A Seattle Q & A with Matt Nyce.

Matt Nyce

Illustration/Consignment (band)

See his blog here.







This is my newest blog feature "A Seattle Q & A." Being born and raised in Seattle, I've come to meet a lot of stylish and unique people, who do a lot of cool things, so I thought I'd ask them some questions.



1. What trait(s) or characteristic(s) do you get from your grandparents?

I think I get my music and art from my mom’s side and my humor from my dad’s side. On my mom’s side: I've been told that my Grandma drew and painted but she was gone before I came around. My mom says my Grandpa Franklin played and maybe toured with Horace Heidt and also was friends with Harry Barris. Those are old jazz guys and have Wikipedia pages. She used to say that he wrote the horn part to Tuxedo Junction but she doesn’t say that anymore. Grandpa Franklin mainly played trombone, but also knew piano and some vibraphone. My mom also recalls that he would say that if he had it to do over again, he would have pursued cartooning and that he loved drawing cartoons. When I was four I got to hang out with him for a bit and I remember him drawing a great looking boot and I thought him producing that boot on the paper out of thin air was like being able to do magic.



On my dad’s side: one time when I was 16 the family was on a trip to visit Grandpa and Grandma and my girlfriend at the time happened to be along on the day trip. We got there and headed out to the back porch, where we usually did all our visiting and hanging out. My dad proceeded to start telling stories about his adventures working at the phone company as Grandpa sat quietly in his chair. After a while I remember seeing Grandpa gaze shift from my dad to my girlfriend. He sat there for a while staring at her with a straight face as my dad

continued to talk and then he let out a fart. "Blew you a kiss," he said to my girlfriend, with the same straight face and then turned back to look at my dad, who hadn't stopped talking.





2. What's the best part about living in the Seattle?

The thing I like most about Seattle is the summer and how beautiful it gets and swimming in lakes. Nine months out of the year it sucks living here but when it's nice I will take Seattle over almost anywhere else. Swimming in Lake Washington is a 20 minute ride from my house, or if I have some time, there are a bunch of great swimming and jumping off of rock lakes with in 1 – 2 hours all around. I would say what lakes, but like a good fishing spot, I don’t want people to find them.



3. What do you always carry with you?

What I try and carry on me wherever I go is one of my two technical drafting pencils, my radiograph pens and a drawing pad. If you asked my 1998 Honda C70 Elite scooter it’s answer would be: “Matt Nyce”.



4. If you could have dinner with any deceased author, who and why?

I’m not much of a reader but I would pick Ernest Hemingway but more the Hemingway as he is portrayed in his books than the actual one. Literary Hemingway would be a lot more fun. I would try, and succeed, at out drinking me, try and fight me and then after dinner we would end up at a bullfight while the other Hemingway would be bored with me, head to bed early and I would spend the rest of the night talking to his butler.



5. Worst food indulgence? (the more secretive the better).

Burritos. I indulge up to five days a week due to the recent emergence of a certain purveyor of cheap Mexican foods on the Hill.



6. If Obama were coming to your house for dinner, you would prepare your famous __________. (Include your recipe if you want!)

I don’t have anything famous. I would probably do what I always do when we have company in town and show him our cat Jerome that can roll over on command (most of the time) and then suggest that we head out to Ezell’s Fried Chicken. It is 80’s fat Oprah’s favorite place, close to my house and much better than my best concoction of Tuna Fish and Tomato soup.



7. If you had to make rules (like Fight Club), what would rule #1 always be?

Treat your friends well and expect the same.



8. No one knows _______________ about me. (fill in the blank). Make it as serious as you want to.

I played trumpet in band in middle school for a year and then quit. I learned how to play Jurassic Park and that Bon Marche song.



9. Is the Seattle freeze fictitious? How do you know?

It’s real. I know from working at FedEx and watching the same people that had said not more than 2 words to me everyday get real friendly on the first sunny day. I don’t know if it’s a “freeze” as much as we’re all just dealing with this weather.



10. Where is the best place to eat dinner?

I like that Agua Verde. They got a porch when it’s nice, not too expensive, on the water and

good food.



