busy

I've always thought quotes were kind of cheesy, but recently I've been getting into them.  (Likely due to their rampant availability on a little pinning site you may have heard of.)

 

 

   

these quotes + more here

 

 

In one of my pinning sessions, however, I stumbled upon the following little tid-bit which really made me pause:

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Glorifying busy?  Guilty as charged!  
Even with an incredibly un-jam-packed life with plenty of time to do whatever I please, I claim to have lots of "busy" days.  While they might have lots of things in them, they're in there by choice which - in my opinion - means no right to complain.

A day later, while perusing one of my daily reads (Jess Lively), I came across the following story, which enlightened me further:

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and fills it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “YES”.

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

“Now,” said the professor, as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things – family, children, health, friends, and favorite passions. Things, that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the things that matter like your job, house, and car. The sand is everything else — the small stuff.” he said.

“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “There is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you…” he told them.

“So… pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Worship with your family. Play with your children. Take your partner out to dinner. Spend time with good friends. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the dripping tap. Take care of the golf balls first — the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled and said, “I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.”


Just some thoughts.

xoxo
KK

wedding film

I can't believe it's been only one month since the wedding.

Since then, we've: 
attended two other weddings,
reorganized the entire apartment,
and eaten five full wheels of cheese.

It feels like it's been ages in the best, best possible way.
In honor of our one-month anniversary (do people celebrate that?), I'd thought I'd share the two little films our videographer put together for us. 
(They're better watched from the vimeo site, so I recommend you hop on over there instead of watching here.) 

watch it here

watch it here

xoxo

KK

took for granite

Did you know that when I was really little,
(okay, fine - until I was about 18)
I used to think that expression - which you use when you take someone or something to be always available to serve in some way without thanks or recognition -
was "to take for granite."
Back to that in a minute.

This past weekend, as I gallivanted from organic, local picnic lunch,
to rehearsal dinner cocktails and dinner on the town,
to after-dinner drinks with all of MY friends from college,
to a girls-only-night-before-sleepover-with-the-bride,
to a bridesmaids morning run,
to a day o' beautification and relaxation,
to more socializing with all MY college friends,
Stefan was left somewhat on his own.

After we took the red-eye Thursday night, drove from Boston to Newburyport, and then had a quick power breakfast at the local diner,

Starbucks caramel macchiato, eggs, bacon,

and a side of jumbo pancakes

How does he stay so sexy??

Stefan had to head into the local library to spend the day working while I got to go lounge at the bride's mother's farm: eating, drinking, and socializing in the sun.

That night, post-dinner (which he spent chatting it up with all sorts of people he'd never met before), I left him (with more people he'd never met before) to go back to the farm for a night o' beauty rest.  (He, of course, charmed my college girlfriends dancing the night away with each one of them.)

The next day, while I was off with the bridesmaids living the life, he went -
wait for it -
bird-watching with the MOH's boyfriend: the lovely Scott MacKenzie.

They didn't have quite the equipment,

but they came with double the excitement

Despite the perfect company, I'm sure this activity didn't rank top of the list for my adventure-loving, mountain-biking, marathon-running, activity-junkie husband.

While I was off playing bridesmaid, getting ready to walk down the aisle and such, he was making his way to the ceremony, sitting and socializing with more people he didn't know (in a language that isn't his own).

Now he's a pretty self-sufficient guy so I usually never worry about him. 
And this weekend, I took him, and his efforts going with the flow, being comfortable in uncomfortable situations, and being just generally easy to please, for granite.

See this expression actually makes quite a lot of sense the way I mean it. 
Because I mean I literally took him for stone, hard and tough, not easily breakable. 
I didn't need to worry about him because I knew he was tough enough, but also malleable enough (there's a reason they so often choose this compound for carving monuments), to get through whatever obstacles and challenges came his way.
In fact, instead of me worrying about him, I was leaning on him - my strong, massive structure - to get me through the weekend's challenges (a toast, a reading, little sleep).
I literally mean: I took him as my rock.   

