Chelsea Market, Marrakesh and a Giveaway

Since we live within walking distance of Chelsea Market, we're down there pretty often.

Their main Christmas tree is wintry and very unusual.

On closer inspection it turns out to be all sorts of dried rhododendron leaves and grasses and twigs --as artificial trees go it's rather lovely.

Tis the season to bake cookies at home, but if you are too lazy/busy Sarabeth's does it all year round....

I recommend the palmiers (and all the others!)

Ah, but here is what we've come for --a glimpse of Morocco which we still manage to miss. Our friend Mohamed Elmaarouf used to have a shop in Chelsea Market all the time and now he's back for the holiday season. His web site has much better pictures than I do. Imports from Marrakesh.

The colorful costume of a water seller  like we used to see in Djemma Elfna. The hat is especially splendid.

Here is our friend Mohamed Elmaarouf with some of his rugs....

and more carpets and cushions. The sequins sparkle

and look almost like the Christmas tree in the first photo.

Brasses gleam

not to mention the tea pots and slippers. I want everything!

And now the giveaway: as they did last year the kind people at Novica have given me a $50 gift code to send to a reader of this blog.  They wanted me to mention their new gift finder which makes looking for unusual hand crafted presents from round the world even easier. I will choose the winner on Monday  --so you have time to send off for something lovely before the holidays.