Illustrations by Matt:





And a song from his band Consignment.



Thanks Matt!

A Seattle Q & A with Dave Holmes.

Dave Holmes

Musician

The Fall-Outs, Wiretaps, Colabros, and currently Dawn.







This is my newest blog feature "A Seattle Q & A." Being born and raised in Seattle, I've come to meet a lot of stylish and unique people, who do a lot of cool things, so I thought I'd ask them some questions.



1. What trait(s) or characteristic(s) do you get from your grandparents?

A deep affection for The Waltons.



2. What's the best part about living in the Seattle?

I like the view from the viaduct. Once it's gone, then I don't know what.



3. What do you always carry with you?

A photo of Dave Ramm and Jesse Steinchen. I don't know why, but it seems like the right thing to do.



4. If you could have dinner with any deceased author, who and why?

Louis-Ferdinand Celine, on account of he wrote two of my favorite books.



5. Worst food indulgence? (the more secretive the better).

Cheetos. But don't tell anyone. If anyone asks, tell them I said "fruits and vegetables".



6. If Obama were coming to your house for dinner, you would prepare your famous __________. (Include your recipe if you want!)

I hardly ever cook, let alone anything I'm famous for. So I'm going to say Cheetos. But if anyone asks, tell them I said "my famous Le Filet de Saumon au Beurre Rouge".



7. If you had to make rules (like Fight Club), what would rule #1 always be?

Be kind to animals.



8. No one knows _______________ about me. (fill in the blank). Make it as serious as you want to.

If I think I've hurt someone's feelings, I can feel bad about it for weeks.



9. Is the Seattle freeze fictitious? How do you know?

I think it's real. But I'm not sure why. I didn't notice until my ex-girlfriend, who wasn't from here, used to point it out all the time. I think a lot of times social discomfort gets mistaken for aloofness.



10. Where is the best place to eat dinner?

Gordito's in Greenwood. I eat there at least twice a week.



Some of Dave's work:







Thanks Dave, you're the best!

A Seattle Q & A with Shannon Perry.

Shannon Perry

Artist

See her portfolio here.





(Took this in January 2008).

This is my newest blog feature "A Seattle Q & A." Being born and raised in Seattle, I've come to meet a lot of stylish and unique people, who do a lot of cool things, so I thought I'd ask them some questions.



1. What trait(s) or characteristic(s) do you get from your grandparents?

My great, great grandfather on my mother's side, Bill Doolin, was the leader of an Oklahoma outlaw gang called "The Doolin-Dalton Gang". He was killed by the sheriff during an ambush while trying to escape the country with his wife and infant son. There's a picture of him, deceased and speckled with buckshot, if you type his name into Google. The story I heard from my grandmother is that prior to his attempted escape, he sent a letter to the sheriff asking to surrender himself peacefully (as he had a new son, and wanted to change his outlawin' ways), but the sheriff said no. I've always enjoyed attributing my rebelliousness to my outlaw heritage, but in reality, I know it came straight from my dad.



My father's parents drank a lot, and I didn't know them very well. However, I used to drink a lot, and that most likely came from them. Their names were Victor and Delight (Harriet, actually, I think, but we called her "Dee"). Victor was a veteran of the U.S. Navy, and was pretty grumpy and intimidating. Dee was sweet and shy. They had a series of Yorkshire Terriers, all named "Midget". When Midget died, they'd just buy another Yorkie and keep the same (accidentally offensive) name. I'm not sure how many Midgets they went through. I know there was at least three. Actually, I guess I inherited that from them too; I usually keep a pet goldfish, and I always name them "Abraham". Not after Abe Lincoln. It's just the name that our childhood goldfish had. Come to think of it, I wonder if dad ever replaced Abraham without us knowing! I would bet money that he did. There's no way that fish was alive for almost a decade.



2. What's the best part about living in the Seattle?

The weather is uncomfortable for nine months out of the year, so when spring comes, and we get a little bit of vitamin D in our system, most of the city goes bonkers with excitement. Shorts and flip-flops in 60-degree weather, which doesn't look all that appropriate, but the excitement is contagious.



