The Anniversary Post

Ok, yes, our anniversary was yesterday. But I had a long day at work and then we went out to an amazing dinner, and so I didn't get to blog. So, forgive me...While I make you look at wedding pictures! (And review a new local restaurant.)

All after the jump...

Why Theatre? (Or, Spring in the Spring, Part II)

It's no secret to most of my readers that I work at a children's theatre. And I love my job. I'm one of the lucky few, I know. My stock line is that I have two degrees in theatre, and I'm lucky enough to use them for my full-time paying job. But it's not just luck; I work damn hard. In one facet of my job, we talk a lot about the power of the arts. We call it a testimony. And I think it's time for me to testify.

I've been thinking a lot recently about why theatre. It's impossible not to when I have to talk to five hour-long high school classes about why I do what I do. And it's compounded by the fact that I constantly have to explain what the hell a dramaturg is. :)

"Why theatre?" Find out after the jump...

Spring in the Spring: This Week at the Fenton Street Market

Thanks to my model!

In a recent interview with the American Theatre Wing, Stephen Sondheim said that he loved to listen to people talk about how they do what they do. In honor of Mr. Sondheim's (rather belated) 80th birthday, I'd like to agree with that sentiment! I spent a good part of the day yesterday doing just that.

Yesterday was a great Spring day in Silver Spring, as I wandered around between the Fenton Street Market and the Amnesty International Human Rights Art Festival. It was a little bit rainy and overcast, but all of that was forgotten with my bag of Migue's Magnificent Mini Donuts, baked fresh in their booth. (I got to the Market nice and early so I could have a fresh breakfast, and man, was it worth it! The booth even smelled like heaven! There's a tray with toppings--chocolate syrup, confectioner's sugar, sprinkles, and the like--to the side of the booth, but I had pure, unadulterated donuts. Delish!)

And now for something we think you'll really enjoy: a picture of the Magnificent Mini Donuts!

The next half hour or so took me from booth to booth. I had a really interesting talk with Sue from Big Moon Little Stars (from whom I bought the Julia Child cookbooks last week) about the differences between being someone who sells antiques, and being someone who sells something they produced. We talked about the kinds of people who come to a market like ours: people who come only for the crafts, people who come only for the antiques, and people who want to look at everything--the set she thinks is the smallest of all. Sue thinks that as the spring and summer go on, the groups will start to mingle more, and more people will be interested in everything the Market has to offer. Very interesting.

I also got a chance to talk with Betty from Bette's Bags about how she gets her ideas, and how she makes her super-cute wares. All of her pieces are one-of-a-kind, and so if you see something you like on her site or at the Market, snap it up! I got one of these adorable felted flowers in olive green.

 (My photo didn't turn out very well, so this one is from the Bette's Bags website.) I'm going to pin it to so many cardigans... :) Betty was also so sweet. She posted a comment last week, and when I introduced myself to her, she stood up and gave me a huge hug! We chatted for a bit, and it was a great experience, talking and looking at her bags.

I also got this great tea towel from Open Eyes Press:

It looks great in our kitchen, and even better in our bar area.

After saying hi to Hannah and Debbie (the brainchildren of the Market, who are doing such an amazing job) and buying a "vintage" 1980s necklace from an antiques booth, I made my way to my first stop at the Human Rights Art Festival..But I'll leave my thoughts on the panel and art installations I saw in a later post, I think. This one's pretty long already!

By the way, if you like the Fenton Street Market poster in the picture, it's for sale in a very limited edition printing.

My Sartorial Distraction

 I think a lot about what to wear. Enough so that it stymies me sometimes. How can someone who is fortunate enough to have a (shallow) walk-in closet full of dresses, skirts, and cute tops, as well as a dresser with pants and more shirts, feel like she has nothing to wear?

I mentioned in another post that sometimes I have a problem when there are too many choices, and this is no exception. But this inability to decide (which I hate for many reasons, but most of all because it reinforces a stereotype that women just can't decide what to wear) is compounded by the fact that I've recently realized that I have an image I'd like to project, and I'm not sure whether or not I'm actually getting there.

What better image for a "professional theatre geek" than a "sexy librarian?" I've got the glasses, I've got the curves, I've got at least three pencil skirts, many more cute A-lines, and plenty of cardigans. So, what's the problem?

Good question. I mean, I know there is one, I'm just not sure what it is.

I work in a "business casual" environment, which is a phrase, I realize, fraught with potential misunderstanding. I like to say that you can tell which department someone works in by what they're wearing: Marketing tends to be pretty casual; Development tends toward the formal, more traditional work wear. And Education? We're a veritable grab-bag. When we're teaching, we're scrubby (which means no skirts on Thursdays for me, lest I have to sit criss-cross-apple-sauce). When we have to meet with potential funders, we're a bit more dressed up. And the rest of the time, our choice of office wear is completely up in the air. "They" say to take your fashion cues from your boss--well, mine wears man-pris with dragons printed on them.

I try to trend towards the cute, slightly-dressy and slightly-funky, with a side of "sexy librarian," and I think I'm pretty successful. But of course, I have many days where I'm just not sure if I look good or not. My new rule is to never leave the apartment with the question "does this look OK?" in my head. The answer has to be "yes." And I'm working on ways to only own clothing that works with my aesthetic ('cause I guess I have one) and not spend a ton of money ('cause I don't have a whole lot). I recognize what my body type is; I recognize what types of clothes look best on me; and my mom taught me how to shop. :)

But I find myself thinking about this topic more and more frequently as I freelance and talk at Career Days. Every table read, every first rehearsal, is an opportunity to meet new people and make a first impression. And so every time I have one of these experiences, I feel the need to dress "perfectly," even though I know there's no such thing, and give off the right impression. Sheesh!

