post-wedding "engagement" shoot

I always hated the idea of an engagement photo shoot.  They just seemed so cheesy and posed and not at all like real life.  But when every single wedding photographer package came with one mixed in, we figured we'd give it a shot.  

Only problem was - in the few months before our wedding, we had next to no free time.  We had our bachelor and bachelorette parties (among those of our friends), then Stefan was switching jobs, then we had to be in Europe, and then Stefan's mom was visiting.  And somehow an engagement shoot didn't end up at the top of our pile of things to do.

So it wasn't until late October (months post nuptials) that we finally got around to cashing in.  And it wasn't until last week that our pics finally arrived.  

 

from the roof of our building

from the park right around the corner

(with the blanket I've had since my freshman year of college!)

just an ordinary neighborhood street

What do you think?  Too cheesy?

Are you pro or con engagement shoot?

xoxo

KK

 

All photos by the fabulous Cooper Carras

 

herbs

I knew I wanted to do something special to thank my fabulous co-hosts from last week's Reclaim Childhood event, but I was having the hardest time thinking of something good.  I love flowers, but they're dead before you know it.  And jewelry is so personal and with these girls having style to the max, I knew I couldn't nail it.  And with one lovely lady pregnant, a bottle of wine just wouldn't do.

So I did what they always tell you to do when you're giving a gift: think about what you would want.  For months, I've been yearning for a big box of herbs for my kitchen.  Not only would it brighten up the sometimes dreary white locale, it would help me season my lackluster dishes to perfection.

Because I was feeling all Martha-Stewart-y last week, I decided to pull a DIY.  And I had just the box(es) for the job.

Remember these wooden guys from our big day?
Despite attempting to send them home with EVERYONE, Stefan and I ended up with no less than 10.  And while friends of ours still have boxes-a-blooming, I've managed to kill almost all 10 of ours, leaving me with lots of pretty boxes hungry for greenery.

So I headed to the store, picked up organic potted herbs galore (rosemary, thyme, sage + basil) and then got busy in the garage.

I know, I know - you're totally jealous of my gardening area,

especially with that extra can of gasoline on the right there...

I was super pumped to see one girl post a pic of her morning eggs with fresh thyme from her new kitchen addition:

And I am definitely not complaining about the box I obviously had to make for our kitchen as well.

xoxo
KK

honeymoon finale

Did you have a nice long weekend?  We most certainly did - we took it easy: enjoying leisurely, sunny brunches out, long, wine-filled dinners at home, and lots (and I mean LOTS) of apartment organizing (which we so needed after dragging our feet unpacking from the big trip).  

Despite all the crazy stories from our honeymoon, we did have our fair share of luxury, relaxation, and decadence.   

Enjoying one of those many bottles of champagne in front of a roaring fire

(this picture was taken around 9pm - note the sun!)

Amazing food.

Even more amazing wine.

 

A heart-shaped sandwich fit for two lovebirds

(we still each got our own)

A New Years' Eve Patagonian Lamb Barbeque

A glacier trek finished with whiskey on the rocks

(ice of the glacier that is)

and some new friends of course

 

A wine-filled bike ride

Enjoying the splendors of Argentinean wine country at a winery,

and then at the vineyard-lined pool of our bodega

Thanks for tuning in!

xoxo

KK

beauty success!

A big thank you to everyone who came out for and supported last night's event!  We had a fabulous turn-out and raised lots of money to help bring the benefits of sport and play to girls and women in the Middle East!  

I'll bring you the official update with more pictures and the final fundraising numbers next week, but for now - a preview of what our night of indulgence entailed:

Getting all set-up

 

The menu for the evening

Our decadent spread compliments of Stiletto & Spice

 The beauty behind the cooking: Miss Claudine Dagit

 

 A sampling of our amazing raffle ticket items

The girls

 My fabulous co-hosts with a little thank-you present from me

(more on that next week as I am super proud of my 

gardening skills on this one and feel fully entitled to brag)

Have a wonderful weekend!
xoxo
KK

when beauty gives back!

I could not be more excited for tonight. 

Along with some of my most favorite ladies, I am hosting a fundraiser for Reclaim Childhood - a non-profit that seeks to bring the benefits of sport and play to girls and women in the Middle East.  Admittedly I am biased (I co-founded and now help run the grassroots operation), but even so, this event is going to be killer - if you're in the Bay Area, you do NOT want to miss it.

The Social Beauty Company is opening its beautiful doors from 6 - 9pm tonight for an evening of indulgence, all in the name of doing good. 

