Clarabelleandthehen's Blog

Fresh Ideas Hatching Daily

Brrrr. It’s time to think about Spring clothes! (ha) January 5, 2010

Yep. It’s record breaking cold and I’m hawkin’ shorts. Hannah Kate’s Spring show
is coming up and some how, some way I’m gonna host it. (Because my brain is done and I have no sense).

January 21 and 22

9-5

3926 Forest Glen Drive

Knoxville

865.522.0630

kathryngage@comcast.net

We’ll be doing Clarabelle & the Hen too but I haven’t had time to do a flyer or anything. I’ll get  to it soon…possibly.
We ARE settled into our new digs and I am in hog heaven. It is so much less stressful to have SPACE around me. Ahhhh.

 

Hannah Kate Home Show This Friday & Saturday! July 20, 2009

Plus, Sunday by appointment (kathryn@clarabelleandthehen.com or 525.9491) in Knoxville.

Come and bring a friend! Precious duds for your kiddos…

hannahkatefall09-emailer

 

Check us out at Garnet Hill (.com)! July 15, 2009

Finally! The day has come. We are in Garnet Hill! (Online for now, a mailer goes out in a few days and then the catalog after that). The best part is, they tell folks it’s US! Clarabelle and the Hen. We couldn’t have asked for a better way to get the word out that we have a brand new name. How cute is that skirt? You can bet, Clara will be sportin’ that very outfit come Fall! (I, of course, had nothing to do with the skirt–I just happen to think it’s exceedingly cute). They wrote similar copy for the bottles, and the tee is sold in all sizes (in pink or lime). Plus, we have another design coming up for the tiny tots…

http://www.Garnethill.com

Tees: http://tinyurl.com/garnethill-com-tees

Water Bottles: http://tinyurl.com/garnethill-com-waterbottles

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Phew. Now, onto to other pressing news. I feel I should post the Hannah Kate Clothing Show info again and keep it up for a few days. (Mailers went out Monday and Tuesday, and an emailer will go out tomorrow). Please spread the word, come, and bring a friend! Want to be added to the mailing list? Give us a shout!

(It’s a little hard to read…the dates are July 24-25, 9-5 on Friday and Saturday and by appointment on Sunday.)

Call or email kathryn for directions or to schedule an appointment. kathryn@clarabelleandthehen.com, 865.525.9491

hannahkatefall09-emailer

 

Hannah Kate Fall Show 2009 June 25, 2009

Mark your calendars!

Also, please let me know if you or someone you know wishes to be added to the mailing list,
or if your address has changed. There are lots of wonderful new fabrics…hope to see you!

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July 24-26 (a weekend)

9-5 on Friday and Saturday

By appointment on Sunday

email kathryn for address, directions etc.

kathryn@clarabelleandthehen.com

SPREAD THE WORD!

 

Patchwork Update August 13, 2008

Howdy padres. Here are the other designs I mentioned just before my RANT yesterday. Sorry about that. Bad mood Betty has left the building (although I suspect that she might be hiding out in the basement/factory.)

I did these earlier in the summer for one of my stores, and never posted them:

(just a fresh take on the crabs we already offer except you can make the crab and the background any color/pattern you like):

And a basic monogram…background can be any swatch/color combo from our Patchwork Collection.

Oh! I almost forgot. I have also updated Patchwork on the site so that it is much easier
to order and to see the various design options. I think I have found a way around the sports quandry too! (Collegiate liscencing limitations prevent me from using team slogans). One of my savvy customers ordered the Elephant Patchwork in a “Bama” dot pattern. Done. Too cute, with her child’s name. So we now have a Georgia Bulldog dot, a UT dot and an Auburn dot too. We can do any dot you need and a silhouette of your team mascot (if it has a recognizable and generic silhouette–sorry Vols! I’m thinking on this one) I’ll be uploading a (War) Eagle, and a (Georgia) Bulldog later today.

Happy Hump Day!!

 

Hannah Kate Coming Soon! July 31, 2008

I’m starting to get lots of inquiries about when the next Hannah Kate Show will be. Here’s the dish.

August 21-22 at my home

Visit

http://www.hannahkateonline.com

to view the current collection and check out new fabrics and embellishments

I sent invites out this week, but if you think you are not likely on my list and would like to be, please contact me with your address. I hope to get photos of the clothing up on my site just before the show begins, so you’ll be able to call in an order if you are not in the Knoxville area. Looks like some really cute stuff! And new this season, you can actually go to the Hannah Kate site to order holiday wear in advance, to insure that you’ll receive it in time. Just tell them I  am your usual hostess please !

 

Creative Juice July 30, 2008

My customers have been drinking it. They come up with such nice ideas and it’s especially great, because then I HAVE to do new designs to fill the order…so no procrastination on the design front. Actually, my problem is time, not so much procrastination, but either way, they have good ideas and I love the challenge of helping them get what they are looking for. Here are the designs that “happened” just today:

Keep your requests coming folks. It’s what keeps my job interesting…I love it!

 

Ahhh. Sandy Beaches…(NOT!) July 29, 2008

When you think beach, you think sand, no? Well, not to be a debbie downer, I mean, a vacation is a vacation…but the beaches in Maine…well, they leave something to be desired; namely, SAND. We DROVE to Maine week before last…yep, 17 hours in a small box on wheels with two children and everything we own. Okay, so on the way up, we only had one kid (my son went ahead for soccer camp with his cousins in Vermont), and we split up the trip with a night in Virginia with my dad…BUT, on the way home, we drove straight through with both kids in tow and a super crabby mama. 17, count them, 17 hours.

I say it rained the whole week. Hubby says there was sun every day.

