Seafood Ceviche is very popular throughout the Caribbean & South America. Photo credit: Megan Muse Photography.
When you enter Sarah Chan’s home in Birch Bay, your nostrils are gingerly awakened to curry, cardamom, thyme and culantro. With a mug of golden milk (a rich antioxidant blend of turmeric, coconut milk, ginger, black pepper and cardamom) in hand, I sat down with my friend to talk about how her Caribbean catering and product line began.
Cooking up a typical Sunday breakfast of Drunken Eggs (no alcohol here folks) and Fry Bake. Fresh Ingredients are a must at Calypso Kitchen and Whatcom County has lots to offer in that arena. Photo credit: Megan Muse Photography.
The origin of Calypso Kitchen was a long and arduous one for Sarah, who is from the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago. Her move to the U.S. in 2006 was impromptu, but necessary to ensure the safety of herself and her daughters from an extremely abusive relationship. Unfortunately, like so many other places in the world, there were no real systems put into place to protect victims of domestic violence in Trinidad and Tobago.
Sarah is a social entrepreneur. “My experiences come through my cooking. I have found that when I teach cooking classes, because the groups are fairly small, I am able to really connect with people individually. I am able to not only teach people how to cook delicious food to feed their bodies, but also take a bit of time to feed people’s minds by bringing awareness to pressing issues. Foremost for me are issues of human trafficking, domestic violence and hunger. Most people are very receptive of learning something new. With quite a few successes under her belt, Sarah has been patiently waiting for the opportunity to start anew. She is making this happen through Calypso Kitchen, a business that offers a line of sauces, spices and seasonings, catering, chef services and cooking classes. Starting in September, Calypso Kitchen will be based in Bellingham at 4073 Hannegan Rd.
When asked how she got started, Sarah began her story. “Four years ago when I applied for jobs, I became quite despondent by the lack of responses and the few responses that came back never turned into job offers. I made the decision that I had always been an entrepreneur so that was the direction I would have to pursue. Why not work for myself, create the job that I needed? Hence the birth of Calypso Kitchen and a legacy that my kids could carry on if they wanted.”
This fried bread is soft, light, fluffy, simple and delicious. Photo credit: Megan Muse Photography.
Sarah’s passion for teaching cooking comes from her grandmother, Dolly. Though Dolly was a very quiet woman of few words, Sarah watched her fervently create amazing dishes from her particular region of Freeport, Trinidad, with fresh produce she had grown in her backyard or brought from her visit to the local market. Trinidad and Tobago’s local cuisine consists of an enviable culinary landscape of flavors that ranges from mouthwatering street foods to exceptional fine dining. The cuisine of this twin island nation has been influenced by its diverse population of Asian, African, Creole, Middle Eastern and European transplants. Sarah found that as she was teaching cooking classes, she would also talk about her experiences in Trinidad and knew that they were intricately intertwined with how she cooked and why the legacy of Caribbean cooking was such an important legacy to leave to her daughters.
Seafood Ceviche is very popular throughout the Caribbean & South America. Photo credit: Megan Muse Photography.
Two years ago, as Sarah, our friend Irena and I sat at her kitchen table after a fabulous meal of tamarind jerk chicken, curry chickpeas and pineapple chow, we began to talk about Sarah’s new venture. While learning how to make a bread much like a type of naan called “buss up shut,” we started our marketing strategy around the launch of Sarah’s catering business and her products of sauces and fresh seasonings. To get ideas and be inspired, we watched calypso music videos, and Sarah even demonstrated some dance moves for us. After bantering around a few names, we finally landed on Calypso Kitchen.
Sarah has recently secured a business location in Bellingham from which she will launch Calypso Kitchen Catering. She will also offer cooking classes and host pop-ups out of this location. Sarah occasionally offers cooking classes at Community Food Co-op in downtown Bellingham and, in the past, has offered a cooking class for kids at the Blaine Elementary School. Her goal for Calypso Kitchen is to find a way to offer these same classes to more kids throughout Whatcom County, while growing her business and line of sauces, seasonings and spices she offers. One of the many condiments that she makes, “Mother-in-law” was featured in Maco Caribbean Living magazine along with a recipe by chef and cookbook author, Chef Ramin Ganeshram. Sarah even delivers food to your doorstep on certain days in various locations around Whatcom County.
You can check out her facebook Calypso Kitchen or Instagram Calypso Kitchen where she describes the ingredients to her dishes, how she cooks them and their origin. There you will see a wide variety of dishes that she uses in her catering as well as delivery options.
The perfect accompaniment to any meal to kick it up a notch, “Mother in Law” is a common condiment in Trinidad. Photo credit: Megan Muse Photography.
Seafood Ceviche is very popular throughout the Caribbean & South America. Photo credit: Megan Muse Photography.
This fried bread is soft, light, fluffy, simple and delicious. Photo credit: Megan Muse Photography.
Cooking up a typical Sunday breakfast of Drunken Eggs (no alcohol here folks) and Fry Bake. Fresh Ingredients are a must at Calypso Kitchen and Whatcom County has lots to offer in that arena. Photo credit: Megan Muse Photography.
Spices and sauces offered by Calypso Kitchen - Trinidad Peppersauce (a hot and flavourful sauce made with peppers and fresh herbs), Spicy Crunchy Chickpeas, Hibiscus Concentrate (Sorrel). Photo credit: Megan Muse Photography.
Drunken Eggs! There was always some version of this dish on the Sunday breakfast table, this is Sarah’s version, a rich tomato sauce made from scratch with tomatoes, onions, garlic, bell peppers, scallions and eggs. Photo credit: Megan Muse Photography.
