Events Archives ⋆ Page 2 of 2 ⋆ Explore Your Bliss

April 19, 2017

Jujubeet Opening in Bellevue

Something great is happening on Main Street in Bellevue, Washington and I have been impatiently waiting for the reveal. Since the “Jujubeet Coming Soon” sign went up a few months back, I have been stalking the empty store front because I simply could not wait for a juice bar across from my local yoga studio. My prayers – and namaste’s – have been answered, but the newly opened Jujubeet Cafe is so much more than I could have ever dreamed of!

Jujubeet’s mission is to provide whole, unprocessed foods in a quick, and convenient way. The lack thereof in the Seattle area is exactly why Bianca founded her first Jujubeet Juice bar three years ago. She believes that food should be simple, delicious, and yet nutrient-rich. The customers loved the concept of a healthy alternative to grab-n-go foods and soon Jujubeet expanded to 4 locations.

Responding to the many customers’ requests for a larger dining area, Bellevue’s new Jujubeet cafe was created with ample space for larger groups and families to enjoy a healthy meal. The newly renovated cafe was entirely designed by H2 Design + Build and invites you to sit down and enjoy the airy and bright space.

The menu underwent some major changes as well. Warm meals were added that are exclusive to the Bellevue location and are always freshly prepared in the cafe. The in-house dietitian and the Jujubeet team created these dishes together to offer guests meals that are equally healthy and delicious. Jujubeet now also offers a healthy kids’ menu featuring delicious foods like a vegan and gluten-free nut butter and banana crepe, which I know my son will go gaga for. And to top it all off, there is now an espresso bar with artisan, locally roasted coffee from Caffe Umbria and a delicious raw vegan dessert menu (think chickpea truffles and chocolate banana bites)! I can confidently say that Jujubeet checked off every single item on my list for a perfect Cafe!

I was lucky enough to interview co-founder Bianca Szyperski during the soft opening phase last week and sample some of the delicious new items on Jujubeet’s menu. The pecan Mushroom Pate Sandwich was absolutely delicious and, best of all, filled me up. This would be a great dish to share with some girlfriends after a work out! The Cinnamon Oat Waffle was as beautiful as it was yummy, and being vegan and gluten-free definitely did not take away from the glorious taste! I also tasted some of the house-made coconut yogurt and will definitely be back for more.

It would not be a Jujubeet without its famous juices, of which I sampled the “Happy Greens” and “Liver Purifier”. I can see why “Happy Greens” is a crowd favorite – it is refreshing and includes all the essential greens (spinach, kale, cucumber, celery) with a fun twist that is fennel. My favorite juice might have been the “Liver Purifier”, however. Don’t be intimidated by the beets in the juice and give it a try – I highly recommend its delicious earthiness! And of course, Jujubeet also offers juice cleanses, which are great for resetting your system and kick start healthier food habits.

Jujubeet is throwing a grand opening celebration which is scheduled for Thursday, April 14 from 3-8 pm! To celebrate the new Bellevue location, Jujubeet is offering a special 15% off all menu items during the party – and also 15% off cleanses by phone orders on Thursday, April 14! Here is the phone number to take advantage of that awesome offer: (425) 454-0747

I know that I will be at Jujubeet eating to my heart’s content and I would love seeing you there doing the same 🙂

xoxo,

Olga

Cinnamon Oat Waffle

Pecan Mushroom Pate Sandwich

Sweet Cardamom Chickpea Flour Crepe

Happy Greens Juice with fennel

The delicious leftovers with Happy Greens and Liver Purifier Juice

Grab-and-go counter

Bianca, the Co-Founder of Jujubeet, and I

olgaevans

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In Events, Fashion Events on

April 19, 2017

Gracious Spring Fling Soiree

Last month a group of Seattle fashion and lifestyle bloggers gathered at Gracious Vintage Furnishings to ring in spring in style. I had the pleasure of co-hosting the Spring Fling Soiree and could not have wished for a more fabulous location.

Gracious House to Home is a fabulous store with unique vintage furnishings and home decorations that the owner, Tracy Reimers, hand-selects to offer to her customers. I am hopelessly in love with the gorgeous chandeliers and mirrors that I admired in the shop. Tracy creates elegant tablescapes that invite you to take a seat and dine, and effortless seating nooks that are begging to be snuggled in. But the best part about Gracious is the personal shopping experience customers receive and the fun stories many of the unique items have behind them.

Photographers Shaun Turley and Victoria Westrick were also present to capture the fun afternoon and who are to thank for the wonderful pictures in this blog post.

I am not surprised that my fellow bloggers became just as smitten with Gracious as I am, thanks to the beautifully styled shop and the warm hospitality we received. As we were sipping on champagne and tea and nibbling on cucumber sandwiches, Tracy taught us how to style a bar cart to Pinterest perfection.

Many laughs and stories were shared that afternoon, and I had a truly wonderful time that even a major storm could not dampen. During the party the high winds caused a power outage in the shop, but the professional staff did not miss a beat and quickly lit candles that added even more to the cozy atmosphere.

