It's Me, KP

Smorgasburg: Back and Better Than Ever

When I was in New York a few weeks ago we spent Saturday morning doing one of my favorite things in life - Smorgasburg!  Most of my weekends last year included a trip to either Smorgasburg or the Flea.  Addicted.

They've expanded this year which means even more vendors and tons more to choose from.  I want one of everything.  If you are going, I recommend checking out: Red Hook Lobster Pound, DuMont Burger, Milk Truck, Pizza Moto, Porchetta, Brooklyn Piggies. And of course Dough - which I cannot live without.

Amanda, Sara, and I also hit up The Good Batch which was pretty incredible.  We had to sample them all and not a loser in the bunch, I am happy to report.  Until next time, Smorgasburg!

More trips to Smorgasburg blogged here, here, and here aka hanging with Mario Batali. 

There was a long list of meals I had to cram into the month of January and it included quintessential Katz's Deli.  My dear friend Leigh Erin battled the lunch crowd with me to eat messy sandwiches and drink Dr. Brown's rootbeer.  What is more New York City than that? 

If you've never had a pastrami sandwich from Katz's let me just tell you - it's a little slice of juicy, meaty, delicious heaven.  With the soft bread and mustard, this sandwich is irresistible.  I order a half paired with chicken noodle soup, which is the perfect comfort food combo.

With of course, a big plate full of pickles to top it all off. I made the mistake of biting into the garlic pickle. And the result is my face above.  Woah mama. I think they could now smell my breath all the way to New Jersey.  That famous line in Katz's Deli from When Harry Met Sally - "I'll have what she's having" - well, clearly what she was having was not a pickle. Oy vey!

It felt like I said a hundred goobyes before leaving New York but I've always thought it's a lucky thing to have friends that make it hard to say goodbye.  And they were really farewells until next time.  I had a small farewell party at The Smith, which was up in my neighborhood. 

The food is alright (the desserts are fun + fantastic), it's incredibly loud, and apparently a celebrity hot spot (we were seated nearby Michael Strahan, who I completely did not recognize) but the best thing is there is an awesome photobooth down in the unisex bathroom.  And you know how much I love a good photobooth strip.

I love the results, especially the random roulette strip.  They are now some of my most cherished photos.  In a city of 8 million people it's surprisingly easy to feel lonely but you will never feel lonely for long with good friends like these ladies.  They were always there for me with encouragement, laughter, a listening ear, a big appetite, and lots of love.  They mean the world to me.  I'm missing them so much already.

More photos from the night on Julie's and Jodi's blog.

I left New York City and almost four years of life as a New Yorker on Saturday.  I feel like I literally cried for the entire week before leaving.  There was a heaviness that I carried around and so many moments that I wanted to shout "Hey everyone, I'm just kidding!  I can't leave New York!  I'm staying!" then run around hugging everyone I see. And constantly in my head I would think "Wow, this is hard." (Followed by a "that's what she said" because sometimes I am still 13.) 

But it was tough.  Saying goodbye over and over to good friends was brutal.  Letting go of stuff I couldn't figure out how to take with me was painful.  I whittled down my posessions, furniture, and wardrobe to 12 boxes + two suitcases.  Getting into the back of the car and driving away from my beloved corner of West 74th + Amsterdam broke my heart a little.

Like the never fail crybaby I am, I began to cry as my plane started to back away from the gate and the very kind flight attendant asked if I was ok, then if I was leaving home?  I nodded yes and had to smile a bit.  I was indeed leaving home but also heading in the direction of home.  Chicago has always felt like home to me. And, as a friend reminded me the other day just when I needed it, only a 2:05 hour plane ride away.

So here we come, Chicago.  My 12 boxes, two suitcases, and me.

I am in my last week living in New York City.  It is hard.  Hard with a capital, giant, Empire State building sized H.  I know that there are great things to come but I am leaving behind some truly amazing things.  Like friends.  I have some incredible friends here.  

So now that I'm crying as I type this, I better get the photos posted I want to share before I really start bawling.  My bestie + NY Soul Mate Sarah came to visit for a few days and we went up to the top of the Empire State Building.  I've been to the Top of the Rock quite a few times (photos here) but never the ESB.  I only had my Instax but my trusty iPhone did a mighty good job.

We happened to hit it right at sunset and the skies were clear.  The sunset over New Jersey was beautiful.  And the view of my city - breathtaking.

New York, you are one lovely lady.  I will miss you more than you know.  

If you follow me on the various social media outlets one thing that you know about me is that I can't live without my Shake Shack.  It's a weekly habit.  Often more than once a week.  And where I bring all my favorite people when they come to town.  Shake Shack is just part of me.

So many of you (thank you!) have expressed concern over Shake Shack and I having to break up when I leave New York.  Well, rest assured the news was broken back in November that Shake Shack should be opening downtown Chicago.  WHEW.  Because we all know that I would simply starve without those cheeseburgers.

Now who wants to come visit me in Chicago?

