Get To Know

I recently reconnected with a high school friend, Kathryn Morrison, who has just joined the vast blogging community. She has just started her own fashion blog focusing on woman's wearable fashion. Check it out // here // and get to know her a little better below! Its a fun read!

What was the first thing you did this morning?
I got up and worked out. That was the start of my morning. Jillian Michaels… on mute with my Pandora blasted because I find her annoying sometimes. ;)

What do you wish to accomplish?
I want to accomplish being successful in whatever I do. Whether that is fashion someday or having a family. I just want to be great at whatever I set my hand to.

Describe one thing you have learned?
I get to choose how I feel about situations and how I respond to things. There are times when I'm like… “Wait I get to choose how this affects me and how I react.” I can choose to live and move on. Its great! Its empowering. It just hit me the other day.

When did you realize you were a fashionista?
It started a few years ago and I didn't really realize it till my mom and sister brought it up. People started commenting on things that were just natural to me and what I did. Whether it was my hair or nails of cloths. I realized maybe I did have knack for this kinda of thing.

Who or what inspires your current fashion?
Pinterest is a huge help! I’ve always been a fan of Audry Hepburn, so any time I can keep it classy like her I do. Carrie Bradshaw (aka Sara Jessica Parker from Sex in the City) is a big inspiration as well because she can do crazy fashion but also pulls it together to make it work. And its not cookie cutter fashion. Its unique. Any time I have the mindset of Carrie Bradshaw, someone comments that I look like her and I'm like “NAILED IT!”

What fashion trend are you embarrassed to have been a part of?
Lets see… Ok here is the list: -The feathers and the hair. I spent way to much money on that.
-My mom used to mach all us girls… that was embarrassing.
-I used to have a dress cover in neon fish… awkward.
-Stirrup pants. Nuf said.
-I also used to have a baby blue velour pant suit that was pretty hideous.

What is your go-to piece in your closet?
Men's button down lately. I like to try and class it up and make it feminine. All you ladies should try it.

When will we see your line of clothing? Because I know you sew like BAMF!
Ya know I haven't been sewing as much lately. It may be a while. After I get into the whole boutique thing and figure it out… but who knows. All the designing I’ve been doing lately has been wedding dresses. I think if I started a brand now it would be wedding dresses. Actually I would love to conquer the Mother of the bride dress. They are all the same awful dress, with the awful jacket and I hate it! Its horrible.

If your style was a beverage what would it be?
I would say an amaretto sour, because its a little classy and a has a little kick to it!

Check her out!
Blog - So This Is What I Wore
Instagram - @kittykatmeowmor

Photography by Nicole Song and Kate Morrison.
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Creative Collective // Mixtape #2

This is my second post for The Creative Collective, which has been such a great community blogging experience for me and everyone should check it out!

I had several ideas for this playlist and I started with some music that was very personal to me but it didn't pan out into a playlist... it wasn't interesting. So thanks to Pandora and several friends, I found some amazing new music! I love finding new artists and music to listen to. I attribute this to the fact that not only am I a designer by trade but I am also a professional musician and have a degree in Vocal Performance. Recently I have been writing and performing when I can find the time. I love being on stage. I would do it every day if I could! One day that will be a reality. One day.

The songs on this playlist are very new to me with the exception of a few songs, and even those are new, I have just listened to them obsessively for the last 2 weeks so they don't seem as new as the others. When I find a song/artist I like I cant help but put them on repeat! Its a blessing, not a curse ;)

Please check out all these artists. Most of them are still up and coming and need all the support they can get, so lets help them out! Hopefully some day soon you can also support me by listening to my new music! Until then check out this Creative Collective playlist on Spotify. If you don't have Spotify you dont know what you are missing and you need to download it now! It will change your life and only takes a few mins (they should be paying me haha). It changed the way I experienced music! Amazing!

Listen to the playlist below or find me on your Spotify Player and check out this and many other fun playlists to enjoy later!
Listen // Spotify

If you are interested in hearing me perform check out my cover of Not In Nottingham // here // I recorded, produced and shot the video as well! So much fun!

Photo Credit: Jon King Design

NEW TRASH // OLD TREASURES

Actually the trash really wasn't treasure, it was pretty much junk but it sounded good.

