kay.em.kay

And the Winner Is....

2012-02-20T15:49:00.000-08:00

KATE!

Congrats you lucky lady!

And thanks to everyone who posted. I'll be doing another in the spring!

xoxo

Shhhh... Sale Extended

2012-02-18T11:36:00.000-08:00

As a reward for reading my blog, I've decided to extend this coupon until Sunday for you guys. (Though, I've taken it off of my Etsy Welcome in the shop, so don't be fooled.)

EATYOURHEARTOUT remains until this Sunday.

xoxo!!

Annie's Goddess Dressing Substitute Recipe

2012-02-17T17:39:00.000-08:00

I fell in love with this dressing in college, when I didn't really mind spending money on expensive dressing because I worked in a restaurant where I ate a lot for free.

The last time I went shopping, I splurged and bought some Annie's Goddess dressing (and by splurged, I mean, I spent $5 on 8 oz). But I was REALLY disappointed. I don't know if they changed the recipe, but something was off. I couldn't/can't put my finger on it. I tried adding soy sauce, garlic salt and more vinegar, but nothing worked.

So, I found this recipe. I had to change it a tad, as I bought tahini instead of seasame seeds and used only what I had on hand.

My version: (all in tablespoons because i didn't want to dirty another measuring utensil. dishes are on the weekend to-do)
3 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs lime juice
4 Tbs apple cider vinegar
5 Tbs sesame oil
2 Tbs olive oil
8 oz. container of tahini
1 garlic clove, crushed or finely minced
2 tbs dried parsley

Whisk all ingredients together. I poured it into my olive oil bottle that I had emptied on this recipe. Works perfectly. The recipe makes roughly 16 oz.

This truly was spot on to the dressing I was craving. I ate an entire head of romaine tonight for dinner with nothing but this dressing and it was delicious!

Try it!

Giveaway

2012-02-14T10:30:00.000-08:00

(source)

I am so excited to be doing my very first giveaway! This was my first knitting project and I feel so darn accomplished. Knitting takes a long time, my friends!

I used this free pattern from Ravelry.

Ready to get your hot little hands on this headband?

All you need to do to enter is to leave a comment below. Make sure you leave me some way to contact you should you win! You can get additional entries for:

1. Becoming a follower of my blog

2. Posting about this giveaway on Twitter (just leave me the link).

3. Posting about this giveaway on Facebook (just leave me the link).

Giveaway ends on Monday, February 20th. Good Luck!

Valentine's Day SALE!

2012-02-13T12:55:00.000-08:00

Yes sirree! That's right!

I'm having an sale in my shop for 15% off all heart cut out dresses.

Sale only includes all heart cut out dresses; ready to ship and custom made!

Just use the coupon code: EATYOURHEARTOUT

Sale lasts until Friday!

New Girl Red Dress

2012-02-12T13:17:00.001-08:00

I love Zooey Deschanel.
I love "New Girl."
I love the red dress Zooey wears in the intro of the show New Girl...

So, this dress was an obvious choice. Buy one here!

How to Turn Boot Cut Jeans into Skinny Jeans Tutorial

2012-02-09T20:06:00.000-08:00

J. Crew $108

DIY $20

John and I went shopping at a run-of-the-mill bargain outlet yesterday and I ran into a pair of royal blue pants. Having seen some really cute, bright J. Crew pants, I wanted a pair of my own. I settled for the $19 pair at the store. They were, however, boot cut and about 2-3 inches too long.

As spring approaches, it's good to know how to take a pair of boot cuts and turn them into skinny jeans or cigarette pants. (The above are cigarette, because I used a pair of cigarette pants to shape them.. you want skinny's then use a pair of skinny jeans to fit them.)

What you will need?
Pants to alter
Pants that fit just right
Sewing machine and a basic know-how
Seam Ripper (if you don't want to shorten them)
Scissors
Pins
Sharpie
Ruler
1-2 hours? I was done in 20 mins. But, I sew EVERY DAY. Please do let me know how long it takes you so I can adjust that number!

Start by laying out your pants inside out on a flat surface (table or floor). There are 2 seams on your pant. The inside and the outside. The inside generally is sewn then top-stitched. This is because the inside seam receives a lot more wear and rubbing than the outside. You don't want to touch that stitch. Too much work. The outside stitch is serged and sewn. This is the one we will be messing with. Lay that seam flat. Iron it out if it won't lay flat.

Lay your guide pants on top of them also inside out, lining up the inner pant leg. You won't be able to line it up seam to seam because the front of the pants will be smaller than the back. Don't worry if that doesn't make sense. Just make sure that your inside seams line up while your outside seams are still laying flat.

Seam rip the hem about 3-4 inches away from the outer leg seam.

Begin pinning, again, making sure this seam is flat. If you don't, you will have pinched fabric and puckered seams.

I own a serger (overlock machine), so I serge the edges. No worries if you don't have one. You can zigzag stitch the edges or cut them with pinking shears. Cut and zigzag stitch after you've sewn your seam (next step).
Stitch along your your pins. Removing them as you sew.

Try on your pants! You have only placed one stitch. Now's the time to make sure they're fitting the way you want them to. You can remove this stitch and adjust if you need to. If they're fitting nicely. Take them back to your machine and run another stitch along them. Try to stitch directly on top of the seam you just sewed. I stitched mine 3 times. There are generally settings on your machine for a double or triple stitch, so check them out.

Do the same thing to the other side. You can use your guide pants again, or you can use the side you just completed.

If you like the length of your pant the way it is, perfect. Now you can clip the extra fabric where you see the serge edge on my pants below. Leave about 1/2-3/4" next to the seam. Then using the creases, pin, fold and stitch your hem.

If you want a higher hem, let's continue on:

When trying on your pants, tuck the access fabric up to where you'd like it to hit. When you remove your pants, pin the fold. Then, using a sharpie, mark the pant along the seam (this way it won't bleed through.)
Now measure to see how far up the pant this is (mine was 2.5"). Mark this on the inside and outside seams. Now measure 1.25" down from your line. You are about to create a hem.

Mark 1.25" away from your length on both seams as well. Take your sharpie and connect the 2 marks.

Cut along the line.

Now fold your fabric up to the mark you have on your seams (roughly 3/4"). It's a good idea to iron your seam flat.

Fold the fabric again, pinning as you go. You will not have any raw edges. They should all be tucked under your double fold.
Take the pants back to your machine and stitch the hem along the outside of the stitch. I placed my needle all the way to the left and used the left side of my presser foot as a guide.

Repeat for both sides.

Clip threads and you're done.

Please let me know if you have questions in the comments!

You are about to die...

2012-02-07T22:30:00.000-08:00

(All images were found here)

I just did 7 times.

Seriously, I wonder whether, after she is finished painting them, Danielle (HandyMaiden) falls off of her chair and grabs her heart.

Listen. I am not normally so drawn to little things. Sure, babies are small and cute. I want one. Someday. But my attraction to these plump animals is really girlie. I have been back to look at them 3 times today.

That's actually a little weird. Hrmm.

Okay, well, it's better than asking John to make a baby with me, right?

Valentine's Finds

2012-01-27T21:30:00.000-08:00

($14.95)

($10.00)

($12.95)

Etsy has been flashing my heart cut out dress on their Valentine's page.. which reminds me. It is high time to find that husband a gift of sorts.

We never really exchange gifts, but, if it means I get to buy some of those cookies, then I think I'm willing to change my "anti-valentine" ways.

What do you buy for that man in your life?

Mmmhmm, Suga

2012-01-26T22:28:00.000-08:00

(image here)

It's really incredible how Apartment Therapy is truly therapy for me.

After being sick for days and days, and working nearly 12 hours today, these photos are easing my mind. I'd like to sip tomorrow's morning coffee there.

Butternut Squash Muffin/Cupcake Recipe

2012-01-23T12:25:00.000-08:00

A special thanks to PonyChops for this recipe/idea!

When the weather is ugly and chilly, I find myself purchasing root vegetables and large gourds at the grocery store. Then I watch them rot in my kitchen. However, the butternut squash I bought back in December was still going strong without even a hint of decomposing! How lucky then, that PonyChops recommended a way to use him tastily.

So, I went to her post here and scratched my dumb little a'murician head. How will I measure grams??

So, I said to myself, either google search it, or just do what you do best, eff it up. And that, I did.

However, when one has cream cheese icing, it is hard to be disappointed in a baked good.

So, my biggest problem was that they puffed up only a little, because I didn't add enough baking soda (couldn't find my 1/2 teaspoon) and I added one too many eggs (and I'm not sure why... that wasn't even measured in grams). I also omitted the honey. I wanted to be on the side of muffin, rather than cupcake.

Here's what I did (as in SHOULD have done.) Seriously though, density aside, these things are a really yummy way to use squash!