While I was at home and in Chicago over the holidays, I kept seeing my Instagram feed being filled with photos from people back in New York going to Ann Hamilton's The Event of a Thread.  Everyone I knew in the city or that was visiting the city was going to see this installation piece... I knew it had to be something else.  So when I got back, I snagged tickets for last Sunday, which was the final day of the exhibit.

Photos don't do it justice.  This beautiful white sheet was suspended from the ceiling with lots of swings in the room.   You could swing or lay under the sheet.  Laying down and looking up was pretty mesmerizing, it was like looking at waves coming in and out on a beach.  

The swings provided fun for everyone and you could not help but feel happy in that room seeing everyone experience so much joy just from swinging.  Old people and young kids.  Everyone got to swing.  When it was my turn I had some great pushes from this very sweet little girl and we both didn't stop laughing.

There are some great photos posted on this blog right here.  The exhibit has closed but you can find more information here and if you're able, be sure to check out the photos that were geotagged on Instagram - it's a very happy feed.

I covered all my social media bases this morning with some news and the last place I've got is here on the old blog. It's a little harder to write this post than to try to fit something into 140 characters.

January is my last month in New York and after some traveling I will be moving back to Chicago. This decision has been in the works for a long time.  I've thought about it endlessly the past six months.  I always felt that I would return to Chicago and the timing is finally right.

It's hard to think about leaving New York.  Leaving my friends, mostly.  In fact, I can't talk about that right now.  I've relentlessly tried to pursuade a few of them to come with me, without any luck.  Needless to say, it's difficult to be leaving a city that feels like such a big part of who I am.  

But there were so many reasons, very big and very small, that I decided to move. What it comes down to is the fact that I think I will be happier in Chicago.  There is a good life waiting there for me and I'm ready to live it.  

I had shared some photos from Amanda + my Candyland party on Facebook but here are some of my favorite shots featuring some of my favorite people.  Having a candy themed party assures lots of smiles in photos!

Amanda purchased a cotton candy machine which really was the best idea ever.  Everyone got a turn to spin some cotton candy... some were more successful than others (i.e. I was a ginormous failure!)

We had goodie bags for everyone complete with a custom stamp.  It's not me, KP without a custom stamp, right?  I really really love how it came out. 

Hope your holidays were very very merry everyone!

Every year I want to make a video of all the gorgeous holiday decorations in New York City... it really is magical.  Every little twinkle light puts an extra spring in my step.  And the small brass band playing Christmas carols in the subway station at 59th street, well that just lifts my whole heart.  The video didn't get made this year but I did take a few Instagrams to share:

There are so many things I love about the city in the winter - the tree lots on every block, the beautiful wreaths on the doors in the West Village, the musical stars at Columbus Circle.  There is a feeling in the air.  A big, wide feeling of love.

I'll Have What She's Having

There was a long list of meals I had to cram into the month of January and it included quintessential Katz's Deli.  My dear friend Leigh Erin battled the lunch crowd with me to eat messy sandwiches and drink Dr. Brown's rootbeer.  What is more New York City than that? 

If you've never had a pastrami sandwich from Katz's let me just tell you - it's a little slice of juicy, meaty, delicious heaven.  With the soft bread and mustard, this sandwich is irresistible.  I order a half paired with chicken noodle soup, which is the perfect comfort food combo.

With of course, a big plate full of pickles to top it all off. I made the mistake of biting into the garlic pickle. And the result is my face above.  Woah mama. I think they could now smell my breath all the way to New Jersey.  That famous line in Katz's Deli from When Harry Met Sally - "I'll have what she's having" - well, clearly what she was having was not a pickle. Oy vey!

Ain't No Party Like a Photobooth Party

It felt like I said a hundred goobyes before leaving New York but I've always thought it's a lucky thing to have friends that make it hard to say goodbye.  And they were really farewells until next time.  I had a small farewell party at The Smith, which was up in my neighborhood. 

The food is alright (the desserts are fun + fantastic), it's incredibly loud, and apparently a celebrity hot spot (we were seated nearby Michael Strahan, who I completely did not recognize) but the best thing is there is an awesome photobooth down in the unisex bathroom.  And you know how much I love a good photobooth strip.

I love the results, especially the random roulette strip.  They are now some of my most cherished photos.  In a city of 8 million people it's surprisingly easy to feel lonely but you will never feel lonely for long with good friends like these ladies.  They were always there for me with encouragement, laughter, a listening ear, a big appetite, and lots of love.  They mean the world to me.  I'm missing them so much already.

More photos from the night on Julie's and Jodi's blog.

Goodbye, New York

I left New York City and almost four years of life as a New Yorker on Saturday.  I feel like I literally cried for the entire week before leaving.  There was a heaviness that I carried around and so many moments that I wanted to shout "Hey everyone, I'm just kidding!  I can't leave New York!  I'm staying!" then run around hugging everyone I see. And constantly in my head I would think "Wow, this is hard." (Followed by a "that's what she said" because sometimes I am still 13.) 

