ByKat Hours Updated
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Happy Birthday, Corporette…

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Magnolia cupcakes, originally uploaded to Flickr by liloh.Let's hope I do better at this “birthday” thing with my actual kid rather than my blogging baby… last year I missed the anniversary of this blog entirely, and this year I had been planning to do a number of site changes for the birthday, which I kept thinking was on May 8. (Nope, none of those are done yet.) And then on May 7, I went back to the archives to link to the first post… only to find that Corporette was born on May 7, 2008, NOT May 8.

So: I suck. (Pictured: Magnolia cupcakes, originally uploaded to Flickr by liloh.)

But really, in my mind, the blog was born in January of 2008, when I imagined this great blog for professional women that I wanted to read that no one else was writing, and I thought would be both fun and lucrative to write. I couldn't wait to start — but for the minor fact that I was heading into trial in a few weeks. So the blog idea got put on hold while I did the trial prep, then the trial (we won) … then a few more months while I researched blogging platforms, came up with an editorial plan (most of which was never used), and bought what seemed like 100s of domain names trying to find the right name for the blog. (Discards: Honeybzz, The Pink Briefcase, CEOChic, Get Your Own Damn Coffee, and so many more… ). By May 7 I was desperate to start the blog before someone else did, and decided to pull the trigger on this thing “Corporette,” a name my father said sounded too much like “cigarette.” At the last minute I came up with an idea to feature one item of work-friendly clothing every day (the TPS report), which, unbeknownst to me, would be the blog's main income.

And the readers, the commenters — I really did not see you guys coming. I mean, I should have — I would have been a monster commenter myself if this were someone else's site! — but to have somehow lucked into running a site with such a community of brilliant, ambitious, stylish readers… it's just too much. Thank you guys, from the bottom of my heart.

And yes: May 7 is now in my Google calendar forever. Happy birthday, little one.

Update: Some of you have noted that you might like to purchase Corporette merchandise… now you can, via Cafe Press! Do note, one of the changes coming to the site in the next <week? month?(s)? fingers crossed> is a new logo, so, please consider this “limited edition” merchandise — you can say you read Corporette way back when. :) I'll put a link to the page on the “Shop” tab up top, as well.

138 Comments

  2. Yay!!! Happy birthday to your amazing project! We’re all so glad you did it.

    By the way, I absolutely love “Get Your Own Damn Coffee.” I hope you still own it and consider using it as some kind of spin-off. Plenty of war stories from all of us, I think!

    2. Could you imagine two blogs from Kat?! We’d never get anything done =p

      Love the blog and what you’ve created, Kat! Thank you and happy birthday to your first baby!!!

    3. I can see “Get Your Own Damn Coffee” as the name of the book that Kat will eventually write – full of musings from this blog, advice about navigating corporette and which nail polish is best, an entire chapter devoted to the Great Nude Hose Debate, and, of course, tips for being a stylish Corporette.

      Happy Birthday, Corporette. :)

    4. Thanks for all you do, Kat! I will now be mentally referring to this site as Get Your Own Damn Coffee.

    5. While I think the name you chose is more appropriate for this blog, I would love a blog meant for commenter venting called Get Your Own Damn Coffee. My boss made a totally sexist comment today and he is the type that has the receptionist get his coffee for him. Can’t wait until I can give my two weeks!

      1. I actually really don’t like “Get Your Own Damn Coffee” and I’m glad you didn’t pick it. This site isn’t geared to interns and those at the bottom of the totem pole (though they are welcome too) — it’s geared to “overachiving chicks” like big law lawyers, CEO, and surgeons. As an “overachieving chick” in big law myself, that title just doesn’t reasonate with me all.

    1. I want to buy it immediately – and I don’t normally want to run out and buy the ones posted here (mostly because I have very little money).

  4. I’ve been reading Corporette for a few years now, and little did I know that I shared a birthday with the blog (though I was born a few (read 20+) years earlier). Awesome! =) Happy Birthday!

  5. Chances are, you’ll probably remember the exact day the baby was born. :) On the other hand, my mother once signed a birthday card for me with her first name (and I call her Mom and its variations, not her name), so there you go.