The best meals are as visually appealing as they are delicious. Photo credit: Kevin Coleman.
Submitted by: Kevin Coleman
Located at the Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites by the airport, northwater restaurant is shaking things up with their new dinner series. For the first time, northwater and Executive Chef Christy Fox, have teamed up with Atwood Ales to bring five course meals like no one has ever seen or tasted. It is not that often that people think of pairing beer and fine dining together, but that’s what Atwood Ales and northwater are all about. It’s all about breaking the mold to new dining experiences.
Chef Christy teamed with Monica and Josh Smith of Atwood Ales to create a memorable meal. Photo credit: Kevin Coleman.
Monica and Josh Smith, of Atwood Ales, were very excited to team up with the first dinner series. “When Chef Christy asked us to be part of the very first Supper Club dinner, we were thrilled,” says Monica. “We’ve gotten to know Christy and her wife, Shannon, co-owners of Evolve Truffles, as part of the Bellingham Farmers Market community.”
Christy Fox explained that she wanted to create food that was introductory to Atwood Ales – the style in which they brew their beer has such familial connection. “I wanted fun choices that were intriguing and not off putting,” says Fox.
Since Belgian and farmhouse craftsman ales were the focus, the ingredients and coursing was done with Monica and Josh in mind. Simple but complicated, flavorful but not spicy, heat that compliments the nuances of the beer. “We share the same belief of community and comraderies and I wanted the base of each dish to be a good view of how I see Whatcom county and offer up an experience delivered by northwater,” says Fox.
Monica and Josh Smith, of Atwood Ales, were very excited to team up with the first dinner series. Photo credit: Kevin Coleman.
Monica continued to say, “The way that Christy plays with flavors in their truffles, caramels and other treats is just the tip of the iceberg that is Christy’s culinary mind. Sitting across a table, tasting beers and discussing menu ideas is always fascinating with any chef, and after an hour or more, Chef probably had three different five-course menus outlined. What came to fruition at the dinner was equal parts delicious, unexpected, textural and incredibly thoughtful. The way that Chef Christy plays with, and contrasts, textural elements while still maintaining an overall cohesiveness to each dish may have been our favorite part of the experience. Salmon crudo with saved fennel, cacao nibs and oyster stout ice cream? Yeah, she did that, and it was wonderful.”
Guests sat down to an intimate setting, with excitement for the five courses and ales that accompanied them. The ambiance and overall feeling were sophisticated and a great way to meet new people. It really was an evening of great fun and food. The menu shows how much creativity and diversity were given to each course.
3rd Course Oyster Stout Salmon Crudo
Baker River salmon, shaved fennel, oyster stout ice cream, local berries
4th Course Grange Bretta Beef Under Cover
bison sausage wrapped filet mignon, parsnip puree, sugar snap peas, pan jus
5th Course “No Whey Bro” (dry sour) The Up Side
Pear cardamom upside down cake, citrus whip cream, toasted almonds
northwater’s Supper Club is an exceptional dining experience. Photo credit: Kevin Coleman.
It’s all about changing people’s minds about beer and food! “As my wife says, ‘It’s a marathon, not a sprint,” interjected Josh. He continued to explain, “The world is coming around to the idea of craft beer being paired with food on an equal or stronger footing than wine but it’s still not an easy transition for everyone to make, particularly outside of major metropolitan areas. There is so much complexity, variation and nuance to craft beer due to the large palette of ingredients, processes, techniques and yeast and bacteria that brewers have at their disposal. Our ability to create flavor profiles to fit any food situation are nearly limitless.” The great thing about this is chefs and buyers then have access to an incredible array of beer flavor profiles to complement, contrast and enhance the dishes on their restaurant menus.”
The brain child behind this entire dinner series and collaboration began with Juli Wavada, Food and Beverage Manager for northwater. “Events like this are where our passions shine. The food and drink, the ambiance and the genuine connections made represent what we strive for every day.
The right beer from Atwood Ales makes an already amazing meal even better. Photo credit: Kevin Coleman.
“The Supper Club Series also allows our staff to show off all the hard work and training they have put in. The intimate setting puts them front and center and exercises their knowledge and speaking skills, while allowing them to really connect with our guests. I’m so proud of our team and how much they care.”
Josh Smith at Atwood Ales continues, “We have some great chefs and restaurants in town who are pushing to elevate these pairings. It is exciting to work with restaurant industry folks like northwater and Christy Fox, who are excited about using craft beer this way, particularly if they haven’t necessarily been exposed to how well Belgian and farmhouse ales work with food.”
Chef Fox also agrees with Josh and Monica. “I look forward to the next beer dinner, such a fun and inspiring collaboration.”
At the end of the evening, Juli Wavada was very thrilled and excited about the dinner’s success. “The laughter and smiles radiating through the room gave me goosebumps! There’s nothing more rewarding in this industry than seeing people truly enjoy themselves.”
To learn more about northwater and the Supper Club series click here.
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The best meals are as visually appealing as they are delicious. Photo credit: Kevin Coleman.
As many are learning, beer can make an exceptional culinary pairing. Photo credit: Kevin Coleman.
Monica and Josh Smith, of Atwood Ales, were very excited to team up with the first dinner series. Photo credit: Kevin Coleman.
northwater's Supper Club is an exceptional dining experience. Photo credit: Kevin Coleman.
Chef Christy teamed with Monica and Josh Smith of Atwood Ales to create a memorable meal. Photo credit: Kevin Coleman.
Ambiance is a key part of northwater's Supper Club. Photo credit: Kevin Coleman.
