Not Quite Palm Springs

Bye-Bye Blog

2010-02-13T14:26:00.000-08:00

I started this blog three years ago when the idea presented itself to me while on vacation in Maui: why not write a blog about style? Style in Yakima? Style in the Not Quite Palm Springs of Washington? I was determined to find some style in this high-desert town and I like to think that sometimes I did.

While on vacation again this past month I decided it was time to give it a rest. Not that I've found all the style that can be found in this town, but I just feel the blog has run it's course, done it's thing, sung it's little song and now it's time to say good-bye.

So. Did I answer my original question? Is there any style in Not Quite Palm Springs? Yes, I believe there is. Some women showed up in my blog again and again, no matter when I saw them, they looked put-together and right on target. I found style not only at big charity events and at the Country Club, but on First Friday nights downtown, on the girls in black at Zesta Cucina, on young things attending a play at the Warehouse. It's there if you look for it, and sometimes I had to look for a long time!

How important is fashion? It is not, in the full scope of things. I like to think of it as a hobby: kind of like pottery or poetry. I happen to be interested in it, but that doesn't mean everyone has to be. Frankly, there are many women out there who have wonderful personality traits, important careers, and valuable talents but have no style whatsoever. Big deal!
I do hope that I've gotten women in NQPS to think about what they wear a little more often, maybe try just a little harder to put things together in different and interesting ways. Maybe to throw out their khaki capris and their crocs? Nooooo! That's too much for anyone to hope!

Anyway, it's been fun. I've made a lot of friends along the way including lots of humans and seven chimps. I've had a great time with my tiny Nikon, snapping pictures of shoes and jackets and bags and everything in between.
So thanks for following! And remember, ladies of Not Quite Palm Springs: dress bloggably! You never know who may be watching.

New Year's Eve 2009

2010-01-01T16:58:00.001-08:00

Leo Lee's tie--Chinese food! Happy New Year!

Renee wore a gorgeous scarf that a friend brought her from China: hot pink silk with intricate fringe and beautiful peacock feathers! Her basic black was the perfect background for such a singular work of art. And love the boots: suede with faux alligator cuffs.

Vickie looked beautiful in this beige shutter-pleated long gown of silk and voile--floor length and so elegant topped with the shawl.

Why can't I get this picture upright??? Sorry, you'll have to turn your heads to see Deb's new addition to the doggie bag collection! It's a tartan plaid scottie dog with black fur trim. Perfect!

Holiday Goodies

2010-01-01T16:41:00.000-08:00

Furry boots? No, these are cool furry leg-warmers that you put over your regular boots to make them furry boots! They can be put over short ones or tall ones, doesn't matter. Loves. I lent these to Amber & never got them back. Oh well.... Little Bella in her Christmas dress! "Property of Santa" with a tartan ruffled skirt. She loves to get dressed up.

Elizabeth was wearing this jacket at a post-Christmas open house. Gorgeous, unique, and so eye-catching! Black boiled wool with silk roses winding around the collar and down the front and up one sleeve, blanket stitching all around, artsy buttons. It's by CoVelo which is a designer Gretchen carries, but Jan bought this one up in Ellensburg at "the cowgirl store." Anyone know the name? Great find.

Prez Ball 09

2009-12-13T15:03:00.000-08:00

Every year the Country Club throws a big ol' bash called the "President's Ball" which is ostensibly to honor the incoming president (this year it's Terry Powell! Yay! A woman!) and also any other old presidents who might still be hanging around.
But actually it's mainly a night for everyone to get all dressed up in their jewels & furs & what-not, to drink ice-cold martinis made in an ice-cold bar carved out of ice-cold ice, to eat a fabulous 6 course meal, and to dance the night away to a mediocre band. I came home with my toe bleeding. Someone always steps on me. Two years ago I actually had a toe broken on that dance floor. So if anyone knows where I can get steel-toe stilettos, please let me know.
This year was a year to cut back, we all know that. Many of us went shopping in our own closets and retrieved something we'd worn in years past. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
And there was black. So much black. A sea of blackness. A huge, black hole of black dresses and pantsuits and other black things. Plus it was cold outside. Icy-cold. As cold as that martini bar. So I think a lot of women went more casual, with more pants and jackets than usual, just to stay warm.
Ok, so there wasn't a ton of style to see, but here are a few highlights:
Terri, looking bright, shiny, & slinky in this cocktail dress that shimmered between black and silver. Great layered silver necklace & sequiny little evening bag, too.

Terri's Manolo Blanik's--fabulous, velvety, embroidered vintage pumps courtesy of E-Bay! Love it.

Cindi wore bright Christmas red in the Black Sea--a flowing, tiered chiffon. Loved her pearl & some-kind-of-stone (opal?) choker necklace & oversized earrings. From my favorite shop in town--the Gift Shop at Memorial! Smart.

Sorry--here's that dang ugly carpet again! Sally had on the most elegant black satin D'Orsay pumps with gold embellishment. Manolo Blaniks again (these Schaake ladies have good taste) BUT she found them for half-price, how lucky is that? She said she bought them on a trip when she had forgotten her bag. I'm gonna try that next time I go somewhere....

Camp Prime Time Auction

2009-11-22T12:42:00.001-08:00

Lots of style to be found last night at the Camp Prime Time auction & dinner. Lots of money raised too! Camp Prime Time, for those of you who don't know, is a great camp near Clear Lake for kids with illnesses or disabilities and also for their families. We love supporting this camp: they do so much good for people right here in the valley, they use there dollars wisely, they involve tons of volunteers, and they make so many kids happy--kids who ordinarily don't have a lot to be happy about. It's a jewel of an organization that raises the quality of life to a new level here in Yakima. Go to http://www.campprimetime.org/ to learn more about it! And a big thank you to the winning bidders who paid $5100 for a week in our Maui condo. Whoo hooo! We were happy to participate and see so much money raised.

That being said, let's see what kind of style Camp Prime Time supporters had to offer.... She looked so great in this long lacy-knit cardigan with the ruffle all around and the tie front. Interesting pale yellow color, too. Add a matching cam, fabulous pointy-toe heels, and slim wool slacks: casual and comfortable, but very chic.

Barb was not shy about being blogged: "Oh, I can pose, Girlfriend!" she said to me when I asked her. She also recited the address and phone number of Garden Dance, which is where she got the ivory lace & tiered ruffle skirt. Now that's a loyal customer. Also love the hip-length jacket, the boots with tights, the leopard scarf tossed over her shoulder. She's got it all goin' on, and in a good way.

Someone told Hannah that all volunteers had to wear matching red Camp Prime Time t-shirts, but that didn't stop her from making it her own: she layered it over a black long-sleeved tissue tee, tucked it into a black and white striped dirndl skirt, and wrapped it up with a wide leather belt. She looks positively Parisian. (Note: Must be Hanna's shrimpy size to wear horizontal stripes.) Anyone who can eke some style out of a red t-shirt is definitely blog-worthy, I say.

Kinda gives a whole new meaning to the term "Doggy Bag" doesn't it? Deb, proud Mom of two terriers, didn't have to go looking for this Dooney & Bourke bag festooned with scotties and their toys. She said three of her friends called her when the bag made it's debut at Macy's. Another one actually bought her the bag as a gift but--too late! She'd already scarfed it up herself, of course. Shown here with coordinating scottie glasses and case. Love it! Arf arf.

I noticed these shoes while standing in line--well, who didn't notice these shoes??? They cannot be ignored! Sky-high stilettos, bondage-style skinny strappy-straps from toe to ankle, and actual zippers up the back. Yikes! Dangerous! But waaaaay wonderful...

2009-11-21T13:04:00.000-08:00

OMG! Who wouldn't want to own a pair of zebra-striped ankle boots? Love these, seen on safari to Zesta Cucina not too long ago.

Garden Dance Jewelry Show

2009-11-21T12:56:00.000-08:00

If you love jewelry, you'll want to see this jewelry trunk show at Garden Dance next Saturday, Nov. 28. It'll be there from 11-4 p.m.--it's all local artists like Ann Bowker, Diana Hillis, Kaia Sorem, Linda Simpson, and Lucy Valderhaug. They'll be there to take orders and answer questions. Original jewelry makes a wonderful Christmas present, 'sall I'm sayin'. Plus there will be apps & drinks. See you there!

The Great American Apparel Diet

2009-11-14T17:35:00.000-08:00

Last week's Seattle Times featured an article by Amy Martinez and Melissa Allison in the Retail Report about a new movement called "The Great American Apparel Diet." What?
That's right, due to the recent financial downturn, many women are joining this group and pledging to abstain from any apparel buying for one year.
Eeeeeeeaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!! A whole year? Yes. A whole year.
Like one member said, "I have enough clothes to last a lifetime." Which is probably true of most of us. But who'd want to wear the same things for a lifetime?
I went through my closet and tried to decide how long this wardrobe would last. Counting all the parts and pieces and all the possible combinations, I calculated approximately 47, 664, 533 different outfits. I never have been very good at math, but I do know I have enough clothes to last a lifetime. That is, if I wouldn't mind being sartorially stuck in 2009 until I die.
The rules of the Apparel Diet say that one is allowed to trade, to sew, to renovate, to buy used, AND, best of all, SHOES ARE ALLOWED. Well, ok, things are looking up now.
So here's the question: could you do this? would you do this? would you even want to? It's a definite challenge. As for me, I think the idea is interesting. I think I might be willing to cut back. But I'm pretty sure I couldn't do it.
For one thing, I've been poor before and I don't remember it as being all that much fun. I've gone for months without anything new, and I didn't feel challenged, I just felt depressed. I've sewn (high school), bought used (Discovery Shop), traded (college), and just plain done without. Did I feel proud of myself? No. I felt deprived.
I also remember working at Nordstrom and having so many clothes to wear it would take me at least 45 minutes every morning just to decide what to put on. And lots of stuff was still hanging in the closet with the tags still on. And lots of things hanging there I didn't really even like, I just bought them because they were new, they were in, they were hanging on the rack and I had to have them. I would pretty much turn my paycheck over to the company store every two weeks. Who cared if I couldn't pay the rent? I looked cute!
I've always loved to shop. Some people get sensory overload in a mall, they hate the bright lights, the noise, the cosmetic salespeople accosting them. I, however, can enter a mall and instantly feel my pulse lower, my breathing slow, my mind say "aaaah....I'm home again." When I was a young mom and my kids were making me crazy, my idea of a perfect afternoon was to get a sitter and go wander through the mall (yes, even the Yakima mall). I couldn't afford anything, I just wanted to be there to breathe that electrified mall air. Ohmmmmm. I know. Pretty sad.
So could I go for a year without buying? No. I could maybe compromise, cut down a little. But how's this economy going to improve unless we get out there and do our part to keep these poor retailers in business? I consider it my duty to shop. And shop I will. I never was much for diets anyway.

Wearable Art--Leather Scarves

2009-11-01T09:58:00.000-08:00

Our friend Carol stopped by Allied Arts the other day with her newest art endeavor: leather scarves! These are so beautiful, unique, and original I wanted to share them with all my dear blog-readers. I asked Jessica to model these for me--they look so great on her, especially with the black turtleneck as background. This one is stark white, sooooo soft (wish you could feel it--that's half the beauty of these things), and folded in layers with tiny studs.

Here she did a chamois-colored wrap scarf with studs and tiny peacock feathers. Kinda looks like it has wings, doesn't it?

Carol paints many of the scarves, including this one which has a horn button closure.

What do you think, blog readers? I think they have a real Western, cowgirl flavor that would look right at home in Durango or Jackson Hole...or...Ellensburg! Anyone who loves cowboy boots would love a scarf like this that echoed the Western, back-to-nature theme with these natural textures and colors, the amorphous shapes, and the interesting mix of paint and detail.

In the Year of the Accessory, an amazing art piece like this could surely take the place of the Statement Necklace: the "Statement Scarf".

Carol is a little bit hesitant about marketing these beautiful pieces, so

let me know what you think: email me at gaydoo@yahoo.com, find me on Facebook, or leave a comment below.

Kristi Burrell Fashion Show

2009-10-26T13:55:00.000-07:00

Just never know what you're gonna find in the old Not Quite Palm Springs on a Saturday night. We stopped by Gilbert Cellars for an after-dinner Merlot (omg try the Syrah brownie with ice cream--nom nom nom) and Kristi Burrell happened to be putting on a little fashion show! My luck! Kristi, who I have blogged before, has moved her shop to Track 29-- so the models came trotting across the street wearing their beautiful gowns and capes. Kristi is a fabulous dress designer/maker who specializes in evening gowns and full-length hooded capes. Here's Kristi in a red mini, boots and tights with Burberry scarf tossed over her shoulders giving everyone the details on her dresses.

This was an absolutely fabulous red silk gown, bias-cut so it fell to the floor in waves and moved so beautifully. Kristi's designs may not be for everyone, but if you need an amazing bespoke gown for a very special occasion, she is the one to see. Imagine having a gown like this made just to fit your bod & no one else's!

Here's a view of one of the hooded capes, very Harry-Potter-like, as she's removing it to show the long-sleeved velvet gown underneath. Such a rich burgandy color, and again the bias cut of the dress makes it flow particularly well.Ooooh, she looked like the most beautiful character in a King Arthur tale in this stretch velvet black gown: Guinevere? Maybe Morgan leFay--lovely high bateau neckline, long sleeves (unusual any more in a long gown), fully gathered in the back with miles of fabric, bias cut (one of Kristi's signatures, obviously), and beguiling. Every woman's fantasy to have a theatrical, stunning gown like this!

The Gift Shop at Memorial

2009-10-23T06:55:00.000-07:00

This is not a paid advertisement, I just consider it my Blogwoman Duty to tell you. I always say it's the best-kept secret in town, so now I'm letting all you blog readers in on it: the Gift Shop at Memorial. So much more than a hospital gift shop!

Rather than the traditional Get Well Cards and useless porcelain angels and other corny knick-knacks & bric-a-brac, the Gift Shop carries a fun, far-reaching array of acessories, baby clothes, gourmet food items, and gifts for the home that can't be found anywhere else in NQPS.

Marci Cates Wright scours the gift market a couple times a year and comes back with unique, fabulous, well-priced items for her customers. Right now the shop is stocked with fabulous rain boots in hot colors and prints, warm fuzzy scarves for winter, some amazing jewelry, gloves and tons of other fashion-forward accessories. Ladies--this is the best place in town to find cool handbags! They're always unique, look so designer-like, and most are under $100. Truth. I'm carrying one right now.

If you're visiting a new mom in the hospital, go to the gift shop first. The baby clothes you'll find there are so precious & sweet you'll want to buy the teeny fashionista an entire wardrobe.

If you're decorating your home for Halloween/autumn/Thanksgiving you'll find some clever and different items for the kitchen, for the dining table, for anywhere in the house. Nothin wrong with buying a gift for yourself, I always tell myself.

Most people don't realize that the Gift Shop has a Pantry section that features gourmet treats: soup. nuts. chips. cookbooks. chocolate. Nomnom.

Gasperetti's beautiful fresh floral arrangements are delivered daily, kept cool and ready to go.

And I didn't know this til I went to the website: http://www.yakimamemorial.org/patients_gift_shops.html , but you can even order a gift on line and have it delivered to a patient that day!

My advice is: don't wait for someone to get sick, go there now. Or anytime you need a fun, different gift for an exchange or a hostess gift or a birthday present, check it out.

