NYC Days 5 & 6: Doughnuts, shopping and Christmas-ness

On day 5, we decided that all New Yorkers clearly eat doughnuts for breakfast and therefore we must do the same. We headed to Doughnut Plant and had some of the biggest doughnuts I’d ever seen.

I wore: my bought-the-day-before Rachel Roy “Tigers” T-shirt, which I love! It fits so nicely and has a built-in necklace! Over it, I wore my garish black and gold Forever 21 jumper. I felt that all that gold needed some silver to counterbalance it so I wore my Forever 21 spiky bracelet, and vintage silver rings. The pink and green earrings are from Asos but have since broken.. 😦

3 things I definitely need in my house one day:

1.) A doughnut pillow feature wall

2.) A disco toilet

3.) Doughnuts

We did some shopping, notably at the superbly cheap Earrings Plaza where I bought green (Christmassy!) earrings and the most hilarious bracelet ever:

It’s really hard trying to get this frog to pose so that a.) you can tell it’s a frog and b.) it doesn’t look weirdly phallic…

It was around this time that I decided to do a spectacular comedy fall down the street and land on everything I’d bought, whilst simultaneously embarrassing myself in front of half of New York. (Ok, I may be exaggerating. It may have only been four tenths.) On the plus side I can now say: Don’t believe what you’ve heard about New Yorkers! They are nice! No one stepped over me! Even though I was with someone, at least 4 people came and offered assistance and asked me if I was alright! Don’t believe the hype!

I of course, being British, just blushed and apologised to everyone, including the pavement, about a million times.

Breakfast: check. Shopping: check. Humiliations galore: check. It must be time for lunch! We went to meet a cousin of mine who’s studying there at the moment, and had BBQ at Mighty Quinn’s in the East Village. It was really fun, especially since he got propositioned by an “older woman” (her words) outside the restaurant, and now we can tease him about how he basically said yes for the rest of his life. 🙂

Some more shopping, around Bond Street (being endlessly excited that Bond Street is a major shopping street in London too… We are such tourists!)

In Kith

I love this hat. If only I had more money than sense (or was Kanye West), that beauty would be by my bed right now, ready to crack me up whenever I feel blue. *sigh*

In the evening, we decided to go and watch the lighting of the big Christmas tree in Rockefeller Centre (sorry, “Center”). Thankfully, it wasn’t too cold. It was, however, insanely crowded, meaning that we couldn’t actually see Rockefeller Center where the big pre-lighting concert was happening. We could see the tree from side on, and we basically stood there for 3 and a half hours watching a TV screen of something that was happening around the corner, and the side of an unlit tree. The actual lighting was a tad anticlimactic but the tree was beautiful and the atmosphere was Christmassy so I was really glad we went. (And I’m totally counting this as having seen Mariah, Mary J., Toni Braxton and the Rockettes (amongst others) live!)

Oooooooh…..

Five Guys for dinner then a nice stroll back to the hotel through Times Square…

DAY 6

Our final day (*sob*) was really only a morning. We headed to Columbus Circle Christmas market (I loooove Christmas markets!) It was super early and I was knackered though so my enthusiasm wasn’t immediately noticeable:

The market was pricey but had loads of cool stalls and good food. I was obsessed with the above Christmas tree decorations (especially the Chrysler building ones), but they were really expensive so I had to pass. The below stall (Pamela Barsky) was a different matter. It sold all these really cool pencil/make-up cases with funny slogans on them, that I couldn’t resist…

I bought a few for friends and family (even though they were a bit pricey too) and this one for myself, which I’ve actually been using as a clutch as it’s too fun just to be seen by the inside of my medicine cabinet!:

I really liked all the gold leafy hairbands here but again, a bit expensive.

A quick stroll through Central Park…

Then on to JFK for a delicious “last supper” at Shake Shack and a long trip home…

New York, as ever, you were great! Sorry it took me a year to finish blogging about you, it wasn’t for lack of inspiration!

Happy Friday!

Love,

The Styletterie

NYC Day 4: The High Line & Macy’s

So, because I am something of a procrastinator and also very easily distracted, I never actually finished

Oh look a butterfly!! Brb, just having lunch.

Sorry, what was I saying? Right, I never actually finished blogging about my trip to New York this time last year. So, as it’s winter again and I fancied reliving it and being miserable that I’m not there now, I figured I’d try and finish off. (One of my new year’s resolutions – in 2013 -was to finish things I start. Better late than never, right?!)

