in my own little universe

New Jewels

2011-07-02T11:01:00.001-04:00

I've been so busy with work and life that jewelry (and my blog) has gotten pushed off a little. I miss it so much. I hope to get something done this weekend. So this jewelry update is sort of bare.
(click on any image to make it bigger)
I am in LOVE with this raw amethyst ring I made. I have plans to make more really soon.

Another favorite statement ring. This one is clear druzy. I shined up the silver on the inside of the ring, under the stone but only in the middle. So it has kind of an inner glow to it now. A happy little accident.

This ring is sort of an experiment. I'm not sure yet if I will sell it since it feels like such a prototype. This was really hard to make. The stones are raw diamonds. They vary in color, some silvery and some white. They are really cool to look at. However, they are itty bitty things and it was such a challenge securing them in the setting. I need MUCH smaller fingers...haha. I want to start making engagement rings with raw diamonds for a more affordable and ethical alternative the more conventional diamond rings. I am going to be working on the design and better ways to set the diamonds.

twitter
facebook
etsy shop

HOW Design Conference in Chicago

2011-06-30T10:59:00.000-04:00

While I'm not designing jewelry, I'm making a living as a freelance graphic designer. This weekend I was fortunate enough to attend the HOW Design Conference in Chicago. I had a great time, Chicago is gorgeous and the weather was perfect! Much less hot and humid than the weather here in Tampa. I loved hearing the speakers at the conference, my favorite being Jessica Hische. She is very inspiring as she has worked her butt off to be such a young success. And I love her swirly style of graphics. I wasn't obnoxious enough to take any photos of the speakers but here are some of the pictures I did take of the trip.

Bags full of freebies

Freebies: posters, design magazines, print samples, t-shirts, buttons, candy

We had some time to walk around and be tourists :)

Shepard Fairey mural outside the tattoo shop.

I have always wanted to get a spontaneous tattoo while traveling. I had this design in mind of the phases of the moon, so I went with it!

Awesome local brewery: Goose Island Beer Company.

Downtown Chicago...the weather was gorgeous!

Closing reception party for the conference.

Out of maybe 5 free shirts, this one was my favorite. It says "creative freedom".

I had an awesome time and loved Chicago. Can't wait to visit again!

Inspiration

2011-06-07T08:11:00.000-04:00

ALL FOR THE MOUNTAIN
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I am crazy about everything about this designer. The jewelry, of course is right up my alley. I think the thing that really attracted me was the use photo collage on the website. Check it out for yourself, it's amazing! And somewhat humorous at times. Here are a few pictures.

New Look!

2011-05-26T14:44:00.000-04:00

I redesigned my banners, ads and overall look. I think I will be changing the name of my shop soon.......if I can ever decide on a new name. Till then, I'm happy with the new design. Tell me what you think!

xo,
Katie
---
twitter
facebook
etsy shop

Shop Update

2011-05-16T09:28:00.000-04:00

Here are some photos of what I have been working on lately. I'm in the process of adding all of it to the shop. There will be 5 crystal bullet casing necklaces total, so far I only have 2 listed and some more rings. So check back later in the week!

Happy Monday!

xoxo,
Katie
---
twitter
facebook
etsy shop

I love Friday!

2011-04-29T16:05:00.000-04:00

Here are some things I've been working on. These sterling silver "crystal" pendants took forever to make and they are not quite perfect but I am loving them! I am going to make some more and perfect the final product a little.

Moss agate and sterling ring

Rutilated quartz and sterling ring

Tonight I'm going to see Sleigh Bells....can't wait :)

2 days in Paris

2011-04-28T15:41:00.000-04:00

Jewelry post

2011-04-21T13:15:00.001-04:00

Here are some new things I have been working on. Some are in my etsy shop. The rest I am bringing to a show I'm doing in May. Whatever is leftover will be up in the shop later. It's been SO busy for me lately! All good things though. I'm feeling very inspired and grateful for all of the new creative opportunities and new people and experiences that have have come into my life lately. Life is looking up :)I hope the same is true for you!

Let's connect! Leave me your links in my comments :)
Twitter
Facebook

Shopping on Etsy

2011-04-06T13:08:00.001-04:00

I splurged and got some really cool things on Etsy recently.

Blackbird Tees

I LOVE this shirt I bought from Blackbird Tees. I'm so glad I went with the cropped version of the shirt, but they also have a longer version. This shirt is so soft and comfy and I feel like I'm wearing something a little jazzier than a regular tee shirt.

For Strange Women
I love this shop. The packaging, the photos, the whole vibe really appeals to me.

I bought this yummmmy clove chap stick that is all natural and comes in a biodegradable tube with no plastic. It smells and tastes SO delicious.

I also bought this perfume oil also and I am in love with it. It has a deep warm spicy sweet smell. It is natural smelling and not overwhelming at all.

Honey Blossom Studio

This shop has such a great variety of boots and at pretty decent prices too. I have been wanting a nice vintage pair of cowboy boots for so long and I finally found some in my size in the perfect beat up brown. I can't wait to get these in the mail! I want to wear them with dresses before it gets way too hot here.

link, link, link
Back to work for me!
xo,
Katie

Picture Post

2011-04-02T14:45:00.000-04:00

Hey! Seems like all I have been doing lately is working and hanging out at pools and the beach with people that come into town. Not that I'm complaining :) Here are some pictures from the last few weeks.

Barbara and I at St. Pete beach.

Barbara and I at an art show in Tampa.

My sister from Michigan and I in Bonita Springs at my Dad's condo.

My friend Robin from Michigan and I in Orlando.

I have been working on some more jewelry that still needs to be photographed and uploaded to my etsy shop. I'll have a post about that soon!
Hope you are all having a great weekend!
xo
Katie

Rings + Playlist

2011-03-03T13:02:00.003-05:00

Hello friends! I've been working on a bunch of new rings.
Here are a few...

They are all uploaded to the shop except the one on the far left...that one i'm keepin!

Here's a fun playlist of some of my fave bands right now.

Dining at Edward S. Curtis table

2011-03-01T21:48:00.000-05:00

Check out this amazing treasury my earrings were included in.

The curator, Under the Pyramids said the items she picked reminded her of Edward S. Curtis, a photographer whose subject matter was the American West and Native American people.

New Work

2011-02-23T20:29:00.000-05:00

I just listed some new rings to my etsy shop...take a look!

Silver Dots and Black Rhinestone Ring

Cobalt Blue Seaglass and Sterling Ring

Pyrite and Sterling Silver Ring

Fossilized Coral and Sterling Ring [this one sold already but I wanted to share it anyway because I loved how it turned out!]

Weekend Pictures

2011-02-22T09:59:00.000-05:00

This weekend my friend and I went to St. Petersburg. I only live about 30 minutes away but for some reason I rarely get over there. It is such a cute city, right on the water with a very arty downtown area with a lot of cute restaurants, shops and bars.

There are these two HUGE banyan trees down by the water. They are amazing to look at. I climbed one of them, I was the only adult amongst the kids!

We walked all over the place and eventually walked down to the Pier.

There are always a ton of pelicans on the Pier.

It was such a gorgeous day, sunny and almost 80 degrees! The perfect weather for walking around, checking things out. At the end of the pier they were having a little car show. I love old cars!

I definitely want to make more of an effort to get out of my city, Tampa. There are so many great areas right by where I live that it makes no sense not to get out and enjoy them!
Did you get out and do anything adventurous this weekend?

Of Space Captains and Angels

2011-02-21T22:17:00.000-05:00

My current read

Fancy Friday

2011-02-18T13:12:00.000-05:00

Ah, it's the little things in life! Here are some things I'm lovin at the moment....

Fancy nails by Sally Hansen Salon Effects

I am in love with this necklace by Emily Grace

Hair dying sessions!

My new calendar for 2011 with vintage fashion illustrations

Real Lomography photos

Gorgeous necklace by Pamela Love

Natural rocks, stones and crystals

William Fitzsimmons

2011-02-16T09:30:00.004-05:00

Oh how I just love him! I found a little 3 part series of William talking about life, love and being on tour. I just adore how he really takes his growth seriously. He knows he has made mistakes in life and is dedicated to processing his emotions and growing beyond his limitations. So rare and beautiful in a man. He's also a therapist which I find so interesting as well. And of course his music and voice is just gorgeous. Take a listen! I love what he says in the last one....

Happy Day of LOVE

2011-02-14T13:40:00.004-05:00

Whether you are single or in a relationship, I hope you have a day filled with love! Valentine's Day doesn't need to just be about romantic relationship love...how about the love you have for yourself? or the new painting you just completed or your family or that fact that you have a roof over your head? Make a point to send love to the people in your life, to yourself and to the planet. We ALL need more love!And then eat some sugar :)
Also, check out this great V-day post by Danielle at Sometimes Sweet. I love her suggestions on giving some love to yourself on this day.
XOXO
Katie

Photo Obsessed!