1 butternut squash

2 eggs

1/2 cup butter (1 stick), melted

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 brown sugar

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp pumpkin spice seasoning

icing:

1 container (8 oz) cream cheese

1 tsp van.

1 cup powdered sugar

First, heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut squash in half (discarding seeds) and lay in in a baking dish with an inch of water, cut side down. Bake 45-60 mins.

Using an oven mitt, hold the squash and scoop out its innards into a bowl. Add sugars, eggs, butter and spices. Use a handheld mixer and blend until smooth.

Add baking soda, salt and flour and mix another 45 seconds until blended well.

Spray muffin tin or place liners in.

Fill to 3/4 full. I used all of the mixture between the 12 muffins.

Place in oven for 20 mins at 350 degrees.

While baking, heat cream cheese for 30 seconds in the microwave, mix in other ingredients with handheld until smooth and place icing in fridge to cool.

Cool muffins for 30 minutes before icing.

TA DA! I've already had 3. Don't worry. Squash= Healthy.

Cinnamon rolls recipe

2012-01-18T11:08:00.000-08:00

I have never been a baker. I love cooking, but I leave all baked goods in recipe books.

This is mostly because I hate recipes. I like to taste what I'm making and to add to it when my tastebuds say so.

With baking, you slave at something and then hope it tastes right... no trying it before it's done. No room for mistakes. And this, my friend, is why I don't bake.

But I've been interested in trying some things and I love how inexpensive the mistake is, so the risk has become worth it. Above are cinnamon rolls that could have used more sugar. (Don't worry, this is from a few weeks ago. I'm still on my diet.)

Here's the recipe I will try next time.

Now I must find something fun and relatively low fat to try next.

Have any recipes to share? Link them in the comments.

xoxo!

The Dark Side

2012-01-17T16:31:00.000-08:00

I'm currently working on a wholesale order heading to Australia.

I love trying the same old pattern in different fabric. I really like the way this heart shape dress looks in a solid black. Maybe I'll make a few more!

Anyway, it's January which means I am still working toward my resolutions. I believe it's likely to be the #1 resolution of all time, but alas, I made it anyway. I have resolved to lose weight.

Since moving to CA, I have gained over 10 lbs. We are traveling home in March and I am determined to be at least the same weight I was when everyone saw me last. For those of you in the same boat who also have an iphone, check out the "MyFitnessPal" app.

You can scan in your barcodes or search for foods to find how many calories you've eaten each day and you can set up a weight goal. You can also add exercise to your daily diary and get more calories to consume! YAY!

It's really motivating me to lose weight when I do a photo comparison of pictures from 1 year ago and now:

That is last March compared to just a few weeks ago. That's less than a year and obviously quite a few inches.

This is not to beat myself up, but to encourage me. And once I've said it here, it's even more official. I am going to lose this weight!

A Tasty Meal in Less Than 5 Minutes

2012-01-10T20:44:00.001-08:00

John works the evening shift and I don't feel like cooking.

This is dinner.

Tell me I'm not the only one too lazy for food? I don't even pour it out and heat it up.

Current Fabric Choices Jan. '12

2012-01-05T12:25:00.001-08:00

^ Sold Out ^

Please contact me for availability before purchasing. I have small quantities of all these fabrics and can likely get more, but will need to check prior to your purchase. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Two New Dresses

2012-01-03T17:07:00.000-08:00

In the shop now.

Once I finish a wholesale order and my current to-do list of custom items, I will be beginning to create my spring line. Isn't that word exciting to so many chilly people these days?

Oddly to me, as it has only dropped below freezing once in my area since arriving it feels like spring is still far off.

All the same, I have been picking up some really great fabrics in small quantities and can't wait to use them!

As for the fabric scraps I've been making this past year, it is time to put them to good use. I am making a quilt with 2 inch squares from all the pieces of dresses I've made this year. I have calculated the process which is set to be finished in 11 months. HA! If I can force myself to make a 8" square every work day, I will have a meaningful quilt just in time for the new year.

This is something I have never attempted before. But I think it will be so meaningful to have down the road for a reminder of the early days. What ever shape my company takes years from now, I will have a reminder of the beginnings.

Hope you're all staying warm and enjoying your normal lives again.

xoxo!

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T15:42:00.001-08:00

(eyepoetryphotography)

When I realized last night before hitting the pillow that the Holiday Season is now over, I got a bit sad. This was one of my favorites so far.

This was the first year that our Christmas and New Years were completely our own. We decided on which traditions we would follow and why we have loved the way our families have done them. It was really nice to reminisce about too. Before talking about it, I'd likely say that my family didn't really have a "tradition". We just get together and open gifts. But, part of my family tradition is that we don't have a "set" way of doing it. Some years everyone opens all their gifts all at the same time. Some years each person opens one gift while everyone else does and we all reveal. Some years one person opens as we all watch. And that's our "tradition"; a go-with-the-flow morning (or afternoon depending on when my sleepyhead older brother wakes up.)

John's family is more structured. They open one gift on Christmas Eve. They do stockings before eating breakfast as a family, and do presents once breakfast is over. They open gifts one at a time while everyone watches.

John and I are melding our families traditions for the first time as our own unit; apart from them but still very much wanting to honor them.

And last night we didn't go out. We watched some movies, cuddled on the couch, we talked about how we're doing as a couple and made some goals and at midnight, we listened to a metal song John likes (...men...) and popped a bottle of sparking wine off the front stoop. Most importantly, I remembered all the reasons why John is my best friend and how his company makes me content.

I've never really understood the seasonal hype before, but now I get it.

Happy 2012!

Sewing Update

2011-12-15T10:42:00.000-08:00

Cut fabric; 7 items in all.

One down at this point. Just enjoying a neatly folded dress spurs me on to make more.

This may be silly, but it's true.

There they are; all seven items; 6 orders in all. What a day.

I have never made so many items in one day as I did yesterday. It was crazy, and I'm paying for it with some killer knots in my back. John gave me a massage last night and I counted TWELVE!

How do you get rid of those things anyway?

But I am super proud of all I accomplished yesterday. And I am so happy to know that so many of the things I made will be gifts for Christmas. So, if you are one of the lovely people who have ordered from me this past month, THANK YOU! I am thrilled to be part of your Christmas; be that gifts to others or gifts to yourself.

Speaking of which, we still need to finish gifts and get them all shipped home this week! Blah! How's your Christmas shopping going?

xoxo!

Bagel Recipe

2011-12-12T11:35:00.000-08:00

Bagels are my favorite breakfast food. I love how they are so chewy and dense and have a great crunch.

Well, that is, East Coast bagels do.

Sorry California. I just haven't found a legit bagel here. I shared my love of the perfect bagel with a friend (a CA native)... "Oh? Yeah, I've had one like that. I don't like it."

Crazy.

Bagels here are bread in the shape of a donut. They are not chewy. They are not dense.

Anyway, I have found a way around my difference in taste. I now have a bagel recipe. And it's kind of fun.

Step 1:

Make Dough:

1 packet of yeast

1 Tbs Sugar

1 tsp Salt

3/4 Cup Warm Water

2 Cups All purpose flour

Mix yeast with sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add 3/4 cup of warm water. Mix until dissolved. Add 2 cups of flour and mix until its all incorporated into a large ball.

Step 2: Dump out dough on lightly floured surface and kneed for 10-12 minutes. (If you have a KitchenAid and a hook, you are lucky!) Then cut dough into 6 equal parts

Step 3: Let dough rest of 1o minutes.

Step 4: Roll each ball into a snake, about 10 inches wide, then pinch 2 sides together. (I used a bit of water on the tip to make it stick.) Smooth shape by placing 4 fingers through the hole with the pinched side down and roll again, slightly.

Step 5: Let dough sit for 20 minutes. After 15 mins, preheat oven to 375 and add about 3" of water to a saucepan. Boil.

Step 6: Once boiling, add bagels. They will expand, so don't crowd them. I could fit 3 at a time. Boil for one minute per side. Then place them on a greased cookie tray.*** If you want to add a topping, like sesame seeds, just pulled the bagels out of the water with a slotted spoon and place them on a plate of the topping. Place bagel, topping side up on the bake tray and bake as normal.***

Step 7: Bake 7-10 minutes per side until golden brown.

Step 8: Wait until it's cool enough before you bite in. My impatient taste buds regrettably didn't read this step.

I'm going to double this next time. We ate all 6 bagels within 24 hours.

Christmas Tags

2011-12-10T11:55:00.000-08:00

Well, it does take a bit of work to make these, but I love how it turned out.

I had my own handmade stamp created by Perch Paper Co.

I used some sprigs of thyme from my kitchen herb garden to create the mini wreaths. I really wanted to add a bow and the only red material I could think of was some bright thrifted yarn.

