Happy Friday, Eastside. In today’s edition: Old Fire House Teen Center rebuild, Garden d’Lights Senior Social, Sip & Create: Holiday Wreaths, and more. Let’s get to it!

— Cait Baker

📰 In the news

Project advances amid layoffs: City filings show Amazon is resuming interior build-out at The Artise, a 25-story, 611,000-square-foot Bellevue tower. Permits since September indicate completion of all floors and a value around $80 million — read the full story.

Teens’ voices guiding design: Redmond City Council approved rebuilding the Old Fire House Teen Center at the same site, which closed in March, following assessments that found hazardous materials and structural problems — learn more about the rebuild.

Open-kitchen Japanese craftsmanship: Sushi Tei will open its first U.S. restaurant at Bellevue Square in September 2026, taking the former P. F. Chang’s space and seating around 200 guests — see what’s planned for Bellevue.

Compare rates for free: The national average for car insurance is around $175 per month. Paying more than that? Same, so I did some shopping around and ended up cutting my premium in half. If you haven’t checked in a while, you’re probably overpaying too — here’s the comparison tool I used.

Identity theft is up 25%: Last year, Americans lost $12.5 billion to ID theft & fraud, and the stories behind those numbers are brutal. My friend just told me his dad’s on his fourth replacement credit card. Other folks have woken up to empty bank accounts or their personal info dumped online after a breach. Aura catches these kinds of attacks early by monitoring for new accounts, weird money movements, leaked data, and other red flags so you’re alerted before things blow up — learn more about it here.

Highlights this week

• Enjoy breakfast with Santa at Serious Pie
• Celebrate free winter fun at Frozen Festival
• Shop festive farmers market gifts and treats
• Help Keep Bellevue Beautiful in Crossroads
• Race the festive 12K’s of Christmas
• See why December’s the best time to try new hearing aids
• This pet insurance plan reimburses up to 90%

🫶 We got your back

A fresh spot for glam: Refine Beauty Salon just opened at Avenue Bellevue, offering hair, makeup, and nail services plus lash and brow treatments. The grand opening featured free product-filled totes. Owned by Kieu Hoang Jorza, the salon takes online appointments and offers two hours of free valet parking. See hours, services, parking.

A sweeter chapter begins: After a 2024 fire, Snoqualmie Ice Cream has reopened its downtown storefront and taken over the historic building. Co-owners added Falls Avenue Cookie Company in back and an upstairs event space, The Library. Expect seasonal cookies and cookie-ice-cream sandwiches in a very sweet comeback. Get hours and new offerings.

Post-ride pint, anyone? Whether you’re rolling off the Sammamish River Trail or wrangling the dog after Marymoor, slide into Postdoc Brewing for a PNW tap list: rotating sours, barrel-aged gems, and easy drinkers. Expect a laid-back taproom, daily food trucks, and plenty of room for kids and leashed pups.

Thinning hair? Same: I’ve been shedding a lot, and recently noticed my ponytail feeling thinner. After way too much panic-Googling, I decided to take Hers’ online quiz. They recommended a Biotin + Minoxidil green-apple gummy that targets regrowth and overall hair health. The whole thing was surprisingly easy: just verify your identity and a licensed provider signs off. Here’s the quiz if you want to check it out.

Makeup that actually works: My sister and I were talking the other day about how the makeup we used in our 20s… just doesn’t work now that we’re in our 30s and 40s. Laura Geller’s entire makeup line addresses this shift, with formulas that smooth, brighten, and actually stay put. If you’re in the same boat, their curated kits are worth a look.

📆 Around town this weekend

All events are subject to change without notice. This is entirely outside our control. Please check official event pages and social media for the most up to date information.

Today

🍷 Sip & Create: Holiday Wreaths @ Picket Fence Art Studio | Friday (12/5) at 6:00pm – Holiday prep that smells like a forest and virtue. Join Flori’s Lori for a sip-and-create wreath workshop using locally sourced evergreens, luxe reusable ribbons, and compostable fixings. All supplies, beverages, and light apps included, and you leave with a gorgeous 16-inch wreath.

🎶 Christmas Sounds in Bellevue @ St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church | Friday (12/5) at 7:30pm – ChoralSounds Northwest is kicking off Bellevue’s holiday mood with lush choral harmonies and strings, the kind that makes you forget I-405. Expect Ola Gjeilo and Elaine Hagenberg, beloved carols, contemporary picks, pop, and a wink of Broadway, all wrapped in real warmth.

This weekend

🌱 Planting Native Species @ Bridle Trails State Park | Saturday (12/6) at 9:00am – Remember that spring we spent yanking invaders like garden bouncers? Now we get to plant the hometown heroes, funded by T-Mobile, in the same spot. Meet at the main parking lot, bring gloves and a can-do attitude, and give back to the trails and enjoy time outdoors.

