Tag: new york city

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My Christmas Wish List

Visit with me today at the home of Anastasia Pollack, crafts editor and reluctant amateur sleuth (and my good friend Lois Winston!)

I’ll be talking about the one thing that’s on my Christmas wish list and would love to hear what’s on your wish list!

In the meantime, I so love NYC at this time of year. The City has on all its Christmas finest and I’m sharing some pictures that I took on our way to grab some lunch yesterday.

This is an amazing gingerbread house at the new Zabar area in Grand Central Terminal Market.

This is the tree in the lobby of the Chrysler Building. So lovely.

Hoping you all have a lovely weekend! See you all on Monday.

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13 Places to Visit in New York City

With the Romance Writers Conference arriving in my hometown on June 28th, look for me to start offering up some tips on Eats, To dos and To Sees! Look for Countdown 2 #RWA11 starting on June 1 on Twitter and my Facebook Fan Page.

But today I’m sharing some other favorite places to visit in New York City. I work there every day and for the longest time really didn’t get to see this amazing city. Once I decided to become a “tourist”, I discovered lots of different little neighborhoods, restaurants and sights to see. It’s one of the reasons I set THE CALLING in Manhattan – to offer up views of all the unique neighborhoods.

So here goes!

When you think of New York you probably imagine there is a lot of hustle and bustle in the city that never sleeps. You’d be right, but tucked amongst all those skyscrapers are oases of green and calm. Here are some of my favorites.

    1. Tudor Greens
    2. Union Square Park
    3. Central Park
    4. Bryant Park

I’d list Gramercy Park in there, but unfortunately this park is open only to those who pay an annual fee and possess a key to enter. Ugh.

Next up – America’s story locations. Unless you’re a Native American, your ancestors came here from somewhere else and New York City is a vibrant part of that immigration story. So be sure to visit these locations to learn more about America’s famed melting pot and experience some of the flavor imparted on New York by its immigrant populations:

    5. Statue of Liberty
    6. Ellis Island
    7. Tenement Museum
    8. Museum at Eldridge Street
    9. Chinatown
    10. Little Italy

To experience the hustle and bustle, from both on the ground and above, these locations can’t be beat:

    11. Empire State Building
    12. Top of the Rock
    13. Times Square

I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s Thursday 13. If you’ve been to New York City, take a moment to share some of your favorite places to visit.

Tomorrow, look for the winners of the prizes from last week’s live video event, news on the next live video event and a chance to win an autographed copy of Margaret Mallory‘s THE GUARDIAN!

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Guilty Pleasure Heat for an Arctic Monday

How cold was it this morning when I left my house? 2 degrees Fahrenheit. 2! How cold is that really? Well take a look at this snapshot of the Bryant Park fountain which was freezing over from the arctic chill.

Well, we definitely have to generate some heat to combat that arctic chill and what better way than with a nice hot Guilty Pleasure? But with it being so cold, we need a man who can heat us up in the kitchen as well with something so delectable we’ll be shivering in anticipation. So today’s Guilty Pleasure is Curtis Stone, celebrity chef. Curtis has been on a number of television cooking shows both in his native Australia and here in the States. You may remember how nice he dressed up when he appeared on Celebrity Apprentice.

Curtis Stone Celebrity Chef

I hope you enjoyed today’s Guilty Pleasure.

Curtis Stone Photo Credit: Joseph [email protected]

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Wishing you all the best!

Every year my family and I go to Manhattan to see the sights of the Christmas season. I love walking around, seeing the windows and other holiday decorations. This little video I put together for you has some of the photos that we took on our annual jaunt.

I’ll be away for a few days getting ready for the Christmas holiday! I hope you all have a wonderful and Merry Christmas and will be back on Monday.

If you can’t see the video below, you can click here or cut and paste this link into your browser:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJRy7O_ugB0

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Thursday 13 – Holiday Favorites

With Christmas just over two weeks away, I am struggling with work and writing deadlines and getting the house ready for Christmas Eve, and yet there is no denying that I am getting in the holiday mood. I love this season with all that it represents – love for each other and sharing that love through the simple things like a hug or a smile. For Christians like me, the celebration of our Lord’s birth and embracing the principles of love and respect for all humans, regardless of race, ethnicity or religion. The important things, you know.

But there are also the little things that bring a smile and lift the heart and so today I am sharing thirteen of those little things that elicit joy in me during this holiday season!

1. Christmas carols. Love to hear them and sing them.

2. The smell of roast pork on Christmas Eve morning.

3. Hot apple cider.

4. Hot chocolate.

5. Christmas lights.

6. Santas. One year we were on a train filled with dozens of Santas on the way to Santacon. What a blast!

7. The Nutcracker. We go to see the ballet every year as part of our holiday tradition.

8. Christmas trees. Love picking one out and decorating it (look for more on this on Fun Friday).

9. Exchanging gifts with friends and family.

10. A child’s face on Christmas morning as it lights up at the presents Santa brought.

11. Watching Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer and How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the original animated one).

12. Christmas Eve dinner with family and friends.

13. Going to NYC to see the holiday windows, the tree in Rockefeller Center and the pond at Bryant Park.

Hope you enjoyed today’s Thursday Thirteen. I welcome you to share some of your favorite things about the holiday season.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others’ comments. It’s easy, and fun!

As a P.S. – This is a photo my Christmas village from a few years back. It’s still in the works this season and I hope to finish it soon!

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Fun Friday – Holiday Traditions

Snowman Holiday TraditionsIt’s that time of year when I can’t stop thinking about all the fun and wonderful things that the holiday season brings. For me the best part of it is getting to spend time with my family. We always go and chop down our tree, play tourist in New York City and share Christmas Eve, Christmas and New Year’s Eve with family and friends.

Here’s a shot of my dining room, all ready for those family and friends!

How about you? What are some of your fun holiday traditions? What other fun things do you have happening today or over the weekend? Please share with us.

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