Junk Shoppin' in 'Bama

Among the many things I've been doing during my stay in Alabama, I've been hitting up lots of small town junk shops searching for treasures. The South seems to lay claim to this unique type of shop... something I haven't run across in any other part of the country. These go beyond thrift stores. They're not charity shops. They're just... junk shops. Need a pencil drawing of a Nascar driver? They've got you covered. Need a box of fake fingernails? Yep, they've got that too (I spared you the photo of that one). An old kitchen sink? I'm sure there's one lying around somewhere.

But among the junk there are certainly treasures to be found. In the back of this shop, we found a warehouse full of old linens, old clothes and shoes, suitcases, dishes... pretty much every kind of junk you could think of. It was hot as Hades (no air-conditioning on a typically hot Southern day) but my sister (that's her in the photo) and I braved the sweltering conditions to rummage through the piles. At the end of our many stops in towns with names like Sylacauga and Childersburg, I had collected a bag full of vintage dresses for the shop, another floppy wool hat for myself and a piece of cream colored pottery to add to my collection for the dining room table.

Hershey Park

On Monday Tom and I both took the day off to spend some time at Hershey Park. It was my first trip and I was super excited because I'd heard so many fun things about it. It did not disappoint! Mostly we walked around and people watched and rode a few rides; the ferris wheel, the swings, the old-timey cars. Tom doesn't really do roller coasters but he was a real trooper and rode the Comet with me. Like I said before, I'm a bit of a roller coaster junkie and Hershey Park has a ton of them, but I only rode the Comet and the Storm Chaser. Whoa... the Storm Chaser. Let's just say I had no idea what I was getting myself into with that one. It shoots you like a rocket from 0 to 72 mph in two seconds! Then up 18 stories, then straight back down. Then a loop and some barrel rolls. Then I thought I was going to pass out. Seriously, my hands were numb when I got off the ride!



After that, I was all roller-coastered out so we ate a nutritious lunch of cheese fries and funnel cakes and headed over to Chocolate World. It was all I expected it to be! It's mostly a super corny ride complete with creepy animatronic cows singing about the virtues of milk chocolate. Then they let you off into a huge gift shop filled to the brim with every sort of chocolate treat you can think of. On our way out, we were stopped by a guy that asked us a few strange questions and then told us we had been chosen to do a secret taste test of a new product! That pretty much made my day. We were escorted to a back room and given saltine crackers and water to eat to cleanse our palette. Then we had to eat a new kind of chocolate and give our feedback. It was really good!

Washington DC

- Fletcher for Lyell romper
- UO canvas skimmers
- vintage coach purse



From the looks of the photos it may seem that we had a chilly day to walk around the capital, but it was actually quite hot and sticky. A few rain showers interrupted our day but over all it was quite nice. Mostly I wanted to wear something that would be comfortable, keep me cool and dry out quickly in case we got rained on. This romper was good for all three!



The first part of the day we spent walking around Georgetown. We took a walk along the canal, visited the staircase from The Exorcist and did a little shopping. I had a UO gift card that was easily spent on a couple of dresses and a hat for Tom. Photos of those later! Luckily all of the rain came while we were shopping so it was easy to duck into a store whenever called for.



Speaking of ducks (har, har)... after tiring ourselves of shopping we headed over to the mall for some touristy action. We'd planned on going to the top of the Washington Monument but didn't end up with enough time so instead we looked on from afar. The reflecting pool was full of ducks and ducklings which was enough to entertain me for the rest of the afternoon. I caught this little guy showing off some of his super-cute-baby-duck-moves.

As for The National show, the whole reason we were there to begin with... it was amazing! I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone. They played tons of songs (nearly the entire new album) and sounded great.

Oh, and thanks to everyone for the well wishes on my jury duty experience. I have good news! After hours of waiting in jury-duty-purgatory, the case I was called in for was settled at the last minute. Yay! That means I was dismissed for the week and can't be recalled for another three years. Whew!

Calke Abbey

I keep a list of places that I must visit: that list just got longer! I'm adding Calke Abbey. I know I'm probably the last one on the boat for this one, but I've just discovered it through Teen Angster who was reposting it from Hello Mr. Fox (it's a-going viral, y'all!). It's just so, so perfect I couldn't resist adding to my blog as well.

