Reflect & Celebrate 2013!

2013 has been a great year filled with new hopes and new beginnings.  With each year we have a new set of dreams that we wish to follow.  As the year closes, we look to begin a new chapter in our lives, and just how you would cleanse yourself or release your personal feelings when you get out of a relationship, it is actually good to cleanse or release your feelings for the year that is about to come to an end as well, and yes, say goodbye and release 2013!

A simple way we can do this is by simply taking some time to yourself to reflect today…

Reflect on 2013 and the person who you’ve transformed into in these last 12 months of your life. 

Reflect on the new relationships you’ve made, the new projects you’ve taken on, or goals that you’ve achieved, things you’ve had to let go of, key events that have transformed you or helped you to see things in a different perspective. Write them down.

Write down all the things that you’ve discovered about yourself this year.  We’re constantly discovering new things and sometimes when it comes down to yourself, we forget to acknowledge the things we’ve discovered about our own selves and our own life. These little things we realize about ourselves actually play a huge role in the way we choose to live our lives, and the decisions we make.

Also write down what you’re proud of, and what you’re thankful for, express your gratitude for everything that you have. Feel the love you have of your life which surrounds you.

Now, light a candle and visualize yourself letting go of all old feelings or ideas that didn’t serve a purpose to our greater self and welcome new ideas and thoughts of love and gratitude for what currently surrounds us in our lives.  This is what we will carry with us as we welcome the new year. This is what truly matters, not the old baggage we’ve carried through last year, not the failures that we’ve had…leave that all behind with the close of 2013.

Today, is all about acknowledging and celebrating the year that is about to come to an end and embracing a new year with an open, positive mind.  I’m excited for 2014 and what I believe it will bring, and I want to express my gratitude for those of you who are reading this right now and those who follow me and support my work. I am truly grateful to have you in my life and please stick around for new things to come this year.

2014 is your year to SHINE, I believe in you.

Kathy

New Paintings & New Inspirations

Hi Everyone,

I'm happy to finally announce that I've added a few more original paintings to my Velvet Throne Shop. You can check them out below and HERE.

Commission pieces inquiries are available again, if you're interested please contact me at kathy@glimmerofgold.com

Have a great week!
Kathy

Shop Glimmer of Gold

Velvet Throne Designs - FLASH SALE 15% OFF

Come visit my SHOP for a FLASH 2-Day SALE going on now through Thursday - take 15% off with NO Minimum purchase!  Yes, including SALE items! Yay!!!

Enter code - FLASH15 at checkout!

SHOP SALE

Honey + Lemon = Amazing Glowing Skin!

Oh "HONEY" - where have you been all my life? Yes, I am talking about Bees Honey!  This is seriously a miracle worker.

Right before I left for Maui I had a terrible allergic reaction on my face from some new face cream that I tried, which caused my face to break out in a rash.  Yes, it freaked me out because I've never had anything happen to my face like that before so I didn't know what to do and the dermatologists that I called didn't have openings right away so I knew I had to find something on my own, and fast!  However, everything that I seemed to put on my face (hydrocortisone creams and ointments) just irritated it even more - until my sister told me to put Honey on my face! Yes, like bees honey! I thought she was joking but this worked wonders on my face - so much so that my co-workers asked me if I had gotten a facial the next day!

I bought this Organic Raw Honey from Trader Joes for only about $5.99 and a little goes a long way. I put it all over my face and kept it there for as long as I could - okay, so I went a little extreme and left it on for about 5-6 hours when I had that rash - but the swelling went down drastically and my rash completely went away in about 2-3 days!

Honey has natural healing properties that help to draw bacteria out of your skin while pulling moisture into your skin at the same time.  Although it feels sticky when applying it on your skin, it rinses off with water very easily leaving your face glowing!

Added bonus - it works wonders on pimples and prevents scarring too!

