon Run 7:30 am; Half Marathon Walk 7:45 am; Marathon Run 8:15 am
Where: Seattle Center, 5th Avenue between Harrison and Mercer Streets, east of the Experience Music Project
$$$: See Website
Seattle Marathon & Half-Marathon has become one of the Top 25 Races in the Country. The Seattle Marathon (26.2 miles) and Half-Marathon (13.1 miles) both start at 5th Avenue & Broad Street near Seattle Center and goes through Downtown Seattle, making their way to Memorial Stadium for the exciting finish.

What: 17th Annual Invitational Miniature Show
When: 11/24-11/25, Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Where: Howard/Mandville Galleries, Kirkland
$$$:
Last weekend to catch this show. Paintings and sculptures by more than 100 artists. 425-889-8212

What: National Geographic Warehouse Sale
When: Sun., November 25, 9:00am-5:00pm
Where: Washington State Convention and Trade Center 800 Convention Pl. (Eighth Ave. and Pike St.), 694-5000
$$$: Take Spending Money
Globes-puzzles-maps-and-books fire sale, with some of the 250,000 items discounted up to 90%. Steve Hubbard, NatGeo’s director of operations, promises there will be “something for everybody on your list, be they professional or amateur traveler, adventurer, scientist, gardener, history buff, photographer, animal lover, student, or teacher.” The latest additions to this year’s event are framed prints of the organization’s best photographs (perusable at www.printsngs.com). Think “cute bear catching a salmon over a waterfall.”

What: The Unseen Peanuts
When: Daily from Fri., November 23 until Mon., December 31, 11:30 to 8:00 PM, Sundays until 5:00 PM.
Where: Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery 1201 S. Vale St., 658-0110
$$$: Free to all ages
featuring Schulz’ original artwork (on loan from the Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, CA) for nine strips. Why were these left out of collections? In some early ones, perhaps, Schulz was still working out the details of his drawing technique and of his fictional universe. In others, the joke may have landed off-key; other perfectly good strips just got overlooked for no reason.

Seattle, Weekend, Events, 11/24/07, 11/25/07, November, Festival, Lights, Unseen Peanuts, National Geographic, Warehouse, Sale, Invitational, Miniature, Show, Gingerbread, Village, Garden, d’Lights, delights, Marathon, Magic, Market, Winterfest, Teddy Bear, Suite

The Piety Flats wine tasting room is one of the most charming wine tasting rooms I’ve ever visited. Located in the historic Donald Fruit and Mercantile, the building dates back to 1911. Inside you’ll find that the charm doesn’t end at the door. Store shelves are packed with delicacies, many of which are produced locally. From honey to chocolates to gourmet cheeses, they’ve got it all. If you plan to make a day of it want to grab a bottle of wine with cheese and crackers, this would be the place to stop. They even provide the picnic benches and grassy area if you’d prefer to spread out a blanket. If you have room after all your goodies, you can enjoy a peach sundae to top off your meal. Perfect for a sunny day.

We made it by Piety Flats on a slow day which gave us an opportunity to stay a spell and chat with co-owner Kris Russi, who was as delightful as her tasting room. Our conversation spanned politics, Europe, the locals and of course, wine. It was Kris who solved our dilemma of how to get our wine safely home. By the time we hit Piety Flats our wine purchases had exceeded a dozen bottles and we’d begun to wonder how much wine we’d be allowed on the plane and how we’d box it up. Kris told us about the wine boxes and inserts which, lucky for us, they happened to sell. The inserts allowed us to transport the wine laying on it’s side, which is the best way, of course and were made of a sturdy plastic that stacked, with each layer holding 3 bottles and each box holding a dozen bottles of pretty much any size and shape. The boxes weren’t terribly expensive and all our wine survived the ride home so they were worth every penny.

We’d been to Piety Flats two years prior but didn’t find anything that we loved enough to cart the bottles back to Texas. This time around we found the wines much more to our liking. Whether the wines were just better or our palettes improved, it’s hard to say but we enjoyed many of their wines. Their Syrah was full-bodied and intense with a lovely oak finish. The Late Harvest Viognier tasted of pineapple and apricots, lovely and crisp. My personal favorite was the Black Muscat, sweet but not cloying. I was also a big fan of their Cabernet-Port, a rich ruby port that is very satisfying.

