Inspire Me Tuesday

Choose happy. Choose joy. It's as simple and hard as that.

Hope your having a fantastic summer full of all things sparkly and fun!

Kisses,

K

(Image via Classy Girls Wear Pearls.)

 

Posted with love, please credit when re-posting.

Where To Wear; Happy Labor Day Weekend!

Widely considered the last weekend of summer in the U.S., Labor Day is every red blooded American's excuse to get out and get in some sunshine before the colder months ahead.

So obviously the advance of Labor Day weekend has me dreaming of some beach time... I doubt I'll get any in with all the crazy busy lately (Plus, now that I live in Florida it feels less urgent.) but that doesnt stop me from dreaming of being the coolest and cheekiest (Not literally, Brazilian cuts? Not on my a** thankyouverymuch!) girl on the playa*.

Where to wear is the only remaining question? Daytona? Clearwater? I'm dreaming of Cocoa Beach methinks...

Glamorous sunglasses are a must, natch, and these Portofino Mirrored sunnies by Prism fit the bill quite nicely.

And how awesome is this Racel Comey Calabash Bikini? Very! It's both cute and sexy at the same time all while reminding me of my favorite animal print which happens to be...

ZEBRA!

Can we talk about this beach towel by Maslin for a second?!? Let's!

"This season Maslin is helping us get in touch with our inner animals—fitting for a company named after Australia’s first nudist beach. Each hide-shaped towel was inspired by glitzy 70s decor, and comes with a leather carry strap for beach hopping.

Reversible beach towel | Leather carry holster | 100% cotton."

It's probably the most adorable towel I've seen in my entire life! Need, must, want... Yes, please!

It's even cute rolled up!

If only its price tag wasn't as steep as it is cute... $225 is pretty high for a towel... Le sigh...

But say there was no budget... Get that sucker in leopard too for days when you're feeling less prey more predator.

Why not? You have no budget, remember? Plus, you'll be looking smoking in you're new beach ensemble with an instant conversation starter with all the hot surfer dudes to boot...

Me? I'm married and just daydreaming... But you? I see great things ahead for you my friend, great things...

Kisses,

K

*playa = beach en Español

(Photos and merchandise via Opening Ceremony.)

 

 

Posted with love, please credit when re-posting.

Throwback Thursday: Summer Edition

School is back in session and that makes me feel nostalgic for the summer. Since I wasn't blogging this summer I decided Thursdays were a good day to take a little trip down memory lane...

Before we moved from Seattle I finally had a chance to eat at this Mexican restaurant called The Boathouse down on Lake Washington by the University of Washington campus that everyone was always talking about. The sun was shining and the place was packed!

It wasn't the more authentic Mexican that I'm typically used to but nevertheless it was a tasty American take. Everything from the tortillas and chips to the salsa was housemade.

I ordered a chicken burrito and chose some tasty chipotle salsa then the Husband and I stalked a table.

Once seated, we sat back and enjoyed the kind of breezy view you only get with a Seattle summer.

Kisses,

K

(Photos by Krista Carson at the Boathouse in Seattle, WA.)

 

Posted with love, please credit when re-posting.

Ch ch ch Changes

So I'm pretty sure I fell off the edge of the internets... Beware there be dragons here...

 

My electronic paraphernalia has been prone to fits of disfunctionality on the regular making it über hard to post and life has been nuts.

 

Amongst the many changes:

My cousin who should have turned 30 first, died this year right before his birthday.

 

I flew to FL for my youngest brother's wedding to both participate and assist in its execution. He is only 24 ya'll. Crazy love, crazy stress, crazy fun!

 

Flew back to Seattle for my hubs graduation. My husband finally finished his Anesthesia residency program after four years!

 

I turned 30! on July 2! (Eeep!)

 

We said goodbye to all our friends and moved from Seattle back to... FL! For my husbands new job in.... da da da dA! Tiny Tavares, FL. Culture shock much? I think yes.

 

We are currently still homeless (i.e. crashing with my parents an hour away in Orlando) while trying to find suitable living up in the middle of nowhere. Are we fussy? But of course. Where's my Staples easy button?

 

My parents then moved right after we moved to FL, while we're crashing with them. Their new house is awesome but totally in a stressful state of moving disarray. (Plus, didn't we just do the moving truck and boxes thing a couple weeks ago? Yes, yes we did...)

 

Also, my parents household currently consists of: my parents, my ill elderly Grandmother, my youngest brother, his wife, my husband, me,and their dog. I'm pretty sure at this point in their life that list should be significantly shorter. But it's not and they're super awesome for allowing all the crazy!

 

(Suitcase life is grand and all but I want all my sh** back out of storage!)

 

Also, being car-less in Chicago and Seattle was easy. In FL? Not so much...

 

Positive stuff, they rented out our old place for August so we got August rent $ back!

 

We're going to be insured and making dolla dolla bills again (we had nada for the month of July b/c no one worked for the month of July. There was just oodles of medical boards studying going on.)

