my fitness routine // the results

I was really bad about taking before pictures when I started Insanity.  I took some in November, but they were mirror iPhone pictures taken at night, and weren't that great.  But I did want to see the difference in my body, and I figured since I do take daily pictures of myself, it would be relatively easy to find some before pictures.  I didn't plan this, but it turns out I took these pictures exactly one year apart!  So the "before" is actually a few months before I even started working out regularly, but still probably an accurate representation of my "before."  
I never felt overweight or anything, and that's not really why I started working out, but I definitely feel better, both in terms of my physical fitness, strength, and cardio, and also in how that's manifested in the way my body looks.  I feel more "me."  I was always a very active kid and teen, doing track & field, basketball, and riding horses.  And in college I really loved being able to take fitness classes regularly, such as pilates, weight training, ballet, and ice skating.  But after college, fitness wasn't something so easily accessed.  I started rock climbing, which does provide a good workout, but doing more regular, longer, intense workouts is something that I needed to return to the level of fitness that I had when I was in my teens/early 20's.  


For the most part, my body has always been relatively the same size and shape.  I haven't grown much since 8th grade.  So weight and tone fluctuations are really hard for me to perceive in my body.  I have swung between ~110lbs and 125lbs at different times since 8th grade, but since I don't weigh or measure myself consistently, it's not something I really paid that much attention to.  But seeing these photos I can definitely see a difference, and I see why taking before & after photos is so important when you're trying to make a change.  The day to day changes are almost imperceptible and you can start to feel discouraged when you don't see a big leap in fitness, ability, or body shape.  But just putting your head down and plowing through the work, and then taking the after photo, you definitely can see it!  I've never seen visible results before (okay, granted, I've never really stuck to a workout plan before either), so I'm pretty excited that I can actually see the work paying off!  And I'm seeing results in my strength through rock climbing too!

featured sponsor // for elyse

Happy weekend, everyone!  Today I've got Amber Kierig, owner and founder For Elyse, here talking a bit about summer style and what it's like to run a brick and mortar and online shop along side one another.  If you're in the Chico/Redding, CA area you can check out For Elyse in person at one of their boutiques, but if, like me, you are not, then check out their online shop!  They've got a ton of awesome summery pieces in stock right now, and with the temperatures climbing here in Tacoma, I'm eyeing all of those hot-weather-friendly items right now!  

Delightfully Tacky: So, what made you want to start a shop?

Amber Kierig: I've always loved fashion. When I was 16 I worked in a little clothing store in the mall. I got a second job in a thrift shop that sold cool vintage pieces that I mixed with new things from the boutique. I loved the people I worked with and I pretty much knew from 17 on that I wanted to have my own shop one day. At the time I thought it would be more vintage clothing but when I was 21 my husband and I traveled to Thailand and Nepal and met a lot of people in the textile industry. I had some designs that I wanted to have made and thats really how it all got started. We had the few styles of dresses I had sketched out made and from there I started selling them at music festivals. Soon I had saved enough to open a small boutique.

DT: How did you come up with the name "For Elyse"?

AK: Our first little boutique was called Wild Orchid, when we picked the name I didn't realize how many other businesses had the same name. When the opportunity presented itself to move to a more prime location, we decided we wanted the name to have more meaning. I wanted it to be more personal, so we named it after our daughter, Elyse.


DT: You have two brick and mortar shops in addition to the online For Elyse shop. How is running an online shop different than running a brick and mortar? Do you prefer one to the other?

AK: There are definitely pros and cons to both. I really enjoy running my brick and mortar shops. I love being able to interact with customers face to face and see them in the clothes. I loved seeing you in our skinnies! I have had my shop at the Chico location for over 11 years and the Redding location for almost 6, so at this point I feel like I've worked out most of the kinks. I look at it like I've made a recipe that works for us and everything runs pretty smoothly. We're well established in our community and people know who we are.

The website, on the other hand, is a younger project that we are still working really hard to have people discover. We have a wonderful team of photographers, models, copy writers, and bloggers that I learn something from everyday. So the website is definitely more work than the brick and mortars but I wouldn't want to have to pick one or the other.

DT: Do you have any plans in the future to expand, or have any fun projects in mind for For Elyse?

AK: Yes we are in the middle of planning a couple different fun projects right now. We are teaming up with the Rotary Club, putting on a fashion show to raise money for the Make a Wish Foundation. We are also working with the Humane Society to help place rescue dogs in good homes. I can't wait to see how that photo shoot comes out. I am a huge dog lover. As for future plans to expand, our main focus right now is making people aware of forelyse.com. After we accomplish that we may open a third shop but I like to keep my focus to one thing at a time;)


DT: What is your favorite thing about running a clothing boutique?

AK: My absolute favorite thing about my job is being a buyer. I love seeing whats coming out months in advance and anticipating what the new trends are going to be. I also love the relationships I have established with so many of my manufacturers.

DT: It's probably super summery in California by now, but what summer activities are you most looking forward to?

