natural perfume workshop!

ey guys!  I had so much fun doing my first perfume workshop, I've partnered up with Embellish Multispace Salon here in Tacoma to host another!  It will be on Saturday, Oct 25th, at the Salon!  It was so awesome smelling all the scents people came up with at the last workshop, I'm excited to be able to do another workshop. As I mentioned before I've never liked perfume, and kind of hate most perfumes I've sampled at stores like Macy's and Nordstrom's perfume counters.  Normal perfume is so strong, often will give me a headache, and I feel like it smells more like chemicals than any of the notes they list on the bottle.  I love perfumes made with essential oils because not only are they natural, they don't stay super strong for hours after you put them on.  They're stronger when you sniff them straight out of the bottle and right when you put it on, but they mellow out while you wear them and have a pleasant smell that doesn't intoxicate a room for minutes after you leave, like I've found many typical perfumes to do (I always feel like Spongebob running through the perfume department after someone walks by with strong perfume or cologne).  The scents play off of one another, integrate into one another, and change with your personal body chemistry once you apply them.
I also have a really hard time finding scents that I love.  I enjoy maybe 1% of the perfumes I've smelled at a perfume counter.  I enjoy scents that are spicier and citrusy, or more woodsy, and a bit masculine.  Most perfumes I've encountered tend to be super heavy on the florals and have more of a chemical smell than anything I'd prefer.  The great thing about making your own perfume is that you get to choose your own scent profile when you make your own!  Right now I'm scheming up a Bergamot/Lemongrass based signature scent...
The other awesome thing about using essential oils for your perfume?  You can craft your perfume to support your health!  Essential oils can be an amazing way to stay healthy, balance hormones, and regulate emotions, so you're doing the body good and smelling awesome too.


 


There are only a few spots available in the class, so if you'd like to sign up, head over to Embellish's website and click "Book Now" to secure your spot!  Just mention that you'd like to take the Signature Scent Class in the "Type of Service" and "Message" space!  You'll learn all about essential oils, their various uses, AND create your own vial of perfume to take home with you.  I'll have tons of different essential oil scents to choose from and teach you how to create a great scent profile for your signature perfume!  If you haven't been to Embellish before you're in for an extra treat because they're just starting to carry some locally created products by Pepper Pot Polish and Earth Nerd!  You'll get to browse around their products and you'll have a chance to buy any of the items you can't live without!  Pepper Pot Polish is an amazing handmade nail polish brand made without toxins and Earth Nerd makes all sorts of lovely products, from salves to lip balms, soaps and more.  
Date:  Saturday, Oct 25th.
Time:   6:00-7:30pm Cost: $50
Location:  Embellish Multispace Salon. 1121 Court D #A Tacoma, WA 98402  
What You Will Learn:
You will have the opportunity to play with layering different notes and scents to decide what essential oils blend best for you.  Students will also learn the other elements to creating perfume beyond the essential oils themselves.  Beyond perfume making, students will also learn how to integrate essential oils into other uses for home and health.

What You Will Take Away:
A 10mm vial of your custom essential oil perfume.

What to Bring:
Yourself!  With an excitement to learn a new skill and make a few new friends :)  All supplies, plus snacks and drinks will be provided for you.

who what wear

ou guys, I think I'm going to live in this cardigan this fall and winter.  Since it came in the mail I've worn it almost every day.  I know the celeb mags always talk about what a faux pas it is to wear the same outfit or piece more than once, but in my mind if I want to wear something every day I feel like it makes that item so worth it.  I know I've already worn this once in the past month, but it's definitely going to be on the blog quite a bit more, guaranteed.

I care less about personal style these days than I have in probably the whole time I've been blogging.  It's not that I don't enjoy personal style, but in the past it was much more intentional, mostly because I was in the process of really learning what my own style was, what I liked, what I felt great wearing.  But now I'm to a point where I really feel totally comfortable, whether I'm all gussied up or if I'm just wearing jeans and a tee.  I think that probably makes up for a less interesting style blog, but it definitely makes me feel great to have total confidence in what makes me feel good to wear.

 

top/thrifted :: jeans/courtesy of modcloth:: cardigan/ruche :: hat/the north face bag/courtesy of handbag heaven :: boots/courtesy of cat footwear :: photos by Dan
It's so crazy how much blogging has changed since I first started in 2008.  I remember religiously uploading my outfits to Chictopia and Lookbook, but over the years it's become harder to keep up with the networking sites like those.  I was recently contacted by WEAR to check out their new style sharing app and I realized how interesting it is now with mobile platforms and being able to upload photos directly from phones and tablets!  In some ways mobile platforms have made sharing so much easier than it used to be, sharing a quick instagram is so much faster than writing a whole blog post.  I feel like I didn't graduate university all that long ago, but my graphic design classes are already out of date because mobile platforms were only barely starting to become a thing back then!  You guys can find my WEAR profile here, and if you sign up for a profile and start posting your outfits before Oct 31st you'll be entered for a chance to be featured in NYLON Magazine's Wear.jp feature!  Pretty cool eh?  You can check out other people's outfits for inspiration and the app lets you see where to buy the items people are wearing in their posts (oh technology, always making it easier for us to spend money, eh?).  Blogs and style networking sites were a huge part of helping me develop my own personal style back in the early days of the blog, so it's fun to see new communities popping up where people can be inspired to explore new styles.

