Vintage Subway signs were a coveted item two years ago. What started as a phenomenon in NYC signage has now gone mainstream. Now, there are a plethora of replicas out there, some manufacturers will even customize to your own city. Why splurge on the real thing when you can fake it? Here are the subway signs that made it onto Kiki's List:Thursday, September 30, 2010
Riding That Train....
Vintage Subway signs were a coveted item two years ago. What started as a phenomenon in NYC signage has now gone mainstream. Now, there are a plethora of replicas out there, some manufacturers will even customize to your own city. Why splurge on the real thing when you can fake it? Here are the subway signs that made it onto Kiki's List:
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Take Another Looksie: Talbots.
When I think of Talbots, I think of Mom. Neets, god rest her soul, was a realtor... and she dressed like a stereotypical realtor. Think Annette Benning in American Beauty. (Disclaimer: I know MANY stylish realtors... so please save your e-mails..) I have so many memories of Mom pulling into the garage, and keeping her various red bags in the trunk until Dad left the house, then she would carry them in and we'd all hear about it when the AMX bill arrived in the mail. Learned behavior? Probably. Mike accused me just the other day of "hiding" my Home Goods bags (which I wasn't, I actually had to put them in the laundry room so that I could get a towel for one of the contractors that was at the house) but I have been known to hide a J. Crew bag or two.
I digress. Talbots has come a long way in the last few years, and just released a new fall line that almost made my eyes pop out of my head. Classic Glamour at affordable prices. Another thing that I will say about Talbots is that their pieces are very well made. So pick a few items that you will want to keep forever. Here are the items that made it onto Kiki's List:
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
ODB.
Today my husband turns 39. As I tell him, he is officially in his 40th year of life.
Mike is the smartest, funniest, most engaging person that I know. We call him the King of Useless Knowledge. Well read on everything from football to politics to Hollywood gossip. You name it- my baby has the skinny.
While I know that there are certainly times I can be.. how shall I put it???.... Demanding.... When it comes down to it, we are opposites and we fit. The weekend after we met, I went home and told my roommates that I met the man I was going to marry. We immediately knew. That will be 12 years ago this Thanksgiving.
Happy Birthday to my Prince. I could not ask for a better husband, partner, friend and father.
OJ.
PS: While I know that sweater in the last picture (Circa 2003) is obscenely tight, this is one of my favorite pictures as it perfectly captures Mike's personality.
Monday, September 27, 2010
I'm Fallin' for Fall.
Ahhh... I feel the crispness in the air. Fall is my absolute favorite time of year. Butternut Squash, the Pumpkin Patch and a fall color palette. These are a few of my favorite things!
Friday, September 24, 2010
Last Day.
Kiki's List fans- today is the LAST DAY to get your 15% discount at EmersonMade. Get your flower fix before time runs out!
Jeggings.
It's where jeans meets leggings.. and they are all the rage this fall. With the feature on riding boots yesterday, I can't help but recommend that you pair them with jeggings.
The thing that excites me most about jeggings this fall is that I don't have to bunch up my jeans to tuck them in my boots. It will give you a much cleaner look. The other fantastic feature of jeggings is that they are made of a mixture of spandex and denim, so they give you better coverage than leggings, but you don't have to worry about the plumber's crack that jeans create when you sit down. Because they are still made of some denim material, all of the rules of normal leggings go out the window. You don't necessarily have to cover your bum, but if your are...ummm... "curvy" like me, you may want to.
Here are the jeggings that made it onto Kiki's List:
1. Legging Jeans in Factory Wash- $95
2. Harlan.234- $178
3. Five Pocket Jegging- $39.50
4. BDG Demin Legging- ON SALE $19.99
5. Harlan.290 -$195
6. American Rag Jeggings- ON SALE $25.99
7. Pixie Dark Jeggings- ON SALE $44.99
8. Twiggy Denim Leggings- $145
9. Super Stretch Denim Leggings- $198
10. Paige Denim Super Leggings- $179
11. Legging Stretch Jeans- $139
12. Juicy Couture Denim Leggings- $98
Thursday, September 23, 2010
These Boots are Made for Riding.
