Retroblogging: Falling for Crafts in Chelsea

Now that spring has sprung, the proliferation of street and craft fairs has blossomed. I'd like to keep exploring the various festivities, but time gets away from me. (Plus I am being careful with the budget for future fun - so if I don't go to "window shop" and "idea browse," then I won't accidentally end up purchasing anything.)

What I really like are the little crafty homegrown events, where you can really get close to the vendors and makers. Fairs like the one Jane and I went to in October in support of P.S. 11 partially sponsored by Etsy.

Crafts in Chelsea, Fall Festival 2012

We picked up buttons, brochures, and stickers, oh my.

It was a beautiful fall day, a warm, delightful, perfect Indian Summer day. It was almost perfect weather for sandals. Isn't this display adorable?

Since the funds being raised were for P.S. 11's arts curricula and other vital education programs, I just loved this vendor - who re-purposes old musical instruments and cases into a variety of lights and shelves.

I know of at least one saxophone and trumpet that could be put to good use. If my brothers even still have them.

The light was just so great in spotlighting the various jewelry displays. I had to walk away from some gemstones, minerals, and glass art pieces  - like these.

These little critters kept calling our names. Displayed adorably in old vintage suitcases and trunks, these stuffies are made from old cashmere sweaters - and considering the materials and hand-crafted-ness, were pretty affordable. Jane almost rescued a few friends. I had to stiffen my spine and walk away. My attic is already filled with a flock of stuffed friends.

There were other adorable re-purposed sweaters on display from other vendors at the market. The dress on the left was super cute, with a frilly lightweight skirt added to the top. A very similar scarf to the one one the right made its way home with Jane. The fleece leaves were warm and a season accent to otherwise boring fall coats.

As fun is it to look at the wares, remember to look at the "set decor" too.

Fun buntings

Bestowed with buttons

Finally, we almost missed this display with a vintage sewing machine, bobbins, and sewing table.

It was a really a great day, including a bout of dress up ... with fripperies ... and fascinators.

40 Diamonds for 40: Journeys with Jane

There are moments of serendipity in life. There's the day you turn a corner in a hallway of your college dorm and come across a sight that makes you laugh and laugh at the incongruity of the scene in front of your eyes. Fast forward, more than twenty years later, and wonderfully two of the submissions for your 40 Diamonds for 40 project come in back to back, perfectly echoing the interweavings of harmony that come from chamber music partners. Those forged bonds of friendships, in and out of practice and classrooms, behind instruments, on stage and off, with verbal and physical shorthands that are only keyed to your core group, echo through the musical cosmos. Even though you don't talk all the time, and only see each other sporadically, you can pick up the threads that make up your relationship-- almost seamlessly.

Jane tells the story best. What she has left out is how wonderful she was to let me try my hand at her harp, not wincing at my tone and technique; how she would let me escape to her houses on Flax Hill Road for visits to The Dutchess for fast food, Trader Joe's for supplies, the thrift shop for deposits and withdrawals, to the yarn stores for supplies, and to Book Aid to "volunteer" -- and take home more books; how she so thankfully warned me about my 19th birthday "surprise" as planned by the girls, to take me to "a show" aka Chippendale's (seriously, THANK YOU for the warning); how she and her parents had/have adopted me and let me accompany them on trips to concerts, fancy restaurants where I got to try mako for the first time, fixed my clothes, given me advice, generally put up with me; how she allowed me to work out my aggressions by basically single-handedly demolishing a room in her house, with a mallet and crowbar, brick-by-brick; and so much more. Jane's been my arty travel buddy, who really knows that it's quality, not quantity, of time spent together.

Not only is Jane a talented string teacher, harpist, friend, but she's also responsible for many of my charming letters and postcards from college.

Brava and Milli Grazie, my friend. Brava!

Dear Auntie Nettie,

When we first met, I was sitting on the dorm hallway floor with an entire door lock in my hand. That moment was the unlocking of our friendship over the last twenty-two years.

After our initial introductions, we found our love of music as a common bond. We played together all four years of college. You could play anything and were the best accompanist a violinist could hope for! As members of Trio Non Sacre (Unholy Trio—named not by us, but the department chair), we enjoyed playing such favorites as “F- You, Martinu!” We must have been pretty good since we found ourselves to be the on-call musicians for various college functions. Not bad considering each rehearsal seemed to start with me playing a strip tease tune while you and Kristen removed coats, scarves, hat and gloves!

After college, you continued to support my musical pursuits, now as a string teacher. My young string students loved the opportunity to visit Caramoor and attend concerts or workshops. We felt that Caramoor was an extension of our classroom.

Because we have very full schedules in the “Ed Biz,” we find it hard to schedule time to do things together. But I’m glad we’ve been able to enjoy lots of things that NYC has to offer---walking the newly-opened Highline, concerts at Carnegie Hall, lunch at Peanut Butter & Co. or A Salt & Battery, and the annual Makers’ Fair.

May you have a wonderful birthday! I look forward to celebrating many more milestone birthdays with you!

Lots of love,
Jane

Postcard Art by Jane, c. the College Years

Sometimes you just feel like screaming!

Postcards from the Past: Mail Call!

Artistic Postcard courtesy of Jane
c. The College Years

A representation of me at the Postal Counter getting mail.

Not much has changed. I kind of still do a little dance
when I get real mail that's not a bill, invoice, or junk.

Holiday Traditions: New York Skating, Part 2

It was so wonderful to spend time at the Park with some dear friends and their families. Jane and her mom were there, also not skating. Unfortunately it was too crowded for us to be able to chat and catch up comfortably. After soaking up the sun, watching the sights, they were off to refresh and bask at Lord & Taylor and then deal with crowds in other parts of the City.

Most of the day's enjoyment was due to watching Tammy and her kids J & J go skating. As is usual with getting together with Tammy, it's a matter of hoping and praying that there is a hole in the kids' very over-extended weekend schedule of activities. I heard that they actually voted to skip basketball and other parties to come in and go skating! Excellent. (Also excellent, having a designated "extra" adult to carry the bags, take the picture, and tag-team the kids. Wow they are quick darting around and under and between legs.)

I think this excursion went a little better than our last one to the Botanical Gardens. It was less hot, the kids were more involved, and it involved all the chips, cocoa, and cookies they could eat BEFORE we headed back to Two Boots in Grand Central for pizza and pasta.

Here's a little photo montage of the day from my perspective. I thought it was important for me to document Tammy doing things with the kids. She needs to be in the pictures too!

Maker Faire 2011, Part 4 - People, People who Love ...

If I thought that last year's visitors to Maker Faire NY were .... eclectic, I had no idea what was to come. This year's Faire had gotten so much more press, the etsy.com and DYI movements are gaining momentum, and people like me had talked it up so much that the crowds were bigger this year. Before I had even left Grand Central I had run into Nick from my library days who was heading in with his friends. Then I was talking to one of my neighbors about a week later who had taken her daughter in on Sunday, the day after I was there. I thought I would run into work people, and it's possible they were there. ... Instead, I saw some of these characters.

This guy in the chain mail? I thought he was the vendor--But no! Jane gets another view of things.

Family Time

Jane tries virtual reality, while etsy sponsors a whack-a-treasure.

A family of elves eats on the run, while minstrels serenade the passing crowds.

"Reporting live from the Faire, we have breaking news on the scooter races ..."

Fashion extremes: "Guys, eyes up here!" vs. Steampunk rules!

Jane scoping out the scene. Kids are fearless.

Fashion faux pas: MetroCard Man takes recycling to the extreme. Flamingos are NOT fabulous.