    More seriously, happy birthday, Corporette! This is an awesome little community you’ve built here. Thank you.

    1. If it makes you feel better, my father took over 20 years to get my birthday close to correct (read: the right month, sometimes, and rarely the right day – and almost never the right year). He still often gets it incorrect.

      I mean, I took maybe 8 years to learn his, but… I was less than eight years old! ;)

  6. I wrote you a happy birthday note, and then the moderation monster ate it because I used the site’s name. But anyway, happy birthday to my favorite blog!

  9. Happy Birthday! You’ve had a huge impact on the lives of tons of professional women!

    1. Cosign. I love being part of this virtual community of kick@$$ women. And before this site, I had no idea that I knew things about color. So there you go, learning ish all the time.

  10. Doing a different kind of shopping… am beginning to open my heart to the idea of adopting a new pup. Have been searching websites to adopt but am finding so many shelters and agencies have huge ($250+) fees and many require tons of background/home checks. Some even say they won’t adopt to a woman of child-bearing age (fear she’ll procreate and give away the dog) or without a minimum of thousands in the bank. Heaven forbid they understand I won’t be spawning and that my bank account isn’t in the trillions -because- I cared for a pet in need.

    Anyway, for those looking for a reason to take a work break, here’s the list or requirements:
    -maltese (would prefer a purebred for health/care/temperament reasons)
    -male
    -under age 6
    – housebroken
    -calm/laid back in nature (some sites list the animal’s behavior type)
    -no major medical issues
    -neutered
    -within 100 miles of Cleveland or Akron, Ohio

    I know it’s a long list and may be a long wait to find the right fit, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to pose a new kind of shopping challenge here, plus the faces of even the ones who aren’t the right fit for me are just so darned cute!

    1. Would not be at all surprised to find adoption fees in the $400+ range for malteses – they are in my northeastern city. It’s a very “in demand” bred at the moment. What you are asking for would be close to impossible where I am, though you should keep checking shelters/rescues around you, of course. Besides the “adult dog” part, what you want is what everyone wants. You may have better luck if you are willing to travel to the South to pick up your dog.

      However, I think you may do better with a breeder return or retired breeding dog from a reputable breeder. Check the local breed club for breeder referrals.

    2. The reason the fees are so high is that this offsets vaccination, neutering, etc. I just paid around $700 for my boy’s yearly checkup, heart worm medicine, and flea guard. I would research what a pet costs before you make the commitment. You’ll see it’s just the tip of the iceburg. And yes, you do need some money in the bank as even a dog with “no major medical issues” can still fall victim to accident, illness, or injury and you’ll need to be prepared. Some of the shelter and agency rules sound strict–but they’re there for a reason and I’d be a little suspect of any place that doesn’t want to interview you. It’s how they try to protect them from being in a boomerang. You also should research a bit. Purebread health is actually not better but tends to be worse since you’re more likely to end up with recessive traits. I know you mean well, but this isn’t something you should be thinking of as “shopping.”

      1. if I remember correctly, K has owned malteses for over 20 years and she recently spent over 10k on vet bills, so I’d figure she’s pretty well educated on the situation across the board. As for calling it shopping, I’m pretty certain she was kidding.

      3. You pay $700 for a yearly checkup + shots? Gosh, and I thought my costs were bad in the 200-300 range.

        1. Yeah, good lord! That’s where mine are, and that is *plenty.* I can’t imagine paying $700 for one routine vet visit.

        2. I think she’s including the annual cost of heart guard and flea medicine in there, which does get a bit pricey (though $700 does seem maybe a wee bit high).

        3. $700! Yikes! I have a show horse (hunter) and her routine vet bills are less than that!

    3. K — I know its hard to hear, but rescues and shelters charge rescue fees on all their dogs (even the easy to adopt or healthy ones) so that they can offset their expenses on the ones that cost a lot of money (like ones that have major medical conditions or have to be treated for heart worm or whatever its called). I know that makes it hard, but the alternative is that any dog with even treatable medical conditions who come through the rescue system gets put down. Which is really not idea.

      While some rescue organizations have dead-set rules, the good ones will have guidelines about things like “child-bearing age” or whatever. THen as they go through the application process with you, they can see that you are a good option for an adopter. But it is a frustrating process…I just tried to repeat the mantra in my mind that they were trying to do the best for the dog, even if they were occasionally misguided in their zealotry.