Summer in Seattle is beautiful and lush. The air in Seattle smells and feels cleaner than most cities I've visited. There are a lot of political lefties, which I like. The music community is tight-knit and has a high ratio of good bands, which is exciting.



I think the climate in Seattle keeps people indoors a lot of the time, leading to a large output of creative work. I don't think it's as hard to get creative projects off the ground here, because there's a strong population of proactive creative types. A majority of the people I know have their hand in at least one or two creative projects or bands, and there's room for crossover. That's probably my favorite thing about Seattle, socially.



3. What do you always carry with you?

My turquoise and sterling pinky-ring and watch (which is missing the clock part) are always on my left hand and wrist. They are both intended as reminders: The ring is always on my little finger, thusly, I am always where I am. A reminder to be present. I have trouble perceiving time, as it is linear, conceptual and perpetually moving, so the ring is intended to ground me. Time changes constantly, but the ring is still there. Which also explains the watch, in a way. It's got no face, just the glass, and you can see my wrist underneath. It's supposed to remind me to slow down. I tend to get wrapped up in the big picture, which can cause a sense of urgency or impatience when dealing with the small things. Things take as long as they do. The watch is a reminder to be calm and wait. The process is necessary. The journey is the destination. I lose track of that sometimes.



Otherwise, I have cigarettes, a lighter, my wallet, my medication, keys, a compact pad of paper and pen. If I'm out of the house during the evening, I most likely also have a little bit of marijuana.



4. If you could have dinner with any deceased author, who and why?

Probably Mark Twain. He didn't adhere to social norms, and had intellectual depth, but with a boundless sense of humor. That might be a milk-toast choice, but in all honesty, most of my favorite authors are still alive, and I'm terrible at remembering authors' names and titles. Even when I like them!



5. Worst food indulgence? (the more secretive the better).

There have been at least three days in the last six months during which I ate nothing all day except for MoonPies. Ever since I stopped drinking, I get wild sugar cravings. Lately, it's been those Hostess cakes with the white, curly line on top. I used to like vienna sausages in the can. Oh, and cheese hot dogs! But I haven't had those in forever.



6. If Obama were coming to your house for dinner, you would prepare your famous __________. (Include your recipe if you want!)

White Trash Christmas Casserole, probably. I can't tell you the recipe. It's a family secret. Oh, and my dad's clam dip. I don't have any recipes classy enough for a president, so I say it'd be better to just slum it. They both taste very good.





7. If you had to make rules (like Fight Club), what would rule #1 always be?

Be honest.



8. No one knows _______________ about me. (fill in the blank). Make it as serious as you want to.

I have OCD. It helps me be able to organize and draw well, but I can become rigid about right vs. wrong, or how I think things should be organized, literally and figuratively. Trivial things can become vitally important to me, and I can attach greater meaning to small things. I have a hard time with "gray areas". All that said, learning about OCD's traits has helped me be more conscious of how I think and act. I'm growing to appreciate my brain, as I'm learning how to control and use its strong points.



I'm not sure if this has anything to do with the OCD, but I have visual images for almost everything. Like, emotions, for example. Each specific feeling has a color, shape and texture in my mind, sometimes even a smell or taste. I make most of my drawings (besides the portraits) without looking at an image, and often times I can draw things accurately on my first attempt. I just discovered this. It's really fun and challenging to test it.





9. Is the Seattle freeze fictitious? How do you know?

I don't know what the Seattle freeze is! How do I not know? I'm a townie!



10. Where is the best place to eat dinner?

Next to loved ones. At home, or at someone else's home, or outside.



Some of Shannon's work:









Detail:





Thanks Shannon!

A Seattle Q & A with Kyle Johnson.

Kyle Johnson

Photographer

See his portfolio here and blog here.







This is my newest blog feature "A Seattle Q & A." Being born and raised in Seattle, I've come to meet a lot of stylish and unique people, who do a lot of cool things, so I thought I'd ask them some questions.



