somewhere an entire team of people thought this was witty or "fresh". ew.

whomever came up with this tagline should be fired.

upside-down, you turn me.....

....i always say i'm going to write more.

walking down the street here at the offices really inspires thought sometimes. struck down by ideas i'll run back up stairs only to be side-swiped by the other 30 inspirations/ to-dos that overtake my life.

the partner in crime is off to spain and stuff for a long while and i'm hoping the lack of googlie-eyes will allow me to get some stuff cranked out. i have backlogs of neat fashion stuff, life stuff, stuff to promote, stuff i hate, stuff i love that doens't fit into any of the above catagories. STUFF, i have it.

first and foremost, Skin.Graft is DEEEEEEP in the design process for our upcoming collection, and this coming sunday we'l be hosting an event that will be the last LA appearance of this collection. Stuff is on sale. Yes, on sale. Plus we'll have the wares of many other designers:

i've been both out and about and really working my ass off all at once. We became property owners for the first time, which is one of the most fulfilling things I've done yet. It's also a huge job for 2 people who are home decor obsessed. I am trying to find that balance between working 8+ hours a day, having a rad everything DIY loft and still trying to be at every party/ show/ event worth attending. Everything is suffering but at least i'm not missing anything. right? wrong, i think.

here are a few choice images of the last month:


Dude from the Smiths DJed at Needles & Pins

dana is still cute.



only picture i have from the Transworld Awards.

first moments in our place.

in the entire month of tour last year with Cyndi Lauper I didn't take a single photo, I finally got my chance the other night.


did a shoot with the insanely great daniel jung, here's a preview of skingraft 09.
and then there's this:

New SkinGraft Video...

Just a little taste of what we've been up to, a photoshoot at one of the most beautiful spaces in LA, The Edison.



Video by Siouxen Kang
Photos by Allan Amato
Styling by Kendrick Osorio
Hair by Noogie and team
Makeup by Jennifer Thorington
Jewelry by Angel Court
Fashion Fashion Fashion by Team Skingraft... Jonny Cota, Cassidy Haley and Katie Kay

deep thoughts with katie kay.

i don't always make the best decisions.
i follow my heart far too much and sometimes it bites me in the ass later.
however, i think i'm a pretty good person besides that...i try to be at least.
i've gotten to a point in life where things are pretty aligned.
love.
art.
work.
fun.

there's a thorn in my side. well, a splinter....

if i had one bit of advice/ guidance it would be this:
don't just stop talking to someone with no explanation.
you look childish and shallow and cowardly.
in work, friendship, partnership, family.....

it's the most amusing coming from "developed" people.
but like many other things i've noticed that those who pride themselves on certain traits often are the least sufficient in those areas.

it's like small-dick syndrome magnified.

a moment of mush.

patrick's new pig wheels ad is one of my favorites.
but, then again, so is he.

Post-War Trade in Venus Magazine!

we are so close to launching this damn project.
here's a little bit of info from this month's VENUS Magazine, it's a personal favorite of mine, so it's rad to get a little write up.

My life takes funny turns.

I finally have a moment to spare, at a party for some sunglass company who's faking a party atmosphere for their latest ad campaign. Made me think about a) how silly this whole "fashion" thing is and b) my life is funny.

The dresden dolls are at the wiltern tonight, and I'm attending a doll4 show with no involvement for the first time in 4 years. I feel like a victim of divorce.

Of course its all for the best, I'm knee deep in Post-War Trade and neck-deep in Skin.Graft. But I can't help but feel a tinge of sadness at the closing of the touring chapter of my life.

Off to take advantage of one of the best things in life-- the OPEN BAR!!!!

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

end of an era.

in late 2003 i was struck down by 2 ideas.

#1-- the word "gypsy cowgirl"
#2-- i didn't have to work for "the man"

i took these two ideas and ran. fast. i was scared to not have a "real" job, but dancing was taking up all of my time anyway and my rent was $350 and i didn't drive. i didn't have much to lose...

It was November 11th, 2003 and i decided that "gypsycowgirl" totally worked for me. Sure it was really blatant and not the most poetic, but it felt right. i immediately got the email address and 9 months later quit the job and started costuming and teaching and performing aka sleeping, eating, breathing and pooping tribal.

everytime i think of some thing "neat or "good" i google it. there are many creative and smart people in the world and lots of them think tons and use the internet, too! upon googling my new word i found a band in austin, TX. they were country girls and i figured they were far enough away from CA and in a different industry as to not overlap.

in late 2006 i got bored of the name and moved on. it began to show it's slightly misogynistic/ mildly racist qualities. this is a big debate in dance circles, because the word "gypsy' has it's own, mild, meanings in modern society, but i digress.

but i'm still attached. it was my first foray into business, after all.



fast forward to yesterday. SkinGraft has a big event friday and i wanted fancy new shoes. so i spent my spare 2 minutes and browsed. and there they were. the new Justin Brand GypsyCowgirl collection. Funny because i've owned the Ariat FatBaby boots that started this (my mom got me my fatbabys for christmas years ago-- t hey weren't pointy or high-heeled! i was in love).

it feels funny. i'm not sure what to make of it. these days if i do any of my own itmes i use "laughter of the dead" from a line in Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk.

it feels good to have closure, but i can't help but feel a pang of loss much like that weird feeling you get when something you loved gets appropriated by urban outiftters or The OC.

on name-dropping.

i suppose that you could apply the ole "whoever smelt it, dealt it" rule to this but i have become hyper-aware as of late of certain figures in my life who seemingly know really, really important people. and everyone around them knows it.

maybe my own fear of becoming one of "them" has taken over. who knows....
but i can say that i could be sleeping with the pope and you would never know.

this whole growing-up business has freaked me out.






i'm scared of yuppie.

