Pea Brain...

That's what my mom calls my inability to remember anything...ANYTHING...these days.  For all of you non-preggars out there, it's a pregnancy induced state of amnesia that leaves you walking around like, "duh..." all day long.  For the past seven-ish months I'm proud of myself if I remember to put on real clothes before leaving the house in the mornings...

Poor little peanut.  He's not even here yet and he's already being blamed for his mother's short comings...

Anywho...
I wanted to share a picture or two from our trip to Bermuda in May.  Bermuda is just one of the prettiest places on the planet and we look forward to returning every year, so it only made sense that our fifth or sixth trip in as many years would be the perfect opportunity to tie the knot!

On a weekday evening in the middle of our two weeks on the tiny little island, D and I met on a tiny little strip of pink sand beach as the sun went down and said "I do."  It was just the two of us, the sand and the waves as the sun sank behind the backside of the island.  It was magic...

It rained and rained and rained that morning and we worried that our perfect day was going to be a little soggy.  But magically--as if the universe knew--exactly an hour before we exchanged vows, the skies cleared and the sun came out, leaving the water crystal clear and the beaches calm and quiet.

But before we took off our shoes and walked down to the beach we played in a puddle or two...

I've decided it's good luck to play in the rain puddles on your wedding day...

And then, so quickly, the day came to an end, and after six and a half years of ups and downs, in and outs, lots of trips, dates and more fun than should be legal in one lifetime, we finally became Mr and Mrs D!

And we've been living happily together ever since...

It was our best trip yet.

A special thanks to the very talented Amanda Temple for our gorgeous photographs and Michelle at Flowers by Gimi for my beautiful bouquet.

xo...
ki

In the past month...

I have been assaulted by New York's seemingly endless cold...I hate my winter coat more and more everyday.  No one should ever be wearing a winter coat in April.  It's just wrong.
Fortunately, the skies have finally allowed a ray or two of sun to visit us.  But only occasionally.

I have worked, worked, worked...
I have so many things to share.  I think you'll like them.

And somehow I planned a wedding and designed a wedding gown.  I don't know how...maybe because it is such teeny weeny little thing (the wedding...not the dress).  Even still, weddings can make a girl crazy.  Wedding gowns can make her crazier...

But this week, it has been difficult to feel burdened by all of the usual things, especially when this is the view outside my window every morning...

Ahhh...paradise.

A little bit of relaxation is just what D and I needed, so we are here at the lovely Tucker's Point in Bermuda soaking in a little sun and a lot of necessary rest.   So far our trip to our favorite little island (this is our sixth trip) has been exactly what we were looking for...lots of sun, lots of rest, and lots of food.  I have had bread and butter with every meal...I probably need to slow down a bit or I won't be able to fit in the aforementioned wedding gown!
Anyways, we are having a lovely time.  I am tagging along with D while he plays golf in a bit, so I have to go get ready.  I hope they have snacks... (told ya...lots of food.)

More pics soon.

xo...
ki

this trip...

started out like any other trip...we left early in the morning, this big city cold and grey.

The flight seemed long.  I was getting restless.  And then we landed in Barbados...off came our sweaters and out came our sunglasses.  

Back in the sun at last...

We played on the beach just outside our lovely home.  We played and played and soaked up the sun...

and when we got too hot, we hopped in our little plunge pool, complete with a waterfall...it was heavenly.

We watched the most amazing sunsets every night...each one better than the last.

We even made a few friends along the way...

On the last day, our friends had to return to New York (not the ones above...actual friends), and D and I found ourselves all alone in our big beach house for our very last night in paradise...

So we took our last walk on the beach, and watched the boats one last time.  As we sat listening to the breeze stir the palm trees and the waves lapping up on the shore, D said he had a question for me...

"Well???" He asked...

I said yes!

And then we lived happily ever after...

This trip was definitely not like any other trip.  It was the perfect trip.

xo...

ki

am inspiration: sunny days...

I know I have barely been present in the blogosphere this week...let's just say it wasn't my week.
Fortunately for me, my week ends today, as I am on a plane to Barbados to celebrate my lovey dove D's birthday for the next five nights.
(no...we don't normally go to Barbados to celebrate our birthdays.  This one is a biggy...he might not let me stay in our villa if I tell you how big...)

Anywho, this week is finally looking up!  And I can't wait to put on one of my most favorite ensembles in the whole world: an little dress, a pair of sandals and a big ol' hat.  It is most certainly time to give the coat and scarf combo a little break!

