Notes From The City: An Abundant Life

I love thrift store shopping. I grew up in a house where almost everything I had was a hand-me-down, and I used to eye my brother's and sister's clothing with the thought of whether or not I'd enjoy wearing it one day. Every now and again I'd be able to buy something new off the rack at a regular store, and though I always enjoyed the feeling of being able to choose what I wanted, nearly every one of those things that I bought was "in" for a season or two and then they were gone with the wind. I still have a few classics I bought when I worked at Lord & Taylor years ago, and a few that I found at a few other places, but the things that have lasted me the best and the longest in quality and style are the things that I've bought at thrift stores. Because my closets have become full of beautiful clothing to wear at a fraction of the cost, in recent years I've been branching out and buying housewares and home furnishings. I had always loved to look at glass and china and the wonderful shelves full of decorative items, but now that I live in a place that really feels like home again, I have been enjoying adding decorative touches to it with the wonderful discoveries I find. In addition to the quality and quantity of the things I can buy there, thrift store shopping is also a way of giving back in some small way. All of the thrift stores I shop at give at least a portion of their proceeds to charitable causes, and some give one hundred percent, so when I go shopping I know that my dollars are not only being well spent on something that I'll enjoy but that I'll enjoy the feeling of knowing that in some way I'm helping some good cause.

City Opera Thrift Shop is a wonderful place to find many wonderful things. The quality of their items is very high end, and the donors and designers who outfit the store are full of great taste and style. I have bought some very precious and delightful pieces there, and whenever I go there is so much to see that is beautiful that it is a constant inspiration. On a recent trip I found a Mission Lamp, something that I'd been wanting for ages but simply could not afford, and on the day I found it, not only was it already marked at a very low ticket price, it was on sale for an extra twenty-five percent off. I have a joke with a friend that the last thing I need is another lamp, but when you find your heart's desire for a song, if you're me you go ahead and carry it singing all the way home. I was so excited with my find that I didn't even care if it was working or not, but the lovely young woman at the cash register offered to test it for me. It was working completely, not a thing wrong with it, and as she packaged it carefully up for me I told her how delighted I was and we started a conversation about my love of thrifting and the blog I write and I offered to write something about City Opera Thrift Shop. She told me that they had an event upcoming, a collaboration for a cooking and cookbook and food event with some people who make different types of food products, and as I am equally a lover of wonderful food as I am a lover of a great thrift store, I put it in my calendar. When the day came I stopped by and started tasting my way through some of the most delicious samples of products that I've had. As I asked each vendor about their products and offered to meet with them to write something about them, each one told me that they all came from the same place, Entrepreneur Space in Queens. I'd never heard of it, and I was so intrigued and captivated by the fact that all these wonderful people were so happily making their delicious products there that I wanted to go out and visit, and Ygael Tresser, a Caterer and Chef Extraordinaire who makes a delectable Harissa under the name of Food Snob, gave me the contact information for the people who are in charge of the space and I called them the next day. That began a new love affair in my life with a space that helps what they call Food-Preneurs, but I'll leave that for next week when I write about Entrepreneur Space, some of the wonderful food products I've discovered there, and the amazing work that they do. For now I'll finish writing here so you can see some of the beauty at City Opera Thrift Shop for yourself, and I'll sign off with a few words to say - buyer enjoy! They've been supporting New York City Opera for over 35 years, and their taste is only the best.

City Opera Thrift Shop

222 East 23rd Street

New York City

https://cityoperathriftshop.org/

The Beautiful Carolyn Potz, Founder and Chef
Of The Delicious Munchy Monkey Bakery
Some of the Most Delightful Gluten Free Cookies I've Had
www.munchymonkeybakery.com