Thursday, July 14, 2011

Macy's At Christmas

For me, the Thanksgiving Day Parade at Macy's in New York, is the big countdown to Christmas. I have it on in my house every year on Thanksgiving morning. 9:00 until 12:00! At the end, I, being the kid that I am, still wave to Santa Claus as he makes his way into the cheering crowds! I just can't help myself! I wondered how long these annual parades at Macy's have been happening and I found out they had their first one in 1924. Now that's a long time! I thought I would share with you some interesting information and pictures I found as I was browsing the internet for all things Christmas.

Macy's in Herald Square in 1907.

Macy's was founded by Rowland Hussey Macy who moved to New York City in 1858 and opened a store named R.H Macy's Dry Goods. Macy's logo has always included a star in some form or another which comes from a tattoo that Mr. Macy had as a teenager when he worked on a Nantucket whaling ship.

Founder, Rowland Hussey Macy


As the business grew, Macy's expanded and used publicity devices such as a store Santa Claus, themed exhibits, and of course their beautiful illuminated window displays to draw in customers. It also offered a money back guarantee.

In 1902, the flagship store moved to Herald Square at 34th st. and Broadway. The store expanded  through new construction occupying  almost an entire block.


Macy's today in New York City.







Macy's Christmas Parade in 1926.


Macy's in Chicago.


Macy's Ad.


Macy's celebrity "Yes Virginia" commercial. "2008" You will need to pause the music player if you listen to this.







A swirl of children's letters to Santa Claus.




Believe Meter.


I also found some pictures from LIFE Magazine, Issue, December 1948. This is a step back in time and I really enjoyed looking at these pages.


































In case you can't read the small print, this man's job every day for 26 yrs., was to slide down Macy's package chutes to make sure no packages were stuck in the chute! He wears out a suit of coveralls every 6 wks. and slides about 2 miles every week! How's that for a job!

If you missed my post on "Yes, Virginia," the video clip, you can find it Here. In 2009, Macy's and Macy's ad agency JWT produced Yes, Virginia, a CGI animated Christmas special, after pitching and selling the idea to CBS. 1) "Yes, Virginia" reached more than 3.7 million television viewers! 2) Other impacts were that  the associated public relations effort resulted in a substantial lift in overall exposure during Macy’s most critical season with 1.84 billion impressions generated, 3) On the night of the show on December 11, 2009, “Yes, Virginia” was Google’s No. 1 and No.4 hottest search terms, 4) “Yes, Virginia” made TV Guide’s coveted Hot List. USA Today said, "Like Santa himself, Virginia should be a welcome Christmas visitor for years to come." Parents Television Council named it the Best TV Show of the Week, and 5) Holiday sales for the five-week period ending January 2, 2010 achieved Macy’s sales goals: $4.4 billion US in sales, 1% growth in same-store sales, and 29% growth of Macys.com.


Since 2009, CBS has been the U.S. TV network broadcaster of Yes, Virginia.

So, that's what I found on my search for Macy's! I do shop at our local Macy's each year for Christmas and all year too. Hope you have a Merry Christmas in July!
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Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Themed Christmas Trees, Post No. 2

I seem to get a huge amount of views on my first post on themed Christmas trees, so I decided to do a second post on more beautiful Christmas trees. I found myself ooooing and awwwing over them....silly me!! If you missed the first post you can find it Here.


A truly "sweet" tree!


I'm loving the huge snowflakes, snowmen and gifts!






Red and turquoise....a color I would never think to use but actually love the way this looks!!



Sugar Plum


Silent Night


Joy to the World






Pink Victorian





Copper Tree


Simple, but lovely with silver ornaments.


Hope you enjoyed these beautiful trees and Happy Christmas in July!!
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Soooo Hot here

Really hot, been really hot for a while now. Of course, we get quite a few thunderstorms as well. Anyway, we have had Tina's sister to stay with us for a few weeks and she is not averse to playing a game or two. We played TTR - Switzerland, London and Khan a few times.

Last weekend here in St. Wolfgang it was the Scalaria Air Challenge. Lots of seaplanes land on the lake and there are displays, hot air balloons, helicopters etc. I was pretty active with the camera so here follows a few pictures.





We had a day in Salzburg yesterday. Very nice, very warm. Takes us about 80 minutes on the local bus. Of course I paid a visit to the game shop and had a browse. Came away with Tikal II, haven't played it yet but have read the rulebook and was impressed with the production of the game. Super box insert to store all the bits. I will give you my impressions after a few plays.