The Beef Under Cover was exceptional. Photo credit: Kevin Coleman.
The right beer from Atwood Ales makes an already amazing meal even better. Photo credit: Kevin Coleman.
The Up Side includes pear cardamom upside down cake, citrus whip cream and toasted almonds. Photo credit: Kevin Coleman.
The seared scallops are out of this world. Photo credit: Kevin Coleman.
The Chrysalis Inn & Spa was proud to present their July spa donation in the amount of $1,930 to Our TreeHouse. Our TreeHouse provides resources and support in Whatcom to grieving children, teens, their families and their communities. Because they believe that no one should grieve alone, Our TreeHouse helps families and communities heal together.
The Chrysalis Inn & Spa donated $1,930 to Our TreeHouse. Photo courtesy: The Chrysalis Inn & Spa.
Our TreeHouse is a safe place where families come together to hurt and to heal through Family Night Support groups or Teen Night Support groups. They also provide outreach to any school or business in the community after the death of a student, teacher or employee.
The Chrysalis, a locally owned hotel, spa and restaurant on Fairhaven’s waterfront, recently announced that they will contribute one percent of revenue from the Spa to a Whatcom County non-profit each month. They have given almost $12,000 since February. August’s recipient will be The Lighthouse Mission.
RE Sources promotes sustainable communities and protect the health of northwestern Washington’s people and ecosystems through application of science, education, advocacy and action. Photo courtesy: RE Sources.
For 14 years, RE Sources for Sustainable Communities has selected a handful of bright stars — local leaders, community visionaries and brave-hearted citizens — to recognize and honor for their tireless work to safeguard our community and outstanding Pacific Northwest environment.
RE Sources is pleased to announce this year’s Environmental Heroes: Bob Aegerter, Ellie Kinley, Dena Jensen, Sandy Robson and Jeremy Freimund (in memoriam).
Heroes are nominated and selected by a panel of community members, former Heroes, RE Sources’ staff and board members for their extraordinary efforts to protect our natural world. RE Sources hosts Environmental Heroes to celebrate the accomplishments of individuals in Whatcom and Skagit counties whose work has had significant, lasting impact.
“Our 2017 Heroes have confronted and overcome big challenges in order to provide a safe and healthy future for people, wildlife and ecosystems alike,” said Crina Hoyer, executive director at RE Sources. “Our vision at RE Sources is to see people living satisfying lives in accord with the ecosystems we depend on, generation after generation. We are delighted to highlight the work of our Heroes in advancing this shared vision.”
About the 2017 Environmental Heroes
Bob Aegerter has invested countless volunteer hours in service to the Mount Baker Chapter of the Sierra Club, the Whatcom Chapter of Washington Conservation Voters, and RE Sources. He has been an active community member on important environmental issues facing Whatcom County and recently served a term on the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission’s Wolf Advisory Group. Through these various avenues, many gains have been made on behalf of wildlife, in the policy arena and in protecting special places.
Lummi Nation tribal member Ellie Kinley comes from a long line of fishers and tribal leaders. Her experience as a fisherwoman and her deep and abiding respect for the natural, cultural and historical importance of the Salish Sea, is reflected in her work both on and off the water. As a purse seiner, Ellie is dedicated to the wise and sustainable management of natural resources for present and future generations. When off the water, she is a fearless environmental champion, highlighting threats to the Salish Sea to both government officials and industry leaders, and advocating for its protection.
Sandy Robson and Dena Jensen are tireless advocates for ecological protection, justice and indigenous rights. They are the creators of the coalstop.com and Noisy Waters Northwest blogs, investigative writers, meticulous followers of Whatcom County public processes and often the first to intervene. They have shared incredibly pertinent information with community members, including environmental activists and policy-makers, that has led to more open dialogue and much-needed scrutiny of projects such as the proposed coal terminal at Cherry Point.
Jeremy Freimund is being honored in memoriam for his decades-long work with the Lummi Nation as their Water Resources Manager. His career was marked by key achievements including development of an oil spill response plan, overseeing the Lummi Nation Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Plan, and establishing the first tribally-owned and operated commercial wetland mitigation bank in the U.S. He was the consummate professional and brought a resounding level of scientific expertise and institutional knowledge to all he did at the Lummi Natural Resources Department. He was a great leader, team member and friend, and approached work and life with integrity, loyalty and kindness. He was an inspiration and is dearly missed.
The 2017 Heroes will be honored during the Environmental Heroes Awards Banquet on Thursday, September 7, at the Lairmont Manor in Bellingham.
Event proceeds will go to support RE Sources for Sustainable Communities programs and projects. For more information, visit re-sources.org/environmentalheroes or contact Mary Humphries at maryh@re-sources.org or 360-733-8307 ext. 204.
1 Paperboat is bright and breezy. Photo courtesy: 1 Paperboat.
Serendipity. The word used by Diane Reinsch, owner of Fairhaven’s nautical-themed shop 1 Paperboat, to describe landing in Bellingham after owning a retail store for over 30 years in Mill Creek. “The first place I always ask Royal to take me when he is traveling north is Fairhaven,” Reinsch says as she explains her husband’s family connections to the area.
With the array of products offered at 1 Paperboat, you are sure to find that perfect gift for a friend or yourself. Photo courtesy: 1 Paperboat.
“We’ve always loved this area.”
Diane and Royal Reinsch were ready for a change. Their lease was coming to an end at the home décor and import store they previously owned and it was at this moment in time that Diane had a serendipitous conversation with another business owner from Bellingham.
