Liz Morrow 7/16/14 Liz Morrow 7/16/14

bright idea

think if you could somehow get an overview of every PNW resident in this moment they'd be screaming a collective Alderaan-esque cry of, "auuughhh, it's hoooooottttttt." It's strange because last summer when I was in Austin for the Texas Style Council conference it was 104ºF in Austin and while I remember that it was indeed hot, I don't remember it being anywhere near as oppressively uncomfortable as it's been here in Tacoma the past week. I feel like a dumb PNW person who cries about how cloudy and grey it is all winter and then whines about how hot it is all summer, but I'm telling you, ask anyone. It's been cray. I think the main problem is the lack of air conditioned spaces. Our A/C broke on our car about two months ago, which wasn't a problem at the time, but holy whoa is it a problem now. I may look breezy and carefree in these photos but I was wiping sweat off my face and panting like a dog between photos.

top/courtesy of modcloth :: skirt (dress)/courtesy of lulu's necklace/francesca's collection :: glasses/courtesy of bonlook :: belt/thrifted bag/courtesy of rouge & whimsy :: shoes (similar)/courtesy of blowfish I've been putting myself solidly outside of my comfort zone lately. It's funny to be in a place where I know now that the anxiety will eventually fade and my comfort zone will expand to where I've stepped out of it. It doesn't make the stress or anxiety any more comfortable, but it puts things in perspective. To know that soon the things that are stressful or strange will be natural and familiar. It's a bit odd, really, and very cool. For now I'm stuck waiting for myself to grow. I'm trying to remind myself that the learning isn't always pretty and it's pretty dumb to expect to be amazing at a thing the first (dozen...or hundred) times I do it, but it's in the doing it that the learning happens. Just... take a deep breath and dive in.

Liz Morrow 7/16/14 Liz Morrow 7/16/14

local focus

'm realizing in the last couple months how important it is to interact and connect with women who inspire me. Not just passively online, stalking inspiring people, but making real connections and having in-person conversations with those people. It gives me a jolt of energy and I feel my focus dial in. Having spent years being passively inspired by folks online, I've noticed it's definitely something different to have people who inspire me in my close vicinity who I can meet up with and bounce ideas off of. Online is great, but I'm often just left inspired, but without any sense of direction or focus. For some reason I just feel more scattered with online inspiration. I guess it could be because it's impersonal inspiration. Just general awesomeness, but the awesomeness doesn't know you, it doesn't talk back to you and say, "hey, you're great at this thing, have you thought of doing such and such?" It hasn't met you and assessed your strengths and weaknesses. This isn't to say that the internet's general awesomeness inspiration is bad, but the more I hang out with inspiring women in my local community, the more I feel focused.

dress/courtesy of mata traders :: heels/courtesy of modcloth :: flower crown/handmade necklaces/courtesy of adorn by sarah lewis :: ring + bracelets/thrifted It's easy to get lulled into the internet's siren song of endless, mindless inspiration. There are just so many amazing people out there doing awesome stuff. And that's great, but I'm learning that it doesn't always serve me well. The internet often makes me into a passive consumer, rather than an active creator and I ache to be the latter. The former leaves me feeling a little lethargic and, ironically, uninspired. I think there's a balance to be found between internet inspiration and IRL meetings with inspiring women, and I'm seeking it. My introversion often leaves me out of balance towards the internet end of things and it takes an active effort to seek the IRL, but it's something I'm trying to make a priority. I feel like this is why everyone feels so infused with focus after going to blogger meet ups or conferences. You get to physically hang out with women who are inspiring, go to workshops and speakers, and learn, and when you go home you're full of ideas and action plans in a way that you really never get from online classes, or at least I haven't. There's something to be said about the energy and vibe that other people give off in person, and it's something that the internet just has a hard time capturing and delivering. I've been blogging for six years and it's often been too easy to get sucked into the endless scrolling of internet inspiration, going everywhere and nowhere simultaneously. At the beginning of the year I decided my word for the year would be "honest" or "genuine", but I think I'd like to shift that to "local focus." Not because I want the blog to focus on local issues or local stuff (though I do love Tacoma and think there are awesome things happening here), but because the only way I'll move forward and find the focus I need to do what I want, is to make those local relationships with people I can sit across from, over a cup of coffee, and talk.

