Get Creative at Kate's Paperie

My fiancé and I are determined to “DIY” as much of our upcoming wedding as possible. It’s not like we’re going to try and cater it or spin the silk for my dress, or anything, but we’re tackling some fairly ambitious projects, nonetheless. One of these projects is making our own invitations. While we are confident that we can create some nice ones, we have of course never done so before and therefore have no idea where to start.

So we recently headed over to the Upper East Side location of Kate’s Paperie on 3rd Avenue and 74th Street to do some research. I love this store. Whenever I go, I get inspired to make a career change into a field I’m not sure even exists: professional gift wrapping. I mean, if a gift wrapper is only as good as her tools, then anybody with Kate on her side would certainly be fabulous.

For example, the room of ribbons on the right, just inside the door, contains row upon row of unique spools that really force you to re-examine your former definition of “ribbon". Ribbons with polka dots, ribbons seemingly laced with pure gold, ribbons that look like feather boas, ribbons made of tiny pompoms. Basically, this nook will help you tie the mother of all bows.

The papers, sold by the sheet in the back of the store, come in every color of the rainbow, with all kinds of interesting patterns and textures. Again, you might not have originally considered some of these sheets paper at all. There are metallic papers, lacey papers, and rough-hewn, handmade papers from all over the world. Some feel almost like plastic and others like fabric. Kate’s offers over 4000 varieties and they range from approximately $2.75 to $12.50 per piece. Some of these papers are so nice, I think it might break my heart to fold them around a box or sully them with a piece of tape, never mind ripping them. I once bought a beautiful Asian-printed piece of paper here and hung it on my wall, quite convincingly I think, as a piece of art.

You can also purchase folders that make filing more fun. (Yes, I just used the words ‘filing’ and ‘fun’ in the same sentence.) I have some with flowers on them but you can also get them with butterflies or birdcages.

Kate’s is clearly a scrapbooker’s paradise, offering all kinds of different stickers, ink stamps, and various tools of that trade. I once bought some champagne stickers here to put on an envelope for a friend who’d just gotten engaged. The sky is truly limit: there are sports stickers, dragonfly stickers, and even stickers that look like tattoos and Greek columns.

They have gadgets that are completely foreign to me. For example, there is something called a paper crimper that folds paper accordion style. They have a station where you can test out some nifty “paper shaper” craft punches (pictured, above). By simply clamping these things around a piece of paper, you can chomp out the shape of a leaf or a cupcake. I doubt even the most dexterous could do that with a pair of scissors.

But I digress…this trip, my fiancé and I had a specific mission. First, we flipped through one of the many books of wedding invitations they have in order to get some ideas. We took note of the more colorful, non-traditional ones. Then we strolled through the stationery section where they sell papers and envelopes in all shapes, styles and sizes. We were intrigued by something called “envelofolds” where the invitation and envelope are one piece. I like how they open up kind of like a present. There is something similar called “pocketfolds” that open in a similar fashion and also feature little pockets, perfect for holding RSVP cards.

We purchased a few pieces of paper and a few envelopes to play with and now we’re letting the ideas percolate. I noticed that Kate’s Paperie is having a Bridal Brunch on Sunday July 13 (10 AM) to offer some insider info on wedding invitations, so if we’re still in need of inspiration then, we might check that out. In the meantime, they are hosting a few Mother’s day events that are of interest:

Saturday May 2, 1-3 pm: Book signing with Nancy Bachrach, who wrote a mother-daughter memoir called “The Center of the Universe”.

Saturday, May 9, 1-3 pm: Last Minute Mother’s Day Calligraphy Event. Calligraphers will be on hand to artfully inscribe your card to your mom.

