New York, New York, It's a hell of a town

I am unemployed. I'm living in a recession. I can just about afford train fare into London and have to hitch-hike my way back into the sticks. I walk through Selfridges and Liberty drooling and walk out wiping my tears away with my empty hands. I desperately want a Longchamp bag and screamed with envy when I heard my dear friend has just bought one. I take pleasure in the fact my parents pay for the internet, so at least I can go on their website and design my own make believe one (You totally can do that. You can even get your name sewn on! http://www.longchamp.com/en/home-e-shopping/home-sur-mesure-usa-560.html) I yearn to douse myelf in Jo Malone's Vanilla and Asise (God I love that smell!) and buy every necklace Alex Monroe has ever created and yet I smell of my cat and make my own jewellry with dry pasta and string. But hang on a minute... in two weeks time I will be on a terrifying plane journey to New York!!

I struggled with the decision. I should be job hunting instead of Bloomingdales hunting, right? Well, not really. For the past month I have been researching everything you can do for free or really, really on the cheap and I have found some fantastic things. I have been to New York three times before and wanted to do something different. So this trip will not include the Empire State Building or Ground Zero. I will not wait in line at the M & M store in Times Square nor will I take a ferry to visit the Statue of Liberty. Instead I will be venturing into the unknown; the equally brilliant, equally stylish, equally interesting things to do in New York for half the price and I cannot wait. Oh, I've found some quirky things to do and I will share them with you on my blog in case you ever fancy taking a bite of the Big Apple sometime in the future. Keep checking, you might find something you like.

Conversations with Glenda Bailey, Fashion Museum, NYC

On November 19th (my birthday, in case any of you want to send me a pressie via facebook) Glenda Bailey will be talking with an audience at the Museum of Fashion, NYC. I have reserved two seats. I know I'm on holiday and it's my birthday but if you don't know who Glenda Bailey is you will soon understand why. She is the Editor in Chief of Harper's Bazaar (USA) and all round fashion journalism icon. It is also completely free (whoever said you have to spend a fortune in NYC is a bloody liar. Or they work for the tourist board and have had dollar signs for pupils ever since Sex and the City came out).

Bailey, originally from Derby, was the launch Editor of Marie Claire and became editor of US Marie Claire, in 1996. Known as the 'ultimate editor', Bailey was appointed the role of Editor in Chief for US Harper's when sales were flagging after its radical change in design and content. It was Bailey's job to bring it back to its old ways and regain the loyal readers without alienating the new ones. And boy did she do it! Sales were down 7.5% when she arrived, and the mag is now selling better than ever. She even managed to get Donatella Versace do to an interview with her immensely private daughter which no magazine was able to do before. I'm telling you, the woman is a legend!

The talk goes on for two hours and I'm already preparing my questions. She's one of those 'role model' types for me but I'm not doing her justice at all. Read this article on her, it's very interesting...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/glenda-bailey-woman-at-work-530221.html

This is just one amazing thing I plan to do in NYC... and it's completely free. Hoorah!