We took engagement photos with Theia Mingo! I can’t tell you how excited I was that we got to have her at our wedding photographer! Everything she touches is just magic. She has such a strong vision that shines through in her life and work. You can view all of the photos HERE! (She lives in Starkville, Mississippi and is available to travel if you are looking for an amazing photographer!)
My best friend of almost five years proposed to me on Monday, March 11, 2013. I met Dave Whitley in 3D Design and Painting 1 in August 2008. They were at 8:00 and 11:00. Of course I was the one that started the conversation, because I saw that we were gonna have the same schedule for 6 straight hours twice a week, and I just liked making friends in school! He was shy, not very talkative, nerdy, but REALLY talented. He put up with all my jokes and we started helping each other out in school with projects. We walked to the Union in between 3D and Painting to eat lunch. I brought a turkey sandwich and got Starbucks coffee. He got the same thing from Chic-Fil-A every single time – Grilled chicken sandwich with mustard, fries, and sweet tea. In the Spring, we (along with a bunch of new friends) started to plan to take all the same classes together. I knew he was really good and I wanted to learn from him. The summer of 2009, my grandfather died. Dave was there for me while I was going through one of the hardest times of my life. That summer he became my best friend.
It was BIG news that we started dating in November of 2011! (That’s a whole other blog post.) Well I guess that leads us to the proposal. One of our best friends Tim Cook sent me a text on Monday night “Are you with Dave?” This wasn’t out of the ordinary because Tim, Dave and I are always showing each other our work. I said yes (we had just finished eating supper). Tim said “Perfect! Can you go to http://tim-cook.com/newsite? I did some work on my website this weekend and want y’all to look at it.” Again, this is NORMAL. Tim has been redesigning his website for two years now and Dave and I have both been helping him with it. The weekend before I had told him “just get Dave to design it for you and finally finish it!” HA! So I tell Dave we have to go look at Tim’s test site. I ask him to pull it up on his laptop. He types in the address and it rolls over to http://katewhitley.com and this is the screen…
Clever, right? I first thought this was a mean joke from Tim. (Tim’s been teasing me for months on when we were gonna get engaged!) Then Dave reaches for his pocket then gets down on one knee. He asked me to marry him and I’m still a little in shock. Of course I said YES! And I never gave him any pictures or descriptions about a ring. But he picked out the most gorgeous antique 1920s Art Deco ring that I just love. And the thing I love the most about it is that he picked it out and knew what I would like.
The past year and a half has been filled with so much joy. I am thankful every single day for this man. I love him more everyday. I’m so thankful we have been in each other’s lives for SO long now. I can’t imagine my life without him. And I don’t want to! He is so wonderful to me. He brings me incalculable joy.
I can’t wait to marry him. I am looking so forward to all of our friends and family to share in our wedding day. Below are just a few pictures of the hundreds we have together from school and just a few of us dating. Our wedding website is not done yet. But when it is, I will be sure to let you know. (I’m marrying one heck of a web designer. Wedding bloggers are gonna be all over that! HA!) Oh! And yes, those are our two cats in the Save the Date (Eric and Weezie). AND the cutest thing – Weezie Thomas is going to become WEEZIE WHITLEY! oh. my. word. I actually had the idea for the Save-the-Dates almost a year ago. I have not fantasized about my dress or flowers, but don’t think for one second I haven’t given A LOT of thought what our invites would look like! Obviously it’s the most important thing to us.
I felt that the Four Finger Fundraiser merited a blog post. I met Jonathan and Amber Perrodin two years ago at Renegade Craft Fair in Austin a few booths down from mine. Salt of the earth kind of folks, ya know? They live in Springdale, Arkansas and are leaders in the craft/art movement up in Northwest Arkansas. Jonathan and Amber are the hands and brain behind Perrodin Supply Company. You can read more about it on their about page on Etsy.
“Perrodin Supply began in January of 2012. After making artist panels and handcrafted canvases for nearly 10 years on a small, local scale, Jonathan decided to begin offering his services to a wider audience. They are both humbled and honored to have worked with nationally and internationally recognized artists.
Perrodin Supply Co. was founded with the full intention of bringing artists and crafters high quality, handcrafted goods and supplies at prices even the Perrodin’s can afford. It will always remain the goal of Perrodin Supply Co. to bring you great products and exceptional customer service!”
A few weeks ago, Jonathan was working on the saw and cut off his index finger on his right hand! I still cringe at that thought. They could not repair his finger. He is now having to relearn his trade without his index finger! I can’t even imagine how to do that. They are facing an overwhelming amount of medical bills.