“I just so happened to have a conversation about available space in Fairhaven,” Reinsch says. “And it just so happened that our current location happened to be under construction. It was perfect.”
Conveniently located in historic Fairhaven right next to the Fairhaven Village Inn and just off the trail leading to Boulevard Park, 1 Paperboat offers products with a nautical flair. You will see name brands such as Ugg, glassybaby, Brighton, Mer Sea and even Not Your Daughter’s Jeans all under one roof. Also included in the array of products is Chalk Paint by Annie Sloan, a favorite among those creating new looks or reinventing old items in their home. Beautiful tiles from Sid Dickens line the walls, adding to the warm and inviting atmosphere of the store.
As you walk into the store, you are immediately greeted with a “Welcome!” from Diane, the face of the store as Royal describes. And, you might even catch a glimpse of Chief, the shop dog. “See our logo?” asks Diane as she points to the 1 Paperboat logo. “The dog in the boat is Chief, he’s always in the store.”
With the emphasis on American Classic, 1 Paperboat offers a casual look for women. Photo courtesy: 1 Paperboat.
The comfortable nature of the store sets the stage for fun browsing and easy conversation. Diane describes their process of finding the right niche to fill as they created the concept of 1 Paperboat. She explains that the look you can find at their store is “American Classic,” a casual yet comfortable style for women. “She has a good eye for buying,” says Royal of his wife’s ability to choose the right theme and products for their store.
After only two years in what they refer to as the perfect location, 1 Paperboat feels like an established business. “We’re seeing more return customers as well as our old customers from Mill Creek making the drive north,” says Diane. “We also get many out-of-towners and those walking in from the trail.”
With family connections and summers spent in the area, Royal describes the bond he feels with the community. “I’ve seen a lot of changes in Bellingham growing up summers here. I have many good memories,” he says, “and when you feel a connection, you feel more comfortable and you fit in.”
As you come off the trail or from meandering around Fairhaven, you will welcome the relaxed atmosphere of 1 Paperboat. Photo courtesy: 1 Paperboat.
It is that connection that has also led the Reinschs to become more deeply involved in their Fairhaven community. “Part of owning a business is you’re not just a standalone,” Diane explains. “You’re a member of the community and it’s about what you can bring to the table.”
As active members of the Winterfest Committee, a part of the Historic Fairhaven Association, they participate in the planning of the community winter holiday activities. “Most of the activities within Fairhaven happen because of volunteers and the merchants themselves,” says Diane.
In fact, Royal helps out as needed to water the hanging flower baskets around the Fairhaven district and pitches in when there is an event that needs setting up or a beer garden that needs manpower.
The upcoming holiday season brings the prospect of having lights professionally hung throughout Fairhaven for the first time, Diane shares. The project, called Light Up Fairhaven, is an effort to support local businesses through creating an amazing experience for all who shop, live, work and visit Fairhaven. The Winterfest Committee has already identified a local Bellingham business willing and able to hang the lights, but will require the community’s help and support to cover the expense.
“We are so proud to be a part of Light Up Fairhaven,” says Diane. “I know others in our community would be proud to support this wonderful project as well. And to that point, we haven’t even started to roll out the campaign and already we have donors just by word of mouth. It’s incredible to see what this Fairhaven community can do. So be on the lookout for more information on how the community can help support this fun experience.”
1 Paperboat is bright and breezy. Photo courtesy: 1 Paperboat.
With all the changes in the retail industry, the Reinschs are proud to have been able to change with the times and continue to see success with the establishment of 1 Paperboat in Fairhaven.
“We’ve seen people at different stages of life and from all walks of life,” says Royal with a smile. “So many customers have ended up becoming friends.”
Diane goes on to describe her passion for the industry in which she has chosen to make her mark. “All the years we’ve been doing this, we have this chance to make this connection. The passion is there … I value the relationships. Sometimes you help people and sometimes they help you. That’s the real gift.”
Venture into Fairhaven and stop by 1 Paperboat. Say hello to Diane, Royal and Chief. You’ll discover the perfect gift for a loved one or a great piece of clothing for yourself. And you’re sure to make some wonderful new friends while you’re there.
Meet Dori Eppstein, owner of Dori's Coffee Shop. Photo credit: Kali Klotz-Brooks.
You may have strolled into Dori’s Coffee Shop over the last few months, either out of curiosity or think thinking that is was The Union Coffee Shop, which used to be one of two located in Bellingham. Meet Dori Eppstein, the owner of the freshly opened Dori’s Coffee Shop, located in the Daylight Building next to Buffalo Exchange and Woolies.
Dori considers the dragonfly to be her spirit animal and can be found taking a few seconds out of her workday to bust a move on the shop floor. Hailing from San Diego originally, Dori and her young son, Liam, have established themselves in Bellingham over the last two years.
With a Masters in Clinical Psychology, Dori has dedicated much of her professional life to teaching and being a life coach in the realm of women in business and spirituality. “I have not owned a brick and mortar business,” Dori says, “but owning a business was on the bucket list.”
Meet Dori Eppstein, owner of Dori’s Coffee Shop. Photo credit: Kali Klotz-Brooks.
Dori was lucky enough to snag the location she is in now through a lot of persistence and dedication. “This space came open and I got really excited! I called the property management company and came down that same day and took a look and said ‘I want it.’” With enthusiasm, she explains the series of events that happened over the course of only two days, “So I canceled my plans for that night. I went home and wrote up the business plan and letter of intent and sent it off. I came down and filled out an application the next morning. I said, ‘Okay, you have to get back to me by the end of the day because I can’t be worrying about this all weekend,’ and so at 4:55 p.m. they called and said, ‘You got it,’ and away we go!”
