TOMS retail store, Manhattan

Let the record state that if you’re planning to attend a store opening, and are planning to take pictures that you’re then planning to share with the company, don’t arrive after you’ve been drinking.

It’s at times like these when I’m relieved that I’m not a surgeon. Or part of Barrack Obama’s security detail. Even a dressmaker, all of those pointy needles and other stabby things.

It wasn’t always the case. I used to have a job where drinking wasn’t part of the job. It was much easier to demarcate that line in the sand – these are the times when drinking is acceptable – these are the times when drinking is not.

But then you start to work in environments where drinking is the norm. And in some cases, where NOT having a beverage in your hand is completely unacceptable. Like that event a few weeks ago for Edible Manhattan where against my will, I was forced to drink moonshine and talk about local spirits all night.

For legal reasons, let’s strike that last sentence. It was willful, all of it, I apologize. Sometimes I can’t even admit these things to myself.

The day of the Edible event was a long one. It started out with working lunch where I was taking food photos for a restaurant. You can’t very well take photos of lunch without a cocktail in the mix. And sometimes that first cocktail needs another one on the table for balance.

Now the critical question, which gets me into trouble every time: who wants to let two cocktails go to waste? Not me. Perhaps I should take some lessons from Robert Parker and friends.

After lunch, with my camera stashed in my bag, I wobbled in the direction of downtown. Next up: an event that I’d been looking forward to all week; the opening party for the first TOMS retail store in NYC. The TOMS store in New York is located in Nolita at 264 Elizabeth Street, so if you’re in the area, you should check it out. And if you’re not in NYC, you can find a list of their other stores here.

TOMS is a brand that I’ve worked with in the past – great products, wonderful mission. And given their new(ish) venture with coffee, it wasn’t long before the first TOMS started to open stores in metro areas. But as I soon found out, the stores aren’t just places to drink coffee or buy your next pair of shoes. They’re community centers where you can take your time, relax in their well-designed outdoor spaces, and read up on the work they’re doing to give shoes, sight, water, and even prenatal care to those in need.

I was eager to check things out in person after all that I’d heard about the soon-to-open NYC store. And to be perfectly honest, I was looking forward to a short break in my day when I wouldn’t be walking around with a cocktail in one hand.

“Want a beer?”

I hadn’t even stepped all the way into the store before I fielded this question.

Ah, yes, I forgot this was an opening party. Back on the horse. At least this horse came with lower alcohol content.

Fortunately, the store was so pretty that I left my beer stranded against the window. Distracted by rustic wood and colorful fabric I suppose. And that backyard….Summer won’t be here soon enough.

A few photos to share:

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