on New York

Ye Goode Olde Daze, "Round II"
 

The 2013 Festival date is September 29th
from 11:30AM to 6 PM.

What Is The Medieval Festival? The Medieval Festival brings to life the customs and spirit of the Middle Ages. Manhattan's Fort Tryon Park is transformed into a medieval market town decorated with bright banners and processional flags. Performers, guests and festival goers dress in medieval costume. Visitors are greeted by authentic medieval music, dance, magic, and minstrels, as well as jugglers and jesters. The afternoon is concluded with a thrilling joust between four knights on horseback. Costumed vendors will be on hand to demonstrate and sell a wide variety of medieval crafts as well as food and drink.
The festival is free -- there are no charges for admission or entertainment. Donations at our wishing wells are welcome, however!
Where Will the Festival Take Place?
The festival is held in the area surrounding the world famous Cloisters, a magnificent museum of medieval art located in Fort Tryon Park near the northern end of Manhattan Island. The park offers vistas of the Hudson River and the picturesque Palisades: a setting reminiscent of Europe eight centuries ago.
When ?

The 2013 Festival will be held on
Sunday September 29th, 2013 from 11:30AM to 6 PM.

Who Produces The Festival?
This years festival will be the twenty-ninth presented by the Washington Heights & Inwood Development Corporation, a privately and publicly supported not-for-profit corporation. The event is produced in conjunction with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation.
How Is The Festival Supported?
The City of New York Department of Parks and Recreation, in recognition of the importance of the festival to the City and to the entire metropolitan area, is providing half the total budget for this years faire, and has given substantial support since 1983. Past festival sponsors have included: the office of the Manhattan Borough President, Con Edison, David Rockefeller, WNCN Radio, the Lila Acheson Wallace Fund, the Samuel Newhouse Foundation, major New York City banks, the New York State Council on the Arts, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, and the Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center Neighborhood Fund. Additional support comes from craft and food vendor fees and individual donations by festival visitors.

Who Attends? Average attendance of the Medieval Festival at Fort Tryon Park has been sixy thousand(60,000) people for the past five(5) years.

on New York [harbor]

 

Here's a subject/headline/phenom big enough for its own blogpost:

  WHALES!

in QUEENS!

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/09/24/humpback-whales-hanging-out-near-the-rockaways/ 
(Go fullscreen for the full experience.)

The humpback whales are from "up North", probably around the Gulf of Maine, "gaining weight" - Who doesn't? - according to Dr. Caterina Penzeca, a marine environmental scientist. They stopped by NYC for a snack - Why not? - and will probably be around for a few more days before they take their annual Caribbean vacay.

[Apologetic]

 on New [Fashion] York

Yes, I heartily apologize for being so "Fashion Weak". It's not that we don't need to, literally, gear up. And need to hear about entertainment because we certainly deserve a day or night - or weekend - off! But I really am an optimistic idealist. (Not redundant!) So, with all these causes, the mayoral primary, and 9/11, I didn't have the to simply chit-chat about anything else.

So, I owe you a re-Cap!

 

Suze, your blushing blogger, at the French'Chic MeetUp pre-Fashion Week Coco Chanel 130th Birthday Party hat contest. (She won! To be fair, her hat had a veil...)

I'll just slip into my Louis Vuittons, and strut to it!

Fashion Week-and-a-Half

First up: Style 360, in it's infinite wisdom (and style), invited me to 

a fashion show by Rev. Run-DMC's lovely and maverick daughter. (http://angelaiam.com/iam) The fashion was terrific: see for yourself.

 And a little fun.

Doesn't everyone wear red faux fur coats over a swimsuit? It is outrageously fun-n-glam - so, why not? Go, Angela!

Then, there were the goodie bags...

...and the celebs - some wearing anime hats...

  And some not.

And to finish out the Week

Uptempo Magazine Candice Wu with French'Chic MeetUp - Ooo, la-la!

on New York

    

Blessings today, friends. May love, peace, and a bright future be yours.

on NEW YORK

Yes, the image in the "I" is an eye of a storm/hurricane. It's primary election time in NYC, and are the candidates ever gathering like clouds over the issues this go-round!

BUT

FINALLY, PEOPLE IN NYC ARE PUBLICLY GATHERING TO OBJECT TO THE BOMBING OF SYRIA

THE VIGIL

Well, I showed up at Washington Park in Fort Greene, Brooklyn: my first vigil. This one, against bombing Syria. We were peaceful, friendly, companionable, informative - neighborly, even ("Hey, I'm from Cobble Hill, too!" "Williamsburg? Who else is here from Williamsburg?"). We held signs, sang songs, someone read from the works of Gandhi, and we discussed what we'd heard and what we thought about it. A real vigil.

And then a woman tried to get us to shout slogans. When that fell flat - because it was a vigil, not a rally or protest march - she got up and started reciting her "credentials." "Well, I'm old! I protested the Vietnam War..." Which was fine. Until she started calling out racial slurs. About our president.