Coffee is not something that Dori has business experience in prior to opening up Dori’s Coffee Shop. “I am learning as I go,” she says. It is clear that much of this learning is simply evolving through her desire to give the community what they want and need. “My focus is really on community and connection and providing a space for people. I want it to feel good, comfortable and happy in here.” She is accomplishing this by hosting music nights she is calling “Java Jams,” participating in the monthly art walks and providing what her customers ask for.
You aren’t limited to coffee! Local teas are yummy, as are the quick snacks and pastries made by Avellino. Photo credit: Kali Klotz-Brooks.
Dori’s weekly Friday music nights include either an open mic or scheduled musicians. She says, “We’ve had a couple of them and we’re just trying to figure out the best way to connect with that community so that it stays really strong.” The Coffee Shop is still so new, it’s just a matter of getting the word out there. There is a new venue to use – not only for music but for artwork as well.
“The idea is that every month we’ll have a new local artist up and we’ll keep their work up throughout the month. It’s just a way to help get their name out there,” Dori says. So if you or someone you know is in need of a space to display artwork, feel free to stop by the shop or contact Dori herself. If your art fits the shop’s vibe, she would love to display it. She also intends on regularly participating in the Bellingham Art Walk as another way of supporting the local art community.
Dori’s Coffee Shop used Bellingham Coffee Roaster’s coffee along with many other local and organic products. Photo credit: Kali Klotz-Brooks.
Dori’s coffee is from Bellingham Coffee Roasters and her teas are from Flying Bird Botanicals and Living Earth Herbs. “We offer all the alternative milks that people have been asking for. Basically it’s important for me to go as local and as organic as possible with everything we do, as much as we can,” Dori says. “Our pastries and quiches are from Avellino. It comes back to the whole community thing again and communication – establishing relationships and keeping it all right here.”
The items that aren’t made by Avellino, sandwiches and oatmeal for instance, Dori makes with ingredients from Community Food Co-op. I was told the avocado toast was especially popular. This is toasted bread topped with hummus, avocado and aminos. It’s the perfect breakfast – easy to snag on your way to work, local and delicious.
“Our window of love started right away,” Dori explains. “People say what they like about the coffee shop, others just like to draw.” Photo credit: Kali Klotz-Brooks.
Dori’s Coffee Shop has only been open since May 13, but Dori plans on planting her roots here for a while and growing with the community’s wants and needs. “Right now we have to just get it all really rock solid – what’s working for Bellingham, what’s not. Can’t take off too fast,” she says.
To find out more information about Dori’s Coffee Shop, visit her Facebook page or just stop in at 1203 N. State St. to say hello!
This was the perfect dress to which all others were compared. Photo credit: Marla Bronstein.
When my son called about a year ago to tell us that he and his fiancée had set a wedding date, I was filled with extreme joy … and deep despair. I adore my future DIL and look forward to all of the promise that their union will bring. But I dread dress shopping and the plan was for their semi-formal wedding to be held in the summer of 2017.
Sweet in pink, this dress called to me from the window of Gown and Glove. Photo credit: Marla Bronstein.
I committed at the beginning of this year to start the diet-and-exercise plan to exceed all others and not even begin looking for a dress in the spring. Early in 2017, I had a sneak peek at the bride’s dress (oh, so breathtaking in white) and the Mother of the Bride’s (MOBs) dress. On the website “The Knot,” where the kids (I can say that, right?) have set up their entire wedding website, it says this and more about Mother of the Groom (MOG) dresses: “It’s customary for the MOB to purchase her dress first. Get a sense of what she’s wearing (length, color, style) before you buy your dress.” Out of respect, I would not even try on any dress in the MOB’s color palate and style. Her dress is floor length, sleeveless, has a Grecian neck, and is stunning in champagne and gold.
I felt that none of my Bellingham-casual hanging in my closet was appropriate for me to wear to my son’s wedding. According to Ms. Manners, “You needn’t make any effort to coordinate with the wedding’s ‘theme colors’ as you are the mother of the groom, and not a shoe or a floral arrangement.”
I am not exactly a one-size-fits-all kind of body and pride myself on being frugal and fiscally responsible. I know, this is the wedding of my only son. I should spend what I need to and, seriously, no one is going to be looking at me anyway. But here’s the thing … I know the family photos will last forever and I don’t want to cringe every time I look at them in the years to come. My husband and I set a wedding clothing budget (he was going to need to buy a suit too).
Dress Shopping Round One
In chatting with a friend, I first learned of the Lower Mainland’s After Five Fashion and went to take a peek. Their store in the Birch Bay Outlet Mall has been there for almost five years. They are currently open every day but Tuesday and Wednesday.
Manager and Blaine resident Rochelle Halldorson says After Five is not considered a “bridal store,” since they don’t sell traditional bridal gowns, but they do carry dresses appropriate for everyone in the wedding party and their guests. Their beautiful, never worn, designer dresses are appropriate for any occasion. The owner’s desire is to have all customers walk out with a dress they love, feeling that their outfit is comfortable and special and significant for the occasion. Rochelle says the average price range for a MOG dress could be from $200-$600. Dresses in her store are marked down for sale after 15-18 months, allowing satisfied frugal customers, like me, to easily find the perfect outfit for about $100. With a budget limit in mind, I was pleasantly surprised to find many lovely dresses and an absolutely perfect purple dress on the sale rack that I loved at first sight. Sadly, it was a little bit outside my budget and, most of all, it didn’t quite fit. If I was 29 pounds thinner and maybe two inches smaller around my middle, it would work.
