bad hair month

This humidity really messes with my hair. What the heck is everyone doing out there to tame their manes?  

-Katy

image courtesy of lobbiazblog.wordpress.com

links worth a click

Summer is a big season for accessories. Sun hats and bright jewelry come out of hiding, and platform heels seem less daunting (the absence of rain sure helps). Here are a few accessory-related links we think are fun:

1] Gucci Loafer Factory Tour on ACL:

On the outskirts of Florence, in Italy’s traditional shoe-making home, sits a nondescript, boxy building that was built during the post-war Italian industrial boom of the 1950s. While the factory doesn’t look like much from the outside, once through the door it’s an altogether different story... READ MORE

2] Living Plant Accessories on Ecouterre:

Anyone who’s been overcome by the rosy splendor of a setting sun or the serene majesty of mist-capped mountains can agree: Ma Earth is one helluva stylist. So who better than the prima designer herself to shows us how to step out in high style with cues from her own repertoire? From moss-topped knuckle rings to couture heels layered in cowberry leaves, here are seven eco-accessories that put the “green” in green fashion... READ MORE

3] Retro-inspired swimwear on Portland Monthly:

Marilyn Monroe has inspired many things—an appreciation for feminine curves, Joe DiMaggio, a spike in peroxide sales, perhaps … 
and the most current generation of swimwear. As the sun stretches ever so slowly out of its long winter nap, demure silhouettes of vintage suits are popping up on the resort runways from the likes of Diane von Furstenberg and Michael Kors... READ MORE

image credits 1] http://acontinuouslean.com 2] http://ecouterre.com 3] http://portlandmonthlymag.com

dear mama

Where would I be without my Mom? Well, for starters, there's a chance I'd cease to "be" at all.

She said I was an easy baby. Her labor with me was short and I was a sound sleeper. But this was no preview of things to come. I may have been an easy baby but I was one difficult child.

My Mom raised me the best she could. And I think she did one hell of a job. To her credit, the odds were stacked against her - I was a little s#it with a mind of my own. It couldn't have come easy to raise two mischievous kids with a husband in the Air Force and the scenery constantly changing.

She taught me some valuable lessons, but I was hell-bent on learning the hard way. For instance... she literally pulled me out of a dance in front of all my friends because I snuck out of the house when I was grounded. I was mortified. She made me pay dearly if I ever came home after curfew, which I think was 10pm on weekends (!!!) In the early 80's she didn't let me watch MTV because it wasn't a good influence. (She encouraged me to play piano or make something instead.) In grade-school, I could not have the Teddy Ruxpin doll every other kid had (probably because it was just plain creepy).

Sure, behind every "No" was a valid reason. It's just that I never agreed with her. But now that I am older I can fully admit: my Mom was always right.

She inadvertently taught me this: to get what I want out of life I have to bend the rules, and sometimes break the rules. And her support over the years made success easier to come by. With her love I knew I could achieve anything.

And I will never be able to thank her enough.

photo credit: Alin Dragulin www.alindragulin.com
styling by: Allison Jones Design www.allisonjonesdesign.com

i'm sorry what were you saying part III

Oh, Jonny. It's been a while. I see you're still as handsome as ever.

Your fans are lucky that eye candy has no calories or we would all be obese from looking at your Jon K tumblr blog.

photo credit: www.jonkortajarena.tumblr.com

loads of pearls at nordstrom

She was really bombed,
And I was really blown away,
Until I asked
her what she wanted,
And this is what she had to say:
A pearl necklace.
She wanna pearl necklace.
She wanna pearl necklace.

photo credit: me

lady in the water

Lady In The Water, 1947 by Antoinette Frissell Bacon


image courtesy - http://sedesmoronoouseedifico.blogspot.com

organize your jewelry

how much digging

and untangling of messes

must we endure until we realize

we can't possibly wear it
unless we can find it.

It's time to learn how to get your jewelry in order, ladies. Please take a moment to visit Portland, Oregon based stylist Kami Gray's blog. She knows a thing or two about fashion, jewelry, and how to "make it work" for you.

photos-courtesy Kami Gray

oh yves, j'adore

I (Katy) have been a huuuuuuge fan of Yves Saint Laurent for as long as I can remember. I've owned several pair of sunglasses (for whatever reason, they seem to fit my face perfectly). I've yet to experience the pleasure of a YSL handbag on my shoulder, however. If I had $1500 just sitting around my office, I'd use it on one of these beauties:

the roady with stingray handle

the easy

photo credit - Yves Saint Laurent

noah noel

'Tis the Season to be handsome, I guess.

view more male models than you can

shake a mistletoe sprig at on www.malemodelscene.net

blogging: a love/hate relationship

Writing a blog is funny.