Calke Abbey is near Ticknall, Derbyshire, England (those names always sound so romantic to my American ears). It was built between 1701 and 1704 by Sir John Harpur, the 4th baronet of his family. I'm not even sure what that means! The estate was passed down through the family, all the while suffering from neglect and various stages of abandonment. When the house was handed over to the National Trust in the 1980s, the estate had remained untouched since the 1880s! Rather than begin restoration, the Trust preserved the remains as an example of a country house in decay, halting the deterioration but not reversing it.

I imagine this is sort of like what Grey Gardens would have been like if someone had stepped in and preserved it before it went into total disrepair and ruin. Only on a MUCH grander scale.

Southern Road Trip Diary, pt 4

photos by Tom b.

- H&M dress
- AA floppy hat
- UO flats
- 70s leather & wood sandals (had to trade out for the flats to walk around in the animal pens!)


(cute barn cat... feeding the goats... petting Elliot the donkey)

Our last stop on our trip was spending the night in Stuart, VA. Our friends Tanja and Jeff live in an old farm house with about a billion animals all around. Pretty much heaven! The animals are a result of Tanja's involvement with a local animal rescue group. Most of them were abused or abandoned and have found a wonderful new home on their farm. If I remember correctly there were 3 goats, 2 sheep, 2 horses, a donkey named Elliot, 5 dogs, 5 ducks, a few visiting geese, 5 guinea hens and 20-something cats! The cats of course were my favorite (if I had to pick). There were house cats and barn cats, forest cats and porch cats! Inside the house there was a cat room where the fosters were kept while waiting for adoption.


(Elliot the donkey... hanging out by the barn... goat head butts!)

Tom snapped plenty of photos of the goats and Elliot the donkey but the horses and sheep were pretty shy. Well, except for when Tom would kneel down to take a photo. Then the sheep would sneak up behind him to check him out!


(goats like to have their photos taken too... I was on a hair-washing strike on our trip - day six!)

I think if Tom had to pick a favorite it may have been Barney the three-legged chow. He is the resident watch dog and just one big teddy-bear of a dog. And then there was Love Bug the cat who sort of thought he was a dog and followed us everywhere we went. Too cute!

Tanja treated us to lots of hearty food during our visit including fresh duck eggs for breakfast. I'd never eaten duck eggs but I'm always up for trying something new and I have to say it was quite good! They're a bit larger than chicken eggs and have a creamier texture. I imagine they would be wonderful to bake with.

While we were visiting I was wonderfully inspired by all of the work Tanja is doing with the local animal rescue group. I was hoping there would be a way to donate help directly to her group. Then I found out that they work with PetFinder.com for all of their adoptions and donations. If you'd like to support Tanja and so many others like her, or if you're thinking adding a pet to your family, I highly recommend that you take a moment to learn a bit more about Pet Finder.


(the big dogs... the farmhouse... Tom and Barney... Tanja... little lady goat)

Southern Road Trip Diary, pt 3

photos by Tom b.

- H&M dress
- UO flats
- 70s tooled leather purse

Lest you think that our entire trip was spent laying around on country porches, here are a few photos from our day trip into Birmingham. This is the city where I was born and raised and it's always a treat to come back to visit. Our first stop upon arrival was the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. The rose garden was in full bloom! It was a truly hot southern day with temperatures in the 90s. I'm not used to that anymore so I pretty much felt like I was melting the whole time.


(the Japanese Garden and the Rose Garden at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens)

No trip to B'ham is complete without a stop at The Garage. We're usually there at night to sit in the beer garden and drink a few Hoegaardens but this time we sat in the air conditioning to enjoy our sandwiches and sodas. After lunch we headed over to the Civil Rights Museum which doesn't allow any photography so I don't have any photos to show you, but it's definitely worth a stop if you're ever in town.


(stopping for lunch at The Garage)

Southern Road Trip Diary, pt 2

(having a garden veggie dinner on the back porch... mom, sister & me) All photos by Tom b.

Most nights we ate dinner out at little country diners but one night we were treated to a meal of veggies, all grown in my mom's backyard garden. Squash and green beans and potatoes! Yum!


(Allison and I on Pulpit Rock... the view from the top... baby birds!... cooling my toes... Devil's Den)

One day we made a little road trip to Talladega National Forest. I grew up camping in the parks there so it's always fun to go back and visit. We climbed the tower at Mt. Cheaha, the highest point in Alabama then had a picnic lunch at Lake Chinnabee. We also did a little hiking. One hike took us out to Pulpit Rock and another took us to Devil's Den waterfall where we cooled our toes in the water.

Southern Road Trip Diary, pt 1

(hanging out with Allison, my sister and Maddie... spontaneous napping on the porch) All photos by Tom b.

