Santa has just had a big makeover ~ I used to enjoy seeing him and his reindeer, as a little girl and he used to wink one eye and had a beckoning finger.This Santa has been part of Auckland's heritage since 1960.
The inviting finger has been given the flick, as the noise the motors made upset apartment dwellers who had bedrooms a few metres from old Santa.
Barber shop
Sold out! Mouse Opera.
I took a few photos of Christmas in Auckland City, the other day when I was shopping.
I apologize for the quality of the photos - The shop window of Smith & Caughey's a big department store was lovely. I especially loved the Ballerina mice all dressed up in their tutus. You really had to be there to see them, as the reflection from the glass was hard to get a good photo.
My heartfelt thanks to you all for coming to my little blog and all the lovely comments you have left, also the new followers.
My daughter picked two winners for the giveaway, out of the glass and they are ......
Lottie the Lamb ~ Jermaine from French Kissed
Percy the Pig ~ Piitis from Valkoinen Pioni
Please email me your address and I will get your gifts in the post.
This is the part that I do not like as I would like to give you all something to say thank you.
Happy week to everyone.
Hugs
Carolyn
Those are some amazing Christmas displays and one BIG Santa!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for entering my giveaway!
All the best,
Anne
thank you very much for your visit Anne and I hope that you are having a great week.
ReplyDeleteHugs
Carolyn
Congratulations to Jermaine and Piitis!
ReplyDeleteWhat grand photos, Carolyn!!! Ah, poor Santa, all in the name of progress . . . .
When we lived in the Bay Area every Christmas we would go spend a weekend in San Francisco and go to FAO Schwartz, the toy store, and check out all the window displays! I miss that!
Hugs,
Marsha
Hi Marsha,
ReplyDeleteHow lovely to go and visit the big shops in San Francisco at Christmas time, and see all the window displays, that must be wonderful.
Thank you for visiting, always great to hear from you.
Hugs
Carolyn
Hi Carolyn - this whole story has made the evening news here a couple of times recently (things must be slow in media land!). I have to admit, he's not the best looking Santa I've seen & that beckoning finger is a worry. Blow those precious Apartment dwellers though I say - Santa was there first, they just need to suck it & see!!
ReplyDeleteMillie ^_^
Hi Millie,
ReplyDeleteThere was a concern that the old Guy did look creepy. It was the finger and the sad sack winking, droopy eye.
I heard that the change to the finger was not made because of pressure from the politically correct lobbies...
but it makes you wonder!
News must have been scare in your parts.
Hugs
Carolyn
Oh that big reindeer is wonderful!!
ReplyDeleteI love to see window Christmas Displays. I love the cute little mice dressed in their tutus. How cute!!
ReplyDeleteCongrats to the winners of your generous giveaway!!!!
Have a great week Carolyn!!
Hi Carol,
ReplyDeleteThe mice were cute in their tutus and dancing to the music, your really had to see them.
Hi Pamela,
The reindeer are wonderful, there is another on the other side of the building.
Hugs
Carolyn
Congratulations to Santa!!!
ReplyDeleteWhahwt? It's not Santa. Oh, it's Lottie the Lamb and Percy the Pig? Oh, congrats to the winning barn animals!
Oh, the barn animals aren't the winners? Oh, I see, it's Jermaine and Piitis! COngrats to them! Whew...why don't I just make this easy on myself and say "Congrats to the winners!" LOL!
I have to tell you that your blog post is kinda funny because the title does say "Happy December and the winners are..." and then the next word is "Santa" so it reads...
"Happy December and the winners are Santa"! LOL! Funny, aye?
Hope you have a lovely week. Hope you don't mind a little teasing! ;)
Oh, those ballerina mice are my favorite!!! Everything looks so festive!
ReplyDeleteHope that you are well, sweet~pea!
Hugs,
Christina
xo
Hello
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by!
Those windows are amazing, how fun!
Blessings
Rebecca
Hi Rebecca,
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for your visit, I have enjoyed seeing your amazing Christmas shop. I hope the Open home goes well.
Sorry TattingChic, it is a little confusing when I look at it again.
I wrote it in a hurry.
Have a great week.
Hi Christina,
Lovely to have a visit from you, my friend. I love your Christmas sparkly decorations you have been making.
Hugs
Carolyn
Love all your pictures. It is like taking a little vacation with you as the guide. You are always so sweet. Wishing you a great week. Take care dear friend. Martha
ReplyDeleteBeautiful window displays Carolyn. That's something we don't have in Idaho. Even our biggest city in Idaho would be considered very small compared to other states in the US. I'm so glad you shared them.
