- Look Beyond Fine Art Print of a Landscape | $37.00 | Etsy I follow this artist, Emily Jeffords, on Instagram and love her work. I have never seen anything like the way she does landscapes. They feel ethereal to me.
- Ka’iuliani | $30.00 | Haley Mitchell Art This is probably my favorite piece of art that I won. I bought mine from One Kings Lane. They have that kind of clever advertising that follows you around incessantly until you buy something. So, I caved and got this. Mine has a teal acrylic frame, which I love almost as much as the art. I found the artist’s website where she sells smaller, more affordable prints. I think her abstract portraits are so cool.
- Dual Traveler Organizer | $89.00 | Mark & Graham I don’t have one of these, but the quality looks awesome. I didn’t think travel jewelry cases were necessary until I broke a few pairs of big, intricate earrings. I love that this has a structured compartment below and a pouch at the top. Plus. a monogram. I can’t believe I don’t have anything that’s monogrammed.
- Pink Leopard Travel Bag | $30.00 | Dana Gibson Dana Gibson is an artist local to Richmond, and her family created the Gibson Girl. I LOVE the home decor pieces she creates and this pink leopard design is my favorite. I bought a sunglass case in this print, and I think the makeup pouch is awesome too.
- Staffordshire Dog Pin | $7.00 | Stay Home Club I found this little guy at Quirk Gallery inside the Quirk Hotel. I learned about Staffordshire dogs just this year from my friends Lyndee and Jess and now I LOVE seeing them everywhere. I bought a set for my office from Facebook Marketplace, and then pinned this tiny version into a 4X6 mat to hang on my wall at home.
- Rocky Cardhead Ram Head | $16.95 | CBSAFARI I discovered Carboard Safari at The Shops at 5807 In Richmond, and then searched online for a Ram version. I bought the tiniest size, which hangs on my office gallery wall as a tribute to my Alma Mater where I also teach one class a semester, Virginia Commonwealth University. These come in a flat sheet, and you assemble them. I think they’d make a cute stocking-stuffer.
Kim’s Picks:
- Vegan Leather Boots | $189.00 | Alohas Sandals I absolutely ADORE these boots! I’m in love with the chunky block heel with a square toe. Plus, they’re vegan leather.
- Leather Sling Bag | $118.00 | Madewell This bag may slouchy but you can throw so much inside! I love how the handle on the bag is long, so it’s not too high. You can throw in keys, notebooks, lotion, perfume and maybe even sneak in snacks for the movies!
- Large Vintage Mirror | $448.00 | Anthropologie I’ve been searching long and hard for a vintage mirror- and as I don’t have this one in particular, I do have something similar. This one from Anthro is pricy, but if you go thrift shopping or look on the Facebook Market, you may be in luck!
- Knee Boots | $199.95 | Sam Edelman High knee boots are BACK! Again, I’m in love with the block heel. It gives your feet so much more comfort and easier to walk around in. These babies will keep you nice and warm while still looking super chic!
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- Tribe of Mentors | $16.79 | Amazon I bought this book for myself for Christmas last year and I LOVe looking through it. It’s so cool to get a peek into
- Over the Top | $16.79 | Amazon LOVED this book. If you want to smile/laugh/cry, this is a great read. I listened on Audible – where he reads it himself. I love everything about JVN, including his podcast. This is my favorite episode, where he interviews Olympic Gymnast Shannon Miller
- The English Home | $29.95 | Amazon This was on a gift guide made by Eclectic Curator, who I love following on Instagram. (I bought these pink crane plates from her) I read most of my magazines on my iPad through Apple News+, but I can’t get access to magazines from other countries. I will pick English Home up sometimes from Barnes & Noble, but it’s always a lot cheaper to subscribe for the year.
- Joyful | $15.37 | Amazon I’ve given our more copies of this book to friends than any other book. I heard about it on the Young House Love podcast (you can see their gift guide here). This book is so fun and inspiring. After I read it, I hung up a bunch of art in my house, got my nails painted neon yellow. It also influenced me to buy more Interior design/art books, which have been great for giving me ideas at work.
- Rain Earrings | $60 | Deepa Gurnani I bought these at Anthropologie and they’re some of my favorite to wear. I lost one of them while I was out to dinner at an Indian restaurant, and had to hunt down a new pair online. It turns out, they come in a ton of colors. I have the red and the black, but I love the white too.
- The Artist Way | $21.55 | Amazon This is such a cool book. I’ve talked about it with people I look up to and several of them had read it. This set comes with a workbook that you can use for the “morning pages” exercises that the author recommends.
- Nagel | $39.93 | Amazon My friend Gretchen (aka the Fairy Tan Mother) introduced me to Patrick Nagel. I hadn’t heard of him, but I’d seen his work. You may know it too. I think it’s so interesting to learn about a new-to-you artist. I tore out the pages of this book to hang them as prints. You could also do this and gift to multiple people.
These are my three favorite photos from our shoot. Thanks to Departure Point Films for helping to capturing the beauty of Shenandoah Valley.
SVEC is a locally-run cooperative, giving us a personal connection to our members. We believe in saving energy, saving dollars, and serving our community. We made this video to help tell the story of you, because while we provide electricity, we’re all part of powering Shenandoah Valley.
The Tooth Brigade founders Sharon and Andy Azula joined Jessica Noll on CBS6 Virginia This Morning.
Read MoreMatt Murphy of Q94 and Nutzy the Flying Squirrel joined in the celebration of the grand re-opening of McDonald’s in Carytown on Saturday, November 23rd.
