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Hop on the wagon
Gordito’s in Greenwood is known for massive burritos and out-the-door lines, less so for hosting a cadre of design talent. The budding designers behind the new local snowboard- and skateboard-lifestyle apparel line Bandwagon (jumponthebw.com) gather weekly over chips and salsa to spitball ideas for their hip boarder streetwear. Longtime friends Pat Carr, Gary Werden, Michael Johnson, Shannon Hall and Sarah Johnson launched their line of knit hats ($15), funky silk-screened T-shirts ($22), zip-up hoodies ($55) and cozy sweatpants ($35) late last year. Brightly colored cotton tees are accented with graphic designer Michael Johnson’s bold artwork or the company’s covered-wagon logo, an image they hope pops up on Northwest backs and heads as the brand expands (the crew plans to branch into boarding equipment). It’s an expansion, Carr jokes, that will no doubt be fueled as all Bandwagon projects are: with “sugar, caffeine and a whole lot of burritos.” Available at BC Surf and Sport (Alderwood Mall, 3000 184th St. SW, Suite 104; 425.712.9661).

Long Live Print
We word nerds get wound up over luscious notebooks and writing pads, so it’s no wonder we’re geeking out over Nico Papergoods’ leatherbound aubergine book necklace. Bookbinder and Ravenna resident Andrea Kohler’s diminutive 1-by-1 1/2-inch volume, filled with hand-torn pages and wrapped with contrasting black leather ties, is available in an array of bright colors to sport
nerd pride with any ensemble. $24 at
etsy.com/shop/Nicopapergoods.

Ketch of the day
Stephanie Kaldestad’s new boutique Ketch (5317 Ballard Ave. NW; 206.402.4589) blends New York chic with Old Ballard charm. A longtime Ballard resident, Kaldestad has returned to her roots following two years in New York working for the likes of Michael Kors and Gucci after attending the Parsons School of Design. Neutral, laid-back garments from trendy New York designers fill the well-edited racks, such as cozy hoodies with industrial zippers from Mike & Chris ($198–$295) and trim jumpers and bubble skirts from young designer Whitney Pozgay’s Whit ($95-$295). Check out the funky Gorjana jewelry, too ($30–$70). Ballard history permeates the loft-like space next to the Other Coast Cafe: Designer jeans are displayed in cylinders from Ballard Sheet Metal, blueprints for her grandfather’s fishing boat are plastered on the wall, and your trendy catch is rung up at a counter made from materials salvaged off an old crab boat.

Wrangle those gift cards!|
Post-holiday gift card glut got your goat? (Say that three times fast!) Ditch the cash register conundrum with new Seattle-based Tangocard.com’s online gift card tracker. The free service tracks remaining balances on cards and can be checked online or on the shopping fly with the company’s iPhone app, which will soon be able to alert roaming shoppers who are within a few miles of a store where there’s still some precious dough left on their plastic.