Elisha of Koko Kara

Style, by lauren, April 23, 2015, 1 Reply

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Today I’m featuring a style post by a very fashionable St. Louis mama who, along with her husband JJ, just opened brand new online store Koko Kara. Both Elisha and JJ have impeccable taste and a certain West Coast cool style that I admire. Their store is currently only stocked with a limited number of items, but come fall, they hope to expand and add more inventory for a full line-up. The focus on Japanese style and design and clean modern lines makes this a very special space! Elisha

We did the photo shoot on a super windy spring day!

In their own words:

We feature Momotaro brand jeans that are designed and hand-sewn in Japan’s Okayama, Kojima district which is known for its iconic raw denim. The denim used in each pair is made of selvedge denim— Zimbabwe cotton that is hand dyed with pure indigo, giving each pair unique wear over time. Because each pair is “raw,” the 14.7 oz. denim will fit to your body over time, producing a personalized pair of quality denim. Seams are kept long to enable you to alter the length to the particular look you are going for. 

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Elisha is wearing the Momotaro 14.7 Copper Tight Straight Jean

Thank you, Elisha and JJ, for sharing! We wish you both the best luck on your new business!DSC_0072

 Sweet mama and one of her lovely daughters

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Thanks for stopping by!

8 Years

Family, by lauren, April 22, 2015, 13 Replies

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Today is our 8-year anniversary, though that seems like the understatement of a lifetime; we’ve been together for almost 16 years and in just a couple more years, that means we will have been together for half our lives. We dove head-first and intensely into a relationship as raucous, silly, emotionally-charged teenagers, and the fact that our relationship survived past the volatile stage of college craziness is amazing. But it did. We pushed through, always magnetically drawn closer together every summer break when we found ourselves with more one-on-one time in-between summer jobs and long distance. We could not stay apart, even through graduate school when we were separated by hundreds of miles, whispering into our phones late every night, letting the silences become comfortable and the heartsickness be felt.

We have become, over the years, closer than I knew was possible between two separate people. It’s not that we finish each other’s sentences, it’s that we say the same things at the same time so often I fear our minds have melded into one — and they haven’t, of course. It’s that everything has been discussed, everything has been forgiven, everything has become an inside joke and everything can be conveyed through a subtle look. We are on the same wavelength, riding along together. He has been my partner for so long that I cannot imagine my life anymore without him, cannot remember very well my life before him; it’s as if he was always there with me.

And yes, we argue. We annoy each other and get into disagreements and it’s always, always okay. We can see the big picture, the history and the future and everything we are to each other. He is my best friend, the gentle and funny and passionate father of my children, he is an admirable public speaker with poise and grace and humility. He is thoughtful and kind and HANDSOME and awesome. I am so proud of him, so proud to be with him, to be by his side through thick and thin. I am so very much in love with this man. Happy Anniversary, Andrew! DSC_0037DSC_0034Here’s to eternity!

P.s. 12 Relationship Tips from a Wedding Reporter… I thought this was really insightful!

Dress That Mama

Style, by lauren, April 22, 2015, Leave a Reply

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No surprise that this neutral patterned skirt is a favorite. It goes with nearly everything I own, so score! I’m also very fond of these Pons slide-on shoes that are made from soft, supple leather and are plenty comfortable (I really like this style as well).

DSC_0004Some days are flowy skirt, bohemian style kind of days, and since it’s Earth Day, I think it fits to dress the part. Hope you are enjoying your spring day!

(Carnival) Weekend Shenanigans

Family, by lauren, April 20, 2015, 4 Replies

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This weekend was another one of highs and lows, the inevitable shift of seasons that bring warmth and sun one day, clouds and rain and cool weather the next. We had a blast on Saturday, spending every moment together and with dear friends as we enjoyed the carnival that has become an annual April tradition. And with a sigh of relief, we admitted that the idea of the carnival is often much more fun that the actual carnival. Maybe the realization has to do with how quiet our house is most of the time. Sure, there is the pounding of feet or the raised voices of several little boys, but the background noise is often minimal. There is no television blaring, often just the sounds of birds and breezes and the occasional car driving down the street, but really it’s pretty quiet in our home. The sheer amount of noise and stimulation at the carnival was a little crazy-making!

The boys obviously enjoyed themselves, and it’s fun to see them race around from ride to ride (or in Oliver’s case, in desperate search of a face-painting station — he had his heart set!). Milo was finally tall enough for the bumper cars, so the highlight of his day was sitting next to Andrew and chasing after his buddy Jack. Andrew and Alex had a healthy dose of friendly competition and aggression as they chased each other. It was pretty great.

And if you’re wondering, the answer is no, we did not ride the whirling-wheel-of-death: DSC_0033DSC_0035DSC_0036DSC_0014DSC_0018DSC_0019

Emil’s favorite ride was the motorcycle merry-go-round (he has an alarming obsession with motorcycles, oh dear) and Oliver’s moment was being brave enough to spend his last 3 tickets on the dragon roller coaster, which he rode all by himself!

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These guys…

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The highlight of our weekend was spending the afternoon with these great folks. Seriously so much fun, those four, and so easy to be around. We are looking forward to many more of these cook-outs.

Sunday was cool and rainy and the boys were so glum and whiney again. I’m beginning to think that they are re-adjusting to all the outdoor time after this past long winter. We need to toughen them up and build up those walking legs!

I hope you had a great weekend. Happy Monday.