      1. That’s true but the stringent requirements DO turn a lot of people off and away from rescues. Some rescues never got back to me because I must not have answered their questionnaires right. Others told me they only adopted to people 30+, or only adopted to married couples, or didn’t adopt to renters. A friend got rejected from adopting a Yorkie because she doesn’t have a fenced in yard – but she lives in a pet-friendly apartment building. One rescue told me they needed a recent bank statement (no) or a social security number (hell effing no). One rescue told me I couldn’t see pictures or choose my dog – I needed to apply, and then THEY would select the right fit dog for me and release him to me. A lot of rescues, in their efforts to find the FINAL forever home for their dog, really go overboard. I’m a good dog owner – my dog gets regular vet visits, daily walks, tons of stimulation and training etc. But many rescues could not or would not see that.

        I am very pro rescuing animals in need of homes as opposed to breedings, but to be honest, I may go to a breeder to get my next dog. I may be awful for thinking this but I would rather John Q. Public, even if they aren’t The Best Owner There Ever Could Be, adopt a neutered animal from a local rescue or shelter than get a puppy from the neighbor, never bother fixing it and end up with puppies one day.

        1. Oh, I know. Trust me I know soooooooo much. :-P Its not sensible at all (and frankly drives people towards irresponsible breeders more often than not).

          I don’t defend the requirements, I think they’re absurd half the time and discriminatory the other half. But the fees I can sort of understand, they do have costs after all.

          2. The fees I actually don’t mind – a lot of rescues even charge MORE for small dogs, puppies and other in-demand type qualities. This doesn’t bother me because it means the less adoptable dogs (try getting someone to pay $400 for a non-housebroken aggressive rottie) have a better chance at finding a home. And vet costs can be insane, I know that firsthand. In addition, a rescue might have to keep and hold a dog for months, where in a city shelter it might get two weeks before its put to sleep.

            Sometimes I think the high fees can be fronts though. A friend in MO almost adopted a dog from a rescue which charged $1k+ on their animals. It turned out they were basically buying the dogs from puppy mills (“rescuing” my ass if you are paying a PM $500 for the dog) and turning around to adopt them out at ridiculous prices. They were just as bad as the mills, in my opinion.

        2. I agree re many rescues, I used to volunteer for a cat rescue and was extremely turned off by all the requirements. Plus, I just HATED seeing so many people turned away while the cats languished in their cages week after week.

          BUT! I would like to plug your local humane society! They sometimes get overlooked because they don’t have large web presences, except in the larger counties but they frequently do get purebred dogs (and cats!). They will sometimes try to direct purebreds to their particular rescue, but not always. If you go down and visit with your local shelter, and then keep your finger on their pulse, they will frequently call you when “your” dog comes in.

        4. Fun fact: My DH and I were turned down on multiple adoption questions without even a home visit because our back yard fence is only 3 feet. We finally said scr*w it and went to the local animal control to adopt a pup for a $30 adoption fee. I take better care of my dogs than I do myself, and that type of judgment really turned me off to rescue organizations.

      2. Re: ridiculous adoption rules. I adopted a few years ago from my local Humane Society (we just found the nicest dog in the pound and went from there—it’s worked out beautifully). They had a terrible restriction: no adopting out “aggressive” breeds to families with children. I first met my dog at a humane society event at Petco. She was lying on the floor while a baby crawled all over her happily; next to her, a dog was snapping at anyone who had a treat in-hand (as in, leaping over things to get at them). I’m sure the snappy dog was just wound up and would have made a fine pet. Still: the aggressive dog was a lab and mine is a pitbull. Five years later, we have two kids and our dog is a dutiful cuddle-mate and friend. Your “child-bearing age” restriction reminded me.

        1. Oh aggressive breeds. I thought that was BS before I adopted one, but now they make me equal parts baffled and enraged. I cannot even imagine what a human would have to do to my “aggressive” Siberian husky to get her to growl or snap, much less bite. Large male humans she attacks with love and leg-leaning. Small neighborhood children crawling all over her require offensives of face-kisses.