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy for the winners of your wonderful giveaway.
Hugs,
June
Hi Martha,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your visit. My thoughts will be with you and I hope that everything will go well for you with your tests.
Many thanks dear June, you are always such a special friend and it is lovely to know you.
Hugs
Carolyn
Woooohoooo, congratulations to the winners!
ReplyDeleteOh, I LOVE holiday window displays! This is the time of year I miss living in a big city with big flagship stores. Too bad about Santa and his finger. HA!
Hi Carolyn:
ReplyDeleteI LOVE all Christmas windows... Large and small. Think I would have been a window designer in another life. Anyway, I agree with you, the Ballerina mice in the little tutus are sweet. I love the other mice window as well.
Thanks for sharing all that you do, and for always taking time to stop by and say hi.
Many blessings for the Holiday season. I hope your days are filled with family, good friends, and the things that you value most.
Rosalind
Thank you very much Rosalind and it is so lovely to hear from you.
ReplyDeleteIt would be such a fun job, doing the window displays, I think that would suit me as a job too.
Hi Bella,
So great to hear from you ~ thank you.
Some of the big stores, window displays at Christmastime must be amazing to see. Yes, it is sad about Santa's finger.
Have a happy week
Hugs
Carolyn
Congratulations to the winners.
ReplyDeletehello! how are you?
ReplyDeletedo you like riding a bike?
Oh how well I remember him with the winking eye and the moving finger! He used to be on the Farmers building - my mum used to take us there to see Santa. I also remember Hector who was stuffed and put back on his perch.....what happened to Hector I wonder?
ReplyDeleteLeeann xx
Congrats to the winners! And thanks for sharing the Christmas decorations.... that Santa is huge! I love the mice opera as well... what a clever idea! I can appreciate how hard it is to photograph shop windows, but don't worry... I think you did a great job :)
ReplyDeleteCarolyn,
ReplyDeleteLove that giant santa, sure to put people in the Christmas spirit . congrats to the winners... I so wanted that little pig.... boo hoo. Blessings!
Gwen
Hi Leeann,
ReplyDeleteMy Mum used to take us children to the Farmers, to see Santa too.
It was a magical time.
I will have to find out what happened to poor old Hector ~ I can remember him too.
Hi Gwen,
Many thanks for visiting and yes, Santa does bring the spirit of Christmas alive. I am sorry, I would have loved to give each one of you something I have made.
I will be doing more giveaways.
Hi Haute-Shopper,
Many thanks for visiting.
I was just using my mobile phone camera, and I will have to get some lessons from you. Your shop window photos are always great.
The Opera mice were cute.
Thank you for visiting Baliplus.
Hi Dolores,
Many thanks for your visit.
Hugs
Carolyn
Hi Carolyn! That is one incredible Santa!! I love to go into the city (Chicago) at this time of year and see all of the beautiful Christmas window displays...they're so festive! I hope you are having a wonderful week :)
ReplyDelete:) T
Hi Carolyn,
ReplyDeleteChristmas windows are so sweet and beautiful!!! I love theirs atmosphere:)
Ballerina mises are so sweet!!
Thak you for so funny and sweet pictures!!
Congratulations to winners!
Happy Christmas time to you, my friend!:)
Ps. Oh, How big are Santa and reindeer;)
Hi Marge,
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for visiting, always great to hear from you.
Happy Christmas to you, dear friend.
Christmas windows are always lovely and you must have some fabulous ones over where you live.
Hi Tracey,
It must be amazing going to the big Cities, like Chicago ~ the window displays must be beautiful.
I am having a great week, have just been for a lovely long walk with daughter. I hope that your week is going well.
Hugs
Carolyn
Oh this looks like so much fun! Congratulations to the winners too. I hope you week is going beautifully!
ReplyDeleteI am thrilled to have won little Lottie Lamb! Thank you so very much and I will be so looking forward to your next 200 posts. I won't be going to New York this month so I will miss all of the fabulous window displays, so thanks for sharing yours ~ the mice are just adorable and at least you still have the Santa even if his finger is out of commission.
ReplyDeleteThanks again ~jermaine~
Hi Jermaine,
ReplyDeleteYou are very welcome and I will get the little parcel in the mail soon.
I imagine the New York window displays would be fabulous.
Hi Sares,
thanks for your visit and I hope that your week is going well too.
Hugs
Carolyn
Thank you Maison Chaplin, have just had a great visit to your blog and saw all the wonderful fashion.
ReplyDeleteLove it.
