I always told myself that one day I'd have a home complete with a Belle library. As in, the one Beast gave Belle in Beauty and the Beast:
While my dream isn't a reality just yet, I've found a perfect prototype in Karl Lagerfeld's library/studio:
Oh my God. I can't. This is the most amazing room I've ever seen in my life.
I would never leave it!
Are you giving tours, Mr. Lagerfeld? Eh? :)
Lagerfeld images via The Selby
Inspired by The New York Times' recent coverage of Seattle's food scene, I'm now sharing my food adventures on FreshJess. I'm not really sure why I never blogged about food before. I sure love to eat and I take tons of meal pics on my phone. However, I don't consider myself a foodie and highly respect those who devote their blogs to food, like my friend Frank (Going for Seconds.) What you'll get from me is perspectives on some great Seattle establishments and savory experiences with amazing people. Hope you enjoy!
Last month, I took my boyfriend to Madison Park Conservatory for his birthday dinner. He and I have been fans of Brian and Cormac since their Tako Truk days on Eastlake in the summer of 2009. We were totally heartbroken when the Truk closed after the season, so it was a delight to hear they were opening the Conservatory in the heart of the Madison Park neighborhood. MPC is decidedly different from Tako Truk of course, but every bit as wonderful. The menu is based on local & seasonal fare, changing often. The ambience is simple but perfect for anything from a birthday dinner date for two to a rousing feast with a big group of friends. Here are a few pics from our meal, which included salmon, sliders and pork chops:
I'm happy to report that Tako Truk lives on at MPC, at least for summer Sundays! You must get down there immediately in the name of coco piggy, tako (Japanese for "octopus") and sweet potato + lentil tacos, and their signature "green drink." 4:00 - 8:00 p.m.
I love & appreciate vintage clothes but always had a really hard time shopping for it. Part of it is due to time & energy, but most of all, I just didn't know where to look and what to look for in quality vintage gems. Over the past two years, vintage has taken over my wardrobe thanks to my dear friend Dana, owner of Sustalux.
Basically, Dana's got many girls' dream job. She scours estate and garage sales, thrift stores, consignment shops & more for stunning vintage clothing, accessories, jewelry and furniture. She sends her finds off to photo shoots for Vogue, Travel + Leisure, Louis Vuitton, Anthropologie and the like. I've introduced many of my stylish friends who are now Sustalux regulars as well!
Dana invited me to her studio to play around in her massive closet during our very first conversation. Since then, she has literally added a whole new dimension to my style. While I spend much of my time in comfortable casual wear like Obey, RVCA, Lifetime Collective and H&M, Dana has added a lot of elegance and abstract fun to my wardrobe. Here are a few of my latest pieces from her:
Fringe fab!
Channeling Joan Holloway
Such a unique, fun striped skirt
Happy Independence Day everyone!
And happy birthday to my angel baby Meatball. We miss you more than words could ever express <3
After reading People's Revolution founder Kelly Cutrone's "If You Have to Cry, Go Outside," I was hooked and inspired by Kelly's no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is style. I'd been anticipating her next book ever since, and was delighted I only had to wait for about a year for another read full of Kelly's words of wisdom.
In "Normal Gets You Nowhere," Kelly takes readers beyond the PR world and shares her thoughts on much deeper, personal topics. Sex, religion, family, friendships, holidays, relationships - you name it, Kelly shares her opinion on it in this book. All of this translates into real, honest advice for ladies like me. Kelly really strives to instill positive, confident thinking for women who strive for personal and professional success. If anything, she encourages us to break the mold of conventional beliefs and intelligently decide what's important in our lives.
Just like with the many power girls I like to cover on Fresh Jess, I draw inspiration from Kelly's fearlessness, confidence and will. She tells her story from a truly honest vantage point of wanting to help women succeed in business and life. This book must be like mentoring the masses to her! I appreciated learning many of her stalwart beliefs, shaped through years of experiences. I hesitate to use the words 'success' and 'failure' when summing up her storytelling style, because every experience she's had has taught her valuable lessons about who she is.
I only wish us ladies had more power figures like Kelly to learn from!
