EAT PIE & SHOP: A FUNDRAISER NOT TO BE MISSED THIS SUNDAY IN COBBLE HILL BROOKLYN

Guess what, y'all? My hubby and I are running a table this Sunday at PS 29's annual Eat Pie & Shop fundraiser. Mike is selling limited edition prints of his paintings and will also be selling brand new paintings of PIE created just for this event.

The event is on Sunday, December 5th from 11am-5pm at PS29, 425 Henry Street (between Baltic and Kane Streets) in Brooklyn.

I am an assistant teacher at PS 29 and love this school to pieces. The parents work incredibly hard to raise funds for all kinds of programs here.

Come on over to our table and visit us! Here is further information about the event, from Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn.

EAT PIE & SHOP

Eat Pie and Shop is PS 29′s fundraiser/pie competition that’s judged by a who’s who’s list of Brooklyn foodies like Gail Simmons editor of Food and Wine, Francois Payard of Payard Bakery, Dannielle Kyrillos of DailyCandy, and local restauranteur Jeff Lederman of Boca Lupo (amazing bread pudding), Strong Place and Nectar.

The event will also feature 20 local vendors selling arts and crafts, including Mike Sorgatz, a painter and Art in Brooklyn blogger, who will be selling pie portraits (pictured above). Sorgatz will also be selling limited edition prints of New York cityscapes.

The event is on Sunday, December 5th from 11am-5pm at PS29, 425 Henry Street (between Baltic and Kane Streets) in Brooklyn.

PAPER SOURCE GRAND OPENING IN BROOKLYN

I've been okay with finding greeting cards in my neighborhood Rite Aid, but I was thrilled when I learned that a "for real" paper store would be opening up within walking distance.

I was there on the first day that Paper Source Brooklyn opened to the general public. The staff was really nice and pulled me aside to do demos of their products, including a gadget that turns anything into a sticker.

I didn't buy anything, but did gather lots of inspiration and ideas. In a time where it doesn't make sense to spend a lot of money on gifts, it does make sense to figure out how to embellish on the act of card-giving. Make the card a bit fancy and special!

Here is information about their Grand Opening Activities:

Paper Source Brooklyn's Grand Opening Celebration!

Saturday, December 4, 2010 · 10:30 am - 4:30 pm
102 Smith Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Stop by to learn clever tips & techniques from our creative samples experts (schedule below), and enter a raffle to win cool Paper Source goodies.

DRESSING UP YOUR ENVELOPES · 11am - 12pm
Create your own unique envelopes - we'll show you how! Think elegant liners for invitations and festive letters sure to entice even the mail carrier. We make it easy with our signature collection of decorative papers and envelope liner and template kits. Signed, sealed, and delivered!

EMBELLISHMENTS & FAVORS · 12:30pm - 1:30pm
They've been called lovely, delightful, impressive and simply fabulous... Come discover how our favor boxes add that special something to any occasion, and learn how embellishments of a few stamps, brads, hole punches or stickles can turn them into showstoppers!

RUBBER STAMPING MADNESS · 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Our rubberstamp designs cover every form of expression from quirky to elegant. We'll show you how to add stamped designs to note cards, invites, and place cards - sure to wow your friends and really make a statement!

FABULOUS PAPER SOURCE KITS · 3:30pm - 4:30pm
Kit fun for everyone! Create a colorful bouquet of paper flowers, a whimsical party crown, an original accordion book, or your very own collection of paper doll friends using our assortment of creative kits, the possibilities are endless!

Do Something Creative Every Day!

MIKE SORGATZ SELLING PRINTS AT EAT PIE & SHOP ON SUNDAY, DEC.5 AT PS 29 IN COBBLE HILL

Good news for Brooklynite lovers of pie, art, crafts and also for supporters of the public school system: Sunday, Dec. 5, from 11 am-5 pm, Mike Sorgatz will be selling prints of his paintings at PS 29's huge annual holiday fundraiser Eat Pie & Shop. Mike and I will be there together all day; please do come visit us at our table!

Here's more info:

On December 5 from 11am to 5pm, PS 29 in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, will host the second annual “Eat Pie and Shop” Holiday Gift Fair and Pie Social, to benefit the school. Proceeds from this family-friendly Holiday event will support the school’s PTA.

The Pie Social is sure to be a delicious and entertaining afternoon event with local bakers – both amateurs and professionals – supplying a wide array of pies. Be assured this event is not only for those with a sweet tooth, the pies will cover all categories including fruit, creamy, savory and nut, so shoppers can come to shop, eat lunch and get dessert!

One of the most exciting parts of the day is sure to be the pie competition. Bakers are invited to bring pies to be judged by parents and a panel of celebrity judges.

