Category — NYC (Manhattan, bien sur!)

On my fast-paced walk down Columbus Ave, Moi once again stopped to admire a gorgeously arranged display window: sexy and chic and very feminine, I’d often admired Only Hearts, but never ventured inside. Somehow, the skeptical back of my brain told me that this store must sell coffee cups and key chains emblazoned with heart logos, but my eyes finally convinced me to enter.

First several vintage kimonos caught my eye…then a display case filled with vintage and faux vintage jewels…and bits of silky and ribbony lingerie…shoes and boots…dresses and blouses…candles and perfume, and bien sur, coffee mugs with heart logos. All organized like a somewhat messy but very chic walk-in closet: a closet Moi needed to investigate.

I was enchanted: why hadn’t I stopped at this new store already! To my complete surprise I was told Only Hearts had been on Columbus Ave over 20 years, originally just down the street. And now there were locations not only on the Upper West Side and in SoHo, but in California and Rome…as in Italy! They even have an internet salesroom! Yes, its a very American store, but its sexy, romantic casual under-and-outer clothes has appeal beyond NYC.

On my first visit, I left with a new strapless bra to wear for an upcoming black tie night at the Waldorf Astoria (I’m excited, very old New York!) and a card filled with scribblings of items I want to check on my next visit, and maybe give TBG for his shopping list. Their website even boasts never-worn vintage lingerie: I need to check that out! More than eye candy, Only Hearts is affordable luxury.

Once I returned chez moi and checked out the Only Hearts website, I learned more about the store creator and lingerie designer Helena Stuart. I love her philosophy: I don’t want my clothes to age after one season. I believe in building a wardrobe, and I want my customer to be able to wear my clothes for years and not feel dated. I want her to look appealing, without giving too much away. As a woman I understand what fits a woman’s body, and I understand how to capture the male gaze.

Slow down, smell the roses: don’t just look at the windows, go on in and touch the hearts!

Only 45 days left until Christmas.

What! You haven’t been checking the blog every day for tips to get your Christmas shopping started? So you missed days 60-45? Not to worry, Moi is saving every Christmas shopping tip just for you. Check  Shes Shopping Now every day to see what Moi found that is perfect for someone on your Christmas list…It won’t be in your mail box, just like Santa, I’ve made a list, and you have to check the blog twice (or 60 times!) for Moi Catalogue Countdown to Christmas: 60 Gifts in 60 Days.

And today, just for you, Moi is adding a bonus Christmas shopping gift, perfect for someone, maybe even several someones, on your list.

I saw this great little picture hanging system at the NY Historical Society Museum Gift Shop, and tracked down the best online price of $10 at Amazon. I’ve purchased several different types of photo mobile displays, but I really liked this one because it takes up so little space: you can hang it from the ceiling, and display postcards, photos, notecards, recipes, memos, or up to 8 different items.

Called the Mighty Mini Magnet Cable Photo Frame Set, it’s perfect for the dorm room, the bathroom, kitchen, baby’s room or office, great for guys or gals: but its not a toy, so don’t give it to the Little Bits.  It’s also the perfect gift to keep on hand in your goodie gift drawer for those emergency gift situations. [Read more →]

Bloomies at 57th and Lex just gave their cosmetics department a face-lift, and this gave me the perfect excuse to run over there and pick-up one of life’s little necessities. To be honest, if I hadn’t read incessantly about Bloomingdale’s cosmetic’s department’s rehab in the NYTimes, I probably wouldn’t have noticed; I tend to be a bit myopic and focused on what I’m doing. I do remember when I was at the Clinique counter a few weeks back I was trying to make my normal cut through to 59th Street and the passage I took was completely closed and I got lost on the main floor of Bloomies: construction was going on!