Check out her trailer below (she's unorthodox in every way, shape and thought - even in marketing her book!)
I'm not your regular. Soon after I graduated from college, I started my job as part of the great events team at the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce. I had the supreme honor of working with the literary legend Kim Ricketts, through whom we were able to bring acclaimed authors like Malcolm Gladwell, Bill Gates Sr., Madeleine Albright, Chris Brogan, Daniel Goleman and more to share business acumen and general life wisdom with our members. Through my time at the Chamber, I'd accumulated a personal library dominated by biographies and non-fiction, mostly business & marketing-related books. This trend continues to this day. I'm more fascinated by the stories of trials and success by real people than I am with fiction works.* Powerhouse entrepreness Melody Biringer is no different.
Melody is the founder and face of The CRAVE Company based here in Seattle. She's behind the famous CRAVE parties, CRAVE city guides and events in over 25 cities around the world. A self-described "startup junkie", CRAVE is actually her twentieth business! In her new book, CRAVING SUCCESS: a startup junkie's path from passion to profits, Melody takes us through a lifetime of valuable lessons from those twenty businesses. Each chapter is neatly wrapped with "Uh-Ohs" and "Ahas", summarizing Melody's successes and learned lessons.
Passing the time along at UW graduation :)
I've been a fan of CRAVE long before I could even attend the parties, and had the pleasure of working with Melody last year on CRAVE Seattle. Something I really admire about her is her raw honesty. Driven by her passion of helping women entrepreneurs find success, she will often ask the kinds of questions you know you need to hear but either don't want to or don't know how to answer just yet. The kinds of questions that need to be answered. Though I'd heard many of the stories in CRAVING SUCCESS, I was excited to read through and absorb it. You can tell that Melody poured her heart out into this book, and into each of the lightbulbs that went off in her mind to eventually become a full-blown business. I definitely recommend adding this to your summer reading list!
Find CRAVING SUCCESS on Amazon.
*This rule does not apply to Roman & Greek literature nor the Harry Potter & Twilight series :)
Seattle weather is absolutely, ridiculously bi-polar. Exhibit A: This particular day started out beautifully sunny and warm. So I work out, run my errands then make my way over to the BadWill monthly flea market at HG Lodge. I shop through fun booths with my friends, pick up some sweet vintage finds & say hi to my favorite boutique, Moksha:
Then I enjoy an afternoon treat at (new to Seattle) YogurtLand, one of my current obsessions:
H&M neon orange tee
f21 high-waisted striped shorts (gifted from Clutch 22)
Vintage necklace (Sustalux)
Full-finger ring (Nasty Gal)
Jeweled ring (gifted from AnisaLeyla)
Diamond drop earrings (Moksha)
With my lifetime obsession:
:)
By the time I leave YogurtLand, it's finna downpour! Thank goodness for this sweet $5 find from Midnight Mart Vintage at said BadWill Market:
Raincoat (Midnight Mart Vintage)
Grey TOMS shoes
Vintage shoulder bag (Sustalux)
So I end up walking home looking like a confused beach bunny trapped in a rainstorm.
THANKS SEATTLE WEATHER XO
Last week I had the privilege of attending Seattle Magazine's first Seamless in Seattle fashion show at the Seattle Art Museum, directed by Eduardo Khawam.
Seamless in Seattle is an annual event that features some of the city's up-and-coming designers. Applicants submitted their portfolios to a judging panel of esteemed individuals in the Seattle fashion community, and twelve lucky finalists saw their pieces strut down the runway at SAM. Awards were handed out for Best Emerging Designer, Best Student Designer, Best Bridal Wear & Readers' Choice. The award recipients will receive all kinds of coverage from Seattle Magazine, Seattle Bride and at Fashion First in September.
