I can't believe we're already on Day 10 of this 12 Days of Shopping series! That means there are only 2 days left and there are SO many places I didn't get to yet! I'll do my best but I might miss some places. Are you enjoying this series? I'm pretty excited that this blog is less than 2 weeks old and we've had 1,322 visitors already. And what really surprised me was that there were people from other countries looking at it. That's pretty exciting to me because I've always felt that Tacoma is such a great destination for tourists but its kind of a well kept secret. If I can help people get better acquainted and inspire them to come visit then I would be really excited. Tacoma is the third largest city in Washington State but people always think of Seattle and sort of forget about Tacoma. But like Neko Case says, its a dusty jewel.
But I think Tacoma's gotten a lot fancier since Neko made it big and left us behind. We're a little more like this now:
And like this:
And like this:
BTW Roman Holiday is playing on Angela Jossy's Broadway Plaza Stage on New Year's Eve during First Night Festival.
It's up to us here in Tacoma to maintain our vibrancy and keep our downtown shops open. Ever since the Tacoma Mall moved in nearby, the downtown shopping has suffered. There were once a lot of department stores downtown, now there are none. But the little shops are incredibly cool and worthy of checking out. The restaurants down here are phenomenal and always bustling. We also have a lot of great hotels, salons and spas. I'm going to introduce you to a couple of those today.
If you visit any of these places, please let them know the Duchess sent you.
Embellish Multispace Salon
I'm kind of a DIY kind of Duchess but when I do go to a salon, I always go to Embellish. I love the owners. I love the stylists. I love the parties and the artwork. I also love that everybody who's anybody goes there. I'm always running into VIPs hanging out in there and getting embellished.
The motto at Embellish is they are all Daymakers and their goal is to make your day. Mission accomplished. I popped by yesterday for a wax and bang trim. I was pleased on both counts. They have their own blog where you can keep in touch with current specials and they almost always have something amazing going on. Check it out here.
If you want something trendy and outrageous, you've come to the right place.
They can do professional looks but they can also do cutting edge drama too.
This is the flier for their holiday blow outs. Get styled for your special events.
Every month they feature a different local artist.
This month they have these amazing mesh pieces by Christy Reedy.
Hair accessories make great stocking stuffers.
Proceeds from these items go to the American Cancer Societies Go Red Campaign.
Smooth & Juicey
It started with juice and smoothies and grew into a restaurant featuring healthy organic amazing food. It feels so good to eat food that is locally grown and completely free from pesticides and genetic modification. Everyone wants to eat healthy but sometimes it seems complicated. Check in to Smooth & Juicey and you will get plugged in to local farms, healthy meals and some really great people. You can also purchase gift certificates called Suck Bucks for your friends. They don't suck.
Stocking stuffer alert!
Downtown YMCA
I do NOT recommend giving someone a gym membership as a gift ordinarily but if you are buying one for yourself and you want a workout buddy you might be able to get away with it. I've never worked out here but I hear there are some hotties up in there. They are running a special right now where they waive the joining fee. See flier below for details.
If you live or work downtown, the membership
might be worth it for the parking alone.
Buy a gift that gives something back to the community.
No joining fee right now.
The Villa Caffe and Imbibery
I admit it. This place is one of my regular hang outs. My iphone automatically connects to wifi when I arrive. The bartender brings my drink before I order it. They have a roast beef sandwich called the Big Stack that is one of the best sandwiches I've ever eaten and I really like the brownies and cinnamon rolls.
After you eat all that stuff, you'll probably need a nap. Don't worry, I got you covered on my next stop:
Hotel Murano
Hotel Murano is always winning international awards. I can't tell you what all of them are but there have been quite a few. They also have a pretty impressive art collection, some good parties and a great restaurant. Let's face it, this place is pretty posh but in a laid back non-braggy sort of way. Much like the city it lives in.
Recently they posted this on their facebook page: Last minute friends and family coming to town? Upgrade them from your couch to our beautiful rooms for $119 per night, plus tax, with free parking, wifi and a $20 dining credit. (We recommend sampling the gingerbread French toast at BITE Restaurant & Lobby Lounge or happy hour in the lobby bar!)
I borrowed this photo from their website since I was there at night and it was
too dark to capture this awesome sculpture near their front door.
This room photo is also stolen from their website.
Stolen.
Stolen. Look how yummy!
Stolen. I wish I was eating this right now.
Stolen. I think I'm going to have to go there soon and order this dessert. Wow!
If you're tech savvy you might have a QR code reader on your smart phone.
Point it at this thingy and you can learn more about Hotel Murano.
Inside Hotel Murano is a spa called Savi. That's where I went next.
There are lots of great gift idea in this one. And a great day of exploring for you. I hope you get down here to visit some of these places in person. The photos just don't do it justice. Tacoma is awesome.
XOXO,
Duchess of Downtown
PS. If you're enjoying this blog or if your business gets some visitors and you'd like to say thanks, please consider making a contribution below.
I hope these things enhance your life today! :) Home Decor Item of the Day: Broadway's Best Antiques 742 Broadway St, Tacoma WA Connect on Facebook Here's a little tip: Set an antique camera on a shelf or cabinet in your livingroom or den. It let's people know you're smart and worldly. Fashion Item of the Day: UrbanXchange 1932 Pacific Ave Tacoma, WA 98402 (253)572-2280 Connect on Facebook Sexy black heels will make your posterior look superior. Menu Item of the Day: The Villa Caffe & Imbibery 1328 Market Street, Tacoma, WA (253) 222-4184 http://www.thevillacaffe.com Connect on Facebook The Turkey Berry crescent is sophisticated and delicious, just like you. Move of the Day: ((( I am currently looking for more dance studios, yoga studios, or any kind of activity that would qualify as a "move" of the day to put in this section. Contact angela.jossy@gmail.com if interested.))) Daily Moment of Bliss:
I decided to research my Jossy Patriarchal line as far back as I could. I made it all the way back to the 1300s and along the way I learned some things. For one thing my last name has evolved over time. My father spelled his last name Jossy but a few generations back they spelled it Jossi. Go back a few more and it becomes von Jossa. This journey took me from Washington State to Oregon to Switzerland and eventually Germany. I also learned that the "von" represents nobility. I also noticed that they repeated the same first names a lot. There were a lot of Peter's for example. Peter is a very old name. The people of ancient Greece used it and its said to mean "rock." Of course Peter was also one of the disciples of Jesus which is probably where most people know it from but Peter the disciple was nick-named that by Jesus. He was born with the name Simon and I found that name in my Patriarchal line too. Simon is also an ancient name. It means " hearkening or
I've always been fascinated with tunnels. As a young girl I went spelunking on a school field trip through several caves in the Ozark Mountains. I couldn't tell you where exactly but I vividly remember one cave that we had to go down through a small opening down into a huge cavern where we camped inside for the night. It was as big as a football field. Another cave we had to wade through red clay almost knee deep. As an adult I visited Montana and we went into a small narrow cave just tall enough to walk upright and narrow enough to be able to touch both sides of the cave with my hands. Probably to the annoyance of my companions, I couldn't help but to sing as we walked because the sound was so amazing in there. Cave resonance I learned recently is a real thing and can be very powerful at healing and accessing our third eye spirituality. If you study religion at all, you know that many mystics and spiritual leaders received inspiration and messages from beyond while spendin
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