-

it's exactly the same temperature in NY & LA at this very moment.







(and please forgive a certain fella who thinks it's cute to take advantage of my non-signing-out ways from 3000 miles away. i apologize.)

i love SATAN

and he loves me

my boyfriend is so sexy

and i so love him

the last two weeks-ish in photos and some words, too.

There is, as always, so much going on and i took another two weeks to speak up.

skingraft did an amazing desert shoot with brion topolski, followed by an equally amazing day at the edison shooting with allan amato.
bai ling wore my first ever SG design on the red carpet the other night:

last saturday we headed up to Tribal Caravan to sell our wares and i must say it was so nice to be back in the company of my dance family. i keep throwing around the idea of a comeback. we'll see.
sunday i went to coachella to hang out with 60,000 of my closest friends and drink free beer in the heat with my uber-successful ladyfriend, emily white.

last weekend i went to see ghostland observatory at the fonda with miss sioux:

and the week before i was in chicago watching cute people get hitched and doing a minute or two of biz:

there's so much in the works and no time to talk about it.
i really, really want to live here (more on that later):


last night i went on my first ever booze cruise. it was less than eventful, but i'm still stoked i get to do so much stuff. i'm kinda anti-money spending and it's pretty darn amazing the kind of adventures that fall into my lap. yeah!

... on books

so, i am trying to read again. really read....not this 3 books a year BS.

as i little girl i was obsessed, sometimes reading a book every night. I remember once reading 52 of the suckers for some sort of read-a-thon.

these days i only when on leisurely vay-kays, which is about once a year. i took over 2 months to read one book recently, however i took 2 days to read another this week (then burst into tears as it ended, much my chagrin considering i was on a crowded plane crying about a fictional 10-year-old.)

once i'm deep into something and i get "that" feeling and i remember why reading rules. plus it makes you smarter...i'm not even kidding.

this ends the "katie kay thinks you should read more books" rant.

she works hard for the money...so hard for it, honey

That's me in Skin.Graft for Post-War Trade, taken for Venus Magazine

Post-War Trade is actually coming along. It's been such an undertaking, more then i think anyone realized. Once it's up and happening and we're writing hungry craftspeople checks it will all be worth it! Without the teamwork (all RAD ladies, mind you!) I'd be up shit creek. With Amanda's vision, support and excellent communication skills-- beth's organizational ninja-skills and sharp wit-- and leslie's sweetness, dedication and hardwork we're a killer team.

I've taken to working 12-15 hour days alot of the time. Turning down tours....Skin.Graft is taking over the world, PWT is about to launch, I've decided to join the real estate rat race, plus i still won't give up my social life (ive got a boyfriend who dances like a champ, after all!)-- it's lends itself to insanity.

I'm tired. But happy.

Tomorrow we'll launch a "coming soon" site, of sorts. www.postwartrade.com

Summertime

It's officially summer in LA! Pooltime, fuck yeah.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

los angeles gal friday needed!

Hey guys and gals,

I am in immediate (desperate!) need of a personal assistant in downtown los angeles.

Ideal candidates are strong in eBay, photoshop and web/ tech-savvy in general. They're also open to getting coffee, taking cars to get washed, running down the street for fabric etc. And nice! Being interested in fashion/ music industry is probably best, but don't be too egotistical to take out the trash.....Flexibility is a must! It's a fun work-environment, live/ work space that's home to a high-end fashion line. Have a car (must!), laptop with wireless capabilities would be nice.

5-12 hours/ week. Sometimes more, sometimes less. $12/hour (cash!) and other perks, too. Flexible hours, daytime preferred but not a must.

Please send resume/ personal note to: katiekay@dresdendolls.com

thanks!
Miss Katie Kay

cheaters.

no, i don't have any big confession.

but i do want to announce to you, my loyal audience, first that i have officially started writing on another blog-- skingraftdesigns.blogspot.com that's more about work anyway, i'll keep it personal and blabbery over here.

the dude in my life also just started his own site about 15 seconds ago-- www.patrickmelcher.net

i wrote about 10x more then i needed to. enjoying my first night in in what seems like weeks....

look at me postin' two consecutive days....

man/ lady, i have new favorite downtown spot

Totally expensive, but the drinks are like mini-performances. Hand crushed ice and fresh blackberries mashed up in front of you, middle aged actor wannabes in sharp saloon era vests and bow ties. and the carpet is PLAID.

i've walked/ driven by here 20 times and have always wondered what lived behind the giant diarama of taxidermied foul and raccoons, etc. After all their sign is a neon bucks head.

i wonder if my antler tattoo would get me free drinks.

good spot if you're feeling wealthy. plus in my time there i heard the pixies, thin lizzy and fleetwood mac. not too shabby.



in other news, this has taken over my life (and not by choice, thanks):

organizational obsession ostracizes ornery orangutan

the stupid cat pictures will never stop.

