When it comes to jewelry, I’m all about minimalism and quality. Things can get tacky – quick. That’s why I typically stick to sterling silver (and now some gold) in minimal but, modern and interesting shapes.

Let’s be real here – good quality jewelry is expensive and often requires an investment, so some time and thought must be put into finding the perfect pieces at the right price that you will love for many years to come. I’m sure many of us, myself included, sometimes puts jewelry at an afterthought and kind of purchase it at random and end up with a green finger or wrist. It’s time to say goodbye to those days.

In order to help you out on that search, I’ve found the perfect brand offering unisex rings and bracelets in 925 sterling silver and options plated in 18k gold.

I’d like to introduce you to Saisea.

 

Saisea is based in Olympia, Washington, just a bit away from Seattle and Portland. Quality is at the center of everything they do and that’s why they use solid 925 sterling silver, not plated.

“We only work with high quality and enduring materials. Every piece is handcrafted using solid 925 sterling silver to stand the test of time. There is a great deal of satisfaction to be gained from making something well. We truly enjoy what we do and we hope you take Saisea with you everywhere you go. That would be our greatest reward. That’s why we simply stick to just making bracelets and rings. Yup, just bracelets and rings.”

Saisea pieces are 100% unisex and the only thing thing that are intended for are to be worn with you every day and to last a lifetime. One of my personal favorite things about them is that the cuffs are adjustable, meaning they’ll fit just about the smallest wrist you can find and they still look great no matter how much you might have to bend them to fit your wrist (trust me, my wrists are tiny and my wife’s, even tinier and they fit us both).

 

 

I’ve never been one to go for gold as it tends to look cheap unless going for a piece at a higher price point so I was stoked to be able to pick a few gold pieces to spice my jewelry collection up a bit. The gold options are 925 sterling silver as well and plated with 18k gold. I love that the pieces are matte as well, giving a much different feel to each item compared to other brands.

Not only are they dedicated to excellent quality, but also to giving back. 5% of all sales go to PeaceTrees and Hue Help to benefit the Vietnamese people and children suffering the affects of war.

`Minimal, good quality, modern, unique, and at an affordable price point. What else could you want? I’ve worn Saisea every time I’ve left the house since they’ve arrived in the mail and I plan on doing so for years to come.

 

“Our design philosophy: Quality, Craftsmanship, Modern and Minimal”

Think rich smooth leather, high-quality gold details, minimal and modern designs, handmade bags with perfected craft.. without the huge price tag.

Think Article & Goods.

If you aren’t familiar with the brand, Article & Goods is an independent brand offering premium leather goods without the retail markup. Meaning, it’s all about quality without the hefty price tag.

I’ve long been on the hunt for the perfect bag to use everyday and it wasn’t until I saw the Camera bag from Article & Goods that I found the perfect one.

“We work with a small group of leather craftsmen in Guangzhou, China. These craftsmen have been in the trade for ten plus years in experience. All the products are handmade and crafted in small batches, paying close attention to the details.”

I chose the Camera bag in F1 as I loved the shape and details that the bag has to offer. I typically wear it cross body and it sits perfectly a bit above the hip and fits all my daily essentials flawlessly. Wallet, sunglasses, keys, snacks and everything else.

The details of the bag are what makes it really stand out compared to other leather bags on the market. One being the leather covering on the zips, something I personally haven’t seen a lot of but, makes a huge difference. I also love the adjustability of the straps and the gold buttons that hold the strap in place.

Every detail of this bag has really blown me away, especially the rich smooth leather. I’ve used is almost every single day since it’s arrival (which is a whole USPS story in its own).

I’d say if you’re still on the hunt for that perfect bag or you simply need a refresher in the accessory part of your wardrobe, look no further! Do yourself a favor and treat yourself to this bag, or another one from their impressive selection.

 

Design 10/10

Quality 10/10

Practical 10/10

 

 

Kevin x

 

 

 

 

 

Recently I had the opportunity to partner with one of my favorite brands, COS. I’ve been a fan and buyer from the brand for a long time now and am always impressed with the quality and thoughtfulness that goes into the design and details of each and every item they create.

I love their experimentation and the uniqueness of their fabrics and silhouettes that are often outside the box and totally different from other stores you would see in their price range.

I was able to choose some pieces for a shoot and chose to go with some statement pieces that would stand out, not only against the normalcy of everyday clothes you see walking around the streets but, also that would go against the grain of the same ole clothing we’re seeing populate almost every IG feed.

