Month: November 2011

Bella Bella Hair B’tique: You’re Invited

Every girl loves to get her hair done. A hairdresser becomes part of the inner circle, you talk to them, they know your secrets and more importantly, they know your hair. And it’s important that the environment where you get your hair done is a comforting one – worthy of you letting your hair down and feeling confident you are in caring hands. That’s why I was thrilled when my hairdresser, Elizabeth and eyebrow waxer/makeup artist/hairdresser Rachelle moved to Bella Bella Hair B’tique in a charming converted house in Old Town Pasadena. The place has a shabby chic elegance and ease of your own home. Elizabeth and Rachelle love to play “fix up” as they did when I went in last week to go from blonde to brunette for the winter. I got a full makeover, with color, brows and a set in big ol’ rollers for a sexy va-va-voom do.

See the photos of Bella Bella and my transformation by clicking the link below.

 Bella Bella Hair B’tique

Photos by Kastle and courtesy of Bella Bella

And you’re invited to see the place for yourself  THIS FRIDAY, Dec. 2 from 6-8 p.m. for their HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE PARTY. Stiletto City has donated a raffle prize of a bedazzled rhinestone stiletto keychain charm. Other prizes include gift certificates from local business. Bella Bella is located at 49 W. Bellevue Dr., Pasadena, CA 91105

Celebrate the holidays with us – and find your makeover sanctuary that will leave people saying, “Bella Bella!”

See you there!
K.

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Month: November 2011

Love of Vintage

There are times I feel I was born in the wrong era. I simply love the fashions of past decades, namely the 1920s-1960s. There is something about how the clothes are so feminine, the cuts so divine, the materials so exquisite and the silhouettes that make a statement. I have a hard time walking into a vintage clothing store without leaving with SOMETHING – a dress, a handbag, a hat, some jewelry. Vintage shopping is the ultimate treasure hunt, because these items are rare survivors of the past, they don’t come in a rack-ful of sizes, they aren’t all in perfect condition. So when you find that one piece that happens to fit, isn’t damaged and is at a good price, you just CAN’T leave it there in the store!

Which is why I went home with two new dresses from The Loved One last week. I’d heard about this little Pasadena store from a friend and when they posted on Facebook that they were having a “cocktails ‘n’ shopping” party, well, I just can’t pass up that combo! Turned out to be the cutest little shop, all the clothes are in great condition and the setting is nicely art directed, which makes the shopping experience all the better. Can’t wait to wear my new treasures!

Click the link below to check out a slideshow of the store:

Photos of The Love One Vintage Boutique

Love it!
K.

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Month: November 2011

A Blogger in a BlogWorld

I got a chance to attend the BlogWorld New Media Expo at the LA Convention Center last week. Imagine if you will – thousands of manic, Tweeting, Facebooking social media movers and shakers, exchanging tips and Twitter handles, crammed in one building to lift the online world to the next level.

I was absolutely inspired and excited to see what can be done with branding and blogging in this new space. I was also quite taken with the speakers as I watched a full day of them. They were smart, charming, and even quite funny. And it was nice to be in a room with people who spoke my same hashtagging, bit.ly shortened @language.

I even ran into social powerhouse Ramon DeLeon who has put Domino’s pizza on the map in Chicago, yes Chicago, you know the town of the classic deep dish? Well, move over Chicago pizza, Ramon owns that town and has done it through being all over the web. He was more than willing to share a few tips with me in the lunchroom. Thanks Ramon!

Then I stopped by the WordPress “Happiness Bar” in the exhibit hall where they helped me adjust my blog template. WordPress really did serve up some happiness that day!

And I plucked out a few noteworthy (and Tweet-worthy) words of wisdom from the series of speakers I saw. Follow them on Twitter, heed their words. You’ll no doubt learn a thing or two about being a social media guru yourself!

From @Guy Kawasaki

“Google+ is to Facebook what Apple is to Windows”

 “What truly enchants me about this technology is that it’s going to be used in unanticipated ways.”

 From HARO’s @PeterShankman

 “Learn to write. Bad writing is killing America. And it will kill your business.”

 “Everyone tells you to have a backup plan for when you fail. Here’s a better thought, have one for when you succeed, when that thing blows up and goes viral. Be sure to put your contact information on it!”

 “As much as you’re going to do great things, you’re also going to screw up. Own it. Apologize, tell the world how you’re going to fix it and move on.”

 “If you don’t have haters, you’re not doing enough to change the status quo.”

From David Murray @DaveMurr

“Your content is your product”

 “Be a helpful resource of information, not just information about yourself.”

From Debba Haupert @Girlfriendology

“Spend your time strategically because we are all limited in the time we have.”

“Find other like-minded bloggers and promote each other rather than compete.”

 From @MariSmith

“This business isn’t B2B or B2C, it’s P2P – people to people”

 “Before you post anything, ask yourself – what is my deepest intent?”

From Amber Naslund, Radian 6 @AmberCadabra

“We are the wayfarers, we are the people responsible for ushering in this new era. We see the future nobody else sees – we can’t even define it yet.”

“We are the missing link for business of the last 20 years and the business we are creating for the future.”

 See the photos from BlogWorld, click the link below:

Photos from BlogWorld 2011

Thanks BlogWorld and all the amazing presenters and exhibitors. I learned so much! My Klout score is gonna go through the roof!

Blog on,

K.

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Month: November 2011

Lomography School

Every picture tells a story. It’s one of the reasons I’ve always loved photography. I did some photojournalism a few years back and would go wherever and whenever to get a great shot. It was a major creative rush. But I fell out of doing artistic photos when easy point-and-shoot digital automatics came along. There was no art to it, just capturing the scene in perfect focus, perfect lighting – and perfectly boring. Recently (as many who follow this blog know) I’ve fallen for Lomography – experimental analogue photography using plastic cameras and film, yes, film to completely deconstruct the perfect photo into moody, textured, inspired works that play off happy accidents of light leaks and double exposures.

Sure there are now apps available on your iPhone for that. But nothing is more fun than getting a roll of film back to see what you got. It’s like a prize inside the Cracker Jack box – sometimes you love it, sometimes it’s disappointing, but usually there’s at least one or two shots that draw pure excitement.

Mind you, my first few rolls were complete crap as I learned to work with my camera and started remembering to check all the manual settings. But if you ever need help, the super friendly and supportive staff at the Lomography store In West Hollywood is standing by to show you how to work the camera and recommend films to try for different effects. I love going in there, I always leave feeling part of a community of total enthusiasts just nutty for these colorful little cameras.

I was lucky enough to get a Diana F+ camera for my birthday last month and the Lomography store just happened to have a workshop on how to use it. During a brief session in their upstairs “classroom,” we learned all about the different lenses and backs you can try for endless possibilities – way beyond what you can do with a little digi automatic. I tricked out my camera with a 35mm sprocket back and splitzer lens and we took stroll down Santa Monica Boulevard to shoot what inspired us. Here’s a sampling from my roll.

Click below to see the slideshow:

Lomography Diana F+ Workshop

 Thank you Lomography – you’ve got my creative juices going!

Smile for the camera,

K.

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