Sneak Peek

Here's a little peek at a project I'm working on right now...

Kisses,

K

(All images created and owned by Krista Carson, please ask permission prior to use.)

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So, Tell Me About Yourself...

I was over on the Design Darling blog (It's really good guys, you should check it out!) and she asked her readers to tell her a little something about themselves.

(Isn't her header exactly what it says, darling?)

I loved the questions:

Favorite quote:

Furthest you've ever traveled:

Guilty pleasure:

One thing on today's to do list:

Trend you're over:

 

They're both thoughtful and fun! It got me wondering about all of you... I'd love to know your answers! I think it would be revealing in a fun way, even coming from my nearest and dearest, you never know what you'll learn!

So please copy and paste the above questions in the comment form and fill in your answers.

Here are mine below:

Favorite quote: "So when at times the mob is swayed,

To carry blame or praise too far, We make take something like a star, To stay our minds on, and be staid." Robert Frost

Furthest you've ever traveled: The Baltic Region of Poland

Guilty pleasure: Bad reality tv shows on Bravo and playing my guitar or ukelele and writing songs that no one ever hears.

One thing on today's to do list: Buy a 36" balloon

Trend you're over: People dressing for others instead of themselves. Wear what makes YOU feel good and happy!

 

Hope you're having a great day!

Kisses,

K

(Image, questions, and post idea via Mackenzie of Design Darling.)

 

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Inspire Me Tuesday: J Crew Spring 2013

I love how fun and easy J Crew's Gayle Spannaus's ideas for spring '13 are. Probably because they're all things I like to do already but I'll let you judge for yourself:

Kisses,

K

(All images via J Crew.)

 

 

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Hawaii Day Two: The Fish & The Hog

By the time we got up into Waimea the music store was closed and we were haungry! We wanted to find someplace good to eat so we popped in the Starbucks (They truly are everywhere! Waimea is a small country town.) to ask the locals for tips. The consensus was that we should go to the Fish and the Hog for some real Hawaiin barbecue. We had passed by it not long before, it looked like a hole in the wall but sometimes aren't those the best places? So off we went.

In true island fashion it took forever to get our food so by the time it came we just dug in. Which means no pictures, sorry (that's been happening a lot lately actually...). We had a gumbo made with the Fish & Hog's own housemate chorizo to start. It was spicy but so so good!

Next came our barbecue plate, we shared everything. It was brimming full of meat (vegetarians this not for you... Sorry...) and actually consisted of two plates full. There was mouthwatering fall apart brisket, delicious ribs (I even ate them and bones really freak me out), awesome pulled pork, housemade andouille sausage, and of course house spiced fries. We couldn't decide what barbecue sauce to try with them, havering never have either... So the waitress brought us both.

After trying both sauces we still couldn't decide which we preferred. The poniolo sauce was less sweet and a little more traditional. The crackseed (Yes, crackseed. Apparently it's some sort of Asian fruit... Who knew?) was sweeter and smoker and super tasty too!

It was all super delicious!

(Husband patiently waiting for our food. It was c c c cold in up there in Waimea and inside was no exception. We ended up cuddled next to each other on a bench seat instead.)

(Paying for dinner with the day's specials behind.)

(Crackseed! Anyone who knows me well knows why this was specifically super funny to me... Crack chicken anyone?)

(Even though it wasn't that late it was über dark in the little mountain town, between the time of year, volcanic fog, and sparse population there was a dearth of light pretty early on. Kind of eerie.)

After stuffing ourselves silly we started the long drive home to the resort. Our adventure left us sleepy but being foodies, before foodies were the cool thing to be, it was well worth it. If you ever find yourself up that way and get a hankering for some local grub you should definitely check it out. Best barbecue I've had in a long time!

Absurd more amounts of Hawaii yet to come. (Sorry non family peoples but with our cams so spread out and very far away this is the best way for us to share. Also, I take way too many photos.)

Kisses,

K

(All images created and owned by Krista Carson, Please ask permission prior to use.)

 

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Have You Seen This?!?

Aaah! For some reason it just makes me giddy! So fun! Thank you YouTube for giving us yet another, totally out of left field, random sensation...

