So, we did a thing. A super crazy thing.

Only giving ourselves four days’ notice, we booked flights to New York City and we went.

Awhile back, our favorite artist, Ashley Longshore announced that she would be the first female in history to have a solo show at Bergdorf Goodman. That meant 5 of the windows at Bergdorf would feature her art, and the entire 7th floor would be jammed with her amazing paintings, sculptures, and furniture.

When we heard about this, we were feeling a million emotions. We were SO proud of Ashley and SO jealous of all the betches that would get to go. We were like, “There’s no way we can swing this. We couldn’t swing this…Could we?”

And then we stopped those thoughts right in their tracks. NO. We NEEDED to do this. We wouldn’t take no for an answer, no matter how crazy it all was. We decided we’d go to her exhibit, spend a night in the city, and head home the next day.

So we spent a couple days shopping for clothes, freaking out, and planning as much as we possibly could, in between several new client meetings and our normal work load. Before we knew it, we were waking up at 1:30 AM to catch a super early flight to NYC.

We got to our hotel, got ready, and decided we’d walk to Bergdorf. We’d be passing Times Square, and the walk wasn’t much more than half a mile, so we thought that by walking, we could take in the sights and really experience the city at night. Well, we experienced it all right. We found out that apparently directions don’t always work when you’re surrounded by skyscrapers and a zillion and a half people ready to trample you. After getting off track, we had to call an Uber. We tried, okay?!

Rolling up to Bergdorf Goodman, we were in awe of Ashley’s windows.

 Her art dazzled behind all the designer gowns. We could have stayed outside looking at the windows forever, but we really wanted to get to that 7th floor to see Ashley herself and more of her work!

Her floor was jam packed with people and was approximately 532 degrees Fahrenheit. We wiggled our way through oodles of rude af New Yorkers, making sure to say “ope, ‘scuse me” approximately seven hundred times like the true Midwesterners we are.

There was a makeshift line (the structure was more like a mob than a line) to get selfies with Ashley, so we got in it, moving 3 inches forward approximately every 15 minutes. Just as we were getting close to having our turn, Ashley was wooshed away to another part of the floor. 

Because Blake Lively and Christian Siriano had just showed up.

 

That’s right, Blake Lively and Christian Siriano (with his husband Brad Walsh) IN THE FLESH, just mere feet from us. It was so crazy!  

After all that excitement died down, another “line” formed around Ashley. We ended up being a few of the last people to get a word in with Ashley before she left. What she said to Kelle’s daughter Bailey was beyond special. It made the whole trip worth it.

 

I wish we had a recording of exactly what Ashley said, but the long and short of it was this: She wanted Bailey to promise her that she would work hard to make sure she would get the same opportunities as everyone else. Bailey was blushing like crazy and you could tell this would be such a special moment in her life. THAT is why we did this.

Our trip from that point on was… A bit of a rollercoaster. Finding a restaurant that night with amazing dumplings and lots of prosecco (YES!) hanging out in Soho, shopping at The Real Real, and getting the best macarons ever (YES!) sprinting in the pouring rain to our hotel to get our bags (NO!) missing our flight after spending two hours in bumper to bumper traffic (NO!) getting to stay an extra night, this time in Soho (YES!) and discovering two more delicious food spots (YES!)

Yeah, that all happened. The whole experience was amazingly overwhelming, and all we can do is laugh. We are so happy we took the plunge and did it. But that doesn’t mean we didn’t learn a couple lessons:

1. Try not to give af about the betches that will be eyeing your purse to make sure it’s expensive enough. We learned that Coach isn’t good enough for New Yorkers. Noted.
2. Everyone on the street is RUDE and will trample over you, even if you have a small child with you.
3. Never assume that you’ll be in your Uber for less than 25 minutes, even if your destination is walking distance. All that traffic does not curr that you have places to be.
4. That being said, don’t assume that walking will be faster, especially if your directions decide to just not work. Because that CAN and probably will happen.
5. If you have a short amount of time in New York City, don’t even bother with Times Square. Go directly to Soho or Tribeca. You can thank us later.

