WINK Magazine I SPY By Alison Leigh


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Above: The Last Minute Craft Fair at the Secret Art Space. For promotion's sake we're going to let the cat out of the bag. The Secret Art Space is located at 44 Rink St. (alley), Southside Bethlehem. Its the green door under the steps. For more proper directions, EMAIL: thesecretartspace@ gmail.com.

VENDORS:
CircleLoveWear
Blind Willow Book Shop
Abhaya Fibers
Songs From The Road Records
AND MANY MORE!!

Mall Schmall
The good goodies Can be found downtown (December 2011)
By Alison Leigh, I Spy Columnist
For the holidays this year, make it a point to buy local, and support the small businesses who are doing their best to grow the local economies near you. Need some tips? How about some ideas for gifts $10 and under? Here is a start of a very long list: Eskandalo! — We have Cute As A Button hair accessories, clip-in extensions, and of course gift certificates for $10 and under. Loose Threads Boutique — This is a more high end store, but they have plenty of accessories and stuff for $20 and under. A lot of their stuff is handmade locally too! Homebase Skateshop — $10 t-shirts, screenprinted locally by LVAC, skate DVDs, sunglasses, stickers, etc. Deja Brew — Bags and bags of coffee! A gift certificate to an awesome lunch stop and cafe is always much appreciated! Play It Again Records — There are tons of used CDs and vinyl, stickers, post cards, videos, you name it. Abe's Cold Beer — Amazing selection for the beer enthusiast on your list Tallaricho's Chocolates — Fill up a box of AWESOME for $10.00, for sure. Yumm.
	Home & Planet has LOADS of items for $10 and under, all sustainable, so you can do all your shopping here guilt free! Apotheca Salon and Boutique — Another higher-end place that has more stuff in the $20 and under category as far as small things go, but for under $10 you can get hair bands that are super cute and glittery, as well as some makeup items.
Cleo's — Lots of interesting and beautiful ornaments for lower prices are available here. Blind Willow Book Shop in Emmaus has a TON of awesome books, all very reasonably priced. Queens — Get all kinds of natural skin care products, organic chocolate bars, cute recycled bags, pet stuff, etcetera! The Secret Art Space -- They are hosting yet another Indie Craft Mart on Sunday, December 18th! Buy from local artists!
	Christmas City Village — Every weekend 'til Christmas, go to this awesome new market for all your shopping needs!
So there you have it. Nice start, right? Who knew the Valley had so much to offer you all for your holiday shopping? Keep it local this year, and do what's right for your family and future generations by building strength in your own backyard communities! We appreciate it! With Love, Alison Leigh of Eskandalo! - - - 7/DEC/2011 (AL) - - -

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Above: The late Coffee Messiah, in Seattle, WA. Maybe its no surprise they closed down. Though thought of as one of the "most ambient" coffee joints in town, "the coffee [was] average, at best, and the staff [was] usually surly and too occupied being cool to actually get you a decent cuppa," according to its YELP reviews. HA!!