According to the NYTimes, Bloomies cosmetics had an extreme make-over that’s been in the works for the last 11 years, and gives the area a more spacious, welcoming feel with more helpful, less intrusive salespeople. Hmmm…I’ll let you know….

conveniently purse sized

I was there because I was dangerously low on one of my make-up essentials, my YSL Touche Éclat. Commonly called a concealer, I knew and believed what YSL claims: Touch Éclat is 8 hours of sleep in a pen. I have migraines. I don’t sleep well. I have brown spots that no laser or dermatolgist’s cream has been able to erase. I need serious concealer. And Touch Éclat provides serious coverage. [Read more →]

Are you afraid of auctions because you’ve seen it happen in a movie: some poor woman in the 2nd row at a high-price auction scratches her nose and the next thing you know she’s writing a check for a silver-plated bed pan.

don't be afraid to raise that paddle

Most of us are familiar with ebay online auctions, where you can search and bid on everything new and used from clothes to books to doorknobs to dustpans to electronics to wine to cars and houses in the privacy of your own home. But there’s another way to bid on auction items: in person.

I first got the auction bug years ago when we lived in Connecticut. TBG and I loved taking long back road drives through the countryside, often stopping at antiques shops, country stores, tag sales, and eventually, country auctions. Fairly soon we understood how things worked, and although we never needed to bid on a tractor or a bakers’ dozen of chicken coops, we got the hang of it and enjoyed the show. Then we moved to Paris, and I began to spend alot of time at Drouot.

Not familiar? Drouot is a large auction house, over 150 years old, in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, with auctions of everything from entire households of

Drouot auction house in Paris

furnishings to a single strand of pearls. I’ve been lucky enough to accompany friends who have successfully bid on a suite of wicker furniture, rings, antique linens, paintings, and tableware. Even more fun is to visit Drouot in the days prior to an auction and inspect the items up for sale: who knows what treasures might be in that locked trunk being auctioned “as is” or that 6 inch pile of sketches? Wandering from room to room listening to dealers, decorators, and doyennes is a real education in antiques (as well as a mini-French lesson!) [Read more →]

This weekend we drove up to Vermont to join the throngs of leaf peepers…TBG is a rabid photographer, and this was a by week for ND…and I scored a good last-minute deal at the Equinox Resort in Manchester…loved the cuddly Frette terry robes.

We spent most of the weekend parked on the side of picturesque country roads, each setting looking like a calendar photo or postcard, while TBG shifted between his 3 cameras and happily found each perfect photo op…tumbling down barns, covered bridges, pumpkin fields, fabulous fall folliage.

my fave pic...but not TBG's

We stopped at pretty much any place with the word sugar: sugar house, sugar shak, sugar n spice. We bought maple syrup, fresh hot sugared cider donuts, hot spiced cider, spiced cookies, pumpkins, gourds, mums, indian corn and lots of Christmas gifts…sorry, can’t reveal any secrets yet!

We did not stop at the dozens of outlet stores or antiques shops lining route 7a in Manchester and heading up route 100 to Killington…except one. For TBG. We stopped at his country gentleman fashion mecca: Orvis.

We stopped at the Orvis flagship store. We shopped the Orvis outlet store. We scoured the Orvis tent sale. If you’re not familiar with Orvis, let me explain TBG is very familiar with the stores on 5th Ave in NYC and Michigan Ave in Chicago: this should give you a clue that this store is aspirational. For the guy who aspires to the gracious country lifestyle…and is willing to pay for it. btw… they do have ladies and home and doggie fashions also, not my style; I curled up on the huge leather couch by a crackling fire and checked my emails and twitter and facebook while TBG filled his shopping sac. If you like to browse, fly fishing rods, hunting rifles and knives, canoes and paddles…and all the clothes and accessories to go with them. For a price.

Orvis rhinohide canvas khakis

TBG’s shopping recommendation:
I’m told they’re very comfy, very rugged, and improve with age. They have faux-leather trim, are pre-washed, and come in neutral colors like cement and olive. And are on sale now for $59.

Who knew?

I’m suuuuuurrrrrrrre they want you to have a little more cover up, but Yummy Mummy on Lexington in NYC is showing it can be REALLY convenient to breast feed your Little Bit.

These peek-a-boos make it really easy to breast feed!

You’ve seen the  teens and 20-somethings and moms at Sbux, 7-11, the carpool line, and even the airport wearing  their jammies, and sometimes even their slippers. OK, although I’m scandalized, I confess: I grocery shop in my jammies too!

             Comfy: Yes!          Convenient: Yes!       Cool: No!

But I AM grocery shopping in my jammies right now, at home on the couch!

