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I’m excited to be returning home to Oakland, California for the weekend. It's a quick business development trip for Hair Fairy but I'm looking forward to spending time with my sister, nieces and friends I grew up with. I’ve lived in Seattle longer than I lived in Oakland but I still think of it as home.

I moved away from Oakland when I was 18 to go to the University of Washington and save for one summer, I never moved back. I was drawn to Seattle for its natural beauty and cultural “coolness” – grunge music was at its height and Microsoft was the tech behemoth making Seattle a hub for tech innovation. Starbucks was still a local coffee chain and I would bring a bag of beans down to my parents for Christmas as it was a novelty! Amazon didn’t exist yet.

Gawd I’m old.

Anyways, Oakland at that time was not hip. Not. At All.

San Francisco and even Berkeley eclipsed Oakland in the cool department. But I carried my Oakland heritage like a tough girl badge of honor. It was fun to see how people responded when I told them where I was from. And when I returned to Oakland and rode BART or jogged around Lake Merritt remembering my days on the crew team, I appreciated the beautiful, diverse "rough around the edges" city that it is. 

I miss it.

Now Oakland has come into its own. I read a New York Times article about Oakland being to San Francisco what Brooklyn is to Manhattan. WOW. 

There’s a company called Oaklandish that has all Oakland-inspired apparel. One of their most recent designs has a sweatshirt that says, “Oakland, where my story begins”. That sums it up for me.

Oakland is where my story begins.

Here’s a run down of where I plan to go and do while I’m there:

Claremont Hotel

YES! I’m staying here and I’m GIDDY about it. The Claremont is a grand hotel in the foothills of Berkeley (within blocks of Oakland). Whenever I’m in San Francisco or flying into the Bay Area, I look for the big white structure in the hillside to get my bearings. I have never been inside the hotel so I anticipate feeling like Eloise at The Plaza.

Peets Coffee on Domingo

Before they sold gourmet whole bean coffee in grocery stores, my dad and I would go here every weekend to get the weekly supply of coffee and an espresso brownie to share. Peets is in Seattle now and every time I go in one, I feel like a little kid.

Sweet Dreams

I love shopping on College Avenue and Sweet Dreams was within walking distance of my aunt and uncle's house by the Cal campus. My cousins and sister would walk down and buy giant jaw breakers, licorice ropes and gummie bears and walk back loaded with sugary loot!

Ruby’s Garden

My aunt suggested I go here and drop off a Hair Fairy sample. From her previous posts on Facebook shopping here, I know I’m going to go gaga over their selection and will likely pick up a few Christmas gifts while I’m there.

Creative Growth Vice + Virtue Holiday Show

Creative Growth Art Center serves adult artists with developmental, mental and physical disabilities, providing a professional studio environment for artistic development and exhibition. Their Holiday open house on Friday will feature art for sale by their resident artists, live music and yummy treats! 

Leslie Evers

Leslie is a long time friend of my cousin and has created a line of classic yet modern women’s wear. She designs many of her own fabrics and works with local manufacturers. I can’t wait to buy something special here. For myself. Lesley, please open a store in Seattle!

Oakland Supply Co.

This is a new concept shop I heard about on Facebook featuring American and locally made products, perfect for more Christmas shopping. Just looking at their website/tumblr page gives me ideas. It also gets me to Jack London Square and the waterfront. 

 Any place else I should not miss while I'm there?

Two big pieces of news! We've gotten official and issued a press release announcing Hair Fairy to the media and blogger community! Read the full release below. And in addition to Facebook, Google+ and Instagram, we're now on Twitter - @tanglefreedreams. Follow us at  https://twitter.com/tanglefreedream. 

Press release:

New Satin Pillowcases Sprinkle Fairy Dust on Morning Routine: Leave Little Girls' Hair Tangle-free

Hair Fairy satin pillowcases customize generations-old hair solution just for girls; each pillowcase includes adorable Harriet doll

Seattle, WA - November 20, 2014 – Hairy Fairy Bedding Company has launched Hair Fairy, a new line of satin pillowcases that put an end to one of the most dreaded morning routines for little girls (and their caregivers): brushing tangles and frizzes out of their delicate hair. Available just in time for Christmas, Hair Fairy pillowcases are specifically designed for girls aged three and up, and for all hair types. Plus, each Hair Fairy pillowcase comes with an adorable Harriet fairy doll tucked into a special pocket.

