investing locally

I feel like a newb here in Tacoma, though I've lived here for about two and a half years.  Despite still feeling like I'm getting my footing in my new city, I find myself fiercely defending it and the people who make it great.  I felt the same way about Spokane when I lived there.  So many college folks transplanted from the Seattle area would complain about how lame Spokane was.  I still love Spokane and love hearing about the great things that people are doing to invest in the community and make Spokane a better place.  When people have a negative attitude about the place they live it never does anything except create a feedback loop of disappointment and dismissal.  Disappointment that the town isn't better, and then dismissal at any assertion that you should invest in the town because you don't want to invest in a "lame" place.  It's like cultural brain drain.  People with the means to make a real change want to leave and go to somewhere better and cooler, rather than investing in the community where they already live.  I saw it happen in Anchorage, with kids graduating from high school and wanting to "get outside" (aka: go to the lower 48).  
dress (similar) + top/courtesy of modcloth :: shoes/minnetonka :: jacket/lulu's bag/courtesy of rouge & whimsy :: necklace/courtesy of adorn by sarah lewis Not that it's always bad to leave a place.  It can be necessary to get out to gain a new perspective, and sometimes you really do need to leave to live the life you want to live.  But it's disappointing to me when people leave a place because of a cultural anorexia without ever doing anything to feed that local culture.  Tacoma, Spokane, Anchorage... they won't ever be New York City or even Seattle or Portland.  They have their own history and culture to offer.  Comparison is the thief of joy, they say, and while this is good advice for individual people, it's also sound advice for our local communities.  Tacoma isn't Seattle and we shouldn't try to be more like Seattle, we should try to be a better Tacoma.  The best Tacoma.  Instead of pining to be more like Portland, which is a great city in and of itself, we should shift our gaze to our own communities to see how we can invest here and now.  It can be hard and overwhelming, which it why I imagine so few people feel up for the task.  I myself feel ill equipped having lived here for only a couple years.  I feel like I lack the history and knowledge of this place that more long-term residents have.  But I realized that someday, assuming we stick around, I will be a long term resident and I'd better start investing in this place now if I want it to be better by the time I've lived here for a while.

new york sour

Spring this year has been awesome.  Last year at this time I was so over the dreary, wet weather and constantly dreaming about moving somewhere less yucky.  This year?  70 degrees in April?  Yes please and thank you.  The sunny weather has made me excited about concocting fun beverages, because what's better than basking in the sun with an ice cold cocktail?  Dan made me one of these the other day and I loved how pretty the wine looked floating on top so I decided to share the recipe.  A New York Sour is a pretty standard cocktail, so this isn't anything too crazy or special, just a nice, solid cocktail that looks super fancy.  The best part is that it's a rather simple and easy cocktail to make, so you won't have to be at the bar doing a bunch of crazy mixologist stuff while your friends enjoy their cocktails.


New York Sour

2 oz bourbon
3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz simple syrup
1/2 oz red wine

In a cocktail shaker 3/4 full of ice, add bourbon, lemon juice and simple syrup.  Shake until frosty. You can either strain into a chilled cocktail glass or a collins or rocks glass with ice.  Over a spoon, pour the wine onto the top of the drink.  This will keep the wine floating on top of the drink and give it that cool gradation, pretty fancy!  You'll probably want to mix the wine in before you drink it, just to mix the flavors, but it's fun to serve it with the wine floating on top.  You can garnish with a cherry and/or lemon/orange slice if you like!  I thought the wine float was fancy enough so I went sans-garnish.  And since I always get asked where the spiral paper straws are from, you can find them on Amazon in tons of different colors.

photos of me by Dan

remix archives // floral shirtdress

In the grand scheme of (blog) things, this is a pretty old piece in my closet.  Back when I first started my blog in 2008 and I was in the process of trying to figure out my style, shopping became a new experience.  I remember pretty distinctly going shopping one time and purchasing an outfit.  Like, a complete look.  Dress, top, shoes, maybe even tights, I can't recall.  This dress wasn't one of those items, but it was right during that time when I started to see shopping differently.  Instead of just buying a single item like, "oh that t-shirt is cool," I started thinking about how an item would function with the rest of my wardrobe.  What would I style it with?  Could it be worn in different ways?  I bought this dress from Ruche in '08, and it's still in my closet!  I find that I usually tend to wear it more in the autumn and winter months.  Something about the print is so autumnal to me, though Dan pointed out last time I wore it that it kind of looks like a Hawaiian print too.  It's a bit tight around my hips, so I wear it most frequently as top paired with a skirt.  I might try styling it as a dress again, though, because I kinda like that outfit where it's worn as a dress!  It's funny how going back through my old outfits can inspire me to try styling something in a way I haven't in years. 

shoemint giveaway!

Hi there guys!  Today I've got a giveaway for you from ShoeMint!  If you're not familiar with ShoeMint, it's pretty cool.  Rachel Bilson and stylist Nicole Chavez collaborated to create some fabulous shoe designs and then partnered up with Steve Madden to produce them!  They add tons of new styles on a monthly basis, which is dangerous for a shoe fanatic.  I've been watching Hart of Dixie lately and it's funny to see how Rachel Bilson's New York City girl character totally reflects the style of the shoes she and Nicole designed.  I keep wondering if I'm going to spy a pair of ShoeMint shoes in the show!  Anyway, on to the giveaway deets:

One winner will win 1 pair of shoes of their choice.  To enter, just go to Shoemint and sign up (completely free, no obligation to buy), browse around and then come back here and leave a comment on this post letting me know what your favorite pair of shoes is (and make sure to leave a way for me to get ahold of you as well)!  The giveaway is only open to those in the US and Canada and will be open for entries until 11:59 pm on Sunday, April 28th.

Not the winner,?  You can still get a deal on your favorite pair of shoes!  If it's your first time purchasing from ShoeMint, you can receive 20% off your first purchase, just click here!  And if you're not happy with your purchase, don't worry, ShoeMint offers free shipping and returns.

daffodil yellow

Oh baby.  We hit 70 degrees yesterday!  And today it's supposed to be 72!  Tights-free, at last.  I finally got my new bike all fixed up and I'm so excited to start riding.  It's the perfect shade of daffodil yellow. It's a lot heavier than my simple fixie, but it's kind of nice having a step-though frame, especially when riding in skirts and dresses.  No more finagling my leg over that top tube.  I'm glad the weather is warming up so I can break out my crop tops.  I had a mid-winter obsession with crop-tops, which was rather untimely, climate-wise.  Thankfully I'm still loving them and it's now an appropriate time of year to actually start wearing them.  



skirt/free people :: top/american eagle :: cardigan/thrifted :: flower crown/diy shoes/minnetonka :: necklace/courtesy of adorn by sarah lewis