Food & Drink
Deck Out some Classic Vans and Win $50,000 for High School Arts Programs
By Seattle Mag January 2, 2013
I was in fourth grade in 1982, the year “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” came out and while I probably didn’t understand much about the movie, I knew that Spicoli’s black and white checkerboard slip-on Vans were super cool and that I wanted a pair for Christmas, which I got and wore to shreds around Lakeridge Elementary on Mercer Island where I grew up. Those shoes, and an obsession with Swatch, Esprit and French-cut Guess jeans defined my early fashion sense. Not much has changed.
Vans is obviously still going strong, and in 2010 launched Custom Culture, a great project aimed at inspiring high school students (still their perfect demo, no?) and raising much-needed funding for arts programs. From now until February 11, high school art students are encouraged to trick out their traditional Vans shoes, by painting, airbrushing, bedazzling—whatever—in a style representing the Vans lifestyle, think action sports, art, music and their own “local flavor” of regional culture. After an internal Vans team narrows down the competition, the public gets to vote for their choice and the top five schools head to New York City to showcase their designs. The winning school gets $50,000 for their art program and the shoes go on sale in Vans and Journeys stores across the country. Last year’s winner was Rio Rancho High School just north of Albuquerque, and their shoes will be available for sale in March.
How cool would it be if a Washington state high school won this year? Teachers, register here and spread the word! Let’s show ‘em what we’re made of up here in the mighty Pacific Northwest!
Follow Us
Costco Hikes Membership Fees
The company last raised the price in 2017
[addtoany]I love shopping at Costco. Sure, our household doesn’t always need 18 tubes of toothpaste at once, but that’s a small price to pay for the savings. Even just one purchase — a computer, for instance — can recoup a basic membership fee. Rumors have been swirling for years that the company would raise its…
16 Local Gifts for a Seattle Mother’s Day
A funny candle, a meaningful necklace, and the best sundae in town
Let's talk about Mother's Day. It's a holiday that can feel a tad complex. Maybe you're planning to spoil your mom with a spa day, or maybe you're finding ways to honor her memory or handle some tricky emotions. No matter how you choose to celebrate, we’ve rounded up some fun and local gift ideas.
The Best Gifts for Travel Lovers
Tinsel, eggnog, mistletoe, and luggage
Travel lovers are the easiest people to buy for. Wrap a gift in old maps and they’ll spend hours deciphering the roadways and important coordinates. Put something inside the wrapping that will satiate their wanderlust, or encourage it, and you might be their next invitee to Paris.