All in all a great stop on the Rattlesnake Hills Wine Trail. Don’t miss it!

Piety Flats Winery and Mercantile
2560 Donald-Wapato Road
Wapato, WA 98951
Tel. (509) 877-3115
Info: info@pietyflatswinery.com

Part One in this series
Part Two in this series
Part Three in this series
Part Four in this series

Rattlesnake Hills, Wine, Review, Trail, wineries, Yakima Valley, Piety Flats, vineyards, Washington, Tasting, Ruby Port, Portteus Port, Donald, Mercantile, Wapato, Weekend, Trips, Seattle, Day

If you’ve taken a couple of days off for Thanksgiving and you’re wondering what to do with yourself, consider heading to the Yakima Valley. I’ve just heard from Jim Russi at Piety Flats Winery with a reminder that Yakima Valley Wineries will be opening their doors the day after Thanksgiving for a special tasting event that’s becoming a Northwest tradition.

Jim assures me that they’ll have their famous meatballs. However, Jim also suggests getting tickets because a lot of the wineries will have some “goodies that are a lot fancier then meatballs and will require the tickets.”

Tickets are $20 each and include the following wineries:

Barnard Griffin Winery, 10% off on all wine purchases

Chandler Reach Vineyard, private tasting for ticket holders includes Italian wines paired with Antipasta salad and garlic bread. My mouth is watering already!

Chinook Winery, open only to ticket holders

Claar Cellars, Thanksgiving Wine collectors pin and a free tasting of Claar Cellars’ Corneauxcopia red table wine for ticket holders. Be sure to taste their Syrah, it’s heavenly! Turkey and cranberry soup is on their menu.

Cowan Vineyards, Warm up with a cup of homemade soup paired with Cowan Vineyards wines and don’t forget to try the WSU’s famous Cougar Gold cheese

Desert Hills Winery, enjoy a tour given by the winemaker himself. What a treat!

Desert Wind Windery, Ticket holders will be given an exclusive opportunity to taste soon-to-be-released 2004 La Puerta (port-style wine) straight from the barrel. Pumpkin risotto and live music top this menu.

Goose Ridge Estate Wineries, is pairing up with Craven Maven of Seattle for hors d’oeuvres paired with their Goose Ridge 2005 Reserve Malbec which is only available at their winery. 10% discount on all wines purchased by ticket holders.

Hogue Cellars, VIP tasting room for ticket holders. Chef Roger Hazzard of Bon Vinos will be at the winery with savory morsels specially matched to these wines. Take advantage of our case discounts of up to 50% on selected wines to stock your cellar for the holiday season.

Seth Ryan Winery, Pumpkin Chili and cheesecake. Live music. Final weekend of the $10 a bottle $100 a case red wine. Ticket holders will be able to sample and order the Syrah, the Late Havest Riesling, and the Chardonnay Ice Wine. Mmmm… I loves me some Ice wine!

Terra Blanca Estate Winery, guest chef Mike Riley from Smart FNB Catering will be preparing house-made flat breads and crepes paired with Terra Blanca Estate wines Friday and Saturday. Ticket holders
will receive a sample of our limited release 2005 Forte, a Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon port to pair with Crepes prepared with “Red Mountain” Port Macerated Dried Cherries in a Terra Blanca Ice Wine Syrup.

Steppe Cellars, ticket holders will be able to make grapevine wreaths while sampling wine. Enjoy salmon cheesecake on crackers, along with samples of Steppe Cellars Semillon, Dry Reisling, Gewurztraminer, Syrah, Merlot and Late Harvest Reisling.

Tapteil Vineyards, Ticket holders will enjoy a special vertical tasting of Tapteils 2002, 2003 and the newly released 2004 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Red Mountain, plus 20% off any Tapteil case purchase.

