Christmas

Hope you all had as wonderfull of a Christmas Holiday as I did!





Christmas may be over but Nutcracker is still going strong. Check out the NY Times Slideshow

On my window sill...

are my beautiful Ikea tins filled with yummy home made treats and my gorgeous Birthday Tulips from Katie!




I hope you are all having fun, staying warm and traveling safely over these next few days!

I Want to be Her

They say women dont dress for men, but for other women. Check out I Want to be Her.

Today is my 28th Birthday!

I have the feeling its going to be a very good year.



This is a video of maybe my 9th or 10th birthday. Im opening presents from my friends Emily and Sarah. After this they are coming to see me perform in the Nutcracker, then spend the night, as went many a happy birthday growing up. My main concern continues to be "when are we gonna eat?"

Nutz of Yore..

Speaking of my Nutcracker days of yore...

A Great Laugh

Thanks Surly!

Waking up from the Pill

I highly encourage every woman on the Pill to read this NY Times article entitled Waking Up from the Pill. While I dont agree with every statement and attitude presented in this article, I do agree that American women today have a very significant disconnect with their bodies, especially concerning reproduction and childbirth (which are our prime biological functions after all).




Hey, Im on the pill and have been for over 10 years, but over the past few years as I've started to consider starting a family I've often thought to myself "Isnt there something strange about tricking my body into thinking its been pregnant for all these years? Whats going to happen when I stop fooling her and want her to actually be pregnant?"

Sooo, I encourage you to read this article and just start a conversation with yourself, your sister, your girlfriend, your doctor about it. Or leave a friendly comment here about your thoughts.

Nutcracker Sweets

Check out this treasure trove of information on ABT's new production of The Nutcracker! There are lots of behind the scenes peeks and interviews. We start tech. rehearsals next week and now I'm even more excited than I already was! I think the last Nutcracker I worked on was at NCSA in 1996 dancing as a party child. Come to think of it, a few of the ABT company members were with me there, too. Small world.

Rockettes Open Audition

Every time I go to Esprit I walk by Radio City. Do you ever wonder whats going on in there during the day?

The Way to a Women's Heart...

is with yummy food. Here are two delicious foodie treats that would make great Holiday gifts... that's if I could resist them long enough to wrap them.


Salted Caramel Bark


Spicey Pickles

Happy looks like...

McDorman Photo

Its beginning to look...

a lot like Christmas! Im gathering my new Holiday decor:



Gold Star
Star Dish
Lantern
All Ornaments

Chritmas Craft Idea

Paper covered ornament:

source

paper ideas: poetry, sheet music, vintage childrens books illustrations

Childbirth

As any of you who have spoken with me on the subject know , I feel very strongly towards (one day) having a natural childbirth at a birthing center. This beautiful video only strengthens that opinion...

Theo's Birth video from hailey bartholomew on Vimeo.

Thanks to my dear friend and NICU Nurse Katie for the link ;-) I cried.

'American Talk' with the 'Harry Potter' Cast

'American Talk' With Josh Horowitz And The 'Harry Potter' Cast: "Our intrepid reporter attempts to teach the cast of 'Harry Potter' how to speak correctly."

Wills and Kate

Is anyone else excited about the official royal engagement of Prince William and Kate Middleton? She is so beautiful!

Happy 20th Birthday...

... to my sister Bryony!



I was recently ask in an interview, what in my life was I the most proud of, and I replied that I was most proud of my relationship with you.



From the day you were born I knew my life would mean more, that I would be someone special to you, and that you would be the love of my life!

Bob?

My hair is super long and I shed all over and its diving me nutzo! I made an appointment for a cut next week and Im going short. Hopefully I'll have enough for Locks of Love(it would be my third donation)

Do you guys like this bob a la Jessica Alba?

Looking Forward...

