Looking around my apartment, I’m thinking to myself, you know, I really like (fill in the blank). So here is my list of random recommendations for this snowy tri-state day…

1. I’m all about a bargain as most of you know. Many also know that I am quite fond of tattoos and just got one the other day. Instead of buying expensive lotion to help heal the permanent ink that is now embedded in my skin, I recommend Harmon Face Values Daily Moisturizing Lotion. Cheap and does the trick. *Note: You don’t have to have a tattoo to use this lotion

2.How annoying is it to find the right slot for your knives in your knife block? Ok, for those of you that don’ t cook and don’t find this annoying at all, skip to #3.  Anyway, the Kapoosh knife holder is amazing and it fits any knife because there are no specific slots! It’s just a bunch of plastic rods that move around. Hard to explain, just check it out, trust me. Amazon

3. I don’t know what it is about random wood and metal sculptures, but they just make me smile. For instance, I have a heart decoration on my desk and when I glance over, it just makes me happy and feel adult.

4. I will never cut a straight line again. Why should I when I can use my scrapbooking scissors and cut with an edge. Want a rugged look? No problem. Or an elegant design? Consider it done. I use them to cut edges that are a pattern rather than a straight line. Basically it looks like it took you ages to cut a picture or piece of paper into a unique design – but realistically it took no time.

5. For those of you that live in NYC, we are used to cramped spaces. We laugh at the idea of having a dining room table! Well, if you have an open wall, I totally recommend this wall-mounted table. It folds flat to save space and flips out when you want to eat. Voila! You have a table. Grab two stools and you are set for a romantic dinner. I have only seen this at IKEA and I recommend staining it a color that matches the rest of your decor. Visit IKEA

For more information about anything I mentioned, please email info@GiftScrap.com or post a comment! Love to hear your recommendations as well!

Last weekend was one of the best weekends of my life.  Why you ask? Well, I found a Michael’s craft store in Manhattan.

When I found it, it was like the skies opened and the angels began to sing…I was in heaven.

It may not seem like a big deal to those who live outside of NYC, where the huge craft stores flood your streets and it’s only a car ride away, but for us Manhattanites without a car and few and far craft stores in the city, this discovery was epic.

I felt like Christopher Columbus on the Niña, Pinta, and Santa Maria.

There are small mom and pop stores here and there in NYC, which I am happy to support, but there is nothing I enjoy more than the craft store giant like Michael’s.  The hearty discounts, cornucopia of aisles, and abundance of knickknacks that I definitely don’t need, but desperately want.

Ah, it was a great day – and going to be a glorious year.

Michael’s is on…

808 Columbus Ave (on 100^th Ave)
New York, NY 10025-5139
(212) 865-0813

And I’ve even found one coupon for you to print…

Happy Crafting!

If anyone knows other great craft stores in NYC or in your hometown, please share!

It’s NYC. It’s winter. It’s cold.

So, when I received my first “circle scarf” for Christmas from my cousin I was very excited.

I broke it out for the first time today and to my delight I do not feel too strangled and I am remarkably warm. Especially from the neck up.

Besides scrapbooking, I have been known to crochet a few things in my day. I am actually excellent at normal scarves, and now have dedicated my weekend to conquer the circle scarf.

I was thinking it would be fun to give away my first circle scarf to one of my lucky readers. The only catch is you will have to take a picture with it on and I’ll post it.

So who wants the chance to win a beautiful, FREE, hand made by Kim, circle scarf? Comment here or email me at info@giftscrap.com. It can be worn by anyone – so guys – feel free to enter too. I promise I won’t make it too girly.

Good luck and keep warm!

My colleague thinks it is hilarious every time he walks over to my desk and takes a peek at my computer screen. I always seem to have over 15 internet tabs on my screen. He’s always asking, “Kim, why do you need so many pages open? Just close some things out.”

I think to myself, he’s probably right. Do I really need so many tabs on top of my screen? Am I too lazy just to bookmark something? Or retype the web address in? Maybe I am.

The little tabs are comforting in a way. I always know that facebook, twitter, yahoo, gmail, interesting articles, scrapbook ideas, poignant blogs, and others are just a click away.

Perhaps I should delve deep and try to figure out my need for multiple tabs and my website line up. Maybe it goes back to my childhood and how I always had to have my stuffed animals lined up on my bed a certain way. Or, how I prefer a long wallet where I can see all the tops of my credit cards lined up instead of a smaller wallet where everything is bunched together?

Am I the only one who keeps a million tabs open in my browser? Please shed some light!

I’m sitting here at my desk, deciding what to write for my first official post on my new GiftScrap blog.

Living in New York City has it’s perks for sure, but I often wonder why I don’t live somewhere warm? Maybe it’s because of the fast paced nature of NYC which is hard to find somewhere else. Or is it because in one 400 square foot store I can purchase fresh flowers, a bag of flour, lottery tickets, orange juice and a cactus all in one trip? It also could be that in a 5 block radius, I have over 20 restaurants to choose from. I don’t have to spell it out any further – we all know that NYC is an awesome city and I couldn’t picture living anywhere else at this point in my life.

So, instead of complaining about how cold it is here, I invested in a Snuggie. For those of you who live under a rock and don’t know what a Snuggie is, here is a funny clip from the Ellen show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOhrsLEozZs

Laugh all you want, I love my Snuggie. And it actually does keep me warm and my hands free! Without my Snuggie, which I am actually wearing right now, I would have a hard time typing this blog…and even creating a scrapbook or two.

For those of you who are also wondering what “GiftScrap” actually is, it’s my new scrapbooking business. http://www.giftscrap.com I started the company after giving a hand made scrapbook to one of my best friends for her birthday. It took me weeks to complete but it was so worth it when she opened the book and started to cry. I had pictures of her from her early childhood, all the way up to her current life in NYC. She said that she had never received such a thoughtful gift, and after hearing that I realized that I would love to create these books for more people.

Thus, GiftScrap was formed!

Ok, I think this is enough for my first post. I am signing off for now.

Keep warm. Snuggle up.

Kim