big dreamer...

first things first, totally random: but i am completely lusting over this chair from urban outfitters right now. ::sigh:: i want it bad. it would look so good in my studio.

ok, so who knew it took so much to join facebook? i sure as hell didnt. im surprised they didnt ask my blood type, social security number, moms maiden name, and ask for a urine sample. ahh. BUT, i have to admit, it surely is paying off. and everyone that has added me as a friend so far, i am so damn grateful, i dont think anyone has any idea how much i appreciate it. its awesome. though, i do feel bad cause all these people are probably thinking, who the hell is this? and what do they want? BUT, nonetheless im still hella appreciative.

so look at me go! im on a roll! etsy storque articles said some good ideas to try and "get yourself out there" are to go to the internet....get a blog (check!), sign up for twitter (check, check!) and get a facebook account (check, check, check!) now, lets see if i can get "out there" and see what happens. though i have to admit, it has been WONDERFUL so far, over thirty some-odd orders. and its slightly overwhelming and scary when i stop and think about it. but i just have to remind myself...this is what i was going for! so if anyone actually reads this damn thing, considering i am yet STILL too pathetic to have followers....stick with me. bring on the adventure!

i am still hoping on that whole winning the lottery thing, because then ill open my own boutique/art gallery/bookstore. thats my uber dream. a bookstore where you can also come in and sit and lounge. but also has art up on the walls from (me, of course) and local artists. maybe even a place for a little stage and have local bands come in and play with a little coffee shop. a huge all-in-one. it will never happen...but a girls allowed to dream, right?

ive been inspired...

let me tell the world, so you can all watch me fall on my face...

my fiance and i are going to save up the money (and in the meantime pray that we win the lottery), so i can quit my day job and see if i can make a real go at the jewelry/painting thing. im confident if i had the time and the monetary funds to take a hiatus from the 9-5, that i could really make Kate Cotten Designs work for me. im not saying im going to uber famous. but i KNOW i could do more. so i am giving myself a timeline of three months (once we have the funds to do so, well, at least so i dont have to freak out all the time.)

right now, it is impossible working 7:45 to 5:30 every day, coming home, then sitting down and doing nothing but painting all night. dont get me wrong, i love painting! it is my great love (besides dave of course!) and amazingly awesome & supportive friends, and the cutest little..."nephew"/friends baby in the whole world. and i would like to be able to have my job as painting/creating/designings, and still have some time for a small social life. i dont want to become a hermit.

i know. im selfish. im like...i want my cake and eat it too! but really, my ideal day would be something like this: i would like to be able to get out of bed at 7, drink a cup of coffee on the patio with a paper or magazine, go inside, get dressed, and get to work. i could paint five medallions before lunch, take a lunch break, ship off any packages i had, go back home and string them all and then paint another two or three and string them. work until 7 at night. and still be able to have dinner with my fiance and then if i wanted/needed i could work until i went to bed. or go babysit noah or go to a movie. that would be my ideal life. but first, we either need to win the lottery, or i keep telling my fiance he just needs to invent something super kick ass!

ah, big dreams. lets see if i can make it happen....so stay tuned so you can wish me luck and congratulate me, or watch me fail miserably.

squished smurf...?

i know this has nothing to do with designing or anything. and it is probably going to make everyone hate me. but, i just want to share with the world what a horrible (almost) sister-in-law i am.

so last night was dave's (fiance) little brothers birthday. he turned the big 2-1, and i mean, when youre a 21 year old boy youre supposed to go out and celebrate. let me share a little of last night with you...

so dave gets a call from his mom saying that for patricks birthday, he decided he wanted to go to carinos for dinner. so the whole family was going to meet up there at six. (parents, dave and me, patrick (birthday boy) and his girlfriend, and daves older brother and his fiance.) which i may add, that never happens. i cannot remember the last time all three denton brothers were all in the same room. ANYWHO...we go to dinner, and since its patricks 21st, everyone orders a drink, beers for the boys, scotch for dave, and bellinis for the girls. awesome. well, since patrick never drinks, he is feeling peachy with the two beers at dinner. well eventually dinner comes to an end. and everyone is asking patrick what hes doing, if his friends are taking him out, etc. he says that his friends all bailed on him and he needed to go home and finish "a little homework" because he still has a paper he "kinda needs to work on." but he says its "not a big deal, he can come out for a little while" so dave convinces him that its his 21st birthday, and as a right of passage that he needs to go to a bar. so we decide to go to this bar here in odessa where daves older brothers fiance works, and shes about to go in to work, so we might as well go there.

so we go to ten. and since its a monday, it is EMPTY. so we all sit at a table and were talking and having fun, joking around, and putting music on the jukebox. swell. patrick starts off with a beer. he finishes that, and i start teasing him that hes got to take a shot because its his birthday! so of course, since jen is working she bring out the "big bad-ass book of shots"....