November is slow for me as far as the Opera goes. This job is unique in the fact that you are hired for specific Operas, and the performances of those specific Operas are spread out over weeks, even months. Neither Boris nor La Boheme have performances right now. La Bo has four shows in December, then I pick up Tosca in January, Nixon in February as well as La Bo again, and then Boris resumes in March with my final show being Tosca April 16th- then ABT's season begins one month later.

In the mean time Im selling away at Esprit and looking forward to a short run of ABT's new production of The Nutcracker at B.A.M. This means I will be spending my first Christmas in New York! My parents and sister will be joining me up here for the Holiday and I think it will be a really fun and unique experience to celebrate in the City! Now I have a real excuse to buy and decorate a tree!

Ad- Art

If you want to get lost for a few hours pop on over to Plan 59 and check out some bizarre, beautiful, funny, and even sexy adds from day of yore...

Fine Print...

Eric upon coming home to me (looking adorable) in one of his button down shirts and some leggings...

"Maybe you didnt read the fine print. I'm your husband, not your sister. We dont share clothes."

Christmas Crafts...

I want to make these felt ornaments!

Text-Walkers Beware!

My new pet-peeve-people are "text- walkers". They're going all slow and then I have to bob and weave all around them. Sooooo annoying. It's dangerous, too! Just watch:



Texting While Walking PSA - Watch more Funny Videos

Also, I may just trip you on purpose and then laugh at you and say "Stupid text- walker!"

X Files

So we've been watching X Files on Netflix and all I have to say is:

Moulder/ Scully



equals


Harry/ Hermione.



Love it!

You know you have a problem when...

the guy at Jamba Juice knows you by name and order.

Carl: "Hey Marissa! 16oz Razzmatazz with Daily vitamins and a zucchini walnut bar?"

Me: "Um, yeah. Thanks Carl!"

Widower

Hey kids! Check out the short film Widower that Eric filmed last March with his partners Sam and Nick; also known as the Rodanti Brothers:

Widower from Rodanti Bros. Films on Vimeo.

Last night the team had an awesome fundraiser at the Brooklyn Brewery for their next film: The Long Way Home.

Met Opera HD

Some of the most different and interesting performances at the Opera have been when we are filming for our live HD broadcasts. As if there wasn't enough going on with hundreds of people and massive set changes, then add an entire live t.v. crew into the mix. The best part about it for me is getting to watch the close up shots on the backstage monitors and actually getting to read the translations!



Check out Fathom Events and see if a live or encore HD performance is playing at a movie theater near you! The Boris encore is playing November 10th.

Home is where the heart is...

Suave- ey

Last night a 10 year old Opera boy told me he liked me because I am "suave-ey". Uh, thanks kid. You're really rokin' that, um, starving Russian street urchin look.

Bedroom Update

I was so excited to start sprucing up the bedroom with our new quilt and photos that I didn't get a "before" picture. Anyways, welcome to our little bedroom:





I really like how soft and calm it feels in here now!

Nesting again

Well, Im nesting again. Its been a while since I've painted or bought anything new for our apartment. It probably had something to do with that unemployment phase I went through. Now that I have a little bit more cash coming in (thanks Met Opera and Union rates!) I've been surfing the net for some great deals. No splurging mind you, but I did get a little something to spruce up the bedroom.


I know its a tiny photo: view the whole set here: Home Stripe Quilt

Here's why I like it:

1. Its a quilt and not a duvet. We have an awesome down comforter that we'll still use in winter months, but for must of the year we really dont need all that goose-down. Also, I hate how with duvets the comforter slides down to the bottom and gets all clumped up at the foot of the bed.

2. Clean, modern colors. Our walls are a warm tan color so that will bring out the one stripe. Plus our furniture is dark dark brown so it will look nice with that. Also, its not too feminine or masculine - aka: Eric likes it. Always a plus.

3. Practicality. It is cost effective and machine washable. Also I think in the future when we move to a house it will transition well to a guest bedroom.

In addition to the quilt set I ordered some 8x10 prints of these pics I took in Central Park last year.





