I grew up in Rockville Centre on Long Island and in Princeton Junction, New Jersey—and my parents took us into the city a lot. Besides our regular trips to the Museum of Natural History, I think my favorite activity was visiting the “windows” during the holidays. Mom would train all three of us kids in, and we’d meet Dad outside his office... and, holding hands, we’d weave through the crowds, admiring the enchanting little worlds that had been created within the windows of giant department stores. A few months after Emma was born, we took her back to New York for Christmas, and we made a point of visiting the windows with her, too. Emma’s favorite was Lord & Taylor, where this photo was taken. The store was actually under a ton of repairs and couldn’t get its scaffolding down in time for Christmas, but had decided that a little construction couldn’t cramp its style. 😉 And so everything was wrapped in roping and zillions of twinkle lights, and even the rushed passersby—initially annoye...