The Moisture Festival will present comedy/varietè/burlesque performances featuring the best in local, national, and international artists at these venues across the Seattle area including Hales Palladium, the Broadway Performance Hall and Siff Cinema at the Uptown.  Stay tuned for additional venues as we confirm them.

Look out for aerialists, jugglers, comedians, dancers, rope acts, bubble acts, clowns, acrobats, can can girls, strong women, strong men, tap dancers, drill teams, musical numbers, the weird and the wonderful all keeping the tradition of comedy/varietè/vaudeville alive.

Check out the full calendar of events here.

The troop has come to realize that it is impossible to define “family friendly” since it depends entirely on the particular family, but there is a way to gauge which show is right for you and your family and friends.

• 3:00pm shows: Ideal for children of all ages
• 7:30pm shows: Geared for all ages, but not guarantee to meet everyone’s expectations of “family friendly”10:30pm & Burlesque shows: 18 years and older with a more adult orientation

It’s that time of year again! Time to get your drink on in support of the fight against multiple sclerosis. The 8th Annual MS Pub Crawl is from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. (or later depending on your booze endurance) this Saturday, March 9th in Ballard. This event, organized by my good friend and fundraising guru, Molly Johnston, has raised over $55,000 in support of research and programs working to find a cure for M.S. and help families currently dealing with the disease.

This crawl is no joke. All the money raised goes directly to the National MS Society, and all the participants know how to party. For realz, yo. We be drinking. Not sure where the thug life grammar came from, but it felt good.

Thirty dollars gets you in, with a t-shirt and drink specials at every bar on the crawl list. Below is the list of participating bars, and a link to register. Come join me and the approximately 300 other awesome people who will be in attendance. You can think of it as training for St. Patrick’s Day drinking with the added bonus of doing good for the community. Who can say no to that? Bad people, that’s who. (Just kidding, you’re all wonderful, no matter if you attend or not. Xoxo… but you should probably come.)

BAR LOCATIONS, Drink Specials valid from 3-10pm
Kings Hardware @ 3pm to get your t-shirt
The Loft
Hattie’s Hat
BalMar – 6:30pm for RAFFLE TIME!
Azteca (nachos anyone?)
Market Arms
*reminder – as soon as you check in, you can head to any bar on the list!

Instructions to register:

Click link below

Select “Other amount meaningful to you” and write in $30 (or if you’d like to donate more that the minimum, select any other option)

Include t-shirt size in personal note section

Fill out rest of form and submit

Click here to register for the MS Pub Crawl >>

Bathtub Gin & Co. is a must-visit bar tucked away in Gin Alley adjacent to La Fontana (also highly recommend  and the parking lot next to Amber in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood.

A recent visit to the small, quaint but upscale feeling bar sold me on its vision to create wonderful drinks with a creative flair but with the ambiance of 1920′s. Including a hand-printed personalized “receipt” adorned with small drawings and the establishment’s emblem.

The owner turned the small, dark two-story nook into the least expected Seattle hot spot, an entry line forms nearly each weekend down the alley for a chance at more than 50 different varieties of both gin and whiskey.

You won’t find much information on the website about how to get to this place, but look for the small silver plaque on the brick alley wall between 1st & 2nd off of Blanchard Street.

Bathtub Gin & Co

Taste of Thanksgiving meal

Okay, so I know Halloween just happened and everyone is wrapped up in the election, but I’m hoping you can take just a few minutes to think about food. Thanksgiving food to be exact. The big day is only two-ish weeks away, you know. However, if you love Thanksgiving food as much as I do and want to do a little recon before finalizing the menu, boy oh boy, do I have the event for you. This Thursday, November 8th at any local Whole Foods Market, the Taste of Thanksgiving event will be open to the public for only $5 per person. I know, I know. It sounds to good to be true. Five dollars (benefiting Solid Ground, an organization working to end poverty) gets you access to tastings of all your Thanksgiving favorites AND a mini swag-bag. For realsies. No joke. Totes serious.

The lovely people of Whole Foods invited me to a preview last week, and I can promise you will leave the Taste of Thanksgiving with a belly full of deliciousness.  Of course, The Big Seven will be present: turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, stuffing, pumpkin pie, gravy and cranberry sauce. But I found it really neat that Whole Foods also presented vegetarian and vegan alternatives, as well as a smattering of other sides we could add to the evening. I’ve listed a few below. No matter what else you have planned for this week, make sure to head to any of the local Whole Foods Markets this Thursday to get your grub on. Gobble, gobble!