I am lusting for a pair of brown pebbled riding boots for fall. For the first time in a while, I have been quite impressed with the selection out there. This list fits all budgets big and small. Here are the riding boots that made it onto Kiki's List:
1. Upwards Boots- $358 ***KIKI'S LIST FAVORITE
2. Taja Military Riding Boot- $298
3. Stara Boot- $185.25
4. Patterson Riding Boots- $495
5. Frye Over the Knee Boot- $448 ***KIKI'S LIST FAVORITE
6. Frye Melissa Button Boot- $317.95 ***KIKI'S LIST FAVORITE
7. Frye Dorando Riding Boot-$458.95
8. Shirley Over the Knee Boots- $448 ***KIKI'S LIST FAVORITE
9. Volatile Women's Jockey Boots- $75.05 ***KIKI'S LIST FAVORITE
10.Remmington Riding Boot- $99.95
11. Lieutenant Riding Boot- $159.95
12. Salome Over the Knee Boot- $1,250
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
A Bouquet of Happiness: EmersonMade.
At the time they were living in New York City. Emerson, a classically trained painter wanted to better understand the construction and structure of the flowers that she was painting. She began trying to physically reconstruct them out of paper and fabric. With her interest in fashion, she saw the opportunity to transform outfits with these pieces. There was instantly demand and EmersonMade was born. Emerson was literally selling her creations off of her own back to women on the streets. In 2008 Emerson and Ryan decided to leave the bright lights and the big city behind them and move to greener pastures in New Hampshire, where they run their business. You can take a tour of their renovated farmhouse here. Talk about a couple crush; two beautiful people with fantastic style and a mind for business... These two are unstoppable!
In their spare time, Emerson and Ryan like to take advantage of all New Hampshire has to offer. This year some of their summer highlights were picking huge boxes of blueberries, visits to the farmers market, and they are looking forward to apple picking and cider making this fall. You can add photography to their hobby list as Ryan takes most of the pictures for the website. (Emerson takes a few that she is not in.)
Thousands of people have fallen in love with this charming little company through the years, myself included. What started out as an accessory business is now so much more. This fall, EmersonMade has launched a new clothing line- and it's fantastic. Check out the EmersonMade items that made it onto Kiki's List. But wait, here's the best part- EmersonMade is offering all Kiki's List followers a rare 15% discount for two days only. (Today through Friday September 24.) Use code KIKI+EM at checkout. Start picking your fall flowers now!
1. The Dandy Dress- $228
2. Ballet Dahlia Clutch- $78 ***KIKI'S LIST FAVORITE
3. The Stripe- $78
4. The Big Dandy Clutch- $58
5. Ballet Dahlia Set- $48 ***KIKI'S LIST FAVORITE
6. EM BlueBells- $198
7. The One and Only Corsage- $325 ***KIKI'S LIST FAVORITE
8. Zebra and Dahlia Clutch- $58
9. The Poppy- $54 ***KIKI'S LIST FAVORITE
10. The One and Only Flower Chain- $175 ***KIKI'S LIST FAVORITE
11. 1960's Jacket- $220
12. Leather and Brass Post Belt-$98
A big, fat thank you to Emerson and Ryan. Keep up the beautiful work!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Absolute Sadness.
I am so sorry to fill this happy little blog with such sadness, but I need to get something off of my chest. Last weekend, my sister Karen's best friend Jenny was brutally abducted and murdered by her husband, and then he turned the gun on himself. Jenny was such a free spirit, a genuinely happy person. She had filed for divorce from her husband three weeks earlier and clearly he was not happy about it. Sadly, this was not the first time that he had shown violence towards her. Karen keeps playing the events over and over in her head, as she knew of issues that the two were having and warned Jenny about her husband many times. She keeps asking herself "Could I have done more?" "I should have called her after she texted me on Friday night." "I told her she should have gotten a restraining order." The sad truth is that when someone is that angry or violent a restraining order would have done absolutely nothing. Ironically, Jenny was a mental health professional.
I see this same story on the news over and over again, and this week, it really hits home. Yesterday, Karen and I were reminiscing about the trip that Jenny took to Italy with us and Mom in 2003. What a wonderful time we had. I am sick over the loss of life, and worst of all- Jenny leaves behind two sons. Damen, 14 and Robby, who is four. Her boys were her world. My heart breaks for these boys and what their future holds.
