My most favorite thing for spring is a crisp white cotton dress shirt. It's clean, classic, and when worn with one simple trendy item of the season it can make any girl look brilliant.

Here are a few of my favorites.



Plymouth Sateen Jacket by Trina Turk @ Lemon Meringue (7720 Greenwood Ave N Seattle, WA 98103), $248.00.



PinTuck Dobby Shirt @ The Gap (Down Town Seattle), $48.00



Priscilla Smock Top, DVF @ Nordstrom (Down Town Seattle @ Pacific Place), $198.00



Wing Shirt by Bailey 44 @ Olivine (5344 Ballard Ave NW Seattle, WA 98107), $195.00

And Baby Makes 7



Dear JT,

You have no idea what you are getting yourself into.

Best of Luck,
Auntie Amanda

As of late, I've been diving head first into music to do my best to understand why our world works in the mysterious ways that it does. This woman's voice leaves me speechless and speckled with the kind of goose bumps you get when you hold the hand of someone who understands you with out knowing your history.


ENJOY

So... what do you do when you've been explaining The Croup and apologizing endlessly for your barking cough and sweaty upper lip from your fever that you can't seem to shake?

Buy a pair of Midnight Blue Rich and Skinny Sleek Denim from Olivine at a severely discounted price.



Rich and Skinny Sleek in Midnight, (on sale) $58.00 @ Olivine (5344 Ballard Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107).

The ladies at Olivine promised me that the girls whom purchased these jeans at the FULL price come in on a regular basis and THANK them profusely for housing the most fantastic pair of denim to ever grace their arses. As soon as I wear them out, I'll let you know if I'm equally as thankful.

Also, after all that (The Croup, the night of feverish dreams, the Midnight Skinny Legged Denim), I highly suggest a walk through the Ballard Market with your BFF, your puppy and a pocket full of giggles. It's the new cure for the common Croup.

Seattle, I think Spring has Sprung and I plan on riding its coattails until summer comes a-knocking.

Hey Seattle, I've got Croup. It's part of the down side to my job. I'm changing lives, but I'm also inhaling germs that are meant for kids who eat things like dirt and boogers. Croup is not meant for anyone over the age of 3. I've got that beat by 24 years.

However afflicted with The Croup, I haven't been held down by erratic coughing and a fever spells. What I have been doing is fulfilling my commitments guarding the rest of the city from my germs with my new spring jacket.

The Pine IV Korusetto Jacket*. I got mine at DREAM, they'll have them at Kuhlmans, and I think there are still a few left on the shelf at HipZypher.

There is a lot to talk about. I've got a new spring theme all planned out, GBNB is out in full force with new volunteer opps, GPH was a raging success and managed to spread the word about GBNB like wild fire, and we've got some amazing denim to discuss. Let's reconvene when the infant germs have left my system.

* I gave up on searching for a photo as my eyes throbbing. sorry.

It's a funny thing the way time and instinct work. JT was born at 911pm, just a little over 7lbs, and 20 inches long.

Can you all feel it? Because I can. Our world just became a bit more lovely.

A pocket full of years ago, if you had asked me what I thought about "things happening for a reason", I would've invited you into my secret garden. I would've led you hand and hand to the very edge, though all the cherry blossoms and swirling baby ferns and climbed atop a barbed wire fence. I would've sat atop the uncomfortable fencline and showed you that I wasn't quite sure what I though. And there's a good chance I would've shimmied myself to whatever side you decided to stand on and strung together a bundle of hydrangeas to show you that I really meant it.

And, now, I am a firm believer that, "things do happen for a reason". There's a reason we say "yes" to a date and "no" to a night in. There's a reason we take a chance on love again even though it doesn't feel right. There's a reason we go for the $300.00 hand bag instead of the 5$0.00 knock off. And there's a reason we wake up and keep going even though we firmly believe it's not worth it. Because in the quietest part of our soul we believe moving forward will matter.

A couple of hundred days ago, my sister decided that indeed, "things happened for a reason". And she took a chance on love again. On life as a mother and a wife and a provider. And because she had decided that this person came into her life for a reason, she said yes to marriage, yes to a blended family, yes to raising another baby.

At some point this evening, her belief that "things happen for a reason" will be manifested into a real life person. A person who will tie a family of 6 together and make them whole. A person who will change the lives of every person he smiles at. A person who will make an impact on these lives far beyond he will ever understand.

At some point today, little Jeffery-Thomas will make his way into our crazy, loving, some-times-too-much-to-handle family and our lives will never be the same. And my goal? Is to let him learn, all on his own that indeed, "things happen for a reason". And he's proof of that.

I've got three day old prosciutto sitting in my car. The Deli sliced it so thick you could actually use it to press flowers which makes it totally uneatable, and therefore needs to be returned and re-sliced. So, if you're wondering why there are no pictures of lovely Lonely Hearts Lingerie, sweet tasting and colorful Hot Lips Lip Gloss, a link to Essential Bakery's Homepage where you can drool over their perfectly iced chocolate wonders - its because that request I made to Mother Nature about time, she totally heard. And I think she's trimming hours off of each day, just to fuck with me. I recommend all of the above for Valentine's Day along with hand holding, soft kisses, and sweet four letter words. So if YOU'VE got the time to Google and search, please do so, and ENJOY for me too.

