the glamorous life

Last night I went to a fancy dinner party at Asia de Cuba. It was a celebration for the great business my store (work at- not own) had at Christmas and this last weekend was phenomenal too so Glen Senk (CEO of Urban Outfitters) and Wendy Brown (Director of stores) wanted to treat us to a special evening. They were so lovely and even though I didn't really want to go, since I'm getting sick, I'm so glad I did. If you go to the link for the restaurant there is a picture of a long table with a photo of a waterfall at the end and we filled up that entire table (I was at the end by the waterfall picture). I've seen/met Glen and Wendy before but this time they came and talked to everyone which is so impressive, this is why I love working for Anthropologie. They genuinely care and love to know the employees, it's refreshing because all too often the big "important" people won't even acknowledge you. Glen sincerely wanted to know about everyone and we talked for about ten minutes about my move etc. then Wendy came over and had dessert with our end of the table. She was talking about the beginning of the company and I found out amazingly that a long time ago Urban employees would smoke as they worked in the stores. How funny to have someone smoking while they ring up your purchase. Glen came up to me as he was leaving and patted me on the back and gave me a big welcome to NY.

It was a great night and as I walked to the C train I got to enjoy mostly empty sidewalks and really enjoy being in NY without a bunch of people surrounding me.

-Katie

**totally off topic but while I was reading in Bryant Park Saturday afternoon I got hit on by TWO "homeless" guys. Lucky me.

pull up a chair

I love chairs, that is le fact. The first time I was in design school I was the only one who knew the names and designers of all the modern classics. I even had a poster of all the chairs in the Vitra museum. We don't have room in our tiny Brooklyn apartment for much furniture but I have six chairs. The most recently acquired is the lovely Neptune chair from Anthropologie.


It's based on a Swedish school chair, need I say more. It was love at first sight. Even better-I scored two for less than the price of one.

--heidi

30 helens agree

When we were in high school one of our favorite shows was Kids in the Hall. We are often quoting lines from this show-usually to each other since most people haven't a clue what we're talking about. Some of our favorites being "the eradicator!", "man-servant Hecubis", "is Tony thinking of me?" and "30 Helens agree" One of the best sketches ever was the head crusher in re-hab.




Much to our surprise and glee they have gotten back together and are touring the country with a stop in NY. Yeah! Last night was the final NY show. We were very excited to see them live since we have so many fond memories of the show and start to laugh just thinking about it. The night started out with a video with the Kids discussing what their fans would want to see from them. They said that their fans would want something to take their minds of their student loans and the crushing debt they are under. So true! Buddy Cole a favorite character from the show made an appearance as well as Kathie and Cathy these crazy secretaries that always have man trouble. A special appearance was also made by the chicken lady character and Gavin this boy who rambles on about things that may or may not have happened. The final sketch of the night was a special appearance by the head crusher. Our sides still hurt from laughing so much.

koombiya car fire

While mailing my taxes on Tuesday (nothing like putting it off until the end of the last day) we encountered many protestors out front. My favorite was a man I named Spontaneous Protest Man since he had just gotten there and was literally making his sign right then. He looked like he had just come from work and on his way home decided to pick up a roll of paper and do a little protesting before dinner. We were coming down the steps and looking at him so that's why our picture is the way it is. His sign just says "You don't have to pay income taxes" Not very clever or in very good penmanship.


Then, on Thursday after work, I was walking towards St Patrick's Cathedral when I saw several groups of people gathered and taking pictures. Since the Pope is visiting NY this weekend I thought it was a bit early but maybe it was something to do with him, but NO! It was a taxi totally engulfed in flames! Get out your marshmallows! The police were trying to keep people back-especially when it would snap, crackly and pop with mini explosions. I snapped a couple pics as I walked by, then moved on and wandered onto a film set. I don't know what was being filmed but they had trailers everywhere (I know what you're thinking and no-the car fire was not part of the movie).





Apparently if you google taxi car fires in NYC this is a fairly common occurrence. Who knew?

