Reflections on Collections : An August Morgan Embroidered Guest Towel Give Away

Many moons ago, as an Art History undergrad at the University of Texas at Austin, I began collecting.  My roommate and I would have garage sales and sell what wasn't nailed down to the floor.  With the cash we would buy a keg, have a party, and use the cash left over to go to other garage sales.

We bought what would make us laugh and change it into something new.  We had an old fashioned hair dryer chair and re upholstered it in neon pink fur.  We spray painted bubble wrap gold and used it as wall paper.  A very creative time indeed, sponsored by Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer and a wine sold at the local gas station called Dr. Zin Zin.  But I digress.

The two of us started an on campus organization called SWANK : Students With A Number of Knickknacks.  We put up fliers around campus and held our meeting at Polvo's, where they didn't card.  To our amusement and delight,  student collectors came with their collections.  Roman coins, first edition books, vintage lunch boxes.  SWANK was a real club, and most of our members were male, which we welcomed.

As I grew older my collections became more serious as I had a bit more to spend.  Here is what I like to collect:

Pink Lustreware

Art

Books : Dalai and Dolly!!

What do you like to collect?  Many of you have August Morgan Pillows and Napkins.  Here is your chance to own an August Morgan Tea Towel!

 

Simply go to August Morgan's Facebook Page, like us, and post a photo of your August Morgan goods.  Or if you don't own any yet, go to our website and pick which item you would like to collect and post that on our page.  A guest towel will be given to the first 20 posters, and more if I am feeling generous.

Happy Collecting!

xoxo,

Kate

You can never go wrong with a collection of rats in a revere bowl.

Things I cannot Live Without

Good Morning!

I, like you, have many important things to do today such as a photo shoot for my napkins, meet with the contractor, and bathe.  But those will have to wait while I fritter  my time away.

It seems very popular to have on one's blog items that make the author pretty, chic, efficient and the like.  Hence I will share with you my go to items.  Aren't you lucky?

1. Cheese.  It may not be slimming but at least I know my bones are healthy.  Just today I woke up at 5 am and ran to my cheese drawer in the fridge.  I made a cheese, jalapeno, tortilla concoction in the microwave and then I went back to bed.

2. Baths.  Bathrooms are like sanctuaries, someone once said sometime.  If the one above were mine I would never leave it.  In this day and age it is necessary to keep oneself clean, and a bath does the trick.  I never shower.  It is a sin in my book to stand and clean.  What about washing your hair, you may ask?  That's why hairdressers were invented.  A good blowout is key to keeping one looking neat and pulled together.

3. A Housekeeper (PICTURE UNAVAILABLE).  I really don't even care if my housekeeper keeps a clean house.  I am just grateful that my housekeeper will make grocery/liquor store runs, pick up the dry cleaning, and take my kids to lessons.  In short she is my understudy, playing the part of Kate.  I thank her for her service.  If not for her then I would not have the time to devote to thinking of cocktail napkins and blogging.

Well now I am exhausted from sharing.  You are welcome.  I think your go to items should be these new August Morgan Pillows:

These may be purchased here.  Thank you for your support!!

XO, 

Kate

Procrastination and The New York International Gift Fair

Hello my loyal five readers.  I sit here in a total state of procrastination.  I am wearing my workout gear, but an hour ago I ate the leftovers of my housekeeper's enchiladas suizas, and now I need a nap.

I leave tomorrow for the New York International Gift Fair, and I have pillows to pack.  Not to mention clothes.  It is going to be FREEZING in New York.  I fear the cold and live in Austin, so I have few coats.  I do have a sinful sable coat.  Dare I bring it?  Will I be screamed at for wearing it?  These are the deep thoughts I am wrestling with this morning.

If you are going to the Gift Show, do stop by booth 7942 at the Javits Center.  I have many new products.  I will let you run my booth while I go fetch a five dollar coffee.  Please push the napkins and guest towels, as I am only bringing 60 pillows or so...........

You can never go wrong with mushroom and sheep pillows

Embroidered Beetle Guest Towel

Embroidered Beetle Cocktail Napkin

Embroidered Elephant Cocktail Napkin

Embroidered Sail Boat Cocktail Napkin

Embroidered Snake Guest Towel

My husband, El Rey, remarked, "just what everyone wants to see in the bathroom; a snake."

Sun and Moon Embroidered Cocktail Napkins and Guest Towels

So please come by booth 7942 at Javits, January 27-30.  And bring a bottle of wine and some cups. I'll provide the cocktail napkins, natch.

xoxo,

Kate

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

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

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!!

 

 

 

Available here

 

 

 

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

 

 











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, 

 

Kate