Wednesday, January 30, 2013

colorful celebration

I've recently become obsessed with balloons. they are whimsical, provide a pop of color, and represent fun. here are some of my favorite balloon images from pinterest:








Tuesday, January 29, 2013

trunk show this friday!



this coming friday, february 1 at 6pm I will be showcasing my spring collection at the cornell club of new york! every year, the cornell club hosts a member showcase and I am pleased to be a part of it for the fourth time. if you are interest in attending (you'll get to see my spring collection before it officially launches!), please send me an email at katie@katiebartels.com.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

whales, geysers, and fish: reykjavik travels

here are a few snaps from the three days my friend natalie and I spent in reykjavik, the capital of iceland, and my newest favorite city:

view of reykjavik


viking chic


the perlan


me sporting viking attire


delicious fish and chips at Icelandic Fish and Chips


aquatic currency


my friend natalie eating her fish and chips


cod and rosemary chips


geothermal pool


black lava salt, my new fave thing


baby geyser


amazingly good sweet potato fries


icelandic butter (a trip highlight) and black lava salt


too good to be true


our favorite: icelandic butter


my favorite street name in reykjavik


nordic knitwear


my newest passport stamp

traditional icelandic hot dogs


getting ready to go whale watching



whales!


fantastic do not disturb sign


fyi, don't walk on the geysers


geothermal pool (it was so cold I wanted to jump in)


I kept falling in love with the light fixtures we came across


how to tie a tie

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

adventures in akureyri

here is a look at the two days my friend natalie and I spent in arureyki, iceland:

next stop: arureyki


right before sunrise (photo taken at 10:30am)


waterfall


natalie, rocking a pop of color against an all white background


obsessed with this zebra-stripe mountain


tomato red house!


fabulous drink names!


stone hut with a view


the scenery was stunning


probably the best hot chocolate I've ever had 
(the whipped cream was handmade on the spot)


getting ready to see the northern lights


so we didn't see the northern lights, but our tour guide 
brought us to a bar in a cow barn


drinking in a cow barn


geysers!

Monday, January 21, 2013

reflections on iceland

sunrise in akureyri

I just returned from a five day trip to iceland with my friend natalie and it was truly amazing. one of my good friends, who is an avid traveler, told me reykjavik is one of his top cities so I knew I was going to be in for a treat. 

we started off in reykjavik and then made our way up north to akureyri. we went to akureyri to see the northern lights. unfortunately, the weather was not in our favor and we only saw a few small patches of the colorful phenomenon. I saw the northern lights about 12 years ago in greenland [side story: it is to this day one of my favorite memories. I will never forget standing on the upper deck of our ship watching bright green lights dance across the sky. its also a special memory for me because I got to see the northern lights with my grandfather, who would become sick soon after and would be unable to travel again] so I can't complain too much about not seeing it. 

after our northern experience we made our way back to reykjavik for two days. during these two days we ate amazing food, went whale watching, toured the golden circle, drank delicious hot chocolate, and  visited the blue lagoon. 

my friend jon was definitely right, iceland is a fantastic place to visit and another trip is already in the works! iceland also ignited a curiosity about scandanavia so I'm brainstorming a trip to sweden and finland.

tomorrow and wednesday I will share my photos from the trip. also, I was on instagram during the trip so you can check out more of my photos there (@KatieBartels) and also follow my future travels.

oh, and naturally my winter 2013 collection will be inspired by my trip. I picked up lots of colorful Icelandic wool when I was in reykjavik and I've signed up for knitting classes so get excited for what's in store :)