and it has over 1400 shots in there. so we start going through and laugh at the names and eventually pick a few he needs to try. LONG story short....he ends up taking shots with such names as the squished smurf (which i giggled at, and then sampled, it was actually quite delicious!), the hard on, a slippery pickle, flaming dr. pepper, irish coffee slammer, a bugs bunny, super high or something like that, and some guy at the bar bought him two shots that were huge and super bright green. and then he finished off the night with a "leathal weapon" which contains six liquors. poor kid. he is quite tall, and about as big-a-round as a tooth pick. and i wish i could blame it all on his brothers and girlfriend, but i definitely did my fair share of encouraging. it didnt seem like that many shots at the time because we sat there for 3+ hours. but at the end of the night, as were leaving the bar, he explains that its not just a paper, its a group project, and hes not even closed to finished and it was due this morning at 9:30am.

i am a horrible person. i blame dave and mike. but i can honestly say i am quite weary on when my future children become of age. i can only imagine what uncle patrick is going to teach them. God help us all.

i have a new favorite designer. and if i win the lottery, i will have something of hers on every wall of my house. i dont know if anyone has ever heard of her before, but its all new to me: Conni Reed of Consuela. i am IN love. i went to this little boutique here in odessa on saturday for the first time, and i turned a corner and there it all was, beautifully displayed and such bright colors. she does home decor, accents, jewelry, all that. but i seriously am completely in love with all her crosses and jewlery boxes. i loved it so much i totally took back what i had gotten my mom for her birthday (it was uber lame in comparison) and got her one of the amazing crosses....check it out....

adorably cute, colorful, vintage-looking picture frame. i think i have a new crush. i think im gonna need this to put an engagement picture in. definitely.


crosses galore. all different shapes, sizes, colors, accents. i bought this one the other day. it was love at first sight. im tempted to steal it, and get my mom another present for her birthday :)


i am in lust. i want this so bad i can taste it, so i, not-so-subtly dropped hints to my handsome, sweet, caring, perfect fiance....*wink*wink*

just try to tell me youre not slightly in love now either. seriously. go check out her website, my blogging does not do it justice. consuelastyle.com you can thank me later :)

viva consuela!

so much pressure...

i hate buying gifts. let me just say that. for some unknown reason, i cannot just BUY a gift, i have to find the perfect gift for everyone, everytime. and im not sure why. even if someone tells me what they want, or gives me ideas, i cant do it. it has to be perfect! i think im perversely addicted to seeing someones face when you give them the gift and theyre so excited and happy and surprised and thankful all at the same time. its nuts. and the month of april has provided me with more than a few occasions...my moms birthday, my dads birthday, my friends baby shower, my friends birthday, and then mothers day is right around the corner. ahhh. i just put too much damn pressure on myself.

just for your reading pleasure, i am going to share with you a quick story from my childhood... it was like....hmmm....i believe my 4th birthday, and my aunt and uncle kept asking me what i wanted. and i, of course, being so cute and adorably 3, could not decide, all i wanted was an easy bake oven (i know, awesome, right?!) but apparently my parents had already gotten it so my aunt and uncle needed more ideas. i just kept saying i dont know. so they told me if i couldnt decided i was going to get a dr. pepper can and grass. i still couldnt decide. SO, my birthday rolls around and everyone comes over to the house to celebrate and i was SO excited my parents had gotten me an easy bake oven! then its my aunt and uncles turn...i open my present and im SO super excited because i LOVE my aunt and uncle....and inside the wrapping is.....an empty dr pepper can and a few handfuls of cut grass. awesome. but then my aunt surprises me with an amazingly adorable little picnic table/bench that she had hand-painted with me and her dalmation, boomer. it was the best thing ever. so maybe that is why i always strive to get the best presents. especially for my parents too, i mean theyre the best parents anyone could hope to have, theyre super supportive of everything i do, me and dave (my fiance), and the wedding, and my life and dreams and ambition. and i take present buying seriously to try and make it great. and so far, i dont think its really working out for me.


but i have to admit, i am pretty hyped about my dads gift. i got him a pair of tiddies. (get your mind out of the freakin gutter!) you know, the sandals? apparently they were way hip back in the day when my dad was in college. and he always mentions them. so i, being a kick ass daughter, found a pair of tiddies. and i know, i know. theyre not the coolest, or most expensive. but i know he is gonna be SUPER hyped about them. and that makes me happy. i have to admit, i tried them on. and holy nuts. i totally see why he loves them. they might just be the ugliest and most comfortable shoes in the ENTIRE world. i think im going to have to get a pair for myself.

sneak peek....

i know i kept saying i was going to post pictures, and finally, here they are. they are not yet available on etsy. but i will be posting them up for sale later on this evening. but here is a sneak peek of the alexandria and the kiley.