Here's how I did it:

First, I took the thyme and wrapped it around itself, tucking all the pieces that I could. Then took about 4 inches of yarn to create the bow, snipping the long ends when I was finished.

I then stamped, hole punched and readied the card.

Next, using some regular tape, I made a tape donut and cut it in half to secure the top and bottom of the wreath to the card.

Done.

Such a festive little tag. Inspiration for this project was found here via tinywhitedaisies.

No Longer SICK!!

2011-12-06T20:04:00.001-08:00

Sunny & beautiful day!

Delicious pulled chicken sandwich

All wrapped up and ready to ship.

My to-do list.

Some of it finished.

All of it finished!

Reward icecream sandwich. Incredible!

Thrifted finds from Goodwill: 2 pairs of shoes, 5 sweaters, floppy hat and super soft yarn.

And that brings you up to speed. Sickness is OVER!

Etsy Finds

2011-12-04T17:27:00.001-08:00

jerseyicecreamco, $18

ColetteBream, $99

RawBoneStudio, $26.50

PernillasSS, $9.50

This is my first Christmas season living in the East Bay and it is dramatically different than life in PA. I guess the main thing is obvious; the weather. How does one go about thinking Christmas is almost here when it is warm enough to wear a dress? I just don't know.

And I keep laughing at myself as I purchase Christmas presents, thinking I'm doing my shopping early this year..

And just last week I was talking to a friend who needs to move in to a new apartment in January. She told me that she was looking to move in ASAP and the roommate will just join her in January and I say, why are you looking soooo early?

Anyway, above are etsy items that have somehow captured some Christmas feelings. I'm hoping that they will help remind me of what excitement is just around the corner.

Anyone else experiencing delayed Christmas spirit, or is it just me?

Christmas Tree Decor

2011-12-03T00:34:00.000-08:00

Our very first ornament.

In the daylight.

And the perfect nightlight.

I found her and John agreed.

And John geared up to conquer!

John cutting it down.

So happy with his tree...

Quite possibly the tree we will find this year.

We haven't gotten a tree yet. And I will probably have to BEG to get one, (and I will beg) so I am keeping the cheer alive by remembering the most LOVELY tree we had last year.

foot in mouth

2011-12-02T18:38:00.000-08:00

Champion

I have been down for the count for the past 3 days. And even at this point, I am too woozy in the brains to write a post I won't regret. (Foot in mouth moments ALWAYS happen when I am sick. I just don't have filtering capabilities.)

But John has been SO wonderful.
He made me SOUP. FROM SCRATCH!
This is a big deal. I know that every girl makes it into a big deal when her husband cooks for her, but let me just highlight a few of John's worse case scenarios to give you a hint.

1. John is standing in the kitchen with a bottle of sriracha. It's a new bottle and he is perplexed that it seems the seal has been broken. He calls me to the kitchen for the "is this still okay?" debate. I come over as John squeezes the bottle... and the top flies off and sriracha is in a line the whole way across the kitchen. It's on the ceiling, the window blinds, the wall, the floor, etc. And this stuff STAINS. You know where else it lands? My cheek and eyeball. It's painful just thinking about this... let's move on.

2.-7. John can boil things. However, his arch-nemesis, Steam, seems to surprise him with the intense heat of hatred every time.

8. John can't ALWAYS boil things. Once, John was making hard boiled eggs. Then he took a nap and woke to the smoke detector. Apparently, after all the water boils off, the egg shell burns and explodes, leaving a bigger mess than sriracha can.

I do have more, but feel a tad guilty, so we will just leave it there.

All this to say, John made soup. It tasted great AND it wasn't burned AND he didn't injure himself AND he didn't injure me.

Success!!

Hahaha. I'm so woozy in the brains I forgot that I wasn't going to write a post. But I proved my point SO well, that I just can't go and delete this.

Enjoy.

Weekend SALE

2011-11-25T10:54:00.000-08:00

(photo cred.)

25% off all Ready to Ship items in the Shop!

Can I just say...?

2011-11-23T14:54:00.000-08:00

Finally!

I needed autumn in my life and the East Bay is finally giving it.

I love fallen leaves and wood burning and pie and pumpkin lattes and boots and scarves and the colors and the crisp air and getting bundled and crocheting and early sunset and cuddling and warm socks and apple cider and so on.

Ham and Cheese Crepes

2011-11-20T06:45:00.000-08:00

(photo cred.)

I found these on pinterest and seriously went straight to the kitchen. I am a sucker for a dippy egg. Um, hi Cholesterol. I will try to eat fewer, but YOU look at that photo and tell me "no."

Anyway, I changed the recipe slightly, as I have a really great crepe recipe that I love. And I threw some feta cheese into these squares. I would also recommend cheddar or havarti.

They were awesome. I think next time I will use her exact recipe because my crepes were a darker color and overall, not as pretty.

Check out the recipe here!

Juicer

2011-11-17T19:33:00.000-08:00

John got me a juicer for my birthday.

I watched a movie on Netflix called "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead". Yes. I am one of those people.

I watched a movie and stopped eating non-organic meat. (For 6 months. Then we got poor and I couldn't give up the blood. Sorry.)

I watched a movie and went raw. (For 2 days. John and I were on the toilet nonstop. Never again.)

I watched a movie and stopped eating high fructose corn syrup. (I haven't looked back.)

Now I watched a movie where a man drank only juice for 60 days.

No, I refuse to do that challenge. I am substituting breakfast for juice. We're on day 2. And I have a headache... I'm still going to juice this week and see what happens. Though, I may move it to lunch so I can start the day with fiber.

I'll update you if something goes awry.

oh hai

2011-11-13T21:07:00.001-08:00

I'm 27.

Ate food, wore a dress. It was great.

roasted figs

2011-11-09T11:02:00.000-08:00

Our neighbors fig tree hangs over into our yard. I've never eaten a fig before, and John refused to let me eat them yet. He would pull them and tell me "not quite." But I could wait no longer!

I went down and pulled about 12 dark little figs off of the tree. Megan and I chopped them up and roasted them with some kosher salt and olive oil.

They were delicious. It tasted like sweet potatoes with jam on top.

I can't wait to look up some fig recipes. Please do pass along any you have!!

Reindeer Games

2011-11-08T12:35:00.000-08:00

New Top in the shop.

Heart cut out dress in the shop

2011-11-07T20:13:00.000-08:00

All sizes are ready to ship!!

Recently..

2011-11-04T23:38:00.000-07:00

I made my very first button down shirt. This is from a vintage pattern so not as cute as I was hoping. But I have some ideas for how to make it better the next time.

I love my new pom hat from Janelle. It's not yet cold in the bay.. not that it ever will be "cold" by my standards. But at night it gets chilly enough that this hat is perfect.

Two photos of food. Of course. I was going to add more but I realize I need to get a grip and stop with all the food porn.

New asymmetrical shirt has made it's way to the shop.

An overdue Halloween post

2011-11-03T15:57:00.001-07:00

Halloween Dance Party... please excuse the sweaty husband.

We attended a party to watch horrible HORRIBLE "scary" films. We thought it only right to dress as characters from one of those poorly written horror films. This is why John and I were killer tomatoes. And surprisingly the costumes held on well, even though the leaves and faces were only hot glued.

Also, don't you love the shrunken head apple cider? So clever.

Schezwan Chicken

2011-10-31T13:42:00.000-07:00

I am all about chinese food. Though, I have never really made it much because it ended up just being super salty/mushy vegetables.

But this recipe is restaurant quality. And you can mix it up with all sorts of meats and veggies. My 2 favorites currently are 1. Eggplant and 2. Chicken and cauliflower. But you can add broccoli, snap peas and carrots too!

So, here's what you do:

Heat your wok to med-high with 1 tbs of oil. Stir-fry 3 cubed chicken breasts (add veggies here too, though cook times vary)until cooked through (5-6 minutes).

Remove from wok and set aside.

Ingredients for sauce:
3 green onions, sliced
1" peeled and minced ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup broth
3 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs rice vinegar
1 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs white flour

So, now that you have a heated empty wok with a bit of oil in it, add the onions, ginger, garlic and pepper flakes. Stir-fry over med-high heat for 1 minute.

Add the broth and stir. Lower heat to med-low. (about 2 minutes as you do the following step)

Whisk soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar and flour in a bowl with a fork or place ingredients in a small sandwich bag, seal and mix until everything is dissolved.

Add mixture to wok and bring the heat back up to med-high. Stir until thickened (about 1 minute).

Add chicken and veggies back to the wok and toss to cover.

Serve with jasmine rice. Serves 4

It's laundry day...

2011-10-28T17:38:00.000-07:00

(image here)

Most essential piece of information any laundry-doer could ever learn!!

I'm serious. Click that link and have your life rocked.