I earnestly re-committed right there and then to diet and exercise in earnest for six months. Then I would come back to After Five Fashion and if this purple dress was still on the rack, perhaps discounted by then, I’d buy it and be happy.
That day, I did buy a deal too hot to pass up – a medium blue dress off the clearance rack. I knew I wouldn’t wear it to the wedding since the neckline was too close to the style of the MOB’s but I had to have it.
My diet and exercise program for the next few months consisted of walking as much as possible and cutting out most wheat products. Early in April, I plunked down my credit card at a local gym and went to various exercise classes five days a week. So with four months of diet and a month of intense exercise under my belt (no pun intended) I went to my doctor in early May for my annual exam and was distraught to learn I had a net gain of three pounds since the beginning of the year.
It was clear I was going to have to accept the fact I would need to find a dress that fit me in the present, not in the future.
Dress Shopping Round Two
The Perfect dress in blue – fit, flattering and sadly rejected due to my obsession with social norms that say only the bridal party wears matching colors on purpose. Photo credit: Marla Bronstein.
Gown and Glove is a consignment store open every day but Thursday that carries gently-worn (and occasionally never-worn) bridal, wedding party and guest dresses at very discounted prices. Owner Blanca Flor Waldrip purchased the store in early 2017. She has been doing on-site alterations there since 2015. Blanca says their busy seasons are late fall for the holidays, early in the year for weddings and springtime for prom and graduation outfits. In late June, I noticed an adorable designer pink dress that I thought would look fabulous on my future DIL in the display window. The dress had been there for a while and was such a deal, I had to buy it for her.
Right next to where I stood at the checkout hung a solitary, breathtaking and perfect dark blue dress, not unlike the style of the purple dress I had seen months earlier. Blanca told me it had been brought in that morning. I tried it on. It was perfect. I sucked in my breath and looked at the price-tag. It was in my budget. I needed a second opinion and asked her to hold the dress for me, which she agreed to do until the weekend. I went home and told my husband that I had found the dress!! I arranged with a friend to come with me that Saturday. Two nights later, my husband told me he had talked to his mother. She had been saving a dressy outfit to wear to a special occasion and her outfit was dark blue … exactly the same as my perfect dark blue dress. (You see where this is going, right?)
Let me tell you, dear reader, I did not give up my dream of that dress easily. I looked online to see if the style was available anywhere else in a different color. It was not. Blanca kindly held that dress aside for me for another ten days, as I sadly and dejectedly dragged friend after friend to look at my perfect blue dress and listened to them try to talk me into wearing it.
I couldn’t let go. I tore through my closet at home, pulled out every floor length dress I owned that I ever (and sometimes never) wore, and brought them to the store to sell on consignment. Then I found an online coupon for $25 off a dress at Gown and Glove and bought the blue dress to own! Are you keeping score? This was my second dressy-dress purchase that I won’t be wearing to my son’s wedding.
Dress Shopping Round Three
An east coast girl at heart, I was brought up with the belief that David’s Bridal was where everyone shopped for dresses for Brides, MOBs and MOGs. So I went to the David’s in Lynnwood and Burlington, but there was nothing in my size and budget that I loved or felt was MOG appropriate. So I kept looking.
Dress Shopping Round Four
This was the perfect dress to which all others were compared. Photo credit: Marla Bronstein.
Two weeks later, I made final plans with my daughter and a friend to go dress shopping for the last time. We all committed that this was the day I would find a dress for the wedding. I was willing to check out Value Village and Goodwill if necessary. I have found dressy dresses there in the past. My daughter promised to stop me from buying yet another dress that I would not wear to the wedding.
Our first stop was back to Blaine. The purple dress was still there and it was more beautiful than ever. With fingers crossed that somehow magic happened, and either my body shape spontaneously changed, or the dress got stretched out, I tried it on again. Full disclosure, the zipper broke. Rochelle was incredibly kind and comforted me by saying that zippers break all the time. (This may be true, I’ve been to two weddings where I have heard broken zipper stories.) There was another dress in the store that I tried on and it fit, but I didn’t love it and I was not confident that altering the dresses’ long sleeves to short would improve the line of the dress.
I left, dejected, but well supported by my team.
Our next stop was Bellingham’s Alicia’s Bridal Outlet, (only open on Saturdays) where they say any bride (or mother) on a budget can find the dress of her dreams. Never worn wedding gowns and Mother dresses that retailed from $500 to $900 can be purchased for 20-90 percent off the original price.
Outlet owner Sandy Needham told me they opened the outlet ten years ago because there were so many unsold, discontinued dresses in the main store, Alicia’s and The Formal House, which is just a few doors up the block, and they didn’t have room. Some of the dresses at the outlet are only two or three seasons old. Sandy wants every bride to say, “Yes to the dress,” even if they are on a very tight budget. It makes her happy that people can spend $100 and get a perfect wedding dress. We were one of the first customers of the day and bee-lined to the rack of Mother’s dresses in my size. I picked a lovely 3/4 sleeve, floor length, periwinkle dress. It was marked half-off the full retail price and due to a special national bridal sale that we happened in on, was another half-off of that. My eyes widened. Seriously? 75 percent off? I took it to the dressing room. Not only did it fit, it was comfortable and long enough to allow me to wear heels!! And yes, I love it! My daughter and my friend gave me thumbs up approval. Even a cousin in the Midwest gave me the go-ahead via text message! (It apparently takes a village to dress me.)