So anyway, in all of this I really mean to say:
I'm sorry for taking you for granite.
And for granted.

xoxo
KK

the morning of

The second my fabulous mother and maid-of-honor/sister decided to throw a morning-of, getting-ready brunch for female family and close friends at Kunde's lovely Hill House, I called up the perfect girl for the catering job: Claudine Dagit.  This gorgeous friend of mine has her own rocking catering business, which is currently catapulting her into San Francisco stardom.

The second I asked her for a quote, however, she offered her services free of charge as a gift
the best wedding present ever.  And boy does this girl NOT disappoint.

But let me take you back one step -

First: the invitation.
You may or may not know at this point in our online relationship, but I was a child that despised clothes.  Thus, many almost all of my childhood photos were taken in my birthday suit. 

It seemed rather fitting that the brunch invite feature such a view given that all guests would get to see me sans clothes come party-time.
(And that they did given that I took my brunch dress off before we had readied my wedding dress to step into - a feat that took four minutes of me standing in only underwear in front of our thirty guests as we tried to unzip the gown.  What can I say?  I was excited!)

Finally!

But back to the brunch:

Claudine's mouth-watering menu was perfection,

the food was unreal,

Domaine Carneros mimosas in mason jars - does it get any better?

(Beautiful montage stolen from Sarah Jenk's inspiring blog:
The Breathtaking Bride - hop on over to read her take on the brunch

and what to eat the morning you walk down the aisle)

our hair and make-up pair was a totally rocking duo,

some very special relatives

our gorgeous flower girl

 

our guests were A+,

the lovely Williams crew and then our amazing chef

mom with best friend claire and sister-in-law tracy

and our host (my beautiful mom) was gorgeous in white, per usual.

But the most lovely part of the morning was when my mom orchestrated a special ceremony to ensure I was prepared to walk down the aisle with all the essentials:

something old,
which symbolizes continuity with the bride's family and the past,

a gold ring from my middle namesake

and my mom's best friend Claire,

the same ring my mom wore as her something old

when she walked down the aisle almost 28 years ago

something new,
which means optimism and hope for the bride's new life ahead,

my dress of course!

something borrowed,
which needs to be an item from a happily married friend or family member, whose good fortune in marriage is supposed to carry over to the new bride - the borrowed item also reminds the bride that she can depend on her friends and family always,

a $10 bill from my Nana sitting proudly here
(happily married for years and years and years),

which I was required to return the next morning

something blue,
(Blue has been connected to weddings for centuries. In ancient Rome, brides wore blue to symbolize love, modesty, and fidelity. Christianity has long dressed the Virgin Mary in blue, so purity was associated with the color. Before the late 19th century, blue was a popular color for wedding gowns, as evidenced in proverbs like, "Marry in blue, lover be true.")

A beautifully embroidered handkerchief from my lovely grandma Kaka

and finally, a silver sixpence in my shoe,

which represents wealth and financial security.

(A sixpence is a coin that was minted in Britain from 1551 to 1967. It was made of silver and worth six pennies. So this wedding tradition is probably English, and many sources say that it began in the Victorian era. It may also date back to a Scottish custom of a groom putting a silver coin under his foot for good luck. For optimum fortune, the sixpence should be in the left shoe. These days, a dime or a copper penny is sometimes substituted, and many companies sell keepsake sixpences for weddings.)

A REAL sixpence from my Aunt Judy,

which I wore in my shoe down the aisle

and all night long!

It was the most perfect way to start the day.

xoxo

KK

getting ready

So before I get into all sorts of wedding details goodness, I thought I'd give you a little preview of the weeks preceding the big day.

When we flew back from Europe (two weeks ish before wedding), Stefan's mom came back with us, bunking up in our one-bedroom for a little pre-wedding vaca.  Because she doesn't fly 12+ hours from Switzerland to San Francisco any old day, we wanted to be sure to show her all our wonderful city has to offer. 

