Desperately Seeking Kate

I have recently returned from New York City. It is difficult to describe this magnificent city in only a few words. If you have had the opportunity to experience NYC, then you know exactly what I am talking about. If you haven't, I would suggest you grab a pen and add this destination to your "bucket list." I have thought about it over and over since my return on Sunday evening and I am not sure what it was exactly that mesmerized me but I think it is simply the energy, vibe and pulse of this place. I have wanted to visit New York since I was a child and dreamed of growing up to be an actress. My dad always said he would take me one day. After some glitches with my dad's health in the past year and my 40th birthday approaching, we decided to just do it......seize the day!

Dad and I in Central Park

On the Brooklyn Bridge

One of the many things I wished to accomplish in my short stay was to visit Kate's Paperie. It was recommended to me by Gary at Paper/Papier in Ottawa. I did a quick search online before I left and by Saturday morning, my dad and I were heading up West Broadway from Canal Street in search of 561 W. Broadway. When we reached the end of the street, we back tracked but we could not find Kate's Paperie. Finally, I went into a coffee shop and asked if anyone knew where this shop might be. One of the young men working behind the counter took out his Blackberry and discovered that this location no longer existed. The nearest one was in West Greenwich Village at 8 West 13th Street. So,we were off again and in less than 15 minutes, we found the tell tale logo for Kate's Paperie.

I was so excited to shop here and find some unique stationery. It was really the only shopping I was interested in doing in NYC. I panic in a clothing store but throw me into a stationery or shoe store, and I can be occupied for hours. After looking through cards, box sets, ribbons and NYC themed stationery, I came upon some very beautiful Christmas tree ornaments (which I cannot describe here as they will be gifts for my family members).

A couple of shots of the inside of Kate's Paperie.

I approached one of the young women who was working and asked if she could package the ornaments so that I could safely bring them home to Ottawa. She looked at me and said, "Are you from Ottawa? I'm from Ottawa!!!" To which I replied, "Yes, we are...sort of." Then she explained that she was actually from a small town outside of Ottawa which I probably hadn't heard of. It turns out she grew up in Fitzroy Harbour, a small community which is a mere 40-minute drive from our hometown of Cobden. What are the chances? I can only imagine how excited she was to see people from her home especially when her new home is shared with about 8 million people. She has been in NYC for the past year and a half studying acting......a common career choice for those living in NYC. I call that little encounter serendipity. I shared TLWR blog with Kaylah (the woman from Fitzroy Harbour) and her co-worker, whose name has escaped me, and asked them to pass it along to all of the letter writers in NYC.

Posing with Kate's Paperie staff . The woman to my right is from New Jersey and
the woman to my left is Kaylah, the Ottawa valley girl..........."Just a small town girl in the city lights.........."

If you happen to be in NYC and you want to check out Kate's Paperie, you can find them at four locations in Manhattan. And for those of you living outside of NYC or if a trip is not in your plans anytime soon, Kate's will ship internationally so feel free to browse the site and do some online shopping.

Next time I will do more research as I learned too late that there are many fine stationery shops in New York. This will not be my one and only trip to the "Big Apple" so I will have more chances to explore next time.