Here are a few photos from our trip down south. It all began with a 14 hour car ride. The first night there was a whopper of a thunderstorm that rolled through. It was the same storm that caused all of the terrible flooding in Tennessee. We were lucky and only received about 5 inches of rain. I have to admit I really enjoyed hearing the rain hitting the tin roof and the big rumbling thunder. I miss southern thunderstorms!


(the animal kingdom... Gabby, George, Maddie, Buttercup)

Being at my parent's log house means one thing in particular. Lots of porch time! Their porch reaches 360 degrees, all the way around the house. On every side and corner you'll find a new place to hang out... hammocks, rocking chairs, porch swings. There was a lot of hanging out on the porch with Maddie, the 115 pound Rottweiler that thinks she's still a little lap dog. She's sort of the third sister in the family. Then there's Gabby, the latest addition to the family in the form of a feisty little lizard hunting kitten. Then of course there are the chickens! Cute little bantams named George, Buttercup and Dumplin'.


(the fams hanging in the screen house... playing Elliot, my sister's boyfriend in checkers... Tom's porch swing nap!)

More porch time! This time in the form of the screen house, a little building in the middle of the woods that's basically one big screened-in porch. We played home-made checkers and sat around listening for forest creatures scurrying in the woods.


(collecting rocks for skipping... the moms and me sunning on the rocks)

Once we were good and tired of sitting on the porch (ha, ha) we wandered over to the Mill Pond. Back when the area was full of farmers they would bring their crops here to be milled. There's nothing left of the old mill but all of the rain had the water rushing high between the rocks. Much time was spent sunning on the banks and searching for the perfect rocks to skip in the pond.

Things I Did in NYC

Navigated the city all by myself without getting lost once, ate ice cream for breakfast, walked til I had blisters on both feet, tried on a dozen vintage dress, bought two, stopped for midnight pizza slices, refused to stand in line for a fitting room at Urban Outfitters, was the least metal person at a very metal show (can you spot Tom in the photo pit?), hung out backstage at Irving Plaza, took sneaky photos in the Lyell dressing room, had lunch at Curly's (thanks for that recommendation!), loved No Relation Vintage on the LES, got stopped on the street by a tourist asking for directions, was actually able to give directions, ate kung pao at VP2 not once but twice, watched a Joe Strummer documentary, sat on a park bench and people watched, sat on a park bench and dog watched, saw my first daffodil of the season, hung out with old friends and made new friends.

Things I Did in NYC

Navigated the city all by myself without getting lost once, ate ice cream for breakfast, walked til I had blisters on both feet, tried on a dozen vintage dress, bought two, stopped for midnight pizza slices, refused to stand in line for a fitting room at Urban Outfitters, was the least metal person at a very metal show (can you spot Tom in the photo pit?), hung out backstage at Irving Plaza, took sneaky photos in the Lyell dressing room, had lunch at Curly's (thanks for that recommendation!), loved No Relation Vintage on the LES, got stopped on the street by a tourist asking for directions, was actually able to give directions, ate kung pao at VP2 not once but twice, watched a Joe Strummer documentary, sat on a park bench and people watched, sat on a park bench and dog watched, saw my first daffodil of the season, hung out with old friends and made new friends.

Chelsea Flea Market

all photos by Tom b.

We're back! It was an amazing weekend in the city that never sleeps. Quite an accurate name since being there makes me never want to sleep. There's just too much to do and I feel like I'm missing out on something every time my head hits the pillow. There is much to share from our weekend adventure but I thought I'd start with the best part; Saturday morning at the Chelsea Flea Market with Andreja.

I know I'm always going on and on about the weather but it's worth mentioning that it was an absolutely gorgeous day. A perfect day for a trip to the flea market! I've always wanted to go to the Chelsea Flea but for some reason had never made it there. I was super excited about finally going and I was not disappointed!

As soon as we walked in we spotted a group of lovely 60s coats hanging along the wall. Andreja tried on a baby blue one while I tried a cropped grey one. Meanwhile Tom was busying himself snapping photos of the whole scene. Well, that was apparently not going to work for the vendor at this booth! She basically hurled herself across the floor, arms flailing, screaming "do not take photos of my clothes!" Um, really? Someone please explain this to me! Why are people so sensitive about taking photos at flea markets? This was not the last time we were asked to not take photos in the market (however it was the rudest and most arm-flailing). So... a huge thank you to Tom for braving the crazy vendors and sneakily snapping all of these photos! And now, with no further ado, the photos that caused all of the fuss...



