It's Me, KP

All Adventurous Women Do

If I really wanted to entertain you, I'd tell you stories of a single girl's dating life in New York City.  The tales I could tell would give JK Rowling a run for her money.  It is not easy dating in this city.  But it does provide you with endless entertainment.  I watch what I divulge on this blog for a myriad of reasons, and besides these are stories best told over ice cream or Parm ice cream cake (both of which happened on Sunday) with your girlfriends. 

However I will share that after numerous conversations lately I've now dubbed this The Summer of the Single Ladies.  2012 will be the summer my single girls take over the city.  There's something in the air.  We are ready to stop being serious and have some fun.  Take a bite out of the Big Apple, if you will.  I see a lot of ice cream and tales of first dates in our future.  I can't wait.

I think about all my dating experience... and let's face it - failed attempts at relationships - and I just have to laugh.  I made a lot of mistakes.  Overlooked a lot of red, even yellow, flags.  Have had hit rock bottom on the insecurity ladder.  And man, I've done some dumb things.  Even as recently as this past weekend.  But as Amanda asked me on Saturday, would I change it?  No way in hell.  I have a lot of great stories.  A flight to Boston for Opening Day in Fenway Park, late nights laughing in diners down on the Lower East Side, an epic first date that started with a 15 course dinner.  All of that goes into the books.

There's the line from one of my favorite episodes of Girls - "all adventurous women do."  It's used in great context in the show and I've stolen it to help justify my own crazy experiences.  Has a pocketful of mistakes, has broken hearts, takes cabs all the way out to Brooklyn at 1 a.m., kisses on a street corner in Chelsea for twenty minutes on a first date?  All adventurous women do.

For more on a single girl's life in NYC, and one who lets you in on more secrets than I do, I highly recommend reading Meg's blog here.

So Cal

I had to spread my work time over a lot of different tasks this month, so I was only able to get one layout done for the So Cal gallery at Studio Calico.  I used the stamps from the Venice Beach add-on to create a fun title to go with one of my favorite new photos.  The ink that I used was Stampin' Up Regal Rose - a nice pretty peachy pink that matched the papers well.

I know that the kits sold out really fast this month so I hope you were able to get what you wanted!  And I can't wait to see you use the stamps... the "Hey Girl" stamp from the Main Kit is already been put to good use around here.

SC June: So Cal Sneak

A little sneak to share of the layout I made for SC's June kits - pretty pretty So Cal.  This month might have the best stamps ever.  Just sayin'.  This layout uses the stamps from the Venice Beach add-on and butterflies from the Main Kit.

The photo is an Instagram (oh but of course) snapped last Friday night in the elevator going up to a rooftop party.  A night out with my homegirls and it was the best.  Lots of laughing, some good food + cocktails, and a little bit of rootop dancing under the bright lights of the Empire State Building.  A reminder that life is good when I stay put and don't travel non-stop.  I need those reminders, as my feet get itchy often.

Here's to another happy weekend - hope you all have a wonderful one!

2012 Project Life: Week Ten

Someone left a comment the other day asking if I'm still doing Project Life and the answer is yes! I still am working on my album and loving the process.  However, everything I make these days is for my book so you might not see me share anything new til after my deadline this summer.

But I did do a spread for Project Life Week Ten that I wanted to share now...

This layout went up in my gallery at Studio Calico for May because it used just the Main Kit - 35mm.

That's Doug from Big Gay Ice Cream lovin' on Amanda.  That week also included a night in Miami and a trip to my favorite restaurant, Michael's Genuine - home of my favorite dessert in the world.  I also did Ippudo noodles and saw The Best Man on Broadway with my friend Kary. 

I'm still far behind in the album.  Very far.  I think I'm captain of the same boat a lot of you are in.  But I'm not sweating it.  It'll come together and everything will be just fine.  If I have to finish the album in 2013, so be it... the memories aren't going anywhere!

National Stationery Show Round-Up

The National Stationery Show, Surtex, and International Contemporary Furniture Fair happened in my backyard this week.  A good part of my day Monday + Tuesday were spent walking the floor in all three areas and soaking up a lot of information + inspiration.

I wanted to share a few things that caught my eye... I apologize for the Instagrams - someday I will actually put down my iPhone and pull out my real camera.

The first booth we made a beeline for was Rifle Paper (website + blog).  I've been a fan of hers for almost as long as Rifle has been around.  It's perfect in every way and Anna could not have been a sweeter person to get to meet:

This is the Rifle Paper version of Sarah + me:

Grey Cardigan (website + blog) was also an instant hit for me.  Brian, the artist, told me that these new flat papers would be perfect for scrapbookers and I agree!

We also had a great chat with the lovely + talented Kate from Kate and Birdie.  I gushed over her amazing NYC inspired designs:

The bright, happy colors at Sukie (website + blog) are right up my alley:

I also absolutely adore these Mac quickkeys cards (unfortunately I didn't get the company name):

Awesome right on-trend prints from Sugar Paper (website + blog):

And I could have spent all day in the One Canoe Two (website + blog) booth:

Awesome washi tape storage idea - rubberbands + nails:

Like any tradeshow, the funnest part is getting to hang out with friends who come to the show.  Sarah came to stay with me for a few nights, which always makes life more fun.  I also got to catch up with my dear friends Allison Kreft from Hambly and Heidi Crowl from Simon Says Stamp, who were in for the show.

Paper and people.  That's all I need to be happy.  Oh and pork buns that we ate at Momofuku Monday night.  Paper, people, pork buns.

