Kaiser is Expanding in North San Jose

Earlier this year Kaiser purchased 9.7 acres at 1717 Technology Drive and is looking to demolish a warehouse sitting on the property and build a medical office building. The new development could be as large as 80,000 SQFT and is in close proximity to several new housing and office developments. There is also a possibility of upgrading the project to a full-blown hospital in the future if there is demand for it.

Source: SVBJ

HER City: Spring Fashionista Fling

SJDA with HERcity invites you to

A Spring Fashionista Fling 

 

San Jose Museum of Art

110 South Market Street

San Jose, CA 95113

Thursday, April 25

5:00p - 8:30p

As women increasingly become a larger part of the professional workforce, downtown San Jose wants to be known as HER city, an after work event series launched by theSan Jose Downtown Association (SJDA).   

HER city events are set to inspire and rejuvenate professional women. Past events have been crafted around downtown's best amenities with a VIP experience in mind. As Blage Zelalich, SJDA deputy direct puts it, "Participants will feel like VIPs as they enjoy socializing, food, drink, retail therapy, arts/theatre, beauty/fashion and do it yourself activities."

For this SJMADE Mini Mart installation, our goal is to create the feeling of an exclusive small scale boutique--a handful of female entrepreneurs asked to show off their fantastic products and goods!  

HER city's Spring Fashion Fling will be downtown
San Jose's hottest spring fashion event this April!

• A runway show highlighting ready-to-wear spring styles 
• Hair, makeup and accessory tips from Brixton Hue Salon and Style Studioexperts 
• The hottest spring finds brought to you by The Usuals, a handful of SJMADEvendors, Lotus Premium Denim, and more! 
• Appetizers and complimentary beverages served 
• Signature HER city welcome bags with great gifts and more fantastic offers  

Any questions? Email sanjosemade@gmail.com.

Turbo Tea Party 3.0, April 26th

Mix and mingle - snack and shop at next Turbo Tea Party in Downtown San Jose!

I didn't attend previous Turbo Tea Parties but I plan on attending this one - and why not? Music, delicious tea and goodies, art, and vendors? Sounds like a swell evening to me. 

Read the following for more details (snagged from the Facebook Event page -- let everyone know you're gonna be there by joining the event and sharing with your friends!)

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When: Friday, April 26th

Time: 6pm - 10pm

Where: Satori Tea Company

Turbo Tea Party is back! This variety show will have art, vendors, and live DJ music by DJ Coco and DJ Tumbleweed!

This is a FREE event!

If you do want to buy tea and food.. the bundle price is $7 for all you can eat and a cup of tea.

For $3 more you can purchase a Content Magazine in the bundle!

The event will be hosted at Satori Tea Company!

The displayed Artists will be:

• Travis Gonsalves
• Donald Miguel
• Bryce Larson
• Ryan Alexander Cosentino-Roush
• Jamilyn Metz
• Aaron Lee
• Travis Watkins
• Josh Quinonez

Vendors:

(jewelry, clothes, crafts, and vintage goods)

• Stephanie Chatfield from Ego Mechanix, Manic Designs, and Creations
• Seasonal Goods and Intwined
• AM
• Martie Guile, Betsy Wheelock, and Travis Gonzalves

In addition: the launch of Satori's Website and a preview to their documentary!

Spread the word and invite many people to help support the Bay Area community!!

Turbo Tea Party will have opportunities to build connections and have a great time!

----

Hope to see you there!

Jen

@Jenguin

Wednesday Wishlist: Interactive Art

It's been a while since I have done a Wednesday Wishlist, and I think I have one that would be really easy to implement. Interactive art does not have to be digital, require programming, or be exorbitantly expensive. All it has to do is invite the viewer to participate in or become part of the art.

I had to go to Israel a couple months ago and was able to bring along my wife. We were walking around the old Arab city of Jaffa when we discovered this little gem. Two hand-painted wings with a gap in the middle... that's all it was. Yet, there was a whole line of people waiting to stand in front of it and get a photo taken by their friends and family.

Imagine if we had several of these types of simple interactive art installments spread across Downtown with just a touch of San Jose branding. Not only would it be fun and add even more character to our art scene, but every person that takes a photo and shares it would essentially be marketing San Jose.

MUJI is open!

The store that many people have been waiting for is officially open! MUJI is a Japanese brand that epitomizes simple, sleek and stylish design in everyday items from timeless clothing staples to kitchen ware, bathroom accessories to crafty and office materials. And now, Downtown San Jose is home to another one of their limited locations within the US. (The San Francisco location recently opened in November.) When asked "why Downtown San Jose" - the owner noted that "Downtown San Jose is a place where people live and are enjoying life," and that they appreciated the "cultural atmosphere" that San Jose provides.