Also if you're on Facebook, you can become a fan of the shop by going to The Gift Shop at Memorial. Then you can be updated all the time on new merchandise arrivals, events, and whatever's going on at the shop.

Marci--I gotta tell you--great job, girl!

Leslie Loudon Guild Luncheon

2009-10-23T05:54:00.000-07:00

My apologies for being so late in blogging, dear readers, but I've had a busy week! Monday was the Leslie Loudon Guild luncheon--a fun annual event for NQPS ladies who like to dress up, drink wine, hobnob with each other, watch an informal fashion show, and raise money for a good cause. In this year's case, the proceeds went to build and furnish a children's playroom for Memorial's "Cottage in the Meadow", a new hospice care facility. (Go to http://yakimahospice.org/ if you couldn't attend but would like to help out.) Judy, emcee for the day, greeted everyone at the door in this happy red cashmere sweater with ruffled v-neck & more ruffles at the cuff. The best part: she bought it last year at the end of the season for $15! Yay! I do love a bargain. So she got one in black, too.

Karen in a leopard-print suede swing jacket (I didn't know you could make suede out of a leopard?) and Linda in an earth-toned shimmery shirt jacket--with clever little black box bag.

Gotta love Becky's black lace tights with the suede & patent boots. One of Becky's fav sports is bargain hunting, and she shot these babies down at TJ Maxx for $30. OMG, I've gotta get out there soon--TJ's is the best place in town for bargains, one just has to go often and search carefully.

Becky in denim skirt, bright pink slouchy shawl-y sweater, and the aforementioned black boots. Martha looked so pretty in this salmon shaded jacket.

How often can a lady wear a purple hat in NQPS? And purple shoes as well? Lilly played the part perfectly in her black & ivory dress with the print scarf. All about the accessories I always say.

Carolyn looked like she was blooming straight out of this jacket--no, more than a jacket, more like a work of art--by CoVelo at Gretchen, this boiled wool jacket has stems & leaves appliqued all over the body and the sleeves, with a frothy burgandy organza ruff at the neckline. A perfect art piece for one of Yakima's most talented artists.

I had to practically bribe Jeanne to put on this great animal-print silk jacket she was carrying with her. It's reversible to brown on the other side, zips up, has a generously oversized collar, windbreaker style--- but so much more elegant. She got this one at Priscilla's.

Oh yeah, do that checked thing! Marci wrapped in a black & white houndstooth shawl, carrying a red & black checked vinyl tote, sporting plaid tights and lots of bangles--from guess where? The Gift Shop at Memorial Hospital where she is the buyer. (More on that in the next blog). Marci is a fearless fashionista.

Gretchen Gilday from Gretchen, (811 W. Yakima Ave.) the sweetest boutique in NQPS, coordinated the informal fashion show for the guild this year so I managed to snap a few of the models.

And speaking of checks, more houndstooth! I love the houndstooth! I brake for houndstooth! I have a closetful of it & I still buy more. This is Cindy in a very clever diagonally-buttoned wooly vest with oversized roll collar. And black leather gloves with bows. A real standout piece.

This is a deliciously furry jacket trimmed in olive green with a ribbon belt--looked so cozy!

Loved this grey sweater jacket that Augustina wore with the very skinny jeans & the warm scarf.

This drapey coat is so much more than a coat: check out the fabulous ribbon trim on the sleeves and the collar--all velvety in shades of green, pink, & magenta. Plus the assymetrical closing and the uneven hem--another wearable art piece that makes a big statement on Sue or anyone who would wear it. Loved it! And the grey gloves, too.

A fun black sweater trimmed in little rosettes, all over the sleeves, on the wide collar, buttoning down the front--gotta love the whimsy! We're all fools for whimsy.

All in all, great fashion show. Check out Gretchen for these unique, off-beat, fun-to-wear pieces. Pricey but fabulous!

PNWU Gala

2009-10-18T11:10:00.000-07:00

Who would ever imagine that the boring ol' Convention Center in the NQPS of Washington could be transformed into the "Starliner Supper Club"? It was almost as sweet as the Ozdust Ballroom! Anyway the theme of this fundraiser/celebration for Pacific NW University of Health Sciences was "40's Supper Club" black-tie style so we dressed accordingly: men in their tuxes (has that style changed since 1940? not much) and women ran the gamut from current black cocktail dresses to true vintage to slinky full-length gowns. Mysterious veils and sumptuous furs were everywhere. Here are some of the things I caught:

Terry in below-the-knee black cocktail, lovely long black gloves, drippy earrings, and cute little orange headband in her new short 'do. Love the furry little black cape on the shoulders! Her friend found a very vintage-y black mesh and lace empire waist, lingerie-style dress. And the little pillbox on her head: sweet!

This is Corrie: she was working the event but I made her throw down her chart for a moment to take her pic. She rocked the entire look beautifully: Veronica Lake waves in her hair, bright lips, and this shocking pink satin strapless gown to the floor. Like the black stole, too. Corrie got in touch with me after seeing herself in the blog, so now we're BBFs! Best Blog Friends! Turns out I went to school with her aunt. Anyway Corrie has her own blog at www.cvo-underthestars.blogspot.com where you can see more shots of this beautiful dress. She's a doll.

This trio decked out in '40's fun. On the left: black mesh over white in an ethereal-looking filmy number with ruffle at the hem. She told me she bought this dress in London years ago and it was begging for an event like this! Her cohort wore long, black, and slinky & looked so beautiful in it. Judi, on the right, donned a slip-like black cocktail dress with slit up the side--and her mother-in-law's feathered hat. Lotsa feathers everywhere that night!

Lucy was the "Cigarette Girl", pictured here before she got her tray of candy cigars and faux cigarettes. Beautiful ivory satin bustier blouse with chiffon sleeves & yoke, a short black net dirndl skirt, and sorry you can't see her clear acrylic pumps with the black bows!

Who Wore it Best??? I'm conducting a People mag poll...

Best friends Julie & Jean surprised each other by showing up in the same dress: black, cocktail length, mesh yoke with tiny rhinestone studs, and lovely draping in the back. They obviously have matching great taste. And look almost like twins, no?

Doesn't she look fabulous? She really went with the '40s style in this short black number with a lace overlay bodice, black velvet elbow-length gloves, and veiled pillbox. The red lips really made the look complete.

Carol wore "Victory Rolls" in the hair and boldly pinned a mammoth Stargazer lilly to the side of her head, wore a short poufy dress, and carried the best accessory of the night: black fur muff! Spectacular.
Like all the pearls, too.

Like a teal-colored little islet in a sea of black, she stood out with this long, beaded, very period-looking gown and carried a luscious white fox stole complete with tails. Adore those fingerless white gloves! I don't know how women wore white gloves back then--it's impossible to do a thing in them without getting them messed up. Oh well, that was definitely another time.

Kay dug this glamorous deco crystal? diamond? who knows for sure? necklace out of her jewelry box for the evening. She said this piece belonged to her mother and she had never worn it until tonite. Dazzling!

Now here's some true vintage: Gwen wore the ruched black dress with long lace sleeves & beautiful v-neck bodice and the most entertaining fox stole. Remember the kind with the little paws and the head still on? I guess so if you end up alone at the end of the evening you'll still have someone to talk to...

I adored everything about her outfit: fox fur stole, tiny beaded bag, felt cloche with ribbon band, double strand pearl necklace, and bright red lips.

Lilly made me pose with her, which I never do. Wish you could see my authentic '40's hat--it's so cute: black satin with a ruffle on the side. I stuck two yellow crystanthemums in it before I went out the door. The dress is a silk Tommy Bahama I bought last winter in Maui but I figgered it was '40-ish & I also figgered everyone else would be in black--so you know me.

I knew Lilly would show up in something appropriate to the decade: she has a closet full of vintage spanning about 6 decades. She selected a fabulous short dress with long black lace sleeves, the full-meal-deal fox fur stole, and a black saucer style hat with elegant veil and red rose. Pure Lilly all the way.

Loreen gives an extensive make-up lesson to her friend in the ladies room! Lotsa red lips!

The Belle of the Ball, Pat Temple, who was being honored that night by PNWU for being a major force and source, donor, board member, and all-around doyenne of philanthropy here in NQPS. Her beautiful, full-skirted black satin gown is an Arnold Scaasi, accessorized with a bejeweled and beaded bright brocade jacket, tiny feathered cocktail hat.
She looked absolutely lovely, and gave a very moving and humble speech to accept the honor. (great job, Pat!)

Would you pay $1200 to dance with this dude? Jean did, and she seemed quite happy about it! (He did look pretty studly. AND he could really dance, too.)

I nominate this gown best in show: bold black-and-white floral print in a satin column with black net underlay at the flounced bottom--just gorgeous. Helps that she's a size 2.

Dave, our MC for the evening, in supper-club style with the white satin lapels on his evening jacket, AND the best part:

the black-and-white patent leather oxford shoes once worn by Al Capone. Well, we don't know that for sure, but they could have been.

Ohhhhh, Donna! Too fabulous jeweled sandals!

Cricket in her Jessica McClintock cocktail dress with the rose-trimmed neckline--trying to get a drag off a fake cigarette. They actually lit up, too! Hilarious.

Judi in her feathered hat, enjoying her after-dinner chocolate cigar.

What a fun evening! Cocktails, dinner, auction, speeches, awards, skits, then dancing. My feet are killing me.

Chimps Style 2.0

2009-10-09T16:53:00.001-07:00

The chimps were in the blog not too long ago, and shortly after that Sarah Baeckler, CEO of Chimp Sanctuary Northwest invited us to come up to Cle Elum (www.chimpsanctuarynw.org) for a private tour and a visit with the seven retired lab chimps! We went last Sunday, and what an eye-opening experience it was. Sarah is not only a primatologist and an anthropologist, but also holds a law degree. She gave us an incredible tour of the sanctuary and an education about it's amazing residents. The sanctuary is not open to the public, but a visit to the website can help you understand what it's about.
I have to say, however, that seeing it in person and actually meeting the chimps had a powerful effect on all of us--more than we ever imagined when just looking at pictures.
These primates were all raised in cramped metal cages that didn't even have real floors--just metal bars. They were never given blankets or toys or any fresh fruits or vegetables (which they love!). They were rented to different labs where they were poked and prodded as unwilling test subjects for human drugs. Most of the females were used to produce babies, which were taken from them at birth. In fact Foxie, my favorite of all of them, carries troll dolls around and cradles, kisses, and holds them as she was never able to do with her own babies. Their stories are all so moving and sad, yet it's wonderful to see them in their new habitat: swinging from the roof, playing with their toys, slurping fresh pineapple with abandon, and....dressing up! These chimps have style. Jamie is the leader of the group, and she's the fashionista. In the above pic she's wearing a swimsuit bra on her head. Original. I'm not sure what she's blowing on.

Here she is in a pink and blue rainbow tutu--I guess tutus are her favorite, probably because they're easy to put on. Although she likes to wear shoes too, AND knows how to tie bows.

Here's Jamie in blue--a true prima ballerina!

And here she's wearing sherbet shades of pink and yellow. Jamie has an extraordinary interest in shoes (kinda like someone I know), and when we walked up to the fence she stared at everyone's footwear, two by two, checking them all out to see who had the best taste in shoes. I think she liked Matt's bright yellow sneakers the best.

Fresh Hop Ale Fest

2009-10-06T21:38:00.000-07:00

Another great night of beer tasting, another fabulous fund-raiser for Allied Arts! I've blogged the Fresh Hop Ale Fest every year, and every year it gets bigger and bigger. It's now become one of the premier destination beer festivals in the Northwest. This year there was only one problem, and that was something over which we had no control-- the weather. In a word: wet. In two words: really wet. Ok, here's three: god awful wet. Or maybe that's two. Is god-awful hyphenated? No matter, there was still wet-weather style to be had here in NQPS.

Toward the end of the evening, anyone with out a hat or a hood made do with whatever they had, and this girl had her zebra-striped jacket over her head. There were many similar make-shift garments for protection. By then, who cared what was fashionable? We were wet and we were freezing! I made the mistake of wearing a knit fur and I smelled like wet dog when I got home. But that's another story. Here we go:

Hot pink, one of the new neons for fall. Love it! Bright colors are perfect for rainy days. This one is a new slightly high-waisted sillouette with pleats all around, double breasted front and ever-so-slightly puffed sleeves. Pinkalicious! Gotta love those red-rimmed glasses and the purple bag, too. I adore a woman who's not afraid of color.

This guy actually ran the "Tour of Pain" race which was something like Couer d'Alene to Spokane and back, and he had the wooly coat with this huge applique on the back to prove it. So I'm sure a little rain wasn't bothering him. He was there til the end. After all, he's a finisher. Says so on his coat.

Krista came all the way from China just to go to the FHAF. Well, she may have had a few other reasons, but she's a world traveler who has been all over the place. Not sure where she got this most interesting skirt that was tiered with ribbons and what looked a little like burlap (reminiscent of the hop bales, right?), well-worn boots that obviously have some worldwide miles on them, and the honey-colored leather baseball jacket & long scarf. She looked casual and chic and was having a great time.

Okay, so I blogged Kilt Man last year too, and i think this was even the same kilt. The difference, he said, was that this year he remembered to wear the long underwear with it. I guess it got a little chilly last year. When he saw me he said, "Hey, Not Quite! Not Quite!"

Plaids and ruffles, both very big for this winter, and here in a great combination. AND she got this at JC Penney--so fashion forward, who knew? I love how the ruffle runs all the way down the front--it changes what would be a very ordinary brown and blue plaid jacket into something really eye-catching and fun. Plus the ripped jeans, the pink sweater underneath, the Coach--she obviously put some thought into her look that night.

I'm a sucker for black and white houndstooth, and she very obviously knew what she was doing in this great all-season jacket, her black leggings and sturdy riding boots. She was happy to have those on later when it began to pour. Looks great!

Concrete Jewelry

2009-09-27T15:58:00.000-07:00

At last someone has recognized the marmoreal, sleek beauty of concrete and made it into jewelry! Ha! Go to http://www.konzuk.com/ to see the interesting offerings of stainless steel, diamonds, and yep--concrete. Now I know what I'm getting for Christmas.

Planned Parenthood Fundraiser

2009-09-27T15:47:00.000-07:00

There just happened to be a gaggle of good shoes standing around me at the Planned Parenthood auction so we got our feet together for a pic: heeled patent leather oxfords, leopard print kitten-heel mules, beautiful silvery pointy slides, and bronze platform t-straps. Fierce!

Dora supplied all the wine and came dressed fashion-forward as always: this time in a black and white print tunic, black leggings, and silver chandelier earrings.

Crystal came over from Spokane where she serves on the local PP board, and showed some real style in a teeny silver bubble-skirted dress with bow at the dropped waist, black cardigan, and fabulous patent oxfords. Chic.

