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My Inspiration - FALL '17

My Inspiration - FALL '17

Excited to share something I've been working on for a while...my Fall '17 Collection inspiration. I've talked about how I get inspired on the blog before so you have an idea about my process but this week I want to talk about the inspiration mood board behind the collection.

It won't be too much of a surprise for you guys because you know how much I LOVE New Mexico and the Native American culture. I spend so much time there that I had the chance for this collection to be very thoughtful and intentional.

 I created a mood board for this collection and am sharing a lot of the images here with you. I wanted the feeling to be bold and sacred while invoking an energy of spirit. Spirit that lives in the earth, the water, the plants and the people. 

The colors I used this time around represent elements of this culture like, light green jade, smoky topaz, red tigers eye, moonstone, etc. The color story is light.

I found these colors in the textiles and homes around the area. I also took a note from mother nature and used her majestic beauty as a compass. I wanted to focus on simplicity, this has been a huge word for me throughout the year. Getting back to the basic elements of my design and my inspiration. 

I think we all tend to make everything more complicated that it has to be. The beauty is right there in front of us, as pure and simple as possible. I hope you enjoy this collection.

Go check out the collection on the website HERE!

Til Next Week,

 

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Ten Things About Me You Don't Know

Ten Things About Me You Don't Know

 

I have a fun little blog for you today. I thought I would share ten things you may not know about me. I had a lot of fun writing this, I hope you have just as much fun reading.

Let me know below which number shocked you the most.

  Til Next Week! 

TEN

I'm 100% "Greek American". As a child I was a little embarrassed to be Greek because there weren't any other kids who were greek in my school except for my cousins. My grandparents and extended family on both sides are all Greek. My grandfather came over for a better life when he was just 13.  He left his family, everything he knew and did not speak English. He worked for grocery stores in St. Louis and ended up owning one of his own. I am very proud of my family and my heritage. 

 

 

NINE

I don't have children but always wanted three boys! My career and ambitions kept me so busy that I put it off too long.  Now, I realize how valuable good parents are.  Now more than ever I believe it's a very big job and must be taken extremely seriously.  

 

EIGHT 

Going off of number seven, when people ask me what I value the most, I would say good parenting. Stay at home moms and dads who choose to be the executive of their household and family inspire me. I value a women's ability to nurture and teach our little humans to grow into responsible caring, loving and happy adults.  Most Important job in the world.

 

SEVEN 

My favorite color is yellow- a good golden yellow. No matter which house we moved into, I always had some room painted yellow. Still to this day it's my favorite color – the color of the sun!

 SIX 

I LOVE Cats! Since I am quite practical we had two cats that are brothers, so they could took care of each other during the day, Star and Bucks. Bucks just recently passed away and now Star is all by himself so I'm trying to figure out how to get another companion for him now that he's 13-years old and quite a bit older and set in his ways!

 

FIVE

What I'm passionate about? Helping those on this planet who cannot help themselves. Especially those who are hurt by humans directly or indirectly.  So, I'm a big fan of helping :

A) Abused and abandoned children

B) Abused and abandoned animals. Especially overhunting of species. Humans have not only driven many species to extinction, but continue causing near extinction of many more. 

C) Protecting our environment from humans over polluting our waters, oceans, lands and air. 

 

FOUR 

My favorite fruit – mangos!

 

THREE 

My biggest dream is to live in and own a historic grand estate. Either a genuine historic French château or Spanish hacienda or historic Native American Santa Fe adobe.

I'm in love with the history of beautiful architecture and places I can cultivate and collect art.  I have compiled books and real estate documents on hundreds of French chateaus all over France.

My husband and I actually spent three weeks visiting different regions to learn about history preservation and the cost and maintenance which is also quite grand!

With my parents being seniors and the bond I have to my family, I'm finding the dream bringing me here to the United States instead. Therefore the Santa Fe Adobe or the California Spanish Hacienda might be a little more realistic.  

 

TWO

Most people think I've been a jewelry designer all my career but I actually never intended to design jewelry. I started designing in 2010 on a trip to central Mexico.

Growing up, I always had an interest in fashion, but my passion and true desire was to be an Interior Designer.  I graduated with a degree in Interior Architecture, and started my own firm two years out of college in Dallas, Texas.

Believe it or not, I specialized in designing juvenile furnishings! My claim to fame back in the 1990s, was my crib designs. This was way before Pottery Barn Kids or Restoration Hardware Kids.

