Saturday, December 29, 2012

Write on with your Good Self!

Oh my goodness, I thank the universe that December is almost over.  What a month!  I need a vacation.  Better yet, isn't there a passage in Valley of the Dolls where one character goes to a Swiss hospital  to be put to sleep for a month and wakes up skinny?


 Maybe I just made that up?  I haven't read the book in years.  To the archives!!

Anyhoo, as I was saying,  December is a most trying month for me.  My children go to a fabulous Episcopalian School, and my children just happen to be Jewish.  Every year I visit their classes and do an amazing schpiel about Hanukkah.  This year was no different.  In the span of two weeks I made two trips to school with homemade latkes, and ornate gift bags.  Because really, nothing says Hanukkah more than pencils with dreidels on them and blue fuzzy bears.

Did I mention El Rey, my husband, was in Las Vegas and NYC whilst I was frying up latkes?  Yes, El Rey was doing lord knows what when I was explaining the miracle of eight nights to school children.  And with a smile to boot.

Anything for the kids.  Anything for the kids who are beating each other up in the other room.

I also had to shop.  I hate to shop, which is odd since I create products I want people to buy.  But that's the way I was born.  But I braved the shops and I and got everyone on my list a present.  I accidentally bought a Chanel jacket for myself.

I only bought one and it was on sale!  But I deserve at least two.

Did you have a good holiday?  I know you did and I think you need to write those thank you notes on August Morgan Note Cards.

There are six designs.  Mix and match or whatever.

Writing thank you notes is actually one of my New Year's resolutions.  Instead of just composing them in my head and considering them sent.

What are your New Year's resolutions?  I am turning a landmark year and have vowed to get in better shape.  Just for that year, then I can go back to eating Tex Mex and watching endless hours of Law and Order.

 Sold August Morgan Pillow


That's a good New Year's resolution, don't you think?  I think I may have to accidentally buy these two bags as a reward :


xoxo,

Kate




Wednesday, December 26, 2012

I Don't Get Out of Bed for Less than Eight Dollars a Day

"I don't get out of bed for less than $10,000 a day, "
 Linda Evangelista


"I don't get out of bed for less than $8.00 a day."

Kate Hersch

"And this is my bed :"

Just kidding, it's not my bed but I kind of wish it were.


But it really only takes an eight dollar sale to make my day.  I am obviously easily amused.  Eight dollars is all one of my embroidered linen cocktail napkins costs.

I have a few new cocktail designs :





And there are more in the works, sister, so stay tuned!  Speaking of cocktails it is 5:03 and I must say sayonara!!

xoxo,

Kate

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Election Day Inertia

Oh my goodness.  I can barely do anything I am so nervous about today's election.  There are so many things I need to get done but somehow cannot muster the strength to step away from CNN.

To Do List :

1. Clean car.  I am slated to drive on my daughter's field trip.  I am already regretting signing up to volunteer. 

2. Choose Holiday Cards.  I have been too lazy in the past years to schedule a photographer and choose cards.  My daughter always begs for a Holiday Card, and my answer is "why be like everyone else?  Those cards look so forced!  or,  Do you really want to kill trees?"  But this year I had the children's photograph taken and you will be getting a card!!!!!

3.  Buy food for kids. 


But these will probably not get taken care of.  I have already early voted, and for...........

OBAMA!
 
But this is not a political blog, so I would not pass judgement on you for any vote, as long as you voted.  I, in fact, dated a series of Republicans in my twenties.  It was the go-go nineties in NYC and it was the era of Investment Bankers....   But I digress...
 
Do you have election day inertia?  Do you know what I would do if I were you?  Buy my products! 
 
If you have a hankering for a pillow, I have many fun new ones listed.  If you plan to drink heavily before, during, and after the election are you in luck!!
 
 
 
 
 
 
I am thrilled to announce that three styles of my cocktail napkins are for  sale on Anthropologie's website.
 
 
 
 
So, get to it!  Calm those election jitters with August Morgan products and your beverage of CHOICE!!!
 
xo,
 
Kate
 
 






Saturday, October 13, 2012

What a Week!!

Oy what a week!  Mommy needs a drink.  Wait, I have one.  Never mind.


The week prior to this one was glorious.  I got to drive up to Dallas to be on Texas Living with my friend Kimberly Schlegel Whitman, who is an excellent host and has a fun and fabulous show.

The interview can be seen here.
 
 
Then my husband, El Rey, scampered off to Houston on a Sunday.  I hate when he leaves on a Sunday, and I suspect he does it to get out of Casa de la Hersch.  Here is where he was:
 
St. Regis, Houston
 
Then he left "on business" for here :
 
 
I think he partied like a rock star.  I know he partied like a rock star.
 
