I have wanted to go to this show for as long as I can remember; it is the end-all, be-all place for creative, paper-loving, invitation/stationery makers/sellers/distributors to show their wares.
As a kid, there were really only 2 things I loved like crazy; paper and candy. They are both sweet, and leave me wanting more. And this week I am going to be like a kid in the paper-candy store!
Packing for this trip was harder than any other because I want to look professional but crafty. Experienced yet vulnerable. Hip but sweet. I am a California girl hitting up New York City... this is a no flip-flop kind of town. I am going for three days and I would be a liar if I didn't fess up about the 2nd pair of cowboy boots that I shoved in my carry-on, on the way out of the house, after Brad assured me that the 8 pairs of shoes that I had already packed were enough, and that my bag was guaranteed to be over the 50lb limit. But it doesn't matter... I'll pay extra luggage fees in order to have the "choice" of what to wear when I walk into the convention center tomorrow morning. It'll be mecca. It'll be grand. It'll be like the best buffet in the world.
And here's the thing about buffets... if you have patience (which clearly you all know I don't) you know that the best way to do a buffet is to do a "lap" around the food and figure out who's got what, and where, and plan your "attack" wisely so you don't fill up on the lame food and then find the most delicious food at the end, on your 4th plate, when there's no room left. This show is going to be the same way. I will try to practice restraint and exercise my will power, doing a lap around the convention center first, but this is surely going to be a challenge. There will be sweet, colorful booths calling my name from every direction... stationery designers, wrapping paper producers, manufacturers of paper and related products... I might have to just nibble. {Everybody knows that there are no calories in food that you eat while standing up!}
However, there might be another lesson I could use to get through this... I will use another food reference if you don't mind; that of "fine dining". Do you know what they do in fine dining restaurants? They offer a "palate cleanse" in between courses to help you separate the dishes - and prepare your palate for what's to come. It's like a reset button. And I think I know JUST what to do when I get overloaded and my head's about to explode with pattern and prints... Hello, Bergdorf's!!!
