6 months and counting...

last monday, november 5th, marked the half-year point for mr. mickelsen and me.  6 months have very quickly come and gone.  cross country moves, new homes, endless job interviews, new decisions, new adventures, more job interviews, unexpected challenges, exciting new opportunities.  as we reach this milestone, i feel older, wiser, and so much more grateful for the wonderful man i married.  no matter what life puts in our path, he makes it possible and he makes it better.

each week along the way, i have had every intention of getting back to posting here at the kb files.  this week - in between two real-life jobs, laundry, making a pumpkin pie, and preparing for the in-laws to visit this weekend - i decided to sit down and make it happen.

while my main focus in life has shifted a bit from my design dreams to my practical reality, i will do my best to continue posting from time to time.  more than anything, i feel as though i need this space to continue defining and developing my aesthetic.  as grateful as i am for my jobs here in dc, every now and then i need a break from the working-girl life to just explore my creativity.  that way, one day when my husband is done with law school and working and i am no longer required to be the sugar mama... my design skills will be all ready to go.  that's the plan as of today, anyway.

anywho, in case you were wondering, here we are.  we are alive, we are happy, and we are doing pretty great. 

here's to our last 6 months and the years and years (and years!) to come.

bring. it. on.

spring fashion event & blogger meet-up recap... and a JEWELRY GIVEAWAY!

well hello, my dears!  our spring fashion event & blogger meet-up was a great success and tons of fun.  a huge thank you goes out to all of our sponsoring bloggers AND to all of YOU that made it out!  it was so very nice to meet some of you.  if you missed out on this one, we hope to see you at the next one!

top left: jenna from q.a. design, emily from ruffling feathers, melissa from ISLY, mary from my green diet

top right: kb files/ruffling feathers spring pick!

bottom: delicious treats courtesy of cupcake chic

left: megan from classy confessions, alycia from crowley party

right: katie beth (aka me!), emily from ruffling feathers, jenna from q.a. design

left: mary from my green diet and her giveaway winner

right: megan from classy confessions and her giveaway winner noni henderson from wonderlust

 

top: katie beth with the winners for the oh, pish posh (the lovely bre!) and q.a. design giveaways

bottom: gel polish beauty treatments courtesy of the spa at provo beach resort
(i am currently sporting a lovely minty color!)

 left: corissa from twee with her giveaway winner

middle: melissa from ISLY with her giveaway winner

right: kb with her giveaway winner

left: pink peonies spring pick

right: alycia from crowley party, rachel from pink peonies, and megan from classy confessions

 

left: kb with her/my handsome soon to be mr!

right: q.a. design's spring pick

again, lots & lots of love and thanks goes out to all that helped, participated, and showed their faces.  

the kb files loves you an awful lot.

and just to show you how much i love you... 

apricot lane has provided me with a fabulous JEWELRY GIVEAWAY for one lucky reader...

a lovely gold/pewter good works leather cuff bracelet! 
(a $48 value!)

good work(s) make a difference® is a company created to promote a lifestyle of expressing essential virtues and wisdom through fashion in order to spread and elevate humanitarianism.  they are committed to donating 25% of net profits to good causes to inspire, empower, and give hope to one individual, one family, and one community at a time.

these here little bracelets are quite popular among the celebs right now, but really, i just think they are fabulous because of the message they give and the good intention behind them!

to enter, please do the following:

1. become an official follower of the kb files HERE

2. 'like' apricot lane's fbook page HERE 

3. come back and leave a comment below!

for extra entries, you may do any of the following... making sure to leave a separate comment for each:

1. 'like' the kb files on fbook HERE

2. follow me on twitter HERE

3. follow apricot lane on twitter HERE

4. follow me on instagram @kbsummerhays HERE

4. tweet, insta, fbook, just share this giveaway somehow! 

