*25 Random Things about Me*

Well my internet is down and I'm checking in at a Wi-fi hot spot so I'm not going to be able to post the layouts I was hoping to. Instead, I'm about to entertain you with useless trivia about me - everything you've always wanted to know and then some. If you read this, consider yourself "tagged" and I'd love to see your own list. They're always so fascinating!

So here we go:

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1. I am from Kentucky - Louisville, even - but I've never been to the Kentucky Derby. I've been close...but then it decided to hail on us on the way there and we thought better of it. Crazy, I know.

2. Also being from Kentucky (and as any pre-teen girl will tell you), it was a prerequisite to love horses. I did (and still do) and rode/showed them for several years...and it was probably the one sport that I had a lot of talent at. Sadly my parents didn't want to own a horse so that was the end of my riding career.

3. I can wink with both eyes. No, I don't mean "blink." I can do each eye one at a time.

4. I taught dance (tap, jazz and ballet) to little girls 3-8 years old to have spending money throughout college. It was a good thing I got my girl fix in then as now I'm the mom to three little boys who would vehemently object to me putting them in tutus and tights. (Ok, not the tights. Superheroes DO wear tights.)

5. I have to sleep with a cover of some sort over me at night even in the hottest of summers. It's some kind of throwback to childhood when I used to think blankets would protect me from monsters! :)

6. I have an addition to McDonald's Diet Coke. Seriously. It's worse than any drug.

7. Because a friend of mine just reminded me of this, I cut my arm wide open with an x-acto knife during my senior year of college in a sculpture class (I was a Fine Art major). The ambulance came but I freaked out and refused it! so a classmate drove me to the ER where I had to get oodles of stitches. It's pretty ironic considering what I do for a living now.

8. I am an only child and because of that, I was determined to have at least two children. My plan when I was younger (like middle school - yes, we girls think of those things even back then!) was to have three boys. God has a sense of humor and gave me exactly what I wanted.

9. I’m double jointed in my left thumb. Just that joint only. No others. I have yet to figure out something useful to do with it.

10. I prefer not to drive. Not that I'm a bad driver, but I think because I'd rather sit in the passenger seat and harass the person who *is* driving.

11. I used to love to talk on the phone, but a few years as a receptionist cured that.

12. I have been to Mardi Gras and partook (is that a word?!) in all the festivities. ALL. THE. FESTIVITIES. 'Nuff said.

13. I was engaged once before I met my husband.

14. My driver's license says I'm 5'1, but it's really more like 5' 1/2". Some people lie about their age. For me, it’s this. Ahem.

15. I used to want to be a teacher even though my favorite teacher ever (Mrs. Pearman in 4th grade) told me I shouldn't. (Only because teachers were under appreciated, not because of me personally. Swear.) I even had a year invested into my Masters in Education before I realized it wasn't my calling. Trust me when I say children everywhere rejoiced.

16. In 2nd grade, I tried to forge my father's beautiful signature on poorly done homework assignments by writing "BILL" at the top of them in pencil. I thought I did really well and was shocked (and severely punished) when I got caught!

17. I am incredibly sentimental and love a good romantic story. I'm a sucker for movies like "50 First Dates", "Love Actually", "The Notebook" and "Gone with the Wind."

(This is starting to get hard!)

18. I know all 44 presidents of the United States - IN ORDER - but only if I sing them because of the "Presidential Song" I learned in 4th grade. Useless trivia put to music I can retain, other stuff, not so much. I'd list them here, but you'd think I copied it from somewhere. But next time you meet me, just ask and I'll prove it.

19. I use "smilies", extra punctuation and parenthesis altogether too much when typing emails or notes but I can't quite seem to help myself. :) (see?!)

20. I love photography and treasure photographs, but when I was a child, I had a hard time looking at pictures of people who had passed away. It completely creeped me out.

21. My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving because I still get to be around and enjoy family and friends without the commercial stress of Christmas. Ok, that's not completely true. My favorite holiday is really Halloween because it's right before my birthday and kicks off my “party week.” I can admit it.

22. I tend to block out my most embarrassing moments like they never happened but my friends don't seem to suffer from the same affliction. They love to remind me of them at the worst. possible. times.

23. I cried hysterically the night before my second son was born because I just couldn't imagine how I would love another child as much as I loved my first, but the moment I saw his face, I knew.

24. My biggest sadness in this life is that my dad never had the opportunity to hold one of his grandchildren. I'd have given anything to have that happen.

25. My parents had decided to name me "Heather Leigh" but somehow while my mom was still knocked out from her c-section, my dad thought "Kelly Lyn" sounded better.

Your turn!

xo,
k.

Home Again! (And not entirely sure I wanna be!)

Oh, yes....I left sunny California Wednesday.....for this. THIS! The worst natural disaster in Kentucky in recent (and not so recent) history. So many homes without power, so much damage....it's just horrible. The kiddos have been out of school the entire week and it's not looking very hopeful that they'll be going back Monday as we're supposed to be receiving a fresh batch of this (I'll grudgingly admit, beautiful) white stuff somewhere in the range of 3-14". Oh joy.
I am counting my blessings that I'm home safely with my boys - without any flight delays I might add - and we (currently) have heat...most necessary in this bitter cold.
Here's praying that all of you effected by this horrible storm are safe and warm. I'll post tomorrow with some happier thoughts...more new BasicGrey from CHA-Winter '09.

