I mean… is this not the most fun dress you’ve ever seen? HOW did I not have this beauty before our trip to Hawaii (travel posts here and here)!? I’m so excited to rock some of the seriously adorable spring dresses I recently snagged at Zappos, including this backless beauty (check out the other two dresses I got at the bottom of the post!).
When I first saw this tassel bag a few months ago in the clutch version, and I was like…. stop. I don’t need it, but I want it, and if you guys don’t remember the parade of tassel earrings I wore all summer long, I knew I would find a million ways to wear it! I’m a sucker for colorful tassels, and here we are. This entire look – head to toe – is available at Zappos and their spring selection is on another level! Plus, you guys might already know they have free shipping (always a big plus for me), but I didn’t realize until now that they have a 365-day return policy… which is amazing. I’m a lover of dresses and they have everything from beachy to formal to casual and in between.
Last summer we rearranged our den with an upgraded sofa (more about that here) and added the Ikea Ektorp chair and ottoman to our den. Christian always starts out sitting on the sofa, following by halfway lying down, inevitably followed by fully lying down with limbs over my lap or something equally… frustrating. After a while I knew I wanted to add something just as comfortable so that when the Sunday football + nap ensued, I had somewhere to sit and work or read.
This chair and ottoman is so comfortable and a great price, and we’ve had the white cotton Ektorp slipcover on it since we purchased it. So when Comfort Works reached out about working together to design a custom slipcover for the set, it was music to my ears (check out all their Ektorp varieties)! Each slipcover is made to order, allowing so many unique, customized options. They actually specialize in current and discontinued Ikea models, but also create slipcovers for any brand – if you send a picture, they’ll work with you to figure out what will work best for your piece.
I wanted to have some pleats on the chair skirt, and I am still over-the-top in love with how it turned out! After receiving multiple swatches to choose from (I shared a sneak peek of this here), I chose Liege Biscuit and am beyond pleased. The fabric is nano-coated which means liquid and dirt run off the service because of the coating of the material (demo with red wine here). With two pets and lots of red wine in my life, it’s a no-brainer.
Thank you so much for reading! If any of you are looking to expand your Ikea sofas or chairs, Comfort Works can definitely fix you up and transform your piece. I am still so in love with how ours turned out! XO –
I had so much fun sharing our first Kauai recap post last week here (most of the outfit items in this post can be found there), and today I want to take you on a little Hawaii journey outside of the hotel where we stayed on the southern side of the island.
We usually split our vacations up into one part relaxation and one part exploring. In Kauai, we spent an afternoon at Old Koloa Town, getting Hawaiian shaved ice and eating the most amazing fresh poke at Koloa Fish Market.
We spent an entire day exploring the North Shore, visiting three different beaches. First (pictured above), we visited was Tunnels Beach. This beach is really easy to get to and has an incredible view of the mountains. We stopped on the road for smoothies and fresh coconut water – the best!
Another big activity we did that was truly breathtaking was a helicopter tour of the island. We didn’t get around to doing this in Maui, but it was at the top of the list for this trip and definitely did not disappoint. So much of this island is featured in the first Jurassic Park film (as well as many other movies, but seriously, watch this), so it was really incredible to see Waimea Canyon and the Nå Pali Coast from above. So many waterfalls… you can’t even keep count! I didn’t take photos with my camera because I really wanted to take it all in, but I shared a peek on Instagram here.
Restaurants that we ate at that we ate at and I would recommend –
Lunch:
Da Crack – fish tacos and burritos = 100
Makai Sushi – little hut in a grocery store, but so good!
Tiki Tacos – we actually had dinner here, but it would be great for lunch too. This may have been the best meal we ate the whole trip.
Savage Shrimp – tacos, rice bowls, burritos – if it’s served with shrimp they’ve got you covered.
Dinner:
As I shared in this post, we had dinner at the St. Regis Princeville on the North Shore so we could enjoy the sunset, and the meal and view was worth every bit of the splurge. If you can get to the St. Regis for sunset, I highly recommend it!
The Beach House – another great restaurant with beautiful sunset. Breathtaking!
Keoki’s Paradise – if you want a great meal and an umbrella in your Mai Tai, this is your spot. We loved Mama’s Fish House in Maui, and this place had a similar vibe.