Happy Gaming!!
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Sunday, July 10, 2011

Christmas Angels

Angel comes from the Greek and Hebrew words meaning "messenger." The angels that were a part of the Christmas Story were delivering a message. The angel Gabriel brought news to Mary that she was chosen to bear God's son.



Joseph was told by angels about the child who was to come and not be afraid of having Mary as his wife.





An angel appeared before the shepherds watching over their flocks by night and told them of the birth of Christ in the city of  David.




 And suddenly a multitude of heavenly angels appeared praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.




Angels for most of us represent love, peace and joy. I also believe in Guardian Angels. Reflecting on things that have happened in the past and present, I know I have a guardian angel watching over me. How about you?



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Saturday, July 9, 2011

Christmas in July

This July you can go out and take your pick of any "Christmas in July" sales.  Typically, these sales are put out by retailers to get rid of excess stock, sometimes Christmas merchandise, to make room for the next season's stock.  Places like Michael's starts putting out their holiday stock in September for all those people who are way ahead of schedule in getting their Christmas crafting done.

One thing I did see when I was out shopping for groceries was a local supermarket which was advertising "Christmas in July."  On inspection I was delighted to read about purchasing an ornament in $5, $10, or $25 denominations to support the Food Bank.  While the Food Bank's biggest time for donations is the holidays, this doesn't mean that the need for food disappears.  Ironically, the need for donations actually lessens in December because of all the holiday parties, get togethers, and abundance of food that can be found all around.  Many people fill up at office parties, or share in potlucks.  This means one could stock up with leftovers for a couple of days.

Plus there are usually more free events celebrating the season such as church suppers which help the hungry survive the season.  The season of giving helps many who are hungry.  So, this summer celebrate the holidays by taking part in your Christmas in July.  Buy a little extra and give to your local food bank.  Make your summer merry and bright.
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Friday, July 1, 2011

Growing Trees

Well, we're about halfway through the year and there will be many places celebrating Christmas in July specials.  So, get out to your local store and find those bargains!

Summer is in full gear now, so everything is in bloom and the trees are full.  This got me to thinking about Christmas trees.  There are many tree farms throughout the country, each wanting your business, so you can find that perfect tree.  Just do a quick check online to find one in your area.  When I was young we used to go out the country to cut our own tree, but those times have changed.  You don't want to go accidentally trespassing on someone's property and cut down their precious trees.  So please, this year use a local tree merchant. 

I prefer the local tree sellers.  The ones who are run by the scouts or give a portion of their sales to charity.  Of course you could also try to grow your own.  You would have to wait a few years to reap the benefits though.  In the meantime you could decorate it outside and bring a little Christmas cheer to your lawn.

Of course, there are many people who would disagree about a live tree.  But trees that come from farms give off tonnes of oxygen into the atmosphere and clean the air when they're growing.  Plus, each tree cut down gets replaced with a new seedling.  There is no clear cutting.  Be happy to know that your Christmas tree has already given its own gift of clean air.

Whatever you decide, adding the perfect tree to your home for your Christmas celebration will definately make your holiday merry and bright.
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Sunday, June 26, 2011

Candy Canes

Natasha from http://keepingthechristmasspiritalive365.blogspot.com/ has got me hooked on  http://pinterest.com/. It's a website  for cataloging images you love...eye candy! It gives me good ideas and inspiration. You can type in anything to search for and you'll be very surprised at what you find!  I have found many things to do with candy canes...candy canes, who would have thought there were so many ideas out there for this peppermint candy!






You can decorate packages,


make a beautiful candy cane urn,



a lovely wreath,

Source: bhg.com via Dorothy on Pinterest


a vase wrapped with candy canes,



Source: bhg.com via Dorothy on Pinterest


an ornament,

Source: bhg.com via Dorothy on Pinterest

a really cute candle holder,



and trees,



Now, onto the goodies,



Candy Cane macaroons,



Cakes,




Brownies, cookies and truffles,




 Ice cream,  yummy.....unless you're lactose intolerant!!


or a nice cup of hot chocolate, mmmmmm....



and one last cake that looks like a big bowl of m&m candies!



Very creative! I never would have imagined so many things to do with a pretty candy cane!
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