One crazy month!

We have been hunkered down and focused on the National Stationery Show which begins on May 15.  Needless to say our blogging, tweeting, facebook"ing" has definitely taken a backseat the past couple of weeks.  So, hang in there--- will be back in full force soon!

Here is a project that was printed this morning.  This spring we can't seem to get enough blue, we LOVE it!

Have a great day,
Cheers!
Kara and crew

Loving this color!

Mixing the paint

Inking the press

Here we go....

Spring is in the Air...

...And we love it! 

Here are some of our favorite things about spring:


• Bright spring colors such as yellows, oranges, pinks, blues
• Floral prints. Who doesn't love a great flower bag or dress?
• Sundresses! It's time to get out of those black tights, pull out that razor, and prepare to show those legs!
• Hitting the gym even harder. Hey, it's about to be bathing suit season. Also, we especially LOVE those endorphins!
• Being outside. Lately, it's been gorgeous out there and we can't seem to stay indoors.
• Our spring line. We're so proud that our hard work has paid off. 




Spring is one of the best times of the year and we are definitely celebrating/welcoming it!

Social Media---is it a fad?

A friend shared this video with us the other day on social media.  From a small business perspective with small marketing budget, we love social media.  


Check it out and let us know what you think.  Happy weekend!


Cheers!
Kara and crew

P.S.- We've been really busy getting ready for the NSS 2011 and can't wait to show you some new things that will debut.....stay tuned!

Girl's Night Out

The CRAVE Fort Worth book is out! And to celebrate, all the ladies got together for the launch party. It was held at 809 Vickery in a refined event venue. With the exposed walls, balconies, and contemporary urban feel, it was the best place to celebrate the unique, local women featured in the book!

For those of you who don't know, CRAVE was created for urban women to bring them together and show off how inspiring and business savvy they are. The book acts as a guidebook for everything you could ever "crave" in Fort Worth, from bakeries, stationery (we're in it!), and boutiques -- all ran by women. It is "the ultimate guide to women-owned businesses in Fort Worth, feature more than 100 entrepreneurs you need to know." It's all about stepping outside of your routine and take an adventure in your own city! 

Speaking of the book, we have it! And you can have it, too. We're selling it for $20 each with free shipping. Want one? It's as simple as an email to kara@katereeddesigns.com and we'll do the rest.

St. Patty's Day!

We are spending our St. Patty's Day on Spring Break.  Check out this article from National Geographic about the facts and myths of Ireland.


We will be back next week with more paper greatness!


Cheers!
Kara and crew


A man dressed as a leprechaun grins for the camera in New Orleans.

Photograph by Taylor S. Kennedy, National Geographic

John Roach

for National Geographic News

Updated March 16, 2011

On St. Patrick's Day—Thursday, March 17—millions of people will don green and celebrate the Irish with parades, good cheer, and perhaps a pint of beer.

But few St. Patrick's Day revelers have a clue about St. Patrick, the historical figure, according to the author of St. Patrick of Ireland: A Biography.

"The modern celebration of St. Patrick's Day really has almost nothing to do with the real man," said classics professor Philip Freeman of Luther College in Iowa. (Take an Ireland quiz.)

Who Was the Man Behind St. Patrick's Day?

For starters, the real St. Patrick wasn't even Irish. He was born in Britain around A.D. 390 to an aristocratic Christian family with a townhouse, a country villa, and plenty of slaves.

What's more, Patrick professed no interest in Christianity as a young boy, Freeman noted.

At 16, Patrick's world turned: He was kidnapped and sent overseas to tend sheep as a slave in the chilly, mountainous countryside of Ireland for seven years. (See Ireland pictures.)

"It was just horrible for him," Freeman said. "But he got a religious conversion while he was there and became a very deeply believing Christian."

St. Patrick's Disembodied Voices

According to folklore, a voice came to Patrick in his dreams, telling him to escape. He found passage on a pirate ship back to Britain, where he was reunited with his family.

The voice then told him to go back to Ireland.

"He gets ordained as a priest from a bishop, and goes back and spends the rest of his life trying to convert the Irish to Christianity," Freeman said.

Patrick's work in Ireland was tough—he was constantly beaten by thugs, harassed by the Irish royalty, and admonished by his British superiors. After he died on March 17, 461, Patrick was largely forgotten.

But slowly, mythology grew around Patrick, and centuries later he was honored as the patron saint of Ireland, Freeman noted.

(Related: "St. Patrick's Day Fast Facts: Beyond the Blarney.")

