Growing organic foods while recycling at the same time!

So today I was going to tell you all about my new fashion find, but the companies website is down and teasing you all just doesn't seem fair. Instead I'm bringing you a crafty Monday post (inspired by my new fashion find actually… you'll see how tomorrow). 

I came home from work to find not only my bridesmaids dress for Ashlee's wedding, but also this little gem: 

Thank you so, so, SO much Bear!! I can't tell you how happy this made me =) 

Last week on instagram I asked my friends if anyone knew where to get organic seeds, and Danielle delivered! Literally. She has her own amazing garden that produces amazing veggies! Check out her instagram @daniellesalt to see images of the wonderful plant children she has grown. 

Danielle is also a master seed packer… and how cute is that card?

As you can see she gave me plenty of organic and non-gmo seeds to use! The only things I needed after that were a place to plant them and some more soil. 

To make your own recycled garden you need gallon size jugs, seeds, soil, some water, and left over coffee, mmmmm. 

That's right! Plants love coffee too =) 

I happen to keep five gallons of water on me at all times (drink your H2O!), so I already had a stock pile of old jugs ready to go. I also stopped drinking coffee lately for a detox before my big run, but had some left over from friends visiting. Time to toss that temptation in the urban garden!

These gallon jugs are perfect for root crops (which is mainly what Danielle sent me). Root crops usually only need enough soil to fit the length of their body (depth wise).  Each jug can handle about five carrots, four radishes,  or three onions. Obviously if your trying to grow more veggies, you can use another jug or create a planted for your veggies. 

Old coffee can help your plants by giving them nitrogen, magnesium, calcium, potassium etc. They help regulate the PH balance of your soil (some plants require a higher PH balance) and they can also be used to keep unwanted pests at bay (leave the pest killer on the shelf!). You can use old coffee by diluting it in A LOT of water (1/4 coffee, 3/4 water) and giving small doses to your plants once or twice a week. You can also take some of the coffee grounds left over from each pot and gently place them on the top soil. 

Since my plants are just starting, I'm going to make the mixture but wait until the plants are strong enough. I don't want to mess them up with too much acidity early on. 

I used sharpies to label and decorate my recycled jugs

Here's my coffee mixture. This was just a bit of left over coffee that I mixed with a ton of water. Coffee is also great to throw into a compost mixture if you have one going (or want to start one). 

The finished products =) I have nine new "planters" growing outside now! I'm so excited to see them grow! By mid May I should have tons of lettuce, spinach, arugula, carrots and more ready to eat. MMMmmmmmMMMmmmmm

Organic veggies for the win. 

Do you have your own "urban garden" or organic garden growing?? How do you start your seeds and keep your plant "children" growing? Leave comments below =) 

Ciao ciao, 

Kk 

What is going on right now???

Sometimes you make big plans for the weekend, and then sometimes Mother Earth decides your grounded instead...

This Friday I got hit with a 5.5 magnitude earthquake that was just a few miles away from my apartment. Now, I don't have the studiest apartment. When the big one hit our floors were rolling like waves... It was a little nerve wracking. The worst part was the after shock though, medium size earthquakes kept hitting us every four minutes. Blah. 

Above is a map of all the earthquakes from Friday. The yellow circles are the 4.5 and 5.5 quakes. The earth was a rocking and a rolling for sure. 

I decided I would rather be on the rolling ocean than rolling land so a few friends and I went on a boat cruise in Newport Beach. 

With the boy ❤️ he knows the best way to calm me down is taking me to the ocean. 

Wearing: Wildfox strawberry fields tank and Juicy Couture jacket (normally not as puffy... It twas windy ;) ) and boyfriend jeans from Brass Plum.

Stay safe sealions! 

After a boat ride we went back to the beach to watch the sunset:

Purple haze💜

Lil Charlie keeping watch.

All in all it was a wonderfully relaxing day :) 

Later that night we came back to my place where I found my newest edition of Vogue magazine. I'm a subscriber so I get them every month... But I was NOT happy about the cover this month. Don't get me wrong I like Kanye as a musician, but he and the kardashians do not belong on the cover of Vogue (in my opinion). I know people like Naomi are being very diplomatic with this issue but I'm gonna be honest and just say I was disgusted. The real knife in the back was Annie Leibovitz  took the photos of "kimye". I love Anna and Annie more than words can describe. This was just heart breaking though. A picture of Kim taking a selfie with her baby as Kanye takes a picture of them from an iPad??? The momager whatever- her-name is smiling like a crazy clown as Kim tries to look regal?? And the garage picture?? Kim looks lifeless laying over the car... She's not interacting with Kanye or the car or even the photographer, and She definately could have moved her body into more flattering positions. Ug. Just ug.

Spencer captured my rant on film:

So disgusted...

I almost threw it away without opening it but I had seen pictures of Karlie Kloss' Photoshoot on tumblr and just couldn't get myself to do it. So I improved it instead...

Hope everyone that was near the earthquakes are doing ok! Also my new earthquake app tells me Hawaii, Alaska and Montana are getting hit hard to (and China??) so my thoughts go out to everyone there as well!!

