Seattle Pockets
Free in Seattle
Guest Post: Free vibes this weekend
Guest blogger: Naomi Rogers. Please note: this blog post contains adult content.
The Northwest Women’s Show is a gigantic exhibition where you can pick up a ton of free samples from vendors, meet firefighters, listen to psychics, TV “housewives” and radio hosts…ok, for me, it’s all about the free swag. It’s coming back March 2nd to the CenturyLink Events Center and this is the year to go. How come? Two words: free vibrators.
What’s the buzz? (Sorry.) Well, Trojan is giving away thousands of free vibrators at the show. You can swing by booth 1314 to pick up a free Trojan Tri-Phoria or Pulse (value $30-$40) until they run out. Look for the purple “pleasure cart” (no, I did not make up that name and, yes, they are modeled after hot dog carts).
Can the condom king create a good vibrator for women? Swing by the NW Women’s Show and find out for yourself (later).
Disclaimer: Trojan provided the guest blogger with a sample of these products in exchange for sharing this info. No review to follow, as it’s not that kind of blog.
2K+ FREE tickets to The Music Man at The 5th Avenue Theatre
See The Music Man at Seattle’s The 5th Avenue Theatre for FREE – just stand in line on Saturday, January 26th (limit 4 per household, while supplies last) for February 10th performance! Details, here.
#artSEA – hashtag for tweeting about Seattle arts events
Update: on September 26th at 3pm, #artSEA trended, because of the effort of hundreds of Seattle arts organizations, artists and fans. Join us in keeping #artSEA the hashtag individuals and organizations use to promote and search art events in Seattle! Tweet about an upcoming arts event or review and include #artSEA in your tweet. You can also simply tweet: “Support the Seattle arts community! Use #artSEA when tweeting about current & upcoming arts events! Details: http://bit.ly/OVmLOF ”
FAQs
- What’s the point of a hashtag?
A hashtag is a keyword (prefixed with “#”) you include in tweets on Twitter. Hashtags are a way of categorizing your tweets, making them easily searchable to others interested in that particular category. Once included in your tweet, a hashtag becomes a clickable link, sending users to a live stream of other public tweets that have been identified as belonging to that same category, via the same hashtag.
- How does using this new hashtag benefit my organization?
Our goal is to make this particular hashtag the go-to search for Seattle-area residents looking for great arts events and arts news around town. By using this hashtag, you join a collaborative effort to raise the online visibility of Seattle’s arts scene. Each tweet you send with this hashtag adds to the collective discussion about the arts in Seattle, and we hope it becomes an invaluable resource for both organizations and patrons who want to keep their finger on the pulse of our thriving community.
- Do you have an example of this type of campaign in another city?
We were inspired by New York City’s #artstech hashtag, which was profiled in The New York Times last fall. #artstech is an ongoing discussion on how technology intersects with the arts, and has led to in-person meetups, collaborations between arts organizations and individuals, an exchange of ideas relevant to the arts, and a heightened visibility for exciting events in NYC.
The possibilities for our own Seattle-based hashtag, as it gains traction, are numerous, but #artstech is a good example of some applications.
- I just like the arts! Can I join in as an individual?
Absolutely! Some examples of how you can participate include: using the hashtag in your tweets to let your followers know what local arts events you’re attending, sharing your thoughts on an event you recently attended, and sharing links to interesting articles about local events. And search the hashtag to discover new artsy things to do, find cool organizations, meet other area arts patrons, and keep up with the local arts buzz.
About the #artSEA organizers:
Tamara Vallejos is an arts writer who has written, primarily about music, for NPR.org, SPIN.com, FILTER, and several other newspapers, magazines, and websites. She is currently Seattle Opera’s Public Programs and Media Associate, and holds an M.A. in Arts Journalism from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. Tweet her @t_vallejos, or visit her website a TamaraVallejos.com.
