eighty sixed

If you follow any PNW bloggers you're probably tired of hearing about the mindblowingly awesome weather we've been having this week.  But PEOPLE.  This is kind of a big deal.  I'm soaking it in as much as possible just in case it goes away and never comes back.  86 degrees in May?  Where even am I right now? 
The farmer's market nearby opened up today and we took a sunny, pleasant walk down to browse around and ended up grabbing some fresh asparagus and a delicious little bite of artichoke focaccia bread.  I could probably definitely eat a whole loaf on my own.  Our CSA share starts in June and I'm excited to supplement that with weekly trips to the farmers market. I have a rear rack on my bike that I'm gonna put a basket on so I can carry home all my fresh produce.  Hopefully in a few months my garden will start producing food too!  I had a bunch of strawberries that I had to move out of the way to install one of my raised beds, and I transplanted them to one of the raised beds and they are not happy.  I hope they survive!  They are totally wilty and sad looking.  I'm crossing my fingers that they're just shell shocked from being dug up and replanted and will bounce back soon.  This is my first year doing a veggie garden so I'm sure I'll learn a lot and probably kill a bunch of things.  It's a learning experience.  Eventually I want to build a few more bigger beds but maybe for this year I'll keep it just my three small beds.  It's so magical to plant a seed and see a little sprout push its way out of the dirt a week later.  



dress + shoes/courtesy of modcloth :: purse (similar)/courtesy of handbag heaven turquoise necklace/courtesy of peerless charm :: shades/vintage pink necklace/courtesy of lisa leonard :: belt/thrifted :: photos by Dan

Q + A // style on a budget

Shopping on a budget has always been important to me, mainly because I'd much rather spend my money on other things.  I can't justify spending $500 on a pair of shoes because I think about all the things I'd much rather have for $500 than one pair of shoes.  A whole new steering column for my El Camino!  Curtains for my entire living room! Gas for a big Winne trip!  So I like to keep my clothing costs as minimal as possible in order to spend elsewhere. Hit the thrift shops With the exception of sponsored items, most of the clothes in my closet are from thrift stores.  One of the reasons I started thrifting in high school was that I lived in a town where there weren't a lot of places to shop so it wasn't odd to see someone else at school wearing your same top which is like totes embarrassing in high school, amirite? So I started thrifting because I figured it would be easier to find unique items and I was a huge fan of wearing little boys' tee shirts, which were super easy to thrift.  Once I started moving away from little boys' tees and jeans and began developing my style I found that thrift shopping was an easy way to try out new styles without breaking the bank.  I could try out maxi skirts or sheer tops too see if I liked them, and I didn't have to feel bad if it turned out they weren't for me because I'd only spent a couple bucks.  Plus I could always donate them right back to the thrift store!  I still love thrifting because of the unique items that can be found.  Plus, fashion is such a cyclical beast that some of the current trends are just recycled trends from decades ago, so you can sometimes find some pretty on-trend items that are actually just some old lady's donation!
Something to keep in mind when thrifting is to see things with their potential in mind.  Maybe you found a skirt with a great print, but it's full length and kind of matronly.  It's really easy to hem that skirt up to a more youthful length!  Did you find a dress that is just a bit loose?  It could be really simple to take it in just a bit to make it fit perfectly!  And make sure to shop the whole store, not just your size, your gender, or even your age (I've found some awesome dresses in the little girls' section!).  
Since you might not find everything you're looking for on one thrifting trip, keep a running list of certain items you're looking for.  I have a list on my phone that I update and check every time I go thrifting.  You might not find that lace top you've been coveting the first few times you go thrifting, but keep it on your list and keep looking each time!  I do this with items I know I can find thrifting (though I might have to go a few times before finding it).  If I know I can find something at the thrift store I won't go to a regular store to buy it, as a general rule.
Find some of my Tips for Thrifting here!
Buy with remixing in mind Whenever I buy something, I like to be able to envision myself wearing it multiple ways.  That way I know I'll get my money's worth out of it.  Think of this especially with some items that are a bit more pricey: what will your cost per wear be?  If it's $70 and you wear it only twice, that item cost $35 per wear.  But if you wear it 10 times, it only cost you $7 per wear!  So save your pennies for an item that you know you'll wear multiple times.  I love doing remix archives posts because I think it's really important to look at clothes with their remix potential in mind.  Not only does this keep you creative, but it saves you money because instead of constantly shopping at stores, you shop your own closet, constantly re-imagining items you already own.
 

 
 
Shop at discount and outlet stores Places like TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and Ross almost always have really cute clothes that are new, current and pretty trendy. It will probably be easier to find something you like that's in your size because they'll have multiple sizes of the same item, rather than the thrift store where each item is unique and something might be awesome but not in your size.  

Spend the big bucks on classics Things I know I'll wear lots of times are items that will have to be a bit higher quality so they're not threadbare by the end of the season.  Winter coats are one of those items.  I still try to save money by finding winter coats at the thrift store, but a good winter coat will last multiple winters, so I feel more comfortable spending a bit more on something like that, rather than a cute summer top that I may or may not want to wear next year.  The coat below is one of the more expensive items I own, but it's so high quality and awesome that I'll be wearing it for years to come!


