Wild West Christmas

Howdy!
I had a great Christmas in Utah this year! It was my first trip to the SouthWest, and I was really impressed with the beautiful country and friendly folks! Here are some photos to share with you; please visit my flickr for more on Snow Canyon and Zion National Park!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

From me and Max to you and your family - Have a wonderful Holiday! We will both enjoy the break from school and work. We hope you have a fun and relaxing week, and look forward to catching up with you in the new year!
Wishing you love, peace and joy!
Katey

Flickr Toys - too much fun!

KateyDesigns
Originally uploaded by kateydesigns

I made this on the most fun site I've found in a while!
If you're into photos, and especially if you have a flickr account, check out
http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/
I made these to promote my shop; I had tons of 4x6 photo paper lying around (free every time I bought ink) so I printed them out for unique little business cards. There are other mosaic styles, plus other things you can make (calendars, puzzles, etc.)
I hope you don't have anything else you need to get done this afternoon ;-)
Katey

Dedication

BaskBallWint3
Originally uploaded by kateydesigns

Kids are so tough! They seem not to mind the cold, icy conditions that grind our adult activities to a halt. Although he could barely stand on the ice, my son Max wanted to shoot some baskets. I checked on him after a while, sure he'd be frozen, but he was still going. When he finally came in, I made him some hot chocolate :-)
As for me, it was back inside after snapping a few shots - back to my Caribbean Dreaming!
Stay warm, dry and safe!
Katey

Caribbean Chill Pill #3

Sunset2.jpg
Originally uploaded by kateydesigns

As if Manchebo Beach in Aruba wasn't perfect enough, every night there is a chance to see a beautiful sunset! As the weather outside turns colder in the North East US, here's a little reminder of a warmer place that is waiting for your next visit!

New Camera!

New Camera Collage
Originally uploaded by kateydesigns

I think once you get hooked on the internet, posting photos, etc., your camera becomes really important to you. I had a nice point and shoot (a Nikon Coolpix L11) but wanted to do more...So went for the awesome Nikon D40x. I'm so glad I did! I highly recommend this camera! I'm far from a camera expert - I can just tell you that the menu and screen controls are really cool and easy to use. Also pushing the button to take a picture, and having the instant response (instead of the delay with point and shoot cameras) is really satisfying. It's maybe a little bulkier than I would like, but until they make a digital SLR that's the size of a credit card, I guess I'll have to deal with it! I'll try to keep more photos coming so you can judge for yourself!
Have a great day!

My new workspace!

Hey! Have you ever transformed a corner of your house into your favorite space! Here's mine right now - my new workspace! I've gotten bolder with paints as I've worked on my house - at first, I was only working with the 'off-white' pallet. With my latest project, I've combined two of my favorite colors (pink and brown) on opposite walls. The red drapes are SWEET! This combination, along with the prints, makes me feel creative and lively - a great place to work!
What's the sweet spot in your home right now ?!

Happy Thanksgiving!

WBPTgive12
Originally uploaded by kateydesigns

I had a great sunny warm morning to go for a walk at the beach this Thanksgiving! Also got to try out my new camera, a Nikon D40x. I luv it!! Check out my flickr for more photos from my walk (just the decent ones - of course there were lots of goofs while I learn the ropes!)

I hope everyone has an enjoyable, restful day! Take Care - Katey

Caribbean Chill Pill #2

NorthCove.jpg
Originally uploaded by kateydesigns

The rocky north coast of Aruba is in sharp contrast to the south coast where the resorts are located. We followed the road, which was only a guess in places - we weren't sure our small jeep could even navigate. Boy, was it worth it!

Caribbean Chill Pill # 1

Hey! I thought I'd add a new series to my blog called 'Caribbean Chill Pills.'
Hopefully these photos will help you relax and unwind as much as my memories of my trips do for me!
This photo is from the island of Providenciales on Turks and Caicos. When I visit a new island, I like to explore! On the map, we saw an old game show site on a remote coast of the island that looked intriguing! On the way there, though, our tiny car got stuck in the sand road, and we had to leave this enticing path for another visit.

The road to enlightenment...

... is paved with laughter!

A friend sent me this list of office coping strategies; it made me LOL!
I thought I'd share it with you!

Ways to Maintain A Healthy Level Of In sanity.

1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on
and point a Hair Dryer At Passing Cars.
See If They Slow Down.

2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom.
Don't Disguise Your Voice.

3. Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something,
Ask If They Want Fries with that.

4. Put Your Garbage Can On Your Desk And Label It "In."

5. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks ..
Once Everyone has Gotten Over Their Caffeine Addictions,
Switch to Espresso.

6. In The Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write
" For Smuggling Diamonds"

7. Finish All Your sentences with
"In Accordance With The Prophecy."

8 . Don't use any punctuation

9. As Often As Possible, Skip Rather Than Walk.

10. Order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat,
with a serious face.

11. Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is
"To Go."

12. Sing Along At The Opera.

13. Go To A Poetry Recital And Ask
Why The Poems Don't Rhyme?

14. Put Mosquito Netting Around Your Work Area And
Play tropical Sounds All Day.

15 . Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend Their Party
Because You're Not In The Mood.

16. Have Your Co-workers Address You By Your Wrestling Name,
Rock Bottom.

17. When The Money Comes Out The ATM, Scream
"I Won!, I Won!"

18. When Leaving The Zoo, Start Running Towards The Parking lot, Yelling
"Run For Your Lives, They're Loose!!"

19. Tell Your Children Over Dinner.
"Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go."

20. And The Final Way To Keep A Healthy Level Of Insanity.......
Send This To Someone To Make Them Smile.

ruby red and chalcedony blue

Hey! I just got some gemstones I have been wanting for a while - rubies and beautiful aqua blue chalcedony! I put them in a couple of designs on their own, and a together in a combination earring. The ruby rondelles and chalcedony drops are both faceted, for my favorite look. I hope you like them!

I love the deep rich ruby red color together with the translucent aqua. It's neat how a color combination takes on a new life, greater than the sum of it's parts. It seems that a lot of combinations with brown have been popular recently, such as pink and brown, and aqua and brown. Ah, that gives me an idea - look for something soon in ruby red and chocolate!

What color combos brighten your world?
Take Care-
Katey

Ready for Winter?

WinterWind1
Originally uploaded by kateydesigns

OK, I'm not, although... In this simple painting I tried to catch that after snow feeling, when the sky clears to that perfect winter blue, but snow is still everywhere, blowing around...

How about you? Do you like winter?

I love red!....and circles!....

RedDoor3
Originally uploaded by kateydesigns

So it's been a few months, but I finally made it back 'into the studio' (OK, the basement!) this weekend, to paint a bit. It's so relaxing! If you've never tried it, I suggest you give it a go! You will probably enjoy mixing the colors, experimenting... maybe you haven't since you fingerpainted as a kid! You might surprize yourself!

This one I'm calling 'Red Door.' I love red doors on houses! They are so inviting. I'm experimenting with 'color therapy' right now; or exploring the power of bright and positive colors to lift your mood. Hopefully looking at this painting (photo) will raise your spirits, or give you a bright idea!
Have a great day!
Katey

Let's start bloggin'!

Welcome to my blog! I'm so excited!.....



Ok, now what?!