muji, madewell, fjällräven, and more!

new york stuffs by ellybeth featuring Uniqlo leggings

wow, there are so many things to buy in new york. i was faced with getting everything back home, so i tried my best to be conservative. last summer i don't think i bought any clothing while visiting jenny, and this year i didn't want to return home empty-handed. not that i really NEED anything, but with my birthday just around the corner, i figured i could treat myself to a couple of things. as long as they were easy to pack, that is.

our first stop was Muji, with it being just around the corner from our hotel. i noticed the french linen tunic in striped blue (pictured in pink) right away, but went back a couple days later when i couldn't find anything that i liked better. such soft linen on sale can't be argued with. it's so light and airy, i've been wearing it non-stop. i couldn't resist some of the mini-office supplies at Muji too, which ended up coming in handy on long train and plane rides. i also bought a steel tape dispenser for my studio, and was dumb enough to pack it in my carry-on on the way home, which meant a little extra time in the security line! it is a little weird looking, i guess.

hands down, one of my favorite stores was Fjällräven, a swedish outdoor gear manufacturer, on Moss Street. the flagship U.S. store sits at the bottom of a vintage scandinavian wallpaper lined stairway, where a tree of mini kånken wait to greet you. the walls of backpacks, photographs of sweden, and loads of swedish goods were complete heaven to me. as i was busy formulating a plan of how i could start living in the store without anyone noticing, the owner asked me if i needed anything. ummm, one of everything? but we left only with what we headed there for, a kånken and mini, just perfect for our journeys ahead. oh, and a bar of greenland wax, after the owner totally sold me on it with the super cool demonstration how to waterproof ANYTHING!

jenny and i had planned on taking one of shabd's tie dye classes, but after a mix up on the class time, we just stopped by to say hi instead. i got a chance to meet lena corwin, see her amazing studio, and somehow walk away with one of her beautiful travel posters. aww, it even has a mom and baby humpback whale on it! be still my heart.

being pressed for time at both uniqlo and madewell, i only picked up a pair of grey extra long leggings (uniqlo) that are now the best i own, and a pair of yellow bensimon slip-ons (madewell) which were marked down 50%. the sizes and colors were really picked over, so i just went with whatever fit. it's great to have a pair of summer shoes that are easy to get on, but aren't sandals. i love sandals, but i always end up washing my dirty feet at the end of the long, dusty summer days.

my in-laws live pretty close to an h&m, so i stopped by on one of the days they were having their summer sale. i didn't get much, but i did find a denim dress marked down 50%. after not being able to decide which one to get, the dark chambray or light denim, i got both for the price of one. ooooo, indulgent!

so, most of what i got was very plain and functional - just how i like it!