The sere and yellow leaf....and a winner

Almost Thanksgiving and the leaves are hanging on - well at least some of them...

Here on The High Line they are positively technicolored.

You can sort of see 21st Street through the railing.

Rather brown on the ground on 22nd Street.

Rose hips at Union Square

and my best leaf of the week - also at Union Square.

The latest gleanings from the roof. The things that look like wallflowers are flowers from the herb tarragon -which I foolishly planted and no one ever used - everything very fall color-like.

Last photo is of the dog looking quite fall-colorlike too.

And the lucky winner of the NOVICA    $50 gift code, chosen at random from the commenters, is Donna Baker of http://gatheratthefarm.blogspot.com I'm sure Donna will be able to find herself or a friend a lovely handcrafted treat. 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Changing Seasons and a Novica Giveaway

Hard to believe it's half way through November already and all sorts of holidays are upon us.

Time to knit more elf hats!

The trees are in the middle of losing their leaves - here a tree by the rail station in Huntington, Long Island where I go for my weekly visit to the grandchildren.

Nearer home Berch has decorated the barber for Thanksgiving....

but a nicotinia flower  survives outside our building.

Pods hang by Pinwheel Park.

 And now out thoughts turn to Christmas... By preference I prefer handmade presents - but I love looking at the shop windows anyway.

ABC Carpet's windows are a special treat - a sort of mingling of the exotic, the shabby-chic and the homey.

 This year they are heavy on a woodland theme

and I'm a sucker for it.

Owls, deer and all the rest...

This brings me to my annual giveaway from the  NOVICA site which has really lovely handcrafted gifts and has the additional benefit of helping craftspeople in the developing world. Here are some links to many good things - I always love the gorgeous Thai gift wrap and the Indian silk scarves - but that's just me. Jasmine suggested you might like to check out the links below for gift ideas.

New Arrivals: http://www.novica.com/new-arrivals/

Men's Bracelets: http://jewelry.novica.com/mens/bracelets/

Chandelier Earrings: http://jewelry.novica.com/earrings/chandelier/

Amethyst Rings: http://jewelry.novica.com/rings/amethyst/

Ponchos: http://clothing.novica.com/womens/ponchos/

A $50 gift certificate to the lucky person who comments whose name will be drawn from a hat on Monday 23rd.

Florence: File Under "Sometimes Other Places"

One of the things one goes to Italy for is to eat - and also to look at things to eat...

Herewith my first hot chocolate at Milan Station - with all the frisson of 'being abroad'.

The first day we wandered through the market near via de Macci and saw porcini mushrooms

and clementines

and pomegranates

and glittering fish.

Not to mention persimmons....

and artichokes.

On the other side of the Arno I had another hot chocolate.

More Italy photos here elizabethwix.co