Here is the part 2 of my interview with Lisa Kothari, the founder and CEO of Peppers and Pollywogs.

AHWKV: When we travel, it is best to know the places where the residents hang out. Tell us about your favorites places in SEATTLE.

Lisa: Seattle is the home of Starbucks, and the original Starbucks is located in the famous Pike Place Markettry and get there to not only stroll the market, but to see where Starbucks all began. No matter what, though, have coffee at any of the vast number of coffee shops around town. My favorites are Caf Verite and Uptown Espressothere are multiple locations around town!

Seattle is also one of the most literate cities in the US, and so definitely check out a famous bookstore in Pioneer Square, Elliot Bay Book Company. This is a great bookstore with lots of local authors passing through and speaking on their latest books.

Visit Volunteer Park for a lovely stroll, a great view of the Space Needle, and to take in the collection at the Asian Art Museum. Many locals walk their dogs here, play tennis, and just enjoy the grounds on a beautiful day!

ATWKV: What is your favorite cupcake shop in SEATTLE?

Lisa: Seattle has seen an explosion in specialty cupcake stores, and Trophy Cupcakes in Wallingford is the star! Stop in for a delightful cupcake and dont forget the coffee! The owner was recently featured on Martha Stewarts show during cupcake week too. Really unique flavors too!

ATHKV: Which restaurants in SEATTLE serve the best brunch?

Lisa: Monsoon in Capitol Hill is really wonderful. It is a French-Vietnamese restaurant and so it offers a colonial menu of traditional eggs and waffles, as well as wonderful tasty Dim Sum and Vietnamese menu as well. I particularly like the Daikon Cakes and Congee. Diverse menu in an atmosphere that is sophisticated and family-friendly all at once.

ATHKV: Which restaurant do you prefer for a romantic evening?

Lisa: Lark is just so lovely on Capitol Hill. Fresh produce, small dishes, lovely ambianceand no reservations! Pick an off-night or go early!

ATHKV: What are the best places for dinner?

Lisa: In Seattle, you really cant go wrong with the Tom Douglas group of restaurants. A local famous chef, Tom has a series of restaurants that range in different types of foods, some fancy, some casual, that utilize the fresh flavors of the northwest and deliver time and time again. I love Serious Pie for a taste of gourmet pizzathe sausage pizza is so yummy!

I wanted to add interviews for a while now. I am thrilled to start this interview column.

Besides learning a little bit about amazing bloggers, I am curious to discover their favorite places. After all, I decided to interview them because I value their insights.

The interview will be split in two parts. Part two is their city guide.

The first interviewee is Lisa Kothari. If you are a parent, chances are that who know Lisa Kothari from her book Dear Peppers and Pollywogs or that you may have hired her for a kid party or watched her on the several interviews she gave on national television.

At Home with Kim Vallee (AHWKV): Tell us about yourself? What is your day job?

Lisa: I am the founder and CEO of Peppers and Pollywogs, a web-based company All About Kids Parties. Its my day job, my night job, and my weekend jobas an entrepreneur Peppers and Pollywogs is my baby and she will be 3 years old on February 17, 2009.

I live in Seattle, WA, although the business began over 10 years ago as an event planning service in the greater Washington, DC area.

I love to adventure travel and actually met my husband while spending a few days in Sydney, Australia. Together we lived in Canada and Australia before moving to Seattle in 2005. I also traveled in India extensively for 9 months on my own.

AHWKV: When and how did you get into blogging?

Lisa: When I launched Peppers and Pollywogs as a web-based business back in 2005, an essential piece of the website was a content library around all things related to kids parties. Whatever topic relates to kids parties, I wanted to cover. Blogging seemed to be an easy tool to utilize to both write and deliver this content to my website visitors. I have been blogging for almost three years now.

AHWKV: What is the idea behind your blog?

Lisa: I write a Party Ideas Blog around kids parties and all things related, e.g. holidays, recipes, etiquette, news, decorating ideas, etc. It is a place for people to find up-to-date, creative ideas for planning these parties and is meant to empower parents and others to throw great parties no matter how much money or time a person has.

AHWKV: How would you describe your blog? What people can expect when they read your blog?

Lisa: People can expect to find timely articles related to kids parties that covers a diverse range of topics, but is focused exclusively on kids parties.

I particularly like my Web Ask-Me feature, where visitors ask their own particular party-related questions directly to me. I answer the person individually and then utilize this to build out content on my blog. I feel that the blogs content is driven by what website visitors want to know about their kids parties first and foremost.

AHWKV: What common mistakes parents should try to avoid when organizing a kid party?

Lisa: Expecting people to RSVP. Most people simply wont because they forget. So make sure to back up your RSVP date to 10 days and have a list of guests and their phone numbers so you can call to get your RSVPs.

Expecting parents who stay at your party to help. Unless parents have been specifically asked to help at the party, most wont. So, line up party help in advance of the party. If you think that a parent who will be attending is particularly rude, giving her a job to do may solve this problem.

