It's a New York City Christmas

HAPPY FRIDAY one and all - we have finally made it to the weekend - THANK GOODNESS!  I didn't think we'd ever get through this long ass week - it's been too much!  So what are your big plans for the weekend?  We don't have much planned other than gathering up the rest of our donations to take to Good Will and then do a little bit of shopping and hopefully finalizing the rest of our Christmas shopping.  I only have 3 gifts left to finish and that is for my 3 bosses.  YAY!!!  (Okay - so you can tell it's been a looooonnnggg week when I set my coffee pot this morning to produce coffee and I come down wondering why I can't smell a good cup of coffee brewing only to find out that I forgot to put the coffee in last night and so it brewed a full pot of hot water instead - *sigh*

So... here are the pictures I took in the City on Wednesday before the big tree lighting ceremony.  I went through the city by Rockefeller Center and just snapped away - hope you enjoy them!  Some of them are good and others not so good - but here they are - and they are during the daytime too - so I will have to get the night ones next week when I have my family in from out of state and stay after work to spend some time with them. (warning - picture overload)

We will start with the tree before it is lit that evening:

This is the star up close on top of the tree:

Close-up of the Cartier Building across from my office - I LOVE this bow and you can't really tell but the lights are all sparkly on the bow

Wreath across from my office:

Pictures of Juicy Coutoure's windows:

Saks 5th Avenue building - before the snowflakes were lit and started blinking to the beat of Christmas music:

The angels in Rockefeller Center before their lights were turned on:

One of the stages being set for the performers that evening:

Close-up of the Rockefeller Ring:

Oh and this HOTTIE here - he is even CUTER in person than on his tv show - Chuck - do any of you watch that show by chance?  It is a favorite of mine and my hubby's and we can't wait for it to come back in January.  Right after I snapped this picture he smiled an even bigger smile and waved - I was sad I didn't capture that instead! The funny thing is - he's just a baby - he's ONLY 29 years old!  I wanted so badly to get his autograph or a picture with him but didn't get the chance - he was rehearsing for the show. But he is some serious EYE CANDY for sure! Ohhh la la!!!

Picture of the snowman from the Anthropologie store:

One of many Nutcrackers on 6th Avenue:

Last but not least: The huge Christmas ornament display also on 6th Avenue:

Well that concludes our tour of the day.  I hope you enjoyed the show and I hope you all have a wonderful and glorious blessed weekend. 

Big hugs to all of you my lovies!
Trac~ :o)

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things

Happy Thursday my blogarino friends! I hope you are staying dry and warm whereever you are.  The winds are kicking up here at 60 miles an hour at my house and the rain is moving sideways and you know what that means - yup - a REALLY BAD HAIR DAY! HA!  Oh well, wonder if I can find a hat to wear to work and then do my hair in the bathroom at the office - hmmm... now there's an idea! :o)  Anywho - moving on! I found this survey on my new friend, Cathy's website and wanted to share.  She got it from Mandy who wants everyone to come play along! :o)

So, the rules are:  if you are reading this post, then you must:

(a) leave a comment and answer the below 25 questions that Mandy made up,

(b) write the answers to the questions below in your own blog post, if you have a blog, that is.

or (c) call yourself a scrooge in the comment below and refuse to answer them.

I hope you choose (A) or (B) but if you choose (C) then I'll just let the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future deal with you. If you do decide to write your own blog post about it, please mention Mandy and Cathy (Writers credit and all that jazz - thanks!)

Okay, here goes.

(1) What is your favorite Christmas movie?  How the Grinch Stole Christmas but since it's hard to choose just one, I also love Miracle on 34th Street and It's a Wonderful Life and all 3 of the Santa Clause movies.

(2) What is your LEAST favorite Christmas movie?  Elf and It's a Christmas Story - I do not like either of those movies.

(3) What is your favorite Christmas song?  I would have to say any of the songs on Harry Connick Jr.s album along with the music from both Andy Williams Christmas show album and Jessica Simpson's Christmas album (don't judge - I L.O.V.E. her!)

(4) What Christmas song(s) drives you crazy?  Feliz Navidad

(5) What is your favorite Christmas drink? (i.e. egg nog, hot chocolate)  Peppermint Mocha from Starbucks (coffee wise) and then Egg nog spiked for sure! :o)

(6) What is your favorite Christmas memory?  Probably the year I turned 16 and received a $100 check in my stocking - even though it is a lot of money to kids nowadays - it really WAS a lot of money "back then" - ha!

(7) What is the best toy/gift you've received on Christmas?   Probably the diamond earrings my husband gave me after we had been married for about 7 years.

(8) What is the worst toy/gift you've received on Christmas?  Sad to say, but probably had to be the gifts that one of my grandmother's would pick up from around her house and wrap and give us each year - she was really poor but a nice grandma regardless.  But, I have to say, I only have a bowl from her since she passed away and wish I still had all of those what I THOUGHT were useless items years ago.

(9) What do you LOVE about the holidays?  Everything! The sounds, the smells, family and the gifting to my family and friends as I try really hard to always pick something special for each person.

(10) What annoys you about the holidays?  Crowds, traffic and scrooges.

(11) Do you prefer star or angel on top of a Christmas tree? Or something else?  It doesn't really matter to me but my husband INSISTS on having an Angel and nothing else - he won't stand for it - HA!

(12) What is your family favorite recipe at Christmas?  Probably the apple turnover recipe that my mom gave me many years ago - it's usually the only time I make them is at Christmas.