2011-02-11T16:06:00.012-05:00

I am totally addicted to taking photos of everything with the vintage camera apps on my phone. Anyone else have this addiction!? My phone is somewhat new to me so maybe the thrill will dissipate soon. But for now I'm snapping away! (Pay no attention to the ACTUAL vintage camera I could be using.....I like instant gratification!)

New Work

2011-02-10T15:51:00.005-05:00

Hey hey! Some new work I just added to my etsy shop.

Happy Thank You More Please

2011-02-03T10:23:00.011-05:00

[link]

I can't wait to see this movie. Just from the short trailer, I can tell it has a good message to be grateful to be alive, to be grateful for the person you are and to love yourself and consider yourself worthy of everything life has to offer. Love wins![link]

New Work

2011-02-02T13:25:00.008-05:00

I made some new jewelry and uploaded them to my shop. Check it out and let me know what you think!This ring I made for myself. I love it! I'll make one for the shop soon.Hope everyone is having a great day! I know a lot of people are snowed in. I kinda wish I was in a way. But its a lovely 71 degrees here in Florida...no chance for snow :)xo Katie

Pin Up Style

2011-01-25T15:22:00.012-05:00

Some lovely pin up photos for your Tuesday afternoon! All photos from Pin Up Page.

New Work

2011-01-18T22:10:00.009-05:00

Hello friends! I have some more jewelry to post. I'll be adding these to my etsy shop (which is in a sad state!) later this week.And I'm happy to announce that I had my last appointment with the physical therapist today! YAY! My hand is getting so much better. There is still a little pain and it is not as strong as it once was...and probably never will be the same. BUT it works! And that is all that matters :) I can still do all the things I could before my injury, I was blessed in that way.
Well, I hope you are all having a lovely night or day, depending on when you read this. xoxo, Katie

Note from the Universe

2011-01-11T11:12:00.006-05:00

[link]

[link]

[link]

[link]

I really liked today's Note from the Universe. I have these delivered to my inbox everyday from TUT.com.

"Whenever something doesn't work out the way you thought it would, Katie, instead of thinking that something went wrong, see it as something that went unexpectedly well, but for reasons that are not yet apparent.

Everything plays to your favor.

Score!
The Universe

And then keep on keeping on, Katie."

New Work

2011-01-09T11:39:00.008-05:00

Hi friends!
I just wanted to post some pictures of new jewelry I loaded to my shop recently. My hand surgery set me waaay back, so I have a lot of work to do to get more inventory. Baby steps!

Out with the Old in with the New

2011-01-01T13:49:00.008-05:00

Happy New Year friends!

I hope everyone had a fun and safe night. I went to one of my bestest friends house, Keira. We planned on watching a movie but we talk, talk, talked until 10 minutes before midnight and we decided to turn on the tv and watch the ball drop with a champagne toast! It was a really nice, relaxing and safe night.
This was my midnight kiss....isn't it so romantic! Haha...oh well, there's always next year.
How sweet is her little boy, Quin?! He has the the most fabulous naturally curly hair, I'm actually jealous of it. I have always wanted natural curls.
I'm going to leave you with a New Year intention ritual from Debbie Ford. I'm going to do this later today.

"Rituals can mark a new beginning or be the demarcation at the end of a chapter of our lives. They can set us up for a new future, mark a profound time of change and seal in the dreams and the desires of a life yet to be lived. This year, I've written a vow and a ritual for you that will open you up, remind you of who you are and leave you feeling blessed and ready for the upcoming year. So take a moment, breathe into each line of the vow, and allow yourself some time over the weekend to do the New Year's Ritual.

The Vow

My life is worth a billion blessings to all those I meet on my journey.
I am the heaven and all that exists in the sky above.
I am the vastness of my greatest thought and the infinite power that sources and sustains the entire universe.
On this day, I will remember who I am, what I am here for and why I chose the experiences that have come into my path this past year.
Today, I promise to leave the smallness of my darkest thoughts and melt with open arms into the never-ending, all-powerful love of my highest self.
Today, I surrender into the open arms of 2011, allowing each day of the upcoming year to surprise, comfort and nourish my soul's deepest desires.
I vow to return to the spark of the divine and use my power to light up the world.
This year, I will give to others what I want back for myself.
If I want love, I will find ways to love each and every person I come across.
If I want peace, I will think peaceful thoughts, say peaceful words and pray for peace for all those who are living in chaos, including myself.
If I want success, I will work diligently to help those around me succeed. I will stay focused, do my absolute best and seek excellence in everything I do.
If I want respect, I will begin by respecting life and all that comes with it. I will respect those around me and those who work hard to make this planet a better place. I will respect the earth, my body, my past and the gifts that I hold and I will surrender judgment for reverence.
In 2011, I trust that what I give to the world will be given back to me.

The Ritual

Make a list of 10 experiences that blessed and nourished you in 2010.
To complete 2010, write out why you chose the challenging experiences of the last year. Do this from the highest perspective so that you can find their gifts.
Notice if you're carrying any dark, small or limiting thoughts into 2011. Write them all down. Affirm you don't need them anymore. They're not the truth. They're just thoughts. Then rip them up into 100 shredded little specks of nothing and throw them in the trash.
Choose one quality (e.g., love, peace, success, respect, etc.) that you most want to express and commit to in 2011. Write out 5 ways that you can give and share this quality with others.
Write down 5 goals that you feel inspired to commit to in 2011.
Read this vow or use one of your own each morning to reconnect with the power you hold to light up the world.

I am wishing you a healthy, happy, inspired new year. May you give yourself all that you desire and all that you deserve.

Loving you always,
Debbie"

You can sign up for Debbie's email newsletter at her website: DebbieFord.com

Hope you all have a lovely rest of your weekend! I'm off to a going away party for a friend tonight. Then tomorrow is cleaning and movie/relax day for me.

xo,
Katie

Lovesick

2010-12-30T18:21:00.006-05:00

Hi friends! I'm trying to get back on a schedule for blogging. It's been a challenge.......
So the second half of 2010 had many many uncomfortable and disappointing events. I am looking to this new year to bring in positive new beginnings, hope and inspiration. I am refocusing more on myself in mind, body and spirit and also on my career which took several setbacks recently.
I endured a very painful breakup recently and "A Woman's Worth" by Marianne Williamson has been exactly what I needed to help cope. I love this excerpt:
"How important it is to know that he is as tender as we are and just as lost and just as scared. Until we know this, we miss the point. We think he's such a monster, until we see he's such a boy. Like us, scarred from Daddy's whatever disaster, so too is he affected by Mommy forever. And all of us stumble and cry and fall and seek in each other the relief from our pain. We are meant to be that relief and more than that. We are meant to be the healing of the wound; and if we will allow it, our love will heal us both.
Remember the eyes of one who loved you and don't forget their mark on your soul. Carry it always, the badge of a woman who has opened her heart and allowed it to hurt, for herself and for him. She has gone crazy for love and been ridiculous for love and grown neurotic for love and wasted her time for love. But she has grown from the heartaches and endured until the sun shone, and finally she has seen the sky. Now she's a woman when before she was a girl; now she's a goddess when before she was a brat."
I love how passionately and poetically she writes. And she is a phenomenal role model... I know we don't have a lot of healthy role models but I do believe she has figured out how to be happy and whole. I hope to get closer to that. I can't be that far off, I hope!
And despite my current depression, this song by the yummy William Fitzsimmons made me happy today :)

Drawings by Ladybastard

2010-12-30T09:38:00.007-05:00

I am in love with fellow blogger, Roberta's (from Ladybastard) drawings. I think the "Dreams" one is my favorite. She's a talented lady, she also makes cute little fuzzy plushies. Check her out over at her blog!

M.I.A. lately

2010-10-26T11:09:00.002-04:00

hey there! just wanted to let everyone know I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. I injured my hand last month....washing dishes of all things! cut it on a broken glass and the laceration was deep enough to get to my tendon. so i had to have surgery and i've had my hand wrapped up for over a month now. so typing is pretty tricky. needless to say i haven't made any jewelry in months now. it's kind of depressing me, but i am trying to learn patience. after i get my hand unwrapped, i'll have physical therapy and then hopefully be back to normal sooooooon!!! just wanted to give you the scoop. i'll be back in action soon! hope you are all doing well xoxo, katie

i want!

2010-09-18T12:41:00.005-04:00

how amazing is this multi-colored hair!? STUNNING! i wish my hair would grow out so i can do something similar.
all of these pictures are from the free people catalog. i want pretty much everything in there! and i would love to master their art of layering. when i try, i feel sloppy and like there is too much going on. i'll get the hang of it one day!

so i have had such a rough past few months. i won't go into detail but i'll just say how happy i am that it seems the clouds are parting and the sun is out again! i have taken a little hiatus from my jewelry design and hope to get back to it very soon. right now i have stitches in my right hand from a broken glass while doing the dishes :( but as soon as this heals, i'm back in business!
hope you all have a lovely weekend...and a safe one without stitches involved!!
xo
katie

Lisa Mitchell - Coin Laundry

2010-08-19T12:48:00.004-04:00

Just wanted to share this artist I found today. She is ADORABLE and I love her voice. Have you heard of Lisa Mitchell before? If not, check her out. Here is her myspace.
I heart this song "Coin Laundry". Enjoy!

