in a last frontier fashion ...

MIA

2010-02-09T11:14:00.003-09:00

A gown designed to look like a Raven totem pole worn by Miss Alaska-Universe Kathy Hartman in 1971 has gone msising. Check out this article from the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

What a beautiful creation! And what a shame to have lost it. The dress creator said she wants to find it and put it on display at the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center to honor Alaska Natives.

face value.

2010-02-04T11:31:00.007-09:00

flat tire, local color.

2010-02-04T10:58:00.002-09:00

alaska forever.

bloggyblogblog

2010-01-29T11:38:00.008-09:00

So...I've been frightfully delinquent in updating my posts...isn't that a common affliction for bloggers?

I love reading blogs, especially the slightly personal ones becasue it seems like you're peering into someone's secret life. It's very voyeuristic. But it's hard to find a balance between too much information and a nice peep into a lifestyle. How people live their lives is incredibly fascinating to me. Especially the mundane detals like how much toothpaste they put on their toothbrushes, morning routines, or the simples things that people need/do to get through the day. the everyday things are what makes life worth living.

Anways, after that diatribe...I digress...

In an effort to update my blog to try and post more regularly I'll share a few special and everyday photos from the past few months...whaddya say?

my best friend's beautiful wedding

press tour to the pipeline

snowshoe softball

(photo stolen off of friend's fbook)

clear eyes. full hearts. can't lose.

2009-09-11T13:13:00.005-08:00

I was delightfully surprised to find out that on the Monroe Catholic Rams football team there's a girl kicker. Primarily a soccer player, Christin Davis is a first year football player. At 4-foot-10 she's about a foot and 100 pound less than most of the players but she gets up there with the boys anyway. For Monroe's game against the Valdez Buccaneer's last Saturday she put on her mascara and painted her nails Monroe yellow to punt and make those extra-point kicks that led to their 61-14 victory against home team Bucs.

And she's not the only girl varsity football player in Alaska. There's another girl on Eielson's team and apparently in North Pole.

Check this rad article about these girls from the Fairbanks Daily-News Miner

In the Anchorage School District they have girls' flag football which seems super cool. Wish they had that when I was at Chugiak High.

ak adventurers

2009-07-17T11:32:00.011-08:00

My cousin Emmarnem from San Diego came and visited Alaska a few weeks ago! We had so much fun palling around the state--visiting musk ox and wolves, thrift shopping in Glennallen, drinking smoothies in Copper Center, bar hopping in Los Anchorage and kayaking in Prince William Sound. And of course all of these activites were done in the cutest of outfits!

John Harris' shoes!!

2009-07-14T14:34:00.024-08:00

Alaska State House Rep. John Harris, Alaska

governor hopeful for 2010, paid a little visit to Valdez yesterday looking rather dapper in a grey suit and gingham tie.

Someone was suppossed to come as well, who's well known for her nice shoes, but she did not show up due to foggy weather.

But look at Harris' shoes! They're shiny and black and look like half-cowboy boots!

bakery street style!

2009-07-14T14:21:00.005-08:00

Had lunch at Magpies the other day--a dleicious vegetable medley. While at the bakery, which feels like a warm loaf of bread inside, I also spied some lovely looking people and so I captured them in photographs.

Pretty Girls and Lumberjacks

Hippies!

Doorags!Carhartts!
dirty birdies named Magpie

the people we know

2009-06-18T16:13:00.006-08:00

valley boy

2009-06-17T10:44:00.004-08:00

so uh what's the scuttlebutt about Levi Johnston?

There's a profile of him in GQ magazine as an all-American/Alaskan boy and dad-- hunting sheep and changing diapers.

And then he goes to L.A. to go shopping for his way to break into show biz with his alter-ego "Hollywood Ricky." whaaa?

Personally, I think he looks better in camo than stunner shades and the like. It's just bizarre that he's being featured as an icon in his hunting garb and possibly having a hunting-themed reality show? Weren't his 2 mins of fame over after he knocked up the first dude's daughter?

beards and 'staches

2009-05-27T15:47:00.023-08:00

Was I in heaven or was I at the World Beard and Moustache Championships in Anchorage Alaska last weekend?

Really, I couldn't tell.

So many amazing fellas sporting fuzzy faces I couldn't help but feel a bit twitterpated. I actually met (and got a photo with!!) previous "natural beard and styled moustache champ" Burke Kenny from Olympia, Washington. He didn't place this year at the championships but he won the Alaska Beard Team's "Black Bear" award.