You must try this!  Here's a quick recipe for a brightening mask:

Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon of Honey
- 1/2 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice (this is optional, but Vitamin C = brighter skin)
------
- Mix them together and slather on your face and leave on for as long as you can (bare minimum of 30  minutes) but try for at least an hour
- Wash off with warm water. It should rinse off very easily
- Don't forget to moisturize! (You can also try Olive Oil as a moisturizer if you want to keep it natural)

* Please be careful around the eye area since it might drip down your forehead, you don't want the lemon juice getting in your eye.  It's also a good idea to keep a damp towel around to wipe off any drips.

It's as simple as that! I still have yet to get my first facial at an actual salon, but since I've tried this mask, I'm not in any rush!

Whoever said glowing skin had to cost a lot of money! ;)

Enjoy!
Kathy

Black & White (and A Bit of Gold In Between)

It’s not only the name of one of my favorite interior design books, but it’s also one of my favorite color combos of all time. As much as I do LOVE color, I tend to dress myself in a lot of Black but I almost always do add a pop of color somewhere, whether it be my heels, statement necklace, bangles, or a chic colorful blazer (my favorite). However, as much as I would love to rock a pair of black and white striped skinnies this season, I’m a bit reluctant at the moment with my mommy booty to get into those just yet. However, looking at style trends at the moment with my EVP the other day at work inspired me to do a series of abstract expressionist paintings in simple black and white. You saw a bit of this in my “Kaos in Love” series, but I’m doing more of a minimalist chic inspired vibe to my artwork. I’m working on a few pieces at the moment and it should be released in my shop sometime this weekend, but here's a little sneak peek.

Anyhow, I apologize for the delay in postings, this past month I've been feeling like my body has been in a constant battle against this cold that’s been loving to hang around me and my kids this season. That mixed with my seasonal allergies has just been long sudafilled days for me. Anyhow, I hope you all stay healthy and bright, and don’t forget to take your vitamins! ;)

P.S. The 15% off your purchase of $50 or more with code: VTDEASTER is still going on, so come and take a look HERE

Kathy

Emerald Green with ENVY - 2013 Pantone Color

I've always been a lover of color and working in product development as a colorist for a number of years has definitely given me my fair share of looking at very many Pantone swatches throughout my career.  This years Pantone color of the year for 2013 is EMERALD green! What a beautiful color - rich, vivid, classically elegant and timeless. It's one of my favorite shades of green, so I've added a couple more pieces to my VTD Shop for you.

Available HERE

Available HERE

via

How are you going to add some green into your life this year?

Cheers to 2013,

Kathy

DIY - Quick & Easy Valentines Day Card

Can you believe Valentines Day is tomorrow already? Here's a quick and easy DIY for a Valentines Day card. Keira and I had a blast making it today and all you really need are a couple shades of your favorite Red or Pink lipstick - plus she felt SO special putting my lipstick on!  Oh, and follow me on the new VINE app (as Kathy Michon) and you can watch our Valentines Day card come to life!

via: VINE - 6 Second Video Clips

Pink + Gold = L O V E (all on it's own)

Happy "LOVE" day!!!!

Sitting on a Velvet Throne

VTD (Velvet Throne Designs) has been my baby for a while now.  It's evolved so much, just as I have, and I'm so excited and proud that Etsy has selected my Line22 painting to be on the main Art section page on their ETSY.com website! Woo Hoo!!!

We did it!  Through this blog and throughout my time within the Etsy community I felt that I've been surrounded by so much love and positive energy and I've been so blessed to always hear your lovely words and positive comments.  When I say "WE" did it - I really mean we because a lot of my inspiration comes from you guys and how happy I feel when I read my emails or hear how excited my clients are when they receive their pieces.  It constantly inspires me to be able to create something that brings happiness into someone else's home.  I love creating beautiful pieces with vibrant colors because without color our world would be a pretty bland place to live.  So, I hope to keep bringing color into your lives and your homes - so please keep the positive energy flowing! ;)

Speaking of, here's a few more pieces that I was able to put up in my shop today.  I'll be quite busy within the next few weeks working on commission pieces, so there's a little bit of a wait time at the moment, but if you're interested please don't hesitate to email me with any questions at velvetthronedesigns@gmail.com

* P.S. - Valentine's Day is just around the corner, don't forget to give your walls a "Pink" me up this V-Day with one of my lovely pieces! wink wink ;) 

XOXO,

Kathy

Snakes, Leopards, and Paintings...Oh My!