For a city that isn't normally recognized for its fashion and style, it was really special to see some of Seattle's best and brightest designers in the same room together. One of my favorite elements of the night was sponsor VitaminWater's Color Challenge, where each of the finalists was tasked with designing a piece inspired by a VitaminWater flavor. As you can see in the photos below, each of the designers had their own unique take on the flavor assigned to them. It was fun to see how they took to the challenge with their personal style and personality. Take a look, and check out the designers below:
Set 1: Malia Peoples, Bri Seeley (Readers' Choice) & Caitlyn Petitclerc
Set 2: Banchong Douangphrachanh, Gina Moorhead & Kate Burt (Best Emerging Designer)
Set 3: Emily Riordan-Roache, Angela Allen & Timothy Campbell
Set 4: Kathy Sabin-Mensah, Kristine Hawthorne & Kim McCormick
Congrats everyone for a great show!
Enjoying the show w/my ladies Anisa and local designers Sara Seumae & Cameron Levin (not pictured)
Four Color Zack's The-Dream Live Set from The Baltic Room
Read MoreFor someone whose closet is vomiting clothes, shoes and accessories and who takes a ridiculous amount of pictures with her damn iPhone, I sure do not do enough outfit posts. Shame on my style blogging! Here are a few from my birthday HollyHood last month.
One of my dear friends, Jaymee, made sure I got the royal treatment & dolled me up for my birthday. I'm in a Pencey bandage dress and she's in Badgley Mischka:
Nails done, hurr done, everything did...
My gorgeous friends
Rings x coral Shellac mani
I got a weave from the I BeWeave Hair Salon
Super bummed I didn't get a pic of my shoes from that night, but I copped these sweet wedges from Aldo. I saw them at NYFW in February and had been dreaming about them since!
Mama & me at my 28th birthday at HollyHood! Yeah she came to the club!
My mom is amazing. She has dedicated her life to making sure her children are happy and taken care of. She gives so much to us and asks for little to nothing in return. She is never one to stir the pot, always minding her own business and keeping to herself. Sometimes I think we are so different, but then I remember one of my favorite things she's ever said to me. It was when I was about to leave the house for good, heading to my first year of college. Everybody was telling me what to major in and why. All she said was, "I don't care what you decide to go to school for. Whatever it is, just make sure you don't have to depend on anyone else to make you happy."
I don't think she knows how valuable her words (not just those, but all) have been to me. I've taken that piece of advice far beyond choosing my major and navigating my career. That's a life lesson for me.
I love you so much Mama. Thank you for everything.
She loves this song :)
I know you're shining down on me from heaven my sweet Meatball. I miss you every single day and if I could give up everything to be your mama here on earth again I would in half a heartbeat. My whole soul revolves around you still. I think about you all the time and I hope you are okay, and that you are happy. You live in my heart baby lovebug. You always have and you always will. MOMMY LOVES YOU! <3
iTunes tells me i've listened to this song 1259 times. i ain't lie
<3 <3 <3 SUMMER <3 <3 <3
Last week, Seattle and the literary world lost one of its best and brightest firecrackers. Kim Ricketts founded Kim Ricketts Book Events to put books into people's hands and hearts. Sounds simple, right? There's no way that idea would have flourished without the water that was Kim's visionary ideas, unique approach and completely lovely, open mind and heart.
Image via Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce
I met Kim during my time as events director at the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce. I had the honor of working with her for 4.5 years worth of business-related author events for the Chamber community. Because of her, Chamber members, my team and I were treated to many valuable lessons on life, work, careers, dreams, balance, happiness, success and more. Legends like Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Bill Gates Sr., Cal Ripken Jr. and more came into our lives thanks to Kim. And thanks to some lucky stars, my team and I had the honor of calling Kim not just our business partner, but our dear friend and mentor. I learned so much from Kim and appreciated her no-nonsense, get-'er-done entrepreneurial attitude.
Most people in the city know Kim through her popular Words & Wine and Cooks & Books series, but no matter the setting, Kim had the most uncanny sense of creating the kind of atmosphere that brought people together to meet - then make lasting connections with each other. She touched scores of souls with her light, love and especially her laughter. She is adored by many and will be missed sorely.
Check out the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce, Puget Sound Business Journal, Seattle Times, BlogHer, Seattlest, Seattle Weekly & The Stranger for more on Kim's life and contributions.
Donations can be made in Kim's name to 826 Seattle or The Seattle Public Library.