Liz Morrow 7/14/14 Liz Morrow 7/14/14

5 ways to style a headband

arlier this month Salvage and Stone asked me if I'd be interested in styling some of their headbands, and I thought it'd be a fun opportunity to come up with a few different ways to wear a headband! Since my hair is curly, all of these styles are done with curly hair, but you can definitely still work them with straight hair, or you can curl your hair prior to styling if you want a similar look but have straight hair.
You can find the two headbands I'm wearing in this post here and here! THE HALF WRAP

This is a super quick and easy style. With your hair down, just pull the headband down over your hair and then tuck half your hair into the headband, leaving the bottom half down. Pull the hair at your crown slightly out of the headband to give it more volume. For a full version of this, where you wrap all your hair into the headband, click here! I left some hair out in the front, but you can also try wrapping you hair all the way from the front to the back.

THE EXTRA-LONG PONY

You may have seen this extra-long pony trick bopping around the interwebs. Separate your hair into two parts, top and bottom. Make a half pony with the top half, clip it out of the way, and then pull the bottom half into a low pony, and then let the top half out of the clip. Pull your headband over and you're done! You might have to play around with the ponies to get them to integrate. It's a fun way to make your hair look super long!

THE SIDE FLIP

For this style, take a very deep side part, all the way to your ear, and flip your hair over to one side. Pull the headband over your hair. You can leave your hair out, like I have here, or you can do a side pony or side braid with this style!

THE BARDOT BUMP

Pull your hair into a half pony and clip it up. Pull the headband on over the hair you've clipped up, then release the clip. To get extra bump volume, tease the hair at your crown. Done!

THE CLIP BOUFFANT

Pull the headband over all your hair. Take your hair in a pony and get some volume in the top (you might need to tease your hair to get the desired volume). Take the end of the pony and twist it into a french twist-esque style and then clip the hair to secure. Use bobby pins to secure any wonky spots or stray hairs.

Liz Morrow 7/11/14 Liz Morrow 7/11/14

ice cream social

So that ice cream shop I talked about last post? Yup, this is the one. If you're in the Tacoma area and you haven't had a scoop of Ice Cream Social, you need to get down there asap. They make each batch of ice cream fresh without using artificial stabilizers, preservatives, or ingredients, and source their ingredients from reputable, local sources as often as possible. It makes for incredible ice cream, let me tell you. When we were there to get this cone the other day at like 8pm there was a line out the door! It's so exciting and refreshing to see local businesses committed to making an amazing product and having the community response in such an awesome, supportive way! This red wall is right outside of Ice Cream Social's scoop shop and after looking at the photos I realized it reminds me so much of my days taking outfit photos in front of our old red garage door! It's crazy to think that that was five years ago. Back when my hair was real long, black, and I had bangs. I've actually been thinking of going back to all three of those things sometime soon, well, at least in the next year. It's funny how much has happened since I stood in front of that red garage door. Jobs, Winnebagos, Hair Colors, Weddings, Corgis. Five years from now I'll be 32 (holy moly) and who knows what will have transpired in those years. I want it to be wild. I remember for pretty much every year of my life I would look back to one year prior and think that there's no way I would've imagined that I would be where I was. This year is one of the first ones that hasn't been that way. I remember yearning to settle somewhere. Since moving to college I'd changed living spaces at least two times a year and after the Winne trip I was longing to put down some roots and stay in the same space for at least two years. This November will mark two years in our current home. Roots are nice and stability is comfortable, but in some ways stability has felt a little foreign and stifling. I was used to doing whatever I wanted, going wherever I wanted, and there wasn't much keeping me from pursuing whims and wanderlust. I know there has to be a middle ground somewhere, so maybe the next five years will be learning to find that balance between roots and feathers.

