June 30, 2011

Summer Lookbook!

Yes! The new a girl named katie. lookbook is finally here!
The new line has basically the cutest buttons ever, 
which is frankly just enough of a reason for you to buy one. 
But if you need more than one...
Select styles have metal clasp details that allow you to add an across the body strap,
which is especially perfect and necessary when spending the day doing one of my personal 
favorite hobbies... Shopping. 
How about that strap?!
Large totes will come with the option of buying a padded insert to easily transform the bag into a computer safe one! (Not yet available...)
Plus, select make up bags now have waterproof linings to prevent spilling make up 
all over your fancy print interior. 
And new fabrics were added to the line to make this season extra awesome!
Shop here! 
(There are currently only one of each bag available, order soon!) 

June 24, 2011

What I'm doing with my life.

So, let's chat about what I'm currently doing with my life, 
a year after I graduated high school. 

I am shooting the summer collection lookbook next week. 
I designed a fall collection I will be working on for the next couple months.
I am working on adding new handmade products to the online store. 
I am working on hosting trunk shows to show off my new collections. 
And, well, I blog. 

I also am a photographer known as Kaitlin Elise Photography. 
I am close to completing a certificate in digital photography by taking night classes at PCAD
I have decided to do fashion photography and am doing regular shoots 
which can be followed on my photography blog
And now I am starting to sell prints of my fashion work to be bought as fine art. 
Also, I am available for senior portraits and engagements!

And yes, I am still in love with Joshua (I mean seriously, why would I not be?!) 
Oh, and I still work at JoAnn Fabrics and Crafts. 

Other accomplishments:
I am teaching myself to cook. 
And I dyed my own hair and it didn't look like poop! 
I recently just finished a book that no one forced me to read. 
I picked up the hobby of thrifting 
(should I even mention how I just bought Express dress pants for $4?). 

Yep! There it is. 



9 Reasons why this trend is Awesome.

So, if you haven't noticed, oxfords have become a big trend lately. 
And I kinda have a crush on them due to their chicness and various persuasive prints. 
Seriously, cheetah oxfords just say party. 
And if you don't want to party there are grey and white oxfords. 
Perfect for work and everyday? I think so. 
Special event? Oh hey, how about those sequin oxfords?! 
Perhaps you just want to be modern and classic with black and white wingtips? 
Fashion forward? Absolutely. 
More of the casual type, how about plain leather oxfords? 
Feel like dressing up your oxfords or taking it to the next level (bad pun I apologize)? 
How about a heel?
Want shows that say, "hey, I learned geometry once"
Try these cutout oxfords on for size. 
But perhaps you should avoid puddles.  
Want to make a crazy statement with tribal oxfords? 
Well you should. 
Feeling more girly in your boy-styled shoes? 
Well how about these floral babies?! 
I hope this was a convincing argument of why you need a pair. 
I'm convinced. 

June 23, 2011

Things I still want.

Yes, I have been eyeing these items for quite a while. 
Taking extra and ridiculous shifts in order to justify my purchase.
But really, do these things need justification?!
Seriously. What have I been waiting for?
sketch pad
Why am I putting off presenting myself with new challenges and sources to improve my business and build more passion for my dreams?
Well, I'm not anymore.
And you shouldn't either.
Go get 'em! 

June 21, 2011

This one day, fun met functional.

Nothing says fun like decorative clipboards that can also be functional in a work space! 
Yes, some of those prints are kinda ugly, but imagine the possibilities. 
How about framing wallpaper  and using it as wall art? yes? 
Perhaps there is yet another fantastic use for hanging clipboards, like showcasing your doodles!
I'm just in love with the idea of using fabric as wall art. 
I also thoroughly enjoy when it is stretched over a canvas or an embroidery hoop. 
And how much charm does this guy bring? 
Make your furniture accessories adorable by making your own pillow after doodling on the front. 
Yes please! 

June 16, 2011

We heart it.

So, I found out about We Heart It through a blog I was following from England 
long before I knew anything about Pinterest
I immediately fell in love.
I couldn't say one is better than the other, but I'm still going to stick with this site 
for the sake of its girliness. 
And that I already have 10 pages of inspiration locked and loaded. 
Plus there is a Heart app you can download so you can add things you love to the gallery. 
This is My Heart.
I'm a pretty big fan of all the things I've collected. 
I literally spend hours looking through new pictures. 
Anyway, the point of this post is to say that you should get on this train 
so you can follow me and I can follow you. <3

June 13, 2011

It's like being in middle school.

Yes, I did do my share of these lil' ol' bulletins of questions about your life when I was young...that was like 4 years ago. ha. =] I figured I'd share one of my current life with you so you can get to know me like a cool kid on Myspace. Word. 

Are you highly attracted to anyone right now?
This guy. =] ---->

What kind of shampoo do you use?
I've been using Suave from the Dollar Store because I was on a budget. 
But I use Mane & Tail Conditioner and loveee it. 

Would you rather marry Edward Cullen, or take a million dollars?
oh, let me think. Uh, Yeah, I'm definitely going to have to go with the million dollars. 

Is your birthday on a holiday?
I was born on Columbus Day. So like every several years my birthday is on Columbus Day, which really pays off when you're going to school. 

Do you think you can last in a relationship for six months?
I think I can handle that, considering I've been with Joshua for a few years now. =] 

Do you believe teenagers can be in love and stay in love?
I'm proof, aren't I? 

Do you like horror or comedy?
Comedy, no doubt. 

Have you ever dyed your hair?
I've been dying my hair for years because my natural hair color clashes with my pale skin and it's just not flattering to say the least. 

