This blog has moved to melanieknopke.com

Farewell to blogger!

It is hard to believe I am approaching year 4 of writing this blog!!! I never imagined what this whole journey would have entailed, but it has been a good one. But, sometimes all good things have to come to an end.

 Blogger was a great place to start writing a blog. It was the perfect platform to learn how to manage the whole blog thing. Unfortunately there are a lot of roadblocks with blogger; especially when it comes to design. I also was itching to have my own personal "dot com" as opposed to a blogspot addess.

It has been a very long process trying to decide what to do next. What would I name my new blog? How would I get started? Thankfully I have a very talented friend who was kind enough to design my new site and had a developer friend do the behind the scenes stuff. I can't tell you how in awe I am of people who develop sites, it's like speaking a foreign language. A HUGE shout out to Brad and Jillian for their HARD work. 

So, after many many months, a million emails back and forth to my friend in Miami we are finally here. A sparkly new site with some fun new features. You will find my blog (and all the old posts from blogger have also been exported to the site). You will also see my portfolio and work that I do outside of blogging, and some interesting tidbits in my "about me". 

I am so excited to FINALLY share with you...

melanieknopke.com

Thanks again for all of you who have been with me from the beginning and those of you who have just come along...see you over at the new site! 

Frugal Friday

Here are just some fun finds that definitely need to be added to my closet...all under $25 my friends!

Bauble Necklace $20.80

split back georgette top $19.80

Cutout Cuff $5.80

Marled Cuffed Tee $15.80

Neon Strap Wedge $22.80

Paisley Lace Top $24.80

More love for Julianne...

Ok, so I just discovered that Julianne Hough designed a line of shoes for Sole Society. You guys, they are actually super cute! I am not a person who has a ton of shoes; I like to buy something that can be worn many ways. The Gianna Sandal is the PERFECT summer shoe. I would wear with this with skirts, dresses, skinny jeans...the possibilities are endless.

 I want it in both the nude and the bermuda pink. They are only $59.95!

Have you seen her line of shoes yet? Check out more styles HERE. 

Our Weekend

We had quite a busy weekend! We had 2 fun birthday celebrations. The first was for my best friend Susan. We made it a girls night with a dinner at Cooper's Hawk Winery which recently opened on the Country Club Plaza. I thought the food was good; a highlight being the warm pretzel bread that they bring you to start (I could have eaten that all night). The downside is the wine! Maybe I am just spoiled because my husband buys such good wine. I ordered the bubbly flight and I only finished 2 of the 4. They were really quite sweet, reminiscent of Boone's which made me quite sick in college.

We had 10 girls, and lots of laughter and good conversation. We did a round table discussion about our favorite budget and splurge beauty buys. I loved hearing everyone's answers! One budget item that I will definitely add to my lip gloss collection is Revlon Peach Petal lip gloss; which is said to be the best nude lipgloss out there. And, it will only set you back about $7.

And if I could afford it, I would definitely try my friend Susan's pick, Photodynamic Therapy liquid red light anti-aging SPF by DermaDoctor. This product apparently takes the UV rays we are exposed to and transforms them into an effective wavelength of rejuvenating  red light, which is a proven energy source for eliciting anti-aging effects on the skin. I am not going to share my friend Susan's exact age, but I will tell you she is over 35. Look at her skin...it's unreal.

Sunday we celebrated the 1st birthday of one of my closest friend's little boy. He also happens to be my baby girl's first crush. He is sweet as can be and was such a good boy on his birthday! 

Aren't they so sweet? 

Now we are preparing for snow storm #2!!!! We have not had school for a week; to say that we are stir crazy is a bit of an understatement. Filling 12 hours a day with a 4 year old and a 10 month old is not easy. If you have any great at-home entertainment, please share!!!

A start to Spring with Fibi & Clo

During the summer I pretty much live in flat sandals. While I do of course sport the occasional rubber flip flop, I much prefer something a little bit more interesting. Fibi & Clo sandals are the perfect marriage of comfort and style. I love this sort of sandal to dress up a maxi dress or to pair back to the perfect white dress for summer. Their sandals also have an amazing amount of detail for the price; only $49.50!

I fell in love with the Sea Star which is this gorgeous shade of green mixed with smaller mint green stones set on Gold. I already busted them out for my trip to Arizona last weekend. How pretty do they look against the perfect green grass? The color on my toes is Candlewood Coral from Hoopla Studio in Fairway.

They have other fun styles to choose from, here are just a few of my faves...

The Southampton (only $29.50!)

The Cannes Turqoise

Their bestseller, the Gold Cascade

and to view their entire selection, click HERE

MFAMB does Art

Some of you may follow My Favorite and My Best; a very witty blog about home decor and my personal fave...her Downton Abbey recaps. I just discovered that Jenny (the author) makes gorgeous paintings. I want all of them, they are striking and very unique...