AK: Summer is definitely here! Really the best thing you can do to escape the heat is jump in the pool or go swimming down at the creek. We are too far inland to be able to hit the beach. I'm most looking forward to going on a summer road trip with my daughter. We decided to make it a tradition two summers ago. It's nice to be able to escape all the responsibilities of life and enjoy each others company for a week. Last year we made it all the way to Canada!

DT:  What is your favorite summer style to wear?

AK: That should be an easy questions but there are so many fun trends I like to wear! I would have to say a couple of my favorites are maxi skirts and dresses. I love throwing a chambray top or jean jacket over just about anything, whether it is paired with a maxi or shorts. They are essential pieces of my wardrobe. I also love layering my jewelry, lots of different types of bracelets, bangles and necklaces.

DT: What are your personal favorite items currently in stock at For Elyse?

AK: Currently my favorites are the Lovebird and the Very Striped Maxi Dresses or the Pales in Comparison Maxi Skirt. I like pairing them with the Breakfast Club Jean Jacket or the Blue Skies Chambray Top.

DT: Do you have any advice for someone who's looking to start a clothing boutique, or just want to work in the fashion industry?

AK: I have never been very a giving others advice but I can say that it needs to be something you really love doing. I do not think I would be as successful if it was a side job. My life literally revolves around my shops but I can't imagine doing anything else!

Thanks Amber!  You can check out and shop For Elyse here, and make sure to also check out their facebook, twitter, and pinterest!

beat the heat

Yesterday I decided that I was going to suck it up and start painting the living room.  All our house was the same color scheme when we moved in: light tan walls, with dark tan trim.  Bo-ring.  And surprisingly dark.  It took 2 coats of primer to cover what seemed like a relatively light colored paint!  I painted the kitchen a few months ago, but have been in the grips of indecision when it comes to what to do with the living room.  So I'm painting it white for now.  I want it to be lighter in there, and perhaps someday I'll choose to put a nice bold color on a wall or two, but for now it'll be nice to have a clean slate.  For now I'm hoping some bold curtains will bring in some nice big slates of color.  I got two options from Ikea to try out, so hopefully one of those two options will look good.  I still have to finish the last coat of paint first, but I'm almost impatient enough to say "screw it" to that second coat and just put up the curtains right now.  Also, having the living room look like a disaster area is obnoxious.  Patience, patience.  

 

dress(similar)/bcbg outlet :: shoes(similar)/courtesy of modcloth :: belt + scarf/thrifted  necklace/courtesy of peerless charm :: shades(similar)/courtesy of lulu's It's been super muggy here lately, so I've been keeping my hair off my neck all week.  It always looks so cloudy and cool outside, so I put on jeans and a cardigan, and then by the time I'm done biking to the coffee shop I'm literally dripping in sweat and feel like a hot mess.  Clearly I would not do well in the hot, humid south.  I'm much more adept at dealing with sub-zero temperatures than the humid heat.  The only redeeming thing about having to live in the south would be that my hair, strangely, does not seem to frizz out in the humid air.  Which makes no sense to me, because every other curly, big haired girl I know gets crazy big frizz when it's humid.  My hair defies the laws of nature, apparently.   I actually got this dress back in '07 when my family was RV-ing around the country while we were in the hot, humid south.  I was in desperate need of something to wear that would accomodate the climate, and being an Alaskan, didn't really have anything.  We stopped at an outlet mall and I found this dress in the BCBG outlet.  I didn't even know what BCBG was, I just knew this dress fit and it would be perfect for beating the heat.  Ever since then, it's my go-to hot weather dress.  A white sundress is kind of like summer's version of the LBD, right?

my summer entertaining fab wishlist!

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9

One of the big things that I'm super excited about for this summer is outdoor entertaining!  While we had a pretty big yard at our old place, it wasn't very entertaining friendly.  We've already had a couple parties at the new house and it's so great!  I'm hoping for many summer parties in the backyard.  We're still a long way from having our yard the way I want it to be, so window shopping is always a fun way to find inspiration.  Fab is a great place to find such inspiration because they're always rotating in new curated items that are unique.  For our backyard, I'd love to have a permanent seating area for outdoors.
Right now we just drag our kitchen table chairs outside, which is a drag, and then if people want to sit at the table indoors, they're kind of out of luck.  We've got a little fire pit, so having seating set up around that would be ideal.  I don't know if I'm the only one hung up on the idea of a rug outdoors, but I think that idea is so fun.  Instead of having a fancy brick patio, just put an indoor/outdoor rug down and voila!  Instant fanciness.  Also, non-breakable tumblers for outdoor beverage consumption?  Brilliant. Bonus that they are wood!  I've never seen such a thing!  Dan's big into beer, and is brewing a lot of homebrews this summer, so it'd be fun to throw some beer tasting parties, and a little beer flight set up would be perfect.  I'm pretty excited about summer, especially because us Pacific Northwesterners try to soak it up as much as possible before the clouds roll on in again and stick around for months.