Keridwyn Deller is an arts enthusiast and owns Social Magnet, a boutique social media marketing agency. She worked in marketing at 5th Avenue Theatre for 8+ years and has been performing since age 4. She shares Seattle arts events on her blog, SeattlePockets.com. She currently manages social media for Seattle Art Museum, among other clients. Follow her on Twitter @keridwyn.
South Lake Union Block Party – August 10th!
Bites from local South Lake Union restaurants (including Cuoco and Tutta Bella) and food trucks (Skillet, Top Pot and more) will be served, with kids events, a beer garden and more. I’m particularly excited to taste and then cast my vote for “Best Burger in SLU.” All proceeds benefit Plymouth Housing Group, a local non-profit organization dedicated to providing permanent, supportive and stable housing to chronically-homeless adults. Event is free but food and drink are available for purchase.
FREE: 5th Avenue Theatre hosts RENT Spotlight night June 20
Get your free tickets to Spotlight Night at The 5th Avenue Theatre for the musical, RENT. Spotlight night is a behind the scenes look at the upcoming production, with special guests talking about the musical and live musical performances from the show. Fun, free and informative! Get your free tickets, here.
More info about RENT at The 5th Avenue, playing July 21 – August 19, 2012, here.
Cast of the production includes Daniel Berryman, Aaron C. Finley, Naomi Morgan (who is a doll and I cannot wait to see in the role of Mimi, which she is sure to ROCK), Jerick Hoffer, Ryah Nixon, Andi Alhadeff (a beautiful girl, inside and out, with a voice to match), Brandon O’Neill (so fun to watch), Eric Ankrim (who directed Balagan’s recent production of Spring Awakening), Sarah Rose Davis (comic-adorableness), Antonia Darlene, Kirsten deLohr Helland, Jimmie D. Herrod Jr., Diana Huey (so much talent and charm), Andrew Leonard, Trina Mills (awesome, sexy dancer), Casey Raiha, Heath Saunders, Patrick Shelton, Logan Benedict, Bryan Gula, Lindsay Hedberg, Henry Nettleton and Sarah Russell.
“Sing out for fun or fame” with Seattle Men’s Chorus
Love to sing or karaoke? Seattle Men’s Chorus is running a super fun contest, where you can enter to win the chance to sing your favorite song at McCaw Hall at Seattle Center with 200 amazing backup singers!
Nordstrom Rack relocates to Westlake Center – grand opening 3/15
Last night I had the pleasure to check out the new location for Nordstrom Rack – downstairs in Westlake Center. The space is much cleaner and well organized then their last location, creating a great flow for customers wanting to shop in multiple departments. The new 42,500-square-foot Nordstrom Rack features 30% more selling space and a larger selection of merchandise. I walked away with a new pair of designer tights and a yellow clutch and had a fabulous time connecting with friends, meeting people in person that I’ve connected with through the twitterverse and blogosphere and chatting with some of the very friendly employees. I especially enjoyed their men’s section, and suggested Brandon head back there to shop soon. Nordstrom Rack is an interesting mix of designerwear and great deals – on one rack, I could find shirts for $10 and hundreds of dollars. If you know me, I’m a girl looking for a deal, not a label, and the Rack had a lot to offer. Check out hashtag #RackOpening on Twitter for tweets from other attendees of the preview event.
Tomorrow, Nordstrom is hosting their grand opening event with refreshments, entertainment, and a chance for one person to win a 90 seconds shopping spree (remember the Toys R Us ones they had when we were kids? I always had the BEST dreams about those!). They’re also hiding Emerald Hangers throughout the store, each worth a $100 gift card. Check out the Facebook event page for details and follow them on twitter at @seattle_rack. DowntownSeattle.com shares even more information about the event than the Facebook event provides, here.
Carol Brunettes perform tonight at Figgy Pudding in Westlake Center
The Carol Brunettes are back for their 4th year, rewriting rock and pop songs into holiday carols, to raise money for the Pike Market Senior Center & Downtown Food Bank, as part of a holiday tradition called “The Great Figgy Pudding!”
Come see our group sing between 6:15pm and 7:15pm tonight outside of All Saints at 5th & Pine in downtown Seattle.
