Hope you all had a lovely Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa. This time of year has always been a favorite of mine--mostly because I finally have time off to travel and be with my family. I've been so busy at home that I haven't blogged in a while so here's a little of what I've been up to: baking, making presents, ice skating, playing with my 3-year-old niece, and taking long walks on the country roads around my family's house. 
Of course, my favorite part of Christmas is spending time with my niece who is already quite a crafter. We made pine cone ornaments, painted birdhouses, and she beaded me the most beautiful necklace I will ever own! She also gave me a fine maincure & painted my nails Belle-o-yellow! 
As a tradition my mom and I take the train into New York City and see the tree in Rockefeller Center and take a look at all of the store windows along 5th Avenue. Last year Macy's had an elaborate panel of Steampunk windows and I suspected that this year more stores might deck themselves in gears & clockwork-fa la la la la! Most windows only had subtle hints of Steampunk but I am happy to report that Ted Baker London created an elaborate window display of moving gears, chains, and wood panels. The modest photos I took do not capture the fantastic movement of the display which shifted Ted Baker London's wares around an intricate pulley system. My favorite aspect of the display was the elegant scroll work painted onto the shop's 2nd floor front window which made the glass resemble a clock tower.
The outside of Ted Baker London. You can see the second story scroll work and gears are both illuminated! It gave you the impression that you were looking at the inside of a clock tower gleaming with sunshine. 
A close-up of one of the windows. The moving gears and chain pulleys were elegantly bordered with garlands wrapped in twinkle lights and small metal ornaments.
A close-up of the pulley system. It looked like it was constructed from a large metal erector set's parts. 
One of the chain pulleys dropped a small wooden box filled with deconstructed clock parts and featuring this handsome leather shoe. In the other window, another chain pulley dropped a serving tray filled with flowers and bone china. 
I was thoroughly inspired by Ted Baker London's windows. I can't wait to steampunk some windows myself at Made;the Indie Emporium Shop sometime in the coming months.