You can find these and her others on her Etsy site HERE

Girl Time

I swear it must be Murphy's law...you go away for the weekend and have the time of your life and return with an awful cold. Oh well, it was totally worth it. We had the most unbelievable weather in Arizona. It was 75 and sunny, not a cloud in the sky. We soaked up every minute of the sun and talked and laughed for 2 days straight, leaving me without a voice on Sunday. My husband thought we had been out partying. Mind you we had 2 pregos in the group; the extent of my partying was having one two many glasses of wine at the golf club for dinner. 

And some instagram shots...

A favorite spot to sit and have lunch pool side...

Oh yes, this definitely happened. I can't go to AZ without hitting up In N Out burger. The.Best.Burger.EVER.

We actually worked out everyday while we were there. You probably think we are crazy, why not sleep in? It's just hard when you are used to waking up at 6AM everyday. There is nothing better than going for a run in the cool, dessert air. 

One of the best parts about having time with your girlfriends is just chatting about everything...from our kids to our husbands, food, t.v., movies and of course beauty products and fashion. I picked up some tips from my besties this weekend and thought I would share...

My friend Emily had on the most amazing pair of dark skinnies that I decided need to make their way into my closet. They are the Paige Skyline Skinny in the Carson Wash. Super dark, and super slimming. The rise was also perfect; not too low and not too high. 

You know I loooove beauty products and it is rare I come across a product I have never heard of. My friend Kami (who should be a makeup artist, she is so good at it) had a tube of Lip Butter by Korres. This stuff is amazing! It truly is buttery and has just a hint of shimmer and it smells absolutely delicious.  I would use this everyday just for a touch of color and shine. It comes in a few great shades to choose from. 

And for all you pregos out there, this dress is the most flattering maxi dress I have seen. My friend Jayme had this on in black and it was so simple, yet the cut was so cute on. It's bra friendly and the side ruching gives you some shape. I love it paired with a big statement necklace and some fun sandals. They are also on sale right now on Oldnavy.com for $25! 

Happy Heart Day

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! How will you be spending the day?  I am starting the day with my son's party at school, which should be fun. I love seeing him in his classroom with all of his buddies. He also has a HUGE crush on one of his teachers. In fact, yesterday he asked me if Mrs.G would be coming to school in car pajamas for the party...no son, probably not. Kids are funny..

Then, I am ending the day in a bit of an unconventional way. I am actually flying to meet my girlfriends in Arizona for a girls only, spa, sun and relaxation weekend. Could you think of a better Valentine's Gift? I think not! I can hardly wait...it's been almost 2 years since we have all been together. Many thanks to the husband's for letting us sneak away for a few days and holding down the fort with all of the kiddos. s

There is truly nothing better than best girlfriends. I would be lost without these ladies!

Have a great holiday with your loved ones! I will be back on Monday...and hopefully well rested with a nice tan! xoxo

Cha Cha Cha Chia...obsessed.

Ok, so I just discovered the Chia seed. (yes, it IS the seed from the famous, Chia Pet) 

Seriously, Chia, where have you been all my life? We found a recipe for a "power breakfast" which included the seed, and now we are totally hooked. You guys, these things are amazing. 

The benefits are pretty remarkable. First off, they are said to help weight loss and reduce food cravings.  The seeds absorb 10 times their weight in water, forming a bulky gel; this will leave you feeling full for hours without the added calories! 

Chia seeds are extremely high in Omega 3, Protein and Fiber. By weight, the Chia seed actually has more Omega 3's than Salmon! Skip the fishy taste and add these to any of your favorite dishes and you can get the same health benefits. The Chia seed is also high in anti-oxidants which aids in preventing premature aging. The best part is, a very small amount goes a long way. 

You don't need to grind them like Flaxseed and they really have no taste and will blend in nicely with almost anything. We have been adding them to everything from our Oatmeal in the morning to protein shakes. I just also made some no-bake power balls that I substituted flax seed with Chia seeds instead and they turned out delicious. 

For the entire list of benefits, read HERE.  Is anyone else on the Chia bandwagon too? 

Valentine's Day: For Him

Valentine's Day: For Him by stylescout1 on Polyvore

1. Team Cufflinks
2. Vilebrequin Trunks
3. J.Crew Dop Kit
4. Golf Shoes
5.Vineyard Vines Tie

Hair Crush

Julianne Hough is cute as can be. I am loving her even more now that she chopped her long (stereotypical celeb) locks for a more modern style. The length is perfect...just long enough to still pull back if you need to. And the blonde? Amazing. 

and how much does she look like a young Meg Ryan here?

