If you read my 1st Social Networking blog it was focused on an amazing new networking group I have discovered in my area called The Heartlink Network.  Well, I feel I must give due props to my other favorite & fabulous networking group; Executive Women International.  Established in 1938 as Executives’ Secretaries, Inc in California by a woman name Lucille Perkins.  Her vision was to form an organization where working women and their executives could promote their firms and improve their communties.  I  was introduced to this group by my best gal pal Linda, and I am so happy she did.  EWI Seattle is an organization that brings together individuals from diverse business’ in their area to promote their firm, enhance personal and professional development, & encourage community involvement.  This really does spell it out very well, BUT, of course I have to my quirky little spin on it.  Why else would you read Katie Kay’s Blog, Duh! OK so here’s my spiel;  Do you love other brilliant, hard working, fascinating, funny, diverse, beautiful, heartwarming women?  How about a nice sit down dinner once a month with these fabulous women, high atop Seattle’s Columbia Tower?  How about fabulous field trips to members firms? Walk for cancer with your buddies?  Baseball games and Casino nights?  Sound fun?  What about quality speakers and other business professionals to encourage and motivate you in your business? We all need a little of that these days!  EWI is a classy and professional networking group that has a fun, easy and enriching atmosphere. I look forward to my monthly meetings so much that I agreed to be on the EWI Seattle board, Yikes!  Take a look at the EWI national website and check out the chapter in your area, you will be pleasantly surprised by this nationally beloved women’s organization.

Ladies, Ladies? Listen up! I know this is a bit early, but I want you to put this on your calendar, or in your blackberry or iphone, or for crumb sake write it on a napkin and throw it in your purse.  I really don’t want you to miss out on this once a year katiekay.com backyard sale.  Here’s your chance to see it all in person!   I’m bringing out the pocketbooks, layin’ out the baubles, displaying the chauchkies. Need a little retail therapy out in the sun (and shade) sipping a cold beverage poolside? Well, drop on over!  JULY 13th 1pm- 5pm.  Where: the south end of Edmonds, WA at 9715 238th St SW, map quest it!

It’s here! It’s here! CRAVE PARTY SEATTLE Spring Market and Sample Sale.

WHAT IS IT? A fabulous sale of beautiful accessories, products and services to help us get healthier and Pretty It Up!   WHO WILL BE THERE? KatieKay.com of course and many other fabulous local boutiques and services. WHEN IS IT?  Sunday June 1st, 12-4pm.  WHERE IS IT? Seattle Center’s Fisher Pavillion.  WHAT CAN I EXPECT? Fashion shows, a massage clinic, new spring & summer makeup trends, networking with other fabulous women in the Daisy Chain Connection Cafe, and of course shop till you drop for greatly reduced beautiful accessories, clothing and products.  Bring your gal pal’s, your Mom, your sisters, spend the day, have a ball!  Drop by my booth “Katie Kay”,  and enter to win a beautiful new handbag for summer.  See you there!

I’m so excited!  The super cute ”Life & Style to You every Friday” blog Seattlepicks featured Moi!  Yes, that’s right my little online accessories boutique is on the front page of Seattlepicks.com.  I am honored and totally stoked!  I love their style.  And they seem to really have their finger on the pulse of Seattle’s shopping, entertainment and local artists connections.  It is so important to support our small local business’ and artists and they put it all together for us every Friday.  What more can we Seattlites ask for, right?  Be sure and take a look today.  OH, Hey! even if you’re not a Seattlite (too bad for you) they feature many wonderful websites that you can browse around in while wearing your bunny slippers, especially katiekay.com.  My featured artist in Seattlepicks today is Heather Lecy’s “It’s Love” sterling bracelet, take a peek, enjoy!

I just ran in from a long day at the SHOP 08 & CRAVE seminar series today at the Seattle Center.  1st of all, let me just say that I went because it advertised professionals speaking about advertising, marketing, promoting and networking your business, especially websites.  I am an optimist (most of the time) and hope I will come away from something like this with just one little tid bit that made it worthwhile.  WELL, I am so pleased to report that they served what they had on the menu.  It was great!  I seriously came away with new direction and inspiration. Their panel members were experts on web design, marketing, advertising, mass email marketing, business networking, PR, and so much more.  I do have to toot my own horn for just a sec though and say I felt a teeny bit superior sitting there in some sessions listening to all their advise, because I have implemented (under the guidance of my GURU, Jill Olkoski of Aldebaran Website Design) 5 out of 6 of the experts suggestions website must haves. Getting your Blog on your site, and using WORDPRESS for it, SEO (I know what that means because of Jill), keywords, incoming links, google ad-words and so much more.  I am very pleased with what I learned today, but if I hadn’t been for (you know who) my GURU, I think some of it could have sounded like Japanese.  I especially want to acknowledge a little owned company here in Edmonds, WA called MYSAVVYSPACE a resource website geared toward non-techie and sorta-techie professionals with a vested financial interest to having a social networking presence. Cool Huh?  They are my next venture.  I really think they can help me build a networking/blogging system that I can maintain myself (without working on it 24/7 and forgetting to eat dinner)and really target my audience. Yippee CRAVE!

Wine Lover?  Handbag Lover?  Yes!  Well then, have we got an event for you.  Seattleuncorked and Vinolover.com are sponsoring another one of their fabulous events for women.  Their most recent gala “Sips and Shoes” was a hug success!  So, they have decided to follow up with “Bag and Bottles”.  Come and enjoy various wines from more then 20 vineyards and view and purchase handbags from over 12 local boutiques, including ME! katiekay.com.  Sunday March 9th, 4-7pm at the W Hotel, in downtown Seattle on the corner of 4th & Spring Streets.  And…you will be pleased to know that a large portion of the sales goes to Gilda’s Club, a world wide organization helping and supporting cancer patients, their families and friend’s.  To purchase tickets go to www.gildasclub.com  Hope to see you there!