Do you think relationships are hard?
They are as hard as you make them, but never easy. It takes two people with passion and determination. It is something you have to work at every single day, but the love you share is worth it. 

If Disney made a HSM4, would you complain?
I'd ignore it's existence like I did with the first 3. So far a success. 

Where is the furthest place you’ve traveled?
Canada? or Florida...I would like to travel to Australia with Joshua. 

Ever felt like you hit rock bottom?
Ha, pretty much my life from middle school until senior year of high school. 
Not my proudest moments. 

What is something you really miss?
Moore College- Fashion design summer. 

What movie did you last see in theaters?
Bridesmaids. Good movie. 
http://www.studiobriefing.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/bridesmaids-movie-cast.jpg

Are you the same person as you were at the beginning of 2009?
Bits and pieces, but I have grown so much that I feel like a different person, 
yet I still have the same dreams. 

June 10, 2011

Attn: Sold Out!

I put my store online just a couple months ago and have sold a couple bags. 
I appreciate all my buyers and thank them for helping me start this journey towards my dream career. 
The bags below are just a few of what has been sold recently.
Visit a girl named katie.  to shop the make up bags! 

June 9, 2011

Inspiration: Style Icons.

These are my style icons for my future. Just letting ya know. 
In my twenties I plan on dressing like Rachel Bilson, frankly because she is the bomb diggity.
She is so effortlessly classy and relaxed. 
In my thirties I will dress like Rachel Zoe
But I hope I will have a successful business without looking like her.
Just sayin'. 
In my forties I still would like to look as fashion forward as Olivia Palermo.
In my fifties I clearly plan on still being decent looking 
and wearing romantic dresses as casual work attire like Lauren Conrad.
In my sixties I of course want to look like the fabulous Diane von Furstenberg.
I mean, who doesn't?
It appears like I will have some gym memberships and Ann Taylor christmas lists in my future...

June 4, 2011

I am katie.

When I began this blog journey, I figured everyone that would read it would already know me.
But I guess there is no time like the present to tell you a bit about me for those who don't know me
and for those that do can pick up a few more fun facts. 
[ ! ]  I enjoy this image of me because frankly this is what I look like on any given morning or evening. 
I could not think of a more fitting image than this to describe myself. 
Coffee in hand, scarf, quirky sweater, undone hair, and that point where I'm tired but still moving.

[ ! ]  a girl named katie. ? Yeah, that would be me.
And if you were wondering,
 the collections so happen to be about my favorite things and a few of my dreams. 
I work on new ideas for my online store constantly and since I started it, the inspiration 
and passion has never stopped flowing. 

[ ! ] As much as I hate drawing homework, I do secretly enjoy drawing when  I am not forced to do so. 

[ ! ] I'm still determining who I want to be.. because I don't believe in finding yourself. 
You are your own project and everyday you choose who you want to be. 
You decided what you are known for. 

[ ! ] If I love you, you know that I love you with all my heart.  
[ ! ] I enjoy sitting on floors in public locations, partially because you can see like a child again,
but also because it can put you into instant wallflower mode. 

[ ! ] For being a photographer, I'm pretty awful at taking pictures of my own life. 
Blogging is suppose to help me get better...

[ ! ] I love fashion photography and shows about fashion designers. 
Someday I want to produce my own fashion magazine. 


June 3, 2011

Like a dream come true.

In 7th grade I decided I wanted to be a fashion designer. 
In 9th grade I started looking at colleges. 
By 10th grade I started taking classes to improve my portfolio. 
In 11th grade I took a fashion illustration course at a local college. 
The summer before my senior year I went to Moore College for a month of Fashion Design school. 
(one of the greatest decisions I ever made! I had so much fun and loved every day of it again. 
I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat.) 
But during Moore I decided I did not want to live in the city the rest of my life. 
Senior year I decided to do photography instead. 
My first year of college I decided I missed fashion and wanted to do fashion photography. 
After one semester I left school to pursue my own goals. 
It was then that I realized that I missed designing and fashion. 
I began a girl named katie. with goals to eventually expand back into fashion. 
And now, after my life story, I present: The Hokey Croquis! 
What is a croquis? 
It's a fashion sketch of a bare model ready to have fantastic designs sketched all over her. 
I personally hate drawing them. 
(Which is pretty much the reason why I didn't go to school for fashion. 
That and because I like my small town home and cows.
And not going into wild amounts of debt. )
This is a great resource for people who are designers or people who want to be designers. 
But I would honestly suggest learning how to draw them yourself if you want to go to school for it. 
The croquis even disappear when you scan or copy them! 
Which if you have ever done fashion sketches before, you would know how much of a hassle it is to go from a sketch, to a better sketch on tracing paper, to an even better sketch on bristol board and then finally finishing the illustration with color!
But like all things, you should learn all the steps before learning the short cuts. 
Which I only really learned that concept when I started studying photography more seriously. 

I'm definitely considering buying this book, or maybe even making my own fashion sketchbook! 

June 2, 2011

If I owned a boutique...

It would look something like this:
a lovely combo of Antropologie
http://www.allensearch.com/american-project/athropologie.html
Seriously, don't they always have the best displays ever?!
And some Urban Outfitters...
http://www.downtownphoenix.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/urban_outfitters.jpg
It will of course require some graphic tees and some random, but quirky and fun items
And certainly like Red Velvet
http://abeautifulmess.typepad.com/my_weblog/red_velvet_art/
I love it's retro aesthetic and plus, they have the cutest little shop ever and great in house staff! 
Yep! All those together! 

I have wanted to own a boutique since I was 11. 
And after rediscovering my love for designing and creating through my online store
a girl named katie. I know this is most definitely my passion. =]
So maybe someday when I have my own little shop, you'll come visit me!