Ciao ciao,

Kk

Making cute outfits for Coachella with clothes you already have!!

It's Thrifty Thursday! And in a weird way also throw back Thursday (but to your old clothes… not your baby pictures). Today's Thrifty Thursday is all about Coachella outfits!

So if you're anything like me, you're signed up for too many clothing companies email updates. If you said yes to that statement, then I'm guessing your inbox is full of emails about festival styles, Coachella, lollapalooza, OH MY! Every single brand, store, and boutique out there is screaming "you need new clothes!". 

Newsflash: you don't. 

What do the emails advertise? "Spring 2014 Festival Bralettes!" Um yeah, those have been extremely popular for 2-3 years now I'm sure you have some. "Mix matched prints!". Seriously? You need new prints? After we just had a year of polka dots, flowers, stripes, and stoner patterns on rotation? "Festival trend update: The Maxi!".  The maxi has been so popular for a few years now you can't go a day without seeing 20 people wearing one. Chances are you're one of those people. "The new cut: High Wasted shorts". OK just because the Jenner sisters started wearing this cut doesn't mean it's a new trend. Everyone in Austrailla knows the truth. 

And finally, and probably the most popular of all slogans: FESTIVAL FLOWERS!!

Hold onto your credit cards ladies and start digging through your closet. This year we're making outfits out of clothes we already own!

First up: the crazy patterned, high waisted shorts you bought last year with a bralette of your choice and the sheer top you got in the fall of 2012… or 2011?

So the first thing to think about when packing for Coachella is the heat. Your going to be in a crowd of strangers in the hot hot desert with stage lights all around you. You also may be partaking in activities that would dehydrate you even if you were out in the snow. So when your packing, think light airy pieces.  

I'm wearing my For Love and Lemons Skivies "Bat your lashes" bra with a sheer top from Nordstroms that I got in 2011 or 2012 (when sheer tops were just becoming popular). I matched them with my high waisted shorts I got for my trip to Hawaii last year. (Remember: Crazy patterns). 

Hippie hair and headbands are also a staple for Coachella. Not only will you feel like a hippy princess, you'll also be keeping your hair off your sweaty forehead (sticky strands of hair is never a good look). 

Tuck in the front of your blouse to show off your shorts and leave the back untucked for a magical flowy effect. 

Second up: The same bralette with a high waisted skater skirt from fall and an over sized denim button up from winter. While for the most part Coachella will be extremely hot, you might want something light to wear while walking to the bus stop in the morning/evening. Or for late night fire circles under the stars with the people sleeping in the car parked next to yours. 

A boyfriend cut denim button up does just the trick. Mine was purchased at the gap. It's extremely lightweight and I can easily roll up the sleeves. 

When it gets too hot later you can let it drape off your shoulders like a shawl (pictured towards the bottom of this post). Or you can tie it around your waist, a style that seems to come back every other year. 

Make sure to choose a bralette you feel comfortable wearing as a shirt. 

Third look: The same bralette and skirt, but this time with a flower blouse from 2012. 

My mom got me this sheer top to go over a tight purple dress and tights (I still wear the outfit). For Coachella, just throw it over one of your bralettes and a high waisted skirt. I personally love this outfit because it's not constricting and there's so much "flounce" in the shirt and skirt. Perfect for spinning around Coachella. 

Blouse was from Nordstroms. The skater skirt is from Brandy Melville (still available). 

Fourth look: Bralette from christmas, crochet top from a friend's spring cleaning pile, and the same shorts. 

Crochet is another Coachella staple you can easily throw on top of any outfit. Match the color of the crochet fibers to your shorts/skirt/dress. I have a few crochet tops but most of them were too tan to work with this outfit so I went with the white one. 

If you want to make this look less hippy and more "tropical adventure" toss of the top and run around in your bralette!

Fifth look: A black maxi dress from last year and a vest from a friends "spring cleaning" pile. 

I can never say it enough: going through friends' old clothes is the greatest thing on the planet. They may be done with certain items but to you it's a whole new ball game. I've worn this black dress all over the place in the past year but this vest I recently had passed on to me makes it a totally new outfit. 

I call it the gypsy effect. Long maxi and layers of jewelry. 

Side note: Long hippy hair looks fantastic but by the end of the day you won't care about looks. You'll be tired and hot. Just toss it up into a bun!

Similar to the last outfit but this time I'm tossing on an old tank top that was lost deep in my closet. 

Another big festival trend this year is the rainbow pattern. Luckily, my love for anything my little pony has prompted me to buy rainbow pattern things whenever possible. For example this tank from Wildfox:

It's over the same maxi dress, but it gives it a whole new feel. I also highly encourage going to a Goodwill or hospice thrift shop to find some awesome costume jewelry. I got mine from my Grandma and then used bobbi pins to place it in my hair like a tiara. 

Speaking of tiaras, here's my flower one again. I made this with Clare a few weeks ago (instructions on how to make your own are in a previous post). 

Last year tank tops with the sides cut out were extremely popular. I got a few in a deal combo from VS Pink last year before going to Hawaii. I haven't worn them since, but decided to pull them out for this. I had worn them with bikini tops last summer which was a more sporty look. For Coachella, find a delicate lace bra to wear underneath for a romanic look. 

