Monday, April 18, 2011

An Afternoon with Katie Martin

            Katie Martin, Bellevue & Mercer, Seattle, WA

Where are you from? 
San Diego. I moved to Ballard when I was nine.

What's currently on your personal soundtrack?
Black Lips, Townes Van Zandt, The Cramps

What was a clothing item you loved while growing up?
My assortment of gaudy patterned leggings.

Who is one of your style icons?
Carol Burnett from Annie. She runs around in floral lace robes and negligees with her garters falling down, pouring gin in the bathtub and screaming at her orphans. 

What's your most valued possession?
My grandma's nesting dolls from Russia. 

What's something you never leave the house without?
Pack of parliaments.


What's your dream occupation?
I'd love to write short stories and publish a book of them, and then live off that for as long as I possibly can. 

Are you going to school for writing?
Yes, in the process of transferring to the UW for creative writing.

What would you like to write about?
Little moments that people let slip by, weird sub cultures, drugs, the wilderness. Universal experiences that connect all people-- love and loss. You know, that type of pretentious crap. 

Who are your favorite writers?
Vladimir Nabokov, Thomas Pynchon, Charles Bukowski

Have you had a recent experience that inspired you?
Living alone for the first time. It's forced me to get to know myself.


What're you looking forward to in these upcoming months?
Never wearing my sweater at night and one thousand road trips. 

Who's someone you admire?
My grandfather, for having an out of this world knickknack collection and still cleaning his gutters at 88 years old. 

What's a quality you like most in a man?
sense of humor, frying an egg without breaking the yolk. 

What's a quality you like most in a woman?
Level headedness, being able to pee outside.

If you could be anywhere right now, where would you be?
Somewhere open and sprawling; I'm tired of the city right now.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Meet the Riefflins

Last weekend I went over to my Grandmother's house and I found a lovely surprise. Laying on her coffee table were scrap books of old photographs from when she first moved to Seattle in 1942 and when she met my Grandfather at Boeing. 

I wanted to share a little bit of my family history with all of you because I genuinely miss how young people dressed back then. Outfits weren't as lazily thought out as they are today. There was no north faces, Ugg boots, and juicy sweat pants. Instead there was fur jackets, tailored suits, trousers, and heels. 

Guys and girls take notes:

My Grandmother on her honeymoon in Victoria, B.C. 1944

    My Grandparents waiting in the lobby of Empress Hotel on their honeymoon. Victoria, B.C

 My Grandmother on Lummi Island. 1944
      High waisted swim suits are in this season.

  My Grandfather on Lummi island. 1944

My Grandfather in his Navy attire. 

   Grandmother in Volunteer Park. 1943.

 Grandmother boating on Lake Washington. 1943.

My Grandparents. 1944

 My Grandmother SMOKING. 1944. 

        Grandfather. Snoqualmie Pass. 1944

          Grandmother. Snoqualmie Pass. 1944