Bangkok Thai Bistro – we ordered several things here and shared and it was so delicious! There was live music and it was a easy, laid-back dinner.
One of the most magical moments of the trip was visiting the absolutely jaw-dropping Ke’e Beach. I don’t even know how to describe it! It’s right next to the well-known 11-mile hike, Kalalau Trail. When Christian and I walked up, we started walking along the shore and chatting. Something made me turn around to see the absolutely gorgeous mountainous Nå Pali Coast and tapped Christian’s shoulder lightly saying, “Christian, turn around.” His reaction was one I will never forget! Bliss.
We also visited the well known lighthouse on the island. I thought this was a little underwhelming… but it is an iconic landmark of the island. The third beach we visited was Hanalei Bay Beach and we walked along the pier (this beach is pictured above). It was a little busier than the other beaches, but still absolutely beautiful, and it was fun to see everyone snorkeling and paddleboarding.
A few other notable landmarks we visited and loved, the Maluhia Road Tree Tunnel, National Tropical Botanical Garden and Queens Bath.
SO, that’s my spill! Thank you guys SO much for sharing all of your recommendations in the comments and on social media – we read all of them and appreciated your help and guidance so much! I hope these recommendations might help any of you looking to make the trip. Thanks so much for reading – XO –
I’m all about that vest life. I snapchatted (CBLied) some of the Who What Wear collection for Target, but I knew I had to have this trench vest when I saw it in the store! I find that a lot of times when I’m putting together an outfit, I’m looking for that final something. Sometimes it’s a chambray shirt tied around my waist (like in this post), other times it’s the right accessory, but I find that a vest can really pull everything together. That could be a long classic trench vest (like in this post) or a sleek one (like in this post). I’m excited to throw a long military vest in the mix!
When it comes to the right accessory, I find it hard to leave the house without a watch. I love not having to pull out my phone to check the time, and an oversized watch is something I’ve been into for years. This Daniel Wellington watch is actually a mens watch (so the face is a little larger than the womens) trimmed in rose gold and displays the date. It’s so lightweight and comfortable, and Christian has a brown version he’s been wearing for years. Scroll down for a 15% off discount code!
If you’ve seen our home tour, you’ve seen that we used to have inexpensive metal shelving in our kitchen and breakfast room that served as storage. It served its purpose for years, until recently when I decided I wanted something a little more polished. Every Southern woman I know has a china cabinet, and I wanted something to store some of my prettier china and serving pieces, but a a modern gal’s china cabinet, if you will.
This World Market metal display cabinet fits the bill perfectly, and they have so many great display cabinets of all sizes. This one is a little more rustic, clean and simple, while still being extremely sturdy and durable. It stores our fine china, Annieglass serving pieces and McCarty and Peter’s Pottery (the brown pottery… it’s a Mississippi thing!), along with some bulkier appliances. Half of our fine china and many of our wedding gifts are still being stored in Mississippi, and I can’t wait until the day when I can have everything in once place!
Some tips to the modern girl registering for her wedding – the best thing I did was ditch Christian and take my sister-in-law to register. Christian wasn’t into it, and my SIL had gotten married three years prior, so she knew exactly what I needed and didn’t need, so helpful! The most useful thing I registered for: nice pots and pans. The best tip she gave me when choosing china: what colors do you like to decorate with? For me, it’s usually white and silver, so I went with a simple china pattern with silver accents. And my personal tip? Ditch registering for super expensive linens. Etsy and White Elephant Designs both have beautiful, affordable linens with monogram options!
I was happy to put away the coats, scarves and gloves once I came back from New York and am already thinking all about spring! I love that the pantone colors of the year (rose quartz and serenity… aka blush and light blue) are everywhere right now because I find both colors extremely wearable and perfect for spring and summer. Mix that with off the shoulder (I am in love with this top!) and I’m in heaven.
And on that note, I’ve been on the hunt for new spring lip, so I spent an afternoon at beauty counter at Nordstrom. I knew I wanted a pretty nude and a light pink, and with so many choices, a woman at the YSL Beauty counter was so helpful and helped color match me to two amazing shades I am so excited about! Today I’m sharing the nude and tomorrow I’ll be sharing the rosey-pink. This shade (in 44 Lavalliere Nude) is so great for everyday and goes on so incredibly smooth and nourishing. A part of the exclusive Nordstrom collection, the new YSL Rouge Volupté Shine Oil-in-Stick lipstick collection is not only beautiful, but also feels so good! The shades are light and feminine, while feeling really moisturizing and hydrating.
