past fashion choice most cringe-worthy?
I used to wear Calvin Klein overalls in high school. From Costco. Why? Why?! Although now overalls are apparently coming back. Yeesh.

clothing item you can’t wait to purchase?
A new pair of brown leather boots for Fall!

what’s your take on seattle style?
It can thoroughly be improved upon. A little less fleece, please. We’re a major metropolitan city! Let’s start dressing that way! Leave the NorthFace for recreational activities. Although I respect that our city doesn’t take itself too seriously, style-wise. Fashion is supposed to be fun, not uptight.

white belts, yes or no?
Oh Lord, it really depends on the context, but usually it’s a big no.

name a song and cocktail that were made for each other-
French 75 and “Le Foule” by Edith Piaf.

jill is one crafty mother, and my kid is totally ripping off her kid’s costume.  add a mustache… done!

you probably don’t know this, but i have a pen habit.  see the tutorial for this pen can lazy susan, or be inspired to make your own.  i went to value village one afternoon, and spent about $25 to make this… (crap cell phone pic, apologies)

fall is on it’s way (did we ever have summer?) i’m finding tons of images of covetable style…

this weekend i’ll be scheduling some posts… as you’ve seen, some lovely ladies have decided to join me on n+t, can’t wait to have them here for some style sighting company and contributing their personal style inspiration.

i pretty much HAVE to post photos of my kid.  and i could go on and on about how awesome he is, and cute… but pictures say it all.  labor… long.  baby… big.  but it was all worth it.  now i have this rad little guy to hang out with, and we’ve been having fun.  and of course i’ve been accosting him with my camera.  what are moms for?

above: the first week.  babies scream.  who knew.  but when they’re not screaming, they’re sleeping.  and they’re pretty cute.  for more photos

baby toes

playing dress up (already!)

with baby friend august…

rolling is fun

4 month contemplation

wow.  if you’ve ever had a kid, you know i’m not kidding when i say, i didn’t even realize 5 months went by.  if you haven’t had a kid… please understand that time, and it’s passage, have new meaning for me.

i wouldn’t trade a single second of everything that’s transpired.  being pregnant… sucked.  but you know the upside? your very own baby.  it’s been a pretty crazy ride, but now it’s time to get back to all things style in our city, and putting up some inspiring content on needle+thread.

i’m putting it out there that i’d love contributors.  want to write about local retail?  love to take photos of your fashionable friends?  do you like to illustrate or draw?  if you live in seattle, and have any creative inklings that are (or are not) related to fashion and/or style… drop me a line.  my only goal here has been to show what the people in our city are like… walking the streets, going to shows… i want to continue that, and would love for you to help me.  looking forward to hearing from you!

k.

what a month (ok, who am i kidding, two weeks). when i posted that last photo… i’d just come back from a work trip to north carolina. i put my hours in, but i did take a day to venture over to ashville, where i got to see this little shack they like to call BILTMORE. biltmore is the largest personal residence in america.  one of the vanderbilts had it built when he got back from his honeymoon, he was 33.  i’m 35 and i can count the number of rooms in my house on one hand.  personal underachievement aside… it’s an amazing house, and i hope to make it back to ashville.

then my parents came to town.  5 days with them, then my in-laws flew in.  lots of eating, some shopping, and a few home projects later, everyone hopefully had a great time, and now it’s just me, the dog and my husband again.

being the absentminded girl i’ve been lately (see: pregnant) i forgot my camera on every single outing.  crab pot?  nope.  sea plane? no luck.  my husband’s first adventure to babies ‘r’ us.  didn’t even go.  but i did reap the rewards.  i now have a new bff, the snoogle.  i didn’t know what it was either.  as with all things kid-related, i’m slowing becoming aware of the universe of possessions i’m really going to have to come to grips with owning… a stroller among them.

i’m headed to a few events this week, and hope to capture some shots.  if you’re a fan of betsey johnson and/or nonie creme, nordstrom is hosting both ladies for an event on wednesday.  and then thursday, come support (ha ha) an event for your… awareness?  beats for boobs looks promising for some stylish shots (among other things) and although i haven’t been ‘out’ out in ages… i’m looking forward to sporting some of the new clothes i picked up to mask (stylishly) my distending middle.  i felt the little ‘it’ on saturday, and it was truly a moment of awe.  there’s a person in there.  and before you know it, he or she will be here (and subjected to my camera).  i literally cannot wait, but am lucky i get to.  give me time to buy all that stuff.  :)

hey there… you might have noticed i’ve taken a little time off.  after posting near daily for a year and a half… i decided it might be deserved.  i’m also in the midst of being pregnant.  which is how it seemed to happen for me.  you’re not pregnant, and then suddenly you are, and it’s such a strange, unexpected place.  your skin is freaking out, your organs are freaking out… your internal clock gets all out of whack, and you start realizing… these jeans you’ve worn for the last few years… are no longer your friend.

i think of all the photos i’ve taken of beautiful pregnant ladies… and i have absolutely no idea how they did it.  although it doesn’t seem to be a down side that i get to do some clothing shopping… i’m at a loss for what my look is.  will be.  i’m sure it’ll come to me.

and so… the recent time off.  i promise i’m not quitting.  or leaving.  photographically, i still have more i want to say about the style in our city.  it just probably won’t be as prolific.  i still see people daily, but i’m being a little more choosey.  i think there a few new shooters out there who are doing a great job (have you seen the PI has a street style section?), and it leaves me with the idea to edit, cull and make it a little more meaningful what i do post.  as always, i hope you enjoy what i find, and i look forward to bringing you pretty pictures of our city and the people who live here.