2009-09-10T17:13:00.000-07:00

You know how I love Garden Dance! Here's the info on their big Fashion Front event next Saturday, Sept. 18. Wish I could go but I'm gonna be in Atlanta! Anyway--get your tickets now, this sounds like such fun:
Garden Dance is celebrating Autumn with Fashion Front--the fashion show on Front Street that we did last year with Carly Holtzinger and her amazing fashion designs! In addition to Carly, Fashion Front will have fashions by Gretchen, Steve Goodwin the Haberdasher, Rollo's, New Yak City, the Shopkeeper, and of course, Garden Dance. We've got the gorgeous girls ready to go to show you the latest trends in fashion for fall. Purple and grey are important colors for the season, skinny pants, scarves, and lots more. Plan to attend, it's a week from tomorrow, September 18, 2009 from 5:00 to 8:30 with the fashion show starting around 6:00. Your ticket buys you a glass of wine from Gilbert Cellars, Stems, or Cascade Wine Shop, a beer from Yakima Craft or a non-alchoholic beverage. There will be restaurants serving appetizers, great music, fun fashions, and frivolity! Tickets on sale at Garden Dance and Gretchen's. $25 if you buy them pre-show or $30 at the door. All proceeds go to Rod's House for homeless teenagers in Yakima . See you there!
Michelle 509.452.0611

Leggings & Leopards

2009-09-10T12:30:00.000-07:00

Laurie showed up for a meeting yesterday at Allied Arts wearing this cuuuute leopard print jersey dress with tiers of tab-like ruffles all over--she said she got it at Macy's on one of the "half-off the half-off use your card & get another 15% off sales." (Love it when they're giving stuff away.) Obviously, other shoppers had looked at this dress and said "no way!" because they couldn't figure out what to do with it. It took someone creative like Laurie to come up with the right accessories and give this dress a total look, and that's what I love about it: the black patent sandals, the short-sleeve longish cardigan, the gold medallion hanging on the pearl necklace, and the leggings.

Which brings me to a whole new discussion: LEGGINGS. They're back. They were my wardrobe staple in 1983. My daughter Julie told me that the hard & fast rule here is "If you did the first time, you're too old to do it the second time." What???? Seriously????
Last year I held out on the leggings thing because of that little statement but this year I'm feeling like going all iconoclastic on her and breaking out the leggings. So I bought a pair with brass buttons going down the ankles, and I dug out a beautiful pair of stretch velvet ones I saved from the last time around. (Ha! I knew I was hanging on to them for a reason!)
After all, leggings can be the perfect solution for some problems. Like, your dress is really to short to be a dress any more. Like, you're flying to somewhere warm from somewhere cold: you can wear a cute dress & take the leggings off when you arrive! Like, when you've grown sick of wearing those designer jeans that are so uncomfortable and so low you're always yanking them up and your muffin top is always hanging over. Like when you want to tuck your pants into your boots this winter.
And especially like, when you want to disguise certain figure flaws with a nice long tunic that covers all those areas. After all, the legs are the last to go, why not show them off?
So, thanks Laurie, you've inspired me and I'm going for it. I'm doing the leggings thing and I don't care who knows about it. For now tho, I'm trying to be abstemious and sticking to just basic black. I'll leave any furry leopard print leggings to those Cougarlike ladies I keep hearing about.

The Bravern

2009-09-09T08:50:00.000-07:00

Good news for fashionistas! Or even Wanna-be's like me. The Bravern has opened in Bellevue--a new very upscale shopping center near the convention center that combines restaurants, residences, a spectacular two-story gym, and shops all in one fairy-tale ball of wonderfulness.
Restaurants include John Howie Steak, Artisanal Brasserie & Wine Bar, and (my fave!) Wild Ginger.
The David Barton Gym is supposed to be state-of-the-art and from the pictures it looks like a jewel-box in which to sweat.
Shops: Jimmy Choo (shoes), Masins (furniture), Ferragamo (shoes & bags), Tory Burch (Seattle girl turned nationally famous designer), Louis Vuitton, Wolford (hosiery), Brooks Brothers, and the big Kahuna: Neiman Marcus.
Also on the premises, an Elizabeth Arden Red Door spa. Julie & I went to the one in NYC a few years ago and it was a luxurious treat. We had pedicures and then braved the NY freezing rain in flip-flops so as not to ruin them.
Can't wait to see it and report back! I'm pretty sure I'll just be looking and drooling, trying hard to keep my credit card from leaping out of my bag. So sad.
If you get there before I do, leave a comment, let us know!

Chelan Style

2009-09-08T23:29:00.000-07:00

I spent Labor Day weekend in Chelan, where it's usually fun to see some resort style at it's skimpiest & sunniest. Not the case last weekend, when it was raining, cool, breezy--and the major style was Polarfleece & denim.

The one bright spot was Jessica's new crimson red cowboy boots --yeehaw!---so urban cool but country sturdy. Plus she says they're super comfortable, a big plus.

She got these on line at www.infinityshoes.com which is a fabulous sight with all kinds of shoes, boots, and bargains. (These boots have recently been marked down to $49.99 but I think they're out of red in most sizes--waaaah!) They're by Miz Mooz, which is a brand also carried by Nordstrom. Rock it, Jess.

WalMart Style

2009-09-07T23:19:00.000-07:00

Lots of people ask me if I put "Fashion Don'ts" in my blog, and I really try not to. For one thing, that would be just too easy. I always tell them that all I'd have to do is hang around the WalMart parking lot.
Well someone has done just that, and this website is the result. YOU CAN'T NOT LOOK AT IT!!!! It is so hilarious! And nausea-inducing all at the same time.
http://peopleofwalmart.com/

Winemaker's Dinner

2009-08-28T14:09:00.001-07:00

Best of Shoe: Anissa's black, white, & red wedgies with the big ol' rubber soles. I forget the brand name, hummm, sorry! But they're made in England. And she has another pair that's mustard yellow & grey, how cool is that? Janie displaying her tiny bag made of beer can pop-tops. Just don't step on it & blow out your flip flops. And it was green. I mean color green. And green. Doubly green. So green.

Best-dressed trio:Michele in strapless celery green chiffon mini, Kristelle in sleek white pants & silk top with cut-in shoulders, and Natalie (? ooops did I forget her name? oh jeez) in a chocolate brown, aqua, & yellow patchwork print with brown trim. Can't see the shoes! Michele had on beige patent wedge sandals, very summery. BTW she's the instructor at YV Tech's Fashion Marketing class. (Another Nordstrom alum like Kristelle & myself. And Janni, and Tim, and Denyse, and geez we're all over the place.)

This is Susan in hot pink, hot pink, and hot pink. The mottled-print sundress is from Gretchen, very flattering style, very cool for a hot evening. Love the pink stone jewelry-- so bold; and especially the ribbon-tied wedges. A girl who's not afraid of color!

Ellen all glimmery in a gold two-layer gathered skirt with black crocheted tank top--so pretty the way it's lined throughout until that last row of lace. Nice.

Fall Trends 2009 Take it or Leave it

2009-08-27T06:41:00.000-07:00

All the fall editions of fashion magazines are out now & after perusing them I've come to my semi-annual conclusions of what I can't wait to buy and what I hope goes away forever. So here goes, I call it "Take It or Leave It".

Take It:
Bold prints, neon colors
Bright colored coats (who needs beige when it's raining?)
Leggings (loved them the first time around, I'm willing to try again)
Colored tights
Platform shoes (not done yet)
Embellishments (rhinestones, bling bling, sequins, jewels--love them all)
Structured jackets (enough of the swingy, 6-mo.- pregnant-looking cuts)
Draping (especially where you need it most)
Fur trims (PETA be damned)
Boots--in all heights
Romantic white shirts (love ruffles on anything)
Skirt suits! (So tweedy and ladylike)
Dresses for day or night (check out Dillards.com--tons of dresses!)
Satin
Embellished ballet flats (we can't all wear stilettos all the time)

Leave It
Harem pants (please. Flattering on no one.)
Belts over cardigans (Give it up, Michelle)
Jeans that cost over $200 (Go to the Gap. No one cares about the label on your butt)
Capris (SERIOUSLY. LOSE THEM FOREVER.)
Gigantic bags
Bags that cost over $1000 (There's a recession on, people. Have some respect)
Shoulder pads (yes, they're coming back)
Big scarves tied around the neck over everything
Heavy, clunky jewelry
Peplums (unless you have a 24" waist)

Anything to add??? Or to argue??? Leave me a comment!

Nordstrom Fall Fashion Show

2009-08-27T06:26:00.000-07:00

Any NQPS-ers who'd like to get out of town and experience some real food for the fashion soul--make a note of the upcoming Nordstrom Fall Fashion Show in Bellevue. To benefit the Detlef Schrempf organization, it'll be held on Sept. 30 at the Bellevue Hyatt. Doors open at 7, show at 8. It's $125 for VIP tickets if you'd like to go early to the VIP party, or $60 for regular people.
Nordstrom used to hold it's trend show back in the olden days here in Yakima every summer to benefit the Red Cross, and they were always quite spectacular events. Beautiful professional models, powerful music, spectacular lighting & effects, lots of clothes you wish you could wear but probably won't but might buy that one scarf that was kind of cool or that pair of shoes that wasn't toooo expensive or maybe that coat......
Anyway, Detlef's org. pairs with other small organizations in Seattle that benefit families and children, so that can't be a bad thing to spend $60 on-- and get to see some new fall trends!
Go to http://www.detlef.com/ for info & tickets.

Gladiator Sandals

2009-08-27T06:16:00.000-07:00

I know! Some people think I have a foot fetish, I don't. I actually have more of a shoe fetish. When I saw these blingalishus silver gladiator sandals on an adorable little blonde girl at Sage I just had to ask for a photo. Wish I'd remembered to ask her where she got them, oh well.

PS If you haven't yet tried Sage, you should go while it's still summer! Sit on the beautiful enclosed patio, listen to music, order up some great appetizers & drinks--it's almost like being in Palm Springs! Seriously. And dining in their restaurant is fun, too. The servers are attentive, the menu is varied, the wine list is deep, and the atmosphere is chic and current. Love it!

Gibson's 30th Anniversary Party

2009-08-19T16:27:00.000-07:00

Whoa there was a whole lotta dancin' goin' on at Don & Ellen's 30th Anniversary Party last night, and some good blogabilities were there too. This is their daughter Allie in motion. She had on the most beautiful chiffon strapless dress, gathered in a twist at the bodice, a blue/green/lavendar Monet-like watercolor print. There's another shot of this dress standing still if you scroll down. These party guests both looked great! Check out the orange patent wedges on the left, plus bright op-art striped top, summery white mini. Also loved the green & gold ethnic print dress on the right, cut-in shoulders, narrow belt, short length--perfect for a summer party.

Whose feet are these? Cricket was showing off her snazzy little black wedges. So cute! But she changed into her BEDROOM SLIPPERS for dancing. Isn't that cheating? Well, maybe they weren't her bedroom slippers but they were little socky things.

OMG are you as sick of this Country Club carpet as I am? I think it may have been the hot thing about 15 years ago but now it just looks ridiculous. And it's such a bad background for my shoe pics!!! I vote for new carpet, ASAP.

Anyway, who knew Doug Bernd is a shoe guy? These are Cole-Hahn hurraches he said he bought at Nordstrom years ago & they just keep getting more & more comfortable. His wife says he has so many shoes there's no room for hers in the closet. That's a switch. He also has some white bucs. Gonna blog those next time he turns 'em loose out of that big closet.

Susie looked so cool & summery in this leopard print empire waist chiffon with ribbon trim. It's exactly the same style as one I own in navy & white polka-dot! This looks completely different & is perfect with her reddish-blonde hair. Grrrrr!

Here's Allie with her friends--all looked so great in their little cocktail dresses and 4" pumps. Yummy!

This couple said they didn't plan on coordinating their looks, but they both looked great in brown & beige tropical prints. Her dress was so cute with the two prints & the contrast at the hem & neckline.

Elizabeth in her
fabulous silk sheath--horizontal stripes in pink, blue, black & white--so simple and flattering. She said she got it at "Reise"--never heard of it? She discovered it when she was vacationing in Europe. A great simple dress like this could take a girl anywhere! Loves it.

Wedding

2009-08-19T16:17:00.000-07:00

Doesn't she look great? I voted her best-dressed wedding guest. She was wearing a black & white tribal-type print with a twist and a button at the bodice--it fit her perfectly and was so chic-looking. Plus--fabulous black patent platform pumps, a pretty apricot-colored flower in the back of her hair. She looked relaxed and stylish. Here's the happy couple: my nephew Todd and his new bride, Caryn. Her dress was ivory slubbed shantung strapless with gathers on one side that made her waist look so tiny! Also a beautiful cascade of rhinestones down one side of the skirt--just gorgeous but very simple and classic-looking.

This is my grandniece and flower girl Emma dancing with her Grampa.

And this is Ava Grace, also a flower girl in her pretty little white dress with sash and sparkly silver shoes--they both looked so angelic, and Ava danced the night away--I don't think she sat down once! And she never worried about having a partner.

Regatta Weekend

2009-08-19T16:06:00.000-07:00

I did a little long-distance blogging last week-end while we were in Astoria, Ore. for my nephew Todd's wedding. The wedding was serendipitously timed to coincide with Regatta Weekend so somehow I ended up at the Regatta Parade down Commercial Street in Astoria. And what a parade it was! There were some special things worn in Astoria! Evidently to be in the parade all you had to do was wear a giant tutu and butterfly wings: Or a tuna costume, complete with crown.

Or you could ride in a yellow submarine...

And if you're Regatta Queen, you can just wear horizontal stripes and capris while you do dance moves from your queenly perch!

Speaking of perch, how about a pink irredescent fish hat?

I liked this guy. He said his kids had bet him $10 he wouldn't wear it thru the whole parade, but he did!

All in all, fun times to be had at Regatta Weekend.

More Crazy Shoes

2009-08-17T07:32:00.001-07:00

Here's a website that's so fun! If you love shoes, you should go to
http://www.stylelist.com/trends/fashion-trends/crazy-shoes?feed=1

Summer Shoes

2009-08-12T21:49:00.001-07:00

Ok, an alert blog reader sent me pix of some interesting shoes: here's the Obama flip-flop--which has nothing to do with his changing his mind on any issues.Wild things. Nice legs, too, dontcha think?For the flower girl in the wedding, I guess:

And these must be little ladders for social climbers?
I don't think any of these are for real but you have to admit they're quite imaginative....

Now these are real: Denise was wearing these to lunch today--so chic!

By the way, I tried Geppetto's (next to the Shopkeeper on 32nd & Summitview) for the first time today & it is fabulous!! Plus our favorite server formerly from YCC, Tracy, works there. The Greek pizza was delicious & I was so happy to find it since Zesta Cucina for some reason quit making pizzas. Plus lots of pasta dishes, paninis, sandwiches, salads, & some interesting Italian appetizers. Try it! But get there early, there are just a few tables & they fill up fast at lunchtime. (They do serve dinner, too--they're open til 8). AND they're expanding into the next two rooms, including the fireplace room. That'll be so cozy this winter! Check out the Ladies Room--love the tile!

Denyse's Shoe Sale

2009-07-24T15:39:00.000-07:00

Sadly, Denyse is going out of business. Happily, all the shoes are half off. Get there soon, there are still some left! Naughty Monkeys, Carlos Santanas, Fuel sandals, Soft, a few Cole-Hahns, some men's shoes. You won't find the above Stuart Weitzman's however....I got the last pair. Yipppeeeee! Where'd I leave my whip?

Chimpwear

2009-07-18T16:55:00.000-07:00

Ya know how I've always quoted that "The ability to accessorize is what separates us from the lower species?" (That's a line from Steel Magnolias in case you've ever wondered...) I received an e-mail from alert blog-reader Sarah Baeckler, the exec director at Chimpanzee Sanctuary NW in Cle Elum (you didn't know there was such a place, did you?), and she sent along some great fashion pix of their sweet chimps wearing tutus, berets, and assorted other frou-frou. Sarah says the chimps love to play dress-up, and she's snapped a few photos & videos of them playing in their latest garb.

