Fall Fashion Preview: All Spruced Up

Teal Next Time Shoulder Bag

Rose Gold Menswear Watch

Big City Blues Coat in Spruce

Master Printmaker Dress

Make Yourself Spruce-ful Heels

RSVPerfect Earrings

The end of July always gives me the "back-to-school" shopping itch... It's been hot & humid, day and night, for weeks and weeks, so the thought of a cozy evening and a few layers is something to anticipate.  I'm not ready to give up the beachwear quite yet, but it's fun to start thinking forward fashion-wise - plotting and planning how to turn some of those cute summer dresses into perfect transition pieces for fall. 

For today: drafting, drawing, and more drafting!

And coffee.

Clearly.

K.

almost.august

It's hard to believe, but it's *ALMOST* August... summer is passing by in a hurry, like it always seems to do.  On this Almost August weekend, the plan is to revel in summer, and JUST.SOAK.IT.UP.

I'm kicking off the weekend by spending a day with a girlfriend's little guy... we've got big plans to explore the bottom of the pool with our scuba gear ;)  

Girl's night and deck drinks to follow... Yes, please!

Happy Friday ya'll!

K.

summer.roadside

I am by no means a photographer, but somedays I come across things that are far, far, too pretty not to be photographed.  This beautiful wild milkweed is growing all over the countryside, and I am totally enamoured by the gentle hues and soft texture of these plants.  I'm going to add these pics to the photography collection in the sidebar... I needed a little reminder of how much I enjoy playing with my camera.

For today: coffee first, then on to finish a desk design, and post some pretty things in the shop...

K.

Straight & Narrow, and Not at All

So once upon a time, I took a slew of personality, learning style and aptitude tests... and as it turns out, I am an unusual (surprise, surprise) combination of abstract/introvert/extrovert/organized/unorganized blah blah muh.  But.  It's true.

For me, organized = stacks and piles (pretty ones, of course); abstract is a LOVE, but a sense of symmetry and visual weight is a MUST.  There's evidence of this mentality all over my house and workspace - it's eclectic, but neat, and all together appeals to this gal, big time.

So maybe it makes sense then, that when I'm not making a mess with paint brushes, you can sometimes find me with a ruler and t-square in-hand, doing a little freelance drafting.

On the docket for today: designing a couple of armoires... to be preceded by some pool time, because guess what?  It's HOT again.  Like 44 degrees hot (that's 111 fahrenheit for my American friends).

Whew.

K.

summer.white.wine

Me-oh-my it has been hot and humid around here lately... and I'm loving every minute of it.  These warm nights definitely call for cool drinks on the porch.  The pics above are a little impromptu spritzer... 2 parts white wine, 1 part club soda and a handful of whatever the fresh fruit of the day is.

(HINT: honey dew with a drop of honey is also a lovely addition to a wine/soda bevy).

Hope ya'll are enjoying the heatwave!

K.

garden.tour

Just a peek at what's growing around the garden this year.  Normally I'm 98% focused on container gardening (I JUST LOVE IT, MORE THAN MOST THINGS)... But this year we've gone from SUPER rainy to SUPER hot, and it's the flower beds that are really eye-catching this time around.  There's nothing like some vibrant plant life to offset this lil' yellow house on the prairies.

Summer is SO good.

K.

Down in the Meadow...

I feel a little like I'm discovering long lost gems as I'm reacquainting myself with my workspace the past few days: sketchbooks, drafting equipment, unedited photos, and art supplies galore.  I have that indescribable feeling... like I don't know where to begin, and it doesn't even really matter, because I'm just so excited about it all.

*HAPPY SIGH*

I also realized I didn't post any pics of the last painting I did - sadly, I haven't touched a brush since February, which makes getting at it again a bit intimidating.  Anyway, this piece is called "Meadow," and you can check out the details here.

It's another beautiful day out there, and I'm off to take advantage of the sunshine and heat...

K.

(Temporarily) Gone, but (Hopefully) not Forgotten...

Hopefully.  After a MASSIVE hiatus, I am all graduated-up and also tacked on my ESL teaching certification.  AND IT FEELS GOOD.  I think I've had enough of school... maybe forever, but definitely for a few years!  

(I'm having some serious deja vu vibes... did I already say this at the end of the semester before I decided to hunker down and do the intensive add-on?)

Anyway... since I handed in the last assignment on Friday, I have been happily enjoying some MUCH needed summer holidays - lounging on the beach and by the pool with friends over the long weekend, driving through the countryside taking pictures (yes, there was actual dust on my camera), and mixing up mojitios to enjoy hanging on the porch in my hammock.  It's like a whole new world, this downtime thing... I've never appreciated having a break more than I do right now :)

I'm also pretty content to get back into the creative projects - starting with posting the lookbook items FOR SALE in the new shop.  After several inquiries the maxi dress in the photo above is now available to purchase (HERE).

And so, I wish you all a Happy Summer!  

Much, much more on the way...

K.