Although Rachael Zarda is best known for her eponymous blog, rachaeladele.com, and her gorgeously curated Instagram, her day job is as art director for the local jewelry brand Nickel & Suede. The Kansas City native is a graduate of Kansas State University and lives near the Plaza with her husband, Zach. A creative at heart, her online lifestyle content is all about personal style, home décor, wellness, and travel. “I love being immersed in the budding small business community in the Midwest,” she says. Her one favorite thing about Kansas City: “KC is an awesome city for coffee lovers. My husband and I travel fairly often and are hard-pressed to find another city with so many options for a really outstanding cup.” We’ll drink to that.
Rachael’s essentials..
Nickel & Suede: We’re known for our leather earrings, but we’ve come to offer so much more than that! I love that our offerings continue to grow and expand with what’s current in the industry. Our new tortoise statement earrings are some of my favorites to date. I’m also a big fan of our collection of hats we’ve started carrying.
Local Shop: Golden and Pine has such a well-curated collection of home goods. You can tell from Stephanie’s social presence and her active involvement in the shop that she’s passionate about community and thoughtful about the makers and items she chooses to share with her customers.
Preferred Libation: A glass of Champagne and fries at Ça Va–you can’t beat it!
KC Celeb: Tamara Day of Bargain Mansions is so talented and seems like such a genuine spirit. Home design shows are a guilty pleasure of mine, and I love that Tamara is restoring some of Kansas City’s most beautifully historic homes for the world to see!
Dinner Out: We love Corvino for their intimate atmosphere and ever-changing menu! We order everything to share, which always includes the seaweed donuts and the burger. If it’s a casual meal we’re after, we grab our favorite slice from Johnny Jo’s Pizzeria.
Spa Treatment: Aestheticare in Leawood is my go-to for a HydraFacial. I like to get them before big events or vacations to add that little extra glow to my skin.
Staycation: The morning would begin with a trip to Messenger for coffee. I’d head to Cafe Sebastienne for brunch and an afternoon wandering my favorite galleries at the Nelson-Atkins. Next up, Brookside to browse the shops and pick up a favorite scent at 5B&Co. I’d end the day with dinner at Lazia, a nightcap on the Percheron rooftop, and stay the night at the beautiful Crossroads Hotel.