1. What trait(s) or characteristic(s) do you get from your grandparents?

My Grandpa worked hard as a cobbler supporting 4 kids. I think I got his hard working attitutude and a love for shoes.



2. What's the best part about living in the Seattle?

The Community or the Coffee or the Beer.



3. What do you always carry with you?

Thats easy..A camera or my blackberry.



4. If you could have dinner with any deceased author, who and why?

Hunter S Thompson I suppose, I don't read a lot but he would be a fun guy to chat with I'm sure.



5. Worst food indulgence? (the more secretive the better).

Ezell's large order of Spicy Strips with 2 biscuits.



6. If Obama were coming to your house for dinner, you would prepare your famous __________. (Include your recipe if you want!)

Mama's Pasta Sauce/Cheese Ravioli/Italian Sausage.



7. If you had to make rules (like Fight Club), what would rule #1 always be?

Don't deal with fakers.



8. No one knows _______________ about me. (fill in the blank). Make it as serious as you want to.

My middle name is Anthony.



9. Is the Seattle freeze fictitious? How do you know?

It's a reality.. I see it on Komo news 4 every year.



10. Where is the best place to eat dinner?

Always changing and trying new things. I'd probably say in a backyard bbq'ing with my friend Nas manning the grill otherwise Local360 is a recent fav for breakfast.



Some of Kyle's work:









Thanks Kyle!

A Seattle Q & A with Stacey Rozich.

Stacey Rozich

Illustrator/Designer

See her work here.







This is my newest blog feature "A Seattle Q & A." Being born and raised in Seattle, I've come to meet a lot of stylish and unique people, who do a lot of cool things, so I thought I'd ask them some questions.



1. What trait(s) or characteristic(s) do you get from your grandparents?

I never got to meet most of my grandparents except for my dad's mother Ann who is a whopping 91 years old. I definitely get most of my characteristics from his side, which is Croatian. I have my grandmother's super thick hair and Old World Europe work ethic as well as a penchant for cooking hearty foods.



2. What's the best part about living in the Seattle?

The smallness and proximity to different terrains. I've spent a lot of time exploring Western Washington and I plan to spend more time investigating Central and Eastern parts of the state. I grew up here so it's sense of navigation that brings me a nice security.



3. What do you always carry with you?

Sketchbook, hair brush (to maintain said thick hair), wallet, many chapsticks (I'm bound to lose one or all of them), phone and pencil box. Maybe some stray pieces of candy.



4. If you could have dinner with any deceased author, who and why?

Kurt Vonnegut. Oh, the stories he would tell...



5. Worst food indulgence? (the more secretive the better).

Macaroni and Cheese. I'll take them all: Kraft, Annie's, fresh Beecher's from the Market, deli fare, you name it! It will be gone in seconds.



6. If Obama were coming to your house for dinner, you would prepare your famous __________. (Include your recipe if you want!)

I've recently perfected an amazing vegetarian lasagna that had even the most dedicated carnivores coming back for seconds.



7. If you had to make rules (like Fight Club), what would rule #1 always be?

This too shall pass.



8. No one knows _______________ about me. (fill in the blank). Make it as serious as you want to.

I can name almost every song that comes on a classic rock radio station within 10 seconds. It was a mission for my father to give his daughters a love of music and a thorough knowledge of it which he instilled in me by switching radio stations really fast when I was a kid and quizzing me on who the artist was. It may not be the most useful skill, but I still find myself yelling out musicians names in the car.



9. Is the Seattle freeze fictitious? How do you know?

It's real, but not everyone is victim to it. I've found most people from this area are very personable and friendly while a lot transplants give off the freeze. Maybe people are just awkward. I think it's easy for people to settle in their social cliques and neighborhoods without having to broaden their circle; they have their friends and they don't need any more. I think the biggest give-away is when you're standing with someone and another person comes up to say hi to them and doesn't even introduce themselves and avoids all eye-contact with you. It's bizarre how many times I've experienced that. I'm lucky to have a lot of different groups of wonderful friends that is always expanding.



