I have a new blog!

polkadotmitten.com has been in the works for about 6 months now, and I’m excited to announce that it’s up and running!  I would love it if you would head over to my new blog and follow me over there!  I think it looks much better!  

http://polkadotmitten.com

It Is What It Is will be OPEN next weekend!

February 28th-March 2nd… we will re-open!

MATS Bootcamp

I have been taking another course from Lilla Rogers Studio: Bootcamp.  I just finished my February Cuckoo Clock phone case assignment!  It will be on her online gallery on her website beginning Tuesday.  I’ll post a link!

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I had a fun weekend in Traverse City celebrating my last days being 29. They had most of Front Street closed down for winter activities… there was a sledding hill, ferris wheel, ice skating, mini golf, and lots more going on!  I had a great time shopping in all the unique little shops.

We also went wine tasting on Old Mission Peninsula.  I found a few new favorites!

We had a nice dinner at Mission Table (and then learned about its creepy history)!  And we headed back into town to check out the ice sculptures at night. This one was my favorite:

I found a really awesome app called Waterlogue.  It changes your photos into a watercolor painting:

Today is my actual birthday.  I’m spending it at home with my daughter who isn’t feeling too good. :(Not what I was hoping for, but oh well.) It’s snowing like crazy outside, so I decided to work on my assignment for Lilla Rogers’ Make Art That Sells bootcamp.  We’re supposed to be drawing cuckoo clocks, but I keep getting a little side tracked.  This is the design I made today:

 

 

polkadotmitten.com coming soon!

I met with my friend this morning, who is working on my new blog, and I’m really excited about it!  We’re hoping to launch it 2 weeks from today.  I spent the afternoon today working on a new logo for polka dot mitten – a fresh start for a new year, a new blog… 

New Favorites

 

 

 

All of these prints are available at shopwhatitis.com

Spring Wholesale Catalog

The spring wholesale catalog is finally finished!  If you are a retailer in need of a copy, please email me at katie@shopwhatitis.com!  

Polka Dot Mitten

As some of you may have heard, we are dealing with a little bit of a bump in the road around here. My little brother underwent unexpected open heart surgery yesterday. Kyle is doing well today, and though he has a long road to recovery, he is the strongest champ I know and I have no doubt he will be back at it in no time! 

While he was in surgery, we found out that my mother’s dear friend, and my Polka Dot Mitten rep, Susan Ross, passed away from a heart attack. I really owe the entire existence of Polka Dot Mitten to Sue. Without her, it would not have been possible to be where we are today. Sue was such a wonderful person. She was more generous than you can even believe and she will be sadly missed by more people than you can even count.

I debated whether or not this was something I should even blog about.  But I think writing about it helps me feel a little better.  

Quick Dinner Recipe – “Taco Lasagna”

My kids love tacos.  So we came up with a new creative way to serve them… We call it “taco lasagna.”

It’s so simple to make.  Brown 1 lb. extra lean ground turkey, drain.  Add one packet of taco seasoning, 1/3 cup water, one 14 oz can of kidney beans and one 14 oz can of Mexican diced tomatoes (drained).

Let that simmer while you cut 6 fajita-sized soft tortillas in half.  Arrange four of the halves in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish so they cover the entire bottom:

Then add a layer of the meat mixture:

Top with cheese:

Layer and repeat until all of your ingredients are used up.

Bake at 400 degrees until hot all the way through and cheese is melted. (Usually about 15 minutes).

YUM!

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Taco Lasagna (Makes 8 servings):

1 lb. extra lean ground turkey

1 packet taco seasoning

1 14-oz can kidney beans

1 14-oz can Mexican style diced tomatoes

1/3 cup water

1 8-oz package 2% shredded cheddar cheese

6 soft fajita-size tortilla shells

Preheat oven to 400.  Brown ground turkey, drain.  Add taco seasoning packet, water, beans and tomatoes. Simmer.  Meanwhile, cut tortillas in half.  Cover the bottom of a 9×13″ baking dish with four halves.  Spoon meat mixture on top, sprinkle with cheese.  Repeat layers until all ingredients are used.  Bake at 400* for approximately 20 minutes, let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

 

Best. State. Ever.

I’ve been working all week on new designs for 2014… the catalog is coming along. Here’s a new one that’s available for all 50 states!