Now I just need some curtains and I'll feel like the bedroom is more or less done!

Its plenty on sunlight...

So in NYC its not uncommon to see misspellings all over the place. They are most common on home made advertisements, posters, etc.

One of our favorites was a local State Farm agent ad asking "Gotta car key and a door key?" Gotta- as in "I've gotta get that new cd!" when he obviously meant to ask "Got a" or "have a".... any who. Moving on.

It is also not uncommon for real estate Agents to be crap. Dont get the connection? Well take a gander at this eloquent Craigslist add posted by top agent Paola.

This apartment must be a real gem when it is close to shooping and theates.

Wait, what? Its available now?!?!?!

One Year Anniversary!

I cant believe how this year has flown by! The past twelve months have been full of so much love, and not just between E and I, but from our family and friends as well. Thank you to everyone in our lives who support us and help us be the people we are. I am such a lucky gal!



"I promise to be your constant friend and faithful partner. I accept you entirely for who you are, and I promise to love you unconditionally, in sickness or in health, whether we are wealthy or in need. I promise to always encourage and inspire your creativity. I will celebrate your strengths and learn from your weaknesses. I promise to laugh and dance with you down every road our lives will lead us. I will love you for as long as we both shall live, and even after that. We are one heart, from now throughout eternity. I love you."

Autumnal Inspiration

Inspiration for Autumnal Crafts:


Amenity


Terrain

Sure, you could buy these but I think they would be more fun to make! Instead of costly Alpaca wool for the pillows I'll probably use felt for a similar look and I might hit up the Met costume shop for some srap velvet to make an assortment of stuffed pumkins.

Opera daze...

Im loving working on Godunov but Im getting used to some of the major differences between Opera at the Met and Ballet at the Met:

1. Singing rather than dancing. Obviously. The power of all those voices and the orchestra is unbelievable. Although, the Opera does have their own ballet chorus but Im not dressing them. (Im with the kids!)

2. The sheer number of people. This opera has an enormous cast and therefor an enormous crew. I was standing in the stage right wings waiting for a change today- and literally almost 100 people were back there at once.

3. Age. The average age at ABT was probably 30. The Opera is more like 40.

4. Set. The sets are massive and the stage is raked.

5. Costume. They are bigger and heavier. Since most of the singers do little more than walk to position, stand, and gesture, the costumes can be very cumbersome.



Image by Rachel Papo

I was also asked to dress La Boheme (the original Rent). Glad I get to stick around!

The Magicians

So, I just finished reading The Magicians by Lev Grossman, and I thought it was really excellent!



It features Quentin, a teenage Park Slope wiz kid headed for Princeton and a life of mundane repetition. But then his ultimate geek, CS Lewis, Dungeons and Dragons fantasy comes true. He has the potential to attend a magical school and learn about everything magical. But as we know, when fantasies come true they aren't always what they're cracked up to be and faerie tales can turn dark and ugly.

The sequel is due next summer and I really cant wait to read what happens next for Q and his friends- who's left of them.

I highley recommend!

Wig in a Box

How am I just learning about the CD Wig In a Box- a compilation of various bands doing awesome covers of songs from Hedwig and the Angry Inch? Must buy!

Back to Lincoln Center!

Well, looks like its back to Lincoln Center for me! I'll be dressing The Met Opera's production of Boris Gudunov. Sweet. Divas and 4 hour shows? No problem!


photo by Nick Heavican for Met Opera

View from Queens

Sneaky peaky...

...of a new little project Im working on!

A wee glimpse

Please enjoy this video of Candice Thompson discussing designing the costumes for Nightmare: Superstitions! Oh, and you catch a wee glimpse of myself in the cat-hat and Bloody Mary...

Happy Weekend!

Hooray Nightmare: Superstitions is officially open and I am officially done! It was super fun and sparked my creativity in new ways, but... it was a lot of work. Tomorrow I am going to really enjoy my first day off in three weeks. Have a great weekend everybody!