He Loves Me

Can't you just tell by the look on his face? It's obvious! (I'm talking about the little guy... not G.)

"I love you, Auntie Jessie." - Our new nephew, Owen

Hemline Sale

We all know that I love to shop, but somehow it becomes even more fun when it is done in the name of supporting a good cause! For the entire month of August, Hemline is holding a denim drive where you can bring in your lightly worn jeans in order to receive a disount on a new pair. All of the donated denim will go to the Rose Brooks Center, which is a fabulous organization here in Kansas City.



On their website, the center describes themselves as "A comprehensive domestic violence agency that provides a full continuum of care including prevention programming, crisis intervention and other supportive services to thousands of women and children each year."

I don't know about you, but that sounds like a GREAT cause to me. :)

Cat Life

This is probably one of the most accurate illustrations of cat life that I have ever seen... my favorites? Linebacker and The Hug and Bite.

Illustration by Lucy Knisley, via We Say Meow, via Ink on My Fingers

I was so happy to see my kitty when we got home last night, and I could barely sleep because I just wanted to keep snuggling with her... she is so SWEET! Now all we have to do is pick up the pup from our dear friends today and our little family will be back together again!

Oh, and wouldn't you know that the only notable thing that I brought back from the beach was a summer cold? I've already gone through an entire box of tissue at my desk at work, and it's only 10 am!

*Sneeze*

The Lauren Moffatt Sunhat Winner is....

Lucky Stone reader, Catherine!

I picked the winner by using a random number generator and hers was the entry that was chosen. Her comment said, "LOVE the hat and the dresses! my hat was gobbled up by the wind and the sea last week, so maybe this can be its replacement? fingers crossed!"

Glad that this beauty will replace your lost hat, and a big thank you to Lauren Moffatt for offering it as a giveaway!

So sorry that I didn't get around to posting this last week, but our vacation has been jam packed and full of fun... we are in the SD airport right now and getting ready to hop on our flight home! I will try my best to post some photos later this week or next.

Can't wait to get back to reading and catching up on all of my favorite blogs!

Mike Sinclair

A few weeks ago, I was so happy to see Kansas City local Mike Sinclair featured on Jen Bekman's 20x200.

Prints of this photo are still for sale!

Aren't these images dreamy? I can't get over the hazy view of fireworks overlooking a family-covered hillside in Missouri. Looks just magical.

You can read more about Mike in this Q&A with Jen, and his website can be found here.

Congratulations on this great feature, Mike!

Scratch

I cannot get over the amazing concept for this product... definitely one of those that makes you say, "I wish I'd have thought of that!"

"Scratch is a great young company helping busy Londoners cook real food. Their meal boxes contain all the fresh ingredients you need to cook a fantastic meal… from scratch.
At the heart of the brand is the product, and we wanted to elevate the honest, fresh ingredients along with the brand name. To achieve this we built the identity around a simple idea: everything the company produces -from meals to business cards – comes ‘from scratch’.
On products this creates a useful double meaning. The description of the meal to be cooked ‘…from scratch’ simultaneously delivers the logo and the idea that this is a product from the Scratch brand."

The identity and packaging was developed by the UK firm Brandy and I can only hope that it (or something similar) will one day be available in the US!

*Via The Dieline

Don't Forget!

You have until midnight tomorrow (Thursday) to enter in the drawing to win this DARLING Lauren Moffatt Sunhat!

Leave a comment on the original post to be added to the list of names, and I will announce the winner on Friday! Woohoo!




Now... I'm off to Yogurtland and then to beach, ADIOS!

West Coast, Here We Come!

Photo by Alexa via my dear Ms. Mary Ruffle

By the time this post is published, we'll be winging our way to our beloved San Diego for nearly a week of sun and sand and surf! I am so excited to see my whole family and all of our friends that we left behind when we moved away!

I have a few more posts scheduled for while I'm gone (here AND at the concrete catwalk), but I probably won't be able to keep up with my blog reading as much as I'd like. I will miss you, my lovely blog friends, and I promise to post stories and pictures upon our return!

MWAH!

Fresher than Fresh in the Wall Street Journal!

My usual Saturday afternoon indulgence was featured in the Wall Street Journal this past weekend!

How cute is SHE?!