Thurston Wolfe Winery, ticket holders will enjoy tastings out of the barrel. Wines will be paired with a caramelized onion and pear crostini topped with blue cheese.

Wilridge Vineyards, Celebrate the Grand Opening of Yakima’s Newest Winery. Early 1900s farmhouse. They will be serving Grilled Pork Loin on Rosemary Crocantini with Estate Granny Smith Apple Chutney along with a selection of complimentary wine tastings from Harlequin Wine Cellars, Naches Heights Vineyards and Wilridge Winery. Event ticket holders will be escorted to the Reserve Room where they will be served a reserve selection of wine with an artisan cheese pairing.

Windy Point Vineyards, award winning wines and various cheeses paired together by Big John Caudill. Beautiful vistas. $5 event fee for non-ticket holders.

Wineglass Cellars, event ticket holders at Wineglass Cellars will compare the different oak treatments of two vintage 2000 Reserve wines in a private tasting with winemaker David Lowe. You will also enjoy Biscotti and new releases including the 2005 Zinfandel.

Willow Crest Winery, ticket holders will receive a complimentary tasting of Willow Crest Millenium Port paired with spiced chocolate dessert in the barrel room and a 20% discount on wine purchases.

For a complete listing of participating wineries and what they’ll be offering, check out the website.

If you’d like some information on pairing wines with your Thanksgiving meal, check out Farley’s article over on Wine Outlook.

To learn more about Yakima Valley wineries and the Rattlesnake Hills Trail, check out my reviews.

Washington, Wineries, Wine, Events, Thanksgiving, Yakima, Valley, Pairing, Events, Food, Weekend Trips, Holiday

What: 16th Seattle Juggling and Footbag Festival
When: Fri, Nov 16th 5pm-10pm; Sat, Nov. 17th 10am-6pm; Sun, Nov. 18th 11am-6pm
Where: Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center
$$$: $5 for weekend pass. Important! Tickets to the show usually sell out, so buy yours now!
Ages 6 & up. The Festival features games, workshops, contests, two live performances and in-depth access to top professionals in the juggling and footbag world.

What: Star Party
When: Saturday, Nov. 17th @ 7pm
Where: Green Lake Park
$$$: Free
Seattle Astronomical Society sets up telescopes and invites families for an up close look at the night sky. The event is held on the north shore of the lake, west of the Bathhouse Theatre. The event is cancelled in case of rain or heavy clouds.

What: Seattle Christmas Gift Show
When: November 16th - 18th, 2007, 10am-6pm
Where: Washington State Convention Center
$$$: Adults $8.50; Children (13 & under) free
Families can view more than 450 exhibits and displays, watch artists in action, and visit with Santa.

What: Great Train Expo
When: Saturday & Sunday, November 17-18, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Where: Puyallup Fairgrounds, 110 9th Ave SW, Puyallup
$$$: Adult $7; Children (12 & under) free
The traveling train show features working model railroads - including a 16′ by 24′ lego train - hands-on exhibits, workshops, demonstrations, hundreds of vendors, and a train that kids can ride. Visitors can attend both days with a single ticket. There are trains for kids to operate!

What: Yulefest
When: Sat, Nov. 17th 10am-6pm; Sun, Nov 18th 12n-5pm
Where: Nordic Heritage Museum
$$$: Adults $2; Children (11 & under) $1
The museum is transformed into a Christmas marketplace with singers, dancers, and fiddlers, a visit from Santa, traditional Scandinavian food, and kids’ craft activities.

What: The Anime Discovery Project
When: Most Fridays during UW school quarters starting at 5 pm
Where: University of Washington, Gowen 301 (most showings)
$$$: $5 (membership per quarter; all showings are free)
Japanese Anime! Lots of Anime! The Anime Discovery Project is a registered student organization at the University of Washington. They show English-subtitled anime TV shows, OAVs, and movies almost every Friday during UW school quarters.
You don’t have to be a UW student; anyone can become a member (which entitles you to go to their weekly showings & to borrow tapes from their library).

