Katery Designs

Preston Marries Melissa

2011-11-21T03:15:00.000-08:00

It's after 3:30am on a Sunday morning... Here I sit with one of my best friends in the entire world. Neither of us can sleep -- and so we're writing his wedding ceremony together in the kitchen of the rented-condo Preston and Melissa have been living in for the last month before we all fly to Mexico for their wedding ceremony tomorrow morning. From there -- those crazy kids will be off on an adventure more grand than most of us ever dream of. The itinerary:

Sayulita, Mexico Roatan and Copan, Honduras Buenos Aires, Argentina Montevideo, Uruguay Valparaiso, Pichilemu, Santa Cruz, Santiago – Chile San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua Playa del Carmen, Mexico Madrid, Gibraltar, Valencia, Barcelona – Spain Morocco Paris Rafz, Switzerland Dubrovnik, Croatia Vienna, Austria

I feel so blessed to be a part of Preston and Melissa's life. I've never seen my friend happier, and the one who makes him so happy became a sister and best friend to me, as well. How lucky we can be in life. Just wanted to share some fun moments with them...

Read more about Preston and Melissa's wedding and honeymoon here. :)

Love you guys. Vamos a Mexico, mis amigos!

Love,

Katery

Feeling Green...

2011-10-09T20:24:00.000-07:00

Loving green right now! I was inspired by this to be a witch this year for Halloween. Got the green makeup, hat, and some cute striped purple gloves today.

Made some cute green earrings tonight... more on those later.

Inspired enough by green to make this fun treasury, too!

That's it for now...

Love,

Katery

Color of the Moment: Giddy Over Goldenrod

2011-08-24T07:49:00.000-07:00

Right now I'm loving GOLDENROD. This is in part due to my last post, (and that fabulous afghan bag)...

...and in part due to me LOVING the colors from my friend Saadia's wedding, (so beautifully put together):

Here are some of my favorite finds on Etsy:

The Longe Skinny Cotton Scarf Necklace

Ceramic Plate Wall Clock

Handspun dyed yarn

Goldenrod Pom

Hitchcock Silhouette Pillow

Hand-Dyed Applique Necklace, (Portland local!)

That's it for now!

Love,

Katery

What I'm Loving: Anything Afghan!

2011-08-23T20:59:00.001-07:00

I'm totally into these right now... found a few super cute afghan bags on Etsy. I'm especially loving this gray and yellow tote. It says it's a Summer Bag, but I think it'd be awesome for Fall, too!

Not only are the bags cute, but they're making me want to learn how to bust out some afghans, too. Loving these, (and just bought this one on Etsy for $25 bucks)!

Dolly Granny Square Blanket

Squares Patchwork Throw

Serendipity Hand Knit Baby Blanket

Yea, I know... there's a color trend there. :) All of this reminds me of Sia concerts, where she's got afghans all over the stage, (including covering the equipment). What a quirky, lovely girl!

That's it for tonight!

Love,

Katery

What I Wore: Tuesday Edition

2011-08-23T20:26:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I'm going to keep rolling with this whole "What I Wore" thing for now. Tomorrow I get my stitches out, so today I wore jeans to keep them under cover.

Scarf: Import store on Hawthorne

Shirt: Fei @ Anthropologie

Jeans: Old Navy

Sandals: Corso Cuomo

Bracelets: handmade and J.Crew

I tried my hand for the first time at making jam, as well. Hope the sugarless strawberry freezer jam turns out okay! It was nice to have a little helper in Zoe.

Here's a link to the recipe I used at SimpleOrganic.net! Ingredients were simple: strawberries, white grape juice, pectin and honey. I'll let you know how it turns out!

And had a lovely meal last night, (and leftovers tonight), a delicious and easy salad of mixed spring greens, (spinach tonight), strawberries, blueberries, nectarines, heirloom tomatoes, goat cheese, pine nuts, balsamic fig dressing, and grilled shrimp. Mmmmmm!

And I started reading Atlas Shrugged tonight... got through about 50 pages, (just another 1,019 to go)!

Love,

Katery

Inspired... What I'm Wearing!

2011-08-22T13:44:00.001-07:00

Still on disability leave from work... and today I'm planning on enjoying the sunshine and going to the park to lay down on a blanket and read. Here's what I'm wearing:

Fedora: Bonnet in the Pearl

Shirt: Nordstrom BP

Silk shorts: Express

Flip flops: Fred Meyer

Necklace: Saturday Market in Portland

Earrings: Tiffany's

Bracelets: J.Crew, and handmade friendship bracelets

I get my stitches out Wednesday... and hopefully can make it back to work sometime next week.

Love,

Katery

What I Wore...

2011-08-22T12:03:00.000-07:00

What a fabulous idea, (something I've thought about doing, as well). I'm loving the blog What I Wore: A Personal Style Blog from blogger Jessica Quirk of Indiana. She's been taking photos of her daily outfits since May of 2007, and has turned a fun-style blog/hobby into a full-time job. How fun... enjoy!

Some of my faves... especially this first one!

Some of what I've worn, (at least the shots I have from the last few months)...

30th birthday party... custom made dress by Katie Guinn, Cordani Shoes, J.Crew cardigan

Banana Republic cardigan, American Apparel tunic shirt printed by Etsy seller Free Flight Clothing, Victoria's Secret leggings, riding boots from DSW

Knit sweater from France, (thanks, sister); White House/Black Market dress, necklace from Forever 21, DSW boots

H&M scarf, GAP sweater, Old Navy tank, J.Crew skirt, DSW boots

Anthropologie sweater, Victoria's Secret leggings, J.Crew t-shirt, DSW boots, (Kai -- my accessory from the Oregon Humane Society)...

J.Crew cardigan, Forever 21 earrings, Lucky Brand scarf, J.Crew striped t-shirt, skirt from Charlotte Russe, Macy's HUE tights, Miss Mooz clogs

Bachelorette party dress from Anthropologie

Awesome sweater from a boutique in SoHo NYC, earrings made by me!

Okay, so that's pretty fun. I wish I had time to do this daily... perhaps I'll try to do it more often.

For more info about Jessica and her new book "What I Wore" -- check out her Facebook page, too!

Love,

Katery

Missoni for Target

2011-08-22T11:41:00.000-07:00

What I'm currently excited about? The Missoni for Target Collection! Last year, I loved the Liberty of London collection so much... and this year I'm looking forward to Missoni's affordable goods-- to be released on September 13th in stores and online.

View the entire collection here: Missoni for Target Collection.

Some of my faves...

(Love this hoodie)...

Both poncho and dress are super cute...

I'm a sucker for flats!!

Perfect for Portland!

Love the vibrant colors of these scarves...

I've been wanting to stock up on some plastic dishes lately... perfect!

I'm really into the tribal print style right now... so this Missoni collection is something I'm very much looking forward to!

That's it for now.

Love,

Katery

Don't feel like writing...

2011-08-18T23:25:00.001-07:00

But I do feel like posting pictures! :) I had surgery last week to take the metal out of my leg... so, now I'm on the mend and have lots of time to play on the computer and on the blog. :)

Before my surgery I had lots of fun! Mike and I took Coyla to Cannon Beach...

And Susie, a co-worker, and some friends took out the family boat for the day. So fun!

Mike and I attended Kelly and Brenden's Portland wedding party...

...as well as one for Kirsten and Ollie!

So many fun times recently... now time to rest and heal!

Love,

Katery

Long time, no post!

2011-08-18T23:08:00.001-07:00

Some more dirty-thirty pics!!

Love,

Katery

Dirty 30

2011-07-08T19:03:00.000-07:00

So, I turned 30 yesterday. It was quite possibly and most likely the best birthday I ever had.

I think it beat 21 when I was wasted at Warped Tour and then sung to at a piano bar in Reno.

I'm pretty sure it topped my 7th birthday at Disneyland... turning 7 on 7.7.87, bitches.

I guess it even topped the year McKay woke me up with a drink and a song and we partied together in Ashland.

It wasn't as fun because I had to work... but what was awesome about work was that while Melissa took me out to a lovely lunch at Andina, one Miss Erica Heartquist snuck into the college and decorated my desk in diamond and Tiffany-blue colored photos, (even a pretty Tiffany's necklace). Such a SWEET thing to do!

