Why I Love ABC

Not just windows today PB readers!
I'm taking you inside my all-time favorite store in NEW YORK CITY!
So fasten your seatbelts everyone!!!
The store I love the BEST is ABC HOME!
It's a huge, crazy emporium of Gawd knows what...well just about everything you've ever dreamed of - THAT'S WHAT!

Lots of exotic hand made things from around the world...

And spa things - perfums, oils, frankensense, you get the picture...
Look! You can sit on these rocks and sniff till your hearts content. Sigh...

Very high ceilings and every inch filled with wacky treasures like the flea market you've never imagined...

And there are 6 floors of it too!
Why do I love this store so?

It's a fairy land I can wander around through and come out inspired...

Plus Michel Cluizel has a chocolate boutique here too...
Well you need chocolate at times like this for sure!

Do they have Christmas decorations? Forgettaboutit!

Now PB readers

Please click and then gaze into this crystal ball for 3 minutes

You will be swept away on a magic carpet to...

888 Broadway near 19th street in downtown New York.

Don't miss this store next visit.

OK, My best kept secret is out!

Audrey at Tiffany's

I thought I'd let you get into the mood right from the start of today's post on Tiffany's...

Come on gang,

Let's go inside first!

Inside Tiffany is a big, spacious well-lite room, so you can't miss those diamonds. I was shooting the interior decorations when a "French" person came up to me and requested most politely that I not shoot inside.
So out to Tiffany's 4 windows - naturally they have a winter theme -

ice, ice, and more ice.
Plenty to Oooo and Ahhh over...

But what is going on here?

A golden egg full of feathers surrounded by diamonds and snow...OK

This one has a tiny sley in the midst of glitzy christmas trees...hmmm..

Here's an interior view with silver tableware - Oooo...Ahhhh...zzzzz

But in the good old days, when Gene Moore did Tiffany's windows, your socks would be knocked off clear accross the street! He could fill a window with popcorn, pasta, ice cream cones AND NO DIAMONDS! and your jaw would drop to the ground in wonderment.

"Make people stop" was his motto.

Moore can take credit for putting belly buttons on mannequins and for placing kissing rhinos beneath a Valentine's Day heart.

Oh well in the meantime we'll just have to make do with this darling be-jeweled diamond deer...

Which brings me back to dear Audrey...

Audrey Hepburn and Tiffany's go together like caviar and Champagne - both timeless classics. It's hard to think of one without the other is it not PB readers? I noticed there's a new Audrey book in bookstore windows by fashion photographer, Howell Conant, who took publicity shots on set during the filming of Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Here's a book by John Loring, Tiffany's design director for the past 25 years, on their history of pearls.

OK time to bite into your croissants.

More New York windows to come -

Bergdorf's, Bendels, Barney's, Saks...

LORDIE!

Golden Compass

I said I'd take you to Tiffany's today, but something came up...Hold onto your bears a moment. Let's go to FAO SCHWARZ toy store instead.You're greeted by a giant LEGO Santa when you enter. FAO is featuring THE GOLDEN COMPASS. I saw it Friday. It's magical, perfect for the holidays and Dakota Blue Richards as Lyra Belacqua is enchanting.I'm not the biggest fantasy film fan but I was captivated. So many BEARS!There are lots of the bear characters from the movie hanging out at FAO.

Plus plenty of the giant stuffed animals FAO SCHWARZ is famous for.

Did you ever desperately want a ridiculously expensive Madame Alexander doll?I toyed with the idea of buying one now, just briefly...

Did you see Tom Hanks in the movie BIG play chopsticks on FAO's giant keyboard? Anyone can play. Just two blocks away the Fifth Avenue subway station...Is full of bears! This is my favorite station. And more bears...

But the best bear was in the street. I tracked it back into FAO and captured a shot for you. Isn't it the most fantastic Polar bear coat you've ever seen?

Before you run off here's a bit of THE GOLDEN COMPASS. Go see it and tell me what you think. You won't be disappointed.

Now let's get on our bears and go off to work.

Tomorrow TIFFANY'S!

The Big Apple...

Put away your maps PB readers.

Let me be your guide to New York's FAB Xmas decorations!

First we start at the corner of 57th street and 5th avenue with the BIG snowflake.
I heard people behind me saying,

"There's Dior, Channel, Gucci - where do you wanna go?"

There's also Bergdorfs and Tiffanys and Nike and Disney and, and, and...

Decorations are BIG in the Big Apple...
BIG red Xmas balls on 6th Avenue..
I liked these big green ball trees...
In front of florist Renny & Reed on 505 Park Avenue.

Very BIG nut crackers line this block on 6th Avenue.

Note the human standing to the right of the nut cracker's hand.

Very BIG indeed.

The BIG lite-up tree at RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL!

Back to 57th and 5th to look at Tiffanys decorations..

We'll see more Tiffanys tomorrow. And Bergdorfs, and..and...and...

STAY TUNED!