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