One of my favorite times of day during school when I was much younger was Recess. You got to go outside and play and see all of your friends. It was so nice to have a break in the middle of the day to just get all of your energy out.

These days work isn’t nice enough to give me recess time. Yes I have a lunch break, but that is normally where errands get run and then it ends with me getting a sad sallie or sammie (These are my sisters pet names for salads and sandwichs if you didn’t already figure it out. Weird I know, but it’s rubbed off on me) from the office cafeteria.

These days playgrounds also represent something much different to me. I have lived in NY for all of my life. I started out a city girl and then got transported by my parents to the suburbs at around 6th grade. So I didn’t venture off to one of my now favorite stores until my early twenties.

Henri Bendel’s is known as the ultimate NYC girls’ playground. Long gone are the days of monkey bars and swings. We now get to have fun trying on bangles, make-up and getting a treat at their Chocolate Bar Cafe.

From the very beginning Henri Bendel makes an award winning first impression with their fabulous brown and white striped awning. This color combo has always left a sophisticated and chic vibe in my head. Walking into HB’s is like getting free room of the coolest, hippest girl in town. She is the life of the party and everyone wants to be her friend. Floor after floor you get to ohh and ahh over all the lovely baubles, bags and bras. oh my!

Not many of the items at Henri Bendel’s are really in my price, but since I rarely like leaving a store empty handed I stock up on my staple make-up items there. My Tarte lip-gloss costs the same there as it does at Sephora. This way I get to make a purchase and leave with a chic brown/white striped bag swinging from arm.

If you are ever in NYC you should go and take a peek inside. From the man that first decided to sell Coco Chanel designs this is a store with a history of being in the know.