Don't Worry, Eat Cake Holiday Freebies

Happy December! Hope you all are staying warm and toasty.

I have some free digital downloads I'm going to post on my blog over the next few days. I've dressed up some illustrations from my book Don't Worry, Eat Cake to help you get in the spirit for the fast approaching holidays (and to remind you that coloring books make wonderful gifts... wink, wink).

Today's freebie is festive wallpaper for your desktops, tablets, and phones. You can download the desktop version here, and the mobile version here, or click on either of the photos below to save. Check back next week for a few printable freebies!

New Holiday Cards

Hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving! Have you started your holiday shopping yet? I've only just begun, but I do have a few homemade gift projects in mind. For the last few years, I pick out a couple of craft projects to give as gifts, and now it's become a tradition that I look forward to each year. It started as a way to save a little money (which is still very helpful), but now I think it helps me get in the holiday mood. It feels so cozy to put on a favorite holiday movie (like Love Actually or Christmas Vacation) and spend time using my hands to make things.

One of my other favorite traditions is to mail out holiday cards to friends and family. Do you send out cards too? I don't think I'll ever get tired of getting something pretty in the mail. I'm sure that it seems mandatory that I send out cards, being a stationery designer and all (and the fact that I have hundreds of cards on hand at all times), but I actually have always loved the act of mailing holiday cards even before I started my own company. Ever since I was little, my mom would hang Christmas cards up around around the house during the month of December. It was so exciting to see the collection grow and to read the messages from friends and family near and far as we got closer to Christmas. I can't wait to sit down and start sending some out soon. I would love to send you a holiday card too. If you'd like, send your address to me through email (katie@katievaz.com) and I'll add you to my list :). 

If you are still in need of holiday cards this year, I have plenty in stock over in my Etsy shop. Here is a peek at some of the new designs:

If you made it all the way to the bottom of this post, then you get a secret coupon to use in my Etsy shop :) You can get 10% off all orders by using the code BLOGFRIEND16 during checkout from now through December 12th, 2016. Happy Shopping!

I'm With Her.

I stay pretty quiet online and in real life about heated topics (like politics) because I hate confrontation. But I've been thinking lately that maybe now more than ever, it's more important to be transparent about what I believe in. 

When I follow somebody or buy from a certain brand, I like to know that my support and my money is going towards something or someone that values the same things I do. So if it is important to you to know, I support Hillary (Bernie was pretty cool too). I feel particularly passionate about things like equality, women's rights, and climate change. I think it's okay if you have different opinions, unless they are hateful. The world needs more empathy and more love.

Anyways, that is just a little transparency about me for you. 

On a lighter note, remember that Daylight Savings ends tonight! Don't forget to set your clocks back and enjoy that bonus hour of sleep! I look forward to this night each year hehe ;)

Special edition at Barnes & Noble!

Guess what! Some of my illustrations from my book Don't Worry, Eat Cake are now available in a special edition coloring journal, called Take It Easy. 

You can find it exclusively at Barnes & Noble, both online and in stores nationwide! If you head to your local BN now, you can even see it on display near the front of the store! Here is a picture of me sneaking an awkward selfie in front of the display table at my local store :)

New retailer: Riverow Bookshop in Owego

Attention local friends! I'm so happy to announce that my greeting cards are now available at Riverow Bookshop in Owego, NY!

If you are local to this area, you already know that this bookshop is so charming and cozy. I'm excited that my cards can call this place home now. If you aren't local to this area, but can swing a day trip, I highly recommend it! Lake Street and Front Street have so many adorable shops. You can make a day of eating and shopping and getting a wonderful small town experience. I've been binge watching Gilmore Girls recently (I know, I'm so late to the game), and parts of Owego definitely remind me of Stars Hollow :). Speaking of Gilmore Girls, I came across this fun Etsy shop the other day, WindowShopGal, and I want to buy all of these posters! I can't decide if I want the Stars Hollow Autumn Festival, or the Yule Ball! Pretty soon it's going to be time for a Harry Potter marathon. It's been way too long for me!

Syracuse University Commission

Earlier this year I was commissioned to illustrate a campus landmark map for Syracuse University's Orange Central Homecoming event. It was such a fun project to work on and I've been so eager to share it with you! If you were in town for the event, you might have seen the illustrations out and about on t-shirts, tote bags, and on printed maps. You can take a peek online to catch a glimpse of it all here. 

Besides my coloring book, this might be the next coolest project I've worked on so far. It felt very daunting in the beginning, but I am SO happy and proud of how it turned out. I still struggle at times with self-doubt and often don't give myself enough credit for what I'm capable of. Overthinking everything is maybe my best skill ever haha. I think this project helped my self-confidence a bunch though. Getting hired to draw something in my "style" is an amazing feeling. I would definitely love to take on more projects like this in the future!