i've moved

Take two!

I'm giving this blogging thing another whirl. If you'd like watch this second fiasco unfurl, I'd welcome you to join me over at my new blog, enthusiasm.

It's been a good(ish) run, gang!

Love,

Kate

{a bit of weekend inspiration}

okay, yes...totally lameface to do two posts in a week along the same lines but i haven't had much time to be creative the last few days...thus i am borrowing from others ;)

so i hope you enjoy my dose of weekend inspiration...i tried to pick things that weren't on a lot of other blogs so they would be fresh ideas. enjoy!

1. french general

about a year ago my grandma sent me an email telling me that i would love this shop she'd found...and good heavens was she right. all i can say is that you must, must look at everything on this site. the pictures alone are enough for me...but the gorgeous products are even better. be sure to check out the sequins, glitter, and notion kits to start!

2. lovelydesign.

this site is brilliant. functional, simple, beautiful products any paper junkie would love. it's brilliant. and lately i have been on an all out address file kick, so finding this was great {gotta love google!}. if you want more address file goodness look here, here, and here.

3. pattianne stevenson

i happened upon this site by chance and ooh i am glad i did! this is the kind of cake you can enjoy again and again and never feel guilty about...the cardboard variety. so pretty, so genius.

4. rifle at renegade craft fair

rifle is one of my favorite blogs. i'm a big art/calligraphy kind of person, and she does the kind of work i dream about doing. browse through this blog! you won't be disappointed!

have a splendid weekend!

-kate

{invited}

i didn't do a whole lot today, unless you count doing a favor for my mom something. she's having a party {that i am not invited to}, and she got some really cute invitations from paper source. she realized on monday, though, that she didn't have enough {shoulda been my first hint} and that she wanted to get some more...

i, of course, went with her to paper source {since i had a massive gift card and would take any excuse to go there} and the following went down there:

me: wow, those invites are really cute!

mom: yeah i know, right? hey question.

me {unsupsectingly perusing paper}: mmhmm?

mom {sweetly}: so i was wondering. would you like to use some of your writing to, oh i dunno, make them look pretty for me?

me {enthralled by patterns}: wow look at this one!!

mom: well?

me {still not comprehending}: um, yes?

**my mother does not really talk like this. it's pretty much her words in katespeak.**

i am a bit slow on the uptake. i should have asked her how many, but i didn't. so when she brings me a list after i whip up the prototype my jaw kinda dropped.

sixteen?

now that doesn't sound like a lot, but i'm kind of ocd. when i make something, i want every detail to be perfect. if there is a mistake, i scrap it. my garbage can is always the most full in our house. and since these invites were going to fall into the hands of people i respect, i knew that this would take a while.

and it did.

after scrapping four invites and four envelopes {about 30 + minutes of work} i finally got all sixteen done {in about 3 hours}. my hand hurts like crazy.

but it was fun. i love drawing with all of my heart, and my mom promised that in return we would redo my bathroom this week, so i guess i won ;)

since i didn't really have time to do much else today {i worked at the library all this morning} i figured i may as well share the fruits of my labor.

i wasn't going to include this last one cuz one of the envelopes is washed out but i had to. my desk is cracking me up right now. please note: rubiks cube {i am in love with rubiks cubes...i've gotten down to 2.5 minutes}, jar full of the barrettes you put into two year olds' hair {they have pretty colors!! i have to wear them!! and everyone loves a good plastic bow}, madeline and pepito piggy bank {saw it at a garage sale. madeline was my childhood hero so i couldn't say no. you don't want to know what's in it}, kate sutton band-aids {i almost hate to use them they are so pretty}, cubby full of archie comics {from my younger years}, and deoderant {always good}.

does anyone else have such a desk?

teehee okay i am done now. hope wednesday is brilliant.

-kate

{i want to marry joshua radin}

because all of his songs are amazing. seriously, listen to them. they are exactly the kind of no frills songs i want some guy to sing to me one day. one of my favorites is i'd rather be with you...the lyrics are great but so is the guitar ;)


i love it so much!!

soooo i decided to make a book {gasp i know it's about time, aren't you proud of me??}

more on my flickr.

i wanted it to be simple, no frills...like the song. so i used corkboard for the covers, so it would look natural, but i don't know how i feel about that choice. sure, it looks nice but you try to open it! it's a good thing i have thumbs of steel or you wouldn't have any pictures to look at. the photos in the book took so long to pick out...i wanted each page to match a line of the song. it's not my best work but i definitely like it...and it fits the weather outside today.

have a happy tuesday!