-Katie

french kicks are fab that is le fact

To celebrate finishing our taxes we went to the final night of French Kicks residency at Mercury Lounge. This show was the official beginning of their tour in support of their new album. The venue is so small, it was destined to be a fun intimate gig. The only downside was that it was a late show so they didn't even go on until 11:00. Thankfully is doesn't take us long to get home from the lower east side. They played all our favorite songs and the new album promises to be just as great as their others. Mercury Lounge is so small that the band has to walk through the crowd to get to the stage. Hard to make an "entrance" with that kind of set up. It was a great gig but we were tres tired after and very thankful that our train came quickly.

smokin' hot

Last Tuesday night we saw Hot Chip and Matthew Dear at The Music Hall of Williamsburg. This show was added after the April 12th show at Terminal 5 sold out. Of course we would rather see the Hot Chip boys in a smaller venue since they are so fun live. Our friend Emily came with us and we had so much fun! Hot Chip live is an experience to be had, you just can't help but dance the whole time. New Yorkers get a bad wrap for being "too cool for school" at gigs and never dancing. The last few shows we have been to are just the opposite, maybe people are starting to lighten up a bit.

We were a little bit familiar with Matthew Dear since we had heard that just a few days before he had his hard drive stolen out from under him at a gig. We were very impressed with him, his voice is deep and rich and the way he danced and clapped was fun to watch. The first thing we really noticed about Mr. Dear was how tight his jeans were. They were so tight you could see the outline of his front pockets. Impressive that he could dance in them. We could see the boys from Hot Chip watching from the back and then they came out and joined Matthew on his song "Don & Sherri". Even though Matthew was the opener people were already dancing, this does not happen often, usually people are saving their energy for the main event. It was a sign that the night was going to get better and better.



Hot Chip played songs from their new album but they also played all the old favorites. "Over and Over" and "No Fit State" had the crowds going crazy. We danced like there was no tomorrow. Definitely one of the best shows we have been to of theirs. As always there is at least one twat in the crowd that is acting the total fool. Thankfully this time they were not by us.


Love that they can play multiple instruments and switch it up throughout the show. It just shows that they are all talented musicians. We were all so tired after the show but it was so worth it because we had so much fun. Check out Hot Chip if you can, you will not be sorry!

five bucks

Can I just say how obsessed I am with the new $5 bills. I love, love, love the big purple 5 on the back and whenever I have one I'm reluctant to spend it-it makes me happy to open up my wallet and see that lovely 5. Mainly, it's the purple part that excites me-too bad the rest of our currency isn't as cool. To make things even better I get uber excited when I'm closing at work and I have over $500 in 5's to look at!! Oh la la! This picture doesn't even do it justice


-Katie

happy birthday denise!

Happy Birthday to our brilliant sister Denise!!



Denise is our second mum and looks after us to make sure we are always ok. She is also the best friend two girls could ever ask for. In high school we would spend every Saturday night with Denise singing along to the oldies show on the radio or laughing ourselves silly in the aisle of the craft store. She is the most kind and thoughtful person always putting others before herself. She is the family cook, everything she makes is so yummy. Our favorite is her cherry cream puffs for President's Day. When we go on our annual family camping trip to Redfish Lake we share a tent and laughter coming from our tent is a common occurence every night. We try to take one hike while camping each year. Some years the hike is longer than others, we still talk about our "accidental" 9 mile hike and how miserable it was.

Have a great birthday!

spring in New York!

Yesterday in New York was so beautiful! While on my lunch break I walked around midtown and quickly had to shed my coat and just enjoy the perfect weather. As I was walking I ended up by MOMA and I have to say that is one of my favorite little blocks because it has lots of lovely shade from the trees and it's quiet and it obviously houses one of my favorite museums. After that I discovered a fruit cart where I got a large bowl of fruit for only $4.50 (cheap!) for lunch. What could be better. People were out everywhere enjoying the day-gotta get it while we can before the humidity makes it miserable. I can't wait for more days like this-hopefully on Saturday since Heidi and I are going to Billyburg to wander around.

-Katie

won't you be my neighbor

At work yesterday while preparing for a photography auction at Christie's I saw that the famous Kaufmann house was going up for auction. It's estimated to go for 15-25 million, very exciting to see how much it actually sells for. I suspect it could go for more than that since it is such an important piece of modern architecture and designed by Richard Nuetra. Richard Nuetra is a favorite of many design junkies so I foresee a bidding war happening. To see more about the auction go here.





I'll be sure to post about the outcome of the auction for those who are interested.

--heidi

jens is worth 900 kroner

We have a new tradition of going to a restaurant called Yummy House before shows at Webster Hall since it's just right around the corner. It's cheap and indeed yummy. The veggie dumplings are green (love!) and they have many vegetarian options for us to choose from. There is also an Asian convenience store across the street with all sorts of fascinating items to purchase-like candies with Hello Kitty packaging. We didn't get anything but this place requires further investigation when we're not rushing off to a show.