10. Where is the best place to eat dinner?

That is constantly changing for me but right now I'm obsessed with Ballard's Walrus and the Carpenter. If you can get a table (be prepared for an hour wait) it is amazing! I'm an oyster fiend and they do a fantastic job on the quality, presentation and decor.



Some of Stacey's work:













Thanks Stacey!

A Seattle Q & A with Carlos Lopez.

Carlos Lopez

Alpha Cine Labs

See his work here or listen to his band here.











This is my newest blog feature "A Seattle Q & A." Being born and raised in Seattle, I've come to meet a lot of stylish and unique people, who do a lot of cool things, so I thought I'd ask them some questions.



1. What trait(s) or characteristic(s) do you get from your grandparents?

I definitely picked up smoking from my grandma. She had these unfiltered Filipino cigarettes that were pretty harsh but came in packs of thirty so she never noticed when I took one. I don’t mean to blame grandma- it was more my friends that got me into smoking- plus she smoked in this pretty gnarly way in where she’d flip the ciggy into her mouth when she needed both hands (or maybe just because she could) that would have otherwise deterred me from smoking because it did not look cool. Although now I think it's pretty bad ass for a grandma to do that. Thanks grandma, those ciggies were intense! I don’t smoke anymore, but grandma’s 70+ and still puffing away. YOU GO GIRL!



2. What's the best part about living in Seattle?

Teriyaki!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It’s our pizza, it’s our cheese steak, it’s our clam chowder in a bread bowl! Be proud Seattle, Teriyaki is your food.



3. What do you always carry with you?

I always have some fortune cookie fortunes in my wallet. If it’s one I really want to come true I slip it behind my license. I never check them again though, so I’m not sure if they’re coming true. I think some have though.



4. If you could have dinner with any deceased author, who and why?

Willard Manus author of Mott the Hoople (the band took the name from the book). It’s a book that had something that seemed to speak directly to me on about every other page. After reading one particular passage I threw the book across the table because it overwhelmingly mirrored my thoughts and feelings at the time. I’ve never done that. Who does that? I figure if I connected so much with his book we might get along at a dinner. Plus he lived a pretty adventurous life and the picture on the back jacket of the book makes him look like Popeye. I think he’s still alive though, is that gonna be a problem? I’d kill him just to have dinner with him in that case.



5. Worst food indulgence? (the more secretive the better).

Regular stuffed Oreos. I used to eat rows and rows until I found out that a serving size was three. By “find out” I mean I bothered to flip the package around and read the back. Whoops!



6. If Obama were coming to your house for dinner, you would prepare your famous __________. (Include your recipe if you want!)



CEVICHE!

Step two: Buy too many limes. If you think you have enough, buy two more.

Step third: Buy everything you need to make a good pico de gallo (tomatoes, onions, Step one: Buy some fresh red snapper, alive is best.

jalapenos, cilantro etc.)

Step 4: Chop the fish into ½ inch cubes

Step 5: Squeeze all the limes into a bowl and throw the fish in. Make sure the lime juice covers the fish completely.

Step 6: Leave in fridge overnight, or for at least twelve hours. Maybe six is okay too, but don’t blame me if you barf your guts out.

Step 7: The next day. Chop all yer veggies, drain the lime juice from the fish and mix everything together.

Step 8: Around step one or two you should have also bought a package of tostadas. You should already have mayonnaise in your fridge. Take some mayonnaise and spread on the tostada then place a heaping pile of ceviche on it.

Step 9: Eat it.



After we were finished with dinner I would show the Prez hilarious Youtube videos. I’d call him the “Prez” all night.



7. If you had to make rules (like Fight Club), what would rule #1 always be?

Rule #1 Sign and date everything, you’ll want to know later.



8. No one knows _______________ about me. (fill in the blank). Make it as serious as you want to.

I take secret naps at work. Chances are if you don’t see me for a while, I’m sleeping somewhere weird, where you’d never think to look for someone sleeping. Because they shouldn’t be sleeping there.



9. Is the Seattle freeze fictitious? How do you know?

I’ve only heard of this term recently and I’ve lived here my whole life. If it is real it doesn’t really matter to me. There’s a song by the Mummies called the “Frisko Freeze”, is that about the same thing but in San Francisco? That song isn’t fictitious at all.