Valentine's Lust List

Valentine's Day by stylescout1 featuring drop earrings

1. Earrings 

2. Marigot Pajamas

3. Nixon Watch

4. Miu Miu Matelasse Clutch

5. Tocca Stella Candle

The very best baby blanket

For all of you moms out there, you know how many blankets you receive as gifts. Some are hand knitted, some may have a minky dot, some might be fleece. It's really hard to tell not only which blanket your child will make their favorite, but also which will stand the test of time.

My cousin sent Vivi a blanket from an organic company called Robbie Adrian. I had never seen the blankets before, but when I opened it up and felt it, I knew that it would be the perfect snuggle blankie. It is made of a super soft, organic velour and edged with a natural silk charmeuse ruffle.

What I love about it is the size and the weight. It's not too big, so she can have it in the crib with her. Yet, it's just big enough to cover her up on cold nights. It washes up amazingly well and the trim seems to be holding up quite nicely after getting chewed on and washed frequently.

Our daughter just loves the blanket; before I lay her down at night she snuggles up with her head on my chest, holding on to the blanket and touching the ruffles. It's incredibly sweet, and obvious how comforting  she feels with her blanket.

The benefits of buying organic speak for themselves. Organic cotton used to produce their blankets are grown naturally without the use of harmful chemicals. 

You will pay a little more for these blankets, but in the end I believe it is worth the investment to have a great blanket that you know is made extremely well and is safe for your child. I highly recommend the brand! They make a fantastic baby gift.

On the T.

Source: breakfastatyurmans.tumblr.com via Melanie on Pinterest

Source: runawayontherunway.tumblr.com via Melanie on Pinterest

Source: garancedore.fr via Melanie on Pinterest

If you are like me, you have been on the endless search for the perfect tee. One with just the right amount of "drape", one that's not too short and not too long, and one that has the perfect neckline. Sounds impossible, right? My goal this summer is to find one so that I can pair it back to EVERYTHING. With all the colored and printed denim we are seeing this spring, a simple tee seems like the perfect compliment, no?

Tee by Graham and Spencer

and the perfect tank?

T by Alexander Wang 

Do you have a perfect tee? If so, do share! 

A sale that is ALMOST too good to be true...

For all of you bargain loving fashionistas out there, I have incredible news. Hall's (a Kansas City favorite) synonymous with high fashion and cutting edge style is having a blowout Designer warehouse sale that will be open to the public for 5 days only.

The past few years, Hall's has sent their clearance merchandise out of town to make space for new arrivals. But this year, president Kelly Cole decided to offer these incredible deals to local shoppers.“Instead of sending the bargains out of town as in seasons past, we thought why not make them available locally?” says Halls President and CEO Kelly Cole, adding that “leasing a site at 133rd & Metcalf not only frees up needed space at our Plaza and Crown Center locations for Spring inventory, but gives Halls a way to reach out to our Johnson County neighbors.”

Go armed and ready my friends...with savings like this, it might get crazy. No fighting over the Tory Burch ladies!!!

HERE ARE THE DETAILS:

"It's Us"...

This print reads "It's Us" in French. Wouldn't this make the perfect Valentine's Gift? 

by the lovely Morgan and Carrie of Ampersand Design Studio

It's just the beginning...

If you are on Instagram, you have probably seen the tidal wave better known as "Vine". This new app, developed by Twitter is insane, and for us bloggers (and for business owners) I imagine this new app is going to be huge.

It gives you the ability to create a few seconds of video and immediately upload it. No editing required. It's instant. 

I think it's pretty fantastic so far, but I do think they need to install a privacy option, and a blocking feature like Instagram has. 

For those of you who are on Vine, what do you think? Are you a fan too? 

Calling all small business owners!

I am so excited to be coordinating the third annual, Spring into Hope shopping event to benefit the Marian Hope Center for Children's Therapy located in Independence, Missouri.  If you are not familiar, the Marian Hope Center is a non-profit organization servicing children with Autism, Down syndrome and other special needs throughout the metro Kansas City area.  The center offers a variety of therapeutic programs and consultative services to meet the array of needs of children in our community. With 1 in 6 children being diagnosed with special 

needs, it is important for our community to come together to embrace our children and families. 

Having a booth at an event like this is a great way to expose your business/shop/items to a large group of women (WHO LOVE TO SHOP!) and most importantly it is to support an incredible cause! 

If you or someone you know would like to sponsor a booth, have them email me for more information. Mel.knopke@gmail.com

I need the Petty...

After searching high and low for just the right bootie, I think I have found it. It's the Petty by Sam Edelman. This is the PERFECT transitional boot. Looks great with colored denim, camo pants, you name it. The Target Does It Again girls rock them (and look amazing, of course) quite frequently, which pretty much sealed the deal for me...