8.29.2012

what i wore {bridesmaid dress reinvented}

I wanted to share a before and after dress makeover for what i wore today.

doesn't every bride hope that the dress they pick for their bridesmaids will be loved enough to be worn again?  however unrealistic this may be.  well my husband and I were married almost 9 years ago and as simple and classic as I may have thought my dresses were, they were still floor length bordeaux satin.


meet my sister-in-law {second one in}.  quite crafty, quite a seamstress, and quite determined.  {and quite amazing to fit into this dress 9 years and two babies later.}


we had a family wedding this last weekend and she was convinced she could work her magic on this bridesmaid dress to wear again.  we had fun imagining some ideas together, but that was as far as my input, and help, went. 

here is the after...


she brought the hem up to knee-length and added a lace skirt over the satin.  I was so in love and in awe of the outcome.  I always fall hard for a scalloped lace edge.

dress - oldie {but goodie!}
lace for dress - JoAnn's Fabric {around $4}
shoes - old

isn't she stunning? 

we had such a fabulous night celebrating a wonderful couple.  hope you all are enjoying the last days of August.   

linking up with Pleated Poppy for what i wore wednesday.

happy wednesday.

best,
kirsty

8.22.2012

what i wore {the fall itch}

perhaps its because I have been meeting with retailers about my fall line.  or maybe its all the cute boots I keep seeing, really I thought I didn't need anymore but well...

or all the plaid I am seeing??  I love plaid!  {such nostalgia.}

I'm getting the fall itch.  its by far my favorite season.

I wore this outfit to a retailer meeting.


this is my new dress, it had me at turquoise lace.  but I am hoping that it will transition well into fall.  thinking boots and a fun scarf.  or tights, booties, and a blazer?  now I just need reasons to wear those outfits.

dress - Anthropologie
jean jacket - AG Jeans {borrowed, thanks j!}
wedges - Jessica Simpson {also borrowed, double thanks j!}
earrings - Lucia K. Taylor
bracelet - Lucia K. Nora in navy.

also, don't you love fashionable friends who are your size and willing to share the love.  

linking up with Pleated Poppy today for what i wore.

happy wednesday.

best,
kirsty

8.20.2012

DIY Gift Party

there is a group of woman that came into my life when I was a new mom.  they were also new mommas.  I still vividly remember all of us sitting around in rocking chairs in the nursery of our church, looking like deer in headlights.


the dessert divas 4 yrs later, or as I like to refer to us as the "yummy mommies."

we have been meeting regularly since that crazy beginning, I think there are basically two things that glue us together, dessert.  always.  and the love of Jesus.  {not counting all those other things - another post entirely}

about twice a year we have a homemade gift party.  we all bring something that we have made to share with eachother.  since pinterest, our game has definitely been upped.  not only do we get to go home with 5 awesome homemade gifts, we also get great ideas for sharing with others.

here's what we came up with this time...

naturally antibacterial honey, yummy vanilla, organic.  makes you glow.  uh yes.


how chic are these totes?  in Seattle we now are charged a fee for grocery and retail bags.  so this is a super practical addition to my life.  and the doily print is dear to my heart.


 mason jars.  chocolate.  obvious love.


obviously I need all the help I can get in the cleaning dept.  I try to use all natural cleaners as much as possible, but I do not like the smell of vinegar.  this is awesome, because you can just barely smell the vinegar and a big plus is the pesky fruit flies don't like it.


I don't know about you but sometimes I hold on to my pride at the sake of my family.  this friend is so great at realizing when life is just too much and she needs to draw some boundaries.  how perfectly simple and lovely is this presentation for banana smoothie recipes.
{banana smoothie recipes}


sundae toppings.  pinwheels tutorial here.
{organic salted carmel sauce, vanilla bean dark chocolate fudge sauce, and organic blueberry sauce see below}


and then we enjoy some dessert and non-interrupted conversation.  good night right?

*recipe for organic salted caramel sauce.  oooh its soooo yum.
{I usually make a double batch - its sooooo good!}
1 1/2 cups organic sugar
1/3 cup filtered water
1T brown rice syrup (or could use corn syrup, this keeps the caramel from crystalizing.)
1 1/4 cup organic cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2T grey sea salt (or regular sea salt will also work).  can do less and add to taste.  I like it salty.

bring sugar, water, and syrup to a boil in heavy bottomed sauce pan on medium heat.  stir minimally, make sure all the sugar is dissolved, you can also use a pastry brush dipped in cold water to brush down any crystals on the sides.  using a candy thermometer, keep boiling until the temperature reaches 330 degrees f.  (in the pacific northwest this takes a while, be patient! - we have lots of humidity, the contessa says 5-7mins where she makes it).  once it reaches near 330, quickly remove from heat, add cream and vanilla and salt.  be careful it may splatter.  return back to low heat and stir until mixture is completely incorporated.

cool and eat!  store in fridge.

