uncommon gifts

Hey guys!  Today I've partnered with Uncommon Goods to share a super fun gift guide.  I have quite a few yogis, foodies, and diy-obsessed gals in my life, so I thought I'd share some of my favorite gifts for those ladies.  Uncommon Goods is a sweet online shop that features tons of unique, fun, and interesting gifts.   Most of their products are created right here in the USA, lots are handmade and/or eco-friendly, and about one-third of their entire collection incorporates recycled and/or upcycled materials, which is awesome!  They also give back by donating a portion of each order to non-profit organizations like American Forests, Women for Women International, City Harvest, and the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN).  I'm a pretty big fan of supporting companies that are committed to being environmentally friendly, socially responsible, and giving back.  Not only can you give a gift to someone you love, you're also giving back to organizations that help great causes.   It's pretty fun to browse through more gift ideas here, and if you're like me you're probably secretly window shopping for yourself as well as whoever you're buying a gift for!  Okay, so maybe I'm the yogi, foodie, diy junkie...

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I know some yoginis with the most magical yoga dens full of candles, crystals, and tapestries.  I love the smell of essential oils and sage when I walk into their homes, it feels so warm and welcoming.  Last Christmas I got my favorite yogi friend a bunch of crystals as gifts and they were a hit!  The gilded amethyst paper weight in this collection I might just have to give myself because it's so gorgeous.  I have a secret little tradition of buying a crystal from the Wishing Stone in SeaTac Airport every time I have to fly somewhere, so I've got a growing collection of pretty shiny things on my bathroom windowsill.
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Dan worked as a cook for years, so we have quite a few foodie friends who are discerning eaters and drinkers and love entertaining.  Unique serving dishes, exotic spices, and a special recipe journal are perfect gifts for the epicurean in your life.  The face mug kind of just cracks me up.  

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I've loved making my own body products and beer, so when I saw these little DIY products I thought they'd make perfect gifts for the homemade maven.  I have a friend whose talked about making her own kombucha for months!  I've seen homebrew beer kits before but never kombucha!  

They've got tons more awesome gift ideas here, with everything from jewelry to home decor.

*This post is in partnership with Uncommon Goods. Thanks for supporting those companies which help keep Delightfully Tacky alive and kicking!*

cut it out

Well, it's July and summer decided to show up like whoa.  Yesterday it was 91ºF.  I was not prepared for that kind of heat, especially after just spending the weekend in the mountains wearing jackets and hiking past snow drifts.  I spent most of the day in the lightest, breeziest dress I could find, but later in the evening I went out on a lady date with Kristina and decided a little black dress was manageable by 8 pm.  Here in Washington most houses and businesses don't have AC, so escaping the heat takes some creativity.  I think I drank my body weight in iced beverages today just to keep from passing out. I've been having fun playing with more bodycon style dresses lately.  They're a super easy way to feel instantly sexy and they look fancy without a lot of effort.  I like these ones that are a little longer, more midi to maxi lengths.  They feel more classy and less club-wear, despite being form fitting.
Do you guys have any fun plans for the 4th of July weekend?  I don't have anything scheduled yet, but I'm sure we'll head over to a friend's house for a barbecue or something and enjoy the summer weather we're supposed to have over the weekend.  This past weekend when we were camping we were sitting around the fire along the river and saw the most amazing, random fireworks show I've ever seen!  Across the river there were a few houses on the bluff and on Saturday the 28th (is this some sort of firework-friendly holiday I'm not aware of?), and around 10:30 one of them started lighting off huge fireworks.  Not just sporadically, like, there were so many going off that I was confused how they were even lighting them that fast.  It went on for about 30-40 minutes and they weren't your cheap roadside fireworks either, they were huge, almost professional size fireworks.  It must've been upwards of $10,000 worth of fireworks, so crazy!  Apparently June 28th was a big day for someone or something! 
Dusty wasn't a fan, though.  She's started getting scared of loud popping noises like fireworks, so she probably won't be a fan of the 4th of July.  The other dog at our campsite was also not excited about the onslaught of fireworks across the river, so we were on dog-comforting duty for a while before they calmed down.  It's sad because you really can't tell them that everything really is fine and nothing is scary.  Little Bit used to run up to my parents' room and hide under the bed at the first sign of fireworks and she wouldn't come out until the next day.  Her little heart would beat so hard we swore that one year she'd just drop dead!  Fireworks weren't actually the death of her, but she probably thought she was going to die every 4th of July and New Years.  Thankfully those are about 6 months apart so she had time to recover!