(more…)

Yes, I live in Ballard (well, Fre-lard anyway) and yes, I talk about it a lot. I can’t help it – it’s just a nice place to live right now.

MyBallard.com (hat tip!) posted about a fun new event in Ballard designed to help all of the new neighbors mingle and meet, called Ballard Social! The inaugural event was held last month at Portalis, and this month it’s being held at Bastille’s Back Bar.

According to the website, “Ballard Social is a monthly event created to bring those who live and work in Ballard together. In the last few years, so many new apartments, condos, townhouses and homes have gone up bringing an influx of new residents to Ballard. Ballard Social is a cocktail party where these residents can meet and get to know each other as neighbors.”

I love this idea. Being from Montana originally, I grew up knowing all of my neighbors. It’s one of the main things I miss about Seattle. To combat this, I’ve organized my block’s Night Out Seattle as well as progressive dinners for my closest neighbors. I feel its super important to know and be able to rely on the people who live near you.

That said, if you’re in Ballard tonight, come check out the event at Bastille’s Back Bar at 7pm. Who knows, you may just run into two of your favorite Belles – myself and Kara. See you there!

According to an email I received yesterday from All Star Pop Culture – which is hosted in Jillian’s Billiards on Westlake – Jillian’s will be undergoing a new makeover. Along with a remodel of the entire club and a new food menu, it will also get a new name: World Sports Grille. Phase one of the remodel includes creating more dining space in the downstairs billiards area, as well as converting the bar into a double-sided “horseshoe” bar.

For those of you who recognize that name, it’s part of a popular chain associated with GameWorks. I didn’t see anything about this change on either company’s website, and no word if the arcade portion of Jillian’s will become a GameWorks as well. This area has seen a lot of change over the past couple years. As anyone who has driven by knows, the traffic has been completely revised on both side of Jillian’s. Additionally, the Outback Steakhouse left and become Trago (where I have not been yet, is it any good?).

If you want to learn more, you can come check it out on Thursday nights during All Star Pop Culture! It’s a league format, pop culture trivia night that is tons of fun. Myself and several of the Belles have been going for more than 5 years now, and it’s a regular part of our weekly routing. Come check it out and see if you can beat us!

Love the restaurant Tango?

Check out it’s sibling Rumba Rhum & Food, Seattle’s first rum bar located at 1112 Pike Street, on Capitol Hill right next door to Tango. It’s official opening took place just last week and already the rave reviews are flowing in. The new restaurant pairs rum-forward drinks such as daiquiris with Central/South American and Caribbean dishes such as empanadas, ceviche, and tacos. The decor and vibe feature old Havana details like leaf-shaped ceiling fans and amber wood shelves stocked with vintage accessories. Hard-to-find rum (Agricole, El Dorado, Lemonhart 151) is generously poured at the curved, bilevel bar.

You may enjoy a variety of tasty treats in cluding haved-ice daiquiris, fresh mojitos, baked empanadas (chicken, chorizo, vegetarian), Jamaican jerk pork shank with pineapple slaw, and smoked chicken wings in hibiscus marinade.

According to these folks, “Rumba is proud to have a crew of expert bartenders who have a passion for rum and have honed their craft at some of the top spots in Seattle. Rumba offers an wide array of island drinks including libations of Prohibition-era Havana, Tiki cocktails, Punches and Caribbean island classics. Rumba’s 12 foot arched, back-lit bar also holds over 200 rum selections for those looking for the pure rum sipping experience.

Sounds like it’s time for a cocktail!

I now pronounce… wedding season over? Not quite, because another one of my gorgeous girlfriends is tying the knot in October, but peak wedding season has now come to a close, or at least I think it has. And to be honest, I’m not mad about it. I’m ready to enjoy a weekend without a commitment to buy a gift, refashion a dress, attempt to put on eyeliner (I can style up just about anyone, but makeup really isn’t my area of expertise and the cosmetic floor at Nordstrom frightens me – its weird, I know, but we all have our things, right?) and consume alcoholics beverages that aren’t clear.