Our days were spent having her meet us for long workday lunches or walks, our nights were spent going out to our favorite restaurants (A16, Jackson Fillmore) or watching Giants games or exploring the city's finest sites (Baker's Beach, The Great Highway, Golden Gate Park), and our final weekend before the big shindig was spent wine tasting in Napa and Sonoma.

Pretty darn fun.

But as you might expect, such a schedule did not allow us much time for last-minute preparations.  And while I planned to take both Thursday and Friday off before the wedding weekend to head up to Sonoma with my mom and sis, Stefan did not get a single day off of prep.  So when my fabulous mother and sister arrived to help out the Wednesday before (and were expecting a few relaxing girls-only days in Sonoma), they were a little shocked to see that I had quite some work cut out for them.

First, there was the getting-of-all-the-stuff up to Sonoma.

We rode like this the whole 1.5 hours up.

With cheese on lap, of course.

Then, there was in-hotel-room arts and crafts.
(Post bottle of Champagne mind you...)

Then there was the buying and transporting of all of our beer, soda, water, and smores ingredients.

And then the dishing off of some other projects to able-bodied men and women.

It's amazing how everything does (somehow, miraculously) end up getting done.  (Even those escort cards that got finished at 1:30am the night before the wedding.  Better late than never.)
And if doesn't end up getting done, it becomes just not that important.

More to come on the important stuff soon.

xoxo
KK

last-minute mates

I love being crunched for time.  Like literally can't get enough of having way too much to do and having to scramble my head off getting it all done.  Live for it, in fact.  A little messed up?  Yes, I think so.

That was all fine and dandy when I was in high school and college and while working in consulting, but since accepting an actually sane and normal job where you're able to go home by 6pm, I've really struggled.  Somehow doing something when it's not a seemingly impossible feat is just not as fun.

Stefan's the same way - the guy is a powerhouse under pressure.  He had been putting off a little Investment Memo of his for months, but when he had no choice but to do it (in a timeline completely unreasonable by any normal human standards), he cranked out 20+ flawless pages of market commentary, operational overviews, and valuations in five days flat. 

While our similar personalities are perfect when it comes to understanding each other, it's made planning a wedding an interesting feat.

As of one week ago, we had yet to:

• Decide on our ceremony - what it would be, who would do it, etc
• Have my dress fitted (still sitting in a box underneath my desk at work)
• Decide on a first dance
• Pick out Stefan's attire
• Buy wedding bands

And our wedding is exactly one month away.

But the funny thing is: it doesn't worry either of us one bit.  One because we both know we'll end up getting it all done.  And two (and more importantly) because we know that the worst case scenario is that we're not wearing the perfect thing or dancing to the best song or able to get my ring over those insanely large knuckles of mine (you'd have to admit - that would make for some excitement) but we're still married and that's all that really matters.

Speaking of wedding to-dos, we spent our fourth working on a little surprise wedding project.  Get excited.

And then enjoying Stefan's signature steaks and the juiciest, sweetest, most succulent corn-on-the-cob I ever did taste.

How did you spend your fourth?  Catching up on errands or relaxing by the pool?

xoxo
KK

thrifty thursday: pop purification

When we ate out while I was growing up, there was an unspoken rule that the Kriegs do not order drinks.  No soda or milkshakes or lemonade for us kids; water was just fine.  And so knowing that was that and there was nothing to be done about it, we drank water and it was just fine.  Delicious in fact.

Over the years, however, I developed an affinity for non-water beverages. (I'm talking non-alcoholic here, although you all know my love for the Napa Valley nectar cannot be denied.) 

It started innocently - ordering a little lavender lemonade to compliment my lunch-time sandwich, or swinging by the corner store for an ice-cold Diet Coke mid-afternoon, or picking up a six-pack of Sprite Zero to quench my thirst after a long run (yes, I hate to admit it, but my favorite post-work-out drink was such) - but after enough time, my taste for water - straight up, on the rocks - disappeared. 

