Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Settling in


The great unpacking.

Now, on this last day of the year, our first order of business is to buy slippers. The Frenchman's suggestion. Neither he nor I has worn slippers since childhood. But the parlour-level Harlem apartment is freezing (this will be helpful in summer, of course).We discovered - long after signing our lease - that we pay for both heat and hot water (not made clear to us at all; it's usually included, and the first bills have been real shockers) and we are being parsimonious...

We are both naturally cold tolerant, so that helps, too. What neither of us likes is being too hot.

Too much information?

Moving along. So, slippers. I've been looking online.

Ugly! Who knew!? They are made for creatures with cloven hooves. Why is that? A friend (thank you,  Jeanette!) directed me to Anthropologie where the most passable pair of slippers resides, though the pom-pom is really a pom-pom too far.

Any other ideas? And no, Uggs do not count.

Today - we head to Chinatown (nothing to do with slippers). The Frenchman has two unexpected days off and Chinatown is best in the utter cold. Fewer smells in the gutters, and bright urban colours on grey days. We may find dim sum, we may buy our annual crabs (see the January New York chapter and recipe in 66 Square Feet - A Delicious Life). 

We may eat black bean crabs for dinner and drink Champagne.




31 comments:

  1. glad you are back safe and sound. i love my slippers from garnet hill(they are having a nice online sale now). they are wool and washable. i have another pair of halflinger(sp?) that are wool with a cork and rubber sole that can be worn outside. good luck and happy new year.

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    1. Thank you! Had never heard of them till now - seems they have a lot of fans.

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  2. Faux fur lined moccasin's - check out amazon, these are not too fugly and abounding in frou frou.

    L,L

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  3. There are many different styles of Haflinger, the ones with good foot support last for years. Nice and cosy too.

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  4. Oh God, I wear a pair of fleece lined slippers from Sorel, are they fugly? Maybe, but they sure are cosy.

    Happy New Year.

    xo J

    xo

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  5. I was just reading that crab recipe yesterday with a late night whiskey after the kids went to bed. It sounds excellent but messy. My mother-in-law got your book for me for Christmas (yeah!).

    I'm sort of ashamed to admit that I wear hospital grade Birkenstocks in the house. Good protection from spills and dropped knives in the kitchen.

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    1. Messy, yes. Check in again in about three hours :-)

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  6. Another vote for Haflinger.
    Pretty much live in these slippers (with the rigid sole) - replaced every six months or so.
    Basic black downplays the house slipper vibe.

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  7. muji for slippers. they are perfect.

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    1. Drat - walked past just few hours ago. Will go back.

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  8. How many Betsys do you know? (I agree with the other Betsy's Garnett Hill suggestion.) Happy New Year! You are now so famous I saw you in my new Seed Catalog!!

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    1. Funny - I thought the first Betsy was you. Was it Botanical Interests? I heard, but have not seen.

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    2. that is funny, i was always the only betsy:) i will sign betsy k from now on. i named my son john and he had so many johns in school that he used to sign his cards to me(his mother) john k. how cute is that?

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  9. Happy New Year, Marie! Thank-you for the heads up about your book being in the iTunes store. It now resides on my iPad.

    Thick wool socks with any kind of slip-on that will accommodate them works for me. I usually stuff my thick-wool-socked feet into a Mephisto slip-on that is adjustable. Happy hunting...

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    1. Thank you for buying the iVersion of 66 Square Feet :-)

      Yes, I see more wool socks in future. And perhaps flannel pajamas.

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  10. I would search Etsy. They have a large array of slippers both hand crafted or not.

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  11. You both are most likely in Chinatown already, but if you read this:
    http://88palacerestaurant.com for dim sum.
    The best. Noisy, huge, upstairs under the tracks, cheap, FUN.

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    1. Next time! Went per habit to Dim Sum Go Go...

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  12. I thought Haflinger was a Nordic breed of horses. You might try Zappos or maybe Banana Republic. The Anthro slippers are nice but the pompom might be too appealing to Estorbo.
    Re: heating your abode. If your landlord pays for the electric, you might consider getting a space heater-the kind that look like baseboard electric units. Far more efficient than the large radiator style and less cumbersome.

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    1. We pay all electric, and what we had not realized was that heat and hot water had been converted to electric.

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  13. I'm a fan of felt...
    http://www.glerups.ca/womens-slipper/
    And they make men's

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  14. These things are preeetty amazing. Mine still look great after three years of Sundays hunting around the front yard for the NYT in the bushes. Machine washable, too.
    http://www.windwalkers.net

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  15. Ah, fashionable, comfortable and warm a nearly impossible combo to find. Not sure what the Frenchman is looking for....my husbands loves the men's wool scuffs from L.L. Bean....very plain and comes in his size....extra huge.

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  16. Happy New Year all! And welcome back Marie : )
    The doorknob saga continues... I finally had a card pushed thru my door just before Christmas saying they couldn't deliver my parcel as customs had randomly picked it out and decided to charge me £20.48 before they will hand it over. I mean, per..LEASE! This ain't over...

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    1. CUSTOMS! I marked it as a gift! Oh dear. I had no idea...

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    2. Oh no, its not your fault!! Please don't worry - I'm happy to have a word with them about it, see if we can sort it out : )

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  17. thanks,you perfect. very good idea. keep it up.

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  18. Isn't it typical that the cat plants himself on your stuff when you get home? I think mine do it so I can't take my clothes and leave again!

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  19. Do you knit (or you could learn)? Fibretrends Felted Clogs are excellent, also fun to knit and then felt. Hand knit socks too, like little sweaters for your feet. We need warm toes here in Canada...

    Jake

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    1. I don't knit. I ought to. Good luck in Brrrrcanada...

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