the time i cried in the kate spade store

From 2006-2009, I used the same series of Kate Spade planners. Perfect 5x7 size, seven-day spreads spanning two pages, hourly time slots, bright-colored pictures, clever isms. And if there's one thing I love it's clever isms. One year's planner was themed around road trips and listed facts about different states and famous roads. If there's another thing I love, it's road trips. Another year listed uncommon idioms, what they meant and what there origin was. If there's another thing I love, it's idioms.

But today I want to tell you a story about something that happened in 2010.

It actually all begin in 2009 when I went home for Thanksgiving and the pages were dwindling in 2009's planner. Dates for 2010 were starting to pile up, and I NEEDED TO WRITE THEM DOWN. So, I took a trip to the Kate Spade store in Huntsville to find that it has closed down. Which was sad, but fine because I was sure I would be in Atlanta at some point before 2010 actually came.

That didn't happen, but I did make it before class resumed.

I walk in the store, go straight to the paper section, note some of the cute laser-cut stationary then it's down to business. Where are the 2010 spiral bound planners? What's this year's theme?! What does the cover look like?? Not on the shelf. NOT ON THE SHELF.

"Excuse me. Where are the 2010 spiral bound planners?"

"The paper refills are right under the stationary."

"No. The free-standing spiral bound planners with seven-day, two-page spreads. Are you out of those?"

"Oh, no. There was actually an adjustment to those this year. We don't have any in the store, but they don't have seven-day spreads anymore. Now they're whole month spreads."

"Whole month spreads? How does that all fit on two pages? Does that mean there is only 12 pages in the book?" I start to cry.

"No, the rest is just notepaper."

I can't say anything else, so I just look at the woman who has told me the worst news I have heard in 2010 and hope she feels guilty.

First off, Kate Spade, let me just say that a book filled with notepaper and 12 pages of month spreads is not a planner. It's a notebook with a "calendar section." Also, Kate, let me tell you why you couldn't support your Huntsville store. You altered your best product and made it completely void of any usefulness.

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The reason I bring this up is to call attention to the new kid on the block. I know where my first $25 of 2011 are going.

Welcome back, paperly bliss. Kate Spade, you are dead to me.

*thanks you are my fave and frankie