(No Subject)

Hey hey party people! I have emerged from the depths of real life which has kept me disproportionately busy and prevented me from regular posting but I'm hoping that this longer-than-normal departure is behind us now and I can resume with some more dependable frequency.  So. On. That. Note...

On Tuesday, I got to sit in the control room of the studio where my mom hosts a weekly radio show called "The Life of an Entrepreneur."  Her show is an internet radio show that provides live video streaming and while I have watched the show online before (and even called in once only to get super nervous hearing myself "On Air" and forget my question entirely), this was the first time I got special access to watch the show in person (from behind a glass window).  Each week on the show, my lovely mamacita interviews an entrepreneur for an hour and gives viewers/listeners a chance to hear awesome insights into all aspects of that entrepreneur's business' formation, their process, their challenges, their lessons and really so much more!  It's an extremely fascinating show and a topic that I am particularly interested in.  

Today, my mom interviewed Jaclyn Johnson, the founder of "(No Subject)" a creatively-driven digital marketing and events agency.  I had never met Jaclyn before but my mom told me I should come to watch the show so that I could meet her because "she was so cool."  Well, like most things, my mom was right, Jaclyn is SO COOL!  And impressive!  She started her agency 5 years ago and has been going gang-busters ever since.  She has a noteworthy roster of clients as well as an adorable blog called "Some Notes on Napkins" and puts on creative workshops and events all around the country.  She is a major influencer in beauty and fashion and is a well-respected media guru across all sorts on industries.  She's also adorable in person from her style to her overall presence.  After the interview, I felt like we were really good friends but had yet to actually meet her. 

I found her story very interesting and have posted the interview below for you to watch if you have any interest in entrepreneurship, fashion and beauty brands, or just good quality life + career advice.  I just love hearing the stories and backgrounds behind highly-motivated, fascinating people.  It's so inspirational and insightful to get a glimpse of where they started, what influenced their path and how far they've come, especially from their perspective. So CH-CH-CH-CHECK IT OUT, Y'ALL:

(click video photo to watch)

(click video photo to watch)

You should also check out her blog "Some Notes on Napkins" for sure and her site "No Subject" for information on events and her services. 

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

You're Kilim Me Smalls!

There's nothing novel or trendsetting about this next statement but I'm making it anyway.. I love KILIM.  I will absolutely submit that is a fad and will be out nearly as fast as it came in but for now, as they say at McDonald's: "I'm lovin' it!"

In fact, I actually bought a Kilim style rug today!  However, as part of my due diligence in making sure I didn't leave any other better options on the table, I had the opportunity to have so many visual images of this pattern move in front of my eyeballs that I am predicting Kilim will definitely be a part of my dream sequence tonight.  NO. DOUBT.  So, here are some standout Kilim pieces that I came across on my internet travels today:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

Clearly I have a thing for the bright and colorful stuff.  This is the rug that I bought (I plan to use it as a pseudo runner for an entry way):

Mmm Mmm Good!  (Apparently I'm all about the food brand references today!)

You too, can get it here, which if you do so before midnight on March 15, 2014, you can get 25% off using the coupon code: FRIENDS&FAM at checkout!  That coupon code actually applies to the whole Lulu & Georgia site, so I suggest you check it out just in case there's something on there that tickles your fancy... Why pay full price when you don't have to?!

And just a punny motto to leave y'all with before we part ways: "Kilim With Kindness" - it's the best policy!

XOXO

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Bringing Sexy Back

Last night I was having a discussion with some incredibly dynamic ladies when we happened upon the topic of women internally ranking themselves in comparison to other women based on the attention they are getting from men.  During our conversation, my genuine, intelligent and all-around-awesome friend Sunny mentioned a TED Talk she had recently watched where this very idea was being addressed.  The particular TED Talk was part of the TEDxYouth series, a series of TEDx events designed to empower and inspire young people worldwide and was presented by Caroline Heldman.  The focus is about the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence and the objectification of women.  It is called "The Sexy Lie" and you can (and should) watch it below:

I could probably take at least three days of postings to get into all of the important issues that I feel this talk brings up but since I'm still trying to maintain a semblance of this being a design blog (or rather, not a TED Talk "book report" blog), I've decided this aspect of the "Talk" may have the most impact on my "audience."  Just one more set of "quotes" for good measure.

