Three Haute Mamas

It's not all haute and games for us Mamas but fashion is a do!!!!

It's not haute and glamor everyday is it? But it doesn't have to be sweats and old tees either.  True life examples of how we dress in our other "jobs". 

Kim on her way to paint the sky...or rather murals.  You should see her fabulous artwork!

 paper denim cloth skinnies, burberry scarf, ballet flats, simple top + ray bans.  Love the paint splatters on the skinnies Kim;)   I know I paint in designer jeans! I should be "SHOT instead of "HAUTE" hahahaa! XO Kimberly

me on to my other "job" as car pool, ballet, and soccer mom.  and yes. that is a chair i'm standing on-interior decorator would not be one of my jobs, hence the lack of proper full length mirror. moving on..

 banana republic tank, banana republic cargos, scarf (??), forever 21 belt, old navy flip flops, random bracelets purchased from random boutiques, cartier watch + pottery barn chair. 

Classified Information for Haute Mamas Only!!!

Hello Everyone Kimberly here!!

I have had severe writers block these last few days Whew!!!! So glad it has past! 

As we are winding down this summer we decided to recap on all the Haute discoveries we made this season!! One in particular came to mind that I needed to share with my fellow Haute Mamas!! This summer I discovered a great store called Francesca's Collections. I have walked by this store many times without going in because it looked too eclectic for me. The windows were busy and it just looked like a lot of "stuff" until a friend of mine said to me have you been in Francesca's yet? 

Well, this has become my go to store for that cute, unique, summer dress. Or a piece of fabulous jewelry! This store is a find and so reasonably priced!!! I'm hooked!!

Here I am with the girls in this Lovely Violet Dress $34.00!!! 

and here I am again out with the girls in this Touch of Earth Dress $38.00!!

    

As you can see I always find something at Francesca's and recently I found a knock off of Carrie Bradshaw's white Halston dress in Sex and the City 2!!! I can't wait to wear it out!!! :-)

I also walked out with this necklace in case I run into Kenny Chesney and he wants to grab dinner!! LOL!!! Love the turquoise and western motif!!! Loove Chesney!! You know I'm from Boston!!! LOL!!!!!

If you live in Massachusetts I know Francesca's collections is in the South Shore Plaza, Braintree. Legacy Place, Dedham and Natick Collection. If you are not from our state you can check out their website!! There sizes run true and the quality is about what you pay for it. You may only get two seasons out of a piece of clothing but you will look Haute and Trendy and feel confident and beautiful and that is worth every penny and especially when it doesn't break the bank!!!!

XO Kimberly ;-)

A very Serendipitous day for this Haute Mama !!

Hello Everyone,

Kimberly here and I would like to share with you my day of discovery! In the midst of a busy day I decided to stop by a local boutique called Serendipity by the Sea. It is located in the beautiful town of Marion, Massachusetts. As I was driving to the shop I was taking in a beautiful view of Marion Harbor and all the boats in the water. There is nothing like living in a small coastal New England town. Seeing the ocean and the boats always seems to put me at ease. 

When I walked into the boutique I was greeted instantly with a smile and a hello. The store is filled with all sorts of treasure's for your home, your children and yourself. I introduced myself to the owner of the boutique her name is Cecily Balboni. Cecily was familiar with our blog and I was telling her how we were talking Jewelry and accessories this week. To me the best thing about shopping in a boutique is the personal interaction and the knowledge you gain from the employees. The relationship you develop is unique and you are supporting local businesses ( The American Dream)!!!!

Cecily showed me some beautiful bracelets that I instantly fell in love with. They are by Alex and Ani out of Newport, Rhode Island. These beautiful bangles are made in America!! (NOW THAT IS HAUTE!!) Pictured below are two that I bought that have special meaning to me... 

Path of Life..$21         Key to my Heart....$28

Click on the Name Alex and Ani and checkout their website. They have a Bridal Collection, something for the graduate and so much more. 