MOLU featured in The Style Networks Etsy Finds Article

2010-08-10T17:34:00.002-04:00

Yay! I think this may be the first time one of my pieces has been featured in the Etsy Finds articles. At least that I am aware of. How exciting! The host from the Style Network's show "How do I look?" was todays finder. So that makes it even more special :) Here is the original article.

green nails and giveaways!

2010-07-27T13:42:00.004-04:00

I am so in love with this green nail polish right now! It's super bright in real life.

I'm hosting a giveaway over at Kaelah's blog for this pair of earrings. Hop on over there and enter! She's drawing a winner this Thursday.
Hope you are having a fabulous day!

Featured Shop: Floridity on Etsy

2010-07-15T16:42:00.006-04:00

I would like to introduce you to Floridity which is an etsy shop featuring handmade polymer clay beads, art beads, one of a kind beads and jewelry. The shop owner and designer, Barbara makes tons of super cute pendants and jewelry. Here I am wearing a little aqua owl necklace with copper chain. Its so adorable!Here are some of my favorites from her shop.Be sure to check her out!
SHOP
BLOG
Also check out my jewelry fan page on facebook!

jewelry, shaved cat, the usual!

2010-07-15T11:12:00.015-04:00

Hi out there! Here are a couple of new pieces I put in my etsy shop the other day.Silver Chain Dangle Upcycled Necklace

Gold Tone 3 Layer Vintage Key Necklace

In other news....
We got our cat, Nikko shaved the other day and I cannot get over how adorable slash weird he looks!!! It cracks me up every time I look at him! He was having some skin issues and even though I'm sure he did not appreciate going to the groomers AT ALL, I truly think he is much more comfortable. He's all lovey dovey and even slept next to me in bed, which he never does!
This is a picture of him before. It's dark, but you can see how fluffy he was! He's still big, with or without all that hair!
Here are some looks I'm loving right now. Makes me want to SHOP!Work With What You've Got
Moms Are For Everyone!

Coldlight
Well I suppose I should get some work done. I'm feeling really unproductive today and kind of grumpy. I have an appointment today with an energy worker...interesting stuff! I'm so needing it and looking forward to it.Have a great day!!!

christina perri

2010-07-13T00:01:00.003-04:00

Hey there....so today I was checking things out online and found 2 videos of Christina Perri and in both she is wearing the necklace I designed :) ! One is from the CBS Morning Show and the other is from Cambio Connect. Here's my attempt at taking screen shots from the videos. But you can click on those links to see the videos. She is singing "Jar of Hearts" which is a very cool song and you can see it live this Thursday night on So You Think You Can Dance!I need to be really productive tomorrow so I'm off to bed. Night all!

something to make mondays better

2010-07-12T10:03:00.002-04:00

just in case you don't already know about urban outfitters music mondays....i mean who doesn't love a freebie?! enjoy!

treasury|||black

2010-07-10T21:52:00.002-04:00

Check out this killer etsy treasury I am included in. I love all the black!!!

shop update

2010-07-09T10:01:00.011-04:00

hey there! i just added a few new things to my etsy shop. check em out! click on the caption under photos to go right to the listing in the shop.crystal fang necklace

3 layer silver skeleton key necklace

3 layer silver necklace with blue agate

black and gunmetal dangle earrings

also, i started a facebook page for my jewelry. click here to become a fan and get my updates!

inspiring ladies

2010-07-06T09:42:00.013-04:00

Hi everyone, I wanted to introduce you to a really cool girl with an awesomely inspiring blog. Her name is Keltie Colleen, I met her last month out in L.A. She is a dancer who writes with a very heartfelt, passionate style. She's also funny and quirky as hell....a perfect mix in my mind! She's also extremely sweet and supportive. She gave one of my necklaces to her best friend, Christina Perri, who is a singer songwriter who's zooming up the charts after her song "Jar of Hearts" was used in one of last weeks So You Think You Can Dance routines. Keltie took some photos of Christina on the way into the show with my necklace on. How sweet is that! Having photos like this are great for marketing my jewelry, especially when this girl blows up! Her voice is amazing.
Here is a photo of Christina and Keltie at last weeks SYTYCD. This is the necklace she was wearing. I have a similar necklace in the shop right here. And more on the way! And here they are with Kat Deeley!

Here are some links for you to definitely check out...
Keltie's blog
Keltie's fb fan page
Christina's fb fan page
Christina's Youtube
Also, Keltie has an apparel line at Sugar and Bruno with cool t-shirts and tanks and these awesome socks that my friend Aimee and I are wearing here!And last but not least, check out this inspiring video. Christina and Keltie take you along with them on their drive to SYTYCD and afterward to celebrate. I got teary eyed at one point and i definitely laughed at Keltie's hilarities....but the best part about it is watching someone's dreams come true. Check it out!

stars and stripes

2010-07-03T11:56:00.003-04:00

I'm so excited for a long weekend! Today we are going to hang out at my friends pool. Crossing my fingers it doesn't rain!!! And tomorrow we are going to a friends BBQ and then to watch the fireworks. Happy 4th of July weekend everyone!

sew not a seamstress!

2010-07-02T11:40:00.009-04:00

I'm so proud that I actually sat down at my sewing machine to make something...it's been probably at least 6 years since I have done that! I took one sewing class in my life eons ago, so I am pretty much clueless. But I managed to make this shirt and I love it! I took a vintage mens western shirt, cut off the top and the sleeves, sewed up the sides, added elastic to the top and some darts to the side and that's it! I make it sound like a snap, but it took me forever to finish...haha. And the tailoring is not good at all, but it was great for a novice like myself!This is what the shirt started out as.I threw on a necklace from my shop and one of the new crystal rings I made too.Now I can't wait to go thrifting and get some more things to remake new!

Crystallized

2010-06-30T20:35:00.008-04:00

i'm so obsessed with crystals lately. i cannot get enough of them. check out the new crystal jewelry i made! you can check them out in my etsy shop as well. thanks for looking...what do you think????

bday pics etc

2010-06-24T19:04:00.021-04:00

hi there! i just wanted to post some pics of my bday fun. my friend, barbara, also has a bday in june so we did a little gemini birthday party at the beach one weekend in the middle of our birthdays.my friend jolene made us the coolest cake! she was inspired by the anchor tattoo i have on my inner bicep. she really makes the most amazing cakes!
here she is, the beautiful cake maker: jolene!we had a nice little spot on the beach. we had a bbq and laid out in the sun a bit and swam. it was a fun day!then the next weekend which was my actual birthday weekend, chris and i had a picnic at my favorite park.later on that day we went to bern's steakhouse dessert room. i got one of those hot lava chocolate cake things...you know what i'm talking about! YUMMMM! with vanilla ice cream...omg my mouth is watering just typing this!so that's that...another year older! but much wiser! i'm excited to see what these coming years bring. it's so funny...age....i just don't FEEL like i'm a thirty-something. but i guess age is just a number anyway!

Pictures from MTV Movie awards event-IMAGE HEAVY

2010-06-17T10:06:00.032-04:00

hi there! i wanted to finally post some photos of the event. the event was such a blast! everyone was so nice to talk to. it felt natural. after i talked to the first person, i didn't feel nervous anymore. it was also so encouraging, all the genuine positive feedback i got from people. we all know that celebrities get the best of everything, so it felt really good to hear people telling me they really loved my jewelry and so many people walked away wearing it instead of putting it in their bag. even christian siriano did...of all people! so flattering :) *click on photos to make them bigger*

ok...here are a million photos!me at my table
me with kali hawk (couples retreat, get him to the greek). she was SO nice and down to earth. also gorgeous and tall!

katharine mcphee (american idol). she was very sweet, wore my necklace on stage :)

max ryan (sex and the city 2). he was super fun to talk to. he was sure my necklaces were made for women only and they would harm his manliness! (doubt it)
chris got to come and help me! it was sooo nice to have him there. i couldn't have done it alone.
boo boo stewart (the twilight saga: eclipse) and his sister who is wearing my bird/freedom necklace.

brit morgan (third season of true blood). she was a really cool girl, down to earth. she ended up wearing a long brass necklace with a wing and dangly chains, pictured above.

shay mitchell (pretty little liars). super sweet girl, she wore the sterling silver necklace with crystals and wings.

one of my very best friends, aimee, flew from north carolina to help me at the event! she set up my table everyday and it looked amazing. i was so happy she offered to come and help me!
sophie monk (click, date movie, etc...) i nerded out a bit when i talked to her..haha...i had NO idea she was australian. every movie i have seen her in, she has a southern accent. it caught me off guard when she talked! i said, oh! you have an australian accent! she wasn't phased...i think she gets that a lot! here she's wearing a sterling cuff with green agate.

