Forest of magazine trees

As promised we folded trees... and glittered trees... creating a forest

Gretchen loved hanging out in the forest.

Thanksgiving table

My mom purchased a ton of mini pumpkins to use as place cards for Thanksgiving dinner. I used card stock, decorative scissors, a hole punch, regular scissors, a calligraphy pen and autumn colored yarn to create the tags.

A bowl of squash and indian corn created the centerpiece

The table with all the fixings

Window dressings

I love the city decorated for Christmas, but this being my fourth season in the city I've noticed many of the big decorations don't change from year to year. Still pretty, but not as magical. Solution? Window Displays. The window displays change every year and are always elaborate. My favorites every year include Bergdorf's, Saks', Bloomingdale's and of course Macy's. Today I noticed Saks still had their's covered, but not Bergdorf.

Bergdorf is always good for a little quirk and a lot of style.

I loved the bright colors, lights, and type style

Along fifth the seemed to be Unusual trips using unusual forms of transportation...

this one is nautical

"Merry Happy" to all

How do you decorate your tree?

Pull out the scaffolding? Ladders? 5 miles of lights? Swarovski crystal star?

Rockefeller tree putting on the glitz

Let there be light

Remember this scene from Sex and the City? They are smelling perfumes in a fancy department store. The store? Takashimaya. An upscale Japanese department store that had been located on 5th avenue since 1958. Well the store shut down this year and what should replace a fancy, expensive, elegant department store on 5th Avenue?

image via

It has been replaced by:

Story is they only have a 6 month lease for now...

Magazine trees

It has become a tradition in my family to do a craft project at holiday gatherings. After we chow down on delicious food and clean the table we pull out the supplies and make a simple craft, for example:

Christmas sock snowmen

Thanksgiving tree limb reindeer

Easter painted flower pots

I suggested that for this year for Thanksgiving we make magazine trees. I've seen these all around throughout the years, but most recently I saw them on Martha. And that is where I got the instructions for mine.

I decided to do a test run. I decided this the day after I did a great magazine purge so the only magazine I had handy was Elle. Now for those of you that don't read Elle, it is a rather thick magazine (300+ pages). So lesson learned- start with a thinner magazine if you want to finish sometime this year.

It took me a week or too of stopping and starting, but I finally finished... I wasn't the neatest and will try to be more consistent next time around. I adapted the instructions a little. On the third fold I didn't tuck and you can't tell. I don't have spray paint or glitter here either (or anywhere to spray paint) so I'm keeping this tree au naturale.

Check back after Thanksgiving... we might make a forest.

TOMS

I admit I was a bit of a TOMS holdout. I would see and admire them on other people's feet on the subway and I liked the company's mission (in short- buy a pair of shoes and they give a pair to a child in need), but I thought they were a little pricey for canvas shoes (even two pairs).

That was until I saw these:

Five days later they arrived at my door. A little tight at first they quickly loosened up and they (and my feet) survived my trip to Target in Harlem. They came with a flag (to take a picture with and post on their website) and a sticker.

PS- TOMS is short for tomorrows (buy a pair today they give a pair tomorrow)

elf

It is true I like musicals and it is also true that I like the movie elf. So a friend and I went to check out the new Broadway musical "elf". I realize it is not yet Thanksgiving, but the ticket prices went way up after Thanksgiving so I allowed myself to celebrate the Christmas season a little early.

Outside the theater

The show starts in santa's workshop and the elves outfits are great fun in lots of different bright colors. Buddy quickly learns he's human and heads to NYC. The next part before intermission was full of corny NYC centric jokes and so-so song and dance.

The musical might be better for people that haven't seen the movie because I kept waiting for three signature scenes from the movie that never came. Also the songs from the movie weren't used (i.e., baby its cold outside and santa clause is coming to town) instead they have made up songs... like buddy makes them up... on the spot... However the overall storyline is the same and many lines and scenes are carried over.

At the time I was much more satisfied with the second half. Now I can't place why. I think the songs were better, bigger dance scenes, and they went back to the north pole with those great elf costumes.

Falling for Fall

Today was an absolutely amazing day. After weeks of below normal temps today was a no jacket type of day. Clear skies and fall leaves.

around my hood

I've neglected my park lately... so I visited today, drank coffee, knitted, and waved at the circle line cruise as it passed by.

My park

NYC Marathon

I had this brilliant idea to live blog the marathon... then I ran into some issues:

1. I still can't figure out how to mobile blog pictures....

2. You can't take your eyes away for the street for any amount of time or you miss things & people

So for your pleasure I sent three mobile text blurbs... I hope you enjoyed them :)

Now for some pictures!

For the second year in a row I watched from Long Island City. I like this vantage point as it's near my apartment, it's not very crowded, it's the halfway point, and most people still look pretty fresh.

Welcome to Queens

Elite women

Elite men

Some really fast men

Heading to the 59th street bridge

The masses

PS- I am terrible at finding runners. I had four friends running and two fake friends, Al Roker and Meredith Vieria (from the Today show), that I was watching for. How many did I see? Only one! after he spotted me first and yelled my name... I would practice up for next year, but I'm not sure how.

Elite men halfway at 1:07

Elite women halfway at 1:18

Bagel and hot chocolate in hand, i'm watching the wheeled marathoners are making their way past long island city