kai conversations with... elizabeth hugen of lizzie in lace
we are delighted to bring you this week’s kai conversation with our
fabulous friend and long-time brand devotee, elizabeth hugen of lizzie in lace,
who is celebrating a huge milestone this month with her blog’s 7th anniversary. the southern ca-based fashion,
beauty, and travel blogger, elizabeth, is a real life disney princess who is
the face, creator, and brains behind the delightfully feminine and creatively
curated fairytale world that is lizzie in lace. however, truth be told: elizabeth is so
much more than this - she is a super dynamic individual who is quite
adventurous; not only has she been skydiving 7 times, but she’s always opting
for the fastest rollercoaster and loves traveling anywhere. she is highly
artistic and was known on her college campus as “the girl with the paper
dresses” because she made gorgeous artwork including high-fashion 3D dress
concepts and 6 feet tall pastel drawings. music is also a huge part of her life,
and she can play any instrument with strings (she’s taught guitar lessons for 16 years!), and loves almost any type
of music including rock, edm, and dance music (metallica is her favorite).
she’s also a collector of many vintage items such as jewelry, vanity sets,
beauty items and clothing/accessories with her favorite eras being the 20s,
40-60s and the victorian era. talk about a female powerhouse with so many
talents! But she also one of the most optimistic, cheerful and inspirational
women we’ve ever encountered. we highly encourage you to follow her on Instagram
(and Tik Tok)
for her beautiful, fun and enlightening content.
gaye.
tell us a little bit about yourself, where you grew up, your background etc.
i grew up in a very small town in california. i always loved the arts and was especially fond of drawing, music and fashion. i’ve been drawing since i was young and i mainly create portraits and fashion sketches. i also taught myself how to play piano when i was in grade school and eventually taught myself guitar along with several other instruments including ukulele, banjo, violin and bass. a few years later, i started teaching guitar and shortly after, started my first business. i’ve also had a very unique job history that has contributed to the skills i have now including being a bank teller, waitress, substitute teacher and biological land surveyor. in college, i was interested in engineering, architecture and geology aside from art but decided to stick with my dream of becoming a fashion designer. i didn’t have the opportunity to travel growing up but as i’ve gotten older, this is something that has definitely inspired my life and my path.
how did you get your start as a fashion, beauty & travel blogger? how did lizzie in lace come about?
growing up, i always wanted to be a fashion designer. i started drawing at a really young age and learned how to hand sew a few years later, at which point i started designing and creating clothing for myself and my dolls. throughout school, i styled my friends and family and created colorful, feminine outfits from bargain finds that i bought with my babysitting money. the college i attended did not have a fashion major, so i created my own through a mix of studio art and marketing classes. around campus, i was known for making dresses out of household items (i was a broke college student after all!). my college years were a very interesting, transformative and influential time in my life that ultimately set me up to be where i am now. after i graduated, i lost my job and had trouble finding another. during my “free” time, i found fashion blogging by complete accident. i decided to start my own blog in 2012 but didn’t tell anyone. my husband happened to find it so i deleted it immediately out of embarrassment. but still, there was always a feeling that i needed to revisit this. after three years, i finally found the courage to try again… and the rest is history :-)
what keeps you passionate about your work?
i absolutely love what i do. i find myself constantly excited about learning new skills, evolving my business and expanding my creativity. i love meeting new people and experiencing new things. most of all, i think that a grateful heart keeps me passionate about my work.
how do you embody kai’s “breath*life*flow” lifestyle, which promotes self-care, mindfulness, and living a healthy/happy, feel-good & do-good lifestyle?
i love self-care and incorporate it into my life as much as i can. daily, i love to meditate, journal, and of course, do my skincare routines. weekly, i love to indulge in a self care day with a bubble bath, at-home facial, manicure, pedicure, etc. i try to incorporate a work out each day as well whether it’s pilates, yoga or a hike/walk. i also try to schedule time to do things that bring me joy like play guitar, create art, read, or watch one of my favorite films.
i love using kai anytime but my favorite is probably when i do my self-care days! i use the kai bathing bubbles for my bath and utilize the entire line of bath products including the shampoo, conditioner and kai*rose body wash. afterward, i use a mix of the kai body butter and body glow for silky smooth skin. i, then, light my kai*rose candle, apply a bit of fragrance and do my meditation and journaling. i finish off with the kai*rose hand cream for my hands and feet after my diy mani and pedi.
how are you taking care of yourself and your loved ones during this time? are there certain things that are proving to be sources of motivation/inspiration? if so, please feel free to share.
for myself, i am finding a better work life balance and putting a priority on self-care. i’ve even got my husband into it! he loves our self-care days complete with a relaxing drive around town, a skincare routine and watching one of our favorite movies. i’ve also been spending more time with my mom, which i love! no certain sources of inspiration but just trying to live more in the moment and take in all the little and good things that life has to offer each day.
thank you... lizzie!
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