Lunch @ Andina

Mike also surprised me at work with beautiful flowers from our favorite neighborhood shop, Broadway Floral. So pretty! Note the green shirt, (also a birthday present), from Anthropologie. Annnnnd... the fork/knife/spoon necklace, (that you can't really see here)... a gift from Scott and Alyssa. LOVE!

We topped the night off with a surprise dinner at favorite Tabla... Melissa, Preston, Mike, Erica, Julie, Donald and I in the private room in back with a 4 course meal. Yum!!

All-in-all, a WONDERFUL birthday... and most definitely the best I've had yet. Thank you awesome, awesome, awesome friends and family for making it so special. I feel so loved.

Love,

Katery

Picture Time! :)

2011-05-18T20:42:00.001-07:00

New Tattoo... love my Daddy... courtesy of Jerry at Atlas on N. Albina. <3

...at Yelle... fun French electro-pop!

...with the lead singer after the show... she was so cute!

At Coyla's Mom's wedding reception...

Love my 'lil sis!!

That's it for now. I'm reading Gone With the Wind. Off to read. Good night!

Love,

Katery

Designer Love: United Nude

2011-05-08T11:06:00.000-07:00

I've discovered a pair of shoe designers who created the line United Nude. A former architect teamed up with an existing shoe designer to create the funky, obviously architecturally-influenced line. Some of my favorites:

Most practical fave...

The Block Pump Mid Fluo Red

Most in love with...

Fold Mid Electro

Most practical...

The Envelope Pale Blue

Best strappy sandal...

The Cup Pure Mid Camel

Favorite funky...

Haiku Black

Prices range from $70 to $325, with some of my faves around the $170-$250 mark. So, yea they're a little spendy, but that green electro bootie just might be worth it come this Fall, (at least for me).

That's it for now!

Love,

Katery

Exciting!

2011-05-04T21:42:00.000-07:00

Missoni to collaborate with Target for Fall collection!!

http://www.vogue.com/vogue-daily/article/next-up-from-target-come-september-a-collaboration-with-missoni/?mbid=fabsugar

Color of the Moment: Blood Orange Bliss

2011-05-04T20:17:00.000-07:00

I find myself being inspired to blog about certain colors that I'm into at certain times. During different seasons I'm randomly inpired by/drawn to certain colors, and right now the color I'm most into is blood orange. So, I think I'm starting a new blog category: color of the moment!

I think my current obsession with blood orange began when I spotted a former co-worker wearing this dress from H&M. I immediately wanted it, so went to the store and bought it, (since then a now-current co-worker bought the same one, and another wants it). :)

Today I wore this great sweater I picked up on sale at Anthropologie, (Kai and I this evening headed with Mike for dinner on the Rose and Thistle patio)...

Even last night I made salmon for dinner with blood orange puree...

And I'm currently enjoying these beautiful tulips on my desk. :)

This evening I thought I'd look around online and see what kind of blood orange fabulousness I could find. On Etsy this Blood Orange Jam looks absolutely delish...

...and I found and immediately bought these Real Blood Orange Earrings, (awesome, LOVE).

And when it comes to super cute dresses, these all do the trick...

the Parker Dress in Blood Orange...

...as well as blood orange at Peter Som, Carolina Herrera, and Lela Rose.

And to finish it off, I'm trying not to really drink much right now, (perhaps a cocktail or glass of wine to celebrate cinco de drinko tomorrow), but this sounds amazing and will certainly be sampled this summer... Blood Orange Cocktail.

2-3 large blood oranges, juiced, about 1/3 cup juice

1 oz campari

Chilled sparkling wine – choose from prosecco, champagne, cava, brut, etc.

Optional garnish – blood orange peel or blood orange slice

So, that's it for tonight! Tomorrow night I'm looking forward to watching one of my badass, best friends, Carrie, get her ass kicked on Wipeout, whilst hanging out with Beth... girls' dinner on Friday, and I'm sure more fun to come this weekend. :)

Love,

Katery

Ooo la la! Met Gala Fashion!

2011-05-03T09:03:00.000-07:00

One of the most fun nights to see celebs dress up is always the Met Gala, and the theme for this year's Costume Institute exhibit was "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty," in honor of the late British designer.

Check out a photo gallery of the gowns!

Some of my faves from last night...

Jennifer Hudson in Vera Wang

Blake Lively in Chanel

Taylor Swift in J. Mendel

Iman

Giselle in Alexander McQueen with Tom Brady

Eva Mendes

The new creative director for Alexander McQueen, Sarah Burton, also design not just the wedding gown, but also the reception dress for newly-crowned Princess Kate Middleton.

That's it for now! Off to work! Hope everyone has a lovely, fashionable day. :)

Love,

Katery

Etsy Featured Shop: Pinup Brenda

2011-05-01T22:30:00.000-07:00

I've loved Brenda Dunn's pinup illustrations for years and was super excited to receive my own piece as a Christmas gift, (from Melissa and Preston).

Perhaps one reason why I love this random candid shot from a party at P and M's house a couple of years ago is that it kind of reminds me of a Brenda Dunn illustration!

One of my favorites is "Cloe"...

... and how could I not love "Kate"?

Brenda has a super sweet deal going on right now... a ton of 8.5x11 prints on sale as she switches to a new format... so I just bought myself an "Emily". Yay! Can't wait for her to come in the mail.

Some other favorites include "June"...

...and Shannon...

...and while my favorites are the close-up pinups, these girls are super cute, too!

"Lumber Jill"

"Hey Sailor"

Be sure to check out Pinup Brenda on Etsy, as she's always coming up with cute new pin-ups, and look for further updates on her new site Pinup Brenda!!

Love,

Katery

Spring Cleaning!

2011-05-01T20:37:00.000-07:00

We've been taking it easy this weekend, relaxing and being productive with some Spring cleaning around the condo. I suppose I was inspired by how beautiful it is outside -- wanted to keep things nice and clean inside, as well. Look at the beautiful trees blooming in front of our condo... LOVE it!

I also decided to spruce up our back entrance after stopping by a nursery in Gresham while visiting Dad this afternoon. I'm going with a white theme this year and bought a hanging basket of pansies, as well as some impatiens, dahlias, snow flower, and petunias.

Mike unleashed a brush on Kai and got more fur off her than I've ever seen. Shedding season has most definitely arrived. Anyone thinking of getting a husky, look closely before committing!

On Saturday after work, Melissa and I went over to the Portland Farmer's Market at Portland State University. I haven't been to that market in years, since the Hollywood Farmer's Market and even a market right in my neighborhood opened up. I picked up some beautiful Spring asparagus, as well as some fresh salmon caught off the coast of Garibaldi, and some beautiful purple iris.

Tonight I made tasty buffalo burgers with asparagus for dinner...

... and last night salmon tacos with asparagus!

It's nearly 2 months 'til my 30th birthday, and I'm going to really try during that time to eat more meals at home and drink much less, (so long happy hour and good wine -- at least for now). Between starting the food blog and being hurt, (and not able to work out quite as much as normal), I've gained about 10 pounds since my crash. Since my super-skinny wedding weight, well, it's more like a gain of 20-25 pounds. Eeek! My skinny jeans definitely don't fit, so I'm aiming to get back into them and feel great for the big birthday!

So, more food blogging to come on Go Stick A Fork In It... luckily I've got a lot of pictures from meals out I haven't blogged about yet!

That's it for tonight.

Love,

Katery

P.S. Took Grandma to see 'Water for Elephants' yesterday. It was great!

Versatility? Yes, please!

2011-04-29T23:06:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know it's not exactly boot season anymore, but I've been thinking lately about the versatility of my favorite brown riding boots. I bought them online in the Fall, (one big thing I had to look forward to after crashing my bike was picking out the perfect boots for boot season). I wasn't even sure about them when they first came in the mail from DSW, but it turns out I LOVE them and could wear them practically every day!

In fact, I did something I don't normally do -- and this week wore them 3 DAYS IN A ROW. This is not normal for me, so I figured I'd document the occasion... plus, I wanted to show off just how great they go with so many different things!

Tuesday: dress from White House Black Market

and sweater Julie gave me from her trip to France...

