Tag Archives: CHRISTMAS

Treat Yourself: Bryant Park Winter Village

Hey Guys,

Have you ever heard of the Winter Village at Bryant Park? With finals season in full swing and the holidays around the corner, it is important to take a minute to enjoy the season! The Winter Village is one of my favorite places to go to during the holiday season. The park is usually less congested than the Rockefeller Center tree, and showcases a tree of its own.

It is easy to make a night of fun at Bryant Park. At the center of the Winter Village there is a large ice rink. Spend time skating the rink with friends or (like me) sit this one out and enjoy some cocoa instead. Surrounding the rink are various vendors, restaurants, and of course, the tree! Vendors like Max Brenner (and their delicious, liquid gold hot chocolate) are all around the rink. Enjoy eats from around Manhattan, such as Wafels and Dinges, Home Frite, Domo Taco, Doughnuttery and more! Need to get some holiday shopping done? Bryant Park has a gift for every person in your life. The vendors range from apparel to jewelry, to even artwork! There are so many unique gifts to check out, and a ton of ornament shops as well. My favorite thing to do at Bryant Park is grab some cocoa and look through the shops. I always love looking at the different ornaments and stopping at all the art vendors. Do not forget to take a seat and watch the skaters, or snap a pic in front of the tree! Bryant Park Winter Village is open from October 28, 2017 to January 2, 2018. Be sure to grab a winter treat and check it out!

-Annmarie x


soruce:(x) – Photograph: Courtesy Bryant Park Corporation

 

Holiday Window Displays 2017:

It’s that time of year again! Before the turkeys are on dinner tables, window displays at iconic New York City department stores are already bringing in Christmas cheer. New York City is known for jaw-dropping holiday visuals, and here are a few I think are worthy of checking out this holiday season!

Bergdorf Goodman, Fifth Avenue –

The display pays homage to seven of New York City’s well-know cultural institutions such as the American Museum of Natural History, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, The New York Botanical Gardens, and the New-York Historical Society. It captures the city’s appreciation for art, history, music, and film with their presentation entitled, “To New York With Love”. As onlookers peruse the windows, they can expect to see displays featuring bejeweled dinosaurs, a large-screen montage of black-and-white films clips, soft-sculpture plant life, neon musical instruments, papier-mâché portraits and sculptures, and signature glass objects.

Macy’s, 34th Street –

Despite tough times for department-store chains, Macy’s has once again shown what it can do when it comes to the magic of the holidays. This year’s window theme is “The Perfect Gift Brings People Together.” The department store has six holiday windows on Broadway and 18 other windows,  including the perennial “Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus,” which has had a place of honor for the last 10 years. One window features a Christmas tree as the centerpiece at home Another captures the busy city with an ice skating rink. A third has Santa as a theater conductor during a holiday show.

Lord & Taylor, Fifth Avenue –

Features five animated windows along with fashion windows and an additional 13 smaller windows filled with holiday flair at Lord & Taylor. Each incorporates snow globes to help tell the story. The windows depict a circus scene, polar bears playing in the Arctic and Santa’s workshop. The Lord & Taylor windows are built off-site and take six months to create starting from the vision to the final production. Up to 75 different skilled tradespeople work to put the windows including carpenters, electricians, and skilled painters.

Saks Fifth Avenue –

Saks Fifth Avenue celebrates the 80th year of Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs with its 14 animated holiday window displays along Fifth Avenue this year. Each window features a different scene from the popular fairy tale, including Snow White dancing with the woodland creatures, the Seven Dwarfs coming home from the diamond caves and the Wicked Queen and the poisonous red apple.

Window Watching in NYC!

THE HOLIDAYS ARE HERE! 

macys-2010-christmas

That means it’s time to window shop watch, here in the city! 

New York City’s stores are recognized for their spectacular window displays and decorations. Here are a few that are worth taking a look at if you are in the area!

1. Macy’s (Nov. 20th – Jan. 4th) – Macy’s is dedicating its window displays this year to Charles Schultz’s cartoon creations. Each of the store’s six Broadway-facing windows hosts a display depicting the holiday adventures of the Peanuts crew.

