Life, Style and All that I Love

Have you noticed? I changed my blog's header. There used to be a vintage picture of a lady typing on a typewriter, with the subtitle of the blog "Writing, Style and Other Treasures" (I just knew even then that I wouldn't be able to stick to only one topic). I loved blogging under that cute and quite minimalistic header, but after almost 6 years of blogging the time came, when it felt right to change. 

In the past few years, my life took a new direction, and in the past year especially it shaped up to what it is now. You witnessed it all. From a writer, I grew into an author and also reestablished myself as a storyteller. I have an additional blog where I mostly write about my professional life, and it got a face lift as well! You're welcome to visit, and keep in mind that I write in both English and Russian, sometimes in the same post. You might want to use Google Translate - not a perfect tool just yet, but it's rapidly improving, and I'm glad that it exists.

BOOKS AND STORIES

right out of the writer's closet

by Natalia Lialina

I've felt for a long time that this blog will be changing - and the new header reflects the change. I want to write better, to write from all my heart, from the depth of my soul, and I might not always focus on outfits in the future, though outfits are fun and they definitely will remain a part of who I am. Think of it not as a complete change or a new version of the blog, but rather as the next level of this blog. There still will be all the things you loved about In the Writer's Closet: dresses, places, pictures of food for a gourmet taste, and philosophical thoughts - food for the soul. There will always be a spot for twirling and for telling a joke. And of course, for photography by Justin or, as in this case, by Anya. Let's dive right in, then!

This Summer is a bit unusual in terms of the weather. So far, we didn't have many hot days, which is OK by me because I don't enjoy heat, and temperature around 80 F is as hot as I prefer it. But (!) we also have an unusual amount of cloudy, gray and drizzly days which, considering that we live in a cloudy, gray and drizzly climate for the most part of a year, seems a bit much. I guess it's a compensation for the sunny Winter that we experienced this year. We also have some unexpected work/study to deal with (I will reveal it in the future), and we have been trying to save some money, so there are no vacation or many outings so far, but we still have fun little adventures and an occasional 'day of surprises' from time to time. 

In July, we visited a couple of our favorite towns. You might've recognized the photos from above - Port Townsend, of course, in all its Victorian glory. The city is located on the Quimper Peninsula, the most northeastern extent of the Olympic Peninsula. I wrote about it on multiple occasions before:  MARCH 2014, DECEMBER 2015, JUNE 2017, SEPTEMBER 2017.

This time Anya took all the pictures of the intricate architecture. We had fun strolling down the adorable streets, did a little shopping in thrift and book stores and dined at our favorite restaurant,  Quench, which I've already mentioned before. It features locally grown organic food and round-the-world recipes. We loved their Loco Moco (vegetarian and wild salmon versions), Lamb Burger, Above and Beyond Burger (vegan), and Seashells by the Seashore. The service is always super friendly and the view is hard to beat. All-in-all, highly recommend!

This gorgeous 100% wool blazer was under $25, a Port Townsend thrift shop find

Seashells by the Seashore at Quench, Port Townsend

Another little town we visited last month, was Port Orchard on the Kitsup Peninsula. I think I've only wrote about it in one post back in SEPTEMBER 2014, though I have photos of it from last Summer and from a few years ago, they just never got posted here. I've always loved visiting this town for several things: a foot ferry (one of the very few remaining in Washington State), antique shops and long walks along the shore. But as evident from the photos below, it also boasts very cool mural art!

After lunch and a walk in town on a hot day, we went to a state park nearby and sat in the shade watching ferries and clouds go by... I of course couldn't resist to get my feet wet. This cloud which looked like a huge feather felt like a blessing from above.

Denim dress - eShakti

Red pants - Eloquii (last year)

Linen shirt - thrifted

Hat - Lane Bryant (old)

Sunnies - no name, antique mall (old)

Fanny pack - a festival find (very old)

Shoes - Bionica and Crocks (old)

Bracelets and necklace - gifts

Vintage clip-on earrings - thrifted

Photos by Anya and Justin

Linking with Visible Monday

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