"Coffee Talk"
A guide As useful As mike myers was hilarious (October 2011)
By Alison Leigh, I Spy Columnist
I like coffee. Due to a 'move-back-to-PA-and-face-my-childhood-issues' induced anxiety disorder, I have been forced to give up a serious long term coffee drinking career. I started as a senior in high school and carried that out to Perkins with my friends every night. It then became coffee at the diner I worked at while in beauty school, then late night coffee from disgusting places in New York City for the drive home at 4am after seeing Works On Blue for 900th time. My first apartment was a studio in Easton and the smell of french vanilla brewing in my kitchen (at night of course) was the smell of independence and total freedom to me. A Benson & Hedges Deluxe Ultra Light Menthol 100 went perfectly with it, as well as whatever terrible industrial band I was listening to at the moment. Coffee equalled life. I moved to Seattle and got to know espresso. My life was changed. Americanos, nonfat iced vanilla lattes, nonfat mochas, no whip—OMGGGG, it was the next level, this is for sure.
I became such a snob that I could not tolerate espresso from a pathetic state such as Pennsylvania because they did insane things like pre-pull shots and put them in a pitcher in the refrigerator for god knows how long (which ends up tasting like wet sand). I began to reject Starbu*ks for the cool kitschy shops that peppered the great coffee drinking city of Seattle, and that just ruined me. Then, my best friends/housemates got a french press, and the method of which I brewed my coffee changed permanently.	Above: Bauhaus Books & Coffee in Seattle, WA. Maybe this is a little far for your next cup of Joe. Remember the Caffeine Cafe here on the Southside? Yeah. That was great.
After that I lived in a house on the edge of the jungle in Hawaii and they didn't brew coffee. They grew pot on the rooftop and smoked it all day long while traveling the island looking for chicks and righteous waves. For real—not joking. This was every day... So I brewed coffee with paper towels, a saucepan and pot of boiling water. I also went to random cafes on the island and questioned why the fudge I was drinking hot coffee on a beautiful tropical island. It seemed stupid. Then, I moved to California and succumbed to the crackdom which was known as—THE COFFEE BEAN! Oh god their nonfat iced vanilla lattes were… the single most addictive coffee drink I ever discovered. I would literally plot out my daily hair appointments all over the city based on their proximity to the nearest one. It was bad. I basically rotted my insides for five years straight and it was actually why I moved away from LA. I just had to get away from my Coffee Bean addiction, for I was powerless.
So let's say I'm some kinda coffee shop expert. I know what I like, I've worked as a barista, I have been all around trying places out. To this day, I satiate my need for coffee by ordering a double decaf Americano with a shot of regular coffee in it. I use stevia and hemp or oat milk, soy if I HAVE to, and I get the perfect amount caffeine in my system. Some coffee shops scoff at my mere existence (I was once was kicked out of a shop in Seattle for ordering something so obnoxious. The place was called the Coffee Messiah. Jerks!)	Above: Stevia plant. "Health concerns and political controversies have limited its availability; for example, the United States banned stevia in the early 1990s unless labeled as a dietary supplement, but in 2008 approved rebaudioside A extract as a food additive. (See STEVIA on Wikipedia.)
Now here is my list of awesome coffee shops in the Lehigh Valley. This list is by no means comprehensive, but I put it together based on places I have gone that I find worth mentioning. At the end is my list of recommendations to possibly better the experience for us coffee-loving customers. Coffee Works Aaah…sustainable, eco-conscious, awesome music, wi-fi, right next to a burrito place, awesome back patio, owned by a great group of people. And they sell beer too if you'd rather go the other direction with your day. Their cups are compostable and bio-degradable, they only use fair trade coffee, they offer stevia as a healthy alternative to sugar, and they have cool art on the walls. The Wise Bean Again, awesome music here. Sam, the daughter of the owners, always is rocking excellent music and her feisty personality wakes you up just as much as the coffee does. Great little shop, family owned and serves great coffee!
Deja Brew Headquarters of the Southside Film Festival, this place is plastered with amazing movie posters and paintings by resident artist Anti Jon. They have a full lunch menu and also play great music via a desktop computer they all take turns playing stuff from. Its always a fun place to stop by, and is a Southside staple. Also this is the only cafe to serve up Save The Kales' vegan tuna! Major props!!!	Above: Deja Brew, 101 W 4th St , South Bethlehem, PA 18015
Re-Wired Under new management, this place still has all kinds of people sitting in front of it all day, drinking coffee and reading, or possibly collaborating with somebody about something. There's now an African restaurant in the back too, so people are usually eating pretty awesome food outside as well. There is no real music to speak of. Hava Java Also under new management, this unique place is across from the 19th St. Theatre which is pretty much the only independent movie theatre around. The atmosphere is nice, and they have a comfy outdoor seating area.
South Mountain Cycle Totally weird cafe in the back of a full on bicycle shop. Interesting vibe in a cute town. Cool music if I remember correctly. Some things I wish I Could See More Of: Longer hours, more options for vegans besides soy, more stevia availability, and more cool things going on, possibly involving books and music, poetry readings, and art shows and stuff. Oh, and for the love of god—do not charge extra for soy milk! Come on! Do you really not care what the people are saying???	Above: South Mountain Cycle. 303 Main St., Emmaus, PA 18049
- - - 19/OCT/2011 (AL) - - -

Above: This guy has it going on—Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle tattoo and all!

	Goodbye, MANdals!
These little piggies Cried all the way home (September 2011)
By Alison Leigh, I Spy Columnist
Aaah the end of summer.... How I love when the heat breaks and the air gets crisp! I love the feel of the approaching fall, and the smell of the leaves. But nothing, no nothing, on this good green earth is as amazing as NOT having to see men in sandals every FREAKING day! Yes, I am telling you, that of all the footwear in the history of shoes, nothing causes more contempt and rage in people with normal boundaries, as "mandals". I say normal boundaries because though you might assume that the world doesn't mind seeing your toes all over town, guess what—we do! Keep them at home where they belong, or on the beach or by the pool, for crying out loud. I mean come on! Don't you realize that your comfort is not in our best interest? I don't care if your feet are hot.
	Nice clean white socks and some canvas sneakers are so much nicer than some dumb leather straps with sweaty insides. EW! Left: Extra points for mismatched socks on weird indie boys!
- - - 4/SEP/2011 (AL) - - -

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