A magical City, New York, where Marvels unfold

Before I have to leave this fantastic city that draws millions of people every single day, I got to enjoy my 'annual Christmas store window walk' a couple weeks ago - strolling up Fifth Avenue, Broadway and Madison Avenue for hours doing nothing but taking pictures of all the marvelous Christmas decorations illuminating the city for weeks (the department stores and boutiques always dress up in their holiday best) - a true window wonderland!
This year Bergdorf was my favorite again, this time embracing the ultra glamorous and theatrical '20s - excelling themselves every single year in creativity and grandiosity - but also Ralph Lauren offered some surprisingly stunning windows, placing the mannequins in a beautiful winter landscape. Macy's put on a show entitled "The Magic of Christmas", an homage to New York's holiday traditions like ice skating in Central Park or Radio City Music Hall's Rockettes. Even the Lord and Taylor store front took my breath by displaying the celebration of Christmas in different countries in every single window (Hello Germany!). Furthermore Barneys offered a great adventure for Disney fans - screens featuring the story of a size-zero Minnie Mouse and her friends starring in a French fashionshow, the "Electric Holiday", including fashion icons like Sarah Jessica Parker and Naomi Campbell. The only store windows that disappointed me this year were Tiffany & Co. (usually one of my favorites) and Saks on Fifth which brought to life the children's book "The Snowflake and the Yeti".
Check out last year's windows here (click this).
I hope you admire these sparkling marvels, an explosion of amazingly dressed up dolls, feathers, sequins, diamonds, glamorous figures and christmas lights as much as I did!

Lord and Taylor's German Lebkuchenhaus

Japanese pond at Lord and Taylor

Bergdorf at its best

Mosaic made up of millions of feathers!

Art Deco at Bergdorf Goodman

Harry Winston storefront

Ralph Lauren's winter wonderland

Minnie in action at Barneys

Now or never

I like my life...except when it sucks! Please don't get me wrong- I have a quite fabulous life. I am independent, live in one of the world's greatest cities, and can basically do whatever I want because I don't have a lot of responsibilities at this point. My life is adventurous and exciting, and I get to see new things in and around New York City almost every second day, hands down - it's pretty awesome!

However, even easy-going girls like me have to eventually plan their future... sucks! Thank god (or destiny in which I more believe) that I can also be a very organized, disciplined person who willingly plans the next steps in her life. Right now I get a strange feeling realizing that I am still so far away from my dreams, yet every step I take feels like the last one. I've been self-reflecting a lot lately to find out what I really want for my future since I find myself stuck in a situation filled with doubts and crossroads. Study in New York or my home country Germany? 

When I look at these pictures I just posted - taking a walk at the beach, admiring Louboutins at Saks, visiting the Macy's Flower Show and dining at the superb Russian restaurant called "Mari Vanna" I clearly favor NYC... I definitely have to decide what is best for me and what I want to reach in life.

Now or never!

Macy's Flower Show

Mari Vanna

Beautify me

Some treasures that make pretty girls even more beautiful ;-)

Opulent Betsey Johnson jewelry

Kim gets beautified at Macy's

Glamorous soap at Lush

Happy Birthday, United States of America!

I decided to make the 4^th of July a special day this year and headed to New Jersey with my sister to watch Macy's 4^th of July Fireworks with Manhattan as a backdrop. We took a train to Hoboken, a very charming place on the Jersey side of the Hudson River, and relaxed in a park for hours until the fireworks finally started. And once again I had one of my New Yorker magic moments when I'm thinking, New York, you are fantastic!

Note: Second pic via google