The awful question's answer.

Hey! How are you? I haven't seen you in a while. What have you been up to?

You know, just working. 

"Just working." 

The most simple and direct answer I could muster together for a question so open-ended as  

"What have you been up to?"
Maybe I should follow that question with another question like, "How much time do you have?"
or "Which category of my life would you like to hear about?"

No one would probably ever ask me again.
Which would not be so bad on my end, but I do like when people at least ask because it makes me feel as though they are interested in my life, even if just for the moment. 

Even if I can only giving you a one worded answer to suffice that moment.
But really, I am doing a lot. 

So, here is a list of things I have been up to recently.

• Working. Ah yes! it is true! I am now at Fabric Mart, no more Joann! 
• But I am also working on new ideas and bags for a girl named katie. 
• Beginning to prepare for winter craft shows. 
• Selling in two gift shops: Goggle Works and Five and Divine
• Sewing a few items to enter into the Lebanon Area Fair.
• Photographed a wedding over the weekend.
• Selling mustache pillows on Etsy. 
• Majorly cleaning and reorganizing my bedroom and bathroom. 
• Making my first quilt!
• Blogging for Fabric Mart Fabricistas.
• Helping Joshua get settled in a new place. 
• Preparing to go to NYC for a fabric show with work. 

Yep. That's my list for now.
P.s. This is my 100th post!
If you haven't read the last 99... You should.

Baby on the way?

Don't worry! 

You can special order a fashionable diaper bag that doesn't look like a diaper bag from the exterior!
Contact me about ordering your very own diaper bag by filling out the form on my contact page HERE.
This is super special because you can help chose fabrics
for a personalized bag no one else will have!

This bag features an adjustable strap, two snap closures, and a wipe clean vinyl lining with pockets. 

This bag is extra large and can fit everything you will need! Diapers, Blankets, Clothing, Toys, etc. 

Order for a friend! It will make a unique shower gift no one else will give. 

Not expecting but still want a bag? This bag is also perfect size for a weekend bag 

(an excuse to plan some summer trips!) 

Special orders are only offered occasionally so now is your chance to place one! 

Please allow at least 2 weeks for the bag to be handmade for you. 

The waiting period may slightly increase based on demand. 

Little Late Night Interview.

What is your favorite breakast?

Stuffed french toast! Only the greatest thing to ever be made. 

The beauty item that you couldn't live without?

Mascara. I love the way it instantly makes you look wide eyed and beautiful even if it is the only product you apply. But blush is pretty good too...

The most surprisingly beautiful place that you've been to?

Driving home when the fall leaves first change color. The mountain roads are gorgeous. I also find beauty in cow pastures. Love them.  

How would your friends describe your personality?

My friends introduce me to people as sweet, mature, funny, cute and creative. I have some good friends. 

What do you usually buy at the grocery store?

Baking supplies. By supplies I mean, cake mix. 


Any particular fruit?

Cantaloupe! Blueberries! Strawberries! Peaches! 

Current daytime bag and evening bag?

http://www.agirlnamedkatie.com/dandelion-tote.html

How often do you wear high heels on your days off?

Not as much as I should for the number of heels I have...

Have a cookie.

For my boyfriend's birthday this year I decided to plan him a birthday party all by myself.
The party was naturally cookies and milk themed. 

I took a few shots quickly with his phone to show off just the counter.
(I really need to get in the habit of taking pictures for my blog...)

Oh, and not to toot my own horn, 

but I made three cafe flavored cookies from scratch that turned out absolutely delicious! 

Espresso Brownie Cookie bars
Mocha Shortbread Sandwiches with Nutella Filling

and Chai Spiced Sugar Cookies

(toot toot)

Trust and Obey.

LET'S DISCUSS.
So, I don't often publicly speak about my faith. Or use my blog as a personal outlet. I like to think of my blog as a space to show people I don't get the chance to see very often what I am working on business wise or projects or thoughts to inspire my friends. But today I'm going to use my blog as a confessional. Well, kinda. It's not really that personal. It is more of me admitting my faults and hoping that you will think about it and help me. And maybe even try to instill this value into your own life!


HI.
My name is Katie, and I like to be in control. Of every situation. All the time. Maybe that is too strong of a way to say it. I wouldn't say I'm bossy. I find it hard to tell people what to do unless they are close enough to me I am willing to risk offending them in order to get them to be better. But anywho, what I am trying to say is that I like having everything planned and organized and visually appealing. I am very particular about things that I buy and I love having established timelines. However, those timelines don't always seem to work out the way I want it. I'm sure they would if I were the only person in the world and everything could be my way, but that's not life. I work under other people, my business progress is determined by the buyers, and my life is a collaboration with my boyfriend and family.


FRUSTRATED.
I honestly am so annoyed most of the time because I just want things to work my way and be done when I want them to be done and it is so irritating to me when nothing works out my way. When my studio doesn't get cleaned because I'm tired from working and running errands for others or when I feel like I'm waiting a century for someone to do something for me or when I don't sell as many bags as I was hoping or can't finish new products when I want them to be done... You get the point.


TRUST AND OBEY.
I have to constantly be reminded to stop worrying and to trust God to handle these situations. I have slowly become more trusting and I like to think I do not get as upset or stressed as I use to, but it is still a work in progress. Yesterday at a wedding, the groom's mom (the sweetest woman ever) told me how they did not know how their son was going to get married because it seemed like everything was working against it. Yet, with prayer everything worked out and adjusted itself to allow them to get married. I realized that I am pushing so hard to make things work when I want them to in my life, but what I really need to do is sit back, enjoy each day I am given, and committedly pray to God to guide me and show me where he wants me to go, allowing what happens in my life up to him and only listen for the calling.

This is my challenge and my new plan: Enjoy doing everything I do. Do not stress over what I cannot control. Show those in my life my love and happiness to share the day with them, alive thanks to the Lord. And allow God to control my timeline and show me the way with a kind heart, helpful hands, and endless amounts of ambition and creative talent.

This is what a happy morning looks like.

Coffee and Sewing. <3

How to fake an Instagram so your friends think you are cool.

Yes, I admit, I do not have a smart phone, I rely on a cheap phone that my older coworkers like to call a "dumb phone." My list of reasons to actually invest in a decent phone has been expanding due to my business's development over the past couple months, but in the mean time, I will just fake having awesome apps so my friends think I'm at least a little cool. 

Sure, you can't post your photos on Instagram even if you make them look like one. But you can at least post them on your Facebook timeline and that's practically the same...

It takes only a couple minutes in Photoshop to take a regular rectangular image and turn it into a cropped square Instagram replica. 

For quick and effective cropping, adjust the canvas size by going to Image -> Canvas Size

Then change the canvas size by replacing the width and height with the numbers of your choice. Obviously choosing the same number for both so that you make your Instagram square.

I chose to make mine a 10 inch by 10 inch because I liked the height of the image already.  

For this particular faux Instagram I chose to add a common effect I see on many Instagrams, a vignette.

To do so you go to Filter -> Lens Correction -> Custom

Adjust the intensity by using the amount slider in the Vignette section. Click ok to save your changes and edit your new image as normal to your liking. 

And Wah lah. Instagram.