Window Dressings

 

Isn't this a beautiful window display? There is a hint of Christmas in it without distracting you from that  awesome lamp. The building's brickwork adds a perfect frame for this scene, something I'm sure the window designer took into consideration.

New Yorker Comics on Mugs

 

What is funnier than a New Yorker comic? Here are some of the best ones on coffee mugs. I wanted to buy one for each person on my Christmas list, but who needs another coffee mug, really? The place is called Fishs Eddy, and it's full of brilliantly clever stuff that makes you think, "Why couldn't I have thought of that?"

Window Dressings

Toy Soldiers

Pictured here is only half of the display in front of a Park Avenue UBS office.

 My husband suggested I stand next to the display to give viewers an idea of the size of these guys. My salute is a little wimpy.

Must Have Caramel Corn

The singular purpose of getting out of my apartment today may be to purchase and consume caramel popcorn from Bryant Park.

We received our lease renewal notice and learned that our rent is going up $500 in February! That's per month, people!

Sooooo, we have been looking at other options. Now, just across the East River, the rent is 40% cheaper for 25% more space, and it's only a subway stop away from our current place!

Long Island City reminds me of Boonville (for those of you reading from Indiana) or Clifton (for those of you reading from Ohio). Mostly we saw young people, some with small children walking around and lots of pet-owners. No taxis. A beautiful riverside park.

After spending about 4 hours there, we noticed we were running into the same people, so that's definitely different than in Manhattan.

Bargain Eats in Long Island City

When the waiter brings you a Bloody Mary with three separate garnishes, you know they care.

The sugar for my coffee was served in a miniature cocktail glass. Love it!

The server couldn't tell us why there were playing cards on the ceiling.

My lunch was a scrambled egg wrap with Spanish rice and beans and white cheddar cheese. Must remember this for the next family get-together. The bacon was stolen from my husband's plate.

Our bill was delivered in this tiny woven basket and was half the cost of what we would have paid in Manhattan.