BEST OF LUCK to you all!

giveaway will close at midnight on sunday, may 6!  and because i'll be busy honeymoonin' next week, i will be back to announce the giveaway the following week.  my apologies in advance.

and i feel as though i should give one last thank you to apricot lane, good works, and ALL the awesome bloggers that helped us out with this event.  you are all the best!

now, only 3 DAYS till i say 'i do!'  :) :) :)

p.s. if you see your pretty face in any of the photos above and would like to be linked to this post... just let me know!  i'd love to share some linky love.

blogger meet-up... our fabulous sponsors part II

hi friends.  remember how i was supposed to post part II of our fabulous sponsors yesterday?  it didn't happen and i apologize!  ever have those weeks where everything takes three times as long as you had planned?  well, that's been my week.  i've got to push through my list today and then it's party time tonight!

will we see you there?  come join me & all of our sponsors for a lovely night!

if you missed it, i posted on the first half of our sponsors HERE...

and am excited to introduce the others to you today!

rachel parcell of pink peonies

rachel is that girl i love and hate all at the same time.  she is beautiful, thin, talented, looks like she walks out of a perfectly styled magazine each & every day, and has all of the designer items in her closet that i dream of one day having for my very own.  so much good all in one little tiny person?!  so. not. fair.  and the real kicker?  she's completely nice, too!  the lovely fashionista behind the incredibly fast growing pink peonies is also a full-time freelance graphic designer and a full-time student.  you go girl!  aaaaand she just may or may not be giving away a fabulous piece of jewelry tonight.  you probably don't want to miss your chance at that!

corissa of twee

twee is a brand new blog with tons of potential.  corissa and her husband kris are the voice behind the posts and you really just need to go read them to understand how unique and clever these two are.  corissa is also a talented photographer that i would LOVE to use sometime (see her photography sight here.)  after looking through her blog, i think you'll agree... this girl just has an eye for things.  and honestly, she is the biggest sweetheart.  in asking each sponsor for a bio, corissa replied with, 'i really don't know what to say except that i believe whole heartedly in playfulness, love, marriage, and authenticity.  those are the words that best describe me and my work and i hope that it shows.'  well my dear, i definitely think it shows.  all that and more!  oh, and did i mention she will be giving away a free photography session tonight?

melanie of fifth & hazel

the opening line of melanie's 'about me' section hits so close to home it almost stops my heart.  (okay, so that sounds a bit dramatic, but i'm pretty serious.)  'there is great energy and inspiration that can come from art.  fifth & hazel hopes to change and impact people through art.'  isn't that just pretty and perfect?  this art & design major definitely agrees!  i was completely shocked and honored when melanie offered to help sponsor our event.  this lady knows what she is doing and does it extremely well.  you may know of her graphic design work from one of many various websites, you've more than likely seen her work around town in forms of flyers and advertisements, you've probably received a christmas card or some sort of stationary item designed by her, and if you're lucky you've opened a gift wrapped in the fifth & hazel exclusively designed wrapping paper.  and if you're even luckier... you just may be the winner of the fifth & hazel paper giveaway tonight!  for more of melanie's beautiful and classy work, see her portfolio here.

 

mary of my green diet

mary is one of those amazing ladies that loves finding ways to make life more beautiful and healthy.  she loves making and eating clean, healthy, fresh, and delicious food.  she is a wife and mother of 3 little ones.  she believes a big part of taking care of yourself and your family means doing your best to keep them healthy and feeling good.  and she shares her recipes and tips on her blog, my green diet.  and did i mention that she is also a published author?  pretty much, mary is the complete wife and mother i hope to be in life.  i am new to her blog, but am already a devoted regular with huge intentions of becoming completely healthy.  she has this amazing ability of making healthy eating sound delicious and appealing and i'm all for it!  don't miss your chance at winning her great giveaway of pangea organic beauty products tonight!

//

and with that, i'm off and running through my to-do list for the day so i can be ready to play with you all tonight!

in this final day, we'd really appreciate the help in spreading the word... tweet, share on facebook, instagram, whatever you can do to help would be super sensational.

and remember, for your chance to be entered to win any of these giveaways, you must come join us TONIGHT!  apricot lane boutique, provo's riverwoods, between 6 and 9 pm.

