Last week I had a quick work trip to New York City. I rode the train there on Wednesday, had a work event that evening, another work commitment in the morning, and then hopped back on the train Thursday afternoon to come home. Of course, if I’m going to go to NYC, I might as well do a little shopping in my down time… obviously!
I spent some time at the Bryant Park Winter Village, which was right across the street from our hotel. I also did a little bit of thrifting while I was there.
What to see what I bought?
Oh and when I could find them, I included links in this post. Please note, NONE of these links are sponsored… so don’t feel like I’m trying to get you to buy things. I just really love what I purchased and thought I’d include links in case you see something for yourself or something you want to buy as a holiday gift!
First up, I’m totally obsessed with this handmade leather and metal bracelet:
I found it at one of the shops in the Winter Village and it cost $30. I tried to find them online and was totally unsuccessful. I Love, Love, LOVE this bracelet though. It looks great on its own and will also stack well with my other favorite bracelets too. This will basically be on my wrist from now until the end of time.
The Strand bookstore had a booth at the Winter Village and I could have spent all day in there. As it was, I kind of cleaned the place out with some purchases.
May the Books You Read Light the Way Tote Bag
Find it here
I swear the Strand must have a relationship with Rifle Paper Co, because they have a few things that look co-designed with Rifle (but most aren’t marked as such). I loved this bag so much when I saw it and then even more once I bought it and realized it has a little inside zip pocket and a zipper at the top. I use cute canvas bags like this on a regular basis for hauling stuff to work, packing for short trips, or even just going shopping (so I don’t need a disposable bag). This bag was $20 and I will be using it a ton.
When in Doubt, Go to the Library Shirt
Find it here
This shirt is super soft and not only includes my love of libraries, but the Harry Potter series… so I had to buy it. I did size up to an XL because it looks like it’s a juniors cut. I’m glad I did too, because I tried it on when I got back to my room and it was still a bit fitted. They also have a men’s version.
Sassy Buttons
Nasty Women Read: find it here
Well Read Women: find it here
Hermione 2020: find it here
YES, YES and YES. These went directly on my new tote bag.
I originally was thinking I’d purchase some gorgeous handmade natural Olive wood cutting boards for my siblings for Christmas gifts… but they didn’t seem that into the idea. So, I bought myself stuff instead. You can find the company here: www.NaturalOliveWood.com and I basically wanted to buy one of everything for my house. I calmed myself down though and only ended up with four items:
Each piece is made from olive trees in Tunisia that no longer produce olives. Every item has its own distinctive wood grain and I took my time picking out a set that looked perfect to my eyes. I chose a flat spatula and two cooking spoons (they had a ‘buy 3 for $10 each’ special), as well as a spoon rest.
Here’s the cooking spoon: find it here
Here’s the flat spatula: find it here
I love the idea of buying a cutting board and pairing it with some fancy cheeses for a holiday gift (this one is super cute). Or even buying an assortment of spoons like I did. You can find all of their products here.
I mentioned that I did a little thrifting and I was able to hit up two shops. My first stop was The Thrifty HoG (11 W 25th Street). They are more like a consignment shop than a thrift store, which is nice because they have lots of super high-end brands. However, they also have higher prices. Even though I walked around a bit, nothing really caught my eye.
My second stop was at a nearby Goodwill (103 W 25th Street). HOLY MOLY did I see some amazing brands! There was a fantastic Tory Burch dress (which I later found out was my sister’s size… kicking myself for not buying it). I also found THREE pairs of Tory Burch shoes (all not my size or in icky condition), a pair of Diane Von Furstenburg heels, a Vince leather jacket, and tons of Anthropologie brands. If I were a size XS I would have totally cleaned up!
As it is, I only ended up coming home with one purchase:
These metallic leather gladiator sandals are just my size and exactly my style. I snapped them up for $10.
If I had more time, I would have liked to stop at another few thrift stores. But I’ll just have to cross my fingers that when I go to Philadelphia for a similar trip next week I find some fun thrift stores to browse!