shar jackson... i really liked talking to her. she seems like a cool chic. we were laughing about if "the girls" would fit in the body chain. as you can see, they did perfectly!
mayim bialik (blossom!) who now has a role in the big bang theory which is one of my favorite shows. and behind her is patrick gallagher who is in glee which is also one of my favorite shows! it was so fun to meet people from tv shows that i really love!
iqbal theba from glee. he took some earrings for his wife aww :)
josh sussman from glee. he was so quirky and funny.
mayim bialik again. she took a long brass necklace with a vintage key and a wing.
molly ringwald
debbie ryan (suite life on deck). this girl is adorable!

frankie muniz and his girlfriend, elycia marie. it was fun to meet him, i've seen malcolm in the middle a ton of times. she was really nice too, she took off the necklace she was wearing and wore a black studded bib necklace.
kiowa gordon (the twilight saga: new moon & eclipse). kiowa is wearing the plaid hat. he came in with his band members. his band is called touche. they were all adorable and fun to talk to.

believe it or not, i have a TON more pictures. but i think i'll stop here! hope you enjoyed ;)

Jessica Sutta

2010-06-11T12:56:00.003-04:00

I found another picture of someone I met at the Mtv Awards gift suite. This is Jessica Sutta from the Pussycat Dolls wearing my upcycled faux leather studded bib necklace. She looks so cute wearing it! I need to make more of these necklaces....I need more time! I totally slept in today. I'm still trying to catch up on my sleep from this weekend. I will do a bigger post soon with more pictures from the event.

Kali Hawk wearing my necklace

2010-06-10T11:28:00.005-04:00

I'm so excited! The Mtv Movie Awards event that I participated in was only this weekend and already I have a couple of great photos of stars wearing my jewelry. Here is Kali Hawk wearing my necklace at the Runway Magazine Issue Release party. I was so excited to see this! She looks stunning and I LOVE that dress she is wearing so much!
Kali plays Trudy in Couples Retreat and Chantal in Get Him to the Greek. She also is working on a movie with Dane Cook and another with Jerry Stiller. How exciting!
It was really cool to meet her in person, she is super down to earth and really nice. You would never guess she was a hollywood movie star! Except that she certainly looks like one :)

audrey kitching rocks!

2010-06-09T20:34:00.005-04:00

i'm so excited that the necklace i gave audrey kitching has already made it's debut on her blog! i love how she wore it...she made it all rocker chic :) i'm so flattered to have her actually wear it. i'm sure she gets a lot of things given to her, she also designs and makes her own jewelry, plus she's a fashion designer! not to mention she has amazingly cool and creative style. i met her at the MTV Movie Awards gifting lounge and she really was sweet. i got a good vibe from her. seeing this picture made my day!

a few pics from mtv gifting suite

2010-06-07T23:38:00.006-04:00

hey everyone! i just got back from california today and i'm SO exhausted! i had an awesome time there! the gifting lounge was such a fun event! i just wanted to post a couple pics really quick because i'm not sure when i will have time to do a full post. plus i'm waiting for the professional pictures too. but a really cool thing happened, katharine mcphee from american idol picked out a necklace and then wore it up on stage during her performance at the event! i was so flattered! it looked great on her and happened to just go perfectly with what she was wearing!

i also met christian siriano, who was the winner of the 4th project runway... i love that show and him! and he wore my necklace as well :)

i'll post more later! must get sleep...... night!

MTV Movie Awards Gifting suite update

2010-05-28T10:17:00.005-04:00

hi everyone! i just wanted to update you on my progress. i have received SO much support from my friends and family...i am absolutely blown away! i feel so blessed, i really do. i now have the entrance fee paid for...all $5,000 of it! and i'm working on a hotel and a car rental...and i leave next wednesday! i have about 15 more pieces to make for the giveaway portion. and with whatever time and supplies i have left over, i want to make some more pieces for display. needless to say, i've been working hard and sort of delirious...in a good way! here are some pics of necklaces for the giveaway.
happy friday!!!

new jewels

2010-05-17T13:22:00.010-04:00

hey there! i have some pictures of some new jewelry i have been working on. the first one is an example of one of the necklaces that i'll be taking with me to california as the giveaway. i'll also be giving away some chain dangle earrings, leather and stud bib necklaces, body chains, and upcycled chain necklaces.

oh and if you want to donate to my trip, i still have $1,000 to raise for the entrance fee! anything you can do would help me out greatly! i have a donation button on the upper right of this page. thanks so much!

OH, hi!

2010-05-02T11:19:00.005-04:00

so i'm not doing so great on updating this bloggy blog. just been busy lately. here's an update on the mtv thing... i have received enough donations to make the down payment! ($2,500) so next week i'm going to call and talk to them and see what my next step is. i still am no where near having 100 pieces of jewelry made. i really should not leave my house and just work work work. but i need to have a life too! i am actually still waiting on supplies coming in the mail also. i'm really trying not to freak out....the event is approaching very quickly. june 4! eeeks! so that's the scoop on that!
do any of you listen to city and colour? i love that band! well, my boyfriend is a fan of dallas green's other band, alexisonfire. we went to that show last thursday and our car happened to be parked by their tour bus, so we got to meet them and of course i need to be dorky and get my picture with dallas....oh, dallas! he has such a dreamy voice =)well that's all i have for now...i'm going to make some breakfast and then we are going to hit some thrift shops to try to find a rack for chris' growing record collection. wish us luck!
OH, and if you still want to help me afford this crazy adventure to california for the mtv movie awards gift giving suite, please donate! anything you can do will help greatly. i am half way to the goal: $5,000!!!
love!
katie

MTV Movie Awards gift giving suite AND ME!

2010-04-17T11:18:00.007-04:00

Hi! I have some very exciting news to share. I was contacted by GBK Productions to participate in the MTV Movie Awards Gift Lounge. This would give me the opportunity to get my jewelry in the hands of celebrities, give me a chance to meet them and pitch my jewelry line, hand out my business cards and offer them custom work. How the gift giving suite works is I would have a 3 foot table with my jewelry set up. I would need to make 100 pieces to be able to hand out to celebrities. The celebrities are invite only and rsvp to this event, so not anyone can just walk in and get freebies. The celebrities are given an escort who carries around this gigantic duffel bag as they walk from booth to booth, chatting with the company representatives (like me). There are photographers there to take photos of the celebrities with the products. After the event, I will be supplied with photos of celebrities wearing my pieces. Which then later can be used in marketing materials to promote my jewelry. It is a two day event right before the awards show, during rehearsals. It is from 10 am to 7pm, June 4th and 5th and is held at The London Hotel in West Hollywood. The cost to participate in this adventure of a lifetime is $5,000. Plus travel and accommodations and the cost of supplying 100 pieces of jewelry. You might remember my earlier post about my jewelry being featured in Bust Magazine? Well that is how this woman at GBK found me! I feel like this is an amazing opportunity that I cannot pass up. The universe is pulling it all together for me and I'm thrilled! And also really nervous about how much money this is going to cost me. So I'm hoping that you will help me if you can. I have set up a donation button on the upper right hand corner of this blog. Even if you could just give $5, that would be fabulous! Every little bit adds up. Another way you could help would be to put this link on your blog, twitter, facebook, myspace....anywhere to help spread the word. I could use all the help I can get with this. Thank you sooooooo much for your support!!!!!! {If you have trouble with the donation, I think you have to enter the amount, then push "update amount" THEN log into pay pal. Also, if you don't have a pay pal, you can pay with credit card, the link to that is on the lower left of the donation screen.}
Below are some links to past events. Photos and video so you can get more of a feel for what this event is. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and helping me out!
Love!
Katie

Link to the Oscars.. This was held at the new W Hotel in Hollywood last month..
http://www.youtube.com/user/gbkproductions1?feature=mhw5#p/u

Link from last year's BET Awards on-site during rehearsals at the parking lot of the Shrine Auditorium. Our production crew transformed the space into a NYC loft!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dv7H-5OjkM8

Pics from last year at the BET's:
http://www.bet.com/Specials/betawards09/betawards09_photos/betawards09_photos_celebritygiftroom.htm?wbc_purpose=Basic&WBCMODE=PresentationUnpublished&Referrer=%7B2EBAB7F5-E62C-4B49-B007-D256D4C33572%7D

This link has videos of participants being interviewed at their booth about their product:
http://www.lasplash.com/publish/cat_index_Entertainment_and_Culture/GBK_Productions_Review-Golden_Globes.php

new pendant + new tattoo

2010-04-15T10:54:00.003-04:00

hey there! i finished a new pendant the other day. it's an aqua color druzy stone set in sterling silver with a clear swarvoski crystal. my friend bought it already for her mom's bday...yay!
and i got a tattoo, it's till healing. i brought in a design i did and the tattoo artist made it even better! i absolutely love it! Surrender has been a big word for me in the past 5 years i'd say. i've been learning how to not fight the present moment or any uncomfortable feelings or situations and trying to just flow. while trusting that it is all happening for my good and everything is in divine order.
i still don't know if i'll ever get the art nouveau half sleeve i want. i was pretty nervous about getting this surrender tattoo. it is on my inner forearm. so it's the first tattoo i have that is very visible. so we'll see!

retro

2010-04-06T22:42:00.008-04:00

chris and i went to our friends housewarming party this weekend. she wanted everyone to dress from a different era. i picked the 50s and chris picked 60s-70s. it was so fun to dress up! here are some pics...

my jewelry in BUST magazine!!!