Wednesday: scarf from H&M, sweater from Ann Taylor,

tank top from Old Navy, skirt from J.Crew

Thursday... tunic dress from Free Flight Clothing on Etsy, cardigan from Banana Republic,

and leggings from Victoria's Secret

These boots were also part of a recent post about that awesome

$34.50 Old Navy floral dress...

here pictured with a military jacket from Nordstrom,

and more leggings from Victoria's Secret... they just go with everything!

My fabulous boots aren't available at DSW anymore, but I looked around online to find some other brown riding boots in a wide range of prices... check 'em out below:

Frye Vintage Brown riding boots

Ralph Lauren brown riding boots

Chloe riding boots

And a couple of links that Flash wouldn't let me save the picture...

DSW Riding Boots - On sale now!

More cute boots...

So, that's it for tonight. Geeze, it's nearly midnight and I get to go to work at 8:30am for an Open House at The Art Institute. Yay!

That means bedtime for me.

Love,

Katery

Too tired to write...

2011-04-25T21:35:00.000-07:00

...but wanted to update and share recent pictures! :)

Went to see Raphael Saadiq a couple of weeks ago with P and M. So much fun!

Awesome show! Love his music... check this to get a taste...

And a yummy girls' brunch at Screen Door restaurant in Portland...

you know a blog on Go Stick A Fork In It will follow from this!

Look at these cuties and their matching scarves...

Finally, this last weekend we spent the holiday at my Uncle's house in Sunriver!

Great times with Preston and Melissa. :)

Check out Mike's awesome photo-bomb!

So, that's it for tonight. Go Blazers!!

Love,

Katery

Seriously? It's still freakin' raining??

2011-04-16T00:12:00.000-07:00

You know, normally I love, scratch that, don't mind the rainy season at all. I like listening to the rain while I go to sleep at night, and I love having an excuse to be inside and enjoy a lazy day curled up at home. I do, however, have a problem with the rain when it doesn't stop for days, and it's super gray across the whole sky, no puffy clouds and no sun breaks. So, needless to say, I feel the last couple of days have been pretty crappy weather-wise. Fortunately, I've found lots of fun activities indoors to keep me entertained...

Today was a super fun day, after working 12 of the last 14 days, Melissa and I took the day off work and headed out to soggy wine country for a day of tastings. We hit up Eyrie Vineyards, (home of the first pinot noir in the Willamette Valley), Panther Creek Cellars, and Daedalus Cellars in the Dundee-McMinnville area. Kai came along for the ride, too...

Then Mike and I headed out for Karen's birthday celebrations, dinner and bowling!

Gooooood times ensued...

Sweet action shot of the birthday girl that I'm especially proud of...

Tomorrow it's girls' dinner then the first Blazers playoff game! Woot! GO BLAZERS!!!

Another recent event was Smash Putt, (last weekend). It's only in P-town for another couple of weeks, so go check it out!! Of course I forgot my camera for that one... bummer.

So, that's it for tonight... sleepy-time!

Love,

Katery

$34.50 What?

2011-04-04T18:53:00.000-07:00

I found the cutest little dress at Old Navy this weekend... apparently a few celebrities found it, too. Do these girls have the same stylist or what? That's Carmen Electra, Louise Roe, Joanna Krupa and LaLa Vazquez all donning the same sweet little number.

Check out the Women's Ruffled Chiffon Sundress on the store web site.

I wore my dress today with a military-inspired jacket from Nordstrom, leggings from Victoria's Secret, and my favorite winter boot purchase, these great riding boots from DSW. What a fun dress to wear with layers, or maybe with less layers as the weather warms up. (And what a naughty little dog on the couch with me. Look at those submissive ears). :)

So, that's really all I've got tonight. Just felt like blogging about my awesome, inexpensive dress, (P.S. it comes in black and a yellow floral print, too).

Love,

Katery

Featured Etsy Shop: Xenotees!

2011-04-03T13:13:00.000-07:00

I've recently made a couple of fabulous purchases from Pennsylvania-based Xenotees. All the adorable clothes are professionally screen-printed on a manual 6 color press.

I bought the succulent fork shirt below...

And bought a tasty green version for Melissa. :)

See!

There are plenty of other sweet options for guys and girls... Like this Collective Names of Animals shirt featuring a "knot of toads", a "sleuth of bears", or a "business of giraffes".

Love this Nerval Lobster Tee, too. The French poet Gerard de Nerval would apparently walk his pet lobster with a ribbon. The leash is in French, translated "I have a liking for lobsters. They are peaceful, serious creatures. They know the secrets of the sea, they don't bark..."

All Xenotees are printed on high-quality American Apparel. So fun! Great for you or your friends. :)

Love,

Katery

Fun, mellow weekend!

2011-04-02T22:47:00.001-07:00

Just thought I'd share some pics from this much more low-key weekend compared to last. :) I got a new phone a week ago, and I've been having fun taking pictures of things and sharing them on Facebook. Time to blog, as well!

After a couple drinks for happy hour yesterday at Teardrop Lounge in the Pearl, Mike and I laid super low at home and watched The Big Lebowski, (thumbs down). At least the drinks were awesome! This "Spirit Lifter" certainly did the trick with amber rum, lemon, orange curacao, Trader Tiki's falernum, soda, and a Lillet Rouge float. Can't beat $5 for that!

This morning I went into work for a few hours before hitting Elena's baby shower at the MAC Club. "Scarftastic" as Melissa said. Mine's from Forever 21. :) A good find in San Diego.

While at the baby shower, I asked about where my former co-worker Melica got her super cute dress... so, a quick trip to H&M was made on the way home! Yes, I purchased the EXACT same dress, (what can I say? I loved it!)

Sure, it may be somewhat-exactly-the-same to the dress I picked up at H&M in New York a few seasons ago, but when something works, it keeps working in other colors, too! (That's me, strutting it in Brooklyn)...

Also found these super cute, chunky platforms at H&M...

But didn't buy them, as I picked these Miz Mooz up at Nordstrom recently! :)

I also decided to swing by J.Crew, (hey -- had to get my parking validated), and found these $135 ballet flats for $50, (score)... I've been needing a new pair of J.Crew black ballet flats. My patent leather ones have had some serious use!

Finally made it home to clean, (and had a little visit from Oberonski). He's the beautiful Flamepoint Siamese cat I adopted in college, who now lives with my neighbor upstairs, (Mike's super allergic).

This evening Coyla's staying over, (watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer on the couch beside me), and now it's time for me to go to bed! 'Night!

Love,

Katery

Happy Thursday!

2011-03-31T21:27:00.001-07:00

I thought a cute outfit deserved a little recognition...

Lucky scarf, jCrew shirt and cardigan, random skirt, (Forever 21? Charlotte Russe?), Hue tights, Miz Mooz shoes.

You know when you just feel cute? That was me today. Sweet!

That's it for now. Had a busy day at work and a fun dinner at Nuestra Cocina with friends.

Love,

Katery

Birthday Weekend: Round 2!

2011-03-27T11:10:00.000-07:00

Oh my... ding, ding, ding... Round 2! After having so much fun for Melissa's birthday celebrations Friday night, we put our rally caps on for Erica's fabulous Nautical Pub Crawl Saturday night! Shenanigans ensued at downtown bars Rialto, Club Rouge, (a quick dinner break at Central), The Thirsty Lion, and finally -- The Dixie! Some of these people started at NOON!! (Melissa, P and I arrived around 6, so we had some catching up to do). So fun to see good friends and to celebrate Miss Heartquist's birthday!

A little love from the birthday girl...

Quick stop at Central for crepes and cocktails!

Good to see B!

With Tracy!

Maybe a couple drinks in by now... Trying on E's hat...

More drinks in... :)

Today I'm all about chilling out, doing some cleaning, and visiting with Dad. A busy work week ahead, so here's to enjoying the rest of the weekend!

Love,

Katery

First Food Blog Entry!

2011-03-26T16:39:00.001-07:00

Check out Tabla Mediterranean Bistro at http://gostickaforkinit.blogspot.com/

Love,

Katery

Busy Birthday Weekend: Round 1!

