Holiday Scramble, Day 1

I love these monogram stamps that you can custom
design to your own specifications. What a great way
to personalize just about everything that you do. I
know I could sure use one at K style. Find these
at Room Service along with lots of other amazing things.
Gifts galore at this online shop.

And don't forget to go collect today's other letter from
holly'splate. We'll be posting in tandem through december 12.
If you missed the rules, they are here.
k

The Prizes!

Here they are! The prizes!

The two lucky winners will be getting an early xmas
gift from us. An original "holiday bumbleknees print"
by Holly or an original pair of lampworked xmas ball mosaic
earrings by Karen . So let the contest begin.
good luck and enjoy, k

Edgy Wreaths!

I have a traditional wreath hanging on my door but
there are times I would just really love to redo the whole
thing in the unexpected and non cliched. And then of course
there is the wonderful wreath brooch pictured first by
jewelry artist Thomas Mann. You can find all of these original
and contemporary wreaths at The Artful Home. Love these, k

Starts Tomorrow!

A few updates---

Holly and I are really looking forward to our contest
"Holiday Scramble" which starts tomorrow!

And just so you know the way it's going to work please
remember just a few things. You must wait to send us
your guesses via email until all letters have been revealed.

Oh, and tomorrow we will be posting pics of the fab prizes
the lucky winners will receive from Holly and Karen. enjoy
and good luck. k

in honor of the season, karen from kstyle and holly from

holly's plate have teamed up to bring you the twelve days
of christmas holiday contest. starting december 1st and
running for 12 days thereafter, karen and holly will be
posting a single letter on their sites for a total of two letters
each day. collect these letters, 24 in all, and at the end of
the 12 days, unscramble them to reveal a holiday phrase.
the first person to correctly unscramble the phrase and
email karen at troyajijic@yahoo.com will win a pair of
karen 's hand-crafted lampwork earrings. the first person
to unscramble the phrase and email holly at hollyloo@gmail.com
will win a holiday bumbleknees print made by holly. good luck
and happy holidays!

ps: here's a hint (you're only going to get this one!)
... the phrase is made up of seven words.

The Low End of the High End

We don't do too much fashion on kstyle but occasionally and
especially at xmas time I feel compelled. And of course it's
snowing here right now and so while I'd love Burberry's
pink toggle coat I would definitely settle for the much more
affordable earmuffs. Yes I admit I wear earmuffs because I
am a total cold weather whimp. And the earmuffs come in
about six different color combos. Loving these. k

Perfect!

I found these darling felted flower rings via
adorn's blog on a wonderful site called ornamentea.
They are definite contenders for those perfect little
somethings I like to give "my girls" for xmas. And
lots of other cute things here. enjoy, k

Happening Santa

Even Santa needs a night off just like the rest of us. Love this
card by Bumble Ink aptly called "drunk santa", k

Rwanda Path To Peace

Macys rocks! And even better we finally have one in
Medford, Oregon mere minutes from Ashland. In
partnership with the Rwanda Path To Peace Project
they have provided an audience for the amazing weavers
of Rwanda and their gorgeous baskets. Rwanda's women
are literally climbing out of their nightmare one basket at
a time. To read about their story go here. If you'd like to
support these courageous women you can find these exquisite
baskets here. I love the mini ornaments in pic 1. Would be
wonderful gifts for pretty much everyone on my list.
awesome, k

A Little Treat!

Take a bit of time and check out new favorite blog
port2port's holiday art gift guide. I love the digital
art by artist Christopher David Ryan and the holiday
xmas favor boxes by Dauphne Press pictured above.
So many great finds here. Awesome. k

A Gift From K style

Here they are. All packaged up and ready to go to Suzy
over at Lorenzstudio. Wanted to show you all a couple
of things before I send. First of all the packaging came from
my favorite, The dollar Store and then I'm absolutely
crazy about the spiral paper clips that you see in the
photograph. They can be found at Michaels or other
stationery type stores and they make everything look so
much better than regular paper clips. I even use them to
display my earring charms. Thought you might enjoy. And
don't forget I'm giving away another pair of my xmas balls
next month so stay tuned here at kstyle for lots of fun stuff
coming up. k

We Have a Winner!

Yea, It didn't take long!

