house and home

They say you don't know what you've got till it's gone, and I definitely feel that way about snow.  Since I went to college in Washington on the east side of the state, I don't think I realized that the west side rarely got snow.  Winters in Spokane were a bit shorter than those in Anchorage, but they still got plenty of snow and familiar frozen temperatures.  Since moving to Tacoma three years ago I've seen about five days of snow on the ground, total.  Even though snow means it's pretty cold outside, I think snowy outfit photos have always been some of my favorites.  I only managed to get one outfit session in before the snow melted away the next day, unfortunately.

I found a couple amazing macrame hanging plant holders the other day and decided to grab some plant friends at Home Depot to hang in the living room.  I hung them from the cabinet over the kitchen sink while I was working on drilling hooks into the ceiling and I was blown away by how those two plants completely transformed the kitchen.  It was one of those turning-a-house-into-a-home type revelations.  I've never been a houseplant person, and truth be told I already completely killed the beautiful palm fronds that were in my living room corner, but I was so struck by how much those few plants brought the whole room together I'm determined to keep them alive.  I was so sad to not have a hanging plant over the kitchen sink anymore after I moved the two into the living room that I went back to Home Depot and bought one just for over the sink.  Maybe it's because it's just so damn grey and dismal in the winters here in Tacoma that I was struck by their home-making effect even more so than I would be in summer.  Having those little bits of life surrounding me feels so lovely and refreshing.  I also bought a few succulents and they are happily hanging out on my windowsill, soaking up any sun rays the Pacific Northwest offers.

 


dress/cosette :: coat (similar)/coldwater creek :: mittens/the north face boots/vogue footwear :: amethyst necklace/handmade :: belt/thrifted shell necklace/courtesy of adorn by sarah lewis :: tights/ courtesy of the stylish fox

getting dressed

Sometimes you get a new dress and you wear it three times within a week of getting it.  I'm not saying I just did that with this dress... okay, yes I am.  Maxi dresses in winter are incognito-comfy because I'm totally wearing leggings underneath to keep warm but nobody knows but me!  Style does not have to equal freezing-your-ass-off.  I once wrote an article in my college newspaper criticizing how almost the whole school wore sweatpants and sweatshirts 80% of the time and got a ton of hate mail.  One in particular mentioned how girls who wear skirts in the winter are slutty and it made no sense to wear revealing clothing in winter.  I was baffled at the correlation that wearing a stylish outfit equals showing an inappropriate amount of skin in freezing temperatures.  I think after I got that email I was even more determined to dress stylishly in spite of cold weather (and certainly not in an irrationally skin-revealing way, because frostbite).  I think the poor guy simply couldn't conceive of tights, or cardigans, or perhaps any skirt-based outfit that didn't involve a tube top and a miniskirt that barely covers butt cheeks.  
Let's face it, putting on an outfit that has any semblance of personal style in the winter can be a challenge.  It's cold, it's snowy (or rainy, or just gross), and the dismal weather can leave us totally uninspired.  I'm certainly not immune to those feelings, but I can't deny that it boosts my mood to "get dressed."  Not just putting on a hoodie over the leggings I haven't taken off for three days dressed.  Since it's hard to get dressed in the dismal pit of winter, I love dresses like this maxi that aren't just fancy looking, but are also ridiculously comfortable.  I picked this dress out for the fabulous print, color, and the sexy blocks of black down the sides, but it's so comfortable it's basically like wearing leggings on your whole body.  In my mind that's pretty much the holy grail of dresses.

 

dress + cardigan/courtesy of modcloth :: short necklace/handmade long necklace/courtesy of adorn by sarah lewis

remix archives // zig zag maxi

I absolutely love the more ikat-esque look to this zig zag print.  It's a nice change from the ubiquitous clean chevron/zig zag pattern that has been on every thing the past couple years.  I love a good zig zag myself, but the more natural look seems to give this dress more versatility, I think.  ModCloth has this dress in a red version too, now, which is another interesting variation.  This black and off-white version is still my favorite though.  One of my favorite things about remix posts is that I get even more inspiration for remixing.  Looking back at some of these old outfits I have new ideas for styling this dress in new ways!  Also, it's funny to see my hair growing longer!

slowing down

Monday night I fell while climbing and hyperextended my knee.  I'm pretty sure I also gave myself a mild whiplash because I felt my chin slam against my sternum, my teeth smacked each other, and I woke up with a nasty sore neck.  I was supposed to start month two of this round of Insanity, but I know I need to give it time to heal and not re-injure it.  It's hard for me to rest intentionally.  One of the reasons I really enjoy the Insanity workout is that it is so intense.  I don't feel motivated enough with low intensity workouts and tend to fall of the wagon more easily I think.  I'm a big fan of bootcamp-like experiences and if I could afford it right now I'd love to do a yoga retreat to really spend some quality time focused on moving forward in my practice.  
But alas, I have to turn off beast mode for a while.  I don't want to compromise my knee for the future.  This is the first fitness/sports related injury I've had since rolling my ankle during basketball practice freshman year of high school.  I'm a good decade older than I was back then, so my body probably won't be as quick to bounce back.  Even though I hate it, it's good to be forced to slow down.  I'm great at pushing myself, but not so great at the opposite.  