(13) Are you a Grinch or a Who at Christmastime?  I am always a Who - it is my favorite time of year for sure

(14) Christmas light displays - Love them or Hate them?  Love them as long as they are done nice and classy

(15) Santas at the mall - Fun times or Creepy?  I LOVE Santas at the mall and try every year to get my family to take a picture with me and Santa but they always refuse (my kids are 16 now - nuff said) and my husband looks at me like I'm nuts! So suffice it to say, I never get that picture! :o(((

(16) Christmas cards - do you send them, yes or no?  Yes every year I send around 75 that I have personally hand made.

(17) What is the best thing about Christmas, in your opinion?  Time with family and giving gifts to those I love.

(18) What is the worst thing about Christmas?  The Scrooges for sure

(19) When do you put the tree up and take it down?  I put it up the weekend of Thanksgiving and take it down New Years day.

(20) Out of the 12 days of Christmas, which day and item would you want your true love to give to you?  Seven Swans-a-Swimming.....and a pond for them to swim in! (sorry Cathy - I am stealing this one from you - I LOVE that idea! :o))

(21) Why do you think that Grandma got run over by a reindeer?  Because the reindeer is male and wasn't paying attention. (duh!) (Again - stealing this idea from Cathy) HA! (Sorry if you are reading this Steven - nothing personal my friend! :o))

(22) Who is your favorite reindeer?  Comet

(23) Do you believe in Santa Claus?  Well duh - who doesn't? Of COURSE I do!

(24) What is your favorite smell at Christmastime?  Real Christmas trees, candles and all the yummy smells at that time of year.

(25) What would make you happy at Christmas this year?  To be home with my family and friends back home in Arkansas - I really miss all of them - especially this time of year. :o(((

So, those are my answers - come play along if you want to and as I said before, be sure to give the credit to Mandy and Cathy if you wouldn't mind! 

Have a wonderfully safe and warm day my lovies!

Big hugs,
Trac~ :o)

Wordless Wednesday (Not)

These are the two buildings across from my office (these are last year's pictures obviously-ha!)

This is the Cartier building

And I'm not sure of the building this is on but this year it has Juicy Coutoure in it

I am going to try and get better pictures this year - starting tonight actually.  I didn't have a very good camera last year so that's why these aren't so good.  Tonight is the actual tree lighting service too so I can't wait (though I won't be attending because I don't want to stay in the city late - man am I old! - HA!) 

Hope all of you have a wonderful hump day my friends! We are on the downhill side of the week - too bad this isn't another short week with today being our Friday though.  hee hee hee

Big hugs and lots of love,

Trac~ :o)

Wordless Wednesday (Not)

These are the two buildings across from my office (these are last year's pictures obviously-ha!)

This is the Cartier building

And I'm not sure of the building this is on but this year it has Juicy Coutoure in it

I am going to try and get better pictures this year - starting tonight actually.  I didn't have a very good camera last year so that's why these aren't so good.  Tonight is the actual tree lighting service too so I can't wait (though I won't be attending because I don't want to stay in the city late - man am I old! - HA!) 

Hope all of you have a wonderful hump day my friends! We are on the downhill side of the week - too bad this isn't another short week with today being our Friday though.  hee hee hee

Big hugs and lots of love,

Trac~ :o)

Happy Tuesday!

Well this isn't going to be my typical Post-It Note Tuesday as I wanted to show you pictures from our Thanksgiving this year as well as pictures of my Christmas tree - that my kids both have told me was the prettiest it's ever been and my husband said it was the most elegant.  Now, I take a lot of pride in my tree each year, so I'm not sure how to take those compliments exactly (they were compliments, right?!-lol).  Anyway - here are a few pictures from our holiday weekend:  (Sorry - Picture overload)

Picture of my table before we got ready to eat:

Closeup of Table Setting

Close up of Pilgrims, etc.

My husband's FAVORITE Cheesecake of all time from Carnegie Deli here in NYC - I surprised him with it for Thanksgiving

Our Turkey after it came out of the oven before we opened the bag to carve

Preparing to carve

Hubster carving the turkey

Juicy and falling off the bone tender and delicious

Our table spread minus the Cranberry sauce - I forgot to get it out of the refrigerator

My plate - hee hee hee

View from our deck - clouds reflecting off the lake

My beautiful daughter, A and her boyfriend F - heading out to a friend's Sweet 16 party

Pictures of our tree

(Notice the Starbucks Ornament - I couldn't pass it up - hee hee hee)

Well, there it is - sorry for the picture overload but I have to agree with the kids (though these pictures don't do it justice) I think this is the prettiest tree we've ever had.  For those of you who know me and know me well know I change out my ornaments E.V.E.R.Y Y.E.A.R and have never had red, green, silver and white before now.  But, I think these are colors I will be using for a few years to come.  On another note - thank you for all of the sweet comments yesterday - I am still not feeling up to par which is why I've not been able to comment on your posts (though I promise I am reading them all daily) - I just am so tired still and not feeling well, that I am literally falling into bed as soon as I can every night just trying to catch up on my rest so that I can shake this cold and not even getting on the computer in the evenings.  Anyway, I promise to start commenting on your posts again real soon - so please don't get discouraged with me - I am still here and thinking of all of you.

Hope you all have a wonderful and blessed day! Hard to believe it is December 1st and it is 30 something degrees outside this morning - time to pull out the Wool Coat - YUCK!

Lots of love,
Trac~:o)