2011-03-26T14:22:00.000-07:00

Each year this weekend in March marks celebrations for the birthdays for 2 of my closest friends: Erica and Melissa! This afternoon is a nautical themed pub crawl for Erica, but last night a few of us got together to celebrate Melissa's birthday with drinks in my 'hood at Swift, dinner at Aviary, and dancing at Holocene, (we went to Sassy's, too -- but that's another story).

Anyway, I'm a bit on the hungover side today, so am chilling out, relaxing in bed and wanted to share pictures from a FUN night out!

Birthday girl...

M and M...

Such pretty food at Aviary... you know there'll be a "Go Stick A Fork In It" post about this dinner!

Tasty drink at Swift!

Preston... always such a ladies' man!

So, I'm just getting ready to drag myself out of the condo to go have fun at E's birthday party! Such a rough life... hee hee...

Love,

Katery

Hungry? New Food Blog!!

2011-03-23T21:41:00.000-07:00

Foodie friends...

Check it out:

http://gostickaforkinit.blogspot.com/

And then go stick a fork in it!

Love,

Katery

Yay! 50 Followers!

2011-03-22T21:54:00.000-07:00

Now, if I could just figure out how to get more comments. I LOVE comments! :)

I'm excited to have reached 50 followers on my blog!! Thanks everyone who follows and reads.

Here's the latest...

This last weekend I took a FUN trip to Ashland with some of my favorite girls: Melissa, Erica, and met up with Squires down there. I also got to see my adorable niece, Shannon. Here are weekend highlights in photos:

The girls and I at Tabu restaurant in Ashland...

Ready to go out, here in our awesome suite at The Palm Motel...

Melissa enjoying dessert at Smithfield's... amazing restaurant in Ashland...

With niece Shannon, a.k.a. "Dollface"...

Meantime, back at work this week I've been super busy. However, last night Mike and I enjoyed a tasty sushi dinner at Bamboo, a sustainable Japanese restaurant in Southeast Portland. I'm starting to realize between Melissa and my in-laws Donald and Julie, I'm becoming a total foodie. More on that later, as I'm working on starting a food blog, too! :)

That's in for tonight.

Love,

Katery

Mobile Update!

2011-03-15T21:53:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

Had some fun pics on the ol' camera phone, so thought I'd share. I don't have a pimp iPhone that allows me to do anything cooler than that... Instead I email to yahoo from my Sidekick, and post things in groups... It's a fun blog update, at least. :)

I've been pretty busy at work this week and am looking very forward to a girls' trip to Ashland this coming weekend to catch up with college peeps. Should be awesome! Hopefully I'll be feeling a little better after having the worst cold kick my ass the last couple of weeks... still feeling tired from it!

In the meantime, here's some other stuff I've been up to...

On Sunday I was out in the Beav, so I picked up Grandma and took her out to dinner. We swung by the mall, and I found this super cute dress on clearance at Macy's. Original price = $215. My price? $12.75. Some people out there are feeling pretty dumb right now! It's so fun! I think I'll wear for our anniversary dinner coming up in a few weeks... 3rd year of marriage!

This is me today at work... I went to the dentist this morning and got a $300 teeth-whitening for free, (thanks to referring family and co-workers to the dentist). Do my teeth look whiter? They're certainly more sensitive, (random, intense shooting pain = awesome). The procedure took 2 1/2 hours. Not highly recommended as far as a good time, but the results are pretty sweet, I suppose...

Speaking of sweet. The only way I celebrated Mardi Gras this year was with some King Cake over at Mel's place. Her parents Fed-Ex'ed her the sweet-croissant-like-glitter-covered cake, a big tradition in New Orleans, apparently. Of course, I'd never heard of it. Stuffed inside each King Cake is a little baby Jesus, so whoever gets the piece with Jesus, has to buy the next cake or host the next party. I was so excited that I got baby Jesus in my piece, (of course Mel told me later she put it in mine on purpose). It was still exciting. I brought a piece home for Mike, and got him all stoked on Jesus, too. Ha!

This is a picture from the drive between San Diego and Los Angeles a couple of weeks ago. It was supposed to be like the worst storm in 5 years... so I upped the ante and rented an SUV for my drive. Yea -- this is what the weather did. Not so much, although it did kinda snow a little in Hollywood!

Another shot from the road... I wanted to text Mike the delicious breakfast I ate. Probably not the safest to be taking pictures while eating while driving and texting. Oh well. I survived! The lox, cream cheese and capers on a toasted bagel did not survive long, however.

I can't remember if I shared this picture already, but it's the pimp ring I bought in Old Town San Diego. Love it!

Finally, the view from the hotel in SD. So lovely! It's been raining for days here.

Oh well, I still love P-town!

Okay, that's it for tonight. Off to beddy-bye!

Love,

Katery

Fly Away With Me...

2011-03-07T18:04:00.000-08:00

A crane treasury...

"A Smile is the beginning of peace."

I've loved paper cranes since I was a little girl. In elementary school I read a book about a young girl who folded a thousand peace cranes after the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. The story stuck with me, and I've loved paper cranes and origami since then. I've made quite a few paper crane earrings like these...

... and I've also worn and loved this Lucky shirt for a few years...

Anyway, I was inspired to create this treasury yesterday after purchasing this awesome vinyl wall art from NouWall on Etsy. I ordered chocolate brown outlines for the cranes, and my husband doesn't know this yet -- but it will soon be hanging in our living room...

Anyway, that's my inspiration. Now time to chill out and not look at a screen for some amount of time. My eyes hurt from so much computer-ing over the last few days. Even a few hours at work today... too much!

Love,

Katery

Just had to share...

2011-03-06T15:33:00.000-08:00

Check out this awesome bicycle-themed posting on my fave blog design*sponge!

http://www.designspongeonline.com/2010/09/bike-madness-bikes-accessories-and-inspired-decor.html/comment-page-2#comment-204168

Fabulous!

And, yes, I fully intend on getting back on a bicycle, (not necessarily the same bicycle I crashed on), in the near-ish future. My beautiful road bike... let's call her Betty...

... that's not a knock to my Grandma. It just makes sense, like Betty Blue, (Ben and Theresa's boat, RIP), and my Dad's horse from when he was a teenager, Betty, that threw him off one day, breaking his shoulder. Seems appropriate.

Anyway, I may not be cruisin' around downtown and the East side on Betty much in the future... too skinny of tires for city commuting, perhaps, (apparently). I'm thinkin' instead of getting a hybrid, (fatter tires), this Spring. Some options...

1. A Women's Hybrid from Gary Fisher...

2. LOVE this yellow Schwinn Hybrid... but am really only finding it for sale in the UK...

3. Finally, this classic Loring hybrid...

So, what do you think? Bike 1, 2, or 3? :)

I'm getting more and more excited to ride again!

Love,

Katery

Still sick, still blogging!

2011-03-06T11:28:00.001-08:00

Woke up feeling a little better this morning... but not a whole lot... and decided I'd love to do some more blogging and create a treasury! It's been a long time since I played with Etsy and looked around to find cute stuff, so today I was inspired by forks. I wasn't sure why at first, then I remembered seeing this cute entry on one of my best friend's blogs... For The Love of Painting... with some sweet fork art. So, anyway... here's some forky goodness entitled "Go Fork Yourself", a treasury I created on Etsy this morning:

Go Fork Yourself

That's it for this morning.

Love,

Katery

Sick in bed = time to blog!

2011-03-05T19:07:00.001-08:00

So annoyed with co-workers who feel the need to show up at work SICK. Why? Because now I'm sick. Yes, it's entirely possible someone else in the world outside of the office could've gotten me sick, but I choose to blame people who come to work very sick anyway.

I've been in bed the last 2 days with the WORST cold. Argh. I've been reading "The Other Boleyn Girl", watching "The Tudors" all over again from season 1, (just on to season 2, actually), and also watched "Sex and Lucia" this evening. Unfortunately, after being confined to a bed/our condo for so long after crashing my bicycle, I'm OVER it.

So, anyway, thought I'd take this opportunity to take a break from watching movies/reading and update my poor, neglected blog.

Mike's working this weekend, vacation relief at KGW, so it's just me, my little computer, and my lazy dog hangin' out!

Week before last I was in San Diego for work and had an absolutely lovely trip. The weather in SD was record lows, but it was warmer and sunnier than Portland, so it worked for me! I got to spend the week in training for work, getting to know some of my co-workers better, as well. I'd say we had a good time winding down in the evenings...

