Christmas Inspiration

Hey my lovely readers and fellow bloggers, how's it going? Are you all having a nice Christmas season?
I'm currently trying to escape all the school stuff in my head by blogging more ;-)
Picking photos and editing them plus writing texts the way I like is simply relaxing and distracting me from what I actually have to do for university, haha. My mom's gonna come over this weekend to pick me up and take me home for a Christmas break, so I'm gonna have some family time far away from university. I still have to study during the holidays though, ugh!
Anyway, today you get to see loads of inspiring Christmas pics I took during the last few years in Germany and NYC. Some stars, some decoration, some candy and holiday glam...
If you live in Germany or only visit you should definitely check out some wonderful Christmas markets, such as the Dortmunder Weihnachtsmarkt, where I took some of these pics. It's one of the biggest markets in Germany during this season and always worth a visit. Have a hot chocolate or "Glühwein", enjoy some traditional German food or buy some thoughtful presents for your loved ones - there's a lot to do on Christmas markets!
If you happen to spend Christmas in New York make sure to swing by the huge tree at the Rockefeller Center, go ice skating in Central Park or Bryant Park, and check out the amazingly decorated shop windows on Fifth Avenue - the city is a true winter wonderland in December!
Hope you like the photos and have a wonderful Christmas season! xoxo

New Yorker Christmas 

Second photo shot by Maik Büger

The sweet Side of Life

Dear fellow candy-lovers, this post is dedicated to one of my favorite spots on the wonderful island called Manhattan - Dylan's Candy Bar! 
This is already the second time I'm posting about this insanely cute store that was created by Ralph Lauren's famous daughter Dylan, obviously a true candy lover (check out my first post about this store by clicking here).
Anytime I come to this store I feel like someone dropped me of at paradise! Surrounded by heavenly candy creations, the sweetest chocolate bars, and all kinds of jelly beans and lollipops, I always find myself wondering how much different types of candy this world holds. Anytime I had friends coming to New York, this was one of the first places I showed them, so make sure you will check it out whenever you come to the Big Apple!
May each step you take be sweet!

Good Morning Upper East Siders

Hey guys, I can only imagine how many of you were craving for a post like this one. Today I'm going to show you the place where Serena fights against all the rumors, where Blair throws her super fancy dinner parties and Chuck and Nate cruise around in their limos. Yep, that's it, the fabulous Upper East Side - welcome to Gossip Girl's world!
This is probably what most of you expect when coming to New York City - ultra glam luxury stores, posh girls à la Sex and the City, and the finest selection of shoes, dresses and food - everything a city girl's heart desires. However, there are only one or two neighborhoods similar to Gossip Girl's world in Manhattan, in fact most parts of the Big Apple are pretty cool and laid-back, with a touch of grunge and understatement - not all rich New Yorkers feel the need to show up in a Bentley.
Madison Avenue though, where I took all these pictures, is THE place to be for people dressed in (real) fur coats, wearing Tory Burch flats or Louboutin heels and carrying the tiniest puppy possible under their arm or in their Birkin bag... a shopping mecca for the "oh so rich and famous". Not so much my world but just like the rest of Manhattan - fabulous!

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