Bargain Hunting @ Bendel's & Bergdorf's

I admired these in November for $65. Now they were 70 percent off.

What fun. Went into my favorite fashion playground to stroll and drink from the fountain of style. New York, New York. Can't jet to Paris or Milan right now, but can hop on the DeCamp bus to NYC, crown jewel of everything colorful and chic. [One-way bus ticket: $7.40. Keeps going up, but still nice to sink into bus seat and let someone else do the driving.]

First I met Donna and Kathleen--we worked together for years at Good Housekeeping, and now they've worked for years at the fashion bible InStyle. We met at Le Pain Quotidien in the Time-Life Building. It was so good to catch up, and sip a cappuccino and nosh on prosciutto, melon, creamy ricotta and good bread. I've missed seeing D. and K.

Then I walked over to Henri Bendel, where I bought a box of 12 Ooh-La-La-Oreo Cookies, a holiday treat marked down to 75 percent off the original $28. They were dipped in milk chocolate and individually wrapped in pretty jewel-toned foil; lucky I got a pack, since this evening, Figgy and five friends were here and now the Oreos are gone. Searched lower-level sales section...nothing caught my eye except a beautiful slim black hairband with Chanel-style yellow rose for Figgy, but even at half off, it would have been nearly $28.

On to Bergdorf Goodman. Flipped longingly through the racks of Milly and Tory clothes on 5--also loved a Milly floral tote that was close to $300. Scanned the shoe sale, and though 50 percent off, still out of my budget and not right for what I need now. Then the 7th floor--to peruse the holiday alcove, 75% off....got cool Verve Remixed Christmas CD [Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Billie Holiday and others] for $5. And the chocolate and tea alcove, for Vosges Couture Cocoa Petites [a sampler of La Parisienne, Bianca and Aztec Elixir]....can't wait to have a cup tomorrow. Looked at gorgeous Diptyque and Ladurée [Paris] candles, antique silver, fancy towels, even $8,000 wedding gowns [caught from corner of my eye as prospective bride inquired about one in exquisite jewel-box salon]. Then descent on a succession of narrow escalators to the lower Beauty Level--to whisk by Trish McEvoy and Bobbi Brown counters, drink in the lovely Annick Goutal fragrance nook, the hair accessories and finally, the cozy, carefully edited Wolford stash room, where I snagged a pair of $65 Wilderness tights [latest animal print], down 70 percent to $19.  

I love New York. I left on the 10:44 A.M. bus and was back home by 5:40. Seven hours total, but feels like I went somewhere really far away. Oh, and one more sweet thing--H. is working in Chicago, and called to tell me today is National Chocolate Cake Day!!!!!!! So got two little chocolate mousse cakes @ Whole Foods tonight--one to leave on doorstep for my friends Anne and Emily, one for us. Chocolate cake is to be celebrated. Figgy and friends liked it, too.

TCOY

1. Had to miss boot camp to catch bus on time, but walked at least one hour in NYC.
2. Capp vs. mocha at Le Pain Q--they had calories posted on the board, and that helped me decide to save some.
3. Went by myself to see "My Week with Marilyn" @ movies. Have been dying to see it. Very good.