🍯 Seattle’s Ultimate Honey Tasting Experience @ Pomegranate Bistro | Saturday (12/6) at 2:30pm – Trade your IPA flight for a honey flight, then brag you can still drive home. Sample local blackberry, wildflower, and some exotic jars, while learning how the bees do all the heavy lifting. Sweet, low-key, and very Seattle.

✨ Holiday Workshops during Redmond Lights @ VALA Art Center | Saturday (12/6) at 4:00pm – Already strolling Redmond Lights at Downtown Park? Duck into VALA Art Center and whip up a postcard or a gem-studded tealight coaster, the kind relatives will genuinely appreciate. It is free, open to everyone, and the perfect warm-up before more twinkle, traffic, and cocoa.

👗 Evereve Women’s Fashion Fundraiser @ Evereve | Sunday (12/7) at 11:00am – Whether you need gifts or just an excuse to upgrade your closet, Evereve is donating 15% to BHNW, and yes, there will be actual bulldogs. Retail therapy with a side of puppy snuggles, refreshments, and zero guilt. Come for the cause, leave with great staples.

🌿 Holiday Gathering and Wreath Making @ Sammamish Valley Grange | Sunday (12/7) at 1:00pm – Holiday season at the Grange Hall in Woodinville means one thing, we’re wiring clippings into wreaths like pros who watched a YouTube tutorial. Rings are provided, bring sprigs, cones, and cookies to share. It’s free, a $10 donation helps the Grange, RSVP so organizers can plan treats.

🍾 Holiday Celebration @ The Winemakers Reserve | Sunday (12/7) at 2:00pm – If you’d like your holiday spirit served with actual spirits, The Winemakers Reserve in Woodinville has fine wine, beer, appetizers, desserts, live tunes from Emily McIntosh, neighborly mingling, and a photo with Santa. Admission is free, donations benefit the Forgotten Children’s Fund.

Next week

🌷 Garden d’Lights Senior Social @ Bellevue Botanical Garden | Tuesday (12/9) at 9:30am – Finally, a Garden d’Lights visit without the after-dark scramble, yet still plenty of sparkle. Drop into Bellevue Botanical Garden for Memphis Belles tunes, festive treats, a Trillium Store browse, and a free, low-fuss hangout for seniors, their families, and friends.

✍️ Modern Calligraphy & Ornament Lettering for Beginners @ Obelisco Winery | Tuesday (12/9) at 6:30pm – Swap doomscrolling for pretty lettering at Obelisco Estate, where a beginner-friendly calligraphy class walks you through dip pens, inks, and ornament lettering. You leave with a full starter kit, steadier strokes, and snail mail your aunt might actually keep. Very civilized, very satisfying.

🎻 Geoffrey Castle’s Celtic Christmas @ Meydenbauer Center Theatre | Tuesday (12/9) at 7:00pm – Take a breather from inflatable reindeer and catch Geoffrey Castle’s Celtic Christmas as it tours Bellevue, Kirkland, Yakima, and beyond. Fiery fiddle, Irish dancers, big vocals, and legit holiday cheer that even teenagers tolerate. Long-running tradition, local cred, ask about senior and group discounts.

Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →

🎶 Live music & entertainment

• 12/7 Holidays in Sammamish @ Eastlake Performing Arts Center – 2 pm
• 12/8 Phantogram @ Marymoor Park – 6 pm
• 12/11 Brian James @ Village Wines – 7 pm
• 12/12 Flight Feathers Ballet: The Nutcracker @ Lake Washington High School – 7 pm
• 12/13 BelArts Ballet: The Nutcracker @ Juanita High School – 3 pm
• 12/13 The Brewery Comedy Tour @ Postdoc Brewing – 8 pm
• 12/14 Sing Along Messiah @ Saint Michael and All Angels – 2:30 pm
• 12/14 Latin Sunset Social @ Salsaymotion Dance Academy – 6 pm

🏠️ Price is right – Eastside edition

How it works: We’re going to give you some facts about a home for sale, including a picture of the outside, the kitchen, and one additional room. Your job? Guess how much it’s listed for (preferably before you click to find out).

Listed by: Curtis Brown (Windermere Real Estate/East)

Perched at the top of Lakemont, this Northwest style stunner serves up Lake Sammamish and Mt Baker views. All main floor living keeps entertaining easy. A gourmet kitchen flows to family and dining. The living room soars with two story ceilings and a circular fireside nook. A view deck with hot tub surveys the pool and patio.

The primary suite adds a fireplace, a private deck, a 5 piece bath, and dual walk in closets. Japanese maples, evergreens, perennials, and fruit trees frame a level lawn. Gated entry boosts privacy, and Lakemont trailheads wait right outside the front gate.

Make your guess, then (and only then)… see how much it costs →