The sanctuary's website is www.chimpsanctuarynw.org/blog --you can click here & see more pix of the playful retirees and read about their former careers as science experiments and baby chimp producers. They're now on a nice big happy farm where all they do is play all day in tutus and get every need attended to by Sarah and her crew of volunteers. OMG does that sound like a fun job?

Which kind of reminds me, we used to have a little cabin north of Cle Elum where we took the kids & their friends all the time. I guess we kind of had our own chimp sanctuary going there for a while...

This is Jamie hanging around in a white tutu reminiscent of Madonna in her "Like a Virgin" video. Wonder if Jamie's seen that one?

Jamie again, wearing a teeny weeny polka-dot bikini top. As a hat. Innovation!
The royal blue, hand-knit beret adorned with clusters of knit flowers. Really lovely.

Also there's a great video on YouTube of Jamie in her ethereal blue/green/aqua multi-layered tutu worthy of Titania in Midsummer Night's Dream. Click here: http://www.chimpsanctuarynw.org/blog/?p=2191

Summer Vacation

2009-07-08T07:53:00.000-07:00

My neice, Emma, with her sweet golden flats in hand.

Just for my friends at YCC, I surrepticiously shot photos of the ladies locker room at Mystic Rock Golf Club in Nemacolin PA

So when we're ready to remodel our locker room, we have an example to follow. OMG this place was like heaven--if not for the 10 lighted make-up mirrors, you would have thought you were in the Men's locker room!

Also got to see Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Water house--so amazing!

Great shoes! Everyone should have a fabulous pair of red shoes. These were spotted at one of our receptions at Nemacolin.

Loved these, too. Brown & gold paisley print, ruffled buckle--very chic!

This is Rhonda at the reception, wearing a Boho style long dress in black & white print.

Bev wore an Ann Taylor off-white silk skirt with crazy, off-balance tiered pleats.

Ayana in a dress she bought that afternoon at the resort: silk knit jersey in an off-beat purple and green combination. What a fabulous back!

Here's the front view. She's tall so she accessorized with beautiful gold flat sandals.

I went to Washington DC just to pose with Barack & Michelle!

And to Baltimore just to see where Duff works. "Ace of Cakes" is my fav tv show & here's where the magic happens! They wouldn't let us in for a tour tho.

Mike went to Annapolis just to wear a lobster hat. So cute!

Loved this knit sundress she was wearing at the AppleKnockers Tournament dinner! Brown, tan, & cream stripes, brown mules, nice tan--she looked so great.

Shelley Gets a Haircut

2009-06-17T17:05:00.000-07:00

I ran into Shelley at Salon at Lakeside just after she had about 10" of hair chopped off! What a great 'do don't you think? Really swingy, kind of long layers with half bangs, lots of movement. She looked fabulous. She kept flipping it around. She thinks she has short hair now. I informed her she does not. But it's a step. Had to blog the dress, too--it's from Target (is that starting to be my favorite fashion store?), grey chambray with elastic high waist & cute little puffy sleeves, plus black sling-back flats to go with it. Kinda '50's housewife vibe a la June Cleaver. Nice.

P.S. Shelley & I got into a big discussion about linen. Don't get me started about linen! I hate that stuff! It wrinkles the minute you take it off the hanger & it always looks like you slept in it! So people always defend it saying, "But it's so comfortable...." and I say "So are your pajamas, that doesn't mean you should be wearing them in public."

Thank you.

Michelle and the Power of her Flowers

2009-06-14T21:09:00.000-07:00

Oh Michelle, you are so fearless when it comes to fashion--and this time you took a giant leap! This tunic is what Mrs. O wore on a sightseeing trip in London--and it's just a little bit kooky, really brave, and a huge fashion risk when the entire world's eyes are upon her. What do you think, dear readers? I'd love to have your comments. I think it's a clever design, and much as I do love flowers, it emphasizes the biggest part of her. Namely her hips. Oh well. Looks like she was having fun wearing it, along with the double layer of Easter egg-colored cardigans (man is that woman into cardigans), the polka-dot belt and the purple plastic watch. Maybe it's just what grey, foggy London needed that day. Don't think you would've seen that on Laura Bush, huh?

Fashion Show at Lunch!

2009-06-14T20:12:00.000-07:00

Whooo, I know! I haven't blogged in such a l0ong time! Well that's one of the pitfalls of blogging style in a place like NQPS! Sometimes it's a long, tenebrous dry spell--- and this was one. Waaah.
But just in time, the Wild Lucy's fashion show at Gasperetti's to benefit Allied Arts. Raffle tickets were sold, some beautiful art pieces were donated by Yakima's best artists, and delicious food was eaten.
Attendees dressed for the occasion, including Jheri (below) who found her shoes at Target? PayLess? Now I forget, but these black patent stilettos definitely have that heavy-into-bondage vibe . Dangerous shoes! And i'm not talkin' about twisting an ankle.
Also, loved Jheri's chocolate brown knit top with the built-in stone necklace holding it up. No jewelry required! No whips or chains either!
Speaking of jewelry, Stephanie wore a knockout necklace of a double row of ivory-looking teardrop stones suspended from pearls. Not for the shy, quiet, retiring jewelry-wearer. This necklace shouts for well-deserved attention and dominates whatever else you're wearing. I adore it! She said her sister got it for her from Anthropology.

Now to the actual models: Jessica, our amazing Executive Director at Allied Arts, was coerced (by me, of course) into modeling and had great fun wearing Wild Lucy's clothes and visiting with everyone at the tables. This outfit was so cute: flared jeans, flowered flowing top, and a great lightweight little grey swing jacket that would go over anything in any season.

Cathy, owner of C.S. Pilates and a perfect Pilates-honed body, wore this delicious satin ruffly number in a bordeaux color--looked spectacular on her.

Ok, Andrea was not modeling but she had on this amazing aqua leather jacket that I just had to show everyone. Nice earrings too. Doesn't look like your everyday CPA does she? Plus she brought a whole posse of Moss Adams co-workers with her, that was so sweet.

Every room at Gasperetti's was full of fashionista lunchers, even the patio. Here Chinique was showing off her emerald green jersey cocktail dress with some heavy-duty gold trim down the front. She left for Las Vegas the next day & I think she should have taken this with her!

Cathy again in her jeans and t-shirt number: great belt, fabulous shoes. Lucy's specializes in jeans: so many different styles & washes. These were great.

Liz got in on the cocktail dress craze too, this is a teal velvet Betsy Johnson (whoever thought we'd find Betsy Johnson in YAKIMA???) with the flattering empire waist & flowing skirt. Great for summer or winter, loved it.

Amber wore this black and gold chiffon cocktail dress with many tiers of many ruffles. Many cuteness for dancing many hours.

I wish I could've gotten pix of all the models in all their changes! I missed some of the really cute ones, sorry. Seriously folks! If you haven't been to Wild Lucy's you've gotta go! It's up in Glenwood by JackSons sports bar on 48th & Tieton. And even though a lot of the clothes are for the young and skinny, anyone can find something she likes there--cool jewelry, t-shirts, accessories, cosmetics. Or if you're my age you'll definitely find something for your daughter or daughter-in-law or whoever. Owner Dawn Gardner is fearless about buying cutting-edge, crazy, fun, wild pieces and stocks her store with a wide spectrum of interesting and different lines. (If Macy's makes your eyes glaze over, this is your place.) Yes, it's Wild! And I don't know who Lucy is.

Anyway, many thanks to Dawn and her hard-working ladies for fitting the girls and coordinating the show. And many more thanks to John Gasperetti for donating 15% of the day's take to Allied Arts, (www.alliedartsyakima.org) an organization that is dedicated to bringing the arts in all it's forms to all people, especially children, in this valley. And thank you Randy LaPierre for getting it all together for us!

Nordstrom Fall Designer Preview

2009-06-02T22:58:00.000-07:00

Tickets go on sale today for the Nordstrom Fall Designer Preview--which is a really fun and usually very edgy, chic, fabulous show--- held at the Paramount Theater in Seattle on July 22.

It's a benefit for Seattle Art Museum so prices are high but go to a good cause. They start at $175 for the basic level & go up to $750 for VIPs not like us. Sadly the $500 and $750 tickets are all sold out anyway, waah waah. I want to go to there!

For more information, go here: http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/ndp/

Fashion Luncheon at Gasperetti's!

2009-05-27T14:05:00.000-07:00

Yay! The invites are out! Gasperetti's is hosting a fashion show & luncheon to benefit Allied Arts of Yakima on June 12 at 12:00. Wild Lucy's is doing the clothes and the faces, and the informal models are some of your friends--including the one and only Jessica Moskwa, AAC's Executive Director.

There will be lots of raffle prizes (tickets just $1) including a pedicure, spa products from Ummelina, lots of original art from our own Yakima artists, jewelry from more Yakima artists, theater tickets, Fresh Hop Ale tickets, and a basket from Wild Lucy's along with other great items.

We're expecting this show to sell out so call Gasperetti's now and reserve a table (248-0628), then gather some friends and make it a date.

We also have invites to e-mail so if you'd like one to forward just contact me at gaydoo@yahoo.com or through this blog.

Sally

2009-05-27T13:55:00.000-07:00

This is my new friend and fellow fashionista Sally, who proves once again with her bejeweled sunglasses and pink Mary Janes that proper accessorization is what sets us apart from the lower species.

Prom Bargain!

2009-05-21T13:38:00.001-07:00

This is my cute little cousin Meghan wearing a prom dress she bought at a yard sale for $5!!!! Now there's a girl after my own heart. Plus her mom says she found cute black & white wedges at Target to wear with it. Gotta love that!

Blossom Queen!

2009-05-21T13:25:00.000-07:00

Ok, and only by popular demand! Here are some pix of the entertainment at Blossom Tournament: silver boots and all. These questionably talented middle-aged women tried for the Pussycat Doll look & ended up more like the Alleycat Dolls, but that's ok. It was all fun, everybody had lots of wine, and I somehow managed to breathe in that #@$* corset.

She can putt! She can drive! Having the time of her life....

See that girl, watch that swing, diggin' the Blossom Queen. Oh yeah.

we did it.

Wired for Joy!

2009-05-09T05:42:00.000-07:00

Wired for Joy! is a 6-week course offered by Memorial Hospital that starts Monday May 11 from 4:15-6:15. "Develop resiliancy to stress!" it says. Something we could all use. I wanna be wired for something-- anything! Currently I'm just wired for HBO. If this sounds like something you might need, call JoAnn Campbell at 574-5862. She's a Certified Solution Provider. I didn't know that was possible?

Balloon Wear

2009-05-09T05:36:00.001-07:00

Another alert blog-reader sent me these pix of a balloon-dress designing contest, I've no idea where. Just like I've no idea where you'd wear a balloon dress. Somewhere where you never had to sit down, I guess....

So funny!!! Like Andy Warhol said, "Art is what you can get away with."

Just Smile!

2009-05-09T05:34:00.001-07:00

She's just happy to be here. You can tell. She's smiling.
Don't worry, this is no one we know; an alert blog reader sent me this & it was taken elsewhere. Like, somewhere in Happy Land I guess.

More Shoes!

2009-05-09T05:24:00.001-07:00

Here I am last Monday shopping in St. Louis so this was our first stop: DSW Shoes, otherwise known as Tootsie Heaven. Acres of shoes. I was lost for a couple hours, my friends just dropped me off & left me to wander the aisles barefoot, dragging a big black mesh shopping bag and trying on as I went. Why oh why don't we have a Tootsie Heaven in Yakima? I guess there's one in Federal Way, we'll have to check that out sometime.

Ok, so maybe this lovely carpet at YCC doesn't make the best background but sometimes bloggers just have to make the best of it. LOVE these shoes Dana was wearing, they've got all the trademarks of this year's best style: chunky heel, gladiator-boot-like vamp, elastic strap, wrap-around style. And here's the best part: they're from TARGET! $29.99! I mean, a girl's gotta cut back these days but don't skip the style!

When Michelle Obama was asked what the worst part of being the president's wife was, she said, "Well, I can't just run out to Target anymore...." I feel her pain. A stop at Target can just make the world seem like a happier place.

First Friday

2009-05-02T09:15:00.001-07:00

If you haven't been to a First Friday in downtown Yakima yet, you need to get with it. Remember when downtown was dead? Not true, not anymore. On the First Friday of every month all the downtown restaurant/wine-tasting locations are open for biz and most have some kind of fun live music. People are actually walking! Around downtown Yakima! Anyway, we went from the Barrel House to Gilbert Cellars (which actually has a cellar, downstairs in the Greystone building), to Plaza Sociavale--where we listened to a band of 3 guys that played everything from Neil Young to Brittany Spears to Bruce Springsteen.

And when we went to Kana, I saw this girl walk in with her black knee-high boots and this charming little black & white buffalo plaid flannel mini skirt! She was so obviously having a great time, and here's the best part: she got it at the Goodwill. See--there is real style in NQPS! And it doesn't always cost your entire paycheck! So keep it up ladies of Not Quite Palm Springs! Be Bloggable!

Winemaker's Dinner

2009-05-02T08:50:00.001-07:00

Longshadows Winery poured, we ate (protein mountains, OMG--why is there always so dang much MEAT at Winemaker's Dinners? Ahi, filets, lambchops--yikes! That's more meat than I eat in a month....), we drank (lots), we listened to the adorable Gille, who has the most fabulous French accent, and we dressed for the occasion last Thursday night. Karen didn't want her picture taken. Now I just don't understand that. She is such a miniature little person and looked so chic in this pale green Exclusively Misook from Nordstrom: black-trimmed green tunic over black skirt. She says this was one of those "panic buys" as she is not a shopper and needed it immediately for some wingding. Missook is a wonderful line of knitwear modeled after St. John but much more affordable & is so perfect for traveling. Wear it all day on a plane & get off looking fabulous & fresh for the papparazi. Or whoever. Anyway, Karen: great choice! Maybe you should always "panic buy."

This is Kristin, in a standout of a dirndl border-print skirt in bright spring colors. She said she found this at Anthropologie a few years ago. Still very current & fresh-looking.

I had to snap a pic of Jeanne's PerSe dress. Look closely: it's covered in snaps! I thought they were beads at first but no, it is just a cool collection of all different sizes of snaps. No jewelry necessary. I loved this dress! So.....snappy!

Which reminds me: Eileen Merrell is having a showcase of her Carlisle/PerSe lines from Wed. May 13 through Tuesday May 19. Classic, pricey, but beautiful and unique. Call her at 965-3680 for an appointment. You can check out the lines at www.carlislecollection.com or www.persecollection.com. Some really cool pieces.

Nancy---omg it must be so fun to be tall! Then you can wear beautiful horizontal stripes and unpleated cotton skirts like this one, which I love--and it's got all my favorite colors in it: hot pink, orange, green, blue. You're bound to have tee shirts in all those colors to go with it. She looked so cute! What a chic mom.

Tiffany got my attention when she said she got this great little top at T.J. Maxx--only my very favorite hangout! You have to be a real shopper to get in those racks and search but if you're like Tiffany you can weed out the mediocre and emerge victorious with a treasure like this! I love it, it's silk, bronzy colored, ruffly but not too ruffly--she looked perfect in it.