Well, we did it. The first of many more big adventures that we will have at KDI is in the books!

I wonder where we’ll go next…

It’s New Year’s Eve!

Anyone who’s anyone (/anyone who is responsible with their money) is totally going to go out and have the time of their lives tonight, poppin’ bubbly at the stroke of midnight. The rest of us, not yet recovered from Christmas spending, are going to be sitting on our couches watching Netflix… Possibly able to stay up till midnight, but let’s be real here- that is past our bedtime.

Even if that is the case, New Year’s Eve is one of the most fun holidays to plan outfits for, and we didn’t want to miss out on that. So yeah, we might physically be in our pajamas all day, but mentally… We are totally rockin’ these looks:

 

What’s your NYE look? We’d love to know!

So, the holidays are like…Here.  We can’t believe it.  We’re trying to take deep breaths in between working, running all over town, and cleaning our houses for guests, but sometimes this time of year can get the best of ya.

If you’re anything like us, you’re still scrambling to wrap up your Christmas shopping, but just aren’t getting lucky at any stores. You know the feeling: you’ve got just TWO people left to shop for but you can’t find anything you think they’ll like.

That’s where we come in to help you.  We have two ideas for you if you’re good in the kitchen, and six ideas for you if you’re better at crafty things.  You got this!

Bacon Jam

It kinda sounds gross, we know. But believe us- this stuff is so good, you’ll want to smear it on everything you eat. This recipe is pretty simple, and it makes the perfect gift for any bacon lover in your life!

Ingredients:

1 lb bacon

1 ½ c chopped onion

3 cloves of garlic, minced

½ tsp chili powder

¼ tsp paprika

⅓ c bourbon

⅓ c maple syrup

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

⅓ c brown sugar

A few dashes of black pepper

 

Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a cooling tray on top of the baking sheet. Place the bacon strips in a single layer on top of the cooling tray- this will allow the grease to drip to the bottom of the pan. Bake the bacon for 20-25 minutes, or until crispy.

Remove bacon from tray and blot excess oil off the slices with a paper towel. Reserve some of the bacon grease to cook your onion in.

Heat about 1 Tbsp bacon grease to a frying pan, then add the chopped onions. When the onions start caramelizing, add the garlic, chili powder, and paprika. Next, mix in the bourbon and maple syrup. Bring this mixture to a boil. Then mix in the balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, and black pepper.

While those ingredients are still cooking on the stove, coarsely chop the bacon strips and add the bacon to your frying pan. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes until the mixture thickens.

Let cool, then drain any excess liquid. Transfer mixture into jars, write the date on them, and store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

Amaretto

Who doesn’t like getting booze for the holidays? We have a simple infusion recipe for you that turns cheap booze into a lovely gift for anyone over 21 on your list.

Ingredients:

¾ c water

½ c white sugar

¼ c brown sugar

1 Tbsp almond extract

2 tsp of vanilla

1 c vodka

⅓ c brandy

1 wedge of orange peel

 

Heat water in saucepan with orange peel. Bring to a boil, then remove the orange peel and add the sugars. Stir until fully dissolved, then remove from heat. Allow to cool before adding the vodka, brandy, and extracts of vanilla and almond. Funnel liquid into a clean bottle and let sit at room temperature for at least a few days before gifting.

 

Okay, now to the crafty things! These are some of our favorite DIYs from the web.  We hope they inspire you to make something awesome!

 

Door Tassels

 

Clay Jewelry/ Trinket Dish

 

Cowhide Coasters

 

Silk Eyelash Sleep Mask

 

Vintage Teacup Candles

  

Gemstone Soap

 

Let us know if you try any of these ideas! We would love to hear from you!

Okay, confession time. Sometimes we spend just as much money on wrapping presents as we do buying the actual present.

We’re a little gift wrap cray cray. I think there’s an explanation why.