Hope you enjoy it!

Kisses,

K

P.S.,

I am sooo behind on this season's Downton so please don't tell me anything!

(Video via YouTube.)

 

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Jewel Cool

Two nights ago my creative juices were really flowing and I made, what I think, might be my best piece yet. (Of course, I very well might think every piece is my best yet after they're freshly made... But I digress)

 

It's girly, fresh, and chock full of pink. Light pink boulder opal, fuschia tourmaline, environmentally friendly carved coral, and cherry pink agate give way to creamy orange agates, pale alexandrite, chunky rock crystal, and a touch of amethyst.

Normally I'm a blue and green girl but with my sister in law to be's upcoming shower and wedding full of pretty pinks and romance I'm feeling the love.

I also can't wait to share the upcoming March bridal shower with you! But for now I'll just leave you with a sneak peek (I don't want to spoil any surprises for the bride).

(The Fleur de Lis-ed and pink stripey-ed back of the invitations, fun right?)

Kisses,

K

(Images and products all created, designed, and owned by Krista Carson. Pink Striped bags by Whisker Graphics.)

 

 

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Belated Valentine's Date

Last week the Husband and I finally got to have our belated Valentine's date (He's been working a lot of long hours lately). We exchanged presents in the morning and spent the day at the Seattle Aquarium, wandered around the market, and enjoyed the sunshine (more on those later).

For lunch I treated him to one of our favorite Seattle treasures: Lowell's. We tried it for the first time over four years ago when we were apartment scouting prior to our move out here.

It's a local institution and the fish is deliciously fresh and local. (The Dungeness crab Lowell's Rolls are insanely good!) Normally it's shoulder to shoulder on all three floors of the restaurant but the market was slow and it was almost entirely empty on the first floor so I took the opportunity to take a few pics and linger with my love.

Especially since it might be our last chance to enjoy it. With the Husband's super busy schedule before we move in July (Oh yeah, we're moving!), my brother's wedding in June, and how insane the market gets end of spring/ early summer the odds are not in our favor.

I had a super yummy salmon sandwich! So fresh and delicious! All the accompanying accoutrements were just as good too: freshly baked panini bun, crisp local veggies, killer aioli sauce, and some of the best french fries around... Mmm!

(The Husband was all sunlit smiles.)

Husband threw me for a loop when he ordered the pulled pork sammy, we've never bothered to order anything but seafood there before, but it proved to delectable too.

(The view complete with piers and docks on the sound downtown. And including... Sunshine! Hooray for sunshine in Seattle!)

(Seattle's new ferris wheel. They lit it up pink with hearts that swirled and changed sizes for Valentines Day, so fun!)

(Me soaking up some sun in all my Seattle layers. It was chilly out thbrrr! Note me proudly wearing the sea otter sticker the aquarium gave me for filling out a survey, I lurve sea otters! Sooo cute! Getting people to fill those things out sucks so I did one to help out.)

If you're ever in the market you should stop in for a bite, you won't be disappointed!

Kisses,

K

(All images created and owned by Krista Carson, please ask permission prior to use.)

 

 

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Made Me Giggle: Poke The Bear

How cute is this print I came across on Pinterest? It made me giggle. (So cute and so funny in print form.) Can you imagine this hanging in someone's house? Growing up I heard this phrase a lot. From my Grandfather who used to pretend The Bear was on the phone for me, or left me a message, to my parents and siblings. Plus it always rings true even though I can never resist doing it...

I then promptly texted it to the Husband... Even though he was in the room with me. True story.

May the tech Gods not strike me down for excessive and silly use...

He's my most favorite person to lovingly torture and harass. And I mean that it the best way possible. Whether it's a random dance break while doing dishes (what! what!) or literally poking his side when he's not expecting it, I keep him on his toes and, luckily, he loves me for it!

Kisses,

K

(Image via Pinterest.)

 

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Creative Cool: Beauty With Purpose

Have you seen this yet?

This gorgeous shoot was done for the the Fizz and Frills (what a cute name, love it!) issue of the sweet online wedding magazine Utterly Engaged (Have you heard of it? It's definitely worth your perusal).