          1. I want very badly to adopt a pittie, but I’m working on convincing my husband (and my mother and father…my secondary source of doggie care) that its a good idea. :-)

          2. Oooh, I have always loved Siberian huskys. I don’t feel good about getting one, since it gets so hot here! But if I saw a mix in the shelter with husky blue eyes…swoon!

            I so want a dog. But we already have two at the place where I live. It’s just that, neither are mine, neither are trained, neither will walk on a leash (mandatory to get off our 5 acre property) and one is really possessive of her person and has a really bad attitude towards all other people.

          3. Best dog I’ve ever had, hands-down. And because they’re a less-desirable breed, I adopted mine for like 50 bucks out the door and she was spayed, house-broken, and walked well on a leash. (Like a Mac—ready to go right out of the box!) Still, I don’t know if I’d get another, only because she sheds like a maniac. I can’t keep up with it and it drives me crazy.

          4. The problem with huskies tends to be that people adopt them because they’re cute or because the read Balto and don’t realize how much exercise they need. So some get no training and no exercise as puppies/young dogs and become correspondingly difficult.

            BUT, that’s as always a problem with the people not the breed.

          5. Oh, I know how much exercise a husky needs, that’s one reason I would love one! I had a german shepard (mostly) that was just absolutely 100% my best friend and he could run with me, hike with me, swim with me…just the perfect dog. And with 4 kids in the house we ran him ragged. Although, that’s not even fair to say, because we had 18 acres then and he would still roam without us and hunt and etc…

            Now (20 years later) my parents have a yellow lab and they walk him and throw a tennis ball for him and he swims in the pool daily (they actually had to modify their pool care because it’s not good for his skin, also, he drinks the water), but I can see how much happier he is when we’re all home and he’s getting 2-3 walks/runs per day PLUS every time anyone wants to escape the house they go out and throw the tennis ball for him!

        2. more ridiculous rules- when my first dog had to be put down years ago we tried to rescue one (of the same breed because we loved that type of dog) and were told we were not approved because we were a family with kids- this is a breed that loves children and thrives in environments with them.
          Why exactly would you then reject a family with kids….? They mean well but sometimes things are a little ridiculous

          1. Can I also say, one thing the rescues always say is “we don’t want boomerangs.” Right? They don’t want the animal back. Here’s my question. Why NOT??? I mean, isn’t it “better” for a dog/cat to have a home and a loving family, potentially for years, than to sit in a crate or in a shelter for years? I suppose if you work from the assumption that all animals will get adopted eventually AND that the situation the animals are in is not bad for them (foster, shelter, etc) then it’s a matter of just waiting for the “right” people. But in my experience, not every dog/cat gets adopted. Some live in the shelter for years, sometimes a volunteer is guilted into taking one home, to add on to their “pack,” etc…

            But wouldn’t you rather adopt a dog to a home, even IF the person is planning on starting a family (the horror!) and take the risk that the dog will come back because the baby’s allergic or whatever than have them sit, again, in a crate or shelter for years?

            I know it can be hard on the dog to bond with a family and then be dumped (and I don’t understand how anyone could ever do such a thing, but that’s MY bleeding heart!) but from the shelter’s perspective, no, this was not the “forever home” but it was a home, and the people cared for it and it didn’t cost the shelter anything. Yes, it sucks that the dog is back, but then we just try to place it again!

          2. I agree that it’s sad to have a dog in a cage when someone could be spending time with him even if there is a risk of return. But there also is the reality that adoption as an animal gets older gets much harder. That cute puppy that turns into a 5 or 7 year old when baby comes along is going to be much, much harder to place. The revolving door is hard on the animal and could actually end up costing it the opportunity for a life. Just giving the other perspective on why folks might be so strong-minded on this. (Mind you, I say this and still am disgusted by a lot of the hoops. But it is the other side of things) Familes with kids also can be rejects if the dog is too small/fragile or isn’t likely to have a temperment that will work out of concern for safety (dog and kid). I personally think it’s all a matter of supervision and training, but that may not always be realistic with many busy households.