I had the opportunity to check out the store before it opened doors to the public this morning and wanted to share a few thoughts…

For some reason during my online researching prior to the event, I completely missed the fact that they sold clothing! I had previously thought it was simply housewares, organization containers, crafty items and such. But here you go, they sell a wide assortment of clothing and all within a specific style and color palate. Soft grays, navy blues, crisp whites, tan and beige dominate the racks. These are timeless pieces, not items you'll buy this season and never wear again. Pricing is not necessarily "college student" friendly, on average at least. For example, a checkered foldable umbrella retails at $27.

However, if one needs an umbrella during their visit downtown - and they want one that is built with high quality materials - this one will be worth the purchase. I can see those that are visiting the area and staying at one of the many hotels would find the availability of having clothing options so close as a benefit. The feel of the material is sturdy and I feel that it is a higher quality merchandise than say, H&M and even Gap for example. If I weren't pregnant I'd buy a few clothing items myself (there is a super cute navy with white polka dot skirt there that I was very tempted to buy for next year.)

I spoke with Eric Kobuchi, store manager for both the San Jose and San Francisco locations. I wanted to know what the hot items were - what flies off the shelves or has people returning to purchase?

One of the popular items is actually a series of pieces - the Acrylic Cases have found their way into homes but for a variety of reasons. While they sell velour inner cases (to protect jewelry), many customers buy these cases and use them for creative uses -- makeup, crafty items, and more. While yes, there are other stores that carry similar items, MUJI has an array of different shapes and styles to choose from.

The most popular item is one that I actually smelled upon entering the building. Actually the first thing I said was how nice it smelled in the store. That was because of the Ultrasonic Aroma Diffuser (large $119.50, small $69.50). It vaporizes water and the essential oil (they have many to choose from, and you can use outside brands as well) and includes a timer so you can set it to go off when you like. No worries about leaving a tea candle lit and accidentally forgetting about it. Eric said that many people end up buying multiple for gifts, so this is definitely their number one selling item.

Other items I wanted to comment on:

They have these cute cardboard chairs for kids that are easy to assemble and decorate. While that might not be something everyone is looking for, crafty mothers and fathers might find them useful. I could see it being part of a birthday event; getting the crayons and markers out so every kid gets to design their own chair. 

Another item I spotted was the Silicon Ice Ball Makers - molds so you can create a large (or medium-sized) ball of ice. The large version will run you $11.75 but makes for a great gift for the whiskey-lover in your life or a fun stocking stuffer. Not to completely give away where I've seen these before, because it's part of the unique experience - but there is a local San Jose bar that uses ice balls in their whiskey-based drinks. So maybe if you want to make a few at home, this is how you can start. (Won't be the same, of course.)

The rest of the store is up to you to explore!

Check out the slideshow for more photos:

170 S. Market St.
San Jose, CA 95113
Tel 408.200.7818

Store Hours:
Monday – Saturday: 10:30 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Sunday: 11 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.

For purchases of $20+, MUJI offers a $1 parking validation for many of the surrounding downtown garages.

All photos taken by me! Jennifer Bullock / @Jenguin on Twitter

Record number of students shoot for the stars at 26th Annual The Tech Challenge

Record number of students shoot for the stars at 26th Annual
The Tech Challenge: Asteroids Rock!

Competition extended to accommodate more than 3,000 Bay Area participants

SAN JOSE, CA – More students than ever before will aim for top honors
at The Tech Challenge 2013 presented by Cisco, the Bay Area’s largest
team-design competition that harnesses the brainpower of innovative
youth to solve a real-world problem.

A record 3,000 Bay Area students will spill into The Tech Museum of
Innovation Saturday, April 20 and – in another first – Sunday, April 21 for
this year’s out-of-this-world challenge: Asteroids Rock!, in which students
must launch three delicate probes (read: eggs) intact onto the celestial
mass. Now in its 26th year, The Tech Challenge, a signature program of
the museum, reinforces 21st century skills of creativity, problem solving,
design, teamwork, leadership, presentation, risk-taking, perseverance,
and learning from failure.

“Learning happens through doing. Students engaged toward a common
goal increases learning and a connection with others,” said Tiffany
Strickland, program director for The Tech Challenge. “The Tech
Challenge lends itself to both high-tech and low-tech solutions: You can
be as successful with cardboard and rubber bands as others are with a
robot – but either way, students are engaged.”

The explosive growth of the program is the result of several key factors
that include: renewed academic focus on project-based learning, high
returns on deep community outreach, and broader program awareness,
museum officials explained. The extra day was added to accommodate
every student who wanted to participate, Strickland noted.