There are 33 artists who have organized online a Pop Up shop, spearheaded by my amazingly talented friend Stacie Bloomfield. It is called the Four Finger Fundraiser. (I got to create the logo!) 100% of the proceeds are going to Jonathan and Amber. Of course I’m contributing along with some of my awesome friends, Thimblepress, Tim Cook, Weather and Noise, Leah Duncan, Strawberry Luna, Bella Vita Jewelry, Tumbleweeds Handcraft, Peru Paper Company, Buffalo Blue Designs and the list goes ON! You want to know the really cool thing? Some of these people have never met the Perrodin’s. That is one of the beautiful things about the craft community.
I hope you will consider supporting the Perrodin’s with this fundraiser! And you will be getting really really awesome work in return! The shop opens Monday, March 11th. You can follow the Four Finger Fundraiser on Twitter and on Facebook. And please spread the word! I am hoping everything sells out the first day!
Kate
I hate having to write this, but in the Little Things Studio 2012 Calendar, there are two errors in October and November. I left out October 26, and November starts on the wrong date. I am so very sorry this happened. I was excited, because this was the first time I was able to get something professionally printed.
If you would like to download and print off a replacement sheet, you can download *correct* versions - October and November. I am asking to use this for just printing off your calendar months – not to reproduce it for another purpose. The work is under copyright.
And I will mail you a physical copy if you would like one instead. You can email your mailing address (make sure subject line reads: “Request Replacement Months” Otherwise it might get lost in the crazy inbox!)
Again, I’m very sorry that happened.
Kate
I have so much to say about my first show at Surtex. I can’t believe I did it. I am forever grateful to my mom for all of her help. I was so happy to have her there with me. I’m not sure how everything is going to go but when you see big announcements from me on facebook or twitter, it is probably because of meetings from Surtex.
SO without further ado, here is my booth.
Here is Mom and me in my booth! We picked up fresh yellow tulips. And that is my book sitting on the table. I also gave out my self promo Art of the Beat, along with my fab business cards letterpressed by my roommate. THEN I gave away MY wrapping paper. Yes, I made wrapping paper – three sheets of patterns. I had heard to get the work you want, you need to make the work you want.
Below is a spread of my pattern book (that you see sitting on the table above). Weezie is staring at the Weezie pattern. I named every single one of my patterns after someone in my life.
Below are some instagram photos (I left my camera in Jackson, so I had to take photos with mom’s camera and my iPad.)
Helen and me!
One thing that I did that I was most proud of was make “List of my very favorite patterns by Kate.” Manufacturers could write down the patterns they liked and then email me later if they were interested in me sending digital versions of them. AND it works! I am not gonna lie that I’m pretty proud of this idea. I’ve never seen anyone else doing this. Folks are sometimes tight lipped about their secrets about trade shows, but I thought I would share my tip. It was so easy to make and has proven to be SO useful.
And I met one of my surface design heroes Helen Dardik. I’m a huge fan of her work. When I met her, I turned into a complete dork. But I am okay with that. I always turn into a nerd when it’s someone I love. She was so adorable and nice! It was a surreal moment because I have been looking at photos from Surtex for years now, and here I am with Helen!
I got to make friends with a lot of surface designers at Surtex. One of my very favorites was Morgan and Carrie of Ampersand Studio. They are a design duo powerhouse. I’m such a fan of them and their work. They had blogged about me a few months ago and it was just so fun to get to meet them. Here is a pic!(And yes, that’s Jenga on their table! so fab) And I think it was Morgan who called Surtex “Pattern Summer Camp.” It was their first year, too! But you sure couldn’t tell. They do great work.
I didn’t get to snap photos but I also got to know the cutest husband wife duo of Sorry You’re Happy. And Wendy McKinney was across the “street” (across the aisle) from me, and I felt like I knew her all my life. She was soooo sweet to this little rookie. She was so encouraging and answered 1,000 questions to things that I hadn’t even thought about until I got there.
It was so encouraging to continually be told it looked like I had been doing this for 10 years and not just 1. They were surprised how young I was coming out of school. One class from RISD came up and told me that they had been studying my progress on my booth in preparing for the show. I couldn’t help but laugh! There have been so many times I questioned if I should have majored in textile design and not graphic design, much less go to the #1 textile program in the world!!! And they were following me!?! I felt such pride from going to Mississippi State. I bragged so much about my friends and teachers from school, even though while I was there we didn’t even have hot water!
The other thing I got asked by people is how I was able to afford to go. I would say I have a part-time job and then I would hand them Little Things Studio business card and say with such thankfulness that I travel to craft fairs, sell in retail stores and online and that has funded Surtex. There was a woman a few rows over who had been working to come to Surtex for fifteen years! I am very blessed and very thankful.
If you get cheesed out, don’t read this. But I have to say that I am so very thankful to every single person who has purchased a bookmark, journal, or print. Buying that “little thing” allowed me to hopefully further my career and pursue really big dreams. I am very grateful.
-Kate