LIZ MORROW | Delightfully Tacky

in which a beautiful life is like detangling a wad of necklaces

2016-01-29T09:00:00.000-08:00

Sometimes your plans just don't quite work out.

Despite having all your ducks in a row, despite planning ahead as best as you could, things still go sideways, unexpected snafus pop up. I like to control my situation. I like to plan as much as I can ahead of time so that I don't have snafus popping up, but there's not much you can do to avoid problems popping up when you least expect.

For someone who likes controlling a situation, I sure do pick odd vehicles to get me where I want to go, quite literally. My 1972 Winnebago Brave might not seem like the most reliable vehicle to most people. On my first Brave trip (in my '73 Brave, back in 2010) my very first day found me stranded on the side of the road, 300 miles from home in the middle of nowhere, Alaska. Oddly enough, that was the only vehicle trouble I had on that entire 11,000 mile journey. Yesterday, on my first day out on this trip, before even making it a mile from home, I discovered a flat tire that set us back 3 hours. And then I had to get new propane tanks because mine were too old to fill. And a new house battery to power the lights in the Brave. And then today upon testing our water system, all the faucets needed new plumbing. I'd be lying if I wasn't stressed out. I coined the term "Strungry" today because I wasn't Hangry, I was just stressed and hungry and maybe actually extra stressed because I was hungry? I digress.

Things didn't go according to plan. But, like the seeminly undetangle-able knot of necklaces in your luggage after a trip, we eventually fixed each problem and will be back on the road tomorrow.

I'm always impressed with how, even when things don't go the way I think they should go, they still work out. Instead of throwing hands in the air or curling into a fetal position, you just have to start slowly detangling each necklace. It can be tedious, frustrating work at time. Sometimes you cut the pipe that works instead of the broken pipe and have to patch a perfectly good pipe. Someone did that today and her name definitely doesn't rhyme with Miz Borrow. Nope. Keep detangling. One necklace free, alright, keep detangling.

Life is a beautiful mess. And I don't believe life as a beautiful mess means making our messes look pretty. It means looking at the mess around us and recognizing the beauty in what it is. Curated "messes" aren't authentic, though they can be inspiring, but ultimately I think they can make us feel inadequate.

I cannot wait to meet our gorgeous Wildbrides today! We still have space at the next retreat, Feb 12-14th in Monte Rio, CA just a short drive from San Francisco. If you want to give a "fuck yeah" to your wild messy spirit with a wilderness photo shoot and a weekend with no obligation to be anyone but your messy, beautiful self, we would be so honored to have you join us. Our first retreat is sold out, and space is limited in the remaining retreats so don't wait too long if you want to commit coming into the Wildbride family.

The mess is part of the beauty. The problems are part of this beautiful life. Today our first Wildbride Retreat starts. For me, Wildbride feels like part of this celebration of messy, wild, tangly existence we lead as women. It isn't about poses with your booty popped out at just the right angle to give you dat ass. It isn't about nipping and tucking with photoshop, or getting that perfect Tyra Banks smize. It's embracing the mess, and discovering the crazy beauty that lies within that space. It's sacred.

the vulnerability of emailing an inspiring figure

2016-01-16T17:41:00.000-08:00

Last night I got it in my head to email someone whose writing was deeply inspiring and meaningful for me, and whose writing also helped me decide to start creating Wildbride photos and, ultimately, the upcoming Wildbride retreats. I shared how much her writing had impacted me and encouraged me and shared these projects with her. As I wrote it I realized how fan-girly I felt and it was odd to be on the flip side of the equation as I'm often the recipient of emails from blog readers who share that they feel weird or "creepy" emailing me, even though I don't feel anywhere near famous or noteworthy enough to induce such feelings. Still, I had a moment of realizing that even though for me, someone sending me an email shouldn't be a big deal, there I was sitting in front of an open email, composing a message to someone I looked up to who had encouraged me with their writing, much like people who email me. It struck me how I'd, possibly flippantly, disregarded how vulnerable it felt to put yourself out there to email someone who'd encouraged you or who'd inspired you to take a chance, make a change, or who just created something you enjoyed. For whatever reason, emailing someone is so much more vulnerable than just leaving a blog/instagram comment and in that moment as I pressed send on my email to this woman, I was full of nervousness and hope that she'd receive it and get some sense of encouragement or joy that her work had inspired someone out there, even though I knew she knew that her work was inspirational. Thousands of people had been inspired by it and I knew that I was only one of a multitude. Still I felt like sending a personal message and pushed aside the nervous feeling of vulnerability that came along with that final click on "send."

Only a few minutes later I received a response. I thought it was a little strange, since I'd sent the email pretty late at night, but I was a ball of excitement, hopefully it wasn't just an out of office response! Well, it wasn't but it wasn't exactly the response I was hoping for either. First, it wasn't even from her, it was from whoever manages her email. And it wasn't encouraging either. It was terse and disregarding. It made me feel like shit. I'd put myself out there to someone I looked up to and the result hurt. I figured, hell, It was a rejection therapy win, right? Even though it wasn't what I was hoping for, the opposite actually, I was better for having taken the leap in the first place.

But as I laid in bed that night I thought back to how I felt like I imagined the blog readers who email me might feel as they click "send" on a vulnerable email to me. And then I remembered how incredibly bad I was at replying to those emails. Most of the time it's because those emails are so special and meaningful that I want to spend more time responding to them than I do emails that are just asking a simple question or emails whose response is just quick and easy. So I click "mark as unread" planning on responding later when I have more time to pen a thoughtful and meaningful reply. Unfortunately, more often than not, they get buried under the pile of the new emails coming in daily and then soon they're off my first page of emails in my inbox and the "I'll get to that later" thought gets buried as well. And then a month or so later I'm like AH! I totally meant to reply to that email! But then I feel like an asshole for not replying sooner and so I avoid it, and then, well, vicious cycle.

After getting that email reply, I realized how big of a deal it can feel to send an email to someone whom you look up to, or just someone you are thanking for their encouragement and inspiration. And I felt heavy. Like damn. Every time I put off those email responses, do I make someone feel the way I felt after sending that email to someone I looked up to? Because if so, fuck. That's the worst. I was up until 4am laying in bed responding to emails on my phone that had been sitting there waiting for my thoughtful response for far too long.

If you've ever emailed me and never got a response, or waited months to get a reply, I'm so sorry. I really am. It's not that they don't mean anything to me, or that I just get so many that I don't have time to respond (I'm not that famous, seriously). My intentions were always good, I always did want to sit down and spend more time responding than just firing off a quick response in the middle of my daily email-checking-time. But good intentions don't translate through the air and make someone feel good who sent an email and never got a reply. I'm sure the woman who I sent my email to gets so many emails every day she has to have someone else respond to them, but I don't. And if I'm being honest with myself, it doesn't take so long to respond thoughtfully that I can't do it right when I read the email in the first place.