If there is any good that can come out of this, I beg of you to please not take any signs of violence towards women lightly. Whether it is yourself, or a friend. We need to be vigilant to protect each other and our children.
Friday night, all of Jenny's friends will be attending Damen's first football game of the season, as they know she would have been there screaming louder than anyone else in the crowd.
The Four Words I Never Like to Utter.
Image courtesy of Christina Murphy
Image courtesy of House Beautiful
Image courtesy of House Beautiful.
Image courtesy of Decorpad
Image courtesy of Matters of Style
I made a mistake.
As most of you know, my life philosophy is go big or stay home. Everything I do, I like to maximize. I like bright colors. I love flavorful food. I wear a lot of jewelry. And I am not exactly a shrinking violet. So, in operation living room makeover, I wanted to do something amazing on my walls. I had them painted and lacquered. As I stated earlier, I made a mistake.
My living room and dining room area are basically one big room divided by two columns. I painted the dining room Benjamin Moore's Black Satin, and I honestly love it. I also had moulding installed to build a threshold between the two rooms, which I also love. I had shadow boxes installed in the living room (love) and painted the walls Super White by Benjamin Moore. This is where the love stops. I realized that Super White was fatal error #1. It's white, and I mean REALLY white. Fatal error #2 is that my walls are beyond imperfect. If you are going to lacquer your walls, you must make sure that they are in perfect condition.
In hindsight, rather than trying to do it myself, I would have bought some of Phillip Jeffries Lacquered Walls wallpaper. C'est la vie, I suppose! The good news is that I will be covering those atrocious walls with some Phillip Jeffries Raffia wallpaper in ivory. I want to soften the look, but also add some texture. Now all I need to do is plant another money tree to pay for my mistake.
So for all of you who love the look of lacquered walls, but don't have the nerve, money or the patience to do it, here is some eye candy for you.
Two Days Only.
Are you in love as much as I am? Tune in tomorrow. Kiki's List Followers can get 15% off of these luscious items through Friday.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Lettergirl Giveaway Winner.
Take Another Looksie: Land's End.
Last November, Land's End launched a new, more modern line on clothing called Lands End Canvas, and boy, am I glad that they did. I received my fall catalog in the mail last week, and was smitten with the crisp, preppy fall collection. Take another looksie at Land's End, because they've made a comeback in a big way. Here are the items that made it onto Kiki's List:
2. Low Heel Boots- $225
3. Rigid Boyfriend Jeans- $59.50
4. Slub Cotton Scarf- ON SALE $8.99
5. Route 63 Snap Tote- $138 ***KIKI'S LIST FAVORITE
6. Pocket Dress- ON SALE $31.99
7. Leather Wrap Bracelet- $39.50
8. Fit and Flare Dress- ON SALE $26.99
9. Heritage Stripe Oxford-$39.50
10. Sailor Buckle Belt- ON SALE $20.99 ***KIKI'S LIST FAVORITE
11. Smocked Slub Jersey Dress- ON SALE $26.99
12. Women's Motorcross Jacket- $69.50 ***KIKI'S LIST FAVORITE
Friday, September 17, 2010
Kiki's List Fans: today is the last day to enter the giveaway for your very own Lettergirl Stamp. Contest rules here.
X Marks the Spot.
No matter where you look, every major furniture line is carrying some sort of an x stool. I love the look of two of these tucked away under a console table in a living room. Mark a spot in your home. Here are the x benches that made it onto Kiki's List:
1. Tangerine Velvet X bench- $695
2. Seville Ottoman- $1,399
3. X Stool- $165 ***KIKI'S LIST FAVORITE
4. Blue Velvet X Bench- $1,250
5. X Base Stool- $249
6. Fabric Covered X-Base Stool- $299
7. Crosby Stool- ON SALE $1,317 ***KIKI'S LIST FAVORITE
8. Abaca Bridge Stool- $745
9.Parker X Bench- $599
10. X Bench- $2,900
11. Barcelona Stool- $2,046
12. Black Leather X Bench- $309.99 Double seating for the price of one! How amazing would this be reupholstered? ***KIKI'S LIST FAVORITE
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