Deals on Dresses

Last week, Tats and I got together. Since COVID, our Wednesday art nights have mostly moved virtual, but every couple of months, I get to see my dear friend in person. Things have changed, with businesses still recovering, meaning most cafes are no longer open evening hours. I sincerely hope cafe culture isn't dead... 

But that means, we often swap our in-person gatherings to thrift shopping! The Capitol Hill Goodwill is open until 9pm, and 2 stories tall, it rarely disappoints.

This visit was pretty epic with me finding 2 amazing items and saving $300! The biggest item, you'll have to wait for (I found an amazing NWT gown as the foundation for my Halloween costume), but one of the items I'll share today.

Tats knows I've been on a critter print kick and found the perfect short dress for me. 

Navy with cream large cats, I can dress this up or dress it down. All business with the color scheme, but all party with the critter print.

I love the v-neckline in the back and subtley pleated a-line skirt. Perfectly tailored for a pear shape like me! And this neckline would be great to pair with a backdrop necklace.

Easy breezy for a summer picnic (and I'm appreciating breezy with this heat wave!), but I'll be pairing this with tights and Mary Janes to wear it year round.

The best part? This Australian brand, Sunny Girl, typically goes for about $75 AUD ($52 USD), and I paid just $8 at Goodwill. 

Have you had any great second-hand summer finds?

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An outtake. T brought out his inner Zoolander and asked me to "show [him] 'angry'".

Spotlight: Taco Time NW

I nerd out a bit about Taco Time NW. Sure, it was my first summer job in high school, but also, the "sour cream" on their soft tacos is ranch dip, so what's not to love?

However, what's really cool about Taco Time is they have cared about their ingredients and packaging long before there was a plastic straw ban or "ask first before handing out consumables" law in Seattle. 

Taco Time proudly sources their ingredients from local suppliers. As a local, family-owned company themselves, they understand that sourcing from local suppliers means supporting the local economy as well as reducing fuel and costs to transport those ingredients.

Next... EVERY ITEM of packaging in their store is 100% compostable (except for ketchup packets). Long story short, back in 2010, they understood that the area was going in the direction of fully recyclable or compostable for food containers, and after testing some options, realized it's hard for customers to sort their trash, and much of the recyclables were contaminated, etc. Not only do we know you can't recycle your way out of plastic waste, but choosing 100% compostable was easier on customers and with better results (ie not losing out on contaminated recycling). Taco Time NW has now been a leader with compostable serviceware for several years. If you'd like to learn more about their process to get there, read this. 

While I've noticed the compostable serviceware for some years now, this new sign caught my eye on my last visit.Taco Time NW has 2 new sustainability initiatives: 1) Match their electrical consumption with investments in renewable energy, and 2) Make their restaurants carbon neutral through partnerships with forest projects. To learn more and not read this tiny picture, visit their page here.

So next time you are craving a fast-food taco, consider visiting one of the 79 restaurants in the PNW. You can eat guilt-free with a sustainability leader in the industry. Maybe just a bit of guilt though for asking for an extra side of ranch!

DIY Shoe Repair with Shoe Goo

Do you have that pair of shoes you love, but are starting to have some wear and tear, and you just want to get a few more months out of them? Shoe Goo comes to the rescue for some easy at-home repair. 

I love these black ankle boots so much I've already had the heels professionally repaired once. Now, after several more months of wear, the toe has split open, both letting in rain as wear as exposing ugly white lining.

Enter Shoe Goo. Shoe Goo is a rubber-like adhesive and sealant that comes in clear, black, and "natural" (a subtle beige like the base of some sneakers). This black was perfect for my boots and for non-exposed areas of any other shoes. 

To apply, put a small (maybe pea sized) amount directly on the area to be repaired and smooth with a toothpick or small putty knife or palette knife.

A note of warning: this has a strong odor like many adhesives, so you'll want to apply it and let it dry in a well-ventilated area. 

Allow to dry for 24 hours and add a second coat if desired. The above picture shows the wet state - it dries less shiny. 

Unless you are extremely skilled, the shoe will never look brand new. However, this repair is much more subtle than an exposed toe, and will keep me going until I can shop for that next pair of comfy booties. I've also used this for compeletely hidden areas, for example, reattaching the tread on my hiking shoes. 

A tube this size (3.7 oz) will cost you around $7, and because you only need a tiny amount per application, will serve you for a long time. After 2 repairs, I still have 99% of the tube left. This $7 purchase should return its investment many times over in extend life of your footwear.

Posh Elephants

When my colleague, S, came into the office the other day, I was immediately drawn to her light, breezy blouse. It was tailored enough with roll-tab sleeves to look put together, and the round neckline was more feminine and comfortable than a collared button down. My kinda work blouse. And it didn't hurt that it was covered in elephant print. While I've been on a critter-print kick in general, elephants are near and dear to my heart.

So starting with an "I love your blouse!", we proceeded with 10 minutes if casual work convo, and then looped back to "but seriously, where did you get your top?"

Learning that the blouse was from Stitch Fix a few years back, I had enough info to start a search, and later that day had tracked down one in my own size for $18 (including shipping) on Poshmark. Compare at ~$40 new at StitchFix.

Poshmark is a great place to locate gently used, previous season branded clothes. It seems the crowd it caters to (for sellers) are those who want to rotate their closets and recoup some of the funds, so the clothes are often in better condition than those that are donated. The top is more white/cream than the color seen here - the orangey hue is just the evening glow from our deck firepit. Look at those cute elephants...

The dots in this pattern are just begging to be paired with more patterned accessories, so I added these Marquise earrings from Wenwen Designs.