So back to the impetus of this post.  The "talk" discusses how women establish a "pecking order" amongst themselves upon entering a situation where men are, that is directly proportional to the attention each receives from men....  And this is where I'm going to get real honest and vulnerable on here, step out on a limb, and admit that: I am a huge offender of this practice.  It's mostly subconscious and is something that I can't even pinpoint how far back it started occurring for me but I can remember feeling affected by it as early as middle school.. maybe even earlier.  It's internally-driven and even though I am embarrassed to admit it, it has caused me far too much confusion, tears and sometimes even animosity towards my female friends and female strangers, that is not productive in the slightest.  It is also something that most definitely has had a large impact on my self esteem (or lack thereof). 

To describe in a little more detail what I'm getting at, let's take the scenario of a bar.  Women (or at least this woman) have a tendency to survey the room and try to accurately assess where they fit in a ranking of the women in the bar, based on how closely they are adhering to society's standards of sexy and how much and many men seem to be responding to this adherence.  In having this happen, it produces a vibe of female competitiveness in which male attention is the prize and all other females become threats and thus our adversaries.

By engaging in this symptom we are not only cutting other women down, being mean/cold to them and cultivating a cutthroat culture, in which one cannot fully relax and enjoy themselves, but most importantly, we are weakening our strength as a gender and completely giving men power over us.  They're not taking it away from us, WE'RE GIVING IT TO THEM by allowing their opinion to be the guiding principle for how we feel about ourselves... and each other.  Additionally, we're letting superficial qualities rule the day and essentially reinforcing that looks, our bodies and how sexy/attractive we are to the opposite sex are the most important things about us.  An even more detrimental output of this is how much of an influence this behavior has on body shame.  I don't think there is a woman out there that hasn't struggled with body shame at some point during their life.  And my take on body shame is that it serves no purpose other than wasting time and energy on feeling bad about yourself.

This concept of the "pecking order" and it's direct relationship to my occasional bouts of confused, depressed, jealous and competitive feelings in a mixed gender scenario, didn't really click for me until my discussion last night.  And then IT REALLY CLICKED!  I mean... This exercise of ranking ourselves and others is the byproduct of a culture that sets women up to do this.  It has become so socially accepted that it's hard to even recognize it when it's happening.  Those who are participating are merely experiencing the "symptoms" of a culture that has bred these warped values.  BUT... I think awareness is one of the most powerful tools for change and therefore it is awareness that can help us overcome. 

So, here is my prescription for turning this petri dish of female sabotage around on a personal level.  And if you, as a woman, have found yourself a victim of this habitude and agree that it's not healthy, then perhaps we can work together and not against each other to empower our gender. 

KEELEY KRAFT Rx:

1. Be aware in scenarios where "female competitiveness for male attention" thrives and cognizant of the potential for it happening.

2.  Use this awareness to actively reverse your instincts when you feel yourself getting sucked in to creating a pecking order and placing yourself within it (at the top or the bottom - both and everything in between is a "trap").  Recognize this trap and don't engage.  If you feel yourself starting to have jealous feelings, animosity, depression, body shame, self-hatred, etc... get outside of your head and make the decision to stop.  Try viewing the situation as if you were observing it and weren't part of it. 

3. Instead of being adversarial to other women as an attempt to "warn them off" and "gain a leg up," embrace them, support them, and even befriend them - "lean in" to the idea of women as a collective force.

4.  Accept yourself.  Don't let your ego win over your self-love.  You are beautiful inside and out exactly as you are - and that is what really matters at the end of the day.

So, there you go!   A recipe for women striving to be valued for our minds, our thoughts, our souls and our hard work and everything else that is wonderfully feminine and not related to our bodies and how closely we subscribe to and mimic what society tells us is sexy.

I'll admit, my feminism was just itching to let itself be heard today and hopefully I haven't lost any of my readership from the male variety... but if you watch the Talk above, it mentions how these negative effects of a objectification society hurt everyone, men and women alike in the long run.  So come on guys and gals, let's "demolish the paradigm in order to build a better world."

- KK

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Garden Pizza Party

Heyyyyy you guys... Guess what?! 

I'm wearing shorts today!  I know, right?  Craaazy... but I also live in SoCal so it's not unthinkable.  There's something about breaking out the summer clothes that automatically sets my internal clock to think springtime.  Which.. has got me thinking about the blossomings of Spring. 

Spring Meme.jpg

... And that is why I thought I would post one of my FAVORITE appetizer recipes ever.  My mom has been making this dish since I was little and despite its heavy incorporation of vegetables (which have never been something I've welcomed into my diet), I have always loved this meal.  Perhaps it's because of the equally heavy incorporation of cream cheese?? 

Anyhoo, this recipe incorporates a Crescent Roll crust, cream cheese, and a colorful presentation so you can't really go wrong.  Not to mention, it is SO easy and quick to make. Bon appetit!