2. Saks Fifth Ave (Nov. 23rd – Jan. 4th) – Saks is filling its windows with wintery versions of some of the world’s greatest natural and man-made wonders. On top of that, they transformed the entire front of the store into a winter palace complete with crystal spires and a light show involving more than 225,000 illuminated elements!

3. Bergdorf Goodman (Nov. 17th – Jan. 4th) – Bling bling! Swarovski studded this year in honor of the crystal maker’s 120th anniversary. More than 7 million Swarovskis were used to create the display, with each window presenting a different crystalline theme: a prismatic cave, bedazzled suits of armor and life-size lions and a birthday ballroom with every cake and gift coated in crystals.

 

2014!

It seems like it’s been forever since I’ve had time to sit down and write a post on here! I know I’m not the only one to say the holiday season fills up everyone’s schedules, with work parties, holiday shopping, and family gatherings. You basically can’t take a breather until after New Years Day! With that being said, I couldn’t have asked for a better Christmas and New Years.

Christmas in upstate New York will always be so special to me. Growing up here, I know nothing different during the month of December. I can’t imagine spending Christmastime in a warm or tropical climate! I’m so used to freezing cold temperature, and lots of snow! That’s how I like my Christmas and luckily that’s what we had this year. It was the perfect time to be cozy with my family, and an excuse to stay in and eat, drink and be merry!

I had an extra special New Years Eve this year. My best friends older sister got married on New Years Eve, to the wonderful man she met seven years earlier, at a New Years Eve wedding! I haven’t been to many weddings, but this was by far the most unique, special and beautiful wedding I have ever been to. A wedding is supposed to be all about the bride and groom, and this ceremony was so perfectly attuned to this couple. It was so wonderful being surrounded by love on a night like NYE. The positivity and joy that filled the reception hall brought out the best in everyone as we made the count down to 2014.

It has been a very relaxing, and much needed, winter break so far. I am lucky to have a job here at home to keep myself busy over this seven week break. I work as a busser/food runner at a local fine dining restaurant. I enjoy the food industry because its fast paced and you’re really able to develop your people skills without really realizing it. I only have about 2 weeks left on my winter break. It’s always bittersweet saying goodbye to my family and friends and heading back to the city, however, I’m extremely excited for my spring semester and all that it brings.

I wish everyone a happy, healthy, successful 2014! Cheers!

xx, Brendan

Ho, Ho, Ho.. A bit Later

Hey guys, Merry Christmas! I hope everyone had a feast (and got those shoes they were secretly hoping for). Even though Christmas is technically over (here in DR it isn’t over until January 6th ) there is still plenty of Christmas spirit going on in the streets. If this is your favorite holiday and you are still in NYC take a stroll outside down Madison Avenuenutcracker Radio City Music HallTrainReindeersChristmas LightsChristmas  Balls(I understand it’s freezing but quick snap chats to make your friends jealous will make it worth it). Every block is nicely decorated with lights, trees, nutcracker and so much more. Downton Abbey truckThere is also a Downton Abbey Truck giving out free tea and biscuits (in my worst English accent) right by Bryant Park. You could also proclaim your love in the snow for fun as I usually do (although, I’m not sure this car owner would agree haha).Car Snow

 

 

 

 

 

On the other hand you could sit at home, and upload pictures of all your gifts and brag about them (like I will do in a few). Well, first I’m really proud that I got my mom two pairs of Manolo Blahniks (yep, you heard right and on a student budget). Manolo BlahnikSeriously no joke, it is one of the perks of being at a fashion school, your friends get to work at sample sales and shoes like these are at a special discount price for them such as (GUESS… nope.. LOWER.. nope…LOWER) ok, I’ll tell you $25 a pair.

 

 

 

Second, I’m delighted with the pearl necklace my boyfriend got me (delighted is an understatement, I have fallen in Love).Majorica Git bagPearl Necklace

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please feel free to brag about your gifts 🙂 , can’t wait!

Carpe Diem,

Sadie