If you grew up anything like us, the presents under the tree were either wrapped in the same wrapping paper from the past 5 years (IT WAS ON SALE) or newspaper. Santa has a lot of kids to wrap presents for… Not everyone can get a special package with a pretty red bow, y’know. Santa is a thrifty fella.

So maybe we’re a little burnt out on newspap-

On second thought, maybe newspaper DOES work. It just needs that pretty red bow 😉

If you’re a little scarred by some of Santa’s gift wrapping faux-pas, you might be inclined to up your wrapping game. 

We’ve rounded up some of our favorite gift wrapping ideas, including some examples of how we do it at KDI. Get your scissors and tape out!

Top with an ornament

This is one of our favorite ways to make a present personal. Instead of wrapping an ornament up as part of the gift, make it part of the wrapping! Kelle bought this Three Prawn Kings ornament for her daughter, who loves shrimp. With a coordinating bow, this ornament dazzles as a gift topper!

Get krafty

A little doodling and a lot of kraft paper can go a long way in the wrapping world! We love kraft paper’s simplicity, and how easily it can be turned from boring ol’ brown paper to something much more special. We love the idea of doodling bows or writing special messages on it!

Add greenery

Another way to jazz up simple paper is by adding greenery. Snip some clippings off your pine tree and use a simple twine bow to keep it on the present.

 No pine tree in your yard? Add greenery by cutting out leaves in various shades of green, like we did for our presents last year!

Mix papers

Just like we love mixing patterns for pillows and upholstery, we love mixing patterns when wrapping presents. Kelle’s mix of bold buffalo check with classic Christmas plaid is so jolly, we can’t help but think Santa’s elves are taking notes.

USE POM POMS

There is nothing, we repeat, nothing more fun than pom poms. If you were blessed with a patient heart, this little DIY is for you. 

 

So that’s a wrap! (Sorry, had to)

We hope you loved our wrapping tips! What’s your favorite way to make presents special?

 

The holidays are right around the corner, and if you’re like most people, you’re probably scrambling to get gifts for everyone figured out.

Gift-giving is definitely our favorite part of the holidays here at KDI.  We loooove shopping (duh) and have been known to spend just as much time = wrapping presents as we do picking them out. We realize though that not everyone gets so excited about this time of year, so if picking out gifts is not your specialty, we got you.

Here is the KDI round-up of this year’s favorite gifts, all under $100!

 

FOR HER:

How darling are these monogram pouches from Anthropologie? These make the perfect clutch or make-up bag for any lucky lady on your list.

Does this door mat even need an explanation? Surely any queen on your list will love this!

If you haven’t already stalked Rihanna’s line of beauty products, it’s time you did. This article explains how she’s changing the game/gives you all the reasons you need to buy it for every female on your list!

 

FOR HIM:

Keep your favorite guy warm this winter with these leather and cashmere gloves from J Crew. ‘Cause lets be real, those $2 gloves from Wallgreens ain’t keepin’ him warm.

 This is really the gift that keeps on giving. Just make sure to invite yourself to any future BBQs that will involve the use of these spices!

 

FOR THE PERSON WITH EVERYTHING:

Everyone has one of these people on their list: someone who claims they don’t want anything or someone who already has everything. Well, we’ve rounded up some interesting gift ideas for the people who are the hardest to buy for.

Did you know that you can adopt your own olive tree? This company (and others) will reserve a tree for you and send you olive oil made from your tree. How special is that? This is the perfect gift for anyone who has it all, or for anyone who loves to cook.

Personalized or monogrammed items are always winners in our books.  If you don’t have any ideas for someone on your list, try a personalized planner or stationery!

This book should be required reading for everyone on the planet, seriously. Buy yourself a copy, and buy a copy for every single person you know. Who knows, maybe it’s cheaper by the dozen.

 

FOR GIRLS:

Full disclosure: WE want these keychains, too! But whatever, it’s the season of giving. Any girl on your list would love one of these hanging from her backpack or purse! (And we won’t tell if you get one for yourself, too.)