I also realized how grateful I am for the kind and powerful souls who read my blog. In the past couple weeks, after sharing about my shift in focus for blogging over the last year, I've received so many emails and comments and you've all be so supportive and encouraging. It's so nice to know that, while my blog is no longer a source of income since nixing the sponsors and ads, it's still (and maybe even more so) a source of encouragement and inspiration to people. I'd much rather give readers that than style tips and diy projects to make, honestly. I'd much rather cultivate a space of authenticity and honesty, rather than another blog that makes you feel inadequate. So if I have a goal for Delightfully Tacky in 2016, it's that. And: be way better at responding to emails.

the banks of the seine

2016-01-13T07:00:00.000-08:00

I took a bunch of fun outfits to wear in Paris, but I actually ended up wearing pretty much just one outfit the whole time, and this is it. I did so much walking and in the end I was way more interested in being comfortable than fancy, and I had no one to impress anyway. I planned a styled bridal photo shoot while I was there and I took just one carry-on because I was not interested in having Delta loose my bag full of the entire wardrobe for my shoot. It was a Françoise Hardy inspired shoot and so one of the big pieces was a giant faux fur coat similar to the one in her iconic photos, but a shipping error left me running around Tacoma last minute scrambling to find something that would fit the wardrobe. My friend Brooke from Urban X Change pulled through last minute with one of her vintage coats, and since I didn't have any room in my bags for any other coats, it was my daily coat for walking around Paris.I had some pretty bad jet lag that lasted almost the entire time I was there, so the morning of these photos I was up at like 4 am and decided to head down to Notre Dame and watch the sunrise over the cathedral. It was pretty cloudy, so it was more like watching it go from dark to dim, but still a moving experience. I sat there for a while taking it all in, but my style shoot was later that morning and I wanted to scout out some spots to shoot. These photos were actually test shots to see how the light in Paris looked on camera (magical, duh). Notre Dame in the background? Still so crazy to me that I was standing right there one month ago. These are the only photos I took of myself in Paris, other than a couple selfies. Even though I'm over outfit photos, I'm so glad I took these shots of myself in Paris. Even having forgotten my tripod in my room, I found some stuff to set my camera on so I could have some shots of my tourist self standing in front of the Cathedral Notre Dame on the banks of the Seine. It's kind of funny having taken self portraits for 8 years for my outfit photos, self portraits come so naturally in terms of subject matter. I started doing a 365 photo challenge and while ideally I'd love to do more photos of other people, it's fun to do self portraits in a more artistic and interesting way, rather than taking them with the idea of showing my outfit. It feels like reclaiming ownership over my self portrait, rather than having it be for a commercial use. Maybe I'll share some of my 365 photos here (my photos of Dusty and Dan were actually some of my 365 challenge) but I'm enjoying just doing them for fun without pressure for them to be for anything.

"i am going"

2016-01-12T07:00:00.000-08:00

When people ask how my trip to Paris was, the only thing I can say that is truly honest is that it was a lot of things. and many of those things weren't positive, but no one really wants to hear that. They want to hear that you had the time of your life and you didn't want to leave and that it was magical. And maybe for some people it is, but for me, this time, it wasn't.

I love travel. I feel pretty pro at travel. Growing up in Alaska going anywhere meant flying there. Or road-tripping for about a week. My first solo flight was when I was in 6th grade (I think) and I was so used to flying that I didn't realize that traveling as an unaccompanied minor was different. I filed off the plane with the rest of the passengers, met up with my mom at the gate and we went on our merry way until the panicked flight attendants caught up with us and confirmed that I was leaving with the proper guardian. I've flown to countless cities and road tripped from Alaska to Florida and back to Washington State solo.

With international travel, though, I'm not as experienced. I went to Guatemala once with a group in high school, but I don't really count that because we were mindlessly shuttled around and I didn't have to figure out a thing. It wasn't for lack of desire. I was all set to attend the American University in Cairo for a month during college but my passport with my student visa didn't arrive in time for my flight so I cancelled the whole thing (a boyfriend also may have been involved in my lack of wanting to leave home too. Lame). Since I had to cancel that flight, I was able to re-book a new flight and arranged to go to London, which I also didn't do, for reasons I don't remember but I have a suspicion have to do with that boyfriend. Years before that my entire family had a huge trip to Europe planned, but the day before we were set to leave my grandma got in a car accident that nearly claimed her life and so the entire trip got cancelled.

So, when I found a super cheap flight to Paris a few months ago I heeded the words of Clarissa Pinkola Estes in Women Who Run With the Wolves, "'I am going' These are the best words ever. Say them, then go." I booked the flight for my birthday and re-upped my passport. It felt like something I needed to do. Travel in the US no longer pushes me out of my comfort zone, and I needed to get out of it. I needed to prove to myself that I could. That I could do something brave. I knew that a lot of the things I do, like traveling solo cross country in a 1973 Winnebago Brave, look brave to outsiders, but to me felt squarely inside my comfort zone. International travel, though, that was new. And definitely outside my comfort zone, in what a friend once called the "growth zone."

I researched like a crazy person because I like to be prepared, tried my best to re-learn the french I used to know in high school, and waited with so much excitement that at times I thought I might explode. My husband Dan drove me to the airport that chilly morning, and I kissed him goodbye and got on the plane.

It was hard. I'm a solid introvert, but being in a foreign country alone, not being able to speak the language, with no one to share the experience with was difficult. The jet lag was brutal, and I didn't do a lot of the things I thought I would just because the language barrier gave me a lot of anxiety. I spent half of one day hidden in my Airbnb watching Netflix and crying. After some encouraging words from friends I pulled it together for my last few days in Paris and released myself from the pressure of having The Best Time Ever. I read my book in a cafe while enjoying my petit dejeuner, walked around the Musee D'Orsay, and ate a nutella filled crepe under the Eiffel Tower. I realized that I didn't have to fit everything into this one trip. I didn't have to have The Best Time Ever, because there would be other times to come to Paris. I could come with Dan or a friend next time and be able to laugh and talk and share everything with someone.

I'm glad I went. I feel like I broke through whatever it was that was keeping me from traveling abroad. And I feel like I opened myself up to the universe, letting it know that I my passport was broken in and ready to go. I already have tickets to Iceland and Ireland (and maybe Paris again) for 2016. Elizabeth Gilbert writes in her book Big Magic about ideas being sentient beings on the lookout for people who are available and willing to take them on. One of my dreams for the next year, as both a photographer and a human, was to travel more both domestically and internationally for work and self-enrichment. I was tired of waiting around for it to happen to me, and this trip to Paris was my stake in the ground. "I'm here. I'm ready to go. I've got my passport in hand!" Like being a good host for a creative idea, I feel like you need to make yourself available and ready for those big dreams and not in a sitting around and thinking about it way. Like a, "Hey Universe! I'm on a flight to a place farther away from home than I've ever been. Your move!" And as soon as I made that shift, the Universe felt like it shifted a bit too. Doors started opening. Little ones, but ones nonetheless. So even if my trip to Paris wasn't the Most Magical, Best Trip Ever, it was a little flag that I waved to the universe letting it know that I was open for business with my bags packed. And my comfort zone is a little bit bigger too.