Sometimes I'm really hot on it, sometimes I'm so cold I virtually forget I have a blog. Especially since conversations on my Facebook and Twitter pages offer instant interactions.

It makes me wonder, is anyone else writing fewer blog posts? It seems like the aforementioned forms of social media began filling the niche (that blogging once had a stronghold of) in 2008.

Anyway, my days of endless surfing, researching, and blogging are fewer now as I am pulled deeper into my business. This is a positive thing; grayling helps me bring home almost half the bacon (and fulfills lots of my creative needs, too).

Still, every time I find something worth sharing I do make a note of it for future posts. I have a folder on my laptop that's filled with snapshots of shoes, jewelry, and accessories that caught my eye at one point or another.

Eventually, I'll sift through it and share it.

Until then, thanks for reading the little bit I do manage to get up here.

And if you care for more, do check out grayling jewelry on Facebook and Twitter or on the good old grayling jewelry website.

one year later

Here's the inside of my new space at the Olympic Mills Building. I feel spoiled rotten to be in the same building as Olympic Provisions, Citrus, Parliament Design, and other high-falutin' businesses.

Of course, this means I'll be moving out of my Multnomah Village studio, which I've shared with local jewelry legend and dear friend John Rink for the past year. I'll miss the days filled with a rare mix of tasteless jokes and sparkling diamonds.

I supposed it was time to leave my little jewelry incubator to move into a larger space. Seven new stores picked up my jewelry line in the past month or so, and I needed more room.

Of course, I'm no stranger to change. Today marks the one-year anniversary of my departure from my former job. Many of you knew me in my previous profession in the retail clothing world, before I was "reincarnated" back to a jewelry designer (I use the phrase back to because jewelry is what originally led to my 7-year stint at the boutique).

Do I miss it? Yes, sometimes I do. But, a lot of times I don't. Life moves you through stages, and I believe you have to see what's in front of you with new eyes sometimes.

One year ago, I was really confused about what the future held, but at the same time, I knew what I had been doing wasn't right for me anymore. Fortunately, I was able to take all the things (good and bad) I learned with me.

I couldn't be more fortunate than I am today. In 12 months time, I started a viable business, got back to my roots as a designer, and I hope to hire my first employee later this year. I'm headed to a trade show in a few weeks, where, for the first time, I will be the rep, no longer there as a buyer.

Wish me luck,

Katy

determination

steamboat helena

Earlier this year my husband and I went to visit my parents in the Flathead Valley. It's a gorgeous, unspoiled spot near Glacier Park in the northwest corner of Montana.

On this particular visit, we spent a lot of time exploring. One day, we pulled off the road to visit Kehoe's Agate Shop in the tiny, miniscule, eensy weensy town of Holt.

Holt was one of the first settlements in the valley; complete with a saloon, post office, and blacksmith shop. These days, there's not much left but the wreckage of a steamboat at the edge of town.

Steamboats were the main means of travel back in those days. At one time, there were over 15 steamboats on Flathead Lake, a freshwater body larger than Lake Tahoe. The Helena was one of the last freight boats around.

noah mills part IV

Sure this is a blog about shoes, jewelry, and accessories. But if I can't throw in a few photos of under appreciated, highly attractive men every now and then I may as well just bag it.

Here he is, one of the best male models out there, Mr. Noah Mills:

The photos are from male model scene - a place worth a visit (or ten) indeed. They post nice updates on Facebook of new shoots and models.

It's like receiving a sexy postcard almost every day.

looking back looking forward

Nine months have passed since I started making jewelry again (this time as a living and not for extra-cash-in-my-pocket).

Looking back, I am amazed at how much has gone down (in good and bad ways) since this time last year. The best part? I am so incredibly happy with where things are headed.

my inspiration board for "grayling" August 2009

I would like to share a few lessons I learned on my entrepreneurial journey. These are a few things I think are important, and I invite you to add some of your own in the comments section below!


Trust yourself. In the face of change, it's easy to forget how much you know, how strong you can be, how versatile you are. You can get discouraged easily if you lose your focus, or one bad thing happens. Which leads me to...

Don't go at it alone. Your friends and family are your lifeboat. With their help, even an insurmountable task is doable. Wondering if you've lost your marbles? Call someone you've known for a long time. Sometimes we all need a head check. And, don't be too proud to say "I need help!".

Take care of yourself. Don't let your new endeavor eat the rest of your life alive. You don't have to return every email the minute you get it. The world will not come crashing down if you head to the sauna instead of to your laptop. Don't forget to take your vitamins, walk to work if you can, and (here's one pointed at me) potato chips are not a vegetable.

