No Word Yet!

I still haven't received the postcard letting me know yes or no for "Millionaire." I keep going to the mailbox all excited and afraid to look and nothing there!

Office project nearly finished

I've been sewing again. This last year, I updated my home office area. I bought new cabinets and hung them (with my husband's help) and I made a custom desk. We also found these comfortable and curvy, but slightly boring, chairs at Ikea.
I plan to slipcover them in this fabric-

Until then, they needed a seat cushion so I used some wool from my mother's stash of lovely old cloth to cover some foam.

I think they are very fashionable but they finally used up all the old wool. I don't know if you do this but I have loads of material for projects. But, some of it is too precious to cut! I just stare at it when I open the linen closet (or fabric shelf) and dream about what I could make with it.

Here is a view of the office thus far.

Other Stuff I Saw In NY

I tried to take pictures where ever I went. Here are some other pictures- Rockefeller Center

More Rockefeller Center
George Washington at Union Square

Stained Glass at St. Bartholomew's Cathedral on Park Ave.

The picture of the statue of Mercury (the banner for my blog right now) is on the top of Grand Central station. It was raining very hard when I took the picture and I like the funny white streaks. It lends itself well to colorizing. Mercury colorized and solarized.

Audition, Part 2

So, I went back the next day and took the "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" test again. And, I passed!!!

I had an interview and now I should wait for a postcard in the mail to confirm yes, I'm on or no, I'm not.

We ate Chinese food tonight and this was my fortune-
My husband's was-



What do you think?

Hat Design in New York

I found a cool hat shop in the Chelsea neighborhood called The Village Scandal-

Their hats are all made in New York by local designers. The sales staff are designers themselves. It is a very creative and friendly place. Here is their info- The Village Scandal
There is a great Thai Food place on the next block. For six dollars you get a beautiful entree and appetizers.

More New York

There are two striking things about New York: the residents are the nicest people and it is soooo loud.

If you even look a little lost, someone will come over to ask if you need help or directions. And, they really mean it! They aren't there to rip you off or anything. I saw a barista loan her blackberry to a customer who was a perfect stranger in Bryant Park (where Fashion Week happens) so she could call her boyfriend whom she had misplaced!

The noise is deafening! It is all there, all the time: the roar of traffic, the squeal of tens of hundreds of bad brakes on a subway train, the roar of the train coming into the station, the honking, the talking, and the yelling. Surprisingly though, my son's neighborhood in Harlem was quiet at night, even though he lives near a large intersection.

Here are some pics of subway stations. Many have old tile walls that are quit charming under all that dirt. Grand Central Station (the station upstairs has been restored and is just beautiful)-

Detail-
Lexington Station-

Unknown station with new tile-

The Audition

Darn! I wasn't picked to be on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire!!!" But, I get to go back tomorrow and try again. This what I earned for my efforts: a magnet and a pencil.

I went to the much vaunted Tinsel Trading in the garment district. It was just as great as professed by other bloggers! The window display was suggestive of the riches within-
They have two large rooms and a store across the street filled with ribbons, craft supplies, millinery flowers, and old, old beautiful fabrics. Here is a picture of just one wall of the ribbon side-
I got a steal of a deal!! I found these large cards of velvet covered cording. I thought it said $10 a yard, of which I would have been very happy to get one yard of two colors. When I got to the front she said the little marking indicated it meant ALL for $10. Needless to say I went back and bought all the hip, Marie Antoinette-like colors. Look at this bootie (as in pirate bootie)-

I was nearly addled with the unexpected riches and lost my way to the next stop- the Carnegie Deli. Along the way as I got lost I saw these-


Take a look at the subways. They are grittier and dirtier than you see portrayed on TV and movies-

I've seen the rats down on the tracks but have yet to capture one on film. Here is my son down in the subway. You can see the lighting is not so good and the interior is grimy.

I went to pick my son up from work and as I was waiting, I noticed the Waldorf-Astoria hotel nearby! When I was little, my parents took me to many hotels; not to stay, but to attend conferences. So, I know that anyone can hang out in the lobby and the gift store. I went to the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel and wandered through the lobby, was careful not to rub elbows with the beautiful and very well groomed people, viewed the historical displays, and glanced into the gift stores (Of which were soooo expensive, I probably might have gotten light headed if I actually entered one. Fortunately they were closed.) However, I noticed my opportunity to experience the hotel first-hand! I went to the bathroom!- The angel detail on the sconces-
I tried to get a picture of the lounge but the attendant wouldn't go away. Suffice it to say, it was grand!

New Yawk City!!!!

Well, here I am in the Big Apple. I've already seen Times Square, Herald Square, Bryant Park and a little of the village. I only took one picture though in Times Square-