The Monocle & Moustache

I would be very surprised if you haven’t seen Katie around the Tophatter auction rooms at least one or twice. She’s been with Tophatter since the very beginning! If you ever have a question or want some personal assistance, Katie’s always more than happy to extend a helping hand. Read on to learn more about this Texan staffer and how she became part of Tophatter’s team after joining our community as a user in December 2011.

• Name: Katie 
• What do you do? I’m the Community Liaison (official title) at Tophatter. I don’t know what other titles I’ve been given though… :o) Princess Katie of Babbledom; Ms. Diarrhea of the Mouth 2012 (my Mom always told me I had that).
• Do you have any pets?  Yes, I do. 6 cats: Thor, Rascal, Suzette, Talbot, Jasper, and Harley. 1 dog: Bailey (my Miniature Schnauzer). 2 freshwater aquariums full of fish - the number varies because the “blues” and the “yellows” like to breed…We started with 4 of each and have MANY more than that now (but I love my parrot fish best of all of the fish!)
• Who is your favorite Tophatter auctioneer & why? Bartholomew…because he likes big butts and he cannot lie - he told us that one night! 
• If I were a superhero, I’d like the power to save all of the world’s problems without causing further conflict. But, since I know that power would be a major task, I’d also like the ability to stay awake for a long period of time and be really productive in that time frame without being tired. Or the ability to find great clothes that look great in my size… 
• Top 3 fave non-Tophatter blogs/sites/apps: 1) Facebook - duh :) but, it’s a great way to keep in touch with friends from high school and college - especially since we’ve scattered all over the world…and it’s a great way to connect with bead designers/teachers and see where they’ll be teaching next!  2) Etsy - I love to just browse through Etsy and look for cool stuff. Window shopping without the teeny-boppers and the rude people and the parking issues. :)  3) Barnes & Noble - my happy place! I LOVE books…and 4) (can’t help it, had to have more than just 3 favorites) Pinterest…I get a little sporadic about it sometimes, but it’s still SO fun. 
• When you do have spare time, what are your hobbies? Beadwork, reading, traveling, hanging out with hubby and our zoo of pets. 
• What is your dream vacation? A nice, LONG vacation to Lahaina, Maui - something like a month maybe? During whale watching season!
• Favorite guilty pleasure musician/band? *NSYNC…Spice Girls…Glee music. 
• Could you go an entire week without phones, TV & computers? I’ve gone a week without this stuff more than once. Once was on a trip to Roatan, Honduras to a resort with no TVs, no internet, no radios, and no cell phone reception. It was great! We also went an entire week without this stuff after Hurricane Ike hit Houston. I got a LOT of beading and reading done that week. My one weakness would be going without my iPod - I need music in the background (or to sing along to…)!