*vanilla bean dark chocolate fudge sauce came from here and I just added scraped vanilla bean seeds to it.

*blueberry sauce came from here.  the only change - I cleaned the berries prior to cooking and used a hand blender to mix up the berries while they were cooking, making a thicker sauce rather than a filtered syrup.  do you know how much better a homemade berry sauce/syrup is than store bought?  it actually tastes like berries.  oh my goodness.

happy monday.

best,
kirsty

8.14.2012

Magpie Lovely {guest post}

today, I am happy to share with you one our favorite places that you will find Lucia K. jewelry.  

do you know Magpie Lovely?  well if you don't {or even if you do}, Heather is here to tell you more about her adorable online boutique.  it is a wealth of perfect handmade gift items and treats for yourself and home.  

a few of my favorite items...
for me - la banda belt
for the boys - eagle patch hoodie
for bestie's new baby - cable knit slippers
bridal shower gift - personalized stationery 

{and if you see something you like, pay attention!  there is even a promo code for all of you at the bottom of this post}


ok - here's Heather.

Thanks, Kirsty – I’m so excited to share a little bit about Magpie Lovely with your readers!

Hello!  My name is Heather Beals, and I am the happy shopkeeper over at Magpie Lovely.  Magpie Lovely was started in 2009 to introduce the boutique shopping consumer to the world of handmade goods, created by independent artists.  Our shop features gorgeous handmade jewelry, handmade bags and accessories, unique homegoods, and women’s and children’s clothing.  We hand-select each item that is included in the shop, and ensure that the items meet the level of quality our customers expect.  We love what we do and feel so fortunate to be able to work with a group of remarkably talented designers who put so much love and energy into the products they create!

My husband, Jon, and I work together to manage daily operations of Magpie Lovely.  We’ve long had the entrepreneurial bug, and the shop is where we get to bring our professional skills and personal interests together, which is really exciting!  I have an MBA in Marketing, and have spent my career managing consumer products brands for companies you probably know quite well.  Jon is an award-winning Web Manager with a design and user experience background.   We are also parents to two energetic kids, ages five and two, who keep us on our toes and endlessly entertained!


One of the things that sets Magpie Lovely apart from other shops is our very thoughtfully curated product selection.  We pride ourselves on being a one-stop destination where our shoppers can find gorgeous, handmade items without having to do all the work of searching for them! 
For as long as I can remember, I have loved scouting for unique finds and am always trying to find “just the right thing” when shopping for gift for someone.  Curating the product assortment for Magpie Lovely is like getting to do that everyday!  I am always on the lookout for new & different finds that I think our shoppers would respond to – but first and foremost, they must meet our criteria of being handmade / eco-friendly and of high quality, like what one would find in an upscale boutique.  I love the process of discovering new finds from designers that would make great gift items or something you could purchase to treat yourself. 
Now, for my favorite part - a little tour of some of my favorite items & designers at Magpie Lovely!

There are so many items in the shop that I am just enamored with, it’s quite hard to choose just a few, but here are some of my current favorites…

For the Kids
Lindsey from b. Children’s Wear creates the sweetest designs, don’t you think?  Her Ebenezer the Elephant tee is a top-selling item!


New in the shop are the handknit creations of TaLula Knits.  The knit stripe nautical anchor hat is my favorite, and I can’t wait to introduce some of the earflap styles as the weather turns cooler!  Few things are cuter than a baby or toddler in a snuggly, cozy hat!


For the Ladies
New from Fabric & Handle are these amazing tote backpacks – they have been incredibly popular since the first designs were released.  These bags marry stylish form with versatile function, as they can convert from tote, to messenger bag, to backpack by adjusting the leather straps.  I might need to make this yellow one mine for a little pop of color this Fall while I run from work, to school pickups, and everything in between!