2010-03-31T12:59:00.003-04:00

one of my pieces of jewelry was featured in the current issues of Bust magazine! i'm SO thrilled and honored to be in such a cool magazine such as Bust. i about flipped out when they contacted me to send them my multi-chain body chain. here is the scan of the feature they did on body jewelry. my body chain is the one in the lower right corner...check it out :)(click on image to make it bigger)

daily outfit

2010-03-30T12:00:00.006-04:00

hi there! a few posts back i showed you what i bought from forever21. here is one little "dress" i bought... it said it was a dress, but on me it's more like a top! i'm super tall so what can i expect! i put leggings under and good to go! the necklace i'm wearing is made by me. if you would like one almost exactly the same as this, there is one right here in my etsy shop.
dress: forever 21
cardigan: thrifted
belt: thrifted
leggings: target
shoes: target
necklace: my own little universe on etsy

here's a couple of pics from the beach this weekend. the weather was perfect! i love love love being at the beach!

beach bound!

2010-03-27T12:30:00.009-04:00

happy saturday! we are heading to the beach today. it's supposed to be sunny and 77° this afternoon and i can't wait to soak up some rays! what are you up to today?!

images: weheartit

giveaway winners

2010-03-19T13:10:00.002-04:00

jackie of the purple monkey won the hoodie and eleise of one artsy mama won the jeans. congratulations ladies!!! i'll be shipping these out to you soon :)

all by myself!!!

2010-03-17T12:34:00.006-04:00

hi everyone, happy st. patty's day!
so i finally got a chance to use the new equipment i got for my home studio and this is my very first stone setting i have done all by myself! no teacher around to ask for help. i am so proud of myself. it was really easy. easier than i feel like it is sometimes at class. maybe i'm just more comfortable going solo. but i think it turned out really cool! it's a druzy agate set in sterling silver that is oxidized. i can't wait to make more! i have so many ideas. :)

i've been sick since last friday and today i am just starting to human again. i have heard that so many people are sick right now. hope you are all staying healthy! i'm downing this fizzy vitamin C drinks all day. you can buy little packs of powdered vit C and they are 1000 mg and taste pretty good. i got tangerine flavor and it tastes like watered down tang. i love tang! tonight i am going over to a friends and we are going to make shepards pie and make pretty green drinks. i will actually be putting on makeup and wearing clothes other than pj's for the first time since last friday! haha
hope you are having a great day...do you have any fun st. patty's plans?OH don't forget to enter the GIVEAWAY if you haven't already. i'll be picking a winner on friday!

shopping!

2010-03-15T21:26:00.004-04:00

so i did a little online shopping. i may or may not have overdone it a tad. but i bought everything from forever21 and it was SO cheap! i got a lot of great deals. i love that place for cheap trendy clothes. how do you think i did? i might need to go to stripes anonymous hahaa! i really try to find other prints i like but i rarely do unless it's from a more expensive store. anyway, i can't wait to wear my new clothes. i don't shop a ton so i am super excited!!!

oh, zooey!

2010-03-09T12:47:00.004-05:00

the new She & Him video is adorable, check it out!also, if you haven't entered the GIVEAWAY, you still have until the 19th.

GIVEAWAY!!! (closed)

2010-03-06T13:29:00.007-05:00

hi! so today i am doing a giveaway. the winner will receive ONE of the two items. so you must tell me which item you would like to win.

1. first item is a Lydia hoodie, size small. a few months ago chris and i went to see Lydia play....they are one of my very favorite bands. we ended up meeting them afterward and they were so nice to let us rummage through their merch trailer and pick out whatever we wanted! i picked a bunch of tees and this hoodie. unfortunately, there was not a medium and the length of the arms on the small is too short for me. (i'm really long limbed!) and it so cute, it needs to be worn! it's charcoal gray with teal/aqua and blues. the inside is really soft too.

2. the second item is a pair of jeans i bought from forever 21 online. their sizes are SO hard to figure out. i need to realize i cannot buy jeans online. anyway, they are too big for me and i already took the tags off so i can't return them. so i think you need to wear them if they are your size! they are super cute. the size is 30. i would say they are about a size 9-10 ish? i usually wear between a 7 and a 9 in junior sizes anyway. and the waist/hip/butt area on these is just a tad too big. they are really stretchy too. the inseam is 33". so they are long.

okay, so what you need to do is leave me a comment stating which item you would like to win. extra entries will be given if you tweet or blog about the giveaway. leave separate comments if you do this otherwise it will not count. and you must be a follower on my blog. that's it... good luck!!!

i will draw a winner friday, march 19th.

i'm wearing one of the lydia shirts i snagged in this pic below. they were really sweet by the way! if you have never checked them out, i recommend it! happy saturday :)

guess what!?

2010-02-26T11:04:00.002-05:00

i bought the tank and torch i need to solder jewelry at home!!! i'm so excited! now, hopefully i don't set the apartment ablaze! (i shouldn't even say that! haha) i have bought so much equipment and tools for my jewelry studio. i feel really proud. i'm not even sure where the money came from but all the sudden, i had it. i'm excited to start to make some more jewelry.
i think i'm going to do a giveaway soon. it's clothing....so stay tuned!
oh and happy friday! do you have any fun plans this weekend?

i am an emotional creature

2010-02-22T12:06:00.004-05:00

a few blog posts ago i put a video up from Eve Ensler and this is the poem she performed at the end of her speech. i absolutely love love love it. a lot of times in my life i have been told i am too sensitive and it has caused me to try to harden or hide my true feelings about things. and in the end, it is just not worth it. i become more and more ME everyday, being more authentic in my feelings. and i'm very proud of that now!

I AM AN EMOTIONAL CREATURE

I love being a girl.
I can feel what you're feeling
as you're feeling it inside
the feeling
before.
I am an emotional creature.
Things do not come to me
as intellectual theories or hard-shaped ideas.
They pulse through my organs and legs
and burn up my ears.
I know when your girlfriend's really pissed off
even though she appears to give you what
you want.
I know when a storm is coming.
I can feel the invisible stirrings in the air.
I can tell you he won't call back.
It's a vibe I share.

I am an emotional creature.
I love that I do not take things lightly.
Everything is intense to me.
The way I walk in the street.
The way my mother wakes me up.
The way I hear bad news.
The way it's unbearable when I lose.

I am an emotional creature.
I am connected to everything and everyone.
I was born like that.
Don't you dare say all negative that it's a
teenage thing
or it's only only because I'm a girl.
These feelings make me better.
They make me ready.
They make me present.
They make me strong.

I am an emotional creature.
There is a particular way of knowing.
It's like the older women somehow forgot.
I rejoice that it's still in my body.

I know when the coconut's about to fall.
I know that we've pushed the earth too far.
I know my father isn't coming back.
That no one's prepared for the fire.
I know that lipstick means
more than show.
I know that boys feel super-insecure
and so-called terrorists are made, not born.
I know that one kiss can take
away all my decision-making ability
and sometimes, you know, it should.

This is not extreme.
It's a girl thing.
What we would all be
if the big door inside us flew open.
Don't tell me not to cry.
To calm it down
Not to be so extreme
To be reasonable.
I am an emotional creature.
It's how the earth got made.
How the wind continues to pollinate.
You don't tell the Atlantic ocean
to behave.

I am an emotional creature.
Why would you want to shut me down
or turn me off?
I am your remaining memory.
I am connecting you to your source.
Nothing's been diluted.
Nothing's leaked out.
I can take you back.

I love that I can feel the inside
of the feelings in you,
even if it stops my life
even if it hurts too much
or takes me off track
even if it breaks my heart.
It makes me responsible.
I am an emotional
I am an emotional, devotional,
incandotional, creature.
And I love, hear me,
love love love
being a girl.

Eve Ensler, a playwright and activist, is the founder of V-Day, a
global movement to end violence against women and girls. In
conjunction with I AM AN EMOTIONAL CREATURE, V-Day has developed a
targeted pilot program, V-Girls, to engage young women in our
"empowerment philanthropy" model, providing them with a platform to
amplify their voices.

i hope you enjoyed reading that. it's so inspiring to me!
i dyed my hair this weekend. this is a horrible horrible phone pic but the ends are a raspberry color! i was so nervous because my hair was black at the bottom so i had to bleach it. it is not as healthy as it was but i needed a change. i think i want bright red next. we'll see!

happy monday!

new pendant finally finished!