to style! to seattle! to babies! xoxox- n+t

i receive hundreds of PR emails a week.  at first… i enjoyed them.  now… they’re getting a little tedious.  only once in a while, does one strike me, and i think… yes, this is something i would actually feature.  half the time, i wonder if they’ve even looked at the site.  i do only post seattle specific content.  i really only like to post photos.  and i doubt you, dear reader, could care less about which celebrity is wearing what earring, or weather new shops open in vegas.  hardly relevent to us.  and on behalf of you (and my sanity) i delete.

but yesterday i received an email about a campaign that nautica is doing, and they’re featuring some locals.  so since it interested me (and i dig the campaign).  i thought i’d share.  i have some nit-picks: if it’s ocean2ocean, why are they on the lake, it’s not the most scenic shots of our land… but it does seem somewhat ‘lifestyle’ and these boys do actually seem like they’d wear the clothing, plus it works for the activity, and so- here you are.  let me know what you think, if you care to, and thanks to nautica for including needle+thread in their mailing.  i didn’t receive anything in exchange for my post (missed my free umbrella by not being at the bainbridge ferry this morning- DUDE, i need a free umbrella!), i just thought it was a somewhat honest approach to a medium i usually find pesky.  plus, you know.  i like to feature the locals.

i thought i’d venture away from downtown yesterday and see what i spotted in the neighborhoods. since we all know what rainwear looks like, i didn’t stop anyone. it was a utilitarian day. and although i’ve thought of chronicling some ‘quintessential’ seattle staples, a) i don’t want anyone to take it the wrong way, and b) we all know what they look like. i’ll keep my eyes peeled this week for something to post… i hope to venture to the ID for lunch one day, and i may be at SAMremix this friday, we’ll see how the week goes.  in the meantime, enjoy some market shots…

can’t believe it’s already dahlia time of year. they filled both flower booths… these were my favourites.

hairy carrots.

when i started this blog, i was sitting in my basement, looking for jobs online.  i decided that i’d always wanted to wander around and take photos, and since i had just been laid-off from what i considered to be my dream job… i wanted to be proactive.  i’d been looking for a job at that point for almost 3 months.  i thought… oh, i’ll be able to do this even when i find a job in a few months.

fast forward 18 months later.  i never thought i’d be where i am.  i’m still wandering.  i’m still stopping people who wear something i admire, or come across stylishly to me (until yesterday, i was still unemployed).  i’ve met so many amazing people, and beyond all of that, i’ve discovered a part of myself that i never would have found if i hadn’t lost my job.  i’ve done things i’ve been afraid to do.  i’ve had many FREE glasses of champagne… and i now carry my camera with me every single day, and rarely does a day go by that i don’t photograph something with it.

i’ve pushed myself, i’ve evolved, and the best part is… i see new directions.  i don’t feel stagnant, and i’m inspired EVERY SINGLE DAY.  this blog is by no means life changing to any of you, but it has changed my life.  literally.  i’ve realized just how important it can be to do something you passionately love… it doesn’t have to be one thing.  maybe one day i go take photos, another day i attend a show, the next day i sew or draw, and some days i sit on the couch with a blanket and my dog, and read.  it’s come to me, to be aware; to not plod, and to by no means compromise.

today i was hired.  and although i will now be working every day, i don’t want you to think for a minute that i’ll abandon this project.  if anything, i will tenaciously guard and foster this pocket of inspiration.  i may have to be more selective about the events i attend (can one girl work full time AND attend 5 events a week?), i may have to give some things a miss altogether.  but since i’ll be working downtown (jumping up and down and twirling in circles about THAT) i will wander some of my favourite corners, camera in hand…

this site has always been about capturing this city… in a myriad of ways.  thank you seattle for letting me take your photo while i found my way… xoxo- kam

i’ve looked through some of my earliest posts, there’s probably no one more critical than me… that being said, i’ve come a long way.  i’ve learned a ton, both about my camera, and myself… and really what more could you ask?  i’ve been invited to some cool events (some are coming up) i’ve been contacted by people all over the world, and right here in seattle.  i’m glad you find inspiration here.  i’m glad you’ve visited… i hope you continue to check back.  this has been an evolution, and when i needed it most, a labor of love.  i love grabbing my camera and walking around our beautiful city… below- my very first post, above- the very first picture i took… here’s to another year of visually capturing all parts of seattle… i hope you have a great weekend!  xoxo- n+t

from april 3rd- 1st post of needle+thread

i’ve lived in seattle for 9 years.  before that, i lived an hour and half north of here, and when i came to seattle, one of my favourite places to meander was the market.  even now, as a local, it never seems cliche’ to me to go there to connect to my city.  i never get tired of wandering there.  poking through new corners.  going a little further than i went last time.

a new goal has been to document some seattle fashion. seattle is a land of individualists. people who don’t conform to the rules of other cities. it’s a joke that we wear fleeces and socks with sandals, and i won’t even argue with you, i own more fleece than i did when i lived in arizona. and my tevas are beloved, although i would sooner set fire to hair than wear them with socks. but i get it.

i want just a little bit of what my city looks like here. from the man selling produce with the wicked style, to the girls walking around in herds starting the new grunge. i love living here, and i’ve always loved people watching. this is my way to connect to where i live and be inspired.