But it was tough.  Saying goodbye over and over to good friends was brutal.  Letting go of stuff I couldn't figure out how to take with me was painful.  I whittled down my posessions, furniture, and wardrobe to 12 boxes + two suitcases.  Getting into the back of the car and driving away from my beloved corner of West 74th + Amsterdam broke my heart a little.

Like the never fail crybaby I am, I began to cry as my plane started to back away from the gate and the very kind flight attendant asked if I was ok, then if I was leaving home?  I nodded yes and had to smile a bit.  I was indeed leaving home but also heading in the direction of home.  Chicago has always felt like home to me. And, as a friend reminded me the other day just when I needed it, only a 2:05 hour plane ride away.

So here we come, Chicago.  My 12 boxes, two suitcases, and me.

I Know I'll Never Lose Affection

I am in my last week living in New York City.  It is hard.  Hard with a capital, giant, Empire State building sized H.  I know that there are great things to come but I am leaving behind some truly amazing things.  Like friends.  I have some incredible friends here.  

So now that I'm crying as I type this, I better get the photos posted I want to share before I really start bawling.  My bestie + NY Soul Mate Sarah came to visit for a few days and we went up to the top of the Empire State Building.  I've been to the Top of the Rock quite a few times (photos here) but never the ESB.  I only had my Instax but my trusty iPhone did a mighty good job.

We happened to hit it right at sunset and the skies were clear.  The sunset over New Jersey was beautiful.  And the view of my city - breathtaking.

New York, you are one lovely lady.  I will miss you more than you know.  

We Belong Together

If you follow me on the various social media outlets one thing that you know about me is that I can't live without my Shake Shack.  It's a weekly habit.  Often more than once a week.  And where I bring all my favorite people when they come to town.  Shake Shack is just part of me.

So many of you (thank you!) have expressed concern over Shake Shack and I having to break up when I leave New York.  Well, rest assured the news was broken back in November that Shake Shack should be opening downtown Chicago.  WHEW.  Because we all know that I would simply starve without those cheeseburgers.

Now who wants to come visit me in Chicago?

The Event of a Thread

While I was at home and in Chicago over the holidays, I kept seeing my Instagram feed being filled with photos from people back in New York going to Ann Hamilton's The Event of a Thread.  Everyone I knew in the city or that was visiting the city was going to see this installation piece... I knew it had to be something else.  So when I got back, I snagged tickets for last Sunday, which was the final day of the exhibit.

Photos don't do it justice.  This beautiful white sheet was suspended from the ceiling with lots of swings in the room.   You could swing or lay under the sheet.  Laying down and looking up was pretty mesmerizing, it was like looking at waves coming in and out on a beach.  

The swings provided fun for everyone and you could not help but feel happy in that room seeing everyone experience so much joy just from swinging.  Old people and young kids.  Everyone got to swing.  When it was my turn I had some great pushes from this very sweet little girl and we both didn't stop laughing.

There are some great photos posted on this blog right here.  The exhibit has closed but you can find more information here and if you're able, be sure to check out the photos that were geotagged on Instagram - it's a very happy feed.

Coming Home

I covered all my social media bases this morning with some news and the last place I've got is here on the old blog. It's a little harder to write this post than to try to fit something into 140 characters.

January is my last month in New York and after some traveling I will be moving back to Chicago. This decision has been in the works for a long time.  I've thought about it endlessly the past six months.  I always felt that I would return to Chicago and the timing is finally right.

It's hard to think about leaving New York.  Leaving my friends, mostly.  In fact, I can't talk about that right now.  I've relentlessly tried to pursuade a few of them to come with me, without any luck.  Needless to say, it's difficult to be leaving a city that feels like such a big part of who I am.  

But there were so many reasons, very big and very small, that I decided to move. What it comes down to is the fact that I think I will be happier in Chicago.  There is a good life waiting there for me and I'm ready to live it.  

Eat Candy, Be Merry

I had shared some photos from Amanda + my Candyland party on Facebook but here are some of my favorite shots featuring some of my favorite people.  Having a candy themed party assures lots of smiles in photos!

Amanda purchased a cotton candy machine which really was the best idea ever.  Everyone got a turn to spin some cotton candy... some were more successful than others (i.e. I was a ginormous failure!)

We had goodie bags for everyone complete with a custom stamp.  It's not me, KP without a custom stamp, right?  I really really love how it came out. 

Hope your holidays were very very merry everyone!

It's Christmastime in the City

Every year I want to make a video of all the gorgeous holiday decorations in New York City... it really is magical.  Every little twinkle light puts an extra spring in my step.  And the small brass band playing Christmas carols in the subway station at 59th street, well that just lifts my whole heart.  The video didn't get made this year but I did take a few Instagrams to share:

There are so many things I love about the city in the winter - the tree lots on every block, the beautiful wreaths on the doors in the West Village, the musical stars at Columbus Circle.  There is a feeling in the air.  A big, wide feeling of love.