Saturday night we went to see Jens Lekman with The Honeydrips at Webster Hall. Both are from the fabulous land of Sweden. We had not heard of The Honeydrips but we loved him, not surprising at all since he's Swedish. It's just one guy and his computer and he bobs his head very s l o w l y while he sings and it's mesmerizing to watch. He also stands with his arms at his side and his hands stuck out almost parallel to his body and closes his eyes and just sings-all the while he has a guitar strapped over the front of his body but he never plays it. We LOVED his set-not only was his music wonderful but he made us giggle too (he also has a bitchin tattoo at the crook of his arm and who doesn't love a great tattoo?).



Jens came out with his band and was so lovely (yeah we use that term a lot but it's the best word to describe things). He quieted all the cheering and respectfully asked for just one night that no one video the show as he thought it was going to be a special night and he just wanted everyone there to be a part of it and not share it with the rest of the world.



Jens has a great band of all girls plus one guy named Viktor, he does the digital sounds. Both Jens and Viktor had on slim trousers with white shoes. Viktor's trousers were a bit cropped and they kept creeping up through out the night showing off his white socks. He pulled it off in a way most guys could not. At one point he was dancing and did this kick to the music, it was timed out perfectly. It is moments like that, that make the show even better because they are getting into the music just as much as we are.


Jens is a very good storyteller. Our favorite story was before one of the last songs he played when he held up his instrument and explained it was from South Africa and it's always fun coming through US Customs with it. The customs agent is usually called John and there is also always another guy behind him named Bob and they are trying to figure out what it is and then Jens explains that it's an instrument. Well, "John" tells "Bob" to wikipedia it and then they also decide to wikipedia Jens when they find out he's a musician. He said (sarcastically) he loves that U.S. government workers use wikipedia as a tool in their job. Then he mentioned his friend in Chicago who monitors his wikipedia page to make sure it doesn't have any correct information on it. For the encore Jens would consider finishing but then do "one more song" and for the actual final song of the evening. He had the entire crowd singing with him to "Pocketful of Money ", it was truly a beautiful moment that is so rare-especially in such a large crowd. There was an energy of a sincere love for the music and everyone was just mesmerized (not to sound corny but that's how it was really).



Afterwards on the subway home we were laughing so much and being silly over a music magazine we were looking through. Then we had a great moment on the train that made us laugh even more. There was a couple next to us who were probably in their mid-fifties and Bob (yes-Bob again) was determined to get off at Jay Street and transfer to the F train. Bob chose to disregard the MANY announcements that the conductor had made at e v e r y stop. His wife called out to him "BOB! BOB! the F train isn't running!" The stop for the shuttle bus was next at the spooky Hoyt Schermerhorn stop. Bob ignored his wife and got off anyway. She freaked out and wouldn't get off the train and was yelling at him to get back on. He was just ignoring her and being very stubborn but was finally convinced that he did need to get back on and made it just before the doors closed where they continued their bickering until the next stop. This just struck us as the most hilarious thing and for the rest of the ride we were so energized and chattering away about the UK music scene and what we thought of certain bands etc. It's been awhile since we've been that energetic so late at night after a long day, but don't worry, as soon as we hit the door to our place we collapsed exhausted. This was a great start to a month of almost 2 gigs a week.

ace hotels are super ace

I recently read about the Ace hotels in Portland and Seattle. These hotels are AMAZING! I love every square inch of them. Here is their design philosophy:

We offer all the comfort of a business class hotel without the soul-killing blandness of a faceless chain or last year’s design school fads. Our handsome accommodations combine modern lines with an eclectic sensibility, re-interpreting the classic flavor and affordability of European-style lodging. Our historic Belltown building is situated in the heart of downtown Seattle, within blocks of Pike Place Market and Seattle's ever-growing network of art galleries, clubs, bars, retail stores, and restaurants.

Oh how I wish I could be a part of the design team that worked on this. When I applied to Parsons I said that I wanted to design hotels that made people want to travel just so they could stay at the fantastic hotels I designed. This is that type of space. I'm ready to pack my bags. They also have Rudy's barbershop attached to them. How brilliant, I will never want to leave.

Two new Ace Hotels are planed for 2008. Palms Springs and....New York! It looks like I will eventually get to have my Rudy's experience. I will still try out the other locations since each one has styles & stylists that reflect the neighborhood's style.

This last photo makes me smile, so cheeky.


--heidi

i can't see

I am in desperate need for a hair cut right now. My bangs have entered Chrissie Hynde territory.



