Studio Pebbles

Target Inner Circle in NYC

It's been just about a week since I returned home from my whirlwind 48 hour trip to New York City as part of the Target Inner Circle social influencer team meet-up, Target Media Day and the Target 50th Birthday Celebration...and I have been dying to share the details of my experience with you.  Up until the moment John dropped me off at the airport, I still couldn't believe this all was happening, and I consider myself extremely lucky to be a part of such an amazing group of women and such a landmark company. 

Target put us up at The Muse hotel in Times Square (where apparently, Daughtry and his band, were also staying) and after I checked in and cleaned up, I got to meet my fellow Target Inner Circle team member and new buddy, Jennie Lyon from MySweetGreens.com. She and I decided to take full advantage of our first time in NYC and see as much as we possibly could in 5 hours. So off we trudged, in the pouring rain, umbrellas in hand, to Rockefeller Center and the Top of the Rock! 

I think that's when I had my big "OMG" moment- standing up there, looking out at those amazing buildings in the clouds, stretching on and on. John summed it up when he said that New York City is "a monument to human achievement." It's like nothing else on this earth. I live in a beautiful part of the country, with magestic mountains outside my front door, but those skyscrapers are something else entirely. I was floored. And of course, that was also the moment I regretted not bringing my DSLR because my iPhone battery was at 20%. Rookie. 

After I finished kicking myself for not being able to take more pictures, we were on to our next adventure. From that point, we were like Laverne and Shirley, drunk on life and ready to go!! We tackled the subway! We made friends with the locals, and a rider who gave us play-by-play directions on her iPad between stops! We walked for blocks in the dark, rain pouring, clothing soaking wet, hair frizzing, to The Spotted Pig! One of the best restaurants in NYC and we got a table! We ate a burger made by food gods! I drank the best beer ever! Then it stopped raining, and we went for a 43 block walk back to our hotel, all the way from the Village to Times Square. AMAZING! 

The Target Inner Circle team (from Left to Right): Me- Jennifer Pebbles/ blog.StudioPebbles.com  // Jennie Lyon /  MySweetGreens.com // Patrice Yursick / Afrobella.com // Anne Sage / AnneSage.com // Jennifer Chong / blog.JChongStudio.com // Jenny Radosevich /  ISpyDIY.com // Jeanne Chan / ShopSweetThings.com // Alyson Seligman / TheAverageGirlsGuide.com // Amy Mascott / TeachMamma.com // Jo-Lynne Shane / MusingsOfAHousewife.com // Not Pictured: Jessica Shyba / MammasGoneCity.com // Katie Hurley / PracticalKatie.com // Kara Fleck / SimpleKids.net // Gina Homolka / SkinnyTaste.com // Ashley Brown / 7thHouseOnTheLeft.com

The next morning, we were up, bright and early to meet for our Target Inner Circle team breakfast. We got a chance to meet face-to-face with the people at Target who put this whole thing together, and get acquainted with each other before heading out to the Target Harlem store for a tour and shopping trip. I bought a battery powered phone charger. No way was I making that mistake twice. 

Then, after a quick break to change and grab a bite of lunch, we were back on our little bus to head to Media Day, where all the good stuff was waiting to happen! Members of just about every major media outlet (magazines, newspapers, television) were in attendance, but as Patrice put it, "We were the specificly invited guests"...Crazy! 

Media Day packets and nametag, with Jennie Lyon of MySweetGreens.com, Kathee Tesija, Executive Vice President, Merchandising and Supply Chain.

Media Day was where we had the opportunity to learn about the new Holiday promotions and store updates that Target is planning, which I will share with you in an upcoming post. As an information junkie, I loved this part the best, it was great to know how Target is working to improve the shopping experience for its customers, and is staying sensitive to the idea that frugality and saving time is important to us. 

There has already been a lot of press covering the Neiman Marcus collection for Target, (to see the designers and the entire collection, visit Neiman Marcus here) and it was great to get a chance to be one of the first people to see the items in person. The girls dresses by Marchesa was an instant favorite, as was the glittery Marc Jacobs clutches, and the Brian Atwood Studded Gloves.

My ultimate favorite item was a stunning blue sequin paisely top by Tracy Reese, but sadly it will have to remain a fantasy for me since none of the clothing items for women are available in anything larger than XL. This is one area in which I hope Target stores can improve in the future.

The unveiling of the Neiman Marcus collection was just the tip of the iceburg when it came to the fun planned for the rest of the evening. As members of the Target Inner Circle team, we were invited to the exclusive Target 50th Birthday Party! We knew to expect a few celebs in attendance, but woah... talk about star struck...