Gift Guide for the SAHMs

2011-10-27T17:59:00.000-07:00

For the full list of gifts and links to photos, go here.

I love making gift guides. So, if you have one in mind for me, let me know!

2011-10-24T20:19:00.000-07:00

I have no words.

I need to recharge with a good movie.

Fashion show, fashion show, fashion show at lunch!

2011-10-18T14:12:00.000-07:00

I wanted to show that a whole range of body types can wear the new denim dress.

So here are a few different ways to style the same dress in both an XS and Large size!

Happy Birthday Boy

2011-10-16T09:33:00.000-07:00

John had to work today (his real birthday), so we did a celebration day yesterday.

I made Belgium Waffles: recipe here.

Then we drove to Mountain View to spend the day with Joe and Danielle.

They took us to Five Guys for lunch (our favorite fast food burger place.) This was a place we would go back home for a tasty burger, but here in CA we have "In-N-Out" which I don't actually like at all. They found that there are 2 Five Guys places around the Bay and one of them is just minutes from their house. Yay!

Then John got to do what he wanted: geek out all day and include me. I played a game with him and Joe. I'm happy to report he loved it and I enjoyed it too.

And then we went out for some dinner a beer.

I want to celebrate him more. He really is such a kind man.

Japanese Lanterns

2011-10-13T09:42:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all who weighed in on the great hair debate of '11. I think it was concluded for now that I will remain a brunette and see if I can last through growing out my bangs. It seems most can't. (And knowing my patience level is what has made me keep them for this long, I will likely grow old with this same hair cut.)

On to the cutest thing!!

John buys flowers for my office to motivate me to stay in here and get my work done.

It actually totally helps. Having plants in view makes a stressful office much much calmer.

And check out that last photo; it even works!

Seriously, buy a plant. Or 10. They will make you happy.

xoxo

Bangs or No?

2011-10-11T12:44:00.000-07:00

I have had bangs on and off since I was 5. I'm going on 5 years in a row now of hiding my forehead.

So, here it is: I want to do something with my hair. I was debating bleaching my hair and going platinum blonde. Now I am getting a bit fearful of what that may look like.

Instead I'm thinking maybe this next phase will just be a period sans bangs. (or maybe bleached AND no bangs?)

What do you think?

Winter Pasta

2011-10-09T14:51:00.000-07:00

There are a ton of pasta dishes that just feel so summery with tomatoes and balsamic vinegar. But with a cool breeze floating what I really want is something hardy.

A friend introduced me to the idea of butternut squash and pasta. I loved it. And regrettably I didn't get her recipe. But luckily, I have a pretty decent taste memory.

Now, I just used what I have around the house, so this is not a science. But it was delicious!

Sweet Potato Creamy Pasta

(serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 box of pasta shells

6 oz. deli ham, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

1 large sweet potato

1/2 package cream cheese (I used lowafat)

1/2 cup half and half (I used nonfat)

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Boil water and cook pasta according to package

Puncture sweet potato and cook in microwave (about 10 minutes).

Saute onions over med-high until caramelized (about 5 minutes). Add ham and and cooked potato, mixing throughly.

Add cream cheese in one inch cubes. Mix in.

Add half and half and mix until blended.

Once pasta is cooked, add to mixture. Salt and pepper to taste.

Seriously, so good!! Now that I wrote about it, I am craving it again.

Off to have another bowl.

xoxo

Denim dresses on their way!

2011-10-07T14:17:00.000-07:00

to be modeled soon...

Don't Get Your Hopes Up!

2011-10-07T06:48:00.000-07:00

I would like to share a thumbprint recipe with you. Sadly, I cannot. These tasted like dog biscuits and jam...

But they sure are cute!

Tribal Fall Fashion

2011-10-04T19:11:00.000-07:00

YAY! INTERNET!!!

Sorry for my absence. This was not even the, "whoops. what? i have a blog?" absence that normally goes on around here. I was actually thinking, "I wish I could blog about that! But I can't. Because this whole wifi debacle is ending my life as I know it." I have an online store, so I think it's okay to be a little dramatic, right?

To give you the run down:

Our neighbor moved and we were sharing our wifi. We had 4 days in a row of "we'll be there to set it up" and NO ONE did. And I could get really mad about all that now and write a crummy review, but... well, but John already did all that and got us everything for free: modem, set up, 1st months fees AND data on my phone plan. I mean, wow. Right? Who do you need to call? I'll have him get on it.

There was a tiny window today for designing and I took it. I was so excited to be doing this again that I patterned, made and modeled 2 new things today. Tomorrow's back to the daily grind for sure, but today was a much needed break.

Anyway, no need to overload you. But, I should be back to the regular posting now.

My Favorite Moment

2011-09-22T10:34:00.000-07:00

I love this photo.

John and I had spent the last week in a house with his family and some extended family, going from activity to activity. We were just about to go on a dinner cruise with even more family(like 60 people) too.

Now, for most people, this sounds like fun. In fact, it all was. But I am an introvert and so is the hubs, so by this time in the week, we were weary. We snuck off down the street before the cruise began and went to Mo's. A place we had seen on a long drive with grandma over 2 years ago. They had a view over the same dock where we had stopped then to watch the fisherman bring in their catch.

To think about all of the changes from the last time we saw that water til now actually brought me comfort. (The beer helped.) We are on an exciting journey. One which some never venture to take. We did not play it safe. We might fail.

I take a lot of comfort in John. While I should note that our marriage is really difficult. Most blogs I read are about how much they get along with their spouse and while I won't be airing our dirty laundry, I have no shame in saying that counseling and prayer is what makes our marriage work.

But all the same, I just adore him. It pains me to think of life without him.

These are the feelings behind the above picture. This picture feels to me like a sigh of relief. That moment was my favorite part of the beach vacation because he was there, and I was calm.

Yes Please Wednesday

2011-09-21T18:13:00.000-07:00

hellhoundvintage, $128

Click here to check out some similar items.

Whimsy & Spice

2011-09-20T10:01:00.000-07:00

I just found a fantastic bakery who is making some of my favorite flavors into delicious edibles... not to mention some really interesting combinations.

Massaman Curry Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

Rose and Black Pepper Thumbprints

Chocolate Chili Cashew Biscotti

Hazelnut Chocolate Whiskey Sandwich Cookies

Deluxe Whimsy and Spice Gift Box

These will make perfect Christmas gifts. It's so delightful to see that a cookie doesn't have to be "cookie cutter". Everything is perfectly packaged and well priced, so go check them out.

The Sites

2011-09-12T13:19:00.000-07:00

We drove up a very windy mountain side on a surprise date with Joe and Danielle. I am afraid of heights and needed John to pin me to the wall behind us. I was feeling dizzy and did not trust my bearings.

With a serious fear such as this, I would assume it not wise to take me on a date at this height. However, now that I don't feel that fear looking at the photos, I'm quite glad we went.

Fabric Options for kay.em.kay

2011-09-10T10:41:00.001-07:00

I've been getting lots of questions about the current fabric choices, so I thought it might be wise to update my little list here.

I still have other fabrics as well, but these are the ones I have enough fabric of that I can actually make more than 1 dress. So, if none of these suit your fancy please contact me.

*****The above fabrics are still available, but an updated list can be found below:*****

UPDATED LIST HERE!!

Fast Low Fat Cheesecake

2011-09-09T10:16:00.000-07:00

So, here in low-fat adventure-land I am constantly trying to feed my cravings but not make myself sick... quite a balance, I say.

With what I already had in my kitchen I was able to make a tasty REALLY EASY recipe that satisfied my cheesecake craving without taking in all of those fat grams.

Ingredients:
2 Low fat croissants (I use a large frozen variety)
8 oz low fat cream cheese, room temperature
1 egg plus 1 egg white
3 tbs sugar
3 cups chopped strawberries
(additional sugar for sweetening strawberries is optional)

Instructions:
Cut croissants in half and thaw.
Grease 4 ramekins. Place on a baking sheet.
Place 1/2 a croissant at the bottom of each ramekin and bake thoroughly according to package instructions. (12-15 minutes)
While croissants are baking, whip cream cheese with egg and sugar. Then chop strawberries and place in saucepan over medium heat, mixing as necessary until mixture is cooked down. If your berries are tart, you can add more sugar to the mix.
Reduce heat to simmer.
Once croissants are brown and flaky, pour mixture equally into each ramekin, leaving 1/2" of space at the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Remove ramekins and add strawberry mixture to the top of each. Letting them cool for 1 hour before refrigeration.

You can serve warm or refrigerate 2-3 hours. (You can also eat it piping hot. I won't judge.)

Reminder: Just because it's low fat does not mean it's healthy!

I have to tell myself this little fact all the time because this stuff is delicious. I do try to ignore cravings, but if it lasts for more than a few days, rather than eat something regrettable, I will make something like this. Just a little disclaimer for the dieter.