-kate

{today i'm likin'...}

i meant to sit down and make something pretty dang awesome to share today but didn't have enough inspiration...so i did two things.

first. i made this little baby for my sister out of a map i tore out of a magazine (just in case the world ever grows spikes you could use this to get around. i'm just saying.). pretty fantastic stuff called modular origami, definitely great if you're watching a long movie and have too much paper on your hands. if you want instructions to make your own, look here {if anyone attempts the epcot ball i will be your friend for life...craziness right there}.



second. i browsed the internet for a while and found some fantastic awesomeness floating all around. i just had to share! i'm going to do a post about my favorite blogs later, but this may give you a bit of a taste.





1. askinosie chocolate
oh my stars i want this chocolate so bad. not only are the names tantalizing {come on, el rustico, del tambo, sonconusco...who wouldn't want to sink their teeth into something with a name like that?}, but the packaging is so. awesome. if you look all the way down the products page you will find this chalk-late bar, which i think is totally brilliant.

2. diy headband via once wed
this is such a cool idea! i love this kind of headband, especially the sparkles and feathers, and this project is so simply beautiful. you could whip one of these up for cheap in about five minutes...so fantastic!

3. debi treloar photography via design is mine
there are no words to describe this woman's amazing artistry...please go check her out! i am in love with every single one of her beautiful shots.

4. i want this house via love. obsess. inspire.
i am far from having my own place to live, but when i do, i want it to look like this. dale saylor and joe williamson are geniuses...this place is subtle but so beautiful. i would do nicely waking up in this house every morning.

hope you all had a fantastic monday!

-kate

Could it be?

yes, yes it could.

i am officially back for the summer of 2009! possibly beyond that, but i'll cross that bridge when it comes.

i have so many ideas for the summer-plenty of good projects, give aways, adventures, and inspiration. i'm looking at possibly drawing a new header in the next week, too...maybe this one was bad luck?

i'm pretty much the notorious winner of the worst blogger ever award (the wbe, it's quite a lofty accomplishment, i've gotta admit) but have absolutely missed my blog and my readers more than i thought was possible. please drop me an email to tell me how you all have been!

it's gonna be a good summer, i know it.

-kate

ps. ignore the lack of rounded corners if you can. i completely forgot to put them on the picture...i'll get back up to format par soon, i promise *wink*

{what? when?!}

hold the phone.

are you serious?

september is gone already? it's really, truly october?!

why was i not informed? where did september go? and, more importantly...

why is it so stinking cold all of a sudden?

that's right. under my very nose, fall, and october, has crept into my town. and somehow, i missed it. when was the first day of fall, anyway?

fall is my favorite season. i love the colors of the trees (as fast as they seem to shed around here), wearing long sleeves, the colors and styles of fall fashions, and the smell of fall. it has a smell, you know. like burnt leaves and pumpkin and apples and molasses. it's truly incredible.

so i thought i'd share a few things, for all of you people who love fall as much as i do, i'm currently loving to help usher in the most beautiful season.

like i said earlier, it's cooling off fast here in illinois. it literally jumped from 74 down to 60 in one day. with a wind chill. this is kind of a remarkable change. so when i got my anthro catalogue yesterday and saw the most beautiful pieces of clothing i can't afford on my meager budget set against these beautiful fall backdrops, i went gaga (what is it about expensive clothing that makes it so appealing?). especially for this hat and this scarf (scarfs=love. seriously. i can't buy them fast enough.).

and...since my dad gives me such a hard time for wearing winter wear in the house (it's not my fault my room is the coldest of them all! my bed covers the heating vent!), these little babies from a fabulous etsy shop would do any person especially sensitive to cold. or if you're like me (okay, i'll admit) and just really love to be hot all the time (and wear winter things), buy yourself a pair. seriously. they're merino wool. sigh.

then you can settle down by your window and watch the leaves change color with this beautiful mug from (my favorite!) starbucks, sipping this tea (my new obsession). i mean honestly. it's perfection.

then, when you've gotten down to the bottom of the mug and still feel like you haven't gotten enough fall fix, feast your eyes on the work of this artist. especially this photograph. and this one. oh, and this one. it's so inspiring, i just don't know what to do with myself.

maybe, with the beautiful things mentioned above, missing september won't be all that bad. october could shape out rather beautifully, if you ask me.