Liz Morrow Liz Morrow

favorite blog posts of 2014


ow crazy is it that we're already nearing the end of January 2015 already?  Before all the hubbub of the new year is over I wanted to share a few of my favorite posts from last year.  I slowed down the blogging pace in 2014 and I think I'll continue that slower pace as we start into 2015.  I'm not the same blogger I was back in the you days of Delightfully Tacky, but I still love this place and sharing outfits, recipes, home decor and whatever else strikes my fancy.  To be honest, I've thought quite a few times in the last year about calling it quits on the whole blogging thing.  Finding where blogging fits in my life nowadays, and in this new shifting blogosphere, has been a bit of a struggle and I know I've lost quite a few readers in the meantime.  If you're still around, thanks for hanging out with (digital) me!  I know it can be weird to see a blogger you love shift focus, or change in ways that aren't totally your jam, it's happened to me as a blog reader, too.   Heck, as a blog reader my preferences have changed, even when a blog has stayed the same, and found myself disinterested or pulled in other directions.  So if you're still around, sweet.  If you're new, hello!  If you're "meh" or over it, feel free to hop along to other blogs that might interest you more!  I'm truly not sure exactly what 2015 will hold for this here space on the web.  What I do know is that I'd like to focus more on my passions, like photography.  I still like doing outfit posts, but don't feel as gung ho about them as I used to a couple years ago.  Also, especially this time of year, the lack of daylight hours paired with the deluge of constant rain really makes outfit photos super unappealing.

So we'll see where 2015 takes Delightfully Tacky.  Maybe it won't even be called Delightfully Tacky this time next year, wouldn't that be weird?  For now, here's a look back at my favorite posts from 2014...


Putting the Pill To Bed


Our Bedroom Tour


Your Femininity is Not Defined by Body Hair


DIY Rolling Island


Fancy Savory Popcorn: Three Ways


My Favorite Lip Colors



Our Living Room


DIY Hexagon Painted Wall


5 Ways to Style a Headband


DIY Globe Hanging Lamp


Back in El Paso


DIY Gold Glitter Glasses
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Liz Morrow Liz Morrow

handmade holiday gift guide // leather, canvas, and stone

here are so many amazing makers out there killing it in their small, handmade businesses, so I wanted to feature a few of my favorite things from some of those makers.  I've been really loving the natural textures of leather, stone, and canvas lately and I'm constantly impressed with how many incredible products are being made by independent artisans.   I've got quite a few small business owners and makers in my instagram feed and it's been fun to see how busy they are this time of year.  I know that this season can really be make or break for small businesses so giving them my business is important to me.  Quite a few of the artists featured in this gift guide are also local to Tacoma or the PNW, which is another thing I love.  Putting my money right back into my community is a great way to support my local art scene, small businesses, and economy.


1 / 2 / 3 / 45 / 6 

Natural stone jewelry is fast becoming my favorite thing to adorn myself with.   I was never much of  a jewelry girl, but now that I've discovered what kind of jewelry I love, I'm definitely becoming more of a jewelry hoarder.  Growing up I was always fascinated with turquoise jewelry and I remember road trips through the southwest spent ogling all the amazing jewelry made by native artists at roadside markets.  

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Can we talk for a sec about how amazing that tablet sleeve is?  Holy cow. One photo can't really show how awesome it is, so make sure to click through on that one to get a better look.  In the past I used to get faux leather products because they were cheaper, but I always found that they fell apart pretty quickly.  I've made a shift to investing in higher quality leather goods because they're built to last and the craftsmanship is so much higher, especially when you're buying from makers who are devoted to crafting an incredible product.  


1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6

I've got tons of little canvas totes that I use for picking up our CSA from the farmer's market, but none of them are nice enough to carry around as a daily bag.  All of these bags meld form and function perfectly and I love how you can tell they were crafted by artists.  From the hand printed textiles, to the design, the attention to detail is apparent.  I've been coveting a Year Round Co. bag for probably two years now (2 + 3), and they just keep getting better!  They are located here in Tacoma and it feels like such a treat to have such an amazing company located right here in my town!

(top photo via black anchor workshop)
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Liz Morrow Liz Morrow

learning = sucking

've noticed a trend in the comments section of online publications and social media, including my own blog's comment section.  I see people say stuff like, "That's cool!  Too bad I suck at [XYZ], I wish I could do that!"  "Sounds good!  Too bad I'm a terrible cook!"  "I wish I was good at that!  I'd love to do it!"

