two weeks later -- new years

hey - happy new year! i've been wanting to say that for two weeks, but i've been sitting on this post until i had a proper photo of the project that goes along with it.

a couple of days before new years eve, i stumbled upon some art nouveau style cross stitch patterns. inspired by my friend karen stanford and the way that she uses nouveau style motifs in her cut sterling, i wanted to give at least one of these patterns a try. in a nod to one of her designs and as an addition to one of my collections, i chose a peacock feather pattern to start. it took me a few days, but i finally completed it. i even got it into a frame!





(the color in these photos is totally wacky -- sorry. i've no patience today to try for better.)

so - that project behind me, here's how it links to new years -
every new year's day in philadelphia there is this thing called the mummers parade. (check the link - you can learn a whole lot more about it.) basically, it is a parade of guys wearing dresses and feathers who carry little decorated parasols as they dance down the streets. we'd sometimes watch the parade on tv when i was growing up. i remember liking it, but never really caring that much about it. well, this year, i got to see it up close and personal. what a hoot!
look at this troupe! i didnt know you could do things like this in the mummers parade. this was like the hipster etsy crew:



look at those costumes! they're amazing! they were all dressed up like foods -- haha! here is the one that really made my morning:


SPAGHETTI! i was too slow and shy and get her photo the first time we passed them, but as we walked past on our way back i RAN to catch up to her and then had to yell, "HEY SPAGEHETTI!" at which point she turned and did this little dance. amazing, right? dd -- next year when i am wondering what to be for halloween, remind me that i want to be spaghetti.

we walked around the streets at the very beginning of the parade - it's like warm up time - they're just getting lined up and arent quite in full swing. it's a long walk from where we were to where the real performances go on, but it was highly entertaining none-the-less. after the guys in dresses drinking budlite out of cans as they bounce their umbrellas up and down over their heads, come the more elaborate costumes and floats and bands. sooooooo many feathers, even a peacock!






and an 11am celebratory cocktail at the dolphin:



that's it! happy new year. make it great.