The Arts « Girly Muse

Archive for the ‘The Arts’ Category

Be There Or Be A Dork!

May 3, 2012

So much has been happening~ I promise to catch you up very soon. I’ve been out of town, sort of going in a new direction with a couple book-related projects (others’ books, not mine…YET), enjoying this nice weather we’ve been having, getting ready for company (tonight!) to be here for a couple of weeks~Staci Frenes, woohoo!, and working my bohunkus off for the Wild Ruffle Pop Up Shop.

My trip away will get its own post~ it was magical. I desperately needed the break and it was absolutely wonderful.

TONIGHT is the Pop Up Shop! I can hardly believe it’s already here. It seems all good things are happening TONIGHT~ why is it always that way? I’m missing some great things…BUT the place to be is downtown Prior Lake. The cute, quaint shops in downtown Prior Lake~ near the cross point of Hwy 13 and Cty Rd 21~ are partnering with local vendors (that’s me!) for this boutique crawl. If it’s raining, the vendors will be inside the shops. If it’s perfect weather, like yesterday, the vendors will be in front of the shops. Snacks, beverages and fun conversation will be flowing. I know from the last Wild Ruffle Pop Up Shop I was part of, it will all be GOOD STUFF.

Greyley will hopefully be there with me tonight~ she was feeling punky during the night, so I’m not sure what to expect this morning. As I write this, I do hear her rustling around, getting ready for school, so that’s a good sign. Her headbands are kickin’ this time. And I love having her by my side~ we can be nervous, silly geeks together.

My new jewelry is workin’…I know this because I want to keep just about every piece. This is my method of selling~ make what I love and be fine about selling out because I can always make more OR be happy when I don’t sell out because I have a brand new collection of necklaces. I do get attached to some! But, tonight, don’t worry, you’ll be able to pry my fingers off the lovelies when I hand them to you in a nice little drawstring bag.

Please come say hi~ I’ll be at Flowers Naturally on Main Avenue.

Click HERE to see all the participating shops and vendors…

Posted in Fashion, Fun, Headbands, Jewelry, May 2012, Minnesota, Shopping, The Arts | 2 Comments »

Madame Butterfly

April 15, 2012

The Minnesota Opera has been gaining huge popularity in the Twin Cities, especially this past year. It’s exciting to see the shows sell out and to know that when you go to the Opera, you’re going to see an exquisite show.

Michael Christie, the new music director for The Minnesota Opera, came over to Sakura before the show on Thursday night and spoke to us (bloggers) about the history of Madame Butterfly and a few behind-the-scenes details that were fun to hear firsthand. This time of frank discussion is very enlightening when you’re watching the production and can sometimes be my favorite part of the entire night. This was the case Thursday night. Mr. Christie’s enthusiasm is catching.

However, once the music began, I couldn’t shake the uneasiness~ maybe because I know how this sad story ends for Madame Butterfly. There are two casts for this show and we were fortunate to hear Kelly Kaduce as Madame Butterfly and Arturo Chacón-Cruz as Lieutenant B. F. Pinkerton. Ms. Kaduce was fantastic, both in her amazing vocal range and in portraying a young 15-year-old naive girl about to be married. Mr. Chacón-Cruz also had an incredible voice and played his part very well because I wanted to rip out every shred of hair on his perfectly coiffed head.

Lieutenant Pinkerton is a Class A Jerk.

In the happy times…

But joyful, lighthearted endings an Opera does not make…

I can’t go on about this one as much as I did with Silent Night~ I LOVED everything about that production. The Madame Butterfly sets were extremely stark, making the 2 hour and 45 minute run time more evident at times. Musically speaking, there were really great moments, especially when Kaduce and Chacón-Cruz sang together, but I wished for more beautiful harmonies. However, this is how composer Giacomo Puccini envisioned it, and I do like that The Minnesota Opera remained true to Puccini’s vision.

All in all, any chance to go to the Opera is a wonderful experience and one that I highly recommend. Thank you, Daniel Zillman, for the opportunities this past year!

Posted in April 2012, Minnesota, Music, The Arts | 2 Comments »

Murder, Shopping and Mismatched Socks

October 10, 2011

I went and had too much fun this weekend.

I may or may not be dragging just a wee bit this morning.

Brace yourself for a rambling, subject-hopping post.

We had great times with all kinds of friends, delicious food, music, Rummikub, lots of laughs, long chats and late nights. This is what I would normally think of as the Dog Days of Summer, except…it isn’t. The weather continues to amaze and delight me. Maybe if I sing its praises enough, it will hang around for a LONG time. Please, no one say they wish for cold weather~ you know who you are, little stinkers~ it will be here soon enough! Let’s pretend summer is here to stay…or fall…whatever we’re calling this heavenly weather, I will KEEP IT!

I was concerned about lack of work when school started, but now I seem to have more than enough. There are a few fun projects in the works~ Jonathan and I are writing together again. We made a movie together last year and are working on a new screenplay together for an upcoming movie. I’m really excited about it and will tell you more about that as things progress. Cross your fingers and toes and send up some prayers and warm wishes that it will all go smoothly…and that it will all fall into place exactly as it should.