What: Best of the Northwest Art Show
When: November 16, 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM November 17 & 18 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Where: Sand Point Magnuson Park, 7400 Sand Point Way NE, Hangar 27
$$$: $8 admission with free re-entry
“The last premiere art show of the year provides art patrons an opportunity to interact with over 280 of the region’s finest and most creative emerging and established artists. Art patrons will receive the chance to discover unique and unusual handcrafted artwork to satisfy a wide variety of tastes and budgets. Specific mediums include: Glass, Fine Art, Jewelry, Clothing, Photography, Wood, Soap, Candles, Mixed Media, Sculpture, Dolls, Home & Yard Décor.”

What: Seattle International Gem and Jewelry Show 2007
When: November 16-18th, Friday 12pm-6pm Saturday 10am-6pm Sunday 11am-5pm
Where: Qwest Field Event Center, 1000 Occidental Ave S
$$$: $7.00 Children ages 16 and under are free
see thousands of dealers of every imaginable gemstone, one-of-a kind jewelry creations, estate jewelry, special celebrity exhibits, other luxury accessories. Attendees will find discounts and an infinite variety of beautiful exotic gems, beads and jewelry, which can be found among the rows and rows of exhibitors from every corner of the world. There are NO STROLLERS allowed at the show

What: 17th Annual Invitational Miniature Show
When: 11/10-11/25, Monday-Wednesday and Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Where: Howard/Mandville Gallery, 120 Park Lane, Suite D, Kirkland / Juanita
$$$:
Paintings and sculptures by more than 100 artists.

What: Molbak’s 32nd Annual Festival of Poinsettias
When: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday-Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday through Dec. 24
Where: Molbak’s, 13625 N.E. 175th St., Woodinville, WA
$$$: Free?
Winter wonderland features over 30 varieties of poinsettias, dozens of themed trees, tree skirts, stockings, cards, and party ware, American made wooden toys for kids, retro tin toys for adults, pet paraphernalia, opening event with music.

Of course if you’d rather just stay in and read a good book, you might want to check out The Book Stacks for a recommendation or three.

Seattle, Weekend, What’s Happening, Events, November, 11/16/07, 11/17/07, 11/18/07, Festival, Poinsettias, Woodinville, Expo, Great Train, Miniature, Show, Annual, Molbak’s, Yulefest, Christmas, Gift, Gem, Best, Northwest, Art, Star, Party, Greenlake, Astronomical, Society, Juggling, Footbag

Allison over at Reality on Bravo is having a contest right now in which you could win a really neat “Stop Global Warming” bracelet. The bracelets are made by a company called Ecoist, which “repurposes” and recycles candy wrappers. They have some really cool stuff that would make great Christmas/Holiday gifts.

Looking over the Ecoist site got me to thinking about other “earth friendly” gifts that might be on the market so I put my google-fu to work and came up with a few suggestions. Along the way I found an article that eco-friendly gifts may be this years trend. According to the article, “San Francisco led the nationwide survey of 14,135 consumers, with 27 percent saying they planned to purchase earth-friendly products. Seattle was No. 2, with 25 percent.” Here are a few that I found:

Kate’s Caring Gifts: Seattle based, “Kate’s Caring Gifts brings you the very best natural, organic, and ecologically sustainable products that you can find anywhere. When Kate (yes, there really is a Kate) founded this company, she set out with the mission of finding products that she could feel good about offering to you. While looking for the highest quality natural skin care, organic and fair trade foods, natural candles, and other great gifts, she sought ethical companies that treat workers fairly and manufacture using sustainable materials and methods. Kate sought out products that promote good health as well as good and conscious living. Since then, she has found some fantastic treasures crafted by independent companies and artists dedicated bringing you outstanding, earth friendly products at great prices. In addition to offering these wonderful products to you, we create unique, fun, gift sets, making it easy to give great People and Earth Friendly gifts.” I’m in love with these Planet Earth earrings!

UncommonGoods.com: Dedicated to providing unique items of outstanding quality that “work in harmony with the environment and without harm to animals or people.” Check out these gorgeous glasses made from “rescued” wine bottles. They have a plethora of neat gifts made from recycled products.

