Home Again for Christmas Shopping

If you're looking for unique gifts, a visit to Home Again in Luzerne is a must on Black Friday or any day of the year.

Skating, anyone?

~ A vintage wedding gown ~

~ Swirly Christmas trees ~

 ~ Christmas trees galore ~

 ~ A shiny, silver Christmas tree ~

~ All that glitters ~

Restoring The Grotto

Today was the re-dedication of the grotto at Saint Leo's Church, and it was a time to give thanks to everyone who had a hand in restoring the grotto.

 

This easel shows a few pictures of the work that was involved in bringing the grotto back to life.

I'm so glad I talked one of the parents into keeping Mary's original crown. Prior to restoring the crown of stars, it was a brass-colored metal, and the light bulbs were blue. A fresh coat of paint and new light bulbs brought the crown back to life.

 There are now curtains in the entrance way. They also put a new floor in the grotto.

 

The fountain is now running again, and they purchased "flameless" candles for the grotto.

 ~ The altar in the grotto ~

 

The "Real" Green Theme

 

As an artist participating in this year's window painting event for the Downtown Wilkes-Barre Business Association, I had the pleasure of working at the Anthracite Newsstand today. They wanted a Grinch theme this year, and I was happy to oblige.

 

Last year, the Anthracite Newsstand sold a $4.2 million lottery ticket.  So, of course, we had to capitalize on the "real" green theme.

 

 I had fun painting all those dollar bills. Hee! Hee! Gotta love capitalism!

Toothpick World - A Must See!

If you have a chance to see the Toothpick World exhibit at the Reading Public Museum in Reading, Pennsylvania, you'll see magnificent sculptures by the talented artist Stan Munro. The exhibit runs through December 30, 2012. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

All sculptures are copyright Stan Munro.

 

 

 

More Pics Backstage at Wicked

Lynn and I were two lucky ladies last Saturday. Here we are backstage at The Gershwin Theatre in New York City an hour before the curtains came up for Wicked.

 ~ The Great Wizard of Oz ~

Here's the real Wizard of Oz, actor Adam Grupper (left), and John (right), head carpenter at The Gershwin Theatre in New York City. John was a good sport. We're extremely grateful for the backstage tour. I especially loved walking down the "suicide stairs" he built into the back of the stage for quick exits. What a trip that was!

I also enjoyed walking through the green room and getting a glimpse of the actors before the show. They looked as calm and cool as can be.  Walking through the orchestra pit was a tight squeeze.

 Here we are on stage in front of the house that blew away in the tornado.

 ~ Glinda's "bubble" ~

 ~ A professional craftsman creating a wig for a member of the cast ~

~ The masks for the flying monkeys and Dr. Dillamond (the goat) ~

Backstage at the Gershwin Theatre in NYC

When my friend Lynn said she knew someone who would give us a backstage tour of the Gershwin Theatre before the first showing of Wicked, I told her to count me in.

 To be on the actual stage an hour before the show was amazing. There was so much to see in so little time.

This carriage was suspended above the stage when I snapped the photo. During the performance, it's the carriage that Fiyero rode in on during the first act.

This was the "bubble" that Glinda, the good witch, used throughout the show.

 

 All of the elements in the show had a steam punk look to them. There were gadgets and gears everywhere.

 ~ The Great Oz ~

~ The wig room ~

These are the masks for the flying monkeys. The mask with the horns on the bottom, right-hand shelf is the mask worn by the character, Dr. Dillamond, the goat.

 This gentleman demonstrated how he makes a wig using real hair.

I couldn't get enough of these flying monkey masks. The wire hair is very creepy. Notice the subtle shading and color tones in each of these masks.

One of the stage hands mentioned that he uses a laundry basket to transport the masks to the dressing rooms.

~ Wigs ~

 

~ Flying Monkey ~

 

~ Wicked ~

 ~ Broadway ~

We lucked out with mild weather in New York City. It was slightly overcast, but at least it didn't rain in the city.