I’m also working on jewelry and artwork for 2 wonderful boutiques that are coming up in November~ The Wild Ruffle Pop-Up Shop in Prior Lake (Sat., Nov. 5th, 9AM-1PM) and Rachel’s Holiday Shopping Boutique in Minneapolis (Sat., Nov. 12th, 10AM-4PM). Click the links for more details. I hope you can come be part of these events! It’s going to be a blast and will be FULL of treasures! I can’t even believe all the amazing vendors that will be there. Cate, over at the Wild Ruffle, is regularly featuring the different artists that will be at the Pop-Up Shop and I cannot wait to meet all of them. Also, between now and the Pop-Up Shop, if you buy something from my shop and put in “Wild Ruffle” when you’re ordering, you will get 20% off!

On a completely different tangent, I believe my kids have magically sprouted into Tall Creatures over the last week. I promise, I’m not even making it up. We had to go shoe shopping in a big way~ with kids there really are times when they can truthfully say, “I have absolutely NOTHING TO WEAR!” Or at least not that they really should wear around other discerning humans. Last night I noticed that Greyley’s pajama bottoms are about 3 inches too short. She’s wearing my shoes and is just about to pass me up in height…any day now. She’s seriously looking like a legitimate ~~teenager~~ twenty year old right now.

For several years now, Greyley has worn mismatched socks…wayyyy before it was cool. It used to REALLY bug me when I did laundry and NONE of her socks matched. She’s convinced me of the beauty in it now…it makes sock sorting, or the lack thereof, a breeze. Now, they actually sell socks that way~none of them match, just blend~ oh wonder of wonders! You’d think she’d struck gold, she was so tickled by this find.

We have been inundated with fruit flies/gnats for the last two weeks. They are driving me mad, which led to a crazy murdering spree. Hundreds of gnat corpses have been “taken care of” and somehow more just keep on appearing. I’m a bit manic about it. If you’ve read Girly Muse for very long, you know I have a sickness about anything in mass quantity. It’s a sure way to send me over the edge, even if it’s something I like in singles. I would never like a gnat, single or otherwise, just so we’re clear. I’ve tried the raw apple cider vinegar trick and it kills about a dozen, but doesn’t seem to phase the other 50. Any suggestions? One just crawled over my computer screen, I kid you not. They’re tormenting me, the little wretches.

Well, now that your brain is fully addled for the day~ welcome to my world!~ I bid you, “Good day!” Have a happy Monday Funday and be silly no matter what. XO

Posted in Creativity, Fashion, Jewelry, Kids, Movies, October 2011, Shoe Love, Shopping, The Arts | 3 Comments »

Oh, Heathcliff! Cathy!

April 17, 2011

Last week, I had the privilege of attending a preview of The Minnesota Opera performing Bernard Herrmann’s Wuthering Heights. It was a blogger event, which was fun in itself. We were invited to appetizers and conversation at Sakura~ YUM! I thoroughly enjoyed meeting local bloggers and press people. Everyone was so kind and friendly. It was especially fun to hear the interns with The Minnesota Opera talking about what goes on behind the scenes.

One of the best things about the night was hanging out with my dear Jilliebean from Spoils of Wear. We are usually with our mates or she’s kidnapping my kids, which is all wonderful (!), but it was nice to hang out, just us two.

Jill & Me

(For all you regular Girly Musers, look…HEELS…the first in about 12 weeks. I owe you an update on that topic. Another sidenote~ I will never wear these particular heels again. Anyone need them? Size 7 1/2.)

The Ordway is absolutely gorgeous and when I saw the stage, my heart pitter-pattered. Beautiful, grey, stark…just what I would expect from Wuthering Heights.

Sara Jakubiak plays the part of Catherine and land sakes, the girl can sing. I was blown away by the sheer volume that her petite frame can project. What a passionate voice. The clip below is Sara giving a brief description of the plot.

http://www.youtube.com/user/MinnesotaOpera#p/c/A3FBDCA20B414DD1/2/LEF42C7F2bQ

The story is just as bitter and full of revenge as I remembered. I had forgotten how Cathy is completely self-absorbed. Wow…to see her “lose it” on stage was quite something. Heathcliff, played by Lee Poulis, is also very convincing as the dark and brooding character.

During the intermission, we were able to go backstage and see a few of the performers…such beautiful and talented people. We also went onstage and saw parts of the set up close. By the way, the meals on the table are NOT anything I would want to eat…seems like a good practical joke went down there, with moldy food stuck on dishes as part of the set. It made me think of The Tale of Two Bad Mice.

My kids have had to put up with me singing opera to them ever since. Now when they’re in trouble, I will sing, “You! Unnatural CUBS!”

Just a little something I picked up at The Opera…

Take a look at these glorious photographs~ it will make you wish you were there.

The various screen effects make you feel as if you are in the middle of a 3D movie…spectacular.

Yikes. Cathy is TICKED.

Such a tragic story.

The Minnesota Opera did a fabulous production. They opened Saturday night and will perform again tonight, the 17th…and again on the 19th, 21st and 23rd. You can get your tickets here: http://www.mnopera.org/

Thank you, Daniel, for allowing me to be part of such a delightful event!

Go support the Arts, my friends. XO

Posted in April 2011, Minnesota, Music, The Arts | 7 Comments »