20% OFF Coupon SALE for Mother's Day!

In both of my jewelry shops on Artfire and Etsy I am having a 20% off COUPON SALE for ZMother's Day through May 5th. You must enter the code LOVEMOM to get your discount at checkout time; discounts are not available afterward.

Is Mom a writer or editor? She might like these vintage pen nib earrings!

If Fall is her favorite time of year, she might like this bracelet full of leaf beads and freshwater pearls in yummy autumnal colors.

Is she a fan of pretty spring & summer colored semiprecious gemstones? This necklace with cheerful beads in jade, amazonite, turquoise and crazy lace agate will brighten her summer wardrobe. 

I have scarabs in 4 colors, if she is a fan of this majestic insect.

Check out the sale while it's active...through May 5th only.

Flowers in Spring!

I walked through the Union Square Greenmarket yesterday and couldn't resist taking pictures and buying some lovely flowers/ At the moment there is a bohemian crystal vase full of fragrant white roses, a gift from a friends after a celebration yesterday. My home is full of peonies and assorted pretty flowers and feels so fresh...I try to have fresh flowers as a spiritual lift every week or so, and it makes a huge difference here.

The Union Square Greenmarket seems to consist of flower and honey vendors on Saturdays, and foods three times during the week. There are a lot of cool shops and cafes nearby, so if you are in NYC and want a market experience in a trendy neighborhood, the Flatiron District, this would be a great area to check out, and you are also close to the East Village as you walk south, so it's made for walking the city.

Enjoy the colors!

A Day At The Opera

Behold the magnificent Swarovski crystal chandeliers, a gift of the Austrian Government when the new Metropolitan Opera House opened in the mid-1960s. It moved uptown from its previous location in the Garment District.

Gotta love the combination of gilded ceilings, crystal and red velvet for mid-century glamour!

An usher came up and put her hand over my camera as I took my pictures in the lobby. Apparently, one is not allowed to take pictures inside the building. Screw that!!!

My view from my seat in the GRAND TIER. Holy God, I want to sit there and only there 

FROM NOW ON. The chandeliers rise up to the ceiling when the opera is about to start.

You can see more of my opera pictures here.

A friend gifted me with a ticket to richard Wagner's SIEGFRIED at the Metropolitan Opera today. I'd seen this production twice before during the current season, but was hoping to somehow catch it again during the run of the entire "new" Ring Cycle, directed by Robert Lepage, and it all worked out. 

This new Ring of the Nibelungen, which began with the debut of DAS RHEINGOLD and DIE WALKURE in the 2010-2011 season, saw the two final operas, SIEGFRIED and GOTTERDAMMERUNG, open during the current 2011-2012 season. Much has been written on the interwebs about this cycle, its casting, design and conducting in the wake of Maestro James Levine's sudden withdrawal due to health issues (he is also the Met's Musical Director), and a goodly amount of it has been negative. There were great hopes that the sophisticated technology employed by Lepage and his colleagues at Ex Machina would give us an experience for the ages, one never seen before, but for me, that hasn't been the case. The backbone of this production, the hydraulic setting dubbed "The Machine", 24 planks that move and rotate as ordered, turned out to be less spectacular than anticipated. The planks must have images projected upon them in order to provide the following settings: The river Rhine, forests, rocky outcroppings, lakes, mountains, and the natural world elements - water, fire, air and earth. I'm not going to get into all of that now, as I rightly should have started scribbling in September 2010 when DAS RHEINGOLD opened. If you click on the link at "new Ring" you will be taken to the Met's Ring Cycle mini-site, which is well worth visiting.


For all of its technological trappings, this new Met Ring is traditional and even old-fashioned, evoking the look and feel of the operas when they debuted 100 years ago, despite modern trappings. The problem is that the project is massive and cruelly demanding: four operas of hideous length (save for DAS RHEINGOLD, performed without an intermission, which clocks in at only 2.5 hours) requiring singers of ability and stamina, plus a huge orchestra led by a conductor up to the challenge of Wagner's magnum opus with its thrilling orchestral and vocal interludes, and last, but not least, the representation of a visual world that plays host to the story, a long saga about the desire for power, greed, love, and war within the most dysfunctional opera family ever depicted onstage, set off by the theft of a golden ring from the Rhinemaidens by a dwarf in service to the King of the Gods, Wotan. As a costume designer, I would leap at the challenge to work with talented colleagues to try to create a new world specific to the requirements of this quartet of operas. I have seen a few productions with wildly different settings; a 19th century Industrial Revolution - type setting (Patrice Chereau, Bayreuth, 1970s - on video), Norse Legend/Vaguely Medieval (Otto Schenk, Metropolitan Opera, 1980s) American West, Gold Rush to Post-Apocalyptic Future (Francesca Zambello, San Francisco Opera, 2011) and bits and pieces of other productions on YouTube. Think of the fantastic opportunity to choose a place and time in which to set this drama!