St. Patrick's Day Shamrock Shortage

According to St. Patrick's Day lore, Patrick used the three leaves of a shamrock to explain the Christian holy trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Today, St. Patrick's Day revelers wear a shamrock out of tradition. But people in Ireland hoping to wear an authentic shamrock are running low on luck.

Trifolium dubium, the wild-growing, three-leaf clover that some botanists consider the official shamrock, is an annual plant that germinates in the spring. Recently, Ireland has had two harsh winters, affecting the plant's growth.

"The growing season this year is at least as delayed as it was last year, and therefore there is the potential for shortage of home-grown material," John Parnell, a botanist at Trinity College Dublin, said in an email.

"We have had frost and snow showers in parts of Ireland within the past week," he added.

Other experts pin the shortage of the traditional plant as much on modern farming methods and loss of traditional hay meadows.

"The cold winters we are having here lately are just another nail in the coffin,"Carsten Krieger, a landscape and nature photographer whose books includeThe Wildflowers of Ireland, said via email.

To make up for the shortfall, many sellers are resorting to other three-leaf clovers, such as the perennials Trifolium repens and Medicago lupulina. According to the Irish Times, these plants are "bogus shamrocks."

Trinity College's Parnell agreed that Trifolium dubium is the most commonly used shamrock today, which lends credence to the claims of authenticity.

However, he added, the custom of wearing a shamrock dates back to the 17th and 18th centuries, and "I know of no evidence to say what people then used. I think the argument on authenticity is purely academic—basically I'd guess they used anything cloverlike then."

What's more, botanists say there's nothing uniquely Irish about shamrocks. Most clover species can be found throughout Europe.

No Snakes in Ireland

Another St. Patrick myth is the claim that he banished snakes from Ireland. It's true no snakes exist on the island today, Freeman said—but they never did.

Ireland, after all, is surrounded by icy ocean waters—much too cold to allow snakes to migrate from Britain or anywhere else.

Since snakes often represent evil in literature, "when Patrick drives the snakes out of Ireland, it is symbolically saying he drove the old, evil, pagan ways out of Ireland [and] brought in a new age," Freeman said.

The snake myth, the shamrock story, and other tales were likely spread by well-meaning monks centuries after St. Patrick's death, Freeman said.

(Related: "Snakeless in Ireland: Blame Ice Age, Not St. Patrick.")

St. Patrick's Day: Made in America?

Until the 1970s, St. Patrick's Day in Ireland was a minor religious holiday. A priest would acknowledge the feast day, and families would celebrate with a big meal, but that was about it.

"St. Patrick's Day was basically invented in America by Irish-Americans," Freeman said.

Irish-American history expert Timothy Meagher said Irish charitable organizations originally celebrated St. Patrick's Day with banquets in places such as Boston, Massachusetts; Savannah, Georgia; and Charleston, South Carolina.

Eighteenth-century Irish soldiers fighting with the British in the U.S. Revolutionary War held the first St. Patrick's Day parades. Some soldiers, for example, marched through New York City in 1762 to reconnect with their Irish roots.

Other parades followed in the years and decades after, including well-known celebrations in Boston, Philadelphia, and Chicago, primarily in flourishing Irish immigrant communities.

"It becomes a way to honor the saint but also to confirm ethnic identity and to create bonds of solidarity," said Meagher, of Catholic University in Washington, D.C..

Dyeing the River Green for St. Patrick's Day

Sometime in the 19th century, as St. Patrick's Day parades were flourishing, wearing the color green became a show of commitment to Ireland, Meagher said.

In 1962 the show of solidarity took a spectacular turn in Chicago when the city decided to dye a portion of the Chicago River green.

The tradition started when parade organizer Steve Bailey, head of a plumbers' union, noticed how a dye used to trace possible sources of river pollution had stained a colleague's overalls a brilliant green, according togreenchicagoriver.com.

Why not use the dye to turn the whole river green on St. Patrick's Day, Bailey thought. So began the tradition.

The environmental impact of the dye is minimal compared with pollution such as bacteria from sewage-treatment plants, said Margaret Frisbie, the executive director of the advocacy group Friends of the Chicago River.

Rather than advising against the dye, her group focuses on turning the Chicago River into a welcoming habitat full of fish, herons, turtles, and beavers. If the river becomes a wildlife haven, the thinking goes, Chicagoans won't want to dye their river green.

"Our hope is that, as the river continues to improve, ultimately people can get excited about celebrating St. Patrick's Day different ways," she said.

Pint of Guinness on St. Patrick's Day

On any given day 5.5 million pints of Guinness, the famous Irish stout brand, are consumed around the world.