"I am going" those are the best words. Say them, then go.

dusty's snow adventure

2016-01-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

Dusty got a pretty little snow coat from her grandma for Christmas and after seeing how much fun she had in the snow when we got a light dusting last week, I figured it'd be fun to head up to the mountains and play in the snow with her! I always miss the snow this time of year too, so it was probably as much for me as it was for her. We drove up to Snoqualmie Pass and found loads of it! She had a total blast and her Pendleton snow coat was perfect! With all her fur, I'm sure she was the warmest of all of us.I'd never stopped at Snoqualmie Pass, only just driven through on I-90, but it was so nostalgic driving through the little ski resort town full of A-frame cabins with roofs piled with snow. For whatever reason I had a vivid memory of an 8th or 9th grade birthday party sleepover at one of my friend's family cabin in Girdwood, AK right at the base of the Alyeska Ski Resort. It was all giggling, watching scary movies, talking about boys, and sneaking around in the snow in the middle of the night. Crazy to think that was 16 years ago now. I'm probably closer to having a kid that age than being that age. Yikes.

so this is the new year

2016-01-05T02:08:00.001-08:00

2016, hello!

It's been a while since I posted in here. I don't really count recipe posts, but if you do, then I guess it hasn't been forever. Blogging has changed for me over the past year. 2015 was a year full of shifts. I made the decision in late 2014 to switch my focus from blogging to photography as my main job. For one thing, blogging was waning in terms of an income maker for me. I used to make enough to have it be my full time job and I was loving posting all the time. In 2014, the blogosphere started to shift, especially in terms of monetization, and I also started to feel like not blogging every. single. day. Unfortunately, it was the blogs that were growing, posting multiple times a day, bringing on staff and more writers, which were bringing in the majority of sponsors and advertisers and I just wasn't interested in that. I didn't want to make Delightfully Tacky a metropolis. I'd always enjoyed this being my little personal space, and when it made a decent income for me and I was able to do it every day, that was awesome. So with all these things aligning, a shift was in order. I slowly took sponsors off the blog, removed sidebar ads and got rid of my monetization program. Because of blogging and taking photos every day, I'd found a love for photography, and after tip toeing into shooting clients and weddings since 2013, I decided to jump in head first. I actively started working towards building a clientele, shot more weddings and clients this year than I had in all my prior years of "tip toeing," and blogging became a side project for whenever I wanted to post.

So here we are in 2016 (holy cow. I turn 30 this year. O____O ). Do I want to blog still? Do I want to close down the blog for good? I don't know. I waffle constantly about what Delightfully Tacky's role is in my life. I love having a place to write and share, but after almost 8 years of sharing life publicly online it can be hard to feel free to write openly and honestly without thinking of what people will think or say. I'm not sure how many people still read Delightfully Tacky, but it's still enough people to give one pause before just blurting out things that might potentially come across in a way that was unintended.

Also, can we talk for a sec about how many more DIY projects and recipes we don't need? I love blogging for giving people space to be creative, but I really have no interest in creating more content for the sake of content, just so people can pin it and never make it/cook it. I like making things. I feel like a born creator. At the same time, I have no interest in making any more DIY tutorials. Google it, people. I promise you someone else has made it and made a tutorial. I promise. I don't mean to come across as an old blogging hag, but blogging feels a bit meaningless in a world where there are hundreds of thousands of tutorials for the same stuff. The world is already too cluttered with stuff and information, I feel no need to add to that.

Another thing I've mentioned before is how blogs have started to feel like they contribute to materialism, consumerism, and waste. When I first started blogging things were different. We didn't know we could make money off of blogging. Most of the bloggers I followed, and myself, wore vintage or thrifted clothing (there were plenty of bloggers wearing expensive designer clothes, too, I just wasn't into that so I wasn't following them). Then brands got keen to how much influence we had as bloggers. People want the stuff they're were wearing, so lets dress them in our clothes. It's brilliant marketing really. Bloggers get to wear clothes they like, brands get exposure and sales, and in the case of affiliate links the blogger gets a monetary kickback if someone buys something after clicking the link from their post. Win win. It was exciting. It was cool to have brands wanting to work with me. It was amazing to make a living blogging, doing something creative every day. But at the same time, I think it slowly turned the blogosphere into something different. It became a marketplace. Comments on my own blog changed from thoughtful responses to my post to stuff like, "Where'd you get that top!?" "OMG I love your dress!" "What products do you use in your hair?" And, I mean, I understand that the internet is the ultimate information crowdsourcing and I've been the beneficiary of the internet's wide reach of information, but I also felt like I stopped being a real person and became more of a person-to-look-at-to-see-what-I-should-buy. I like being a real person better. Even if I make zero dollars.

Oh, and also I am so over outfit posts. So there's that. I wear a cute outfit maybe once or twice a week. And I don't want to take the time to take pictures of it because it's probably not all that amazing. I did a survey back in March when I rebranded everything (which I, if you haven't noticed, completely changed back to something way more "me" a few month later, LOL) asking people what they wanted to see more of on Delightfully Tacky. Most people said: Outfits. So, sorry everyone who said outfits, you didn't fish your wish. I promise you're not missing anything more interesting than lots of leggings and sweatshirts and messy buns and yesterday's eyeliner.

It's real weird to me to thing about how damn long I've been writing this blog. I'm pretty sure I couldn't even buy a beer when I wrote my first post and this year I'll turn 30, so it's not really that surprising that my life has changed and so has the blog. After all the years of having the blog monetized and eventually feeling beholden to the blog as my source of income, I am here now and I have zero shits to give about my content. I mean, I'm not going to just start posting Twilight fan fiction (mostly because I'd have to first start writing Twilight fan fiction), but since I don't have to grow my audience to show sponsors how many eyes will be on their dress, I don't have to have any followers! You all could stop following me today and nothing would change! It's kind of awesome. It's a kind of freedom I haven't had on the blog since, well, no one was following me in the first place.

If you've made it this far, congrats. You all knew I was wordy, but without pretty pictures to break it all up it probably looks a bit daunting. To summarize, I have no clue what Delightfully Tacky will look like this year, so if you want to follow along and see where this crazy train takes you, all aboard! I will say that what I desire for 2016 is a return to authentic creating. Art for art's sake, if you will. I haven't encouraged my artistic side free from the shackles of monetization in years. I'm putting pen to paper, paint to canvas, photographing what I find interesting, making making making. I'm doing some 365 projects, and 2016 is the year I want a couple things to happen that I'm not talking about right now because they are so close to my heart. Other than that, I'm also super stoked about my photography clients that have booked me for this next year! I'm shooting in Alaska, Iceland, Iowa, Ireland, Oregon, Tacoma, and Seattle so far and I can't wait to meet more clients who give me the gift of letting me capture their love. And last but not least, Wildbride. The first retreat on the Oregon Coast begins in less than a month and I'm freaking out about this finally happening. What started as a crazy dream I decided to jump into last summer is now on my doorstep and I can't wait to meet all the amazing women who are coming. I have one spot left in that Oregon Coast retreat, and a couple spots left in each of the other retreats, but they're coming up fast! I also decided to keep the early bird special open for all the retreats, so if you thought you missed the early bird window, you're in luck!