Valentino dress
J Crew sandals
Marc by Marc Jacobs tote
YSL cat eyes
Stella McCartney straw hat
all available at netaporter.com

xo...
ki

scenes from the south...Caribbean Style

Upon finding ourselves snowed out of the City after Christmas, D and I decided the only way to remedy the stress of the situation was to travel even further south and have a little fun.  We FedExed our sweaters and coats back to New York and hopped on a plane to St Thomas. 

We arrived in the Caribbean with no bathing suits, flip flops, sunscreen...not one useful thing.  On New Year's Eve we walked into the hotel gift shop and bought flip flops, t-shirts and sunscreen; we borrowed a few towels from the pool, made a quick trip to the market, and we were off...

We spent the day at Cinnamon Bay in St John, watching the boats float by, and snacking on our thrown together picnic.  It was certainly not the way we imagined our New Year's Eve, but it quickly became one of the best days of 2010... 

our gift shop flops

and shirts...

thank goodness I at least had my cat eyes...

In the afternoon, clouds started rolling over the bay...
We were convinced that it was nothing, so we stayed.
Seconds later D and I were in the midst of a crazy wind and rain storm.  We were drenched!

Fortunately, the storm departed as quickly as it arrived and even left a peace offering for those of us who were brave enough to weather the storm...

Almost immediately the sky became clear and blue, so we found a fresh spot on the beach to enjoy the rest of the day and watch the sun set.

There's nothing like the feeling of sand on your feet, sun on your skin, and the salty breeze in your hair...it was beyond relaxing.

A perfect day and a perfect farewell to 2010.

xo...
ki

boy...

has it been a day and a half...

Between the snowy, wintery weather and my crazy dress making week, it's hard to believe I took this picture exactly a week ago today.

Cinnamon Bay Beach
Dec 31, 2010 

I am too pooped to type, but I just wanted to wish you all a very happy first Friday of the year.  May 2011 bring all of us lots of luck, love, success and every happiness we hope for...

xo...

ki

Back in the city...

and straight to work!

Well, the post vacation glow only lasted a few minutes until I was slapped in the face by the blustery New York winds this morning...

Brrr...it's cold up here.  And so...
so...
what's the word...
Grey.

It looks nothing like this...

or this...

Nothing.  Brrr...

But like I said: back to work!!!

So I was out the door for a dress fitting early this morning...it's that wedding gown I mentioned before. The good news is that it fits!  That's always a great thing.  And we have the fabric...another great thing!
The sort of not great news is that the lace (from her mother's gown) has a few "challenges" to overcome.  Nothing major...just a stain here, a snag there.  Actually, the snags aren't even the issue...it's the color.  I have now soaked the gown in three different types of fabric enhancer/eco-friendly bleach/color remover whatever you want to call them.  I even used the one that took the color out of my shoes once at the old job...and I wasn't even the one working on that particular batch of fabric.  Still not sure what happened there...

Anyways, we have now decided the only thing to do is make the lace a little darker and hopefully a more uniform color.  I am actually typing this in between stirring my big boiling pot of wedding dress a la Rit Dye.  (I sure hope D comes home after I finish...I'm not sure what a man would think if he came home and found his girlfriend of six years boiling an old wedding gown in the kitchen...or, for that matter, why she was using his All-Clad pots for dying fabric.  Oops...)  I thought that I would surely be showing you pictures of my expertly dyed lace by the end of today, but alas...today is not the day.  Hopefully, it will be tomorrow as the wedding is on Saturday.

Yep.  Three and a half days away.

Feel free to freak out for me.  I'm too busy cooking a wedding gown at the moment...

xo...
ki

Happy New Year

from the beautiful Virgin Islands!!!

I hope you rung in the the new year in the most beautiful, wonderfully special way! 

D and I are recuperating from an action packed 2010 for a few days before we have to return to life in crazy (and super cold) New York.

See ya back in the Big Apple!

xo...

ki

Somedays...

I feel as though I live in an airport. D and I have been up since five, through the Atlanta airport, and now, the Charlotte airport, in hopes that we will eventually make it to the Carribean...
Due to extreme sleep deprivation and travel overload, I can't think of anything useful to say, other than, "Hello!"
I really just wanted to try out my super-new, extra-nifty iPad (thanks, Mom!) before we took off again...don't know how I've lived without one for so long. I LOVE it!

I can't make any promises but I'll try to say hi from the islands...Time for some much needed R&R and QT with the lovey dove!

If I forget...have the happiest of happy New Years. May you ring in 2011 in the most fabulous way possible!!!

Tootles!

xoxoxoxo....
Ki

princess for a day...

I am sad to say that somehow in the midst of all the holiday madness, I completely forgot to take pictures of Thanksgiving...

not even one.  

