The Wisdom Of Thanksgiving

Photo: Simonton

The following ... turkey images and Thanksgiving quotes are pinched from the internet. Go to their sources here and here for more. Visit some of my Thanksgiving blogs of the past for Thanksgiving reflections. The wise sayings and breeds of turkeys I selected below are more lighthearted fare:

Know that I can only eat a store-bought turkey. Any creature I were to feed and raise becomes a pet. I mean, you take care of the bird, acquire it as a chick, worry about it being warm, and it trusts you not to harm it, right?

In the 2nd grade, I got to take home our classroom's on-display dried tri-colored ear of corn, which thrilled 7-year-old Debbie to death! The adult Debbie realizes that our 2nd-grade teacher must have bought the colorful ears of corn with her own money and is grateful for all that teachers do for their students. I kept the ear of corn for years.

These turkeys look like an old married couple walking home.

And what is this crowd of feathered friends staring at? Are they lining up to feed, or waiting for a concert in a field to start? :)

 

I just know these 3 birds on the left are gagster turkeys. Look how they're taking over the walkway, not making room for pedestrians to pass! Watch it, boys, I didn't know you as chicks, and an attack will give me a ferocious appetite for turkey pot pies!

Are you watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade followed by the National Dog Show? I have seen the parade standing on the sidewalk (on Central Park West at W75th Street) and from a highrise (on Broadway at W53rd Street paired with refreshments), so nowadays I'm satisfied watching it on television while having breakfast. It's become a Thanksgiving tradition. BTW: The night before Thanksgiving, you can watch the balloons being blown up on West 77th Street. I've done so twice. Years ago, it was unorganized, but over time it has grown to attract more people.

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I Took The Colbert Questionert

CBS talk show host, Steven Colbert, likes to ask celebrity guests 15 questions. The exercise has taken off with bloggers, and for fun, below are my answers:

1. Best sandwich?

Fried breadcrumb-coated cod fish on rye with lots of ketchup.

2. What's one thing you own that you really should throw out?

A black, Chanel-patterned London Fog raincoat with a worn-out-ripped inner lining. Ralph Lauren took a 2nd glance at it as he jogged past me in Central Park! See, it's still stylish.

3. What is the scariest animal?

Alligator or crocodile - reptiles (not animals) that drown and eat parts of you. The underwater rolls and turns ... petrifying!

4. Apples or oranges?

Oranges ... but if I had to pick apples, I'd say a tarty McIntosh or Granny Smith.

 

5. Have you ever asked someone for their autograph?

Nope, but I attended several meet-and-greets at People magazine where I got autographed swag, and I received a Christmas card from a famous person, and therefore an autograph.

6. What do you think happens when we die?

I don't know with absolute certainty. It requires a leap of faith. Why wait for the next world to perfect this one? Right things now!

7. Favorite action movie?

The very 1st Die Hard (1989). Saw it in the 20th Century Fox screening room in New York City with a fun co-worker and got pulled into the adventure.

8. Favorite smell?

Rose🌹 in scented soaps, lotions, oils, etc.

9. Least favorite smell?

A gym. I've never survived a trial membership ... due to boredom and that smell.

10. Sparkling or Flat?

Flat. Sparkling. Flat.

11. Exercise, worth it?

Absolutely. Whatever you can stick with ... walking, biking, hiking.

12. Most used app on your phone?

YouTube.

13. You get one song to listen to for the rest of your life: what is it? 

Nearly impossible to answer and it's the only question I will cheat on answering. The City of New Orleans - Steve Goodman, writer; Arlo Guthrie, performer. The melody is catchy, and the lyrics have a lot of imagery to occupy my mind. I'd like to have two songs and if allowed, Supersition by Stevie Wonder. Readers, if I can't have both, help me, pick the one? 

14. What number am I thinking of?

Will this go anywhere? How will I know if I'm correct?

15. Describe the rest of your life in 5 words?

Life ... curated and with purpose. (Made it up before this questionnaire.) 

If you, readers, want to answer these questions, please do so under comments.

