Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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Adventures in NYC: View from Rehearsal Room

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This is what I see as I sit and watch the actors work through The Merchant of Venice.

The hustle and bustle of 42nd Street – along with the architectural beauty of the building in the center photo. Boy, they don’t make them like that anymore, do they? The wedding cake-like layers building up to the top with that fabulous glass globe. The clock(s) – I haven’t seen the other sides – I wonder if there is a clock on each side? The stone carving…I love these older Manhattan skyscrapers.

At the end of next week, I will stay in the city during dress rehearsals, preview performances and opening night. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t get home until 2 or 3 in the morning! Hopefully, I will be able to grab some time to take more photos for you. It really is an amazing city. After opening, I have a 10 day break until I fly to Chicago for 3 days. The play is touring in Chicago, Boston and Los Angeles. The theater in Chicago is much bigger than any of the other venues, so I will be along to make sure all the actors can be heard.

I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow, so I’ll sign off.

Adventures in NYC: Tinsel Trading

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These long days in NYC are making for a tired Claudia! When the round trip involved is about 4 hours and the rehearsal day is a long one…well, I just get tuckered out. I don’t always have time to do anything other than run to rehearsal, but the other day I did a speed walk to Tinsel Trading on my lunch hour. That would be about 9 long city blocks. I was on a tight schedule so I could only ooh and aah and then I had to get back to rehearsal. But yesterday, after a lighter coaching schedule, I went back and took some photos just for you. I even delayed my trip home. It was worth it. This shop is amazing. And the staff is wonderful, warm and welcoming. I asked if I could take some pictures…no problem! Here we go…I’ll try to add a brief description when needed.

This is the outside of the shop. You can imagine how I drooled over these vintage dress forms. Tinsel Trading is on 37th, just west of Fifth Avenue.

Ribbon…
And more ribbon.
Lots of lace and trims.

These are vintage rosettes. I didn’t buy any, but I’ll be working in NYC for another 3 weeks. Uh oh.

Wendy Addison glitter bunnies.
Wendy Addison pure glass glitter.
Millinery flowers – some vintage, some new, all of them beautiful. Looking at this display is truly a gasp! experience.
More Wendy Addison.
There’s even more, of course, but I had to do some shopping. My budget is beyond tight, so I bought a few little things that pleased my eye.

Counter clockwise from bottom left: Pink and cream mother-of-pearl buttons, vintage aqua ribbon, 5 vintage spools, some suede ribbon in a tealy aqua (the photo didn’t capture the color), little millinery flowers, some vintage blue and white ribbon, and vintage velvet millinery flowers and leaves. I could have done a lot of damage in this store…oh, and look what’s stamped on the top of the large spool:

If you haven’t been to Tinsel Trading and you find yourself in Manhattan…run, do not walk, right to Fifth and 37th. You will love it there. There’s so much there that it’s impossible to take it all in. I want to thank the staff for letting me walk around with my camera and snap away. New York has lots of energy and hustle and bustle, which is great, but when you walk in the door of Tinsel Trading, you can slow down, sigh and bask in the prettiness that is everywhere you look.

I’d like to work there. Wouldn’t that be fun?

I’m not kidding.

Hope you enjoyed the tour. And if you are interested in a great mystery to read, scroll down and read my book review.

Perle Cotton in Manhattan

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Hello, on a sleepy (for me) Saturday morning.

I’ve been working in Manhattan the last 2 days. I usually take the bus because it drops me off right in the Midtown theater district. Not to mention the fact that it is quieter, more comfortable and closer to my house. When I arrive, I have to walk a mere 2 blocks and I’m at the rehearsal studios. However, since my trip into the city is, at minimum, an hour and a half each way, I usually go right to rehearsal and afterward go right back to the station and hop on the bus.

Yesterday, I took the time for a brisk 20 block walk around Midtown. I love walking in Manhattan – in any city. When I lived in both Philadelphia and Boston, I didn’t have a car and I walked everywhere. For hours. I have long legs and I walk quickly. It was such fun to do that again. I think that’s the thing I miss the most about living smack dab in the middle of a major city. It’s hard to walk around here – we live on a busy country road with no sidewalks and people drive much too fast.

A shorter journey (merely a block from the station) took me to Daytona Trimmings. Rebecca of Drop Cloth wrote about this shop a while back and I couldn’t wait to explore it. Embroidery floss is readily available everywhere, I know, but separating the strands drives me nuts.  I much prefer to embroider with #8 Perle Cotton. The thicker non-divisible single strand is much easier to use. For some reason, the big craft stores only carry it in white, ecru, and blue – sometimes red. Daytona Trimmings? Oh my gosh. Drawer after drawer of gorgeous colors. I bought 9 different colors.

Isn’t it pretty? Here’s my plan: I will make a list of the colors I have so far. Every time I visit the city, I’ll stop in and buy a few new colors. It is only a block from the station. It’s sort of my duty, don’t you think?

By the way, it’s snowing again.

When will it all stop?

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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