As much as I want to look all rock n roll and tough with my long shaggy bangs, it's not very rock n roll when you walk into walls and knock things over because you can't see where you are going.

I really wish that New York had a Rudy's barbershop so I could get my hair situation sorted out and be surrounded by good music and interesting design all at the same time. Rudy's only has locations on the west coat in LA, Portland and Seattle. No wonder I love it so much, those are some my favorite cities! The overall aesthetic screams my name. I love that each location is different and they all have artists who add murals to the space.



Music is a big part of Rudy's which makes it even better. They sell a limited amount of hand picked Cd's at most of the locations and promote bands within the barbershops. I think the next time I am in any of those cities I will have to make a special trip to a Rudy's barbershop for a haircut.

--heidi

time goes so quickly

I can't believe it's only been a month since I moved to NYC! I feel like I've been here forever, but then, sometimes I still feel like I'm just visiting. People keep asking Heidi how I'm adjusting which seems a little weird to me. What's to adjust to? I'm not really phased by being in a big city-I'm a city girl. However, I am constantly exhausted to the point that sometimes, when I'm at work and people are talking to me, I can feel myself shutting down. I'm literally falling asleep standing up! Now, this could be because occasionally Heidi and I stay up way too late and I usually have to get up really early for work but most people have told me that they were always tired the first few months after they had moved here. I haven't had time to really get out and explore as much as I would like since I'm always so tired and I still need to get our tiny little room organized better for two people to be able to move around in. I can't wait to get a bigger place in July since I think then I'll feel more settled.

Since I've been here I think I am much happier than I was in SLC. It really was time to move on and I'm glad I was pushed to the point where I knew that I really needed to get out before I lost my marbles. I'm liking my job a little bit more-mainly because of the people I work with. Being NY everyone grew up somewhere else so it's quite a diverse crowd and it's fun to start over with new people. They don't know about all the "weird" things I do (Morrissey tours) and give me crap about it like in SLC.

The best part about being in NY is getting to hang out with Heidi all the time now-not just a few weeks a year. We go see bands and explore new places together and no one understands what I'm talking about with just one word/look like she does. The other night when we in the subway we saw a lady all gussied up in a Annie Oakley outfit (that I believe was serious not just a costume) and it's so out of place in NY it can't help but be a little silly to me. Anyway, when we walked past her I whispered, "howdy" and Heidi knew what I meant. I'm sure anyone could have figured it out really but she knew BETTER, and it's nice to have that again after being pretty much on my own for the last three years. So, yeah, I'm not sorry I moved here because I get to be with my sis. HOORAY!

-Katie (aka kitkat)

PS- the pic at the top is our street in Brooklyn.

we are fragile things

Sunday night Heidi and I decided to try to find an old friend from high school in a google search with unhappy results. Tragically we discovered that she had passed away this past Christmas from breast cancer at the very young age of 30 years old. Ever since this discovery I've been thinking about her a lot and I feel so sad for her family left behind-especially her two little boys. I haven't talked to her in over 14 years but whenever I hear "The Tide is High" by Blondie I still always think of her. When we were in high school we would listen to this song and dance in her backyard over and over, sometimes it would turn into a tribute to synchronized swimming with the garden hose (you'd have to be there).

Every now and again it doesn't hurt to be reminded of how lucky I am to be healthy (even though my feet hurt all the time) and things could be so much worse than I think as I moan about petty little things.

-Katie

dance fever

Last Saturday we went to see Digitalism at Webster Hall. We had heard good things about them and were familiar with one song so we went to check them out for ourselves. Webster Hall's sound is better from the balcony so we made sure to get there earlyish and claim our spot, plus the view is better--as in no tall people in front of us equaling no view at all.

The opening DJ was OK for about two songs and then after that it became repetitive and boring. It turned into the same thumping beat for 30 minutes. We took that time to people watch, which in NY is always fun since there are so many interesting people here.

Once Digitalism came on the entire mood of the venue shifted into full dance mode. The whole show was great and their sound was incredible. We were next to a guy who looked like Elvis Costello and he was hilarious to watch dance. He would run around behind where we were standing and then stand with his back against the wall and shake his bottom back and forth. Then he would call out to whoever was listening " you are.....my friend". He was German so maybe that explains it a bit? The encore turned into madness as people climbed on stage to dance. The flood gates opened and before security knew what hit them there were so many people on stage there almost wasn't any room the equipment. A fun evening indeed!