For Love of Local Literature | Spotlight on Our Local Authors

I started my career in book publishing, working at Bloomsbury in London and publishing my first book over there, but when I moved back to the States I figured I’d have to leave that world behind—the great majority of book publishing is centered around New York City, and I was moving back to the West Coast. So imagine my delight when, four years later, I moved to Bellingham and discovered that the North…

Take a Hike

East of downtown Bellingham just over the Alabama Street hill unfolds sprawling Lake Whatcom—the city’s vast drinking water reservoir ringed by lakefront homes, parkland and an inviting 6.2 miles easy trek into the wilderness….

Don’t come home without a mammoth, dear!

Ken (and Loretta) offer their post- Winter Olympic Games thoughts to increase viewership Every two years, we celebrate the world’s athletes, their incredible stories of sacrifice, and the spirit of Olympic competition. Once upon a time — back before cell phones and the internet—the whole world tuned in. Now, not so much. Why? Well, as all her readers know, my alter-ego, Loretta, is a marketing…

Fried and Unapologetic Fat Shack

Between the name and the marketing slogan: “Fat Shack—Late Night Done Right” there’s little question to whom this new restaurant, open as late as 3 a.m., is targeted. Popular…

Lasting Image

What is your favorite thing to take pictures of? My favorite subjects are in the sky: stars, comets, eclipses, the sun and moon. But being a night sky photographer in the cloudiest city in the continental United States can be challenging, so I also spend a significant time photographing wildlife. What do you do when you aren’t taking photos? I work as a real estate broker for…

Updating with Charm and Style

When you find the perfect house —it’s got a beautiful view, a great lot, lots of space for three growing girls, and in the desired location —but it’s lacking…

Cascadia Womens Film Fest Returns

Last month was Women’s History Month, but we don’t have to stop celebrating just because it’s April. The second annual Cascadia International…

Friends of the Forest

Many residents in Anacortes are lucky enough to live within walking distance to some of the city’s 2,800 acres of forests….

Medical Aesthetics, Explained

Doctor Answers Questions About Growing Industry Increasingly, older Americans are looking in the mirror and unhappy with what they see: Scars, skin laxity, wrinkles, moles, liver spots, excess fat, cellulite, unwanted hair, skin discoloration, and spider veins top the list of complaints. As skin worries grow, so have new ways to treat them (think Botox) and new places to seek help. Once mainly the purview of dermatologists and…

Hard-to-Kill Plants

So, you’ve never muddied your hands with garden soil. You can never remember what a perennial is. You’ve drowned or deprived all your past plants. Do not despair….

Tugging at the Heart

Lil’ Tugs Children’s Boutique 713 Commercial Ave., Anacortes 360.299.2350 | liltugskids.com THE SHOP Since its opening in July 2016, Lil’ Tugs…

Vinostrology Shines As Downtown Bellingham Wine Bar And Lounge

Wine Bar Extraordinaire Bellingham native Katie Bechkowiak had plenty of experience in the restaurant and wine industries when she began toying with the idea of opening up her own wine bar. Then, while wrapping up a visit to the city’s Bloedel Donovan Park, she hopped in her car and turned on the Oprah Station on XM-Satellite Radio. During the program, Oprah asked her listeners,…

The Mixing Tin – The Brandied Cherry Collins

When you walk into The Blue Abode Bar in Barkley Village, it feels like you are home —even though it’s new to the neighborhood. A cozy spot for cocktails, it has a wood bar, tables are accented with blue paint, and chairs and blue lights line the walls. On each table, empty spirit bottles with twinkle lights on the inside provide a DIY home decor feel. The…

A Bubbly Business for Downtown Snohomish

Lather & Salt Tucked — almost squeezed — neatly between Antique Warehouse and Roger’s River View Bistro on Snohomish’s main drag is a delicious bath and body shop. Though it only occupies about 75 square feet of space on downtown First Street, Lather & Salt smartly fills every nook with odoriferous goodness. Chemical-free soap and personal care product lovers will rejoice at the decadent bath bars, bath salts and skin balms only an arm’s reach away, no matter which…

A Guiding Force for Education

After 22 years as Western Washington University’s director of communications, Lynne Masland has now committed herself to becoming a connector of the community. As she describes it, she is an elder of Whatcom County, responsible for building a web of support in the community. Since she retired, Masland has been constructing her web as an author, board member of the…

Meet the Chef

Chef Todd Alan Martin of Hundred North hosted his German-inspired dinner on Thursday, February 22 at Judd & Black Appliance in Mount Vernon. The four-course meal was full of comfort foods from parsnip soup to chocolate cake, each with…

FIVE FAVES DOCKS & PIERS

THE PIERS AT LA CONNER MARINA The piers at La Conner Marina see all different kinds of boaters from commercial, recreational and marine connected businesses. With bustling downtown La Conner a few steps away—amble over to the Museum…

Wellness Centers

In recent years, health and wellness centers are catering to clients who want far more than feel-good country spas and or challenging exercise adventures. Centers today offer approaches once considered unconventional, but now more mainstream, like acupuncture, natural medicines, and hypnosis. This is the first in a series…