PLUS, just like i mentioned tuesday, i have $10 diva dollars (aka $10 gift cards!) for you if you do the following:

1. become an official follower of the kb files here (or by clicking 'join this site' on the sidebar)

2. go HERE and RSVP for the event

3. share our event in someway (via fbook, twitter, instagram, etc)

4. come back and leave a comment here!

if you do so, i will have a $10 diva dollar certificate with your name on it waiting for you at the door! (and hello, 25% off the entire store PLUS $10 free?  that's a pretty great deal!)

hoping to see you all TONIGHT!

blogger meet-up... our fabulous sponsors part I

today, with our big spring fashion event & blogger meet-up only a few days away, i would like to take a few moments and introduce, in no particular order, a few of our lovely sponsors...

emily frame of ruffling feathers

ruffling feathers started back in 2006 and has been going and growing strong ever since.  emily has a background in fashion & writing, with career experience ranging from visual merchandiser, to fashion editor, to incredibly successful bijou market founder, to awesome mom of two handsome little boys.  emily has to-die for style and an amazing writing voice.  i follow several blogs because i simply enjoy their pretty pictures, i find myself at ruffling feathers each day because i genuinely enjoy reading what she writes.  you don't want to miss your chance on meeting her!  and plus, emily will be giving away a rocking pair of lime green havaiana's at our event on thursday, so be sure to come and enter.  what's summer without a perfect new pair of havaiana's?

megan phillips of classy confessions

i have actually known megan since she was in her mother's womb, and let me tell you, she is truly one of my favorite people (and yes, you have seen her here at the kb files before!).  megan is a senior at brigham young university studying humanities & english, the president of their dance team (the new national champs!), and is both incredibly fashionable and genuinely humble at the same time.  megan started her fashion blog, classy confessions, just a few months ago and already has quite the following.  go check her out here!  she also has a darling little puppy named winston (after the one and only winston churchill) that occasionally makes an appearance on the blog.   megan will also be hosting a giveaway on thursday, which i'm sure will be fabulous.

jenna rammell of q.a. design

jenna is one of those lovely people that takes the random ideas in your head and turns them into creative, clean graphic design masterpieces.  she is my go-to person for all graphic design needs.  jenna is the designer behind the kb files' image, random bridal shower invites for friends, my budding business cards, my perfect save the dates, and without a doubt, many more projects of mine in the future.  her blog, q.a. design, is where she posts all of her creative work as well as tidbits of her life and inspiration.  does your blog need a revamp?  or how about invitations for that shower/birthday/dinner party you are planning on hosting next month?  whatever your graphic design needs may be, i highly encourage you to take a little look at q.a. design.  and again, you will probably want to show up to our blogger meet-up on thursday... jenna will be giving away a certificate for design services!

bre rutledge of oh, pish posh

i am a pretty new devotee to bre's blog, oh pish posh, and when i say devotee, i mean it.  bre has a killer fashion sense, amazing sarcasm & wit, and just like me, she is a firm believer in lipstick.  bre writes about whatever she may feel that day, and 99% of the time, that something will include something that will make me lol. (and yes i just used lol.)  bre, like me, is pretty new to this bloggy world so you really should go give her some love HERE and enjoy a genuine chuckle or two for yourself.  and yes, miss bre will be at our event on thursday, so come meet this lovely girl in person and enter for your chance to win her giveaway! (and just so you know... today is her BIRTHDAY!)

//

so that my friends, is our first bunch of sponsors.  aren't they fabulous?  i told you so.

be sure to come back tomorrow for more sponsor intro's and giveaway announcements!

and remember, for your chance to be entered to win any of these giveaways, you must come join us on thursday night!  apricot lane boutique, provo's riverwoods, between 6 and 9 pm.

PLUS, i just may have $10 diva dollars (aka $10 gift cards!) for you if you do the following:

1. become an official follower of the kb files here (or by clicking 'join this site' on the sidebar)

2. go HERE and RSVP for the event

3. share our event in someway (via fbook, twitter, instagram, etc)

4. come back and leave a comment here!

if you do so, i will have a $10 diva dollar certificate with your name on it waiting for you at the door! (and hello, 25% off the entire store PLUS $10 free?  that's a pretty great deal!)

so excited to hopefully see you all on thursday night!

looking up: painted ceilings

hello, hello!  it's a bright and sunny monday morning & i am happy to be here posting as normal and sharing one of my favorite interior trends of late.


as you may already know... when it comes to color, i'm quite a fan.  but when it comes to the addition of color in an unexpected place or way... well, then i'm completely and hopelessly devoted.

and that is the exact sentiment i feel while admiring a contrasting painted ceiling such as these...

whether it be in a fantastic solid like the persimmon pink used in the benjamin moore colour trends 2012 home...

the invigorating stripe found in a child's bedroom of a fashion director's new york home...

or the totally unexpected pattern that honestly looks like a burst of pretty sunshine found in the design crisis home...


any which way, i am anxiously awaiting the day when i can add an exciting dose of color into my home in an unanticipated manner.

what about you?  are you as hopelessly devoted to this idea as me?  would you dare to boldly paint your ceilings?

i say go for it.  looking up would definitely become all the more exciting.

and before i go, if you are situated anywhere near the salt lake/provo-ish area... then you won't want to miss out on our spring fashion event & blogger meet-up happening this thursday, april 26th!