Day 4 dawned bright and crisp, and we headed to the High Line which is basically a park above Manhattan’s West Side. It used to be an elevated freight rail line and is now a gorgeous public park about 3 storeys above New York. I really enjoyed walking along it, the greenery is so pretty and it has art installations and sculptures all along, including the nose in a wheelbarrow, pictured above, and this lady below, who I can only assume is modelled on Tilda Swinton’s less successful sister.

Stumbled onto some sort of film shoot.

Just chillin’… It is such a nice idea to have a peaceful little park in the sky where you can escape for a bit.

I wore: my Urban Outfitters baby doll style dress (as seen in my first ever blog post!), with leggings, Office booties and about 55 cardigans, along with my weird stag skull necklace that I think I got from River Island. I covered up with my grey French Connection coat (bought on sale in Bicester, back when they still had a FCUK *sob*) and my Zara scarf (that clashed so badly with my dress!) and I carried my mini pink leopard print backpack that I’ve had since 1999. I also wore my Dorothy Perkins spiky hairband because it makes me feel like the Statue of Liberty. Unfortunately, it also hurts like hell so I have to remove it every half hour or so to regain the feeling on the sides of my head. I am nothing if not determined though so I refuse to give up on it. Feeling like Lady Liberty is too important not to at least try. (Life lessons from The Styletterie!)

Our High Line stroll took us right to Chelsea Market where we ate at Artichoke Basille (supposed to be amazing, but I was underwhelmed), had milkshakes and shopped for a bit. The above was in Anthropologie, where I could have bought everything, if only it wasn’t so darn overpriced!

 World’s ugliest (and giant-est!) shoe…

 Chelsea Market…

Back to the hotel to nap and drop off our bags, then off to Macy’s, which is my favourite place! It’s not as highbrow as some of the other big New York department stores (and not as pretentious as some of the markets/”indie” places) which means I can actually buy stuff! Yay! (Plus, when we went, it was during Black Friday week, which I had never heard of before, although this year seems to have become a ‘thing’ here in the UK too.) (Plus plus, foreigners get a tax free card in Macy’s so everything is, like, 11% off!)

Looove Rachel Roy… Some of my all time favourite USA purchases are Rachel Roy for Macy’s…

 I really wanted this apron!

 Spot the tourist… 

After yet another nap (holidays really take it out of you), we went for a drink at The Breslin which was a cool bar with great cocktails that my photos don’t do justice to, then on to Kyo Chon in Koreatown for dinner, where I became obsessed with Shazaming all the K-pop songs being shown on the TV, before getting home and realising that without the mesmerising videos and accompanying Korean food, they really weren’t my thing!

 The Breslin.

After all those naps we were exhausted, and so another day was done.

Hope everyone is having a good week! 😀

Love,

The Styletterie

NYC Day 3, Part 2: Grand Central &The Campbell Apartment

 

Back to my December trip to NYC. (I took so many photos that I can’t not blog about it, even if it is a tad on the late side. And let’s face it, I live my whole life a tad on the late side so what the hey.) My 3rd evening there, I put on my new black lace top from Express (again! Yes, I bought out the whole shop, what do you want from me, it was 40% off everything!) and we walked (past the Chrysler building -so stunning) to Grand Central Station. I had been to New York before but never seen Grand Central. It is so gorgeous! You would never guess it was a train station.

 Top- Express, Hatband – Teddy. I paired this with tight black trousers and wedge booties (and then a million cardis and coats obviously! Well, it was December.)

The Chrysler Building

Approaching Grand Central

 

 

We went in and made a beeline for (the main reason we went to New York, they have one in London now that’s amazing but not quite the same…) Shake Shack! It was, as ever, delicious!

 Kind of wishing I’d bought this tee, actually…

 After dinner, we headed down Vanderbilt Avenue to The Campbell Apartment. I’m going to reveal myself as spectacularly uncool right now (ok, it was hardly a secret) and admit that I really wanted to go because it had been featured in Gossip Girl. It is where we see the flashback of Nate and Serena’s steamy/traitorous/watched-by-Chuck one night stand in Season 1 and where Dan and Serena have a steamy/traitorous/filmed-by-Serena one night stand in Season 6.

 

 

I leaned there!!! (I probably shouldn’t be so excited about this…)

 

The bag is vintage, I think it used to belong to my Grandmother (who incidentally lived in New York for many years)

The bar itself is really cool, actually. It very much lives up to its tagline of “Cocktails from another era”, although I had a glass of champagne instead of a cocktail as it just seemed appropriate, dahhling. It’s very “old New York”, the décor is that of a swanky 1920s living room, all warm colours and comfy armchairs, whilst remaining completely upmarket. They don’t accept underdressed people but I have a feeling that being overdressed would be worse. The hostesses all wear demure, black, knee-length wrap dresses, with low-heeled black pumps and 3 strands of pearls. I loved it!