Meanwhile, back at Casa de la Hersch, my daughter had a fever for six straight days.  I took her to the doctor FOUR times, and it was like an episode of House to figure out what she had.
 
 

Like House, but not sexy and without the vicodin.
 
 
Fortunately I have watched almost enough medical shows as I have watched Law and Order, and on the SIXTH day of fever I demanded a chest X-ray, another CBC, and various other tests.  I did not have to order a tox-screen as she is only 10 and a goody-goody (thankfully).
 
 
 
My daughter had pneumonia!!!



 
 
I was grateful for this diagnosis, as I was so scared that she had cancer.  Note to self : never again ask the doctor if your child has cancer in front of the your child.  Big mistake.
 
 
She has been fever free for three days and I am over the moon.  Three cheers for anitbiotics!!  Really, there is nothing more important that the health of your children.  Cliche, but true.
 
After days of worry my week got better.  My pillows are on sale at One Kings Lane
 
 

 
My newest cocktail napkin came in and is available here.
 
 
And guess where El Rey went today?  Yep, he was on Birthday Party Duty!!!!!
 
 
xo, 
 





Wednesday, August 15, 2012

I Don't Want to Play House



Dear Readers:

Last I left you I was headed to the Hamptons for a month.  "ooh la la," you must be thinking.  Well, you are quite wrong.  I had a magnificent trip, but I had to clean, clean, clean.

I am lucky enough to have a housekeeper, aka the mother to my children, and I am not the neatest of people.  Mess does not upset me one bit.  As my aunt once said, "an unmade bed is a sexy bed."  Try it!  It will get you out of making the bed forever!

At first I pretended I was on a commercial whenever I had to fold a load of laundry, "wow, if this detergent gets out EVEN Kevin's stains!"  Or while unloading the dishwasher I would hold up a wine glass, then look into the pretend camera, "CRYSTAL CLEAR!"



Yes, the first week I reveled in domesticity, stopping at farm stands and cooking fresh and local.  Then is got old.  Real old.

Where was El Rey, my husband through all of this?  Oh, well, working of course!  He was screaming into the phone on conference calls during the day.  When he would walk into the den and see me stitching and watching TV, I would say, "your not the ONLY one who has a job, Mister!."

But the kids had fun, and isn't that the point? 



Actually it was relaxing and divine.  Great friends, the beach, shopping, day drinking, etc.

Speaking of drinking, and really, who isn't.................





I am going to debut my new line of cocktail napkins at the New York International Gift Show this Sunday!  Come by and say HI!!  Booth 7942 At Home in Textiles, Javits Center. 

There are four different designs and I know you will want them all.  They will be up on the website later this week if you are not in the Tri State Area.

Yes, I am scampering back to NYC for a fun filled time.  No meals to plan, no kids to carpool, no lunches to pack for a week.  And then school starts.  And I will be enthusiastic about all school related activities and all sports shenanigans.  I'll just pretend I'm in a movie about a really good mom with lots of really good jewelry. 

xo,

Kate





Saturday, June 16, 2012

What's New Pussycat, or How Smoking Saved My Life




Hello devoted readers, all three of you!  Well, it has been a few months since my last post.  I hope you all are doing well.  I am very ready for a vacation.  Soon I will be relaxing at an undisclosed location.  Hint : it rhymes with The Pamptons.

pillow made from a vintage needlepoint, sold


In the mean time I have had to deal with the school year's end, swim team, and day camps.  Where is the time for ME?  My dogs and I have to watch at least an hour of Law and Order a day or else we are not ourselves. 


Lucy likes Law and Order SVU

El Rey, my husband, has been traveling constantly for work.  Places he has been recently include Beverly Hills, Las Vegas, New York.  Places I have been recently : carpool lane, pool, grocery store.

Every summer I ask my kids, "are you sure you want to do swim team, it's okay to take a year off."  Wouldn't you know I have the kids who swim butterfly willingly, say the cheers the loudest, and support their teammates. 

Ordinarily I would find this kind of sweet, but we parents are forced to volunteer.  My job is to write the swimmer's time down after their race.  Their are four timers for each lane so it is a lot to write in a short amount of time.  Plus we are not allowed to drink during our timing sessions, for obvious reasons.  Plus it it 100 degrees and I am not allowed to time in the buff, for obvious reasons.

small swim team child : "What was my time?"
me:  "What am I, a computer?  Go get me a margarita, no salt."