10. Where is the best place to eat dinner?

Buffet at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. Probably ate some of the fanciest food I’ve ever eaten there. Their carving station has Kobe beef all-you-can-eat!!! Mountains of shrimp, mountains of whole quails, mountains of brick oven pizza, melt-in-your-mouth sea bass!!!! Free refills on cokes!



I've posted two of Carlos' videos on my blog so far, but here is another great video he's made:

Mary-The Dutchess and the Duke (2008) from Carlos LOPEZ on Vimeo.

Thanks Carlos! -naomi

A Seattle Q & A with Strath Shepard.

Strath Shepard

Art Director/Graphic Designer

Pacific Standard

See his portfolio here and blog here.





This is my newest blog feature "A Seattle Q & A." Being born and raised in Seattle, I've come to meet a lot of stylish and unique people, who do a lot of cool things, so I thought I'd ask them some questions.



1. What trait(s) or characteristic(s) do you get from your grandparents?

Among many other things, a love of the West and an appreciation for people that lived before me.



2. What's the best part about living in Seattle?

It's a city that is still developing, with all of the interesting things that go along with that – juxtaposed with beautiful raw wilderness that is never very far away.



3. What do you always carry with you?

Aside from the regular stuff, a camera and a pen.



4. If you could have dinner with any deceased author, who and why?

My answer would change every day. Today I'll say Ralph Ginzburg – he published Eros and Avant Garde magazines in the '60s, and wrote a book about being thrown in jail for "obscenity." He was a truly forward-thinking editor.



5. Worst food indulgence? (the more secretive the better).

Ugh, so many. Let's go with the occasional drunken City Market corndog.



6. If Obama were coming to your house for dinner, you would prepare your famous __________. (Include your recipe if you want!)

Gift-giving ability... to thank Emily for her amazing cooking.



7. If you had to make rules (like Fight Club), what would rule #1 always be?

Pay attention.



8. No one knows _______________ about me. (fill in the blank). Make it as serious as you want to. Hmm, I feel like three years of blogging has made me an open book, at least with the light to medium-dark stuff. How about this: I've had 132 stitches in all. My brother and I used to get cut up all the time doing various stunts and dances.



9. Is the Seattle freeze fictitious? How do you know?

I grew up here and didn't really notice it (then again, I was kind of a loner growing up, so maybe I was the freeze). I felt it a bit when we moved back after ten years in New York – people are friendly but often make it pretty clear that they have their little crew and don't need anyone else. I do think it would be tough to move to Seattle alone and make friends. But Emily and I have been lucky to meet really cool people, in addition to a few old friends, so it hasn't been too icy. I do my best not to practice the freeze – I am always open to having more friends if they're top quality.



10. Where is the best place to eat dinner?

I'm pretty easy to please so I'm probably not the best person to ask. Plus, I'm more into brunch and snacks. I really want to try Local 360. I like the hamburgers and the meatloaf at Jules Maes. We went to 13 Coins last night – always classy. Oddfellows is below my studio so that's kind of my default. The elk meatball sandwich at Nettletown is off the meter (the meter that measures gamey meats). I like the wild boar sloppy joe at Quinn's. Elliott's probably has the best oysters but for ambience I like Emmett Watson's or Chinook's. The Attic has the best wings. Sitka & Spruce is phenomenal, as is the Walrus & The Carpenter, and Spur. And I love Vito's. That's another thing my grandfather taught me: to love Vito's.



I was lucky enough to intern with Strath who does amazing work; see some of his work featured below.



Thanks Strath!

A Seattle Q & A with Amber Murray.

Amber Renee Murray

Designer, Free Time Industries

See her work here and blog here.





This is my newest blog feature "A Seattle Q & A." Being born and raised in Seattle, I've come to meet a lot of stylish and unique people, who do a lot of cool things, so I thought I'd ask them some questions.



1. What trait(s) or characteristic(s) do you get from your grandparents?

I get my square jaw and love of jokes and three card poker from my Grum.