1 | 2 comes in 10+ colors! | 3 comes in multiple colors and in dresses too! | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11
Shopbop is having a major spring sale, and I have been excited to pull my favorites for you guys! And let’s be honest… it’s also an excuse to stalk the entire website for what I want. WHAT!? Did I just type that? #ShopaholicsAnonymous… although it’s not anonymous because I just put it on the Internet.
SO, above are my favorite options, with extra picks in the scrolling thumbnails underneath the collage. Discount info below –
spend $250+ and save 15%
spend $500 and save 20%
spend $1000+ and save 25%
with code: BIGEVENT16
Happy shopping and thank you so much for reading! XO –
– coming home from traveling to see the bougainvillea on our patio in full bloom –
– sharing a quick breakfast with C and our new Nespresso – so good! –
– spending a day cleaning and organizing my “cloffice,” and happy that I can finally work at my desk again –
– trying to lure the birdies to our patio with birdseed… but I don’t think they can see it! –
– spending a few days this week in Laguna working on an exciting project –
This week has been so great to finally get back into the swing of my normal time zone, hallelujah! I feel really fortunate that I can travel more now that I am working from home, but I am a creature of habit and routine… and thrive off of it! I always feel more in control when I am organized and focused, so it’s been really re-energizing to have that back. I’ve jumped back into a lot of meetings around town, but after a small Oscars get-together on Sunday, I plan to be a total hermit. I always say this and it never happens… get it together, Kat!
A highlight of the week was shooting something fun with OC Style Report at the Montage Laguna Beach. I am excited to share more in the next few weeks, and I can’t thank the amazing teams involved enough for making me feel like a superstar for this fun collaboration. Such an awesome time!
Lastly – if any of you are in the LA area, I’ll be hosting a DIY Denim event at the Forever21 in Santa Monica tomorrow, 2/27 from 12 – 2PM! I’d love to meet any of you and help you jazz up your jeans or chambray with some fun DIY additions. Come play!
Thank you guys so much for reading – and tell me who you’re pulling for on Sunday’s Oscar show! XO –
I’m so excited to share a different kind of “style” post with you guys today! I love my yoga pants. Who doesn’t? I wear them when I’m doing Pilates, yoga, walking the dog, and often with no makeup on my sofa while working (let’s be honest). I shared the cutest, colorful workout gear from Carbon38 back in September here, but today I’m sharing an edgier, sleek look with yoga pants (yes those are stretchy yoga pants) that are so cute, I think I could wear them with heels and a sweater. Obsessed!
With the new year having just kicked off, it’s time to fall in love with fitness again, and when you have cute gear (cue one of my favorite Portlandia skits, “get the gear“), it can be the extra push you need to get started. Carbon38 has so many stylish exercise pieces that can take you from your class to lunch – I love that. We’re talking real life wardrobe pieces!
Personally, I fell into a fitness slump once I left my full-time day job in September to work on my blog full-time. All of the studios I loved (yoga, pilates, spin) and the beach where I would walk Bailey after work – all of these locations are now 20+ minutes away, and that distance doesn’t motivate me to get in the car to go exercise. I’ve been floundering trying to find my new spot and routine (although I really want to try this place out), and it’s time to stop making excuses and get to it!
It was such a privilege to meet with Aerial in Corona del Mar to learn some new moves and enjoy a quick yoga session on the beach. Stretching out your muscles on the beach with the water washing up on your feet… I think this is what heaven is like.
Can we stop and talk about how ridiculously cute Aerial is? When she walked up, her energy was so positive and infectious, she had me doing all kinds of poses and things I don’t think I would normally have been so open to, but she’s that kind of person. I loved every minute with her, and if you are in the LA area – you’ve got to hit up one of her classes! She is cute as a button and just as beautiful on the inside. Adore!
I linked this exact outfit above, and I also included some of my current favorites from Carbon38. What’s your exercise of choice? How do you get all the stress from you day out? I’d love to hear what you guys love, and if anyone has tried the spin/pilates two-in-one class, tell me what you think!
