MAKING SCENTS 

For nearly 10 years, Atelier Madrona has offered Seattle bespoke scents crafted from high-quality raw materials. Founder Chelsey Owen is a Paris-trained master perfumer who believes in the power of storytelling through scent and its ability to tap into our memories and emotions.

Courtesy of Atelier Madrona

In June, the brand opened a fragrance boutique featuring the city’s first walk-in scent bar in Capitol Hill’s Chophouse Row. Featuring a selection of ready-to-wear perfumes, as well as the option to craft your own signature scene, Atelier Madrona also offers hands-on workshops and private-label creations. 

Courtesy of Lapis

SOUTH END SPARKLE 

Last weekend, Lapis—the bright and airy boutique in Tacoma’s Proctor District—hosted a shopping event featuring pieces by one of their featured jewelry designers, Gigi Clozeau. Opened in 2018 by Alana Carr, Lapis is a gift-givers gem (pun intended) that offers clothing, housewares, watches, handbags, and apothecary goods. Its main focus, though, is independent jewelry designers, of which they stock more than 50 brands. In addition, Lapis offers bespoke pieces (a good friend of mine had her engagement and wedding rings custom-designed here), thoughtfully created in collaboration to mark all of life’s milestones. Every piece is crafted using high-quality materials, including solid 14- or 18-karat gold. Admittedly, I don’t spend a lot of time in Tacoma, but every time I find myself in the city, I come away with a new discovery that I can’t stop talking about. Right now, it’s Lapis—and the wish list of jewelry with which I inevitably walked away!

Photo by Built Work Photography

TRAILS AWAY

I’ve probably mentioned before that I live downtown, which grants me easy access to the Seattle Art Museum’s Olympic Sculpture Park, as well as Myrtle Edwards and Centennial Parks. The latter, which comprises 16 acres of open space—including beachfront walking and biking trails—was recently reopened after a 16-month partial closure for renovation. As someone who walks the path at least twice a week, the detours, combined trails, and shuttered sections seemed to last forever, but upon its glorious unveiling, it was all proven to be worth it. The redevelopment is beautiful, with fresh native landscaping (15,000 new plantings!), educational and functional signage, lighting, and a plethora of seating. There is a kids’ play area, a retooled workout zone, and a newly opened Café Hagen serving coffee, tea, breakfast, and sandwiches. When I went for my evening stroll, the park was packed, but the trail is long enough that it doesn’t feel crowded. The walking and cycling sections are separate and well-defined, meaning that everyone can enjoy the space, whether they are on foot, paw, or wheels.  

Courtesy of Sézane

FRENCH GIRL SUMMER

Sézane, which briefly popped up at University Village a few years ago, is back with a permanent store in the former Tommy Bahama space. To celebrate, the popular French retailer (I often liken it to the Parisian Anthropologie) held a party earlier this week, with lots of cheese and champagne, of course, to mark the occasion. The full-scale store includes women’s apparel, shoes, and accessories, and a space dedicated to the brand’s menswear arm, Octobre Éditions. This is the first permanent Octobre presence in the United States. Sézane officially opens for shopping on June 19.

Photo by Reva Keller, courtesy of Brami

SECRET GARDEN

It’s delightful how you can live in a city your entire life and still learn new things about it on the regular. This happened to me earlier this week, when I attended Brami’s Seattle In Season dinner—a gorgeous farm-to-table experience in partnership with Outstanding in the Field and chef Brett Bankson of Café Lolo, hosted at the Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetlands. When I first mapped the location, I had to triple-check that it was correct. I had never heard of Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetlands, let alone been there. A thirty-minute drive from downtown, the property is located just south of Seward Park and is an absolute oasis tucked along the shore of Lake Washington. I was blown away. I couldn’t believe I didn’t know about it! 

Owned by Seattle Parks and Recreation, and cooperated by Tilth Alliance and the Friends of Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetlands, the farm offers classes in everything from beekeeping to gardening, a designated free community U-pick garden, children’s camps and after-school programs, volunteer opportunities, and more. They also host monthly community dinners, a seasonal farm stand, and a neighborhood community-supported agriculture (CSA) program.

Dinner guests enjoyed dinner next to the garden—some dishes included fresh-picked produce—and were some of the first in the country to experience Brami’s newest offering: cubetti, the most adorable little four-sided cubes-shaped pasta. Made with only two ingredients, Italian durum wheat and lupini beans, all of Brami’s products are flavorful, cook up perfectly al dente, and don’t have that weird, gritty texture or strange ingredients found in some other varieties of high-protein pasta. I went home and immediately ordered several boxes, which will now star in all pasta dishes in our family’s weekly dinner rotation.