4.27.2012

so whats your story {giveaway!}

we are very excited about this one.

we have been asked for quite a while now if Lucia K. does monogrammed jewelry.  the answer has always been no, because I just couldn't get it how I wanted it to be, until now!



so why are we so excited about this collection?  for a few reasons.  each piece is hand hammered sterling silver.  so each piece is unique and original, just like each person's life and story.  I chose a version of american typewriter font, I'm a sucker for this classic, its slightly formal but not fussy.  also the font is small, which to me is more personal, so is the charm.  this allows each piece to be worn alone, always, or in layers with other statement pieces.  and I added a semi-precious stone - either a birth stone or choose your favorite, for color and to finish the piece.



my goal was a timeless yet chic piece of jewelry that could commemorate or celebrate a life.
symbolize a moment in time, or a wish you wear.
to remind you of the story you tell as a mother, daughter, sister, best friend, soul mate, survivor...

to celebrate the launch of this collection, we are so excited to partner with Pearls for Paper, to offer a giveaway.  one reader will win a personalized monogrammed bracelet or necklace of their choice.



here is how you enter, each of the following is considered 1 entry, please leave a comment below for each entry.  contest ends 5/5.

1.  visit www.luciakjewelry.com and pin your favorite item to pinterest.
2.  like Lucia K. Jewelry on facebook.
3.  like Pearls for Paper on facebook.
4.  share this post on facebook.
5.  leave a comment below on what your story would be for your monogrammed jewelry.

bonus...use code pearls25 at checkout, to receive 25% off any order on our site until 5/5, just in time for mothers day.

happy friday.

best,
kirsty

4.25.2012

what i wore vegas part 1

vegas edition #1

sun protection.

this was probably around 9am and it is already hotter than most summer days in Seattle.  crazy.  on our walk to Starbucks for "breakfast" before we headed to the pool for a couple hours, which was all we could stand in the heat.



on the plane trip down, I bought Glamour magazine, and actually read the articles.  well made the mistake of reading one on sun protection and skin cancer.  heading to mid 90's Vegas.  oops.  probably good though because I was very aware of taking care of my skin in the sun and heat, its not the same as when I was younger.  but I do so worship the sun and a good tan.


hat - h&m
sunglasses - marc by marc jacobs, nordstrom 
earrings - Lucia K. {summer line coming soon, hand painted chevron chain, awesome!}
shirt - zara {they have an actual store in vegas!}
shorts - lucky {old}
flip flops - rainbow
and bright orange painted toes, yippee!

new sunglasses were my vegas treat.  love that they are sorta retro.  took all I had, and some encouragement from the hub not to go with my usual "big" sunglasses.  glad I didn't though.

and this is just about as close as I think I will ever come to posting a bikini picture online.  here we are at the pool, I LOVE my new swimsuit.  it had been quite a number of years since I had purchased a new swimsuit {maternity doesn't count and that has been the majority of the last few summers of my life}.  who knew that support and stripes could look this good.  worth a little investment.  just like jewelry. thrilled.


swimsuit - J.Crew

happy wednesday!

best,
kirsty

4.24.2012

the only remedy...cupcakes

best idea ever:  a sunny weekend vacation just me and the hub, boys getting loved on by their grandparents.

worst idea ever: hub having work attached to the end of his vacation, therefore mommy coming home solo to "readjustment" time.  for the boys and the mommy.

so lets bake cupcakes.




grieving a great vacation being over, having left the hot sunshine for a gray drizzly day.  and needing motivation to get back to work and back to leading my pack.  do you ever have those days when you just don't want to be in charge anymore?

really only the perfect remedy of peanut butter and jelly mixed in a cupcake will do.


for lunch.

because if I am going to have to be in charge, I can choose to have cupcakes for lunch.

and probably dinner, because its just me and the boys tonight.

rarely do I waste time baking something that does not include chocolate.  it has to be ridiculously delicious for this to happen.

I started with the chocolate cupcake recipe by Barefoot Contessa but subbed out the coffee and cocoa powder and subbed in 1 cup peanut butter and a splash more buttermilk.  they were super dense and delish.  and I love her really peanut-buttery frosting.  her recipes always rock.

