A Beautiful Mess goes "Live." New Look, Blog & Online Shopping

To say the past three months of my life have been a whirlwind would be a major understatement!  I was blessed with success at the Remnants of the Past antique show in San Luis Obispo, a week later my eldest daughter graduated from high school and a seemingly “short” two weeks after that I turned the big 4-0.  It has been busy to say the least, but I wouldn’t trade these past three months for anything. (except for more sleep:) Life has a peculiar way of presenting its challenges and opportunities to us, sometimes we think the direction our path is taking us is the only one to follow, but really our paths can twist, turn, and sometimes even collide with another leading us to new experiences and adventures we would have never encountered otherwise.

I am so fortunate to have friends, family and customers who continue to support my store even though they live in different cities, states and countries. I am more than elated to announce the launch of our online store and our new blog for all of you who wish to visit A Beautiful Mess day or night.

I am extremely grateful to my assistant Sami, my wonderful photographer Dustylu and my web designer Avalon Rose for making my vision a virtual wonderland! To my unbelievably dedicated and hard working staff thank you for taking on all the extra responsibilities. To my husband Geoff and my 3 girls, thank you for not putting up “Missing Person” posters of me.

Have a great weekend and thank you for joining me on my journey.

Kymberley

P.S. To all of you that follow me on Blogspot... Please follow this link to subscribe & follow me on
 Wordpress from here on out...

A Beautiful Mess Antiques New Blog

See you there!!

The "Brielle" handbag by Kymberley Fraser

I have been dreaming and mentally creating a 3 Fine Grains Couture handbag for many years. My dreams have become reality and next week at The Remnants of the Past Show I will start selling my very first Couture handbag... The Brielle.  Named after my first born and created with Brielle's day to day style in mind.  Thrown across the body during the day and carried as a Clutch in the evening for those more fashionable outings; The Brielle is the perfect accessory for any style.

The Brielle is created using my signature line of Original Antique German grain sacks.  Black satin lines the inside with a zippered pocket for your valuables or if you're like me... your lip gloss.  Aged brass hooks and clips paired with vintage finished leather, compliment the rustic yet refined style of this bag.  Each bag is guaranteed, "one of a kind" and adorned with antique English horse brass from the Queens coronation dating back from the 1800's. 

Thank you Amy,  for walking the runway modeling "Brielle"

I'm beyond excited to share this dream come true with all of you and I look forward to seeing you accessorize with my new line... "Kymberley Fraser" Designs.  

XO

P.S.

After the show you'll be able to find my pieces in my store A Beautiful Mess 

and online... coming very soon! 

( more on that in my next post )

To my Mom on Mother's Day

To my beautiful Mom...

A day without you in my life would be a day without sunshine.  You've been my strength when I've been weak.  You've held me up when I've had trouble standing tall.  You've stood tall and proud beside me every step of the way through my life.  

My dear Mom, I cherish you.  You're not just my Mom... You're my best friend.

I thank God daily for the love you've given me and for blessing my life as your Daughter.  You've made me the person I am today...  The Mother, the Daughter, the Grandaughter, the Wife and the Business Woman...  It's all because of you.  You often tell people that my creativity comes from somewhere else and not from you... you're wrong.  My creativity comes from you. You showing me how to love and appreciate all that surrounds me and through that I've created from the heart. 

I only can hope that when my girls are all grown that they can look at me with the same admiration, appreciation and love that I have for you.

Happy Mother's Day Mom!

To all my friends and followers wishing you a very Happy Mother's Day as well. 

I hope you enjoy your day with your loved ones.  

XO

Kymberley

Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Pinterest

  

40 DAYS UNTIL THE BIG SHOW IN SAN LUIS OBISPO

My hearts beginning to race, my heads spinning with more ideas, and my home and storage units are beginning to bulge. Why, you might ask...
 because The Remnants Of The Past Antique Show is nearly here!


  For those of you that have attended the show before... Did you book your room or make a plan to drive up for the day?  If not, you better hurry up!  For those of you that have never been... This is the show to attend, so make your travel plans!  

A Beautiful Mess at ROP in the Fall

Judy Watkins puts on what I call a "West Coast Round Top."  You'll feel as if you've suddenly been transported to Marburger Farms in Texas with all the beautiful merchandise that everyone brings and displays. It's truly out of this world and inspiring to the fullest extent.

  Over the past year Remnants of the Past has been voted as one of the top shows in the U.S. by Country Living Magazine and Romantic Homes Magazine; not to mention this months Where Women Create, where the show is featured in a 10 page spread..."It truly is, that good!' To say that I'm a Vendor of  The Remnants of the Past Show, is a huge honor for me and I'm so excited to bring my style and my store; A Beautiful Mess, to the show again.

Don't miss out on a chance to WIN a 2 night trip to The Remnants of the Past Show; along with a $75 gas card, $100 Gift Certificate to NOVO Restaurant and 2 FREE passes to the show.  You must enter to win by April 30, 2012.  Click the Remnants Link above and enter to win, before it's too late!

