Sunday, May 6, 2007

City Views, Country Dreams

Good Sunday evening from New York.

I have observed a day of rest, doing some needed tasks like laundry and grocery gathering, but also done a fair amount of sitting down.

I sat during three meals. I sat to read most of the sections of The New York Times. I sat during a long, laugh-filled conversation with a friend who is about to go with her husband to Paris and Venice. (I think that this is their second trip this year, but I lose count, as my envy grows!) Sometimes I wonder if I will ever get to France or Italy ever again. I tell myself of course, but still I do wonder.

Back to sitting. I sat for a long time on a city bus, as it tried various detours on its regular route, as dictated by a parade up Fifth Avenue this afternoon. (Normal traffic patterns on Fifth require southern, or downtown, motion.) I had forgotten about the parade, as I thought of a quick trip to see an exhibit at MOMO (the Museum of Modern Art) in midtown. Poor bus driver. He was really getting exasperated with the telephoned instructions he was receiving along our way. Turn here, turn there. No, not there. Anyhow, I asked him if he could stop at the curb somewhere between 55 and 52 streets, and he cheerfully obliged me, so that I departed the magical mystery tour.

The MOMA exhibit was perhaps not worth the journey, as it was the results, so far, of an artist's cartooning (mainly economic/political satirical comment-tinged) on a tall white-walled gallery space. You know the old cliche re: my child could have done that? Well, a bunch of us could have done this. All the same, the artist who did actually did it, rather than saying that he could. So good on him.

I made my way back uptown, for a few more errands, and had a fine time in the very freshly green Central Park. It was lovely, and also the source of instant sneezing from me. Now abating, almost all sneezing over.

Tomorrow I return to my challenging job site, and will attend a mid-afternoon meeting offsite with regard to a fall shoe possibility for the shops (different from the current ballet slippers.)

Yesterday I seized a few minutes to actually select some fresh clothes from the current collection that I will be able to wear, to update the outfits that I have been assembling. My choices were as follows:
black (of course) silk palazzo trousers, side zip, ankle length, graceful drape.
cocoa brown very light, weight, almost sheer, linen knit long-sleeved, ballet neck pull-over
sweater
black linen gauze button front (buttons are sort of crocheted knots) long duster/tunic/dress (?) with no sleeves, and with a sort of fringed edging along the jewel neckline and the armholes
lavishly huge rectangular silk scarf/wrap in the same cocoa brown shade, with gold woven edging on the long sides of the rectangle and tiny, little pyrimid-shaped appliceed shapes sewn with tiny golden threads on the shorter ends. (this piece is a wow, and could be a wrap, a sarong, many identities -- as the fabric drapes beautifully.)

These pieces can be all worn together or split apart and joined with other items from the shop that I already have. These are all part of our virtually free clothing allowance, that we are given so that we can show our customers how they might wear the clothes.

So...even if the coming week does get hectic, at least I will be wearing some new clothes. It will be fun to have some new ingredients.

It's been good to get caught up with you all tonight.

Pleasant dreams to all.

18 comments:

  1. Clothes that come with the job - heaven. Lovely blog again - I expect your news is dominated by the Queen's visit to US at the moment. My fav paper is the Sunday New York Times - it costs heaps doesnt it but all those bits. Lovely

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  2. your clothes sound so lovley can i come and try some on x jep

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  3. Those new clothes sound lovely. I live in jeans and t shirts and jumpers, so they would be wasted on me. BTW B and Q is a DIY superstore / shed. Nothing very exciting really. Toady

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  4. Oh I thought of you this weekend as I got my new Magnolia bakery cook book and have been frantically baking to try and get the just-made-New-York taste.

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  5. How do you manage to make clothes sound so divne? - I was drooling- if you could see me you would know why! Black tatty jeans, son's discarded red jumper, with darns! Black socks and the oldest but most comfortable Joseph Seibel cloggy things - doesnt have the same ring does it?