After work wrapped up on Friday, I spent the evening catching up with some very missed friends: Tara, my roomie from Palm Springs, Chrissy, a pal from high school who I hadn't seen in 6 years or so, and former KGW reporter Jen Coleman! So fun to see everyone!

The next day I rented a car and headed up to Hollywood to hang out with very, very, very good, sexy, hot, fabulous friend Carrie. She and her two little Mexican babies are just about the cutest things ever...

So good to see her and the boys... she'd better get her butt up to Portland to visit/go wine tasting this summer!! :)

The next morning, I stopped off in Malibu on my way back to San Diego to catch my flight... Had a delightful lunch with two of my favorite people -- my Uncle Dave and Aunt Ann. Aren't they snazzy?

And look at my uber-delicious lunch. That Gladstones makes a mean taco salad! Yummmm...

Anyway, that's about it for tonight. Going to try to eat something and probably watch some more Tudors before bed. Adios amigos!

Love,

Katery

Updation Station :)

2011-02-19T23:15:00.000-08:00

I realized tonight it's been a while since I blogged... so figured I'd upload some recent pics. I'm headed off to San Diego this week for work; laying low this weekend in the meantime. Enjoy!

Rameys Unite! Mike's 32 birthday @ Spirit of 77.

Kai being the cutest Roo that ever roo'd...

Perdy flowers from Trader Joe's...

And while I'm at it, I thought I'd load up some pictures from my cell phone... some of these are pretty old and all have a story behind them! :)

Geeze... this one's really old... from a couple of summers ago when Melissa and I saw The Wailers at The Oregon Zoo. Oh my -- we got so trashed that night. Good times!

My favorite drink. Thanks, Donald, for teaching me how to make a Gin Basil Smash. Perfect for the summer... but I enjoy it year round! Directions can be found HERE!

Mike and I ordered an exorbitant amount of sushi one night last summer...

sooo tasty at Sinju in the Pearl.

This is what happened to our Director of Admissions' desk after he went on vacation during the holidays. What a mess! I'm so glad nobody attacked my desk after my bike crash. :) You should've seen this guy's phone... it was completely wrapped up in clear packaging tape! (And for the record.. I had *no* part in this)!

One night a few months ago I was feeling particularly emo, and this sweet little kitten showed up at the back door as I came home from work. Mike was out late that night, so this sweet little kitten and I cuddled on the couch, as I cried my eyes out watching City of Angels. The kitty has not been seen since!

A beautiful little macaroon from Melissa's mom in New Orleans. Can you see the glitter on this thing? Almost too pretty to eat... but too tasty to pass up!

Finally, the beautiful lilies and orchids Michael brought over to work on Valentine's Day. They're still blooming like crazy and smell amazing!!

That's all for tonight!

Love,

Katery

Fabulous Friends in 2011

2011-01-15T12:52:00.000-08:00

I said I'd post a couple of these... so here are pics from NYE dinner at Genoa. Today is full of errand-running, then taking Dad to see The Blazers play tonight at The Rose Garden for Dad's birthday. Woo hoo! :) Last night, an excellent dinner at June.

Otherwise, I'm not feeling so hot... kinda sick... think I'm fighting a cold. Argh.

Love,

Katery

Genoa, December 31st, 2010

Update

2011-01-02T18:26:00.000-08:00

Happy 2011! Here's hoping the new year is better than the last. :)

We're off to a great start...

We had a FABULOUS evening NYE... dinner at Genoa in SE Portland and the late show of Pink Martini at the Schnitz. Unfortunately, some evil woman decided to hit Mike while he was trying to take a picture during the show. He turned around as she told him that was "illegal". Mike's response? "It's not illegal, and if you touch me again, I'll have you thrown out of here".

Ugh. One picture? This guy recorded an entire freakin' song! (Awesome).

Anyway, we still had a lovely time being out with Preston, Melissa, Mara and Mitch. (Pictures to follow, as soon as Melissa uploads them). ;)

New Years Day was lazy and wonderful. Well, lazy for me -- productive for Mike. I read "The Help" all day, and he did 10 loads of laundry. Ironic, yes?

Today... a massive clog in the drain system in the condos. Gross. We're not using our kitchen sink until a plumber can come tomorrow and stop the back flow. Oh well.

Off to Spirit of 77 for a little dinner/snack and to watch The Blazers. That's a nice end to a lovely holiday weekend!

Love,

Katery

P.S. The end of 2010 was THE BEST with a quickie trip to Seattle with Kelly. Love her!

4 months to the day!

2010-12-01T19:13:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been exactly 4 months since I crashed my bike, and let me tell you what -- I am over this whole recovery-mode thing! I'm still using one crutch, still not quite full-time at work, still in physical therapy, still getting tired easily, still not working out at the gym, still not really dieting well enough to compensate for that, and still spending too much time on the couch.

So, yes, all those things kind of suck. To top it off, I also caught a NASTY cold from my darling husband this week. (Although, he was sick while we were in Reno last week for Breanne's wedding... at least I get to rest easy at home).

Okay, but my point of this blog isn't to just complain, (I feel like I've been doing plenty of that and feeling plenty sorry for myself enough this week). Instead, I'm writing to cheer myself up, and remember all the good things that have been going on the last 4 months.

1. We went to Breanne's fabulous wedding. So much fun, and what a beautiful bride! While we were in town we also got to catch up with some old friends.

2. I got to head up to Tahoe, if only but for a brief few minutes. Portland and Tahoe are my two happy places, and since I live in one, it's always nice to be able to visit the other.

3. I, ummm, didn't die in my bicycle crash,

and I am technically on my way to making a full recovery.

4. After I crashed, I realized how loved by family and friends I truly am. So many cards, flowers, hospital and home visits, meals cooked, etc. The people in my life are freakin' AWESOME!

5. I'm working at a job where my bosses have been nothing but supportive and understanding as I recover. That has certainly taken a ton of stress off my plate.

6. It's the holidays, and I love shopping for people and making my girlfriends and family members jewelry!

7. I have the best husband in the entire world. He always knows what to do and say to make me feel better. He takes such good care of me, and I don't know what I did to deserve such a wonderful guy in my life!

8. I have such a wonderful group of close friends in Portland....

all of whom have really been there for me as I heal.

9. My sister-in-law kicks ASS! She is so wonderful, and I am so lucky I can consider her one of my best friends. Her husband is pretty rad, too. Thank God for those two!

10. Come to think of it... my husband's whole family is pretty sweet. They've all really been there for me over the last few years (and months).

11. My Dad lives close to me in Portland. Thank goodness for that. It is certainly very difficult to watch him go through Alzheimer's, but every moment I get to spend with him is still a blessing. He also remembers that I crashed my bike, opens doors for me, liked pushing me around in my wheel chair, and hands me my crutches. Even in his sickness, he's a great caretaker.

12. We have a wonderful home. It's small but cozy, and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else right now. Good thing, too... since I've spent A LOT of time here lately...

13. My dog completes me. What great company as I get better...

14. I'm so lucky to have an amazing 'lil sis...

who's become a part of our family and who I love so much!

15. I feel blessed that so many people in my family live in Oregon!

I love seeing them on a regular basis.

That's it for tonight. Feeling much better now.

Love,

Katery

Cupcakes make me happy!

2010-11-01T11:30:00.000-07:00

Yummmm... after seeing so much candy everywhere for Halloween, I'm craving sugar. So, rather than eating it, I'm getting my sugar fix on Etsy. Cupcakes for everyone!!

See the newest treasury HERE. :)

Check out this awesome little cupcake-bearing ninja.

I don't think he serves any other purpose but to be extremely cute. I love!

These letterpress cards are done so well.... Cute!

Oh my goodness. Who doesn't NEED a cupcake ukelele? This awesome shop doesn't just have cupcake stringed instruments, but a range of foods and fun things. So creative!

Such a sweet little pincushion. Love this one!

And so, I realize it's November 1st. That means exactly 3 months since I crashed my bike. My recovery is moving along. I've been back at work, working up to full-time for the past month now. Last week I had a couple of eight hour days, but I also started physical therapy. That was great last week; however, over the weekend I've been getting more and more sore... to the point that I can't even walk today. Mmmm... I think it's time for a phone call to see what's going on. Ouch!

