Curtsy Bella, Near University Village

I had a job interview yesterday. It didn't go too well, and I was bummed and stressed and frustrated beyond belief because I really really want the job. Luckily I also discovered Curtsy Bella yesterday, because when I walked into the boutique after my debauched interview and spotted a dress form modeling a party skirt made of wrapping paper, my spirits lifted slightly. When I peeked behind the gigantic pink and white antique headboard that acts as the wall for the store's dressing room and saw pictures of vintage pinup girls, I felt inspired to cancel my "real job" search and join the burlesque revival movement. Flirting in fishnets looks way more fun than typing under time clocks.

Curtsy Bella inspires. And I don't mean just to whip out your credit card (although it will). The place makes you want to play and create. It makes sense when you meet Mary Jo and Danielle Thomas, the mother-and-daughter team behind this fresh gift boutique. Mary Jo easily says things like, "I encouraged my children to pursue their passions from the time they were very young." This is obviously true. Danielle worked in small retail boutique while growing up and then studied fashion in Los Angeles. Today, after years of dreaming, Danielle is putting her experience and study to work while Mary Jo has "retired" into their co-owned family business. (Danielle's brother plays in local band Change Versus Comfort, proving artistry really is in their genes).

At Curtsy Bella, the Thomas' original style is evident. Ceramic vases shaped like pistols sit next to delicate handmade pink pillows filled with lavender. They have a wide selection of funky gift cards, a section for baby, and a small rack of playful dresses by designers such as Betsey Johnson, Alice and Trixie, and Shareen Downtown. Curtsy Bella is the only store in Seattle to carry the fanciful jewelry of Tarina Tarantino. It is worth a trip simply to gaze upon these creations. If the Fates of Employment choose to salvage my interview debacle, I am going to celebrate at Curtsy Bella with the purchase of a dramatic necklace made of shiny beads and a wise old owl pendant.

Curtsy Bella
2920 NE Blakeley ST
(206) 523-3221