LittleEarth: “When Rob Brandegee and Ava DeMarco founded Little Earth Productions, Inc. in 1993 they had a simple but revolutionary idea: design and make fashionable, unique and trendsetting purses and belts by reusing and recycling materials that would otherwise be overlooked or thrown away. Not only did the idea work, but it introduced the world to a new term: ecofashion.” I’m not sure why, but I love these license plate purses.

Hip & Zen: “At hip and zen, our purpose is to bring an eclectic blend of lifestyle products to forward-thinking people of a unique sensibility—those with a modern soul. We present items that inspire calm and unity with just the right edge of sophistication and style. Nurturing body and soul through an aesthetic identified by clean lines and a respect for the earth is our passion. We celebrate the beauty of simplicity. This is echoed in our careful selection of recycled, organic, hand-made, fairly traded, and natural products. Our unique offering is not limited by genre nor function, but rather an uncommon devotion to design, beauty, and spirit.” With a surname like Clothier, how could founder Karen Clothier be anything but a designer? She was born to it! Hip & Zen has collections that are organic, vegan, recycled and even fair trade. They have some adorable handbags made from recycled plastic.

Ecoist, Hip & Zen, Little Earth, Earth friendly, Karen Clothier, ecofashion , Uncommon Goods, Fair Trade, Environmentally friend, unique, gifts, environment, recycled, sustainable, organic, vegan, hand-made

Don’t you just hate it when you hear about really cool events when they’re nearly over? I just found out this morning that Coffee Fest is this weekend!

It’s not entirely too late, though. Today is the last day so if you want to catch part of it you’ll want to get in gear and head over to:

Washington State Convention & Trade Center 800 Convention Place
Seattle, Hall E & F
Exhibition hours: Sun 12:00pm - 4:30pm

Here is the schedule for today:

Sunday November 11th, 2007
8:30am-10:30am Breakfast with Champions presented by VitaMix

8:00am - 12:30pm Hands-on Barista Training Workshop

8:15am-11:15am Gelato Training Workshop

8:30am-11:00am Roasting Basics Workshop

9:00am-11:00am Hands-on Smoothie Workshop

10:00am-12:00pm Summa Coffee Academy’s Math for Roasters

12:15pm - 1:45pm Coffee Cupping for Retailers and F & B Professionals

12:30pm-2:15pm Hands-On Free Pour Latte Art Workshop

1:00pm-3:00pm Summa Coffee Academy’s Espresso Tuning for Wholesale Roasters

In addition, there will be 1 test scheduled every 20 minutes for Coffee Fest/I.A.S.C. Barista Certification Testing.

Late registration is $30. That’s steep for just one day but it looks like there is still a lot of good stuff going on today so it may be worth your while.

Last night was the The Millrock Latte Art Competition. I’m so bummed about having missed it. The winning entrant was Layla Emily Osberg who crafted a “pristine heart with a thin-layered line” and a “beautiful border.” Osberg walked away with a prize of $5000 which her employer, Blenz Coffee of Vancouver, British Columbia, has promised to double. Not bad for 5 minutes work!

Second place went to Colter Jones of Vancouver, British Columbia, walked away with a cool $1000. Third place went to Justin Teisl of Milwaukee, Wisc. who earned $100 a minute for his entry, taking home $500. Still not bad for 5 minutes work.

Todays competition will challenge six baristas from Washington and Oregon in a competition where they must prepare and serve 12 coffee drinks within a 15 minute time frame. The winner receives an expense-paid trip to the 2008 U.S. Barista Championship in Minneapolis.

Coffee Fest is held four times a year with the fourth location, Hong Kong, new for 2008. The next competition will be held in February in Washington, DC.

Here are a few pictures I found on Flickr. I’d love to see your pictures. If you went and have posted your pictures online, please shoot me a link!

I should ask Gliilan, over at Food History, about the history of coffee!

