Links We Love Lately

Apologies for the lack of posts lately. Summer has flown by and we are officially in the month of the Big Day! We are so busy with prop making and putting the finishing touches on the dresses, plus hosting events and welcoming family arriving for the celebration. We both really can't wait for the day to come, so we can dance the night away and put all this planning behind us.  

In the meantime, and in an attempt to not disappear from the blog completely, we wanted to share some links we've been loving lately.

1// We're always inspired by creative studios and workspaces. This space, where Sea Chant, the duo behind the Kinfolk videos and more, creates does not disappoint. / Photographed by Berta Pfirsich.

2// We've been obsessed with Caroline's blog lately, as mentioned here. Having started a major closet and wardrobe redo with our Our Happy Closet series, we were in need of a little inspiration. Caroline focuses on personal style and minimalism, two concepts that resonate with our goal for this project. We also believe that effortless style, uniqueness and simplicity is one of the driving forces behind the Xiokat line, so we wanted to dig deep into that. After all, this is what led us to start our company. / Photo from Unfancy

3// Another inspiration for us is Lisa Hackwith. Her brand and what she's accomplished in the last year alone is such a motivator for us, and we are loving the collaborations she has added to her studio. When we came across her last year, we were drawn to the fact that she made everything herself and in small series, something we wanted to do in order to keep our studio manageable as we grow. / Photographed by James Fitzgerald III for Made by Sohn's blog, showing her print for Hackwith Design House - Makers Alongside.

Credit // Links We Love Lately images as noted. Written by Xio for Xiokat.

Our Happy Closet : Week 17

I've been living in these shorts on the weekends. This top - eh. Which made me realize its time to take it out of the closet. I have continued to remove pieces that I don't feel drawn to or I wear in effort to use them but don't feel they are really me anymore. I still find myself grabbing the same favorite pieces week to week. Yet I've hit a wall in figuring out the style part of our little project.

So when I came across Caroline's blog this weekend I found my answer : a capsule wardrobe. I know what style I like, but I've been struggling to create outfits that work for this unbearable weather and that are also work appropriate. I like the idea of limiting the number of items in my closet per season and really thinking through any new purchases. Since we began this project, I have been good about not making any impulse buys and only adding what was missing to my closet. I'm still working on the letting go of certain items. The idea of buying quality over quantity was important for me, but at the same time, I had to be realistic with the clothing and budget that makes sense for my lifestyle. At the end of the day, I'm looking for comfort and ease. I invite you to check out Caroline's site and continue to follow along on our journey.

Credit // All photos and text by Xiokat for "Our Happy Closet" series and edited with ABM Piper Actions. 

IN THE STUDIO

We found an awesome shared workspace that we are trying out today. Its nice to get some work done out of the house. A change in scenery really gets the creative juices flowing, plus its nice to mingle with other creatives. We really love the community thats building in our hometown. The top two photos are from the space. It has a cool industrial edge, everything designed and built by the owners, who use it as their office and decided to open it to share with others. The bottom photo is of one of the products we are working on for the fall. We've been slowly curating a small collection of clothing, accessories and other items for the shop, including this bag we mentioned a few months ago. Looking forward to the weekend and 4th of July festivities, and hopefully getting some beach time as the rain moves away from us. Happy Independence Day!Credit // All photos and text by Xiokat for "Our Happy Closet" series and edited with ABM Norma Actions.

Our Happy Closet : Week 16

We've fallen behind on these closet posts but it doesn't mean we haven't continued to edit and hone our closet and style. Sometimes simplicity is key. Jeans and a t-shirt can be dressed up with the right accessories. On this particular day, I wanted comfort as I worked on a few patterns at home, but added a necklace, heels and colorful clutch to head out for a casual dinner with friends. And really these days, its about flexibility. Not to mention that shorts work great in this Florida heat.

Credit // All photos and text by Xiokat for "Our Happy Closet" series and edited with ABM Piper Actions. 

in the studio

Glimpses of our studio and what we have been up to lately.

1. Patterns and fabrics ready to be used now that Katty is back from her Roman holiday.
2. Leather samples for a few one of kind pieces we are working on for fall.
3. A peek at the dress for a very special event.
4. Mood board in progress.


Credit // Photos + text by Xiokat for the blog. Edited with WishWishThree actions.

{ postcards } Austin, Texas + a few favorite shops

A few photos from our trip to Austin. It was a blast!

Like I said in my previous post, the girls did a great job in planning an awesome weekend. We found our house through airbnb and it was in the perfect location. We were a short cab ride away from Downtown and Congress Avenue. We had amazing meals at La Condesa and Lenoir, and ate some of the best breakfast tacos at Marias. We visited the vineyards in Hill Country and tasted their wine; we took a fun dance class and, since the springs were closed for maintenance, we took a walk along the river and saw the most amazing views of downtown.

