To shop, or not to shop, that is the question...

Wanted: Rock star BDDirector with online exp @Razorfish http://jobs-aarf.icims.com/jobs/4994/job. Ok, there is my plug for our fabulous team...It's February, and in case you've missed it, the economy is in an uproar. We are constantly bombarded with an influx of bad news (more layoffs, businesses closing, foreclosures, homelessness increasing). So what's a shopinista to do? Have been doing a lot of thinking about this as a number of much loved local businesses and restaurants have shuttered their doors recently, and although I'm not advocating spend like there's no tomorrow, I do believe that there will be a tomorrow, and we will come through this even stronger than ever. Maybe with less stuff, but in the end, you can't take it with you - so make sure that what you spend your hard earned money on brings you joy - through postitive, lasting memories, not just something that gives you a quick jolt of pleasure and then is outdated.

In that vein, I've decided to take up this blog again and plug those places that consistently provide me with the former. First on my list would have to be Polite Society - http://www.shoppolitesociety.com/ciety.com/. Located in downtown Seattle, right up the from Pike Place Market (and across the street from La Pichet - yummy French bistro), Eric Akines, the owner, Ben, Anna, and the rest of the team consistently deliver high end, eclectic designers for women, as well as some pretty nifty antiques and home furnishings. Prices are on the high end, sales are incredible, and the pieces I've purchased here are CONSISTENTLY the one's I recieve the most compliments on - they are pieces that anchor my wardrobe, and make me smile when I wear them. Whenever I need some retail therapy, I'll just pop into Polite Society - even if it's just to look. It is a beautifully laid out, welcoming space, and the folks there are TERRIFIC. Polite Society makes me feel pretty, and for a girl, in good times and in bad, that is a very good thing.

Ode to shopping

I am starting this blog based primarily on my shopping and restaurant excursions in and around Seattle. To whit, the good, the bad, and the in-between. In my experience, mediocrity often rises to the top, and the crème de la crème is far too often skimmed off before it can be truly appreciated. There are many great places to shop and dine in this area, and it is not simply the quality of goods and foods, but rather the service that will make a place exceptional (both exceptionally bad, and exceptionally good). To dine and to shop is to have an experience - something to be savored mentally long after the item purchased has been used, or the cuisine consumed digested. What makes us who we are - what sets us uniquely apart from the other humans on this planet is our memories - each individuals memory intrinsically different from those surrounding us. My memories or experiences may be vastly different at the places I intend to blog about - if you have had a different experience, do tell. We often like to pat ourselves on the back for celebrating diversity, but do we, really? Diversity of thought is of paramount importance, not simply diversity of race, color, or creed.



So join me as a take a trip down memory lane - and hold onto your seats, it is occasionally, a bumpy ride.