To those who are looking for a quick cheesecake substitute? Go ahead and gorge yourself. And let me recommend topping it with cherry pie filling instead of the strawberries. ;)

the upside down day

2011-09-01T22:04:00.000-07:00

So many people wrote or called to share love and encouragement. Thank you.

This morning I was able to get out of bed an hour earlier than normal. I felt like all the prayers were affective. I felt uplifted.

When I checked my email I was so excited to have made a sale. With all the financial strain, it was so nice to feel a bit of weight lifted.

When I checked back in at noon, I had made another sale... and so on and so on.

This in NO WAY is normal for me. I average 14 sales a month; my largest month ever being 27 orders.

Today I sold 9 items. Jaw dropped.

Thank you to everyone who made today such a boost of confidence. It's been a great one.

a case of the mondays... on a wednesday.

2011-08-31T12:26:00.001-07:00

I have truly never been lazier in all my life than I am this past couple of weeks. Maybe it's just an adjustment period.. but I have NEVER slept this much.

John and I were reading proverbs and there were endless verses that were cutting me deep.
"How long will you lie there, O sluggard?
When will you arise from your sleep?
A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest,
and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
and want like an armed man."- proverbs 6:9-11

The worst of it is that John and I are running into our first real financial problems. He is looking for jobs, but having very little luck with his degree. However, my degree and experience could land me a bread winning position. But what of my company?

All the stress is just leaving us to retreat to our beds. There are days that we don't get out of bed until noon.

So please, dear friends, how do I change my ways?

This morning I set 3 alarms, finally pulling myself from bed at 10:30. I took a shower and made some breakfast, and now I feel like taking a nap again.

I've enclosed some pictures of breakfast to add a festive cheer to this sad sad post. But, don't fret. This is not a cry for intervention. I am okay. I just need a good dose of encouragement, and I'm not too proud to say so.

low fat chicken tikka masala

2011-08-30T12:57:00.001-07:00

I have gallstones.

For those of you who don't know a thing about them, they are tiny hard lumps of bile that can lodge themselves into my bile duct and cause SEVERE pain... but this post isn't about that.

These stones are only a problem when I eat things high in fat. Chicken Tikka Masala is normally very high in fat so I tweaked the recipe. I can't really compare for you the taste because it has been years since I've had the real thing. But, this is an awesome substitute for people on a low fat diet.

Ingredients:
1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1 tbs lemon juice
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cayenne
2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp ginger
2 tsp garlic salt
3 chicken breasts, cubed
1(8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 cup nonfat half & half
handful of chopped cilantro

Directions:
In a large bowl, mix yogurt, lemon juice and all spices. (except cilantro)

Stir in chicken. Cover and refridgerate 10-60 mins. (I normally just wait about 20 minutes because the rice takes 30 minutes to cook and the chicken only takes 10).

In large sauce skillet over medium high heat, add chicken and yogurt mixture. Stirring occasionally until the chicken cooks, roughly 6 mins.

Stir in tomato sauce and half & half and reduce heat. Simmer about 5 minutes.

Garnish with cilantro and serve over rice. Yields 4 servings

Beach Vacation, Day 1

2011-08-24T13:55:00.000-07:00

Exactly one week after we got into our new place we set out again. John's grandmother is trying to sell her home and move into an assisted living facility. She's in great shape (seriously!) and wants to make the transition before her health begins to decrease. It will probably be quite a while, but really, what wisdom and fearlessness it takes to make that decision. So, she wanted one last hoorah with the family before she makes the transition. She rented a beach house for a week for us all to enjoy!

So, here's the first day of our vacation:

I hate flying. I love coffee. You win some. You lose some.

Driving along we found a fruit stand. Awesome!

Here's our delicious fruit finds!

Apricots, rainier cherries, blueberries, blackberries, black cherries and MORE BLUEBERRIES (so tasty.)

Another highway stop was made for local jerky. Also tasty...

...but hard to eat...

John and I finally gave grandma an album with wedding pictures. It took us two years, but we finally did it! (Side note: I threw away all the thank yous that we didn't hand out yet. Sorry if they were for you. I just couldn't bring myself to asking for your address again after losing it for a third time.)

It was totally overcast, but I did not care. I still thought it was lovely.

Dinner on day one; grilled everything. Awesome.

Sisters and Uncle Herb.

Oh, here's a highlight from the following morning for you, just in case I decide to do a highlight reel instead (likely!)

Look at this chill baby. I wish I was that cool.

California Home

2011-08-17T18:07:00.000-07:00

Well well well, here I sit in my happy tiny living room to bring you great news of relief:

We are here and settling.

Yes, not quite settleD yet, but we're nearing it. Maybe another trip to the Ikea should do it.

Since moving in nearly 3 weeks ago we have made some progress on setting up and finding things.. like a grocery store that isn't FREAKING EXPENSIVE.

I seriously was near tears on our first trip out where the chicken breasts were $8.99/lbs. But, never fear, SAFEWAY is kicking butt. And I was able to find chicken breasts for $1.99/lbs (insert sigh of relief).

I have well over 1000 photos of the trip up until this point, all loading as we speak. It has been pure chaos and adrenaline since stepping foot in this new place. Adjusting to a new life is hard. I cry every now and then, which I'm sure is healthy. I miss my friends and family. I miss feeling connected. I know, I know: "Chin up. You'll get there." I'm sure I will. But I am grieving a bit too. And all that adrenaline is wearing off now. We are finished with the vacation. John is looking for work, and I am getting back to sewing.

Here's what I have for you today:

Our home! (at least the unpacked parts) And let me apologize for the photo quality. I had to take these on my iphone because I couldn't back up enough to take them with our 50mm lens.

When you first walk in, there is this buffet table infront of our couch. It holds the bowl for our keys, some throw blankets, photo albums, candles, mints?, and lots of books behind those doors.
Directly to your left is a place to sit down and put on your shoes. The hooks are perfect for my purse, our hats and hoodies. It stores all of our winterish things like scarves and gloves, though I'm told we won't need them.
Next to our coat rack is this small cube with all of our white vintage ceramics. I especially love the containers on top for flour, sugar, tea and coffee. I got them at a thrift store; $15 for the set.
This is wear we keep our knowledge. Books and a globe. Uh, total learning kit...For reference, this photo is taken from the door.
Next to our learning, we have our vanity. The mirror is from my mom and dad and the dresser and sconces are from Lara. This is my favorite thing so far. It holds tons of things that don't have a home (tools, electronic cords, envelopes) and does it with style.
Here's the seating area. I bought the slip cover for our wingback on smartbargains.com and made the mint green slip cover out of linen. I still need to staple it down and finish the edges, but it will do for now.

Here's the other half of it. The couch faces our tiny tv and the ottoman that is filled with board games. The love seat is a fold out bed, so we can have friends stay over.

Here's our bathroom. The tub is pink, which is a bit gross and dingy. The old renters left behind the shower curtain. We switched the hardware on it and it totally fits in with our color palette.
This is where we hold all of the extra toilet paper and medicine. And it's small enough to fit comfortably without making the tub entrance too narrow.
Pirates and magazines. Yes.
Pirate ships and cotton balls. Yes.

On to the kitchen/breakfast nook. It's actually quite a bit larger than I thought it would be, which is great because I had no clue where to put this espresso bar. The stools pull out and the back can be raised for some extra seating. The drawers hold more junk at this point; bills, scissors and seeds.

I love this wall. Photos, and mirror and a clock. And our table which is also from Lara. It is a game table with built in cup holders and chess board.
I decided to go with a nook feel, putting a bench against the wall. I knew there wasn't much space, but I really couldn't part with this bench that I made from an old coffee table and a burlap coffee sack. Luckily, it fits rather nicely right here.

Lastly, the pot rack. Thank you to husband and Joe for putting this up. Seriously, what a space saver... especially because the bottom of the stove is not a drawer, but a broiler. I am new to gas stoves, so this thing has had me puzzled. I have had this rack for YEARS and finally get to use it for its intended purpose rather than as a light fixture. How exciting!

Okay, that is enough of me invading my own privacy for now. Hope you feel at home here. I actually really do.

xoxo

ikat love

2011-07-23T21:42:00.001-07:00

seriously in love with ikat!

i cannot seem to stop. if i see ikat, i want it.

Like this U. O. chair:

Or this pillow by Madeline Weinrib:

These floor tiles:

And, of course, I am using 3 ikat patterns myself this season. Here's one modeled by the super sweet Janelle Haskin, with one of her very own hair bows.

Dress available here.

Etsy Finds

2011-07-06T14:02:00.000-07:00

Gifts under $35!!

Oktak, $25

Hindsvik, $32

PrunellaSoap, $16

SarahGiannobile, $20

janellehaskin, $26

owlcreekceramics, $15

MOVING SALE!