Just kidding, of course.  The point of all of this is that I have had little time for my work.  How to handle all of this stress?  Vices, my pets, vices.

Sometimes after I put my children to bed I like to go out on the back porch for that seventh, I mean second glass of wine and have a cigarette.  I know, such a crime and there are no excuses.  But it saved my life.

A few months ago I was on the back porch ,legs crossed and by the light of the silvery moon I saw an odd spot on the back of my calf.  Being all Irish/Scottish/Englishy I thought it was just another freckle.  But I wanted to see if I needed Botox so I made an appointment with my dermatologist.

Well it turns out it was the bad kind of skin cancer and I had to get it chopped out.  I have the scar to prove it but I will spare you the photo.  Plus how do you take a photo of your own calf?  Physically impossible.

Anyhoo, I am fine.   I am happy that I am here to see my children swim like mad this summer.  And wouldn't you know I find myself chiming in to the swim team cheers.....  I drink the Koolaid, my readers.  I will be momming it this summer...until the New York Gift Show in August!!

If you see me in The Pamptons, please say hello!


At Bobby Van's in Bridgepampton



xo,

Kate






Saturday, April 28, 2012

The Great Pillow Giveaway of 2012

Yes, this will go down as a historic event no doubt.  I am feeling generous and it isn't even wine time.  T minus 90 minutes or so...

Anyhoo, from time to time I will read a design blog and a great design book or product is given away.  I am not sure how they do that because I am usually too lazy to press a button.  And really, there are few things I need.

But there are two things I do want for my birthday.

1. Verdura Cuff.  Nuff said.

2.  A walk on part of any Law and Order franchise.  I LOVE Law and Order. 


I could play a character on either the law or the order side.  I could be the cop that finds the body "from the looks of it, he's been out in the park all night."  Or I could be the opposing lawyer "MOTION TO SUPPRESS!!!." The possibilities are endless.


But I digress.  This giveaway is about you, if you are up to the challenge and like the prize.


Nautical Scene Pillow
18 x 18 inches
down/feather insert
natural canvas back and invisible zipper
Hand embroidered by fair trade artisans in India



To be eligible to win, simply write a poem about above pillow.  It can be serious, funny, haiku, etc.  Just leave your poem in the comments.  I will pick the winner in a week from today. 

If you just want to buy the dang thing go here.

This contest is open to anyone in the continental United States.


Except for Tinkerbell Hersch because she is a known plagiarist.

xo,

Kate



.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Ka-Ching! Kachina Dolls!

Dearest Readers, all three of you, do you remember when I implored you to buy from me so I could buy myself a vintage Native American cluster bracelet?  Well looky here:



I am most deserving of this bracelet



But it is no thanks to you.  My blog generated no sales, which was the object of the exercise.  That's rich.  However, I did have a great show in January at the New York International Gift Fair.  One of my new clients is Anthropologie!  They are selling my pillows on line and only two remain.  My trusty intern and I just shipped out a new batch yesterday.



"we go bye bye to anthropologie, ups ground"


So yes, I was in a fairly good mood last Friday when a friend told me about a Native American Art Sale.  I went and I left elated and obsessed.  Let the tale commence.



The sale was at a Boy Scout Center, which filled me with fear and fascination.  I am usually against organized fun and do good-ing,  and I was scared to go to a Boy Scout center.  Plus I hate to drive and the center was off a frontage road off I-35.  But the need for jewelry brought be out of my zip code.



Well the center was VERY fancy!  And wouldn't you know it, the people who worker/volunteered there were chipper and most helpful.  They directed me to a banquet room full of wonders.....


Zuni Needlepoint (!) Jewelry


Gorgeous Hand Woven Rugs


And then I saw this beauty


Vintage 1930's Hopi  Hemis Kachina





Anyhoo, turns out these are quite spendy, and with great reason.  I did not have the cash on me for the vintage Kachina, and I had given my housekeeper the Amex to go on a liquor store run.  I am going to take the time to research and find the best dealers.  But here is the thing; I need a giant collection and I am asking you to buy pillows so that I can amass an important Kachina collection.


This week I debuted my Cave Painting Pillows.  The pillows are hand stitched by fair trade artisans in India and then hand sewn in Austin, Texas.  Down insert and invisible zipper.


They are fun all together


Detail


18 x 18 inch pillow, natural canvas back



17 x 12 inch pillow, natural canvas back



So, be a dear and check my website and buy.  I would be forever grateful.  But if you don't that's okay too, because I did take home something that day :


Vintage Santa Clara Necklace

xo,

Kate






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