A Brief But Illustrious Stage Career For My First-Date Dress!

I always seem to have a grab bag of oddball stuff on Friday;
must be that end-of-the-week thing.
Loose ends and all that.

Today, I'm going all nostalgic and theatrical,

taking a look at my latest furniture find,

and peeking in a looking glass.

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Back before Alida's bridal shower in early June, I tried to find the peignoir set my own mother gave me at my shower.

And couldn't.

But then, two weeks after the wedding, my old peignoir turned up in a Rubbermaid bin in our cellar.

It was stored with the dress I wore on my first date with Howard,

when he took me out to dinner and to see Kentucky Fried Movie, of all things,

and that date didn't end until after breakfast at a diner at 7 o'clock the next morning,

because we were talking so much.

Really.  We were.  Talking.  We still talk a lot.

When I hung the peignoir up to feel all nostalgic and sentimental, I also hung up the dress.

 Here's where the story gets complicated.

Our daughter Anne is costuming a musical that opened this month at the June Havoc Theater

in New York, part of the Midtown International Theater Festival.

Ocean In A Teacup takes place in India in 1944, so Anne was up to her eyeballs in

saris and linen tunics and pants, U.S. Army uniforms and 1940s Western-style dresses.

"Hey," said I, "you could almost use my old dress;

it's from 1977 but it was a vintage 40s look."

And so she did.

One of the actresses wore it opening night!

However, it's been retired and replaced by another dress in a paler fabric

that shows up better against the black box look of the theater.

But my dress had its brief moment of fame, its 15 minutes in the spotlight.

I certainly won't wear it again!

But I loved this dress.  I could cut it apart and make a neckerchief for myself . . . .

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Speaking of myself, and yourself, do you ever do this:

Take a picture, and not notice you've caught yourself in the mirror?

Anne and I were browsing at Scranberry Coop in Andover, New Jersey yesterday.

I really went just to look.  Not to buy. Just to look!

So, as my husband might say, if you went just to look, how come this is on the driveway next to your car?

Please ignore the commuter cup and the old straw handbag,

just like you ignored the old bag in the previous shot.

Instead, look at the table.  It's a Queen Anne style Tea Table.

With candle slides!

Mahogany, and I'm thinking it will be just right in front of the camelback sofa in our Parlor.

Back before there were low cocktail tables, or coffee tables, people had tea tables

and they were tallish fellows, so that it was easy to reach and pour tea, slurp it, and gobble up the cute little cakes . . .

I've been looking for a real tea table for a long, long time.

Now, I don't like to pay more dollars for a table than I can count out on my fingers and toes,

so it's been a long wait, and I did have to add Annie's fingers and toes into the financial calculations,

but it still was a really good buy.  And that's the best kind.

It's in great used condition, sturdy, a few wee flaws in the finish but they are easily fixed.

If you are in the New York area, and would like to see Ocean In A Teacup or any of the other productions
in the Midtown International Theater Festival, click here for the website and ticket information.

We're going to the Sunday matinee and then to dinner to celebrate my 102nd birthday,

but Howard better get me home before 7 on Monday morning or
I will turn into a pumpkin, and not one of those cute little pumpkins but a big ol' warty one.

Anne is also costuming The Giantess, a new play based on the real-life Giantess of Nova Scotia, Anna Swan.  For info on that one -- which according to my daughter is very funny and is opening in August at the Paul Walker Theater, 721 Broadway in New York for a very limited run -- click here.

Link Parties!

Miss Mustard Seed and her Furniture Friday.  Click here!

Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday.  Click here!

And have a fabulous weekend!  Any special plans?  -- Cass