our place

This morning Dan and I went to one of our coffee shops and sat at a cafe table outside in the cold and talked for hours.  This particular coffee shop is nothing special.  They don't serve great coffee, they don't have a cozy atmosphere, the location is on a huge busy road next to a shopping center, but it's one of our "places."  Even before we were dating, when I would come across the state and visit, I remember sitting outside this coffee shop, in the cold, and talking for hours.  Living together it can be so easy to get by with passive interaction.  We see each other daily, in the mundane tasks of simply living, but there's something so special and necessary about intentional time spent sharing thoughts, silly stories, dreams, goals.  Sitting at a coffee shop across the table from one another will always be one of those places for us.  

 

dress/courtesy of modcloth :: top/courtesy of free people :: shoes/courtesy of blowfish necklace/courtesy of moorea seal

haute holiday

When BHLDN asked me if I wanted to partner with them for their Haute Holiday look campaign I got pretty excited.  I was inspired by a more vintage, 60s/70s, bohemian look and fell in love with the embroidery on this Anna Sui dress.  I love how it is definitely influenced by flower power prints of the 60s, but is sophisticated and modern at the same time.  Plus: long sleeves.  It's winter, people.   If you want to have a chance to win a $300 gift certificate to spend at BHLDN, enter their Haute Holiday Pinterest contest!  I've been guest pinning this week over on the BHLDN Pinterest with my inspiration for this bohemian inspired holiday party look so head over here to check those out!


 
dress + shoes + headband/courtesy of bhldn :: necklace(similar)/handmade :: tights/target
I recently visited Post Hall, which is an amazing wedding and event venue that is currently finishing up renovation in downtown Tacoma, and I knew it would be the perfect spot to grab some shots of this look.  I wish Post Hall had existed back when I got married, it would've been perfect!  It's not even finished yet and they've booked quite a few weddings for 2014.  If you're in the Tacoma/Seattle area and have an event or wedding in need of a venue, you should give Post Hall a looksie.  It's in the old Post Office building downtown, which is an amazing building built in 1909.  Instead of ripping everything out and renovating, they're restoring nearly everything to its former glory.  I adore when people value old things and choose to restore them, rather than discarding them.  We live in a culture obsessed with throwing out the old and bringing in the new, so it's refreshing to see someone appreciating the value of things from the past.

 

the season setting in

I'm excited the holidays are here.  I dragged our box of holiday decorations out of the garage and put garland and lights up on our porch.  Only a couple other houses in the whole neighborhood put decorations, which I feel like is kind of odd?  Growing up I remember lots of houses having lights up, but perhaps Tacoma just isn't quite as into the holiday decoration thing as Anchorage is.  I still love putting up lights and garland though.  Next on our list is getting the tree, but that will have to wait till Friday when Dan has time to go with me.  I was thinking of going to one of those places where you cut your own tree, but I might be getting too lazy at this point.  Parking lot tree it is.

 

dress/courtesy of modcloth :: coat(similar + similar)/coldwater creek :: tights/target  boots/courtesy of the braided bandit  :: glasses/courtesy of bonlook :: leaf necklace/handmade quartz necklace/courtesy of adorn by sarah lewis :: triangle necklace/courtesy of moorea seal belt/thrifted :: hat (similar)/courtesy of lulu's :: photos by Dan