 

dress/courtesy of modcloth :: shoes/thrifted :: purse/courtesy of fossil shades/courtesy of bonlook :: necklace/courtesy of adorn by sarah lewis :: photos by kristi

cold brew coffee

Hey guys!  My friend Mae is here today to give us a lesson in cold brew coffee!  I met Mae through ye olde blogosphere last year and she recently moved to Tacoma, so it's been fun to get to know her IRL.  Her and her husband are all about coffee and I asked if they'd be interested in sharing a recipe for cold brew, since summer is here and hot coffee on a hot day just doesn't sound appealing.  Cold brew, though?  Perfect.

Can I just say how awesome it is to be taking up this little post space on Delightfully Tacky? When I started reading three years ago, I was smitten. More so when I found out that Elizabeth is a PNW dweller like myself. I have loved watching the blog grow and change over the years, and find it crazy that I get to stand on this proverbial mountaintop and say, "Hey!"

Elizabeth once jokingly told a friend that she was responsible for convincing David, my husband, and me to move to Tacoma. It's admittedly mostly the truth. Now here we are sharing a city, which I can confidently say we all love. 

David and I run a coffee review blog called Purista and are a special breed of coffee enthusiasts. We're also in the midst of launching a coffee roasting business which Elizabeth is creating the logo for. Emailing back and forth about design work she asked if we'd be interested in sharing a cold brew recipe, so here we are.

Realizing that we're working with a lot of fancy schmancy equipment that most at home coffee drinkers don't possess, I decided to make this recipe as kitchen friendly as possible. 

This recipe should yield 1 and 1/2 cups of cold brew concentrate, which you can dilute and doctor to your preference. It takes 12-24 hours.

What You'll Need

A One Quart Jar or Container w/Lid

Cheesecloth

Rubber Band

Measuring Cups

Coffee* (1 and 1/3 cup whole bean if you have a grinder, 1 and 3/4 coarsely ground if not)

3 cups cold, filtered or spring water (not distilled!)

Patience!

*A note on coffee: It is advisable to buy whole bean and grind at home immediately before use, but if you don't own a grinder your local shop or roastery will grind it for you to your specification. Tell them you want it coarse for cold brew.

Step One

Measure out your coffee and water. If you have your own grinder and are starting with whole beans measure them whole, 1 and 1/3 cups, then grind. In the event that you are using pre-ground coffee it will take up more space in the cups, so measure out 1 and 3/4 cups.

Step Two

Add your grounds in the jar/container. This can be messy, and most funnels would take forever with their narrow openings. The funnel we have is wider at the bottom and comes with the Aerobie AeroPress, an awesome coffee brewing device that anyone can use and everyone loves. 

 
 

Step Three

Pour in the water, stir it, cap it, and put it in the fridge. 

Step Four 

Take it out of the refrigerator. We do 24 hour brews for fully developed flavors in the concentrate, but if you can't wait 12 hours should suffice. Give it another good stir. Cut a one layer piece of cheesecloth to fit over the opening and secure with the rubber band. 

Step Five

You'll definitely want a funnel for this step. Pour through the cheesecloth. At some point liquid will stop moving through the cloth, but still be in the jar. This is because there is air stuck behind the grounds. Once it stops you can use a spoon, or your fingers (messy!), to gently press at the front of the cheesecloth repeatedly until all of the liquid has made it through. 