The only thing cooler than shrinky dinks is wearable shrinky dinks. This is the perfect gift for any little creative booger on your list.

 

FOR BOYS:

This game is perfect for any kid you know who has a phone… Which is probably every kid you know, because seriously, kids are practically born with them nowadays. This card game prompts players to do something on their phone and awards points to the player who does the prompt most successfully. 

We love tricking kids into learning, and these kits from the brand Science Academy do just that! There are some that are perfect for girls, too!

 

…And if you’re still stumped on what to get someone on your list, remember… WE NOW HAVE GIFT CERTIFICATES.

Because really, what’s a better gift than the gift of a happy home? 🙂

 

Let us know in the comments if some of our favs helped you check some people off your list! We’d love to hear from you!

Decorating for the holidays.

Some people go all out. Some people would rather die than do it. And then there’s some of us who who feel like we have to do it, but think that decorating your entire house for 30 days of enjoyment (at most) is a little ridic and sometimes even tacky.

Thanksgiving is just days away, and if you’re hosting, you’re probably freaking out a little bit. Food prep is probably #1 on your mind, so we have some fuss-free decor ideas that will be the last thing you need to worry about, but the first thing everyone will notice when they come over!

Our #1 rule for holiday decor: Less is More. I’m sure Ludwig Mies van der Rohe wasn’t referring to holiday decor when he coined that phrase, but we’re gonna pretend he was. Only because sometimes more is more, but that’s definitely not the case for holiday decorating.

Let us be clear: This is NOT the look.

Fake foliage is expensive. Seriously, sprigs of fake leaves for $15 each at the craft store? And you need 8 to sufficiently cover your mantle alone? Hell. No. That money could go towards something in your home that you keep out year round. Do not, we repeat- DO NOT spend your hard earned money on fake leaves and coordinating Thanksgiving tableware. 

What we mean is that you don’t need an orange tablecloth with pumpkins and gourds and corn printed on it to match your napkins that have pumpkins, gourds, and corn printed on it. And you certainly do not need a cornucopia centerpiece. No one does. 

One of the most elegant ways to decorate for Thanksgiving is to nix most of the orange-toned everything and swap in some greenery. When combined white taper candles and dishes, anything in that range of warm fall tones will look all the more sophisticated.

Another one of our fall favorites is incorporating pheasant feathers. You can pick these up at craft stores for a couple bucks a piece, but if you’re like us, you’d rather buy them in bulk.

These feathers look awesome in silvery vases, or scattered around the house, like poking out of your dining room chandelier. 

If you’re completely over buying stuff for every holiday, don’t worry. We still got you.

Just gather every white pillar candle in your house, pop a few white pumpkins on top of a craft paper tablecloth to make a simple, neutral tablescape. Extra points if you can hand letter some place-mats onto your table. Or if you’re the sentimental type, encourage your guests to write what they’re thankful for, right on their spot at the table! 

Once the craziness of Thanksgiving is over, the countdown to Christmahanakwanzika starts. Stay tuned for our December post on winter decorating!

 

Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Whether you’re hosting or simply attending someone else’s shindig, chances are you’re in charge of making at least one dish. 

Either way, the last thing you want is some elaborate, hard to follow recipe that won’t turn out like the image on Pinterest. But then again, you probably want to up your game from last year, since apparently Pinterest has made everyone else and their mother is a pro chef now. 

So we’ve compiled three super easy, elegant sides that are fresh takes on the classics. 

One of the best things about these recipes is that all (yes, all) are vegan and grain free. This makes sure that if someone on your guest list has special dietary restrictions, they have options beyond salad and whatever dish they brought to pass. 

 

I don’t know WHO decided to turn cranberry sauce into the terrifying, gelatinous goop that most people avoid at all costs, but that person has effectively ruined everyone’s perceptive of the classic Thanksgiving side. We’re here to fix that.