2010-02-20T10:39:00.005-05:00

hi there! i have been working on this pendant in jewelry class forEVER! it's hard to get things done in there sometimes because we all share the equipment and sometimes i can't make it to class. i miss weeks at a time. so anyway, i was so excited to get this done. it's a druzy set in sterling silver and the base of the pendant is brass. i think it turned out pretty cool! i want to do more pieces like this. i am getting closer and closer to having the equipment and tools i need to do it at home. i'm getting pretty antsy.... i think today i'll look on ebay for some more stones/druzy/crystals to use in my jewelry designs. then i think i'll go lounge around the house so my cats don't feel left out! hehe

valentines day (belated)

2010-02-16T09:33:00.008-05:00

i'm a little late on my valentines day post. we had such a nice time! we wanted to have a mini getaway, so we got a hotel room. we went on hotels.com and found one in our price range. you never know what you are getting exactly. but the hotel was SO nice! it was a Westin and the description said it was the airport hotel. it was sort of by the airport i guess, but it was right on the water! the view out of our room was so gorgeous and we saw dolphins swimming in the water!the hotel was pretty new, so the decor was really modern and cool. we had a drink and lobster bisque and seafood appetizers down at the restaurant. and then later had room service for dinner and breakfast the next morning. i love room service! it was such a nice little getaway. i didn't want to leave. i wanted to lounge around and look out at our view and have room service for one more day! haha

mushy love stuff

2010-02-12T08:20:00.008-05:00

so it's close to valentines day! we finally figured out what we are going to do. we are staying in a hotel for the night. no where far away, actually pretty close to home. but we can pretend we are on a mini vacation! it has an indoor pool and hot tub. so i'm really looking forward to that. and you can get in room massages!!!! we might dish out the money for that...not sure. i could use a massage every day of my life, they are my favorite!
i found these on carrie's blog. you can add your own words to the candy hearts! check it out here. (yes, i have strange names for chris! haha)

i told the story of how chris and i met (just under this post) and i mentioned it was our anniversary of the day we decided to make the long distance thing work. and he bought me a really pretty iris and lily bouquet and they are just now starting to bloom. i getting love flowers!
well anyway, just popped in to say hi and that i hope you all
have a great weekend! what are your plans??

how we met

2010-02-09T10:19:00.016-05:00

so today marks the anniversary of the day chris and i decided to be together despite the distance. i have never had a long distance relationship before and wasn't sure how or if it could work. i'm SO glad we did! i'll tell you the story of how we met.... i was visiting my friend who had moved to virginia. it was a girls weekend, old friends from michigan who i hadn't seen in forever. it was may of 2007. so we went out on the town and we grab a seat at the bar and order some drinks.
it's blurry, but this is where we were sitting. i wish somehow chris was in this picture, but he's down at the end of the bar, just out of the picture.

we are having a great time, laughing our butts off and joking around and all the way down on the other end of the bar i see this adorable guy! now, i am not the type of person that really goes after guys or really ever sees anyone who really sparks my interest. i never see a guy and feel an attraction to him. i can say they are cute or handsome, but i never am personally drawn to them. this time, i was instantly drawn to this person i saw from across the bar. i told my friends to "look at how cute that guy is down there!!!" and as soon as i said that, they all looked at him and he looked at us all gawking at him! eek! i am pretty shy so i quickly turned my back to him and pretended that didn't happen. he jokingly says, "what i'm not good enough for you?!" what am i going to do? go hang out with some random guy that will probably turn out to be a jerk like the rest of them? right now? when i'm hanging out in a different state with all my old friends i have not seen in forever? nope. so i go on, never looking back at him. my friends and i had a great time, such a fun night! and as far as i knew, the night was over....the bar was closing down and my friends went outside. i went to the restroom and when i came outside, who is standing there waiting? my christopher! it was like one of those moments when your whole body, inside and out, smiles uncontrollably and you are walking on cloud nine! we clicked instantly. of course we had some drinks so i am sure that helped but honestly i never felt anything like that for someone ever before. we ended up all walking to our cars together, chris and i staying back to talk and smooch. it was such a fun night!

these pictures are from that night. this is us all smoochy, like we've known each other for years!

but i couldn't fully take it seriously. he lived i virginia, i lived in florida. we were both completely cynical about relationships at this time. we exchanged numbers and texted for a bit. then we were emailing/myspacing. eventually one day in an email i took something he said the wrong way and he said, no you don't understand my sense of humor! let me call you so you can hear me talk. so that started about 8 months of phone calls. we were "friends" but we both liked each other as more. for two people who were completely apprehensive about relationships, this was a perfect way to ease into it. plus we were both thinking, could this really end up working? eventually we decided we HAD to see where this goes. so he planned a trip down here. he came to visit in february of 2008.i wish i had more pictures from his first visit, but i really like this one.

we couldn't figure out how in the world we waited so long. and WHY????? instant chemistry when he got of the plane. it was like a movie. i'm standing there waiting for him and the second i see him, i zoom over to him and we are all kissing...pda in the airport! haha... i would love to relive that day :) anyway, he stayed with me for about a week. we had an amazing time and we decided we wanted to make this real. we wanted to be together. today is actually the anniversary of that day. unfortunately, chris was being deployed for 5 months!!!! he was in the navy at the time. so even more looooooong distance. thankfully he was somehow able to call me from the ship every day. we could also email and send pictures. so it wasn't completely horrible. it was really actually a lot of fun and a completely different experience than i have ever had before. we never had to have an awkward first date, let's put it that way! but i couldn't wait for the 5 months to be over!

us in july 2008.

after he was done with his deployment, he came to visit again in july. this pretty much sealed the deal. he was moving in with me after he got out of the navy. so in october of 2008, he moved to florida and in with me!

these pictures are from a visit to oregon, where his family lives. this was right after he got out of the navy and right before he came to live in florida.

wow, that was a long post! i tried to condense the story as much as possible. i just love how we made it happen even though we had to wait soooooo long! hope you enjoyed our story.
here's us today. yeah chris hasn't used the scissors much since he got out of the navy!

i still have no clue what to do for valentines day. these holidays are kind of pressure, do you feel that way ever? hhhm.... i'll figure something out! hope you are having a lovely day! xoxo, katie

just because....

2010-02-07T12:28:00.015-05:00

i like it!

la native

articles & texticles

all sources are weheartit.com unless otherwise notedhappy sunday!

jewelry, relationships, the like...

2010-02-04T17:01:00.006-05:00

hi!
i got some requests from readers to provide a list of jewelry tools. the tools are different depending on what type of jewelry you want to design. and i am by no means an expert. but some basic tools and supplies that you would need for making necklaces with beads or pendants or wire wrapping are:

pliers: needle nose, flat and round
wire cutters
beading wire
crimp beads
jump rings
clasps
silver wire

the type of jewelry design i am moving toward requires A LOT of tools and supplies and they are not cheap. so i've been putting a little money toward the list of supplies slowly. there are so many but here's a list of some basics. this is for metal smithing:

pliers
saw
saw blades
stick of Bur-Life®
assortment of files
hammer with rounded top
raw hide mallet
bench pin
variety of sandpaper
shears
hole punch for metal
sheet metal
liver of sulfer

you can buy materials at riogrande.com
if you have any questions regarding tools or supplies you can email at kelderkin@hotmail.com

there really are a ton of tools but with that list you can cut metal shapes out, hammer them, oxidize them with the liver of sulfer, sand them, file them down. use the hole punch to make a hole for a jump ring and throw it on a chain with your pliers! sounds easy! it is actually. and pretty fun.

for what i want to do, i need a torch and a tank so i can solder. i want to be able to do stone settings and more elaborate pieces. right now i can only do that at class. there are two big ticket items that equal around $700 and then a gagillion other smaller tools and supplies. it'll happen!

---------

on another note. valentines day is coming up! i have no clue what i am going to do for chris yet. something cute and inexpensive. gotta get creative! maybe a picnic if the weather is nice! this picture was taken at our first picnic. the unicorns you ask? click here!

i signed us up for this online relationship course by robert ohotto. it's only $15, very worth it to me. i really think relationships are extremely important. and i want mine to be as healthy and happy as it can be. i never had a healthy relationship to look up to as a kid, so i'm trying as an adult to learn and grow as much as possible. if i get married and have kids one day, i want to be able to show them the most amazing example of a loving relationship possible. here is a link to the website where the course is, in case you are interested.

i think sometime soon i'll do a post about how we met and our beginning. i love how we started out and i love where we are going!

hope you are having a great day! do you have anything planned for vday yet???

girl power can save the world

2010-02-02T14:12:00.002-05:00

please watch this video. the author of "the vaginal monologues" talks about being a girl. it is such a great message. of course i cried...such a mushy girl! ;]

pretend vacation!