          3. @the other side of things, you make a really great point there. I guess I was really thinking about older animals, there was an orange tabby in particular that just tore at my heart when I was volunteering. He clearly had no idea why his wonderful family kept bringing him to the pet store and locking him in a cage all weekend. Even if he’d only been “re-homed” for a couple years, well, it had to be better than what he had! Other fosters that I knew had strict “no contact” rules (for valid reasons, I’m not saying any differently) between their own animals and their fosters, which generally meant that the fosters got locked up in a spare bedroom and got less overall attention than had they had the run of the home.

            But in regards to kittens/puppies, you are 100% correct. I actually have several cats right now because I wasn’t able to find two of them homes until they were about 5 months old. I had the lady all set and I had steeled my heart…and another person in our office walked by and ridiculed her for getting “old cats.” (5 months!?!?!?) In retrospect, she wouldn’t have been a good cat person anyway, since she gave them up that easily, but it’s that attitude.

      3. I used to volunteer for a rescue and I will say that the people who do the home visits, etc. really have total control over whether you get the dog or not. I rescued my first dog when I was 18, living alone for the first time. The requirements were no college students, no unstable living environment, etc., but when they saw me, my apartment, my academic work, and my job, the person who did the home visit waived all the “strict” requirements. The requirements are really just a filtering process- those who really want the dogs persevere through the requirements. People who don’t care enough to apply despite not meeting the requirements don’t really want the dogs.

        Also, if you want a pure breed dog, you will pay a pure breed price.

    4. Can you be flexible on the breed at all? Because there are likely a ton of dogs at your local humane society in need of a good home, and the adoption fees are probably a lot less than from the rescue societies.

      I looked at rescue socieities first, and was really, really put off by their attitude. I think there was an article about this in slate a few months ago. Basically, they can be over-the-top ridiculously stringent with adoption requirements. For example, the one we spoke to wanted us to drive 45 min each way to the only store in town that sold the dog food that they thought was good enough for the dog, and wanted us to sign a contract that said that if they thought we were mistreating the dog (no definition of mistreatment in the contract), they could enter our home at any time and take the dog away. So I went to the humane society instead, and wound up with an absolutely fantastic dog. I think the adoption fee was around $60.

    5. If you’re willing to be a bit more flexible on the breed or lack thereof, try your locality’s shelter or pound–my girl was $125 (which included spaying), versus the $225-400 the erm, fancier rescues I was looking at would have charged. I know how much you loved your Maltese (and he was definitely a little cutie!), but as others have said, that’s a very in-demand dog, and you might be waiting a very, very long time. And who knows, there might be the perfect dog waiting for you out there, just living in a Heinz 54 body.

    6. I would encourage you to go interview the rescue groups first.

      I began really researching adopting a pup about 8 months ago. As I’ve always had lab, I figured it best to stick with what I know. Long story short, the lab-specific rescue groups wouldn’t approve me for adoptions since I live alone, work outside the house and said that there were occasions that I would leave the dog outside unattended (not for long stretches, mind you, but there might be an hour or so here and there when Fido hangs out in my well-shaded, 6-foot-high fenced in back yard).

      Anyways, I connected with a non-breed-specific rescue that is fantastic! I originally brought home a 1-year old 50-pound mixed pup. He initially seemed very chill, but after 3 days, it was apparent he couldn’t handle being the lone dog in the house. Both the Rescue and I agreed my house wasn’t the right fit for him. 2 weeks later, they asked if I wanted to “baby sit” a 4 month old black lab. 3 months later, the adoption is finalized and I couldn’t be happier.

      I did pay $300 for my pup, but the rescue had already paid $3k+ in medical bills for him since he was a parvo pup. They also called in an animal behaviorist to work with the 1-year old in hopes of finding the right situation for him.

      So, if you find the right rescue group to work with, it can be a great experience. And you’ll know that the money was well spent.

    7. Malteses aren’t really known for being calm. And why a dog now, when you’ve just moved and are job hunting? Settle down first!