dress(similar) + shoes + top(altered)/courtesy of modcloth necklace(similar)/francesca's collection :: purse/courtesy of minnetonka shades(similar)/courtesy of lulu's :: ring(similar)/thrifted :: photos by Dan

Liz Morrow 7/10/14 Liz Morrow 7/10/14

ginger banana smoothie

Soooo, an amazing local ice cream shop opened up down the street from us, right next door to one of our favorite pubs. I've eaten ice cream three times this week and went to the pub probably four or five times. Needless to say, I'm feeling like I should probably hop back on the healthy train soon. One of my favorite healthy snacks is the smoothie. I'm pretty much incapable of drinking a smoothie without chugging it. I just suck them down and the next thing I know I have a brain freeze and no more smoothie. I love smoothies all year, but a cold smoothie in the summer heat is pretty much unparalleled. Tacoma's been getting some serious summer temps lately, so all I want are smoothies all day every day. Basically I just play the game of, "hey what's in my fridge/freezer that I can combine in a blender that will hopefully taste good and at least not disgusting so I can chug a cold beverage." Usually it works out pretty well.
I have some leftover ginger in my freezer from a recipe I made a couple weeks ago, so I've been throwing a bit of ginger in my smoothies lately and I really love it! It gives them a nice subtle zing, but I'm also a bit obsessed with ginger. I always want ginger everything. Ginger beer, whiskey ginger, ginger ice cream. I recently discovered Crabbie's alcoholic ginger beer and it's kind of my everything. If someone could ship me a pallet of Crabbie's for the summer, that'd be great. I digress. Oh right, I was talking about healthy drinks...

What you'll need: 1/2 cup mango chunks, frozen
1 cup milk (or almond/soy milk)
1.5 bananas, frozen
1/4 pear
3/4 tsp ginger, frozen and grated

makes one 16oz smoothie
Place everything in a blender and blend until smooth. enjoy!

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.
Read more…

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Featured

Women's Work Wayzgoose 2026 Steamroller Print

$350.00

Lino relief print created during the 2026 Wayzgoose Steamroller Print event in Tacoma. Each print was pressed using a 1.5 ton steamroller. See the entire process here!

The Wayzgoose theme this year was Tacoma Works, a celebration of the labor history of Tacoma, labor solidarity, Tacoma industry, and what work in Tacoma looks like.

As I thought about the theme, I realized I wanted to highlight the unpaid labor that women do, all the work that doesn't get acknowledged as “real work" and goes uncompensated but quietly forms the backbone of society. Care work, cooking and cleaning, household management, pregnancy and child rearing, carrying the emotional and mental load, etc.

I wanted to use the imagery of a quilt because this devaluing of "women's work" has extended into the art world by deeming mediums historically associated with women as merely "craft" - lots of fiber art, quilting, embroidery: highly skilled and artistically incredible work that wasn't considered "fine art."

Women's work is the thread that stitches everything together. It's the thread that goes unnoticed and under appreciated, but without it, everything would fall apart.

When I say “women’s work” I don’t mean that only women engage in these types of work, but historically these types of unpaid labor have fallen vastly upon women. I also don’t mean that women don’t or haven’t engaged in paid labor and industry throughout Tacoma’s history, they obviously have. To me, “women’s work” is the phrase that embodies how we devalue certain types of labor typically associated with women, and can extend into forms of paid labor— why is it that teachers are so underpaid in our society? Could it have anything to do with teaching having been a workforce of primarily women historically?

So when we talk about women’s work we’re talking about things like care work, elder care, feeding a family, procuring groceries, household management, keeping a home clean and stocked, rearing children, pregnancy, birthing and breastfeeding, emotional labor, mental load, community building and organizing. Without these forms of “women’s work” our society would unravel.

Women's work is work. The labor and industry history in Tacoma could not have happened without the women in the background supporting it all with the work they did that wasn't considered real work.

Tacoma Works because Women Work.

—

Due to the nature of printing outdoors, on the ground, with a steam roller, there are variations and slight imperfections from print to print.