 

I love all the cherry blossoms plus the retro and shabby chic styling.

So much pretty!

It makes me want to head off for an afternoon of lounging in style on my front lawn* estate*...

Kisses,

K

*We only have a front yard, no back... It's just a balcony over the street on the side where all the garages are for the town homes we live in...

*Now I'll just have to work on the whole estate thing...

(All images via Utterly Engaged Vol. 3 Issue 24 Fizz and Frills.)

 

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Wanderlust Wednesdays

I think I'm going to try something new for a bit and see how it works out; Wanderlust Wednesdays.

There are so many places in this big awesome world that I'd like to explore and I thought it might be fun to share some short snippets of them that continue to inspire my wanderlust.

I give you, ancient carvings in New Zealand.

New Zealand is one of those places that continues to inspire me with its diversely mysterious landscape. It's so cool! No wonder they used it to represent Middle Earth in the Peter Jackson films. It seems like its full earthy and ancient mysteries like the carving above. As Liz Lemon on 30 Rock would say, I want to go there!

Kisses,

K

(Image via Most Beautiful Pages)

 

 

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Guide To Understanding The Introverted

Have you seen this yet? It's been making the rounds on the inter-webs and I get such a kick out of it because, it speaks the truth my friends.

As an introvert myself, I know we don't always come off as being that way but those that know us the best know better. My husband laughed when he saw this. I can't count how many times I've said "We could go and it could be fun but... It'll take sooo much energy..." Even with the people I love the best, this is true. Often times my ideal night is staying in with a good read or my guitar or ukelele and having someone cuddly (Hi, Husband!) nearby, but not too close. Lol. But I do like my space just as much as I like the possibilities of cuddles. Sometimes us introverts just need to suck it up and concede though, so...

Hug your introvert today!

Kisses,

K

(Comic via Lolsnaps.com)

 

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Pinteresting...

I came across this image on Pinterest and just had to share.

How amazing is this?!? I've always wanted to go to Austrailia someday and Ayers Rock is definitely on my go see list. I never realized it had waterfalls cascading down it though! J'amazing!

I lurve geology so rocky spots are always on my travel list (I nearly died and went to heaven with all the volcanoes in Hawaii!). What about you? What sort of things do you like to check out when you travel?

Kisses,

K

P.S.,

Is anyone else as addicted to Pinterest as I am? It's totally my go to when I can't sleep.

(Image via Pinterest)

 

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Hawaii Day Two: Hapuna Beach State Park

After our morning ukelele lessons we decided to drive up into the mountains and check out the poniolo (cowboy) town of Waimea where Barni had recommended a music store. On the way we stopped at Hapuna Beach State Park to check it out and watch the sunset. It came highly recommended by one of Tristan's co-workers.

We could see why.

The soft ivory sand was a welcome change for our feet from the harsh lava outcroppings and the lack of reefs made it a popular, and easier, surf spot. Lots of local families were enjoying a day at the beach, cooking out, and being active. Between the views, waves, and handy facilities it was clearly a great spot.

(Tristan was all smiles and romance.)

(I was all my usual "Tada! Yay beachy time!")

(You can't quite tell from the photos but Hapuna Beach is in a little cove like spot and the black outcropping to the left of the sun in the photos are actually cliffs that are quite large.)

(We took a moment to document the anniversary part of our trip by writing the date in the sand.)

(We had done the same thing last year on our first anniversary in México but we wrote the wedding date, 01/23/11, instead. This year we figured it made more sense to do the current year for future photo perusal purposes...)

It was a perfect place to kick back and watch a magical sunset. Colors splashed across the sky as waves splashed on the shore. The horizon looked as though a conch shell had opened up its colorful secret interior to you, giving you just a peek, amidst the blues of the ocean and sky.

Azure waves rolled and crashed inland then tumbled to shore criss-crossing over each other as they went. We stayed until all that was left of the sun was an evening's glow and no more. Then we drove off towards the dark and towards a little night's adventure.

Kisses,

K

(All images created and owned by Krista Carson, please ask permission prior to use.)

 

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