It's been forever and a day since i've written anything. Yet still everytime i come across an interesting blogstress i am intrigued and wonder why i'm not contributing more regularly to the masses of hungry eyed readers. My best guess is somewhere in the vein of "i wouldn't want people to think i actually cared about this", which is my normal rational and a habit i'm trying to break. Afterall, what's the harm is actually giving a shit. Nothing, i say, as long as what you're doing your shit-giving to isn't the lives of other people. I've seen that happen and man, the results are dirrrrrty. take it from me.

new room dork-out. post radical paint job.

Thing is, once i start actually typing I'm far too wordy and end up editing anyway. A happy balance must exist in here some where. i digress:

My Winter Thus Far, By Katie Kay (4th period English 2).

The Norva- Norfolk V. Last night of tour, DD & crew with Two Ton Boa. p: lauren goldberg

I went on tour with the Dresden Dolls, which you may have gathered either by my blue-ball inducing posts whilst on that run or just because you've heard through the proverbial grapevine. Sxip from Luminescent Orchestrii asked if i'd like to take a brief hiatus from my tour-managing duties and dance a song with them during the 3 dates they joined the Dolls for since i performed to their version of Amaritsi on the last Hollywood Music Center Tribal Fusion Bellydance DVD.

Well i signed on for the shows and it was so nice to actually dance again. I've missed it so. Now my longing is for the community more then the movements. Thoughts of a comeback have been crossing my mind but we'll see.
<---NYE show @ The Grand Ballroom, NY.

2008 is supposed to be my year for staying put. I had plans to move to NY (see a few blogs back) but then LA decided it wasn't through with me yet. So for a variety of reasons, (none i consider "lame", thank you.) I am still in LA and plan to be for a while. Here's why: staying in one city is RAD! i can have friends, and work on long term projects and fall in love and pet my cat everyday and be normal. It's rather enjoyable. Don't get me wrong, I'm a road dog 'til the end but home is where it's at these days. Plus my family is here and Skin.Graft.Designs has become a larger part of my existence and that is not bad, not bad at all.

Speaking of which we moved into a new loft just before christmas, ditching our hollywood digs and becoming part of this new Downtown LA movement. I dragged my heels the whole time but now i'm into it. We'll either become part of the beginning of something amazing or will live through a interesting period in LA history. But being in the fashion district couldn't be too bad.

This new space is the best chance LA has at faking NY for me. It's home to Jonny & Cassidy, the 2 dudes of skin.graft and me.....living, working etc. Post-War Trade, Amanda Palmer and I'd fledgling company will also be based here once we get it up and running in May.

I fell in love. Jeez. Nevermind. But i did.

<----- new space very in progress. neat!

Oh! i got distracted--- because i was dancing on tour i brought my favorite costumes along. Then the day after our NYE show in NY the trailer got broken into in Brooklyn and my costume bag and production case were stolen. Thankfully for everyone else that was pretty much it, but it sucked for me. Alot of my most prized possessions are gone....costume pieces from around the world, things made with love by friends, 7 vintage hats, nice jeans my favorite boots, my iPod-- blah blah. I've mostly gotten over it and this was too much rehashing, shut up, lady..... and despite the AMAZING out pouring of love and help nothing made it's way back to me, except the netflix that was in there did make it "home", funny. The stolen items pictures i posted got 300,000+ hits. Neat! Plus I was given so many gifts along the way--it's all water under the bridge now, anyhow.


<------ first moments of 08. NY, NY

other unimportant news:
*skingraft is announcing a new blog on monday, you heard it here first. I'm not sure where this one will go in the future. I really want to post more often so i can actually expand upon things instead of simply talking about my boring life.

*i have been working on a new project with the boy in question that has produced some stellar results. they may end up on the boob tube shortly, too. I'll let you know.

*i've been way into growing up lately. not in a bad way. in a clean and fancy and new way. that made no sense. this was set off by the fact that i not only own a car(!) but i have a garage door clicker. this is very grownup, no?

*i wear high heels now. often. i'm no less tough, though. trust me. (grownup. check!)

*i have been going to the gym. 100% into it. no dancing has led to the inevitable mushyness. I'm not used to feeling like that and i don't think i want to, hence you'll find me many days a week drenched and rocking out to electroclash in cute gym outfits.

*over the last 8 months i have really started to enjoy the "out in LA" part of my life. It's typical-hipster-as-f**k and i like it. see you on cahuenga, bitches.