I stayed within my original budget and ended up with three lovely dressy dresses! I am grateful for Rochelle, Blanca and Sandy for all of their gentle help and guidance. I know that when I wear the dresses I bought at each of their shops, I will get a lot of compliments.
Even though I will not be the focus of attention on the day of my son’s wedding, I know that I will be proud to stand by him and be in a photo on his wall for decades to come.
The new ivy heart is thriving. Photo credit: Dan Burwell.
I met Alex McLean about four years ago as he and I were on the City of Bellingham Transportation Commission together. At the time, McLean wanted the city to create a community garden and public park on top of the parkade (now referred to as the Commercial Street Parking Garage) since the top floor was severely underutilized as a parking area. His idea was creative, colorful and Bellingham-ish, but the city did not bite. Years later I’ve come to find out he’s active in other things including the Granary Rehabilitation in the Waterfront District.
McLean applied for the project manager job to potentially be the first Bellinghamster to work for Harcourt, the Irish development company working with the Port of Bellingham to redevelop the former Georgia Pacific Plant site, now called the Waterfront District. Although they ultimately opted to use one of their own managers, McLean later got invited to do demolition and prep work for the Granary Building. At the time, this was welcome news. He was going through a divorce so any chance to run around with a chainsaw and swing a sledgehammer was a welcome respite to his personal life. “My brain was fried, total mush,” McLean said, “so I looked at it as a really unhealthy version of therapy.”
The new ivy heart is thriving. Photo credit: Dan Burwell.
Being safety conscious, he rigged himself to a harness and worked for the majority of 2016 cutting through old Douglas Fir timber and ripping apart the roof. His feet punched through the rotten roof several times while working on the replacement, McLean said, but an occasional rock climbing hobby seems to have prepared him for that inevitability. One of his other demolition tasks, especially satisfying given his mindset, was to help savagely remove Bellingham’s ivy heart, the iconic symbol that had graced the side of the building for the past decade. The vines, “some thick as a baby’s arm,” as McLean described them, had broken through a window and had caused significant damage to the wall. While McLean doesn’t know who installed or maintained the heart, he said the Art Collective across the street had something to do with it. “They are a secretive lot,” McLean said, “very into their anonymity.”
Alex rescued Seagull chicks from the Granary roof. Photo credit: George Dyson.
During the building’s remodel, people throughout the community became concerned about the fate of the Granary’s well-known Heart. It had been known for years as a sort of green mascot, after all, and was a wildly popular photography backdrop. Was it going to be demolished as well? Yes, indeed it was.
Working together with Harcourt and the Port of Bellingham, McLean ended up welding a steel trellis and attachment system that has been installed on the rehabilitated building. A decision was made to use a flowering jasmine vine instead of the English Ivy as it is a less invasive species and would not damage the building. McLean promises that the Heart will get bigger, that more trellis will be added to it as the vine grows. “We know it is smaller,” McLean said, “but that was kind of by design. It would have looked ridiculous if it was 20 feet tall with a two-foot sprout at the bottom.” After a week of vandalism where the plant was repeatedly torn out, the jasmine is now fenced in and hopefully will get a chance to fill the trellis over the coming years.
Alex works hard at the Granary. Photo credit: Alex McLean.
McLean no longer works for Harcourt full time, preferring to take on odd jobs, experiment with sculpture projects and, recently, go back to school to refresh his computer design skills. Although concerned about some of the setbacks and slow progress on the site, McLean is excited for what the community will gain once the pieces fall into place.
“That park, right there over the waterway, and the Granary right next to it will be awesome,” he said. “There are two-foot by three-foot timber beams in there, everywhere. Despite the ankle-deep pigeon poo and the fossilized rat skulls, this building is going to end up really, really cool – a huge asset to Bellingham.”
McLean, as he proved during his effort to put a park on top of Bellingham’s garage, is an avid supporter of seemingly wild ideas. One of the best ideas he’s seen for the larger Waterfront District project is to abandon the planned smattering of random, small parks and just build one long, fat ribbon of greenery through the whole development. “It just makes total sense to me from a landscape urbanism perspective,” McLean said.
Grace is the perfect name for this beautifuly graceful work of art. Photo credit: Alex McLean.
Aside from his briefer stint on the Transportation Commission, McLean just finished two full terms on Bellingham’s Greenways Advisory Committee. As a park and trail advocate, he hopes the city and the port will reconsider a ribbon-like central park to tie together downtown, the Waterfront District and even Fairhaven. Not only would this design provide a non-motorized transportation corridor, McLean notes, but from a developer’s perspective having frontage and access to greenery is always an asset. “There’s 200 acres of dead-level gravel down there right now,” McLean said, “so the time to think about connectivity from Cornwall Beach to Downtown is now, before we slather buildings all over the place.”
McLean said he has been in construction for 20 years, about five of which were in project management or supervising roles. “I’d see something weird headed to the dumpsters and would haul it over to my truck instead,” McLean said as he confessed to being, “a hoarder of random crap I can’t use.” It was only after attending his first Burning Man arts and music festival in 2007, that McLean saw the inspiration needed for his recycled piles.
The festival, a week-long conclave held in a remote Nevada desert, surprised him for being very construction-oriented. For McLean, the real impact of the event wasn’t the structures so much as the art. He became especially obsessed, he said, with the massive sculptures he saw at these festivals.
Grace is displayed at Burning Man. Photo credit: Alex McLean.