Pre-rehearsal dinner shenanigans in Pemberton, BC. On me: H&M top, Forever 21 skirt, Jcrew necklace, Michael Kors watch, YSL shoes

Let’s get one thing straight: I am NOT knocking weddings, I love them! Who doesn’t enjoy celebrating love, free food and libations then burning off all those calories shaking it like a saltshaker on the dance floor? Because I do (no pun intended). But a wedding isn’t just a wedding – first there’s the engagement party (gift required), then the bridal shower (gift required), possibly even an additional couples bridal shower (gift required), the bachelorette party (gift required) and if you’re lucky enough to be in the wedding party, there’s the rehearsal dinner (no official gift required) and finally – drum roll please – the wedding (gift required). There goes that trip to Hawaii you were saving for or that Chanel handbag you’ve been coveting. Oh, and start saving for the inevitable arrival of a bundle of joy or two, because “first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby in the baby carriage” which means there’s plenty more gift required festivities coming your way…

Besides starting some sort of Roth IRA for friends’ weddings and babies, you also need to dress the part. This is where you get to shine, without taking too much attention from the bride-to-be, and put all those party dresses to use! Here are a few tips for surviving these foreseeable future functions in style:

DON’T – wear white. Seriously, this rule forever applies. And don’t even think about cream, blush or lighter shades of taupe.

DO – invest in a solid versatile dress in a flattering shape that you can mix up by cinching with a belt, adding a chunky necklace or layering with a sheer blouse.

DON’T – forget to pack a pair of flats, especially if you’re not a skilled heel-wearer. Being barefoot on the dance floor is not chic.

DO – give gift cards. Registry’s are confusing and everyone loves picking out their own gifts, so let them.

DON”T – skimp on the card. Papyrus saves lives.

DO – alternate all alcoholic beverages with a glass of water. Hangovers are about as chic as barefoot dancing. Not classy.

Now that you’re equipped with all the sound advice you need to survive a wedding and all of its accoutrements, the same rules apply to parties and life in general. You’re welcome.

Stay tuned and stay stylish.

Completing a wine tour via bicycle always sounded dangerous to me. By the end, there is nothing separating you from the pavement except a slim, two-wheeled contraption that requires balance to keep up right. And as we all know, superb balance is not a trait often claimed by those completing a wine tour. Touring around in a limo sounds nice in theory. In fact, I almost booked a limo wine tour for my best friend’s bachelorette in Chelan. But boy, am I glad I didn’t. Limos are expensive and the tinted windows and random amenities would have distracted us from the gorgeous scenery. Besides, why would we tour around in a fancy schmancy limo when we could be rolling around in one of THESE:

The bachelorette, her ladies and their Pinzgauer.

A Pinzgauer!! A big, old, rough and tumble military truck. I just have to tell you, we had the best time. The truck fit nine of us perfectly, the wind blew through our hair (some more than others, can anyone tell me what is happening with my hair in this photo, see the girl in stripes down in front, very unfortunate) and through the windows we were able to take in all the gorgeous views of Chelan. A wonderful gentleman by the name of Mike was our tour guide. He took us around from winery to winery, suggesting some that weren’t on our list, calling ahead to make sure each had room for us, coaxing the Pinzgauer up the big valley hills – he was fabulous. There was no rush, no pretense — just good wine and good fun. And did I mention how affordable it is? For a four-hour tour in one truck seating nine people, the cost came out to just around $30 per person. I could honestly go on for days about how much we had and what wonderful hosts Mike and the rest of the Chelan Valley Tours team were, but instead, I think you should book a tour for yourself. I guarantee you will have a good time. Best way to wine test, in my humble, but very adamant opinion.

Learn more here!

Chelan Valley Wine Tours

www.chelanvalleywinetours.com

And if you see Mike, tell him Shannon, Marianne, Anna G, Anna C, Molly, Dani, Hope, Payton and Katie say hello!

A few weeks ago I found myself on sort of a personal walking tour of downtown Seattle restaurants featuring beverages made with spirits from local distilleries – hitting some local hot spots that I’ve heard about and seen but never ventured in.

I bellied up to a delightful outdoor patio table at Local 360 (corner of 1st & Bell Street) for beverage No. 3 of the evening. While I was impressed with the variety of flavors and mixes available to me what impressed me more was the concept behind the entire establishment.

Local 360 is a sustainable restaurant featuring nearly all raw ingredients that you can find humanely grown within 360 miles radius of Seattle. About 90 percent of all its raw ingredients - produce, meat, diary, seafood and grains are grown from local farms. Lemons, Limes, Coffee and few other items that just don’t grow in Cascadia (anytime of the year) are sourced Certified Organic from the closest place possible. And the beverage I had, certainly featured spirits from local craft distilleries, who use local ingredients and sustainable methods.

Read more on sustainability and Local 360′s sourcing guidelines here. 

Local 360 Café and Bar opens for lunch at 11 AM. Happy hour starts at 3 PM with dinner service starting at 4 PM. Brunch is served on the weekends starting at 8 AM. The chefs specialize modern American comfort food.