Wednesday, May 6 from 2-5 and Saturday, May 9, 2-4 pm: Springtime Craft Demonstrations. They’ll show you how to wrap a gift for your mom so that it looks like an adorable little purse. With wrapping that cute, it hardly matters what’s inside, right? Come to think of it, if I want to be a professional wrapper, this seems like an ideal resume builder…

Shaken and Stirred at the Carlyle

It was Easter Eve. Okay, actually it was two nights before Easter but I already had bunnies on the brain. Before heading out of town for the weekend to paint eggs and gorge on far too many jellybeans, I went out for a drink with a friend to celebrate her birthday. When I asked her where she’d like to go, she said, without missing a beat, “Somewhere that mixes a good drink.” Though I’m no teetotaler, I’m not exactly a rolodex of fancy cocktails, either. I dug deep and suggested that we visit a hotel bar. In fact, she and I used to occasionally splurge flapper-style at the Algonquin.

This time, we picked Upper East Side landmark, Bemelmans Bar, at the Carlyle hotel. This is located on Madison Avenue at 76th. I knew I’d been there once on a date, but was I confusing it with the King Cole Bar at the St. Regis, where I’d also once been on a date? (Oh how events from that era are blurring together…). When I arrived, I remembered, ah yes, that this was the place with the quaint murals painted by the same guy who did the Madeline books. It’s a funny juxtaposition: the bar feels a bit like a speakeasy and is permeated with scent of good scotch, yet you’re surrounded by all these endearing, childlike illustrations of animals.

I tucked myself into a corner booth to wait for my friend. In the meantime, I was hardly alone. The dapper waiter, wearing a pristine white jacket and black bow tie was immediately at my service. And a quick glance around me revealed that I was in the company of many pleasant creatures, mostly bunnies. How apropos. One looked to be sipping an espresso at a café whilst gazing pensively through his spectacles. Another was taking cover from the rain under an umbrella. To my right, a whole group of them danced around in a merry circle. Apparently, artist Ludwig Bemelman was commissioned to paint this famous Central Park scene in 1947. In exchange, he received 18 months stay at the hotel.

Soon, my Cosmopolitan arrived. It came with a tiny extra pitcher, which, to my delight, the waiter called The Dividend. Maybe this is a common term, but I’d never heard it before: it seemed so formal and so fittingly financial. I took martini in hand and sipped, careful to not spill it. I have found those glasses to be particularly…challenging for those of us located on the far end of the klutzy scale. This drink was excellent.

I was happy that some complimentary snacks were also delivered to the table. I had rushed from work and hadn’t been able to pick up any dinner. A peek at the menu indicated that though I was ready and willing to burn some cash, the entrees and even appetizers were more than a little bit out of my current price range. Fortunately, this trifecta of treats, including salted nuts, spicy crackers and potato chips was fitting the so-called bill.

Less fortunately, on one of my hand’s trips to my mouth, I managed to knock over my precious Dividend, spilling bonus Cosmo all over the menu, my notes, and pants. I caught the waiter’s attention: “I spilled my Dividend!” I exclaimed so pitifully that he chuckled. As his equally dapper colleague wiped up my mess, I felt like a child at a Madeline tea party. (In fact, they offer this very thing for children every Saturday.)

I was cheered to see that a band was beginning to set up. The menu indicated that on Friday nights the Loston Harris Trio plays from 9:30 to 1 AM. There are few things I like more than live jazz. When my friend arrived, she was equally pleased by this scenario. She was also pleased with her Old Cuban Mojito, which is made with rum, bitters, champagne and muddled mint. While listening to these jazz standards, as rendered by the piano, the trumpet and the bass, we soaked up this unique atmosphere. The place was by now packed with what looked like a mix of New Yorkers and tourists, many of whom were wearing neckties, some of whom may have been staying at the Carlyle. Recession? Didn’t really seem like it had hit this dimly-lit nook.

To top things off, a special guest suddenly sidled up to Harris on the piano: cabaret cornerstone, James Naughton. The now somewhat tipsy crowd went bonkers for his rendition of “The Very Thought of You” and a few other classics.

Resplendent, my friend and I ordered a second set of drinks. We (carefully) toasted her birthday and The Good Life. “Where else can you do something like this?” Only New York, we nodded, perhaps with a bit too much self-congratulation.