The panel will consist of Gail Simmons, Food & Wine and “Top Chef,” Dannielle Kyrillos, “Top Chef: Just Desserts,” Francois Payard, co-owner of Francois Payard Bakery, Francois Chocolate Bar, and Payard, Jeff Lederman, owner of Cobble Hill’s Strong Place, Boca Lupo and Nectar and Brooklyn’s own Borough President, Marty Markowitz. The winner will receive a gift package from Food & Wine, Payard, Fork & Pencil and bragging rights for the year! Judging will take place at 1pm.

The Gift Fair will highlight local artisans, craftspeople and merchants, and promises to provide a huge variety of handmade, local and sustainable gift-giving choices, from jewelry, to clothing from Half Pint Citizens to handmade toys from Fork & Pencil. More than twenty different vendors will be displaying and selling their wares.

Thank you to our event sponsors Fork + Pencil, Half Pint Citizens and Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain.

TWO GOOD RESOURCES FOR FOCUSING ON GRATITUDE

Hey there, folks. 'Tis the season to be thankful so I am sharing two good resources on the topic of gratitude.

1. In the Wall Street Journal today, the article Thank You. No, Thank You: Grateful People are Happier, Healthier Long After the Leftovers Are Gobbled Up.

2. A book I just bought, On Gratitude, in which 42 celebs (mostly pretty thoughtful ones) share what they are most thankful for.

I like the opening quotation from actor Kristen Bell: "I'm grateful that my mother knew what to do with a tiny tomboy who wanted everyone to call her Smurfette when she was three years old."

Other contributors include Dolly Parton, , Samuel Jackson, Kurt Vonnegut, and Alicia Keyes.

FEELS NICE TO BE THANKED

After working with an organizing client today I was thinking "Oh, I really should go to pilates class at the Y(MCA)." But another voice told me to drop in at Barnes & Nobles. It had been a long time since I had been to the one on the Upper West Side.

I went upstairs and saw lots of people assembled for a reading. After gathering a bunch of books about creativity and such, I leaned against a wall in the craft section to browse through my findings. I couldn't see the folks doing the reading, but I heard someone introduce Erica Jong and then heard Erica Jong introduce the author. I was happy to stay with my pile of books.

One of the reads I looked through was my friend SARK's newest book called Glad No Matter What: Transforming Loss and Change Into Gift and Opportunity. I was pleasantly surprised to see my name on the thank you page. I have not seen SARK in years but I send her cards and occasionally leave messages on her Inspiration Hotline. I met her almost 20 years ago and she took me to lunch. Shortly after, I accepted an offer to be her assistant in her first workshop in New York. There was a snow storm, so the workshop supplies never made it out to NY. On the morning of the workshop, I went out into knee-deep snow in search of supplies. Although I never found some of what we needed, the participants were totally accepting of what had happened. I loved that SARK was so open about her imperfections. She taught me that it's better to be open about that stuff than to try to pull it all together.

Anyway, thanks for the thank you SARK!

GOOD NEWS FOR MAIRA KALMAN & LYNDA BARRY FANS

While browsing the book store, I discovered that Maira Kalman has a new book out: And the Pursuit of Happiness.

Here's Amazon.com's description:

And the Pursuit of Happiness is beloved artist and author Maira Kalman's yearlong investigation of democracy and how it works. Energized and inspired by the 2008 elections, on inauguration day Kalman traveled to Washington, D.C., launching a national tour that would take her from a town hall meeting in Newfane, Vermont, to the inner chambers of the Supreme Court.

As we follow Kalman's wholly idiosyncratic journey, we fall in love with Lincoln alongside her as she imagines making a home for herself in the center of his magisterial memorial; ponder Alexis de Tocqueville's America; witness the inner workings of a Bronx middle-school student council; take a high-speed lesson in great American women in the National Portrait Gallery; and consider the cost of war to the brave American service families of Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The observations she makes as she travels charm and inform, and-as we have come to expect with Kalman-the route is always one of fascinating indirection.

Kalman finds evidence of democracy at work all around us. And the cast of characters we meet along the way is rousing good company, featuring visits from Benjamin Franklin,Eleanor Roosevelt, and many others. And the Pursuit of Happiness is a remarkable tribute to our history and a powerful reminder of the potential our future holds, from a true national treasure.

I also discovered - and why I did not hear about it before I do not know - Lynda Barry's new book called Picture This: The Near-Sighted Monkey Book.

THE BEAUTY OF TOSSING THE TO-DO LIST

There is a great story in the children's classic picture book Frog and Toad series called The List. In The List, Toad writes down all the things he has to do that day and crosses each item off of the paper as he completes the task. Suddenly, the list blows away and Toad is deeply distressed. "What will I do without my list?" he asks his dear friend Frog.