Hugs
Carolyn
Your combination of memories, the song playing on your blog, and these child-like photos, for some reason, really touch my heart. :) Thank you. :)
ReplyDeletewait...that music isn't coming from your blog....where's it coming from then???? LOL!!!! going crazy here!!! LOL!!! sorry about that!!!! :)
ReplyDeleteCongrats for the winner Carolyn! Love these fun images...
ReplyDeleteCheers: Evi
Oh such sweet displays.
ReplyDeletecongratulations to the winners, such a lovely giveaway.
xxx
That Santa is HUGE! Sorry he has undergone some changes that you remember with fondness, Carolyn.
ReplyDeleteAlways fun to see window displays too. Nice post!
Hi Maison Chaplin,
ReplyDeleteThank you for clearing that up.
Hi Charity,
I have noticed sometimes even if you have left a blog with music, the music is still be playing on.
thanks for your visit.
Thank you for visiting Miss Eve.
Hi Dustjacket,
They are sweet window displays and you have to really hear the Christmas music and see the movement coming from some of these little displays.
Thank you very much for your visit Barbara. I look forward to coming to see you.
Hugs
Carolyn
Hi Carolyn,
ReplyDeleteOh, I just love that giant Santa and reindeer! We have a candy factory called See's Candies where each year they also put up giant holiday displays on their roof (Easter bunny, Santa, etc.) and have since I was a little girl. I've always intended to go back and see them (I only live 20 minutes away) each holiday season and now I think I must! Thanks so much for sharing such fun holiday decor in the city!
Hugs,
Sharon :-)
I love seeing the department store windows almost more than my wee girls I think! Santa looks much better!
ReplyDeleteSanta is jumongous! (I don't think that's a real word :) Thanks for sharing a bit of holiday displays from Auckland. Congrats to the winners of your giveaway. Blessings to you and yours, :) Tammy
ReplyDeleteHi Sweet Carolyn!
ReplyDeleteI love this Santa and his reindeer!!! I wish they were on MY house like that! ;)
I'm so sorry to hear that you were sick...I do hope everything comes out well for you. I'm also sad to hear that I missed your giveaway too but now I can congratulate you for your 200th post!!! Wow!!!
I hope to be getting back here to blogland like normal now, I was soooooo lonesome~
everything vintage
I love this post...brings to my mind and heart Christmas icons in my life....LOVE the big Santa! I hope you are well....congratulations to the winners of your giveaway!
ReplyDeleteHi Sharon,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your visit. The Candy Factory sounds great and will be fun to go and see what they have on display.
Hi Amanda,
It is such a magical time, seeing all the displays and yes, dear old Santa looks much better after his makeover.
Thank you Tammy and blessings to you and your family.
Hi Jodie,
Great to see you back again, you have been missed here.
Sending hugs, your way.
thank you for visiting Queen Bee,
I look forward to coming to visit your blog.
Hugs
Carolyn
What lovely ballerina mice! Sooo cute and sweet!
ReplyDeleteHope all is well with you,
hugs,
Monicaxx.
thank you very much for your visit Monica, lovely to hear from you.
ReplyDeleteThe ballerina mice are cute, with their tutus.
Hugs
Carolyn
The new santa is scary :(
ReplyDeleteI however loved the little mice display at s&c!
xx
Hi Lonewolf,
ReplyDeleteThe new Santa is a little scary and yes, I love the little mice.
Hugs
Carolyn
Love Santa! It is hard when people live around those sorts of things!
ReplyDeleteCongrats to the winners!
Hugs, Lisa
Thanks Lisa, for your visit.
ReplyDeleteHugs
Carolyn
happy December, darling Carolyn! love the new header :)
ReplyDeletecongrats to the winners! :)
have a lovely day, xoxo
thank you dear Susan and I hope that you are having a lovely week.
ReplyDeleteHugs
Carolyn
Hi Carolyn
ReplyDeleteI have just been looking at your photos of the Christmas windows in Smith and Caugheys.
As a bear designer you may identify with this. I designed and made the window scenes that were used in these windows last year and in 2007. The company that bought them from me has made new scenes and in the photos you have they are very similar and in some parts a copy of three of my 65 scenes that they bought from me and have shown in many places.
You may like to view them on my site at
www.flickr.com/photos/rgmstudiom - North Pole Village/ North Pole hair salon/ Lighting the Village. In all 65 cases my name has been illegally removed from the scenes and sometimes has been replaced with the company's name.
Being a designer and creator yourself, you may appreciate this situation.
Kind regards - rgmstudiom
Hi rgm,
ReplyDeleteI will go and look at your photos on flickr.
Sorry this has happened to you.
I can remember looking at the displays the last few years and yes, they all look very similar.
Thank you for visiting my blog.
Kind Regards
Carolyn