Owner Mike Traub was excited to give away Amazon Echo Dots, Gift Cards, and a 50″ TV as part of a raffle. Cheeseburgers and coffee were also on special for $0.79 and $0.25, respectively.
The grand re-opening came as a result of a renovation McDonald’s calls the Experience of the Future. McDonald’s is adding features to its restaurants across America.
All 67 restaurants across Richmond owned locally by owner-operators.
New technology, menu items and level of service enable a more fun and modern guest experience.
McDonald’s now invites guests to experience McDonald’s in a new and unexpected way, with a new level of choice, engagement, and service. These changes are reflective of a new restaurant model that has been successfully rolled out in more than 2,600 international McDonald’s restaurants and puts more choice and control in the hands of guests by evolving how they order, what they order, how they pay and how they are served.
For those looking to order at their own pace, McDonald’s digital self-order kiosks make ordering and paying for a meal easy. Kiosks empower guests to browse the menu, find new options and tailor their meal just the way they want.
Guests’ orders are delivered to tables by McDonald’s crew members, allowing customers to relax and enjoy a more custom dining experience. McDonald’s owner/operators and restaurant teams in Waverly are placing a higher emphasis on hospitality by focusing on greeting customers, assisting with technology and ensuring a clean, welcoming environment.
Read MoreThanks to Mayor Levar Stoney for spending the morning with us at McDonald’s to talk about education programming for employees through Archways to Opportunity! 🍔🍟👨🏾🎓
Read MoreRoben Farzad of NPR’s Full Disclosure shared Keya’s journey from Bombay to Candy Valley to Keta + Co.
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Sharon and Andy Azula had an idea. They dreamed of creating fun, maybe silly things, for kids that would make certain moments in children’s lives more special. They wanted to bring parents and children together. They also wanted to find a way to start giving back. So after many years in advertising and several years raising their children, they are finally taking a crack at making this one idea, their dream, come true.
When their twins started losing their teeth, Sharon & Andy realized they weren’t prepared for the Tooth Fairy! They borrowed a tooth pillow from a neighbor. It was thick and lumpy with a tiny pocket for the tooth and prize. Plus, it was shaped like a tooth. The experience definitely left something to be desired.
When they looked for something better, they couldn’t find anything they, or the kids, liked.
And so became The Tooth Brigade. Ollie, Blue, and Potato are three unlikely heroes who set out on a fun-filled adventure. They trudged through the Sticky Swamp, bravely crossed Crocodile Creek and finally climbed to the tippy top of Tippy Top Mountain. All to help their new friend, the Tooth Fairy.
Each member of The Tooth Brigade has been designed to be the perfect tooth pillow for you, your child, and the Tooth Fairy!
The tooth pillows are flat enough to fit perfectly under your child’s pillow.Their arms, legs, horns, and ears make it easy to find and grab.
The mouths are big enough to fit larger Tooth Fairy fingers and there’s plenty of room for notes or prizes.
Each Tooth Brigade member comes with a ticket – good for a missing tooth – because sometimes after a tooth falls out, it gets lost, or swallowed or falls down a sink!
The Tooth Brigade plush tooth pillow and book launch for presale on November 6th, and a portion of proceeds benefit charities that provide dental care to children in need.
BBGB in Carytown is hosting a Launch Celebration on Saturday, November 9th at 1pm. Orders placed during the Pre-Launch can be picked up in-person at BBGB on the 9th.If you’d like to be notified when pre-sales start, sign up for emails at thetoothbrigade.com
For interviews or requests for more information, please fill out the form below and I’ll get back to you right away!
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Tanya Heath of Chesterfield was chosen as one of McDonald’s corporation’s Ray Kroc award winners. Chosen globally from more than 37,000 restaurants, these individuals represent the top 1 percent of McDonald’s restaurant managers from around the world.
Named after McDonald’s Corporation founder, Ray Kroc, the award recognizes and rewards hardworking restaurant managers who deliver superior results in team performance and operational excellence. The Ray Kroc Awards were established in 1999 to celebrate exceptional manager performance at both company-owned and franchised restaurants.
Owner/Operator Sue Durlak is extremely proud of her employee.
“It’s a hard award to win. Only 370 employees get it and it’s only awarded every other year. She deserved it, though. I’m glad she’s in the club.”
In a speech at a surprise celebration in Tanya’s honor, Sue said:“When I think about the Ray Kroc award, to me it’s not just about the results and the numbers produced. It’s about the person – how they conduct themselves, the way they interact with guests, managers and crew, their work ethic, and desire to be the best. You can check yes to next to Tanya’s name for everything for all of the above. Tanya deserves this award for everything she has done and continues to do for our company and the brand.”
Tanya has been working towards this goal for four years.
“Everyone helped me get here and I appreciate it. Chris gave me a job and Sue made me family. This what I really wanted. I appreciate this and it means so much.” -Tanya
The recipients of the Ray Kroc Award are nominated by McDonald’s franchisees and regional management for their hard work, dedication, and commitment to the McDonald’s brand. From there, a selection committee of representatives from McDonald’s operations, training, and human resources teams select the award winners.
“Tanya is a true advocate for the Richmond Ronald McDonald House. She has won the contest three years in a row for RMHC and has collected over $15,000. She also donated her time to Habitat For Humanity.” – Sue Durlak. Allison Santos, Director of Development at the Richmond Ronald McDonald House says “Well deserved!!!!! Tanya is a rockstar!” in an Instagram post comment.
In addition to the cash awards, prizes, and gifts from the McDonald’s Corporation, suppliers, and S.M. Durlak, Inc., Tanya will join her international peers at the Ray Kroc Awards Gala Celebration in Orlando, Florida in April with an all-expense-paid trip.
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