Fall Finds

August 31, 2015
Can you believe we are at the last few days of August?  With fall on our heels I decided to do a little fall shopping.  I made some great new purchases for fall over the weekend but I didn't pick up everything I wanted.  These things caught my eye and I definitely have them on my list.  I am really craving moss green this season and this tunic would make a perfect addition.  I actually had this polka dot vest in my hands to try on and got side tracked and ended up picking up three sweaters on sale.  Do I even need to explain the need for these leopard booties?  Nuf said.  I started looking at new handbags when I was in California and haven't made any decisions yet, but when I saw this Chloe tote I really fell in love with it.  My only hold up is I love the blush but this blue is a great fall color.  What would you do?  Are you ready for fall?  What is on your list to purchase?  




Tunic ~   Chloe Tote ~  The Nico Boot ~  Quilted Vest (On Sale) ~ Rib Sweater ~  Dotted Sweater ~  Earrings ~  Hunter Boots 

Neon Pink Tassel

August 28, 2015
Happy Friday!  It has been a whirlwind the past few weeks and balancing everything has been a struggle. Did you see our launch party?  You can read all about it here.   Something had to give and unfortunately it has been my blog post.  I am feeling confident things will get back on track and settle down.  I have some big things planned for this fall and I have been putting a lot of time in to getting all the details worked out!  Stay tuned!  

I wore this dress a few weeks ago and now I can't get enough army green.  It was on sale and I wished I picked it up in a few other colors.  The main reason I was drawn to this color was my new tassel necklace.  When I saw this dress I knew the neon pink would pop so well against the green.  My necklace by Beaded by W is made of white wood beads and a pink neon tassel.  I love it!  Now I need about a dozen more in a range of colors!   I think this dress is going to transition into fall very nicely with a few changes and additions! 






A little presto chango to a flat sandal and I dressed this look down.  What do you think?  Would you pair pink with army green? 



Dress ~ Tassel Necklace c/o ~ Shoes ~ Bag c/o ~ Sunnies ~ Cuff c/o ~ WatchLipstick ~


The Big Launch Party

August 18, 2015


I know I have hardly talked about my venture and my co founders, but the day has arrive!  We have been working for over 6 months on this day and can I tell ya? ..... It feels so good!  Formally know as The Kansas City Blogger Meetup, we knew we had outgrown the name.  It was time for a fresh look and a new approach to gathering bloggers together.  The Blog Guild is the brain child of Emily, myself and Erin.  We wanted to define what it was we loved so much about meeting up with other bloggers and share with our fabulous community we have here in KC.  The three key elements for all three of us was to Create a community for bloggers who can Connect with other like minded gals who share a similar passion.  We know that building a relationship with companies is what it takes to make a great Collaboration that is mutually beneficial for both the brand and the blogger.    I would love for you to take a peek and click around, check out our resources page, and if you are local.... well by all means send us your info so we can add you to the membership!   Do you have a bloggers group where you live?  Don't fret if not..... we have you covered as well; shoot us an email and we will set up a meeting to share with you how you can bring The Blog Guild to your city!  

Here is just a small peek at the evening.  I am sure I will have plenty more to share soon! 






Kendra Scott Jewelry opened a new store locally here and so graciously hosted our launch party.  Can you say jewelry, shopping discount, sips and snacks?  Yup, it was a grand evening.  We had photo props, a braid bar courtesy of Parlor Blowdry Beauty Bar and gave away a bunch of Kendra Scott Jewelry  to a few lucky bloggers in attendance.  I have my eye on these earrings and this necklace!  






Thanks for following along and I can't wait to see where I go from here!  I know one thing, It's time to start sharing my fall outfits.  Can you believe it?  

How to shop for a Panama Hat

August 13, 2015
Not all Panama Hats are the same.  As a matter of fact... there is a lot of information that goes into choosing the right hat for you. Panama hats are super popular and I can see why.  They are stylish, keep you cool, and well....stylish!  Keep reading because I am sharing a discount code at the bottom!! Woot!