I'm looking forward to seeing you all at the show and I can't wait to share my amazing finds, as well as some fantastic new pieces from my 3 Fine Grains antique textile collection.  

It's going to be the best show yet!   

Have a great week and please be sure to follow my posts on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest!  


Thank you for following!


xo
Kymberley

My Easter Tradition

For 38 years I've been coloring Easter eggs the old fashioned way, with vinegar and tablets. My papa loves to color Easter eggs and since I was a wee-one he's made it a point to make this a family tradition that we have always shared with my girls.

Papa and Gramma and my Mom giggling in the background

 Our Easter eggs aren't something you'd see on the front cover of Martha Stewart, but to me they're special because they're made with love by my family in a very traditional way.  We typically get together on Good Friday to decorate. The girls even made one last year for their favorite boy....
Justin Beiber (lol).

J.B. front and center

Brielle and Grace 

So, what do we do with our beautiful eggs after we dye them?... We leave them for the Easter Bunny to hide for the annual Egg Hunt Extravaganza!  Brielle, my oldest, has learned the hard way to steer clear  of her little sisters during the hunt, because it's a winner takes all filled with laughter and giggles. 

Scarlet... The ultimate Egg-Hunter


Around Easter Time, we have an annual visitor.  This Mother Goose has nested on my parents boat, and this time she has twins.  One of her unborn babies is warm and cozy under a feathery blanket and the other is kept warm in the crook of her mother's neck. The Father forages for her daily and makes sure his three loves are safe and sound. It's so sweet to watch... especially for my girls.

I'm so looking forward to spending the next 3 days enjoying my family.  I wish you all a very Happy Easter.  May it be filled with love, family and life long traditions.  Blessings!!

XO

Kymberley

Romantic Prairie Cookbook & A Giveaway

I'm so excited..... 

First of all...... I love to cook and Fifi O' Neill's Romantic Prairie Cookbook has been on my "want" list from the moment I got wind that it was debuting.  It's now available for purchase and let me tell you..... It's 192 pages of wonderful!!  It's full of great photos by the famous photographer Mark Lohman, featuring beautiful locations and delicious recipes.  Fifi is so full of talent and creativity she just keeps coming up with one great publication after another. What will she think of next?

 Second...... my friend Lu's fabulous recipe for Salmon was featured in her book.  Lu's an amazing cook who comes from a long line of Italian Chef's.  Every time Lu's cooked for my family and me, I feel like I'm dining Alfresco in Italy!  My mouth is watering just writing this sentence.

Lu's little boy, Dusty (whom I adore) made his debut in the cookbook..... serving up his little lady friend some lemonade.  What a little gentlemen he is!

  Last but not least, I'm so excited to share with all of you that my store A Beautiful Mess is a featured source in the cookbook!

 I'm so honored Fifi, thank you!!!

In honor of all this excitement Lu is having a grand giveaway on her blog.  She's giving away a signed copy of Romantic Prairie Cookbook.  You can go to her blog to enter to win.  While on her blog you can copy her recipe for her now famous salmon.....YUM!

Good luck to all of you and be sure to tell Lu that I sent you over to win!

Have a great Sunday everyone!

xo
Kymberley

Be sure to follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest 

Babi's Tasting Room and Bell Street Farm

A few months back my husband Geoff and I took a little overnight trip up the Central Coast to visit some friends and do a little bit of shopping.  On our way up we both got a little hungry and remembered that our good customers; Sonja and Emilio Estevez had opened up their Casa Dumetz tasting room in Los Alamos, Ca.. When we arrived at the winery we both loved the rustic feel of the area and the old architecture in the town. Sonja had shared with us that she named the winery after her much loved late Grandmother "Babi." I was very touched by her story, being that
I'm so close to my Grandmother as well.

We were greeted by the lovely Sonja when we walked in and she made us feel right at home.

You cant help but love the cozy yet industrial feel with the mix of some Southwestern accents.

The Junk Girls can also be found in Babi's Tasting Room....their "Cheese and Wine Bling"

have found the perfect home.

I not only love wine for it's taste, but also for the creativity that goes into the labeling.  Casa Dumetz has some very creative labeling, as well as some of the best wine I've ever tasted. 

I'm personally a Chardonnay lover. Their Viognier was divine. 

After our wine tasting we went to the highly recommended Bell Street Farm for lunch. Geoff and I have become real "foodies" over our 20 years of marriage. 

 We love to see new things and try new places to eat. 

This place was right up our alley..... a farm to table Eatery.  When we walked in, I instantly fell in love. 

 I love restaurants that feel as if the food you're about to eat has come straight from the farm.  The mix of antiques with new pieces made me want to move right in and it also made me daydream of someday opening a restaurant (lol....in my next life).  Everywhere I turned,

 there was personalization and personality. 