But on St. Patrick's Day, that number more than doubles to 13 million pints, said Beth Davies Ryan, global corporate-relations director of Guinness.

"Historically speaking, a lot of Irish immigrants came to the United States and brought with them lots of customs and traditions, one of them being Guinness," she said.

Today, the U.S. tradition of St. Patrick's Day parades, packed pubs, and green silliness has invaded Ireland with full force, said Freeman, the classics professor.

The country, he noted, figured out that the popularity of St. Patrick's Day was a good way to boost spring tourism

Mark Your Calendars

Save the Date DFWers - The Dallas Flea is back and we'll be right there along with it!

 

Yup, it's the same place, time, and entrance fee as the one in December, so there's absolutely no confusion! We have a few things going on (YAY!) but we are definitely putting the Dallas Flea high up on the list because we loved it so much. We're working on getting our things ready and together (we have some new designs that we can't wait to show!) and will have our booth looking spectacular for you!

Mark March 26 on your calendar to come out and prepare to come home with vintage and homemade finds. Bring your girlfriends, your mom, and your kids - all those under 12 get in for free! We'll see you there!

How to: Capture your Personality

On this surprisingly chilly day in Texas, we're keeping warm by staying in the studio and immersing ourselves in fonts, fonts, and more fonts!

We believe that fonts are the BEST way to capture your personality, not only on your own personal stationery, but everywhere in life. A good flourish says you're sophisticated, classy, and romantic. A modern sans-serif is fun, trendy, and spontaneous. Need a good masculine feel? We say a classic, bold, straightforward font.

See how easy? Now, we know there are a ton of fonts out there - just open your font book or word font collection and you'll see a large assortment - but it really doesn't have to be overwhelming. We've been picking out our favorite fonts for all occasions, genders, personality types, etc. to make it easier for everyone!

The right font can really set the mood and personality, so have fun with it! Think about who you are and what you're wanting to portray. Fonts definitely don't have to be boring. In fact, we say away with boring, generic fonts! Personalize, personalize, personalize! And don't worry, when you're feeling a little defeated by your font collection, we're always here to help!

Lights, Camera, Shoot!

Hey guys, Amanda here!

As a new member of the team, I'm fascinated by the diversity of activities we do each day. Some days we're in the studio designing, some days we're pressing, some days we're presenting, and some days, like today, we have the music on, the dogs around and we're photographing!

We're revamping our website AND doing some awesome publicity stuff so we want our paper to look as amazing as we see them every day.  Here is small sneak peak of some final products:

 

It's just like us: simple, classic and fun - our paper definitely speaks for itself. We love being creative and hands on, so adding photography to our list of skills is no surprise. Make sure you keep an eye out for some more pictures of our stuff everywhere you look. 

It may be a little gloomy outside in the DFW area today, but it's the complete opposite inside from where I am right now!

We're in a New York State of Mind

Billy Joel did it best when he crooned about the great city of New York and this year, from May 15 - 18, we'll be singing right along.

That's right, we're headed to New York City to set up our very own Kate Reed Designs booth at the National Stationery Show! We've been hard at work designing a brand new line and creating a new, fun way for EVERYONE to be involved (but I won't say too much...yet).

We'll keep you posted as the date draws nearer and for the time being:

Let the countdown begin!

2 months, 3 weeks, 3 days

LOVE ROCKS!

We think LOVE ROCKS here at KRD. Whether you're spending today with your hunny, your best friend or your furry friend, love is in the air!

Happy Valentines Day from the ladies of KRD! Drop us a line and tell us what or who you love today!

In honor of today, here are a few of the things we loooooove...

Love is in the Air

 

Bag: Hermes Rouge Red VIF 35CM or 40CM Birkin Bag

Shoe: Christian Louboutin ‘Madame Claude’ D’orsay Pumps

Dress: Vintage Red Halter Dress

Bonjour Mes Amis

Hey guys, Amanda here.

As the newest member to the Kate Reed Designs family, I decided to write a little something about myself, so here it goes:

I'm a TCU graduate who majored in English and Advertising/Public Relations. I'm from Texarkana, but I loved Fort Worth so much (and since I will forever bleed purple) I decided to stay in the area. I love designing and being creative, but I'm also super organized, so my planner is always up to date and color coordinated.

I have a 6 month old puppy named Paris (as in France, not Hilton) who happily takes up most of my free time. She's a miniature American Eskimo (though she shakes in the cold weather. Pansy.) and is so full of energy, she wears me out just watching her, let alone chasing after her! I'm such a mom, though, and take pictures of her more than I do myself.  She's extremely social and more popular at my apartment complex than I am!