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Anytime I was thirsty I went for a soda: Diet Coke, Sprite Zero, Fresca, Diet Cream Soda, you name it.  This habit wasn't only hurting my wallet, it was hurting my health.

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So two weeks ago I went cold turkey: absolutely no soda. 
(And no artificial sweeteners either.  And let me tell you: I was a heavy-hitter when it came to those little yellow packets.)

At first it was excruciating - what DO I drink? 
But then I realized that was that and there was nothing to be done about it, so I drank water and it was just fine. Delicious in fact.  Especially ice-cold out of a beautiful glass pitcher straight from the fridge with some fresh lemon and a bit of mint.

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And two weeks later, I must admit, I can totally feel it.  It could be just mental, but I feel lighter, fresher, more pure.  And there's no doubt I've saved a boatload of cash.

So if you're a soda junkie like me, consider taking the plunge.  I promise it will be worth the (temporary) pain.  Your body and your bank account will thank you. 

xoxo
KK

wise words

My apologies for the radio silence the past two days (and general sparseness of posts of late).  I've been down at the Foundation's headquarters hearing the story of our founders: the incredible and very inspirational Gordon and Betty Moore. 
For those of you unfamiliar with these superstars, Gordon Moore is the founder of Intel and creator of Moore's Law - you may have heard of one or the other. 

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As you now know (if you didn't already), I work at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation which is dedicated to advancing environmental conservation and scientific research around the world, as well as helping to improve quality of life in the San Francisco Bay Area - Gordon and Betty Moore's home for more than 70 years

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While I'd love to say I'm responsible for all that do-good-ing, I'm actually just part of the investment team.  We're basically the caretakers of $5.5 billion in assets, investing them as best (and as safely) as possible, so the Foundation can really live on into perpetuity.

Anyway, as I was down at the Foundation's headquarters for our Founder's Spirit Day and listening to Gordon tell about what it was like to create some of the most important technology of our era (the micro-processor), I started wondering what the hell I was doing with my life.  At my age, this genius had his Ph.D. and was well on his way to revolutionizing the transistor. 

As I pondered how I might get myself on track to have even a billionth of his impact, a colleague asked him a question: "what is the one bit of advice you'd give to a young professional just starting out in his or her career?"

The room went silent as we waited for the precious words of wisdom from this sage. 

"Take it all in.  Take advantage of every opportunity.  You never know what might plop into your lap."

It's not necessarily novel advice, but somehow coming from a man of such success it seems worthy of following.

xoxo
KK

favs for spring cleaning

Growing up, spring brought not only soccer season and tulips blooming and rain galore, but cleaning. 
Cleaning the shed to be exact. 
And to be clear: this "shed" was no small shack.  Big enough to fit four suburbans, the edifice was packed full of tools, bikes, mowers, pots, and a bazillion other items. 

At the time, I abhorred this ghastly task avoiding it as best I could, but somehow my brother, sister, and I were always dragged into the feat.  We'd spend a weekend together as a family sorting, discarding, reorganizing, and cleaning, ending each evening with a well-earned meal and lots of laughs over our communal hatred of the chore.  While I couldn't appreciate it then, over time, I've come to realize that despite its unpleasantness, the annual cleaning of the shed was not only incredibly satisfying, but (dare I say it) fun.

We've got a dinner party Friday night and a birthday barbecue/pool party in Sonoma Saturday, but this Sunday, it's spring cleaning time.  I'm planning to tackle a few projects of my own that have been plaguing (or perhaps tempting?) me these past few months. 