Enlist good people. Hire the best bookkeeper and accountant you can afford. After spending half of every month doing the books in my prior business lifetime, I firmly decided I will never do them again. Not that I couldn't, it's just that my time is better spent being creative. Leave the bean counting to someone who is fast, efficient, and likes doing it. I feel the same way about photographers and graphic designers. Sure, I could take a swing at it, but I'd rather leave it to the pros.

Get a group going. It can get lonely out there. I went from interacting with customers face-to-face five days a week to basically working on my laptop next to my sleeping cats. I needed to get out of the house. The remedy? I contacted other jewelry designers for a casual cocktail hour. The evening was so much fun; now I know a few people who I can relate to and share ideas with. Who knows, we may even do a group show!

Focus on the uppers. Hey, uh, yeah, sometimes it feels like "your-so-called-business" sucks. When the chips are down and your bank account is only in the double-digits, it's reasonable to feel discouraged. But just remember, it's your business, and you have the ways and means (and guts, damn it) to change it! Even at it's worst, being an entrepreneur is way better than working for someone else.

Bounce it back. Have you told them.... lately... that you love them? Give thanks to your suppliers, customers, fans (pretty much anyone you can think of has had a role in your business) often! You'd be pretty lonely without them.

Which leads me to...

THANK YOU EVERYONE!

In no particular order I would like to give extra special thanks to:

Shannon Zweck, my production assistant
Liam Flaherty, my graphic designer
John Rink, my mentor
Allison Jones, stylist
Kami Gray, stylist
Marjorie Skinner, Portland Mercury
Karen Vitt, Neat Sheet
Mai Tran, Crave Portland
Cecilia Doan, Calculated Fashion
Liz Hummer, Oregon Bride Magazine
Jen McCabe, Honey Kennedy
Lisa Warninger, photographer
Sara Gray, photographer
Anthony Georgis, photographer
Maria Blandino, stylist
Critter Pierce, stylist
Kristin Beery, stylist
Tiffany Schiff, stylist
Janeane Marie, designer
Brady Lange, designer
Jo Carter, Physical Element, the first person I met in Portland!
Duane and Sherry Cook, Pearl Hardware
Pool Tradeshow
Crafty Wonderland
Pin Me Apparel
Parts + Labour
Relish
Lille Boutique
Sway and Cake
Veridis Clothier
Via Lago
Show Pony
E.G. Page
Meridian
Mercantile
Naturals
Mink Boutique
Sole
Zelda's Shoe Bar
Sheila, L'Mu Salon
Renee, EWF Modern
Suzanne, LexiDog
Wendi, WeMa and pdxboutique
Lynnette, Neighborhood Notes
Diana, Platika Financial
Laura, Oh Baby Lingerie
Shari, Pearl Health Center
Blake, Good Keuken
Dayna, Belle Epoque Salon
JoAnne Woods
Teresa O'Donnell and Chris Miller
Tracey and Tyler Forrest
Sara Rosenthal and Michael Rubino
Beth Montag-Schmaltz and Chris Schmaltz
Liz Weldon
Jill Friedrick
Sarah and Dan Hunter
Duncan Kippen
...and last but never least, my parents and my
wonderful husband for their encouragement and love.

missing, but in action

One of my favorite images from a recent photo shoot

I haven't had the time to write.

My blog posts have slowed down because I have been spending my time doing other things (you know, the kinds of things with deadlines).

For the past five months or so, I have been building a new business from the ground up.

For those of you who don't know, I design a jewelry line by the name of g r a y l i n g. My line is a blend of limited edition/seasonal pieces and key styles/looks I produce every season. I wholesale to boutiques who sell my jewelry in their stores. I love my boutiques.

Occasionally, I do a show where I sell direct, but I am primarily a wholesaler. However, in the next month, the grayling ONLINE SHOP will open. I will be able to reach a wider audience, and I am very excited to launch the collection online.

In the meantime, I have pages and pages of lists to cross off. There are photogaphs to sift through and descriptions to be written before my online shop can be launched. I have to purchase raw materials, finish my custom work, and produce and ship my new orders. There are customers to stay in touch with on both the retail and wholesale side. There are hands to shake, people to thank, and new stores to hunt down.

Perhaps I am a little overwhelmed at times, but I would not trade this for anything.

i'm sorry, what were you saying?

This video features one of my favorite moments from the movie, A Single Man. I love watching the smoke rise from the lips of Jon Kortajarena (Carlos).

Sure, this video is a bit off the usual subject matter for my blog, however, I feel every now and then a little eye candy is totally acceptable.

things are getting pretty serious

As an artist, it is not easy by any stretch to turn your talent into something that sells (for that is the only way to "make a living doing what you love"). Fortunately, what I am doing is working; my jewelry line is retailing exceptionally well in stores.