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Saks Fifth Avenue Holiday Widows

Photos: Saks Fifth Avenue

Tonight Saks Fifth Avenue unveiled its 2022 Holiday Windows and light show. Every December, I walk from the Upper East Side to Midtown to see them, take in the decorations at Rockefeller Center and see the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, then I pop into Saks to see their ornaments and return home. Sometimes I also step into St. Patrick's Cathedral or save it for another day. Before the holidays are over, I also visit Bloomingdales and Macy's to see their ornaments. It's become a Christmas tradition. Frankly I no longer go to buy things as I have every Christmas decoration I need for my apartment. If coming to Manhattan, you have about six weeks to catch the festive displays, which are spectacular!

You can guess who entertained the crowd tonight. He's fairly recognizable. Happy Sightseeing!

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Which Uniqlo Down Coat Should You Buy?

Compare Uniqlo's Seamless Long Down Coat (left) with its Ultra Light Long Down Coat (right). Guess which one I like?

When down coats 1st appeared on the market, I was committed to wool coats, soft alpaca wool to be precise. It wasn't until the launch of fitted-down coats I became interested. The warmth and lightness combined with a slender silhouette sold me ... and I haven't looked back since! 

Seamless

Initially, a goose-down coat was considered a casual coat. Nowadays people (me included) think nothing of wearing a down coat over a ball gown to attend galas or over a business suit to the office. With everybody wearing down coats, you don't look dressed down anymore. It's freed me from coat checks too. Weighing next to nothing, I just bring my down coat to my table, lay it either on the back of my chair ... or rolled up by my feet under the table. Nobody ever notices, nor do I have to worry about ruining or retrieving it from an attendant after the night ends. As opposed to searching for a ticket to go stand in line, I can simply head for the exit!

My new favorite retailer for down coats is Uniqlo. The quality, durability, understated style, and price points are unbeatable! Every fall the merchant brings out new styles such as a Seamless Down Long Coat in addition to their classic Ultra Light Down Long Coat. A Hybrid Down coat, a 3rd choice, is Uniqlo's warmest coat. 

Which coat is right for you depends on where you live. How cold does it get? The Ultra Light Down is my favorite because of its leaner, lighter, dressier look. In New York City I stay toasty warm in it all winter long. Perhaps on the coldest day of the year, I'll wear an extra layer of merino wool underneath it.

In fact, over the years, I bought 3 Ultra Light Down Long Coats. One about 10 years ago, the 2nd coat in 2020, and this year, a 3rd coat for my mother. Each year, Uniqlo brings them back, and they try to improve them based on customer feedback. The lengths have gotten about 3 inches longer, which works for winter, but note: the coat is not maxi-length, it's over the knees length. 

Sadly the 2022 version lost the pocket zippers, which isn't a dealbreaker. The pockets are not shallow, so items shouldn't fall out easily, I just like the extra security zippers provide. 

For customers who desire a maxi-length, Uniqlo usually brings out a much longer maxi-length Ultra Light Down Long Coat in the winter. But I like the versatility of the over-the-knees Ultra Light Down Long Coat. Easier to walk around New York City in it.

Uniqlo makes the ultra down outerwear into jackets, liners, coats, and relaxed coats without collars. Their down coats and jackets are their specialty and the apparel piece that got the innovative Japanese retailer 1st noticed in New York.

 

The best recommendation I can give the coat is ... I keep buying it. I like the looks, the warmth, and its durability. I still wear my 10-old-year ultra down coat, which is above the knees in length.

My mother and I like to go up one size as we prefer our down coats roomy for potential bulky sweaters if we decide to wear bulky styles. The coat is fitted, not boxy so sizing up won't swallow you up.

Since Uniqlo opened its doors, I've never spent more than $79 - $129 (on sale for the lower price) for a long down coat, and you can skip wearing a hat and scarf. All you need is a pair of gloves. 

In a single piece, customers are all bundled up without being all bundled up. Lightweight and super warm without the bulk! You can spend $600 - $2,300 for a down coat, but with Uniqlo, there's no need to do so. Like me, my mother loves her Uniqlo Ultra Light Long Down Coat!