2010-02-02T10:42:00.011-05:00

my sister was down here visiting. i love it when friends and family visit from up north and i can pretend i'm on vacation too! we went to the beach and laid in the sun and had drinks in the sun and ate tons of seafood and even gator bites. it was so much fun! then every year here in tampa they have a pirate festival called Gasparilla. it's pretty much madness. i live right down the street from the parade. and so you either have to participate or leave for the entire day. because it's loud and crazy! so this year i decided to participate and we had a ton of fun. the weather was not the best, a little rainy and really windy. but other than that we had a blast! my sister and her friend went home yesterday. so now.....back to reality!
here are some pictures from their visit.my sister looking like a true pirate!!!
my sister tossing beads on some guys neck!

prep prep prep

2010-01-26T09:23:00.005-05:00

so lately i have been buying equipment for my at home jewelry studio. every time i get some extra money, before i blow it on something i don't need, i spend it on some tools. at first the thought of buying everything i need seemed SO overwhelming. but now that i just started to do it, bit by bit, it's quite rewarding. i get a sense of accomplishment every time i can cross one item off the list, which is pretty long! so i'm getting there and i'm really excited! yesterday i was shopping on ebay for some stones/minerals i want to work with. i was in some bidding wars and i lost!!! gggr! i have to get the hang of it. but who has time to sit at the computer at the end of all these auctions? it'd be nice if there was a store in town i could go to. anyway, i did get some things. here is a glimpse at what kind of stones i'm looking for....drusy, crystals, agates, etc.aren't they gorgeous?! that is what i want to design around. in my metal smithing class, i am working on a piece with a really pretty sparkly druzy. i can't wait until it's done! those are my favorite, they look like they're from outer space :)
so that is what i am working toward. little by little. what are you working toward??

happenings

2010-01-21T19:40:00.004-05:00

hey there! i wish i had tons of really exciting things to announce but.... it's mostly the same ole, same ole. i was contacted by Bust magazine to possibly have one of my body chains featured in the magazine. i sent the body chain to them but i have not heard anything back. they were picking from a bunch of designs. i wasn't going to mention it unless it was good news. but hey, i guess even being considered by them is amazing right?
well last week when i got paid and this week when i got paid, i bought more supplies for my metal smithing studio. i need a lot more. but i'm getting there! it's exciting :)
also, my friend from michigan is thinking about opening up a boutique and having me be the designer. what a dream come true that would be. i'll let you know if anything comes to fruition.
this outfit is a dyi shredded tee that i had in my shop for a while and since no one bought it and i was bored with my clothes, i decided to keep it. i actually love this outfit! (you can click to make it bigger)

show and tell

2010-01-16T10:31:00.003-05:00

happy saturday!!!
james from bleubird vintage has posted a show and tell feature. this is what i shared...my new alphonse mucha book.head over there and check out everyone's favorite thing right now!
so today i'm going to yoga for the third time this week...yay me! AND i went to the gym this week too. hopefully i can keep this up :) i'm sooooo sore though! later today i think boyfriend and i are going to go thrift shopping. i got him a record player for christmas and we need to find a record rack. hope you all have a lovely saturday :)
xo
katie

this and that

2010-01-12T17:05:00.008-05:00

hello! my dotted moon earrings have been featured in an etsy treasury. i love it when that happens! you can view it [here].

another cool thing, Jacque has given my the beautiful blogger award! how sweet is that!?

so i guess i am to list 7 random facts about me. so here goes:
1] i am super tall...6' in fact!
2] i am originally from michigan and i have been living in florida since 2002 and i love it here! i only miss the snow for skiing purposes, otherwise i don't really care for it!
3] i went to kendall college of art and design and majored in visual communications (graphic design). i am a freelance graphic designer. but i really wish i went for fashion design. and currently i am working on being a jewelry designer. so basically, i don't know what i want to be when i grow up still! hahaa
4] i despise mustard and just about gag at the smell or sight of it.
5] i was raised catholic. i went to catholic school from 1st grade till 12th grade. i am not catholic! it never resonated with me at all. but i am spiritual and believe in something bigger than us. to me, it's a big mystery and it's ok not to know what is really "out there" but trying to find out is fun and interesting. i would say i am more into metaphysical realms of spirituality.
6] i have a sugar addiction but i'm trying not to eat it for health purposes.
7] i met my boyfriend in virginia and we had a phone friendship for 8 months before we even saw each other again. and then he got deployed for 5 months after that and THEN eventually when he got out of the military he moved in with me!

ok, i'm giving the award to some of my favies:
cupcake sniper (i think she's on blog hiatus but still check her out)
violet bella
gala darling
vintage or tacky
hippie couture

ok, i'm going to try to drag my butt to yoga...have a great night!

busy busy!

2010-01-10T21:32:00.005-05:00

wowzers! lots going on! i feel like i haven't written a blog in a while. so i'm just popping in to say hi :)
i have new readers...yay! hi ladies! i'll have to check out your blogs soon.
this week and weekend was packed with fun stuff. chris and i have been doing more "dates" lately. we live together but we are keeping fun and fresh lately by doing surprise dates. he took me to this restaurant on top of a hotel that spins around. i didn't even know it existed! it was really cool and the food was yummy! here's a pic from that night.

this weekend we visited my mom who was staying down in ft. myers. i felt so bad for her. she came down here from michigan to get away from the cold but it's been freezing and not very sunny at all here! but hey, way better than the 8 degrees they were talking about up north! here she is, my momma mary!
doesn't it kinda look warm? it's not!
and today we had a bday party at some friends house. i'm pooped....i want an extension on my weekend, can i have that?!
well i'm going to go relax now. did you do anything fun this weekend?

need motivation?

2010-01-05T12:51:00.004-05:00

i just found such a cool blog! it's called 2010: the best year ever. there are 4 ladies who are "coaches" to help you get and stay motivated. they will have goals, exercises and inspirational photos and ideas to keep you going. their first homework assignment is all about listing out your goals. and they will even hook you up with a buddy for extra help! what a great idea :) here are some cute quotes they put in their last post that i really liked. and here's the [link] to the blog. take a peek and see what you think....

goals!

2010-01-03T13:22:00.006-05:00

yesterday i made a list of goals. some are really small but some are really huge to me. my list was kind of long, but here are a few:

1) sew a wearable garment. i've taken a sewing class before so i sort of know the basics. although i just really despise sewing, i WISH i loved it. because i love to design clothes. i have tons of ideas. but i never want to actually make the things!

2) draw a tattoo and then actually get it onto my skin! eeek... i made a post earlier about getting an art nouveau tattoo. and i really want to follow through with it. i got an awesome big book of alphonse mucha for christmas, so i'm even more inspired!

3) get consistent with exercise. get back to yoga on a regular basis. use my gym membership i pay for! and walk my dog more and for longer walks.

4) buy equipment needed for a full metal smithing studio. i don't know why this intimidates me so much...well i have a few ideas....but anyway, i think this is the year it will actually begin to happen.

5) get more consistent with daily practices that help me to know myself more (meditate, write to myself, self reflection, etc).

well those are just a few. i have many more. maybe i'll post some more later.

i also made a list of things i accomplished this year. and here are some of those:

1) opened an etsy shop. actually two. handmade jewelry and vintage.

2) stopped taking xanax. i had some major panic attacks a while back and it took me some years, but i am now off any medication that i used to cope with it.

3) did my first fashion show with my jewelry and my first big craft fair.

4) learned A LOT about myself, read some books that have helped me grow, one being a relationship book that my boyfriend and i read together and are now in the "exercise" portion of the book.

5) started this blog! and i'm happy i did. i am slowly getting to know some very inspiring and cool people. i was very hesitant before starting a blog...what do i have to share? how much of myself do i want to put out there? is it narcissistic? etc etc etc.... i still have some of that but i'm working through it. i'm beginning to open up a little more on here and it's pretty fun actually.

thank you for reading! i hope you have some fabulous goals for this year and also that you've patted yourself on the back for the things you have accomplished this past year!

ps...here is my attempt at cupcake snipers's retro hair tutorial. check it out!

new years eve

2010-01-02T12:56:00.008-05:00

what a fun new years eve i had! i hope you did too. it was a busy day but felt really relaxed at the same time. in the afternoon some girlfriends and i did a ritual of writing down all the things from 2009 we are willing to let go of inside a circle. outside of the circle we wrote everything we wanted to bring into our lives in the next year and then we burned the lists. we used crayons and colored pencils, it was fun! i made a super in depth list, let me tell you! later on chris and i went to a friends house for some food and drinks. after that, we came back over to our side of town and hung out with some friends that live over here. we all walked down the street to bayshore which is on a little bay that leads out to tampa bay. there was a fireworks show at midnight and it was a great display! my friend is venezuelan, so she wanted to do some of their new years eve traditions which were pretty entertaining. we ate 12 grapes for each month of the new year, stepped on a bench 12 times, made a wish and threw rice over our shoulder and we had to wear something yellow. it was super fun. then we went back to her apartment and did some karaoke. it was a very fun night. today i'm going to make a goal list. i have a feeling this year is going to be pretty major and i'm really excited. i want to show you this video but my blog isn't wide enough. i'm going to see if i can fix that...but in the meantime, click this [link] to watch it on youtube. and tell me what you think!!!

