Our Trip to New York - December 2024
Wow it’s December 12 and this year is coming to an end so quickly! I love December and Christmas and the magic that comes with it! It’s such a busy time and I probably try to do more than is necessary, but I try to remember as I’m doing it all (usually late at night haha) that I’m setting the stage for memories to be made..for myself and for my family.
One tradition that I look forward to each year in December is going to New York and most years, it’s a girl trip. This year, my two youngest daughters had little ones and couldn’t make it so Baldy and I decided to go by ourselves. We had such a fun trip even though the weather wasn’t the best!
We stayed at the St. Regis Hotel and he surprised me with a beautiful suite. I really was so excited when we walked in and it was nice to have such a beautiful space for a few days, expecially since we’ve been living in cramped quarters because of our renovation! We were able to rest, get a little work done, eat delicious food and walk around in the beautiful city.
One of my favorite things to do in New York is walk up Madison Avenue in the early afternoon. The sun is still shining, but it’s getting low in the sky and the twinkling lights in all of the beautifully decorated shops make it feel so festive.
When we arrived in the city, we dropped our bags in the lobby with the bellman because our room wasn’t ready and headed to the St. Regis bar. The line was starting to get long to go into the King Cole Bar, so we were lucky to get a table in the restaurant area. We had a glass of champagne and talked for a little while and then were able to get into our room…I mentioned above how surprised and excited I was!
Our first dinner was at Il Gattopardo which has long been one of our favorite Italian restaurants…it did not disappoint! Since we are lightweights and like to go to bed early, we immediately headed back to the hotel to get in our cozy bed…full and happy!
The next morning we headed out for Bergdorf Goodman mid morning…I wanted to see my friend Joanne who works on 2nd floor shoes! I have been working with Joanne for over 20 years and love to see her everytime I go to New York! It’s always so much fun to see the new shoes and choose a pair or two to take home! I also love love love to go to the 7th floor to get decor inspiration and eat. This time however, we went across the street to the men’s store and ate at Goodman’s Bar which is so delicious and the people watching is incredible! We shared caviar and potato chips (which I want to recreate) and I had a fabulous Tuna salad…it was a great meal. We lingered for a few minutes over a glass of wine and then looked around at men’s clothing!
I didn’t find what I was looking for at Bergdorf Goodman (a pair of Gucci boots) and after lunch we went down the street to the Gucci store. Baldy ended up buying me most impractical pair of shoes ever (Merry Christmas to me) and I love them!
We dropped the Gucci bag at the hotel and started walking down Madison Avenue…about 30 some blocks later, we reached our destination - Veronica Beard.
I was so anxious to go to the Madison Avenue Veronica Beard store because they were having a Houses & Parties pop up! If you don’t know Houses & Parties, you really must check them out! Based in Savannah GA, Rebecca Gardner (the creative genius behind Houses & Parties), plans parties, decorates houses and has an online boutique that sells fabulous things and I’ve been obsessed with her for years!
We nearly missed the whole pop-up because it ended at 5 o’clock that day but runs through the 15th if you happen to be in the city. Luckily, I had about 30 minutes to drool over everything and get a couple of treasures…see the picture below of the entrance! I also bought a new denim dickey jacket to go with a Veronica Beard blazer that I already own. That’s a great thing about the blazers there…you can quickly update with a new dickey and it feels like a whole new blazer!!
I bought the cutest crackers from the pop-up to put on everyone’s plate for Christmas Eve dinner and I’m so excited to get my table set!
On Monday, we got a bit of a late start and went to one of my favorite lunch spots, La Bonne Soup. It’s a tiny little French restaurant just off Fifth avenue down the street from our hotel. I had French onion soup and a glass of rosé and it was the perfect lunch.
I had just made the comment to Garrick that one thing I want to do in 2025 is to go to a gorgeous little restaurant, order lunch and sit and read a book all by myself. Well…right after we were seated at La Bonne Soup, a cute girl came in the restaurant, dressed in a beautiful camel coat with the prettiest boots. She sat down, ordered lunch and pulled out her book to read! It was a sign that I need to plan my lunch asap! I couldn’t resist asking her what she was reading and it was Kingmaker by Sonia Purnell. Of course, I’ve purchased it and that will be the book I take with me on my lunch…I’ll keep you posted!
I had a little time after lunch to go off on my own (oh darn) and went back to Bergdorf Goodman to get my makeup done and do a little Christmas shopping. My favorite makeup purchase was several colors of Sisely Paris lipstick and a lipgloss. The lipstick is sheer so I was able to get a pretty red for the holidays and the gloss is perfect over (I’ve included these items in the boutique below). I also got the girls a few of their favorite things! I love to be with Baldy, but I also love to walk around New York by myself and just do whatever strikes me at the moment! I also got my picture made with Santa!
Monday evening we met a friend that lives in New York for drinks and dinner. We went to a cute little wine bar (don’t remember the name) and then to dinner at 53 Restaurant. 53 is an Asian restaurant in a 3 story building and the food was beyond phenominal! We had such great conversation as we were eating that I totally forgot to take pictures so, of course, we had to order dessert even though we were already stuffed! If you’re going to New York, I think this is a restaurant not to be missed. It’s not small and intimate, but it is amazing!
On our last day, we decided to have lunch at another of my favorite places, a little neighborhood restaurant called Match 65 Brasserie, that I have been to by myself several times. We sat at the bar and ate Tuna Tartare and Crocque Madam along with French fries and were happy as clams. Unfortunately, the rain started after lunch but we still did some shopping and finally saw the tree at Rockefeller Center.
I packed for the cold weather and stayed nice and toasty in this coat shearling I bought last year from Sea New York (very similar here and more below) and a vintage fur. I also wore these bronze metallic pants from Veronica Beard and paired them with a black turtleneck and my suede Stuart Weitzman boots. It was a very New York look (IMHO)!
We got home late on Tuesday night and I hit the ground running yesterday! My house is almost decorated and I’m hoping to photograph and do a Holiday House Tour video on Monday to share on Tuesday! Even though we’re doing the renovation, I’m still going all in on the decor!
This morning, I got up extra early to take Amos to the groomer so he could be beautiful for Christmas and as I was quickly scrolling through Instagram, I noticed the post below! It really struck me how important it is to notice all of the wonderful little (and big) things in our lives, and not only to notice, but to celebrate them! I hope the idea below inspires you to notice the good things in your life and celebrate them! It would be so much fun for us to all share some of our moments with each other at the end of 2025!
This January, grab an empty jar. Every week, write down a good thing that happened - a moment that made you smile, a goal you achieved, or even a simply joy. Add the note to the jar.
On New Year’s Eve, open it up and relive the amazing year you created. It’s a beautiful reminder that even the smallest moments can make life extraordinary.
I hope you enjoyed the post!
~XOXO Suzanne