NYC on a (lot of) dime(s)

So even though I have been sick with worry and sadness by the thought of Stefan jeopardizing his life while serving on the front lines of his oh-so-aggressive-and-risk-seeking country...

Actual footage from their base

Highly secretive and censored

...I had an absolutely spectacular weekend.

Fortunately, in addition to the obvious motive of seeing my two favorite college friends and my super stylish and uber sweet little sis, there were two other fantastic reasons for me to make a trip to NYC this past weekend:

1. Jessie - fantastic college friend #1 - is getting hitched to the charming and exquisitely handsome Ned Hole and was having her bridesmaids' dress fitting complete with a bridesmaids brunch Saturday morning (more on that manana!)

2. Char - fantastic college friend #2 - was throwing a holiday party fundraiser for the non-profit I founded and now help to run (Reclaim Childhood) Saturday night

To make the most of the weekend, I took Friday off and hopped on the red-eye Thursday evening.  Since I have a long Christmas present shopping list this season, I went into the weekend determined to save my pennies.  I booked my flight using United miles and saved 25,000 of them by flying into Newark as opposed to the traditional LGA or JFK.  I opted for the Newark Airport Express bus into Manhattan as opposed to my traditional method: the taxi.  And finally, I decided to recycle my holiday party dress from 2 years ago instead of buying a new one.  Come Friday morning 10am (post arrival and brief nap in Charlotte's bed), I was ready to kick off the weekend with some prudence and punch.

After a quick Reclaim Childhood Directors meeting at Le Pain Quotidien - more on what's brewing there soon - I met Char and Jess for a delicious lunch at Charlotte's FAVORITE neighborhood spot: The Simple Kitchen.  

Now when I say favorite, I mean this girl has a serious - bordering on dangerous - addiction to this locale's butternut squash soup.  She ate a bowl for dinner Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evening all by her lonesome, Thursday night with her man,  and then Friday afternoon for lunch with us.  Insanity.

Post lunch, we strolled through Chelsea Market - an adorable little Ferry-Building-like spot on the West side. 

Oh how Christmas lights make the season merry!

We waded through crowds at the Rag and Bone sample sale (their $195 shirts didn't exactly fall into the money-saving category for me), tried some oysters at The Lobster Place...

In addition to not really loving these slimy creatures without some fine wine to wash them down with, at $2 a pop, they didn't fit with my save-my-buckaroos theme de jour

...and did some perusing and purchasing (but not me - oh, what restraint!) at Anthropologie.

As we chatted the afternoon away, we found ourselves at an adorable little boutique rightly called Darling.  The store was packed full of beautiful pieces but I forced myself to only seriously consider the sale rack where I happened to stumble across this little guy:

$158 originally, marked down to $50, but then 50% off of that...

"This coat is on sale for $25????" I gasped in disbelief to the sales ladies.

"Yes, it is," they answered oh-so-politely and nonchalantly.

I ripped it off its hanger and wrapped it around my person in a fury.

"Well, then I have no choice but to take it - you're basically giving it away for free!"

As they ran my card, I noticed a nice bowl of beautiful little pearl earrings sitting on their glass counter.

"How much are these little guys?"

"Free if you give us your email," they sang to me.

My name was down before they even finished their sentence.

Better than my jacket and the earrings, however, was the little number we all spotted for Jessie as a potential rehearsal dinner ensemble.  The second she put it on, we knew it was the one: innocent yet sexy, modern yet elegant, luxurious yet farm-friendly (she's getting married on her parents' gorgeous and rustic NH farm) - it could not have been more perfect.  While I'm DYING to share it with all of you, I promised I'd keep it secret (from her future hubby especially) so its magic is only revealed the night of. 

But trust me: this dress has got some serious style. 

As we walked out of the store, we discovered the absolute BEST part of her new purchase: the store was right across from where the two of them had had their very first kiss.  Serendipitous.

With an extra cheap new jacket and pair of earrings in tow, I was feeling extremely good about my commitment to be thrifty this weekend.  As we stumbled into another boutique and a few dresses caught my eye as potential options for the next day's holiday party, I thought I'd earned the right to try them on.  While the majority grabbed were in the $100-150 range...

...the one I fell in love with OF COURSE came in around $330.

So like any determined shopper, I rationalized.

In addition to the holiday party, I could wear it:

• on New Years' Eve (who cares that we'd be in sub-zero temperatures in Munich),
• to the blue-themed party I'd just decided to throw in January, and..
• and...
• and...

Forget it: three times is totally enough.  Good to buy!

But OF COURSE I had forgotten that I hadn't come with the proper shoe attire to match this impressive little piece.  So naturally I needed to pick up a pair of these from J. Crew:

Coming in around $230, my vow to penny pinch

was becoming more and more bent.

So by the time we got to drinks with the happy couple at the rustic and trendy Brooklyn Winery (which happens to be the spot of their engagement soiree in early 2012), I threw in the towel and treated my pals to a few flights of their finest.

After a delicious dinner of oysters, mustard greens, brick chickens, and swordfish at the sinfully good Marlow and Sons, the weekend had already been deemed a complete and utter success.

1, 3

Tune back in tomorrow for an update on the rest of this fabulous getaway!

xoxo

KK