Traveling with kika

Hello there! It has been a while since I have done a blog post and I apologize for the delay but things got busy and my tripod broke so it became harder to take photos of myself. I want to get back in the swing of things so here goes! 

Last week I went down to southern California for our annual training with kikaPaprika and it was the first year that I packed only kika! The one exception was a sweater that I wore on the airplane because it was too darn chilly here in Seattle to go without. It was a super busy time while I was at Runway (what we call our training/convention/conference) but I managed to take some photos of myself while I was there. It was fun to come up with a summer travel capsule for this trip. Let me know if I can help you with your next trip!

Everything fit into a small carry on size suitcase. I had things that I never even wore!

Day #1: My first day of training!

Lizzy in Peacock (custom color) ~ $99
Charlotte in Meadow Print (previous season item)
Twill Capris in White (previous season item)

Day #2: My twin Beth Holm who I aspire to be like someday!

Lizzy in Peacock (custom color) ~ $99
Charlotte in Meadow Print (previous season item)
Capri Leggings in Black (signature color) ~ $56

Day #3: Everyone said I looked very "Laguna Beach" which is where our training is held at.

Leslie in White (previous season item)
Elyse in Azure (previous season item)
My own white cami
Twill Capris in White (previous season item)

Day #4: My traveling outfit. This was not the outfit I had planned on and in fact had more outfit options than I actually wore. However, I had to put on as many items as possible since I bought way more kika home than I planned on!

Rory in Turq (previous season item)
My own sparkly black top
Portia in Meadow Print (previous season color) ~ $95
Twill Capris in White (previous season item) 
Capri Leggings in Black (signature color) ~ $56

Easy Breezy

Again, last week was unseasonably warm and I was trying to think of a new outfit with some capris but still keeping it business looking for my networking meeting. I had also gotten a new pair of shoes that I was anxious to wear and the White and Ocean combo just seemed to be very easy to pull together. I get comments every time I wear Leslie too. It is so easy to wear and looks different than a lot of other cardigans/jackets out there. I wore my own capris because the kika ones are not my size. What do you think? 

Leslie in White (custom color) ~ $68
Lisa in Ocean (custom color) ~ $58
Capris in White (my own)

Back view

Lisa in Ocean (custom color) ~ $58
Capris in White (my own)

Back view

Here they are! My new shoes! I think I might be addicted to ballet flats now. I own a few pairs now and this is the 2nd from this company. I was looking at other stripe sandals but didn't find anything I liked or was comfortable enough. These have been on my wishlist for awhile and I just went for it. I decided it was my Mother's Day present to myself! 

The great thing about these shoes (ok there are a few) is that they fold in half so they are great for packing when you travel or just tucking into your purse. They come with their own carrying bag so if you wanted to wear heels to an event but then want to change into more comfortable flats, then you can. However, what I really liked (besides the stripe pattern) was the fact that for every pair sold in their Vegan line, they plant a tree through the The Nature Conservancy. How cool right? 

Tieks by Gavrielli in Sunset Stripe (vegan) ~ $165

Tieks by Gavrielli in Sunset Stripe (vegan) ~ $165

A day in white

I decided to change up my Portia look by taking Charlotte and putting it with white! So refreshing and I am so glad the weather is nice enough to allow skirts. I finally got to pull out a skirt that I ordered last season (Simone) and while it is no longer available to order, you could easily get the same look with Elle or Jenna depending on how tall you are. I am short so Elle would be a good replacement for me. If you are taller then pick Jenna. What do you think of this look? 

Leslie in White (custom color) ~ $68
Charlotte in Meadow (signature color) ~ $64
Simone in White (previous season item)

Back view

Charlotte in Meadow (signature color) ~ $64
Simone in White (previous season item)

Back view

Others in kika ... Elle!

I just realized that we don't have photos on our website with Jenna or Elle! We have had Jenna from last season and you can search for photos on my blog for that piece. It is a longer pencil skirt and Elle is the new "Simone" if you remember it from last season. Elle is a short pencil skirt or for some people it is a mini skirt. Just depends on how tall you are or how long your legs are. 

