Thursday, January 31, 2013

Home 365 - January

Inspired by Elsie's post over on A Beautiful Mess, I decided that on January 1, 2013 I would start a 365-day photo challenge. I'm 31 days into my Home 365 project and wanted to share my month in review with you!

I'll admit, January has been a stressful month. With the start of a new year, opening up shop, my birthday, a week+ of cold and rainy weather, and the stress of searching for a job, I'll be glad when the clock strikes midnight tonight.

How was your first month of 2013?

Friday, January 11, 2013

Mardi Gras Season

Here it is! The first freebie of the new year! Being that it's my first Mardi Gras since moving to Louisiana I thought it was fitting to make a small design commemorating the occasion. Follow the link below to download the free chart!
Click here to download the PDF.

Let me know if you like the chart or if you plan to stitch it. Stitch the mask, stitch the words, or stitch the whole darn thing - I would LOVE to see it! And don't forget to add any pictures to the K+IC Flickr group!

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Monday, January 7, 2013

Featured Players

Have you checked out the shop lately? I'm pretty excited to say that there are three K+IC charts currently available. Here's a tasting...
Home is Wherever I'm with You, Divine Dish, and Take Out
 
I'm in the process of stitching Home. Like you, virtual stitches just don't do it for me so I'm putting the floss to the fabric for some glamour shots. Eventually every chart in the shop will have a stitched model but you have to start somewhere, right? Here is the progess.
I have also created a Flickr group for customers to post pictures of their progress and finishes on K+IC charts. Become a member today!
 
Happy Monday. Have a great week!


Wednesday, January 2, 2013

A New Year, a New Start - An Origin Story

We moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana in July of last year and it was hot as a damn furnace. My boyfriend - it sounds funny calling him a boyfriend after almost 7 years - got a new position in his company and we packed up our bags, sold the house, and moved from the rural Eastern Shore of Maryland to downtown Baton Rouge, the capital of Louisiana. We're renting a 740 sq ft house - a huge downsize for us - in a very eclectic neighborhood just blocks from the Mississippi River. We can ride our bikes downtown for a bite to eat and walk to the farmer's market. Everyone is friendly and there is a great sense of community. Its a huge change for us and we love it.

I thought it would be a piece of cake finding a job in my field in a capital city. In the meantime though I had a good amount of contract work to do for my previous employer so money was coming in. As time passed with only a few job interviews and my contract work beginning to trail off I needed to find a way to make money so I could continue to contribute to my portion of our household expenses. I remembered back to last Spring when I was sitting with my dad and my brother at Hamilton Tavern in Baltimore. We were having burgers before heading downtown to an Orioles game. My dad asked us both what our ideal job would be - what would we do if we could do anything at all. My brother answered that he wanted to work for a major league baseball team, something he's wanted for years. I remember my answer because it was completely honest - no trying to please Dad, just the honest truth. I told him I wanted to live in a small house where I didn't need to make a lot of money to live the simple lifestyle I wanted, to work from home with flexible hours and time for family and friends, and to do something creative like start a needlework business that would turn my hobby into a way to support myself.

I had thought about opening an Etsy shop many times but never actually did it. Going to work in an office building every day, staring at a computer screen was tiring. By the time I got home all I wanted to do was sit on the couch and watch television until bed time. Things are different now. When you take the 9-5 and the daily commute out of the equation your outlook on life changes. I still set an alarm and wake up fairly early. I have coffee and a small breakfast. I go for a nice long walk around Capital Park. When I get home I might start a load of laundry, clean up a room in the house (which is so easy with a small house), make a grocery list, I even volunteer at an animal shelter 2 days a week. All of these positive changes in my life have given me the confidence to take the next step...

Kate + Ice Cream is officially in business!
The time is right and I'm ready for the challenge. I am incredibly lucky to have a boyfriend who is so supportive and friends who have given their kind words. Expect great things from K+IC and I will not disappoint!

I will be posting regularly here on the K+IC blog so add me to your readers. I also have a Facebook page and a Twitter account. Of course there is also the Etsy store so favorite it and check often. Will you be my first customer??

I can't wait to see what 2013 will bring!