To inspire you to consider doing the same, here are a few fav spring cleaning ideas I've stumbled upon of late:

For cooking:

make your cooking cabinet gorgeous

with these free printables to stick on some jars of your choosing

from the painted hive

For the fridge:

Organize your perishable goods with

these fantastic organizers from crate and barrel

For bathing:

Never hunt through your medicine cabinent again

from here

for planting:

hate throwing away your old tea cans?

reuse them as adorable planters for fresh herbs

inspiration here

for remembering:

framed glasses "to do" and "to buy" lists

simply write with dry erase

inspiration here

for your jewels:

anthropologie egg crate keeps your goods in order

without sacrificing style

inspiration here

Have a fantastic weekend!

xoxo

KK

kindness unrecognized

Not too long ago - as I was rushing to meet a girlfriend for dinner - I pulled into a 60-minute-only metered parking spot, knowing full well I was going to be longer than an hour.  I was late, late, late already and didn't have time to hunt for another spot after having driven around for way too long.  I fed the meter its max and then sprinted down the block to my date.

As we chatted and sipped and munched, I tried not to think about the $75+ ticket that was sure to be waiting for me when we finished.  Why hadn't I just done valet for $15?  That surely would be cheaper than the honking check I was about to write to the city of San Francisco. 

Walking back to my car a full two hours post parking, I knew a big mistake had been made.  As I drew closer to my car, however, I realized my windshield was sans ticket.  How could this be?
I glanced over at the meter.  It was blinking green - not the signature red of a meter craving coins.  I hadn't gotten a ticket because my spot hadn't been unpaid for.  Someone had fed my meter while I was dining.

My mind raced at the thought.  What had possessed some total stranger to grant me with such kindness?  How did they think I was going to recognize them? thank them? repay the favor?

But that was just it, they didn't expect any kind of recognition.  And that's what made it feel oh-so good.

So instead of hoping in my car and cruising off happy as clam for this ticket-free evening, I walked down the street and spent $4.75 filling all the meters that were empty or nearly empty on the block. 

You never know what my less-than-$5 spontaneous surprise might inspire.

xoxo
KK

why wed?

About a year ago, while having a delicious cocktail with my fab friend Deb, she let it slip that she never planned on having a wedding.  She was head over heels for her sure-to-be hubby but felt no need to go through the whole hoopla of a big shindig. 

The second she said it my jaw dropped to the floor. 
No dress, no tux, no dad walking you down the aisle?? 
No bridesmaids, no groomsmen, no flower girls in cute little dresses??
No toasts, no cake, no dancing until your feet are sore?? 
The thought was horrific to me - I couldn't imagine not LEAPING at the once-in-a-lifetime (we all hope) opportunity to plan and throw the most sensational and special party known to mankind.

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But after 21 days into Stefan and my engagement, I am beginning to change my tune.  It's amazing how complicated the whole process of picking a date and then selecting a location and then deciding on a venue (let alone food and drink and flowers and photography) becomes oh-so-very quickly.  

 

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I always imagined the whole thing being so easy - he'd ask me, I'd say yes, we'd decide when and where and how to wed, and then all our friends and family would be positively thrilled at whatever we choose.  But that's not how it works.  Once you're engaged, the world suddenly doesn't stop and start revolving around you. (And thank goodness for that because the ratio of my weddings to other people's weddings is not all that favorable.)

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Instead, things just keep turning as they always did and there still ends up being a plethora of others' wishes and schedules and constraints to be juggled when wedding decisions are being made.  In our case, so much so that I've gotten very close to throwing in the towel - forcing my mom and Charlotte and sister and - most of all - Stefan to deal with my bridezilla-like breakdowns, which let me tell you: are by no means lady-like.

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With all this stress and concern over making those around us pleased with the nuptials, it's easy to lose sight of the most important part of the whole process: the fact that we're deciding to spend the rest of our lives together.  Really one wedding weekend does not a marriage make.  We could get married at the local trash dump and it would still be magical - I'd still be going home with Stefan as my permanent other half. 
In fact, that's not a half bad idea; I bet there aren't too many people who decide to do that - at least it would be original.

So for all of you who are wondering when and where and how and what, you're just going to hold your horses: Stefan and I might have quite a few things to juggle, but we're not letting it make us lose sight of the main act: us saying "I do" (or "I will" as they say in die Schweiz).  Together we're quite the pair of acrobats and we're in the middle of planning a darn magical show.  Stay tuned.

 

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xoxo
KK