get out

So my latest and greatest plan for chez K is to build a version of this:


A few posts and a roof and a fireplace. Easy right?  Currently we have a big empty space on the side of  the pool that is begging for this.  I am calling the builder today.  

I put together my own mood board of things from Canvas Interiors (my other side job) that I would use.  The slipcovered pieces are outdoor. Yup. They can get rained on and presto - good as new.  The other pieces would survive outside in a covered area.  


you can find these pieces here


Here are a few other outdoor spaces that I will be showing the builder for inspiration:


imagine this one with a roof but the fireplace at the end is what I'm thinking.





light and airy

and I love the symmetry and style of this Beth Webb version


I am determined to make this happen so we can enjoy the summer with a bit of outdoor living. 
Get ready Mr. K.  We will have a construction crew in our backyard very soon.  



image 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5


Summer hours

And so it begins... summer.  I hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend.

image found: here

I have been taking stock of how I would like to approach summer blogging as it relates to spending time with Small K and XS K.  I want to be present for my kids and not be rushing to the computer every morning.  Its time for some 'lazy days of summer'... so I will be keeping summer hours on the blog.  What does that mean?  It means that I am lifting deadlines from myself.  Sometimes I'll have a post up by 9am and some days it could be 2pm. I think it will make for a much calmer and happier start to the day Chez K.  

Just know I am always thinking like an editor and collecting ideas and inspiration everywhere I go.  I will collect and create along the way and share when I have quiet time to myself. I hope you will check back and visit with me as I create a more relaxed pace for our home. Who knows, maybe it will inspire new content!

Today I want to share with you my two new favorite purchases. These two items have arrived in my closet and I can tell you with excitement that I want to wear them both every day.





Find the blue dress here
and the white cover up here


headed home: thank you Firestone sisters

A quick hello from the Korakia. I head home today relaxed and with fresh perspective.  Thank you Mary and Lucy for an inspiring and very special retreat.  You assembled an amazing group of women and sprinkled your unique magic on all of us. 





I congratulate you on a successful new chapter of putting more retreats together 
and expanding this venture.  
It has been lovely. 

girlcrush: Wendy Withers of girlcrush

I am sharing a very wonderful blog with you today. An old friend and colleague, Wendy Withers, created and recently revamped the design of... GirlCrush.  It is so insightful, beautiful and wonderful to read about the women she features on her blog. Featuring women from all walks of life, Wendy interviews them and provides insight into their world and how they got there.

Please follow this link to GC stories and discover Wendy's perspective. It is so very Wendy and so very cool. I love the concept and it really is a fantastic read. 








And then be sure to check out Wendy's blog, or journal. It will make you laugh out loud - her candor and sense of humor are so original, and so very funny. Mom's, lots of funny material here... seriously good stuff from the day to day life of a wonderfully original person.

The new site design is perfect Wendy. 
It is so you - and so nice. 
XO from me to you.



Headed west...

Hello and happy Monday. Over the weekend I traveled west to Palm Springs to attend the first ever ...


I am excited to get back to my favorite Palm Springs hotel, the Korakia
Take a look around... its pretty breathtaking and I can't wait to tell you more about the experience. 












Be sure to tune in tomorrow... 
I'll be sharing a fabulous blog that you will love.

After that, I am going to take time to live in the moment and enjoy these next few days without blogging too much. I may pop in here and there with some photos but the purpose of this retreat is for me to recharge, refocus and refresh.  I look forward to telling you more about what these amazing Firestone sisters have started with these retreats. They are really an inspiring duo and have assembled an amazing group of women.  Not to mention the setting... truly one magical place.   

I hope you have a lovely week and I'll be back soon.

canvas interiors: summer whites

Today I thought I would take you on a little cruise around the Canvas Interiors website and select a few of my favorite summer things. White accessories with a touch of silver makes for a fresh summer vibe.  With a few key pieces you can swap out tabletop vignettes and art to create a beachy feeling.  






I love these pieces for their simplicity. Simple shapes with a touch of the exotic (the pouf) or unexpected texture (the pendant) is the formula for the store. Keep the overall plan simple and then mix it up with unique things that reflect your sensibilities. 

Here are the links to each product so you can read more about them on our website. 



I hope you enjoy this summertime collection!



Tom Scheerer's idealic saltbox

As some of you may have read here in the past our favorite place to be is Harbour Island. It was the place of our wedding and has held many a happy gathering for us and our friends since then. It is with great excitement that we head back there this summer, for the first time with the little K's.    

Which brings me to this image...

...which you may have seen here and there, most recently in Elle Decor.

Tom Scheerer's 200 year old cottage is the perfect blend of old and new, high and low. The charm of the island is maintained with a thoughtful eye.  He has created a peaceful, happy welcoming place.


























 A soak in the tub and an early evening cocktail in the backyard sounds perfect to me.  

I can't wait to get back to this magical place and stick my toes in the sand.
It is going to be very hard to get me to leave.  Maybe someday... our own little saltbox... 

You can see more of Tom Scheerer's beautiful work here

shopping update... realtime reports

I thought I would follow up and report on some of my favorite summer items. I post a lot of shopping links and as much as I would love to ... I don't buy everything I post about. But the things I have purchased I can say I am so happy I did. I am going to recap a few of them today.

Lets start with my favorite purchase...


I have been on a bit of a 'summer refresh' mission in my closet. I have a few more key pieces to add and then I think I might try a little 'shop my closet' link where you can purchase gently worn (like new) or even 'new with tags' things directly from my closet. Hmmmm... hatching that idea now and will report back on the progress soon. 

Each of these pieces has safely made it into my closet 
and I am happy to say I love all of them.










spotlight: William Abranowicz

Today in the spotlight is one of my all-time favorite photographers, 

William Abranowicz   



There are a few photographers from my Art Buying career that stay on my radar and I smile every time I see their work...William Abranowicz is one of them.  We only worked on one job together many years ago but I remember it being a wonderful, gracious and easy experience (which can't be said for a lot of shoots).  His agent Becky Lewis from art+commerce  is equally lovely and although we've never met in person, I know it would be wonderful as well. You can just tell these things about some people. These are those people. 
























You have no doubt seen William Abranowicz's work in a zillion magazines (like Ellen and Portia's house in the May 2013 Elle Decor) and all over pinterest.  His work never gets old, his eye always fresh and so very inviting. One of my favorite things to watch is work from his travel portfolios.  He is an avid and passionate traveller and Greece is a frequent stop. 

its like going on a little vacation...

...and take some time to look at the rest of his work... here

I can't wait to see where life takes him next.
I know there will be very pretty pictures involved. 





flowers

The last few days have been a whirlwind of appointments and commitments and a travelling Mr. K which makes for busy times chez K.  After the little K's were in bed last night I needed a quiet respit. So the first place I turned was to KINFOLK magazine. Always a pleasure. If you haven't checked it out you should.  It is always beautiful and inspiring.

Which is where I found florist Sarah Winward of  'Honey of a Thousand Flowers'


I love the simple beauty of her arrangements. A casual, slightly messy and gorgeous interpretation of the typical 'wedding' flowers. Her work is refreshingly simple yet stunning. If you are planning a summer wedding you will find lots of inspiration here.  If you are planning a backyard dinner party you will no doubt be inspired by these images.  I know I am...  


























Beautiful.

This was just what I needed to look at last night.
 And by the light of day, looking at these images again they are even more impressive and inspiring. 
I'm headed to Whole Foods to buy some fresh flowers.  




Deep Dive

I am finding with extra time at home I am becoming more of a shopping sleuth. I have shopped on Amazon forever, but never really for 'fa...