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5-Piece Clinique Kisses Lipstick Set

Like a YouTube influencer, I'm doing a blog #short today featuring an unbeatable beauty deal on Macy's website namely, the 5-Piece Clinique Kisses Lipstick Set offered cheaper than the usual retail price of a single lipstick!

It makes an excellent, yet tricky holiday gift. Two beauty items I rarely give friends are 1) lipstick and 2) perfume. It's because I must overthink in selecting them! Both are so subject to personal tastes, it's difficult to get either right. I don't know which of the two is harder ... a scent somebody-who-isn't-you loves; or the texture, color, and finish in a lipstick they prefer.

The 5-Piece Clinique Lipstick Set is moisturizing and leans toward natural hues, as opposed to, darker, dramatic colors. Although the 300+ reviews are all over the place, the majority indicate these are high-quality everyday wear lipsticks that keep your lips moist with a hint of color. For deeper pigmentation, you'll have to layer the lipsticks with alternate, not in-the-set lip colors. 

Still, it's what makes it a universally safe gift. Most everyone needs lip balm during the colder seasons, so this Clinique set is a step up from lip balm. Lipstick to moisturize dry lips with a hint of color is a practical beauty gift. You'll reapply the lipstick throughout the day. Plus it's from Clinique, a stellar beauty brand with stellar makeup formulas.

Some of the reviewers are disappointed the colors in the set are much the same, but for moisturizing lipsticks with subtle shades, I don't think it's a dealbreaker.

So I'd both wear the lipsticks and feel good about giving them to family or friends. For $20 bucks, it's a gift set steal!

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5 Festive Advent Calendars

The coveted Liberty of London Avent Calendar sells out in October, so you're out of luck if you didn't buy one, but all is not lost. Here are several other festive Advent Calendars available that are spectacular without breaking the bank like Liberty's beauty calendar does. The 5 more affordable advent calendars below are also delightful to give or get especially when paired with Black Friday to Christmas Eve promotions always offered by department stores during the season. The final sterling silver jewelry advent calendar (#5 below👇) is the most expensive choice, however, an upcoming sale day will lower its retail price, and then you'll get a lovely variety of elegantly designed sterling silver earrings including a mix of hoops, studs, cuffs, and crawlers. So keep an eye out for option #5 to get cheaper!

1) The Rituals of Advent 3-D Advent Calendar: See above👆, it's a 3D Christmas tree  with 24 items - What's inside:

• Wonder Mask, 0.35 oz. 
• Amsterdam Collection Body Mist, 0.67 oz.
• The Ritual of Karma Body Shimmer Oil, 1 oz.
• Fortune Balms - Repair for giftset 0.17 oz.
• The Ritual of Sakura Shampoo, 1.6 oz.
• The Ritual of Sakura Conditioner, 1.6 oz.
• The Ritual of Sakura Body Cream, 3.3 oz.
• The Ritual of Namaste Anti-Ageing Day Cream, 0.33 oz.
  
• The Ritual of Ayurveda Scrub Glove
• The Ritual of Ayurveda Coconut Milk Bath Sachet, 3.5 oz.
• The Ritual of Ayurveda Rich Body Oil, 1 oz. 
• Travel - Soleil d'Or, 0.5 oz.
• Elixir Collection Miracle Keratin Recovery Hair Mask, 0.67 oz.
• The Ritual of Karma Mild Body Scrub Clay, 2.3 oz.
• Rituals Homme shower foam, 1.6 oz.
• Sticks for Mini Fragrance Sticks for Advent, 2.3 oz. 
• The Ritual of Jing Hand Lotion, 2.3 oz. 
• The Ritual of Jing Sleep Foaming Shower Gel, 1.6 oz.
• Sport Cooling Shower Gel, 2.3 oz. 
• Advent Mini Candle Private Collection - Savage Garden, 0.88 oz.
• Advent Mini Candle Private Collection - Sweet Jasmine, 0.88 oz.
• Advent Mini Candle Private Collection - Precious Amber, 0.88 oz.
• Advent Mini Candle Private Collection - Suede Vanilla, 0.88 oz.
• The Ritual of Ayurveda USA Mini Fragrance Sticks for Advent, 2.3 oz. 
• Spoon 2022