Here's the thing, you guys.  You don't pop out of the womb knowing how to do stuff.  You don't know how to do anything, really, out of the womb.  Everything you know how to do, you've learned.  And you probably sucked at it for a while.  When we were kids, we sucked at a lot of things because we were constantly learning, but for some reason when you're a kid sucking at stuff doesn't bother you so much.  Maybe it's because we're surrounded by other kids who are also sucking at stuff because they're also learning.  But now that we're adults someone told us (or we got the message somehow) that it's not cool to suck at things anymore.  You have to be good at stuff or not do it at all because, apparently, not being good at stuff is embarrassing.  The problem is, if we are afraid of being bad at things, we'll never do anything new or learn a new skill.    I didn't know how to french braid until I was in my mid twenties.  I would just say, "Oh I can't french braid, I'm terrible at it" until one day I decided I wanted to do it.  And I sucked at it.  It was a sad sad little french braid, but it was one baby step in the direction towards being able to do it well.  I still am pretty bad at french braiding, but the only thing standing in my way to being great at it is lots and lots of practice.




Sure, there are people who are talented at certain things.  They pick them up quickly and are faster learners, but talent can only take you so far.  Talent can give you a jump start on something, but the truth is, talent is nothing without work.  You can be the most talented pianist in the world, but if you don't practice hard and practice often, you'll never be a concert pianist performing in Carnegie Hall.

What if we all stopped saying, "oh I can't do that" or "I'm bad at that", "I'm no good at it," as if we were blaming some force in the ether keeping us from doing stuff we want to do, and decided to start trying the things we want to do or be good at?  What if we stopped being afraid of looking dumb or being bad at stuff?  What are we so afraid of anyway?  Are we afraid of looking stupid in front of other people?  Because if someone is going to make you feel bad for trying something new and not being a pro at it your first 20 times, you probably shouldn't care about them anyway.  The only way to stop being bad at something is to do it until you're not bad at it anymore.  Terrible cook?  Stop eating out all the time and start cooking every day.  Look up youtube tutorials.  Buy cookbooks.  We live in an age when you can find tutorials for almost everything online.  It's crazy!  The people who do know how to do stuff are actively sharing how-to articles and videos with the world online so that other people can also learn how to do stuff.  It's kind of amazing.




Let's stop quitting before starting.  Let's stop self sabotaging our dreams and goals.  Allow yourself to be bad at things in the pursuit of getting better at them.  We often see people doing amazing things, forgetting all the hard work and ugliness that it took to get to that point.  You don't see the rehearsals, the practice, the failed projects, but they are what allowed that person to get to where they are today.  We never see the clothing designs that get discarded by fashion designers, we don't see the diy projects that ended up in the trash, we don't see home tours where the person didn't clean the house before photographing it.  So here's one.  Here's my house, in iPhone photos, on the fly, with no cleaning.    I actually went on a house cleaning spree the day before these photos were taken (unintentionally, I didn't clean because I planned on taking these photos, I just caught the bug.  You should've seen my office before I cleaned, I took a 3x3ft box of trash out of there, ugh).
Our bed is never made.  We have a comforter wadded up on the floor by the bed for Dusty because I keep saying I'm going to sew her a dog bed, but my office was too messy to try sewing anything in there and I'd broken my last sewing machine needle.  My cute rolling island in the kitchen has just become a catch-all for random crap.  The living room has piles of stuff everywhere.  Some piles are take-to-the-thrift-store piles, others are farmers market stuff I'm storing until the next week's market, and others are piles of Dan's work junk. I actually cleaned our closet the other day too, so it's looking okay, but I can't get over the godawful brown carpet in there and can't wait to rip it out and replace it with wood floors.  In the meantime I have rugs trying to hide it.  Sometimes my house does look like it does in my home decor posts, but not always.  Not the majority of the time.  I wish it did because it's so much more refreshing to come home to a house that is clean and looks nice, but that's just not the reality.
Don't let the fear of not being perfect keep you from trying the things you want to do.  I have to remind myself of this all the time.  Sometimes sucking at stuff can feel like a complete waste of time.  Like, dammit, I just spent 4 hours on that DIY I was going to post on the blog, now all that time is wasted!  Maybe so, but at least I know now that I did it wrong and the next time I try it might be a better technique. And even if it was a failed DIY, at least I was spending those hours creating and working with my hands, which, for me, feeds my soul.  
Some people are also just good at things naturally, but don't let that keep you from working for what you want.  Just because someone else has a natural talent for cooking doesn't mean you'll never be a great cook.  Just because someone is an amazing artist naturally doesn't mean you can never make a great craft project.  It might take longer.  It might not look amazing the first time.  That's okay.  Keep trying.  Keep working.  Keep sucking.  It'll come.



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Liz Morrow Liz Morrow

giving back

Umoja Women

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.

Umoja Women
Umoja Women

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.


Umoja Women
(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.
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Hi, I’m Liz

I'm an artist, writer, designer, DIY renovator, and … well basically I like to do all the things. If it’s creative I’m probably doing it. I’ve spent over 30 years voraciously pursuing a life steeped in creativity and I wholeheartedly believe creativity and joy are inextricably linked.
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