If you're reading this it's because you've stuck around this little blog for all it's thicks and thins (Unless you just started following, in which case, awkward). Maybe you've been around since the olden days, maybe you've only been around for a year, maybe you're my mom (Hi Mom). Either way, thanks for hanging out and taking the time to visit this spot. I can't promise you that this will be the greatest and best blog ever. I don't even know how to write that blog. But it'll be real. I'll probably drop some F bombs (sorry Mom). I'll probably write something offensive to someone. I hope to make new friends, and reconnect with old ones. I don't know what it'll be about, per se, but I guess I can guarantee that it'll be about me and the stuff that's rolling around in my brain. Not sponsors. Not pin bait. So if you're into that, welcome! Let's get weird!

peppermint chocolate cupcakes

2015-12-25T22:34:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone! Our day was super mellow. We opened a couple presents at home and then spent the day with Dan's aunt and uncle and cousins. Christmas dinner and ice skating! With both our immediate families strewn about the west coast it was nice to at least get to spend time with some family. I wasn't big into holiday treats and decorations this year but I did bake these mini cupcakes for some festive bites to bring. The recipe is from The Pioneer Woman, so you know they're delicious. I actually prefer eating just the batter and frosting rather than the baked + frosted cupcakes. The batter is always more delicious than the baked version, right? Cookie batter > cookies. Although I'm not sure if this holds true for pancake batter...

I hope you all had a cozy, fun day, where ever you are!

Chocolate cupcakes with peppermint frosting
(recipe via the pioneer woman)

INGREDIENTS
Cupcake
1 cup salted butter
4 heaping tbsps cocoa powder
1 cup boiling water
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 whole eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda

FROSTING
1 cup salted butter, softened
5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
40 whole peppermint candies, finely crushed
3-5 tbsps heavy cream

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 36 muffin tins with paper liners.

First make the cake, melt 1 cup butter and stir in cocoa. Pour in boiling water, stir to combine, allow to boil for 15 seconds, then remove from heat and set aside.

In a separate bowl, stir together flour, sugar, and salt. Set aside.

In a separate small bowl, mix together buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and baking soda.

Pour the chocolate mixture over the flour mixture and stir until halfway combined. Pour in the egg mixture and stir until the batter comes together.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full and bake for 18 minutes, or until set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

To make the frosting, beat the butter to get it started, then add in the powdered sugar. Beat on low while adding the cream. When it comes together, add the crushed peppermints, reserving some for garnish. Beat the frosting for a good 30 seconds on high until it's light and fluffy, longer if needed.

Frost the cupcakes however you want, then sprinkle on more crushed peppermints.

Note that the frosting will develop a light "crust" on the outside if left out.

consume less, create more

2015-12-23T02:22:00.000-08:00

Well, the weather outside is frightful and I'm curled up on the couch with a cup of lukewarm tea listening to the wind whipping against the house. It's late and I'm waiting for sleep to sound enticing. I was scrolling facebook, clicked a link that took me to a video of a ballet routine and then at the bottom of the article they posted the ballet video that went viral earlier this year to Hozier's
Take Me To Church, which I'd seen months ago, and I watched it again. It struck me how that song was played over and over and over again on the radio back when it came out. I liked the song. I felt it was moving. I enjoyed when it came on the radio. But the forces of consumption require new things to take the place of older things and that song was eventually taken out of the regular play cycle, relegated to who knows where. I haven't heard it on the radio once in months.

Perhaps it's the time of year. Consumerism runs rampant during the holidays. I can barely listen to ads they're so obnoxiously pushy about selling me All The Things. Events like Black Friday and the general climate anywhere near a shopping center this past week make me disheartened. I don't get the need to buy things for people that they don't need, just because it's a thing we do. I understand that giving gifts communicates love. I'm not a gift love language person, so gift giving is relatively unnecessary in my world anyway, but I understand the concept of showing love through giving, whether it's items or time or acts of service, etc. But that being said, Christmas these days seems like an extension of our fast fashion, fast food, made-to-break (so you can upgrade), cultural obsession with consuming more more more. Kids want the new toy from the super popular kids movie that came out that year, marketed to them during their cartoons, plastered on their cereal boxes, blasted in their eyes and eardrums at every possible moment. You have to have this movie and all associated toys.

Christmas makes it super obvious, and it gets a bad reputation for it's transparent consumerism here in the states, but really, it's just a symptom of the culture we've created that devalues everything so that we feel like we must buy more. Clothes aren't designed to last more than a year or two because, well, they won't be in style after that, and because it's easier to sell you ten cute dresses that are cheap than one nicely made dress that costs more. And the goal? Sell you things. Lots of them. So businesses create a system in which things are designed to break or become obsolete. Why do we need a new phone every year when the old one is perfectly functional. Waste from our discarded tech toys is filling up landfills all over the world. 3rd world countries don't even want our old second hand clothes anymore. There are simply too many of them and they are too poor of quality.

Dan and I haven't done much in the way of Christmas gift giving in the four years we've been married. Neither of us are gift giving love language people, and we feel a bit silly giving each other things neither of us need. That might change when we have kids. Christmas morning is a pretty magical experience as a kid, I will admit. But I'd rather foster my kid's sense of creativity and wonder through their presents, by getting them things like art supplies, building sets, and books, rather than toys from a movie that will go out of fashion in 6 months. I know, I'll be singing a different tune when my kid is dying for THE toy from THE movie in 2020. The most noble parent is the one with no kids.

Still, I want to opt out of the consumption madness. I want life to revolve around making things and being content with what we have (which is so so so much). I want memories of times spent together, not silly gadgets unwrapped around a gussied up fir tree. I want to hear music on the radio that came out last year, or even 6 months ago. I want to create a world where musicians don't get chewed up and spit out after their big hit starts to fade from the charts because the next viral song is amping up. A world where fads in fashion don't change every few weeks because someone in a factory in Bangladesh that's one tremor away from collapse can pump out H&M's new trend capsule in a week flat. A world where kids aren't targeted by ads telling them to want want want need need need. I want that world. I need that world. I'm not sure how to create it, but for now I know I can opt out of the consumption as best as I can. Consume less. Create more.

OUR HOME // cozy pacific northwest bedroom

2015-12-08T18:53:00.003-08:00

About a month ago we moved our bedroom upstairs into a room that has been about 4 different things, but was initially my office space. I've always loved this little den-like nook upstairs and having it as our bedroom has been wonderfully cozy. It's not super fancy or anything, but I love this little space.
Bedding is from Ikea and Urban Outfitters. Rugs are from various places, the zig zag one is Urban Outfitters. Dressers are Ikea.

dubliner brandy apple pie

2015-11-30T09:00:00.000-08:00

I'm flying out to Paris today and I'm kind of freaking out. I have a feeling I won't be blogging while I'm there in lieu of just taking it all in, but I'm pretty sure I'll be 'gramming like a fool. I won't blather on about how my insides are a ball of excitement, instead: here is a delicious pie recipe.
Apple pie is a pretty standard pie, but this recipe, is my favorite so far. Mostly because: cheese crust. I've heard of people serving apple pie with a slice of cheddar, but I prefer this method of baking it into the crust. I don't know why I haven't done this sooner because the idea sounded amazing when I was watching Pushing Daisies years ago, but I finally got around to it and yum. I mean, adding cheese to almost anything is a sure-fire way of making it more delicious. I almost just wanted to eat only the crust, but the brandy apple filling was a nice compliment.

