Sharing is Good for the Soul

No worries, friends, I didn't finish all these fries by myself - 

I shared it with my friend the Crow!

I'll come back to my friend the Crow a bit later, and for now let me just say:

Hello! I've missed you! 

And I'm ready to share some bits of my life again. Let's see what happened lately. My gig at libraries has ended in May, and I have Summer break now. Not sure yet whether I will schedule any work or just take it easy till fall. Since Anya's school year finished, I actually started feeling more restful and am readily diving into my new hobbies and interests.

One of which I'm going to share here. It is my new interest in jewelry, particularly Soviet vintage jewelry, which I adore. There is something very special about those pieces, something warm and familiar. They bring memories of childhood and of all of those women in my family wearing something similar. The rose gold amber pendant I wear here is a stylized Art Deco beetle from the 1970s. I do recall seeing amber bugs as a kid in the late 70s - early 80s. They usually were gold-plated brooches, less sophisticated visually compared to this genuine gold piece, but highly recognizable still. I am utterly in love with my find! I found it on eBay, and it's in perfect condition, which suggests that it was very well taken care of, and both the craftsmanship and the amber itself are divine! Did you know that the biggest amber mine in the world is in Russia? Yes, it is in Kaliningrad Oblast which is Western Russia, on the Baltic Sea, and that's precisely where my pendant was made. I'm so happy to find such a unique hobby as this one, which deeply resonates with me, connects me with my roots. And I feel honored sharing this hobby with people of my cultural background, as well as sharing it here with you, women of great taste for unique pieces! I just know you will appreciate this beauty, and knowing it makes me happy.

You might've seen this orange&black matching linen set a few times before (jacket with a dress in my fiery post in AUGUST 2018, the whole set in MAY 2017, and the pants in different combination among other outfits in SEPTEMBER 2017). I noticed that I wore it with the same sandals all three times I featured it on the blog - got in a rut. But not this time! I wear a new pair of sandals by Bionica. Guys, it's like walking on clouds!! I highly recommend to anyone who values a good sole support. And I do think they are stylish too. I purchased two pairs at Nordstrom Rack - one black and white and another golden one. They go with most of my Summer outfits, and I don't even want to wear anything else these days. If you are looking for more brands that make comfortable shoes, browse my page GOOD SOLES. I try to keep it updated, so feel free to suggest your favorite comfy shoes brand, so we can share good stuff with fellow fashionistas.

The black striped top was bought on sale, and it is "convertible" as the maker suggests - it just means that you can wear it back side forward if you want no lace upfront. I was looking for a partner to wear with these pants, and was glad to find this one. I think they'll be good friends. 

A Day of Surprises became a good family tradition for Anya and I. Last year, I took her to my favorite places in Edmonds, a cute town just north of Seattle, and she loved our adventures. This time, we headed south to explore what little jewels South Tacoma hides. Not the most glamorous part of town, but we found plenty to delight our senses! First we browsed the South Tacoma Antique Mall, then had sushi in a small food court in one of the Asian markets (Sushi Niwa - highly recommend, fresh, yummy, inexpensive). After which we hit Barnes and Noble in neighboring Lakewood to browse books, and finally ended our day of adventures in the beautiful Wapato Park, a true treasure of South Tacoma. I call it "a day of surprises" because I purposefully don't tell Anya where we are going, and while I have a loose plan or rather ideas of activities, we both explore and just see what happens while sharing a day together. Sometimes we discover new places to eat. Sometimes we see pretty flowers or meet wild animals. One time we saw adorable baby seagulls, and yesterday ducklings in the park. We do such free explorations ever since Anya was a tiny baby herself, and we will continue as she grows and pass it on to her kids some day. My Mom also liked surprising us kids, and I still remember that and always will. 

The outfit came together unexpectedly on a whim. You could have seen this embroidered bell-shaped sundress in JULY 2018. It is so easy to wear that I started wearing it as my home dress on warm days. The zebra print linen jacket was thrifted (shown in JULY 2018 with a different dress). As I got this jacket out of my closet and put it on just to see whether I felt the vibe so to speak, I noticed that the jacket played well with the dress I was wearing at home that day...so I decided to share the dress, wearing it both in house and out. I just needed to iron both pieces, and voila! The outfit of the day, a.k.a. OOTD, like a star, was born! This mix is a bit out there, unexpected, perhaps, but hey, after all, it's a star.

Back to my friend the Crow now. Unlike my wardrobe pieces which are well-loved and remixed, this is a new bird in the 'hood! This exciting example of public art is as stunning and surprising as it is humorous. Recently opened at the wonderful complex Les Gove Park in Auburn, WA only three weeks ago. I adore it! It fits the public space near the library perfectly while also connecting the present day with history (there used to be a restaurant on this spot for years). I applaud the local artist Peter Reiquam who shares his amazing talents with a passerby, on foot or in their car, or even in a little airplane. If you'd like to learn more about this unique artist and see more of his pieces, I am happy to share his site with you: ART BY PETER REIQUAM.

Only one thing is left to share: the details of this outfit which was cheered by drivers as I was standing next to the Crow. I showed the red skirt with different button-down shirts in JULY 2018, AUGUST 2017, JULY 2017. My blouse with ruffles was also shown among other outfits in AUGUST 2018 (just keep scrolling down). 

Ahhh. I shared with you, and that felt good. I now feel that I am back in the saddle again. Many new interests which keep me busy, but there is still something special in sharing my life, writing and fashion with you. Why is that, I wonder? Because it's FUN*TO*SHARE! Also, perhaps because we understand each other so well.

Love you all!

Photos by Justin and Anya (in Wapato Park),

as we share life together!

Visible Monday

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