I am so very grateful to the stores who took a chance placing orders. I am thankful for the help my friends (who so conveniently happen to be stylists, shop owners, graphic designers, photographers, clothing designers, jewelry designers, writers, you-name-it) have given me. They spread the word, helped me get into stores, referred me to their friends, lent an ear to my worries and offered timely advice.

Likewise, I would be nowhere without my family. They are the best a girl could ever have. My mother proudly wore all my first jewelry designs (even though they were pretty ugly). They have always been supportive of my endeavors (which were sometimes very foolish). My Mom and Dad never said, "I told you so", when an idea backfired (my mischievous brother did say it, however). They encouraged me to paint, draw, play piano, sing, collect bugs and allowed me to keep a small farm's worth of unconventional animals (I liked frogs best) in my room. While all the other girls in band played their flutes, I was the weirdo on the end with the four-foot tall bassoon. Experimenting was encouraged - as long as my experiments did not blow up the house, involve drugs, or boys, I was free to do whatever.

Me and my brother, posed as allies for the camera

I am also lucky to be married to such an amazing man. My husband always believed in my work, and helped my apply for my first college art fair ten years ago. He has wheeled tables, lamps, and trunk loads of jewelry through snow and rain. His encouragement led me to my first job at a boutique. He supported my first sales calls to stores, and was there with a shoulder to cry on if things did not work out. Without him, I would not have the guts.

So, things are good.

I wrapped up my first "official" photo shoot last week. IT. WAS. SO. MUCH. FUN. We shot images of the g r a y l i n g Summer 2010 jewelry collection for the website! (more on that in a minute...) Picture a spread you would see in Elle or Vanity Fair where the model is wearing gorgeous clothing and layers of jewelry - it was like that. Thanks to the stylist: Kami Gray, the photographer: Lisa Warninger, the model: Allegra Jongeward, and the impromptu photo-assistant (who I shall not name because she skipped school to "job shadow", tee hee)!

Speaking of shows, I am excited to announce g r a y l i n g will be showing at the Pool Tradeshow in Las Vegas in August 2010. Buyers from all over the world attend the show, and I cannot wait to meet lots of new faces. It will be fun to be on the "other side of the table" (as an exhibitor, no longer a buyer) this time around.

g r a y l i n g will also be at Crafty Wonderland for the first time ever this May! Several of my fellow-jewelry-designer-friends (Paper Treasure, Betsy & Iya, AK Vintage) have sold their wares at this well-known Portland, Oregon show.

Finally, I am happy to report the g r a y l i n g ONLINE STORE is almost ready! Beginning this April, you will be able to shop for jewelry from the comfort of your own home, in your robe, while eating loads of gummi bears (wait, that's me).

Which reminds me, if you want to stay in touch, you can:

Become a Fan on Facebook

Follow me on Twitter

Link Up on LinkedIn

Or, drop me a line: katy.kippen {at} gmail.com

football and fashion

Despite the two worlds’ apparent divide, consideration reveals numerous points of fusion, and not only Gisele and Tom Brady.

CHAINS - Football: checking for a first down, Fashion: Roger Vivier chain bag

Rather, the two disciplines share an impressive lexicon of terms.

The sack? In one world, a hit on the quarterback; in the other, a waistless dress. Spiral names the prettiest of passes or a lovely swirled frock. Double coverage can be two defenders on a wide receiver or layered cardigans. Blocking: the job of the endearing giant in "The Blind Side" or how you shape a sweater.

Football has its helmets (granted, not an accessory, but an essential in minimizing head injuries), while fashion boasts Pierre Cardin’s Space-Age headgear as well as Lang and Newton, give or take a vowel. As for a redshirt, it’s a term for a college player who sits out one year so he can stay five, or something Dries Van Noten showed in a spicy cinnamon.

The two worlds share snaps, spikes, clips and chains. Yet not all is S&M; a down is a step in the right direction or a cozy coat; a pocket, the domain of a drop-back passer or, well, a pocket; the pigskin, a ball or a bag.

Then there’s the secondary. The Colts have Antoine Bethea, and Donna Karan, DKNY. Tight end? A guy with good hands or a model’s posterior. While in football a team can’t get far without an offensive line, in fashion, too offensive a line spells disaster.

Yet the last word — make that two — in this wondrous fashion-football crossover? shoulder pads.

-excerpt by Bridget Foley for Women's Wear Daily

photo credit: WWD

i know, i know

OK, I know this is getting old. But I have to get the Noah out of my system. Only then can I snap out of it. And, you have to admit, he IS rather attractive:

mr. noah mills in GAP's Fall '09 ads

...strange coincidence that my hubbers bought these jeans?