Andreja ended up taking that gorgeous baby blue coat home with her. Don't you love that notched collar?! It almost makes me wish for a few more cold days so she'd have a chance to wear it before putting it away for the summer. I was on the lookout for summer dresses. I found a few but most were out of my price range (ugh, NYC prices!). The little striped dress you see in the first photo below was my favorite of the bunch. It's a homesewn dress that was never quite finished; there's no zipper down the back. I knew it would need a bit of work but I thought it had tons of potential so I took it home with me. I think it's going to be the thing that finally gets me to find a tailor!



There was much to be seen at the market besides clothes; stacks of old letters and photographs, trays full of old typeface letters, vintage cameras and lost more! I'm already getting excited about going back next time we're in NY, whenever that may be. Afterward we headed to VP2 for some veggie hot 'n sour and kung pao. Yummmm.

I have lots more photos from our trip to show you... like sneaky Lyell dressing room photos! And a crazy show at Irving Plaza! But for now it's back to work time. I've got lots of goodies in store for the Etsy shop this week. It's good to be back!

P.S. I'm really not that short! Andreja's just reallly tall!

Chelsea Flea Market

all photos by Tom b.

We're back! It was an amazing weekend in the city that never sleeps. Quite an accurate name since being there makes me never want to sleep. There's just too much to do and I feel like I'm missing out on something every time my head hits the pillow. There is much to share from our weekend adventure but I thought I'd start with the best part; Saturday morning at the Chelsea Flea Market with Andreja.

I know I'm always going on and on about the weather but it's worth mentioning that it was an absolutely gorgeous day. A perfect day for a trip to the flea market! I've always wanted to go to the Chelsea Flea but for some reason had never made it there. I was super excited about finally going and I was not disappointed!

As soon as we walked in we spotted a group of lovely 60s coats hanging along the wall. Andreja tried on a baby blue one while I tried a cropped grey one. Meanwhile Tom was busying himself snapping photos of the whole scene. Well, that was apparently not going to work for the vendor at this booth! She basically hurled herself across the floor, arms flailing, screaming "do not take photos of my clothes!" Um, really? Someone please explain this to me! Why are people so sensitive about taking photos at flea markets? This was not the last time we were asked to not take photos in the market (however it was the rudest and most arm-flailing). So... a huge thank you to Tom for braving the crazy vendors and sneakily snapping all of these photos! And now, with no further ado, the photos that caused all of the fuss...



Andreja ended up taking that gorgeous baby blue coat home with her. Don't you love that notched collar?! It almost makes me wish for a few more cold days so she'd have a chance to wear it before putting it away for the summer. I was on the lookout for summer dresses. I found a few but most were out of my price range (ugh, NYC prices!). The little striped dress you see in the first photo below was my favorite of the bunch. It's a homesewn dress that was never quite finished; there's no zipper down the back. I knew it would need a bit of work but I thought it had tons of potential so I took it home with me. I think it's going to be the thing that finally gets me to find a tailor!



There was much to be seen at the market besides clothes; stacks of old letters and photographs, trays full of old typeface letters, vintage cameras and lost more! I'm already getting excited about going back next time we're in NY, whenever that may be. Afterward we headed to VP2 for some veggie hot 'n sour and kung pao. Yummmm.

I have lots more photos from our trip to show you... like sneaky Lyell dressing room photos! And a crazy show at Irving Plaza! But for now it's back to work time. I've got lots of goodies in store for the Etsy shop this week. It's good to be back!

P.S. I'm really not that short! Andreja's just reallly tall!

New York Weekend

(1. Generation Records, 2. Eerie Von, Mike D, Tom & Kerri on our way to VP2, 3. rehearsals at GR, 4. Lyle, Eerie, Tom and Mike hanging out before the show)

We're home from our weekend in NYC and taking the day to relax and recover. We had such a great time. It always makes me a bit sad leaving the city behind. I think my New Year's resolution will be to win the lotto and move to New York. ;) Here are a few highlights from our trip:

• Eating Kung Pao spaghetti at Vegetarian Paradise 2. I could eat it again right now. Right now.
• Waking up to a light dusting of snow over the city. Doesn’t everything look prettier with a little bit of snow?
• Having a conversation with Tom about Ethan Hawke then walking right by Ethan Hawke on the sidewalk about two minutes later.
• People watching! How on earth is it that so many attractive, fashionable people live in such close proximity to one another?
• Spending more time behind the camera than in front of it for a change!
• Getting to see musicians from three of my favorite bands (Danzig, Minor Threat and Killswitch Engage) rehearsing and performing together.
• Hanging out with friends from afar: New York, Jersey, Massachusetts and PA.
• Stopping into Stella Dallas, one of my favorite vintage shops in NY. How convenient that the shop is just two doors down from Generation Records. ;)
• Having a serious kismet moment shopping at Topshop (more on that later!).
• Finding the Fletcher for Lyell pieces I wanted that are sold out online.
• And most of all: seeing Tom’s name in lights! Umm… or at least a light box. He worked so hard on this project it was great to see it all finally come together.