Crust Ingredients:3 cups All Purpose Flour1 tsp salt1 1/2 cups Kerrygold Dubliner cheese6 tbsp cold unsalted butter1/2 cup vegetable shortening1/2-2/3 cup ice water
Filling Ingredients:3 1/4 lbs apples peeled, cored, + sliced (appx 9 whole)3/4 cup sugar1 1/2 tsp Apple Pie Spice1/4 cup boiled cider1/4 cup Pie Filling Enhancer1/8 tsp salt2 tbsp lemon juice2-3 oz brandy

To Make Crust:

1. Whisk together the flour and salt. Add the cheese and toss to coat.

2. Cut in the butter and shortening, mixing until well combined.

3. Drizzle just enough water over the mixture to make it cohesive, tossing with a fork until it starts to come together.

4. Fold the dough over on itself until it holds together, then divide it 65/35 into two flat discs with smooth edges. Wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

To Make Filling and Pie:

1. In a large bowl, stir together the filling ingredients, mixing until the apples are well coated.

2. Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Roll the larger disc of dough out to a 13 1/2 inch round and lay it into your pie dish. Spoon in the filling.

3. Roll out the second disc either into a flat disc and cover or roll it out and then use a pizza cutter to cut strips to make a lattice top. Brush the top with milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired.

4. Bake the pie on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a preheated 425ºF oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375ºF and bake for another 45 minutes, or until the top is brown and the filling is bubbling. Remove the pie from the oven and cool completely before slicing.

wildbride retreats // oregon coast

2015-11-29T05:00:00.000-08:00

The first Wildbride Retreat on the Oregon Coast is coming up in just a couple short months, January 29-31! I know the holidays are just going to fly by and it will be here before I know it. First thing's first, Oregon's retreat is only on Early Bird pricing until tomorrow so if you're thinking of coming, now is the time to sign up! I have a couple early bird payment plan options too, so if you've been dying to sign up, the best time do it is now! I only have two more spots available in Oregon, let's make it a full house!
We'll be staying in a cozy home in Manzanita, Oregon where we'll be filling our bellies with delicious and healthy food (okay, and some maybe not so healthy bevs, though they say wine is heart healthy, so...), laughing into the night, stretching our bodies and souls with yoga, romping on the coast while creating magical photos, and having an all around kick-ass weekend. Kristina and I are so excited to host our beautiful Wildbride sisters in one of the most beautiful spots in the Pacific Northwest.
Want to come? We so want to have you join the family! Find out a bit more about what's included in the retreats below and head over here to sign up!

WHAT'S INCLUDED

2 nights' lodging at an incredible house
all food, drink and snacks
morning yoga sessions led by a certified yoga teacher
head shots with fully edited high res digital files
a one-on-one Wildbride shoot with fully edited high res digital files
goodie bag full of swag from incredible sponsors
an amazing time with rad women

WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED

your flight or travel to the retreat location
prints, albums, or canvases of your wildbride/headshot images (though they are available for purchase!)
custom art created by Kristina or Liz of one of your Wildbride images

(gr)attitude

2015-11-26T13:55:00.000-08:00

I hope you guys, whether you're celebrating the holiday or not, are cozied up with your loved one(s) today. While Thanksgiving itself has a troublesome history, giving thanks and expressing gratitude is always a wonderful idea and that's what I'm spending this day doing. There is so much to be thankful for. I'm most thankful for my sweet love and our little floof. They bring me so much joy and happiness on a daily, hourly basis, I can't imagine life without these two
Living in the Pacific Northwest and being a part of a creative community puts me into contact with so many incredible artists, entrepreneurs, and makers. One of those people is Tiarra Sorte and last Saturday we met up here in Tacoma for an in-home photo session. Dan and I hadn't had photos of us together (other than tripod photos that I took of us) since our wedding, and I wanted to have photos of just us together before we decide to make a tiny human. We've also been talking about moving to Seattle sometime next year for a new adventure, and so I wanted to have photos in our very first (owned) home.
The session was so fun and I'm totally in love with the images Tiarra created for us. I didn't realize how special it would be to have photos in our home and around our little neighborhood for us to look back on and remember our time in this house forever. It will be so fun to show our kids what our first house looked, and a peek at our neighborhood. Whenever I'm in Sacramento with my parents we usually do a drive-by of their first homes. One I don't remember because I was a baby, and one I just barely remember living in before we moved up to Anchorage. I imagine driving through Tacoma with our kids showing them our first super tiny house, and then this house just a few blocks away.
I hope you are with people who love you today. If you aren't, or if the holidays are stressful and your family situation isn't awesome, just know that you are loved and that you are so worth loving. And I am thankful for those of you who come take the time to read my little blog and comment, or follow on instagram or facebook. Blogging and social media can be weird, but it's so nice to have connections with other humans, even if it's just over the web. So here's a big internet hug to you guys.
What are you grateful for this season?

OUR HOME // living room update

2015-11-24T13:46:00.000-08:00

Mid-summer I got the idea stuck in my head that we were gonna split once Dan got home from Alaska, move out of our house into the Winne and sell all our stuff. After my trip up to Alaska to visit him I came home and started selling our furniture. I sold and donated quite a bit of stuff, including our couch, but then after Dan came home he got a new job, I got invited to join the Gritty City Sirens and staying in Tacoma started to sound appealing again. Our house was still in a bit of a jumble from my purge fest and our living room always felt like it was in a state of being unfinished.
We're still thinking of moving, but that won't be happening until at least after I return from the Wildbride Retreat west coast tour. So for now, it made sense to make our home feel homey again. We got a couch again, and I set up the living room into an arrangement that I've never had it in before! I've always liked the idea of the couch being on the black wall, but I wasn't sure how that'd work with the front door being right there. I figured I'd try it out anyway and I really love how it feels! Plus, there's a perfect spot for our Christmas Tree!
See the other ways I've arranged our living room here.

Almost everything is Ikea, thrifted, or Target.

wildbride retreat // joshua tree

2015-11-22T13:53:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share a bit about the Wildbride retreat locations and give you guys a peek into where we'll be staying! I think I'm most excited about the Joshua Tree Retreat, partly because I just love Joshua Tree and think it has one of the most beautiful and interesting geographies of anywhere I've been to, but also, the house we're staying at is so amazing. I also haven't shot much Wildbride in non-PNW locations, so moving into the Southwest and their unique landscapes is really exciting. And beyond just spending time in beautiful outdoor spots, getting to hang out in this cozy, inspiring space with amazing women, with the smell of delicious food on in the oven, glasses full of wine, and laughter reverberating through the house, my heart feels so full just imagining it!
I've been so stoked out of my mind planning these retreats with my BFF, Kristina. She'll be leading morning yoga sessions to get us all awake and invigorated for the day, and to help us ground into our bodies. We'll both be cooking up breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the whole Wildbride family, and the first and second nights we're creating some fun and heartfelt mixers and ceremonies to bring our new Wildbrides into the fam.
Want to come? We so want to have you join the family! Find out a bit more about what's included in the retreats below and head over here to sign up!

WHAT'S INCLUDED

2 nights' lodging at an incredible house
all food, drink and snacks
morning yoga sessions led by a certified yoga teacher
head shots with fully edited high res digital files
a one-on-one Wildbride shoot with fully edited high res digital files
goodie bag full of swag from incredible sponsors
an amazing time with rad women

WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED

your flight or travel to the retreat location
prints, albums, or canvases of your wildbride/headshot images (though they are available for purchase!)
custom art created by Kristina or Liz of one of your Wildbride images

wildbride outfit ideas

2015-11-14T16:31:00.003-08:00

A question that I get sometimes from Wildbride gals is, "What do I wear?" The short answer is: whatever you want! Wildbride isn't traditional boudoir where lacy negligee's, garter belts, and stiletto heels are de rigueur. Some gals get down to the ol' birthday suit, others prefer a bit more coverage, and you can always start more covered up and decide along the way how far you want to strip down.