Anyway, I also had a doctor appointment last week, and got new ex-rays showing the femur fracture in my left leg and how it's healing. It's crazy to think about all this metal being in my leg... a large plate down the side and 13 screws. Eeek. Best not to think about it, I suppose...

So, due to all this healing, we had a really mellow Halloween. My brother and his new girlfriend were in town to visit Dad, so we showed them around a little. Otherwise, skipped out on Halloween parties Saturday, and we just stayed home and watched scary movies last night. One group of trick-or-treaters came to the door... so those kids scored a boat-load of candy. I guess I'll save that cute flapper costume I got for this year... for next year!

That's it for now. Happy November 1st!

Love,

Katery

Just a hello!

2010-10-13T22:35:00.000-07:00

Nothing to pimp, promote, treasurize, or favorite this evening. Just a quick hi from Katery-land!

Things are going much better in life these days... the post bicycle crash recovery is coming right along. I've switched to A crutch, not 2, at work this week, so that's been good. I've got an ortho surgeon appointment next week, and hope to go to work full-time after that -- so starting next Thursday! I'm sleeping much better at night and am getting around with less pain all the time.

I'm looking forward to fun things in coming weeks... a karaoke party, yummy dinners trying new restaurants around town, being a flapper for Halloween, etc., etc., etc. In November Mike and I will also be headed down to Reno for Bre-child and Dave's wedding. Fun-ness!

Tonight Mike and I had a lovely dinner at home, (yummy pork chops, potatoes au gratin, and arugula salad)... then headed out to the mall for a couple errands and over to what's sure to be a new East side favorite... Spirit of 77. Great bar. Good times. Go Blazers! Can't wait for basketball season to officially get underway. Woo hoo!!

And from my phone... Kai got a new bed... as we work to get the condo back to normal, no more hospital bed in the living room... we've been rearranging like crazy...

And just to prove I'm getting back to a somewhat normal routine...

a good hair day, snapped on my way to work last week! Thank God. ;)

That's it for tonight... bed time!

Love,

Katery

Etsy Featured Shop: ORGLAMIX

2010-10-02T21:21:00.000-07:00

As duly noted, I've had time to play around on Etsy, and I've discovered quite a few new fabulous sellers. The one I'm most excited about right now is Orglamix -- organic, vegan makeup. I have friends who swear by Bare Minerals makeup, but I've never really wanted to shell out quite that much cash for foundation... I prefer MAC red lipstick and bright eye shadows.

Now I feel like I've hit the jackpot with this new discovery -- vegan makeup in beautiful colors... that lasts, without all the chemical crap in it.

A few of my favorites...

Beautiful eye colors!

Green Chakra...

Marshmallow

And great starter kits available for different skin tones...

Love this... each week a new color discounted for just $2.50! This week was Sky.

Even better than a color of the week.. how about colors of the month? For just $40 a year, get 3 different shades sent to you each month!

So to start, I'm trying some eye shadow, foundation, and got this awesome

organic brush kit for $20.

Like what you see? Follow Orglamix on Facebook by clicking here.

In the meantime, I got outta the house for quite a while today... took Dad out for lunch, a haircut, and a sunny drive through the Gorge.

View from the Vista House from cell phone cam...

Tomorrow will be packed with Coyla-time, a soak at Kennedy school with the girls, and then wine night at the condo.

Off to bed. Here's to hoping I sleep better tonight than I have been... argh.

Love,

Katery

I swear...

2010-10-01T22:15:00.000-07:00

...I do more than just create Treasuries on Etsy. In fact, I do a lot more than that!

This week has been my busiest post-bicycle crash week yet. I went back to work, albeit part-time at first. 20 hours of calling and working with potential students as an admissions counselor for The Art Institute of Portland. It was really nice to be getting back to normal... and being around all my friends at work was wonderful! Now that I've switched to crutches, I look forward to ditching those, too, and walking on my own. The healing process is a slow one... but I'm moving forward and have 100% recovery to look forward to!

So, aside from working, catching up with friends for happy hour, and spending quality time with my hubby and Kai, yes, I've been excessively creating treasuries on Etsy, browsing through favorite shops, dreaming of the day I'll be able to buy a kick ass pair of boots again, and playing Scrabble online with my sister.

Today in the mail I received this fabulous ring set that I ordered on Etsy last week.

Sweet! Best friends... peanut butter and jelly!

So, it inspired this treasury...

I gotta say... this one makes me crave a PB&J sandwich like nothin' else!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4ca6c7b963448eef9220a1c7/its-peanut-butter-and-jelly-time-btches?index=0

This treasury makes me think of all the fabulous homemade jelly and jam I've got in the fridge right now. Thanks Carl, Kelly, and Catherine for all the sweet goodness!

Anyway, it's just about bedtime for me. Off to visit Dad tomorrow, then a housewarming party for Steve and Julie... and afternoon girl time with Coyla, Sarah, Mara and Melissa on Sunday.

Love,

Katery

Mmmm... raspberries!

2010-09-30T21:32:00.000-07:00

My favorite food... now an Etsy treasury...

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4ca56254088a8eef78804dee/raspberry-deliciousness?index=0

Happy Thursday.

Love,

Katery

Druzy Love

2010-09-28T20:01:00.000-07:00

Inspired by mother nature... and beautiful druzy-ness... a new treasury! :)

http://www.etsy.com/listing/57133367/sterling-silver-set-aqua-druzy-necklace?ref=sr_list_39&ga_search_query=druzy&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=11&order=&includes[0]=tags&includes[1]=title

And so to make my own pair of earrings similar to those above... I just purchased a strand of these lovlies on Etsy. Yesssss...

I've loved the beauty of a druzy since I was a little kid. I remember in elementary school in Colorado taking a field-trip to Keystone Science Center -- an outdoor science camp. We explored the wilderness, and I bought my mom an amethyst druzy stone in the gift shop. She kept it for years and years, and now it's floating around our condo somewhere, along with my other collections of crystals and druzies.

A fond memory... I think that was the first thing I ever bought for my mom on my own accord. I'm still drawn to the natural sparkliness of druzies, and they also remind me of her.

Love,

Katery

Favorite-ness...

2010-09-23T22:25:00.000-07:00

I heart Etsy. It's been one of my favorite web sites to play on since my bicycle crash, and today I used credit to pick up a couple cute things I've discovered during my time off...

This "Made in Oregon" t-shirt is so adorable...

and added bonus -- there's glitter involved, here. :)

Check it out... from indigofeet here in Portland.

And how cute are these rings? Peanut butter and jelly...

found while looking at "grape" items on Etsy for that treasury in my last post.

Created by Charlie Carter.

In the meantime, I've been reading quite a bit... and trying to get out of the house a little more, too. Squires pointed me to an awesome web site... www.paperbackswap.com -- I've joined and been mailing out books and getting free books back in the mail. It's awesome! This week I received'Wuthering Heights' and 'The Other Boleyn Girl'... and shipped out 5 books in the last week, too. Still to come -- 'The Devil Wears Prada'. In addition to that, Patricia sent me a few books.. and Jen also sent a trilogy of fun Chelsea Handler books. This morning I finished 'Are You There Vodka, It's Me Chelsea'. Fun times. Now I'm working on 'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo'.

Speaking of booze, tonight I had my first dose of hard-A since crashing my bike into a cement pillar -- a lovely margarita at a random Mexican joint on 82nd. Yummm... and yay!

Now if I could just get a decent night's sleep. It's been insomnia central for me... first from coming off the narcotics, now seemingly from resting so much, not being drugged up, and being uncomfortable. What a fabulous combination! Hopefully I'll be able to get some good rest before I plan on heading back to work Monday!

In the meantime today I was a vertically-moving machine on my crutches. Woot!

Goodnight-ery...

Love,

Katery

Color me PURPLE*

2010-09-22T20:11:00.000-07:00

Got some good news today... can start using crutches immediately (as I can handle, anyway), and can start putting weight and attempting to walk starting October 1st. Yippeeee! I'm also planning to go back to work (starting part-time) next week... Good day!

So, I made a treasury... enjoy!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c9ac37088108eef429bed2f/alexander-the-grape?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Treasury&utm_campaign=Share

Happy Wednesday evening... <3

Love,

Katery

What a lovely day...