Refinery29

Last week I happened to strike up a conversation on the subway with a guy who was wearing an I Heart the Internet button like the one that's pictured above.  I had immediately recognized that R29 logo.  It resulted in being invited to come to the WalkAboutNYC tour of the Refinery29 office.  And I also got to keep a button, which I adore.

Let me just say right now that if I could pick a dream job, working for Refinery29 would be at the top of the list.  It's a daily addiction, really.  I love what they're doing, sharing, forecasting.  So getting to see a peek at the magic behind the scenes was one of those pinch me moments.  From the time I stepped into the elevator til the time I stepped back on out, I had a silly perma-grin on my face.

Here's a look at what I got to see...

And my favorite part of the office...

Thanks to Kirby, who could not have been a better host...

There's no question that I Heart R29 and what a lucky subway ride in New York City can lead to.

(The Washi Workshop winner is posted below - thanks for entering!)

The Washi Workshop Blog Hop

Welcome to my stop on The Washi Workshop Blog Hop!  I'm really excited about this workshop being our upcoming June class at Studio Calico - it's like no other class that's out there and full of cool ideas. You can find more information and register right here.  Megan Hoeppner from Creating Keepsakes is teaching the class and she is a creative genius, if I do say so myself.  It's going to be a fun one.

I am a washi junkie and have quickly built up quite a collection.  One idea that I wanted to share again today for the blog hop is using washi as a space for journaling:

The strips of washi tape helped give my journaling a little colorful "home" on the layout and the card.  I'm all about layering and this is the perfect way to add a pretty layer behind what you want to say.

There are more ideas for using washi from me + the amazing contributors in The Washi Workshop. 

I get to give away a spot in the class so be sure to leave a comment here on this post!  Registration ends May 31st and the four week class begins on June 1st. 

Be sure to scoot on over to the next two ladies on the hop - Piradee Talvanna and Lisa Truesdell.  You can also win a spot in the class on the Studio Calico and Creating Keepsake blog.  Enjoy!

Happy Three Year Anniversary, New York City!

Today marks three years to the date that I moved to New York City.  Three years in one city is the longest I've lived somewhere since college.  We've had a rocky relationship at times but I love you, New York.  And we're not breaking up anytime soon. The three year gift is leather, but it was so rainy today that leather was not ideal.  You owe me one, NYC.

I often get emails about suggestions for things to do when people come to the city and these are hard for me to answer because I get overwhelmed with what to tell people.  Also, my list is not the same as anyone else's.  Everyone has their own love list for the city.  But here is my humble attempt (food not included, can be found here) at what and why I love New York...

1. Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge
2. Scoring rush tickets for great seats for Broadway shows
3. The colored windows on the High Line
4. The view from the Top of the Rock
5. Jackie Kennedy Reservoir in Central Park
6. Concerts at Summerstage in Central Park
7. Concerts at the Bowery Ballroom
8. The photobooth in the Ace Hotel
9. Walking through Times Square at night in heels and feeling like Carrie Bradshaw
10. Cobblestone streets in Soho
11. Smorgasburg and the Brooklyn Flea
12. The view of Manhattan from DUMBO at night
13. The view of Manhattan from Dorian + Panos' rooftop in LIC
14. Summer nights drinking beer at the Frying Pan
15. Meeting friends for girl talk at 16 Handles
16. Verdi Square
17. Walking by Zabar's and thinking of You've Got Mail
18. The East River water taxi
19. The Flatiron Building
20. Hanging out in Madison Sq Park (probably eating Shake Shack)
21. Dancing to loud blues music in the Village
22. Night games at Yankee Stadium
23. The feeling that you actually can get whatever you want, whenever you want
24. Stumbling onto random tv shows or movies being filmed
25. Hilarious celebrity interactions (aka the time we hung out with Laura Linney)
26. The Guggenheim
27. The MoMA
28. Kissing in taxis as the city speeds by
29. Eating grilled cheese + tomato soup with friends in Bryant Park
30. The energy. The passion. The excitement.  The fact that this city gets under your skin and you'll never be the same.

To Laugh

On a lighter note, but still oh so true - I stumbled upon this and it's perfect...

Alright

Let's be honest.  Sometimes life is not great.  Sometimes it's hard and challenging and so, so, so awkward and all you want is a glass of wine with your best friend but you're on your own because she's off traipsing around Russia.  I've had a lot of "oh shit, did I say the right thing?!" moments lately.  A lot of burying my hands in my face as I retell stories to my friends.  Thursday was bad.  Friday was hard.  There was plenty of good moments mixed in there, but I was not having the time of my life as Patrick Swayze would encourage me to.

We all go through it, I guess.  Over beers + grilled cheese in Brooklyn the other night, my friend Missy and I had a good conversation about how social media has given us this channel to make our lives look really, really awesome.  I'm sure you can think of ten people off the top of your head that look like they are having the time of their life on Facebook.  And whose life doesn't look lush and gorgeous when you add a little Valencia filter on Instagram.  Am I right?

I'm guilty of it too.  I put the pretty out there.  The happy.  Yep, that's me living it up all over the city.  But there's a deeper truth than what you see.  Than what people share.

I like seeing beautiful people living beautiful lives, but I like seeing honesty more.  I guess that's where I'm going with this post and what I wanted to say.  I've been thinking about this a lot lately.  Hopefully you read my blog to see the fun stuff I do and the cool things I share, but I also want you to know that I think life is a challenge.  And that is the truth.