a new year

2009-12-30T15:54:00.005-05:00

we heart it

hi there! so tomorrow is new years eve. do we have fun plans? i do. i'm excited. tomorrow during the day i am going to do a little new years ritual with some friends. no not some crazy witchy thing. but it's just a lil something to do to solidify some wishes for the new year. here's how it goes....make a list of all the things you want to say good bye to from this year. whatever it is....eating too much, procrastinating on that thing you reeeaally have been wanting to do, letting fear hold you back, neglecting yourself, anxiety,,, you know those types of fun things! then at midnight (or whenever during the day) burn the list. preferably in a metal wastebasket or something that won't start on fire! and preferably outside. then celebrate! have a champagne toast or have a fancy dessert. it's a good bye party for those things you are now willing to let go of! then the next day make another list of all the cool things you've accomplished this year, space these things out on the paper. then in those spaces, write all the cool things you want to accomplish this year. then read the list. your subconscious won't be able to decipher between which ones you've done and which you haven't. i've been learning about the laws of attraction and i guess the deal is that if you are living in a space of "i have it already" then you attract what you want much easier. did that make sense? for instance, saying you HAVE something instead of you WANT something, brings you to the HAVING it place instead of keeping you in the WANTING it place. i know... it's woo woo, but i like it! ok so have a great new years and i will too! xoxo katie

holidaaaayy pics

2009-12-28T17:36:00.017-05:00

i hope everyone had a fun christmas! i really had a great holiday. it was so relaxed and full of fun. a lot of time with some of the very amazing people in my life :) here are some pics....
this is christmas eve. we live next to this restaurant that is somewhat famous or known nationally. it's called bern's steak house. and they have this dessert room upstairs. so we made dinner at home and then walked over for some yummy desserts and fancy coffee drinks. mine was SOOOO good! then we went to this area called old hyde park village and walked around, looking at the decorations and lights.

christmas day was really nice. i only have one pic from opening presents and chris is in his undies, so i probably shouldn't post that for all to see! ;)

christmas night we had friends over for food drinks. we played catch phrase and beatles rock band. such a fun night!

hope you all had a fun christmas as well! now on to new years...any resolutions? i have to come up with some good ones. exercise is one of them! i just can't get myself to stick with it!!!

to tattoo or not to tattoo

2009-12-23T19:41:00.018-05:00

that is my question! for years now i have been thinking about an art nouveau tattoo. recently i have been thinking about getting one on my arm, almost like a sleeve. but do i want it there for ever?! aaah! i can't decide. i go back and forth. i will be old and wrinkly and have gray hairs. will i look strange with a huge tattoo covering my arm? but then again, i plan on being a pretty hip grandma, so does it really matter? ;] i mean is it THAT important what you look like as a grandma or what you look like in general ever? i absolutely LOVE tattoos. and i have since i was 15. i got my first tattoo when i was 19. and the tattoos i have right now aren't in the most visible places. and relatively small.... eh.... i'm rambling. i probably will end up getting it once i draw something up or find a design i want AND find the money! here are some inspiring art nouveau tattoos i found. most are alphonse mucha, who is one of my very favorite artists.

source:::nouveautattoos.com

source:::kai smart
source:::calexico7
source:::unknown, but it's gorgeous! i think these are the colors i would want.
so do you have tattoos, want tattoos...what do you thinks?!

it's almost here!

2009-12-22T12:56:00.004-05:00

how funny is this picture??!! that's me on the right, looking like i'm about to ball my eyes out. trying to get away from creepy santa man! poor little katie! ;]

well i have almost all my shopping done. so i'm almost all ready for christmas. i'm excited! christmas eve, the boyfriend and i are going to open up one present, eat an early dinner, go to the bern's dessert room and then watch It's a Wonderful Life. even tho i am on an almost no sugar, gluten free diet...i'm breaking the rules for the holiday! woo! and christmas day we are opening presents, lounging around and then having friends over for food and drinks. i'm looking forward to it. since we aren't going home (michigan and oregon) for christmas, we are making our own traditions. what are your plans?

so, about my style

2009-12-20T19:34:00.012-05:00

see usually i wear jeans and a t-shirt. pretty much everyday. i'm a very lazy dresser. unless i'm going out, i usually don't get too creative. but i always want to! i've been inspired by the stylish ladies in some of the blogs i read. so i've been trying lately to get out of the t-shirt rut. i want to dress more girly also. the t-shirt and jeans is a little too teenage boy after a while! i am a girl after all! so here's my attempt at less lazy, more girly style.

red shirt: target
black cardigan: target
black mini: forever 21
leggings: forever 21
necklace: thrifted
boots: can't remember
although this is an abstract print, it is a floral. i would eventually like to get a real floral in my wardrobe. a more girly floral. there's time!

i really like this outfit. it's so fun! i love the colors...

top: target (it's actually a skirt)
belt: forever 21
cardigan: ann taylor (thrifted)
jeans: zana di
shoes: target
necklace: thrifted
bracelet: hand made by me
bag: target

here are some girls that have great style:
i love how erin from work with what you've got dresses. she mixes florals with tougher looking jackets and accessories. its a perfect mix.

now i'm not sure her name because her blog is in german. but from what i gather, this girl is amazing at thrift finds! she has great vintage jewelry and puts all sorts of odd things together and she pulls it off! her blog is microphoneheart.

danielle from sometimes sweet is such a cute dresser! she has the best dresses, belts and cardigans. she dresses really girly and i love how she still has an edge with all her beautiful tattoos.

hope you had a great weekend!
xo
katie

new in the shop!

2009-12-17T10:38:00.002-05:00

hello out there! i just added some new items to my etsy shop. i put a lot of studded jewelry in there and a few other things. click here to check them out!
have a great day :)
katie

atomic holiday bizaar

2009-12-14T16:42:00.012-05:00

hey! so my first large craft show was a success! it was SO nice to sell a bunch of stuff all at once. i needed to get rid of some older product and certainly needed the money! i had a really good time too :) my boyfriend was my little helper. he was so cute. and made me laugh and even straightened the jewelry all by himself! and my friend jennifer, who sadly does not have an online shop yet, was at the table next to me selling her awesome scarves. some friends came out to see the show which was really nice to see some familiar faces. it was a really fun show and i will do it again next year. in the meantime, i want to find some other shows to be in.
now i just have to get my etsy shop back up and running and make some new things. hope you all had a fabulous weekend!

dancey playlist + polaroids

2009-12-11T18:00:00.009-05:00

hello there! i'm so excited to have some new readers! i've been busy working and on my free time, getting ready for this craft show that i am in this weekend. i feel pretty unprepared. i have no sign. i don't have bags made up with my logo. i don't even really know the best way to package my jewelry in an organized fashion to get it to the craft show. i completely messed my own blog address up on my business cards, so i have to cross it out before i hand them out. altho they are really cute. i got the mini ones from moo.com. they are inexpensive so it's not a huge deal. but bad timing. oh well, it's my first large craft show, so this one is a learning experience. i'll be better at it next time, right!
i completely love pictures. i am waiting for film for my instant lomo camera. but in the meantime, i have been making polaroid-esque pictures with my computer. if you don't have an instant camera or an iphone with all the fun apps that make pics look instant...you can use this website to make your own "instant" photos! it's fun! and the colors turn out different all the time. try it out.

i have been loving dancey music lately. i used to loathe it but i think it was maybe because i just wasn't listening to the right kind for my taste. i love every song on this playlist! it's really chill but kinda dancey at the same time. i really like so many different genres of music. i already know what kind of playlist i want to make for you next. what music are you loving right now? i'd love to get to know some new bands.

alright, well i have to go make a million price tags for all my jewelry now! have a great weekend!

newness

2009-12-03T14:44:00.010-05:00

hi! i have been making so much jewelry for this holiday bizaar i am in next weekend. i'm trying to bring tons with me. here are some pics of my favorites.

i have been totally neglecting my etsy shop. i'm going to load up a bunch of jewelry there once this bizaar is over. wish me luck, i need to sell A LOT! =]

by the way, i'm totally into the hat thing lately. i hate doing my hair sometimes, thank god for hats right!

feelin' festive

2009-12-01T12:13:00.011-05:00

so, thanksgiving is over and thank god! i really did not have a great holiday weekend. darn it! and i was sooo looking forward to it. maybe that was part of it, i had too high of expectations. it was one of those weekends where everything went wrong. and it was really upsetting. it was a domino effect. i'll spare you the details, although it's almost humorous now. to give you an idea, ONE thing that happened: we woke up thanksgiving morning to a broken fridge/freezer. AND i had JUST went grocery shopping and bought a TON of stuff. we lost a lot of it :(
OH WELL.....
on to happier subjects. we decorated the tree! and it looks so cute.

by saturday things were turning around. we hung out over at my friend keira and joe's.

her son is so adorable, look at him in his cute little jammies!

we then had some wine and by the end of the night we were in hysterics...this picture...i think we are pretending to be al bundy with the hands in our pants. yeah..... who knows!

also, i've been making a bunch of jewelry for this atomic holiday bizaar coming up. i'll try to post some pics soon. fun stuff!

we have a winner!

2009-11-29T11:43:00.002-05:00

i picked the winner using random.org...the winner is jessica m.!
thank you all for participating. i'll be doing another giveaway soon.