By Kara Elise
Hostess with the mostest, Kara Elise wears many hats but all of them are rooted in food, creativity, and beauty. This lovely lady is a good friend of ours and we're so excited to share her glow with you.
Kara, curator of by Kara Elise, uses the transformative power of food in her work as a hostess + lifestyle coach, dinner curator, and food stylist. A Special-Events Alum from Darling, this beauty knows how to throw one glowy party. She is also a food blogger whose recipes are all about making accessible food that looks just as good as it makes you feel. Creativity pours out of Kara's every pore. From her stunning, eclectically decorated loft in DTLA (it's literally straight out of an Anthropologie ad), to her picture-perfect breakfasts, Kara's taste and aesthetic is woven seamlessly throughout all aspects of her life.
Kara invited us into her glow-exploding loft where she treated us to Lavender Old-fashioned, Roasted Curried Carrots, and Smashed Avocado-Burrata Toast with Sriracha salt!! Everything Kara makes is elevated and anything from ordinary. She is a true inspiration and one GLOWY chick.
HOW THEY GLOW QUESTIONNAIRE
NAME: Kara Dykert
NICKNAME: Toodie
PROFESSION: Hostess/ Kitchen Lover/ Food Stylist
WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? Holland, MI
WHERE DO YOU LIVE? LA
WHEN YOU’RE EATING HEALTHY, WHAT IS A TYPICAL…
BREAKFAST: Avocado and egg toast
LUNCH: Some kind of salad with all kinds of add ins- squash, avocado, nuts, etc.
DINNER: Sushi
SNACK: Apples are my favorite fruit, and an almond milk latte
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE SPOTS/RESTAURANTS TO EAT HEALTHY? Food Lab because its fresh and fast. I love Daily Dose downtown. Sushi always.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE INDULGENCE? Ice cream hands down.
WHERE ARE YOUR FAVORITE SPOTS/RESTAURANTS TO INDULGE? Salt & Straw, Korean BBQ in Koreatown,
WHAT WOULD BE YOUR LAST MEAL ON EARTH? A bacon cheeseburger with a fried egg and sweet potato fries.
WHAT IS THE BEST DISH YOU COOK/ YOUR FAVORITE RECIPE? I love making breakfasts. I make a pretty incredible Shakshuka… Anything with eggs really.
WHERE DO YOU GROCERY SHOP? I use Farmbox for really busy weeks and for local produce. I love whole foods- its a happy place for me.
TOP 3 ITEMS YOU ALWAYS HAVE IN YOUR KITCHEN? Eggs, avocados, some kind of green (generally arugula)
WHAT IS YOUR FITNESS REGIMEN? (how often & what you do) I’m so inconsistent with routine, but I try to be active at least a few times a week. i like variation - so a lot of hiking at Elysian or Griffith, and yoga about twice a week.
WHAT IS YOUR SKINCARE ROUTINE? (products, facials, etc) I am a moisturizer addict. Aveno every morning and night. I wash my face religiously every night. But thats about it. Pretty simple.
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE MAKEUP/NATURAL BEAUTY PRODUCTS? I love Kate Somerville products. And I really love Malin & Goetz.
IF YOU WERE STRANDED ON A DESERT ISLAND, WHAT 3 PRODUCTS WOULD YOU TAKE WITH YOU?
1. A journal or some kind of writing situation
2. Music- somehow with unlimited battery life
3. A french press. I love waking up to coffee. EVERY single day.
TOP 3 FAVORITE SONGS?
Right now…
1. Vapour by Vancouver Sleep Clinic
2. Heavy Shoulders by Trace
3. Weathered by Jack Garrett
MOST-WATCHED MOVIE? Gosh… I don’t know! I don't really re-watch movies
MOST LIFE-CHANGING BOOK? A Severe Mercy- it completely revolutionized the way I thought about love, marriage and spirituality.
FAVORITE SHOPS/BOUTIQUES? Barkeeper in Silverlake. Alchemy Works in DTLA- the most well curated shop.
COOLEST PLACE YOU’VE EVER VISITED? London is my favorite city in the world. The culture, the people and the food are so amazing. I also really loved Thailand- I have never met a kinder culture. The people there are beautiful and so welcoming.
FAVORITE HOTELS? I like The Line in LA. Its clean, minimal, and has a great ascetic.
WHAT IS THE BEST GIFT YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED? When I turned 30, I got spoiled by friends. One friend gave me a collection of memories, stories, and qualities about me in what we call a CBJ- Confidence Boosting Journal. It was incredible to feel so known and seen by a friend. I also got a huge box of 30 sentimental gifts from my best friend who lives across the country.
MOST PROFOUND HEALING EXPERIENCE YOU’VE EVER HAD? Healing of the heart. This sounds very vague, but I think that the heart is so fragile- and especially in my 20s it went through some hard times. This past year specifically has been one of immense healing for me. One of restoring what had been broken, restoring what had been painful, and really coming to embrace fully who I am, how I’ve been created, and what I love. I could almost visualize it- it felt like my heart got a renovation, cleaned out, gutted, and fully restored.
DESCRIBE YOUR PERFECT DAY. An early start with coffee and a hike in Griffith or Elysian. Then a lazy breakfast with a full french press and a few friends at my loft. Walking- anything with walking- a hike in Elysian, etc. Working for a few hours, lunch with friends. A happy hour. A long dinner party.
WHAT IS YOUR MOST VALUABLE BEAUTY TIP/SECRET? Eat what makes you feel really beautiful. And eat beautifully. It sounds simple but when we put things into our body that are beautiful, it affects the ways that we view and feel about ourselves.
FAVORITE QUOTE? Rumi says “let the beauty of what you love be what you do” Simple and so profound.
WHAT MAKES YOU GLOW? My friendships. People. My relationships are the biggest asset I have- I’m surrounded by such an incredible group of friends who are all way cooler than me :) A really invigorating and life-giving conversation. Excellent food. Really good wine and whiskey.
Photography by: Sasha Young