Love, Love, Love,
Me

Dear Mercury,

Are things always this good while you're in retrograde? If so, keep backin' it up.

Love,
The Geminis

Turns out Blue is the New Black. I'm on the hunt this weekend to add a bit of the new electric color to my basic closet. I hear Sway and Cake is bursting with it and the word on the street is that RUE is giving them a run for their money (also, Rue has an AMAZING sale going on, up to 75% off!!).

I'll be at both places this weekend. Come and say "hi". I'll be the girl with hearts floating just above her head, humming Frank Sinatra. And after that? I'll be on my way to the moon.

Become the Imelda Marcos of Giving Back

CHECK IT OUT

It turns out I didn't do any of the aforementioned plans this weekend. Well, sort of. I met a group of lovely people at Tavolota instead of Txori. I giggled with a bevy of Barney-Clad-Fashionistas and watched as the weirdest parts of our city were exposed on the dance floor instead of taking in some Far East Dance Music with you kids on the Hill.

I was inspired and loved-on via people watching, blog reading, song lyrics, and smoke signals.

I was a puppy free dog lady this weekend which meant that I had time to get stuff done - like brining toilet paper from the storage unit, cleaning my bathroom, and re arranging my unmentionable drawer with out CoCo playing tug-o-war with my Cosabella's.

I'm looking forward to time moving along quickly. I remember when an hour seemed like an unreasonable eternity. I've been asking Mother Nature to move things along as fast as possible so I can get to where I'm going because I know here, isn't where I'm supposed to be.

Because my bones weren't meant for cold weather and we caucus this weekend, I decided to keep my waify arse off the mountain and participate in The Kuhlman Sale.

"Kuhlman is pleased to present Limb from Limb, new works from Heather Ribeca.

We're having an opening reception on Friday, February 8th from 7:30 til 9:30 pm at Kuhlman.
In addition to refreshments, we'll be giving 10% off full price merchandise and all Fall and Winter merchandise will be up to 75% off.
Hope to see you there.

The Kuhlman Crew"

Hopefully both Scott (the genius) and Ruby (the funny funny puppy) will be too! I'll be hand to leash with CoCo scooping up as many super sale items that will fit in my night time clutch. Because then? I'm off to Txori* for dinner and home for a cuddle with CoCo and dreams of the next few weeks of flirting, decorating, and hand holding.


A while ago someone once described my nature like little pin pricks to a water balloon. And if that part of my personality continued to poke near the same sensitive spot the balloon would eventually spring a waterfall of a leak. All that stale water that he'd been holding in eventually ran heavy over the last few months of 2007. Although I'm completely dry from head to toe, I still have a lingering cold from staying wet for too long. I'll be here and there this weekend hopefully bumping into a few of you and asking for your best home remedy - because as of now, I a bit tired of feeling less than me.

*I do know as much not to wear something you don't want to take to the cleaners immediately - you walk out smelling like sauteed sea bass.

Snow Patrol

You Could Be Happy

You could be happy and I won't know
But you weren't happy the day I watched you go

And all the things that I wished I had not said
Are played in loops 'till it's madness in my head

Is it too late to remind you how we were
But not our last days of silence, screaming, blur

Most of what I remember makes me sure
I should have stopped you from walking out the door

You could be happy, I hope you are
You made me happier than I'd been by far

Somehow everything I own smells of you
And for the tiniest moment it's all not true

Do the things that you always wanted to
Without me there to hold you back, don't think, just do

More than anything I want to see you, girl
Take a glorious bite out of the whole world

I've always been a sucker for navy and white and juicy raspberries and hoppy beer come spring time. I know I'm a few months early, but because on my insides? Birds are chirping, cherry blossoms are blooming from my collar bone and teeny tiny green leaves sprouting from my finger tips, I'm feeling spring all over.

I usually have a plan for my spring wardrobe but I haven't had much time to think about much of anything but, flirting, working, and loving life.

If ran across these inexpensive cardigan's from Target. They run true to size and fit my waify frame and my BFF's busty chest - so they work well for almost everyone.

I got three: green, coral and black. I thought the striped number below is cute for you readers under 25.



Mossimo Supply Co. Women's Cardigan, Target, $17.99, (All Target Stores or on-line @ Target.com)



Mossimo Supply Co. Women's Cardigan, Target, $17.99, (All Target Stores or on-line @ Target.com)



ps- Restaurants, hand holding, puppy loving coffee shops soon to come, promise.

Dear Readers,

Please don't go. Stay tuned until this evening. I've got new restaurants and all sorts of stories about hand holding, board games, and dog grooming. Shoe stores and coffee shops that love you and your pet. I don't even have time to sign off in my usual charming way...


-A

I'm off to PROM at the Ballard Elks club. My outfit mirrors Kelly Taylor (90210) circa her Junior year. My date has braces and a sea foam green tux.

Sometimes I wonder if my mom is truly proud of me. Because I sort of wonder how on earth she can brag about a daughter who kicked her 401-K aside to pretend to be an elephant and swim in creativity and people under 2 feet tall all day long. A girl who prefers dancing with her hairless dog than at weddings. A girl who prides herself in knowing more about denim than the bible. I sort of wonder what she says when I send her photos of a charity scavenger hunt of myself and 10 others scantly clad in 80's rock gear straddling the PIG in Pike Place Market. She's gotta be proud, right? At the very least she smiles.