getting away

This past week I had the pleasure of spending tons of down-time with my family.  It was out of town, close to nature and the sea, and unplugged (mostly).  So refreshing.  So recalibrating.  Exactly what I've been needing.  I'd like to make it a goal to take a weekend trip like this one, once a month.  Just to write, make art, and center myself, while unplugging.  It was so fun to watch Dusty explore the beach and run around without having to worry about the traffic of a city.  I think she may have enjoyed the weekend just as much as I did, if not more.  If you follow on instagram, you've surely been sneaking some peeks of our adventures.
We did a lot of talking about what we're thankful for around the dinner table on Thanksgiving, but after spending the weekend with my family I realized that one of the things I'm most thankful for is my family.  I know a lot of people get super stressed out by the holidays and having to spend time with family that might not get along great.  I can truly say that we are all wonderful friends, and even though we all live in different places and don't get to see one another too often these days, it's always fun when we get together.  It's so strange to all be adults, both parents and "kids."  We took a family photo for this year's Christmas card and it was a bit odd arranging everyone because everyone's heights are similar.  There aren't little kids who can be tucked in front or between, we're all grown ups!  It's strange to be in this in-between stage of being adults, but not yet having the next generation of tiny people running around.  But I'm soaking it up while I can because once that first grandkid comes along it'll be a different game.  Good, I'm sure, but not quite the same. 

 

dress (similar)/modcloth :: top/courtesy of alainn bella :: tights/courtesy of the stylish fox triangle necklace/courtesy of moorea seal :: quartz necklace/courtesy of adorn by sarah lewis claw necklace (similar)/thrifted :: boots/courtesy of the braided bandit  (get 30% off your entire Braided Bandit order using the code DELIGHTFUL30 till 12/8) photos by my mom

giving back

I mentioned a couple months ago that I wanted to start using this space for more than outfits, recipes, and inspiration.  I've shared a couple of fundraisers in the past, which I've run local 5k's for and asked for a few donations for those, and I may continue sharing those kinds of opportunities to give back, but in addition to that I'm going to start donating a portion of my ad sales to a different cause each month.  These causes will mostly likely involve empowering or protecting women as those are issues I'm more passionate about.  Some will be local to Tacoma or my home state/town, and some will be international.  Since not all of my readers would have a reason to purchase an ad, but still might want to support that month's cause, I'll also include a link where you can donate without purchasing an ad.



For this month I will be donating all small ad sales to Umoja Women, which is an amazing organization in Kenya.  I was introduced to Umoja through Half the Sky, and if you have a few hours to spare and a Netflix account, I recommend giving it a watch.  The following video is a little explanation of Umoja's history and mission, plus some incredible photographs by Siegfried Modola, a Nairobi based photographer.

Umoja is a village of women started in order to escape the violence and control of men. "In 1990, 15 women,allegedly raped by local British soldiers, and led by Rebecca Lolosoli, formed and registered the Umoja Uaso Women's Group with the then Ministry of Culture, Heritage and Social Services. They started by selling beadwork and other goods. After facing threats from men jealous of their success, the members decided to found a women-only village and reside together, thus providing collective security and cooperation." The Umoja village has had over 60 women and has grown to birth new nearby women's villages, such as the Nachami Women's Village, and recently Unity Women's village.  In addition to creating their own financial success and independence through creating beaded artisan jewelry and artwork, they are also committed to informing women about their rights, their health and healthcare, and helping women start income-generating activities, as well as providing a safe place to escape violence from men.


(photos by Siegfried Modola)
In a season when it feels like my culture's obsession with materialism is at it's worst, I feel like doing something to fight back, if only, perhaps, in one small way.  Instead of buying a bunch of things that I know we don't need, I'd rather give a truly meaningful gift to someone that actually needs something I can give.  I truly don't need anything more.  I have more than I deserve.  There are people who have less than they deserve and instead of just being annoyed with all the buy-buy-buy-spend-spend-spend ads on tv and online this time of year, I want to do something more.  
A Small Ad is $50 for 1 month and $80 for 2 months.  At the end of the month I'll tally up all the sales and donate (although I might actually do it throughout the month so we can see the progress!).  If you have no reason to get an ad but still want to donate, click here and you can donate online.
In addition to Umoja, I thought I'd mention that Musana Jewelry, a similar women's empowerment jewelry country supporting women in Uganda, has a two day sale coming up this Monday and Tuesday!  All jewelry in the shop is 20% off!  I've styled a few Musana pieces in the past and also hosted a Musana shopping party at my house, and they're an amazing organization.