To be honest, I’m tired of boring clothes– and especially, boring menswear. Guys, let’s spice things up a bit. We don’t need to be hesitant based on false perceptions of how a “man” should dress but, we should be free to be expressive and take risks with our clothing choices, just like the ladies.

And that’s what I chose to do with this shoot. Sticking to my personal style but, creating looks that I normally wouldn’t wear and putting pieces together that I normally wouldn’t. It was fun, and that’s what Fashion is all about

I introduce to you, my favorite statement pieces from COS Spring/Summer 2019. Enjoy.

 

Have you ever had a moment that was so good you never wanted it to end and especially, never forget it? Perhaps a first date, the first day at your dream job, relaxing on vacation? What if I told you there was a way to hold on to those moments for a lifetime and transport yourself right back there.. with a simple whif of a fragrance?

This is something I’ve interacted with my entire life. Smells are extremely powerful and a familiar smell can often bring me right back to the moment I either initially smelled it or fell in love with it. For example, we all used Axe or smelled it as a young teen, yeah? One sniff of “chocolate” axe and suddenly I’m 12 and in middle school again (something I probably don’t want to reminiscence upon too much). It’s also why I purposefully bought a new fragrance when I went on my honeymoon to Mexico so that smell could take me back to beach days and cenotes.

This brings me to my newest fragrance, Santal 33. I’m sure you’ve all heard of it at this point but, dang does that stuff smell good? I’m at a pretty precious time in my life right now I’d say and i’m pretty sure I’m gonna want to remember it (hopefully) so the introduction of a new fragrance at this time is p e r f e c t.

 

 

 

I’ve been slowly growing my fragrance collection over the years. Previously mentioned I began my journey with Axe, which eventually evolved into Adidas cologne, then Abercrombie & Fitch until I finally got my dream fragrance at the time Bleu de Chanel.

All those are good(?) in their own way but.. Nothing is quite like Le Labo, with hand picked, fresh ingredients, trained technicians with perfected craftsmanship.. Each fragrance is freshly blended upon order. Thought and care is gone into every detail from beginning to end creating a fragrance quality that is unparalleled.

 

Now let’s get to Santal 33.. the smell that will be oozing from my neck and wrists for the foreseeable future.. I would try to describe in in my own word but my friends over at Le Labo have already put magic words together:

“A perfume that touches the sensual universality of this icon… that would intoxicate a man as much as a woman… that introduces our use of cardamom, iris, violet, ambrox which crackle in the formula and bring to this smoking wood alloy (Australian sandalwood, papyrus, cedarwood) some spicy, leathery, musky notes, and gives this perfume its unisex signature and addictive comfort. 
Here is, in a few words, what SANTAL 33 is… An open fire…The soft drift of smoke…Where sensuality rises after the light has gone”

 

 

All that to say this stuff smells GOOD. Day.. Night.. Cold, or hot.. it works.

This is the stuff thats going to be taking me back to summer 2019 twenty years from now (even thought I’ll probably still be using it, on my 50th bottle by then).

I want to invite you to take a leap and get your hands on a Le Labo creation and let your nose forever thank you as you spray quality and pure craftsmanship on to your skin everyday.. and let you be transported back into magic moments created along side every spray for years to come.

 

 

Kevin x

Hi friends, recently my wife Dariel and I spent a week in NYC. Many of you know, I’ve wanted to move there for years now and my lovely wife is ok with that, ha! Pray for her 😉

 

While the big move is looking like it will actually take place around August-September, I want to start a little series on here just documenting the process from beginning to end as a nice way to keep track of progress and eventually, something fun to look back on.

We’ve been to the city together before however, this time we went with looking around with intentions to discover which neighborhood would be our best fit, which is huge! We spent hours walking around Crown heights,, Williamsburg, Harlem, Inwood, Soho, East Village and more in hopes to find one that fits out budget but, is also safe and clean.

Lately, I’ve been feeling my faith be challenged when it comes to believing God for something like this. Sure, I can pray for healing, etc. and my faith is huge to see something happen (I mean when you see deaf ears open immediately after praying and watch a leg that’s shorter than the other literally grow out before your eyes, it’s easy to expect) but, believing for provision for something you haven’t had to before, it’s challenging.

I know without a doubt we’re called to be in NY, maybe not forever (hello, Italy ;)) but, absolutely for a time. With that, I’m fully convinced God’s provision is more than substantial to get us there. But, actually having a place in a location we truly love? That’s where the hard part comes in.