Which reminds me, TJ Maxx is the absolute best place to find golf shirts. They always have an assortment of Ralph Lauren in all styles: polo, V-neck, short or long sleeves, crews. All those tiny polo horses embroidered in every color on every color. So cheap you can afford to replace them every year. Loves it.

YWCA Leadership Luncheon

2009-05-02T08:28:00.000-07:00

Erin Black, the new YWCA Director

This year the luncheon featured Liz Miller, an inspirational speaker and the subject of the Lifetime Movie "From Homeless to Harvard." Liz spoke so directly from her heart and had the roomful of 200+ people sitting spellbound as she told about how she grew up on welfare in the Bronx with two drug-addicted parents. Somehow, after she watched her mother die of AIDS something clicked within her and she decided she needed to get an education--eventually graduating from Harvard. Kleenex all around the table, thank you. Liz was one of the most effective and memorable speakers the YW has ever brought in for this event. Thank you, luncheon committee! What a great job they did; I know those things are so much work and involve so many people.

Which reminds me, the YW just hired a new director, Erin Black, who was the director of the Kittitas Co. Historical Museum in Ellensburg.

The Leadership Luncheon is always a harbinger of what's going on style-wise among NQPS women, and this year there was an explosion of florals along with lots of bright spring colors. Here are a couple of my favorites:

Kay wore this pretty silk jacket from Gretchen, black background with lots of minty green, coral & pale yellow. Looked so great with the green tank & black slacks. Jackets were in order, it was a cold, cuh-rappie day weatherwise. Priscilla had the garden idea going too, in this spiffilicious cropped jacket with a huge assortment of pink, lavender, yellow, coral, & green posies. This jacket could go with anything! Spring or summer. Looks fabulous & def. lifts the spirits on a windy, nasty day like this one.

Age-Proofing Your Body!

2009-04-30T15:03:00.000-07:00

Who wouldn't be interested in that? This weekend, May 2, Elizabeth Somer, author of Age-Proof Your Body will be at the Red Lion to give us all tips on aging well. It's only $30 for the day, which includes breakfast and two workshops.
The workshops include "Food and Mood" (Whaaaat??? Why is my mood constantly chocolate?) presented by Ms. Somer herself.
Nina from Ummelina's will talk about age-proofing your skin. Which reminds me, I was just in there again yesterday and I think I'm gonna have to install a Rainbow Shower right in my own house, I'm so addicted to that thing.
Then Cathy Schlieman, owner of CS Pilates, will do her thing on core strength. Cathy is a living example of being age-proof, she always looks so great & of course she's in perfect shape. Waaaah. Maybe my one-Friday-a-week class isn't enough?
ANYWAY, go to yakimamemorial.org/ageproof to register or call 575-8008. This is going to be a really fun, really educational, really happy event! Bring your friends, too. Not that they could use any age-proofing, but, you know....

Another Memorial class I want to attend is "The Mediterranean Diet", which is next Friday, May 8 at the 16th Ave. Station. You can choose 8-9:00 a.m. or 3-4:00 p.m. Sounds wonderful. I love Mediterranean food. I don't think it's gonna include baklava, tho.
The hospital has all kinds of great events for women through May and June, check their website for a rundown on all the fun. OMG I'm gonna be so dang age-proofed by the time I get through with this. They're never gonna offer me that stupid old folks discount at Denny's again. I'm paying full price if it kills me.

Upcoming Events

2009-04-25T08:25:00.000-07:00

Gasperetti's is continuing it's fun Friday fashion shows with a benefit for the Yakima Chapter of the Red Cross this Friday, May 1. Macy's will be showing stuff from their Ralph Lauren department ("Bring Color Back" is the theme) with local Red Cross friends as models. Get a table together! Call 248-0628 for reservations.
On June 12, Wild Lucy will take over the show, which is to benefit Allied Arts. Wild Lucy! Crazy clothes! Probably lots of denim and t-shirts, plus the models always have their make-up done in that fun line of cosmetics Lucy carries. Fun stuff! You may find something for your daughters or yourself. Make your reservations for that one now.
Then on June 26, John's friend David Mendoza from Bali will be showing fashions and jewelry from Indonesia. The proceeds go to Ohana, Yakima's mammogram center. Should be interesting!

Annika at Gretchen

2009-04-25T08:21:00.000-07:00

For my golfing friends: Did you know that Gretchen carries Cutter & Buck? I didn't until I went to the trunk show last week--what fun! The Annika line was there in full force with lots of plaids, stripes, colorblock patterns in great colors: pinks, blues, earth tones, brights. Cutter & Buck is a little pricey even as far as golf clothes go but the fabrics are high tech & easy care, the fit is good and the workmanship is the best. We ordered some things off the trunk show but Gretchen carries Cutter & Buck all the time & she can order you any pieces you decide you want if she doesn't have them in stock.

Relay for Life--HELP!

2009-04-17T11:32:00.001-07:00

Ok, perhaps I don't look especially stylish here, but this is what I wear when I'm raising money for the American Cancer Society at Yakima's annual 24- Hour Relay for Life. (If you were out there 24 hours you'd look like shit, too).

This year I'm trying to raise $5,000 before the Relay on May 30 and I need your help! It's harder than ever for people to give and it's been difficult to raise that money in past years, let alone a year like this.

So if you feel moved to donate some money for cancer research, if you've had someone you love get cancer in the past year, if you've ever lost anyone in your family to cancer, I hope you'll give.

Just click on this link which will take you directly to my donation page. You can donate with a click or a check, I'm not picky.

Thank you all, Dear Blog Readers!

http://main.acsevents.org/goto/gay

Akin Center Theater

2009-04-17T11:23:00.000-07:00

Last night we went to see "The Curious Savage" at the Akin Center Theater. Great show, great acting, fun theater-in-the-round setting, as I've said before. Anyone who is into vintage clothing should go just to see Mary Kloster's costumes--as always, pulled directly from her own closet--vintage '40's (or are they '50's?) dresses in black and white that make you want to return to that era.
The Warehouse did "The Curious Savage" just a few years ago with Mary once again in the lead and Sandy Jennings as Fairy. The rest of the cast was new but please, note to Tony: you're a new theater. Give us some new shows. Give us some new actors. Maybe you're trying to be ecologically correct, but quit the recycling and give us something new.
Future productions include "The Fantastiks", one of my very favorite (old) muscials, and "Romeo and Juliet." I'll keep you posted.

Checks & Plaids

2009-04-14T19:58:00.000-07:00

I've always been drawn to the graphic prints whether it's bold plaids like Amber's clever little strapless bubble or the circus-like checked tile in my new kitchen--so I got them together. So cute! It's fuschia & black plaid satin from Wet Seal, paired with black leggings. I think Amber's whipping up something really hot on that burner. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think Martha Stewart ever looked like this.

Michelle Watch!

2009-04-01T13:20:00.000-07:00

I just found the best website ever, it's http://www.mrs-o.org/. Follow this link to go there to see all things Michelle, including what she's wearing in England for tea with the Queen! She must have packed a few bags for this European trip... I love the fact that she's showing off her American-designed wardrobe across the pond, and from what I've seen it's all been spectacular. Love the Jason Wu black satin opera coat (shown above) that she wore to Buckingham Palace today, plus the sparkly sweater she wore this morning. She's definitely not afraid to make an impact!

March Martini Madness

2009-03-28T10:49:00.001-07:00

Blogapalozza! The March Martini Madness party Friday night was a fundraiser for the Yakima Valley Museum. Held in the Neon Garden (I mean seriously, how many museums have a Neon Garden), it was a Rat-Pack themed, 60's era cocktail party with 3 different bars (Rat Pack, Marilyn, and Tiki), tons of great appetizers, and an overabundance of coolness.
Guests were asked to dress 60's cocktail, and interpretation of 60's ran the gamut from late '50's prom dresses and white elbow-length gloves to 1968 San Francisco hippie, complete with peace medallions and tye-dye.
Here are some highlights:

The cocktail crooner moseyed through the crowd with remote mike in hand, singing favorites like "Mack the Knife" and "My Way". The private after-hours party featured him with his band playing dance music while desserts (fabulous cheesecake, assorted truffles...yumyum again...) were served.

She rifled through her Mom's closet for this beautiful vintage dress: black lace over nude taffeta, two-tiered skirt, empire waist, black silk bow--defines chic!

Our "Marilyn Bar" tender had the whole look going for her. The bar even included an underground fan for the street-vent effect! Oooh la la!

Best of Shoe: Stephanie's shoes were definitely 2009 but I had to put them in here. Black & white patent, chunky heel, elastic. And midnight blue toes! Love it.

White go-go boots!!!! Where did she find these? I looked all over for some last week & couldn't find any--these are just perfect with the black leather skirt. And Judy--adorable channeling Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's, which was one of the movies that looped on the huge screen in the background.

Ok, so this was '60s too--it was such a long decade, fashion-wise, wasn't it? Love the Missoni-like vest, the flowered clogs, the headband. I don't know if hippies drank martinis in 1968.....

Joey Bishop called, he wants his clothes back....great hat & tie, skinny pants, cool jacket.

I nominate her best-dressed of the evening: The op-art black & white! The tiny black bag! The lucite bangle! The headband and the teased hair! Perfect dress for the ocassion. The winner.

Candy cigarette girls sold raffle tickets throughout the evening.

Ok this dress could have been '60's but is so definitely now. So cute! Ties in the back with a big bow, and has pockets. She told me she's a nanny. I never saw a nanny look this fabulous...

This vintage ice-blue dress looks like a confection from a bakery! Ruched, lacy, chiffon overskirt, halter neck--just perfect. Looks like something Natalie Wood would have worn. And the flowered shoes are so perfect with it. I wonder how many people tell her she looks like Marisa Tomei?

And next to her, a midnight blue jumpsuit with palazzo pants. Remember those?

Theresa's flower-power earrings--like wearing the entire garden at once...in plastic. Loved these!

OMG! It's Audrey Hepburn. Or is it Twiggy? Whoever, loved the black sequined mini sheath with heels & drop earrings--she's definitely got her cool on.

There aren't many places you can wear a spectacular martini rhinestone brooch, are there? Definitely a show piece!

Linda modeling her mother's vintage Sarah Coventry jewelry and pop-art clutch. I remember Sarah...she was always a coveted prize on Queen for a Day.

Peggy in the perfect dance dress--lace over taffeta, mini-pleated skirt. And great '60s glasses.

Not 60's but such a darling cocktail dress, she looked so tiny & cute in the black and white striped satin.

Someone stole my camera, the horse stole my shoes. Can you tell this is later on in the evening?

Audrey again, with four-legged friend.

Who wouldn't love a man in a white linen suit?

The girlz in all their 60's regalia--including Debbie Reynolds there in her blue satin dress. Love Valerie's zebra-print headscarf. Janie was wearing one of her mom's cocktail dresses--so pretty & chic.

Laurie & Jody in their Pucci-esque op-art prints, black boots. I think I wore that dress in high school...

Leslie in a black rabbit fur shrug, sharing the scene with Marilyn.

Scott in his disco outfit and Katie in lime green with neon pink tights and purple suede platforms. Right at home in the Neon Garden! She told me the dress belonged to Scott's mom. Katie just moved here from Virginia Beach, VA. I think she may have needed a separate U-Haul for her shoes, she says she has over 200 pairs. I like this girl.

Doggie Blog

2009-03-26T14:22:00.000-07:00

Ok, it's a blog about style in NQPS--I never specified who's style, did I? So here's my Granddog Bella modeling her wardrobe:

For those of you who can't read this shirt, it says, "Does this shirt make me look fat?" I found it for Bella, a French Bulldog puppy, at a store in Maui called Birkin & Bailey's that is so fabulous--stocked with everything anyone would ever want dogwise. My other Granddog, Rokko, got a shirt that says "Bitches Love Me." I kinda went a little crazy in there. Anyway if you're going to Maui anytime soon, check out the store, it's in Kihei. Toooooo much fun!
This is Bella in her hooded pink nylon raincoat. (She lives in Seattle, she needs this. Except she pretty much refuses to go out in the rain.)

And for more formal occasions, her leopard print fur coat.

Second Street Grill

2009-03-26T14:13:00.001-07:00

More ruffles! This is Whitney, the hostess at the Second Street Grill & also a fashion marketing student at Central. She looked so springy & cute in this green skirt with tiered eyelet ruffles, plus black lace high-collared top with black flowy cardigan and black leggings & flats. Proof that not all college kids live in jeans; that's so good to know. She told me that she has made some of her best finds at the Seattle downtown Goodwill store. Recycled shopping! I love it.
Great, fun restaurant by the way.

More Quotations

2009-03-24T16:40:00.000-07:00

"You don't necessarily live for the moment; you live for hope-what you're going to get, what you're going to say, what you're going to think. " --Isaac Mizrahi

"Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society."--Mark Twain

"Art produces ugly things which frequently become more beautiful with time. Fashion, on the other hand, produces beautiful things which always become ugly with time. "---Jean Cocteau (this is one you want to quote to your kids when they say they want a tattoo.)

Ummelina 2.0

2009-03-24T16:25:00.000-07:00

I went back to Ummalina today & I'm a whole new person! That rainbow shower!!! All your troubles, just swirling down the drain--I'm addicted to that thing. And the massage was great.
Here's a tip: if you have been intending to go, go now. It's very uncrowded and you can hang out as long as you like in the recovery room (or whatever they call it) wrapped up in a fluffy blanket with a warm Bucky around your neck, drinking the Pregnancy Tea, the euphony of that spa-like bonging music....yumyum.
Not Quite Palm Springs is so lucky to have a place that's so un Yakima-like.

Open House

2009-03-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

The occasion was an open house party for Steve & Priscilla Forney's spectacular new home in East Valley--I mean this house is so big those two could live there together and never have to run into each other for months. And talk about NQPS style--it's everywhere in this home: beautiful tile and hardwood floors, glass tile wall in the powder room that's more an actual work of art, jewel-like vessel sink, fabulous Tuscan-style wall & ceiling treatments throughout, golds, deep reds, mustard, toasty browns, soaring ceiling and wooden beams in the Great Room. And a tile-lined dog-washing room. Also a great party with tons of people and lots of blogalicious opportunities:

Gretchen, owner of Gretchen, in an Esdio sweater from Gretchen in a bright pop-art floral print hoodie and jeans. Funkalicious! Flowerific! Fabulositility! I want to go to there.

Kay in a linen lime green print shirt jacket, also from Gretchen. (For more about Gretchen, see my archives 10/27/08 "Three New Places to Shop.")

More green, after all it's March--Delores always looks so put together--she proves that you don't have to be 5' 10" to be chic. She's short & stylish. This time she showed up in an emerald cotton sateen jacket with stand-up collar, layered over all black. I had to talk her in to posing--can you believe that? No one's ever NOT wanted to be blogged.....

I loved Laurie's necklace--lots of turquoise, amber, beautiful semi-precious stones. She told me she got it at TJ Maxx for a mere pittance compared to what Nordstrom charges for the same designer. Now I can't remember the name? Something to do with birds and/or Indians...so Laurie & Kristelle if you're reading this please leave me a comment.....

Wedges--I used to think they were clunky but they're everywhere this spring so I may as well get used to him. I thought these ecru patent ones with the peep-toe & the cork sole were really kinda cute!

This is Joanne, who did the ruffly one-shoulder thing in a chiffon art print with her jeans. Such a great top! She's from Southern California. You can do that sort of thing there.

