Oh, Trader Joe's

Yes, late to the game. But I have seen the light, and there is no turning back.

I was shopping at Whole Foods and Eataly for my first week in the city. Well, that was mainly because my mother was visiting and paying. Once I was on my own, I started to branch out and made a trip to Trader Joe's in Chelsea (about 5 minutes walk from my apartment, lucky me.)

And I also went the next four days, in a row, until there was nothing else that I needed to purchase. So when I went on Friday, it was for a frivolous purchase that's made me very happy:

• Alstroemeria, $3.99

I had my doubts about whether these would last, but look at how beautifully they bloomed! The only downside was a lot of ragged leaves that I had to cut away. But, that may have been my fault because I dropped these flowers on a subway grate because I was trying to balance a pile of books I'd picked up at Strand and a cup of ice cream from Eataly. Technically it was gelato, but couldn't type that without feeling like a poo.

Bath & Body Works Semi-Annual Sale - a baby haul

It's the Bath and Body Works semi-annual blowout extravaganza sale of the century 10-for-1 super sale.

Really, there is nothing here that I needed - and I also didn't need the migraine that came from smelling all of the wallflowers in the store.

• 3 for $10 mini-candles: Mahogany Teakwood (times 2), Honeysuckle
• $4 medium candles, regularly $9.50: Leaves and White Barn #2 Chestnut & Clove

A few of these were definitely holiday scents - White Barn, at least - but the scents were fresh and clean so I picked up a few. The pickings were slim for the medium candles (at least at the 23rd and Park location), and slimmer after I picked up all the White Barns. There were a few Summer Boardwalks left, which smell like the vomit that would collect under the boardwalk. I smelled that candle in the store, and made an involuntary gag face that one of the employees noticed. So I had to avoid her for the rest of my time in the store. 

Mahogany Teakwood smells like a good man smells. Woody and a little spicy, I keep it on my bedside table. And I smell it before I go to bed like a creeeeeep.

I picked up a few wallflowers as well - I stuck to the 75% off ($1.63 each!)

• London Calling: apparently lemon and tea, I just have a craving every morning when I wake up after subconsciously smelling it all night. It's an interesting scent, unlike anything else I've smelled from Bath & Body Works, Glade, Lollia, any of those. Still very fresh and comforting.
• White Barn #2 Chestnut & Clove: I hope I enjoy this scent for a while, because clearly I've committed to it.

This is actually a pretty good sale, albeit for things you don't really need. But, if, like me, you enjoy a tumble of pretty and nice-smelling things on your bedside table and bathroom counter - go early. I went on Thursday and again on Saturday, and the inventory was a lot better earlier in the week (with limited restocking.) If you went tonight, it would probably be a lot of the Paris collection sitting around. 

My apartment does smell a bit like a brothel right now. The delivery guy tonight is a lucky man.