 I want a sign like this for my house. It will read: “Proper attire required. Absolutely no Crocs, beige, Jesus sandals, see-through bra straps, kitten heels or pointy toe shoes. Fluffy slippers permitted.”

 

A lot of the bars in New York are very “Brooklyn” these days, all deliberately distressed, warehouse, faux dive bar-y etc. so it was really nice to experience a little quintessential NY glamour. This was definitely one of my highlights and (although I wouldn’t recommend spending a whole evening there- unless you have cash to burn obviously, in which case, have fun and can I come?!) I would absolutely recommend going there for a drink or two, just to soak up the luxurious New York atmosphere and pretend that you live in the 1920s.

Or in Gossip Girl.

You know you love me,

XOXO

The Styletterie

;-p

NYC Day 3, Part 1: The Met, Central Park & Dinosaur

So, I realise that my trip to New York was actually ages ago now, but I keep being distracted from blogging about it by a.) blogging about other things and b.) reading everyone else’s blogs which then inspires me which results in me wanting to blog which results in me noticing other people’s exciting looking blogs and you see where this is going.

So anyway, better late than never, right? (Or so I keep trying to convince my mother for whom my tardiness is nothing short of the Devil deliberately trying to upset her.)

Anyhoo, Day 3 dawned bright and crisp and off we headed through the Upper East Side…

Happy New Year!

It’s New Year’s Eve and I’m very excited! (All my optimism manifests on this day and then starts ebbing away as of about midday tomorrow, so I try to enjoy it while I can!) I am at work today and heading straight out for the evening so my outfit is pretty standard. However, who needs jazzy clothes when we live in a world in which ACCESSORIES exist?!! For a special occasion, I can never resist blinging it up massively so here is what I’m wearing today:

Start spreading the news… NYC: Day 1

Last Saturday morning, I set off at crack of dawn o’clock to catch a flight to JFK (I don’t know what it is but I always feel so cool saying “JFK”) to spend a few days in New York with my main squeeze. To travel I wore this comfy, stretchy ASOS dress, with leggings and boots. I also wore my angel wing earrings as I always wear flying themed jewellery when I’m getting on a plane. You never know, it might help…

(Please forgive my lack of decent and/or full-length pictures. There was no full-length mirror in my hotel room – travesty- and I was too embarrassed to ask my bf to take posey outfit shots of me! I became one of those lunatics who takes pictures of herself in public bathrooms and any random reflective surface while I was there…)

I had intended to change before going out in the evening but I fell asleep instead. Oops. After a power nap, we headed to Park Slope, making mental notes of shops to visit, and had BBQ for dinner at Fort Reno (cool place, food nice but not amazing) before heading to the Polonsky Shakespeare Center (it pains me to spell “centre” like that)  in Brooklyn for a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which was brilliant, with an incredible cast and awesome visual effects.

Miss American Pie

Yes, I am the most embarrassing tourist ever…..

Happy Thanksgiving one and all! Not being American, I don’t actually celebrate Thanksgiving (and truth be told, am pretty sketchy on the historical details surrounding it) but I do love the idea of a holiday that’s a.) a day off, b.) a time to see your family, c.) not religious therefore all inclusive, d.) not about presents and e.) a time to remember and celebrate all the things we’re thankful for. (Because we all know how easy it is to focus mainly on the things that suck!) So in honour of this holiday (and given that I do love a theme!) here are 2 very American outfits that I wore when I was in the USA in the summer of 2011.

The red, white and blue outfit (dress from Zara, bag from Oasis) was worn at a Yankees game in New York (complete with pink Yankee hat that I bought about 12 years ago because, ahem, Victoria Beckham had one.) and yes, I posed like that A LOT.

The American flag tee (Miss Selfridge) was worn in LA that same summer. (My belt, which you can’t really see, has a Harley Davidson American Eagle buckle as well. Sometimes I think I take themes too literally…)

And I did the American flag inspired nails for a birthday party I had at a bowling alley one year, figuring that bowling and Americana go hand in hand!

Also, speaking of posing like a nerd, over-theming my clothes and being inspired by American activities, SPOILER ALERT, I am going to New York on Saturday for a few days!!! I am insanely excited and am going to take pictures of everything with a view to blogging about it.

Let the packing crisis begin!

Happy Thanksgiving (and Happy Hannukah, if you’re celebrating)!

Love,

The Styletterie