I only recently got Elle in a size that I could wear so soon I will have my own photos but in the meantime, I want to share some photos of Elle from fellow kika consultant Daphne who has a great blog. I encourage you to visit her blog for style tips and ideas too! 

First up is her client Veda who tried on lots of different outfits. This was my favorite look with Elle but check out her blog and see what look you like best! 

Daphne in Khaki (custom color) ~ $85
Drew in Black (custom color) ~ $40
Elle in Khaki (signature color) ~ $60

Here is another one of Daphne's clients ... Samantha! Again, she models many different looks on Daphne's blog but this one is my favorite! So classy! It inspired me to wear black and white one day and you can see that look on my blog. 

Leslie in White (custom color) ~ $68
Drew in Black (custom color) ~ $40
Elle in Black (custom color) ~ $60

Many ways to wear Portia

I had a very busy week at the end of April. I had lots of different meetings during the week and I had two kika shows on the weekend. I challenged myself to only wear 3-4 pieces during the week so I didn't have a lot of kika laundry to do before my weekend shows. I like how different you can look by just having a few pieces. Imagine if you mixed it up with a pair of jeans or leggings or something else in your closet? I didn't have time to document all my different combos during this week but I am pretty sure I wore my Bootcut Pants in Black with Charlotte. 

First up was a maxi dress style where I "cheated" and used two pieces to make it look like one. 

Daphne in Ocean (custom color) ~ $85
Charlotte in Meadow (signature color) ~ $64
Portia in Meadow (signature color) ~ $95

Back view
Daphne in Ocean (custom color) ~ $85
Charlotte in Meadow (signature color) ~ $64
Portia in Meadow (signature color) ~ $95

Here I just changed the look by swapping out the Daphne with a different color. It is also one size smaller (can you tell?) than the Ocean. 

Daphne in Black (custom color) ~ $85
Charlotte in Meadow (signature color) ~ $64
Portia in Meadow (signature color) ~ $95

Again, I changed the jacket for a new style and it changes the look again. 

Leslie in White (custom color) ~ $68
Charlotte in Meadow (signature color) ~ $64
Portia in Meadow (signature color) ~ $95

Here I am without any jacket so you can see the Charlotte and Portia as a long skirt combo.

Charlotte in Meadow (signature color) ~ $64
Portia in Meadow (signature color) ~ $95

Charlotte in Meadow (signature color) ~ $64
Portia in Meadow (signature color) ~ $95

I pulled up Charlotte so you can see how these are indeed two pieces and how I folded over the top of the dress (Portia) to make it a long skirt on me. That is my nude shaper you see between the garments not my skin! 

Charlotte in Meadow (signature color) ~ $64
Portia in Meadow (signature color) ~ $95

I also figured out a day or two later that I actually liked it better when I tucked in Charlotte and ruched up Portia so it gave me more of a defined waistline. Both work but now I want to try this combo in a solid color. I am curious if the two pieces will blend together as nicely as the print. Now ... What color should I pick? 

Charlotte in Meadow (signature color) ~ $64
Portia in Meadow (signature color) ~ $95

Full size version of the close upCharlotte in Meadow (signature color) ~ $64
Portia in Meadow (signature color) ~ $95

Black & White

Now, I never knew I would be a fan of the Skinny Pant but I just got these new ones from kika and am totally in love! They are a Ponte knit which is new in our line. I had to look up what it is but Ponte is a double-knit interlock fabric that has stability and firmness in addition to flexibility and softness. This means it can be used in dresses, blazers, and more structured pieces and hold its shape but still maintain comfort and give. Best of both worlds, right? Most Ponte knit fabrics are made with Rayon/Polyester but ours is made with Organic Cotton! How cool and so soft too!

I wish that photographing black was easier to portray online! You just have to take my word and see these new Skinny Pants in person. 

Sometimes, it is good to go back to basics with black and white. kikaPaprika does so many different colors, people can forget that we do the classics! Who do you know that needs a basic black pant or white shirt for work? How about this combo? 