I have an older sister who is in Montana getting her PhD (smarty pants) and a younger brother who goes to UT in Austin, both of whom are my best friends. My parents are my role models and as scary as it is, everyday I notice something new about myself that I get from each of them (mostly in a good way).  I love to bake, but my favorite thing is traveling - I plan on being a world traveler, so watch out!

My inspiration comes from the simple things in life. I love looking at small things and items often overlooked and realizing how happy their simplicity makes me. I love the vintage 1920s feel and sometimes (or rather, most of the time) think I'm living in the wrong decade. I love bright colors that pop and clean, straight lines.

I am learning so much here and know I have more to go! Kara and Kat are my greatest mentors and are teaching me more than they know - I cannot wait to make my mark!

Au Revoir, mes amis :)

Saturday morning humor

I love this.  So funny and yet so true.  Thanks to my friend, Shannon, for sending some Saturday morning humor this way.

As for #11, I had great plans of printing Valentine cards today......not going to happen.  (There's always tomorrow)

Cheers!

Kara

The Adult Truths - Too Funny and Too True

 1. I think part of a best friend’s job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die!

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you’re wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn’t want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I’m pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

9. I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t at least kind of tired.

10. Bad decisions make good stories.

11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren’t going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don’t want to have to restart my collection…again.

13. I’m always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.

14. I keep some people’s phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.


15. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.


16. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Bud Lite than Kay.


17. I wish Google Maps had an “Avoid Ghetto” routing option.


18. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.


19. How many times is it appropriate to say “What?” before you just nod and smile because you still didn’t hear or understand a word they said?


20. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong!


21. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.


22. Sometimes I’ll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.


23. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I’d bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time.


24. The first testicular guard, the “Cup,” was used in Hockey in 1874 and the first helmet was used in 1974. That means it only took 100 years for men to realize that their brain is also important.

What's for dinner tonight, Crock Pot Chicken Gumbo

After sending a tweet this morning about the greatest invention ever, The Crock Pot, I received many inquiries about the recipe for tonight's dinner.  I found it on Southern Food while doing a Google search on easy slow cooker recipes.  KRD has been in the studio working more than usual this week, so the Crock Pot was a perfect solution for a weeknight dinner.  I sure hope it tastes as great as my kitchen smells.  Our family isn't crazy about sausage, so I doubled the chicken.  Rice and a salad will be added and voila, dinner is served!

Chicken Crock Pot Gumbo

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/3 cup cooking oil
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 12 to 16 ounces smoked sausage, sliced about 1/2" thick
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 2 cups diced cooked chicken
• 1 to 2 cups sliced okra
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• salt, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• boiled white rice

Preparation:

For roux, in a heavy 2-quart saucepan stir together flour and oil until smooth. Cook over medium-high heat for 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for about 15 minutes more or until roux is dark reddish brown. Let roux cool.

Add chicken broth to a 3 1/2 to 6-quart slow cooker. Stir in roux. Add sausage, chicken, okra, onion, green pepper, celery, garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours, or HIGH for 4 to 5 hours.
Skim off fat. Serve with hot cooked rice.
Makes 6 servings.

My well-loved Crock Pot, 11 years and still kicking!

mmmm.....

Happy Thursday everyone, off to Dallas for market tomorrow.  More next week.....

Cheers!

Kara

Blogs Blogs Blogs

We love everything about blogs - from writing them to following them, to writing about those we follow! We just got on Bloglovin which helps us see when our favorite blogs are updated. It's pretty awesome.

And now that we're on, you can follow our blog with bloglovin anytime by clicking the icon at the top of our sidebar!

Never heard of Bloglovin? Check out this video:

A Jump on the New Year!

SALE! SALE! SALE! SALE!

January can sometimes feel like a dead month after celebrating on New Year's Eve and the first, but not at Indie Genius. For the entire month of January, the whole place will be the site of one huge sale. And that means everything!

I'll be out working our booth tomorrow from 11-3, so come check it out, say hello, and take advantage of the sale. Who says nothing is ever going on sale the first month of the year?

SALE! SALE! SALE! SALE!

KRD in My Girl Thursday

We were so excited to be in My Girl Thursday last week on Thursday of course!  Chantilly McKinnon of Ontario, considers herself a "lifelong thrifter" who is inspired by things old and sometimes forgotten.

Check out last Thursday's blog.  Thanks Chantilly.  We look forward to reading more!
Latest Obsession:  Letterpress 




Cheers and Happy 2011!
Kara