New York City No. 9

I am very happy it is a new week, although I am still feeling the effects of several late nights from last week. For any new readers out there, I work a 9-5 job as an e-commerce project manager. As such, I worked an overnight Cyber Monday shift. I was eating Flaming Hot Cheetos merely to stay awake at one point.

My best friends came with me to the LIVARI CLOTHING launch at WeWork in Times Square on Tuesday. This brand was created by Claudine DeSola, my friend & owner of CARAVAN STYLIST STUDIO, TABITHA ST. BERNARD JACOBS, Director of Community Engagement for the Women’s March, & ALYSIA REINER, a lead actress on OITNB. It was exciting to learn more about this ethically-made, New York based, zero-waste womenswear label. If you are looking for an impactful gift for a loved one this season, check out the LIVARI collaboration with SIMPLY STRAWS. Each set comes with a glass straw, a cleaning tool, & a colorful pouch to hold it all together. In addition to the sweet donuts & chilled wine at the event, we were treated to a performance by OITNB co-stars & real-life girlfriends – EMILY & VICCI. Their songs were sweet, fun, & soulful. My friends & I ended the night at an Irish pub in Midtown that was ideally also a karaoke bar. We sang one rousing rendition of “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” before hugging each other goodbye.

I treated myself to a quick brunch at BLUESTONE LANE during the work week. In my opinion, their avocado toast & poached egg dish is tied with THE SMITH for best in the city. Plus, I love the overall vibe of all their cafes. On Saturday morning, I headed to BONBERI BODEGA, which I previously mentioned in NYC NO.7. I was stopping by a charity closet sale, hosted by KATIE STURINO, COURT & KELLY, DANIELLE PRESCOD, GABBY PRESCOD, & others to benefit various causes. I only caught the tail-end of the sale, but based on the Instagram updates, there was a line out the door almost the entire time. Brava to these ladies for using their influence & resources to make a difference this holiday season! It was such a beautiful morning that I did a long window shopping tour of Bleecker Street. Stay tuned, as I will be doing a full post on the top stores to check out IRL for your holiday gifting needs.

A highlight of the week was Marguerite coming with me to the newly renovated GLOSSIER showroom to pick up one of my Cyber Monday packages. I was blown away by the space. I first visited GLOSSIER over three years ago as a new college graduate when they occupied a single room on Lafayette Street. Their new store is a triumph not only for their brand but also for the power of female entrepreneurship. I loved that they continued their tradition of fresh flowers & candles all over their space. One of my favorite parts of the new showroom is the life size BoyBrow installation. This is guaranteed to be a top selfie spot at GLOSSIER. If you have never shopped this inspired beauty brand – click THIS LINK for 10% off your first purchase!