Wonderland in New York City

For years I've wanted to see the National Ballet of Canada's production of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. When it first premiered in Toronto in 2011, I was so busy finishing up a graduate degree in Museum Studies and working at the AGO that the opportunity to see the production slipped by. When the production ran again in Toronto I was already living in NYC. At one point news of the production playing in Washington had me considering a weekend get-away. But finally came news that it would be performed at the David Koch Theater in Lincoln Center for a few days in September. Finally! For awhile I thought I might miss it out on seeing it again with travel plans looming however with things still up in the air on that front I was able to attend a performance on September 9. Despite having to leave the theater early because I was feeling unwell, I am very glad I got to see part of this ballet and thought it was delightful. I wouldn't say it was the best ballet I've seen in terms of dance but I really enjoyed the storytelling in this one and found it every bit as whimsical as I thought it would be. Beautiful costumes, sets, music, choreography and a timeless story that never fails to transfix and transport. 

And I had a really wonderful time putting together an outfit that was Wonderland inspired!

Outfit Details:
Dress: Time is of the Elegance Dress by Bea and Dot, Modcloth
Coat: Nanette Lepore Archival Sample Sale Wiinter 2014
Shoes: Skechers
Tights: Uniqlo
Socks: Kate Spade Mary Jane Trouser Socks
Belt: Anthropologie
Clutch: Novel Creations via Etsy
Pocket watch pendant: Watch and Glisten Necklace in Fauna, Modcloth
'Down the Rabbit Hole' necklace: Out of Print via LES Tenement Museum
Bunny Earrings: Anthropologie
Nail art by me

Sunday Photo Challenge

The idea of these photo challenges is that you are supposed to take one photo per hour to tell a story about your day. Well, I didn't exactly take one photo per hour (vacuuming and doing laundry didn't seem worthy of photos) but here's a photo tour of my Sunday.

Breakfast! Berries, grapefruit, kefir and granola.

Finish up a post for Jackie Times on Tumblr.

Set out fresh dandelion greens and water for Crusader.

Pick out an outfit for the day. This one is perfect for work and play, plus I can wear my dance gear underneath.

Go for a walk to Madison Square Park to check out Rachel Feinstein's installations.

Dance it out in ballet class at Alvin Ailey!

Head into work and spend some time in MoMA Studio: Breathe with Me to conduct observations...and respond to a few prompts during the lulls.

Pack up and take home the ceramics I made in Allison Smith: American Pre-Modern class a couple months ago.

Check out all the Tony Awards action at Radio City Music Hall.

Stop in at the Amish Market along Ninth Avenue for some kiwi (5 for $2!).

Enjoy a refreshing slice of watermelon. Yum!

A little ballet practice.

Book + a big mug of tea 

Well, that's my Sunday. Hope everyone had a good weekend!

Seasons Ahead: Things to Look Forward To

I've been bemoaning the end of summer a lot so I thought I'd focus on some of the things I'm looking forward to this fall/winter. A new season of the New York City Ballet and the Metropolitan Opera are a couple of those things. There's nothing more transformative than going to a live ballet or opera performance.  I know there are many people who would say that attending a performance is an inactive or even dull experience but I would strongly disagree with that characterization...in fact, I'd even wonder if they've truly experienced a performance.  It's too bad tickets are so expensive...one day when I'm a millionaire (hey, you never know...) I'll buy some season tickets, maybe even have my own seats to both the ballet and opera in whichever city I'm living in.  

Until then, I'll study the season's calendars and figure out which performance(s) I most want to see and when the best deals are. And there's also great free events like the Met's Summer HD Festival...it's not exactly live but it's a pretty amazing experience even still. The Lincoln Center Plaza has its own special aura, even more so at night as crowds gather to watch an opera on the big screen. Guess the end of summer isn't such a bad thing after all.

Outfit Details:

Dress (old): Esmeralda Dress by Girls of Savoy, Anthropologie

Hat: Tipped Straw Cloche, Anthropologie

Necklace: Camellia Bib Necklace, Anthropologie

Bag: The Stone Flower, South Street Seaport, NYC