Leslie tie front cardi in White (custom color) ~ $68
Pippa in Black (custom color) ~ $50
Skinny Pants in Black (signature color) ~ $90

Other side

Back view

Pippa in Black (custom color) ~ $50
Skinny Pants in Black (signature color) ~ $90

Back view

Femme Fatale Necklace by Stella & Dot

Oval Pave Swarovski Ring ~ $55.20
Black Onyx Stretch bracelet ~ $9.60
Two Stella & Dot bracelets

Polished Sterling Silver Raindrop Earrings ~ $31.20

Others in kika ... Meet Elisa - Part 2

Here are some more great looks from my fellow kika consultant Daphne. She is great at coming up with different looks and options for kikaPaprika. I strongly encourage you to check out her blog for lots of great inspiring looks!

Every Monday she showcases a customer and puts together at least a half dozen looks. Meet Elisa and check out her super cute looks! Go to her blog for more photos and great style tips: 

http://fashiondivamommy.blogspot.com/2013/03/who-is-wearing-kika-meet-elisa.html

Leslie in White (custom color) - $68
Charlotte in Meadow (signature color) - $64
Brit in Cocoa (signature color) - $75

Carly in Peony tweed (signature color) - $135
Charlotte in Cocoa (custom color) - $64
Brit in Cocoa (signature color) - $75

Milly in Steel (custom color) - $115
Lil reversible tank in Black (custom color) - $40
Leggings in Black (signature color) - $58

Leslie & Pippa

Ok, I know I need to try other combinations as my blog photos are all starting to look the same. Maybe I can get some photos done today of some new outfit options. By now, I guess you can tell which items are my favorites because I wear them all the time! 

I am wearing Leslie in a kika size 2 (women's 4/6) in these photos and the Steel one I wore previously was a kika size 4 (women's 10/12). I am really a kika size 3 (women's 8/10) in this piece so I can't wait to get my size to see how it really fits. As you can see however, our clothing is very forgiving in the size department!

You can also tie the front at different heights for different looks. 

Leslie tie-front cardi in Ink (custom color) - $68
Pippa in Stripe (signature color) - $50
Tencel Bootcut Pants in Ink (custom color) - $75

Back view with Leslie tied in front

Here is Leslie un-tied in the front for a different look.

Leslie tie-front cardi in Ink (custom color) - $68
Pippa in Stripe (signature color) - $50
Tencel Bootcut Pants in Ink (custom color) - $75

Leslie, Lisa and Twill Capris

I went to bunco last week and it was the biggest one I have ever played. We had 7 bunco tables going! It is so much fun to get together with my moms group where we eat, drink and play. I even won $10! I also had a networking meeting in the morning so I like to plan my outfit so it includes all kikaPaprika clothing if possible. Sometimes it just doesn't work because of the size or colors that I have on hand but I have gotten most of my samples by now so it gets easier to put an outfit together. Actually, it isn't easier to have so many choices but it is fun! 

So, here I am after a day of networking, volunteering at my son's school, going to a doctor appointment, picking up my daughter from school, preparing a potluck dish for bunco, and a fun evening of playing bunco. Whew! Everyone LOVED "Leslie" and asked about it! I can tell this will be a customer favorite!

Leslie tie-front cardi in Steel (signature color) - $68
Lisa burnout top in Ocean (custom color) - $58
Twill Capris in Steel (signature color) - $88

 Yes, I said these are Capri length pants! I am only 5'1" so they are ALMOST long enough for me to wear them rolled down. I can just get away with it by wearing flats. Normally, you roll up the pants and there is a little tab that pulls them up to capri-length. I will show you in another blog post how I would wear the capris but it is too cold right now! Next up is a photo showing "Leslie" un-tied. 

Leslie tie-front cardi in Steel (signature color) - $68
Lisa burnout top in Ocean (custom color) - $58
Twill Capris in Steel (signature color) - $88

Back view with Leslie

Lisa burnout top in Ocean (custom color) - $58
Twill Capris in Steel (signature color) - $88

 The burnout tee is probably fine without something under it but I was wearing a nude cami style shaper under it. I never leave home without one! I love that ours are so comfortable that I can wear it all day and don't have to immediately rip it off when I get home. 

Back view without Leslie

See how the pants are just a teeny bit too short? However, you can see the teal stripe from my Tieks ballet flats that match my shirt. The soles are also teal which is why I wore these shoes instead of my black ballet flats. ;)