Burke and I

Lots of other fashionable males were present at the event including Moses, Santa Clause, Claude Monet and plenty of Alaskan fishermen, whalers, trappers and miners.

The bi-yearly event had more than 300 competitiors and 50 of them were from Alaska--I knew I moved back to the right state.

And hilariously enough, Bob Gengler, the president of the South Central Alaska Beard and Moustache Club, said that most Alaskans are so independent so they don’t want to join any team--even a beard team!! I just imagine all those potential beard champions in the Alaskan Bush too wild to organize, hiding out with rifles and "get off my land" threats.

On Friday, there was a beard parade and then this rad band from Australia called The Beards played. Their whole schtick: songs about beards for people with beards. The hits: "If your Dad doesn't have a beard you've got two Moms" and "Beards don't kill people, People with Beards kill people." Wowza.

Listening to the band I almost felt like I was in a magical dream world--kind of like in Harry Potter but replace the magic with lotsa facial hair.

I'm still feeling a little whimsical about the whole thing and wouldn't object to any guys with beards and/or 'staches pinching me to make sure I'm not dreaming! ha!

Freestyle Beard Champion and Ultimate World Beard Champion David Traver

*Claim to fame: David has totally commented on my blog before! yay!

Freestyle Moustache Champion from Anchorage

Austrians!

Imperial Moustache Champ from L.A.

You know, I don't think this guy competed but he rocked the beard the whole way

Paul Bunyan

An Alaskan Whaler Beard from Kenai

Claude Monet!

Jack Passion--Full Natural Beard Champion from San Francisco!!

A Garibaldi Beard

Another Freestyle Beard Champ!

Santa Claus with Devil Eyes

Uncle Sam

An Alaskan Beard Team 'stachlete

Moustache and Press Pass

(this photo courtesy of lovely Annette http://anaenae.blogspot.com/)

(other photos by me excpet the one with Burke and that was by some random bearded hipster)

xtratufs are magic!

2009-04-29T15:51:00.015-08:00

So I'm covering a little event tomorrow night at the local elementary school with Alaska author Mindy Dwyer. While doing a little research on her and her books I found out that in her Last Frontier Cinderella story, The Salmon Princess, the princess wears xtratuffs instead of a glass slipper!

Seriously how adorable! I knew my tuffs are magical with the special treads to create a suction cup on boats for amazing traction ... now if they'd only find me a fairy godmother and fisherman prince charming!

(photos from flikr- look at those glass slipper tufs!)

For your reading pleasure here's a fun archive from the Capitol City Weekly out of Juneau about Alaskan coastal communities' obsession with tufs!

alaska bride

2009-04-21T16:35:00.010-08:00

My bff kraybelly is tying one on ... or is it tying the knot? I always get that confused! hahaha.

but anyway, she's a beautiful, blushing Alaska bride, no? Note the dog butt in the picture... oh Copper!

She's getting married in Settlers Bay outside Wasilla in the fall so it's going to be pretty autumn colors. Like rich red and deep browns and light mocha. I'm not really into the brown bridesmaids dress but it's not really about me now is it?

Have you guys ever read or seen Alaska Bride magazine? It's hilarious. I love the pictures of the brides on the four wheelers in hip waders,etc. And some of the locations are breathtaking, like at lighthouses and different lodges around the state. (Practically every wedding showcased in the zine has a rehearsal dinner at Mooses Tooth)

The one I saw had a "celebrity" wedding with Kikkan Randall (Olympic athlete) and her hubby--they had a bright pink wedding and were married under ski poles!!

The magazine also had a feature on a new post-wedding trend called "Trash your dress" where the brides get photos wading in water, fishing and mud-wrestling. It's wild! Krysta said she'd be down for something like that--I wonder if she'll trash it in Settlers Bay. I'd be down trashing the brown bridesmaid dresses too! Maybe Copper the dog can help...

the wonderful thing about tiggers...

2009-04-15T17:20:00.003-08:00

is tiggers are wonderful things!

(that apparently drink Alaskan Amber)

I spotted this tigger at the Alaska Rendezvous Lodge on the Richardson Highway. This tigger, also a heli pilot, said that a wild pack of geologists attacked him and put all the accents on his jumpsuit. So apparently Winnie-the-pooh's tigger is not the only one out there....
Nevertheless what a sweet snowsuit that's an outfit and random costume!

valdez street stylez.

2009-03-31T12:48:00.003-08:00

Shelly from the quilt shop has the cutest coordinated outfits. Check those dansko clogs that match the cab driver hat. Adorable!