Coffee, Fest, Art, Latte, Seattle, competition, Barista, training

Over at Earthly Eating this month, Shelly is doing a weeks worth of salmon recipes along with a lot of great tips. Well, what could be more appropriate for Seattle than salmon? Please go check out Shelly’s recipes and here is my favorite salmon recipe from Bon Appétit:

Spicy Salmon with Black Butter

Ingredients:

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced onion
1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 salmon steaks (1 pound) each about 1 inch thick
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Preparation:
In a bowl stir together the black pepper, the paprika, the cayenne, the garlic, the onion, the thyme, the salt, and the oil until the mixture forms a stiff paste. Pat the paste onto both sides of each salmon steak. Heat an oiled ridged grill pan over moderately high heat until it is smoking and in it sauté the salmon for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until it is cooked through. While the salmon is cooking, in a small skillet cook the butter over moderate heat, swirling the skillet, until it is dark brown, but do not let it burn. Transfer the salmon to heated plates and pour the butter over it.

I like to serve this recipe over basmati or jasmine rice.

Pair it up with a good salad and a nice Pinot Noir and you have yourself a perfect meal. Lately I’ve been particularly crazy about fennel salads. The first time I made it I wasn’t too sure I was going to like it so I used a small fennel bulb. It was so good that I was very sorry I’d made that decision! Try this delicious fennel slaw from the Food Network:

Fennel Slaw:

1 lemon, juiced (about 2 tablespoons)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon lemon zest (preferably organic)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 large fennel bulbs
Black sesame seeds, for garnish

Place lemon juice in a bowl and whisk in olive oil to create an emulsion. Add honey, zest, salt and pepper and whisk until combined; set aside.

Slice fennel very thinly with a mandolin. Combine fennel and dressing and set aside until ready to serve. Re-season with salt and pepper, to taste, and sprinkle with black sesame.

recipes, salmon, spicy, black butter, fennel, slaw, dinner

What: 28th Seattle International Comedy Competition
When: 11/9: 8:30 p.m.
Where: Admiral Theater, 2343 California Ave. S.W.
$$$: $15-$30
The Seattle International StandUp Comedy Competition is a touring comedy festival-slash-elimination contest, now in its 28th year. Hundreds of comedians audition each year to compete; only thirty-two are chosen to compete. A number of invitations have already been extended, and comics from Chicago, Alabama, and Canada will be participating, as well as performers from Seattle’s hot comedy scene.

What: Arts Gumbo: Japan
When: Saturday, 10 November, 5pm
Where: Rainier Valley Cultural Center
$$$: Adults $8, Children & Seniors $5
Arts Gumbo, a cultural art series that showcases the sights, sounds, and flavors of different world cultures, features a performance by drumming group One World Taiko. The group also leads a workshop in Taiko drum techniques and movements. Bento box dinners are provided by Hana Restaurant. Purchase tickets at the door or in advance by phone.

What: Crown Hill Arts Festival
When: Saturday, 10 November, 10am-9:30pm
Where: 9250 14th Avenue NW, Seattle
$$$: Free (Child care is available from 6pm to 9:30pm)
Kids’ activities at the annual Crown Hill Arts Festival include yoga and Irish dance classes, a book giveaway, story time, and face painting. Families can also enjoy an art walk, chair massages, and live performances, including belly dancing, folk music, Irish dance, flamenco, and ballet. for adults who would like to visit the beer garden. Call to register in advance for child care.

What: Diwali, The Festival of Lights
When: Saturday, 10 November, 4pm-10pm
Where: Eckstein Middle Schoole, 3003 NE 75th Street
$$$: $10/ person; $30/ family
The India Association of Western Washington celebrates Diwali, India’s most popular festival, with a program representing the rich cultural diversity of India.

What: Kilt and Mini Bash
When: Nov 10, 2007 at 08:00 PM running 4 hour(s)
Where: Nectar Lounge, 412 N. 36th St. in Fremont
$$$: $40
The Kilt & Mini is a Celtic celebration. Everyone is required to wear either a kilt or mini skirt (you can wear either one, regardless of your gender). Music and contests!