For those who want to at least start with some clothing, I did a little window shopping for what I'd wear to a Wildbride shoot. Obviously this is my personal style and doesn't necessarily reflect every Wildbride's look, but hey, any excuse to window shop for pretty things online, right?

With Wildbride, I'm always really attracted to sheer fabrics, fabrics with organic patterns and textures, and loose, flowy fabrics. It's nice to have coverage, but also be able to work with the fabric and show movement. Super tight clothing typically doesn't work quite as well for moving around and feeling loose and natural. Sheer scarves can work super well for covering up, but also giving peeks of skin, and they're easy to throw around to give movement and action in photos.

I also love jewelry for Wildbride, and with body chains having a moment, it's pretty easy to find some really beautiful statement jewelry to wear for the shoot.

I always tell girls if they want to bring any props, too, that that's definitely encouraged. If there's something that makes you feel empowered, something you do that you want to feature, or just something cool or pretty, bring it!

We are outside, and sometimes (if weather/temp permits) in the water, so stuff that you really don't want dirty or wet isn't recommended.

If you've been thinking of coming to one of the Wildbride Retreats, I'm doing a Wildbride Retreat giveaway! Head over and enter now!

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

1 / 2 / 3 / 4

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

wildbride retreat giveaway!

2015-11-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

Kristina and I are gearing up for Wildbride Retreats over here, dreaming up ideas and making more plans. The first retreat is a little over two months away! We are so excited. The early bird special for the Oregon Coast and Redwoods closes on November 30th, so before then I wanted to give you guys a chance to win your Wildbride Retreat registration fee!
If you want to win your Wildbride Retreat head over to the giveaway contest page on Facebook and enter by posting a photo and sharing either the reason you'd love to attend a Wildbride Retreat or by sharing a story about the woman that inspires, empowers, and encourages you. The giveaway will be open for entries and votes until November 18th and the entry with the most votes will win her registration fee to any of the four Wildbride Retreat locations! Once you enter, share your entry with friends and let them know to vote for you! It's up to you to get votes, so sharing on social media, your own blog, instagram, etc. can help get the word out about your entry in the contest!
I can't wait to read your guys' stories and see your entries, it's always so wonderful to get a glimpse at the lovely women who frequent Delightfully Tacky. If you've been dying to attend one of the retreats but weren't able to swing the registration cost, this is your chance to win it!

thoughts on performing burlesque as a married feminist woman

2015-11-10T13:24:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure whether I mentioned it or not, since it happened while I was taking a break from blogging and the internet, but this summer I was asked to join the local burlesque troupe that I performed with on the Wizard of Oz burlesque show the past two years. I enthusiastically replied that yes, I would love to join! This past halloween week I did my first couple performances as an official member of the Gritty City Sirens and we already have our next show, happening in December, on the books!

For some reason burlesque feels totally normal to me, though I've realized that for other people that's not the case. Some people feel weird about it, or say they wouldn't be able to see me the same after. One friend said he'd think less of me if he went and saw my show, another said they'd feel weird seeing me in normal settings after seeing me perform. And on the other hand, I have plenty of friends, both male and female, who have seen me perform and don't have any of those hang ups.

Stripping down to pasties on a stage in front of dozens or hundreds of people feels remarkably normal. Any anxieties that I have before going on stage are related to messing up my choreography, not the part where I have very few clothes on at the conclusion of my act. Wearing pasties doesn't feel much different than wearing a small bikini, and the theatricality of it, the costumes, the characters, the humor, the drama, the pageantry, all create something that is more than just a striptease. There is obvious sexuality involved, but the performer has power, choice, agency. I was reading Amanda Palmer's book, The Art of Asking recently and in the beginning of the book she talks a lot about her time working as a statue on the streets of Boston, and contrasts it with her time working as a stripper:
"...stripping, even though it often paid way better when I tried my hand at it a few years later, just didn't do it for me. I was being looked at. But I never felt seen. The strip joint was like Teflon to real emotional connection. There was physical intimacy galore... I danced for endless hours, stark naked on a stage... People would look straight into your crotch. But nobody would look you in the eye. And that drove me crazy."

Burlesque requires that the audience pay attention. The best performances create a connection with the audience. It's a relationship that only lasts 3-10 minutes, but for the time you're on stage, you hold their attention, make them see you. Your performance creates a story that goes beyond getting nearly naked.

Sometimes I get questions like, "...and your husband is okay with this?!" Yes, he's totally fine. In fact, he's super stoked on it. He's pretty sure he actually gets more nervous than I do before I get on stage because he wants everything to go off with out a hitch. We've had plenty of conversations about burlesque, what it means, if we're both comfortable with it, what it means (if anything) for our relationship.

Ultimately I think there's a conversation to be had about bodies and ownership of them. I maintain ownership over my body whenever I go on stage. I feel in control. I feel powerful. Dan doesn't own my body and I don't think he feels a sense of needing to control my body. We've even discussed the idea of stripping in a strip club and what our thoughts are about that. I think both of us feel like, at that level, the feeling of me owning my own body and feeling control of my own body starts to wane. Allowing myself to be touched by men in a strip club, for me, immediately creates a sense of loss of power. I lose some of the control over my own body in that scenario, and I'm not comfortable with that. With burlesque I feel ownership over my body. Dan knows that he married a woman who is strong willed, powerful, and creative. He gets so much joy from seeing me do things that are creative and that bring me alive. When I am on stage performing, that's the woman he sees, and I think that he enjoys that other people get to experience that as well.
Perhaps I am naive for thinking that people, especially men, can't look at me without imagining me in pasties after seeing me perform an act. And that imagining me in pasties makes me less of a person, or at least less of a respectable person. I run my own business, own my own home, and on top of that I also do my own costume design and fabrication, makeup and hair, music mixing, and choreography and perform on stage in front of hundreds of people. In my estimation that should make someone think more of me, not less, but to each his own. I don't intend to live my life trying to live up to every person's moral standards, that's impossible. I know full well that my choice to do burlesque has disappointed some, and they're sad that I'm not the person they thought I was. But I can't be bummed about that. I'm a human who is growing and changing and performing brings me so much joy. I'm doing awesome, and the most important human in the world to me, Dan, is super thrilled that I get to do burlesque and have that creative outlet. He might not be super thrilled about how many rhinestones I'm now purchasing, but that's another story.

four years

2015-11-06T19:57:00.003-08:00

Yesterday was our 4 year anniversary and Dan wanted to pick what we did. He decided we should go thrifting for outfits and then go do a fun photo shoot, since we don't have a lot of photos together. We went to Snoqualmie Falls, which neither of us had been to before, and the day was drizzly, grey, and perfectly Pacific Northwest. This past year of marriage has been wonderful and we've sort of hit a stride and we both feel really awesome about where we are both as individuals and as a team. I can't wait to see what we create together in the coming year!

all photos by me | Liz Morrow Studios

2016 wedding photography giveaway!

