Mena Goes Window Shopping in NYC

In case you missed all the holiday window dressing in Manhattan, Mena stopped to sniff out a few of her favorites.  

 Henri Bendel.

The display on 5th between 55 and 56 includes a purple puppy. It is a very regal, royal theme. A sign on the window says the dresses will be donated to the Make a Wish Foundation.

Bloomingdales
Lexington @ 59th

In celebration of Tony Bennett's holiday song CD, Bloomingdale's has decorated a window for each of his songs. To the left, Mena enjoys the open sleigh in "Jingle Bells."

Below are the windows "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and "Santa Claus is Coming To Town."

Barney's
Madison between 60th and 61st

Peace and Love! Barney's wants you to have a Hippie Holiday! Mena is posing as one of the "Ladies of the Counter Coulture."

The store is also celebrating the 50th anniversary of the peace sign. Artwork by children of the East Harlem School is for sale. 100-percent of proceeds benefts the art program there. 212-876-8775 X304. 

 Bergdorf Goodman

5TH Avenue @ 58th

You can't start the new year without a calendar- so welcome the calendar girls of all seasons.

Here we see Winter and Autumn. Beware the men's store across the street; beasts and animals peer out in designer duds.

A few other window dressings you can still get out to see this holiday season include the snowflake light show at Saks Fifth Avenue. 5th between 49th and 50th. The display was inspired by the new book by Mike Reiss "A Flake Like Mike."

Lord & Taylor, 5th @ 38th & 39th, is dolled up in animated Yuletude themes, and the theme of the ever popular Macy's, 34th @ 6th & 7th, is "Yes, Willamena, there is a Santa Claus."

(Well, it may actually be Virginia, but that brings us to Mena's Christmas night sighting.)

Here, she saw someone's mommy kissing Santa Claus in Central Park! And this doesn't look like like Ms. Claus. Looks more like Mistress Claus!

Christmas Morning In Central Park.
The unwrapping of presents comes a little later in the day!

All Mena Wants for Christmas...

Mena loves opening gifts. But as you can see by her face in this picture from about three years ago, Mena was very upset by what she unwrapped. Clothes? Yuck! So while Mena loves her long walk in the park and cute collars, don't masquerade one as a "gift."

She much prefers anything that is edible or makes some sort of animal noise or squeaks when you chew on it's belly.

Mena learned how to open gifts back in 1998. The next Christmas, when I returned home from work, she had successfully opened all the presents under the tree. Now she has learned to wait.

Don't think she doesn't know that gift opening season is here. A few days before Thanksgiving, she was rummaging through her basket of stuffed squeaky toys, and pulled the one out from the bottom that she hasn't touched since she opened it last Christmas. When that one somehow disappeared the next day, probably under the bed or couch, she pulled out the only other holiday themed toy in her basket. SHE KNOWS. And is expecting to unwrap soon!