Prints ship rolled in a cardboard tube.
Local pickup is in Central Tacoma.

Paper size: 30.5 x 44 in
Print size: 24 x 36 in

Sold out

Mutual Relief Print

$65.00

Hand-pressed original linoleum block print.

When we live mutually we support one another, live in community, love one another.

—

✸ Handprinted on an etching press with archival inks
✸ Linoleum Relief Print
✸ 12×18"
✸ Signed, edition of 15
✸ Ships flat

Due to the handmade nature of these prints, there is some slight variation between each individual print.

Sold out

Talix̂tas Relief Print

$70.00

Hand-pressed original linoleum block print.

Unangax̂ dancing has seen a beautiful revitalization in the past few decades, and this piece is dedicated to the dancers who spent their lives reawakening Unangax̂ dancing, and to the dancers in the coming generations who will carry it forward.

50% of the proceeds of this print go towards disaster relief for the devastation Western Alaska is experiencing from the impact of typhoon Halong.

—

✸ Handprinted on an etching press with archival inks on Arnhem Warm White 245gsm (100% Cotton Rag, Acid Free)
✸ Linoleum Relief Print
✸ 14×20"
✸ Signed, edition of 50
✸ Ships flat

Due to the handmade nature of these prints, there is some slight variation between each individual print.

Sold out

Flock Together Relief Print

$70.00

Hand-pressed original linoleum block print.

On the last day of my artist residency in Sitka, my kiddo’s homesickness hit its peak. We’d been away from home for almost a month and they didn’t want me to leave that morning to go to the museum. So I invited them to come with me and told them I’d draw them a goose— sometimes I call them “goose” which I think was initially a shortening of “silly goose” but now I just use Goose.

This print came out of that drawing. Two hugging geese— mom and child, lovers, friends. For me, this is a depiction of me and Jack, but for you? Who is your goose who needs a hug that feels like home?

—

✸ Handprinted on an etching press with archival inks
✸ Linoleum Relief Print
✸ 12×18"
✸ Signed, edition of 25
✸ Ships flat

Due to the handmade nature of these prints, there is some slight variation between each individual print.

Sold out

Fucus Distichus Relief Print

$30.00

Hand pressed original linoleum block print.

Inspired by the beautiful seaweed teeming on the shores of Sitka Sound.

✸ Handprinted on a lever press with archival inks on Arnhem Stonehenge Warm White 245gsm (100% Cotton Rag, Acid Free)
✸ Linoleum Relief Print
✸ 6×8"
✸ Signed, edition of 50
✸ Ships flat

Due to the handmade nature of these prints, there is some slight variation between each individual print.

Sold out

Kith Relief Print

$65.00

Hand-pressed original linoleum block print.

We are not separate from nature, we are a part of it, despite the capitalist and religious values that have convinced many that we are set on earth to dominate, extract, and conquer her. We are one part of the circle.

—

✸ Handprinted on an etching press with archival inks on Arnhem Warm White 245gsm (100% Cotton Rag, Acid Free)
✸ Linoleum Relief Print
✸ 16×16"
✸ Signed, edition of 20
✸ Ships flat

Due to the handmade nature of these prints, there is some slight variation between each individual print.

Sold out

Sea Kin Giclée Print

from $17.00

Giclée print reproduction of the original linoleum relief print. This is not an original relief print. Because size and pricing can be prohibitive on a larger print such as the original print, I wanted to offer a reproduction giclée version in a couple sizes slightly smaller than the original.

You can see the original steamroller print here.

—

This print was inspired by a dream I had shortly before leaving for Sitka. In the dream I swam all the way from Tacoma to Sitka, then upon arriving in Sitka I was out on a spit of land across the water from town and a huge tsunami wave tossed me into the sea. I was tumbling underwater, the ocean was opaque from the wave kicking up silt, and I realized I couldn’t tell up from down to find the surface and was going to drown, alone beneath the waves. I woke up in a start— it was one of those almost-too-real dreams that had you wake with your heart racing. Later that day I was ruminating on the dream and realized that while I felt alone underwater because I couldn’t see anything, I wasn’t actually alone. I was surrounded by kin: Salmon guiding me to the headwaters of a stream, kelp growing towards upwards to guide me to the surface, seals who could pull me along.