His yard, in Bellingham’s Happy Valley neighborhood, is now filling up with various projects he has taken to Burning Man over the years. One of these, a slightly larger-than-life version of a woman in a yoga pose, ended up being infamous once McLean dragged it out to a small island in the middle of the night and bolted it to the rock. “A lot of people called her ‘the Dancer,’” McLean said, “but I always called her ‘Grace.’ When I took her to Burning Man in 2011 (temporarily) I put her in the middle of a buddy’s massive sculpture and called the whole thing ‘Pressure under Grace,’ so it stuck.”
McLean said that he knew the sculpture would be jarring to the community – he didn’t have permission and told nobody of his impulsive plan – so he sent the Cascadia Weekly an anonymous letter in hopes of explaining himself. “Yeah, people freaked out,” McLean said, noting that it was a bit surreal to be sitting next to the former Parks Director, James King, at Greenways and Parks Board meetings McLean had to attend, as King described the city of Bellingham’s possible responses to his weird act of vandalism.
“Ultimately it was endorsed and allowed, kind of grudgingly,” McLean said. “But I never felt right about it.” After a year or two of being on the rock, getting rusty from the constant exposure to sea salt, McLean decided to end the experiment and took the sculpture down. Today Grace is in his back yard, under a cedar tree. Although he tried to maintain his anonymity over the years, enough people had identified him successfully that, when he applied for a design contest to enhance the so-called “Acid Ball,” a future element of the Whatcom Waterway Park, McLean decided to out himself as the culprit. “I’m fine with it,” he joked, “handcuffs and Tasers are nothing new to me.”
Alex presents one of his bike racks. Photo credit: Dan Burwell.
McLean recently joined the board of the Happy Valley Neighborhood Association and has been pushing the city to create a park within the neighborhood. McLean likes Bellingham because, “People here are invested in the community. They show up to meetings, they volunteer their time and stay engaged to make Bellingham a better place. They understand place-making. It’s intuitive to citizens here,” he describes.
As I finished up talking with McLean over sandwiches at the Brandywine Cafe, he said something odder than usual, “I gotta water my dumpster.”
I was confused. Is he hoping to compost some of his saved-up building materials at home? I thought to myself.
“Come on, I’ll show you.” He grabbed two gallons of water and walked to the alley east of the parking garage. There, just south of a line of real dumpsters, is a dumpster of rusty steel and wood – recycled hoarding bits gleaned from the Granary and other projects he’d worked on. Inside are plywood cutouts of flame shapes mixed with flowers and shrubs. McLean said he got a text from a city employee that suggested nobody cared enough about alleys to worry what he did, so he did this. “It lights up at night too,” McLean said, “because, really, what dumpster is complete without lights?”
Alex waters his dumpster. Photo credit: Dan Burwell.
As we headed back through the alley, McLean noted the unique history and character of some of Bellingham’s alleys and his hope that the city, perhaps working with Kapow! coordinators or the Downtown Bellingham Partnership, might invest in small efforts like his. “It wouldn’t take much to make these places really cool,” McLean said. “They don’t have to be off-limits dead-zones.”
Once we were back on Commercial Street, McLean pointed out one of the bike racks with planters that he made and placed at various downtown spots. No, he wasn’t paid by the city to build them. Yet, they stand and many have used them for years.
I came away from my interview in awe. Who does that? Who spends time and money to place art and functional bike racks in a city on their own? We need people like Alex to better our community. We need his creativity. We need his ideas. Thanks Alex for making Bellingham a better place! Thanks for volunteering your time and energy to make our city more equitable. Thanks for making our alleys and bike racks more beautiful.
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Got an idea for someone you’ve always wondered about? Maybe you already know them but think they deserve some lime light. I’m looking to get to know others that make our community a better place, a unique place, maybe even a stranger place. Drop me a line at submit@whatcomtalk.com.
The Small Animal Experience is a favorite exhibit at the Northwest Washington Fair. Photo courtesy: Northwest Washington Fair.
After a summer filled with travel, I am so excited to have a weekend to just enjoy the fun things going on at home. Luckily, there is a bounty of fun to be had because Whatcom County is such an awesome place. What am I most excited about? The Northwest Washington Fair! It’s going to be a blast! Be sure to check out these fun Whatcom County weekend events for Aug. 11-13 as well, including our great local farmers’ markets. The produce is ripe and ready to enjoy! And don’t forget to check our full events calendar for all the great local happenings this weekend.
WhatcomTalk aims to be your source for positive information and events happening in Bellingham, Ferndale, Lynden and throughout Whatcom County. If you have a suggestion for a post, send us a note at submit@whatcomtalk.com. For more events and to learn what’s happening in Bellingham and the surrounding area, visit our events calendar. To submit an event of your own, visit our events calendar and click on the green “Post Your Event” button.
On Aug. 12, Village Books and Paper Dreams staff and customers put down their books and picked up shovels, loppers and buckets to help Round It Up partner Recreation Northwest advance its trail project at Fairhaven Park. Photo courtesy: Village Books and Paper Dreams.
Thanks to community support, Village Books and Paper Dreams’ new Round It Up giving program had a successful launch. During June, July and August, more than 1,000 customers rounded up their purchases to support the first non-profit recipient, Recreation Northwest.
Each season, the store will feature a different non-profit that will benefit when customers choose to increase their purchase to the nearest dollar. The partner organization will receive the Round It Up difference. Starting in September, the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center will be the featured organization.
Village Books and Paper Dreams staff and customers support Round It Up partners beyond the cash register. On a recent sunny Saturday, a crew formed a work party to help Recreation Northwest weed, mulch and water new plantings between the wetland and the new Fairhaven Park trail system. Recreation Northwest became Fairhaven Park stewards in 2014.
To learn more about Village Books’ Round It Up program, visit villagebooks.com.
