Serving Queen Anne & Magnolia Since 1919 www.QueenAnneNews.com
NOVEMBER 26, 2025
VOL. 106, NO. 48
S
ome stories begin with a bold leap, and Lisa Cole’s started the day she boarded a plane for Seattle - a city she had never seen but somehow knew would change her life. Fresh out of Montana State University, she arrived in the Northwest cold, lonely, and utterly certain she was exactly where she needed to be. It was a conviction inherited from her parents, who always encouraged her to explore the world and trust her instincts. That instinct—to wander with curiosity and create intentionally wherever she landed—has guided Cole through every chapter of her winding, joyfully creative career. While working as a secretary at a law firm, she took a second job at a neighborhood kitchen store. When the owner moved on, Cole was unexpectedly offered the chance to reimagine the business as her own. She launched Culinary Concepts, designing cooking class programs that tapped into the city’s rising
culinary scene. She recruited chefs from iconic Seattle restaurants— including Jerry Traunfeld of The Herbfarm, Tom Douglas, Jonathan Sundstrom, Greg Atkinson, and food writer Hsiao-Ching Chou—to teach curious home cooks. “The 1990s and early 2000s in Seattle were an amazing time in the culinary world, and I loved it,” Cole said. Cole later took an early “retirement” when she adopted her children, but life had more creative chapters waiting. A chance encounter with the editor of Vanguard Seattle led to an unexpected invitation: would she consider Laura serving as the magaMarie zine’s fashion and style editor? The role Rivera fit her naturally—she came from a long line of writers and creatives, had always loved fashion, and found joy in curating beauty and meaning. More importantly, it offered a rare balance: “It was a job where I could do something I loved and still be an involved mother and wife,” she said.
Then the world stood still. During the quiet of Covid, Cole found herself back at the table literally. She continued her lifelong love of entertaining by setting the table each night for her family, using the cloth napkins her mother had taught her to sew. What began as a personal ritual slowly rekindled her passion for craft and storytelling. She started sharing photos on Instagram, and the response grew. Friends asked for sets. She created custom gifts. Eventually, her son built her a website, and Set The Table Home officially came to life. The name was a nod to her childhood, when her mother would call out the nightly request: “Set the table.” Every design reflects Cole’s attention to detail, her fashion sensibility, and her deep sense of place. She travels the world in search of fabrics that tell stories—prints that enchant her, spark a memory, or reflect a moment in time. “All of the fabrics I choose are prints that I would set my own table with,” she said. “Each season I look for fabrics that think outside the box of a conventional tablescape. I use my love of style to
PRIMROSE AND MAY
Threads of Home: How Custom Fabrics Are Reimagining the Holiday Table
Join Teacher Amanda at Primrose and May’s Holiday Craft Workshop November 29, 30th or December 6th to make a special handmade keepsake gift. create napkins that show personal flair and interest.” Her collections range from whimsical to sophisticated, from globally inspired motifs to deeply local patterns. She scours textile shops while traveling and often commissions
Gifts for Plant-Lovers 2025
T
he holidays are right around the corner, and for gardeners, there’s nothing quite like unwrapping tools, kits, and experiences that nurture their green thumb. Whether you’re shopping for a longtime gardener or a curious beginner, here’s a roundup of gifts that will delight any plant lover in 2025.
ERICA BROWNE GRIVAS
THE CLASSICS We’ve mentioned some of these in a previous holiday roundup, but some gifts never go out of style. • Kneeling pad or bench Comfort counts in the garden – more than ever to keep it fun as we age – and a sturdy kneeling pad makes planting and weeding far more enjoyable. Upgrade to one that becomes Erica a seat when Browne flipped over for Grivas extra versatility – Fred Meyer Get carries the Growing inexpensive GoGo Garden Bench Kneeler for $32.99 and Gardener’s Supply offers a double-thick version for $64.99. • Flexible Tub Durable, bendy, and easy to carry, these silicone tubs are perfect for hauling soil, compost, harvests or party beverages. They come in a range of sizes and colors, stack easily, and can be held in one hand if need be. When a handle finally broke on one of mine, I converted it into a planter. TubTrug and Gorilla Tubs are two brands to try.
• Hori Hori knife My number one garden tool that’s a trowel and knife in one. Originally made for bonsai hunters in Japan, it’s a must-have for digging, cutting, and weeding, this multipurpose blade is a gardener’s pocket-sized workhorse. • Garden classes gift certificate Local workshops or online courses give gardeners new skills, from pruning techniques to seasonal planting strategies. Some to check out: UW Botanic Gardens, Tilth Alliance, and Plant Amnesty (requires membership). Online: Garden Masterclass, Create Academy, and Learning with Experts. • Membership to a botanical garden or plant society A gift that keeps on giving with inspiration, community, and access to rare plants, garden tours and events. Local botanical PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
SEATTLE, WA PERMIT 1271
gardens near Seattle include: the UW Botanic Gardens, Bellevue Botanical Garden, Kubota Garden, and The Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden. Societies to consider include the Northwest Horticultural Society, Pacific Horticulture, the Northwest Perennial Alliance, and Plant Amnesty. • Nursery gift certificates A great way to support your local nursery – your best source of plants and advice. • Seeds for the stocking Flowers, veggies, or cover crops – always exciting to receive the promise of life. Note: For wildflower or lawn mixes seek out local ones that avoid potential invasives; Northwest Meadowscapes, Territorial Seed and the Xerces society offer Pacific Northwest blends online. A LITTLE DIFFERENT If you’ve covered the basics or want to surprise the gardener who seems to have it all, consider these unexpected gifts. • Bee cups Invite pollinators into the garden with colorful ceramic cups designed to provide habitat for solitary bees. Available at bee-cups.com; may be called Bee Watering Stations. • Custom garden signs, stakes or markers Copper, slate, or wood, you can find a host of custom options on Etsy.com.
custom fabrics - including original artwork by her brother, artist Kevin Astle. Her pieces have included illustrations pulled from children’s books, personalized gift sets,
CUSTOM FABRICS, 3
• Tabletop light station for indoor plants – Perfect for gardeners craving greenery indoors, these grow stations keep plants healthy during darker months. • Indoor plant décor Does your pothos need a snail or sloth friend? Perhaps some ceramic mushrooms or crystal balls to dress up your pots? Sometimes called plant pals. • Root Slayer At first glance, this toothed shovel looks a bit medieval and intimidating, but they will be thanking you for years to come when digging recalcitrant roots or edging lawns; it makes both so much easier. Offered in full length or hand-held sizes. • Microgreens kit Quick-growing, easy for all beginners, edible greens bring a burst of freshness to kitchens and extend the joy of growing all year. Because they are harvested young, they don’t need a special light or even drainage. Taking the space of a cookie sheet, they deliver nutrition-packed flavorful diversity to your salads, soups and sandwiches in about 10 days. • Folding planting station tarp A table-sized tarp with standup corners makes messy sowing and transplanting easy, portable, and cleanup-friendly. Available on Amazon or Etsy in various materials. • Bouquet Bag Whether you’re harvesting from your own garden or the farmer’s market, you want to keep those precious blooms safe. UncommonGoods.com offers a fun Fresh Cut Flowers Tote with a drawstring to secure those stems. Or, if you’re handy with a needle, you can upcycle one of the many tote bags in your stash. • Cyanotype kit For garden creatives, these photographic printing kits turn leaves, flowers, and ferns into striking blue-and-white prints. For an extra twist, try it on fabric to add accents to bandanas or overalls. Whether you stick with a trusted classic or try something unexpected, the best garden gifts inspire more time outdoors, spark curiosity, and grow joy throughout the year.