I spent the first week of my residency carving the linoleum, then we got our steamroller rental delivered and printed! The steamroller was a little smaller than the ones we use for Wayzgoose so I wasn’t sure if it would be heavy enough, but it worked perfectly and we ended up with nine prints. So many people came out to watch and it was such a blast getting to do another steamroller print!

—

Prints ship rolled in a cardboard tube.

Sizes available:

12×18 and 16x24 in.

What is a giclée print?

Giclée printing (pronounced zhee-clay) is a type of inkjet printing, but not all inkjet prints are giclée prints. The intention of giclée printing is to produce a product at a higher quality and with a longer lifespan than a standard desktop inkjet printer. For a giclée print, the paper must be of archival quality. The biggest difference between a standard inkjet print and a giclee print is that giclées are printed using pigment-based inks rather than dye-based inks that are found in lower-cost inkjets. Pigment-based inks have a longer lifespan: they can last anywhere from 100 - 200 years without significant fading.

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Sitka Swirls Relief Print

$45.00

Hand pressed original linoleum block print.

Inspired by the beautiful kelp teeming in the waters of Sitka Sound.

✸ Handprinted on a lever press with archival inks on Arnhem Stonehenge Warm White 245gsm (100% Cotton Rag, Acid Free)
✸ Linoleum Relief Print
✸ 8×10"
✸ Signed, edition of 100
✸ Ships flat

Due to the handmade nature of these prints, there is some slight variation between each individual print.

Sold out

Haanux̂ Lessons Relief Print

$55.00

Hand-pressed original linoleum block print.

The sockeye salmon—Haanux̂—is the ubiquitous presence in the Alaska Native subsistence life. My family has spent generations harvesting haanux̂ from the icy waters of Bristol Bay, and wrote this poem while reflecting on the wisdom of a salmon’s instincts. A salmon lesson.

I know when to swim
upstream
pushing through
the current
called by an invisible
siren
home

and I know
when to let my body
be carried by the waves
weightless
and effortlessly
gliding

—

✸ Handprinted on an etching press with archival inks on Legion Stonehenge White 250gsm (100% Cotton Rag, Acid Free)
✸ Linoleum Relief Print
✸ 11×14"
✸ Signed, open edition
✸ Ships flat

Due to the handmade nature of these prints, there is some slight variation between each individual print.

Sold out

Qanglaaĝix̂ Relief Print

$55.00

Hand-pressed original linoleum block print.

The raven is a creature of myth and magic, mischief and majesty. These talkative and playful corvids punctuate my time spent in Alaska, croaking to one another as I pad through moss-filled ancient forests. This print connects the Raven to her habitat— Kelp strewn on rocky southeast beaches, salmonberries and ferns tangled beneath pines, and the punctuation of bright fuchsia fireweed against grey skies. They talk to me and I talk back. Qanglaaĝix̂— Raven.

✸ Handprinted on an etching press with archival inks on Legion Stonehenge White 250gsm (100% Cotton Rag, Acid Free)
✸ Linoleum Relief Print
✸ 11×14"
✸ Signed, open edition
✸ Ships flat

Due to the handmade nature of these prints, there is some slight variation between each individual print.

Sold out

Raven Sticker

$4.00

Matte Die Cut Sticker

Dimensions: 2.2" x 3"

Vinyl stickers are the OG multipurpose sticker. This material is strong, reliable, and versatile, perfect for indoor or outdoor use. Stickers made on our vinyl material will withstand any kind of weather, will hang on through the dishwasher, and are UV protected so they will stay shiny and vibrant for up to 4 years.

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Home Sweet Tacoma Relief Print- Small Version

$55.00

Hand pressed original linoleum block print.

This ode to the salty and sweet city we call home is a small version of my 2024 Wayzgoose steamroller print, which will be pressed live on May 4th at the Wayzgoose event at Moore Library here in Tacoma! Grab this small version, and come check out the 2ft x 3ft version get printed with a steamroller at the event!

