Jen Vickers Creative Services

Fences went up this week, and demolition of the Ballard Collective building, along with 4 other buildings along NW Market Street, will start soon.

It's a good time to share the time I painted the Ballard Collective sign on the back of the old Ballard Blossom sign, and it became the branding for all of our materials. Because the collective included a variety of small businesses: wellness, massage, sewists, artists, community gatherings, music, yoga, and clothes shopping, I wanted to create a look that would incorporate the spirit of each endeavor. To me, that meant bright colors, a little mess, a little chaos, a lot of interaction and collaboration.

I don't advertise my sign painting, but I do it for cool people and cool businesses. 😉 Reach out if you want your logo or phone number, or any other graphics or images painted! I'm your gal!

The end of the building is just the beginning of a new chapter. Be sure to snap photos of those amazing murals around the building before the bulldozers arrive!

Pic by .studio

I turned 48 over the weekend! 🥳 I usually do a birthday post, but wasn't sure what to say this year. Do I impart wisdom? Share some hope? Things that brought me joy? Or just rage? 🤷‍♀️

Let's just go with: I'm glad to still be here. I'm grateful for friends, family, community, and humanity. Thanks to you all for continuing to show up. I'm doing my best to do the same, just maybe a little softer, slower, and more mindfully.

❤️, JVIC

I've taken a lot of lessons from this year, mostly in the Trunchbull ways. Though I wish I'd been able to learn in the Miss Honey ways, those lessons and growth are still valuable.*

I thought it would be a more positive way to look at the new year by doing a More/Less list like does each year. This was a great exercise in contemplating what I want to put energy toward. They aren't measurable goals with pressure of performance and outcome. I need less of that! But a softer way of allowing in what I want, and keeping out what I don't. For the record, I had plenty from the MORE category this year, and it made me more capable!

Cheers to more of MORE and less of LESS.
Happy New Year, friends.

*I grew up a die hard Road Dahl fan, and still love Mathilda to this day.

#2026

Yule Lads, Part 2: The Quest Completed

When the winter doldrums and holiday pressure tend to wipe me out, I was given the best opportunity to get out, see friends, and try so many new bars that I'd never have otherwise visited. I'm proud to say, I've collected all 13 Yule Lads, and their giant cat, Jólakötturínn! What delighted me the most was learning about Icelandic culture...and cherishing the small things.

This was an epic quest! made the most fun, delightful, educational, alcoholic scavenger hunt I've ever tried. 14 bars in 3 weeks! Am I pickled? A little.

The final 7 bars serving cocktails/Yule Lads were (tagged in photos):

Jude's /Gáttathefur "Door Sniffer"

Lariat Bar/Bjúgnakrækir "Sausage-Swiper"

Rochambeau /Ketkrokur "Meat Hook"

Dark Room/Askasleikir "Bowl Licker"

Screwdriver/Skirgámur "Yogurt-gobbler"

Baker's/Thvörusleikir "Spoon Licker"

Black Cat/Jólakötturínn "Yule Cat"

My top 3 drinks were:

Liberty: "Goat's Breath," a citrus, herbal, refreshing cocktail with a pretty garnish. The rosemary spring added a lot of the flavor!

Baker's: "It's Rude to Stare!" with crowberry liqueur, rooibos brown sugar, and lemon. I could taste all the elements separately, yet they all played well together!

The Black Cat: Galliano, lemon juice, and Sq**rt. Simple, but so drinkable and refreshing!

Honorable mention goes to Hazelwood for their hot toddy with adorable handmade knitted koozie. It was tasty and a fun experience.

Happy Holidays!

Have you heard of the Yule Lads of Iceland? I learned about them s this summer when we were visiting Myvatn in northern Iceland. They're 13 mischievous brothers who each have their own obsession and will wreak havoc on children who don't do as they're told. Each one is a parable to ensure survival in the brutal winters, but have evolved into a more jolly tradition!
Something bringing me joy, and getting me out of the house, has been a quest to collect all the Yule Lads via Brennevin cocktails at cozy bars around Seattle. While in Akureyri, we asked the fishing club guys what the locals drink, and they smirked and said "Brennevin!" The owner had to grab the bottle from her personal freezer for us to try. I thought it would be some kind of rot-gut, disgusting drink, but instead it's more herbal and smooth, like gin. So when I saw was hosting a scavenger hunt, I knew I was in!
I'm halfway through, and here they are:
1) Stekkjastaur, "sheep milk stealer"
2) Hurdaskellir, "door-slammer"
3) Gilgagur, "gully gawk," hides in gullies to steal your milk froth! This was my second favorite so far. A tasty hot toddy with handmade koozie
4) Stúfur, "stubby," the smallest brother, hides and steals little morsels
5) Glughagægir, "window peeper," looks in your windows for anything worth stealing
6) Kertasnikir "candle-beggar," steals your candles
7) Pottaskefell "pot-scraper," steals uneaten scraps of food. My favorite lemony, herbal cocktail so far!
I'm on a mission to find the rest, so maybe I'll see you at one of the other bars this month! Skál! (Pronounced like scowl in the north--you can hear it in the video!)