 Another piece of Jewelry that Cecily showed me was called Bhati Beads... again... couldn't resist!! These bracelets are perfect for the summer at the beach or any casual day!! I was hoping that when I put them on  I would instantly transform into a Sports Illustrated Model! Still waiting mamas!! I will wear them to bed and get back to you in the morning!! hahaha!!!

Below are the silk wraps that I added to my pile!! Featured in this years Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue they are Approximately one yard of hand-dyed silk dotted with nine sterling balls and an adjustable toggle. Can be wrapped around the wrist, arm, ankle or can be worn as a choker or necklace. 

Bhati silk wraps are $48 with silver beads and $ 70 with gold beads. 

I was in the boutique for about 20 minutes and Cecily had already done a little Fashion profiling. Yes!! It is okay to do a little "Fashion Profiling" when selling to customers. The majority of Boutique owners do it very well and it works to our advantage!! That is when she pulled out........ "The Belt"!! Why I bought the belt... It is made in Peru where there are cooperatives that employ indian women to create traditional craft items. This is often the only opportunity for them to earn money in poverty stricken rural areas. Using natural fibers and ancestral hand sewing techniques, each item is a one-of a kind example of their beautiful design and craftmanship. As an artist I am honored to wear something that was created by another women with her God given talent. :-) 

 There are so many items at Serendipity by the Sea. I would have snatched them all up had money been no object. Cecily certainly has her finger on what is hot!! If you are in the area stop by and if you are not check out her website! She will gladly ship anywhere in the United States!! :-)

So you see sometimes a spontaneuos stop at local boutique can turn into a very Serendipitous afternoon!! 

XO Kimberly

Accessorize is to adorn, embellish, or decorate ... your eyes?? Why yes... Why not?

So how many times have you heard the eyes tell a story, etc... The same as accessories... They tell a story!! So why not tell a story with eyelashes!!! Like my statement necklace and bracelts I don't leave home without my eyelash EXTENSIONS!!! I had to cut budget recently and the first to go was my manicure... because I could never give up my monthly visit to my New BFF - Eddie at Bananas in Norwood. (Sorry Kim and Kate!!)
 My eyes are telling stories every day ladies... without mascara!!!! And the best story of all is that it takes me less than 15 minutes to put my make up on b/c my eyelashes are soooo FAB!!! Thanks Eddie!!!!

Take a look at the before and afters and this is NOT airbrushed!!!!

How awesome is that!!! Oh yes... that is the real deal.. I get asked on a daily basis or told how long my eyelashes are.. I LOVE them..

The process is easy. 2 hours to get first installment. Then every month I go in for one hour and get them re-filled. This is what the process looks like.

  IT doesn't HURT!!! It's actually quite relaxing!!!

So ladies... accessorize is a verb which means to .. add to, decorate, supplement, complement, adorn, ornament, augment, embellish.

So if you want to accessorize something it could be your wrist with bangles, your neck with a statement necklace and your eyes... with EYELASHES!!!!!

Jewelry does grow on trees in my house

 

Mamas, does your jewelry collection look like this? What good is this mess? Have some pride in your jewelry and get your jeweled act together. You don't have to spend millions on your jewelry or your jewelry storage solutions.  In fact, I spent zero and recycled.  How? 

It's actually a wire Christmas tree I keep on my kitchen island during the holidays but when December 26th hits,off go the ornaments, and up go the glitz.  Is it this neat all the time? Generally yes.  I can't stand clutter and I like to be able to see things, plus it's smack dab in the middle of my dresser so I've no choice but to keep it clean and organized.  

Bonus: It does keep me more apt to pile on the accessories because it's right there out in the open as opposed to tucked away inside a box or drawer.  So my task for you, is to think outside the (jewelry) box today, and find a way to display your gems in an organized way so that you will display them the way they were meant to be displayed..on you! 