XO,
k.

Hello from CHA!

Just popping in for a few minutes after being up almost 24 hours with my flights and show set- up! But I didn't want to leave you waiting any longer for a few peeks from the show:
PORCELAIN



LIME RICKEY



MARRAKECH



WISTERIA



I hope you enjoy these peeks and I look forward to sharing more with you when I get back on Thursday! Have a great week!

xo,
k.

Beautiful Wisteria

BasicGrey's 3rd release for Winter show is the beautiful Wisteria.

Like a day at the spa, a walk after the rain, or a crisp set of cool sheets, let Wisteria™ ease you away to a peaceful, creative terrace of veranda-inspired florals. Our garden blooms in summer shades of sky blue, mint green, deep plum and delicate golds.

And so it begins!

The banners announcing the new lines have started appearing on BasicGrey's site! CHA (the Craft and Hobby Association trade show) will be starting on Sunday and a new taste of what's to come will appear on the site each day leading up to the show! I LOVE this time of year!

The first line up is MARRAKECH! I have to tell you that Marrakech is one of my two personal favorite lines from this release. The colors are so rich and divine and the patterns just work so beautifully together! Here's just a little peek.
I'll be sure to post more as they go live and check back here Sunday morning for some work examples featuring all four of the new lines!

ETA: A little more to intice you - The next line is now up (I was a bit slow on the first one). Now it's time for PORCELAIN, which blends a refined palette of delicate lace and floral motifs in watercolor-inspired hues of sunset yellow, spring greens, soft corals and espresso brown. (I didn't write that myself ;)) Here you go!

With the Angels...

I apologize that this is the post I bring to you after a long absence (work has got me hopping), but I wanted to let all of you know who have been sending good thoughts, praying hard and giving the family support that our little Jake passed away tonight around 8:30 p.m. He was surrounded by his family and friends and will be greatly missed.

Thank you all so much for your love and give an extra hug to your own children tonight and from now on. I know I'll be doing that with mine.

k.

Jake

I have promised to keep you all updated on Jake, this sweet little boy who has been battling a very aggressive form of cancer. The last I reported to you all back in September, by some incredible miracle of God, Jake had gone into remission and was cancer-free.
In December our little Jake celebrated his 3rd Birthday, a birthday we weren't sure he'd see. (Photo courtesy of his parents, Rick & Amy) Every one was so jubilant that day, especially Jake. But (and I don't even know how to say this), around the same time, we found out Jake's cancer was back and even stronger than before. He is now in the hospital where they are making him as comfortable as they possibly can, but there is nothing else they can do. Pediatric Hospice is involved, helping Jake, his parents, sister and grandparents.

So please, if you would, keep Jake and his family in your thoughts and prayers. They could use all the strength they can muster during this difficult time.

Thank you, as aways, for your love and support.
k.

I love you, YR

It was 20 years ago yesterday that I met my best friend, Ann Marie. I'm sitting here chuckling as I type that because 20 years seems like such an long time but when I add that we actually met as freshman in college, well....uh...yeah. I feel old!

She is by far one of the best things that has ever happened to me. I had no idea the impact this tall, northern, polka dot-wearing, curly haired woman would have on my life when she walked into my very southern country-duck decorated (no lie!) dorm room mid-way through my freshman year. In that instant my life changed - for the better - forever.

She is my confidant, my therapist, my fashion and beauty adviser, my fortune-teller, my sounding board, my fellow resident of Norman Rockwellville, my best friend in the entire world.

I love you to pieces, Ann Marie. Happy Anniversary!

Always,
YR
(p.s. Photobooth photos circa 1997 when we were both really cute ;))

BasicGrey's January Newsletter

...is now available by clicking here! I hope you enjoy it!

Bittersweet is one of my new favorite lines - even for my boys - and I got to work with it for for this month's sketch column by Becky Fleck. And it gave me an opportunity to write a little love letter to my baby (who is suddenly not so little anymore) which I plan on doing again for the other two. It's always nice to have a chance to share with the people you love exactly how much you love them. And I wanted to give a super big thanks to our contributing artist this month, Kelli Crowe - she did a fantastic take on the sketch not only enlarging it but using what I think is a record EIGHT BasicGrey lines on one layout! Amazing!

And remember - we love to see your take on our monthly sketches at BasicGrey if you want to try your own hand at them. Just upload it to the gallery with "Monthly Sketch" in the title!

Have a great day!

k.

Pete, Repeat....and Repeated....again.

Please note the very last line of this very sweet progress report we received today on our youngest son.

Now WHERE could we have heard that before? Anyone? Anyone?



Ethan????? Turner????

Bueller?


Yeah. Apparently sibling rivalry doesn't just end at home.

Goodbye 2008, Hello 2009!

I love new beginnings, fresh starts, making lists and resolutions, so it's no wonder I adore the start of a brand new year. I'm eagerly looking forward to all that 2009 has to bring and sharing that all here with you.

Happy 2009! May it be one of peace, love and prosperity for you all.

xo,
k.