Last day of 2015
Dec. 31st, 2015 11:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mandie_rwEnd of the year snuck up on me; I meant to do a costume-year-in-review, as I usually do, but I forgot! Not entirely certain I'll want to do it tonight...maybe tomorrow.
Have not been sewing, but did a couple fun things I can yak about here, so I shall.
Yesterday mom and I went to Longwood Gardens to see their Christmas display. It's always gorgeous, and I didn't take any photos so you'll just have to take my word for it. Rained a bit, but hey, that's why I own an umbrella, right? (This was actually the occasion I had in mind for that novelty print christmas dress, which...oops? Obviously didn't get finished.) Because we're nerds, we went to the christmas carol singalong twice. "We could leave...or we could go sing carols again." "Well obviously we have to go sing again!" (Plus I was hoping the cute flugelhorn-playing chappie would be there again for the last set, but sadly not.)
And then today mom and I went to see The Nutcracker over in Philly...it used to be a bit of a family tradition until the cousins made it pretty clear they'd rather have their fingernails pulled out one by one than have to sit through the ballet again, ohmigod.(We haven't gone for two years now, and this Christmas two of those same cousins asked if we weren't going to the Nutcracker this year? Sadface? OH COME ON NOW.) Mom and I like it, though, and the PA Ballet sent out emails about half-price tickets two days ago, so...aw hell, let's just go. I am very fond of the ballet, very fond of the Academy of Music, and even more fond of dressing up, so I wasn't very hard to convince!
(Not that anyone dresses up for the theatre any more except me, but...it's me, so I don't care.)
I did get a couple of pictures at the Academy, because I thought I looked rather nice, I don't wear that dress much and I like it, and I'm vain, so. You get pictures.
Somewhat out of desparation, I stuck my fat Victorian braid on my head, around my bun, as my hair wasn't remotely behaving today, and, uh, a chignon is always classy, right? Looked pretty decent though! Although I was amused that, when visiting my grandma and her friend tonight, they both thought it was my real hair. To be fair they both have dementia...
I loved the effect of the mirrored doors in the hallway...TAKE ANOTHER SHOT MAM!
THANKS!
And I admit I am unreservedly in love with this building...it was built 1855-57 and I think it's simply glorious! I've been going there to see ballets since I was very small, but the magic hasn't worn off yet. Sitting in one of the boxes in a Victorian opera gown (with an opulent train!) and watching a ballet or opera is on my costuming bucket list! It would be kind of weird to do that alone though, so I haven't done it yet...plus box seats are expensive. Someday!
YOU KNOW YOU WANNA...
Also, they have gas lights outside, which I appreciate.
Anyhoo, since we were doing all this Christmassy stuff, mom and I decided to toddle off to Wanamakers aka Macy's, to see their (always slightly creepy animatronic) Dickens Christmas Carol village and the light show. (On the way, we stopped by the skating rink outside of City Hall, which was wonderfully entertaining to watch! Nothing like watching kids fall over while they skate...and either get up smiling, as most of them did, or start bawling, which is way funnier. Hm, we may be horrible people. But when I fall while ice skating, people are very welcome to laugh at me, too!)
You can't take pictures of the light show (I mean...you can, but what's the point??), but for those of you who aren't Philly locals (which is...most of you), it's a six-story illuminated backdrop, with lights, music, and the narration of a little Christmas story (that you can never quite hear the finer points of, because people are loud). There are shows every other hour so the music's a recording, but it's done from the resident organ, which is a pretty impressive instrument (largest fully-functioning pipe organ in the world, thanks very much). And they do still play the organ itself every day.
Hello people, you look very small down there from three storeys up!
A very blue tree. They changed the incandescents to LEDs relatively recently...now they can light every single bulb in the display, which they couldn't do before without exploding something! Good times.
And had to get a picture with the eagle! Why? Uh, it's in the center of the Grand Court, and that's just what you do.
So now I'm feeling more Christmassy than at actual Christmas, so, thanks, Longwood, ballet, and department store! ;)
Have not been sewing, but did a couple fun things I can yak about here, so I shall.
Yesterday mom and I went to Longwood Gardens to see their Christmas display. It's always gorgeous, and I didn't take any photos so you'll just have to take my word for it. Rained a bit, but hey, that's why I own an umbrella, right? (This was actually the occasion I had in mind for that novelty print christmas dress, which...oops? Obviously didn't get finished.) Because we're nerds, we went to the christmas carol singalong twice. "We could leave...or we could go sing carols again." "Well obviously we have to go sing again!" (Plus I was hoping the cute flugelhorn-playing chappie would be there again for the last set, but sadly not.)
And then today mom and I went to see The Nutcracker over in Philly...it used to be a bit of a family tradition until the cousins made it pretty clear they'd rather have their fingernails pulled out one by one than have to sit through the ballet again, ohmigod.(We haven't gone for two years now, and this Christmas two of those same cousins asked if we weren't going to the Nutcracker this year? Sadface? OH COME ON NOW.) Mom and I like it, though, and the PA Ballet sent out emails about half-price tickets two days ago, so...aw hell, let's just go. I am very fond of the ballet, very fond of the Academy of Music, and even more fond of dressing up, so I wasn't very hard to convince!
(Not that anyone dresses up for the theatre any more except me, but...it's me, so I don't care.)
I did get a couple of pictures at the Academy, because I thought I looked rather nice, I don't wear that dress much and I like it, and I'm vain, so. You get pictures.
Somewhat out of desparation, I stuck my fat Victorian braid on my head, around my bun, as my hair wasn't remotely behaving today, and, uh, a chignon is always classy, right? Looked pretty decent though! Although I was amused that, when visiting my grandma and her friend tonight, they both thought it was my real hair. To be fair they both have dementia...
I loved the effect of the mirrored doors in the hallway...TAKE ANOTHER SHOT MAM!
THANKS!
And I admit I am unreservedly in love with this building...it was built 1855-57 and I think it's simply glorious! I've been going there to see ballets since I was very small, but the magic hasn't worn off yet. Sitting in one of the boxes in a Victorian opera gown (with an opulent train!) and watching a ballet or opera is on my costuming bucket list! It would be kind of weird to do that alone though, so I haven't done it yet...plus box seats are expensive. Someday!
Also, they have gas lights outside, which I appreciate.
Anyhoo, since we were doing all this Christmassy stuff, mom and I decided to toddle off to Wanamakers aka Macy's, to see their (always slightly creepy animatronic) Dickens Christmas Carol village and the light show. (On the way, we stopped by the skating rink outside of City Hall, which was wonderfully entertaining to watch! Nothing like watching kids fall over while they skate...and either get up smiling, as most of them did, or start bawling, which is way funnier. Hm, we may be horrible people. But when I fall while ice skating, people are very welcome to laugh at me, too!)
You can't take pictures of the light show (I mean...you can, but what's the point??), but for those of you who aren't Philly locals (which is...most of you), it's a six-story illuminated backdrop, with lights, music, and the narration of a little Christmas story (that you can never quite hear the finer points of, because people are loud). There are shows every other hour so the music's a recording, but it's done from the resident organ, which is a pretty impressive instrument (largest fully-functioning pipe organ in the world, thanks very much). And they do still play the organ itself every day.
Hello people, you look very small down there from three storeys up!
A very blue tree. They changed the incandescents to LEDs relatively recently...now they can light every single bulb in the display, which they couldn't do before without exploding something! Good times.
And had to get a picture with the eagle! Why? Uh, it's in the center of the Grand Court, and that's just what you do.
So now I'm feeling more Christmassy than at actual Christmas, so, thanks, Longwood, ballet, and department store! ;)