See, cranberry sauce is actually not bad at all…At least when it’s not pulverized and served as a giggling can-shaped log. When homemade, it’s actually quite good. And the only thing that can make a good thing even better is booze. Here’s what we’ve got for ya:

BOURBON CRANBERRY SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

• 2 (12 oz.) packages of cranberries
• 1/2 c white sugar
• 1 1/2 c brown sugar
• 3/4 c fresh squeezed orange juice
• 3/4 c water
• zest of one orange (reserve about 1 tsp to use as garnish)
• 2 Tbsp. bourbon*
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

*If you have a guest with Celiac’s disease or gluten sensitivity, use a bourbon or whiskey that is considered gluten free. Maker’s Mark, Jack Daniel’s, and Wild Turkey are some easy-to-find options.

DIRECTIONS

1. Place all ingredients (except for the vanilla and reserved orange zest) in a medium saucepan. Cook on medium heat for 15 minutes, or until most of the liquid has reduced.
2. You’ll hear the cranberries pop. Once most of them look popped and while you still have some liquid, remove from heat and allow to sit for 15 minutes.
3. Stir in vanilla. Serve with remaining orange zest on top as a garnish.

The best thing about this side (other than that it’s delicious), is that it can be made days ahead of time. That makes it one less thing you need to use the stove for on Thanksgiving! Just refrigerate and allow to reach room temperature before serving.

 

Another thing that is completely ruined when in can form is green beans. Um??? You can’t call them green beans if they’re practically brown.

Maybe we’re snooty as all hell, but we don’t think you should subject anyone to canned green beans, especially since making fresh ones is really not that hard. Our easy upgrade to fresh steamed green beans is adding pomegranate seeds and toasted nuts. This unexpected twist works so well AND looks super pretty!

FANCY AF GREEN BEANS

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 lbs of fresh green beans, ends cut off
• the seeds of 1/2 of a pomegranate
• 1/3 c pecans (or walnuts)
• 3/4 c shaved parmesan, set aside separately for topping
• 2 tsp maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

1. Fill a pot with a steamer with 2″ of water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add all your green beans and cover. Steam for 6 minutes, being sure not to overcook. Remove from heat and drain.
2. While you’re steaming the beans, you can toast the nuts. Place the 1/3 c whole nuts into a frying pan over medium heat, and toast 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Make sure to stir them around to ensure even toasting. Remove from pan to cool- this will prevent the nuts from overcooking. Coarsely chop once cool.
3. Mix maple syrup, olive oil, and lemon juice in small bowl. Toss over drained green beans.
4. Top with nuts and pomegranate seeds. Keep shaved parmesan in separate bowl for those who wish to top their beans with it.

One of the great things about these beans is they even taste good room temperature or cold. Beans are always one of the first things to get cold on the table, so it’s good that these ones still retain their goodness even when they’re not fresh out of the pan.

 

Now, we realize mashed potatoes are sacred. God didn’t create this world for no reason, and we firmly believe mashed potatoes was one of the reasons that he decided to. That being said, if you’re anything like us, you love switching things up and aren’t afraid to bend the rules. Or maybe you love having more than one potato option in your spread. That’s even better.

Enter smashed potatoes. These potatoes are crispy, flavorful, and addictive. They’re bound to be a hit! 

(S)MASHED POTATOES

INGREDIENTS

• Baby red or gold potatoes (plan on 1-2 per guest)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 3 garlic cloves, diced
• Coarse salt and pepper, to taste
• Fresh thyme

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Drizzle oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray. You can also salt and pepper the pan for extra flavor on the bottom of the potatoes. Set aside.
2. Fill a large pot with water and start to boil. Once boiling, put unpeeled whole potatoes in and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain all water.
3. Place potatoes onto the prepared baking sheet. Use a potato masher, fork, or sturdy spatula to carefully smash the potatoes until flattened but still in one piece. Top with olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper.
4. Place into oven and bake for 18 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp.
5. Top with fresh thyme and serve immediately.

So there you have it! We can’t wait to hear if any of our readers made any of these for Thanksgiving!