May the Shopping Commence

As predicted, after a brief detour via Central Park, Maman and I were in J. Crew by 1.30. To be fair, I did only buy three things, which I thought was pretty restrained given the range of pretty bikinis, ‘60s shift dresses, and über-short shorts on offer. We hit a couple of other stores in the same mall, Columbus Circle, including Williams and Sonoma, which stocks obscenely-priced cookware and other kitchen kit and which has such cool stuff, even I wish that I cooked more so I could use it all.

Walking down Fifth Avenue to get to Dean and Deluca for coffee and a motivational cake, we bumped into Papa and the brother, who had branched off to Gant, and so we all went to D&D where I consumed a slice of Oreo cheesecake that probably contained about 5,000 calories per bite but was well worth it. Besides, shopping is hard work, with all the undressing and redressing, especially when one is wearing high heels.

I popped briefly into Anthropologie, which would probably be Betty Draper’s favourite store were she not fictional and also about 75 in 2008. It has lots of pretty, girlie clothes and houseware kit. In fact, the kitchenware and the other decorative items for the rest of the house are so pretty that I really wish potential London flat was more definite so I could purchase them all. I satisfied myself with some flowery knickers and a wooden “W” to go with the “B” I already have on my wall.

Tonight, we’re going out for an early burger at P.J. Clarke’s and then I may head out to Brooklyn with the brother where California Girl is having a party. I’ll evaluate my level of consciousness once I’ve been burgered though.

Writing this from the window seat of the 17^th floor, looking out on Sixth Avenue, Central Park and the smart apartment blocks of the Upper West Side, listening to The National on the awesome, Bose speakers certainly makes a change from my cold house in Nowheresville, even if I suspect the barrage of overly smiley, overly “helpful” employees guarding the doors of the hotel and lurking in the lifts will start to drive me nuts before too long. The only problem is the lack of internets - the parents don't want to pay $15 per day for the hotel's wifi so I'm connecting to another network with a very low signal strength, which required me moving along the window seats in the room, inch by inch.