your days are numbered.

Creepy post title, right!? I don't mean you, dear reader. I mean little red's well! You read that right! If you follow me on Instagram, you know that on January 4th, I'll be launching a new website, under a different URL.

This little blog has been my home and the starting point of my business for the past two years! It has been a wonderful way to grow a business, write down my random sartorial thoughts, and talk about my favorite thing in the world: getting dressed. But a lot has changed in two years and I wanted to refine my "brand" (blech, I know, but it's true), my offerings, my voice, etc.

So, we're movin! (and yes, I'll still be blogging!)

January 4th.

www.allisonkoehler.com

See you guys then! Happy Holidays :)

xoxo,

gift guide :: fellas

Happy December (wtf)!! Most of the penises on my list are pretty hard to shop for. My ladies, I have down, it's the guys who trip me up. Here's where my head is at this Christmas...fellas, correct me if I'm wrong!

Travel Kit ::

This is a fancy word for "here's where my dirty clothes go." Whenever Raven and I travel, he likes to keep his dirty clothes away from his clean ones (makes sense and thank you, husband). We're usually hunting around for a plastic bag in the hotel, but this kit is awesome. You could pre-pack your items in the included pouches and then keep dirty items separate for the trip.

Toiletry Bag ::

This was part of Raven's wedding present from me. Again, he never has anywhere to store all his lotions and potions when we go away, and you kind of can't get better than leather and monogrammed.

Teeling Whiskey ::

For any whiskey lover on your list, this is a must. I purchased this for Raven a couple years ago when I went to Ireland, and it's still his favorite by far. It's starting to make it's way to the US, and we even found a bottle in the Zurich airport duty-free shop!

Mall Mounted Bottle Opener ::

We got this as a wedding present and it is worth it's weight in gold! Aside from being pretty to look at, there's a magnet underneath the wood, so that every time you open a bottle, the cap flies down and attaches itself to the magnet. Talk about easy drankin.

Good Gloves ::

Another item Raven alwasys needs. Good tech gloves that actually keep you warm. He likes gloves, not mittens, and somewhere in between thick and aerodynamic. These please me.

Boxers ::

I did some recon before writing this post, and a good friend of mine requested good, easy on the eyes undies. I think I found a winner! Tommy John offers 2 styles; second skin (self explanatory) and cool (moisture wicking). They come in a range of colors, prints, and lengths. Their selling point is a no-budge pair of briefs that stay put so you're not...digging for gold in there when things go awry. AND! They just spent the month of November donating a portion of their sales to the Testicular Research Foundation to help raise awareness for testicular cancer. Just a quick fact: 1 male is diagnosed with testicular cancer every hour. It's the most easily detected form of cancer, and has the highest survival rate when caught early. Hey, thanks Tommy John!

Slippers ::

A snuggly, highly rated, affordable, vegan pair of slippers. Raven, surprise surprise this is your Xmas gift!

See you all tomorrow for Weds-day!

xoxo,

picture(s) of the week :: honeymoon edition

We're BACK! We're back and happy to get into the swing of married life. We had the best trip...ever...it was such a blast. Lest you think this is blog life and not real life, yes of course we had some bad moments (trouble with the rental car, left my new jacket behind, went on a wild goose chase to get it back, and very unglamorous and unsexy digestive issues), and we had days where we spent a couple hours napping and / or watching tv in the hotel in lieu of sight seeing, but it was still the most fun trip we've ever taken. I'm excited to share some details here for you today in a European themed picture of the week!

First off, this trip would have sucked a lot if not for the absolute genius of Michelle and Roderick from Azurine. They planned this trip to our exact specifications, within our budget, all while providing immensely helpful tips and tricks. We cannot thank them enough for this; I consider myself a good planner of things, but like I said, without them I think we would have missed out on a lot (including the outlets outside Florence WHICH I WILL GET TO). If you're going anywhere, please call them.

Days 1-3:

We stayed in Monforte d'Alba, which is in Piemonte (Piedmont for uncool Americans). Driving stick shift up steep, windy hills (Italian drivers are CRAZY!) was worth it when we arrived at Villa Beccaris and saw the view.

