November 2012

Seattle's New Designer Marketplace is Online

Seattle’s New Designer Marketplace is Online

Though not their official job title—that would be co-owner—Hana Ryan Wilson and Jason Parker of Craft & Culture (craftandculture.com) could very well slap “liaison” onto their business cards: The duo created their e-shop last January expressly to connect top-tier designer talent to the masses (Etsy.com on steroids, if you will). “We noticed an entire class…

Unapologetic Edge from Stone Crow Designs

Unapologetic Edge from Stone Crow Designs

This local women’s wear line mixes the drama of Alexander McQueen with the edginess of Rick Owens.

For any style maven who’s tried to make Blackbird boutique’s edgy, urban menswear work for her, Belltown-based designer Jennifer Charkow is a godsend. Her new Stone Crow Designs women’s wear line combines the drama of Alexander McQueen with the showstopping edginess of Rick Owens. “I want to take the avant-garde or over-the-top and make it…

Defending Your Right to Goat

Defending Your Right to Goat

Why this local activist formed the Goat Justice League to help legalize urban goat ownership.

“They like to nuzzle.” “They are more dog-like than cat-like.” “They eat anything made of plant material.” “They are superspeedy compost machines.” Jennie Grant, 47, is talking about dairy goats, a species she has welcomed into her Madrona backyard since 2006. The Marin County native and stay-at-home mother says she has always been an “animal…

KoalaKin Hands-free Nursing Pouch

KoalaKin Hands-free Nursing Pouch

A former Microsoft employee offers hands-free help to new moms.

There are lots of options for moms who want to tote their tinies close to their bodies, but how many allow you to secretly nurse your baby, too? Kirkland mom and former Microsoftie Vivian Muehlen designed the KoalaKin hands-free nursing pouch after struggling with arm, neck and shoulder pain while nursing her two boys. The…

New Kid Food Options at Seattle Center's Armory

New Kid Food Options at Seattle Center’s Armory

Kids will love the kid-sized counter and playful treats from Bean Sprouts Cafe.

Say goodbye to the hot dog on a stick! Food options for kids at Seattle Center’s former Center House—now called the Armory—have taken a turn for the healthy. The recently opened Seattle branch of the Wisconsin-based Bean Sprouts Café & Cooking School offers pint-size foodies the chance to order off an adorable menu, full of…

Bladfold: Seattle's New 'Cult Classic' Film

Bladfold: Seattle’s New ‘Cult Classic’ Film

A new short film reveals the Northwest leader of a controversial 1970s religious sect.

You may not know much about Brad Nixon, but neither did his son, local musician (in bands “Awesome” and The Half Brothers) David Nixon. On the brink of becoming a father himself, the younger Nixon began to search for details about his deceased father—a charismatic presence who went from being the president of the college…

Seltzerman to the Rescue!

Seltzerman to the Rescue!

Seattle’s Web Crowell satisfies the city’s thirst for seltzer and sustainability.

Anyone who thinks spin classes are a killer workout should try Web Crowell’s regimen: Every Sunday and Monday, rain or shine, the Capitol Hill resident puts roughly three hundred pounds of homemade bottled seltzer water on the back of his bike and delivers it to Seattleites who enjoy a bit of the bubbly. A stop-motion…

Questions for Brandi Carlile

Questions for Brandi Carlile

A Northwest country star returns to the Seattle Symphony with a new album in tow.

Seattle magazine: Your new album, Bear Creek, is named after the Woodinville studio where you recorded it—which has also recorded such bands as Foo Fighters, Built to Spill and Fleet Foxes. How did the setting affect the composition of the record? BC: The surroundings at Bear Creek are super-rustic and mystical. The creek itself is…

Beach Combing and Wine Tasting Across the Olympic Peninsula

Beach Combing and Wine Tasting Across the Olympic Peninsula

Enjoy miles of beach walking at the Dungeness Spit after visiting wineries across the peninsula.

WHERE: The Olympic Peninsula. WHY: For the Harvest Winery Tour (11/10–11/11. $30. Multiple locations; 800.785.5495; olympicpeninsulawineries.org), during which eight wineries between Port Angeles and Port Townsend open for tastings and harvest-inspired edibles. Try Eaglemount’s hard ciders, made from the fruit of its 1883 heirloom apple orchard in Port Townsend or Black Diamond’s red and white…

Bellevue Art Museum Features Nikki McClure’s Cut-Paper Art

Bellevue Art Museum Features Nikki McClure’s Cut-Paper Art

The Olympia-based artist elevates the daily to divine in her deceptively simple designs.

If you live in the Northwest, you’ve likely seen Nikki McClure’s bold black-and-white scenes on calendars, cards and journals. Born in Kirkland, the Olympia-based artist uses an X-acto knife to cut each intricate, evocative image out of a single sheet of paper. The resulting artwork is deceptively simple, depicting the mundane moments that make up…