Author Archives: Krista Salmon

09.29.10

Take Another Looksie: Talbots.

When I think of Talbots, I think of Mom. Neets, god rest her soul, was a realtor… and she dressed like a stereotypical realtor. Think Annette Benning in American Beauty. (Disclaimer: I know MANY stylish realtors… so please save your e-mails..)

I have so many memories of Mom pulling into the garage, and keeping her various red bags in the trunk until Dad left the house, then she would carry them in and we’d all hear about it when the AMX bill arrived in the mail. Learned behavior? Probably. Mike accused me just the other day of “hiding” my Home Goods bags (which I wasn’t, I actually had to put them in the laundry room so that I could get a towel for one of the contractors that was at the house) but I have been known to hide a J. Crew bag or two.


I digress. Talbots has come a long way in the last few years, and just released a new fall line that almost made my eyes pop out of my head. Classic Glamour at affordable prices. Another thing that I will say about Talbots is that their pieces are very well made. So pick a few items that you will want to keep forever. Here are the items that made it onto Kiki’s List:

1. Quilted Coat– $179 ***KIKI’S LIST FAVORITE

4. Skinny Bangles– $49
6. Kimono Shrug– $199 ***KIKI’S LIST FAVORITE
7. Three-Quarter Length Gloves– $79 ***KIKI’S LIST FAVORITE
9. Belted Double-Faced Wool Coat– $349 ***KIKI’S LIST FAVORITE
11. Croc-Embossed Platforms– $149 ***KIKI’S LIST FAVORITE
12. Lace Skirt- $149

09.24.10

Jeggings.


It’s where jeans meets leggings.. and they are all the rage this fall. With the feature on riding boots yesterday, I can’t help but recommend that you pair them with jeggings.

The thing that excites me most about jeggings this fall is that I don’t have to bunch up my jeans to tuck them in my boots. It will give you a much cleaner look. The other fantastic feature of jeggings is that they are made of a mixture of spandex and denim, so they give you better coverage than leggings, but you don’t have to worry about the plumber’s crack that jeans create when you sit down. Because they are still made of some denim material, all of the rules of normal leggings go out the window. You don’t necessarily have to cover your bum, but if your are…ummm… “curvy” like me, you may want to.
Here are the jeggings that made it onto Kiki’s List:
2. Harlan.234– $178
3. Five Pocket Jegging– $39.50
4. BDG Demin Legging– ON SALE $19.99
5. Harlan.290 -$195
6. American Rag Jeggings– ON SALE $25.99
7. Pixie Dark Jeggings– ON SALE $44.99

09.23.10

These Boots are Made for Riding.

I am lusting for a pair of brown pebbled riding boots for fall. For the first time in a while, I have been quite impressed with the selection out there. This list fits all budgets big and small. Here are the riding boots that made it onto Kiki’s List:
1. Upwards Boots– $358 ***KIKI’S LIST FAVORITE
3. Stara Boot– $185.25
5. Frye Over the Knee Boot– $448 ***KIKI’S LIST FAVORITE
6. Frye Melissa Button Boot– $317.95 ***KIKI’S LIST FAVORITE
8. Shirley Over the Knee Boots– $448 ***KIKI’S LIST FAVORITE
9. Volatile Women’s Jockey Boots– $75.05 ***KIKI’S LIST FAVORITE
11. Lieutenant Riding Boot– $159.95

09.22.10

A Bouquet of Happiness: EmersonMade.

A woman with a passion and a dream. That is how it all began. EmersonMade is owned and run by the two gorgeous people that you see above. One part Emerson, one part Ryan, her husband and business partner. Here is their story:


At the time they were living in New York City. Emerson, a classically trained painter wanted to better understand the construction and structure of the flowers that she was painting. She began trying to physically reconstruct them out of paper and fabric. With her interest in fashion, she saw the opportunity to transform outfits with these pieces. There was instantly demand and EmersonMade was born. Emerson was literally selling her creations off of her own back to women on the streets. In 2008 Emerson and Ryan decided to leave the bright lights and the big city behind them and move to greener pastures in New Hampshire, where they run their business. You can take a tour of their renovated farmhouse here. Talk about a couple crush; two beautiful people with fantastic style and a mind for business… These two are unstoppable!

In their spare time, Emerson and Ryan like to take advantage of all New Hampshire has to offer. This year some of their summer highlights were picking huge boxes of blueberries, visits to the farmers market, and they are looking forward to apple picking and cider making this fall. You can add photography to their hobby list as Ryan takes most of the pictures for the website. (Emerson takes a few that she is not in.)

Thousands of people have fallen in love with this charming little company through the years, myself included. What started out as an accessory business is now so much more. This fall, EmersonMade has launched a new clothing line- and it’s fantastic. Check out the EmersonMade items that made it onto Kiki’s List. But wait, here’s the best part- EmersonMade is offering all Kiki’s List followers a rare 15% discount for two days only. (Today through Friday September 24.) Use code KIKI+EM at checkout. Start picking your fall flowers now!

1. The Dandy Dress– $228
2. Ballet Dahlia Clutch– $78 ***KIKI’S LIST FAVORITE
3. The Stripe– $78
5. Ballet Dahlia Set– $48 ***KIKI’S LIST FAVORITE
6. EM BlueBells– $198
7. The One and Only Corsage– $325 ***KIKI’S LIST FAVORITE
9. The Poppy– $54 ***KIKI’S LIST FAVORITE
10. The One and Only Flower Chain– $175 ***KIKI’S LIST FAVORITE
11. 1960’s Jacket– $220

A big, fat thank you to Emerson and Ryan. Keep up the beautiful work!

09.21.10

Absolute Sadness.


I am so sorry to fill this happy little blog with such sadness, but I need to get something off of my chest. Last weekend, my sister Karen’s best friend Jenny was brutally abducted and murdered by her husband, and then he turned the gun on himself. Jenny was such a free spirit, a genuinely happy person. She had filed for divorce from her husband three weeks earlier and clearly he was not happy about it. Sadly, this was not the first time that he had shown violence towards her. Karen keeps playing the events over and over in her head, as she knew of issues that the two were having and warned Jenny about her husband many times. She keeps asking herself “Could I have done more?” “I should have called her after she texted me on Friday night.” “I told her she should have gotten a restraining order.” The sad truth is that when someone is that angry or violent a restraining order would have done absolutely nothing. Ironically, Jenny was a mental health professional.


I see this same story on the news over and over again, and this week, it really hits home. Yesterday, Karen and I were reminiscing about the trip that Jenny took to Italy with us and Mom in 2003. What a wonderful time we had. I am sick over the loss of life, and worst of all- Jenny leaves behind two sons. Damen, 14 and Robby, who is four. Her boys were her world. My heart breaks for these boys and what their future holds.

If there is any good that can come out of this, I beg of you to please not take any signs of violence towards women lightly. Whether it is yourself, or a friend. We need to be vigilant to protect each other and our children.

Friday night, all of Jenny’s friends will be attending Damen’s first football game of the season, as they know she would have been there screaming louder than anyone else in the crowd.