Highlights:

Dinner at La Case della Saracca

Truffle Hunting (our guide looked exactly like Ira Glass!)

Marchesi di Barolo winery

Days 4-6:

We spent most of the day driving from Piemonte to Florence, which was an adventure in and of itself as we took in all of the views along the coast. Rather than stop in Parma, Portofino, or Pisa, we hightailed it to - surprise, surprise - the outlets outside Florence in Reggello. We only had about an hour, as we had to return the rental car that evening, but believe me when I say you have never seen more efficient shopping in your life. I went in there and like a surgeon found and purchased a pair of boots I've been after for the better part of the year. When we finally made it into Florence, we checked into J.K. Place, which is now my favorite hotel I've ever stayed in, for what that's worth.

Highlights:

Pizza at Mercato Centrale

Dave

Days 7-10:

We took an early train to Milan, and changed there for a train to Lucerne, Switzerland. The views on the train were startling as we wound our way through the sheep and cow ridden mountains. Even exhaustion and a little motion sickness didn't stop us from exclaiming aloud every time we rounded a bend. Switzerland was...very swiss. The stereotypes (mostly) hold, and we ate that shit up.

Highlights:

Pretzels and beer (actually, I loved all the food in Lucerne)

Boat ride to Weggis

Bachmann bakery + chocolatier (the best jelly donut and what can only be described as a cinnamon taco)

Friends, as you can probably tell, Raven took most of these pictures (unedited as I just couldn't wait)...he's so talented; it's very frustrating for me but great because eventual children will hopefully glean some of that from him.

Wedding recap to come eventually, next week I want to talk about unexpected findings in Europe as well as GIFT GUIDES...gotta re-up on my sourcing for that this weekend.

Good to be back :)

xoxo,

the first ten years

Courtney is one of my best friends. She and I moved to New York together as roommates in 2007. She supported me through break-ups and breakdowns and she was by my side on November 7th when Raven and I got married (she was also there, three days prior, for an hour + long conversation as I ranted away about trivial stresses).

Today her first book comes out. It's called The First Ten Years, and if you have a shred of creative drive anywhere in your body, it's for you. If you've ever considered a grander plan, breaking the mold, or have spent an afternoon crafting, please consider purchasing it.

I haven't finished reading the book yet, but that's not required for me to show you how much she knows about the creative struggle. You are reading the proof. 

You have something more to give.

-Courtney Romano

Courtney helped me found this blog, and helped me create my business. This is not me blowing smoke, it's just fact. She believes so wholeheartedly in our capacity for greater, smarter, more fulfilling work, that before this book was even a serious consideration in her mind, she was living and breathing its ideals.

If you go back in the archives of LRW, you'll find Courtney's posts on this blog. If you're interested in checking out her writing style, here are a couple of my favorites:

Being Alone in New York City

Goodbye 20's: The Biggest Mistakes of My Last 10 Years

What Perfectionism Can Do For You

But truly, go buy the book. You will not regret it.

xoxo,

image via Courtney's Instagram. Her website is www.courtneyromano.com.

picture of the week

Happy Friday to you! Hope you've all been enjoying this weather as much as we have! Charlie especially enjoys his morning walks in the cooler climes. What are you up to this weekend? Raven and I are headed to Jersey tonight for a Haunted Hayride with our good friends Kevin and Cara, and we've got a wedding tomorrow! After this post goes up I'll be making my way to Kleinfeld for my 2nd dress fitting. Pretty exciting, very surreal. Have a fantastic weekend, links are below!

How women talk in meetings. Hilarious and also sad.

Quit dyeing your hair by restoring it to its original color. If this works, my life has changed.

Kind of love this scarf for fancy winter wear.

Mini Moons are in!

Design a custom pair of sneakers here.

Okay, so I've got wedding on the brain. But can you imagine having your favorite designer make your wedding dress?

Halloween candy wine pairings. Genius.

Here's your bucket list of restaurants.

See you all next week!

xoxo,