I've been super busy with VTD and work these days, that it's been so tough to get back on LMS posting so I really apologize for the delays.  I've added a few more items in my shop and am still working on a few other pieces. I did promise some "wearable art" pieces so that will definitely be coming soon - p.s. there's a clue in the pics below ;)

* Photos by ME

These framed pieces can be purchased HERE

(Yup, these gorgeous curved frames are included!)

Love Is In The Air & On Your Walls

I received my Kate Spade book in the mail this week and it's beautiful HOT PINK hardcover reminded  me that one of my favorite holiday's is just around the corner.  YES! Valentine's Day! So, I've added a few Valentine's Day paintings to my SHOP. They are lovely to enjoy in your own home or to share with a loved one. Snatch em' up before it's too late.

XOXO,

Kathy

DVF Inspired Abstract Artwork

Abstract art prints are being seen on the runway more and more these days.  If ya love fashion, what better way to glamorize your walls than with these new DVF inspired abstract art pieces in my SHOP.   Come and check them out! :)

inspired by this...

inspired by this...

inspired by this...

xo,

Kathy

Out With The Old & In With The New

With the start of the New Year comes purging out old things and I have a ton of that to do starting with my makeup.  When I was younger I wanted to be a professional makeup artist for the stars since my idol was Mally Roncal, so when I met her about 7 years ago at Bendels in NYC, I was beyond excited! However, the reality of it is that I don't really wear much makeup in general so a lot of the makeup that I do have is what I've collected through the years so much of it all should be tossed (who knows what's growing inside those eyeliner tubs - yuckie!).

So, to make things easier in the morning, I've designated one small drawer for all my necessities I need right when I jump out of the shower.  I can just open up that drawer and everything is right there - my body lotion, eye cream, day facial lotion, deodorant, night cream, eye drops, hair ties, and hair serum.  It sounds like a lot but I put a basket in there that fit it all perfectly so I'm happy - CHECK! That's done. I don't know why I never thought of that before!

Now moving on to the next project - lip gloss purging!  I threw out a ton of old glosses and kept the old MAC ones so I could collect 6 containers and trade them in for a free lipstick.  On a side note - it's a little guilty pleasure of mine to indulge in a little reality TV (Erik rubbed off on me a bit) - actually my favorite has been The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.  I've been hooked on that show since the 1st season and now it's on it's third, but anyhow, back to my point.  All those girls have super shiny lips and I guess that's where my lipgloss obsession took off.  Yikes, that's a little scary to admit - but I do love my lip glosses.  I was loving MAC creamsheen for a while, but I noticed that after a while with it on, it would just disappear.  So I've decided to turn back to my all time favorite - Chanel lipgloss.  Years ago, my lipgloss go to was Chanel Glossimer Satinette 60 which they have already discontinued.  So, I decided to try another lip gloss that I loved and when I googled it to see if it was still available I also found that it was also Lisa Vanderpump's favorite lipgloss too! Well, well...since she is my favorite housewife and her lipgloss looks amazing on her I decided to try it.  

Actually, I found that Lisa Vanderpump said she mixed both Chanel Glossimer 11 Twinkle with Glossimer 2 in Brilliance.  So, with a Nordstrom note and a Nordies gift card later I was able to treat myself to both so I could try it.  Chanel glosses are a bit more expensive than the usual gloss but you really do get what you pay for - it looks gorgeous on, the shine is incredible, and it feels great - it's gel based so it coats your lips evenly and stays put longer. Yay, so my lip gloss pile is gone and I'm only sticking to these two bad boys (well, for now ;).   

So, I'm off to tackle more purging so I can relax tonight and catch the new bravo show The Vanderpump Rules.  ;) ...yup, Erik's rolling his eyes! Hope it's a good one.

Have a great week!

Kathy