Ingredients

  • 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup buttermilk + a splash, shaken, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • strawberry jam, preferably homemade.
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and 2 sugars on high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes. Lower the speed to medium, add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, and peanut butter. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. On low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and the flour mixture alternately in thirds to the mixer bowl, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Mix only until blended. Fold the batter with a rubber spatula to be sure it's completely blended.
Divide the batter among the cupcake pans (1 rounded standard ice cream scoop per cup is the right amount). Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. 
then I took a pastry bag and filled it with homemade strawberry jam.  after I took the cupcakes out of the oven, while still warm, I squeezed them full of jam, the more the better in my opinion.  

when cool, frost.



and eat!


we linked up with 33 Shades of Green tasty tuesdays party for even more yumminess.

happy tuesday back in reality.

best,
kirsty

4.16.2012

Greek Easter

yesterday we had an impromptu Greek Easter feast.  most often we go to my husbands aunt's house and she does an amazing tradition greek feast for family and friends, but late events changed our plans.  so instead immediate family came to my house.



the weather fully cooperated.  so we opened up the back doors, threw on a table cloth, rounded up some chairs, cut some camelias, got the silver out, and we were ready.



with no time {and honestly with a year I wouldn't have done justice to what we usually experience} for a true Greek feast, we made a lighter and healthier evening meal.  


on the menu

chicken and pork souvlaki with grilled pita and tzatziki sauce
proscuitto and puff pastry wrapped asparagus
greek quinoa salad
yogurt biscuits with fresh whipped cream, strawberries, and peach freezer jam.
watermelon
rosemary strawberry lemonade


how we prepared it all:

the asparagus - delicious, we sort of followed this recipe.


souvlaki skewers
marinade 
from "The Key to Greek Cooking"
2/3c olive oil
1/4c dry white wine
1/4c fresh lemon juice
2T parseley
1T oregano
green onions
3 cloves garlic
salt and pepper
mix and marinate meat for 24+ hours.  skewer and grill

tzatziki sauce  
absolutely prefer to make my own vs. store bought
1 cup greek yogurt {I used 2% strained Fage yogurt, I find this brand is the creamiest best tasting}
1/4 cup peeled, shredded, drained cucumber
1-2 cloves garlic, mashed into a paste with some salt.

pita - made by our local grocery store, the best I've found.  just grilled on bbq.  garnish with fresh tomatoes and mixed greens.



greek quinoa salad 
adapted from my friend melissa.  this is a salad I make all year long.  love it. always a crowd pleaser.
{I kind of just throw everything in without measuring – these are rough estimates.}
for the dressing:
1/4cup evoo
3Tb fresh lemon juice
2-3 cloves fresh garlic {prefer TJs frozen garlic cubes, I use 3}
1-2 Tb fresh greek oregano, or regular will work too. 
1/2t salt
1/2t pepper 
1/4t sugar
1cup quinoa {toast in pan till nutty, then rinse and add to 2c water, bring to boil for 15min about or till water is gone}

add dressing to quinoa while still hot.  Let cool then add the following ingredients.
I usually add as much of the fresh ingredients as I have to the quinoa – I like a chunky salad.
1/3c pine nuts - toast in skillet till fragrant
½ chopped golden raisins
3T chopped kalamata olives
1/2cup chopped green onions
1/2cup chopped basil
½ cup chopped red pepper
½ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1/4cup chopped mint
1/2crumbled feta



yogurt biscuits
recipe from the Super Natural Every Day cook book, they were delicious.  I added about 2 tbsp sugar to the mix and then sprinkled turbanado sugar on top.  mine did not rise super tall like the picture in the recipe book.  but I am determined to try again.  they were so yummy, if I can get the presentation down, seriously unstoppable!

