Who is the Josie Girl?

Just like yours, my days are too short. If time weren’t an issue, every day would include yoga, a workout, reading my favorite magazines, following my favorite fashion, cooking a healthy meal, visiting my favorite boutiques and cafes, a long walk or hike, time with family and friends (and of course, work!) Squeezing so much into every day is hard, but it’s what we all go through and experience. Follow me, The Josie Girl, on my every day journey. And email me your thoughts! -The Josie Girl
josiegirlblog@gmail.com

 

The real ‘Josie’ happens to be my mother-in-law, fashion designer Josie Natori, and I am inspired by her on a daily basis. Upon first glance, although it may look like the only thing we have in common is our last name, we both embody different sides of the Josie girl.

 

IMG_1071

Photo of me and Josie Natori, my mother-in-law. She looks gorgeous in anything and everything.

 

 

As the official voice of the Josie Girl Blog, I am excited to share my young professional take on life — a mix of fashion, fitness, recipes, inspirations, and thoughts on a weekly basis. I’d love to hear from you, as with everything in life, this is a work in progress, so please let me know what you like and don’t like about the new blog!

 

Aside from the fact that I am Josie Natori’s daughter in law, I am half Mexican and half Polish. Jewish. Married to a half Filipino and half Japanese man, Ken. Catholic. I look Swedish. My husband looks Thai. Together, we are a splatter board of cultures, ethnicities, and personalities.

 

Me and my hubby

I love this photo – no shoes and Birkenstocks? What is better than that?

 

Our son, Cruz, and our daughter, Zoe, will be able to check off every box on college applications when the time comes. Cruz looks Asian with his almond eyes, but his blonde hair throws people off.  Some people thinks Zoe looks more like Ken, others say she looks more like me.

 

Cruz-Zoe-Natori

The kiddos. In their bike trailer.

A born and bred West coast girl, I was dragged to New York by love in 2005. A hippy in Birkenstocks and clogs, I now live on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. I love vegan food, hiking, biking, sitting in the grass and making daisy chains and braiding hair.

 

Spencer Butte, Eugene, Oregon

Old photo of Cruzzie and me on one of our daily hikes in Oregon, where I still spend my summers with the kids.

 

But I also love great food, shopping, socializing, and trying to fit into crazy New York City. I come from a simple family of academics and now often find myself surrounded by the fancy world of fashion.

 

Fancy shmancy

My guapo husband.

 

Although I live in NYC, I think of myself as an Oregonian. I can wear high heels and elegant clothes, but deep down, I will always be the down to earth, grungy girl from Eugene, Oregon. It is just who I am.

 

Map of Oregon

My dad likes to say that Eugene is “Paradise on Earth.” I couldn’t agree more.

 

Manhattan

Now, I live on this massive island where one building contains as many people as the population as Eugene. Not really, but kind of.

 

Trying to navigate the NYC fashion and social scene is fun, but not my top priority. Sure, I strive to look a certain way (don’t we all?) and have the “it” bag (in my dreams), but the reality is that being a mother and a teacher is my purpose in life (along with staying fit, following fashion, trying out new restaurants, shopping, spending time with friends and everything else that there are not enough hours in the day for!) I love fashion and am so inspired and intrigued by being a part of a fashion family, even though it is not what defines me. I am a mother, an educator, a wife, a sister, a daughter, a friend and a pop culture junkie! Fashion and pop culture bring me pleasure and excitement, but nothing near what my family does.

 

My complete family.

My complete family.

 

But even though my family comes first, I have strong opinions and love expressing my interests, desires, and thoughts with people. I also love the internet — does anyone not? And I spend hours at night (or during nap time), scouring the web for the best outfit, most delicious recipe, and next vacation destination. So this is why the Josie girl blog makes me so giddy and excited. I am a mutt of cultures, places, experiences, and backgrounds, as we all are to some degree. I am not an expert at anything specifically, but am inspired by so much around me and love talking and sharing these ideas with friends. Much like the Josie collection, the content of this blog will be fun, young at heart, and will hopefully give Josie girls everywhere inspirations, thoughts, ideas, and activities to squeeze into their already crazy schedules.
So, here we go!

-Anika Yael Natori, a.k.a., The Josie Girl