If you don't have a lace bra or if you're worried of something showing accidentally, grab a bralette! I've noticed VS Pink is pushing their "new" Hawaiian prints this season. They aren't really new though… last year they had a wide range of Hawaiian print products as well, including the bralette below.  Remember to check your closet before buying anything "new". 

Finally, something I know you all have: a bathing suit top! Bandeau bathing suit tops have been popular for over seven years now. You can easily pair one with shorts or a skirt to make an instant festival outfit! I'm wearing my rainbow (double trend bonus!) bikini top with a lace skirt I got in Italy (2010) and my denim button down from the Gap. I choose to wear the denim button down draped like a shawl this time. 

Flower crowns, rainbows, and lace. Perfection. 

Hope this helps inspire you to check your closet before buying into any "new" trends!

Ciao Ciao, 

KK

Wellness Wednesday: saving the honey bees

Wellness Wednesday's are all about doing something good for the body, mind, and soul. 

Today I started off wellness Wednesday by heading to Target after work. I had a long, long day and needed something that I could do without needing to think as much. I decided to plant some more plants! I don't have a backyard so they're going on my balcony of my apartment. This meant I needed them all to be in pots. 

I chose plants that I could either eat or that were listed in the image above. The image shows different plants that can help restore the honey bee population. If you haven't heard (because mainstream news seems to be ignoring it) the honey bee population has been steadily decreasing since 2006 and no one seems to know why. Worker bees seem to just vanish into thin air. No dead bees are found near the colonies or in the surrounding farm areas, but worker bees are disappearing at a rapid rate. When a bee colony looses most of it's workers, it's unable to survive. 

One theory is that the bees have been exposed to too many pesticides (again… BUY ORGANIC!) but the exact reason still hasn't been pinpointed. I'm proud to say my alma mater UC Davis has played a huge role in researching the cause behind the decline of the honey bee population AND one of my favorite brands Annie's donates part of their profits towards UC Davis' research project (on the bees). 

When I posted a picture today with #savethebees on instagram, someone quickly commented "I hate bees! #killthebees".  I get it, bees sting. Stings hurt. Many humans are also extremely allergic to bee stings. I'm not trying to get more of us stung! I'm trying to help save a population of insects that not only makes the only food that can sustain life on its own (honey) but also a population of insects that are responsible for the pollination of most of our food!

"Honeybees are one of the world's leading pollinators, for they are responsible for $30 billion a year in crops, and we depend on them and other pollinators for one-third of our food supply. Without bees, our produce sections in supermarkets would look bare- with up to 50%less fruit and vegetables- and our favorite foods, such as apples, carrots, lemons, onions, broccoli, and not to mention honey, would become a luxury of the past." - Samantha Jakuboski 

I choose to grow cilantro, lavender, poppies, and sunflowers to help the honey bee population.  

As you can see, only two of my seed types were certified organic. I was really upset to see that Target had a very small selection of organic seeds and am on the hunt for more. Being in the zombie like state of mind I was in I just kept grabbing other seeds even if they weren't organic. Which I now realize is counter productive in saving the honey bees if they are dying because of pesticides… ug.

I tried. 

Here are my two organic seeds: Watermelons and cilantro. Target DID have an amazing seed starting kit that is made of 100% natural fiber cells. This means that as soon as the seeds have sprouted, I can just tear off that square from the rest and plant it directly into a bigger pot! Perfect!

I got most of the seeds above in the dollar section of Target. They (strawberry, poppy, and basil set) actually come with a tiny pot, a plant starter disc, and seeds. All by the company "Grow". The lavender and sunflower seeds were planted in the seed starter. 

I now have a small and a large basil pot, three strawberry pots, one poppy pot, and one large sunflower pot going: 

I had already gotten one of those "Grow" kits from the dollar section a few weeks ago. It was a sunflower set and the sprouts now have two leaves each so I decided it was time to replant them into this larger pot. I added more sunflower seeds to the rest of the pot (they're two different types so it should be a beautiful mix of sunflowers when it's fully grown!). 

After a relaxing gardening break I went for a five mile run. It's not as far as most of my runs lately because I have a 20 mile run coming up on Sunday. The schedule I follow lessens the milage during the week before long weekend runs to prevent injuries. 

The Santa Anna winds were against me but on the bright side the sky was full of beautiful storm clouds that were reflecting the sunset. I love Southern California. 

I thought this little palm tree was hilarious =) It looks like an oasis in the middle of a lush meadow. 

To wrap up wellness Wednesday I made a healthy dinner: Quinoa and spinach!

All you need is quinoa, water, and a rice cooker for easy cooking! Take 1/2 cup of quinoa, a cup of water, and dump into the rice cooker. Switch it to "cook". 

You'll know your quinoa is done when these little "tails" start to come out. 

I layer my spinach first, then put some quinoa in, layer more spinach etc. I personally love to add some soy sauce to the quinoa layers to give it some extra taste. 

For the rest of the night I've been doing more work, homework, and planning Ashlee's bachelorette party ;) I can not wait for May to finally roll around. 

Ciao Ciao, 

Kk