People, I have rubbed sholders with a few famous folks over the years...I gave flowers to Princess Diana when she and Charles made their post honeymoon Canadian tour. I downed enough liquid courage to talk to Bruce Willis during a performance with his band in Haley, ID...and did you know that my pregnant belly got some love from the guys from Broken Lizard? I should be a pro at this by now...but no. 

From top left: Nate Berkus, Shaun White, Sabrina Soto, and Perez Hilton.

I was like a giggly little kid! There were so many celebrities at this party, I about died. It was hard to walk the line between, "Just another fellow party attendee, no one else is freaking out, why should I?" to "OHMYEFFINGGOD!!!SQUEEEEEEEEEE!!!" I think I hopefully settled somewhere in the middle? I was with Alyson and Jennie when they got pictures taken with Nate Berkus, and had the chance to talk to Sabrina Soto, where of course I probably babbled like an idiot, something I chose not to repeat when meeting Soleil Moon Frye, where I kept my mouth shut to avoid embarrassing myself. Later on I decided to put my composure and manners to the test and approach Shaun White for a photo...so glad I did, he was the NICEST EVER!!! He seemed genuinely happy to talk to us, and answered some quesitons about what it's like to design clothing for Target, and talked about the X-Games in Aspen and Target's participation. Considering I am married to a red-headed winter sports athlete, I was pretty jazzed to get a picture. 
 
Me and Shaun, Alicia Keys singing "Happy Birthday, Dear Tar-Jay" :), and me with the Target Musical Performers.

It was truly such an amazing, wonderful, fun filled 24 hours. So many times during this whole event, I kept wondering "Why me?" and to be honest, I'm still not 100% sure, but I plan on making the most of it. Target is a fantastic company (you know they give over $4 Million a week to charity?) and I had the time of my life! 

Top Row: Jenny Radosevich. Middle Row: Jennifer Chong, Jeanne Chan, Alyson Seligman, Jennifer Pebbles, Jessica Shyba. Front Row: Amy Mascott, Jennie Lyon, Jo-Lynne Shane.

Please note, As a member of Target Inner Circle, I was invited to attend this event and Target paid for my accomidations, but all opinions and thoughts are mine alone.

Nice To Meet You

I know you are waiting for me to tell you all about my trip to NYC- I can't wait to share...it was NUTS!! I still can't believe it actually happened. While I am in the process of working on that post though, I thought I would show you what I brought with me to NYC to introduce myself to the rest of the Target Inner Circle team. 

I will fully admit that I am right smack dab in the middle of a rather major identity crisis, especially when it comes to blogging and work in general, but I knew right away that I wanted to include a little something along with my basic contact information that would give the recipient a glimpse of my personality and taste of what they can find on my blog.

Being a long time crafter and "tech-geek," I fortunately had most of the supplies on hand to make these. It's amazing how the years of hoarding supplies can come in handy from time-to-time. :D The only thing I had to order was a couple packages of these print-your-own Silhouette Temporary Tattoo sheets!  I read reviews on a few different versions of this product, and while it was a bit more pricey, reviewers stated that it was worth the price, because they worked great! And now, after completing my own set, I can agree! 

There aren't any incredibly difficult instructions for printing and making the tattoos...you just need to mirror your designs before you hit print. For a detailed tutorial on making tattoos, check out this is a great one here. I didn't use my Silhouette machine to cut these out as individual tattoos...I just made a little group of them, and then cut them into squares with my paper cutter.

I have to tell you, I love 'em! As one of the only people from the Seattle area who made through the consecutive time period of the grunge 90's and my 20's without permanent body ink, it gives me a chance to cash-in on the street cred without the commitment fears! And with Halloween fast approaching, I am sure there are all kinds of uses for these sheets; you can even make them full-color!  I just chose all black because I'm edgy. ;P

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Aside from the Tattoos, I also included a 4"x 4"mini-print, which I printed using my Epson PictureMate 4x6 photo printer, and also a "stacked circles" business card set, that included a photo of me, my Pinterest user name, and my Studio Pebbles blog info. I printed these on letter size cardstock, using my inkjet printer, and used a variety of circle punches (ranging from 2.5" to 1.5") to cut them out. They were lovingly assembled by my indentured servant mother, using tiny multi-color American Craft brads. I think the envelopes are from Clear Bags, and then I just closed them up with washi tape strips in different patterns (as you can see from the photo above, I have a few to choose from). 

Have you made something like this to introduce people to your blog or business? Have you seen other marketing sets like this that inspire you? Next time you have an event to attend, even if you have to make something the day before (...coughcough.) try digging through your supplies and tools and see what you have. You might surprise yourself with what a little last minute motivation can produce. 

The Big Huge Awesome | Target® Inner Circle

Peeps!!! Are you DYING???