This year’s competition is already proving to be a landmark occasion: A
record 3,500 participants (1,400 last year), including 500 students from
San Diego and New York who will participate at their respective sites at
an earlier date; a record 49 percent of this year’s participants are girls (48
percent last year), and the highest involvement of Title I schools of any
science and technology competition in the region at 45 percent.

The Tech Challenge is an annual team- design challenge for students in
grades 5-12 that introduces and reinforces the science and engineering
design process with a hands-on project geared to solving a real-world
problem.

“Today’s students benefit from learning that promotes critical thinking
and collaboration,” said Sandra Wheatley, Cisco's director of global
community relations. “Students who use technology develop the technical
and learning skills that are necessary for success in higher education
and the workplace. And perhaps, most importantly, using technology
enhances students’ perception of what they can achieve.”

Designed to inspire the next generation of Silicon Valley innovators,
The Tech Challenge provides months of team learning in science,
engineering, and math, culminating in the Event Days on Saturday, April
20 and Sunday, April 21, 2013. Team efforts are celebrated in an awards
ceremony, recognizing everything from Best Overall Solution to Most
Spectacular Failure.

For 26 years, The Tech Challenge has allowed some 14,000 young girls
and boys throughout California, New York, and other regions to hone their
creativity and innovation on challenges that included building devices
to fight wildfires, remove invasive fish from a lake, explore an Egyptian
tomb, and survey craters on Mars.

For more information on The Tech Challenge, visit: http://www.thetech.org/

Veggielution Avant Garden - Food and Art Fundraiser

The renegade urban farmers at Veggielution are teaming up with SJMADE to "indulge your senses with farm-fresh food, captivating art, and hand crafted goods prepared by visionary local chefs, artists, and craftspeople." It all goes down this Friday at The Armory and all of the important info and links are below. You can also go to the event page over here.

SJMADE Mini Mart at Avant Garden

The Armory
240 North 2nd Street
San Jose, CA 95112
Friday, April 19th, 7p-10p

Admission:
$10.00 Single Admission
$15.00 Single Admission Ticket +1 Raffle Ticket
$30.00 Single Admission Ticket + 5 Raffle Tickets
$50.00 Single Admission Ticket + 10 Raffle Tickets
Purchase tickets here >

SJMADE Mini Mart is a smaller version of our typical SJMADE events. This format allows for us to partner with other organizations who also seek to activate vacant spaces throughout San Jose. Smaller-scale vendor shows in inactive San Jose spaces brings life to these places and encourages local business at the same time.

Veggielution, in partnership with SJMADE, invites you to indulge your senses with farm-fresh food, captivating art, and hand crafted goods prepared by visionary local chefs, artists, and craftspeople.

Avant Garden harnesses San Jose’s creative talent to support Veggielution’s growing Community Farm. Veggielution is pushing the boundaries of food justice by redefining their relationship with land, food, and each other. Come experience a new way to think about food in our community, through the taste of our Spring harvest and captivating visual artistry.

Sample farm fresh small plates prepared by talented local chefs, take home food and farm related art by local artists, browse a variety of SJMADE vendors, enjoy live performances and craft brews!

RSVP for this year's Avant Garden on Facebook >

Santana Row and Career Closet Throw a Beauty Bash

Santana Row and Career Closet Invite You

 To the First Ever Beauty Bash

Wednesday evening, April 24, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., various locations throughout Santana Row

 

San Jose, CA – A first time event that brings together pampering and primping for a good cause, Santana Row is hosting a Beauty Bash of fashion fun with style experts, retailers and salons to raise money for Career Closet.

The public is invited to shop, nibble, and enjoy cocktails and wine while talking to style experts and fashion bloggers who will be stationed in various stores to offer advice on the best looks for spring.

Guests can try the latest hair and make-up trends from professionals and receive personalized consultations on how they might work best for them.

Tickets are $15, or $10 with the donation of a gently used accessory (jewelry, bags, scarves) and available at  SantanaRow.com. Guests receive a "passport” for in-store events, a wine glass (wine will be poured in the stores) and a swag bag of goodies. Proceeds go to Career Closet, a non-profit organization based in Silicon Valley that gives disadvantaged women advice, confidence and appropriate work attire donated to the clothing boutiques it operates in San Jose and Foster City.

 

The Style advisors:

 

Beverly Zeiss, Red Haute & Co., is  a former model who’s been involved in the fashion industry throughout California for many years, Zeiss is Santana Row’s Fashion Consultant/Director who produces the annual fashion shows. Her company produces several other events, including social, fundraisers and charitable organizations.