Jan's fabulous shoes: pony hair, zebra stripes, kitten heels--so cute!

Pegasus Fund-Raiser & Fashion Show

2009-03-20T16:06:00.000-07:00

I know! I know! I haven't blogged for a couple months, mainly because I was on vacation and even though I had great plans to blog over in Maui--well, I guess the blog went on vacation too.
After all, this blog is titled "Not Quite Palm Springs" not "Not Quite Maui". So I decided I may as well wait til I get home to see what was going on in the NQPS of Washington. Bad Blogger, Bad Blogger.

Today was a luncheon at Gasperetti's to benefit the Pegasus Project (go to http://www.pegasusrides.com/ ), a therapuetic riding center at Tumbleweed Ranch near Naches that provides horseback riding lessons to people (especially kids) with special needs.
The lunch included an informal fashion show from Garden Dance (http://www.garden-dance.com/ ) at 10 N. Front Street--I've blogged that shop before. Michelle Wyles, the Garden Dance Doyenne, fills it with a fun & funky mix of boho chic, fabulous accessories & assorted other brave wierdities.
Soooooo, here goes. I blogged some attendees and some of the models.

It's not quite still winter but it's not quite spring--that's why Terri's jacket was perfect for a day like today. It's a brown tweed, giant buttons, but the best part is the braided trim around the collar & also on the back. Looks like it could have been part of a suit but she tells me it's just the jacket. And like Suze Orman says, It is all about the jacket. Very cool.

This is Michelle Wyles, Garden Dance owner, and yes, this is how she usually dresses. It's entertaining just to go in the shop to see her. She informs me that she blogs, too, so go to the Garden Dance website to read hers. She called this short white chiffon number the "Fat Girl's Wedding Dress" because it has no waistline & is flowing & forgiving. She belted it with a kooky cameo belt, covered it with a denim jacket, and pulled on her cowgirl boots just for good measure. And it looks fabulous on her. She's brave.

Stephanie, one of the models, was wearing this dress before the show started: it's black knit, body-hugging, trimmed with tiny white stitching and big embroidered flowers that wrap around from front to back. So neat & polished! And great if you work out all the time. I, however, would need several miles of Spanx before I put that baby on.

This would be Betsy in one of the coolest wrap-around skirts: there are snaps all the way around the waistline so it fits almost anyone. Plus they're out of these great fabrics that don't wrinkle & would be so good to throw in a suitcase. Then when you get through eating your way through New York or Chicago or wherever, you move the skirt over a snap, and you can still wear it home! (Always thinking.) This was an animal print paired with a pumpkin-colored sweater that had tiny rosettes all around the neckline & front. Really seasonless and very pretty.

I took this picture mainly because I LOVE that little bag she's carrying, it's so cute & clever. And the scarf was fabulous, it was shimmery green on one side and blue on the other. But I think you'd have to be 5'11" (like this darling model--didn't get her name, sorry) to carry that off.

An adorable chiffon top--all plaid-y and ruffle-y and perfect for every day with jeans or for a night out.

Janie, the Executive Director of Pegasus and also the Queen of Casual in her orange/pink/yellow/earthy print cardigan, dark wash jeans and Lucy Valderhaug necklace. (Lucy's stuff can be found at Garden Dance, too.) Janie was just happy to be there & happy to see that many women care about Pegasus.

Thanks to Gasperetti's, Garden Dance, Denyse's Shoes, and Gilbert Winery for a fun day & a funky fashion show. Hope you raised lots of dollars!

Michelle's Ball Gown

2009-01-25T10:50:00.001-08:00

Well almost everything that can be said has already been said about Michelle's choice of the Jason Wu ivory crystal-studded ball gown. Most people liked it, some loved it, some hated it. I for one was disappointed AGAIN. Does this look like prom dress to you? Or wedding-cake topper? Why not a pretty jewel tone--sapphire or ruby or emerald? Why not a sleek line that emphasizes all her best parts? For one thing, she couldn't dance in it, she kept arranging the top and then trying to get the skirt out of the way so she could actually move. Oh well. Hooray for Jason--he's only 26 and this will definitely jump-start his already upward-climbing career. And she is young--maybe she can get away with prom dress style at the inaugural ball.

The Empress' New Clothes

2009-01-20T16:30:00.000-08:00

Whew!!! Finally my "Bush's Last Day" countdown is finished and I can celebrate Obama's inauguration with my fellow Obama supporters! Yay! What a wonderful day this has been. But I know, this is supposed to be a style column, not a political column, so let's talk Michelle's fashion choices.

Oh, sad. I know lots of people liked her Isabel Toledo inauguration ensemble. I'll let the critics have their say, but my initial feeling is that the gold brocade number leaned a lot more toward Barbara Bush Dowdy than Jackie Kennedy Chic. Who the heck is Isabel Toledo anyway? She's a Cuban-American with a very small following who was let go as the design director for Anne Klein two years ago--whatever. I didn't like the outfit much. The color was ok for her, (they called it gold but it looked chartruese on t.v. ) but I felt the sillouette was unflattering and the rhinestone neckline was a little too cocktail-y for me.

Why? Why? Why, Michelle? For one thing, you looked like you were freezing to death--why not wear a nice warm coat like you wore to Arlington earlier in the week? Now THAT was a fabulous, chic, linear line, a Narciso Rodriguez beauty in such a beautiful lavender color--loved it. And you could have added some cool boots like Jill Biden wore, a fuzzy scarf, maybe even a hat. The world would have been a lot more comforted knowing you were warm out there in that 27 degrees with the wind blowing.

Or you could have chosen the very sleek & sophisticated number you instead wore to the concert at the Lincoln Memorial: also Narciso, camel and black--it looked a lot warmer than the brocade.
Why didn't she ask me first? fail. I suppose she'll have lots of hits & misses, but why does she miss on the most important occasions? Waaaaaah!

But now we're all hanging on to see what she wears tonight! Stay tuned!

Island Style

2009-01-17T16:52:00.000-08:00

This is what the well-dressed surfers were wearing on the North Shore of Oahu the other day when we went to see the 25' waves. Well ok. I know it has nothing to do with style but I didn't want to deprive you alert, sun-starved, shivering blog-readers of a chance to see these delicious bods.

Isn't this pretty? It's a scarf dress that can be tied about 50 ways, turned upside down & inside out & become a kite, a brooch, or a pterodactyl. Well not exactly, but this girl was selling them on Kaanapali Beach and she showed us about 99 ways to wear it--until I just got extremely confused. Sure did look cute on her, tho.

Aloha

2009-01-04T17:06:00.001-08:00

Byeee! I'll be in Maui for the next two months so keep watching, I'll try to post island style whenever I can. Aloha!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-04T16:44:00.001-08:00

We spent New Year's Eve at YCC & even stayed till after midnite--a pretty big effort on my husband's part. He made it, but of course he was "on pure guts." It was a fun evening. Here's a couple photos:

Deanne found this shutter-pleated dress in Portland, it so fabulous! In a silvery gray, it's a different version of the long one Andrea wore to Prez Ball. Very chic on her.

I just had to put in this one of Betty, mainly because this a major fashion departure for her! Betty's always in golf clothes, so for her to wear a skirt is a big deal, but here she's got the whole thing goin on. The skirt is black wool with leather trim, the lime-green sweater has some interesting black stitching detail along the sleeves, and...who knows how many aligators died for this vest? Not shown: patterned hose and very with-it calf-high black boots. Betty! Who knew? What a babe. Pete stole the vest. This was later in the evening. There may have been alcohol involved.

Ok, this is at Pier 66 in Seattle & of course I wasn't there, but this is Amber in her New Year's Eve dress: red satin, ruched, short, strapless---sooooooooo cute! Spicy but not skanky. Now that's what I call New Year's Eve style. OMG wish I was young. And had long legs.

Tony's Redux

2008-12-26T16:42:00.000-08:00

More on Tony's Steakhouse: since our first foray into Tony's I've been back two more times and I must say the service has been impeccable and the food is always delicious. Last week about 22 (OMG, I know) of us went in for lunch and the service was great. Our waiter was so patient with all of us, remembered what everyone ordered, and split our checks up for us with zero complaint. He even took pics of us on the staircase, it was hilarious!!! I hope everyone tipped him well, because he was a gem.
I've also heard good things about the 2nd Street Grill--that the food is good and the place looks really great--gone are Pete's famous dancing cages, boo hoo. I wish they took reservations, I hate waiting. But we'll try it one of these nights.
Please keep patronizing these places after the big holiday food rush is over--January and February are such tough months in restaurantville just as they are in retail. We need to go out and eat if these new places are to survive!
What are your New Year's Eve plans? Or are you staying home and hibernating? Leave me a comment & let me know. Or take your camera and report back when you see some NQPS style. Contributors welcome!

Coming soon: I leave for Maui on Jan. 7 so I'll send pix of sundresses and bikinis just to remind everyone that it's not winter everywhere.
And I can't wait to see what Michelle will wear for the inauguration!!!!

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-26T16:40:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone had a fun Christmas! Soon to come--New Year's Eve photos! So wear your most fabulous dresses--you never know where I'll be.....

Hodgey-Podgey

2008-12-26T16:20:00.000-08:00

Time to wrap up 2008 so here are some random photos I've gotten recently:

The perfect boots for the crappy weather we've had through Christmas: Cindi got these in Portland & they look great with the big buckle and the toe and heel detail PLUS they have rubber soles and nice chunky heels. So they are the footwear version of 4-wheel drive with snow tires. Or at least they'll get you from the parking lot to the door, and what else do you really need?

Donna wore this candy-cane striped shirt to a ladies' Christmas lunch at Tony's--it was crisp, colorful, chic, and fit perfectly. She told me last summer that she had found a tailor in Seattle to make her shirts as she could never find off-the-rack ones that fit right. So she has ordered about 799 of these bespoke styles and has one in every color. This one was perfect for Christmas revelry. And boy did we revel.

Women have their goofy holiday sweaters, who says men shouldn't own at least one Christmas shirt? This is a black silk by Tori Richards, depicting a jolly old Santa being pulled across the horizon by his reindeer. Mike wore this shirt to several different holiday parties. (Those who know my husband will probably recognize that nose.)

Prez Ball

2008-12-14T15:18:00.000-08:00

Omg, where have I been??? I know, several alert blog readers are wondering why I haven't been posting lately and my only answer is: I told ya there'd be some long hot dry spots in Not Quite Palm Springs and I guess we hit one. Seemed like every place I went, I hunted and hunted for style and came up with nothing exciting. So for those of you who were worried about this inevitable lacuna, we're back and we're posting.

Saturday night was the long-awaited annual President's Ball at YCC, which is really just a big ol' Christmas party with fabulous food (5 courses) and wine (lots) and dancing (those Country Clubbers can get down when they have to). Last year at the Prez Ball I took off my shoes at the end of the evening and ended up with a broken toe. That was not happening again. I wore steel-toe combat boots. With rhinestones, of course.
There was no shortage of style so here are a few of the highlights:

This is Mandy in an elegant black Grecian-style column dress with offset straps. Fabulous earrings, hair swept back, she looks beautiful and just happy to be there.

And here's the best part, check out her bejeweled sandals and her snowflakey toe! That's attention to detail, Babe.

Mary Jo caused quite a few heads to turn with this backless sequined-all-over number which she confessed she bought on the Home Shopping Network. And I thought all they sold was Hummel figurines and acne control cream. Hmmm. Loved it! She's obviously been doing the lat pulls too.Plus, at Gasperetti's Cabaret on Thursday night MJ wore the most fabulous black stilettos with feathers that sort of grew up her ankles. Wish I had a picture of those. Mary Jo, if you're reading this, send me a pic of those feather shoes! Wicked! Wild!

Susan stood out in a sea of black with this Christmas-red sheath with beaded long sleeves and tulip hem. Sparkly! Love it!

Leslie in her zebra-striped knit mini with sequined neckline. Bold choice! Wild animals, grrrr! And wish you could see the black knee-high boots. She looked spectacular. And that guy with her looked pretty good himself.
Andrea at the Prezball Prefunc in a full-length gown in of smoky pewter: shutter pleats to the floor and an elegant V-neckline. Her hair was up in a loose French knot with white flowers--yummy! And Brian--so happy to be dressed up in a tux. He's a trooper.

AAC Art of Giving

2008-11-07T16:28:00.000-08:00

Allied Arts is starting it's annual "Art of Giving" sale this Sunday from 2-4 p.m. More than 40 artists have contributed to this sale, and you're bound to find something unique and original for Christmas giving. Or giving to yourself, which I seem to be really good at.
There are framed photographs, watercolors, fabric art, fused glass plates and jewelry, decorated Christmas cards, beautiful lavender-scented velvet scarves, hand-painted wine glasses, tree ornaments, SO much stuff! All of it original and fun, plus you're supporting our talented local artists with every purchase.
The sale goes on through December, but if you go on opening day you get live music, cider, and goodies to eat.
So stop by, it's at 5000 W. Lincoln (same building as the Warehouse Theater.)

Tony's

2008-11-07T16:09:00.000-08:00

Several people have commented that they'd like to hear about more than just style in NQPS--like things to do? Places to eat? Well my number one love after dressing up is EATING. And nothing beats getting dressed up to go eat.

Wednesday night my cozy little Shoe Club (aka my tap-dancing class) donned our finest footwear and met at Tony's Steakhouse on 3rd & Yakima Aves. For those of you who haven't noticed the beautiful new front, this is the building that used to house Sakie International. Dr. Tony Ha, a steak lover himself, has opened Tony's and the offerings are meat, meat, and lots of meat.

Ok, so here's what we thought of Tony's:

Food: excellent

Service: needs unkinking

The food was delicious--even the crabcakes, the chowder, the spinach salads, the steak Diane. We had a few problems with service (where did those forks go?) but were given a huge apology at the end of dinner and presented with three delicious desserts as peace offerings. Believe me, a creamy chocolate mousse can make a girl forget a lot of missteps.

We ate dinner in the bar, which is lighted so brightly we almost broke into a tap routine under the spots, but one might have better luck with the service in the dining room.

The menu is broad and includes every type of steak but also salmon, an ahi appetizer, and some pasta dishes.

So go on down to Tony's--just give them lots of time and understanding to work out those kinks. Or wait a couple months.

And as for shoe club, um, well, we got a little caught up in coversation and martinis and never got around to footographing, but as I was leaving I decided these were the winners:

Ok they were mine, big deal. Who says I can't vote for myself? The UPS man brought them for me just that afternoon. He seems to always know when I need a new pair of shoes.

Blog Around the World

2008-11-07T16:03:00.000-08:00

I started my NQPS blog after reading Pike/Pine, a blog about street style in Seattle. If you kinda like looking at blogs, try these assorted blogs of street style around the world. Some of them will make you want to hop on a plane to visit the place and see for yourself, or at least order up some of the styles. And some will just make you go "HUH?" They all make for some fun viewing, though--even if you can't read foreign language captions.