2) Barbor More to Give Advent Calendar - 24 items - What's inside:

• 
  24 Ampoules (2 ml each): 1 DOC Power Amp Hyaluronic Acid, 1 Hydra Plus, 2
  Algae Vitalizer, 2 Perfect Glow, 3 DOC Power Amp Beta Glucan, 3 Active Night, 3 DOC Power Amp Vitamin C, 3 Multi-Vitamin, 3 3D Firming, 3 Lift Express

Skincare that 

• Lifts, firms, tightens, hydrates, retexturizes, brightens, and minimizes lines and wrinkles for a smoother, glowing more youthful appearance.

3) Macy's 25 Days Of Beauty Advent Calendar - 25 items - What's inside:

• Ahava Ahava 24K Gold Mask, 15 mL / 0.51 fl. oz. 
• Anastasia Beverly Hills Mini Mini Lash Brag, 2.5 mL / 0.08 fl. oz. 
• Bareminerals Mineral Veil Setting Powder, 0.75 g / 0.026 oz.
• Buttah Skin Enterprises Sample Charcoal Detox Mask, 5 mL / 0.016 oz. 
• Cacharel Yes I Am, 5 mL / 0.17 oz.
• Carolina Herrera Good Girl Eau De Parfum, 7 mL / 0.24 oz. 
• Chella Mini Manifest Bronze Eyeshadow Palette, 4 g / 0.14 oz.
• Clinique Moisture Surge™ 100H Auto-Replenishing Hydrator, 15 mL / 0.50 oz. 
• Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm Deluxe Sample, 10 mL / 0.33 oz. 
• First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream, 29.5 mL / 1 oz. 
• Kiehl's Since 1851 Ultra Facial Cream, 7 mL / 0.23 oz. 
• Lancome Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Serum, 8 mL / 0.27 fl. oz. 
• Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Multi-Recovery Complex, 7 mL / 0.23 oz. 
• MAC Cosmetics Mac Fix+ Stayover, 13 mL / 0.43 oz.
• Origins Mega-Mushroom Treatment Lotion, 7 mL / 0.24 fl. oz. 
• Perricone MD High Potency Classics Face Finishing & Firming Moisturizer, 7.5 mL / 0.25 oz. 
• Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench® Hyaluronic Cloud Hydrating Eye Gel, 3 mL / 0.10 oz. 
• Philosophy Purity Made Simple One-Step Facial Cleanser, 30 mL / 1 oz.
• Reza Be Obsessed Love My Leave In, 30 mL / 1 fl. oz. 
• Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate, 10 mL / 0.33 oz. 
• Sunday Riley Modern Skincare C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum, 5 mL / 0.16 oz. 
• The Beauty Crop Juice Pot Lip and Cheek Tint - Lychee, 4 mL / 0.14 oz. 
• Tonymoly USA LLC. Plump-Kin Retinol Eye Cream, 10 mL / 0.33 oz. 
• Urban Decay Vice Hydrating Lipstick in Backtalk, 1 g / 0.03 oz. 
• Verb Products Ghost Oil, 17 mL / 0.57 fl. oz.
• Bonus: $10 off your next $40 Macy's Beauty Purchase. Exclusions apply*

4) MAC Bursting With Surprises Advent Calendar - 24 items - What's inside:

• Brow Set Clear
• Dazzleshadow
• 2 Eyeshadows
• Fix+
• Glow Play Lip Balm
• 
  3 Lipsticks
• Liquidlast Liner
• Love Me Liquid Lipcolour
• 2 Mini MAC Lipglasses
• Mini MAC Lipglass Clear
• 2 Mini MAC Lipsticks
• Mini MAC Strobe Cream, 15 ml
• Mini MACStack Mascara
• Paint Pot
• Powder Kiss Liquid Lipcolour
• Powder Kiss Soft Matte Eye Shadow
• Prep + Prime Essential Oils Grapefruit & Chamomile
• Prep + Prime Lip
• Technakohl Liner

5) Sterling Forever 24 Days of Jewelry Advent Calendar Earrings - The beauty companies may have jumped on the advent calendar bandwagon, but traditionally, advent calendars have other goods inside from chocolates and cookies to heartfelt notes with promises of kindnesses. Here's a calendar for jewelry lovers containing dainty sterling silver (a real precious metal) earrings, and they are gifts to keep.