 

And... We have a three day weekend coming up so we're heading down to the Vinoy in St. Pete to kick off our shoes and relax couple style. So I did my nails in an attempt to pretty it up again and hold on to the last bit o' summer.

 

So... That's the gist. Got it all? It's been one heck of a crazy, crappy, and sometimes awesome year... I'm looking forward to things settling again. I'll be posting re-cap stuff with photos as able and hopefully some new new stuff soon too.

 

In the meantime, here's a pic of my awesomely silver fingertips on my Mom's summery nautical pillow. I'm wearing Essie's "There's No Place Like Chrome."

Sometimes it's the little things, right?

Kisses,

K

(Photos still by me b/c no one else would want to take a pic of my nails, duh... Ha! Pillow from a previous season by Pottery Barn, Nail-polish Essie's "There's No Place Like Chrome.")

 

 

Posted with love, please credit when re-posting.

Vintage

I love these vintage mint milkglass milkshake tumblers I saw on Society Social! Wouldn't you love to sip your summer milkshakes from these?

Kisses,

K

(Tumblers and image vis Society Social)

 

Travel Reminiscence

Now that I'm finally getting settled back into the groove of things here at home I thought I'd share some of the photos from my crazy month long trip.

I was in a good friends wedding in Charleston, SC (remember, she's the one i told you was getting married at the Lowndes Grove Plantation) so I thought I'd start off with some charming details of the city itself.

There was beautiful iron-work all over the city.

I loved all the details built into everything.

The city was full of vibrant colors but I especially loved these teal shutters. See the little swiveling s hooks that hold them open? So cute!

There were so many cute alleyways brimming with green.

Charleston is known as the Holy City due to all of its, and may I say all of its fabulously beautiful as well, churches.

Did you know all of the "front" porches in Charleston are actually on the side of the houses there? They taxed homes based on what was facing the street so in order to pay less the citizens starting building them on the side with little courtyards and frequently a faux front (or street facing) door as well.

I loved the mint green and brass plate of this letter box by the Dockside Street Theatre.

Another beautiful church.

A super cool quote on the wall of clocks in the ghost and spirit store (ghost stories, walks, and hauntings are very popular in Charleston).

"Do not squander time for that is the stuff life is made of." Benjamin Franklin 1746

A very neat tea and spice shop. You can the brim of my jaunty fedora in the reflection of the window in this one.

Well, I hope you enjoyed these snapshots. More to follow, of the city, the wedding, and the rest of my trip.

Kisses,

K

(Images property of Krista Carson)

Inspire Me Tuesday

The Paciffic Northwest is such an inspiring place to be. It never ceases to amaze me. There are so many naturally beautiful sights and sounds to experience. This weekend I had the pleasure of sharing one such moment with my husband.

We were out on a beach overlooking downtown Seattle as a summer storm approached. The air got a little bit thicker, darker, and the swiftening sky carried an intense marine smell on its winds. Suddenly, there were waves, significant ones for the Puget Sound, and into the quiet of the encroaching storm it was as if the waves began to sing.

They sang a song I had never heard before. A song that played against the rocky shore. A song of rushing and shushing. Of hurrying and reaching into the masses of pebbles and slipping away. Of mad dashes and whooshes....

It was a beautiful sound that spoke of land and sea and the power of nature. Those of you who grew up on rocky shoals have probably heard this siren song before. But growing up on gentle sandy beaches I had never heard even the largest of hurricane waves be able to sing this unique and beautiful language. It's power crashes onto soft cushioning sand.

For those who've never heard it, I wish l could share it with you. With all of you really. I'll work on uploading a video (always more to learn).

But in he meantime I hope you find a momment that moves you. I hope it as powerful, calming, lovely, and inspiring as mine is for me. I hope it helps you to translate a moment of peace and beauty that exists even amidst life's storms. It's there, somewhere, if you take a moment to breathe, look, and listen.

Kisses,

K

(Images property of Krista Carson)

 

Happy Flip Flop Day!

Happy Flip Flop Day to all my beachy peeps out there! This is a holiday i can truly get behind! I grew up in Florida and therefore truly believe in my heart that flips flops are a valid shoe choice for any occasion. (At least any occasion where the temperature is above 55- 60 F.)

Yes, I will wear them with a dress to church, sparkly ones to weddings, and with everything else I wear too. I am that girl. And I'm alright with that, in fact I love it!

So let's put our best flip flopped foot forward today and enjoy one of the many bounties summer brings, easy open toed shoes!

Kisses,

K

(Image via Couponers United, 'twas a very cute googled, albeit old, graphic!)

 

Sweet Summer Techsesscories

First things first...

I'm HOME! Like Seattle home, that is. My summer voyage now complete I have returned to the Paciffic Northwest. And while I hope to manage a few fun rendezvous throughout the rest of the season (I'm gunning for a low-key mountain river tubing trip) I brought back a new techsesscory to remind me of the warm sunny days I spent on my whirlwind trip for the times when the Seattle skies are grey.