 

come mingle with some of your favorite local bloggers, network & make some great connections, eat some delicious refreshments, receive a 25% discount on everything in the store, and maybe even win one of our fabulous prizes!  (think photo sessions, designer throw pillows, fashion accessories, and more!)

don't forget to RSVP to our facebook invite HERE & help us spread the word. 

and be sure to come back tomorrow when i will be introducing all of our fabulous sponsors!

p.s. i'm getting married in 12 days.  eeeek!

an exciting announcement...

hello, my dears.  it has been a super quiet week around here at the kb files, and for that i am sincerely sorry!  with my wedding day only two weeks away, my mother leaving town tomorrow & not returning until just a few days before THE day, and the fact that i've been working on an exciting NEW project... things have turned slightly chaotic and behind schedule.  please forgive me for being an absentee blogger.  sometimes my super great multitasking tools fail me.  but i promise things are looking up from here!

to make up for all this lost time... i have a extra special announcement for you today.  for the past couple of weeks, i have been working alongside a local fashion boutique, collaborating with some talented local bloggers, and putting together a fabulous event for you all.  i've been keeping everything under wraps until now, but can finally shout it out loud!

i am happy to announce that i will be co-hosting a spring fashion event & blogger meet-up with apricot lane boutique, next thursday, april 26th at provo's riverwoods.

if i've learned anything from my few months of blogging, it is that networking and making real connections with other bloggers is the best way to learn new things and grow your blog.  the blogging community can be beyond intimidating, but through other events similar to this, i have been able to meet some amazing people that have proved to be genuine, helpful, and well... my friends.

not only will you have the chance to mingle with several other local bloggers and make some new connections, but there will be refreshments offered (including gourmet cupcakes from the delicious cupcake chic!), giveaways from our sponsored bloggers (including me!), and a 25 percent off store-wide discount that i will definitely be taking advantage of.  new honeymoon wardrobe, perhaps?

so... if you are in the salt lake/provo-ish area, involved in the blogging community, or simply interested in fashion and looking for an enjoyable evening... then please come join me at apricot lane next thursday, april 26th, between six and nine pm.  i'm pretty sure the evening will rock your socks off.

i will also give you a big kiss if you accept our facebook invite HERE and help us spread the word.  i've always been told... the more, the merrier!

and be sure to stay tuned next week... i'll be back in full force and introducing all of our sponsoring bloggers.  these are some impressive ladies and you don't want to miss 'em.

if you have any questions, please shout them on over my way.  and be sure to have a wonderful weekend, my friends!

 

P.S. for more info about our lovely host, apricot lane, please visit their website HERE.

i bijou, do you?

ladies and gents, it's time for one of my favorite events of the year.  this friday & saturday, in the one and only provo, utah, the incredibly great bijou market is gathering all of utah's best crafty talent and bringing it to you in the form of handmade goods.  this is an event you definitely want to pencil in to your schedule.  

1. fifth and g // 2. mia // 3. d w y e r // 4. shay jay love // 5. oh how lovely // 6. alexis mattox design 

these are just a few of the shops i am most looking forward to.  although, with over 50 vendors, it was really hard to narrow it down to just a few.  

no matter what your style or taste, age or character... there will be something at bijou for you to love.

you don't want to miss it!

 

have you been to bijou before?  what are your favorite returning vendors?  

visit bijou's blog to find out more about their vendors & to sign up for some amazing giveaways.  i was lucky enough to win one last time.  and let me tell you... best. giveaway. ever.

i'm already supposed to be in two different places this weekend, but i am hoping to squeeze a quick trip to bijou in.  maybe i will see you there?  please come say hi if i do!