March 9
...serving up your daily dish.
Even though most of those red hearts have been trashed, we notice that some Baristaville miscreants residents have a hard time letting go of Christmas, as evidenced by the occassional dead wreath and icicle lights still hanging around. But we've had our eye on a giant blue-light covered dress decorating a homeowner's front yard on Valley Road -- it's a violation, but it's also kind of seasonless. So in a supreme act of clemency, the Decorating Police is only issuing a warning to unplug - no violation notice just yet. On closer inspection, we noticed that the 10 foot tall ballgown shaped topiary -- in better weather -- will probably be covered with English Ivy.
March 9, 2006 in Seasonal Decorating Violation | Permalink | Comments (68)
February 3
...serving up your daily dish.
Consider yourselves warned: Embarassing Seasonal Decorating Violations Will Be Reported…like this one at the Bellevue Parking Lot in Montclair. Time to get over it! Only 11 days until Valentine’s Day.
February 3, 2006 in Seasonal Decorating Violation | Permalink | Comments (141)
November 11
...serving up your daily dish.
Nobody buys presents for Thanksgiving. Christmas, that's the ticket. Let's just skip to that. ($199 buys you this at K-Mart.)
November 11, 2005 in Seasonal Decorating Violation | Permalink | Comments (25)
March 21
...serving up your daily dish.
Are there any Santas still standing in Baristaville? Seems we're not the only ones taking note of seasonal decorating violations. In today's Friday's Star Ledger, some folks are just too busy to take down their Christmas tree (we're hoping it's an artifical one), or dismantle decorations. Thanks to Shabe at NJ.com for turning us on to this; and a Weird NJ favorite that is sadly no more -- the fairytale squatter house.
March 21, 2005 in Seasonal Decorating Violation | Permalink | Comments (0)
January 30
...serving up your daily dish.
Jerry Mosier, in an Unmod post, complains of all the Christmas decorations that remain up around town. Which leads us to an important question, when should Barista start issuing Seasonal Decorating Violations for reindeer and Santas who overstay their welcome?
January 30, 2005 in Barista's Sunday Poll, Seasonal Decorating Violation | Permalink | Comments (8)
December 27
...serving up your daily dish.
This would be fun to wake up to every morning. This artistic display, featuring Homer in a bathtub along with Easter bunnies, comes to us from Anthony Buccino (copyrighted no less), on condition we credit him. Thanks to Bucino, who moonlights as "New Jersey's Garrison Keillor." If you can top this display, send us a photo.
December 27, 2004 in Seasonal Decorating Violation | Permalink | Comments (3)
December 14
...serving up your daily dish.
The Barista has nothing against giant inflatable Santas and Frosties and Nutcracker Men -- when used sparingly. This, for example, we like:
This, on the other hand, is just inflation.
And you know what's coming, don't you?
December 14, 2004 in Seasonal Decorating Violation | Permalink | Comments (2)
December 9
...serving up your daily dish.
Can the last one to leave Church Street turn the lights on? The Christmas tree on Church Street was dark last night, despite having been the star of a tree-lighting ceremony just a few days prior. What gives? Plenty of other lights around the BID were ablaze, but the main attraction was barely visible. Is there a Scrooge (insert favorite developer here) being miserly with electricity? Did the tree go dark in deference to Chanukah (no lit menorahs in sight either)? Will we need wayfinding signs to guide us to the tree during the rest of the season? Whoever pulled the plug, stick it back in. And, while you're at it, install an ice skating rink, or at the very least, a hot chocolate concession.
December 9, 2004 in Seasonal Decorating Violation | Permalink | Comments (7)
November 18
...serving up your daily dish.
Hahne's may be going down tomorrow, but downtown Montclair's Christmas tree went up today. Secured in its place of honor at Church Street and North Fullerton, the hulking blue spruce debuts more than a week ahead of Thanksgiving. The rest of Church Street as well as Bloomfield Ave have been wreathed, with most local store windows reflecting visions of sugarplums. 
If strolling downtown isn't enough to get you singing deck the halls, the folks at Van Vleck House are doing just that, today through Saturday, with their annual fundraising festival of trees, weaths and topiaries decorated by talented volunteers and local celebrities. Planned contributions include a tree adorned with cosmetics by makeup mogul Bobbi Brown and a tree decorated with miniature bulldozers by Steven Plofker. OK, maybe we're making that last part up, but it would be cute, wouldn't it?
November 18, 2004 in Seasonal Decorating Violation | Permalink | Comments (1)
November 14
...serving up your daily dish.
True, they've already started those goofy Old Navy Christmas ads on TV, and we might be soliciting holiday advertising ourselves, but we're still of the old-fashioned belief that the Christmas season really begins the day after Thanksgiving.
That goes for you too, West Orange.
If people aren't going to obey this rule, then we'll just have to remind everybody right now: the Barista's birthday is Dec. 25. That's right, only 40 days left to shop for the Barista's birthday.
We will cut a little slack, however, for Chanukah decorations, because that holiday starts the night of Dec. 7. And if there's any actual snow, besides the 1/100th of an inch scrim that landed Friday night, we'll allow snowflake decorations before Nov. 26. Until then, everybody, back to your raking.
November 14, 2004 in Seasonal Decorating Violation | Permalink | Comments (0)
