Consumption, Considered
Plus, a peek at our NYC itinerary
Like any self-respecting secondhand shopper with the proclivity to romanticize other people’s garbage, my basement is full of project pieces. Gorgeous chinoiserie folding chairs rescued from the side of the road, patiently waiting for new cane seats. Elegant bamboo luggage racks that would be perfect for guest rooms when friends visit, in need of a little dusting and replacement straps. Stacks of beautiful art, ready to be framed.
This week I’ve been thinking about why going thrifting is my first instinct when I feel in need of inspiration, rather than looking to what I already own. Part of it is practical: the more you thrift, the better your odds of finding something amazing. But if that stellar find just sits in my basement, doesn’t that kind of defeat the point?
January is my birthday month, and in lieu of gifts — well, sort of… we are sneaking away on a little weekend trip for my birthday, too — I’ve asked my husband to help me organize our monstrously messy basement. My goal is to list at least five items on Facebook Marketplace every week. In addition to the five items on FBMP, for every item I thrift, an item needs to be fixed, sold, or donated. One in, one out. Finally putting my degree in Supply Chain Management to work over here!
The Week Ahead
It’s a very inconvenient time for me to have an internal crisis re: my consumption habits because we are heading to NYC for the long weekend.
Traveling during the off-season brings me so much joy. It makes me feel like my dollar is stretching farther, which is definitely the case when traveling to NYC in the middle of January. The weather might be crummy, but there’s something romantic about getting bundled up and exploring the city without the crowds.
Thanks to a “stay two nights, get the third night free” off-season promotion we are staying at a bucket list hotel on the Upper East Side. We visited the hotel bar during a snow storm last year and I left in tears (happy tears!), so we are very much looking forward to relishing that feeling for a whole weekend.
We’ll start our trip with a visit to the newly opened Birley Bakery for a quick breakfast followed by a wander through the Frick Collection, which re-opened in April 2025 after a five-year renovation. After lunch, we plan to stop into KRB NYC, a favorite home store that never fails to inspire, followed by tickets to Ragtime at Lincoln Center.
Our second day will be geared towards more home stores and thrift shopping, beginning with Nickey Kehoe, John Derian, & BDDW. Quick pit stop into Rubirosa’s for a pizza lunch, followed by popping into as many Housing Works thrift shops as we can muster. I am especially excited to poke around City Opera Thrift to close out the day, while Jake is excited to find the best Guinness pour in the city.
Our final day will begin at the Chelsea Flea market, followed by us high-tailing it over to the Brooklyn Museum for the exhibit, Monet and Venice.
Mostly, I can’t wait to explore one of my favorite cities with my favorite person.
In the spirit of making the every day more enjoyable, I’m happy to report the meal planning continues this week. We made Wishbone Kitchen’s Big Fat Greek Salad with Souvlaki-ish Chicken for our lunches and will fill in dinners with taco salad, tuna salad, and steak.
Level with me — do you find yourself heading to the thrift store in search of inspiration, too? Or have you mastered the art of sourcing inspiration from what is already around you?
Here’s to tackling monsters this week.
Xx Abby
Which Housing Works locations do you like best?
I love this list (of course!), but I am mostly SO EXCITED for you to see Ragtime! It's truly life-changing. Happy early birthday!