(1&2. Tom and Eerie signing copies of the book, 3. Erin's amazing tattoos and Lyle signing books, 3. Shop kitty Lulu, 4. Tools of the night: silver sharpies, Heineken and Jim Beam.)

New York Weekend

(1. Generation Records, 2. Eerie Von, Mike D, Tom & Kerri on our way to VP2, 3. rehearsals at GR, 4. Lyle, Eerie, Tom and Mike hanging out before the show)

We're home from our weekend in NYC and taking the day to relax and recover. We had such a great time. It always makes me a bit sad leaving the city behind. I think my New Year's resolution will be to win the lotto and move to New York. ;) Here are a few highlights from our trip:

• Eating Kung Pao spaghetti at Vegetarian Paradise 2. I could eat it again right now. Right now.
• Waking up to a light dusting of snow over the city. Doesn’t everything look prettier with a little bit of snow?
• Having a conversation with Tom about Ethan Hawke then walking right by Ethan Hawke on the sidewalk about two minutes later.
• People watching! How on earth is it that so many attractive, fashionable people live in such close proximity to one another?
• Spending more time behind the camera than in front of it for a change!
• Getting to see musicians from three of my favorite bands (Danzig, Minor Threat and Killswitch Engage) rehearsing and performing together.
• Hanging out with friends from afar: New York, Jersey, Massachusetts and PA.
• Stopping into Stella Dallas, one of my favorite vintage shops in NY. How convenient that the shop is just two doors down from Generation Records. ;)
• Having a serious kismet moment shopping at Topshop (more on that later!).
• Finding the Fletcher for Lyell pieces I wanted that are sold out online.
• And most of all: seeing Tom’s name in lights! Umm… or at least a light box. He worked so hard on this project it was great to see it all finally come together.

(1&2. Tom and Eerie signing copies of the book, 3. Erin's amazing tattoos and Lyle signing books, 3. Shop kitty Lulu, 4. Tools of the night: silver sharpies, Heineken and Jim Beam.)

I was trying my best to come up with a nice fashion-y post for you today but frankly my brain is tired and I just couldn't think of anything interesting to write about. Instead I'll share a few more photos of my stay in Alabama. The huge porch on my parent's cabin wraps all the way around and each corner is filled with comfy rocking chairs and swings. This corner might be my favorite. It's the perfect hammock to curl up in and take a nap. Little did I realize I had to share my space with this little guy. He didn't seem to mind too much and scurried away right after I snapped this shot.

Where am I?

I'm still in Alabama but I thought I'd take a quick second to say hi and show you a few snapshots of where I've been. I've been staying with my parents in their perfect little log cabin in the woods. It's filled with pretty antiques and family heirlooms with lacey curtains in the windows. You can sit on the porch for hours and watch the birds and lizards scurry about. There's even a family of flying squirrels living under the eaves. It's surrounded by thick woods and rolling pastures and has two streams that wind through the property. One of the best parts is the giant tree swing that hangs from the biggest pecan tree you've ever seen (more on that later). I'm sure you'd all love it!

New York Shopping

Thanks again for all of the recommendations on vintage stores to check out while we were in NY. I think it would takes days or weeks to discover each and every little store. It seems they're on every street and around every corner. So here is a short synopsis of most of the vintage stores we visited on our trip. We visited more than this but a few of them have melded in my mind and I can't remember which was which. These were my favorites.