So, I wrote a song about it.

OK, to be fair, I took a song that already existed and wrote new lyrics. After the jump, I bring you..."My Sartorial Distraction," based on the song "My Unfortunate Erection" from The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, written by William Finn and Rachel Sheinkin.

Coming This Weekend: Arts Festival in Silver Spring!

This weekend, the Amnesty International Human Rights Art Festival is coming to Silver Spring. I picked up a pamphlet at Jackie's Sidebar the other night, and have been carrying around with me ever since. And--huge nerd that I am--I've been circling events I'm particularly excited about. I have to keep a pretty detailed day planner, so I don't accidentally overbook myself (ah, the hardships of being a Helen Hayes judge...), and I finally put a few events in. In pen.

I feel as though, being a person who works in the arts and having this festival literally across the street from me, I would be incredibly remiss if I didn't participate in some way or other. This festival will bring together theatre, dance, music, and the visual arts to, as the official website says,

"raise awareness of the important work that Amnesty undertakes, as well as the quintessentially American values that they espouse."

I'm a firm believer in the power of the arts to enact social change, and so this is right up my alley. I'm hoping there will be a great (and peaceful--I'm looking at you, Stop the Violence concert) turnout, bringing consciousness to our area, and, more importantly, to the issues with which Amnesty International is concerned.

So, on Saturday, early morning at the Fenton Street Market (I can't wait to see the vendors this week!), then to the Festival for a panel discussion on using theatre for social transformation (11:30 @ Pyramid Arts), Killer Fashion Revolution (all day in the Sculpture Garden), and Petticoats to Politics (8:30 @ Jackie's). There are other workshops and performances I'm interested in, but I think I'll take it "easy," wander around, and see what else catches my fancy. That's the point of a Festival anyway, right? (A friend of mine is performing in a reading of Waiting for Lefty on Sunday at 3pm @ McGinty's--definitely worth checking out.)

The Human Rights Art Festival will take place all over Downtown Silver Spring, from 10:30am on Friday until after 10pm on Sunday. Click here for a schedule of events.

Late to the Party...

OK, y'all, I came late to the party, but now I'm hooked. "On what?" You might ask. "To what could our dear, sweet blogger be addicted? To some illicit drug?" (Perish the thought.) "To cupcakes?" (Well, I am excited about the free cupcake (!) coupon I found in my office mailbox from Just Cakes, but sadly, no, that's not what I'm talking about.)

"Well what on earth are you talking about?" you might be asking in your best exasperated but intrigued voice. Find out after the jump...

Scenes from the Fenton Street Market

The Fenton Street Market re-opened this weekend, and I was thrilled to go and do some indie-shopping. After a successful trial run last spring/summer, the Market will be open every Saturday from 9am-3pm, until October 31.

Right now, there's a roster of 60 or so vendors, who will be at the Market on a rotating schedule, so you can never be quite sure what kind of awesomeness you'll be walking amongst. (I just found out that after a morning at the Farmer's Market, partaking in an amazing breakfast of Caramel-Pear Danish from Praline Bakery--I love talking to the French baker who's selling their wares, and their macarons are also fantastic--I missed out on fresh donuts from Migue's Magnificent Mini Donuts...maybe next time.)

So, what might be in store for you if you drop by the Market--which is conveniently located in a vacant parking lot on Fenton Avenue & Silver Spring Street? Well, like me, you could...

Buy a beautiful bracelet made of natural materials (these are freshwater pearl and ORANGE PEEL--I got one in yellow) from calamarie.

Kinda-sorta wish you had a kid so you could buy one of these cool handmade wooden toys from Unexpected Surprises.

Wander around and marvel at all of the booths, both the ones manned by the artists who created those wares, and the ones who just looked like they cleaned out their grandmother's (or their own) attics. Finally buy a miniature bust of Michelangelo's David for $3, and...

Two formerly free-with-purchase recipe books from Julia Child's TV show The French Chef!

I also watched screenprinting workshops, listened to a folk band, saw toy trains move slowly around their track, and drooled over jewelry from Little Blue Studio, among other vendors. I'll definitely be back; if not next weekend, then absolutely sometime soon.

The Passover Food Post

And here it is! This was the first year I attempted to make any sort of Passover food; I usually commit myself to a steady diet of matzah-and-cream-cheese or matzah-and-peanut-butter, and often fall off the wagon around day five. This year, I decided I was (mostly) going to go the distance, and, as per one of my goals for the year, cook something I've never cooked before. Done!

On Monday, one of my coworkers brought blondies into the office. Normally, I love blondies. During Passover, not so much. Then, on Tuesday, my boss mentioned the word "cupcakes" one too many times. I decided then and there to make chocolate-toffee matzah candy.

This morning, I made matzah brei. Jake has been asking me to make breakfast for a while--he does breakfast so well, and it's about time I pitch in--but for some reason, I get really nervous when I even think about cooking an egg. Don't ask why; I don't know. So, I figured: now or never. And it worked out pretty well!

Recipes after the jump.

Ode to Silver Spring

Today was a fantastic day to spend outside, and I tried to take advantage of as much as I could. Since I'm loath to brave the Cherry Blossom crowd, I found some other things to do, and had a great time supporting local folks.

I know I promised a post about matzah crack, but the local fun I had today was too much not to blog about. The journey--full of hyperlinks so you can check stuff out--after the jump...