A few weeks ago I was driving around the neighborhood, and was intrigued by my neighborhoods garbage. Strange? Maybe, but I enjoyed looking at the different garbage people threw out and how they were randomly arranged on the side of the road. It was rather fascinating to see what things were stuffed inside of other things, inside of other things, inside of bags, inside of boxes.

My trash snooping lead me to grabbing my camera and taking some shots of said garbage. Again strange, and others must have thought so too because the local Police Officer stopped me and asked me what I was doing because someone thought I was casing their house. I thought this was funny because I live in a neighborhood of older people so Im not sure what Gramps next door has that I would want to jack, but it must be cool. It was also kind of comical trying to explain to the cop that I was just taking pictures of garbage because I thought it was interesting... the crazy things artists do.

Anyhow! After taking photos of the neighborhoods garbage I was inspired to do a little photo manipulation and add some text to tell you a short story. I love telling stories and I almost made this a social commentary on Woman's Rights and going Green but that was a little serious for me today. Instead just envision the garbage as your great Grandma Helen and your drunk friend Sam and I think you will enjoy my trashy pictures... I just had to fit that in somewhere ;)

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Creative Collect // Celebrate

This is my first installment of The Creative Collect. What is this Creative Collect you say? It is a spectacular concept for creative blogger such as myself brought to you by Melyssa from The Nectar Collective. "It’s based on the idea of community and creation. 23 planned out creative activities for 2014 — all you have to do is show up and get your groove on." For all the details check it out here! I just found out about it this morning so this post is a little "fly by the seat of my pants." Just the way I like it!

The first activity is to // Think of a word(s) that you want to focus on in 2014. Easy enough (NOT)! Once you have your word or words grab your crayons, markers, paint, glue, "cough" wine... Whatever gets your creative juices flowing and create a masterpiece!

The words I chose were // Celebrate w/ Strangers

This may seem a little strange to you all but the idea actually came to me about a month ago when I was trying to think of a cool birthday party to throw myself. I am so cool that I have to throw myself a Quarter Century party. The big 25. Scary. I knew I would be out of town visiting a friend over my birthday and I had this idea to throw a party and only invite friends of this friend that I was visiting. Crazy ha? Well my birthday is in a week and I still dont know if this conceptually abstracted birthday party is going to happen, but it did get me thinking even more about celebrating with strangers and how wonderful it would be if we all celebrated the achievements of others even if we didn't know them. And they would celebrate with me even if they didn't know me. It would be like one huge fan club.

As a freelance designer I am always working with people I dont know and often hand off my work and never get to celebrate my clients successes. I want to celebrate with them as they grow and develop as a business or an individual, and I want to see how my designs have positively impacted them.

Celebrating brings joy to yourself and others. So lets band together as creatives, coworkers, families, and strangers and celebrate each others lives and achievements. Lets Celebrate w/ Strangers.

RECreated // THE WORN

Since I was little I have always had a knack/passion for repurposing and recreating objects and materials. This passion has spilled over into my adult life (go figure) and I am excited to share some of my creations with you!

Some of my recent endeavors as a creative have exposed me to new worlds of designers, artists and talent. I have recently been inspired, by some of my cohorts up in St. Paul, in the area of fashion design and lifestyle aesthetic. Thank you Veronica Mae, Jett Photography, Parallel Pulse and Coast 10 Clothing for the inspiration! Please check them out, and follow their work. They rock!

Kenton Sorenson is a wonderful friend of mine and an amazing leather artisan who has been featured in both GQ and Esquire. He has studio space in the same building I work in so when I need a break from my work I head upstairs and give him a break from his ;). I have always loved leather goods and wanted to create something using leather but I have never had the chance. Until about a week ago when Kenton let me permanently borrow a few larger pieces of leather that he wasn't able to use and my creative mind started spitting out ideas of what I could do with it. Because of all the recent fashion inspiration I had been getting from my colleagues I decided the leather needed to be infused into my closet somehow.

Welcoming to Jon King's closet 2014, the Highlighter Pocket Sweatshirt.
Mossimo Grey Highlighter Sweatshirt & Natural leather

I suckered my little sister into wearing the piece in our frigid Wisconsin weather (-5 degrees) for a very brief shoot so I could share it with you all. I loved the process of creating this and still have cloths/fashion on the brain which means I will be making more pieces soon so keep your eyes out because they probably wont be for me... They will be for you!