Geoff and I spent about 30 minutes trying to decide what to order since we wanted one of everything.

Sorry about the photography :)  I didn't have my favorite photographer with me..lol!

I finally settled on the Tamarind Chicken Salad and Geoff on the Rotisserie Pork Belly Sandwich.  Let's just say that we wanted to lick the plate when we were done.  Of course we had to grab dessert for the road.  All I can say is "Wow"..... and I can't wait to go back with my 3 girls

 (who have all turned "Foodies" on us).  

If you make the trip to Los Alamos I highly recommend making these two places "must stops."  Be sure to tell Jamie Glick the owner of Bell Street Farm that I sent you.

He's a doll and I'm hoping someday he'll open a second location closer to the store with another Babi's location next door (in a perfect world).

I hope you all have enjoyed my post.  It's taken me longer than I would've liked to share it with all of you.  But as I shared in my last post I've been very busy making 

many positive changes within the store. 

 Have a wonderful Sunday everyone and an even better week ahead!

xo

Kymberley

P.S. Be sure to check out A Beautiful Mess Antiques on Facebook for daily updates and photos!

Springtime brings growth to A Beautiful Mess

Spring is my favorite time of year.  The sun shines longer in the day, the flowers in my garden begin to bloom and my daughters vegetable garden starts producing lovely vegetables. 

 This Spring will be different..... A Beautiful Mess is also blooming. 

Walking through a field of flowers and taking the time to smell the fresh fragrances is what "it's" about. I am excited to share with all of you the new happenings & exceptional finds throughout the store;

 as well as the new focus A Beautiful Mess will be taking. 

Life is funny. I started this journey as an Interior Designer almost 13 years ago, slowed that business down a bit to be home with my daughters and began to weave antique textiles in, then ultimately this terrific store. I have been very fortunate and extremely blessed along the way. Recently I have begun to grow my Design business once again. It's my passion to bring into peoples homes the things that I love and make them their own, reflecting their personal style. 

I'm excited to share this journey with all of you as I grow. 

 If you're in the area, be sure to stop by and see the evolving new look of A Beautiful Mess.

 For those of you only close by computer.... I would love to continue sharing with you, so

 please be sure to follow me on Facebook, as well as Pinterest.  I'll be back soon with more news......

Have a great week

&

  Happy 1st day of Spring!

xo

Kymberley 

  

Hollywood Girls Night

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

  I wanted to share with you an exciting project (for all you reality T.V. show fans) that I've been working on for the past 3 weeks.  A few months back a well known and very talented Designer Michelle Niday  approached me with an opportunity to assist her on the set design for the Hollywood Girls Night reality show starring Alison Sweeney and Ali Landry.

What an honor and a challenge to do something "different."  Each week the production company gives us a theme and Michelle and I brainstorm over how to make the areas we're styling "original" and "unforgettable."  Though it's been a bigger challenge than I ever imagined, it's been a lot of fun working as a team with Michelle.  The filming has taken place back and forth each week between Ali and Alison's beautiful homes located in Hollywood.

Interior Design by Michelle Niday.  

With our changing theme Michelle and I needed flowers and plants to coordinate with our decor for set.  We were fortunate to add to our team a very talented

 Floral Designer Erin of White Fig Designs.

Erin turned our visions into reality; completing the look of the area.  Take note of the arrangement above on the book.  Erin took a Conch shell and filled it with beautiful tulips, white lilacs, and succulents.  Draw dropping!  Here's a few more photos of Erins work.

Flowers by White Fig Designs

Ancient cement head filled with flowers by White Fig Designs

Flowers by White Fig Designs

This past week we were given the theme "Elegant and Unforgettable."  Here's a few photos from that evening.  It turned out amazing and I'd have to say it was a party that the two
Ali's guests won't soon forget.

We used vintage necklaces to create this look unforgettable look mixed with flowers as the table centerpiece.

Handmade wine charms from Sterling silver wire for each guest

We were unable to locate black wine glasses, so we had some painted with Krylon paint for under $1

Every week it's been exciting (since my second love is cooking) to see what creations the food stylist / famous Chef Manoushka from the T.V. Food Network show; "Private Chefs of Beverly Hills" would create.  I've never seen food look so beautiful!  Here's a few photos of her work....get ready to drool!

In closing, I would again like to thank my new friend and partner in crime Michelle Niday for having faith in my abilities and for asking me to be a part of this awesome experience.  You're one talented woman and to work with you has been a blessing to my life and my business. 

 To Erin, thank you for giving life to our visions!  

I hope you'll tune in on March 4th to the T.V. Guide Channel for the premiere of Hollywood Girls Night.  There's no doubt about it.... this show's going to be a huge success and a ton of fun to watch. You'll walk away with a little of everything.... decorating,entertaining, fashion ideas and a little bit of A- List gossip from the girls and their celebrity guests. 

Enjoy!!!  

xo

Kymberley