Yes, yes I know this time of year we are hit with tons of “gift guides” and lots of ideas of how to buy the perfect gift. It feels as if everywhere we look we’re being told to buy buy buy.

I love giving gifts but I hate the stress and pushy marketing. I want to share with you a gift guide of sorts that also doubles as the greatest hits from every collection. This way you can see what pieces in the collections (year after year) have always been the perfect gifts. No pressure, just suggestions based on what has always worked in the past. 

I think the holidays are a great time to give people timeless pieces, the tried and true. The pieces that build collections and fill holes in any style genre. When I talk about classics I just don’t mean classic as a style but the classic pieces that are at the base of every style.

Check out the guide below, it’s broken up by category and includes only the best pieces that have always been top sellers and never go out of style.

Till Next Week,

 Yes, it’s that time of the year, the time where we get caught up in family celebrations, friends, good food, drinks, and lots of cheer. But it’s also that time of year where it’s very easy to get wrapped up (no pun intended) in the stress and busy-ness of it all.

I love that Thanksgiving is right before Christmas and Hanukkah because it’s the perfect mental prep for the more stressful holidays. Unfortunately, the holidays tend to focus a lot on gift giving and spreading ourselves too thin, so Thanksgiving is a time to just be together enjoying each others company and appreciating everything we have.

I also love that it’s centered around a meal made of delicious food. I try really hard to make this meal full of yummy food that nourishes our bodies. Food has brought people together for years and there is something about making food and sharing it with the people you love that feels good deep down in your soul.

I also make the day about honoring the people in my life. Telling family and friends how much they truly mean to me and appreciating them is my intention during the day and it feels fantastic. I find that the more love I give the more love I feel.

I hope your Thanksgiving holiday is full of love and gratitude, I’m sending you some as well.

Till Next Week,

It’s October! Can you believe it?! Fall has arrived for most of the country, here in Florida we are still feeling the heat so I have decided to do a little blog this week to jumpstart Fall.

Fall and Spring have these magical powers about them, it’s the one time that change feels so good.

Pumpkin everything, leaves changing, apple picking, cosy sweaters, hot cocoa, good books, family dinners, are just a few of what I love about this time of year.

I love anything that feels clean, modern with a hint of traditional. Fusing my love for authentic artisanal details with a minimalist undertone.

   

This week Starbucks announced a plan to stop using plastic straws as of 2020 in all of their locations. This has the potential of eliminating more than one billion plastic straws worldwide.

We’ve talked about plastic straws on the blog before and how they typically end up in landfills, making them something we all need to use less of. Hearing such a huge company like Starbucks giving them up brings hope to my heart.

The companies change of mind seems to have been started by a plastic straw ban in Seattle, their headquarters, earlier this year. Some stores have already started using adult sippy-cup-style lids in favor of straws. Plastic straws have become less and less eco-friendly as they’re hard to recycle and the ones that do make it into the recycling bins end up being sorted out because of size and weight.

Plastic straws take an average of 200 years to break down on this planet. Ending up in our landfills and most importantly our seas, harming sea life. This news made me think about what we can all do to use less plastic. A total overhaul can feel heavy, but small little changes are the key to making them last. Look for an easy change, maybe that’s bringing your own silverware with you or a glass/steel straw for all your iced beverages. 

Lets make a small change together and see how big an impact we can make.

Memorial day was this past weekend and you know what that means…summer is here!

May is like the Friday of months...stay with me here. You know summer is close and you can’t help but get excited. This is the month that I start planning all my fun vacations and trips.

Some of you might even feel like it’s too late, but I promise you it’s not. Some of the best trips I’ve taken came together in May. It’s almost like a fun game, if you’re up to the challenge. The trick at this point to is nail down a few key points.

You need to know what type of trip you want to take but be open to the way the trips happens. An example of this is if you’re wanting a beach vacation. Pinpoint what general area, like let’s say the Caribbean, but let exact locations be open to chance. This way when you are searching you can find amazing deals and locations that you might not of thought of before. 

