almost christmas!

Christmas is almost here!!!!! I''m trying to experience every last ounce of Christmas I can before its here. I'm very excited about the gifts I got everyone and I can't wait for them to be opened. Mike is also taunting me with hints about his gifts. The anticipation is killing me. Anyway after being sick for a few days I'm definitely feeling a little bit better so I was able to finish up the last of my christmas shopping at the brooklyn flea today. Chrissy, Mike, and I impromptu decided to stop in after church today and it did not disappoint! (with the exception of the snob running on the coffee stand) Mike found a framed print we both really liked and decided to purchase it for the apartment. It was a steal ;)

Anyway back to christmas in NYC! I bought a Sinatra Christmas album at a Brooklyn record store last weekend and have been playing it quite frequently. Right now we are cheating on Sinatra and watching Michael Buble perform his 2011 Christmas special. This really is the BEST time of year. Here are some Christmas photo highlights from the past month.

We also got to see Judah Friedlander at a comedy club for Mike's work Christmas party. He didn't seem to jazzed to have Mike's drunken co workers coming over to talk to him but at least he took a picture with us!

Oh and also I saw MY FUTURE DOG at the Brooklyn flea today. Look how big his head is. He seemed so calm and wise but also like he would defend his owner at any moment. Little did his actual owner know, I was plotting ways to steal him...

Other than christmas shopping, movie watching, and tree lighting we've continued to explore Astoria. Here is a shot of sekund sun which is a brand new bar/restaurant that opened around the corner of us. I am a big fan of how nice the bartenders are and the food was wonderful as well.

Ketchup

Alright ya'lol it's been awhile. As you all know holiday display prep was long and stressful but it's been over for a couple weeks and new window prep has begun. With a new store and a new team things don't run as smoothly as I'm used to but I'm sure everything will work out in the end. I'm really excited for our new windows ( after many many sketches) and as always I will show them to you as soon as I can!

Other than that, life has been great! We have a new mattress!!!!! Sleep has never been so good. Mike and I are both are in love with the apt and both agree as long as we are in nyc, this is the apartment for us. Astoria is amazing and you guys need to visit!

I've been on a Christmas high and I can't wait to give everyone their gifts this year. I'll be flying home the morning of Christmas Eve and plan to spend every minute with friends and family.

Soupsgiving

Yay! The holiday set up is complete and I am gonna sleep for 12 hours and hop on a flight back home for Thanksgiving and a well deserved break. It will be a little sad being this is the first holiday without my papaw but there will be plenty of love and food and relatives and friends to make up for it. As I'm sure I'll get a million questions about what the store looks like, what the Rockefeller center windows look like, and about our new apt I decided to make this a very picture heavy album that everyone can feel free to ask me about at "soupsgiving" on Friday at my house! 

This year my family decided to take it easy and have our big meal consists of all different home made soups so that friends and family can filter in an out on Friday. Mike and I are making salmon chowder that I'm sure will get some praise from guests and some thumbs down from most of my family that doesn't like sea food. But oh well, this city slicker has gotta bring some flava'! Having our meal on Friday also frees me up to spend Thanksgiving at Mike's house for the first time ever, so everything works out well. Enough jabber here are some pictures!

Rockefeller center windows first! I'll take some better photos closer to Christmas when its in all its gloy but for now this is what you got. Some of my best friends and I met up to celebrate and to look at the windows if you're wondering who those good looking people are in the last photo.

 

Now my store's windows...

Any FINALLY the interior of my store...

Elliot Withersbee

Had a busy weekend and need to get to bed so I can wake up before the sun to start the ROCKEFELLER CENTER WINDOW PREP! I know you'll forgive me for the super short blog so I can make myself fall asleep early. I'll be watching fast and furious 6 in bed to distract me from my excitement for tomorrow. Anyway, here are some preliminary photos of the window I completed at my own store. Enjoy! 

Every leaf, lemon, pear, foliage, and greenery was handmade with a big thank you going out to our staff for helping to prep them every morning during our morning meeting.

A little back story on the swan. His name is Elliot Withersbee. He rowed for Cornell. He enjoys swimming and poetry (only the classic poems, none of that slam poetry crap, as he would say). He is dating the swan from the Westport Anthro store, Penelope. He is from old money but he's trying to make it on his own. Side note - I think we've been breathing in to many chemicals in the art room.

 

Getting these wooden birds I made to fly up that high made even me scared to be on a ladder.

 Frosting the glass!

on a separate note...

Other than moving I wanted to update you on displays as well. This upcoming week is my window installation at the new store. We will also be putting up our Christmas trees, and starting our holiday store transformation. Last week I froze our wheat installation to give a little hint as to what is coming without making it overtly holiday before Halloween came.

I also had to install a new wall over our existing plaster walls so that now I can securely drill into them and attach display to the wall which is next to impossible on a plaster wall. Yay to building a wall for the first time! After I made the wall I bleached and re-dyed the fabric that was on there so that our new window will have a winter storm-like background. Get excited for next weekend's window pictures!

I also made a few new birds for our exterior display. I jigsawed them out of wood, sanded them, and made their wings out of leftover wooden petals from last springs display. Yay for re-using materials!