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  6. Glad to see you managed to "sit " and get some rest! Lovely blog

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  7. I visit MOMO online and would love to visit live one day, hate you for your wardrobe but despite that I have just for you written a politcal blog on the elections for tomorrow so hope you like it!

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  8. Hello Frances,
    Good to hear from you again, so you did get to walk in that glorious park of yours as I mentioned. The clothes you describe are just gorgeous, just me, I always try to find a good excuse for wearing new clothes, although being in the country now and not in the heart of London W.1.
    they seem to look out of place here, unless I am going out to the theatre. Dont work too hard Frances, look forward to hearing what line of shoes you will be ordering next.
    Camilla.xx

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  9. Am dying with envy over your clothes! I love the Sunday NY Times too, as a real treat.

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  10. I love new clothes but I also love my dog walking jeans and my old shoes, I feel at home in them, the summer time is great at least I get to wear something pretty when we go to the races. Next week we have a dinner date at Goodwood House with the Duke and Duchess of Richmond, perhaps I should pop over and see you and find something to wear.
    Blossom

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  11. Frances, you make me drool. All I can manage is a tattie pair of jeans and a sweat shirt!

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  12. Oh that wrap sounds wonderful, frances. love all that detail, things like pretty buttons and the right kind of edging make such a difference. Went for a very rare shop myself on Friday. Gosh, haven't been shopping on my own without children for years.

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  13. I visited New York and Washington recently, the Easter Bonnet Parade was great fun to watch. Although I wasnt expecting it to be quite as cold as it was, got back to the UK with an impressive dose of wind burn! What are the beautiful blue birds in Central Park called? I kept catching glimpses of them , but never long enough to take a photo, they seemed to appear and disappear from under the ice rink!

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  14. Re french elections,

    we are in a very traditionally "red" area of Brittany, so Madme Royale swept the board more or less and no one wanted Sarko her. The Bretons see themselves as a seperat nation to france and have been veyr badly treated by the French historically. During the war it was Breton sailors who were sent on, what were virtually, suicide missions as it was seen as a good way off cut down the male breeding population of Bretons and solve the problem of uppety Brittany wanting independance ! Our very own ethnic cleansing!

    Sarko has casued trouble with ethnic groups attmepting to have chidlrne returned to thier "mother country" even though many were bron here and know nothing of any life except here in France. We ahve had several demonstrations with paretns adn teachers of students refusing to allow thier fellow students to be deported. Quite a rebellious lot here!!

    I don't know if you have read about either Madame R or Sarkos backgrounds but both come from very disfunctional families!!
    Sarko is interesting, he always seems to have had a chip on his shoulder re his background and not being as well off as the other kids at school that I wonder how much of a spiteful little boy remains inside.

    With him there is also the problem that as a naturalized French man nbot a native he is like all converts much more nationalist and less forgiven than those born to it by right!

    Do look at thier profiles on Wikkipiedia it makes interesting reading!

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  15. Hello Frances,
    Caught up with your lovley blogs at last.
    I am on my lunch hour, quickly reading a few faves.
    You write about clothes in such a beautiful way; your passion shines through.
    Living in the country I rarely get the chance to dress up. I've never lived that kind of life really but I do appreciate beautiful clothes. Thanks for sharing. I will catch up again soon.
    Caitx

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  16. I thinck you should [if ever you don't need your allowance]get them i bigger sizes and send them here... momo what a dood name.xo

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  17. Frances darlin'
    What are you doing to us? We are all standing in front of our wardrobes thinking, "Need new Clothes". I am positively drooling at your description. Read it out for a pal who asked what sizes do you sell? She's on her way to size zero from size 16 and I am as comfortable as ever...but the clothes you describe, heavenly.

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  18. the clothes sound wonderful, l'm such a slob, slouchy jeans, birkies & t shirt. oh to be glamourous, but then my hair lets me down, ah well. loved the blog though!

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