Enjoy!

You will end up with approximately 1 and 1/2 cups of concentrate which you can dilute to your taste, sweeten, and/or add milk or cream to. We generally dilute the water with a 1:1 ratio or add unsweetened almond milk in a 2:1 concentrate to milk ratio. 

I hope this recipe keeps your energy levels up and your body temp down this summer! If you're feeling the coffee vibes check us out on IG as both @Purista and @TerminusCoffee. Peace! - Mae

5 PERFECT SUMMER COCKTAILS + tips for crafting a great cocktail

One of my favorite things about summer is the cocktails.  There isn't much that's better than an ice cold cocktail on the patio as the sun glides towards the horizon.  Dan and are working on our yard right now, so instead of a patio we just have a pile of sod and dirt for the time being, but if I close my eyes I'm sitting on our future patio with my feet propped up on our future fire pit.  The point is, it doesn't really matter whether or not you have a dreamy patio to enjoy a cocktail, they're still pretty damn delicious regardless of where you're doing the enjoying.  

Want to make some bomb cocktails this summer?  Here are a few tips for giving your cocktails an extra boost of awesome.

Always use the freshest ingredients when you can.  Squeeze citrus juices fresh from the fruit, and use fresh herbs and spices.  If you plan on making lots of cocktails this summer, it helps to always have lemons and limes on hand.  Instead of using a sour mix, make your own!  I promise it'll taste ten times better.

When muddling fruits and herbs, make sure to muddle the right amount.  Use a heavier hand with fruits, while being more delicate with herbs.

When it comes to booze, get the best you can afford.  I've always heard that you shouldn't

cook

with a wine you wouldn't

drink

, so it stands to reason that a cocktail should be made with liquor that tastes good straight!  Of course, liquor can get super pricey, so it's a balance between affordability and taste, just find something that works for you.  But!  A good liquor can really make a cocktail incredible.

Strawberry Basil Lemonade Sparkler

 (above)

New York Sour

Chipotle Whisky Sour

Make sure to dilute your drinks!  Diluting can feel like it's going against the point of creating a cocktail, but here are simple cues to know when your drink is diluted the right amount.  For cocktails that are stirred, watch the edges of the ice cubes. Once they've lost their sharpness and the edges are rounded, it's done!  If you're making a shaken drink, you'll know it's properly diluted as soon as the shaker gets frosty.  Another tip on ice: if the ice has been sitting in your freezer for too long it can start to take on the taste of other stuff in your freezer, which really isn't the flavor profile you want in your cocktail.  Use fresh ice!

Don't forget the garnish!  My 

favorite

 way to make a cocktail look super fancy is the garnish.  Even the most simple of garnishes can make your cocktail look like it was handcrafted by a world class bartender.  Just a twist of lime, sprig of mint, or a wedge of fruit is all it takes!  Not only do garnishes make your drinks look great, they can also finish out the flavor profile of your drinks.  Just a twist of lemon peel or a star anise can perfectly finish your cocktail!  If you're garnishing with a citrus peel, make sure to twist it over the drink before rubbing the rim and dropping it in.  If you're garnishing with herbs, clap them between your palms to release the oils first.

Using the right type of glass for a cocktail can also help your cocktails shine.  It's not required for a great tasting cocktail, obviously, but it can make it that much more pretty.  I've bought all my different kinds of cocktail glasses at thrift stores!  Or, you know, just use mason jars, I'm guilty of using mason jars for 90% of my home cocktails.

Clover Club

Classic Mojito

visiting sitka

Sitka is one of my favorite places on Earth.  I hadn't spent much time there until my grandparents moved over from Juneau last year, but now I'm subtly trying to convince Dan that we need to move there.  I've always loved Southeast Alaska and spent quite a bit of time in Juneau with my grandparents, who lived there for 60 years.  Sitka, though, has a home-y quality that Juneau always lacked for me.  Juneau's just a bit too large and, despite being a small-ish town, lacks the small town vibe that's made me fall in love with Sitka.  My aunt and uncle have made Sitka their home for decades and I remember visiting them about 20 years ago, boating around the islands speckling the waters surrounding the town, and harvesting rhubarb from their front yard to make rhubarb pies.

