One of my goals for 2013 and beyond is to follow these 2 simple, yet powerful words: "Just Go".  I am a perpetual planner, over-analyzer & worrier.  I fret about the success of my store, my aging grandparents, being a good friend, whether it's the right time to get a puppy, what am I going to wear in Calistoga next month, and the list goes on and on...there are many times where I can't sleep because my mind is racing with my extensive to-do list.

However, since my grandpa's passing last year, I have made a conscious effort to stop THINKING so much, and just start DOING - life truly is too short.  So I've decided that I won't miss any more of my grandma's birthdays, and if she wants to fly to Japan for 2 nights to see her favorite singer in concert, I'm going with her.  If I want to run a half marathon or have the opportunity to travel and see the world, I'm going to make it work.  And if I want to eat fries, a Sprinkles cupcake, or ice cream in a waffle cone - it's OK!  No more, "I'm too busy", or "I'm not working hard enough", or "Do you know how many calories are in that?". 

There's enough crummy stuff that happens in our lives, so maybe it's our job to live the lives we've imagined and believe that we deserve it!

Ladies,

We put ourselves through the pain and suffering of working out, in addition to the hunger associated with eating well, to get ready for swimsuit season.  On top of that, we go through a rollercoaster ride of emotions trying to find the perfect swimsuit that covers the "problem" areas, and accentuates the "not-so-problematic" ones, which naturally means buying the most expensive suit in the store.  Shouldn't we take great care of an item that costs so much blood, sweat and tears, rather than throwing them into a plastic Safeway bag?  Introducing the "bikini bag" by Echo - with a cotton-canvas exterior and water-resistant lining, it's perfect for toting wet or dry bathing suits, and ideal for travel. 

When I saw it at a little boutique in Paia, Maui, my first thought was "Why didn't I think of that?!"  They come in a variety of bright colors and your standard white and black - I chose the blue pictured above.  And they're not just for travel, as most of my bikinis are bandeaus with removable ties (to prevent tan lines of course), I hated the hassle of unearthing the ties from my dresser drawer and my suitcases.  Now, I even use the bag at home to hold all of my clean suits and ties - so functional!

I am obsessed with the Oxford trend for Spring '13!  The outfit above is just one of the many darling ways I would wear these traditionally masculine shoes.  And designers have come up with so many fun variations on the conventional look like adding a heel, wedge or pop-of-color - I'll take one of each please :)  Will you take a leap and try this trend with me?

So many of my customers ask me to show them all the different ways to tie a scarf, and before I opened Kula Sweet, I would ask the same thing of the sales gals at Nordstrom and other boutiques, and always kept my eye open for new ways that other women were wearing them - so when I came across this great "How-to" from Scarves Dot Net the other day I had to share it! 
They call it the "Master List" which shows more than 40 ways to tie a scarf.  And if you go to their website, you can click on each option to get step-by-step instructions with pictures - so creative & helpful! 

So if you're anything like me...I get tired of the same old clothes in my closet, the same old hairstyle, the same old bedding, etc., and need a change of scenery every few months or years, so when I found "Pretty Pegs," I was thrilled!  They're like custom-made "shoes for your furniture" that come in many different designs and colors.  Above are just a few of my favorite ones :) 

The pegs are made of solid ash wood and are designed and produced in Sweden.  They fit primarily beds and sofas at this point and per their website: "fit many furniture models and brands", but they do recommend making sure that your furniture fits their prerequisites before placing your order. 

Check out their website: Prettypegs.se for more details and pics!

I came across an article about a new company called "Day2Night," which makes a shoe with a convertible heel and had to share it!  Each pair comes with 5 different heel heights so you can go from a kitten heel during the day to sky-high at night!  It helps begin to solve the issue of having the perfect shoe on-the-go, as each heel can fit into a purse or clutch and completely revamps any outfit. 

It also means lightening the load for travel, and if you're like me, I prefer to carry-on because of all the horror stories about lost luggage and stolen items, it makes life that much easier.  I will admit that I took 11 pairs of shoes on my last trip that was only one week long because I wanted to have the perfect heel for every outfit - the ballet flat, the kitten heel, the wedge, the espadrille, the peep-toe pump, the closed-toe pump, the boot (3 different colors), and the rainboot, just to name a few, so being able to pare down the list AND thereby leave more room for must-have purchases - sign me up!

They currently only have the "Marissa" open-toe slingback (above) that is available for $150 on their website: Convertible-heels.com, but hopefully more styles and colors are in the works!

To All of Kula Sweet's Wonderful Customers, Friends & Family,

Thank you for all of your love and support throughout the year and for continuing to inspire me every day.  Each of you have warmed my heart and re-confirm why I wanted to open this business.  I feel truly blessed to have you in my life, and hope you all have a fantastic holiday season!  Let's catch up soon :)

~ Courtney

Let us help you get exactly what you want for Christmas!

Find things you would love to receive as a gift for the holidays or any special occasion? Tell us what you're in love with and we'll put your info on our Wish List. Then when that special person comes in to buy you a gift (or gifts!) we'll be able to show them exactly what you want!

So show us what you must have and we’ll take it from there. All we’ll need is your name, and we’ll keep notes on the style(s) you like, color, and size.

Join Kula Sweet’s Wish List and we'll make sure you get the gift you want!

 

Spend $250 or more & select any eligible sale item for JUST $10!

We sure appreciate your business throughout the year, and wanted to do a special thank you!  This offer will run through the end of the year, or until eligible items last.  Items have original values up to $225 and include dresses, tops, tunics, sweaters, and more - hope to see you soon!

For those of you who are obsessed with having things organized like me, dealing with all the jewelry I've collected over the years has been a consistent struggle.  Owning my own business means I'm always on the go and need to find the right accessories quickly and easily.  There have been countless times when I find the perfect necklace and it's all tangled up - grr!  I have tried jewelry drawers, jewelry boxes and ALL of the jewelry organizers at the Container Store, but nothing seemed to work...until I found the article below. 

You basically use push pins (and they have really cute ones now at stores like Target and Office Max), and hang your necklaces on the wall, which also serve as darling decor!  I also hung the matching bracelets with the necklaces and lined my watches and earrings neatly on a cute platter.  Now I run out of the house perfectly accessorized without any of the headache :)