We get too attached to the exact type of vacations we think we have to take, and I get it. We only get so much vacation a year so we want it to be good but this type of planning has really always lead me to some of the best trips.

Most travel websites are built for this type of planning. The best deals happen when you aren’t tied to the exact dates and location. Again, I know this might not be for everyone, but if this idea gave you a little pep in your step go for it.

Here’s too lots of fun this summer, planned or not.

Till next week,

Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner and if you know anything about me and my story you know I love Mexican culture. My husband and I spent an amazing summer in a small Mexican village and it’s there that I created the first Stephanie Kantis jewelry collection.

I loved so much about that time, but the culture and the people where a huge part of what inspired me to be my most authentic self and create the artwork that has become this amazingly successful business, I never could’ve imagined. 

So, it’s safe to say that Cinco de Mayo has become one of my favorite times of year to celebrate. I love to host a cocktail party with this theme, and have found over the years it’s pretty easy if you stick to the basics. And that includes a good margarita recipe and homemade guacamole. You can’t go wrong. I say simple and fresh are always the way to go over store bought options. 

 

For the decor I’ve included some of my favorite ideas here, in a little design mood board. This theme is what I love about Mexico and it’s all about culture and color.

Let me know if you if you have any ideas and tips of your own.

Till next week,

Ta-da! Big exciting news to share with you all this week. If you’re already on our mailing list then you might know all about this announcement but if not, we would love to introduce you to Kantiscares.org!

It’s a special project that has been a passion of mine. The past year I’ve really gotten more involved in this cause because it’s truly important to me. I have talked about it quite a bit on the blog, and most of you know how passionate I am about the environment.

The website was created to inspire people to lead a plastic-free lifestyle, using earth-safe products that are purposefully disposed of to support the health of our world. Our vision is lofty…a plastic-free and Waste-Smart world.

I would love it if you visited the website and checked out all the resources we have there as well as followed us over on Instagram and/or Facebook. I know this isn’t gonna be an easy job but this vision holds a big place in my heart.

You will be hearing more from me on this topic and updates about the website including new projects. So stay tuned and thank you for being apart of this journey. 

Till Next Week,

This past Tuesday, March 20th was the official Spring Equinox, aka the first day of Spring for the northern hemisphere. This date signifies longer days and fresh starts for a lot of people, and who doesn’t love those two things.

The date is chosen every year depending on the length of day and night time. When they are both equal, as close to 12 hours each, then that date is marked. For the southern hemisphere Spring starts in September. 

  

There has been a lot of talk around self-care routines. In the past they have gotten a bad rap because taking care of ourselves seems to be last on the priority list. Which seems a little backward doesn’t it?

Why is putting ourselves first a crime? I want to be apart of the conversation that puts our health and well being first. As the saying goes, you can’t give from a dry well. 

This week I decided to take you through some of my favorite self-care practices. They aren’t radical but I think just talking about how we take care of ourselves opens up a new way of thinking. It takes the shame out of it. Here are a few of my favorites:

Morning Mindfulness

I take anywhere from 5-20 minutes every morning to be present. The days get away from us so quickly that if I don’t make this a priority first thing in the am I will never get to it. Sometimes this looks like yoga, other times it could be a quick meditation, but it can also be just sitting outside in the beautiful sunshine, listening to the birds and drinking some coffee. 

Afternoon Break

If I don’t schedule an afternoon break than my entire day feels like one huge work meeting. I make a point to spend an hour truly enjoying something other than work. This might mean a beautifully prepared meal, or flipping through some magazines or Pinterest for inspiration. Whatever it is the only rule is that I truly love it and want to do it. This is one of my favorite times of the day.

Nighttime Relaxing

I love baths. In my opinion it’s the best way to end the day and transition from work mode to home mode. I love my work and It’s hard to stop thinking about it but my bath time ritual dissolves the stress and helps me prepare for a night of rest and rejuvenation. 

Till week,