2011-07-04T13:20:00.000-07:00

(doesn't my baby sister have incredible eyes?)

John and I are packing up and getting ready to head to Berkeley, CA in just 22 days. (That's crazy. I can't believe it's actually happening.)

In response to the move, we have GOT to get rid of my inventory!

I'm offering 15% off all ready to ship items. That means an even quicker turn around from my house to yours.
I have a few smalls, tons of mediums and a few larges. Please check them out here.

In addition, if you blog, tweet or announce this for me on FB, I will give you 40% off your ready made item rather than the 15%. Just leave me a comment here with the link then contact me about which item you'd like!

xoxo,
Kasey

The horror...

2011-07-01T08:55:00.000-07:00

The self inflicted mullet

I've resorted back to this haircut year after year.

Miserable at Disney...

Senior year of high school... wtf. That duster was down to my knees. That shirt was for a 3 year old, so I wore a pink tank top underneath it. And you can't see it, but I painted my flip flops myself.

This is my freshman year of college, when I had 3 different hair colors at once and apparently got a hold of a crimper. (or maybe just braided my hair before bed.)

I was a frumpy child.

For nearly most of my life I have had absolutely no interest in fashion. Sure, I wanted to BE fashionable, but I didn't have money to spend on Abercrombie and AE. Therefore (and for a BUNCH of other reasons) I was not cool. (When I did end up with 2 A&F pieces I wore them 2-3 x a week to get my "like me" point across.)

I thought that fashion was the thing that would make me popular. So when I was able to go out and dress myself I began flirting with fashion. However, I had no idea how to use it. In high school I began what was my "punk" phase. Please tell me I wasn't the only one.

I had new hair every couple of weeks. It was crazy. I can't believe no one stopped me. And I shopped mainly at thrift stores to show how "independent and original" I was.

I toned it down a bit during my Freshman year of college. I still wore thrifted tees every day, but I only wore gaudy jewelry on special occasions. All that until I met my lovely friend, Monica. She gave me clothing, dressed me for dates and drivers license photos. She really did make me feel wonderful about fashion. I'd like to acknowledge her and thank her for being such a key player in my world.

Last night John's parents had us over to look through the photo albums one last time before we move and it got me thinking about who I was and where I've come. I would have never expected to be here. Life is weird like that, no?

Fun Etsy Finds

2011-06-29T13:18:00.000-07:00

LizetteGreco, $98

Blushie, $5.75

OhYum, $2.50

BabyJives, $47

AshleyPahl, $6

Garden22DesignStudio, $6

Current Fabric Options for kay.em.kay

2011-06-28T14:02:00.001-07:00

No longer available:
navy blue with white flowers
red with white polka dots

Please contact me for custom made dresses in the above fabrics!
xoxo,
Kasey

Simple Sprucing

2011-06-27T10:36:00.000-07:00

I have been all home and garden-y since Thursday, when the imminent move began to sink in. So I did some packing up in the kitchen and then I decided to change up the living room slightly, starting with our coffee table.

Simple solution to tie everything together was a platter from the kitchen that has been sadly unused for the better part of 2 years. Also, adding some greenery makes the room generally more inviting and makes me look like a green thumb. Bonus.

Next was the couch. A couple of weeks ago I bought a white slipcover for $20 at a bargain outlet. Then recently some sale fabric at Joann's. I am in love with grayish blues with bright whites. So, I made 4 20"x20" pocket pillows and stuffed them with the old pillows I'd grown tired of. I had a few brown pillows laying around so, I used those as well to make the new colors pop and to bring in the lovely wooden walls, floors and tables in the room.

above before, below after

Lastly, I picked up a lovely dresser given to us by my dearest Lara. I will think of her every day when I see this. It's perfect behind the couch, making the space between the seating area and the dining room seem connected. I plan (once moved) to use it for table linens, serving utensils and possibly even our silverware drawer.

above before, below after

The places we've been viewing in Berkeley are just tiny. I can't find a place bigger than 650 square feet in our price range (which is currently the size of our dining/living/kitchen.) We have 2 nice bedrooms and a family/laundry/backyard/carport in addition to that this year. So, I know this downsizing will be difficult. Yet, I'm excited.

A good thing is just around the corner.

Belgium Waffles Recipe

2011-06-24T19:23:00.000-07:00

Belgium Waffles

I got this incredible recipe from a House & Home magazine. I read this article wanting to be Janaki's best friend. Not only is she an incredible potter, but she also makes a killer waffle.

I've used this recipe twice and I am confident that these are the BEST waffles I've ever had.
Here's the recipe: (I've reduced it to serving 2 and even that was too many for the Mr. and me to eat.)
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tbs sugar
2 eggs, separated
1 cup milk
1/4 tsp vanilla
2 tbs unsalted butter, melted

In a large bowl, sift together dry ingredients. In a small bowl mix vanilla, yolks, milk and butter.
Make a well in the dry ingredients and add wet, mixing lightly with a wooden spoon until all ingredients are wet and still clumpy. In separate bowl mix egg whites until they have peaks. Then add to mixture. It will still be a bit clumpy and that's okay.

Spray down your waffle maker in non stick spray and just try to wait until they are all finished. It will be hard. I promise you that. I wanted a bite after just one had finished.. (so a took a small corner... don't tell the mr.)

It's a delicious way to start your day.

New Photos

2011-06-17T09:04:00.000-07:00

John and I threw together a photo shoot earlier this week... clearing the dining room, painstakingly bringing in and placing 5 lights and a 150 watt bulb. (ridiculous). Then John looks at me this morning and reminds me that we are morons. We purchased a flash that would have eliminated all of those lights... and it was sitting not 5 feet from me during the photo shoot.

And my dear friend, Jessica, who styled my last shoot is currently styling another in NYC. I'm so excited to see how it all turns out. Here are the 2 dresses she's using:

Oh, and say hello to my new 4th of july dress!

xoxo,

Kasey

A garden by the shore

2011-06-09T10:18:00.000-07:00

Ellemoss, $20

TheHauntedHollowTree, $150

WhitneySmith, $325

MySelvagedLife, $22

MoonHalo, $29.50

babyjives, $42

It's wedyesday in my heart... and that's what matters, right?

In blue calico floral

2011-06-08T13:10:00.000-07:00

This heat is making my skin swell.

Anyone else feel like that?

Every time I step outside and feel the humidity near 80% I thank God that we are moving to the Bay.

Soon soon soon.

I'm sending off some dresses to Art Star this week.

I have been thinking about new shapes on the backs of these cookie cutter dresses. How about a handlebar mustache for father's day?

Have any ideas for me? Throw them my way.

Photos

2011-06-07T21:41:00.000-07:00

I can't resist taking a bajillion photos everywhere. Of everything.

Here are just a few of a wonderful graduation party we attended.

Sorry for the gratuitous food scenes. It's the inner chub in me... I just. can't. stop.

This is hide and seek. And I'm winning.

This is a poor fruit tree that has no chance of bearing anything because it wasn't made for central PA climate.

And these are the incredible and blurry jump pictures. I can't wait for the day when I understand my camera enough to keep this from happening..

And by that, I mean jump pictures. Not smeared photos.

Nicole and Eric

2011-05-23T18:49:00.000-07:00

I finished a bridal party order today; 6 dresses and 5 ties. I love how the colors fit together.

Here are the inspiration photos she sent me:

(EcoLecticEvents)

(credit unknown)

(SarahSeven)

So after sending a few options her way, here's what we came up with:

Orange gingham ties

Off-white bodices and vintage inspired floral skirts

And a rolled hem to create a flowing skirt and to save precious inches
(I ordered 20yrds and received 6.)

So summery and perfect.

I'm so happy that I get to play a part in weddings. I love them so much. And not just the attending, as most girls love, but the whole fact that they represent the couple.
When I think about all the things that these ladies (and gents) put their hearts into during their wedding planning, I feel so honored to be chosen.

I'm feeling more and more slanted toward all things wedding. And my fall look book will probably show that.

yes please...thursday?

2011-05-19T13:28:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm behind again.
Another Thursday addition of Yes Please Wednesday!

I'm having a hard time choosing which pieces to showcase from this treasury. So, you should just go to that link and check them all out. For now, here we go!

acommonthread, $25

PreciousKnits, $79

shlomitofir, $47

TheGroovyBaker, $10

Hindsvik, $125

peifferStudios, $69

sparrownestscript, $4

zwzzy, $250

AND I got my camera.
I still am figuring out how to work the thing. Point and shoots are so much easier, but I can hardly believe how lovely the DSLR makes everything look.

John and I got to see his sweet cousin while she was in town visiting. And when we drove up to her parents house we were greeted with little white clouds falling from the trees.