I have five design patents for special cribs and was the first one in the United States patent office to take casters and wheels off the bottoms of cribs.

These little things that I copyrighted and started, make me very proud. My career as the queen of baby design lasted almost 18 years. 

 

ONE

What I am most proud of? When my husband and I moved to central Mexico. We lived in another culture without knowing anyone or even the language.  My interior design, retail and furnishings business had grown so big that at one point just before summer of 2010, I told my husband I wanted to sell the house, move everything into storage, and spend the summer taking art classes, learning Spanish, and take Mexican cooking classes.

He could work from home and I could manage my retail stores from a distance. So we sold our house and moved to a Spanish colonial town in central Mexico. That summer break turned into 2 1/2 years of living, breathing and working in another culture. It was one of the best experiences of our lives.

Immersing yourself in a different culture is an amazing experience I recommend for everyone. You really find out what you're made of, and who you are.

I wanted to get back to my artisan-roots, freed up from contracts and paperwork and managing people. I got to work with my hands in sculpture classes and found that it turned into jewelry classes. This quickly turned into yet another business when I got into Neiman Marcus within six months of designing jewelry, then Saks Fifth Ave, and then Bloomingdales.

Now it's an honor that I find women are not just surrounding themselves with my designed furnishings but they are putting my creations on their bodies and adorning themselves with Stephanie Kantis – this is truly an honor. 

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Heal the World

Heal the World

This week on the blog I’m sharing something very personal and close to my heart.  Some of you might know my passion for truly making a difference on this planet, whether it’s through mentoring or volunteering. But the one cause that I have been passionately working towards is the environment.

 

I feel so strongly about treating and leaving our planet better than we found it and I want to use this blog as a place to educate more. So many of the people I talk to about issues involving the environment don’t know what we’re up against, and either did I! 

For my first blog on the topic I want to share some facts that you may or may not know about plastics and their affect on our planet. I hope this opens your eyes and ears to small ways we can all help.

 

Let me know what you think below, and let’s get this conversation started!

Til Next Week!

 

 A Few Facts:

 

6.74 GALLONS of water are used in the production and transportation of a 1-liter water bottle

 

90% of ALL the TRASH on the ocean surface is plastics with 46,000 pieces per square mile

 

More than 800,000 metric tons of POLLUTANTS are released into the air during production of plastic water bottles

 

Consumers trash 24 BILLION plastic water bottles each year just in the U.S.

 

1 MILLION seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals die from entanglement or ingestion of plastics

 

119 BOTTLE CAPS were discovered in the stomach of an albatross that was found dead in Hawaii

 

1,588 plastic water bottles are consumed every SECOND in the U.S. alone.

 

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It's Almost Time

It's Almost Time

A few weeks back I told you about our new collection, KANTIS Fine Jewelry. We are launching soon and I'm so excited to tell you that the line will be in stores starting September 1st, whoo hoo! 

Now, I know your next question is where, and I have that information for you too. We will be in stores at Saks Fifth Avenue in the following cities on September 1st: Palm Beach Gardens, Sarasota, San Francisco, Boca Raton, and St. Louis. As of November 1st we will be at Palm Beach, Palm Desert, Phoenix, and Naples as well. 

Now I also have some images to share. I took these pictures myself, well my husband and I did, but I was so excited I couldn't wait for the professional shots. I would love to know what your favorites are. So far I love them all! It's like children right? You can't have a favorite, or can you...  

Til Next Week,

 

 

 

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Wait! One More...

Wait! One More...

As the summer is winding down, I want to get the most out of it as possible and sometimes a quick little getaway is just the thing. Yes, week-long vacations in some far-away location is always welcome but sometimes it’s just a quick little road trip that’s all you need to refresh and reset for the Fall.

 

I have put together my three-favorite quick and easy trips for my Floridian friends. If you have a favorite I missed let me know. I’m always looking to add to my list. Florida is full of surprises and here are some of my favorites.

 

If it’s beaches you’re looking for…Naples!

 

The southwest side of Florida has a lot to offer that sometimes gets overlooked for the busier trendier southeast side. One of my favorite hotels to stay at is LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort. There is plenty of things to keep everyone happy. A beautiful private beach, spa and an 18-hole golf course. One of my favorite local breakfast spots is Sunburst Café, they serve phenomenal coffee and even better sweets.