One of my favorite Lucia K. items is definitely the Caroline necklace.  I love the pale green stones (my fave color!) and casual-chic length.  It’s one of those pieces that would instantly make me feel more polished, which is something I’m always looking for as a busy working mom.  (I’ll take all the help I can get!)  It would even elevate a simple tee or tank, so versatile…


For the Home
I am an avid blog reader, and fell in love with Decoylab’s handmade clocks years ago after seeing them featured in a few of my favorite shelter reads.  Many of the clock designs feature intricate laser diecuts, like this baby modern owl clock shown here – isn’t he darling?   So many gorgeous options!


Indobay’s sunny chic designs are a great mix of happy and serene.  What a treat it would be to sip your morning latte out of this “happy lovely” mug every morning?  And how cute is the bunting design?

We are always adding new products and changing up the product mix at Magpie Lovely – so we hope you’ll come visit our shop and help us celebrate & support handmade products and the amazing designers that create them!  In the coming months, we’ll be stocking the shop for Fall & Winter (so fun!!), and we will have a truly lovely assortment of items that will make perfect gifts for the special people on your holiday gift list.

Thanks, Kirsty and Lucia K. Jewelry for your partnership with Magpie Lovely, and for inviting me to share a bit of our story with your readers!  For our Lucia K. friends, I’m happy to offer a special promo of 15% off a purchase at Magpie Lovely with the promocode ‘magpiefriends’ now through September 15th, so please come by and say hi!

(Oh, and you can find our Gift Guides & other inspiration out here on Pinterest…)

...
thank you Heather for sharing.

happy tuesday and happy shopping {don't forget 15% off with code "magpiefriends'}

best,
kirsty

8.08.2012

what i wore {a forgotten outfit}

not a lot of activity on the blog as of late, been a busy couple of weeks.  but please be patient, we have lots of great stuff to share when things settle down...

this one is a little late coming to the party.  was actually from the week prior.   luckily I found it though, no time this week to snap some shots.  I have been spending every spare minute finalizing Fall '12 to meet with my retailers on friday.  fingers crossed.

outfit is from a casual mommy day.  I love maxi skirts, I think I'm up to 4 of them and a couple long dresses.  perfect for summer, you can bend over and not flash unsuspecting victims, you can stay cool and look summery and put together, even if you didn't shave your legs {never!}.  and they are so comfortable.

tanktop - roxy {old}
maxi skirt - Gap {actually was a dress that I cut the top off of.}
sandals - rainbow
earrings - Lucia K. Tag
bracelet - Lucia K. Vintage Tag
{linking up with Pleated Poppy today for what i wore.}

I look forward to sharing with you the new "Indian Summer" collection very soon.  promise!  in the meantime, check out my instagram feed {on the right}, and follow me, @luciakjewelry, for some #lkjfallpreview.

Happy Wednesday.

best,
kirsty


8.01.2012

what i wore {rent!}

rent!  rent!  rent!  rent!    rent!          rent!                    rent!                      RENT!


i got to take my sis-n-law and mom-n-law to see Rent.  neither of them had seen it before.  it is one of my favorite musicals.


we had pre-show drinks and happy hour at Palimino.  it was quite yummy, perfectly crisp waffle fries with a garlicky gorgonzola sauce all over them.  it was finger-licking.  my sis-n-law on the left in an original Lucia K. Francine necklace.



my boys reeeeeeally wanted to be in a picture.  

I just got this shirt at the Gap on the clearance rack.  was quite pleased with the price.  especially because I really like the shape, but not sure this color will be very flattering once that summer glow fades away.  so I could still justify it.


as soon as I saw this picture, I called my hairdresser and made an appointment to have my roots done.  true story.  


earrings are trusty true Lucia K. Taylor.  since I have them in every color {and stay tuned for new fall flavors}, they are always perfect for a night out no matter the outfit.  since my outfit was pretty neutral, I thought the red and gold gave my outfit a nice pop of color.  and some colored toes...


"ate berries in the canaries".  freshly pedicured toes.  had to document because its been quite some time since I've had a pedicure.  isn't the first thing you do when you pick up an OPI nail polish, is turn it over to read the name.  they are so inventive with their titles.  I think my all time favorite {classic color} might be "I'm not really a waitress." 


my little helpers again with their big little feet.

shirt - Gap
jeans - J Brand, Rue La La
bracelet - Lucia K. Nora
earrings - Lucia K. Taylor

so if you haven't seen Rent, and it comes to a theater near you {and probably will because they have now released the script meaning local productions are now possible.}  go see it!  and bring some tissue.

also linking up with Pleated Poppy for what i wore Wednesday.

happy wednesday.

best,
kirsty