 

Traci Halvorson, Halvorson Model Management,  has been part of the modeling industry for more than 25 years. She’s a Northern California native who owns and operates HMM- Silicon Valley's Top Model Agency. She advises, promotes and represents hundreds of professional models in the San Francisco Bay Area.

 

Cathy O’Brien, Bay Area Fashionista,  is the editor of local blogzine  BayAreaFashionista.com. She has more than ten years experience working in the fashion industry and is active in the local philanthropic community and is a sustainer in the Junior League of San Jose.

 

 

Rommellyn Fisher, The Stunning Post, is a native of San Jose with a background in hospitality. She’s always had a passion for the fashion industry, styling friends and clients as well as being a make-up artist. It led her to create The Stunning Post, a local blog focused on fashion, beauty, entertainment and lifestyle in the Bay Area. 

 

Jenna Ghosheh, Status Image Consulting, is an Ivy League-educated style expert to Silicon Valley’s movers and shakers. She marries the current trends of American fashion to the varying body types, style preferences, and ages of her clients, all within the modern Silicon Valley culture. Jenna has been a guest lecturer at style events and worked as producer and stylist to many Bay Area fashion shows. 

 

Dale Janeé Steliga, Savvy Spice,  is a San Francisco fashion stylist and founder of the style blog,  SavvySpice.com. Last year, she was a stylist for the Bravo show, “Startups: Silicon Valley” and just launched Savvy Sleepers, the world's first line of unisex luxury satin pillowcases for smoother hair and healthier skin. Dale tailors her blog posts and fashion columns on how capture celebrity looks and beauty secrets for less.

 

Tricia Santa Ines, Pink Stripes Boutique, owns the Santana Row store that uniquely combines her two passions for fashion and food. Tricia has designed clothes and handbags for bebe and Whiting and Davis as well as tableware for Williams-Sonoma. Pink Stripes Boutique celebrates 10 years in business, and is the go-to place for hot fashion and sweet treats.

 

Participating stores and salons include:

InSpa, Beau Bijou, Atelier SalonSpa, Furla, 100% Pure, LOFT, Flying Lizard, Lavande Nail Salon, Drybar, Ted Baker, Pink Stripes Boutique and Free People.

 

About Career Closet:

The organization’s mission is dedicated to giving disadvantaged women fundamental occupational and presentation skills through operating not-for-profit women’s clothing boutiques.

Career Closet was founded in 1992 by two volunteers at O’Connor Hospital in San Jose. At the hospital, they met women who needed to return to work and had no appropriate clothing. So, they began asking local women to donate their gently used suits and business attire so women leaving the hospital could have the necessary clothing to return to the workforce.

Career Closet now recycles thousands of pieces of donated, work-appropriate clothing every year and gives them to low-income women. With a staff of volunteers and with the help of partner agencies, it helps identify clients who otherwise would have a tough time returning or entering the workforce. Donations are accepted at two location: 43 E. Gish Rd., Suite 100, in San Jose and 1163 Chess Dr., Suite A, Foster City. For more information, go to  careercloset.org.

 

About Santana Row

Santana Row a 1.5 million square foot mixed used development in the heart of San Jose, California, is Silicon Valley's premier destination for shopping,

dining, living and nightlife. Surrounded by landscaped gardens, parks and plazas, Santana Row features over 70 retail shops, more than 20 acclaimed restaurants, a 212-room boutique hotel and six-screen movie theatre. In addition to the dynamic retail collection, Santana Row offers 622 residential units featuring a fitness center, rooftop pool and resort-living accommodations, and 65,000 square feet of office space at 300 Santana Row, its newest office address. Santana Row is a property of  www.federalrealty.com  (NYSE:FRT), headquartered in Rockville, Maryland. For more information, please visit  www.santanarow.com.

 

 

About Federal Realty

Federal Realty Investment Trust is an equity real estate investment trust specializing in the ownership, management, and redevelopment of high quality retail real estate in the country’s best markets.  As of September 30, 2012, Federal Realty's portfolio (excluding joint venture properties) contained approximately 19.1 million square feet located primarily in strategically selected metropolitan markets in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, and California. In addition, the Trust has an ownership interest in approximately 1.0 million square feet of retail space through a joint venture in which the Trust has a 30% interest. Our operating portfolio (excluding joint venture properties) was 95.1% leased to national, regional, and local retailers as of September 30, 2012, with no single tenant accounting for more than approximately 3.1% of annualized base rent. Federal Realty has paid quarterly dividends to its shareholders continuously since its founding in 1962, and has increased its dividend rate for 45 consecutive years, the longest record in the REIT industry. Federal Realty is an S&P MidCap 400 company and its shares are traded on the NYSE under the symbol FRT. For more information, please visit  www.federalrealty.com.