Today, I woke up and felt obligated to start checking items off of a mental to-do list which included taking out laundry, cleaning the apartment, buying food, and more. But I also woke up tired from having thrown a big party the night before. My body felt achy, and I knew I needed some TLC. So I made it my first priority to do things that would help me relax and re-energize.

I went to the gym to hit the sauna and to do a bunch of stretches. I ate a healthy lunch. I got a chair massage and a foot/leg massage with some birthday money from my great aunt. I read the Sunday NY Times on a bench in the sun. And guess what? I still had time to buy food and tidy up the apartment AND to watch Tina Fey receive The Mark Twain Prize for Humor.

So glad I tossed that to-do list. Had a great day as a result!

NAMETAGS: THEY MAY SEEM CHEESY, BUT THEY BUILD COMMUNITY

This fall, I helped host a couple of gatherings for the parents in our kindergarten classroom so they could get to know each other better.

My contribution to each event was to make nametags for each parent. Their nametags also had the name of their child, so everyone could link a parent with their child.

The nametags served as icebreakers and also helped everyone, including myself, not feel worried about remembering names. Seriously, I think this is a big barrier at social functions. Most folks are not great at remembering names after an initial introduction, especially if there's a lot going on in the room.

There's a guy named Scott Ginsberg who is known as The Nametag Guy because he wears his nametag everywhere. It tells people that he is approachable and it serves as a conversation-starter. I think this guy is onto something.

Even for purely social (not business or networking) events, I think it makes sense to have nametags. It helps people dig right into the chit chat without having to stress about remembering names!

Excuse me while I run out to Staples to buy some stick on nametags for the party I am throwing tomorrow - a double birthday plus one-year anniversary fiesta!

FREE INTRODUCTORY GROOVE & STRETCH CLASS THIS FRIDAY AT TRIOMPH - JOIN ME!

Stephanie Battle has a history of being a professional dancer (in Lion King, etc.) and she is also a wonderful teacher, totally non intimidating, knows how to break everything down into simple steps.

I went to her Stretch and Groove class at Triomph - a gorgeous loft space on the border of Park Slope - and had a blast.

Her choice of music is great! Stuff with a funky beat, not that sped up to 100 RPMs stuff you can get at some gyms.

Here is the info. Please join me this Friday for a FREE INTRODUCTORY CLASS!

Groove and Stretch
Friday, November 12
6:15 PM
Triomph
540 President Street
Between 3rd the 4th Avenue

"0ne part jazz dance, one part cool down & stretch;Groove and Stretch is a fun and engaging class that introduces approachable, dynamic dance moves with an emphasis on body alignment, rhythmic expression, endurance and flexibility – all to the sound of great music!"

CHECK OUT COLLEEN NEWVINE'S GRATITUDE CONTEST WITH COOL PRIZES!

Colleen Newvine Tebeau, who writes the sharp and thoughtful personal/professional development blog Newvine Growing, is sponsoring a very cool contest.

Let her know who you are grateful for and why and she will consider you for some lovely prizes appropriate for the Thanksgiving season. Go to her contest by clicking HERE.

In Colleen's own words:

"In the first week of Month of Thanksgiving, I’ve expressed gratitude for things including democracy, traditional jazz and New York City.

I also gave thanks for my trainer, and there are plenty more people in my life who make me grateful.*

Who are you grateful for? And why?

Maybe you thought of your spouse, or your best friend, or the best boss you’ve ever had?

How about the mechanic who you trust totally to never rip you off? The author whose books bring you joy? Your favorite waiter at your favorite restaurant, the one who makes you feel like a VIP?

Tell me who you’re grateful for and I’ll help you say thank you to the people who make your life better.

Comment on this blog post telling me who you’re grateful for and why, and I’ll choose my favorite and send that person a thank you gift during Thanksgiving week — a flower arrangement or a Zingerman’s treat, your choice."

THERE IS MAGIC IN THE WINDOWS AT NIGHT

There is something magical about the store windows of SoHo, especially on the side streets. The windows tend to be small and carefully put together in an artful way. So very different than the big department stores which rely on mucho over the top sensory overload. Love it when one piece of clothing, or just a few curated items are featured.

The magic escalates at night. Case in point: the luminosity of this white dress.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF NERVOUS ENERGY

I had a lot of nervous energy today starting from the time I got up in the a.m. So after work, I decided to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and then take the subway into SoHo where I explored different streets and had a healthy meal at Aroma before walking all the way into the lower east side for a class.

It was great to be out on the bridge, just get out of the paths that I tend to traverse. Lots of people were out there, tourists included, taking photos and enjoying the sun.

I could have just stewed in the nerviosity (new word) but it was much smarter to get out and WALK IT OFF!!!!