A Generations-old Solution for Today’s Little Girl

The benefits of sleeping on a satin pillowcase have been known for generations: satin maintains salon styling and promotes smooth frizz-free hair and healthy skin. But, until now, no one has designed a satin pillowcase specifically for little girls.

Born of one busy mother’s frustration with her daughter’s daily ‘tangles,’ Hair Fairy was launched by Seattle-based entrepreneur Eliza Kelly to solve the stressful (painful!) and time-consuming detangling of little girls’ hair. The special tight weave and high sheen of Hair Fairy’s luxurious satin retains hair moisture, avoiding the rat’s nests that come from the friction of sleeping on cotton or cotton blend pillowcases*. And, to make it especially appealing to little girls, Hair Fairy created the charming plush Harriet fairy doll as part of the pillowcase, complete with her own untangled tresses and special story.

“With Hair Fairy, parents and caregivers no longer have to spend precious morning time combing out tangles or spend money on detangler sprays or special brushes,” said Kelly. “Hair Fairy takes the stress out of morning hair prep time, helps make hair shiny and girls love the feel of sleeping on satin. And, because they are made of machine washable satin, the pillowcases are easy to care for. In short, Hair Fairy makes sleeping a dream!”

What Hair Fairy Moms are Saying:

Says Barbara, the very satisfied mom of Talia: “Talia has been using the Hair Fairy Satin pillowcase since late August. We (and I do mean "we") love it! She has exceptionally thick, wavy hair that always ended up in a mess of tangles in the morning. Now, NO MORE TANGLES! I have heartily recommended these pillowcases to family and friends. Also, I love the doll's backstory. So cute!”

Erin, Kate’s mom, concurs: “My daughter hated having her hair brushed in the morning. Now, I brush her hair quickly before bedtime and after she sleeps on her Hair Fairy pillowcase, I hardly have to brush it in the morning! It’s less dry and tangled. She’s ready to go and we’re all a lot happier!”

Hair Fairy Product details:

• Luxurious medium-weight satin
• Durable, easy-to-care for and machine washable
• Fits a standard size pillow
• Three dreamy colors: Cloud White, Cotton Candy Pink and Preppy Polka Dot
• Comes with a plush Harriet doll, who has long blue hair, a white nightie and her own special tangled-hair story
• Pillowcases are only $32.00 each
• Available for sale at http://tanglefreedreams.com/ 

*Hair Fairy prevents tangles, but does not undo tangles that already exist. Hair should be brushed before going to bed.

About Hair Fairy Bedding Company

Hair Fairy Bedding Company produces the only satin pillowcases designed specifically for girls and their hair problems. Using a generations-tested idea, Hair Fairy pillowcases prevent nighttime hair tangles, frizz and bed head, making morning brush-outs easier and stress-free for both girls and their parents/caregivers. The pillowcases are made from high quality, machine-washable satin, fit standard size pillows and come with a plush Harriet doll to keep bad hair tangles away. Hair Fairy Bedding Company was launched in 2014 by Eliza Kelly, a Seattle-based entrepreneur and mother of a former tangled-haired girl.

Hair Fairy Media Contacts

Melanie Webber, mWEBB Communications, melanie@mwebbcom.com. (424) 603-4340

In high school, to pay for my car insurance and gas money, I worked at the REI store in Berkeley. It was the second REI store to open and thus its internal store code was 02. When I moved to Seattle to go to the University of Washington, I got a job working at store 01 – the “mother ship”. I felt like I was moving up in the REI universe! At the time, there were about a dozen stores. Now, there are over 40.

This was before REI moved into its current hip flagship store with the 3-story rock climbing wall and outdoor bike paths. Old time Seattelites stillremember the original REI that occupied an old building on Pike St and 11^th. Previously a car dealership, broad ramps connected the floors and there was no modern HVAC system. We employees learned to dress in layers.

During my time at both stores, I worked in Shoes, Books and Clothing departments. We had to wear green vests with lots of pockets for pens, transfer slips and membership forms. Wearing the green vest meant you were an expert and easy for customers to spot when they had questions.