I want to thank Gracious for hosting such an amazing event and opening its doors to the Seattle fashion and style blogger community. I also want to thank all the blogger ladies that braved the weather and spent hours in traffic to attend this event. I feel very lucky to be part of such an amazing group of women who support each other’s aspirations and are there for each other through wind storms and road closures.

Just as a house needs unique items to become a home, we need each other’s support to grow into a community. And I believe the Seattle fashion blogging community is doing that graciously 🙂

If you would like to take a look around this beautiful store for yourself, here is the perfect opportunity. Gracious is hosting its annual Garden Party and you are invited! Below are the details:

With the sun shining, it’s time to think about the outside of your Gracious home! Come browse through our outdoor furniture, pots, and garden art and get ideas for your summer entertaining. The Gracious Garden Party will take place on Fri., April 22nd AND Sat., April 23rd from 10 am – 6 pm.

Facebook event to Gracious Garden Party

Pinterest worthy bar carts styled by Gracious’ own Tracy

Ananya from Ananya Tales

Who says fashion bloggers can’t be silly?!

Sheila from She is Lovely with Jenn from Hello Rigby

Portia from Obsessed by Portia and Ana to the right from Nortwest Blonde

Julia from Style and Cheek

Jennifer from Jenniferlovin and Aika from Aika’s Love Closet

Bailey from Hot Dress Hot Mess with Ananya

olgaevans

Easter Crafting

If you are a mom like me, you are always on the hunt for fun weekend activities that the kids will enjoy, but won’t break the bank. Luckily, I recently discovered Free Crafts for kids at Lakeshore Learning and want to share this gem with you!

Every Saturday from 11 am to 3 pm all Lakeshore Learning locations offer fun and creative crafts for kids ages 3 and up. All materials are free of charge and instructions are always offered by one of the nice sales people in store.

I showed my son the different crafts our Bellevue store offered beforehand, and he chose the Cheerful Chick Basket, just in time for Easter. So, last Saturday, we headed to our local Lakeshore Learning store to put our crafting skills to good use.

I was pleasantly surprised how easy it was for my 5 year old to create this cute little basket with only minimal assistance from me. And he was delighted at how nice his craft turned out.

My son and I had such a great experience, we will definitely be back for future Free Crafts Saturdays. The next craft projects are going to be a fun pencil pal, a cute sheep puppet and many more craft ideas.

Even though this Cheerful Chick basket is Easter themed, I can see using the template for a Thanksgiving themed turkey. And there is always next Easter, so pin and save the instructions to the Chick basket for your kids to enjoy!

By the way, Lakeshore Learning has a fantastic blog with educational tips, craft ideas and lesson plans that is a wealth of information for all parents.

See you at the Lakeshore Learning store and craft on!

So proud of his Cheerful Chick basket!

olgaevans

Paper Poppy Workshop

Pollen “confetti”

Ladies who craft

My finished paper poppies

Asa from Lace & Pearls blog

Finishing up those petals

Kate from The Cobra Lily is a true artist and a fantastic teacher

Obsessed with all the vibrant colors

At the “after party” – These gals were so much fun!

A few months ago, I signed up for a workshop at my local West Elm on how to make your own paper poppies. I have never heard of crafting paper flowers before, but I was curious. Once I took a look at the paper poppies on Kate’s website, I was hooked. I needed to make my very own, or at least try 🙂

The class was taught by the talented Kate Alarcon from The Cobra Lily, whose paper flower creations are out of this world spectacular. Kate, a paper artist and teacher, constructs the most gorgeous and lifelike flowers and offers workshops to share her artistry. Take a look at her work to be amazed!

My good blogger friend Asa from Lace & Pearls came along with me to learn a new and unique craft. We arrived to a table full of ladies already busily working. Kate welcomed us warmly and put us right to work. We carefully hand-cut, shaped, and assembled every bloom, petal, and pollen, while enjoying great company. Thanks to Kate’s detailed and hands-on instructions, beautiful paper poppies soon blossomed all around the table.

The results were purely amazing! Every participant walked away with a beautiful bouquet of handmade poppy flowers. Even I, with neither experience nor significant craft skills, was able to create two beautiful paper flowers. I keep my bouquet on a sideboard in my living room, where the poppies add a splash of color and remind me of a fun afternoon spent with great company.

I loved seeing how everybody’s paper poppies turned out very different from each other, even though we had the same instruction and materials. Each paper poppy was unique to the individual creating it, yet all were beautiful in their own special way.

If you would like to create your own paper flowers, while enjoying a fun afternoon, Kate has the following workshops coming up:

Paper Peonies workshop at West Elm Seattle: February 27 at 12:30-3:30 pm Register here

Paper Roses Workshop at Impress Cards and Crafts in Tukwila:

February 6 at 10:30-12:30 pm Call (206) 901-9101 to register

Paper Roses Workshop at Impress Cards and Crafts in University Village /Seattle:

March 5 at 10:30-12:30 pm Call (206) 526-5818 to register

I hope you give this wonderful craft a try and maybe even find a new hobby!

Enjoy exploring your creativity, friends.

xoxo,

Olga

P.S.: Kate has a gorgeous Instagram gallery @cobralilyshop and also broadcasts on Periscope @TheCobraLily.

olgaevans