I spotted this stylish local at an art opening last month. (there's no white stuff on his shirt, it's from the projector) He said he gets all his fashion sense from the Target racks! With a new Target store in Anchorage and online ordering Alaskans can now hunt more than just deer, but those wild, wild bargains.

Mayor Mustache.

2009-03-20T11:42:00.005-08:00

Mayor of Valdez is back in town with his friend Mustache.

For an ex-cop he's looking mighty fine rocking that 'stache. Look at that suit and tie get-up too. Only the finest for city council. Valdez is straight class.

more favorite faces!

2009-03-20T11:11:00.009-08:00

(all photos by me)

Love these expressions and hats!

i did i did i did the iditarod trail!

2009-03-11T09:55:00.013-08:00

The iditarod gets me all excited! Not only is it a thrilling testament to Alaska history it also means the days are getting longer and spring and is just around the corner. And I just I love singing that Hobo Jim song. But my favorite thing is following the mushers.

In elementary school, I always loved getting assigned a musher to track throughout the race. We'd cut out pictures from the Anchorage Daily News and make little scrapbooks of our musher's journey as homework.

My brother had Jeff King the year he won. I was so jealous. My mushers never won--Tim Triumph had to withdraw due to competitiveness. And then to make it even better my dad met King and got my brother a signed King Iditarod trading card! I hope he still has that.

But anyway, I'm following the race this year. And I've assigned myself a musher: Matt Hayashida. Apparently he's originally from the east coast and then moved to Alaska to race dogs with Martin Buser. Now he lives in Willow.

Sigh. I have such a school girl crush on his dirty hat and Carhartts fashion sense.

And he's doing well so far! In 20th place as of today, pulling ahead from his previous ranking. Maybe I can get his trading card...

Who's your favorite musher?

(photos from ADN, http://www.rubiconracingfastdogs.com/, and travel.webshots)

*UPDATE:Just so you know my musher made it to Nome in good time. He made it this morning Friday, March 20 and finished in 21st place--his best yet! Oh Matt Hayashida!

*update: Check out this story, "Stumbling, Bumbling Sled Dog: 'Sorry, This Is My First Iditarod'"on The Onion. As always, The Onion is effing hilarious.

"You look around and you realize that you are going up against your idols—Larry, Bronte, Salem, Handsome, Blue—and then it hits you: This is the fucking Iditarod," Melvin said. "It's not the Jack Pine 30 or the American Dog Derby. Out here, if you playfully root through your musher's sled basket and destroy his heavy parka and extra-warm sleeping bag, well, that's a mistake that could haunt you the rest of your career. Unfortunately, I'm learning that the hard way."

Thanks to my favorite hippie Amy for sending me the link!

OMFG

2009-03-03T13:25:00.005-09:00

Hats that look like beards and staches...AMAZING!

these boots were made for walking (in 40 below)

2009-02-27T10:36:00.018-09:00

I am jonesing for these boots. They're called the "Joan of Arctic," made by boot-company-extraordinaire Sorel.
They're totally sexy with faux fur trim and waterproof soles but at some $120.00 bones I'm not sure I can justify the purchase. But ... they are weatherproof up to -40 ...

And they do go along with the whole "fur trapper chic" look, that seemed to be hip from this season's winter lines (see last photo below) and just in time for Fur Rondy- Anchorage's winter festival honoring its economic past in the pelt trade. It's so much fun and a must-do in winter if you're in the area.

(It's such a big deal that in honor of the Fur Rendezvous Festival there used to be a dress-up day at the elementary school and a little kids would parade the hallways. When I was five, my Mom's idea was to dress me up as a mail-order bride, I had no idea what that meant at the time. My brother made me a little pixelated "mail order bride" sign on the old Mac computer and everything! And then in second grade I wore an old fur jacket and went as Miss Fur Rendezvous! Amazing.)

When did Sorel become so sophisticated? I have to admit there's a special place in my heart for the old Sorel boots that my Dad used to wear to snow-blow the driveway. You know the ones that are so dorky that they're cool? I used to have the light pink version of those when I was a kid because my boots just had to match the rest of the ensemble. According to my Mom, I would cry and not leave the house if my outdoor gear did not match--it's hard being fashionable!

(Photo courtesy of www.in70mm.com)

You love it when she wears that hat! Doctor Zhivago knows what's up.