2010-09-19T12:12:00.000-07:00

...for a rainy wedding! Despite the dreary weather, Ben and Teresa's wedding ceremony proceeded outdoors yesterday afternoon at Skamania Lodge in Stevenson, Washington. The bride was stunning, the groom was stoked, and the guests were soaked!

Enjoying the view from my fab wheelchair...

The happy, newly-married couple!

(Note the photographer dashing around with his umbrella, too...)

An indoor reception... :)

...and a wonderful time had by all!

Love,

Katery

I'm loving...

2010-09-19T11:48:00.001-07:00

...Jamie Joseph jewelry right now! I first discovered this designer when my good friend Preston bought his girlfriend, (and one of my best friends), Melissa a Jamie Joseph ring this year. Uhh, jealous much? :) How cute... and note white cocktail ring on her right hand...

A few of my favorites discovered online...

What a lovely collection!

Love,

Katery

Another day, another treasury...

2010-09-13T14:51:00.000-07:00

Pretty things that are also orange...

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c8e9b8ce9916d91a44f4822/orange-you-glad-i-didnt-say-banana

Also, happy birthday Sarah-Mony!!!

Love,

Katery

A fabulous gem-filled treasury...

2010-09-12T00:15:00.000-07:00

...with pretty emerald treasures discovered on Etsy.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c8c7d495b268eef5abbf3cb/we-can-make-a-dimpled-smile-out-of-a

Now bedtime!

Love,

Katery

Pinup Perfection!

2010-09-09T16:08:00.000-07:00

As I continue to be in bed constantly (ugh) recovering from my nasty August 1st bike crash (double-ugh)... I'm thanking GOD for the internet and the ability to find ways to keep myself entertained. One of those entertaining things I've been doing is creating treasuries on Etsy... this latest one inspired by pinup girls...

Check it out here!

It was so fun to find so many awesome Etsy listings featuring pinup girls... like these fabulous clothes created by Zombie Kitten O.

I also just purchased the image below in the form of a counted-cross stitch pattern from Bella Stitchery. My mom always used to do counted-cross stitch, as did my Grandma... and I busted out a stitch or two in my youth... so this pattern could be the perfect resting and recuperating project for me to do... Love it!

So, where has all this pinup inspiration come from, you ask? Another way I've been passing the time is by watching LA Ink on NetFlix for the Wii. I've watched a couple dozen episodes of people getting tattooed by Kat Von D and her crew... including Hannah Aitchison... who is quite the pinup artist... and who is also quite the pinup herself!

Check out some of my faves below...

So, a pinup tattoo may be in order for me someday, as after watching so much tattooing, I've been itching to get more ink myself. Oh yea... guess we'll have to work on paying off those medical bills first. But a girl can dream, right?

Until next time...

Love,

Katery

Photography Love: Part I

2010-09-07T14:49:00.000-07:00

I've had a lot of time to play around on Etsy: creating treasuries, discovering new favorites, and looking through old shops I've marked as favorites over the years. I've found that perhaps my favorite kind of photography is a technique called "through the viewfinder" -- where the photographer uses one camera to take the photo of an image as it appears through the viewfinder of another, often older camera. The results are amazing, very vintage looking -- and I absolutely love them.

I'm very much drawn to the work of Scarlet Beautiful that's posted in her Etsy shop. From cruiser bicycles, to balloons and flowers -- these are a few of my favorites...

In looking around online, I've found there's an entire, quite popular movement of "Through the Viewfinder" (or TtV) photography. This Flickr group has more than 6,000 members! A simple search on Flickr finds many more TtV treasures, as well...

And, of course, playing on Etsy almost always ensures I'll find something else I love. Today it's another shop from Scarlet Beautiful called Velvet Morning... vintage portrait photo collages. Now I'm just getting distracted...

Perhaps I'm in need of taking a photography class at The Art Institute of Portland this winter. After being an employee there for six months+ I can take classes for free. What a lovely way to translate my love for others' photography into something I can do myself.

Okay, that's it for today. It's afternoon movie-time with Mara!

Love,

Katery

... A Few of My Favorite Things ...

2010-09-06T14:32:00.001-07:00

Wanted to share... going back through Etsy faves and finding some of my most beloved listings... LOVE.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c855c83b4676d91167b889e/a-few-of-my-favorite-things

A handful featured here, as well...

My favorite local photographer, Bill, from House of Six Cats. I love his work so much, and here he captured my favorite bridge, the Saint John's Bridge, in North Portland beautifully.

Another local favorite in Portland are these floating paper poms from Pom Love. So many beautiful colors to choose from, and so many possibilities for decor. If I could open a shop or have a beautiful office or space all to myself, I'm sure these would be floating down from the ceiling.

And from floating flowers in the air.. to lovely floral accents for your feet! These shoe clips are so delicate... I wish I would have discovered them in time for my wedding. Alas, they can certainly dress up any pair of my heels for others' joyful celebrations, right? Find more lovely creations from B.Poetic.

I've been loving this local artist's work for a while now... pinups from Brenda Dunn have been spotted in some of my favorite local boutiques, and I can't wait to have one hanging up in our condo. This one seems to fit the bill... titled "Kate" and in my favorite color!

Finally, another local artist whose work I've admired in local stores and galleries -- paintings by Nancy Kremiller. I love how she uses sheet music in her multi-media artwork; two of my loves -- birds and music; makes such an ethereal combination!

That's all for this Labor Day. Back to not laboring... but resting, resting, resting for more bike crash recovery time.

Love,

Katery

New Look, New Treasuries

2010-09-01T11:42:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

I've been messing around a little with the layout of my blog... trying to do something different... and at the same time I've created a few, (3), treasuries on Etsy. Check them out... and let me know what you think about the new look for this blog! :)

Love,

Katery

http://www.etsy.com/people/KateryDesigns/treasury

From the hospital... to recovering at home!

2010-08-29T17:23:00.000-07:00

Oh my... we've been home from the hospital for two and a half weeks now... and it's been a little better every day... although I do wish this whole bicycle crash had never happened. C'est la vie. Here are pictures to share! In the meantime... I'm distracted by the Emmy's. :)

The new living room setup. What a lovely hospital bed!

Decorated back brace...

Cuddling with Kai in bed. :)

Get well cards... and the medicine schedule...

Cruisin' in the wheelchair in style...

That's it for now!

Love,

Katery

Holy Moly: Bicycle Crash

2010-08-13T07:14:00.000-07:00

Wow. I'm too tired to fully blog about it, but I feel like it's crazy that I don't have anything posted yet about the fact that I messed myself up really, really, really bad nearly two weeks ago... spending 11 days in the hospital before finally coming home 2 days ago.

I was riding my road bike near the Waterfront on the East side, when I crashed into a giant cement support column for the I5 bridge. Ouch. Let's just say 6 breaks in my left femur, 7 broken ribs, 6 fractures in my back, 2 punctured lungs, and a broken clavicle later... I'm on my way to making a complete, albeit painful and slow-going, recovery. Here are a few pics... more details to follow later...

I got massive amounts of flowers... I think 23 bouquets in all... nurses and doctors said they'd never seen a patient get so many. I definitely felt the LOVE!

Loopy on painkillers, to say the least...

Mike displaying my lovely new back brace... will have to wear it for at least a month... First time leaving my hospital room in 9 days... a walk in the garden with Sarah and Mike...Okay, now back to resting for now... again more later!

Love,
Katery

Cell Phone Splendour

2010-07-18T19:51:00.001-07:00

It's been a while since I last blogged, and wanted to start this Thursday out on a positive note -- by sharing some of what I've been up to lately.... as far as pictures in my cell phone go. :)

A beautiful morning glory purchased at The Portland Nursery -- now blooming like crazy on my back porch. It makes me miss The Morning Glory restaurant in Ashland, Oregon. LOVE that place!