Copenhagen: copenhagenstreetstyle.dk
Tokyo: style-arena.jp
London: glamcanyon.blogspot.com
Paris: garancedore.fr
Tel Aviv: thestreetswalker.blogspot.com
Buenos Aires: onthecornerstreetstyle.blogspot.com
Manila: mnlstyl.blogspot.com
Australia: facehunter.blogspot.com

Michelle's Mis-Dressed, Distressed

2008-11-06T10:08:00.000-08:00

Yay Obama!!!! No one was happier than I (save perhaps Oprah herself) to see Barack win the election. I broke out champagne, cried happy tears, e-mailed all my friends; I'm still celebrating! But Michelle: What were you thinking? As you can see, the Narciso Rodrigues dress (found on-line and e-mailed to me by an Alert Blog-Reader) looks fabulous on the pubescent 90-pound, 6'2" model, but on a normal-sized woman with actual hips? We're talking human lava lamp. Or giant red-sand hourglass. Oh Michelle, Michelle, after all the sweet dresses you wore throughout this endless campaign, why would you choose this for one of the most important nights of your life? So sad. Put Narciso back in the closet and leave him there. Euwww.

New Theater

2008-10-27T22:21:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons I love theater is because I love to check out the costumes. Costumes can sometimes make or break a show! I can remember going to plays which were probably pretty good in every way except one bad costume completely ruined it for me. No matter how well an actor sings or dances or emotes, if she's wearing something hideous the show's over for me. Bleah.

All of which is mainly just a segue into telling you about Tony & Amy Akin's new theater at Melody Lane, which is in the midst of producing "See How They Run", an absolutely hilarious British comedy full of slamming doors, mistaken identities, plenty of brandy, and Tony running through (and through, and through again) the set in his green and white polka-dot underwear brandishing a toilet plunger. I mean, it's got it all.

Truly, dear Blog-readers, I urge you to get a ticket and go see this new production in this brand-new, small, very intimate theater-in-the-round. You will actually feel like you're right there in this London parlor as part of the show, and every seat is a good seat. The actors have honed the ability to play in every direction so that there is no good side or bad side--all sides are equal.

Tony has hand-picked the cast to include some of NQPS's most experienced and funniest actors, (some of his closest friends, too): Vance & Sandy Jennings, his own wife Amy-- all are old hands at extracting laughs from an audience. Plus a couple of almost -newcomers, which is always fun and makes it seem more like a real community theater. He even managed to recruit his junior high acting teacher!

It's just so exciting to see Yakima get a new amateur theater. It gives us all more choices and chances and always adds to the quality of life in a small town. I can't wait to see what they do next!

P.S. The costumes aren't half bad either. Check out Ida's plaid/check/stripe combination and her feather hat. Charming.

Three New Places to Shop!

2008-10-27T19:39:00.000-07:00

It's big news in NQPS when a new shop opens, and just recently there have been three! OMG.I don't know if we can take the excitement:

Garden Dance
First is actually not a new store, but a new location for Garden Dance. Michelle has moved out of the back of the Opera House building on Front Street to a new, MUCH larger location at the corner of Front and Yakima Avenue in the old (really old) Burlington Northern freight office building at 10 N. Front. (It's across from Gilbert Cellars. The old Paper Station location, for those of you who can remember that).
The new, improved Garden Dance is teeming with clothing--the old location simply didn't have room for all those racks. There are lots of sweaters, interesting jackets and coats, those strangely appealing skirts that look like Roman window shades in every color, lots of cottony, roomy, comfortable, ultra-loose-sillouette type clothing. Plus an amazing array of candles, table and wall decor, stationery and other paper products, jewelry, lotions and potions, and gifty things. I especially liked the boiled wool shoulder bags and tiny coin purses from Nepal that are more like works of art than bags. Cuteness with a Capital C!
So stop by the new location, I dare you not to find something you love.

Kristie Burrill
Buttons, buttons, whose got the buttons? The Kristie Burrill shop is bursting with buttons of all kinds--antique, mother-of-pearl, silver, gold, vintage, imported, every color of the rainbow, stone, you name it. There are bevies of buttons, boxes of buttons, entire batteries of buttons.
Kristie Burrill recently moved from Seattle where she was a designer who had shops in Madison Park and at the Four Seasons (now the Fairmont) hotel. Her new digs are in the other half of the Shopkeeper at 3105 Summitview.
But in addition to buttons you'll find her designer clothing line--skirts, jackets, tops as well as dresses, capes, and coats--some that look like they just hopped out of a Harry Potter movie.
Kristie is also an artist: what fun she has with old Christmas cards, decorating plain white gift boxes with them and other assorted adornments--uh, like buttons. The boxes sell for around $7 and are all mini art pieces.
If you have something in your closet that needs updated or upgraded, buttons are often the key. Take the piece in to Kristie and let her find the fabulous buttons that can transform your coat or whatever. Buttoned up. Buttoned down. Buttonlicious.

Gretchen
As I mentioned in an earlier post, Gretchen Gilday has bought the other half of Steve Goodwin's the Haberdasher, which used to be Haberdasher Women, and it is now the new high-end boutique, Gretchen. No 's' please. Just Gretchen. So like she says, when she answers the phone she says, "Hello this is Gretchen." Because it is. And she is. It would sound stupid to say "This is Gretchen at Gretchen." or "Gretchen! This is Gretchen!" Jeez.
Anyway, the boutique is clean-lined, small and unfussy. The displays are spare, simple, and striking, and the merchandise is top-of-the-line classy. Gretchen obviously knows her best customers in NQPS and goes to market with them in mind. There are only a few pieces of every style so you know you're not going to be starring in Yakima's version of "Who Wore it Best?" on someone's blog.
Gretchen is heavy on sportswear: lots of pants, including fabulous Lynn Ritchie zip-fronts that are such great, unwrinkleable (don't mind me, I make up new words all the time), comfortable fabric. There are arty pieces such as graphic print jackets and tweedy, slouchy sweaters, and lots of jeans from a couple different designers like Christopher Blue. Not too many dresses.
It's high-end, like I said. If you're looking for bargains, this is probably not your place. If you're looking for classic, high-quality, pricey pieces around which you can build that status wardrobe, come on in.

Project Runway

2008-10-27T19:27:00.001-07:00

I forgot to give kudos to Leanne from Portland, who won Project Runway & beat out Kato and that idiot giggler Kenley. I loved, loved, loved her final show at Bryant Park: all blues and greens and aquas with petals and more petals everywhere. It was so inspired, so beautiful, something women might actually wear. She is an amazing technician as well as an artist. And she needs to do something with that hair. But who cares? What a talent! I loved watching that last show.

Also, one of the auction items this year at the Downtown Rotary Auction (November 1) is a trip for two to New York City, 2 tickets to the Project Runway Finals, and a meeting with Heidi Klum herself! In person! Arranged by Kyle MacLachlan's wife, a producer for the show. (Now I ask you what better life than that could there be???) It includes airfare, hotel in Manhattan, and a Broadway show. Somebody's gonna be so lucky! OMG

Caribou Barbie update

2008-10-27T19:24:00.001-07:00

For a great column on Caribou Barb's million-dollar make-over, go to http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/26/opinion/26dowd.html?ei=5070&emc=eta1
It's from the NY Times, written by esteemed columnest Maureen Dowd, and boy does she have words about all the spending on Sarah while the rest of the country watches their 401K's dive and their jobs disappear. Whew.

Jackets, Jackets, Jackets

2008-10-20T19:03:00.001-07:00

Ah, Suze Orman would have been so proud of the ladies at the Leslie Loudon Guild luncheon on Oct. 20. This lunch is one of my favorite events to blog on about. Every year it's the place to be to see what NQPS women are wearing for the fall season.

And every year it's jackets! So here's Midge in hers--it's a lightweight raw silk with the most beautiful embroidery detail on it. Honestly a jacket that can be worn year-round and always look good with skirt or pants. She found it at Coldwater Creek. So pretty.

Deb looked so great in hers: she went with the good ol' staples of black pants & tank (can you ever have too many of those?? I think that's my winter uniform) and lit it up with this cool silk number in beige, black, & white. Looked like it was woven in and out like ribbons but it was actually pleated. So pretty! She told me the catalog where she found it: Dane & Divine? Dive & Daning? Dave & Dining? Dangit & Damn? As you can see I promptly forgot it. Sorry. Deb, if you read this, put a comment on & tell people where you got the divine dining jacket.

Jackie looked pretty divine herself in this 3/4 length jacket black & beige print. This is a great length for smoothing over figure flaws and making one appear taller. Neither of which are problems Jackie has. But she looked great in it. She got this one at Chico's, which seems to be everyone's favorite store.
Takes a lotta ladies to put on a luncheon like this. Lyn (center) was the chair of the event & did a wonderful job. She's got on a cool dress of filmy fabric in a great autumn-looking beige print, topped with the leopard print shawl. Grrrrrr. And a little baby Louie on her shoulder.

Becky (left) was on the committee, she wore a simple black cowl neck with a cute beige puffy little unpressed-pleat skirt & chic black pumps. Loved it!

Melissa (right) worked on the committee too and looked so profesh in her black skirt & black & white houndstooth jacket. (It matches her golf bag.)

And the best-dressed award goes again to Kay, who wore this fabulissimo jacket that is actually more a piece of art than a jacket. It's black boiled wool with amazing embroidery and silk flowers in green and lavender. I mean, it is delicious. It is rockin'. It is major, major, major. She got it at Gretchen, which is Gretchen Gilday's new store. Gretchen used to be the manager of Steve Goodwin's Haberdasher Ladies, but she bought the space and made it her own. So there are new lines, new things, new sizes, and some real style for NQPS! Go there! I actually haven't made it in yet but I honestly intend to. Soon.

PS It's "Gretchen" singular, not "Gretchen's" posessive.

Not just jackets, TIGHTS! You gotta be brave to wear tights like these!This is Marcy, the Community Development Director at Memorial Hospital, and these tights are bold. You have to wear stuff like this with moxie, & she has it. So let's be brave, I say. Good for you, Marcy. "The ability to accessorize is what sets us apart from the lower species." (That's a famous quote from "Steel Magnolias", I think.)

Actually, the fashion show at the lunch was staged by Memorial Hospital gift shop, and it was all accessories. Obviously if you go in the hospital gift shop and expect to see nothing but a few Get Well cards and some porcelain figurine angels, think again. The shop at Memorial is a great place for accessories, and Marcy and her shop manager Pam talked about how much fun they have going to market every season in Las Vegas to find new, unusual, and moderately priced items.

At the show models wore all kinds of great new bags: huge hobos and structured satchels, fuzzy & furry, two-tone, laden with silver & braids, patent & croc. And scarves: chiffon, burn-out velvet, soft & furry. And watches: silver and very contemporary, bangle-style, only $17! Jewelry: giant cocktail rings, stone bracelets and delicate necklaces. And of course: JACKETS!
Like Suze says, "Remember ladies, it's People first, then Money, then Things, then JACKETS."

Go get yours quick.

YCC Annual Meeting

2008-10-20T15:06:00.000-07:00

Kay always looks good, but this night she looked especially major in the long skirt, the gorgeous gold leather jacket, and the brown suede boots. That's a whole lotta leather for one woman, but she absolutely carried it off.

Here's a closeup of the boots, which she said she "picked up in Amsterdam." (Great, I'll just zip right over & get me a pair.....) They're UGG-types with a flat heel, inside zipper & cool tassels. Kinda Sacajawea-looking.

Robin, new board member and more importantly, FEMALE board member at the YCC Old Boy's Club, is more at home in golf shorts than she is in a skirt, but she looked downright stylish in this gored mid-calf length brown skirt and the fall-colored print t-shirt. The belt was the perfect accessory, slung the perfect way, (helps when you have an actual waist), and her jewelry was an interesting mix of earth-toned stones. I think those good ol' boys will sit up & take notice.

You know, I really would love to see some new carpet out here so I would have a better background for my shoe pics.

These are Jumpin' Judi's, and I've blogged her feet before. (Well the rest of her, too.) I absolutely love these shobooties that are part black stretch fabric, part croc-embossed burnished red leather. Fabuloso!!! Judi likes to ride so she definitely likes the boots. They almost looked like they could be comfortable too, something one can rarely say about great-looking shoes.

Ok, Zeb saw me taking pictures of everyone's shoes and figured I had a foot fetish, so he immediately offered up his woven fishermen's sandals. These are great! I know I don't blog enough men, so I'm happy to show Zeb's cool shoes! He lied & told me he got them in Italy but they're actually from the Nordstrom Shoe Rack. Which is almost as good as a trip to Italy when you don't have the time or the money. It's like a wonderful little country all in itself. And it's where I've gotten a LOT of shoes. I could wander barefoot down the 7 1/2 aisles for hours and hours....

Maui Wedding

2008-10-17T20:12:00.000-07:00

Everyone loves a wedding. But a destination wedding on the South coast of Maui---oh, how could anyone turn that down? We were lucky enough to go to my cousin Dan's wedding to the lovely Lisa at the Prince Hotel in Makena. It was definitely a party to remember! Here are a few of the pics:

First of all was the rehearsal dinner, held at the Lahaina Luau. Most of the girls wore great sundresses, but Leah's really stood out. It's an aqua & yellow print with bold yellow braid trim. Very islandy. There was one actual bride there! Wierd place to spend your wedding day, but she looked really pretty.

After much research, I decided these guys were the best-dressed men at the luau. Can I bring one home as a souvenier?

Lisa's dress was very flowing, simple, and informal: white satin with a twist in the bodice and tiny beading trimming the edges. She looked like she could have sailed away over the ocean in this breezy gown! So perfect for a beach wedding. It was windy, so her maid of honor had to hang on to the veil all through the ceremony. (note to future beach brides: forget the veil. It's always windy.)

Dan wore a khaki jacket & pants with a green Tommy Bahama shirt & a traditional men's wedding lei. The groomsmen wore the same shirt with khaki slacks. Everyone, bride included, wore flip-flops.

This is Dan's sister Leah again. The bridesmaids dresses were aqua chiffon with the same twist int the bodice, empire waist, two-layer skirts, spaghetti straps. (Have we all finally had enough of strapless gowns at weddings????) The girls looked absolutely diaphanous as they crossed that lawn and then stood there with the ocean in the background. Yum!

Here's Jo, mother of the groom, with her favorite cousin.....

Sondra, one of the wedding guests, in a filmy tangerine & green print dress. Cool bi-level hem, I thought.

Sarah 2.0

2008-10-10T18:22:00.000-07:00

Ok, for my Republican friends, I must reconsider my first impression of Sarah Palin. The NY Post says she did hire a stylist, actually a whole team of them. I have to admit they did a bang-up job for her debate. Loved the black suit, the pleated peplum on the jacket, and especially the candy-apple red shoes. Still hate her politics. Ok, here are some pics. You decide if it looks like McCain's hired some help for her.

Sarah, pre-stylist:

eeeuwww, are those mukluks on her feet?Sarah, post-stylist team, in her $2500 designer jacket:

And I had to toss in this one:

OMG! Is this her house???? No, it's actually her office. I guess that's how she intimidates people during negotiations. I know if I were sitting across from her, I'd spend all my time staring at that stupid bear. Grrr.

Quote of the Day

2008-10-10T18:20:00.000-07:00

"Nothing ages you faster than desperation."........Jaclyn Smith, commenting on women who dress too young for their age.

Fresh Hop Ale Fest

2008-10-10T13:19:00.000-07:00

Whew! This Allied Arts event is becoming one of the primo fund-raisers in Yakima! Beer-drinkers come from all over the land! It's always a big party & huge fun & great food & beer & wine. This year it was pretty chilly & windy but no one seemed to care once the dancing started.

Thanks to Jessica, Lindsey, and to Helen & her committee for organizing such a great event. People don't realize how much work goes into these things!

