West Village Windows

The West Village is an amazing place, filled with the old architecture and cobblestone streets of the old world New York City and the new shiny nightclubs, fancy bars and glitzy designer boutiques I associate more with the Upper East Side. Grunge, new trends and buildings that look like something out of a European fairytale combine to create something magical.  At night, some streets are beautifully lit by the strobe lights flashing out of the bars, some are illuminated by tiny Christmas lights or candles outside of the classy restaurants, and quite a few are almost pitch black, with a faint light coming from a third story apartment window, perhaps. 
But these windows are those of the very upscale boutiques and design stores I mentioned earlier.  The sun was extremely bright on the day that I took this walk, and the light reflected off of the windows, which made everything glow.  I wearing sunglasses, and was a bit blind from time to time, but it was gorgeous.  I mean, I might have tripped over a cobblestone and almost been hit by a passing towncar, but no biggie.  That's New York City life for you. 

In any case, these glowing windows filled with their luxurious goods just struck me as gorgeous.  All of these items probably cost about as much as my weekly paychecks, which is disgusting in some ways, but in these windows, this stuff looked amazing.  I loved looking at it, and I adored photographing it.

Now, I'm enjoying sharing it with you!

Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Ooh Beads!

One of my favourite movies as a kid was Disney's Cinderella.  I watched it far too many times, and sang the songs from it constantly.  Driving my mother crazy was, in retrospect, apparently a preferred pastime of mine.  I digress.  In the film, Cinderella has many little friends who happen to be these charming mice.  The two main ones are named Jacques and Gus Gus.  Aw.  In one scene, the two of them find a bunch of pearls, and I cannot remember which one of them says it, but in a high, squeaky, shaky, excited mouse voice, whichever one it is screams "ooooooooh, beads!!"

I thought of that moment when I saw this lovely box full of beads in an antique store window.

New Canaan, Connecticut, USA

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On the Vine

This is yet another photograph of a store window, taken while the store was closed.  I was walking down Park Avenue one night, pretty late, when this caught my eye.  It was a window display with faux grapes, mossy trees, and yellow forsythia.  Out came my camera!  And this picture was the best result.

Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

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Masque

I love masks.  I love them.  I think they are so nifty.  I've been wanting to buy some kind of carnival mask for the longest time.  And, the other day, I finally caved and bought one!  Sadly, though, it wasn't this one.  This is a deluxe one that I saw in a store window in the East Village.  I lusted over it, but the store was closed, and my bank accounted would have hated me if I had given in to that desire.  

Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Rupert

Rupert the Bear was one of my favourite television shows as a kid.  I secretly loved the days that I was sick sometimes, because I could sit at home and watch this show, David the Gnome, and all of the other cute and queer things I loved as a kid.  This is a display in a store full of dollhouse miniatures and small books.  One of my other loves, Shakespeare, is mentioned in the background.

Bath, England, UK

Like this?  Like Window Shopping.

Lace

The best window decorations I've seen yet.

I want to do this to my apartment so badly.

Bruges, Belgium

Better Than Candles accompanies this one quite nicely.