Because, well, the bill eventually came. Turns out we missed the part about the music cover charge: $25 per person. Actually, I had seen that on the menu, earlier, but thought, naively, that it didn’t apply if you took your seat before 9:30 pm. Ouch. After our eyeballs popped out of their sockets, we tried to play it cool, as if we’re accustomed to spending $170 for two drinks each (and no dinner! Please bust out the violins…)

Anyway, despite our night’s “economic downturn” we had fun. We managed to laugh through tears as we visited the ATM across the street in an attempt to replenish. I recommend that every New Yorker hop on over to Bemelmans at least once. Just make sure that loan comes through, first.

Spring has Sprung at Marimekko

I met up with Mother Nature the other day for coffee to discuss the weather. She and I have always been pretty close, but I have to admit that I don’t always trust her. For example, sometimes she’ll suggest that I bundle up: then, as temperatures rise, my big down feather coat and a wool scarf gradually begin to serve as a portable sweat lodge. Conversely, she’ll hint at sandals and sundress then blindside me with a blizzard. She can be quite a trickster.

“So, Spring,” I said, sipping my coffee. “Is it really going to arrive and stick around?”
“Patience, my friend, patience,” she replied, smirking enigmatically, then downed her espresso in one impatient gulp.
What am I supposed to do with that? The birds are starting to chirp, the days are getting longer yet it’s still chilly – I’m wearing earmuffs and flip flops at the same time.

I logically know Spring eventually arrives every year, but this time around, the suspense is killing me. So I headed over to one of my favorite Upper East Side shops, Kiitos Marimekko, where I knew I’d get a good dose. It’s located on 3rd Avenue between 72nd and 73rd Streets.

This Finnish brand, which as been around since 1951, started off selling textiles with iconic, bold patterns, and now offers clothing, accessories, and items for interior design. Everything they sell is bright and much of it is smattered with oversized flowers.

In fact, passing through these doors is like entering some kind of fantastical botanical garden, maybe one you’d see in cartoons. This is what is considered a Marimekko lifestyle concept store and is the only one like it in New York City. Indeed, spring has sprung here: an orange and fuscia shift dress glows like the sun itself. The small sofa at the entrance is blooming with flowery and geometric throw pillows. I’m pretty sure that any item you pick up here will raise your psychological temperature at least a few degrees.

Okay, full disclosure: over the years, I’ve been slowly building a small Marimmekko empire of my own, including a polka dotted shoulder bag, a pair of Converse-like sneakers, a coin purse, a potholder, etc. I have brought friends into the fold. Every time I go, I try to limit myself to one purchase, which requires extreme self control.

This time, I took a few deep breaths before darting around from display to display in an excited, zigzagged blur. I had scoped out some items on their website first, and spotted an intriguing black and white mousepad depicting a city scene. I also identified a few things to include on our wedding registry/wish list including tea towels in one of their popular patterns called Kevatjuhla, which depicts cows who appear to be galloping (perhaps toward their nearest Marimekko shop?)

Pleasant shopgirls Emily and Lydia told me that customers are a mix. Many of them have known about the fabric and the clothes for a long time. They also have lots of interior designers coming in and people buying gifts for friends.

Owner Josie Cotzas was a manager at a Marimekko store on 56th Street in 1989 when that store closed due to overhead expense. “As the store’s existence came to a close, I felt that I simply couldn’t let it die. This product is like no other and it has a loyal customer base.” This led her to start a mail order business with a colleague and eventually find retail space. They have been in this current location on 3rd for six years. She enjoys working with the variety of products – both clothing and items for the home.

Indeed, you really could outfit your entire life with items from this tiny shop. A wall of towels will dry in style for $9-$65. The paper napkins (above) will brighten up any “tablescape” for $6-$12.

I can attest that the canvas bags (left) both work hard and play hard for $54-$75. The hot pink “Unnikko Kinto” toiletry case travels well for $52 and the kid-sized rain boots make a splash. They are currently on sale for $35.

Alas, I purchased that nifty pad for my mouse and he’s gliding it across it right now. It’s actually one of the least spring-like things in Marimekko. I suppose I’ll just have to stop in again soon. I think I’ll bring Mother Nature with me…just in case she needs a little inspiration.