MOVING

Moving of a different sort: I've decided to blog on my own dot com. Check it out here:
www.kayemkay.com/blog

We've Landed

Processing a move is like losing a friend. Oakland was a friend I didn't really like to talk to, because she was pretty rough around the edges. I seemed to always offend her. But we were neighbors and I saw her every day. And now I don't.

This is weird, but I miss my mailman and the kind guy who dropped off my UPS orders. I miss hearing the mom downstairs yelling at her children because they were running out the door without looking and speaking way too loudly. I miss the breeze of the water and walking next to the shore a couple times a week.

Needless to say, I miss the friends I love dearly.

We've moved to a lovely place. We are safe. People are very friendly. But I feel lost here. I AM lost here. After a month I have met only a handful of people. And I know friendships take time and that they should. But dang, it's lonely being the new girl.

In time, I'm certain that we will love it here. Once Autumn leaves fall I will be singing Louisville's praises. But here's where I am now. And that's all I can say.

Moving

In 5 weeks my husband and I will be packing up all our possessions... again... and moving across the States... again...

Source

Two years ago we were living in the town we grew up in. A single town to call home is a dream for some, whose families are spread far from each other. We never have to argue about who we will spend what holiday with. We simply do 2 meals in one day and make the 5 minute car ride midday. It's wonderfully safe there. It's beautiful in the spring and autumn. I never really wanted for anything activity-wise. And we were likely to end up buying a home there once we had enough money put away.

But then there was this burst of adventure. I don't know where it came from because really I'm a very tame person when it comes to unknowns. I don't like them. I scare easily. But with a growing desire to experience a new place and a safety net of John's extended family, we packed up our belongings, said goodbye to the people we held dearest, and drove out to Berkeley/Oakland, CA. (We live only footsteps from Oakland, and people have wildly different ideas between these 2 places. Merge those and you will have our neighborhood.)

Source

Culture shock was a good thing. You would not believe how frightened I was of the panhandlers when I first moved here. I thought they would jump me if I didn't give them money. Here's a lesson for all those sheltered out there, as I was: Panhandlers are not thieves. And I have not been mugged.

The weather here is phenomenal. I can hardly believe a place like this exists. You can pretty much wear whatever you want whenever you want. Add a scarf or light jacket when cold. For this reason, I'm pretty shocked that Oakland still exists in the disarray it is in; as in the rich and famous haven't tried to take over. But gentrification is slowly crawling in and that means if you are not in tech or engineering, you will not be able to afford to live here in 10 years.

Long story short (for today at least) John has been accepted to seminary in Louisville, KY. In 5 weeks we will begin a new chapter of adventure with a smaller safety net. We will likely struggle with loneliness and fear. But I remain hopeful that this is where we are supposed to go. It was not an easy process. There were personal things that literally got in our way and we were frightened that we would be rejected because of misinformation or varying opinions. It was hard and emotional and frustrating and heart breaking and yet, it happened. What looked impossible became possible. We are in awe and grateful and we are leaving here trusting that God has ordained it. I will just need to remind myself of this along the way.

Source

When I think about the move, my heart races in a good way (races like the derby??? eh? zing!). I'm longing for a place to put down roots and have a home. I don't know yet if Louisville is that for us, but it is a step closer to that place.

Current Fabric Options- Summer '13

navy polka dot

mint polka dot

Red and yellow floral

Navy and Gray Etching

Bold Lavender, Gray, Sage and Mustard Blooms

Black and White Tiny Leaves

Purple and Cream Feathers

Black and Red Lotus

Peach Roses

Damask Floral Vines

Mustard Faux Linen

Orange Paisley

Mustard Blooms

Large Navy Art Deco 'Blooms

Craspedia

Links

Colorful

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9

kay.em.kay Spring '13

Enter the Shop

2.14

Valentines Day plans are simple this year. Work, clean, cook. I may even make a card... but let's not push it.

John and I consider ourselves extremely frugal; which I love and hate. But, on days like today, I'm grateful if I'll find a bouquet on the table, where in my youth I'd think he was stingy or didn't REALLY love me.