Wenwen Designs is Frances Chang, a local artist from the San Francisco area, whose work I discovered on vacation. She "strives to make pieces... with the lowest carbon footprint possible". The wood surfaces are "sealed with organic beeswax" and "sustainably made... through material choices and studio practices". And don't forget, buying local is a great way to both support the local economy as well as save on fuel for transporting goods. I love how intricate the designs are, and at $70 they are a great deal for this level of handicraft and compared to semiprecious jewelry.

Overall, putting together this look, we saved $20 buying second hand and also supported a local artisan.

Saving Soap Scraps to Support Ukrainian Refugees

Since 2016, I've been following a company Clean the World, who takes the leftover and partially-used hotel toiletries. remanufactures them into new products, and distributes them to communities in need. 

So I was super excited when my worlds came together and my tech job brought Clean the World onto campus for us to do some days of volunteering. The goal was for us to assemble 50,000 hygiene kits over the course of 3 days, containing the remanufactured soaps. Clean the World then partners with local non-profits on the ground in Ukraine to hand out the kits to refugees fleeing the current war.

This is an example of the volunteer set-up. Under each of these tents is 8 tables. Each table can fit up to 10 volunteers, and 5 of those big plactic totes containing: the soaps, hand sanitizer, wipes, hotel shampoos, and a toothbrush. 

Each volunteer shift is 45 minutes long, making it easy for employees to join during the work day, and at the end of a shift, each table has assembled around 300 kits.

What an awesome experience to see this organization in action! 

You can get your own business to do a similar event by contacting Clean the World HERE.

Or, you can do a smaller scale event (think: 100 kits), and donate to a local group in need, by ordering a box from HERE. 

Whole Fennel, Whole Lemons, Whole Lotta Taste

Several years ago, I became interested in fennel at a restaurant when I tried the the most flavorful salad with razor-thin-sliced fennel, oranges, and olives. While I don't eat it often, those types of amazing recipes occasionally flood my memory and I'm reminded I should experiment with more veggies. So, I added a fennel (a whole fennel - bulb, stems, fronds) in my Imperfect Produce box, and knew I had a lot of interesting possibilities ahead of me. After a few minutes of looking for ideas, I decided on this one pot roasted chicken recipe.

Sadly, I was so into cooking, I forgot to take pictures until halfway through! Fortunately, the recipe link has multiple photos and even short videos to illustrate each step. 

First, let's look at our fennel stems and fronds. The fine leaves may look like dill, but sniff the stems, and you'll realize there's an entirely unique smell and flavor here, almost like anise. (Remember, fennel seeds are what's used to flavor Italian sausage, if you're trying to identify it.)

We're going to finely chop the fronds to make a simple sauce. (The fennel bulb is used in the main recipe, which means we'll use almost the entire thing.)

And add the juice from half a lemon. The rest of the lemon is used elsewhere in the recipe. And if you want to maximize your use, zest the lemon before juicing. Pro tip: I zest all my citrus before juicing and keep the zest in a small container in the freezer. It's always available then if I want to sprinkle some lemon zest on my avocado toast, lime zest into cilantro lime rice, or orange zest into cream cheese frosting.

You stir the fennel fronds, lemon, juice, some olive oil, salt, and pepper to create a simple herb lemon sauce, which is a great finish to add some "oomph" to the already flavorful roast chicken. Note: most root veggie tops (think carrot greens) can make a great addition to your salad greens or become the herb in your pestos and sauces.

For the main dish, we roasted chicken thighs over a bed of fennel bulb, shallot, thin lemon slices, and tomato slices. This is a super flavorful veggie combo which also makes this one pot a complete meal.

A closeup of the caramelized fennel and roasted lemon slices. Note: the lemon doesn't just add flavor to the dish. When they are roasted like this, you can eat the whole lemon. The skins become soft and the pith loses most of its bitterness.

Verdict: While this dish is pretty enough to serve to guests, it is easy enough to make on a weeknight. Total cook time was about 40 minutes, with 20 minutes active and 20 in the oven. And you can feel good knowing you used the whole fennel and whole lemon, with minimal waste. 

What are your favorite recipes using produce scraps or whole foods?

Sustainably Stylish, Head to Toe

I'm pretty stoked about this outfit. Not only because I continue to aspire to Noel Fielding's quirky fashion greatness, and lucked out with this bird print kimono, but also, this outfit exhibits 4 different ways to make great, sustainable choices. 

First, a close up so you can see the great bird print on this Noel-inspired purchase. The classic black and white makes this easy to wear day to night, and pair with color or keep a monochrome look. I'll show more detail below, but this is a Wet Seal kimono-style cardigan, purchased for $10 on Poshmark (compare at $25 new).

Starting at the bottom, the shoes I'm wearing are Rothy's. I've written about them before, but essentially, Rothy's are made out of recycled water bottles. You would never know - they feel like pretty standard fabric. This pair is about 5 years old, and they've still held up because you can throw them in the wash! Buh-bye sockless shoe funk.

Next, I'm getting plenty of wear out of the Mugsy jeans I wrote about in April. The skinny jeans style pairs well with the oversized kimono.

Moving to the top, there's something you can't see, and that's ultimately the point... the black tee I'm wearing has been mended more than once, to fix tiny holes. The mend is impossible to see unless you're specifically looking for it. For a tutorial, check out Brightly, and you'll also see how easy it is and how well-hidden it can be. 

Here, you can also see the full kimono, with the fun wide sleeves, which are both unique and super comfy. Pardon the restroom selfie - sometimes you have to take advantage of that full length mirror!

In total, this outfit demonstrates 4 ways to dress more sustainably: 

• kimono - thrifting saved us $15 and keeps fast fashion in circulation longer
• jeans - gifted through Buy Nothing (previously saved $108 when I received these)
• shoes - constructed from upcycled materials, these are an investment, but have maintained their value by being washable and durable
• shirt - purchased new, but mending extends the life