Chicago Day One, Hotel Sweet Hotel

The Husband and I spent last week in Chicago. He had his last board exam to take and I tagged along because I love the city and our family and friends who live there.

(Waiting for take off, poor guy looks so nervous in all our pre-exam pics!)

We stayed at the Kinzie Hotel and would definitely do so again.

It's was in a great location downtown within walking distance to most things people want to do when in town: museums, food, shopping, etc.

The wifi was phenomenal! Cannot be understated on this! We both had multiple devices open and in use for work and study purposes when in our room and the hotel was full with a business conference (you know how business peeps use the internet constantly) with nary a slow down. Best. Ever.

The staff was lovely (only one cranky butt exception but who knows what she was going through personally, always give the bee feint of the doubt.) The room was cozy and well appointed. Decor was artsy, modern Chicago. And they offered an included Continental Breakfast on every floor each morning that was great as well as free appertivo (like a free bar appetizer happy hour) with free drink coins tradable for... Free drinks every evening.

All in all, nicely done!

The lobby and check in desks.

Nifty art and comfy seating.

The view walking into our room.

The view from our room, lol. Right out onto Chicago icon Harry Caray and his bar/ restaurant.

The color scheme was my favorite colors: blues, grays, and silver. Naturally, I loved it!

(Note: this photo was actually taken post exam, and T looks soo much happier! Rightfully so!)

I loved the wallpaper used on the wall behind the bed, a massive Chicago map.

So fantastic.

I also loved how they used a variety of fabrics in a similar color scheme, especially this pop of turquoise leopard.

Best do not disturb ever!

And the bathroom decor was the best, not a phrase I've said before...

But...

Cool details, cool art, and dark colors done right are just awesome.

I mean, how epic is this silver and navy wallpaper?

Definitely future home inspiration.

Also, the Kinzie is pet friendly so if you need to bring your furry friend along you can. I even saw them arrange dog walkers for guests while I was waiting in the lobby, nice, huh!

And on the pet note, I have super bad allergies but everything was so clean and in such tip top shape that even I was surprised that I had no problems!

Definitely recommend it!

More Chicago to come.

Kisses,

K

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

Posted with love, please credit when re-posting.

Back To School

Last week I started taking a Jewelry Fabrication (i.e., metal smithing) course at the Maitland Art and Art History Society and so far I'm really enjoying it!

I'm also enjoying some of the beautiful grounds there. The society itself is a conglomeration of various historical buildings, art studios, and historical paraphernalia that have all come together to create one awesome group.

And I believe the gardens near the studios are quite lovely, so I thought I'd share one pics.

This particular garden is walled in and has buildings bordering the sides.

There's a lovely little lilly pond right next to the buildings.

And all the stucco and tile work is very intricate and so lovely.

I'm also a big fan of all the blue and turquoise accents amidst the white stucco, terracota, and green expanses.

So pretty.

It almost feels like you've stumbled upon a secret garden.

It's the perfect spot to relax with a cup of coffee before heading into the studio for some hard work and education.

It's also a great spot to read a book.

And it's definitely a little central Florida gem! If you're ever nearby I recommend popping in for a bit!

Kisses,

K

(All images created and owned by Krista Carson. Please ask permission before using.)

Posted with love, please credit when re-posting.

Bits of my Summer...

So... I totally dropped off the face of the internets this summer... Between being sick regularly (ugh...) and super busy I didn't seem to have enough time to live online and offline so I chose off. :) In the spirit of sharing though I'm making a re-newed effort to get back to this space.

This Fall finds me starting new classes and endeavors and busier than ever but that also means I have tons to share! So, I'm starting with the cool stuff from this summer and then I'll work my way forward.

Here are some random bits:

We watched Fourth of July Fireworks via a pontoon boat on Bay Lake over at Disney World.

It was pretty epic in my opinion!

We got silly with our sweet crazy pup!

We watched some amazing sunsets.

I celebrated my birthday in style, thanks to my spectacular Husband and lovely family! (Here's to 31!)

Had more Abigail the Westie time!

Enjoyed Florida wildlife despite the heat.

Which included the loveliest family of cranes! (They're under the tree in the distance, I didn't want Abigail to scare them off.)

Enjoyed all the beautiful nature here.

Saw some magical moons.

And were continuously blown away by the colors of Florida's sunsets.

Stunning!

More to come soon!

What did you do this summer?

Kisses

K

(All images created and owned by Krista Carson. Please ask permission before using.)

Posted with love, please credit when re-posting.

Inspire Me Tuesday

Well said.

Kisses,

K

(Image via Pinterest.)

 

Posted with love, please credit when re-posting.

Get Nailed: Easter Edition

I wanted to go with pretty pastels for Easter but with the usual Easter bunny and egg nail art.

For my fingers I OPI's Nicole Polish in I Love Salmon and Ciaté's Pepperminty. First, I was sure to use a good base coat so the creamy color came out even. (This also prevents it from dying your nails!) Then, I used a long thin nail art brush to make the mint chevron on my ring fingers only. The look was finished by adding a silver triangle stud inside and an emerald green crystal on the tip.

I used the same color scheme on my toes but instead of matchy matchy nail art I used the same brush to paint a green leaf-scape and added a sprinkling of the same green crystals on my big toes.

For both I completed my work with a shiny quick dry top coat.

My nails are ready.

Spring it on!

Kisses,

K

(All images created and owned by Krista Carson.)

Posted with love, please credit when re-posting.