The fascinating Ring at the San Francisco Opera in June 2011, directed by Francesca Zambello, was thoughtful, beautifully realized and well performed. If this Ring comes to Washington Opera, who shared it, I will definitely travel there to see it again, and recommend it to anyone.


Today's Ring was sung by Deborah Voigt as Brunnhilde, Jay Hunter Morris as Siegfried, Bryn Terfel as Wotan, Eric Owens as Alberich, Gerhard Siegel as Mime, Hans-Peter Konig as Fafner the Giant/Dragon, Patricia Bardon as Erda, and Erin Morley as the Forest Bird.


Not much was different from my last time seeing it and the machine functioned without incident, but Hunter Morris seemed to lose his footing crossing the planks in scissor mode before he got to Brunnhilde’s rock. He seemed unhurt, thankfully, but was extra-careful on the Machine afterward. 

Voigt was quite shrill but she has a warm, feminine presence, and she and Jay go so well together; he maintained good energy throughout the 5.30 hour opera and only occasionally seemed overpowered by the brass. It’s a nasal tone but there is so much to love about what he does with the role that I forgive it. Terfel was commanding, but I think was in fresher voice when I last heard him this past winter and last month at the Frank Loesser evening at the Philharmonic, where he so wonderfully sang songs from "The Most Happy Fella". The lovely Forest Bird sounded muffled and it was harder to hear her since Moijca Erdmann’s previous outing.

Siegel and Konig were wonderful, as usual, and Bardon again disappointed as Erda; this role requires a contralto, and Ms. Bardon can't produce those thrilling low notes. At least none of the obsidian-like pieces of her costume fell off as she essayed her role and took her bow; usually there’s a trail of shiny fragments on the floor in her wake. What an impossible costume to negotiate, though it’s an interesting idea, making her look like an element.

Maestro Luisi led competently, but I so miss the way that James Levine could bring out the score in ways that made you tingle, perhaps at the expense of the singers, but it was oh-so-satisfying. I have heard Luisi conduct many times this season in Don Giovanni, La Traviata, Manon and this Ring, but certain expected musically transcendent moments haven't happen for me, and in the Ring, that’s a problem. The horns were in better shape today; no flubs that I could hear, and I had a great view of the pit, always a good place to turn one’s attention after one has seen enough of the fluttering leaves and running water.

The last scene between Siegfried and Brunni seemed longer than ever; maybe I have reached my maximum tolerance for this production, as it was a very long afternoon.

Curtain calls were quite thunderous, and there was a lot of cheering and happy screaming, which I so enjoy. I love to stay for the bows and don't understand how people can leave a performance before them unless they are trying to catch the last train home. Performers and players work so hard, and it's so satisfying to show one's appreciation for their efforts. When I first started going to the opera, people used to throw bouquets of flowers onstage, and from the upper stage boxes, confetti made from cut-up programs floated down like snow for a favorite singer's bow. I miss that kind of effort!

On the way home I spotted a man getting on my subway line clutching a show program, smiling. I chatted with him and he said that he only went to the opera to see Wagner, and this was his first Ring since the Schenk production before the current Ring. He loved Wagner's music because "it hurts." I found that interesting and understood exactly what he meant. There is pain as well as pleasure and truth in his music, and one must commit to the experience and allow oneself to be taken wherever it leads. 

I spotted this man (below) during the first intermission on the terrace. It was a warm, beautiful Saturday and people swarmed outside for the two intermissions after the dark stretches in the theater for the first two acts (of three). He had an applique of a comic-book Siegfried applied to his linen jacket. There were a couple of other appliques on the front pockets but I wasn't able to grab a picture of that side. He received plenty of attention, and many took his photo.

FINAL CURTAIN CALLS!!!

Wotan (Bryn Terfel), Erda (Patricia Bardon), Brunnhilde (Deborah Voigt), and Siegfried (Jay Hunter Morris)

Wotan (Bryn Terfel), Erda (Patricia Bardon), Brunnhilde (Deborah Voigt), and Siegfried (Jay Hunter Morris) are joined by conductor Fabio Luisi

Jay Hunter Morris and his ZZ top fabulous wig bow deeply to the cheering audience.

Maestro Luisi bows

Deborah Voigt  - "I did it!"

New Jewelry...at Last!

I've been sidelined by a nasty cold that turned into a lingering cough and have not had the energy to update my blog. The worst of this cold happened just when the Whole Bead show hit my town, so I missed that...not that I don't already have too many supplies., but it's always fun to see what vendors bring. I did manage to score some pretty vintage buckles at the Pier Antique Show that will probably end up in a necklace.

Who knew that there are pills available that inhibit the coughing urge? They exist, and I am on them, but they can make you sleepy, so you have to work around that or just push on through to get things done.

I just finished making a bunch of new pieces, though some are retreads of tried and true sellers, the scarabs. I started listing today and will continue over the next few days.

FREE SHIPPING WEEKEND!

Free shipping at Etsy at Overthetop through March 18. Use the Coupon Code FREESHIPGREEN at checkout to qualify.

