Holiday Windows: Fifth Avenue and 57th Street

I'm back with the last of the holiday windows.  Yes, your intrepid photographer braved the cold and the crowds to capture the holiday windows on Fifth Avenue and 57th Street.  While all the stores were decorated, I have to say I was a little disappointed this year.  There was a lot of tasteful greenery, but the great over the top decorations of the past were not there this year.

Luckily, Bergdorf's never disappoints so I was able to get some fun holiday photos.  Enjoy!

Paintings

 Hi Everyone.  I hope all of you had a great holiday.  After a long and fruitless search for a fine art photographer, I've been working on photographing and editing my own paintings.  Here is some of what I've been working on.

The Copper Pot 12x16 oil

Blue and White Bowl With Oranges 16x20 oil

Yellow and White Roses  9x12 oil

The Blue Vase 16x20 oil

Blue and White Vase With Oranges 16x20 oil (sold)

Hope you enjoyed seeing these.  I'll be back tomorrow with the last holiday windows post for the year.

xo,
Frances

Merry Christmas

Hello everybody.  I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a happy and safe holiday season.  Hope you get everything on your holiday wish lists!

Christmas Tree in Rockefeller Center

If you are able, there are many people still needing help after Hurricane Sandy.  Here is a link to send needed items to residents still dealing with the storm aftermath.  Every little bit helps.  Thank you.

xo,

Frances

Christmas Decorating

Hi Everyone,

I want to wish every one a very happy holiday season.  Have you decorated for Christmas?  I haven't in a very long time, but this year I was done in by what else, Pinterest.  I started collecting images and before you know it the decorating bug got to me.  I bought a new Martha Stewart Chritmas Tree and had lots of fun decorating it.

My other half made this pink ribbon garland for me years ago after I saw it on Martha's Sunday morning show. (Remember that show?  So much better than the last one with the annoying celebrities who knew nothing about art or decorating).  Anyway I ended up saving a picture from Lonny on my Pinterest Holiday Board and they had the same pink ribbon!  Mine was made years ago, so I'm glad it did not go out of style.

I'm not the only one who likes having a Christmas tree again.

As you can see above, the kitty "helped" us set up the tree.  She loves sitting under it and I know she will miss it when we take it all down.  She absolutely wore herself out helping us and had to spend the rest of the day asleep on her heating pad.

Yes, she has her own heating pad set up on the couch.  What can I say?  Choupette is not the only spoiled kitty out there!

I'm still working on the rest of the decorating (why not wait until the last minute, right?), but I'm so happy with the tree.  Have you decorated for the holidays?  Put a pic in the comments.  I would love to see them!

xo,
Frances

Holiday Photos: Flatiron

The median on 5th Avenue and 23rd Street

Hi everybody.  I'm back with more night time holiday photos of New York City.  The decorations around the city are really beautiful and I love taking pictures at night, something I have never done before.  Hope you like them!

This display is in back of the one above on the 5th Avenue median in Flatiron.  I have no idea why the sign is upside down, but this is New York so anything goes!

These photos are the Marimekko store windows decorated for the holidays.  I'm obsessed with Marimekko, but window shopping will have to do for now.

I'm not sure what this is suppose to be, but this fun display in Madison Square Park changes colors all night long.

The Empire State Building all lit up.

I was standing in nearly the same spot when I painted this:

The Christmas tree in Madison Square Park.  Love the blue lights.

I hope you enjoyed seeing these night time holiday pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them.

xo,
Frances

Holiday Time in New York City

Monday night I was out and about and saw some great holiday displays.  I've been experimenting with taking photos at night and while this is best done with a tripod, I wanted to get some candid shots while walking around.

These were taken near the Chase Building on Sixth Avenue.  It was really pretty with everything lit up.

A strange looking Hello Kitty and the cowboy from Toy Story were posing for pictures (for money of course, so I didn't get too close)!

Radio City all lit up and decorated for Christmas.

It is hard to see, but if you look closely even the pretzel guy had his cart decked out for the holidays.

Here are a bunch of people getting drawings done of themselves.  There were also tons of people out buying handbags, but I have to tell everybody - those aren't real!!

Why were there so many people out at ten o'clock on a Monday night in December? Because of this:

That's right.  It was 59 degrees at 10:02pm on December third in New York City!  I'm not one to walk around at night in the winter time, so this was a real treat.  Of course, we're back to freezing now, but it was a nice break.

I'll be back with another post of holiday windows so stay tuned!