I mean, our preferable place would be at least $2500-3000 a month for a 1 bedroom, not to mention how hard it is to get an apartment with the 40x the rent ordeal… But, doing what seems impossible is one of God’s favorite things to do and I must say, he does it very well. Money has never been an issue for God and it’s easy to rest knowing he’s got the best intentions in mind for Dariel and I and that he’s so for us so what could be against us?

He knows what our heart desires, what we need, and where he wants us to go, no matter where that is. So, today, and every other day I’m going to live in that place of trust, because that’s where faith is built. So if it’s deep in Brooklyn, way up in Inwood or in the heart of Soho, I don’t want to walk through any door he hasn’t opened for us.

So with that here are some pictures from our first 3 days there,

 

 

kevin, 4/29/19 x

 

 

 

 

Hey, guys. How are you?

I jokingly mentioned in my last blog post how well I’ve been doing at creating consistent blog posts because well, I haven’t been doing so great. Truthfully, these last few months I’ve had what I’ve now decided (and by now, I mean 5 seconds ago) to call creative chaos. Basically, I’ve been all over the place with both highs and lows in my creative process but, there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel and I think (or hope) I’m beginning to approach that light.. But, there could be a whole separate blog post on just that.

I want to share a bit from my wedding which happened 44 days ago. I’ve yet to get all the photos back so far (mainly missing reception photos) but, I wanted to go ahead and share a bit from the day and some favorite photos.

 

On February 16, 2019 my lovely wife and I said I do at the Pennsylvania state capitol and it was a glorious venue and day. I almost wish I could share some important things that I did that morning but, there were no pre-marital rituals that took place or anything like that. I mean, I literally got my hair cut the day before and was picking up stuff for the wedding up until 2 hours before it was set to start; Who had time to do anything ‘chic’ before the wedding.

The morning of I took my parents and brother to a local market where as soon as I entered the doors I raced straight to the bakery where my wife always looks to get an almond croissant but, we never get there early enough. Luckily, there were 2 left! I packed one of those up and ate 1 myself before having some coffee and shooting off to the mall to pick up some earrings as a gift to her for our honeymoon in Mexico, as well as a new perfume. I’ve learned about myself that smells are quite important to me and I wanted a new smell that I could forever associate with our wedding. I picked out YSL Black Opium, which til this day brings me back to the wedding night every time I smell it 😉

Fast forward through jumping in the shower at 2pm (the wedding started at 4) and racing off to the venue, the magic was about to happen. And magic it was.. Sure, we started 30 minutes late but, who starts anything on time these days?

We had the most perfect ceremony and I am so grateful for that. The sun was shining through the door and on to the stairs perfectly. I mean, I couldn’t see Dariel until she got right up to the stairs but, we’ll call it prolonged mystery of the bride.

My dad married us. We had our best friends in the world standing beside us. We didn’t have our first kiss until 2 days before (on Valentine’s Day). We mixed sand together to represent our souls never being able to be picked apart. We had pizza at the reception and an amazing chocolate/coffee cake. I danced with no shame, we had gourmet cheese, fun music (at least I think so, our family and friends surrounding us, and the best day either of could have asked for. And.. the wedding night was pretty great. 😉

Marriage has been…. real. That’s the best way to explain it. It’s so good and yet, at times, it’s so hard. But every day.. It’s more than worth it. More on that later.

 

Kevin x

 

 

 

Here it goes, my first real post. I’ve been debating within myself of the direction I want to go in; Do I want to go strictly fashion or incorporate more fashion and lifestyle etc. OR do I want to blog about some real life things including some encouraging posts? I’ve decided (about 5 min ago) that I want to be a bit more authentic and go after some real things 🙂

As we’re leaning towards the middle of the month already and approaching the end of the year, I want to encourage you not to stay or feel stuck.

I’m saying this because I know precisely how it feels to have many dreams & goals, yet not having the motivation to begin to pursue them and feeling stuck as a result. Every human being has goals, desires, things they want to do, places they want to see, etc. However, most of us end up sitting on our butts day in and day out, wishing we could do these things. I know it’s not as easy as it sounds but, JUST GO.

We can’t sit and wait around for the perfect opportunity to come around, for the timing to be just right, or for all the money to be there. Sometimes we have to take a leap of faith and just begin to start chasing what our heart is crying out for. Just start somewhere, anywhere! Small steps lead to big opportunities.