Happy St, Patrick's Day to all who celebrate!

New Pieces!

I wish I had more time to make jewelry, but I did manage to finally get to some chandelier crystals that I set aside a while ago. I'm a little worried as my source for these baubles in NYC went dry last summer, so I'm using up my stash without any idea where to go to replenish.

The colors are so strong, and I suppose that if I had a huge collection, I would buy a chandelier frame and make my own Venetian-style colorful lighting fixture that would drip with color. I used to wander around ABC Carpet, an emporium in Chelsea that offers the most luxuriou$ and imaginative items. I just looked to see if they had anything I could link to that represents my chandelier color lust, but the trend just now is minimalism and no color. The lighting fixtures are inventive, so here's a look anyway.

Here's a peek at some new creations in time for Valentine's Day - some are listed, and some aren't yet. I also have some finished that I will hopefully be able to photograph tomorrow.

New Treasury on Etsy

I made a Treasury on Etsy, my first in years. It took forever, so unless I am divinely inspired, it will probably be the last one I do for awhile. Hope you enjoy it, and click on the link to find some lovely Etsy artisans!

DEALS THIS WEEKEND!

We've made it two weeks into the New Year, so I think it's time for a little celebration. FREE SHIPPING at OvertheTop through midnight, January 15th. You MUST enter the coupon code FREESHIPWEEKEND to qualify for the discount, which is for Domestic US only. At Artfire Shipping is free to Canada and the US! 25% PERCENT OFF SALE at Overthetop Overstock, and the CODE there is 25OFFSALE, subject to termination at anytime. I will be listing a ton of new items that I am frantically photographing, so check in when you can.

Remembering Maurice Finnell

2 years ago tonight you left us, Dad. At this moment we were holding your hand, singing to you and wishing you peace as you quietly and with dignity made your way into The Big Movie Show In The Sky (a song you sang so well). You are loved and missed daily, your presence is felt often, and your lessons about life and music are remembered by not only your family, but your many students. This evening I attended a concert and imagined that you were there with me, listening to a composition by one of your favorite composers and long time friend, Leonard Bernstein. I didn't plan it that way, but it just happened...what a wonderful coincidence. In the photo is a marble apple given to you by a student, a brass G clef, a photo of you at Tanglewood, where you first met Maestro Bernstein and had a fantastic summer, and a portrait of you that I created from a photo taken at your favorite eatery, The Three Guys, on Madison Avenue, with your favorite beverage, coffee. It's not much of an altar, but I'm working on it. God Bless you, Dad.

Inwood Three Alarm Fire Heats Up A Freezing Night

Last night at this time a three-alarm fire broke out inside a store on 207th and Broadway that eventually took out more than half a dozen businesses. I didn't smell any smoke and heard no fire engines, but did hear noise from the street that I attributed to some kind of work being done by Con Ed or a city agency, which is not unusual around here. It was disturbing to me and I was agitated, as if I knew on some level that destruction was going on nearby. It was bitterly cold, in the teens, and that makes fighting these fires even harder. Apparently it broke out at about 11 PM and still was smoldering 12 hours later. The streets, awnings, and cars were covered with ice and icicles. Thankfully, no one lived above the stores affected, and miraculously, the apartment building next door sustained no damage. Two cats in an affected pet shop were carried out to safety. Inwood, in uppermost Manhattan, is like a little village. There are no high-rise buildings and there are many mom and pop stores. Everyone knows the names of the managers and owners of various restaurants, grocery stores, cleaners, etc. When I moved here over 10 years ago, it was like this as well, with lots of artists and performers in the neighborhood, but in those 10 years, much has changed. More families have moved in and there is a feeling of something being continued and rebuilt for a new generation. Just today I joined an Inwood community group - I - who has never been a joiner or much of a participant in organized anything. The businesses affected by this fire are as follows: Bread and Yoga, a popular spot that I have been meaning to join for ages to hopefully get these old bones and joints in better shape, Law Offices of L. Rosman, Dichter Pharmacy, a major neighborhood resource managing to compete with a giant Rite Aid across the street, Bank of America, Citibank, Burhan Hardware, who had opened only this fall or summer, Broadway China, a restaurant which had been closed, Furry Fiends, a pet shop (no animals were lost), A dentist and a flower shop were also affected, but I am not sure of the names at this writing. There were other businesses closed on Broadway but they may be able to reopen, though the corner affected will most surely have to be torn down. You can read about it here. More pictures are at my Flickr "Inwood" Set here. The top row of pics are the most recent, and you'll also get a nice taste of the neighborhood. I certainly hope that these businesses will be able to secure enough insurance money so they can rebuild. And people, make sure that you have renter's insurance, if you rent, so that you are literally not left out in the cold. Smoke alarms and renter's insurance are a must! I don't know why I suddenly cannot make paragraphs, so I apologize for the giant block of text that makes this harder to read. If anyone knows a way around this, please let me know!