Congratulations to Lindsay, from Fresher than Fresh, on all of the press she has been receiving! With such an amazing concept, and the perfect execution, I know we'll continue to see her name in print for a long time!

I'm already sad thinking about when summer comes to an end, and I'll have to wait until next May for the next icy-delicious-all-natural treat!!!

If you're in KC, be sure to get one while you still can! Lindsay's restored vintage camper sets up in the garden on 17th and Summit (on Saturdays) and her cones are $3 and up.

L'Aviva Home

I cannot tell you how much I love the look of these hand embroidered Mexican textiles... because they are essentially an embroidered tapestry, they could be used in SO many ways! As a coverlet, draped over a table, hung on a wall, you name it.

I can't decide which color I like best... navy or teal.


L'Aviva home has many many more beautiful textiles from all over the world, and lovely objects for around your home. Many are out of my price range, but some of the smaller items would make a lovely gift for a wedding or a big birthday.

That embroidery is so beautiful, though, I just might have to start saving my pennies!

Here are more of my favorites!











Find more lovely items at L'Aviva home here.

The Perricone Giveaway Winner Is...

Wanting to wear a gigantic bow in my hair all weekend!
photo via Funambula

Miss Cassie! Congratulations! I've sent you an email with the next steps, so check your inbox and we'll go from there.

Thank you to everyone for entering, and don't forget that you have until next Thursday to enter the Lauren Moffatt sunhat giveaway!

Have a great weekend everyone! We are headed off to Indiana to be with family, but I'll see you all here next week. :) Adios, amigos!

Lauren Moffatt Sale and Giveaway!

Lauren Moffatt is having a huge summer sale, and I am in love with so many of their pieces!

Make Lemonade Dress

Jess Dress (You know I love this one!)

Rodeo Snap Dress

Paris Button Front Dress

Cast a Hook in Me Dress

Would you like to know the best part??? They offered up a special summer accessory for a giveaway here on the Lucky Stone!

Sassy little Sunhat by Lauren Moffatt for the Skin Cancer Foundation

Protect your face from premature wrinks from the sun's harmful rays! You could win this sassy little sunhat by posting a note in the comments section and please don't forget your email address!

The comments section will close a week from today (Thursday, July 23) at midnight, and I will draw a name from a hat and announce the winner on Friday! ALSO, if you'd like, you can post about this giveaway on your blog, and I will put your name in the drawing an extra time - Just make sure you let me know in the comments!

AAAANNNDDD - Don't forget! If you haven't already entered, there is still time to leave your worst skincare nightmare in the comments section of this post to win a bottle of Advanced Face Firming Activator! Quick! Run! I'm announcing the winner at noon tomorrow!

Breath of Fresh Air

Taking a Tuesday off in the middle of the summer is highly recommended by The Lucky Stone Management... G and I celebrated our 2nd anniversary yesterday and it was SO fun. :)

We went for a run, enjoyed a nice leisurely brunch, and then while G went to teach his summer school class, I got a mani-pedi and went to the library to check out some good beach reads to take on our vacations. Then we met back up for some anniversary day shopping (thank GOODNESS the 2nd year anniversary gift is cotton)!

Garden Dress (mine is pale pink)

G had already picked out and bought me the most darling little dress to wear on our hot date, and we had so much fun getting ready together.

We went to a pre-screening of the movie The 500 Days of Summer, which was AWEsome, and then had a super late dinner at The Capital Grille on the plaza. Our favorite server treated us to champagne before dinner and then a chocolate-espresso torte after, and it was the perfect ending to a beautiful day.

Thank you for all of your well-wishes!

On a completely unrelated note, but still appropriate to be posted under the same title... Our flat is going to get A LOT breezier today!

We are finally replacing our nearly one-hundred-year-old windows (that are in horrible shape, otherwise we might have tried to restore them), and I am so excited to be able to fling them wide open on nice days!

Oh, and you can BET your energy-efficient-selves that I know exactly how I'd like to spend the tax credit we are going to get, come next Spring. :)

Shopping spree, anyone?

Two Years

Two years ago today, I married my best friend.

And I still think

he's

the

best.

Happy Anniversary, G!

*Photos from Valentine's Day picnic at Balboa Park... February 2007

Tomorrow...

...is going to be great.