Crescent Roll Garden Vegetable Pizza.jpg

GARDEN PIZZA

INGREDIENTS:
Tube of Crescent Rolls
2 tbs. mayo
Package of cream cheese
Dill spice
Tomatoes
Broccoli
Red Onion
Bell Pepper (I prefer yellow to add more color to the pizza)

INSTRUCTIONS
Roll out package of crescent rolls on cookie sheet and bake at 300 degrees for 6-8 min.  Spread a mixture of mayo, cream cheese and dill.  Top with chopped tomatoes, broccoli, red onions and bell peppers.  

Crescent Roll Veggie Pizza.JPG

Let cool and then cut into however you like your pizza sliced!

Veggie Pizza with Crescent Roll.jpg


HAVE A HAPPY WEEKEND! 

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Say Hello To My Little Friend

This morning I attended a talk at the Gensler building in Downtown Los Angeles by Seth Goldman, the co-founder of "Honest Tea."  The talk was part of a series called "The Live Talks Business Forums" that feature leading business executives and thought leaders and have included the likes of Malcolm Gladwell, John Mackey - CEO of Whole Foods, Twitter co-founder Biz Stone, Howard Schultz - CEO of Starbucks (which I also had the pleasure to attend), and many many more notable business "mavericks."  The talks are part of a breakfast-hour series in which the featured guest is interviewed or speaks and then the audience attendees can ask questions.  Each talk is an intimate affair with a limited amount of tickets sold, which I think adds an extra special quality to the event as you feel like you are getting to know the speaker on a personal level. 

Malcolm Gladwell at Live Talks Business Forums.jpg

The talk was fantastic and I definitely garnered a few nuggets of information that I've stored in my brain bank for them to bounce around and hopefully attach to some other idea flailing around in there to make me the next big thing!  But in the meantime, I want to talk about a disguised star of this event and that is the hosting location.  The Gensler building is home to the Gensler architecture, design and consulting firm's LA outfit and it is spectacular.  If you were wondering what inspired the office set in the movie "Her," I would venture to guess that it was this place.  The resemblance was UNCANNY, y'all. 

Gensler Building Los Angeles Inside.jpg

The building and their use of lighting and furniture and design is a marvel.  It gives a super creative vibe but also maintains the quiet focused feel that one might need in order to actually get work done.  The talk was in the middle of the first floor in the back but out in the open and there were even risers suggesting that the space is frequently used as a presentation space.  It really made me feel like I was in the future as prescribed by the movie "Her" which when I saw the film in theaters, the future as they portrayed it felt foreign and even a bit cold but inside this building their was a productive, inspiring warmth to it.  I'm sure I'm making no sense AT ALL but my point in all of this (yes, there is a point) is that this building seems to be part of a generation of "smart" buildings and appliances and multi-functional tools that take many factors into account and serve the needs of its user more efficiently, conveniently and effectively. 

Gensler Building Los Angeles 1.jpg
Gensler Building Los Angeles Exterior.jpg

WHICH, brings me to my next point.  If you're still reading this far along, congratulations because now I'm finally getting to the meat and potatoes of what I meant for this post to be about.  My "little friend" mentioned in the title is the future and possibly also my f̶i̶r̶s̶t̶ new personal trainer. 

MOOV AI Coach Fitness Tracker.jpg

Now, no disrespect to human personal trainers or anything.. There is definitely something to be said about making a commitment to a real-live person that keeps you on your game and a little more accountable, but in case you don't suffer from this affliction called "lack of workout motivation" (not that I would know ANYTHING about that, of course ;), the future is stepping in and replacing a human in yet another instance.  Say hello to "MOOV."  A "smart" little gadget that talks to you... just like "Her."  See where I'm going with this?   Describes as a personal A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) coach. 

Moov Exercise Workout Digital Personal Trainer.jpg

MOOV can offer coaching with swimming (it's waterproof), golf (you can attach it to your golf club to find out what you're doing wrong with your swing), yoga (it will guide you through your practice and offer tips on improving your form), running, boxing, strength training, cardio, etc.  It links to your phone and can track and record your progress and offer tips and scores, as well as talking to you through your headphones AND... allowing you to share your results with your friends to create a little HEALTHY (no pun intended) competition, if you know what I mean :).

It's available for pre-order now at 50% off, making it $59.95 (a steal when you think about the cost of personal trainers).

Watch the "vid" (in the future we will only speak in shortened words) below to find out more about MOOV's Moves:

So, what are you waiting for??  Get MOOVing before the pre-sale price goes up!

XOXO
 

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...