Flying into Sitka on a sunny day is truly a treat.  Flying over the southeast in general is pretty fantastic, but coming in low with the mountains of Baranof Island on one side and the Pacific ocean on the other, while gliding over clusters of tiny islands is breathtaking.  Whenever I fly to Alaska I do my best to get a window seat, but especially when flying to the southeast.  I've never been on an Alaska cruise, but I suspect floating into Sitka is also magnificent.

 

One of my favorite things to do in port cities is to walk up and down the docks of the marinas.  I love looking at all the boat names and smelling the ocean air.  My family has always had boats, so we've spent a lot of time on the water and in marinas, I suppose it's a familiar and relaxing place to be.

If you're in Sitka, I definitely recommend checking out Baranof Island Brewing's taproom.  It's a fun little spot to grab some great brews, but quite a few places around town also have Baranof on tap too.  I've also loved taking in a show at the Bayview Pub, or grabbing lunch there during the day.  You can sit by the windows and look out on the bay, hence "Bayview."  They've got a pretty good selection of beers on tap and decent bar food.  My aunt invited us to a show at the Bayview one night and it was really fun to see local musicians, hang out, and dance.

The only place I've ever gotten coffee in Sitka is the Backdoor Cafe, but I love it.  It's, surprise, found at the backdoor behind Old Harbor Books.  It's right next door to the Pioneer Home so we go there before heading over to spend time with my grandparents.  They didn't have internet last time I was there, but they just got new ownership so they might now.  If not, Highliner Cafe has internet, though I've never been there.  I've heard great things though!
There are plenty of tourist traps to be found walking around downtown, lots of little shops and spots to grab a souvenir.  I'd definitely recommend getting a souvenir from a local or alaskan artist.  Not only are there some incredible Alaskan artists producing some stunning work, but you're supporting a working artist, and oftentimes Alaskan artists are continuing their native arts traditions, which I think is incredibly important.  A lot of native Alaskan art traditions and languages actively need support to keep from dying.  Recently the Alaska state government made Alaska Native languages official state languages so it's a step in the right direction to keep the indigenous languages from going extinct!  Anyway, instead of a "Sitka, AK" shot glass or hat, find something made by a local Alaskan artist!  Two of my favorite Alaskan artists are Rie Muñoz and George Ahgupuk, but there are so many great artists featured in Sitka's shops and galleries.

 

Since my grandparents are now living in the Pioneer Home, we spend quite a bit of time with them there.  The pioneer home has a great little gift shop on the first floor to the right of the entrance when you walk in with art and crafts made by the residents.  Another great way to get a really unique and special souvenir!
Right across the street from the Pioneer Home is one of my favorite little shops, Brenner's.  They've got a ton of cute stuff.  The clothes are geared more towards ladies who are my mom's age, but there's a lot of stuff in there for us young gals too.  I love going shopping with my mom, so it's a fun place to go with her.  If you find yourself in need of more outdoor-gear type clothes and accessories, Mountain Miss is my favorite place to browse around. 
If you're in Sitka during the month of June, make sure to check out the Sitka Summer Music Festival events.  They bring in some unbelievable musical talent for their concert series.  We had the pleasure of watching a world class string performance at Harrigan Centennial Hall which was extraordinary.
There are obviously plenty of amazing hikes and other outdoorsy and tourist attractions to enjoy.  Totem park, Alaska Raptor Center, Fortress of the Bear, Sheldon Jackson Museum, and plenty of ocean and flight tours to be found!  You can also head to the Sitka convention and visitor's bureau site to find more tips for your visit.