Holiday Shopping Time!

It's that time of year again! Time to shop for Holiday gifts! Whether you guys actually enjoy braving the crowded malls and shopping centers to go shopping, or prefer to shop for these gifts at the comfort of your own home in your jammies, the question remains the same for all..."What to get for your mom/sis/boyfriend/ best friend??"

For me the investigation starts long before the actual holiday season.  Paying attention to what they like is key.  (You may appreciate a dozen of cupcakes from Sprinkles or Susie Cakes, and think that's a really thoughtful gift, but your friend who is in super weight-loss mode might not see it the same way! ;)

As a fashionista, I tend to give clothes or accessories a lot as gifts.  I sort of can't help it.   It's what I gravitate towards.  The good news about fall/winter apparel is that you can rest easy that (at least I can speak for here in southern Cali) the colors we buy for fall/ winter are the very same colors that are on trend next winter/ fall. So if you buy a friend an oxblood or mustard ( my two favorite colors for fall) turtleneck, you know they will get use of it next winter or fall too!

 

As for non-clothing pieces, I think it's fun to give unique gifts.  For example, I saw these meditation coloring books ( for grown ups!) that I think were pretty cool that would be awesome for yogi friends.  For kids, I love giving gifts they can build themselves, so the gift doubles as an activity and toy.;) This line of buildable toys by Seedling is my favorite right now.

And hey guys, if you are shopping for your girl...you can never go wrong with a nice handbag or shoes! :)

What about you? What are you guys planning on getting your loved ones???

XO Karen

All pictures taken by Kelly Brooke.  Check out all her other work here or follow her on Instagram: @kellybrookephoto. :)

SHOP THE LOOK:

Wanderlust

Sometimes when the temperatures drop here in Southern Cali, I get the itch to travel. The gypsy in me starts to feel some wanderlust, perhaps escape to a warmer locale.  Where shall I go next? Morocco? Hawaii? Maybe Bali...I think it's warm there right now...

How about you? Where do you plan to escape the impending winter cold around you?

xo

Karen

 

 

All photos by Kelly Brooke, who was laughing when we shot this cuz we looked like we were in Morocco when we were shooting this, when really we were off La Brea. The skills of that one , I tell ya!! Check out more of her work here or follow her on Insta: @kellybrookephoto.com

Summer to Fall

When you live in a place like Southern Cali, (where the fall is basically a chilly morning, a hot day, then straight back to cold as soon as sundown,) how to dress for this finicky weather can be tricky.  For the most part, I'm grateful that I can wear my summer pieces still, and just wear them with more "fall" pieces like suede or maybe velvet!  Here I'm wearing my favorite chambray denim maxi skirt I wore all summer by Pistola Denim, along with a suede crop top, which because of its fabric, can be quite warm.  An outfit like this is ideal for when it's still hot during the day, then when the day ends...just wrap myself around a  big comfy cardigan!  How about you? How will you transition your summer pieces into fall to get more wear out of them?

All photos by Kelly Brooke.  Check out her work here, or follow her on IG: @kellybrookephoto.

Shop the Look links coming soon!!

xoxo

Karen

Falling For Fringe Year After Year

I know that people seem to think that fringe is having a moment right now and will be passé like, any moment now, but I feel like they have been saying that year after year since the mid 2000's when I fell hard for fringe and have been rocking a fringey bag literally daily ever since. Flash forward to 2015 and I think I'm going to take it upon myself to say that "fringe" has become a wardrobe staple rather than a trend that will pass. Well, that seems to be what's going on in my closet anyway.  How about you? Has fringe become a mainstay in your closet?

xo

Karen

All photos shot by the talented Kelly Brooke, whose site can be seen here.  Follow her instagram, @kellybrookephoto to see the magic she makes with both a profeshh camera and an #iphoneonly. :) Ha!

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Together we RISE

      I cannot believe an entire week has passed since I experienced one of the most magical moments of my life.  Who knew that road-tripping it to the Mojave desert to light up a bunch of lanterns and release them up in the air would prove to be such a fun-filled, sister-bonding, rewarding experience???

     Although I admit that the stunning photos and videos of last year's Rise Festival was what initially drew me to go this year, ( with all those gorgeous lanterns lighting up the night sky), what really fueled my interest was to be part of this tradition.  Rise isn't just about illuminating the sky with the light of the lanterns.  Asian tradition calls for you to make a wish as you release your lantern.  I wanted to write my intentions for the year, my hopes and dreams for the future, any negative feelings I wanted to release, and also perhaps write a note to loved ones who have passed on. I imagined this experience of letting go in such an ethereal way would be so surreal and invigorating, maybe even therapeutic.

        I was in complete awe of what I saw that night, which was what I expected, though I did not come close to imagining what it was going to be like. My jaw was to the floor the entire time.  IT WAS LIKE A DREAM...

 I was so excited about all the things I wrote on my lantern! I wrote down things I wished for the future, things I wanted to manifest, but also wrote down feelings and thoughts I wanted to release and let go of.  I even wrote a little note to my father, to whom I had no real relationship to, but has since passed on.  You could say a lot was riding on the initial release of my lantern!

Super blurry but I HAD to include a pic of me and my lantern. :)

    Sure enough, while a lot of lanterns took off without a hitch, I had a lot of trouble with mine.  Both of my two allotted lanterns had trouble taking flight, and of course I took that personally...like it was a sign that all my dreams and hopes came crashing down...or that anything negative I wrote down was never going to be truly released...and also that...my father wouldn't get my messages of forgiveness for being absent my whole life. :(

         But with every negative comes a positive.  What was truly magical about the experience for me was with all the trouble I was experiencing, how I was completely surrounded by such beautiful, supportive, strong women who helped me (and my lanterns) take flight.  What I thought was supposed to be my own personal release to the world, the universe...only became more rewarding and fulfilling done as a group.  Had my lanterns not failed, I never would have experienced such love and bonding moments with such an amazing group of women.  I truly learned first hand that life isn't perfect, and will test you along the way.  How you handle these tests truly defines who you are, and that while it's important to stay strong, it is completely okay to allow others to support you.  There is a strength and beauty to unity, to community... for it is truly together that we RISE. :)

So grateful for this beautiful group of women, my Rise Tribe Sisters!!

*All photos taken were a group effort. Thank you to Tina Clara (whose photography site can be seen here, ) for capturing the dreamy photos of my outfit for Rise, and to Karen Herndon, Chris Caparro and Erik Borzi for all the breathtaking pictures of the sky we collectively lit up that night. From the bottom of my heart, I'm so grateful for all your beautiful captures.

xo

KAREN