Post Thanksgiving and a Winner

After all the eating, time to get up early

and walk down the High Line when no one was there! 

 To look at the grasses

and berries

and then have a go at the leftover roasted veggies.

The next day we go on an adventure by subway

and ferry.

We see The Statue of Liberty (photo by Gretchen!)

We see container boats

and even the Queen Mary.

Time for a Famous Nathan's hot dog.

Some one eating in the diner has already taken out the Santa hat!

And so the season turns.

The winner of the $50 Novica giveaway is MamasMercantile. Please email me at elizabethwix@hotmail.com so I can send you the gift code.

I think you are sure to find something pretty there! 

Almost Thanksgiving and a Novica Giveaway....

So, as always much going on in New York  as we prepare for Thanksgiving.

The very last leaves on the trees on 5th Avenue

and amidst those very last leaves the holiday lights are going up.

I was chatting with the workmen who seemed very cheerful.

Decorating going on at the Blue Water Grill - ornamental cabbages are getting more exotic and some are like  palm trees. 

Such a very bright clear day at Union Square.

Picking out multicolored carrots for the Thanksgiving feast...

and the very last of the roses....

And this year's discovery HoneyNut Squash - as against HoneyNut Cheerios.

A view of the Empire State Building from a rather different angle -this time from Brooklyn.

And now for the $50 Giveaway from Novica. This is a company I have supported for many years - their lovely unusual gift and crafts come from all over the world. I especially love their silk scarves and unusual Thai paper goods. So go to their website and then write a comment here and I'll pick a lucky winner at random on Wednesday. 

 Pretty handmade paper....

and a gorgeous colored scarf.

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.

Urban and a UNICEFmarket Giveaway

Now that the weather is somewhat improved it's possible to get out and about more.

Lots of construction and destruction going on everywhere. Here up by Fifth Avenue where the turquoise wall looks rather like an abstract painting.

Blue skies above 11th Avenue.

More sunshine yesterday on 13th Street.

On 15th Street pretty yellow, red and blue netting near Chelsea Market.

On 9th Avenue a quintessentially New York melange - the Seminary Building, a cyclist a fire truck and a man in a turban. 

In Soho the sort of interior space one lusts after but is unlikely to be able to afford.

Back home two of the rather battered pansies from the tree pits outside

and a charming abstract accidental painting - a byproduct of Robert's real painting of Robert Moses Beach.

And now to the giveaway. For some years I've been supporting the artisans at Novica. Novica in conjunction with the new UNICEFmarket has lots of lovely things made in far-flung corners of the globe - I particularly like their silk scarves and Thai paper products.

 This paper has charming little plant parts in it.

The UNICEFmarket is a super resource for finding unusual gifts. I have a $50 gift code to send to a lucky reader who comments on my blog - so write soon and I'll pick someone at random and let you know by next weekend. I'll pick some in the US because UK readers might end up having to pay import duty whereas US ones don't!

Thoughts on Homemade and a Giveaway

When I was a child home-made was synonymous with horrid and itchy

and all round no good at all. I couldn't imagine why grownups like my mother, would ever consider a home made present better. I always wanted things bought in shops. Of course,  since then I've started knitting.

And my poor family will be getting home-made stuff from me.

Elf hats are my specialty lately. However below some ideas

 for people who like homemade --but homemade by someone else.

A good place for unusual and lovely presents and accessories from all round the world is Novica's website with super women's silk scarves ( like the ones they sent me above)

and also men's accessories like cuff links and walking sticks. Leave a comment below and I'll put your name in a jar and pick a winner to receive a $50 gift certificate from Novica. 

Drawing next Saturday November 5th. A similar giveaway but $100 this time on my old Moroccan blog.

(Novica are also looking for people who would like to host parties featuring all their fascinating products. Go here to find out more details.) 

Some pumpkins from this morning --a little bit day-afterish

and a link to my other blog......