2 1/2c whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2t fine sea-salt
1T baking powder
1/2c butter, chilled and cut into small chunks.
1 1/3c greek yogurt
2T sugar {I added this to make them sweeter}

preheat oven and baking sheet to 450
pulse first 3 ingredients, add butter, pulse till resembles coarse sand.  add yogurt, mix just till incorporated.  knead on floured surface 5 times.  roll out to 1inch thick, cut in half, lay one layer on top of the other, repeat 5 times {this is to give height!}.  roll out to 3/4inch, cut into squares, place on hot baking sheet.  bake 15-18mins till golden.



rosemary strawberry lemonade
1 can frozen lemonade concentrate
1/2 2liter bottle club soda
2c sliced strawberries
2 medium sprigs rosemary
mix and add ice.





Christos anestis.

best,
kirsty

4.13.2012

week in iphotos

wow its already Friday again.

here's how my week went in a few snapshots.

sweet hands finding his Easter treasure


the sunshine came out for the Easter egg hunt, hooray! 
{can you barely see the new Toms the Easter bunny brought.  really the cutest hippest EVER! bonus both boys can put them on by themselves! major milestone}


this is a quilt modeled after the Rose Window in Notre Dame Cathedral.  The detail was pretty amazing.


ladies bible study night always includes dessert.  amazing raspberry cheesecake cupcakes
thanks Carol


first anemones of the season {not to be confused with sea anemones} I think.  love the blue.


great #myluciakstyle pic sent in.   leather wrap bracelet prototype, what do you think?  and the ever popular Faye combination. 


enjoyed a pizookie "sampler" with a close friend.  caught up on life.  it was altogether goodness.


new Lucia K. Jewelry Leah headband made with vintage mustard trim.  


happy friday.

best,
kirsty

4.11.2012

what I wore...

ok, every week Ali and I say we will take pictures of what we are wearing and every week we have some excuse as to why it never happened.

I am finally posting pictures of what I wear, this is soooo much more awkward to post pictures of yourself, I commend all of you who take great shots of your outfits week after week, and thank you! to those who send them my way.

what I wore Easter Sunday edition...


I love this dress, in honor of our warm spring weather finally arriving, I ditched the usual tights.  I was so excited when Zara items became available online.  you can't tell by the picture but this dress is longer in the back, which is so fantastic for me, I tend to bend down a lot and this keeps me from flashing people thank goodness.  

I had been obsessing over these boots for months and months. and months, literally.  they were a gift from my husband.  I think he got tired of hearing about them.  regardless, major major points!!  they are replacing a pair of old cowboy boots my grandma-in-law gave me.  these have become a staple in my wardrobe, I'd like to think that maybe someday I will pass them along to my daughter-in-law, or my granddaughter-in-law.  crazy thought.



this headband is the newest edition to Lucia K.  I was so taken by this vintage trim when I found it, I thought it would be perfect for a headband.  the mustard color is so rich and yummy.  and the detail that went in to weaving this trim is extraordinary.  I just love vintage material, the attention to detail is unbeatable.  



what i wore:
dress and belt - Zara.com {I just got it last season but don't see it available anymore}
boots - Frye
boot socks - made by me from an old sweater
headband - Lucia K. Jewelry
earrings - Lucia K. Jewelry
lipstick - M.A.C and M.A.C

happy wednesday.

best,
Kirsty

4.06.2012

my week in iphotos

here are a few moments captured this week in the life of...

vintage trim in mustard yellow, in love.  thinking headbands for sure.


my toes made an appearance in an attempt to appreciate the moments of sunshine we had.  first pedicure in almost a year, seriously.


oh I could just eat him up.  love this age.  he's growing too fast on me.


so inspiring to see all the colors! working on summer line.


#myluciaksyle picture

isn't she the sassiest momma-to-be in her tomato red skinnies and Faye Knotted Chain Necklace.  
{note to self, need some colored skinnies}


happy friday.

best,
Kirsty

4.02.2012

monday morning affirmation

have you seen this video yet?  I am a little slow with navigating youtube, this might be old news.  

but even if you've seen it, watch it again,  we should all start our week out this way.  

think of how much happier and motivated we might be...


thanks Jessica for the reminder.

happy April!

happy Monday.

best,
kirsty