A basic philosophy shared by librarians and booksellers alike is that there is a book for every reader. Books make great gifts for this reason, and the book experts at your local library or bookstore can help you match the people in your life with books they will enjoy.

On a recent “best holiday gift books” scouting trip, Village Books co-owner, Paul Hanson, suggested The Adventurous Eaters Club: Mastering the Art of Family Mealtime by local celebrities Misha and Vicki Collins.…

Renditions of the winter ballet The Nutcracker proliferate in Whatcom and Skagit counties, with numerous dance companies working overtime on an annual basis to bring to life the tale of a young girl’s journey to a magical land—typically beginning at the tail end of November, and continuing until late December.

This year is no different. While Fidalgo Danceworks, Harper&I Dance Center, and the Skagit Valley Academy of Dance have already brought their acclaimed visions of the classic…

My date and I arrived at the Drayton Harbor Oyster Company in the early afternoon after taking a long and winding route from Bellingham to Blaine through a late-fall drizzle, and I was hungry—not only for the taste of briny bivalves, but also for a new experience. Over the course of the next hour or so at the warm and inviting space, both my appetite and my psyche were sated.

After ordering and paying, we claimed a couple of stools at a tall common table overlooking the Blaine Marina.…

Years ago, Phoebe Carpenter Eells of elSage Designs sent me a framed block print with the phrase “work hard and be nice to people” artfully emblazoned in red text on a white background. To this day, the small piece of art sits on a bookshelf to the left of my work desk, and is a constant reminder of how to interact with fellow humans.

“If we have any mantra that we’re living, it’s that,” Phoebe says of the ethos of the company she operates with her husband Jonathan using a mix of…

The roads were wet and rain was threatening as the Lady of the House and I rolled out of Bellingham on an important journey of rejuvenation and discovery. 

Ever since Drayton Harbor Oyster Company moved into their new location at H Street Plaza in Blaine, we’d been plotting a sojourn to savor the bounteous bivalves they cultivate in their sheltered waters.

“The short way or the long way?” I asked my lady as we approached a critical junction at the edge of city limits.

“The…

Like it or not, the holiday season is happening

Personally speaking, I like it. But then again, everyone already knew that. Per usual, no physical evidence of my seasonal spirit exists anywhere in my life—no stockings have been hung, no presents procured, my tiny artificial tree remains in storage along with the snowboard helmet I’ve never used and some of the Shakedown’s former barstools. I probably won’t even get around to baking the 40 or so dozen Christmas cookies that is my…