2015-11-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

i guys! I'm so excited to announce this big giveaway today for my wedding photography! I'm giving away four, yes, four(!) prizes this month worth over $5,000 total! Woo! If you're engaged and planning on getting married in 2016 this is your chance to win a mega discount on your wedding photography!

A little about me and my photography style: I love shooting couples who are creative, adventurous, down to earth, wanderlust addicted, and crazy in love. Whether it's eloping on a mountaintop in Mount Rainier National Park, rocking snow boots under your gown for snowy bridal portraits in Alaska, jetting off to Ireland for a lakeside (or rather, Loch-side?) ceremony, or just celebrating with family and friends in a cozy, intimate backyard setting, I love how people infuse their own personalities and values into their weddings. Every wedding is so unique and special, it's such an honor for me to get to be the one chosen to tell the story of your love and wedding day through my photography. I get to spend the entire day with my couples, from the buzzing excitement of getting ready, the butterfly moments right before walking down the aisle, the quiet moments together when we escape the hustle and bustle for some bride + groom portraits, to the last big exit. I always feel like I'm let into an inner sanctum, like I'm "with the band" if you will. I always leave the wedding at the end of the night feeling like I've made new friends with my couple. And delivering the images we created, sharing the captured memories that will live on for generations, watching the couple relive their day going through their images? That actually might be my favorite, it's a toss-up.

I want my images to reflect you and your day in the most honest way possible, while also reflecting my artistic style. I shoot in a photo-journalistic style with a creative bent. I'm a natural light photographer which means, with the exception of a flash (for capturing super low light scenarios and dancing), I don't lug around a bunch of lighting equipment. For me, natural light always tells the most honest story. While I love capturing candid, genuine moments, I also want to shoot stunning, creative photos that communicate how beautiful you and your story are in an artistic way. So many of my favorite photographs are of the the small intimate moments, but I also have a passion for the dramatic portraits as well. The story is in the big picture and the small gestures alike, just like our lives.

The first grand prize is for my non-US couples, and those US couples planning destination weddings abroad. I'm super excited about doing more travel and shooting international weddings is a huge dream, so I'm giving away an entire wedding package, worth $3,000 to a couple getting married abroad! If your 2016 wedding is not on US soil, this is for you!

The second grand prize is for anyone getting married anywhere, US or abroad. 50% off the wedding package of your choice, so depending on what package you choose this could be worth anywhere from $1,100-$2,000.

Two runners up will win $500 gift certificates to use towards their wedding photography package!

Now here's the fun part: how to enter!

This giveaway has two parts, the first part: Tell me about you guys and your wedding!
Head over here to fill out the entry form. I want to hear all about it! What is your vision for your big day? Florals, colors, style, venue, what are you dreaming up? I know you've got a Pinterest board for your wedding, share the link to your wedding board with me! And lastly, why would you love to have me shoot your wedding?

The giveaway will be open for entries until November 18th. After that, 1 grand prize winner will be chosen and 10 semifinalists will be picked to move on to the second round to compete for the remaining prizes! The semi-finalists will upload their entries to Facebook and then it's up to you, America (or, rather, WORLD!) to decide the winners. The Facebook entries will be open for voting until November 28th and the couples with the most votes will win!

Read the rules and guidelines for the giveaway here, and get your entries in here! I can't wait to read your story and envision your wedding day!

If you want to get a feel for my style, check out my website, wedding and engagement portfolios, or browse the wedding and engagement categories over on the studio blog!

halloween queen

2015-11-02T12:33:00.000-08:00

How was your Halloween weekend? Talk about a crazy day to have Halloween, not only was it on a Saturday, but it was also Daylight Saving night, which meant the partying lasted an extra hour! I had the most fun Halloween I can remember in recent years. My burlesque troupe, the Gritty City Sirens, put on a Halloween show and it was so much fun. We had an awesome bluegrass band open for us, then all us girls did our halloween inspired acts, and we finished the night with another band for people to dance the night away! I was blown away by how many people came and celebrated the night with us, it was such a blast! If you follow on facebook you probably saw a peek at my costume, I was a Black Widow Queen so I got super spidery and creepy. Dan was a wizard. Dusty didn't get a costume this year, though I almost bought her a cape.
Now that the Halloween show is over I can finally focus on some other fun stuff! I have some big news coming this week for both Wildbride and Liz Morrow Studios, so stay tuned for that! And of course, I'm now costuming and choreographing my Christmas burlesque act, so the sparkle train doesn't stop!

all items old except shabby apple dress + moorea seal shades | photos by Liz Morrow Studios

pumpkin beer and cheese tasting party

2015-10-31T07:00:00.000-07:00

Halloween, I think because we're not yet in the parent demographic, doesn't mean tons of fun size candies and other sweet halloween treats. For us, Halloween season (and fall in general) means the beginning of all the breweries releasing their pumpkin beers! It seems like every brewery has a seasonal pumpkin beer on in their wheelhouse and no two pumpkin beers are the same. Instead of having a sweets laden halloween party I thought it'd be fun to have a pumpkin beer tasting party instead!
I picked up a bunch of different pumpkin beers (and I threw in my all time favorite ginger cider from Schilling for good measure), laid out a cheese platter for people to snack on between beer tastings, and everyone sipped on beers! Whether or not you want to get really into picking apart the tasting notes of the beers is up to you, we found that by the end, the actual tasting notes started to devolve, but it was still a really fun time!

Beers we tasted:
Uinta Punk'n / Dogfish Head Punkin Ale / Elysian Night Owl / Rogue Pumpkin Patch Ale /21st Amendment He Said / New Belgium Pumpkick / Southern Tier Pumking(and Schilling's Ginger Cider)Cheeses:Kerrygold Dubliner / Blarney Castle / Skellig / Dubliner Soft Cheese Spreadtasted on Rustic Rosemary Loaf

sacred femininity

2015-10-23T00:41:00.000-07:00

The response to Wildbride has been so wonderful! Everyone has been so encouraging and I'm so excited for it to grow and to expand and bring it even further than the west coast! My favorite thing about Wildbride is that every woman comes to me with a story of why they want to do a Wildbride shoot. Each one is so beautiful, and it feels really special and honoring to be trusted with those stories. I think sometimes as women we're used to hiding our stories. So often in movies and television the main stories being told are men's stories, or the stories of women surrounding men. It's not very often that we hear women's stories purely told by women, about things that are central to being a woman moving through the world. Sure, sometimes that involves men because men are humans who we interact with, but there is so much more to women's stories than how men fit into those stories.
Sometimes I get men joking with me saying things like, "why aren't men allowed to do Wildbride shoots? I want a Wildgroom shoot, LOL!" and it makes me pretty salty. Like, hey guys, can this one thing not be about you? This is a space for sacred femininity and you are not invited. Go find a photographer whose calling is creating photos for sacred masculinity, that's great. But I'm not that photographer and I'm not about that. I feel like it can be hard for women to feel comfortable and safe enough to be vulnerable with their stories, bodies, and femininity. A lot of women have been injured by men, physically or emotionally, and the idea of men being allowed to enter into the Wildbride space creates a space that is no longer safe for women to be vulnerable in that way. The thing I love about Wildbride is that it's for women. It was designed and crafted to be for women. Something magical happens when women are around other women. Walls come down, hearts open, laugher reverberates.