About 10 minutes to be exact for Suzy of Lorenzstudio
to leave the perfect comment and win my really fun mosaic
xmas balls. But not to worry. Holly from Holly's Plate and I
are starting another contest, "Holiday Scramble and Contest"
on Dec 1st and I will be giving away another pair of my xmas
balls to the lucky winner. So stay tuned and contest ready. k

Yes! Let the Comments Begin!

And the winner is?

Remember, the winning comment will be
"I want those fabulous earrings"
Happy Holidays, k

Cold Here!

This is a pic of the little stream that runs through my
neighborhood just down the street. For lots of you this
is probably the norm this time of year but for us here
in Ashland it's still a surprise to wake up to snow
blanketing our city. And what's even more unusual is
to be here in "this" knowing that R is on his way as we
speak to the sunny tropics on the beach in mexico.

And by the way don't forget my November earring giveaway.
It's going to be happening soon and remember. The first
person to leave a comment saying "I want those fabulous
earrings" will be getting an early xmas gift from kstyle. k

Styling With Fish, Ceramica Blue

Check out these darling fish platters from Ceramica Blue.
I found this amazing line via Decor 8 awhile back and I
thought they deserved a xmas mention. Located in the
UK plan to spend a bit of time on this site. Lots of gorgeous
gift potential here. k

Stylin With Fish, Chocolate

It seems that I am destined to be married to and the
mother of men and boys who fish. So if chocolate is
good fish made out of chocolate is even better. Love
these and you can find them at Gayle's Chocolates
along with lots of other guy and girl varieties. k

Stylin With Fish, Adler

Everything fish seems to run in my family so it's no
surprise that I love these new fish salt and pepper
shakers by Jonathan Adler. Definitely makes my xmas
gift pick list 2006.

And speaking of fish R is leaving for Mexico today for
a fishing trip with J. They're headed for a small fishing
village called La Farra somewhere near Manzanillo. I'm
just a little bit jealous, not of the fishing but of the warmth,
the beach and the lobster eating. Trying to remember why
I agreed to this guy bonding trip in the first place. Oh well
soon it will be my turn. Maybe a trip to Santa Fe with the
girls. Nos Vemos. k

My Table

Well no. This is not quite what my empty Thanksgiving
table looks like but more like the one I dream about from
time to time. Speaking of Thanksgiving hope you all
had a good one. We had the usual with all the trimmings
but then hopped over to some friends for dessert where
usual didn't apply.

Their son also known as "The Rock n Roll Chef" created the
most to die for array of desserts I think I've ever had. He's
cooked for Madonna and Hillary Clinton so you can imagine.
Not quite sure how he happened to be cooking for the
Robinsons but I'll take it.

Oh and he made this amazing drink which I highly recommend.
Equal parts turkish coffee and liquor "Hot Damn" topped off with
whipped cream. I guess I would describe the liquor as spiced
cinnamon. Im buying some today. Would make fab hostess gift
this party season. Off to take some photos of xmas tree lighting
and other fun stuff so stay tuned. Hot Damn, k

And don't forget to check out more glorious work by glass artist
Jill Henrietta Davis.

Stylin Wth Birds, Matte Stephens

Well what can I say. Whatever is coming out of
the mouths of Matte Stephens adorable birds I'm
pretty sure about one thing. They are definitely
speaking to me. You can order Mattes' latest
pieces at Velocity Art and Design but be sure
to check out his personal blog here for the real
scoop. enjoy, k

Passionate About Lampwork, Michele Goldstein

Michele Goldstein is a favorite lampwork artist of
mine and every couple of monts she publishes an
online "boutique" of her available work. If you head
over their right now you might be able to score a
few of her fabulous beads and finished pieces. But
be quick. I know from experience that the sold signs
go up almost immediately. enjoy k

Eat Cake With Kate

I know I've already shouted a few big time xmas hints
to those out there who have me on their xmas list but
wanted to make doubly sure that you NOTICED these
amazing cake plates by Kate Spade. I could take either
one or both, just kidding MOM but how fun would these
be for all those holiday parties coming up? Hinting. k

For the Pottery Lover, Gabrielle Schaffner

It's time to be thinking about gifts so you will be seeing
lots of ideas on kstyle in the next few weeks. I love this
pottery by artist Gabrielle Schaffner. The colors are
neutral and of course I love the bird and nest theme
of the cup and saucer in the first photo. Check out more
of this amazing line here. enjoy, k