Shopping in Jammies

I first got in the habit of grocery shopping online when we lived in Paris. Although Paris has lots of small neighborhood groceries, my monthly trip to Carrefour let me stock up on basics like water, tp, laundry detergent. The store is MASSIVE…as big as any US Wal-Mart. And similarly, it was a hassle: too crowded, too many decisions, to many check-out lanes closed. I could lug my bags to the car, drive across town, and drag the bags up to my apartment; or I could pay 10€ and have my bags delivered to my kitchen, 1-2 hours later: guess which Moi chose?

Now living in NYC, my new BFF  is Dagostino’s…a grocery chain with a nice little store down the street, not too expensive or gourmet, but still shockingly high NYC prices. Yes they deliver, but better yet, they have online grocery shopping! I looked at some of the other strictly online grocery sites, but I prefer DAGNYC because I’ve shopped there, and when I do my order, it comes from my neighborhood store, not some warehouse a tunnel or bridge away. I’ve seen the staff shopping their online orders, and they call me if there’s a question or a problem with one of my items.

My own personal grocery shopper: Gotta love that! Added bonus: no squeaky cart wheels, whiny children or freezing aisles. No moms with a kid in the basket, another pulling cereal boxes off the shelves, while Mom’s on her mobile, pushing the cart, and checking her coupon wallet.

DAGNYC lets me save previous orders, so I can go to my last order, add or delete stuff as needed, verify my card info, and voila! Groceries magically appear in my kitchen at the scheduled delivery time. It even lets me shop their current sales, and provides recipe ideas with a shopping list!

Moi tip: Typically I don’t order fresh meats or fish or produce online. But when struck down with a migraine, or housebond with a hurricane, I have order bananas, chicken and apples, no problem! And sometimes when I’m traveling, I’ll order my groceries to be delivered about 5 hours after my plane is scheduled to land. If it’s on time, perfect! If my flight is delayed, I can call and ask DAGNYC to hold delivery!

I’m Shopping Now!

If you see me walking down the street any morning you’ll instantly recognize me: dark shades, little white dog on a pink leash, and a Starbucks in my hand.

I try not to vary my order: tall skim chai, extra hot, extra water with a straw. And why do I have to explain my order to every new-to-moi barista:     

• extra water, because too much milk makes it too sweet, and has too many calories
• extra hot, 200°, and no, you can’t burn skim milk
• skim is skim, no matter that the marketing geeks insist on calling it non-fat (and btw prunes are NOT dried plums!)
• a straw because I don’t want to spill hot chai on myself!
• tall because it’s just the right amount for my morning walk, PLEASE don’t complimentary upgrade me to a grande, then I’ll have to find a bathroom, not easy with a small dog in tow

Moi at Starbucks Singapore

What also makes me happy is that Starbucks is hurdling toward world domination of the beverage field. I can (and have!) get my chai or my frappucinno in the US, Paris, Berlin, CPH, Tokyo, Singapore, Bangkok, London, Spain, Switzerland, Greece, Ireland, Poland and lots of other places I’m too caffeinated to remember at the moment…and no, I don’t need a souvenir Sbux mug from every country!

Why my daily Sbux fix? It makes me happy!

This season I’m flashing pink on all my nails with a little help from Posh and Strawberry, no not the Spice Girls, the Revlon girls! I’ve found some delicious new colors. My tootsie toes are a hot bright shade called Strawberry Electric, and my fingers are twinkling with Posh Pink.

Posh Pink and Strawberry Electric

My pilates instructor loved the new tootsies!

Moi tip: My usual nail bars don’t stock Revlon, but I prefer their colors, so I bring my own polish when I go. Then, I have the time and selection beforehand to find colors I really like; plus, I have the color for touch-ups, or when I’m counting pennies and want to do my nails chez moi.

New baby girl niece arrived last week…need a tres chic baby gift. Headed to Bloomies childrens’ department, and checked out Tori Spelling’s new baby clothes line, Little Maven. Tres cute! A little expensive, but for a Tori fan like my sister,  a dress from Little Maven was a sure thing…gotta be the cool aunt.

The best thing about buying the dress at Bloomies is that my sister lives in Chicago…and can exchange the dress if necessary. Gotta love Bloomingdales!

baby K's new dress