One of the items that caught my eye were the jams from Deluxe Foods particularly the Crab Apple Jelly. We met Rebecca Staffel, chief tasting officer and creator of Deluxe Foods, the next day at the Ballard Farmer's Market. The Crab Apple Jelly took me back to my childhood. My grandmother used to make it and I don't think I've had any since then. Rebecca's version was delicious and limited (her ingredients are seasonal, sustainable and local). Crab apples are out of season so she only has a limited supply of the jelly in the larder.
After our lunch at India Bistro, we headed over to the Nightingale Gallery. They have the coolest vintage inspired prints of Seattle neighborhoods and the 1962 World's Fair. I had to get a few including one of the Smith Tower I'm giving to my sister (she had her wedding reception at the Chinese Room).
Next stop was Velouria, one of my favorite boutiques in the world. Vintage inspired bathing suits from Frankie Four and Pare Umbrella...I was in heaven.
Our final stop was at Dandelion Botanical Company. We ran into Evie Carr, the inspiring aromatherapist who taught a class at Spa Scotta. She is extremely knowledgable about essential oils and makes learning about them a real experience. I was happy to learn Dandelion is going to be celebrating 16 years of business in June. Proprietor Mary Kachi Cassinelli has been helping me choose essential oils and other fun things to use for most of those 16 years. I can remember wandering in the store when it was still in Fremont and I was a baby esthetician looking for new things to create facial masques.
All in all, a fantastic weekend spent wandering around Ballard.