• Daha: Ahh, boot heaven. Boots lined up against every wall, stacked on shelves, piled in corners. I’m a sucker for a great pair of boots and I’m currently on the lookout for a pair of chocolatey brown ones. I think no matter what you’re looking for you could probably find them here. In fact, I found a perfect pair, rich and brown with cute little pleats on the sides that looked and fit like a dream. However, I wasn’t prepared (or willing) to shell out well over a hundred bucks for a pair. Oh, and they have lots of cute dresses too!
• The Dressing Room: I think the ladies that run this place are geniuses. Evil, evil geniuses. How else can you explain this store where you can vintage shop and have a cocktail at the same time. That’s right! It’s a clothing store/bar. The upstairs is stocked with independent local designers while the downstairs is filled with vintage treasures at very reasonable prices. I bought the brown dress with the lace cuffs and collar that you see in the NY photos for only $28. It needs a few minor repairs but I’m sure you’ll be seeing it pop up on my blog again soon.
• Cobblestones: Luckily I’d been warned before going into this little shop that the owner likes to sing. A lot. So when she suddenly broke out into a chorus of “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” I didn’t jump out of my skin. The place is tiny (as is the norm in NYC) and is piled floor to ceiling with treasures dating from the 20’s to the 70’s. It’s a bit like being in your crazy aunt’s attic so be prepared to dig through the piles to find what you’re looking for.
• Stella Dallas: Unfortunately by the time we discovered this cute little shop it was getting late and we were tired from walking. That and I’d already spent my shopping budget on two dresses. Oh well. If it weren’t for those two things I’m sure I could have spent quite a bit of time and quite a bit of money in there. The prices were moderate. I found a mint green double breasted 60’s cape that's still haunting me a bit for $130. I also tried on a couple of vintage hats that could have easily come home with me for about $40. I walked out empty handed but it’s definitely one of the first places I’ll go on my next trip.
• Screaming Mimi’s: If you’re shopping with your boyfriend this is definitely the shop to hit up. The entire front of the store is filled with guy's button downs, sweaters, vests and jackets. It’s also perfect if you’re looking for a slouchy cardigan or vest of your own. There is a section of women’s clothes in the back with racks of dresses and tops.
• “Thrift Shops”: It was recommended to me that I visit several thrift stores. Among them were Salvation Army, Housing Works and Angel Thrift Shop. As soon as I walked into the first one I could tell the definition of “thrift store” is significantly different in NY than any other place I’ve been. I suppose if you’re local and can go on a regular basis there is a chance that you’ll find something good. I found them picked over and over priced. The most interesting thing I saw in any of them was Fred Schneider from The B-52’s shopping for furniture.

New York City

Thanks again for all of your well wishes and suggestions for things to do while we were in NYC. We had a fantastic trip. On Friday we got into the city around lunch time, quickly grabbed a bite to eat at a cute little Mexican restaurant then got busy walking around the streets of the LES and Soho. We had no real destination but just wandered around and went in any little store that caught our eye (more on those stores later). By nightfall we had worn ourselves out so we stopped for dinner at Vegetarian Paradise 2. We planned on going to the bar at the Chelsea Hotel for a drink but when we got there we discovered it didn't open until 11:00. Come on people! I'm too old for that. ;) Instead we went to East of Eighth, ordered a big glass of Hoegaarden, sat on the patio and people watched.

Saturday morning was filled with Chelsea art galleries. We discovered a couple of amazing exhibits - one photography and one sculpture. Then I had the most amazing Challah french toast for brunch at a diner in the meatpacking district. Afterwards we headed to the ginormous four story Barnes & Noble for an afternoon break. I looked for fashion magazines and photography books while Tom perused the design section. I found a fantastic book on photographer Francesca Woodman (thanks Shreve!). Somewhere in there we also stopped for a vegan cupcake at BabyCakes. Pumpkin cupcakes, yum! It felt like we'd already had a full trip and we hadn't even gone to the show that was our entire reason for going to NY. So, that night we walked to dinner at Rice then over to catch the Nick Cave show. Amazing!

Whew! It was a full weekend and we had so much fun. Now it's back to work. Speaking of work, I'm working on a post detailing which vintage stores we made it to and what I bought. Later! :)

Vacation, All I Ever Wanted...

I'll be back on Monday with lots of photos from our trip to New York. Have a great weekend!

A Weekend in the Big Apple

This Friday the boyfriend and I will be packing up and heading to NYC for a long weekend adventure. We plan on wandering around the city at our own pace with no big plans or agenda. Just the way we like it. Besides tickets to see Nick Cave on Saturday night, we don't have any solid plans. If you live in NYC or have visited recently and have any recommendations on where to go or what to see, I'd love it hear it. We've done all the cheesy-fun touristy stuff before so I'm more interested in hearing an insider's perspective on what we should be on the lookout for. In particular any great vintage shops, gallery shows, vegetarian restaurants or quiet, dark bars. We'll be staying in Chelsea each night and sticking to Manhattan during the day. Help a sister out! Thanks!