D and I were on the go from the moment he arrived in my hometown Wednesday night until we left for Atlanta to see his family on Saturday morning.  And after a quick stay over night in Buckhead (which was amazing by the way, but a story for another day), we were on our way back to New York...

Our heads were positively spinning by the time we got home last night.

I had really hoped to snap a few frames of my city boy D at my dad's cabin in the woods or my  little brother  running around at my grandparent's farm, but there never seemed to be time...

I didn't even realize that my camera had been so neglected until ten minutes before D and I left my mom's house...

I heard a little voice coming from upstairs.  "Ooooooh Kiiiiiii!  Come here for a second..."

It was Miss B and she was dressed from head to toe as a princess...sort of a Rapunzel meets Marie Antoinette look.  

Inspired by the movie, Tangled, which she had just seen the day before, she had transformed herself in honor of our departure.  

She was so funny in her fluffy little get up, bouncing around and swinging her long synthetic hair like a it was a lasso.  Every time I look at this picture I smile....Oh to be a princess for the day!    

May your day filled with just the tiniest bit of whimsy and imagination...

May you find something that makes you smile...

And may we all find the time--even if it's only for a moment--to feel like a princess today and everyday!

Happy Monday!

xo...

ki

gifts and wishes: how sweet...

After a long day of travel--and I mean long--I am finally back in the City.
In the spirit of my very long day, today's gift is more of a wish, I guess you could say...

I oh so wish I was in a warm bath with Laura Mercier's creme brulee honey bath at the moment...maybe a couple of candles burning, soft music in the background...soaking this very, very long day of travel away.

creme brulee honey bath
$40

This bath formula is extra decadent (the name says it all...how could anything with creme brulee in the name ever be bad?) and how cute is that honey dipper?  

A perfect gift for a girl who loves a little indulgence...

There is also a scrub and a lotion to match!

Doesn't it just sound delicious???

Sweet dreams.

xo...

ki

ciao...

My bags are packed and I'm off to board my gypsy pink airplane!
If only the sun would come out...

layoutsparks.com

More soon from the South!

xo...
ki

bon voyage!

The day has finally come...

This gypsy's bags are packed and she is on her way back to the City!


More to come soon!

xo...
ki

**The beautiful paper sculpture is by the very talented Matthew Sporzynski (photo by Monica Buck).  Check out more of his work at Real Simple.

Hello from Georgia!
Yep.  That's right...I was on yet another plane (at 7:00 am) today.  No worries, though...I am glad to be here, 97 degrees, humidity and all.
Anywho, I am a little wiped out from all of the travel but wanted to share my beea-u-teee-ful baubles we bought on one of our visits to the market in Marrakech.  

Lapis Lazuli, Jade, Amber, Coral, Tourmaline, Turquoise, Moonstone, Onyx, Enamel, just to name a few...

We bought these from one of the most famous bead stores in Marrakech.  This tiny, closet-sized store is crowded on every surface with ceramic bowls filled with stones, glass beads and hand made metal pieces.  I spent a lot of time trying to figure out the perfect assortment to bring back and then even more time arguing over the price.
We learned that you are supposed to subtract about 70% off of their opening bid and then negotiate from there...it usually ends up at 50% of the original offer.  I found it very stressful!  I'm way too polite to be a good haggler...all of those Southern etiquette classes from childhood (what's left after nearly 8 years in NYC, anyway) got in the way, I guess...good Southern girls don't talk about money!
It was worth the fuss (and frustration), though, because the beads are so vibrant and special.  I can't wait to get to work...after a nap, that is.  Really big nap...big yawn.

xo...
Ki

last but not least...

I have to say, we definitely saved the best for last.

Being in Mallorca felt like living in a painting. Home to many artists (Miro), musicians (Chopin) and writers (Robert Graves), it proves itself to be full of inspiration in every form.

See what I mean? They even had sheep and donkeys that grazed the orchards on our hotel property. Simply put, it was as close to perfect as I could imagine on earth. Just amazing...

xo...
Ki

next stop: Marrakech

If Barcelona's charm was in the beautiful city views and architecture and romantic, laid back attitude, then the charm of Marrakech lies in it's endless energy and raw desert landscape. Exotic and, at times, intimidating...the combination of exquisite detail around every turn, crowded markets and third-world poverty (something neither of us was prepared to see) made these three days something that I will never forget...

The Koutoubia Mosque (featured in the second picture) is one of the most famous mosques in North Africa and is located next door to La Mammounia. More than 5000 people pray here each week. During Ramadan, which started 2 days before we arrived, the first prayer of the day starts at 3:45am...how do I know? D and I could hear it from our hotel room every night. (or morning...whatever you want to call it. I call it sleeping time.)

More pictures (and stories) coming up!

xo...

ki