I am SO EXCITED to announce that Target® (Yes, THE Target!!) has asked me to be part of  Target® Inner Circle, a small select group of social influencers who get to bring you inside scoop and exclusive access to Target!!!

...and, as our first official activity, Target® is flying me to ...wait for it....

New York City!!!

(can you believe it??)

I will be there to participate in the Target® Media Day and 50th Birthday Celebration on Tuesday, October 16th!! (Yes...like, THIS TUESDAY!!) As part of the Target Inner Circle team, I will be spending the day mingling with Target executives, fellow media members, and celebrity partners! And I get to share it all with you!! We'll be getting an exclusive look at Target's unprecedented Holiday Collection, previewing upcoming plans and products and much, much more!! 

Then, later, I will be bringing my personal style into the equation in a variety of on-line activities here and on Pinterest, where you'll be able to join in and enter giveaways for the chance to win! Later this fall, I will also be taking a trip to Target's headquarters in Minneapolis to get a behind the scenes look at what makes Target tick! 

I have had a love affair with all things Target for as long as I can remember, back to the days when Micheal Graves made those hot looking kitchen appliances and told us that design was for everyone, everyday, at any price. How often do we all drop what we're doing to get to the $1 spot when there is a new batch of awesome stuff? Remember that Missoni collection? I personally include the day my Target opened their new grocery section as one of the better days of my life. And, maybe, just maybe (okay, more than maybe)...my weight loss goal isn't a number on the scale, it's "be able to fit into a Target size XL." I triple-dip love TARGET! This is such an amazing opportunity for me, and I am so humbled and honored to be included.  

And since this is as close to an Oscar acceptance speech as I will ever get, I have to say Thank YOU. The internet has been so good to me, it's where I found my husband, it's where I found my favorite hobby, where I continue to connect with my passion for design, it's where I make my living, and most of all, it's where I have met some amazing friends. Without my blog readers or followers on Pinterest, this wouldn't be happening. We all get to have different experiences in our lives, I feel like this one I get to do for US. I hope you will be excited to follow along! 

XOXOXO- J.P.

Post #499

Hi Friends! What's new with you? Did you have a wonderful summer? Are you getting back into your normal routine now that school is underway?

I've been back to working on some design projects and also dealing with changes in our routine at home. We decided not to send Maggie back to daycare this fall- we have mixed feelings about it. I know she misses her friends and teachers, and I have worried a bit about the lack of structure and how that will affect us, but the good news is that my Mom has agreed to be our Nanny for the time being! We're still working out the details to make sure everyone is happy, especially Maggie...but her help is so appreciated, it cuts out a major expense and allows me to get back to working with a predictable schedule again. 

and speaking of getting back to it...

This is my 499th Blog Post.

If you have been a regular visitor, you know how unstructured and sporadic my posts have been.  I have had a hard time defining the purpose of my blog and the content I want to share, especially since life has changed so much for me since I started back in 2006. There is a definite cycle that keeps repeating itself, it brings the progress and the stalls. It has been a lot of "One step forward, Two steps back..." At times I have felt as though I didn't have anything to offer here that isn't already being done by someone else. I have suffered from my fair share of self-doubt.

However, I'd like to think that 2012 has been different. Even if the progress has been super slow, it  has been really positive. I think that by taking time away, I now have a fresh perspective. Personally, I am on an entirely new level when it comes to creativity and motivation. I know myself better. And so I have been looking forward to the end of summer, and coming back to the projects I left behind in the spring, like my website and more mini paper releases and Pinterest projects and other fun stuff.

And it just so happens that during all this planning and dreaming and self-discovery, apparently there were some "people" who happen to like my boards on Pinterest, and they asked if I would be interested in collaborating with them on a new little project they are working on...

So, over the past few months, I have been holding back on what I like to call, a major "Legally Blonde" moment. I am sure I have referenced it before...the scene where Elle Woods reads her name on the highly-sought-after summer internship list. Where she stands there and exclaims, "Me....Me!!.....MEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!"

Yeah, it happened. It's happening right now, as I type this. 

My little tiny blog, has some major big news. 

It's so big, in fact, that I couldn't just open up a new post and let it spill, especially after such a long break. You know how it is when you're expecting company? You need to dust and vacuum and pick up your dirty socks! I had to come in and clean up a little bit. 

And, I figured that since it's such momentous occasion in the life of this blog, what better way to commemorate this shining moment than by saving the announcement for Post #500!!  I super duper can't wait to tell you!! You should just probably check back tomorrow, I don't think I can sit on my hands much longer. 

I'm so excited, I feel like I should celebrate by giving something away!! How about a printable? Sound good?
Here you go (personal use only please):