Want to donate to the cause? Donate here, on Carol Brunette member dL’s page (she has a donor who has pledged to match up to $5000 in donations).
A donation of $25 will feed around 40 adults~ Any donation, even just $5 matters. You are helping feed and provide other important support to the low income and homeless folks in our area. Wish you could donate more, but can’t? Share this blog post, our Facebook Event page, or the donation link via Facebook, email or Twitter and encourage your friends to join you by making a small donation as well. If you’ve donated here or on our other fundraising page, THANK YOU!
The Carol Brunettes won “Most Creative Performance” in 2010 Figgy Pudding, for their performance of “I Love Mistletoe,” a rewrite of the classic Joan Jett song.
2011 Carol Brunettes: Alida, Carolyn, dL, Harmony, Karianne, Keridwyn, Kristi, Laura, Leah, Somer & Teela!
The event is outdoors! Stay for our set (nine songs), then wander around to listen to the 39 other caroling groups. Pick up a People’s Choice ballot at the info/check in desk and vote for us! But most of all, bundle up and have fun as we sing rewritten songs from Journey, Joan Jett, Lady Gaga and more, for this important cause!
5pm Pre-Figgy Entertainment
6:15-7:15 Teams singing on the streets
7:15 Drumline procession
7:30-8:30 Sing-off on main stage (The Carol Brunettes will sing one song if we are in the top two teams nominated for Most Creative or People’s Choice)
100 Things To Do in Seattle Before You Die
I live in an amazing city – rich with unique parks, fabulous entertainment options, memorable restaurants and so much more. When 7×7 contacted me to write a list of ”100 things to do in Seattle before you die,” I jumped at the chance, tapping into my personal experiences and asking Seattleites around me their advice of what makes our city truly special. We started a bit north and worked our way south. Here’s #1 – 20:
1. Support young writers by shopping at the Space Travel Supply Company. (Greenwood)
2. Fly a kite at Gasworks Park. (Wallingford)
3. Giggle at the kitsch at Archie McPhee’s. (Wallingford)
4. Have a laugh at quirky Bizzarro Italian Cafe. (Wallingford)
5. Find your favorite sweet treat: try a Trophy Cupcake. (Wallingford)
6. Then head to Cupcake Royale to cast your vote in the great cupcake debate. (Ballard)
7. Toss on those bike shorts and hit the Burke-Gilman Trail. (Ballard)
8. Sample from the 64 beers on tap at Brouwer’s. (Ballard)
9. Savor Eastern Mediterranean flavors at Golden Beetle. (Ballard)
10. Dance to a rockabilly or bluegrass band at Tractor Tavern. (Ballard)
11. Knock back an adult beverage at Cafe Mox over a board game from Card Kingdom. (Ballard)
12. Start a bonfire during sunset at Golden Gardens. (Ballard)
13. Take a free guided tour at the Arboretum. (U District)
14. Kayak past houseboats in Portage Bay or paddle out to see the Seattle Skyline at Agua Verde Paddle Club. (U District)
15. Get a uniquely flavored brain freeze at Full Tilt Ice Cream. (U District)
16. Catch a show at a movie theatre built in the ’20s. (U District)
17. Critique contemporary works at Henry Art Museum. (U District)
18. Climb on the Fremont Troll under the Aurora Bridge. (Fremont)
19. Hunt for treasures at the Sunday Fremont Market. (Fremont)
20. Unearth vintage threads at Deluxe Junk. (Fremont)
Want to read #21 – #100? Here’s the full list!
I’d love to hear your feedback! How many have you done? Anything I missed? Which of your favorite things made the list? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
You can also check out my pal Rob Lightner’s list of 100 things to eat in Seattle before you die.
Free tickets to 5th Avenue Theatre
Want free tickets to Saving Aimee at The 5th Avenue Theatre? Use the promo code FAMILY when calling 206-625-1900, or in person at the box office to get FREE tickets for this Friday or Saturday evening performance.