THE KILEY: hand painted skull graphics. no lie, my new favorite one. I ADORE IT. its the best pop when youre wearing it. the reverse side is silver, blue, green, and purple plaid. it is tres cute! i wore it just to the grocery store and had five ladies stop me and compliment me on it. it is a total win. but, then again, im a little biased. (plus, im in love with all my new spring color beads!)


THE ALEXANDRIA: i got this idea from sitting around one night with my friends. we were saying how cute it would be to have a bracelet with a tux on one side and a dress on the other. WELL, that was the original plan, but then after the dress (which i happen to be very proud of the details when you see it up close) i couldnt bare to do a tux on the other side, because i didnt think i could make it as cute as the dress, so instead it is still my signature plaid on the other side. but none-the-less, i have to admit, i think this is my best one. details and painting wise. plus, i am totally digging on the monochromatic color scheme.

so there you have it. a teensy sneak peek at the bracelets. i have more to upload these are just my favorites of the moment. and anyone who knows/sells/buys off of etsy knows that you have to have awesome pictures. i mean, your stuff has to look good! and well, lets face it folks, my pictures arent the greatest. so i am hoping by the middle of next week, i will have something set up and will be able to post amazing, and complimentary pictures of my stuff instead of blurry pictures taken from my iphone. so wish me luck!

(ps: i am hoping to squeeze in another post later of some more of my favorite things...so keep a look out. i promise, it will be worth it!)

i feel like i have an elephant on my chest

guess who was right? so i went to the doctor again today.....hooray i lasted until 10:15 today! a whole extra hour than yesterday. i feel like death. anywho...doctor...so apparently i have an ear infection, with an added sinus infection, with a bonus of a summer flu, and the cherry on top: an "extreme" case of bronchitis. go me! and if im not careful, it could turn into walking pneumonia. man, when i do things, i do them right! oh and another bonus: i have to remain on bed rest for another 24 hours. im bored, i feel like death, i feel like i have an elephant sitting on my chest. and the wheezing is not attractive. but im bored at home. i cant do anything productive flat on my back in bed. but, i did watch twilight three times back to back. so thats a win. man, im so lame.

and i did get my new beads in! that was about the extent of my excitement today, so i already have ideas swirling around in my head. and once i can stop hacking and wheezing long enough to not shake uncontrollably i will begin working on my new bracelets.

but, as always, if you cant wait for my new stuff...i mean, you could always just go to katecotten.etsy.com (lame plug, i know. just let it slide this time.)

i just coughed up a lung. literally.


i feel like death. stupid bronchitis. i can barely breathe. i just coughed so hard i could swear my right lung just came out and slid across my desk. awesome. oh look! there it is, over by the door. awesome. i might need that back. and yet, somehow, im still at work. not gonna lie, i am trying my damnedest and im not sure i am going to make it past lunch. i guess we will see.

i do have to update, i made another bracelet this weekend, and i have to admit, it is probably my favorite thus far. and thats kind of a hard thing to do. but i think i managed to top myself. kick ass. its a square pendant with rows of skulls. i know, weird if thats not your thing, but im weird enough that it is totally my thing. well, one of them at least. ANYWHO...its pretty awesome, took FOREVER, but totally worth it. i will post a picture of it on here later, and post it up to etsy, hopefully by tomorrow afternoon. plus, i am beyond hyped i have a new bead shipment coming in today and i ordered some awesome tensha beads along with an amazing array of any kind of bead you can think of. i adore it.

in other news, i think i am newly addicted to hair pieces. not like wigs, and stuff like that (although with my different hair colors, and as often as i change it, it probably looks like a wig by now....) BUT, like the hair fascinators, and amazing headbands. im in love. here are a few of my FAVORITES....




"Hope for Spring" by MissRubySue. i am in total lust after this headband. everything in MissRubySue etsy store, is amazing. check it out, i dare ya.


"White Feather Flower with White Pearls Center Birdcage Fascinator" by BrendasBridalVeils. i will DEFINITELY be wearing one of BrendasBridalVeils next year when dave and i get married.



i will update again later and show some more fascinators and hair pieces, because trust me, just search through etsy and you will find hundreds upon thousands of ones to go on the "must have" list. these are my favorites so far. ive already gone so far to pick out my wedding day fascinator so i can match my dress to it, instead of the other way around...i know, i know.


wish me luck that i dont die here at this tiny little wood laminate desk. i fear the left lung might be getting hacked up soon enough as well.

ode to overcast days

this is what the sky looks like right now, and im pretty upset i am stuck inside.

overcast days are my favorite days. theres just something about the calming effect, the gray-blues in the sky, and the smell of rain blowing in on the wind that just makes me want to do something. it makes me want to make a huge pot of coffee and sit out on the porch with a good book. or open a window in the office and paint the day away.
stupid responsibilities, always getting in the way of all my fun. but, i am pretty hyped, i have a custom painting to do (well, redo, stupid perfectionist in me) this weekend, and another custom bracelet order, which i am also really excited about. so wish me luck.