Play interior designer - for one of the coolest ferry systems around. Also need stuff for holidays? What to get at thrift stores now.

Washington state, renowned for its ferries, wants us to help choose how the next generation of its fleet will look! Hybrid-electric ferries are in the works and the agency has come up with three interior color palettes: Earthy Calm, Traditional Marine, and Hybrid Bold. 

Washington State Ferries wants us to choose from these 3 color palettes for its new vessels. Which is your fave?

Vote for your favorite anytime until Nov. 30. Do it and let me know your thoughts!

Blue and green are my favorite colors especially when a body of water is involved (want to make this Pisces happy, put me on a ferry). So, although I’m not the biggest fan of anything traditional, I voted for the Traditional Marine palette which includes several shades of blue and a green, along with grays, a yellow and a sort of a peachy color. These colors are the Pacific Northwest. These colors inside the vessels will complement what you see outside, especially if you see, I dunno, orcas, for example, and continue the splendor of the outdoors inside. The current classic green and white exterior colors slay in any photos you take of a ferry. I’ve made thousands of such photos. And photos of a ferry in those colors with some sunset light is sweet.

Washington state ferry I shot while on San Juan Island around sunset hour in 2023.

Let’s dish on the other choices. The Earthy Palette has deeper colors with browns, oranges and greens instead of blues. It’s definitely earthy and seems a real boon for the autumn lovers. The Hybrid Bold is my second favorite as it incorporates brighter tones. Hybrid Bold also includes a teal blue shade I can get behind and really, how do you not have a blue shade Earthy Palette, how?! 

Now I wanna get on a ferry. And some extra special rides are popping into my head. The Bainbridge Island to Seattle at night is epic, as well as a ferry I took in Türkiye at sunset for about a dollar. We also took the iconic orange Staten Island ferry last month. So cool. I don't think Washington state should tread far into that ferry's orange-colored territory.

My favorite ferry ever for design and color is the M.V. Coho, which has been traveling between Port Angeles, Washington, and Victoria, British Columbia, since 1959. It has floor to ceiling windows in places, a rooftop deck with seating and a pointed bow you can walk around on. A solarium room allows you to view everything on three sides. The wood and brass, and yellow and green paint colors are, well, just spectacular. 

Moving on to the holidays and our red-hot desire for hygge. Some things are definitely worth the trip to thrift stores and estate sales right now if you're looking for warmth and holiday cheer at prices reminiscent of thrifting days gone by. Here are some of my top picks for what to thrift ahead of the holidays:

1). Linens, including table coverings and napkins. Specifically seek out those made from cotton, linen or any combo of the two. Anything that meets your standards at these stores will likely also more than meet your budget. Choices abound.

B: Vintage stainless steel and silver plate flatware. I sifted through a mound of flatware this week and picked up some butter knives in all manner of midcentury patterns (cool knives without much wear seem to be the winner), and some silver plate serving spoons, etc. You won't find real silver here unless you luck out. I suspect those pieces are plucked out and sold online. But vintage stainless can lend character and holds up well. Choose according to design patterns, weightiness and scour them for markings. Dansk, Oneida, Reed & Barton, or Stainless Japan are clues to quality. Nothing had prices so I wasn't sure what to expect when I got to the counter. They were 20 CENTS A PIECE. If you have the time, that is the place. My mismatched eclectic turkey day tablescape is gonna be off the charts.

My mishmash of midcentury stainless and silver plate flatware from the thrift store. 20 cents each.

And c): In my please-let-there-be-light quest, (Bellingham’s sunset was at 4:32 p.m. today and we are still so so far from solstice) I braved the thrift store candle selections this week (despite some ridiculous scents). I gotta say if you aren’t in need of something exact, only buy candles at thrift stores. Many of them have never been lit. And for some reason cute Ikea candles were everywhere. I got two candles, both seemingly unscented and made from soy, which burns with little soot and is vegan-friendly. Also seek out any beeswax candles because they're hypoallergenic, have a slight honey scent and a warm yellow tone. Don't forget to check for designer stuff here too. Candles in Murano glass, for example. Or scented by Louis Vuitton. Go get it!