How is that for the whole cup-half-full and cup-half empty way of looking at life. What can I say? I have hundreds of orders to fill and I’m a little stressed. But beggars can’t be choosers…thank the good Lord for a growing business, and that I got to go to Maine and eat lobster for 10 days.

My life doesn’t suck (all that much).

Here are some pics (in no particular order). I took a ka-gillion, but folks, I aint got time to
upload ’em all (go ahead, big sigh of relief..I won’t hear you).

Here’s one of my cutie-patooty nieces. She was ALLLLL about posing for the camera. I kept catching them off somewhere standing in some poetic pose, gazing off into the horizon…with the hopes that I would spot them and say AHA!! What a GORGEOUS PHOTO you would make!!

The four of them had a ball together. They all stayed in a loft with little nook type beds with trundles underneath…it was like being at camp. We had more fun eavesdropping on their conversations.

These two are little pistols. They are gonna be hell on wheels when they grow up.
Off to a really good start already.

We took a ferry over to Monhegan Island…really gorgeous. An artist colony; people all over the place painting the scenery. We hiked by the ocean…on big Rocky cliffs. Pretty doggone cool.

This is on one of the trails we hiked…a beautiful gate someone had fashioned from drift wood.

The flowers we encountered were just amazing.

This one looks like something out of Dr. Suess

Then there was the “fairy” forest. How cool is this? You find all of these little “houses” made out of bark, tiny pinecones, mosses and twigs, tucked into little nooks in trees, on the ground…all over. The kids were enchanted; thinking of course that fairies made them all. Then you suggest, “hey, why don’t we make one too?” and everybody sets to work on a magical creation. On the way out, Stinky Boy says “hey mom. I think I know how those fairy houses really get there. PEOPLE make them!” Bright boy.

This little sprite can run faster than me. 3 1/2 years old…she will be some sort of famous athlete,
mark my words.

More rocky beach pics…

Yep. You guessed it. This is one of those “poetic” poses I mentioned. Ha.

The kids were diggin’ the lobsters. That is, until…well…we cooked them alive.

Ouch. It actually made me sad. Until I dipped it in butter.

Queen Anne’s Lace grows like weeds in these here parts.

One particularly special thing about a rocky beach is the potential for skipping/skimming stones
(which is folks? anybody know?)

Here are the youngun’s pretending to be one big giant starfish.

and for the abrupt finish…that’s all folks!

I will leave you with what I thought was a laugh out loud “funny”.
Last night miss priss walks in, and as serious as a heart attack, says

“daddy?”

“did elvis die on the potty?”

 

We Love Kitzie. July 17, 2008

Miss Kitzie is one of Sassy Pants sweet, sweet teachers. She is also our “sometime’s” babysitter (except she is in high demand and usually booked solid) and she has become one of my YOUNGEST friends. Ha. That’s not hard to be. Well the youngest part anyway. I look forward to our visits each afternoon…and she is usually wearing Anthropologie, my fave of all time, so we have that to gab about. And South Beach. She is a pro and just dropped like 15 lbs. (she looks fab and got fussed at by her seamstress who has taken her dress in three times now). Ah, such sweet sorrow.

Kitzie is leaving us. Wedding bells are calling and she’s moving off to start anew. I had the honor of making tees for her bridal party which they sported at Coyote Ugly’s, atop the bar no less. Congratulations Kitzie and Ben.

I hate that we are missing your last two days…but you know we love you…and Sassy of course, will call me Kitzie for years to come I am sure (when I am being super extra fun and sweet).

That’s Miss Kitzie in the cowboy hat.

Thanks for everything! We’re gonna miss you. XoXo

 

Here I Am. Amazed Again. July 16, 2008

By the kindness of others. My customers are just so darn great:

Hi! We just opened the package tonight & my daughter loves them, but wanted to know why I didn’t order all the other ones she wanted so we will definitely have to order more soon!!! All 3 were so cute.
She wants to wear the pink and orange flower tee to school tomorrow. Thanks so much for getting them to us so quickly.
Talk to you soon!
Melanie Fowler
Arab, AL

Got my tee’s – what fast turn around and a few girls have emailed me telling me that they love their tee’s! They are super cute! Thanks again!

Marcy
Dallas, TX

I thought I emailed you but actually now I remember that I never did. I got the tees and absolutely LOVED every one!!! The girls loved both mermaid shirts and honestly the goldfish and sailboat designs have been my favorites ever!!! You are incredible!! I will put a check in the mail tomorrow…..thanks!

Anna
Birmingham, AL
Love your stuff – it is SO cute.
Thanks ~ Jeanne

Dallas, TX

The shirts look great!! I will be mailing you a check tomorrow. You are so incredibly talented!! Thanks.

xo,
Lisa

Charlotte, NC

Got my shirts, and they’re wonderful! My older boys are already wearing theirs. I’ve talked to several people, and they all love the shirts. Thanks again!

Brandi
Spring Hill, TN

OH HOW I LOVE my invitations, thank you’s and my shirt. They all turned out so precious and I can’t wait for everyone to see!!! Hopefully this will lead to more business for you too! Of course he is my child and I think he is the most precious thing ever but everytime I look at that drawing of him it makes me smile. I will have to send pictures after his party of his cake, him wearing his shirt, etc. Everyone has been asking when my show is and cannot wait! Thank you so so much for all of your help and creativity. You captured Wallace perfectly!!! Even my husband is impressed and he usually doesn’t have an opinion. Talk to you soon!

Jenny
Decatur, AL

Becky…is that stubborn baby here yet? 🙂 Hope you are feeling well. Prayers are with you and that precious baby girl.