The nose knows. Vote for the most creative florist, soothing aromatherapist, or other purveyor of ode-worthy odors.
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Miles Johnson Fiori Floral Design
Owner Miles Johnson's lush pave arrangements have long been a favorite with clients like Cartier and Louis Vuitton. He finally started sharing his secrets of style this year via delightful group floral design classes. Read More
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Originally published on July 17, 2007
Hey, Sugar, Nice Stems
Fiori Floral Design Classes
The last time you had an “arrangement,” you felt free as a bird. Until you ended up sobbing in a filthy Pi Kappa Alpha bathroom — while your sweetie struck out with every skank in the place.
You’ve since confined your arranging to the matchmaking, dinner-scheduling, and floral variety.
But you could use help with the latter — which you’ll find in spades at Fiori Floral Design’s new floral design classes.
Revered by local event planners and grateful brides, the small Capitol Hill shop favors tightly bunched, pavé-style designs. During a three-hour session, they’ll teach you the basics of form and structure, then set you loose on dahlias, hydrangeas, mint, and fresh fruit.
You’ll leave with plenty of secrets (like how to make blooms last longer) and a bouquet that’s unambiguously perfect. Think of it as inspiration to stop and smell the flowers more often.
After all, there’s nothing wrong with taking a break.
Fiori Floral Design, 512 East Pike Street (206-329-3944 or fiorifloraldesign.com). -
Karen Cirulli and Stephanie Abram Maven Maids
Using natural products like tea tree oil, vinegar, and peppermint soap, Maven Maids founders Karen Cirulli and Stephanie Abram leave your house spotless, sweet smelling, and chemical free. Read More
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Originally published on December 8, 2006
Maid to Order
Maven Maids Cleaning Service
You’re all about purging the toxic.
Your spam guard’s impenetrable. You’ve stopped TiVo-ing Trading Spouses. You’re (considering) switching to decaf. You never spread office gossip (okay, almost never). And No-Good 2 a.m. Texter got kicked to the curb.
So what’s with those nasty chemicals living under your sink?
Time to call Maven Maids, an earth-friendly housecleaning service that eschews fume-emitting commercial offenders and instead uses its own crud-killers made with natural ingredients like tea tree oil, vinegar, and peppermint soap.
Sign up for weekly, monthly, or one-off visits, and the merry maids will chase away everything from dust bunnies to that suspicious blue mass in the fridge. No job is too big and, yes, they do laundry.
So you can sit back, relax, and breathe in the clean, pure air.
Now turn that damn cell phone off.
Maven Maids (206-218-6391 or mavenmaids@gmail.com). -
William Leaman Bakery Nouveau
The heavenly smell of Bakery Nouveau owner William Leaman's just-baked bread and perfect buttery croissants wafts down California Avenue every morning, making frequent pilgrimages to West Seattle impossible to resist. Read More
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Originally published on December 18, 2006
Dough Boy
Bakery Nouveau Opens
Wake up 32.6 minutes early. Decide to start week with best intentions. Sip banana-acai berry breakfast smoothie as you perform perfect blowout.
But one harried meeting and two panicky client calls later, you’re nothing but a messy ponytail with a bad sugar jones.
Time to get your bedraggled self to Bakery Nouveau, a warm and cozy Parisian-style sweet shop — just opened in West Seattle.
It’s the first solo effort from William Leaman, former head pastry chef and chocolatier at Essential Baking Company (not to mention a gold medalist at the World Cup of Baking), who’s channeling his talents into his own line of pastries and artisanal breads.
If the cheerful chocolate and butter-yellow decor doesn’t perk you up, decadent éclairs, macaroons, and croissants should do the trick. Feeling ambitious? Sign up for one of Leaman’s bimonthly baking classes.
Because unlike your head of drizzle-induced frizz, that’s a challenge you can rise to.
Bakery Nouveau, 4737 California Avenue SW, between Alaska and Edmunds Streets (206-923-0534).