Today I’m pleased to announce the 3 winners of the  SurLaTable Gift Card Giveaway for the “Windows of Wonder” Holiday Project which ran thru the month of December. I received many wonderful photos from all over and I had a few favorites in there that I photographed myself. I’ve always loved the whimsy of old/ vintage metal toys and trucks just like this one and so this photograph became a favorite of mine.

When it began I thought I’d have a tremendous surprise response from ALL over the world. Hah! , news flash, the surprise was on me. People are actually busy at the holidays, imagine that? ….. it was a surprise surprise! and a duh? moment. But truly ,when can you run a Windows of Wonder project about showcasing Holiday windows except at the holidays? I think I can say I’ll likely do it again next year, maybe in a different vein or with a new twist, but it will most definitely be more well planned. I need to practice what I’m always preach to my clients about planning. It is at the heart of every successful project. On this topic, you’ll be hearing much more as there’s an exciting new addition to my business that will be announced in the spring in conjunction with the release of a cover story due out mid March 2012 on  ”Kitchen and Bath Ideas Magazine”. Thank you to Better Homes and Gardens for your “pat on the back” , the stylist that creates the magic on site for a photo shoot Karin Lidbeck-Brent and  photographer to the stars, Michael Partenio whom I was truly blessed to work with. What a year!! This was the inaugural year of my blog AND the First Annual “Windows of Wonder” Holiday Windows Project.
Thank you to all who contributed and made it a unique and special holiday season.

What started out simply as a fun project because I love holiday windows turned out to be JUST a fun project. I’m won’t be getting the “Oscar” for this anytime soon but honestly …… it’s ok ,because it truly was fun and that was the point. It’s often said that the journey is better than the destination and this project is a great example of that. I had so much fun, beginning with going into NYC Thanksgiving night as the kick off to the WOW project. I traditionally go in over the holidays but I’ve never done it Thanksgiving night. What a treat. I drove right in ( an hour-15 , got a space a few cars length off of 5th Ave at 57th- and FREE - UNHEARD of ! It was also a balmy night
as balmy nights goes in November here in New England, (read: still need a warm coat) I had unfettered access to the windows in a way one would never have on any other occasion or time. There were many people quietly taking a stroll  up and down Fifth Avenue, clearly walking off their holiday meals and spending time with family. This stroll in Italy is known as a “passegiata”, a time when men and women take a walk or “stroll” after dinner arm in arm. With the typical hustle and bustle of NYC, this was really a unique and memorable experience. New York City is always magical at night, especially at the holidays.  

In the spirit of creating an authentic voice and being completely transparent with my ideas , I’ll tell you that I wish more people had been able to contribute because the content I did receive from so many of you was interesting, home-town sharing and whimsical. Just what I hoped for. It all just started as an idea as many of us have and I went with it, BUT, and this is a big BUT, I should have planned it better, given it its own “marketing plan” and perhaps done it in conjunction with a charity so it had a chance to become a  worthwhile cause that might have had some benefit. Right before Christmas was the terrible tragedy in Newtown, CT. The nation paused and being from CT. I feel that CT. really came to a standstill in many ways with grief. Frankly, I couldn’t post for over a week because I had simply lost my “steam” and was just feeling the content was too trivial to put out there. Unintentional in the creation of the name, “Windows of Wonder” happened to have the acronym WOW. In realizing the power of the word I feel as if  there’s some message in it that I need to listen to carefully, and minimally I have a responsibility to create a yearly project with WOW benefits. I’ll let you know when I have WOW moment and discover what the project will be.

And now the winners:

Courtney M. Price of Dallas, TX – blog courtneyprice.com sent me some wonderful photographs from Dallas,TX. Courtney needs to give up her “day job” and think about being a photographer. She has a keen eye and I’d love to see more. I most loved the Santa on the antique horse from a local antiques purveyor. Thank you Courtney

Todd Vendituoli -VT. and Eleuthera – Todd got me out of the winter doldrums. I was so humbled that he took the time while on vacation to send me some beautiful images from his part-time vacation/work spot in Governors Island, Eleuthera. I fell hook line and sinker for this tree gracing the balcony of a Government Building in town with the salmon backdrop, it just looked so charming and regal up there. Thank you Todd

Lastly, but surely not least is Jane Beiles of  Jane Beiles Photography, janebeiles.com in New Canaan, CT. Jane is a talented photographer who I was lucky enough to be connected with in the past couple of years. Jane has done a beautiful job photographing some of my recent projects so I was flattered that she wanted to jump in and contribute to my WOW project. Her photo, shot while on location in Nantucket felt truly whimsical and yet felt like Nantucket to me. Once you get the sand in between your toes on this charming New England island, you’ll want to return year after year. It’s a special place. Thank you Jane.

So the Holidays are officially over (for now) here at KitchenINK. Thank you to all who took the time to contribute the First Annual
“Windows of Wonder” project. Many of the shops windows featured on the site were from small businesses who all need continued support year round  so  please, “Shopping Locally”  if possible and support local business. I love American Expresses efforts when they created the now popular, “Small Business Saturday” tradition and I hope I was able to help in my small way. I hope to build on the tradition of WOW next year .

Thank you. 

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