I was planning to put together just one post on our trip to Kauai and my recommendations for anyone making the trip, but when pulling all of the photos from our week I realized I needed to break it up into two posts! It’s like The Hunger Games: Kauai – get it? How the finale is always broken into two parts? Am I delirious? Let’s move on.
We knew we would be vacationing in February, but had originally planned to go to Cabo. After struggling to find a resort that we were excited about (if you have Cabo recs, I’d love to hear!), we said… let’s just go back to Hawaii (my Maui recs can be found here)! We stayed at the Koa Kea Resort, and had the most amazing time.
Christian is more interested in smaller, adults-only hotels rather than large resorts with multiple pools, etc. I like both, so I’m happy to go with his preference while we are a family of two! We chose to stay on the south side of the island that doesn’t get as much rain as other parts of Kauai, and there are so many beautiful resorts in the area. Today I’m going to share photos snapped at the Koa Kea, and for my second Kauai post I’ll share the other restaurants and beaches we visited! We usually divide our vacations into one part relaxation and one part exploring – so today, let’s relax.
The Koa Kea has an amazing breakfast and dinner at Red Salt. We had breakfast in the restaurant one morning and room service for breakfast on the balcony on our last day and both times it was fantastic. The Lemon Pineapple Soufflé Pancakes and the Avocado Toast = yes. A few nights a week they also have a sushi chef who comes to the hotel, and we had sushi on our last night – it was delicious!
Watching the sunrise each day from our balcony and watching the sunset with our toes in the sand had to be the peak of each day, and every day looked more beautiful than the last. There was one night we sat on the beach drinking out of a coconut, watching the sunset and laughing deliriously (que Christian’s karate chop above). It was one of those moments that I know I’ll never forget and reason 1349349387 why C is my favorite travel partner in the world.
At the pool, the mojitos are fantastic, but we also bought some Patron, Frescas and limes at the beginning of the week to make fresquilas. I think I got Christian hooked! Every room at the Koa Kea has an empty refrigerator which is fabulous if you want to buy some fruit to snack on or of course, cocktails to sip on.
At the pool they offer snorkel, surf, bodyboard and stand-up paddleboard rentals, so we paddleboarded one day and Christian surfed one day. Paddleboarding in Hawaii is my favorite because the water is so calm – it is so peaceful. C was paddlin’ all around, getting his cardio on and I was like… I’m just going to lie down. If there’s a shark, someone yell at me, kthanks.
Thank you guys so much for sharing all of your amazing recommendations with us while we were on vacation! My second post is going to share all of the other places outside the hotel we visited. I took notes while we were there so I wouldn’t forget, so stay tuned! Thanks so much for reading – XO –
While I thought this look was going to be my favorite outfit I packed for fashion week (and I do love some black and gray), but on our last day in New York, I was rummaging through my suitcase to find something to wear. I packed for the trip when it was around 90+ degrees in California, so I wasn’t as meticulously planned as I usually am!
SO, I pulled out the faux leather pants I’m obsessed with and the cutest two-in-one shirt/sweater (it’s only one piece of fabric so it cuts some of the bulk that happens when layering). I still needed a little something, so I layered the vest, and I thought… why didn’t I think of something like this sooner?
The lesson here – there’s always something brand new in your closet. When you’re in a rut, just try pairing some pieces together you may not have considered before, sometimes you will really surprise yourself! Maybe it’s the Carrie Bradshaw in me, but I love playing in my own closet and seeing how I can maximize pieces I already own. Layering is a great way to do this – pairing a dress with a sweater, layering a top over a dress, wearing a short dress with denim, tucking a sweater into a skirt… get creative! Before you know it, it’s like you went shopping again, except you spent $0 and your husband isn’t lecturing you about your “shopping budget.” Oy!
I wasn’t sure if I could make this suede fringe skirt work in New York for fashion week (it was like… 12 degrees), but I was determined because suede fringe goodness is what my closet dreams are made of. While it looks so cute with strappy sandals, I thought it worked with over-the-knee boots, and this crop top with extra long sleeves was the perfect top for the night!
I also snapped these photos with Nikki earlier on in the week… because by the end of the week I was in flat boots, sweaters and jeans! No shame in starting off ambitious, right?