    8. I looked around my neck of the woods – more than 100 miles from you, but just to see – and only found a Maltese mix that might fit the bill. I think it is noble of you to wait for the right fit and I also think it is reasonable for you to want to avoid a whopping adoption fee and a bunch of crazy requirements. In light of that you willingness to wait and the other factors… do you have time to volunteer at one or two local shelters periodically? If you volunteer you will probably have first dibs on the intakes, so if a Maltese that fits your requirements shows up, you will know. Or, you might meet the dog of your dreams that isn’t a Maltese, but that you fall for anyway.
      A couple other thoughts: Do you or your friends in the area have a trusted vet? Animals get dropped off at vet clinics all the time. What if you call a few vet offices to let them know what you’re in the market for and leave your name and number? You never know what might show up. Good luck to you!

    9. No shopping help (because I would spend the rest of my day at work looking at cute dog pictures if I got on petfinder right now), but I just wanted to wish you good luck, and let you know that I did an inner *squee* at the mention of Cleveland-Akron area. yay, Ohio! :)

    10. Good luck K! Hope the move is going well. With a list that specific, you prob should go to a breeder rather than adopting. Also, I’ve had much better health/temperament with mutts. Purebreds can actually have a lot of health problems.

  11. Happy birthday! Now how do I get one of those cupcakes to come through the screen and land on my desk? ;)

    1. Don’t know, but I was in the Chicago Magnolia’s recently and the cupcakes seem to have shrunk.

    2. I wouldn’t bother. Magnolia’s cupcakes have to be the most overhyped cupcake I’ve ever tried. The cake is so dry that it is impossible to eat without frosting — which is over sweet and nothing special. So sad, because I do love a good cupcake!

      1. Agreed. If you’re in NYC, try Burgers and Cupcakes. Their cupcakes used to be amazing–big, soft and buttery. And they were very generous with the portions. Also, you could get a burger. :) I haven’t been there for a couple of years, however, and things do change, especially in NYC.

    3. Oh, I just wanted *a* cupcake. I’m not in NYC, but in the times I’ve visited and tried it, I wasn’t that impressed with Magnolia. Though I will say that Sweet (in Boston) was far worse on the dryness. Neither was worth the hefty “gourmet” cupcake price, but they sure are pretty to look at ;)

  12. Happy birthday and a million thanks!

    And I just have to add, Kara’s Cupcakes trumps Magnolia Bakery any day of the week. :-)

    1. +1 – Happy Birthday to Kat and C’rette. My life is better and richer with this site and you ladies. And +1 on Kara’s. My favorite cupcakes by a landslide. I think I know what I’m doing after work today…

      1. Clearly you need to get to the east bay – love at first bite and James and the giant cupcake, put Kara’s to shame.

  14. Happy Birthday! I also love “Get Your Own Damn Coffee,” especially because a partner asked me to babysit for him. Maybe that can be the name of a regular feature re: how to handle sticky work situations?

    1. Or I was also thinking maybe a blog tag, so that all posts associated with not being mistaken for someone’s lackey would come up under one category and be searchable?

      Failing that, t-shirt? Business card holder? Lapel pin?

      2. I’ve always wished Kat would make website logo bumper stickers. I’d stick ’em on EVERYTHING. My cubicle, computers, books, folders, tissue boxes, you name it. Kat, I can haz stickerz?

        1. OMG…we could put them on our purses and then when we see each other on subways and stuff, we could wink at each other. Instead of stickers though, maybe like dangly things — not sure stickers would stick to leather. It would be like joining a gang.

          1. Hilarious! I’m thinking something more like the Mockingjay pin, but for this website!

          2. YES, like C@#$#$tte purse charms. Like the dangly Coach and MK fobs. Too much awesome.

          3. Let’s be clear, though–it’s to be a shibboleth. Kat has an interest in actually promoting the site’s name, so people can look it up. The rest of us might prefer a more subtle in-group signifier, like “GET YOUR OWN DAMN COFFEE! I SAY DOUBLE FOOEY ON YOU AND YOUR BALD HEAD!” or similar. So we’d need a few different options.

          4. Yes. I want a shibboleth. And a bumper sticker that just says the sites name in big letters. I’ll take both. :-)

        3. Actually… I’ve quietly had a CafePress shop with Corporette items for a while now; haven’t promoted because one of the site changes that’s a-coming is a better logo. I’ve only ordered some of them myself — the quality is OK, but not great — much better on the mugs and bags than it is on the shirts.