2. What's the best part about living in the Seattle?

Easy access to both city and nature.



3. What do you always carry with you?

Chapstick, sketchbook, and the

embroidered turtle Kate Bailey got me in Mexico that lives in the pocket of my Pendleton Coat.



4. If you could have dinner with any deceased author, who and why? Linda Goodman, so she could do my charts.



5. Worst food indulgence? (the more secretive the better).

It is no secret that the tres leches cake at Senior Moose is the best thing to happen to Ballard.



6. If Obama were coming to your house for dinner, you would prepare your famous __________. (Include your recipe if you want!)

Pepper Lime Popcorn: Air popped corn Nutritional Yeast Salt and Pepper Lime juice Melted butter or warn olive oil (and Achar if you want more spice). Put it in a bowl, shake it up, and serve! Yum.



7. If you had to make rules (like Fight Club), what would rule #1 always be?

Remember that everyone could use a little kindness.



8. No one knows _______________ about me. (fill in the blank). Make it as serious as you want to.

The most common song that gets stuck in my head is "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach for for the 1969 film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.



9. Is the Seattle freeze fictitious? How do you know?

It is alive and well. It happens all the time! Just shrug it off, they might not pretend like they don't know you next time.



10. Where is the best place to eat dinner?

My kitchen ... as long as my boyfriend is cooking.

Thanks Amber!

A Seattle Q & A with Laura Cassidy.

Laura Cassidy

Style Editor, Seattle Met

Editor in Chief, Seattle Met Bride & Groom

See her work here and blog here.





I'm introducing my newest blog feature "A Seattle Q & A." Being born and raised in Seattle, I've come to meet a lot of stylish and unique people, who do a lot of cool things, so I thought I'd ask them some questions.



1. What trait(s) or characteristic(s) do you get from your grandparents?

My mom's mom, Eileen, was an over-accessorizer. I am really happy and really proud to say that I inherited the gene. I also inherited a lot of her jewelry, as well as some really beautiful and meaningful pieces that belonged to my husband's grandmothers, Jane and Marie.



2. What's the best part about living in Seattle?

Aside from the saltwater, evergreens, and mountain tops, the smallness of it. I love making new friends and finding out that you already know eight or nine people in common. I like that if you care to, you can really know and understand an entire community. And if you want them to, the community can know and understand you.



3. What do you always carry with you?

As of last week: a pair of clear, rectangular cat-eye Prada sunglasses. They're epic.



4. If you could have dinner with any deceased author, who and why?

Carson McCullers, because she was delicate but tough, simple but revolutionary, timely and timeless.



5. Worst food indulgence? (the more secretive the better).

Sour cream + Mrs. Grass brand onion soup mix + Wavy Lays = I'm not proud of it.



6. If Obama were coming to your house for dinner, you would prepare your famous __________. (Include your recipe if you want!)

If Obama were due at my house, I'd lock the door, turn off the porch light, and let the most unwelcoming Throbbing Gristle record bleed out through the windows at full volume. Liars, crooks, and fakers are not welcome in my home.



7. If you had to make rules (like Fight Club), what would rule #1 always be?

Tell yourself the truth.



8. No one knows _______________ about me. (fill in the blank). Make it as serious as you want to.

No one knows about my imaginary friends.



9. Is the Seattle freeze fictitious? How do you know?

I think it's hard to move to a new city no matter what the city is. I think many people are afraid of relationships, I think some people are intimidated by directness, and I think that often, in this world of 60-hour work weeks and constant tethering to information and communication, it's hard enough to carry on existing relationships let alone forge new ones. I am more weirded out by women who vibe out other women and succumb to sensing competition rather than embracing sisterhood. And most of all I am bummed out by people who judge and shut out others based on their appearance and/or their perceived social standing, intelligence, or status.



10. Where is the best place to eat dinner?

My backyard. The old wrought iron table pulled into the evening sun, Jane and Marie's tableclothes and Eileen's dishes (filled with meals that contain ingredients from the nearby garden), a stack of LPs, and some new and old friends.





Thanks Laura!