Browse Etsy and blogger closet shops Etsy can be a great resource for vintage clothing as well as independent clothing designers.  While independent designer items will likely be a bit more expensive than most of the vintage on etsy, I love knowing that my money is going straight to an independent creative entrepreneur doing what they love. A couple of my favorite indie designers are The Velvet Bird and Vanilla and Lace.  You can also find some cute clothes by browsing bloggers' shop-my-closet shops.  I know that Tieka, Kaelah, and myself all keep online shops selling items from our closets that we no longer wear.  There are tons more bloggers that do this, so if you're one of them you should share the link in the comments!  I also know that bloggers sometimes do instagram sales, so keep you eyes peeled for those too!
Host a clothing swap with friends Swapping clothes can be a great way to not only get rid of items you no longer wear, but also pick up some new items as well!  Plus, it's a fun way to get together with friends.  Typically everyone brings a few items and everyone puts them on a table or hangs them on a rolling rack and then you go through and pick out the items you want out of the items that everyone else brought.  For this to work, you should typically have people bring some cuter items (like, not old ratty t-shirts).  Have people bring stuff that is still cute but no longer fits them or they simply no longer wear.  At the end of the night you can either have people take back the items that no one picked up, or you can just donate everything to a thrift store!  If you're doing a huge clothing swap it can be helpful to have a rule that everyone can only bring 2-3 items and can only take 2-3 items.  A few years ago I started the Delightful Dozen, a group of bloggers who swapped clothing across the country.  It was really fun to swap clothes and see how other girls styled my items, because when they made their way back to my closet I'd have a ton of new ideas on how to style them!
 
 

remix archives // neon cardi

This is another piece that has been in my closet for quite a few years.  It's just a simple little cardigan from Gap, but I love the bright punch of color it adds to an outfit.  Here in the PNW cardigans are that perfect layer for cool summer evenings, especially if you plan on biking.  It can get a bit chilly!  And while it's a very spring/summer friendly color, I find that I wear it in any season.  Sometimes a bright color in the middle of a grey winter is just what you need.
Do you guys have items in your closet that go through phases?  There are periods of time where I just wear one item non stop then for months, maybe years, I don't wear it at all.  And then I'll randomly pull it out and love wearing it again and then it's back on the main rotation.  This is why I have a hard time getting rid of things.  I look at something and while I know I don't wear it often, or haven worn it in a while, but maybe it just hasn't come around again!  I can't get rid of it, what if I want to wear it again someday?  I try to overcome this in order to keep my closet from getting full of things I actually do know I probably won't wear again due to my style shifting and changing, but still there are some items I just can't bear to part with.






 

black tea cake with lemon buttercream frosting + blackberry lime jam

You know how sometimes you get an idea in your head and regardless of how silly it is, you just gotta do it?  I got the idea in my head the other day to bake a cake, and so even though I don't need a cake for any reason, I decided to bake one.  Sometimes baking is just so therapeutic.  You make a total mess, get to taste-test sugary goodness, watch silly tv shows as you bake, and at the end you have a (hopefully) yummy result.  Plus, I make such a huge mess when I bake that I have to clean the kitchen afterward, which means I get cake and a clean kitchen.  Of course, now I have a cake in my fridge and no one to eat it.  Our neighbors brought over cookies for us when we were siding the house, and last week they brought Dan some barbecued chicken legs while he was working on the house.  So I'm thinking I should take a couple generous slices of cake over to see if they'd like some.  



The cake and blackberry lime jam recipes can be found here.  I didn't have any black tea on hand, so I used some Republic of Tea Ginger Peach Green Tea instead.  I'd love to try this with some Earl Grey black tea, though.  I didn't have the frosting ingredients for the Honey Whipped Cream used at the original cake recipe, so I decided on a simple buttercream frosting, but with a zesty lemon kick.  I figured the lemon would pair well with the blackberry lime jam.  Ugh, it's SO good.  Frosting is usually too rich for me, so the citrus lightens it up enough for me to really enjoy it fully.  And fully is an understatement.  And speaking of frosting... let's just say that this is the "rustic" method of frosting a cake.  That's just fancy-speak for "messy."
Lemon Buttercream Frosting: 1/2 cup  (1 stick) of butter softened 1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp lemon zest  1/4 cup of milk 3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice

1. Mix together the butter, lemon zest and vanilla, mixing until smooth and free from lumps.
2. Alternate adding the confectioners sugar by the 1/2 cup and the milk as you continue mixing.
3. Once all the sugar and milk has been added, cream for two minutes and then add the lemon juice.

coffeeshop days

Since having a working bike again I've been enjoying getting out to coffee shops to work instead of staying at home.  We live far enough away from our favorite shops that walking would take too long and driving just seems excessive.  Plus, with all the nice weather lately taking a ride through the breeze with the sun on my skin feels so great.  It's supposed to be in the 80's this weekend and I'm dreaming about basking in the sun in a bikini with a cool drink in hand.  Last year we had a weekend of 80 degree weather in May, but I had flown up to Anchorage to attend my little brother's high school graduation, so I missed it!  We didn't have nice weather in Tacoma again until July.  People always say summers in the PNW are unbeatable, and I'm inclined to agree.  

dress/courtesy of nectar :: shoes (similar)/courtesy of modcloth :: belt/thrifted bag (similar)/courtesy of handbag heaven headband/just lovely things :: jacket (similar)/lulu's
These shoes are my absolute favorite summer shoes.  I got them back in 2010 and wear them to death every summer.  They started getting a bit frayed last summer so when I pulled them out yesterday I had to superglue them back together.  Hopefully with a bit of repair they'll last through this summer!  I love wedges for summer because they're easy to wear while pedaling a bike.  I even decided to paint my toenails to match the shoes.  I don't paint my fingernails anymore because they get ruined in a matter of days or hours due to rock climbing.  Plus, I have to keep them short to climb, so they look like little boy fingernails anyway, not really worthy of taking the time to paint.  Maybe someday if we stop climbing I'll grow them out and have pretty nails again, but for now my third-grade-boy-nails prevail.
Oh, and before I forget, I'm participating in Vanity Fair's Best Dressed Challenge, so if you feel inclined to check it out and vote (or participate as well!), click here!