I left. And wrote an email to MoveOn.org, the activist group that announced the event to those of us on their mailing list: why weren't there people there who would ensure that this peaceful vigil didn't turn into something ugly? Why weren't THEIR people there, to monitor the event for the public that they seem to want to inform and rally? Well, I hope they learn from this: I did. I'll raise my voice to sing again - but in hope and peace only.

It was a good idea, but somebody's gotta think it through a little more. Let's give peace a chance - even in NYC.

Oh, and please vote today!

I ON [VOTE] NEW YORK

LOTS to do around NYC!

BUT 

 

Plain talk this morning, people. THE most important NYC event this week:

 MAYORAL [AND OTHER] PRIMARY TOMORROW!!!

(green for hope)

No messing around: read, talk, make your choice. Then please -

VOTE!!! 

on NEW YORK

FROM KITTENS TO KITTEN HEELS

Some kittens snuck onto the subway tracks at Church Street, Brooklyn last Thursday. They were chased away (Who at the MTA's job description includes cat wrangling?), but were later seen cat-napping under the third rail...until they were rescued.

"You lost your mittens?/You naughty kittens!/Then you shall have no pie!"

FASHION WEEK BEGAN TODAY

I will be reviewing some amazing fashion presentations and after parties next week, courtesy of Style360, etc. However, since this blog is so new, *apparently* Mercedes-Benz decided to wait until next year to bestow upon me a coveted media pass - potentially. So, besides my own fashion show (Fall-season shopping and modeling same for friends at work), I am watching the shows on the MB website: http://www.mbfashionweek.com. 

And here's some "other folks" doing the work for us: http://www.wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-features/spring-2014-designer-inspirations-new-york-collections-part-one-7106074?navSection=issues

ONE MAJOR PROBLEM: HOW TO OBSERVE WHILE THE MODELS STRUT?

Fashion Week coincides with the Jewish High Holy Days this year. The dates for FW couldn't be changed. DVF and Michael Kors, CFDA President and Vice President, respectively - and Jewish - asked in a memo last May "that everyone please work with us to make this situation work as best as possible." Sure! Chabad of the West 60s, across the street from Lincoln Center, is opening its doors for everyone to just drop in.

The only thing left to say is: may your New Year be sweet and fashionable, and may you be encircled by loving family (mishpachah) and friends! L’Shana Tova.

 

 

on New York

The only excuse I have for such a get-up is Steampunk Day at the NY Renaissance Faire ("Renn Faire"), the sort-of reenactment/fantasy edition of jolly old England - and any other culture from vaguely around that time period. Ok, ok: it was a fun day, and it inspired your intrepid editor to feel the need to "make an effort." (And, astonishingly, I got compliments!)

The look is *supposed* to be a cross between Victorian gothic dress and the Industrial Revolution. (Think: the Sherlock Holmes movies with Robert Downey, Jr.) And the Renn Faire, in its efforts to bring in new audiences and keep the usual one interested, likes to introduce themes: their Pirate Day is such a perennial favorite that some folks dress-like-a-pirate any old time there. "Steampunk" is a much more elaborate - and expensive - look than "pirate" (unless you have a real cutlass/sword or genuine gold doubloons): gold pocket watches, brass-encrusted goggles, antique pistols, brass spyglasses, hand-tooled leather holsters, and so on are used as decoration on fancy dresses and suits, hats, etc. So, the key (also used as decoration) to getting that Steampunk ensemble together - unless you're very wealthy or compulsive - is to buy a piece or two at a time.

Anyway, here are some pix of the picks:

And a very scarey-good video of a star attraction: "Cast in Bronze" - a quirky carillon, played by a masked and silent golden crow spirit. An excellent YouTube of this act is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVu6IVlchwA
 

FAB WEEKEND PARTY-PARADES

By far, one of the most popular New York party-parades is the annual West Indian Day Parade - on Labor Day, in a little borough called Brooklyn.

 

 

I'M A LITTLE AD-DLED

Why is a grey-haired or head-shaved (Vin Diesel) or hirsute/scruffy-bearded (even a Willie-Nelson lookalike-type) or beaten (Wolverine) male STILL considered exciting, sexy, and appealing when the go-to ad image of a woman is young, shaved, rested, buff, and just-slightly helpless or needing approval...notably of a man? You think I'm beating an old drum? Consider this ad from DSW, the online shoe heaven. (Apologies for the extra homework: this website would not link directly. Hmm.)

http://www.dsw.com/dsw_shoes/promotions/banner11.jsp?cm_mmc=emmkt-_-20130902_clblkgold-_-V1-_-bdy2

COULD IT BE...

...that the Brits have it right?

Headline: Judi Dench Shows Sexy Side

"Dame Judi Dench showed her sexy side in a side-split dress at Venice Film Festival."
Why is a 78-year old British actress considered a "model", role model - oh, really a national icon? Because she earned it! Who else could have won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for a 10-minute appearance in an American movie?! [Shakespeare In Love - and let's not be catty and say it's because she was the only one with the gravitas and acting ability to pull it off...k?]

http://ph.news.yahoo.com/judi-dench-shows-sexy-side-010000437.html

 

UPCOMING