From holidays to graduations, the shops sprinkled in U Village and surrounding area have your back year around. Curving behind the northwest bend of the shopping center, stroll along NE Blakeley to snag a few delightfully irreverent cards at Curtsy Bella; owners Mary Jo Thomas and daughter Danielle Fayette stand ready to help you find…

The first stop in the Madison Valley is, hands down, the best place in the neighborhood for an amazing deal. (1) Sugarlump stocks racks upon racks of button-cute and barely worn consignment kids’ clothes, with prices topping out at $40 (for maternity wear), but most falling in the range of $10 or- less. It also…

Start small on your stroll on the hill with a stop in (1) Bootyland, a neighborhood mainstay for kids’ clothing that is devotedly fair trade, organic and sweatshop free, not to mention a reliable source of baby band tees for $26.95. (Who doesn’t know a 16-month-old Devo fan?) Continue down Pine Street along Cal Anderson…

A visit to (1) Cherry Consignment, on California Avenue SW and SW Genesee, is a great way for anyone to kick off a West Seattle shopping day—it carries men’s and women’s apparel, and features maternity and plus-size sections to boot. (Two gorgeous pairs of Manolo Blahniks were recently spotted for between $90 and $125.) One…

Start your outing on the west side of First Avenue at (1) Fini, located near Pike Place Market in the courtyard of the Inn at the Market building. Step inside and be transported into the closet of an elegant Parisian: Druzy necklaces sparkle from their stand (most pieces are $50–$90), a stack of Thomas Paul…

Pass over the Disney princess this year and score a lunch bag with real style. These toxin-free, compostable bags are made of Ariaprene, a stain-resistant, machine-washable fabric that insulates food. Created by two sisters, Susan Givens and Carol Mack, the South Seattle-based dabbawalla bags was named after lunch delivery men in India. Designs include a…

Just in time for the start of school, beloved local kids’ shoe designer and West Seattle mom Cause Haun is out with her long-awaited new line of sneaks for little feet. See Kai Run’s adorable kicks are hip, colorful shoes that are sturdy yet flexible for growing feet, and, thanks to Velcro straps, are easy…

Newsflash: Seattle weather is fickle. Which is exactly why local company Fruitsuper design (fruitsuper.com) developed a new waterproof picnic blanket—to ensure that outdoor eating and seating this summer are both dry and delightful. The reversible, lightweight blanket ($98), made of soft, smooth 600 denier polyester, comes equipped with weighted corners and an integrated shoulder strap…

Mark your fashion datebook, people: On August 29th the five winning designers from our 2012 Seamless in Seattle competition will hit the runway for our second annual Seamless in Seattle Fashion Show. Here are our lucky winners and their designs (you’ll just have to wait until show time to find out who takes home the…

I enjoy a good dig through my neighborhood Goodwill but dependent on your shopping style, not everyone wants to sift, lift and hunt for goods. Enter Goodwill’s new South Lake Union store: There is no searching here, in fact, the swanky new space resembles more of a boutique than a warehouse. As it should: Located…

We have a bit of a joke-that-is-not-actually-a-joke around the office about declaring something a “trend”: You can’t call it one until you find three examples. So naturally, since news broke a few weeks ago that the city’s first “fashion truck”, The Kippy Ding Ding, is now roaming the streets (more here), I’ve been on the…