Foosball Barbies!

FAO Schwarz is a great place to spend an hour if the place isn't swarmed. There are musicians demonstrating the latest boxed magic kit and really patient sales people helping kids throw circular-flying Balsa wood airplanes. You can also get your photo taken with a very tall live toy soldier before entering the store. I wonder if he's also there for theft prevention like the Walmart greeters.

I was there on a Monday, and things weren't too crazy, but I am sure it's a madhouse most other days this time of year. Just so you know, I didn't see anything amazingly new. No matter how much imagination has been put into the toy design, the best play comes from using your own, in my opinion.

Bergdorf Goodman

The most amazing jewelry and handbags can be found on the first floor of Bergdorf Goodman. It is like walking through a museum of Beauty. It took my breath away. Every item on display felt like it was the only thing you should look at until your eye ventured onto the next thing. I spent two hours here just looking. My purchase was from the candy store- -$36 for a 16 oz. box of caramel toffee (roasted pecans and walnuts, sweet butter toffee, pink Himalayan sea salt and milk chocolate). Worth every penny.

Here's a very small section of one of their famous windows. This one was all paper sculpture and was stunning. Everywhere you looked, you found intricately designed objects made out of pieces of paper.

You can see their magnificent windows here.

Pose with a Half Naked Male Model at Abercrombie & Fitch

Do you see the man sans shirt through the window? This is Abercrombie and Fitch where two fully dressed male models flank the entrance to the Fifth Ave. store and also where . . .

. . .you can get your photo taken with a half-dressed one. There was a crowd of people just hanging at the entrance--I think watching this guy and trying to get the nerve to stand beside him. I did not get the nerve. . . yet.

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.