What: 22nd Annual Kent Downtown Holiday Open House
When:
Friday, November 9: 4 to 8 p.m. - Wine & Chocolate Night
Saturday, November 10: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Sunday, November 11: 12 - 5 p.m.”
Where: Downtown Kent
$$$: Free!
“Come join the festivities in Kent’s Historic District. Merchants and restaurants on First Avenue and Meeker St. will be decorated for the holidays and open extended hours. Guests will be treated to light refreshments and music! Support your local merchants and shop locally. Enjoy the unique sights, sounds and flavors of Downtown Kent!

What: One Hot Night - Pratt Fine Arts Center’s Open House
When: Nov 10, 2007 at 06:00 PM running 3 hour(s)
Where: Pratt Fine Arts Center, 1902 South Main
$$$: Free Admission – Free Parking – Everyone Welcome
“Experience Pratt Fine Arts Center! Watch artists pour bronze, make prints, blow glass, forge steel and more. Learn about art classes, workshops and scholarships. Tours, food, entertainment and a no-host bar.”

For you DIY’ers, check out the free natural yard care workshops going on in Renton.

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It was an ugly weekend for Washington, news wise. Weldon Marc Gilbert, a millionaire pilot, was arrested in Atlanta, charged with raping and torturing at least 20 young boys at his upscale home on Lake Tapps.

He gave them alcohol. We don’t know if there’s drugs involved,” said Troyer. “He had rooms specifically designated for this. He was an intelligent man. He was a wealthy man. He put all of those things together, and he was able to do what he needed to do to get what he wanted.”

They also found videotapes of the abuse. It’s no wonder that parents are afraid to let their kids out of the house these days. While crimes against children continue to decrease just reading about people like Gilbert make you want to lock your kids up and never left them out of the house. You can’t even safely send them to church.

From child abuse to animal abuse, next up over the weekend was the shooting and abandonment of two ponies near a North Bend public riding trail.

“One was found face down away from the other one,” she said. “Their manes and tails were not in good condition and they only had shoes on some feet. … Somebody probably knows something and we hope they come forward.”

Apparently someone did know something and they did come forward. The owner stating that “friends” euthanized the horses. The ponies were shot in the head, which may turn out to be a legal way to euthanize animals. Dumping the bodies on public property, not so legal.

It seems they weren’t faring a lot better down in Oregon over the weekend where a teenager was arrested for beating a 71-year old man with a baseball bat. The teen is believed to be a gang member and a mere 15 years old. If convicted he may find himself in jail until he’s 71. The elderly man is lucky to be alive. He’s reported to be in fair but stable condition. The teenager has been charged with assault, attempted murder and criminal mischief. The last charge was because he was reported spray-painting graffiti at a MAX stop, police said.

Makes you want to go back to bed, doesn’t it?

Send me your happy stories. I think we’ve had enough bad ones. Let’s go look at cute kitty pictures instead!

rape, Washington, Weldon Marc Gilbert, pilot, Lake Tapps, torture, ponies, dumping, North Bend, trail, Oregon, 71, man, baseball bat, teenager, child abuse, animal abuse, church, pastor, sexual abuse, weekend, news

A while back I wrote about my friend, Scott Meyer, an up and coming cartoonist from Washington, who was “discovered” by Scott Adams of Dilbert fame. Scott Adams refers to the experiment as, “my ongoing reality series on cartoonist Scott Meyer”. In the experiment, SA has been helping SM to refine his comic to make it more marketable to newspapers. This has involved turning SM’s work into a more traditional newspaper strip style. Fans are still on the fence as to which style they prefer but whether SM sticks with his current style or switches to the strip style I’m sure that his interaction with Scott Adams has and will continue to pay off in both experience and exposure.

I’m both pleased and proud to inform you that Scott’s (Meyer) cartoon, Basic Instruction, has been nominated for the The 2007 Weblog Awards for Best Comic. Scott is in great company with the likes of Penny Arcade, xkcd, PvP Online and several other well-loved internet cartoon strips.

Please take a moment and vote for Scott and Basic Instruction as the 2007 Best Comic Strip!

I looked away for the briefest of moments and October was gone; the year following quickly in its footsteps. I should gotten more cleaning done today. The family is arriving en masse tomorrow to do the annual Komen walk with me. While I am looking forward to seeing them I spend days before their arrival doing the massive house cleaning. It’s at times like this that I seriously regret having a 4000+ house.