Want a sticker version? Grab a sticker too!

✸ Handprinted on an etching press with archival inks on Legion Stonehenge White 250gsm (100% Cotton Rag, Acid Free)
✸ Linoleum Relief Print
✸ 11×14"
✸ Signed, open edition
✸ Ships flat

Due to the handmade nature of these prints, there is some slight variation between each individual print.

Sold out

LIMITED EDITION: Halfway Somewhere Screen Print

$40.00

6 color hand pulled original screen print, including shimmery gold ink on the sun which catches the light beautifully.

Size:
11 1/4 x 14 in

Sold out

ORIGINAL You'll Like Tacoma Wayzgoose 2025 Steamroller Print

$300.00

Lino relief print created during the 2025 Wayzgoose Steamroller Print event in Tacoma. Each print was pressed using a 1.5 ton steamroller. See the entire process here!

The Wayzgoose theme this year was Make Some Noise, a celebration of the music of Tacoma, bands from Tacoma, songs about Tacoma, and music venues in Tacoma. It was so fun seeing all the different interpretations of the theme. Here’s mine:

“Where’s that confounded bridge?” Led Zeppelin’s The Crunge’s final lyrics ask. What is a song’s bridge? A musical change of pace, intended to provide contrast to the rest of the composition. Here in the Northwest we’re the bridge. We’re not the fancy metropolitan city of Seattle, we’re not a densely wooded small town or coastal hamlet, and we aren’t rolling fields of agricultural land. We’re something different. Something gritty and creative. We’ve got a little bit of funk to us, and I’m not just talking about the aroma. We strut to the beat of our own rhythm. Blue collar, grunge, and art all steeped together under the watchful eye of our namesake peak.

And then there’s the bridge, or should I say bridges. We’re perched on our peninsula jutting out into the Puget sound, anchored on west and east by bridges— Tacoma Narrows, Murray Morgan, and the E 21st St bridge.

In this piece I wanted to share a poem about the music of Tacoma, it’s people, it’s land, the interweaving of everything we hear when we close our eyes in the middle of the city. Tacoma has birthed many amazing artists, some nationally known, like Neko Case, some with cult Tacoma followings, like Girl Trouble— but I like to think we are all a part of the song of Tacoma, being sung throughout the ages as we build our lives between bridges in this little gritty city, “a dusty old jewel on the south Puget Sound.”

—

Due to the nature of printing outdoors, on the ground, with a steam roller, there are variations and slight imperfections from print to print.

Prints ship rolled in a cardboard tube.
Local pickup is in Central Tacoma.

Paper size: 30.5 x 44 in
Print size: 24 x 36 in

Sold out

ORIGINAL Home Sweet Tacoma Wayzgoose 2024 Steamroller Print

from $275.00

Lino relief prints created during the 2024 Wayzgoose Steamroller Print event in Tacoma. Each print was pressed using a 1.5 ton steamroller. See the entire process here!

The Wayzgoose theme this year was Sweet and Salty. There are so many ways in which Tacoma is both Sweet and Salty. Her people are the salt of the earth. She's nestled within the salty waters of the Puget Sound. Folks here feel a little salty about Tacoma changing— "Keep Tacoma Feared" is the refrain to maintain a Tacoma that’s an underdog, a sweet secret that only her residents could truly appreciate.

For those of us who call Tacoma "home," it's a sweet place filled with a vibrant creative community, balanced against the contrast of a salt-of-the-earth blue collar community often symbolized by our bustling seaport.

That's what this piece represents. Gritty Tacoma, sweet and salty, arts and labor, a little rough around the edges, but a sweet treasure we call home.

—

Due to the nature of printing outdoors, on the ground, with a steam roller, there are variations and slight imperfections from print to print. Prints 2 and 3 have some slight smudging (shown in the images).

Prints ship rolled in a cardboard tube.

Paper size: 30.5 x 44 in
Print size: 24 x 36 in

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