          But I was thinking that I would make the old logo available for a limited time, so no reason why that can’t start now… :) I’ll go off and see how to embed the link or whatever.

          1. This is awesome. Do they do keychains/fobs? I would totally rock a C’rette keychain.

          2. They do but the logo as is doesn’t look good with them — it’s either way too small and way too big. I’ll try to include some keychains/fobs once I do merchandise for the new logo, though!

          5. OMG KAT, WHY DIDN’T YOU SAY ANYTHING??????????? STICKERZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

            Also, I love this logo. In your new store, can you offer both logos?

          6. Wow, I think you are the only person who has ever told me they love the logo :) I’m sure I can — retro Corporette. :)

          8. PSA: CafePress is doing a Mother’s Day promotion, 35% off with code MOTHER35. (Also, for some reason there is no “promotion code” box when you do the Amazon check out, but it works with the normal checkout.)

          10. You know what else would be awesome? Magnets. At least for those of us with big, metal filing cabinets.

          11. I LOVE the idea of key chains or purse charms. LOVE LOVE LOVE.

            I’m excited to see the new logo!

        4. If it were something like a regular saying on here and it didn’t include the logo (although I just looked at the logo items on Cafe Press), you could design your own shirts, etc. on Cafe Press. We were teasing a colleague one day about a website design issue and I designed a t-shirt for him and sent a link. He loved it and decided to order one.

          I vote for “One blue fingernail and a hair tie on the wrist”

          1. I’ve been thinking about the inside-joked theme merchandise as well. Wouldn’t it be great to get those sweatpants with the writing on the bum that says something like, “STOP STAREING, MANAGEING PARTNER.”?

          3. I would so order that. Maybe polls to vote on our favoritest C#$@#$#tte memes.

          4. I also think there should be at least one t-shirt that says

            “We’re all the intern with the Birkin.”

            You know at least Kanye would buy it.

          5. My other request is a men’s tank top. That’s what I wear to the gym and it’s one of the few places I wear logo tees.

    3. OH no…moderation for the name of the site, which is so ironic it hurts.

      But guys…there’s a snuggie. For wearing to meetings!!!!!!!!!!

  16. Ladies, I have a problem. I’m supposed to move on June 1… and I just can not get my sorry butt to start packing. I have a 2BR apartment, and I’m going to be out of town Memorial Day weekend. So I need to at least get a good start soon.

    But how to get motivated? Ugh. Any ideas? I hate moving so much!

    1. I also hate moving! It helps me to set goals–e.g., “box up x number of boxes a day” or “get bookshelves cleared by x.”

    2. Start getting boxes from work (or where ever) and eventually the sight of them will motivate you or annoy you into starting. To add to 30’s (ha totally appropriate apostrophe!), one goal could be: pack up your winter clothes and coats. I just moved too and I had the same problem getting motivated so I did barely anything and I ended up staying up all night packing before the movers came. Also, everytime you meet a goal, you could buy something fun for your new place. That would have helped me too if I knew what I wanted/needed ahead of time. (Like new curtains or fun new decorating decals, frames, etc.) Hope this helps.

    3. Um…would you like to hear the nightmare story of when my husband and I left off packing our apartment to move into our house when we bought it and it turned into a total catastrophe involving three U-Haul rentals, three weekends of work, and more exhaustion than I’d really like to complicate?

      No? Yeah, me neither. God I hate moving.

      1. I have a nightmare moving story, too. The closest I have ever come to leaving my now-husband is when we moved him out of his apartment and to my new apartment in a different state. He basically came up with excuses to not pack anything until the day before (“but we might still need the kitchen utensils, let’s just wait and pack those up at the last minute”). It was agony. We were up until well after midnight on the night before the move — still packing. We got up at the crack of dawn after just a few hours of sleep to finish packing/loading, then we had to clean the entire place, and THEN we had to drive the stupid moving van for like 6 hours AND UNLOAD the entire van. It was, I am pretty sure, the worst day of my life.

        Learn from my mistakes. Start packing immediately.

    4. More nightmare stories, keep them coming. Thank you so much. I think it’s working.

      The problem is that I’m so tired after working all day, so I don’t want to pack in the evening on weekdays… and then my boyfriend just went and decided to have a Mother’s Day BBQ at our house on Sunday. So there goes my Sunday packing.

