Forgo the spring cleaning projects this weekend and visit these trendy Ballard establishments instead.

Check out Ketch on Ballard Ave. Photo: Erik Simkins

Boutiques are certainly nothing new to Seattle, but if you desire to make a day of it without roaming from neighborhood to neighborhood, all the while fighting fellow Seattleites for a parking space, your options are somewhat limited. 

What do two brothers with maxed out credit cards and an idea from 1999 have to do with fashion?  In Seattle, everything.

From my understanding, the goals of a fashion designer are as follows: Attain comfortable fortune, dress outlandishly knowing no one can tell you how ridiculous you look, and somewhere along the line make clothes for those of your ilk. Pretty simple rules to follow.

Seattleite clinks wine glasses with Sommelier of the Year, Kristen Young.

It was raining in Seattle. The sky had opened up and released its full fury to truly embody “April Showers.” Completely unaffected, the Waterfront Seafood Grill was bustling and vibing on Pier 70 to the tune of wine glasses chiming. Much of that was due to wine director Kristen Young loading up a few glasses of sparkling wine.