(Fashion spread photo from http://www.annesage.com/blog)

On another note, the fashionable use of fur and faux fur does bring about some ethical questions. Some think wearing dead animals is gross and even sporting the fake stuff is continuing to promote unjust deaths. Even vintage fur--animals that have been dead for years--brings about the same debates. Personally, I like the aesthetic and appreciate the nod to historical usage but what do you think?

Stay tuned for Part II on Arctic Explorer fashion--with a special section on Antarctica Explorer Ernest Shackleton!

this is what we wear to go snowshoeing...

2009-02-26T10:28:00.017-09:00

You gotta look good while scaling those ridges.

I'll post the "after" photo later--the one where we actually made it up the mountain!

grrrl crush

2009-02-19T10:10:00.009-09:00

My roommatie Heidi is fabulous!
Just look at this getup.

Carhartts, winter boots and just look at that jacket! It's wool with a fake lambskin lining and it has a collar and a hood! (even though you can't see it in the picture). She said she got the jacket at a thrift store in Anchorage. Love it!

fishermen (and fisherma'am) sweaters

2009-02-13T16:56:00.017-09:00

Any local worth her wait in silvers knows that the fisherma'am sweater is where it's at!

Appartently, the fashion world calls this a "shawl collar sweater," but I prefer the other name--the name that invokes old salty dawgs with big beards and corncob pipes off the coast of Maine.

And those rosy-cheeked fishmongers (or pastrymongers) in Valdez, like Magpie below! (photo by me)

(photos from Banana Republic and J.Crew)

When I moved here I knew I needed to find meself one of these fashion statements! And luckily, like all good things should, after a few weeks of thinking (and searching), it came to me! I snagged a cool, North Face version on sale at The Prospector. I do wish however that I could have gotten one at the thrift store in Glennallen for $5 like Magpie but there'll be other fish in the sea!

hearts!

2009-02-11T16:38:00.004-09:00

happy love month!

a few of my favorite local faces

2009-02-05T16:36:00.016-09:00

(All photos by yours truly)
All these faces tell so many stories-- about homesteading in Alaska, the 1964 earthquake, living off the grid. I think I like these mugs the most because they were each so charming and I have my own story for all of them!

best beard in town...

2009-02-05T15:16:00.007-09:00

belongs to this guy!

I've seen him around and sometimes, to accompany the feat of facial hair, he wears the most amazing neon pink windbreaker jacket. Wowza.

He should totally compete in the World Beard and Moustache Championships hosted this May in Anchorage! It's only the second time this bi-yearly competition is being held in the United States.

I'm going for sure. I mean, an even more concentrated plethora of bearded mountain men than usual in the 49th state? yes, please!

The last gold medal winner of the "Natural Full Beard with Sculpted Moustache" competition was from Olympia, Wash. and my friends who went to school there would see the champ around town! I'm so jealous.

Icelandic Feel.

2009-02-05T12:06:00.002-09:00

My ambient music obsessed roommate Netflixed the Sigur Ros film, Heima. It documents the Icelandic post-rock band through their 2006 tour. So after a long day of glacial snowshoeing (no joke) we had a screening. It’s a beautifully shot film with lots of ethereal images of the band performing in the countryside as demonstrations on environmental conversation.

Besides the gorgeous scenery something that caught my eye was this sweater that one musician is wearing (far left). It must be the Official Sweater of Iceland because in every crowd scene multiple Icelanders are wearing it!

I feel that Alaska and Iceland are kindred spirits--the geological features and weather are similar, especially to Valdez. So many shots could have been taken up in Thompson Pass.

(photos from sigur ros, www.nordicstore.net, and Thompson Pass moss and scenery by me!)

What do you think is the official sweater of Valdez?

I'll have to do a post about fishermen pullovers later!

skirting the cold.

2009-01-29T14:51:00.001-09:00

Check out this insulated snow skirt from Sweden, the SKHOOP. Apparently it's all the rage in Anchorage, according to this article from the Anchorage Daily News.

It's like snow pants but in skirt form- how crazy! It seems like an overcoat for your legs just to throw on over jeans or whatnot to keep your bum warm. I like the idea of wearing it with Xtratufs, like one lady says in the article, but then again I like wearing everything with Xtratufs!

you gotta live a little.

2009-01-29T14:12:00.002-09:00

(Photo by me)

Welcome to the "in a last frontier fashion" blog! This blog is dedicated to styling, living and beer drinking in the 49th state.

Hopefully this will evolve into a "Valdez Street Style" blog because there are some seriously amazing dressers out there! Sometimes all the snow and ice is not conducive to being extremely trendy but Alaskans always seem to make it work. Here's to a fashionable Alaska!