This week with Valentine’s Day coming right around the corner I thought I would share a little about some of my favorite pieces that have stood by me through thick and thin. The true loves of my jewelry collection. 

Lots of jewelry trends come and go but I count these pieces as those that stand the test of time and always make their way into my daily style season after season, year after year.

I chose pieces from every category because I know how some people can’t live without a beautiful earring or a statement necklace. We all have a certain comfort level when it comes to our style. This of course is true of the clothes we wear but over the years I see it with the jewelry we invest in as well.

   

I’m back with another installment of let’s save the planet. I came across some very interesting yet a little more scientific facts on how plastics are effecting our planet and I want to share. The more we know the more motivated we are to make a change.

“One of the most ubiquitous and long-lasting recent changes to the surface of our planet is the accumulation and fragmentation of plastics,” explained David Barnes, a lead author and researcher for the British Antarctic Survey.

There is evidence mounting that the chemical building blocks that make plastics so virtual are the same comments that might harm people and the environment. Such as:

-Chemicals added to plastics are absorbed by human bodies. Some of these have been found to alter hormones and have potential health effects.

-Plastic debris is laced with chemicals and get ingested by marine animals, which cannier or poison them.

-Floating plastic waste, can survive for thousands of years in water, can act as mini transportation devices for invasive species.

-Plastic buried deep in the landfills can leach chemicals in the groundwater.

Pretty heavy right? Think about what you can do today or this week to be less depended on plastics. Using a glass bottle at work, stop asking for plastic silverware when you don’t need them, using a glass or steel straw, bringing your own bags to the store, etc.

Till Next week,

 Last week I told you to dream big, and this week am I’m going to share a little behind the scenes of how I do just that. I know I love to hear about what other people are using to make their lives easier and more fulfilling.There are so many apps, tips and tricks nowadays I thought I would share some of my own in case you were needing a little inspiration to try a new way.

When it comes to the tools I use every day to help me stay motivated and continue to keep creating, I rely heavy on a morning routine. It changes a little week-to-week or month-to-month, but it’s basically the same idea.

HYDRATE

I keep a big glass of water next to my bed (in a glass jar because no plastic bottles in my house!) and drink the whole thing upon waking. Think about it you just slept for 6-8 hours (hopefully) without any water. Your body is thirsty even if you don’t think so. Sometimes I put some lemon too because it’s great for the digestion.

APPRECIATION

Everyone talks a lot about gratitude and I know it sounds obvious but it truly makes difference in my day. You don’t have to write it down, I find just thinking about all the things I have and appreciate in the world sets my day off to a sensational start.

MOVE

I don’t get to exercise everyday but I do move my body in some way even if it’s just for 5 minutes. Stretching, yoga, taking a walk all feel really good for me and being outside is another plus.

FUEL

I don’t believe in diets but I do believe in eating food that makes me feel good. This usually looks like a smoothie. It’s easy on my system early in the morning and gives me the energy to tackle the day. I love adding lots of green veggies, banana and protein powder. 

I hope this helps you if you’re looking for new ways to start your day. It doesn’t take a lot of time or energy, just some intention.

Happy New Year! (cue the confetti) I hope everyone had a sensational New Year and relaxing holiday with family and friends, we did! I know right now there is a lot of talk about resolutions and all that, but I wanted to bring up a new idea that I heard recently and decided to take to heart.

This is a resolution for your resolutions. Instead of thinking about them as goals, because that word gets thrown around so much and goals seem like these hard to attain tasks we add on to-do lists that never get done. What if we changed the thinking around goals to dreaming instead?

  

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! I am sure you are feeling all the cozy wintery holiday feelings and with the seasons being only a month long, there is no time like the present (pun intended) to get started.

We spent this past weekend getting the house all ready for the season. We started pulling out all the decorations and also finding a few new ones. As you know my design aesthetic tends to go towards more minimal than over-the-top and I love finding just the right touches.

It’s impossible this time of the year to not get excited because everywhere I look there are glorious light displays, fresh greenery, and vibrant colors that signal the holidays are here.

I have created a seasonal mood board that showcases everything I love about the holidays and hopefully will give you a bit of inspiration if you are in need.

 Till Next Week,

It’s been a little while since I've updated you guys about the new FINE collection and I have to tell you, the reaction I've been getting is amazing. It really makes me happy when I hear how much you're loving the collection.

I put a lot of thought and energy into creating something that feels like the Stephanie Kantis brand but in a whole new light. This collection is so truly wearable for everyday which is exactly what I wanted to do.

I also really wanted to give you lots of options of gold finishes so you can truly find the piece that speaks to you and your taste. I also made the collection easy to mix. I love to collect pieces and building upon my style and this is easy to do with the fine collection. 

I wanted to share with you some of the pieces I’m loving right now and also pieces I believe are easy to gift. Let me know what you think and don’t forget to enjoy the little things in life.

Till Next Week,

It's time again for a little lesson on some environmental issues that are close to my heart. As I mentioned a few weeks back I really want to use this blog as a platform to talk more openly about what is important to me. 

This week I want to talk about one-time use plastic forks, spoons and knives. I have talked to a lot of people that think plastic cutlery is recyclable and it’s not a problem but it is because not everyone recycling them. Here are some shocking statistics

-Food and beverage packaging make up 67 percent of all littler on the streets

-Plastic utensils rank among the top 10 most common trash items

-The ocean contains more than 8 million tons of plastic

  October turned out to be such a beautiful time to be in Europe. I wasn’t sure if this was going to be a family vacation but my mother had already planned a river boat cruise from Amsterdam down through Germany and I was scheduled for a fine jewelry conference in Vicenza, Italy.  When we were finished with our respective trips I decided to meet them both in Zürich and toured the city for a few days.

My mom's husband, Gordon, headed back home to the states, and my mom and I continued to several cities in Switzerland before ending our trip with a three day shopping spree in Milan. It was such a great trip and I wanted to share a few images with you guys.

We started in Zurich, which is a Swiss German speaking city. This is me and mom enjoying the scenery and talking about how fascinating with all it’s multi-languages Switzerland is.

Red flowers and multi colored buildings with shutters are so typical of northern Switzerland and this was a shot of my favorites. Also, we couldn’t resist inducing in some of the best chocolate in the world- Laderach Swiss chocolate, yum!

Next on our tour was Lucerne Switzerland. It’s still considered central Switzerland and is Swiss German speaking. We loved the old wood bridge internationally known. I am sure you can recognize it from a movie or two. Also, everywhere we looked there were fountains and flowers.

We got brave one day and climbed the big medieval tower walls. To our surprise on the other side were these fabulous long haired cows! We couldn’t stop taking pictures of them!

Next stop, we headed to the western side of Switzerland. These are the French speaking cities along the northern part of Lake Geneva. I found a beautiful spot to take a picture.

We then took a train with the most amazing views and had a beautiful lunch and a glass of wine on Lake Geneva.  On the way to Lausanne we witnessed many beautiful chateaus and villages dreamily wiz by.

We made it to Bongiorno. Here we are in the Italian speaking section! This is the southernmost lake in Switzerland and the city of Lugano. Mountains are all around the beautiful lake and this was the view from our hotel terrace and a shot of a fabulous Italian villa.

Just look at this view from Mount Bre. We had a fabulous lunch and spent the afternoon enjoying nature’s bounty. How perfect did my earrings match Lugano. The sodalite stone was perfect with the lake blue water. So much inspiration and I can’t wait to go back.

Till Next Week,

A few weeks back I told you about my new intentions to bring more awareness to a cause that’s close to my heart, the environment, and today I want to share some facts.