They own a cotton wood tree which blew all of this fluff right into our hands.. and hair.. and shoes.. and food. We debated collecting a bunch of it and weaving into a dress. Someone suggested that we stuff a pillow with it. I say, I know just where I will go when this whole job thing goes south and I'm homeless. I wouldn't mind sleeping in a pile of cotton wood.

In fact, why wait til I'm homeless?

I love you, cottonwood!

and you, mailbox that matches your house!

and you, lilac!
And you, husband!

Such a delightful day.

Art Star Craft Bazaar

2011-05-17T09:21:00.000-07:00

Art Star was so wonderful!

Saturday was dreary and there were scattered showers. Janelle, Michelle, Jenny and I (along with our assistance, John and Ashley and sometimes even Michelle's husband, Randy) as well as ALL OF OUR STUFF was squeezed under the 10x10 we shared. Out of control!

John, trying to stay warm in one of Janelle's knits.

But truly, it's because we were all forced together into such intimate quarters that it was such a fun time.

Here's the set up on day one before the rain.

Michelle, Janelle, Me and Jenny

Sunday called for thunderstorms. Now I generally try to be as uplifting as possible. But I was stomping my feet and talking about going home. In fact, probably the only real reason I decided to go back was because I had left a few things behind in the tent.

Here's my set up.

Jenny's coasters and artwork

Michelle's jewelry and Janelle's knits

It was gorgeous. The sun came out! I got a TAN (in a heart shape on my back!) And I seriously could not believe how grumps I was for no reason.

Also, I saw Valerie Mahen of project runway. She parked right next to me on day 1 but I couldn't bring myself to tell her that I love her and can't stop using the term "cray-cray" because of her.

Janelle wearing her new kay.em.kay dress

And while I can't be on team HIP much longer (moving to CA), I loved this experience. So thanks to you ladies!

Real Wedding

2011-05-16T12:12:00.000-07:00

I'll post about Art Star tomorrow.
FIRST, I have to show off these beautiful customer photos I just got!

Those little flower girl dresses are ADORABLE.

The bride, Ali, has opened a book store on etsy. Go check her out!
Congrats to Ali and Tim! And thanks to Marcel & Meher Photography in San Fransisco for the beautiful pictures.

Yes Please Wednesday!

2011-05-11T20:45:00.000-07:00

Just days away from Art Star. I can't wait.
I'm so excited to get out of the house... and to stop with all the inventory. I don't have space for it!

And my new camera should arrive tomorrow.
I feel horrible.
I ordered used off of amazon and paid for express shipping. It still hadn't shipped today when I was expecting it tomorrow at the latest. So I sent off a blunt email about getting a refund on my express shipping... The guy (Faysal Photography) didn't receive notice from amazon. So, he overnighted it AND refunded me.
Now that's customer service!

Here's one of his many wonderful photographs!
So go check him out for being so sweet.

And onward to WedYESday:

RecycleBuyVintage, $29.99

PoleStar, $72

JessJamesJake, $240

KidCakes, $15.95 (seriously? PLEASE!)

Tangente, $75

RenaissanceProfessor, $14

Enjoy!

Yes Please Wednesday

2011-05-04T14:10:00.000-07:00

Today's finds feel like a hike in some mossy woods. And on this overcast day, it's just what I need.

MarciG, $47

DowdyStudio, $16

OldiesGoodiesBooks, $15

PixelandHank, $14

Kainkain, $29

MySelvagedLife, $28

CutOutAndCollect, $35

kathyrnwhyte, $3.50

For my whole treasury, go here.

Happy Wedyesday!

Tuesday Tutorial

2011-05-03T11:38:00.000-07:00

There will be no curry for lunch. Boy woke early today and took a nap over lunch time. (And by "boy" I do mean my husband. I wouldn't be surprised if you thought I meant son.)

I wish naps were something I could do. If I try to lay down I feel too guilty to sleep. I just toss; head churning and fingers burning.

I came upon this lovely blog with a great how-to for making bow pillow covers! So, go on over there and see just how easy it is. And she is truly a delightful blogger, so stick around and read about her pregnancy and etsy biz.
Here's the one I made. It only took me 20 minutes! I can't wait to give it to my dear friend, Steph who loves all things teal and brown.

John and I went traipsing through the yard this morning to take some photos of a current bridal party order I'm completing. I still need to starch the ties (that cotton is unwieldy), but I think the photos turned out just fine. Still can't WAIT for my new camera! It'll be 2 more weeks of me posting this before it's scheduled to show, so you'll probably hear me saying this a lot. Sorry in advance.

Looking forward

2011-05-02T13:12:00.000-07:00

I just bought a fancy pants DSLR camera! And I upgraded my 3 year old phone with a highfalutin iPhone.. so I'm pretty much equivalent to an adult now.

I love the linen dresses I'm currently putting together for a custom order. John and I will be modeling them tomorrow when I decide to shower. :) Get pumped.

I love working with him. I can hardly believe how much he seems to enjoy what he does for our little business. I'm also excited for the opportunity to go on lunch dates together. Getting out of the house is essential to working from home without going insane. So, tomorrow we will venture out for a date. (Might as well, if I'm going to shower and all.)

Mmmm, curry....

Did I mention I'm allergic to dust?

2011-05-01T22:53:00.000-07:00

I'm kicking myself that I didn't take a before shot of my weekend activity!

It all started with a trip to goodwill.. and a compact $10 desk that was "going to be PERFECT, can I PLEASE GET IT???"

So, I brought it home and got rid of a large particle board desk that has been in the fam. circa 1990. But once I swapped out the desks, something just felt off. I couldn't quite think of a way to fix it, so I slept on it.

For 4 short hours. I was just too excited for sleep. Now, if current rational me could be standing in front of saturday's naive me, I think we'd be having some harsh words.

I was determined to spring clean the office. I emptied the closets, sorted my fabric, sorted tons and tons of papers, paints, cards, failed projects, etc. This whole event took over EIGHT hours of cleaning and breathing pure dust.

I'm pretty sure the photos will speak for themselves. Here we pick up at hour 3:

This is when nearly everything was pulled out of every nook and cranny of only 1 of 2 closets. Yes, that means it got worse. However, I have too much pride to take photos of the worst of it.

Here's most of the trash collected (those are 4 full size trash bags and 2 other oversized bags full of things that used to be all over my little space):
Before you go signing me up for Hoarders, please take a look at these:

And there's the desk that started this whole thing. I don't know whether to shake my fist at it or kiss it.

I love my new space.

Customer Photo

2011-04-30T19:47:00.000-07:00

Just got a lovely photo from a really sweet customer. I sent the dresses without sewing the pockets closed!!! And these wonderful gals didn't even hold it against me. The best, I tell you.

I love the navy with each girls red shoes and flowers. I have a thing for red shoes, so this makes me want one of each pair.

Congratulations Jason and Catherine!

Photo Wall

2011-04-29T09:32:00.000-07:00

I spend so much time sewing that every now and then I seek relief in doing something totally different as a way to be creative.

Maybe it's from all the apartment therapy stalking, or my thoughts of building a home when we move across the country in THREE MONTHS. (seriously? that is crazy.)

I was getting a bit tired of the empty space above our bed. We were using a framed collage from our wedding photobooth, but it was too low. Every time we sat up in bed to watch a movie or vid. chat with friends we'd remove it and forget to replace it.

So, after finding some awesome art here I painted some frames and had a field day.

Now, I'm not one to measure before I hang things. I like to fly by the seat of my pants.. whatever that means? So this isn't perfect. But, without putting too many holes through the wall (like 11's not enough!), I feel quite a bit of success. It's inviting. And it high lights our vaulted ceiling too.

Most of these frames (if not all) are from thrift stores and the Dollar tree. And most of the artwork is ours or from friends (Cameron Lyden and Katie Fisher, neither of whom have linkable pages. lame!) and some beautiful photos of our wedding from this very linkable friend, Josh Ambrose.

I swear, I'm not stuck in 1970... I just need a better camera.

Yes Please Wednesday

2011-04-27T11:57:00.000-07:00

It has been pure CH-A-OS in my office for the last 3 weeks.

Fall out zone for realz. John is back at kay.em.kay working full time. It's actually been a real joy working with him. Among his many skills is recounting what day of the week it is...
*This morning*
"Kas, it's Wednesday."
I look up from my pinning and stare at him... "And?"
"WedYESday."
"Ohhhhhhhh. Right. Hmph."

I have been photographing things.. like the Easter eggs I made, and the rain coat I whipped up in 30 mins and new fabrics and flowers from walks... ALL for YOU, blog! Sadly, I have no time for you right now. But when I come back, get ready for some spring. (It will probs be summer.)

And for our WedYESday, I would like to show you some wonderful white, yellow and teal finds:
For the whole treasury, go here.