Panama_Hat


 I am lucky enough to be one of those people that can wear a hat.  Not everyone can pull it off, so I am glad I can. Today I am going to share with you what to look for and tips on how to shop for your Panama Hat.  
Started by two sisters, Katie and Kelly fell in love with the handmade accessories from Ecuador.  Katie's husband is from Ecuador and thru their travels is how she was introduced to the artisan goods.   Sharing the idea with her sister of offering these fine handmade goods; Muchana was born!  I met Kelly one afternoon to discuss hats and to pick mine out.  I tried on a few different sizes to see what was my best fit.  I chose a white hat, although they come in a few other colors as well.
Let me share a little history before I tell you what detail and craftsmanship goes into each and every hat.  While touring the Panama Canal, former President Teddy Roosevelt was photographed in a paja toquilla hat.  Although the hats themselves had been around for years....from then on the hats were referred to and better know as the Panama Hat. Funny how a trip can impact not only the country, but the fashion world as well!
Hand woven in Ecuador for hundreds of years, artisans spend upwards of eight weeks making a single hat.  Some even longer.  The weave of the hat will determine the price.  The tighter the weave the higher the price.  I have seen hats in excess of $7,000.  Intricate designs, and even your name can be woven into your hat.  The process starts with paja toquilla  cutting it, drying, then soaking to work the straw to make it weavable.  Going thru a 10+ step process, no two hats are identical as each one is handmade lending to how unique and special this investment item becomes in your wardrobe.  A good Panama hat is an investment item. You can read about investment pieces for your wardrobe here.


White_Panama_Hat_Authentic
As you saw in my recent trip to California here, here, and here, I wore my hat a lot!  I decided to pack my hat rather than wear it traveling.  The best way to pack your hat is to place smaller items inside the hat and place it in the middle of your suitcase and place your rolled up clothing around it. I placed my swimsuits in my hat, but socks, tanks, or your bra and undies will work as well. 

Traveling_Panama_Hat

 I loved the shade and protection from the sun it brought to my face as well as looking stylish.  Far better than sporting a baseball cap for shade that's for sure! While they are extremely durable, you do want to know how to care for your hat so it will last you for many years. 
As I said before... not all hats are created equal.  I own a "panama hat" from H&M and it is no where near the same as my Muchana hat.  I bought it to use for when I was in water, or perhaps had suntan oil or lotion on my hands.  Take a look at the photos below of the difference in the weave.  The texture is smooth and soft on my Muchana hat while the texture on my H&M hat is course and rough.  I'm not knocking my H&M hat.... just pointing out the details to show you there is a place for both my hats.

HM_Panama_Hat-Toquilla


To care for your hat there a few things you need to know.

Handle your hat by the brim.  I know it seems natural to just pick it up by the crease but don't.  It will encourage your weave to weaken and could cause breakage. 

Cleaning your hat.  If your hat gets a spot, lightly wipe it with a soft dry cloth.  Do not add moisture.  Panama hats are sun hats... not rain hats.  Moisture can cause your hat to misshape and shrink.  And while I am mentioning shrinking, your hat will slightly shrink with wear.  This is natural as your head with perspire around the brim.  You want your hat to fit snugly but not tight if that makes sense.   If your hats gets wet (accidents happen) allow it to dry naturally without heat.  Once dry, to flatten your brim there are two methods.  You may gently shape the brim by using a iron on LOW heat with a soft cotton cloth between the hat and iron.  Or what I like to do is lay your hat on a flat surface and place items such as books on the brim and let sit overnight.

 Storing your hat.  I know some people will tell you to roll your hat for storage but I do not recommend this.  Store your hat in a area away from direct sunlight and upside down.  Make sure the hat is stored in a area with air movement as you want it to breath.