A "Target" for Pots

I don't know about you but finding the perfect trivet always
seems to illude me. I wan't something sophisticated yet practical
and of course exceptionally well designed. So when I came across
these interchangeable rings by Kirsten White I was thrilled. Check
out the various color combos here. Such a great concept and
right on target. k

Holiday Scramble and Contest

in honor of the season, karen from kstyle and holly from holly's
plate have teamed up to bring you the twelve days of christmas
holiday contest. starting december 1st and running for 12 days
thereafter, karen and holly will be posting a single letter on their
sites for a total of two letters each day. collect these letters, 24 in
all, and at the end of the 12 days, unscramble them to reveal a
holiday phrase. the first person to correctly unscramble the
phrase and email karen at troyajijic@yahoo.com will win a pair
of karen 's hand-crafted lampwork earrings. the first person to
unscramble the phrase and email holly at hollyloo@gmail.com
will win a holiday bumbleknees print made by holly. good luck
and happy holidays!

ps: here's a hint (you're only going to get this one!) ... the phrase
is made up of seven words.

and yes this is a different contest. kstyles november earring giveaway
is happening and soon I might add. k

The Perfect Gift

I'm always on the lookout for gifts for "my girls" so when
I saw these " lady pens" in Oprah's latest magazine I knew they
would make my list. You can find these and four other styles
at pylones. Love these and I'm pretty sure I don't have a
single girlfriend who wouldn't. K

I Love Whimsy, Amy Elswick

I was browsing gumps yet again and I saw these amazing
"animal basins" by Amy Elswick. How cute are these? What
a showstopper as center stage on a buffet table or
as the main "soup" event for a fall party. Check out Amy's
web site Clay House Pots for more soup basins as well
as some other clever pieces. k

Nature in Wax

Candles really are the perfect gift and I absolutely
love the clean, natural simplicity of both of these. The
first set which are my absolute favorite I found at an
online french boutique called L'Esprit. The second pair
I found at Proper Topper . Lots to see at these fun
sites. I just might have to gift myself with a few of the
above. k

Nature in Silk

I wanted to revisit these amazing silk leaf mobiles by
textile artist Jan Carson. They were actually one of my
first posts but I'm sure were not seen by many. They
are absolutely stunning and you can find them at a
Portland landmark called "The Real Mother Goose".
The online store has some nice selections including the
mobiles but the store is absolutely chalk full of handcrafted
works from artisans all over the country. enjoy, k

Nature in Glass

The combination of nature and glass is a sure winner. I
would love to decorate my Thanksgiving table with either or
both of these fabulous pieces fron The Artful Home. What
are all of you doing for Thanksgiving? We'll be cooking at home
this year with family and a few friends. Have I mentioned
that R. does all the cooking. Spoiled I know but what can you
do. k

It's All About the Gold

I love this. What could be more fun than sprinking gold
dust on your hot cocoa or cappaccino. Even Martha
Stewart would be impressed. Well maybe not but my friends
sure would be. Gumps of course. k

Good Enough to Eat!

Strawberry dipped chocolates are the best and I've made
my share for various dessert themed parties so I'm
more than ready to forgo the real thing for these
fabulous fakes which can be found at Sur La Table.
I'd love to have an "edible" theme tree and you
could get a good start with all the "gourmet" ornaments
at Sur La Table. k

Felix and Doolittle

I love the edited style of these xmas cards by Felix and
Doolittle. Sometimes less is definitely more. And by now
you probably know that I am a major figure skating fan
so I have to admit I am partial to the last card. And
joy would be just the right word. enjoy, k

Red Polkas from Kate Spade

Who's not crazy about kate spades's tidbit plates but what could
be more fun and festive then this set in holiday red. Anybody out
there reading this who have me on their xmas list, MOM, this is a
sure winner. To die for. k

Meet Preston Merimekko's New Model

Well not really but he could be. Spent the afternoon with
my friend C and took a tour of the amazing horse ranch called
Eden Farm Equestrian facility located in Ashland. Well known
on the west coast for their horse rescue program called
Equamore foundation they have been responsible for the
rescue and rehabilitation of mistreated and neglected horses
from around the country. Check out their website here.
Thank you C for the tour of such a fabulous facility and
home for horses oh and Preston is gorgeous. k

And to check out this gorgeous new line at Merimekko
go here. k

Black and White

Here's another fabulous artist whose work is featured
at vessel. Check out all the wonderful pieces by Jaime
Hayon here. I love the pigs also but the horses are
my favorite. k