We've been rocked this week. We had our next steps planned out until a friend of ours, very much in a tone of love and concern, expressed that we might be getting ahead of ourselves. It's been a lot of emotional honesty this past week, which is good and draining. And on top of that, I've been having a mild cold/allergy attack that is bringing on lots of fatigue. So, dear friend, please pray for us and clarity for the steps ahead. 

Hope you are having a sweet day.

Peter pan collar shirt

The spring designs are nearly finished. Hopefully they'll be ready for a photo shoot this weekend!

New Today-2.7

Nail polish with Catherine
Professional-esque photo of John for my office
Amazing new French Press

Mid-week Update

My dearest Megan, who is a best friend and a go-to model for me is turning 26 today. We're hosting her and her boyfriend tonight and I'm really excited to spend some time out of the office decorating and making a meal. John and I ate cereal for dinner last night. I was tired and had given up on real food.

And now for a few photos of us from our 6+ year friendship:

I'm having a hard time believing it's Wednesday already. So much attention to sewing this week that I haven't been doing much else.

I have been taking breaks in between custom orders to work on Spring things. I'm feeling the stress of not having anything fresh for Spring in my shop... and it's only February. But, that's how it is in this fashion world and I must follow suit.

I will be so happy when I have a few of these available. They take such a long time to make, that I want to make sure I stock all the sizes before I put them up in the shop. Probably in less than a months time. Fingers crossed, everyone.

Customer Appreciation- Kari

Kari had a custom white heart cut out dress made for her reception. I love when brides slip into a classic white dress for dancing. I honestly wish I would have known about this possibility as I definitely would have done the same. I dance like crazy (seriously, I look crazy) and had a rough time dragging that bustle around.

Here she is when she first got it (I just love her mustard bathroom and that you can see the front and back in one shot) and then at her reception.

Thanks so much for sharing these with me Kari. You were so sweet to work with and you look stunning!

Ready for you, Thursday

The morning light was too gorgeous to pass up, and now that my office is mostly organized (my fabric shelf is next), I feel like I can get back to work with lighter shoulders.

Please know that the "gown" on the body form is not happening. The top goes with a solid black skirt, the bow goes to a camera strap project and the pink maxi is a project I'd forgotten about, so I placed it front and center in hopes that I would finish it. It has 3 layers; satin, chiffon and organza, and it now needs a zipper. I don't want to sew the layers together, so I'm going to use this tutorial. But, it's a personal project, so those often fall to the wayside...

8 hours of cleaning ahead of me

Hmph. Today is the day that I take some time to clean my office. 

I'm so overwhelmed already that I could break down and cry at this moment! I have been stocking up on fabrics again, with little space to do this. Plus, I've started hoarding my scraps as I plan to open a shop for home goods and babies in the near future. All this plus some bad habits makes for a disaster zone.

So, I'm throwing back some shots of espresso, taking deep breaths and trying not to stress out about the things I wish I were sewing. Wish me luck, dear friend. I hope to return with good news, and maybe some pictures, should it actually look decent when it's over. 

Hope you're all able to quickly defeat the humpday blues.

xo!

Vintage Secretary Tank

This shirt has been seen at 2 photo shoots and never made it to the shop. To be honest, it was because each shirt was many hours work in the making and I was feeling overwhelmed by it. But, I've finally mastered the skills needed to process these quickly enough that I can sell them, which is great, because many people have asked me about when they will be in the shop. I'm hoping to have them up next week.

They will be listed in these 2 fabrics, but because both are dead stock, whatever I list is all I have.

Prints

I have an eclectic taste for prints. I love realism, abstract concepts, soft lines, hard lines and fonts. I would place this collection on one wall all together and not even think twice about it. Do you keep your prints/artwork separate by palette, space or genre?

All of these prints can be found on etsy too, my darlings.

Magic Farmhouse, $18
Give Thanks, $22
Minke Whale, $10
Print ABC's, $35
Johnny (Cash) Letterpress, $40
Ballerina, $20
Eclipse, $20
Fine Herbs, $39
Roam, $15