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

A Tiny Peek!

No these are not the xmas earrings yet, but just a
tiny peek at the mosaic glass xmas balls that I will
be giving away some time in November. You will know
it when you see them.

And don't forget. The first person to write in the comment
"I want those fabulous earrings" will be getting a package a
few days later from kstyle.

Black and White

I've been looking for the perfect product to introduce another
kstyle favorite topic which I will call black and white and as
soon as I happened upon this amazing line known as Cmielow
Porcelain I knew I had my first post. This gorgeous line was first
created in the late fifties and early sixties in the famous Cmielow
Porcelain factories in Poland and then recently resurrected by the
current owners. They literally rediscovered and painstakingly
repaired the original molds. I'm so glad they did. Oh and other
pieces of this wonderful line can be found here. k

Frozen Fur

Amazing work by ceramic artist Bodil Soderlund.
I love the idea that we can find a grown up way to
keep our softies or our children's softies in our
"well designed" world. Such a creative and clever
idea and she even does commissions. Check out a
whole variety of pieces at vessel. Awesome. k

oregon

I love this new gocco print by nebo peklo not
only because it is simply gorgeous but because
it is simply Oregon. Especially Oregon in the fall
as the rains and wind strip our trees to their most
edited selves. This is a limited edition and I am
sure they will go fast so hop on over to nebo
peklo to reserve your unique print "autumn rain". k

Oh Deer!

What's a xmas card shopper to do. So many deer to choose
from and all so festive and fun. While deer might get a mixed
reaction in Ashland I still think the reindeer variety have a
place in our holiday hearts. SOoooo.......

Why you might ask are we not total deer lovers in this
picturesque deer friendly city called Ashland. Well here is a
true story which happened to me or I should say to my
friend V a few months ago. After a wonderful tour of her
gorgeous new home, freshly built, she asked me to give her
a ride back to her old house still not quite vacated. An
understatement to say the least. As we drove up to her front
yard I heard an "oh know not again "expletive. Confused at
first I soon noticed the very big problem!

Literally sitting on her doormat, as if he owned the place,
totally blocking any possible entry into her house was a full
grown, massive antler endowed deer. The big daddy deer to
be exact.

"Well" she said obviously resigned, "I'm going to have to walk
around to the back AGAIN!" And that was that. A typical day in
Ashland. So while clearly our resident deer have gotten just a tiny
bit bold and I'm pretty sure V won't be buying any of the above
xmas cards anytime soon I still love the pesty critters and if you
do too check out the following sources in order of appearance.
Spot Bear, Moma, Emma Rose Papery, Foxy and Winston, Flaunt,
and for fun I threw in reindeer key chains from finnstyle. enjoy, k

Xmas is Going to the Dogs

I'm a total dog lover but very dog deprived right now
so these glorious xmas cards definitely have my name
on them. I love them all although I'm partial to the first
because my last dog was/is Mikey the beagle. My mother
has him now because we couldn't take him with us to
Australia where we lived for a year. Now she'd probably
kill me rather than give him back. In order of appearance
you can find these cards at elum, emma rose papery, r-nichols
via the pink square, and gumps. enjoy, k

Whatever!

This is my fantasy clock. And sometimes while living
in Mexico I could almost get away with it. But alas
as much as I would like to say I'll be there "whenever"
schedules and appts. just seem to intervene. Doesn't
mean I can't dream however. So whatever. k

Another Wow!

I was shopping today in a favorite Ashland Store
called Perfect Solutions when I saw these amazing
laser-cut 3D mannequins by Los Angeles based company
AKI international. The one's I saw today were the
miniature versions which also included a whole line of
darling animals. I loved the manequins which you see
above. They would be absolutely gorgeous alone
or dispalying a favorite piece of jewelry. enjoy, k

The Miracle of Plastic

No, this is not a watercolor mounted on canvas.
Look closely and you will see that this is something
different. Featured are plastic, yes plastic vases
that take shape and maintain their shape when filled
with your basic water. How clever, and why I say yet
again did I not think of that! This clever invention can
be found at the always fun Tortoise and there are two
sets of designs to choose from. What a fabulous gift. k

I Love Whimsy and the Well Heeled

Found another site via "Architectural Digest" called Maddi's
Gallery and I fell in love with "Fashion Cat" and "Fashion Dog".
And my first thought was that if they can do it I can do it. Wear
heels that is! Lots to look at on this fun site. enjoy, k

Lost and Found!

No this is not my latest real estate purchase but I do have a
story to tell about the Famous Carolands Mansion featured
in "Archirectural Digest" this month. In fact the new documentary
about this famous residence entitled Three Women and a Chateau
should be retitiled Three Women a Chateau and a Baby. And
yes that baby would be me.

First you need to understand that this vast cavernous castle
like home located in Hillsborough, Calif. has 98 rooms and
65,000 sq. ft. and then you need to know my mother. Just
kidding mom. But mom is not known for her keen sense of
direction so when she and my father we're invited to dinner by
"The Countess Dandini" the second of " The Three Women" in
the documentary what followed might have been predictable!

Cutting to the chase my mother must have felt that The Countess
had had enough cooing time with the new baby so she proceeded
to find a suitable room of the 98 potentials to leave me in to sleep
while she and my dad continued their dinner with royalty. So far
so good.

