Thanks for sharing the details and pictures…what a great trip and so fun to see the items you bought/tried on! I so miss in-person shopping.

I may have missed it, but can you share where you stayed and would you recommend it? I find NYC overwhelming and especially picking hotels.

What a wonderful trip, thank you for sharing! Your new purchases are great. Btw, that Veronica Beard leather jacket also comes in dark/pine green, not quite teal, but reasonably close: https://veronicabeard.com/prod.....r?color=Ev

Tanya, I had not seen that! I really like that color, and it suits my coloring better than rust! I would prefer darker buttons on it, but that’s not a hard thing to change. Noting that! Thanks for sharing.

Aquamarine, we stayed at Essex House right at Central Park south — we have stayed there before and really like it. It’s a Marriott property and we are long-time rewards members (Marriott has been my husband’s company’s client for 18 years, and he worked for them as an employee before that), so we had a lot of rewards that had been accruing but not used during Covid. We used some of our rewards so think the bill for seven nights was $400 and that included parking (we took our electric vehicle rather than the train, so the most expensive thing about getting there was the Lincoln Tunnel toll)! Of course we made up for that with hubs’ new wardrobe, LOL. But I always stay at one of the Marriotts in Manhattan. I’ve stayed at the Lexington too, and there is a good Courtyard in the financial district that is my go-to for when I ride the Five Boro Bike Tour since the start point is just a couple blocks away.

If you stay in midtown near the theater district, and you like Greek food, Loi Estiatorio is excellent. We went there our second night and it was so good we went back again. The owner/chef is wonderful too — we chatted with her for a good while.

Looks like so much fun and love the eye candy! Now I want to take my hubby shopping!

Score! Nice job, J - you probably passed Little Mr. April at some point, shopping where you did.

And you are quite correct about the french bulldog - it is *the* dog of NYC, often in pairs.

N, I thought of you at Stella McCartney! Her bags are so good. There is another bag there I really liked as well — a simple black crossbody with a braided strap — but hubs pronounced it not special enough. I was torn between this one and the same style in black, but we liked how the silver chain looks with my outfits.

Great photos. I am a bit jealous! I love NYC. You look wonderful. Great finds!

Fantastic Janet - with extra love for #5 because seeing someone execute a classic jeans and white top combo with such perfection makes me happy!

Glad you had a fun and successful trip!

*carries off 7 and 14*
Love #13 on you! Looks like a great trip

Wow - such a great post and set of pictures, Janet! I feel such a kinship right now with you because I also went to the Kusama at the NYBG (as you know) and am heading back to NYC next week for Hamilton and shopping.

Did you see people dressed for Kusama? My sister and I both wore dots and there were some amazing outfits on other women. (See pics below.) We really loved the "narcissus" pond - so beautiful and thought-provoking.

Now, on to your shopping! OMG, sounds like such fun. And your husband seems like a very fun shopping partner! (I love the pictures of him, and of you two together.)

I love your CdG striped tee, the silver sneakers, and those amazing jeans - all so perfect for you. I also love that Intermix cut-out skirt (would love to check that out while I am there), the Stella McCartney print shirt (likely out of my price range), and the COS white puffer.

Any stores you would say are "don't miss"?

Vivian

Just tried to get reservations at Loi Estitiatorio and no availability! How did you get in there TWICE?

Aquamarine, we are staying at the Park Terrace hotel on Bryant Park next weekend. I'll share thoughts on that to give you more notes on NYC lodging!

Vivian, really? It looks pretty available on OpenTable depending on party size and dates! https://www.opentable.com/rest.....=ios-share

Let me know if you can’t find anything — we became friendly with the owner and I have her card. I’ll try to hook you up.

I saw a couple of people dressed for Kusama but not as many as you did! Maybe because I was there first thing in the morning on a weekday. I had the Narcissus pond almost all to myself and spent a while there just enjoying the play of the breeze and water with those silver balls. It is really mesmerizing! My favorite piece there, along with the piece outside the conservatory (pictured here).

Janet, thanks for the specs update. Those are not as good as the very bold ones you showed us first. So onto shopping in Baltimore!

Janet, you and you hubby look great together! What a lovely idea to mark the beginning of a new phase with such fun trip!!!!

Love all pictures, particularly Molly!

Thank you for the vicarious shopping trip! Your fun with your husband is contagious. And Louie...*heart*

Oh thanks Janet for the recommendations!

Viva, would love to hear your thoughts!

Wow - looks inspirational and wonderful for the soul. Fab all round!

Oh wow! Thank you for the vicarious enjoyment! Your trip sounds like a dream and you and Jamie look fabulous - you both always look so happy to be together! Love all your new items too - always love that striped CDG shirt but have only found it second hand in very small sizes. New bag is perfect on you. Etc. What did you think of TRR? - I never actually made it to a store. Have always admired the Loewe puzzle bag too, but not as much as the Bao Bao .

Jaime, I took a rather quick spin through TRR and my frustration there is pretty much the same at all consignment shops — I see something super cool but it’s a size 2 or 4. Or a bag I like but it’s $2k. I think that’s why some people who are really good at finding great stuff secondhand are just tenacious in looking often!

The good thing is that it was fairly well organized, clean, and had a decent variety. There is another TRR location up on Madison Ave and I looked in that one last time I was there — it’s a more tightly curated, higher end location. I recall more handbags and watches there, while Soho had more clothes and shoes.

What a feast for the eyes! Your trip had it all! I love a mix of museums, nature, art, shopping, and dining out, and it sounds like you do too. You look so sharp in your blazer outfit, and I *love* that VB leather jacket on you--wow! The botanic garden pics are amazing.