 

If it’s art and culture you’re looking for…Miami!

 

I know that most think loud and busy when they think of Miami but you really should be thinking art and culture. So much has been happening in Miami lately and if you are interested in a bold experience this is the town. First stop should be the Miami Design District which has been exploding lately with some of the world’s most luxurious brands and restaurants. Next up, hit the Perez Art Museum Miami, a contemporary modern art museum with awesome views of Biscayne Bay. You can end the day with some drinks at the museum’s waterfront bar, Verde.

 

If it’s family time you’re looking for…Sanibel & Captiva Islands

 

Looking to slow down with the kids and take a break from social media this is the place. There isn’t even a traffic light on these islands. You will need to take a boat ride to get to Sanibel but Captiva is accessible by bridge. Casa Ybel Resort has tons of fun activities for kids and a spa for moms. There is also lots of great spots for family photos like the Sanibel Lighthouse and the “Sanibel Stoop” known for its great shelling opportunities.

 

While it pains me to talk about the end of summer, I hope these quick weekend vacation ideas add a little (last minute) excitement to your summer.

 

Till Next Week,

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That New (Mexico) Feeling

That New (Mexico) Feeling

I love the start of a new month, feels all fresh and full of possibilities but this month, feels extra special because it’s the beginning of the end of summer. It’s time to get all in those last glorious moments of summer in and really enjoy this moment, which i plan on doing.

My husband and I just got back from our yearly adventure in New Mexico, my happy place! I made a point to take a lot of really great pictures so you can come along with us. I really recommend visiting Santa Fe, it’s so full of natural inspiration. Here we go…

 

 

This amazing wall was one of the inspirations for my new Fine jewelry collections. All the organic shapes and fabulous river rocks go perfectly together. Each has been made beautifully over thousands of years with help from the rushing, free flowing water.

 

 

 

My husband and I love the west. There's something about the crisp air, the blue sky, all the earth tones, and the Native American spirit that's in the air.  The fabulous cuisine, artisan villages, and overall "Eco" respect of nature that most of the people seem to share really grounds both of us.  Also, here is a quintessential New Mexico, adobe home! 

 

 

In the summer you would think there wouldn’t be a lot of color due to the higher temperatures and the crisp air in the mornings, light afternoon showers and the cool evenings is the perfect combination creating beautiful wildflowers and amazing herbs.

 

 

This takes me back to my love of Indian and Mexican textiles. This is but a small sampling of the amazing rugs and pillows woven in this area by Native American tribes still today. It’s so amazing all the art that is being made around me.

 Every summer Santa Fe has an International folk art festival. Look at these adorable handmade wool felt booties! Here's to keeping the folk arts around the world alive and well.

That’s all I have to share for now, I hope you enjoyed that little peek into my favorite summer travels. Looking forward to a little rest and relaxing before the Fall rush starts.

Till Next Week,


 

 

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Everything Is Coming Up Roses

Everything Is Coming Up Roses

For the past couple of years now, Rose Gold has been huge in the jewelry world. It seemed to be a trend but is definitely past that trend stage at this point. It’s now a color for everything...hair color, products, shoes, etc.

  
 

We are introducing Rose Gold into the collections this coming season and I am so excited!

I have recently really fallen in love with rose-colored everything. The hue is huge lately, I am sure you have noticed and I wanted to share with you some of the inspiration I have found.

    

I have a lot, so I am going to do a tight edit of only the best inspiration. I hope this brightens your day, it sure has been helping mine.

 

PS. Check out some of our brand new Rose Gold pieces below, and let me know what you think!

 

Til Next Week!

 

 

 

 

 

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Easy As 1, 2, 3

Easy As 1, 2, 3

Today I’m sharing three easy design tips for a Fall transition that you can do in a week or less. I know, I know, you are saying but Stephanie, it’s only July! Ladies, August is around the corner and Fall isn’t far behind. I wanted to share some super easy design tips to help you get ready ahead of time so you can really enjoy the rest of summer.

I love changing up my house with the seasons, especially in South Florida because we don’t really have the weather to help us feel any actual temperature change, so décor is a real lifesaver.

 

Step 1:

Clean house. I recommend putting away 50% of the accessories you have around the house. We all (me included) tend to buy so much and display all the beautiful pieces we own, but you don’t have to. Go around your house and put away 50% of the things you have out. You don't have to get rid of them, just store them.