      1. No! Brilliant idea!! Everybody has to pack a box before they get a hotdog. DONE!!

      2. Yes, make it a Moving Party!! That is perfect!

        Also, when you get home in the evenings, just give yourself *one* task before you can do anything else. Like clear one shelf, or pack one box. The smaller the task the better, b/c it’s less overwhelming. It’s hard, but you will realllly appreciate it later.

      1. Agree. Depending on the size of your place, it will likely be less than $1,000. Professional packers are much, much faster than you. I think you could also just have them do specific rooms too, if for example you dread packing up the kitchen.

      2. I totally wanted to do this, but boyfriend vetoed it. It’s like he wants to get the manly satisfaction out of moving everything himself. Except that means, me too, and I’m certainly not doing it for manly satisfaction. Next time I’m putting my foot down.

        1. FAIL! he isn’t allowed the manly satisfaction if He’s Not Packing, and he’s leaving you to do it!! Dumb boys! ;o)

        2. Grrr. This is how our last horrendous moving experience arose. Hubbie got cheap and refused to hire movers to pack us and move us. Grrr. Now, even though we own a house and aren’t moving for years, I remind him every three months or so that we’re never doing it again. Period.

    1. Today is my bday! I’m 36, happily married, 15 wks pregnant and thus wearing one of the few tops I have left that fits well (and, yes, my pants are not completely buttoned). I think I have about a week, maybe two before the “big reveal” at work….

  18. Yea Kat! Congrats! I love the name. So funny your dad said it sounds like cigarette. Typical Dad comment.

  20. happy birthday! as an engineer, i certainly enjoy reading a blog that’s not just a “hey i’m a wife-with-too-much-time-on-my-hands-so-i’m-going-to-write-meaningless-things” kind of blog :D

    2. Agreed. I used to love the Anthropologie-focused blogs, but too many were “hey i’m a REALLY RICH wife with too much time AND MONEY on my hands, so I’m going to write meaningless things about my OOTD!”

  21. Thanks for this great blog, Kat! You’re awesome, you’re blog is awesome, and we love you!

  23. Happy birthday, Corporette, and thank you for all your contributions to my lawyer drag. You’ve helped my jeans-and-hoodie-wearing self successfully fake something resembling a sense of style.

  25. Happy birthday to the best blog ever and the one that I check most often next to gmail!! Thanks to Corporette, I have managed to transform from a somewhat apathetic shopper who didn’t have a clue about my personal style to a professional woman who looks put together, classy, and consistently gets compliments on my style.

    My number one take away from this blog is to invest in quality, not quantity. I used to be the kind of person who only shopped at thrift stores/Ross/Marshalls and could not fathom paying more than $50 for an article of clothing. Now I still shop at those stores but supplement them with other purchases, and those purchases are all classic and will last me for years.

    So Kat – a huge thanks!

    1. I totally agree on the quality vs. quantity. I used to constantly be looking at inexpensive purses trying to find “the one.” Little did I know that “the one” would be a Kate Spade tote that has caused me to stop wasting money on cheap bags. Woohoo!

      1. I’m still not there re: bags, I still buy mine from Marshalls or Ross mostly. The problem is that my bag gets beat up so quickly that I can’t bring myself to buy a really nice one. And as for the inside of my purse — it’s not pretty!

        1. Yeah, me too. Plus, I go to the flea market and get $30 bags for $5. Thus, I feel like I’m getting a deal, and my current bag has held up for about a year. I’m about to start looking for a replacement, but for $5? I can go get 50 more before I even start to approach the spending limit for a Kate Spade.

          1. Yeah but the other night when I was hosting craft night, I was trying to hunt out my extra mortarboard for a friend/colleague and I discovered a stash of at least three leather bags that I had never used. Mostly really inexpensive from Wilson Leather. One had the tags still on it. I took them downstairs and offered them to all of the ladies in the room.

  26. Happy Birthday to the Blog I love to read way way too much!

    I have been reading almost since the begining and have loved seeing it grow into an awesome community of wonderful people.

  29. Thanks for all of the advice :-) I’m a baby reader but will be one for years to come.

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