Possibly even the Best Day Ever.

nooworks tee from Candystore Collective

I'll be back to blogging on Wednesday!

Don't forget!

Lucky Stone eBay auctions end Sunday at 6pm central time, so make sure to take a peek!

Also, I'm offering free shipping to all my Lucky Stone readers! If you end up with the winning bid, message me before you make your payment, and I will adjust your paypal invoice!!!

Last but not least, if you are in Kansas City tonight, you should scoot your little be-hind up to the Jones Pool (on top of the downtown Cosentino's Market) for an awesome fashion show by Hemline, to benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Kansas City! I'll be there with my trusty (and extremely adorable) sidekick and our cameras, on the lookout for sweet style to post on The Concrete Catwalk!

Hope you all have a wonderful July weekend! Is anyone going anywhere fun? I'm already thinking about everything I need to do before our upcoming vacays... so I'll be as busy as a bee! Ta-ta!

Perricone on The Lucky Stone

Whoooooooooooooooo's ready for a giveaway!?!?







I am happy to be able to offer my readers a chance at winning a very popular product from Perricone MD Cosmeceuticals, the Advanced Face Firming Activator ($120 value). This best seller makes skin appear firm and toned, and it gives it a beautiful glow. It is said to visibly reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and enlarged pores, leaving a radiant and healthy complexion. What's not to love???

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post with your name, email address, and what skincare product you could not live without OR your worst skincare nightmare (hives, breakouts, you name it).

In my case (if you must know) I would write, "I grew up in Arizona/San Diego [hello, sun damage], I currently wash my face with handsoap [gasp!], and I recently cut bangs to hide the wrinks on my forehead [poor-lady Botox]! Please send me this magical potion!"

I will choose a winner on Friday, July 17 at noon, so you have exactly one week to come up with the best entry that you can! (Unfortunately, you must live in the US to win.)


Good luck, my dears!

Pump it Up!

Today only Piperlime is offering 20% off all of their regular priced pumps!

Here are some of my favorites...


BCBG Cross

Nine West Bonfire

Jill Stuart Marcella

Michael Antonio Segar

Just ender code "PUMPS" at checkout, and you're golden I tell you - GOLDEN!

Kansas City Love

Do you know about Grace's Birdcage? It is a LOVELY blog that is written and run right here in Kansas City.

It's LOVELY owner (not Grace... Grace is the cat... who doesn't like milk) wrote her 1000th post yesterday (Congratulations Alissa!), and is holding a giveaway to celebrate! I feel like I probably shouldn't enter, because the aDORable postcards from Hammerpress that she is offering as the prize could just as easily be obtained by getting up from my desk RIGHT NOW and trotting myself down the street to their shop to buy them for myself.

But YOU should definitely head on over and enter to win, because everything that Hammerpress does is FAB I tell you... just fabulous.

She also posted a link to the article in Elle Decor about our dear city, and I had heard about it but hadn't taken a look yet. Let me just say that if you have never been here before, it is worth a visit. :)


The Nelson Atkins Museum - just two blocks away from our house!


Union Station

I have to walk through this gorgeous and expansive space to my stop everytime I take the bus home.

I've been amazed at how many wonderful bloggers are either from KC or connected to the city in some way. Sarah has lived here, Megan has lived here (and wrote a beautifully nostalgic post about July 4th as a kid in KC), and Betsy blogs about the cutest things from her little shop down the street. Let's not forget my routine Summer Saturday stop - Lindsay's traveling snowcone stand! Amanda lives close enough for visits, and Katy posts about her fashion adventures from a college town just 45 minutes away. Let's not forget the great style spotting!!!

Kansas City has SO much to offer, and the longer I live here, the more I learn to love it and hold it as my home.

Lucky Stone on Ebay!

I've been organizing our flat like a mad woman and in an effort to clear some closet space, I'm auctioning off lots of great things this week...

J. Crew Linda Dress

J. Crew Suede Kitten Heels

Bright Pink Vintage Kicks

J. Crew Josie Dress

Gray Patent Leather Buckle Flats

Both dresses are in great condish, but I don't wear them nearly enough to justify keeping them. The shoes are all a size 9.5, which oddly, USED to be my shoe size before my feet started shrinking (can't be normal).

Happy bidding!!!