I want to give you two pieces of advice (or tips) for just going:

1. Discover what your passion is

This is where you need to start. What are you passionate about? If you’re saying you aren’t passionate about anything, let me stop you right there. Everybody is passionate about something so you either A) Just haven’t discovered it yet or B) Feel embarrassed, scared, or haven’t been able to embrace your passion for whatever reason. If you’re the latter of the two, this is me giving you permission to embrace your passion with no shame or embarrassment of it and to go for it.

For the most of us, we probably know what makes our hearts jump and where our eyes tend to find their resting place. For me I’m passionate about several things such as fashion, photography, and inspiring and encouraging others (hence the reasoning behind this post). Maybe you’re passionate about cooking, film, fitness, etc. whatever it is, recognize it and own it. Discovering your passion is the first step. If you don’t know what it is, what do you spend most your time doing? What do you find interesting? What do you love to learn about? Start looking around those lines and you’re bound to discover the passion inside you.

2. Begin

The second key to this: starting. We have to start from somewhere and it’s going to probably be a small beginning. However, starting is often the scariest, yet most important thing we can ever do. If we never start,  we can never get to where we want  to be. This is going  to look different for everyone because we’re all in different stages in our life. Some of us are still in high school, some are working 12 hour shifts, and some may be further along and financially independent. Whatever your situation is, don’t feel trapped by circumstance, because circumstance does not own nor define you.

So beginning… you just have to pick a starting point and go for it. It can seem scary/intimidating to start but, it’s all about taking one step at a time. To begin walking on the path and jumping over the hurdles along the way. I can’t tell you exactly what this looks like because of the differences of where everyone is at. I can tell you that you’ve probably already had tons of ideas of where you could start and just haven’t recognized them. Think about all the times you’ve said “I wish I could do that” or “I wish I had the time for ____”. Start paying attention to your feelings and ideas and you’ll find the perfect place to start.

On another note, you don’t have to have it all figured out. Maybe you only know where you’re going to start yet, you don’t know what is next. That is okay. While setting goals for yourself is an important and valuable tool, take time to figure everything out; and who knows where your small start can lead you, possibly into bigger dreams you never thought possible. Take what you have now and run hard with it.

A short list of invalid excuses:

• Time (you make time for priorities and your dreams are a priority)
• Money
• Fear (kick it in the butt)
• Children (your life doesn’t stop when theirs begins, there’s always nap time)
• Location
• Age
• Other people (telling you your idea is lame, etc.)

What I want you to understand is that you’re free to go after passions and goals with reckless tenacity. You were created for something great and to be great. I’ve been to many places all around the world and I’ve seen so many people with callings on their lives and huge dreams in their heart, yet they aren’t doing anything because they’re trapped feeling stuck. YOU ARE NOT STUCK.

Kevin, 10/9/2018

 

 

 

10.01.18

9:42PM

 

long time no see for a blog.

Basically, I’ve wanted to consistently blog now for a few years and have attempted to do so several times (my most recent attempt a year ago, which included posting 25 photos and calling it a post with no explanation). This time, I want things to be different.

Everyone has a voice, a unique, creative, distinct voice that is their voice, and theirs alone. This is a place that I would like to begin to document mine on a weekly basis. The purpose of this is to communicate ideas, dreams, inspiration, encouragement, as well as fun content or stuff I find of interest or amusement.

Something I’ve most definitely struggled with in the past when it came to starting a blog was comparison to other blogs. Even the hours and minutes leading up to this post I found myself scrolling through the endless pages of others who have been doing the blogging thing for years.

I had to stop myself from letting the feelings of comparison drip into my soul and realize that this is my beginning and this is where I’m at. I’m going to work hard to create quality, entertaining, interesting, intriguing, and thought provoking content that has real value.

If you’re looking for someone to share life experiences, encouragement, daily life, and definitely lots of photography & [emphasis on lots] fashion posts, then this is the place to be so go ahead and hit the subscribe button 😉

I’m looking forward to growing and finding my voice and place throughout this process and I’m thankful to have you come along for the journey.

Kevin

 

As basically all of you know it has long been my dream to go to NYC and to one day live there. Right before school started, part of my dreams came true as my friend and I travelled to NYC for the first time!!

We stayed in an airbnb in Washington Heights, which was super nice and a 5 minute walk to the train!

We walked around time square, ate amazing pizza, visited Time Square Church, spent hour walks around Saks, all around soho, visited the Met museum, rode the Staten Island ferry 5 times, walked around central park, saw the 9/11 memorial, walked 29 miles..

But the best part……. GUCCI SHOES that I’ve wanted for 3 years!!

 

 

It was the best time of my life! I can’t wait to make this place my home one day

Photography: Dariel Johnson