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

the keils // family portrait

When the Keil family asked me to do their family photos last year I was pretty excited.  I'd done their photos back in 2012, and it was super fun to see little Simon so grown up since then!  Lillian was about 8 months pregnant during this shoot so they're now a family of four!  Their new son is named Porter, so hopefully I'll have the chance to shoot their family again this year with the new addition!  Jason's family was in town so we got to do some with his whole family, as well as some couple shots of just Jason and Lillian, and some individual portraits of everyone!
Even though this shoot was in December I was excited that there were stills some fall leaves lingering in the park.  I love the color and texture of fall leaves, and it was a great distraction for Simon to play in the leaves when he was starting to get exasperated with the photo-taking experience, like most kids eventually do.
Lillian actually writes a blog and I was super inspired by one of her recent posts.  It's always wonderful to read articles by real women who are embracing their bodies and struggling through what that means.





 


 

blackberry thyme pie with belgian ale beer

i guys!  I'm super excited to share my first guest contributor today!  Muriel from Pies + Travel is here to share a delicious pie recipe which includes beer!  Beer and pie?  I'm in.  I just turned the heat on in the house for the first time since last spring and a warm pie sounds like the perfect way to commemorate the beginning of fall.  Take it away, Muriel!

I’m Muriel and I blog over at Pies + Travel. Last winter, I challenged myself to bake 50 pies in a year. Why? Because I wanted to learn the ins and outs of pie baking. Pie baking is all about chemistry, the ingredients need to be a certain temperature otherwise it turns into a giant mess! As the summer slips away and Atlanta gets a bit colder (yay!), I wanted to finish off my summer pies with a bang. We had this Belgian Ale Beer in the fridge and it served as the perfect inspiration for this pie. I used Monday Night Brewing’s Gunshow for my beer, a local brewery, but you can use any IPA or Belgian ale of your choice.

For the blackberries, make sure to taste them before starting. Sometimes they may need a day or two to sweeten up a bit. I personally love tart pies. If you have the opportunity to go pick your own, do so! It’s one of my favorite things to do. The fresh thyme in this pie makes the whole kitchen smell so good! So let’s get started.

Note: For the all butter crust, I suggest doing it the night before your actual pie making. I like letting sit in the fridge overnight so it settles and rolls out easier. Just make sure it spends at least an hour in the fridge before you roll it out.



BLACKBERRY THYME PIE WITH BELGIAN ALE BEER
All-Butter Pie Crust (9-inch pie) recipe via the Four & Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/4 pound (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup cold water
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 cup ice

1. Stir the flour, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl.

2. Add the butter pieces and coat with the flour mixture using a bench scraper or spatula.

3. With a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour mixture, working quickly until mostly pea-
size pieces of butter remain (a few larger pieces are okay; be careful not to overblend).

4. Combine the water, cider vinegar, and ice in a large measuring cup or small bowl.

5. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the ice water mixture over the flour mixture, and mix and cut it in with a bench scraper or spatula until it is fully incorporated.

6. Add more of the ice water mixture, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, using the bench scraper or your hands (or both) to mix until the dough comes together in a ball, with some dry bits remaining.

7. Shape the dough into a flat disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight, to give the crust time to mellow.


Pie filling
recipe by Muriel Vega
20 oz of blackberries
1⁄2 cup of beer
3 sprigs of thyme, just the leaves
1 cup of white sugar
1⁄4 cup of cornstarch
Turbinado sugar
Egg wash (one egg yolk beaten plus 1 tablespoon of water)

 
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  In a large bowl, add the blackberries, cornstarch, thyme, sugar and beer; stir carefully until combined. Let sit for about 20 minutes. If you don’t like tart pies, I would suggest adding 1⁄4 cup to the mix.

2. Roll out the crust on a floured surface with a cold rolling pin (place it in the freezer for about 5 minutes). Place the crust in the pie pan and poke a few holes on the bottom with a fork.

4. Pour the fruit mix into the pie crust and brush the crust with the egg wash mixture. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar all over the pie.

5. Place the pie on a baking sheet and place it on the middle oven rack. Cook for 60 minutes or until the crust starts to brown and the filling is bubbling.

6. Let the pie cool before serving, about an hour. Serve it with ice cream (vanilla is my favorite!) or homemade whipped cream.

photos by Diana Ascarrunz

transitions

s I sit in front of my computer today, the weather outside is drizzly and chilly. This might be one of my favorite times of year.  It's cooled down enough so I can wear boots and cardigans, there's a cozy feeling that comes with rain and fall leaves, but it's still warm enough that I can take the dog for a walk without putting on a ton of layers and best of all, I'm not depressed by the rain yet.  These photos were taken last week, though, when we were enjoying the last summery days.  We probably still have quite a few sunny days left this year before we really get into the depths of the Pacific Northwest's rainy season, but I can tell that our warm days are gone.  We haven't turned the heat on in the house yet, but it's almost time!  I still can't bring myself to wear tights, though.  I love me some tights, but I'm not ready to give up bare legs yet!

Has it started to feel like fall in your neck of the woods?  Back home in Alaska fall is already in full swing and they usually start getting snow by mid-late October.  I remember when I first came to Tacoma in my Winne back in October of 2010 and I was surprised by how warm it still was!  I remember growing up in school we'd always have bets for which day the first snowfall would be.  It is nice to actually get an Autumn though.  Fall is pretty short up in Anchorage, but it is still crisp and gorgeous.  I like having the time to really enjoy the fall colors and season.  I was always confused, as a kid, why Thanksgiving was marked by fall decor.  For us it was always super snowy by then!  Of course, down in most of the Lower 48, Thanksgiving takes place during Fall.  I kind of like getting to celebrate Thanksgiving as a fall holiday!


 

dress + shades/shop ruche :: necklace/free people :: shoes/courtesy of modcloth