Panama_Hat_Stored_Upside_Down


One last word on my hat.  I love itMuchana hats are made from 100% toquilla straw and cultivated in Ecuador making it authentic.  Check out Muchana Hats and see why I really do love my hat.  Muchana is offering a 20% discount for the next week on any hat purchase you invest in.  I would jump right on that!!  Use code @PERIDOTSKYS20%

Trends_Panama_Hat_White_Summertime



You sold your house... So now what?

August 11, 2015

The real estate market is on its game again.  With people buying and selling new homes this time of year, or any time for that matter, helping out the new homeowner is a bonus. Have you ever bought a new home and wondered what your wall color was?  What about samples of your wallpaper, or carpet?    I know that when and if I sell my home I will be gifting the new owners with some helpful information.  Actually.... it's golden information!   I have done a lot of updating recently to my home, painting, new carpet, wallpaper and some updated pillows. When I am going shopping for something for the house I like to take my book with me to have all the color swatches available to make sure the new item will work in my home.    I shared my master house book and you can read what goes in it here.  




Here is a list of helpful information you should leave for your new home owner. If the owners are new to the area they will be most grateful for this information. 


Master color book.  As I mentioned above, you can read all about what goes into mine here.

Swatches.  These should be a part of your master house book, but if not, you will want to leave a sample of any fabrics that are staying with the house.




Service men you used.  This is a must.  Any service company you have used will most likely have a history of your service as well as you trust them to be reliable and honest.

Neighbors list.  This is tricky because what you really want to do is warn them about the crazy neighbors you have but that would be passing judgment and for all you know the new owners may love the crazy neighbors!   You want to leave a list of the most relevant neighbors; next door on both sides, across the street, and behind you. 

Closest stores.  Create a list of the closest drug store, Target, grocery store, gas station, 24 hour pharmacy and post office. 

Driving Shortcut secrets.  Know a few secrets?  Share with the new owners a few short cuts thru perhaps the neighborhood or to the school or store! 

Did I miss anything?  What would you want the owners to leave on your list? 




Pretty Sleepwear

August 10, 2015
Happy Monday!  Erin, Emily and I are excited for this week; we are launching our rebrand of the KC Blogger Meetup.  We have worked together for over 6 months on the redesign, rebranding, and making sure we have everything ready for the big launch on Thursday evening.   It is exciting to finally see it all come together!    I will be sharing the link to the new site once we go live and be sure to look for a recap of our launch party next week!   I have a busy week in front of me and wish I was still in my pj's.  If you are going to lounge in pj's....shouldn't they be this pretty?



 1  Josie tank and pants set ~  2  Spendid Stripe set ~  3  Josie Chemise ~  4  Bleeker tank set  ~  5  Flora Nikrooz Set ~   6  Honeydew Sleep is my Cardio set 


How to Pattern Mix with Colors

August 06, 2015


I wore this my last day in California and traveling home.  I spent my last morning in Cali with my son and of course on the beach.  It was such an amazing trip and the quality time we had together will be memories we both will treasure forever.  I cried like most mothers when it was time to say goodbye.  It was hard leaving him knowing it would be the holidays before I would see him again. 

 I made it to the airport and on my plane just fine but something stirred inside me when 
we taxied down the runway and the tears started to flow again.  I was a sap and was trying to contain myself.  Talk about making the person next to you feel weird.  I think I hid it and pulled myself together and tried to focus on my magazines and of course my fabulous treats from Bottega Louies I picked up while in LA the day before.  It was a long day of traveling  with full planes and coming back to the reality of no cool evenings, ocean walks, and not a care in the world!  Welcome home to the hot humid Midwest... you know what they say; There's no place like home and my own bed and pillow were a welcome sight.  




Orange generally isn't a color I am drawn too.  But these muted stripes somehow were appealing.  The fit of these shorts are comfy and I liked the length for me.  I wasn't too sure what I would wear them with when I first got them, but knew if all else failed a white tank would work.  Being the pattern mixer I am, I immediately went right to this tank in my closet and loved it together.  I accessorized pulling the blues from the top and my new Kendra Scott earrings.  We have a new store opening here next week and I cannot wait to try out the color bar.  Have any of you experienced the color bar?  I would love to know what you made!   