 

There, you can have a plethora of their awesome beautifying services done with 20% of proceeds going directly to RC. Hungry for more? Just book and pre-pay for any additional services and the gals at Social Beauty Company will make the same generous contribution to help RC empower girls and women in the Middle East.

While you're enjoying your do-gooding beautifications, sip on free wine and champagne as you munch on divinely delicious snacks, compliments of Claudine Dagit of Stiletto & Spice.

 

But the indulgences don't stop there: you can also shop Margaret Elizabeth's fabulous collection as you spoil yourself.  And with a portion of proceeds going directly to RC, you can feel extra good about that new pair of earrings or trend-setting set of bangles.

from here

The icing on top is the show-stopping raffle with chances to win some awesome prizes:

• The Complete Social Beauty Company Package including eyelash extensions, spray tan, brow design and facial!

 

 

• A Reboot Your Bod Session and Detox program from Tulita Health!

• A styling session with Head Over Heels with the uber stylish Melanie!

 

• Cooking classes from the fabulous Claudine Dagit of Stiletto & Spice!

• A coveted spot in Sarah Jenks' Live More Weigh Less program this spring!

 

Don't miss it!

Tonight (Jan 17) from 6 - 9pm

at the Social Beauty Company (2157 Lombard Street).

See you there!

xoxo

KK

ruta 40

After our near-lost-forever-in-the-wilderness extravaganza, our adventure was nowhere near over.  After replenishing our arsenals with a decadent steak dinner and copious amounts of wine, we suited up for a full day of white-water rafting along a famous river that snaked its way along the Chilean border.  

With the constant rain and snow the few weeks before, the river was higher than ever before (according to our expert guides whose warnings did nothing to quell my anxiety) and thus our trip down it was nothing less than eventful.  After 8 Class IV rapids, near-freezing 35-degree temperatures, and 1 very dramatic flip that resulted in our boat's contents (us!) strewn about in the whirlpool-style rapids, we were ready for another extravagant Argentine meal - this time tender lamb and succulent Dover sole with chocolate mousse and red wine sorbet for dessert.

You'd think we'd have had enough of the excitement, but not us - we had to rent a 4x4 and attempt to conquer Argentina's infamous Ruta 40 which traces the country down through Patagonia north to south.    

The mostly dirt-and-gravel road (with the exception of a few glorious paved sections like the above) is notorious for leaving unprepared travelers stranded for days without supplies.  

With gas stops 300+ miles apart...

...accommodations that leave you wishing you didn't need to stop for sleep...

 

See that white spot there?

Yep, that was our home for night #2 

...an obstacle course of suicidal Patagonian wildlife, and the terrifying Argentinean drivers who adore playing Russian roulette as they pass trucks around curves and down hills, the route is somewhat of a right of passage down South.  Anyone who learned we were attempting it would automatically bow to us in recognition of our bravery.
(Or shall I say: stupidity?)

No one for miles

 

Which way?

 

The route was exciting and nerve-racking and eventful, to say the least.  We hadn't been driving for more than three hours when (after we had parked right on the edge of a cliff overlooking a roaring river to enjoy our packed lunch of roasted chicken and baguettes) our car battery went dead.  After a long time of waiting, we flagged down a generous Argentine family who - while sans jumper cables - suggested we kick start the car by pushing it Little Miss Sunshine Style.  

After first rolling the beast back from the cliff (a scary proposition in and of itself as with one push the car often rolled back towards the cliff with more momentum), we began the process of pushing it along the shoulder of the road as hard as we could.  It took us five tries but we got it going - leaving us with a running engine that we rarely turned off from then on.

Our saviors!

Later that evening, we stumbled upon another shocker.  Alongside the road, we spotted a small tent, but no car in sight. 

Stefan popped out to see what the deal was all about.
(Because if you didn't know already, Stefan speaks about a bazillion languages and can make friends with almost every single person on this planet.) 
Inside the modest shelter, he found a Bolivian man who was biking his way (on a two-speeder) all the way from Bolivia down to Argentine's southern-most tip.

After almost dying in a motorcycle accident, the young man had received some words of wisdom from his then very sick grandfather:
"If I could go back and do it all again, I would have lived.  Really lived.  I got married, I had kids, they had kids, but I was just going through the motions.  I never took time to truly live.  Go see the world.  Savor every second.  Make it worthwhile."

And so he quit his job, spent all his savings on a bike and a tent and some warm clothes, and began his multi-year journey to see his continent in all its splendor.  And he was loving every second.

We left him our entire stock of chocolate as he left us full of zeal to squeeze the juice out of every second of every day we had left.  And squeeze we did.  

Happy Friday!  More stories next week.

xoxo
KK