 

dress/courtesy of modcloth :: top/courtesy of free people :: boots/vogue footwear purse/courtesy of minnetonka :: amethyst necklace/handmade :: hat/the north face shell necklace/courtesy of adorn by sarah lewis :: photos by Dan I think I mentioned it in an earlier post, but I'm giving essential oils a try.  They actually just came today and since I have an injury it's kind of the perfect time to start experimenting with them!  I'm an EO newb so I'll probably wait a bit before doing a post on my experience with them, but I'm pretty excited.  I've been slowly transitioning my life from a pretty regular American lifestyle, to working on being more and more mindful about what I consume, when I consume, and how I consume, from food and medicine, to material objects and clothing.  The transition is gradual, and in some ways it seems like some changes trigger others.  I remember back when I made my 26 before 27 goal to only purchase thrifted/vintage/sustainable/made in the USA clothing, it sparked my interest in transforming how I ate as well.  Thinking about what I put in my body food-wise influenced me to look into natural alternatives for birth control.  It's funny how that happens.  Always changing, always evolving.  When I go thrifting these days I'll be sifting through the racks of clothes and I'll see an item I would've immediately snatched up in high school, or something that I would've adored three or four years ago (or even last year!) and I have no interest beyond amusement at changing styles and preferences. It can be frustrating to know that life is constant change, but sometimes it's exciting and encouraging.

team spirit

I'm not a huge football fan.  I grew up watching the Anchorage Aces, our only professional sports team, play hockey in the Sullivan Area.  I've have always been more of a hockey girl myself.  Since I never had any loyalty to a specific football team, when the Seahawks went to the Superbowl back in 2006 I decided I'd root for the Steelers.  Since I was at college in Washington everyone else was rooting for the Hawks and I figured I'd root for someone else, just for kicks.  What I didn't know was how passionate everyone was about the Seahawks, and how mad they'd be at me when they lost.  Even though I really had no skin in the game and honestly couldn't have cared who won people were still pretty pissed at me, and I didn't get it.  Now I get it.  Even though I'm a transplant Washingtonian, the excitement for the Seahawks this past season has been palpable all year, and last night it reached a fever pitch.  
I took Dusty for a walk during half time and all around the neighborhood I heard kids yelling and cheering with excitement.  When we stepped out our front door after the Seahawks won, you could hear cheering, fireworks, cars honking for miles and miles.  We drove down 6th ave in my (Seahawks blue!) El Camino and revved her 350 small block at all the fans celebrating with a post-game smoke outside every bar.  Even though I wasn't an avid fan for the whole season, being in the epicenter of the excitement that engulfed the entire Puget Sound, was something I'll never forget.  I've never seen anything like it.  I can't even imagine being a lifelong Seattle Seahawks fan finally getting to see your team get the big win.

 
dress/courtesy of modcloth :: jacket/courtesy of lulu's :: necklace/handmade hat/the north face :: shoes (similar)/courtesy of blowfish
I don't think I'll become a rabid football fan anytime soon, though.  I enjoy watching the game, but I don't have a TV, and I'm not part of a group of friends who are really into sports either.  I have heard whispers of an NHL team being created in Seattle, though, which is exciting.  Tacoma used to have a hockey team that was in the same league as the Anchorage Aces, but they disappeared years ago and have never been replaced.  I'll be in Anchorage for a week in March and there are a few Aces games while I'm in town, so it'll be fun to see a game or two!  I've only gotten to go to maybe one game per year since moving away for college in 2005, but it's always fun to go back and cheer for my home team.  They've played in the same arena for decades, and it's barely changed much over the years, which makes it even more nostalgic to go back.  
I started going when I was around 10 years old and I remember there was this super cute family that had season tickets right near us.  When I first started going they had a little baby girl and I watched her grow up every season.  It's crazy to think that that little girl is now probably a college student somewhere, all grown up!  The whole family always had their Aces jerseys on, even the little girl.  I still have my Aces jersey, with tons of signatures on it from getting the players to sign it during "Skate with the Aces" nights.  I think I'd still be a little star struck if I met Keith Street or Dean Larson on the street, my favorite players.  I can't help but smile thinking about yelling "ACES!" in response to the far side of the arena yelling "GO!" and the feeling I get when that fog horn blows after every goal.