Welcome 2010! A new year is a fresh start and a good opportunity to do some personal editing. I like to get rid of things at home I don’t use or that weigh me down (the set of wedding china I picked out with Husband No. 1 fits both categories, for instance). I make a list of projects I’d like to complete this year, such as laying stone pathways in the yard.
I just returned from my first big buying trip of the new year. My sister and I attended the New York International Gift Fair, a yearly event for us. I always find the most wonderful assortment of handmade and remarkable gifts for the shop at this show, from American and European artists. This year I went a little crazy on handbags — a personal weakness! I picked up three new lines ranging from equestrian-inspired designs to city chic. Take a look:
Betsy bag with rosette detail
Cub shopper, made in Germany
Pony bag, made in Germany
And how about this cutie, made in America:
The Kimberly
I also found handmade accessories for the home, like this rustic handcrafted bowl made in western Massachusetts from local wood.
Spaulted maple bowl
In my search for American made products, I’m finding there are still many great craftspeople in this country, many of whom exhibited at the New York Gift Show. My new stock will be arriving at the shop in a couple weeks.
New York City is so fashionable that I always have to allow myself at least one day to shop for clothes. Everybody was wearing puffy down coats and jeans tucked into high, sleek boots. Since it was bitterly cold up there, I had no choice but to buy a new coat and boots to match all those smart-looking city people.
After a day of shopping, we stopped into the Bull and Bear at the Waldorf Astoria for a proper drink. We treated ourselves to dinner that night at the China Grill on West 53rd Street, where the atmosphere is full of energy and the food is nothing short of art. Try a pink halo champagne cocktail ( just be careful climbing the circular staircase to the ladies’ lounge afterwards).
The groundhog saw his shadow while I was away, so we’ve got six more weeks of winter. But shopping always eases the winter blues!