(I know I've had percyhandmade on here 3 times, but her stuff is INCREDIBLE. So, here she is again.)
percyhandmade, $56

MaaPstudio, $112

seaoats, $18

TheFancyLamb, $32

DirtyDeedsSoaps, $20

alexandragreeco, $180
midnightflight, $45

OneClayBead, $86

Have a wonderful WedYESday!

WedYESday

2011-04-13T21:18:00.000-07:00

This edition of Yes Please Wednesday is all about the stripes. I own far too many already, but how can I resist these finds???

Midnight Black Oval Mirror from OliveVintage, $16

Vintage Nautical Delight Stripe Jacket from CapriciousTraveler, $39

Extra Large Grainsack Pillow in Navy Blue from jennilyons81, $29.99

Large Plethora of Feathers Original Watercolor Hand Painted Necklace from HeatherKent, $40

Dorothy-5x7" Signed Fine Art Photograph by ellemoss, $15

The Stockholm French Messenger Bag from Ikabags, $59.00

Triangle Stripe (Original Drawing) from bluebicicletta, $80

So, if it's not clothing, I should be able to justify these to the hubs... nope.

Oh well. More for you!

xoxo,
Kasey

rainy day

2011-04-12T10:36:00.000-07:00

Rainy day here.

Time for my second cup of coffee and a run to the post office.
But first, here's a photo of a new lovely dress that was added to the shop this morning. I love the heart cut out dresses. I've never felt like I could show my back. I had severe acne there in high school. The scars and the moles have always made me self conscious ... but I feel really pretty in these dresses. And I can't wait to show you pictures of the tan line it creates! HA.

whoops

2011-04-07T10:52:00.000-07:00

I know. I know. I missed Wedyesday.

I'm ashamed.

But I'm super super busy.

And I have a picture to cheer you.
(no credit to me. i found it long ago and don't know it's owner.)Now you forgive me, right?

How to Sew a Zipper to a Dress or Skirt

2011-04-05T06:28:00.000-07:00

This is a necessary skill if ever you want to stop using elastic in all your DIY projects. Sewing a zipper sounds scary. But really, you can do it. Go slowly and read all the instructions a few times through. Grab your trusty seam ripper, and lets get started!

Things you'll need:
Seam ripper
Sewing Machine
Zipper Foot (you can do without it if you don't have it, but I wouldn't suggest it unless you are in a place of desperation.)
Zipper (make sure that it is long enough to fit 3-4" passed your thickest part. I am sewing this on a dress, I normally use somewhere between and 16-20" zipper.)
Pins
Ironing board and Iron
Dress or Skirt in need of zipper

Step 1:
With right sides facing each other, pin along the zipper seam.

Step 2:
Lay zipper next to seam. The zipper should be fully zipped. The head of the zipper should hit at the very top of the seam. If you don't place it at the very top, you will have to use a hook and eye to close the gap. Where the metal piece hits at the bottom of the zipper, place another pin marking the fabric. (One you can tell apart from the rest).

Step 3:
***Here's a little background know-how for you ladies who never touch your sewing machine. There is a knob that controls the distance between your stitches; the length. Mine is numbered 0-4 Zero is used when you don't want your machine to feed your fabric through at all. I use this when attaching buttons. 4 is used as a basting stitch. Your machine feeds the fabric quickly making a very long loose stitch. It holds your fabric together, but the seam is easily removed. This is also used when you want to ruche your fabric... a later tutorial for that. Use scrap fabric to play with the knob until you understand this whole deal.***
Using your longest stitch (basting stitch), stitch (without back-stitching) 1/2" down to the bottom of the zipper.

Step 4:
When you make it to your marking pin, turn the knob to a lower number (2.5), back-stitch and sew the rest of the way down.

Step 5:
Remove pins, open your seam and iron to press your seam flat. (I wrap the skirt around my ironing board to aid in the following step.)

Step 6:
Place your zipper, upside down on the pressed seam. Pin into place, aligning the seam with the teeth of your zipper.

Step 7:
Swap out the sewing foot for the zipper foot.

Step 8:
Align so that the seam runs along the edge of the foot and the needle is placed back in the notch of the foot. If it is too close to your seam, you might stitch over the teeth. Not good. So, use the knob that moves your needle to get it over into the middle of the notch. If it's too far to the right, you might miss the zipper all together. Also, not good.

Step 9:
Starting roughly 2" below the zipper head, back-stitch and sew down the zipper. Keep your hand under the dress to pull out the needles as you go and to feel for the end of the zipper.

Step 10:
Once you get to the bottom of the zipper, right before the metal piece, with your needle down, pick up the foot of your machine. Turn your fabric so that you sew across the zipper. BE SURE YOU ARE GOING TO CLEAR THE METAL CLIP. You will break your needle otherwise. You can hand stitch slowly with your balance wheel if you're worried.

Step 11:
Stitch up the other side, back-stitching 2" below zipper head.

Step 12:
Seam rip your basted stitch all the way down.

Step 13:
Unzip your zipper. This is your chance to test if you've hit any teeth. If you have, seam rip and restitch that area. You will know you've hit the teeth if the zipper won't budge.

Step 14:
At the top of your zipper you will see a metal clip. Fold excessive zipper fabric back at that clip. Pin it in between the dress and the zipper. Repeat on the other side.

Step 15:
Stitch up the open ends at the top of the zipper. Remember to back-stitch.

Step 16:
Clip all extra threads. There will be threads all down the zipper. If you have a hard time removing them, don't worry. Once you wash it, they will pull out easily.

I hope this is clear. If you have any questions, leave them in the comments. :)

Treasury Fever

2011-04-01T22:01:00.000-07:00

In bed all day... Gives me plenty of time to make treasuries!!!

To check out all the treasuries I've made you can click this link.

Yes Please Wednesday

2011-03-30T21:07:00.000-07:00

This week my theme is a backyard bridal shower. Truly, I love wedding planning. My own planning was so entertaining for me and now that it's over, I miss it. So, I apologize in advance if I have many wedding inspired Wedyesdays.

Gingham Napkins from SewnNatural: $30

Fabric Bunting from Merriweathercouncil: $40

Vintage Tea Set from LeeLeesCloset: $45

Finer Things- 5x7" Photo from ara133photography: $15

Bridgette Clutch from PercyHandmade: $85

Simply Raspberries photograph from Raceytay: $15

Wine and Roses Dress from amandaarcher: $235

Cherry Cheesecake Marshmellow Sampler from OhYum: $8

Did you know such delicious flavors of marshmellows existed? And for only $8, it's hard to resist.

Enjoy!

Apartment Therapy

2011-03-28T19:50:00.000-07:00

When we were moving into this house, I pulled all of these gorgeous photos from apartment therapy. I'm so sorry that I don't have any links to give you so that you can see more from each place.

Now that John and I are moving again in a few short months (and we still don't know where to), I decided it was time to cyber dust off these old photos and give them a home here on the blog. These are so inspiring for me to see. It makes me a bit less sad to think that we'll be leaving the cute little home we've made here by knowing I might have a chance to make another home feel as inviting as these...

Don't you just love all those nooks???

Admittedly, my biggest fear of our move is that we will end up in a cookie cutter apartment where I won't have a single nook! Last year John and I lived in a home with a tiny door in the kitchen with a mirror on it. It was shallow, possibly for spices, but it was too far from the stove to be used as such. So, we stuck vintage tea cups stuffed with tea bag pouches inside it. It made me so happy to open that little cabinet to find tea treasures.

Happy Friday

2011-03-25T14:26:00.000-07:00

Hope you're all having a wonderful Friday.

If you're stopping by from the Whippy Cake giveaway; Thanks for showing your pretty little faces.
And if you by chance haven't seen the post yet, go look. There's a giveaway for this skirt.

I wanted to showcase an artist that I love. Max Wanger does an incredible job capturing sweet moments and is the BEST at using negative space. I wish we'd done engagement photos. And lived in California.. Check out all his photos here.

And all of these prints are available in his shop for just $25 for an 8x11". It's a good deal. Now, get to it.

He also sells adorable postcards for a BUCK. For real, you might kick yourself for not clicking on that link.. just saying.

Have a wonderful weekend!

SALE!!

2011-03-24T11:13:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,
Thank you for never yelling at me for all the publicity I throw on facebook and twitter.
Thank you for following the links... including the one that brought you here.
Thank you for telling me how great I am all the time. I really like you too. And for that purpose, I am offering the following...

The time has come for you to get your supportive hands on your very own kay.em.kay wears.
So, from now until the end of March, I'm offering 20% off your order. This goes for you and your friends, and friends of friends.... heck, whoever sees this code can use it.

So, now's your chance. All you have to do is add the item to your cart. Once it brings you to the Submit page, there will be a little box at the top right for coupon codes. The code is: foryou

Now hurry and go! You have only 1 week!