Nothing says summer like an ice cream cone or two, even if they're on your iPhone! I picked up this perky little, slightly humorous, beauty in the burbs of Chi-town at a Five Below, "It's like a nicer dollar store where everything is five dollars or below." my MIL said. Since its not a forever case I figured some fun graphics could make for a snappy change.

What's your "good ole days o' summer" pick me up?

Kisses,

K

(Image property of Krista Carson)

Chicago, Chicago

My kind of town!

I'm back Chi-town and I'm so excited to take in as much of your fabulous fun as I can before heading back to the Paciffic Northwest!

Your skyline? C'est magnifique!

Your food? È delizioso!

Friends and Family? Maravilloso!

Here's a quick taste:

The Willis Sear's tower as seen from my favorite little piece of paradise downtown... It's a tiny tree lined park full of flowers with a little wading stream (for your tired tootsies) nestled right between Frank Gehry's (awesome) amphitheater in Millennium Park and the Chicago Museum of Art.

The Hancock Tower with Water Tower Place's turrets in front.

And lastly the city viewed from the top (56th to be exact) floor of my old building right before sunset with the Hancock Building's iconic sillouette towering above the rest.

Kisses,

K

Officially A Landmark!

Chicago's own Wrigley Building finally achieved officially historic Landmark Status today!

The ground was broken back in 1920 by the chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr. in order to house his corporate headquarters.

The Wrigley Building as seen from the bridge spanning the Chicago River (See the Hancock Tower hiding in the background on the right behind the blue flag?)

The gorgeous building was designed by the architectural firm of Graham, Anderson, Probst & White with the shape of Seville's Cathedral's Giralda Tower as inspiration. At the time it was the only major office building north of the Chicago River.

The much newer Trump Building towers over Wrigley but never outshines it

Congratulations Wrigley Building, you were always the most iconic Landmark in Chi-town to me!

Kisses,

K

(All images by Krista Carson and info via Wikipedia)

 

On The Road Again

Or should I say in the sky... My regular posts are interrupted due to continued trepsing about the country. I've left Florida, family, and tons of fun in the sun and I'm in the air heading to the second (my first, though!) city! I can't wait to visit with more family and friends and see the Chicago skyline! (I used to live there a few years back and my husband's from there.) I'll get to squeeze see my Husband again too! Yay! I left the poor guy in Seattle working all the way back on May 12th... :(

As always, I'll post as I'm able and will tons more to share once I get back to Seattle! Till then!

Kisses,

K

(Image owned by Krista Carson)

Inspire Me Tuesday (on Wednesday...)

I'm late, I'm late! For my Inspire me Tuesday date!

Why, you ask? Well... I've been feeling a little under the weather the past few days and prior to that I was trepsing about the Magical World of Disney with my family. There was tequila tasting, Tonga French Toast, and much merriment in general!

(Perhaps I 'll share more later? All I know is this trip is proving to be more whirlwind than a Tasmanian Devil could manage, and more fun too!)

The Wishes Fireworks (are) Spectacular in front of Cinderella's Castle

So what's the inspiration today, you ask?

Take time to enjoy those you treasure and love!

Always be in the moment!

And...

Wishes are more powerful than you could imagine!

I take every wish-purtunity I can! Hey, it never hurts!

Kisses,

K

(All images property of Krista Carson)

The Holy City (No Not That One... Charleston)

So far Charleston has been nothing but hospitable and oh so charming! I have so much to share! Ghost tours, historic buildings, sweeping vistas, romantic hidden alleyways.... The list goes on! Here is just a tiny taste of a impromptu photo walk of sorts I went on:

Historic Graveyards with beautiful iron work.

The Dock Street Theatre

St. Phillip's Episcopal Church, built in 1835

A super cute entrance with my (super cute) husband's name!

Hope you enjoyed your amuse-bouche, more to come!

Kisses,

K

 

Charleston! Charleston!

I'm on my way to that sweet hotbed of southern food and hospitality known Charleston, South Carolina!

It may be known as the "Holy City" due to its many churches but it's also the namesake for one the roaring twenties most notorious dances!

I have a weekend to enjoy all of the great things Charleston has to offer with the girls before our friends wedding on Monday night (at a plantation no less!). It should prove to be a very memorable trip!

I can't wait to get there and start exploring this beautiful and historical antebellum city!

Kisses,

K

(Images and info via Charlestondownunder.com, Flickr, and Destination360)

 

Get Nailed

I have always loved (understatement!) painting my nails since I was a kid! So I couldn't be happier with all the fantastic nail art trends and colors out there right now, kid in a candy store much?

But sometimes you need a palette cleanser, so to speak, but still want in on all the cool summer fun out there color wise... The answer:

Essie's Blanc on my fingers and...

China Glaze's Flip Flop Fantasy on my toes!

Summer, here I come!

Kisses,

K