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

candid thoughts on bloggers' "perfect" lives

A while ago Abi, from Vanilla and Lace, posted this on instagram:

If anyone has ever looked at my Instagram and thought I must live a perfectly beautiful life I just wanted to set you straight. For example: what this photo from saturday doesn't show is that I've cried 3 times today, I'm still in gym clothes and no make-up at almost 5pm, I've argued with my husband, I've spent the whole day cleaning my house and my kitchen is still a disaster and I'm so behind on my store work I dread even looking at my to-do list. I don't write this to complain, I'm actually extremely blessed, but just want to be open and give you a realistic view of what a day can look like for me. I struggle with comparison a ton and we all need a little reminder from time to time.

...and I was reminded how weird the internet is, from the outside looking in.  Like... it's weird to me that we have to clarify that our lives aren't perfect.  I suppose it can become hard to see that, when we're bombarded with beautiful photos of fun parties, macarons, fancy cocktails, pretty dresses, and craft projects that always turn out wonderfully.  But in reality you don't know a single person with a perfect life, so why does the internet make you think that such a person exists?  Even celebrities are going to rehab and waking up on the wrong side of the bed and getting speeding tickets.  We all know that.

In a piece titled "Please continue instagramming your awesome life" the author rebuts an article written a while ago called "Please stop instagramming your perfect life."  I really appreciated the perspective he brings to the issue.

Say your friend Joe Penacoli has just posted another Instagram photo of a before-work ski run, after-work mountain bike ride, or sunset hike. Is your reaction: 

a) “Joe is always doing something cool. I hate that guy!”
b) double-tapping the photo, causing a heart to pop up on your screen 

If you said a), let me ask you this: If you were having coffee with Joe and he was telling you about his recent vacation, would you listen, nod and become jealous of him and think about how you disliked Joe because he made you feel bad that you hadn’t taken a vacation recently? Or would you listen and say, “Joe, that sounds really great,” and be happy for your friend Joe?

 
 
 
When we "hate" someone for having a perfect looking life, it's not that person's fault for sharing inspiring images, or pictures of fun times their happening.  Hi, I'm not going to instagram my migranes or my cry-hangover puffy red face, because ew.  That doesn't mean those things don't happen. Of course those things happen because I'm a real person and you're a real person and so is everyone else. I personally do like talking about real life here on the blog, the ups and downs and ins and outs.  But being positive and sharing the awesome parts of life isn't a reason to hate a person.  And disliking a person sharing happy times speaks more to the jealousy in ones' own heart than to the sharer's life's perfection.  Jealousy is an ugly thing and a short-cut to hate, every time.  Instead of choosing to hate someone's "perfect" life, why not turn that envy on it's head and choose to live your life the way you want to live it?  Instead of hating someone who is living your dream, why not go out and chase that dream?  But recognize that chasing your dreams and seeking the life you've always wanted won't mean you don't have shitty days.


I was talking to my best friend the other day, sort of about this.  But more about real life, not just perceived online perfection.  About how loneliness can be overwhelming at time.  About feeling inadequate and unappreciated.  Just real stuff that real human beings deal with daily.  She mentioned something about how lots of people appreciate me, because I have a blog with lots of readers.  It's not real though.  This blog isn't real, not in the same way that my relationship with her, or Dan, or my family is.  I try to make this space as honest of a reflection of myself and my values and interests and character as I can, but it's still only a dim version of real me living in a physical space interacting with other people face to face.  And I can have online relationships that are meaningful, but for the most part my online conversations are no more than surface level, and while deeply appreciated, no amount of, "I love that dress!  You look so cute in this outfit" comments can replace a remark from someone who knows you deeply and can give you a compliment that feeds your soul, at precisely the time you needed to hear it.  Someone who knows your struggles and has felt you cry.


I don't mean to be dismissive of online comments and social media interactions.  I think they can be incredibly meaningful and deep, sometimes just as much as IRL ones.  I have an email folder full of deeply moving emails from readers, and I absolutely love reading about your experiences that you've shared in the comments.  And even "cute dress!" comments are lovely, because we're sharing an experience, even if it's just liking the same dress.  It's human connection, even if it's ever so slight, and across the comments section of a blog.

Bloggers aren't perfect.  Nobody is.  Some people look more "perfect" than others, sometimes on purpose, sometimes not.  Some work hard to put together an appearance of having it all together.  Some choose only to share positivity, which can have the effect of making a person look like they have a perfect life.  But before you harbor jealousy, envy, and even hate in your own heart towards a person you perceive to have a perfect life, remember that they are a human being just like you.  And of course they don't have a perfect life, because obviously.  We're all human beings struggling to do the best we can do, let's love each other and support one another through that struggle.  Because no matter how awesome your life is (and if it truly is awesome, BOOYAH.  Good for you.  Enjoy those wonderful moments), you will struggle, and so will I.  And we need each other to lean on in those struggles.  I think blogging can be a great place to find kindred spirits and encouraging souls.  Every time I post about something difficult I've been through, so many people having gone through something similar comment sharing their experience.  We feel less alone in our struggles and it makes them a bit easier knowing that others have been through the same thing and have made it to the other side, alive.

top photo by Willow's Photography