These aren't the brightest of pictures; the sun was trying to make its way out of the morning clouds.





Stripe Shorts   ~ Tank (option) ~     Watch  ~ Sandals (Almost identical)  ~ Jean Jacket ~ Bead bracelets c/o ~ Leather wrap ~ Earrings c/o 



Los Angeles Murals

August 05, 2015
We spent one afternoon in Los Angeles.  One afternoon was enough.  I was a bit leary of driving up there with fears the 405 would be a parking lot.  We lucked out and had no traffic trouble at all on the trip up or back to Dana Point.  I remember as a young teen traveling with my family to LA on several occasions.  We made the trips to Disneyland, the Rose Bowl, San Juan Capistrano, San Fran... and the list goes on.  My Dad had business on everyone of these trips and both my parents were good about scheduling trips in the summer so we could be gone for weeks at a time exploring.  I remember on one trip to DC we were visiting the Lincoln Memorial and my younger sister and I were horsing around and I think.... (ok I did)  pushed her and she busted her forehead.  The park rangers had to come see about the incident and she received a little bandage and TLC from everyone.  I'm pretty sure I never acknowledged the "actual" push that lead to the fall.... things can be a bit fuzzy when you're a kid, and then again it is my word against hers!!  I digress.....  Back to LA. The point here is I traveled a lot growing up and saw pretty much everything you could imagine.  Every national Park, national monument, all the states except 5 and the state capitals to all the states we visited as well.  What I don't remember was LA being so crowded, dirty, and people driving with no regard for others.  We visited the hollywood walk of stars to find a few stars we had to snap a pic of. 




 My parents were friends (I use the word friends loosely as we weren't like BBQ, backyard, lets get the kids together friends)  more like business friends with Mel Blanc and I met him on several occasions as well as his son who I had a crush on but he was way too old for me at the time. If you don't know who Mel Blanc is, he was the voice of many cartoon characters From Bugs Bunny, Sylvester the Cat, Tweety Bird, Barney Rubble and so many others.    I have several autographed cards from Mel with all his cartoon characters drawn on the cards with him and even a letter he wrote to my Dad dated 1970 with a large Bugs Bunny watermark across the letter. 





Of course I had to make a detour to stop at Bottega Louie for a box of macarons......





 After the usual tourist sightseeing and Hollywood sign pic we headed to Beverly Hills.  I knew LA had tons of colorful murals and wanted to stop and snap my outfit pics with one.  We came across this wall and I knew it was the perfect compliment to what I was wearing.   I'm pretty sure we parked illegally and jumped out to snap these pics.  Once we were done and we continued to make our way to Beverly Hills then on to Santa Monica to see my Niece.  We passed so many other fabulous murals; I wished I could have taken pics with them all. 










Shorts ~ Tank  ~ Sandals ~ Watch  ~ Hat c/o ~ Earrings c/o ~ Clutch ( on sale)  ~ Sunnies  ~Bracelets  



White Denim Cutoffs

August 04, 2015
Today I'm sharing day two of my trip.  What do you do when it rains in California?  You go shopping of course!  We hit up Fashion Island again for some shopping.  We cruised thru the LV store only to fall in love with this neverfull MM lined in rose ballerine.  Then a stop by the YSL lipstick counter to try on color 49. (too bright for me)  then on to the sunglasses.  He picked up these Clubmasters, while I picked out these Celine sunnies!  Love them.  They are so light and I love the gradiant lens. We grabbed a bite to eat then snapped a few outfits on the sidewalk.  The sun was just starting to go down so we headed back to the beach.... Thousand Steps beach!  Taking a few more pics.... well just because we are at the ocean and watching the sunset!













Shorts ~ Tank (similar)~ Bag ~ Shoes ~ Hat c/o ~ Cuff Bracelet ~ Leather bracelet c/o ~ Sunnies ~ Jean Jacket ~  Nail Polish


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