All the activities and spending time with my friends, made for an unforgettable trip. But one of the things Katty and I definitely wanted to do while in Austin was visit a few shops, meet the owners and get some inspiration for the Xiokat shop we hope plan to open one day. Since my cousin was in Austin for work, I came in a day early and stayed with her. She took me to Take Heart - a gorgeous shop full of locally crafted and Japanese goods. We met the owner's mother and talked a little bit about how she got started and her love for Japan. After, we stopped by Olive Vintage, a shop I had found online that carries a lot of the independent designers we admire. Later that weekend, Katty and I visited Spartan, another shop we'd been dreaming of visiting, and stumbled upon Busy-Being, a beautifully curated shop in East Austin. All the shops carry unique pieces that are displayed so wonderfully, something that is so important in these kind of shops. You can spend hours wandering and admiring and still come across something new after several rounds in the store. We treated ourselves to something from each store, some pieces that we had been admiring from afar, some new that we found that day. All to remind us of this trip and our shop dreams.

Visit // 

Busy-Being / website

1601 East 5th Street

Austin, TX 78702

Spartan / website

215 South Lamar

Austin, TX 78704

Take Heart / website

1111 East 11th Street

Austin, TX 78702

Olive / website

1223 Rosewood

Austin, TX 78702

Austin:

You were wonderful and we can't wait to come back!!

Maybe for SXSW or Austin City Limits?

Credit // Photos + text by Xiokat for the blog. Edited with WishWishThree actions.

Our Happy Closet : Week 15

This past weekend we flew to Austin to celebrate my bachelorette party. I picked Austin because it has the art, design and music culture I love, plus the whole cosmic cowboy vibe that makes for a fun time. My bridesmaids did an amazing job planning all the events and I couldn't have been happier. Wine tastings, dinners here and here, dancing the night away in a container bar (and much more...), they know me too well! We stayed in the coolest and coziest barn/home - all 8 girls - and had an incredible time. We will share more pictures of Austin soon, but for now, enjoy out Happy Closet : Austin edition. 

The Roma Diaries #4

I can't believe my 90 days of living in Rome have come to and end. My time here flew by so fast but I cannot be more grateful and happy for how it turned out. It was definitely a tough and somewhat scary decision to leave my job but I am glad I did not let the negativity or fear stop me. One of my goals in life was to live in Europe and experience the lifestyle before I turned 30. Though I was only there for three months, I can say "I did it". I soaked it all up, took as many adventures as I could on my budget and created memories that I will cherish forever.

Today, on my last full day in Rome, I went walking around the city for one last time, listening to the street sounds and music playing, and really taking it all in. Kind of like saying "see you soon".
It has truly been one amazing experience, to have been here for so much time living "la dolce vita". Of course, I never got tired of seeing the Vatican, the Pantheon, the Colosseum (and other landmarks) but also living the Italian way of life. The majority of the experiences were fun, besides a few, like when I needed to mail something out from the post office (such a hassle!) or having to leave my house by 10am everyday to walk about 4 blocks from my house just to leave the trash of the day (plastics: Tuesdays and Fridays and paper: Wednesdays & Saturdays). But overall, it was definitely wonderful and I will have stories to tell for a lifetime. I was endlessly inspired by all my surroundings. I met all types of people that took me in, became my Italian family, and I will forever cherish them in my heart. I am thankful for all their teachings, company and can't wait to return for another adventure.
Until next time....  baci

Our Happy Closet : Week 14

A few weekends ago, I traveled to Torino and Milan. We decided to go by car to enjoy the view of the country and have a little change of scenery. Both are beautiful cities but due to previous arrangements I spent most of my days in Torino. What a beautiful city it is! After being in a big city like Rome for months, I felt like I was in a different country, complete opposite of Rome. Bluer skies, cooler air, and less congestion. The great thing is that they have an amazing bike transportation system [to bike]. I didn't plan on taking clothes to ride around the city but I paired leggings with all the loose dresses that I took and it worked out fine. The weather was IDEAL, not too hot not too cold, so a light scarf added the perfect touch to a simple outfit. Really enjoying these last few weeks in Italy!

* All photos and text by Katty for Xiokat.
** This is the last Our Happy Closet from Italy!

{ out + about } Lanificio Cucina

I came upon this place thanks to a new friend I made on the train ride back home from Torino (a 5 hour ride). My plan was to sleep the whole way since it was the last train of the day and I was exhausted. The seats around me were empty until we got to Milano when the one next to me was taken. After sitting next to each other for a while, we ended up making small conversation and it turned out that we had a lot in common. He was coming back from an Architecture conference in Milano and well, I am a designer that loves anything that has to do with design. After a long chat about art culture in Rome versus art culture in Miami, we ended up exchanging business cards and went our separate ways. 