No more than three items per table. This not only looks clean it will make you feel refreshed and ready to take on the new challenges that Fall brings.

 

Step 2:

Color Change. The easiest and most costly effective way of re-decorating is painting walls. Even if it’s just one wall, paint it a fresh new color and it will inject new life into that room. If you aren’t sure, even a fresh coat of white will make a subtle but amazing difference.

Step 3:

Mix it Up. A lot of my past interior design clients used to always be afraid to mix themes in decoration. Don’t be afraid to mix up your modern pieces with some antique furniture or an antique lamp on a modern dresser. It’s the same design principle that works in fashion, the idea of hi and lo dressing, the balance works perfectly.

 

 Til Next Week!

 

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One-of-a-Kind

One-of-a-Kind

I know a few weeks back I mentioned a little teaser for the new fine jewelry line we are launching (YAY!) called KANTIS Fine Jewelry, but today I have another little secret to share. We are also launching another new line...Kantis Couture Gems.

Yes, I know what you’re thinking, I’m crazy, but I was SO inspired when creating the first fine line that we had to do another that focused on big statement pieces. These pieces are inspired by the Palm Beach over-the-top lifestyles and colorful landscape.

Both lines have very different themes, KANTIS Fine Jewelry is modern simple and clean while Kantis Couture Gems are one-of-a-kind statement pieces.

We wanted to showcase these amazing stones from this Indian Family that has been mining gems for 13 generations. The quality is absolutely amazing, some of the best I have ever seen. My inspiration for each stone is unique and the goal is to show how beautiful the stone is. I envisioned the likes of C.Z. Guest and society women attending lavish parties at Mar-A-Lago wearing the pieces.

I will share some images here but honestly, they don’t do them any justice. The real thing is too gorgeous for words (or images).

 

Til next Week,

 

 

 

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My Perfect Palm Beach

My Perfect Palm Beach

Now that it's summer and all the snow birds are gone, I’ve really been enjoying the quieter side of Palm Beach all to myself. I realized I should share with you my perfect Palm Beach weekend.

Below you will find my favorite things to do in this town that has become my second home and so much more.

 

 

 

Friday

 Dinner (http://www.imotopalmbeach.com)

 

     

    • Kicking off the weekend at my favorite Friday night spot, Imoto. The vibe is very New York meets Palm Beach and I love it. A mix of my favorite places.

     

     

      Saturday

       Yoga (http://hauteyogapalmbeach.com)

       

       

      •  I love to start the weekend off moving my body at Haute Yoga. The classes are always exactly what I need to get my mind in the mood for a relaxing yet productive weekend.

       

      Breakfast/Brunch (http://www.islandbeepb.com)

       

       

      •  Then I will stop by the Island Bee and grab a wheatgrass shot (because it’s so good for you, and quick!) and a green juice or smoothie. I usually go with whatever I am feeling that day.

       

      Shopping (http://www.michellefarmer.com)

       

       

      •  I love to stop by my friend Michelle Farmer’s boutique. She has amazing beachy resort wear and everything is so well edited and thoughtful. They make you feel like you are in their living room when you’re in the store.

       

      Dinner (https://www.thebreakers.com/dining/echo/)

       

       

      •  Echo is my number one dinner recommendation at all my friends who visit Palm Beach. I love sushi and they do beautiful artisan dishes, not your typical sushi place. It’s quite the experience and the atmosphere is insane. Definitely get the edamame to start, the sauce is so good, I can never get enough. They need to bottle that stuff!

       

       

       

      Sunday

       Spa (https://www.thebreakers.com/activities/spa/)

       

       

      • I love the breakers spa for a little me time on Sunday morning. I usually spend a little extra time there to just be with my thoughts and soak up all the peaceful silence.

       

      Walk

        • Strolling down Worth Avenue with a coffee and my husband is always a fun Sunday thing to do. I just love to look and see the beautiful architecture and trees. I am always amazed at how colorful Palm Beach is. Great Inspiration.

         

        Early Dinner (https://www.pbcatch.com)

           

           

          •  I love to eat an early dinner on Sunday and get home early and just enjoy my beautiful home. We love to eat really fresh and PB Catch is perfect for that. The Oyster selection is top notch and the staff is so knowledgeable. I feel like I learn something every time I leave there.

           

           

           

           

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