Also: I had no idea Kim Nowacki was so talented on the cowbell. Genius. More cowbell, I always say.

There was a little bit of style there, too. Everyone wore jeans (unless they were wearing kilts) and there were some great jackets, scarves, sweaters & hats in the mix.

Here are just a few shots of the goings-on:

Cuter in Kilts! This is Andrew, braving the Not Quite Palm Springs of Washington in a black pleated kilt. First question I asked him was whether he worked for Rogue Brewery, because those guys were wearing kilts, too. WHAT??? Three men wearing kilts at the same event? In Yakima? OMG. Film at eleven.

Anyway, Andrew was actually there on his own and sporting his own brand of kiltwear. He told me he's originally from Tampa (as my friend Tammy from Florida would say, "He's a Tampon."), but now lives in Spokane & came over to Yak just for the event. He looked like he was having a good time. And the wind was blowing, too. But he didn't seem to mind.

Here 's one of the Rogue guys, I wanted to interview him but he was pretty busy selling gallons of ale all night. I think I could get used to this kilt thing. If all the kilters were this cute. Note to self: drink more Rogue Ale. Those guys have style.

Green was definitely the color of the night, and she took it to the limit with this fresh-looking emerald poplin jacket & designer jeans. (They were everywhere too.) So put-together, very hop-chic. Plus I loved her hair.

This is Loretta, who also happens to be one of my neighbors. She was rockin all night to the Shreds and looked so cool in a white jacket, jeans, and crocheted scarf. Toasty.

Mad Men--Mad Style

2008-09-30T22:26:00.000-07:00

The Cast of Mad Men

Ok, I know some of you think all I do is watch TV (Dancing with the Stars! Project Runway! Ace of Cakes!) but I just this year got into "Mad Men" after seeing all it's Emmy nominations. I watched one episode and immediately hopped on iTunes to download the entire first season which I proceeded to watch on the treadmill for the next month. What a way to make the time fly by...

But one of the reasons I love it so much is the costuming, which is so completely authentic to 1960: bullet bras, cinched in waists, shirtdresses, plaid wool pleated skirts, Peter Pan collars, bright floral prints, girdles and stockings, dirndl skirts, and ballet flats. The costume designer for the show, Katherine Jane Bryant, builds only about 10% of the dresses. The rest are true-to-life '60s garments found in vintage stores and auctions.

And that's just the women. The men wear these slim-cut suits with skinny ties. Everyone wears a hat when leaving the office. It's amazing!

According to a Cox News Service article, the men's suits are now so popular Bloomingdale's has opened "Mad Men" boutiques in some of it's stores, featuring guys like Michael Kors and Peter Som, who are designing entire lines of the new slim suits for men.

The authenticity threads through the entire show, tho, not just the costumes. Betty orders tomato juice as an appetizer before dinner in a restaurant. Everyone smokes, all the time, even the doctors. She defrosts her tiny little refrigerator freezer by putting a bowl of boiling water in it. Her daughter runs around playing "Spaceman" with a dry-cleaning bag over her head, and Betty chastizes her for taking the bag off her clean clothes--no worries here about the kid suffocating! It's fascinating to watch, whether you lived through the '60s or not.

It's on AMC Sunday nights at 10:00 p.m. Take a look:

Love those dirndl skirts
Joan, the secretary. She has boobs that could kill.
The delicious Don Draper. If this doesn't make you want to watch the show, nothing will.

Lindsey's Ruby Slippers

2008-09-30T22:17:00.000-07:00

Whoo hoo, it's been a long dry spell around Yakima waiting for some style to appear. But finally--eureka! Here came Lindsey in these fabulous shoes. It's hard to see in the pic but they're actually 3-toned: dark brown, then beige uppers, but a thin turquoise line separating the two. Add a chunky wooden heel, the T-strap...so lovable! She got them at a place in Spokane called Ruby Slippers, how clever is that?

Actually Lindsey was pretty much rockin the whole thing a few days ago at Allied Arts with some chic tweedy wide-leg pants, the chocolate turtleneck and the best ever empire-wasted, 3/4 length hoody. She's a newlywed (I'm talkin' three weeks). She dresses well. She's in the blog. Life is good.

Auf Wiedersehen Blayne

2008-09-17T22:06:00.000-07:00

Another Wednesday, another Project Runway. I guess we all knew Blayne's time was running out & last week he got the big Auf Wiedersehen from Heidi. And an unfortunate reference to his model "pooping fabric" from Michael Kors.

Hmmmm, ok, I have to agree the Libra-inspired number he designed for his last challenge was truly hideous, completely unwearable, and made no sense whatsoever. He probably deserved to go.

But you have to hand it to the guy: he's really young, he's from Yakima for god's sake, and the fact that he got on a national TV show in the first place is pretty amazing. He had to have a certain amount of talent just to be able to complete the challenges, especially within the time constraints these designers are always given. And he actually lasted a few weeks: he was entertaining, had a cute little dimple, was perpetually tan, and I think he more than charmed Tim Gunn with his wierd little sayings. (Do you think Tim had a crush on him? I wonder...)So you have to wish him well, hope he gets it together, gets a nice break from someone somewhere, and gets to quit pouring lattes in Seattle and get on with his career.

As for tonight: first of all, what was the wierd thing Jerrell was wearing on his head? He looked like an Adam who escaped from Eden, turned gay, and put all his fig leaves in the wrong place.

The outfit he designed was very cool tho, & he deserved a win. Maybe the fig leaf hat was good luck.

But why did they like Kenley's little floral Easter dress with the belt in the wrong place and the dorky brown jacket/vest/whatever-it-was-supposed-to-be? That was just plain wrong.

And poor Joe. Loved him, but he deserved to go for that idiotic '80's biz suit. What was he thinking? Get in the 00's, Joe. Yikes.

Job Opening

2008-09-03T13:07:00.000-07:00

Job Opening, Needed Immediately if Not Last Week:

Personal stylist desperately needed for 40-something female governor of very large, very icy Western state, a mother of 5, soon-to-be grandmother, huntress, business owner, activist.

Needs help with updating her beauty-queen-runner-up style that includes tiny, squarish glasses, superannuated, gravity-defying beehive hairdo, and nondescript Kohl's white shirts that probably remind old wrinkled Republican men of the librarian in the porn movie who 90 seconds into the film has pulled out the bobby pins, thrown off the tortoise-shell rims, and ripped open the shirt to reveal the Agent Provocateur black lace demi-cup.

Also needs assistance with her anti-choice, anti-gay, anti-gun control, anti-evolution, narrower-than-a-Wasilla-dirt-road political views, but that's gonna take a lot more than a fashion stylist. And that's not the purpose of this column. So I'll just keep that opinion to myself.

Hollarin Atcha Boy, 2.0

2008-09-03T12:48:00.000-07:00

Ok, so after asking everyone I knew if they knew anything about Blayne (no one did), last night it gets dropped in my lap from our friend Brandon at the Warehouse Theater that Blayne is his BROTHER!!! (Well, half-brother I guess). Omg! What a bombshell! And he just mentioned it, like out of the blue, like we should have known that all along. So wierd.
Brandon says that the tanning obsession is fairly new (probably manufactured & magnified by the show's producers), that Blayne had a fashion show of his stuff last year in Seattle that was attended by hundreds of peeps--many of them NYC designers & bigwigs, and that his family honestly does not know whether he won or lost or how long he competed in Project Runway.
Of course they're very proud of him for being on national television, but Brandon himself said he can't imagine anyone he knows actually wearing his stuff. As for the shallow question, hmmmm......I never got around to that.
So there ya have it. I kind of think they're keeping Blayne on the show merely for entertainment purposes, just to see that strange look on Tim Gunn's face when he says, "girrrlicious!" And he is pretty entertaining. But if he's really supposed to be the next wunderkind a la' Christian Syrriano he's going to have to crank out a lot of good, original, innovative stuff in the next few weeks.
Blayne. You either love him, or you love to hate him. I guess if he were my brother I'd love him, too.

Project Runway

2008-08-19T05:11:00.000-07:00

You know how much I love this show! But what's the deal with Blayne? He's a native of NQPS, he's addicted to tanning, he uses the word "girrrlicious" obsessively, and his designs have ranged from simply underwhelming to ridiculous. Does anyone out there know him? Is he really as empty-headed and shallow as he seems on the show? Holla atcha boy! Please tell me he's not! euuuww.

Who Wore it Best?

2008-08-19T04:56:00.001-07:00

Who wore it best? In this case, it's a shopping cart. Here's Rob Stewart, wearing a Red Apple woven plastic cart, and being pushed down Yakima Avenue by Deb Krautwurm. There may have been alcohol involved.

But around that same time, Courtney Love was being pushed around LA in a label-less wire cart by her bodyguard (or someone) because (she says) she had a broken toe. There may have been heroin involved.

So I present for your decision, Alert Blog-Readers: Who wore it best? I vote for Rob. I like red.

More Weddings!

2008-08-18T05:17:00.000-07:00

Is it my imagination, or are all my friends' kids getting married at once? This has been a summer full of weddings, and they are a great place to find blog-worthy style in NQPS.

This is another version of the cotton sundress seen earlier in green & brown. This one is a red/brown/peach print that looked so cool & comfortable on a hot August night. Accessorized with the matching beer cup.

A gaggle of girls in their summer dresses: bright floral print, black & white polka-dots, tiny print, and perfect cotton LBD. Dresses like these can take a girl lots of places in the summer--they're easy to wear and can be accessorized up or down for lots of occasions.

Loved this polka-dot dress from Guess! It had black satin bustier-like details on the bodice and was just generally a really fun design, plus she looked fabulous in it.

And how often have you seen the MOB in pants? But Patty looked great in this one-piece jumpsuit the ruched silk bodice, flowy crepe pants, and scarf-like detail tying in front. She told me she tried this on at Corday's going-out-of-biz sale and it was perfect for her daughter Gwen's summer wedding.

Even the teeniest wedding guests can show some style. This pint-size dancing machine was wearing a pink cotton tiered sundress that kept up with all her moves! And the sandals were perfect, too. Makes me wish I had a grandkid to dress. Sort of.

Expressions in Fiber

2008-08-18T05:03:00.000-07:00

Anyone who loves style should hop on by Allied Art's new show "Expressions in Fiber" which is on display in the Peggy Lewis Gallery until Sept. 14. Here are just a couple of the wild & crazy things on display:

This is a piece titled "The Kelp Queen" by Debbie Bone-Harris. It's a mannequin adorned with beads, tulle, Tyvek(?), and yarn--all orangey and green and looking as if she's just emerged from the deep blue sea.

This blogalicious gown is called "Peacock Splendor". Carolyn Schactler created this piece with a beautiful aqua blue fabric and adorned it with real peacock feathers: all around the neck, down the back, and surrounding the hem. Might be fun to actually wear, if you could be sure no one would step on your tail.
The show also includes lots of wall-hangings, jackets, even little post-card size pieces of fabric art. Fun!

Red High Heel Shobooties

2008-08-04T12:14:00.000-07:00

Suppose you've just finished a 5-day state golf tournament, you won every match and placed first in your flight. How do you celebrate? Well they may have presented you with a lovely crystal vase, but that's not really what you wanted, now was it? So here ya go--treat yourself to a pair of lipstick-red, perfie-leather, 3" heel, round-toed ankle boots. Congratulations Cindi, that's exactly what she did. I loved these babies so much I wore them around her house all Saturday night! And face it, I'll never win a tournament. So I'll have to find some other reason to celebrate. Real soon. By BCBG at Nordstrom.

Here's another view, just to up the YUM factor:

Crocs Revisited--Not Just for Nerds Anymore

2008-08-04T08:35:00.000-07:00

Ok, so if you've been reading NQPS for any length of time or if you know me at all, you know I've been given to huge nasty radomantades about Crocs. Crocs in the airport, crocs in the mall, crocs out dancing. Euuwwww!

How can I say this? Crocs are changing. And so must I. An alert blog-reader recently opened my eyes to some new crocs, and I have to say--they're not so bad. In fact, they're pretty good. Well, in fact some of them are actually....well, cool. Look at these men's crocs: They have the same croc sole but a denim upper that makes them look a lot like the ol' boat shoe. Plus they're extremely comfortable (especially if one has just had hip surgery--and it seems now like everyone has....). AND they weigh nothing. They're as light as marshmallows. I hear they make men's golf crocs but I have yet to see those.

And who knew? Croc wedges! In beige & white here, but in lots of other color combos. These are great for airports where you have to walk for miles but you also have to be able to get your shoes on & off fast through security.
So there you have it.
I still have to hate those round-toed garden clogs tho. For anywhere but the garden. And on anyone but a 2-year-old.

Dressophobia

2008-08-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

Why do women have such a fear of dresses?

American women have sportswear/separates so ingrained into their wardrobes and their heads that for some reason they seem terrified of adding a dress to the mix. While their closets are bursting with pants and jackets, sweaters and skirts, there's a puzzling paucity when it comes to the dress rack. I've noticed that even at formal events many women will be wearing a sparkly top with a black skirt or (worse) pants or (lots worse) skirty-pants--which serve no purpose whatsoever. Why this fear of wearing a DRESS?

Dresses are flattering, fun, interesting, easy to put on, easy to accessorize, and best of all: no worries about what goes with what, does this fit into that, tucked or untucked, oops that's in the laundry, yada yada yada. Just put it on and you're dressed. Hey--what a concept.

So Ladies, let me say this once and for all: Bring back the dress! It comes in so handy for weddings, funerals, church, dinners, lunches, fund-raising things, and whatever. Get over this dressophobia! Put one on and make a statement.

Here's my undying approbation for dress wearers! Here are two I found last Saturday night:

This is Roberta, who was attending a wedding at Apple Tree. It's cotton, it's a fabulous shade of blue, and it has a cute obi tie in the back. Great additions: statement big-bead necklace and silver wedges. Perfect.
Lori's a young mom with a great outlook on style: this is a cotton voile sundress in a green, brown & white deco print with a little shrug sweater over it, plus orangey-red beads--not too matchy-matchy. And here's the kicker:
Matching flip-flop wedgies in exactly the same fabric! How'd she do that???? Objet Trouve!!! Amazing.

Neither of these is specifically a dressy dress for a wedding--either could be worn at lunch or to a show--Lori's would even look cute over a swimsuit.

So there ya have it. Do a dress sometime soon.

"Girls in their Summer Clothes"

2008-07-30T04:35:00.000-07:00

That's the title of a Bruce Springsteen song & if you haven't heard it, it's perfect for a night like this:

Heather's showing off her black & white polka-dot wedgies. Kinda remind me of Minnie Mouse! Those shoes could go with almost anything in the summer. Love 'em. Amber looked delicious & so summery in this pink & white striped sundress with ribbon trim & her white pumps. (Ok, she borrowed the dress from me. Ok, she looked so great in it I had to give it to her. Ok, so I paid all of $3.99 for it at Steinmart in the REAL Palm Springs.) Only the best for my son's BGF! Don't ever say I won't share!

Golf Bag

2008-07-30T04:31:00.001-07:00

I gotta tell ya, I fell in love with this rhinestone-studded jewel of an evening bag Deb carried the other night (a pretty unmemorable night for Deb, she knows what I mean....) to the "Evening in Paris" dinner at YCC. It's a metal can! And it's pink! And it has jewels all over it! Adorable.