Back from NYC!

Hello Everyone!

Sorry for my absence from Blog Land but it has been a VERY busy week!!  On top of all the classes and workshops, I also got the fantastic opportunity to tag along with my husband on one of his monthly business trips to NYC!

The best part...I got tickets to the Nate Berkus Show (Oprah's designer guy) and the one and only MARTHA STEWART!

But before I show you my Martha pics, I have to share some other photos with you. As you know, I love inspiration photos...something to get our creative juice flowing....well, I discovered a TON of inspiration at my new favorite store of all time....

Now,  you may have Anthropologie near you...and I just found out one is opening in our local mall too...but honestly, this place ROCKS...

It's a mix of vintagey and beautiful housewares...and clothing...

Every space in this store is just absolutely beautiful!!

I have to share this with you...this is so simple, but I think it is the coolest thing ever...

These are tear away, disposable place mats!!! But look how pretty they are!! I SO wanted to pick these up...but didn't want to carry them around NYC with me.  I'll just wait until that store near us opens!! 

What I loved the best? They put your NAME on the dressing room door....okay, small pleasures...but I thought it was so much fun!!  See that "3" on the door?  That's how many items i brought in....and, yep, that's how many items I purchased!! Woo Hoo! I just LOVE this store!!

Okay, onto the show tapings!

First up was the Nate Berkus Show on Tuesday afternoon. The guest chef was Roco Dispirito, who is very nice to look at, I must say!  We was talking about his new book...which we all got!  I had a FANTASTIC seat...second row, so I could see everything and was very close to Mr Berkus, himself.   Here is a couple shot of the studio...he didn't offer any camera opportunities with just him...but at least you can check out what the studio is like....ALOT smaller than it appears on TV!

The warm up comedian was HYSTERICAL...I think I loved her the most!  When I left the taping, I thought it was the coolest thing I ever did....until I went to Martha!!

I can't even tell you how giddy I was just waiting in line!  I was #7!

At both tapings, we had to go through metal detection and have our bags checked...but at Martha, as soon as you did all that...you went through COAT CHECK!

The room we all waited in before we went to the studio was bright, colorful and had tons of pictures (of Martha Stewart products and TV promos, of course!)

If you ever watched the show, you've seen this guy...it's Joey! The show's warm up comedian...plus he often makes appearances on the show with Martha (she actually just pulled an April Fool's Day prank on him on this morning's show!)

Joey was telling us about who was on the show, what the various TV prompts are, and just got us REALLY excited about the show!

Now, on to the studio...

I was SO fortunate to be sitting in the FLOOR seats...second row (again!).  It was the most amazing experience being right there and so close!! That set is UNBELIEVABLE! 

To the left is the test kitchen that gets taped regularly on the show...there is always someone in there making something...through the entire time we were there! The stage manager gave a couple samples of the food they were making to the women sitting in front of me...apparently, they test all the recipes that the guest chefs do on the show...to make sure they are giving out the correct recipe and not leaving anything out!! I thought that was kinda funny!

Looking to the right is the craft area and the greenhouse that we see on TV.  I was bummed that I wasn't closer to the craft room set...I would have LOVED to get pictures! (once you're seated, you are not allowed to get up and walk around).  Most of the show was taped on my end...so I can't complain! I got perfect views of Martha and her guests (One of which was Biz Stone...creator of Twitter!)!

Every part of the studio was just.....well....PERFECT! 

Here is where most of the studio audience sits. Did you know that they give out colorful scarves to the people they want to "brighten up" in the audience?!  I thought that was kinda funny too.  There are two row of chairs on the floor....that's where I was!! :)

Martha took questions from the audience at the end of the show and before she filmed some promo spots.  She was actually quite pleasant and VERY knowledgeable.  I had read some blogs where she was stand-off-ish and didn't acknowledge the audience at all...not this day!  She is definitely very focused...and it was funny to see her get a little stern with the crew when she didn't like how something was going.  The day I was there, she shot our show live...had another taping that afternoon...and then was flying out to HSN to promo her new craft collection at 12 midnight....

she definitely has alot on that perfect plate of hers!!

Honestly, one the best experiences I've ever had.  All of it was just AMAZING!

Keeping with my Martha theme for a minute, I went looking for this store while I was in NYC...Tinsel Trading Co at 1 West 37th Street. I got a tip from one of my Girl Scout Leader friends that Martha, herself, shops here on occasion...so I knew that I HAD to stop in!  One word....WOW.  This small store is full of vintage flowers, thread, ribbon, glitter, buttons, trimmings....just breathtaking.  I wished I had a project that I was working on that I could actually splurge on some of these items...

Oh, and I just so happened to walk by here...and I knew that I had to take a pic!!

Now, this is just a glimpse at my 48 hours in the City. I had to make the requisite stops at American Girl, Magnolia Bakery, Time Square, etc...but these are the highlights!

I'll leave you with one final picture.  While I was navigating the city and having a ball, my husband was hard at work.  And while he was there, they suggested that he spend more time in the city instead of just a couple of days. Well, I decided if they ever try to convince him to make the move that I might has well set up some expectations of where I'd want to live...

Lovely, isn't it. 

And it's NEVER going to happen!! HA HA~

Now...back to work & reality!

 I have LOTS of new Stampin' Up! promos, products and info to share with you!  Check back every day, because I've got ALOT to share in the coming weeks and days...