Get To Know Me: The Woman Behind Forest and Fog
Hi, my name is Nikki and I am the woman behind Forest and Fog. You may have noticed my name signed at the bottom of f&f newsletters, sharing posts on the Pacific Northwest Local Love Facebook group, or interacting with our Facebook page followers. I've written about how Forest and Fog grew from a little Etsy shop, (which you can read about here) but not much about myself and I thought it was time I introduced myself.
Growing Up Wild
I grew up in British Columbia, and it's still home for me today. My childhood was spent adventuring. Traveling down the east and west coasts, exploring border towns in Mexico, perusing the swap meet at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, my family travelled a lot. Outside of these bigger family vacations, we also spent a ton of time around B.C.. We spent many weekends at our cabin at Paska Lake, or trekking through the mountains in Marble Canyon, or participating in ice fishing derby's at different lakes in the winter. I guess I got the full B.C. outdoor experience growing up, learning survival skills but also a deep respect for nature and it's living things. My dad taught me from a young age that going to the woods was freedom, where you go to find peace. I can hear him say "you're closer to god up here in the mountains than anywhere else", he said it often when he would teach me the value of the wild.
In my adult life, I find hiking and the outdoors to be therapeutic, and it often helps me cope with anxiety and stress. Something about that fresh air, the sounds of birds and wind catching the leaves just makes you feel good.
Creative By Nature
When I wasn't playing outside, I loved to craft. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest there was a lot of rainy days, which were perfect for getting creative. I did so many crafting projects with my mother, and she made so many things for my brother and I over the years. She even sewed all of our Halloween costumes growing up. Yes, we were those kids with homemade costumes, but they were actually amazing. She DIY'd everything from birthday parties, making decorations and really cool cakes, to Christmas ornaments that I still hang on my tree every year today. I remember we would be able to say whatever we wanted for a costume or a birthday cake, and she came through as if it was easy to make it happen.
I realize now, that these things were not so easy as I have had numerous failed diy projects of my own, and more baking disasters in my kitchen than I care to admit. She still makes me cupcakes or a cake every year for my birthday (pics below are from my 30th birthday), and she recently gave me scrunchies she made by hand, I swear she can make anything.
I definitely got my handmade creative nature from her, and had the spirit of an entrepreneur from a young age. I would make bracelets and jewelry out of hemp, string and beads, and go door to door selling my jewelry to my neighbours. My parents owned a kettle corn business and I spent weekends at the White Rock Farmers market as the cashier and mini salesman. I saw the hard work behind running a business, and while as a kid it sometimes felt like a boring Saturday, I know now that I was seeing first hand that hard work reaps rewards, and learning about local and small business and how important it is to communities. My parents gave me all the tools growing up to inspire Forest and Fog and my own dream.
30 Is The New 20, Right?
As an adult, I still love creating and exploring. Forest and Fog is a huge creative outlet for me, but outside of that I love to write, sketch, and do my own diy projects. When I'm not spending time outside, I love baking, cooking, watching hockey and playing video games. My husband and I are huge hockey fans (Go Canucks Go!), and each year we organize a fantasy league and hold a draft party. When we are at home and aren't watching hockey, we are often playing video games online with friends, we have his and hers Xbox's so we can play together and it is a ton of fun.
My husband and I were married in the Okanagan, outdoors with a view of the mountains behind us as we said "I do", and we spent our honeymoon adventuring in Alaska. Alaska was one of the most beautiful places I have ever explored. We hiked through the Tongass National Rainforest, saw whales and eagles, and seals laying out on icebergs. It was a magical place I would recommend everyone visit, and I look forward to going back again someday.
One of our favorite things to do is hit the local trails with our dog Daisy. She's a little dog, but it doesn't stop her from keeping up on the trail. She travels a lot with us, and we have fun exploring with her. I am admittedly the definition of a dog mom, I spoil her and even go as far as wrapping her Christmas presents each year. She loves it though, and she somehow understands what a gift is and shows appreciation back. The connection between a dog and a person is special, and I'm thankful for our bond.
Our little family definitely loves adventure. My husband and I are avid road trippers. We have driven the entire west coast together multiple times, back and forth to Utah even more, and all through Nevada. Of course we have also explored all over BC, from the sunshine coast to whistler, even as far north as Bella Coola. Road trips are, in my opinion, the best way to travel and see the world. You meet different types of people, you find different places you may never visit otherwise, and you see beautiful parts of a country you never knew were there.
Rapid Fire Hobbies: hiking, listening to audiobooks, playing video games, diy crafts
Top 3 local trails: Quarry Rock, Deep Cove; Buntzen Lake, Anmore; Iona Beach, Richmond
Dream vacation: Road trip across Canada, west coast to east coast.
Words to live by: Never Tell Me The Odds - Han Solo
I hope you enjoyed reading a little more about me, and when you see my name signed under your newsletters it feels a little more personable. Feel free to ask me any questions about myself or Forest and Fog in the comments, or reach out on social media! I love to interact with the community and chat with the f&f fam, drop into our facebook group and chat with us!
What is your dream vacation, or favorite local hikes? Let me know!
Have a great day, and don't forget to drink your water.
with gratitude,
Nikki