A couple of days later, he called to invite me for coffee and a tour around the city from an architectural point of view. I was hesitant to say yes at first (you know, all the traveling and meeting alone with a stranger thing) but why not?  I told my roommate where I was going and to make sure she had her phone with her, just in case. Well, it turned out to be an amazing adventure and I am so glad I went! He took me to the industrial side of the city where many old factories and warehouses have been remodeled and given new uses. The images above are fromLanificio Cucina which is a restaurant inside one of the warehouses that sits along the river. Such a beautiful space! High ceilings, tall windows and furnished with vintage artifacts that can be purchased. Each piece is completely different which makes you fall in love with all the little details of the place. Since the area is located a little outside of the city center, not many locals (or tourists) know of it. After, we went to my friends office, which is in what used to be a wool factory. There were other studio spaces within that building and they happen to be having an open house that weekend, so the studios were open to the public to tour. We spent the day exploring the spaces (images below), all so unique and inspiring. 

Nemesi Studio

dance studio

artist Lofts

L'Atelier Creativita, Arte & Consapevolezza

Blog

* All photos and text by Katty for Xiokat. 

Our Happy Closet : Week 13

This weekend I am heading to NYC for one of my very good friend's bridal shower and I am so excited! This has probably been the easiest and fastest packing I have ever done for a trip, and I think a lot of it has to do with this exercise that we've been doing of minimizing and focusing on essential pieces in our closet. The weather will be a bit cool, so I decided to stick to jeans since I can easily dress them up or down. I picked a few of my favorite tops, and without trying I realized I had a palette. Sticking to a color palette when you travel helps with packing less while still having interchangeable items that create various outfits that work. I can easily add a pop with a colorful scarf (like my floral piece that screams spring!) or statement jewelry. Even my dress for the party (which I had planned to wear weeks ago) fits nicely with the palette. I also have plenty of room in my luggage for new purchases (which of course are bound to happen.)

As for my carry-on, I am taking my xiokat bag that works for going out as well as walking the city all day. I have my ipad, my xiokat clutch to carry my essentials (phone, wallet, travelers notebook, pens), makeup bag and of course, my camera. (These photos were taken quickly this morning with my Iphone so sorry for the quality!)

See you soon NYC!!

Credit // Photos taken by Xio for Xiokat "Our Happy Closet" series.

Our Happy Closet : Week 12

Week 12! You know the days and weeks are flying by when you realize the last post that went up is from Week 11's Our Happy Closet! The weeks have been full and the weekends fuller. I have an upcoming trip to New York and next month we are heading to Austin with some of my girls for you know what. What does this have to do with our happy closet? Nothing really, just wanted to share since traveling is something I always look forward too. And by not shopping as much means I can really treat myself for a few special things for and on these trips. I've been really sticking to my uniform of jeans and simple tops, but now that its warming up I'm really looking into adding some lightness to my usual attire. Hoping to get some inspiration on the streets of NY, as long as the cold does not creep back in! 

Our Happy Closet : Week 11

I am keeping is casual today since the sun has finally came out and I will be walking around the city. I found a really cute thrift store the other day as I was coming back from the supermarket that I really want to check out! So I decided to keep it simple with a regular t-shirt tied it up on the side, a short skirt and of course, our Xiokat bag.  - Kat

Credit // Photos taken by Katty for Xiokat "Our Happy Closet" series and edited with ABM actions.

The Roma Diaries #3

Living in Rome has given me the opportunity to travel to far away places that I never would have thought or planned to go, since I have to take advantage of proximity being here. As you read in my previous post, a couple of friends and I traveled to Israel for a weekend trip. What a dream come true. We arrived and spent the night in Tel Aviv and took off the next morning to explore a bit.

Mornings // We rented a car and from Tel Aviv drove to Jerusalem, then to the Old City and spent a whole day there. What a beautiful city it is! Definitely not what I expected but the history there is very powerful. We spotted many tourists around the city and a lot of the locals also speak English. The picture above was taken at the Mount of Olives where you see all the olive trees overlooking the city. Our mornings were pretty busy given the little time we had, but our exhaustion at night was so worth it.

Afternoons // We spent them shopping at the markets and enjoying the local foods. There are streets and streets filled with so many things that I wanted to buy everything. Beautiful colors, textiles and so many handmade items that you can really see the time and effort the artisans took to create each one. 

Evenings // We made sure to eat very well for dinner. The guys researched and found the best restaurants in the area since who knew when would we ever be back. If you are in Tel Aviv, MantaRay is a great one to check out. It's right on the water and, during the day, you get a great view. The food and dessert were amazing!!

* Not a sponsored post for the restaurant. Visit their website here.

* More Roma pics here.

* All photos taken by Katty for Xiokat and edited with Norma and Jean actions from A Beautiful Mess's Mini Collection.