Time to go and round up baby k. As I'm sure you've guessed by
now my mother had no idea where she had put me. Panic ensued,
the help was enlisted, and a search was begun. Sometime later and
I mean later I was found. Good thing too or might be part of the of
the documentary instead of blogging about it. k

Oh and for lots more scandal and intrigue about this notorious
residence check out the article in this months "Architectural Digest".
It's fascinating.

The Grass is Greener & Contest

There's been a lot of red at kstyle lately so I decided
it was time to feature a favorite haunt called Green
Grass Designs where finding something green is a
breeze. I love the nature inspired theme and you will
see it often here at kstyle. These gorgeous glasses
are inspired and I love them. k

Oh and don't forget to drop by often. Not only will those
earrings be popping up but I will be posting often during
the holiday season. So much to share and so little time. k

The Wow Factor

I was browsing a new favorite site, Oh my Gooshness
when I came across this amazing clock by Joseph Joseph
out of the UK. It comes in other colors but red is my color
of the moment. I'd love to decorate a room around this
gorgeous clock or what about a fun xmas statement over
the fireplace mantle or hall table. wow, k

Skiing kate spade Style

I Love this xmas card by favorite designer kate spade.
Something about the frenzy of it all rings true. Playful and
fun this card makes my top pics for the season. k

Napkins Never Had It So good

All I need now is the beach house to go with these
absolutely adorable napkin holders. What could be cuter
than these? I found these today while browsing
through my new "Architectural Digest" and I almost
fell out of my chair which trust me looks nothing like
these. I thought I'd just pop over to the site called
Mariposa-gift.com for a quick look but it is so chalk
full of creative and playful designs that you can plan
on spending some serious time here. There are gift
ideas galore and overall the prices were excellent. I
love these. k

Minimalism+whimsy = Little Oranges

I love these fun xmas cards from Little Oranges but
I have to admit that the palm tree theme is a sure
thing for someone who spent three years in mexico
not too long ago. Speaking of which I think I will treat
my readers to some pics of our hacienda in Mexico next
week. We went all out at xmas time and oooh I do miss
the warm balmy days in December and the over the top
entertaining that defined our stay in sunny Mexico.
Nos vemos, k

Sharing Ashland

A friend of mine gave me a call today and told me that
The Japanese Garden in Lithia Park was in it's absolute
glory so always on the lookout for a great photo op I
hopped over and she was so right. Lithia Park is Ashlands'
jewel and everything from high school graduation to
outdoor ballets happen there. It's on app. 92 acres
and sits right in the city center for all to enjoy. Today
while photographing the garden I was serenaded by a
sax player practicing in the outdoor band shell. That's what
I love about Ashland. Something fun or unexpected is going
on all the time and I love to share these little glimpses with
you. Thanks for calling J. k

Chocolate Collage, Rex Ray

Now these are my idea of "art" chocolates and I
can't think of a more perfect gift to please the hard to buy
for friend or boss. These gourmet chocolates were designed
by graphic designer and artist Rex Rey and you can see
some of his work here. To take a look these chocolates and
other fabulous choices spend some time at Recchiuti
Confections online shop. I'm loving these, k

A Xmas Deer from Dog and Pony

I'm planning to spend the next week or so showcasing
some of my favorite holiday cards because now is the
time to order. I absolutely fell in love with this abstract
deer from Dog and Pony. These are handmade cards and
they come individually wrapped in cellophane with a
craft paper envelope. Very artsy. I might just include a
frame for the perfect card/gift combination. k

My Pick!

I know, another stamp but I have to say that I couldn't
have designed one myself that I loved more. You know I'm
crazy for the bird thing but well hummingbirds are in a
class all by themselves. So this is my best pic at least
for this week. You can find this "Holly Hummingbird"
here at Papyrus online. enjoy, k

You're Invited!

Yes, you are invited to participate in a kstyle giveaway
and if I were going to send you an inviation by mail
I would definitely choose these fabulous fashion
invitations by smashing cards which you can find
here.

So what is my November giveaway going to be?

Since I'm in the holiday spirit I'm going to make a
gorgeous pair of lampwork xmas earrings that I promise
you will love and that will be one of a kind and designed
especially for you. Sometime during the month of November
I will post a picture of the earrings and trust me you will
know when you see them. The first person to leave a
comment and say "I want those fabulous earrings" will be
receiving a package from kstle in the mail. So be sure to
drop by often. You never know when they might pop up on
kstyle. Too much fun. k

Redecorating at Kstyle!

I have to admit I'm ready to move on from the black and
orange decor at kstyle, so I've added my new xmas banner
which I hope to continue to "decorate" as we move along.
I'm starting my new seasonal posts with this absolutely
darling felted bag which I found via fieltromania a wonderful
blog hosted by anabel in Sevilla, Spain. You can find the purse
here at Mixco Boutique as well as tons of other fabulous felted
accessories. How perfect for that xmas party or social gathering
that we all have coming up. k

Oh, and I'm going to have another fun giveaway for the month
of November and Holly and I over at holly's plate are cooking
up a fun contest for December. More details tomorrow so be
sure to drop by. k