Part of the reason it takes me so long to clean is because although I’m perfectly able to live in a clutter filled messy house, once I begin the cleaning process, I’m positively anal about it. I can spend an entire day on one room and sometimes not even manage to finish. I’ve actually spent several days on the kitchen alone and I haven’t even done the done the floor yet. Well, ok, I vacuumed it. Probably twice and likely I’ll vacuum it again before I steam it clean with my Enviro Steamer. I love my Enviro Steamer. It requires no cleaning products, just water and my floors look great when I’m done. I’d say it’s pretty environmentally friendly.

Kitchens, like laundry, are never-ending. You get it all nice and pristine and then you make the next meal and presto, it’s dirty again, and you have to start all over. Yesterday, I cleaned the windowsills and the windows. I cleaned all the glass in the china hutch which led to washing the knickknacks which led to my wishing I owned less shite. I washed down all the counter tops as well. Today I cleaned the baseboards, washed down the cabinets, re-washed the counter tops, vacuumed the fan blades, lighting fixtures and walls and cleaned the stove. Chip, bless his heart, cleaned the refrigerator. Cleaning the refrigerator and tossing all the leftovers that seem to accumulate is a must when my family comes to town because cooking for 10+ people tends to lead to even more leftovers and space becomes a premium. I put clean linens on the guest beds as well.

I escaped the house for a few hours and ran to Costco for a few supplies and stopped in at a sale being held by a member of my cake decorating club. A club member lost her store due to flooding several months ago and since she didn’t have insurance she went out of business. The sale was everything that was salvaged from the flood. There were some major bargains and I managed to spend a good $60 but I got some great buys. Now I will have to figure out where to put even more cake stuff. Like I don’t have enough already.

Tomorrow morning I get up at the crack of dawn to work out with my running group. Then I need to high-tail it home to finish cleaning at a decidedly faster pace because the family will likely start to arrive by 1pm at the latest.

I hope that you, dear readers, will be taking advantage of some of the fun things going on this weekend!

Next week I shall begin the post family visit cleaning and initiate crazy holiday cleaning. Oh yeah, and as if that’s not enough, I have two cakes to do. One wedding reception cake, though it should be easier than normal because the bride wants a pineapple upside down cake and not a traditional wedding cake, and one sweet 16 cake.

I have a feeling that November is going to slip by even faster than October did.

Lately I’ve been trying to live a little “greener”. I’ve stopped leaving the water running while I brush my teeth. I turn off lights when I leave rooms. I’m using more vinegar and baking soda, though not together, as cleaning agents. I’ve always been a big bleach fan but cleaning my baseboards fanatically with bleach and lime-away is, according to my youngest brother, eating away at my brain cells. I’m not so sure about that part but I do know that it makes me light-headed and nauseated. In light of that I cleaned my windows yesterday with vinegar, water and a dash of dish soap.

I read online that using vinegar and water on your windows is usually the first foray people make into organic cleaning and that most often they find it disappointing. Their windows end up streaked and that generally ends the experiment. The problem, it seems, is the commercial products used prior to the vinegar and water. Commercial products contain wax and it’s the wax build-up that causes the streaking. It takes a few cleanings before that problem goes away so don’t give up!

On a more fun note, I’ve been making my own microwave popcorn. It’s super easy and much tastier than store-bought popcorn. Just take a good old-fashioned paper sandwich bag, add in 2oz of popcorn and 2 teaspoons of fat. Alton Brown uses olive oil and chili powder but I like plain old butter and salt so I used a teaspoon of olive oil, a pat of butter and salt. Fold the bag over about an inch, twice, and staple or tape closed. Microwave on high or your microwave’s popcorn setting for about 2 minutes or until no more popping occurs for 5 seconds. Voila! Open the bag carefully and pour into a bowl.

Enjoy!

Another great thing I do is to grow my own organic herbs. You can, too. Find out how over at Globally Green Living.

Green, Environment, Friendly, Cleaning, Popcorn