What's inside: 24 pairs of sterling silver and gold-plated sterling silver earrings - a few with freshwater pearls, as well as, one with an artificial pearl, and some with cubic zirconia.

• 15-sterling silver and 9-14K gold plated sterling silver earrings
• Approximate diameter of hoop earrings - 0.87", 0.6", 0.25", 1.4", 0.75", imitation pearl - 2mm
• 
  Approximate diameter of stud earrings - 0.2", 0.3", 0.24", 0.25", 0.28", 0.26", 0.35"
• Approximate diameter of drop earrings - 1.25", 1", pearl - 9mm
• Approximate diameter of ear crawlers - 0.6"
• Approximate diameter of ear cuffs - 0.35", 0.31"
• 1 French hook post closure, 1 friction latch closure, 1 threader post closure, 2 open cuff closures, pinch for the perfect fit, 19 posts back closure
• Heart shape imitation pearl 2.15 mm, drop shape freshwater pearl 8.8 mm, baroque pearls 8.8 mm
• 12 cubic zirconia earrings, 1 created faux imitation opal earring
• Lifetime warranty

The holidays are when we tend to splurge a bit on gifts to make friends and family happy, whether it's an advent calendar of makeup, skincare, candies, or jewelry, the packaging ... i.e., the presentation is as thrilling as the gifts inside. A drawer to open ... a gift to look forward to each day of advent.  

Scrambling for exclusive material things brings little-to-no joy! With these 5 festive and desirable advent calendars, nobody will miss those super expensive, limited-edition, calendars that sell out in October!

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Sisi's Stars

I've always loved the famous jewels Empress Elisabeth of Austria (1837 - 1898), born into the royal Bavarian House of Wittelsbach, wore in her hair. 

The Empress ordered a set of at least 27 10-pointed stars, set with diamonds and pearls, which she could wear as a necklace, tiara, pendant, brooches, or as hair clips.

Star jewelry was popular in the Victorian era, and Sisi's gorgeous set was designed by the Austrian court jeweler, A. E. Köchert in 1855, one year after her marriage to Emperor Franz Joseph. They are eternalized in her celebrated portrait (of 1865) by Franz Xaver Winterhalter, the best royal portrait painter of the age, IMHO. 

After her son, Crown Prince Rudolf's, shocking murder-suicide [known in history as the Mayerling Incident] in 1889, Sisi, never again wore jewelry and give the set away. Some of the stars went to her ladies-in-waiting, and the rest she left to family members. In 1902, Sisi's stars were the something old, her granddaughter and Crown Prince Rudolf's daughter, Elisabeth (known as the Red Archduchess), wore on her wedding day. According to the jeweler, "the trail of the stars has since gone cold, and only three survive."

Nowadays you can still buy a version of Sisi's stars from Köchert. At 4,400 - 5,400 Euros (or $4,544 - $5,578), I'm waiting for my Fairy Godmother👗 to appear to present me with a pair in the form of earrings. Any design is fine, Fairy Mother ... post or dangling! Oh, where is she hiding? C'mon, let's do this, Fairy Godmother, I love them so!"😍

Another place you can get replicas is from the Sisishop, the museum shop of the Schoenbrunn in Vienna, but like the jewelry sold at all museums, they are overpriced. You'll pay 4 - 5 times more than the true value for sterling silver jewelry with cubic zirconia stones ... and why on earth would my Fairy Godmother skimp and not step up her magic powers to ☆・*Bibbidi Bobbodi Boo☆・*。me Sisi's white gold and diamond earrings? Just saying, if she has the magic, and no mortgage to worry about, she'd spare no expense, no?💥😛☆・*。

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