All items thrifted or old. Photos by me | Liz Morrow Studios

broadening horizons

2015-10-22T12:59:00.000-07:00

It's always funny to me how different pieces in my closet want to be worn depending on the season. Technically this Dear Creatures dress was from their summer collection a few years back, and it's a pretty thin fabric despite having longer sleeves, but I always like wearing it in the fall rather than summer. But enough about clothes. I'm so excited for my travels this next year. Right now I have my travel schedule up on my Studio Website, and I can't wait to add more locations to the schedule as I make more plans for 2016. I feel like 2016 is a big year for me. I turn thirty and I'm like, it's time to get this show on the road! Dan and I have been discussing moving into the Winne, living in a friend's yard for a really affordable rent(/parking space?), renting out our house or possibly selling it, and saving our money for travel and savings. It's an idea that we've been throwing around for a long time, and I think we'll make a decision soon-ish, but since I'm taking the Brave on my Wildbride tour, it probably won't happen until at least Spring. I have a feeling that I'll get to Paris and be like, "Why the hell does anyone live in Tacoma!?" Even though I do like Tacoma, I've started, on my bike rides here and there, thinking about how plain Tacoma is in some ways. And not just Tacoma, but the US in general. I mean, there are so many incredible cities and geographically gorgeous areas in the US, but the streets with the houses and lawns and such... I'm ready to experience something else. I like yards and neighborhoods, but I also don't feel like relinquishing to a life of that being my reality. There are so many different ways to live in community, so many ways community looks so different from what we have here. And honestly my neighborhood doesn't feel like a community, anyway. We all hide behind our doors and fences, keep each other at arms length (which is fine by me because my neighbors are some weird folks, and not in the good way. Like literally as I am typing there are people screaming obscenities and threats at each other in my neighbors' front yard).I always go back and forth between wanting to live in a big city for a year, and just moving to the country, or back to AK. I love nature and feel like being in a natural setting is so healing, rejuvenating, and inspiring for me. But I also crave the cultural growth and experiences that come from being surrounded by a big city. Dan and I have talked about moving to New York for 6 months to 2 years, or somewhere like that. Maybe after I visit Paris I'll start pushing for an overseas city.

All items are old (2+years) | Photos by me (Liz Morrow Studios)

paris here i come!

2015-10-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

My brand new passport came in the mail on Saturday, which means... I'm going to Paris! After finding a super cheap milage ticket on Alaska Air, I booked my first trip across the pond! I'll be staying in an artist's studio and even though it will only be for a few days, but I'm thrilled to finally see a little bit more of this world beyond our US borders! Domestic travel for me no longer stretches me out of my comfort zone. I feel completely competent and comfortable traveling in any city in the US, but international travel is definitely out of my comfort zone and I desperately need to push past that comfort zone. I want to fill this passport with stamps and need a new one before it expires because it's already full. I want to understand more of this planet and the people on it in an experiential way. I want to grow personally through stretching myself out of my comfort zone, and putting myself in different cultures.

I've had two different flights across the Atlantic that I had to cancel. Not this one. Not this time.

"What woman does not know this broken promise by heart? 'As soon as I finish this I can go. As soon as I can get away... when the springtime comes, I'll go. When the summer's over, I'll go. When the kids are back in school... Late in autumn when the trees are so beautiful I will go. Well, no one can go anywhere in winter, so I'll just wait till sprint... I really mean it this time.'
... Your dog will try to make you think you are abandoning a child on the highway, but will forgive you...
'I am going.' These are the best words ever. Say them. Then go."
- Clarissa Pinkola Estes Ph.D. Women Who Run With The Wolves

I am going.

So, friends, give me all your Paris advice and recommendations. Food, drinks, sights, favorite bloggers, all the things!

I'll be there the first week of December, so I'm not getting the springtime-in-Paris experience, which I'm actually fine with. I tend to prefer traveling on the off-season so things aren't overrun with tourists.

And if any of you are in Paris and want to meet up for coffee, drinks, or do a photo shoot, let me know! I'd love to!

photo credit // Georgianna Lane, Tell Tale Blog, + unknown

wildbride retreats!

2015-10-20T16:58:00.001-07:00

Back in April I announced an idea for a second Winne trip. I knew that the Brave was a creative home for me, and I longed for another Brave journey. But I also knew that this time I didn't want the trip to be about me. I didn't want it to be just a sight-seeing trip, or a personal growth trip like it was for my first one. So I had the idea to travel around and interview cool ladies doing amazing things and create a podcast. I was really excited about the idea, but I also felt like something was sort of off about it, for me. I couldn't figure out how to make the project really resonate with me, it was like I was working against the flow trying to get the project going. I had planned on leaving on the trip about this time of year, but time kept slipping by and the project kept getting pushed back.

When I took my break from the interwebs and started dipping my toes into doing Wildbride photo shoots, I naturally was inspired to involve the Brave in my life again. I knew that the Brave and Wildbride were connected, deep down they meant the same thing for me. They were a part of the same story. So I started thinking of how the two of them could mesh. The result: Wildbride Retreats!

I knew that I wanted to connect with more women beyond the Pacific Northwest, but that everyone who wanted to do a shoot traveling to me wouldn't always feasible. But with the Brave, I'm mobile. I could go TO people. So starting at the end of January I'm hopping in the Brave with Kristina (the loveliest redhead who you've seen on this here blog plenty of time. My soul sister and luscious goddess) and driving down the West Coast of the US leading Wildbride retreats along the way. We have retreats scheduled for the Oregon Coast, Northern California Redwoods, Joshua Tree, and Sedona!

The retreats will be on weekends, arrival on Friday, Wildbride shoots on Saturday, and leave Sunday, and we've got so much fun stuff planned. Kristina is a certified Yoga Instructor and will be leading yoga for us to get us all grounded into our bodies, we'll be staying in some incredible homes (don't worry, we don't all have to cram into the Brave), and eating delicious food. You can see the tentative daily schedule here, I'm so excited to get to commune with Wildbride women and have a healing, celebratory weekend surrounding the photo shoots. Each retreat only has 4 spots because I really want the retreats to be more intimate. I don't want to feel like we're rushing the shoots, or that I don't have enough time to connect with everyone.

Also, I have big dreams for taking Wildbride even further than the Winne can go. I'm traveling to Paris Dec 1- 5, and New Orleans Dec 29-31, and while I don't have time to put together full retreats for those trips, I would love to do Wildbride shoots while I'm there! If anyone is local to Paris/New Orleans or happens to be there while I am, please email me and let's chat! I'm also dreaming of Ireland, Iceland, and beyond for 2016! But for now here are the confirmed Wildbride Retreats:

Oregon Coast | Manzanita, OR Jan 29-31, 2016 (only 2 spots left!)
Redwoods | Mendocino, CA Feb 12-14

Joshua Tree | Joshua Tree, CA Feb 19-21

Sedona | Sedona, AZ Mar 4-6

You can see all the info on the retreats, what's included, what's not, and the tentative daily schedule over at the Retreat website! I'm offering an Early Bird deal for everyone who signs up before November 30 (and I also have payment plans available for early birds too, so if you're interested in finding out more about the payment plan email me!). After that it'll go up to full price, so make sure to sign up before then!