And more flowers... these a couple of weeks ago from the farmer's market in our neighborhood... the Lloyd Farmer's Market. It's so nice to be able to walk down the street each Sunday and get loads of fresh flowers, veggies, and my favorite... berries.
And last weekend I went with a few friends for a bicycle winery tour in Yamhill County. So much fun... a couple dozen miles on a bike and several wineries hit. This... from the top of the hill at Anne Amie Vineyards, where we stopped for lunch. So much beautiful lavender up there!
And that evening... after a long bike ride, I went with Mike to re-fuel at Ned Ludd, an awesome restaurant in North Portland. This was my trout entree. I was a big freaked out by the full on fish on my plate... but covered in dill and lemon, it was DELICIOUS!
And this photo... from several weeks ago while we were enjoying a vacation with friends and family at Sunriver, Oregon. Mike and I headed out a couple of days before Julie and Donald and Alyssa and Scott joined us. We saw tons of deer in the backyard each morning... and there were some other stories as far as wild life goes, too, but those will be saved for another time... ;)
Since I'm now working in the Pearl District, hold on to your hats -- I work in the same building as Anthropologie. That has the potential to be really, really dangerous... but so far it's not. Instead, I get to scope out things I like, and then wait until they go on sale. Currently waiting for this skirt to be marked down. Started off as $200 (year right), now $98... I'm thinkin' $50 is more like it, so we'll see...
Finally, I've been subscribing to Groupon in Portland for the last few weeks, and as a result I've been scoring some great deals for activities, restaurants and services in the Portland area. To name a few... ballroom dance lessons, The Bar Method classes, food discounts for Everett Street Bistro, (right around the corner from work), and Chez Machin, a Southeast distillery tour, and a facial at a salon on Hawthorne. The first coupon I enjoyed was a fabulous dinner at the French restaurant Chez Machin on Hawthorne. This was our appetizer... baked brie. Oh. My. God. Delicious! And I wonder why I'm not losing weight, despite riding my bike to work everyday. Ugh.
So, anyway... that's what I've been up to lately... Oh, I also got my hair chopped off yesterday by Staci at Bouffant Salon. She did a great job, and I love my new haircut! :)
That's it for now!

Love,

Katery

I'm loving...

2010-06-16T19:41:00.001-07:00

....Chan Luu right now. I heard about this L.A.-based jewelry designer from a cow-worker, then started noticing her designs on other people, even on TV shows, (I swear the Bachelorette was wearing one of these fabulous wrap-bracelets last week -- and yes, I know, I watch that show). Anyway, I finally checked ou the web site recently, and here were a few of my favorites!

It's been a nice couple of weeks (despite a lot of dreary weather). Fortunately, last weekend was gorgeous, and I got a lot of outdoors time in.

A week ago Friday, work got out early and we all went to a vineyard to celebrate the end of the year. Getting paid to drink wine? AWESOME!

Saturday we took in the Rose Festival dragon boat races on the waterfront...

That was followed by a girls' barbecue (or Girly-Q) at Melissa and Preston's...

Mara and Cody... love this one...

Firing up the grill...

Mmm... watermelon, mozzarella and mint kabobs...

And some yummy cocktails, too!

And a night out dancing with Shannon who came to stay the night from Ashland. :) What do you call those drinks again? Good Lord!

On Sunday the fam went bowling with Dad in Gresham.

And this weekend I'm taking it easy with a head cold... and trying to rest before we go to Sunriver next week for vacation! Wheeee!

Love,

Katery

Art Institute Fashion Show

2010-06-08T23:32:00.001-07:00

What a great show... awesome senior collections and a good time had by all last Saturday night...

Worked the admissions booth outside the show with Melissa...

Click here for more information about the Fashion Programs at the Art Institute of Portland!

The theme was "A Feast For The Eyes"... a Chinese takeout dress!

One of the senior designers has a runway moment with a model... loved this collection!

A fun time! Next Saturday looking forward to a visit from my niece, a fun girls' BBQ, some quality time with Dad, and house-sitting at Julie and Donald's. Cheers!

Love,

Katery

Memorial Day Weekend In Wine Country

2010-06-01T22:47:00.001-07:00

We really wanted to take a trip out of town for Memorial Day weekend, but we also wanted to save money by not staying in a hotel... so we opted for a couple of day adventures! On Friday Melissa and I went shopping, dining, and wine tasting in Hood River. So much fun!!

At the Naked Winery tasting room...

And before that we hit Cathedral Ridge... beautiful!

And on Monday... what better way to finish out the weekend than by hitting more wineries? This time Mike and I headed west and went to four wineries in 5 hours. Phew!

First stop... Cooper Mountain... where we picked up a case of Pinot Grigio. A tax write-off for potential clients! :)

Next stop of the day... Aridir Winery... a new spot we discovered. Yummmm....

Onward to Elk Cove winery where I wanted to get some of their awesome Rose. I'm not usually a fan of Rose, but I had a glass at The Farm on East Burnside the night before with Grandma, and it's DELISH!

Mmm... Love that Rose!

And last stop of the day was Plum Hill, great wines and a yummy collaboration with nearby Thistle Winery. A great family barbecue we got invited to at the end of the long holiday weekend!

And Kai got to play with their dog ghost, and even hop in the water feature on the property. What a silly dog!

That was it! SOOO much fun! Thanks to Mike and Melissa for drinking and having a fabulous time with me. :)

Love,

Katery

Pics From My Phone...

2010-05-27T10:30:00.000-07:00

I hate that I can't figure out how to post pictures from my phone straight to Facebook or my blog, but alas, I cannot do it! Instead, I set up my Yahoo! email so I can send pictures from my phone to that, download, then post them online. So... here are the pictures that have been hiding in my phone for a few months now!

Coyla getting a Henna tattoo at Saturday Market a few weeks ago...

The roses are blooming like crazy in our 'hood!
A beautiful end to the day on the waterfront... looking out over the marina...
before all this rain hit!
An interesting find on the top shelf at Safeway the other day.... Ramey winery in Healdsburg, California. Must visit someday! Was a pricey bottle.... :)

Oh, the sweet little Kai-errhea on the bed. What a naughty little dog!

That it for now. Hope everyone's having a lovely Thursday. Back to work... then a 4-day weekend. Woo hoo!

Love,

Katery

Work, work, work!

2010-05-26T19:37:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share really quickly... loving my new job... here's my cube... all decorated to the nines now...

And as I settle in here, Mike's settling into training for his new job as a financial adviser... Look at my hot husband in the suit! :)

And YUMMMMM... a little, (and I mean little, this thing is like 2 inches in diameter), dessert... a lemon tartlette from Whole Foods across the street. It's so wonderful working in the Pearl!

That's it for tonight.. almost time to go home!

Love,
Katery

Katery Designs

Preston Marries Melissa

Feeling Green...

Color of the Moment: Giddy Over Goldenrod

What I'm Loving: Anything Afghan!

What I Wore: Tuesday Edition

Inspired... What I'm Wearing!

What I Wore...

Missoni for Target

Don't feel like writing...

Long time, no post!

Dirty 30

Picture Time! :)

Designer Love: United Nude

Exciting!

Color of the Moment: Blood Orange Bliss

Ooo la la! Met Gala Fashion!

Etsy Featured Shop: Pinup Brenda

Spring Cleaning!

Versatility? Yes, please!

Too tired to write...

Seriously? It's still freakin' raining??

$34.50 What?

Featured Etsy Shop: Xenotees!

Fun, mellow weekend!

Happy Thursday!

Birthday Weekend: Round 2!

First Food Blog Entry!

Busy Birthday Weekend: Round 1!

Hungry? New Food Blog!!

Yay! 50 Followers!

Mobile Update!

Fly Away With Me...

Just had to share...

Still sick, still blogging!

Sick in bed = time to blog!

Updation Station :)

Fabulous Friends in 2011

Update

4 months to the day!

Cupcakes make me happy!

Just a hello!

Etsy Featured Shop: ORGLAMIX

I swear...

Mmmm... raspberries!

Druzy Love

Favorite-ness...

Color me *P*U*R*P*L*E*

What a lovely day...

I'm loving...

Another day, another treasury...

A fabulous gem-filled treasury...

Pinup Perfection!

Photography Love: Part I

... A Few of My Favorite Things ...

New Look, New Treasuries

From the hospital... to recovering at home!

Holy Moly: Bicycle Crash

Cell Phone Splendour

I'm loving...

Art Institute Fashion Show

Memorial Day Weekend In Wine Country

Pics From My Phone...

Work, work, work!

Color me PURPLE*