Keep it clean Tiffany + Co style

A friend once shared her secret to her amazingly clean diamonds.  She didn't have giant diamonds, but she had lots and they shone like the sun.  Always. So did the gold and silver she wore. She took them off whenever she cleaned.  She took them off when she washed her hands.  She took them off when she applied lotions.  But most importantly she cleaned them religiously. And one day she shared her cleaning solution with moi! And I felt like this: 

Because this was her jewelry cleaner 

And now it is my jewelry cleaner.  And before you get all huffy..it's ten dollars.  And it comes in that adorable little blue bag (white ribbon too).  And it cleans uh-mazing-ly well! So mamas, you don't have to be wearing 8 carats, but keep it clean, and you'll feel like it

*haute mama hint: this makes a great little hostess/birthday gift to keep on hand!  

Jewelry takes people's minds off your wrinkles. -- Sonja Henie

Hello Haute Mamas It's Kimberly!

It seems like every time I walk into a store I get lost in the jewelry department. I can't remember the last time I was in a jewelry store that sold real gems, jewelry and watches. I am talking about costume jewelry the jewelry that we can have fun with! We can afford to pile it on... not wear it for a while... won't cry for days if we break it or lose it!!! The anti-stress Haute Mommy Jewelry!! The FUN STUFF!!! Kate and I live on the Southcoast of Massachusetts and we have a lot of summer friends we will be seeing soon and we joke with them that it is time to start our summer stacking of the jewelry. When we have our girls nights here in Mattapoisett we like to pile on the accessories!! However, to quote the Fabulous Rachel Zoe " Just be honest with yourself when you look in the mirror: if you resemble a Christmas tree with one too many ornaments from one too many trends than lose something!" We have a lot of skin showing in the summer time and it is great to dress it up and have some fun with jewelry.

 A few of my favorite pieces and I probably would cry if I lost them or broke them are by a local designer here in Massachusetts and friend of mine Michelle Murphy of SeaLore Designs. Michelle is a Haute Mama of 5 children!! YES!! 5!!! She has been creating jewelry since she was a little girl and like all great designers was encouraged to pursue her talent and passion. Michelle burst onto the scene 2 years ago and is carrying her line in many stores along the south shore such as Shop Mermaids, Spa Scape Day Spa to name a few and now the south coast at Contrary Boutique. The inspiration for Michelle is free spirited, boho, beach chic. She also designs some symbolic jewelry as well. What I love about Michelle's jewelry is her use of metal with natural stones. Pictured below are some of Michelle's design's the perfect summer piece's to compliment your outfit!! 

f SeaLore Design's Jewelry you can find at Etsy.com. Way to go Michelle! I admire you for following your passion and finding a way to balance it all!! You are truly a Haute Mama!!

XO Kimberly

Jewelry for the (stained) red carpet

While you may not have a red carpet event coming up, everyone longs to drip in jewels like Charlize Theron at the Oscars at one point or another.  Realistically, even Charlize borrows her jewels and your carpet is probably the living room one stained with heavens knows what the kids were eating last night.  That doesn't mean you can't still drip in jewels, and the good news is that at these prices, you can even keep them! Prices so low, you may have money left over for a carpet cleaner.....

Enter Etsy

The following is all from Linda Trent Jewelry and once I pick my mouth up off the floor I'll be place an order. GORG! 

Retro Hollywood Amber earrings $16.00.  For real. 

handcrafted pearl seedling hoops-$22.00

champagne pearl bud earrings 18.00

and how about these from lilyja's shop? I love how each piece is so delicate and simple (and costs so little!!). 

(l-r crochet 14k gold filled necklace, $35, , rubilite in gold $32,, (dying over this one) 14k crochet necklace with water white pearls $72 (did someone say summer weddings?!)

Summer means one thing-simple sundresses. But it doesn't have to mean boring jewelry-glam up that tan skin and pile on the gold cocktail rings and jeweled earrings. Trust me, the simple sundress will be the wallflower at the party with these rocks.  And thanks to Beautycats antique looking jewels you can do so at a steal! 

(clockwise from top left: Turquoise ring by Antique Style Collection $29.90, Mother of Pearl Ring by Antique Style Collection $29.90, Blue Jade Earrings by Antique Style Collection $28.90,  Gold Star Pearl and Coral Earring by Antique Style Colletion $31.90,  Turquoise and Ruby Dual Ring by Antique Style Collection $31.00,  Onyx Triple Ring by Antique Style Collection $31.00