On another note regarding parents staying at your party, when children are 6 years old and younger, expect the parents of the guests to stay. When kids are seven and older, the kids can attend on their own. A way to make this clear is to write a drop off and pick up time on the invitation.

AHWKV: To make it easy for parents of the SEATTLE area, I would like to share some of best suppliers. What are the best stores for party supplies?

Lisa: Party Partners: whimsical, vintage party products that are really fun. The Surprise Balls are special! .

Michaels: Of course, this craft store makes my list! Everything for holiday decorating to birthday party activities, a walk through this store is full of inspiration to keep kids happy during party activity time! .

Fred & Friends: From animal nose cups to cool ice cubes, this is a trendy, hip store for cool party supplies.

AHWKV: Which vendors do you use when you organize a party?

Lisa: I go to all of the usual suspects, including Party City, Michaels, JoAnn Fabrics, and the Dollar Store, but I like a few smaller vendors for particular items. As an example, I absolutely love Mango Ink for party invitations. Very well designed and picture perfect cards! Also, if I know that children with allergies will be attending a party, I highly recommend goodies from Divvies, a peanut free, tree nut free, egg free, and dairy free source of sweet treats and they are yummy!

Part 2 of this interview, the city guide, is next.

SOURCING:
+ Dear Peppers and Pollywogs - $9.95 USD at Amazon
+ Find a Michaels store near you
+ Praise Fred & Friends

These simple tips can enhance your cooking and entertaining experience. For the busy women, knowing these facts can simplify your life.

Even though InTheKitchen.com provides an outlet for food lovers from beginners to experts, I prefer talking about the easy-to-do stuff.

The videos I selected were shot at the Dean & Deluca in St. Helena, Napa Valley. I had lunch there last winter.

• How to select olive oil by Kara, Dean & Deluca
• How to select bread by Doug Berlogar - Cheese Expert, Dean & Deluca
• How to prepare a dessert cheese board by Doug Berlogar - Cheese Expert, Dean & Deluca

A First Course Recipe

You do not have to be a chef and cook all day to impress your guests. As a busy woman, I prefer easy to make recipes that I dress up when I have friends over. This heirloom beet salad with goat cheese and hazelnuts by Chef Seth Greenburg certainly qualifies as the perfect recipe for entertaining.

SOURCING:
Dean & Deluca Markets
p 707.967.9980 - 607 Saint Helena Hwy S, Saint Helena, United States, 94574

Ever since I pitched you the idea of a murder mystery party or a Halloween party around the Stuck on You wall hooks, I have wished to elaborate on the subject.

When I came across the saw cake slice, I knew I had a winner. So I assembled a mood board over the weekend. The best thing is that you will be able to reuse most of stuff after the party. Whenever we can, it feels great to integrate the 3R eco-friendly principles into our party design.

You can apply Keith Haring Dancers black decals near the Stuck On you wall hooks. Or you can draw your own actual life silhouette on the floor using painter tape.

A black cake stand seems more appropriate. I imagine the gorgeous LSA Elina Glass Platter sharing the same table than my Annie Michauds kitchenware.

Wear FUZZ, the crime scene scarf by Fred. FUZZ is so brand new that I did know it had hit the store yet.

You can go with the real things if you do not mind buying for at least $100 of merchandise. Order a few Do Not Cross Crime Scene barrier tapes and some photo evidence markers that you will spread across the room.

SOURCING:
+ Saw Cake Slice - 23 at Graham and Green
+ Keith Haring Dancers in black by Bilk - $35 USD for 8 decals
+ LSA Elina Glass Platter - 54 at John Lewis
+ Fred Fuzz scarf
+ Crime Scene Do Not Cross Barrier Tape - $13.50 USD in yellow or red
+ Photo Evidence Markers - $35 number 1 to 15

When I saw this bottle on NOTCOT, I wished for a bottle like that at my party. I still have to taste it to form an opinion about its taste.

But one thing is for sure, you can always invent signature cocktails that will enhance the very slight creamy sweetness of the Crystal Head Vodka.

The Crystal Head Bottle

I am in awe with the glass skull bottle designed by John Alexander made by a leading European glassmaker Bruni Glass.

If you are hosting a Mad Scientists Halloween party or a pirate party, this is a must! It makes me proud to be Canadian. I did not see this amazing bottle at the SAQ yet, so I will have to investigate.

The Canadian actor Dan Aykroyd is one the owners of the distillery that produces Crystal Head Vodka, Diamond Estates Wines & Spirits Ltd. You can watch Dan talk about the legend of the 13 crystal heads. Seven of the 13 heads have been found. A few heads are exhibited in museums across the globe. For the whole story, watch the video.

Simple Ideas To Enhance the Party Mood

Create a vignette next to the bar station with a few bags of plastic skulls. And make sure to stock plenty of skull and crossbones ice cubes.

SOURCING:
+ Crystal Head Vodka
+ Fred Bone Chillers Ice Cube Tray - $6 USD
+ Bag of Small Skulls - $11.95 USD
+ via NOTCOT