HAVE YOU BEEN TO FRUITLANDS...

HANGING OUT AT FRUITLANDS 

Have you been to a Museum lately? Well, what are you waiting for? There is obviously a great deal of strife and unrest in the world. And, whether we realize it or not, on some levels, obvious or not, that affects us! Why not balance things off with some of the beauty and splendor, and the myriad works of art gracing THIS BIG BEAUTIFUL WORLD?!!!

I recommend Fruitlands museum in Harvard, Massachusetts, which is off the beaten path and a wonderful hideaway. According to their website: Fruitlands Museum is home to five collections on 210 majestic acres of meadows and woods. When you visit Fruitlands you can go on a hike and commune with nature, learn about the lives of the Transcendentalists, Shakers, the Hudson River School and Native Americans, sit in the Art Museum among the treasures or be inspired by contemporary exhibits and outdoor sculpture. Fruitlands is a unique gathering place that builds connections between nature, people and culture by offering engaging programs and exhibits.

www.fruitlands.org

with family at Fruitlands

Becoming part of the scene 

Another favorite museum in New England is the Peabody Essex! The PEM ALWAYS hosts the most AMAZING and Whimsical events. There I have seen Artful tea pots collected from all over the world, an enchanting and alluring wedding gown exhibition, and, the Irreverent Rare Bird of Fashion show. I wore faux Peacock feathers for the occasion.

Enjoying Iris Apfel's flair and panache at the PEM

The PEM's CEO says: There are many reasons to come to PEM. Sometimes, looking at a work of art with someone special by your side is all the motivation you need. Sitting in the light-filled Atrium, having lunch outside in the Garden Restaurant, watching the expression on a child's face as she makes a collage — each experience is worth the trip. PEM is the place to come for enjoyment, enrichment, sharing with family and friends, and creative stimulation. 

We gain exciting insights about ourselves and other cultures through special exhibitions, weekend festivals and family art-making programs. You are vital to the equation. Your experiences shape the art you look at and the performances you watch, making them more meaningful and transformative. PEM continues to touch lives and to make a difference.

Dan L. Monroe

The Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo Director and CEO 

www.pem.org

Outside the PEM in SALEM

Many of my friends LOVE the MUSEUM of Fine ARTS in Boston,

MFA!  I have been invited their twice in the last two months. There is so much to see. I highly recommend you go, and invigorate your soul and psyche! Or simply enjoy and appreciate their offerings.

Here I am with a dear friend in front of an enormous reproduction of Japanese Master, Katsushika Hokusai's, the GREAT WAVE.

 From the Ancient World to Contemporary they've got your ART covered. www.MFA.org

All these wonderful museums have tremendous gift shops too....

And, soon my product may be gracing some of them. Stay tuned!

As I continue to celebrate my birthday this month, next stop the Isabella Stewart GARDNER Museum for the highly anticipated OFF THE Wall. www.gardnermuseum.org

  Museums deepen and enrich our lives. They are engaging and educational. They color our world!

Expand your horizons....

To find one near you try the Official Museum Directory.

If you see Whistlers Mother, tell her Aunty sent you!

IT'S FASHION WEEK...

fun in feathers...


My friends took one look at me and told me I should be in New York for Fashion Week (which is going on now)…

All I was doing was following my own blog. Remember in the post Bring Back the Dressing Gown, well, that’s when I suggested wearing something from your past.


I also mentioned I would continue to pay homage to Iris Apfel, (see I’ll Show You Ageless). I was just following up on that too. Above is a picture from her recent museum exhibition Rare Bird of Fashion.

As for New York this week, considering one of the First Lady’s favorite designers, Jason Wu, was showing off an Ostrich piece… well, maybe my friends were right. Here I am in Peacock!



Either way, all the fun and feathers are helping to keep me Ageless. And, I am enjoying getting familiar with my wardrobe again.

If this keeps up I may try and get into Fashion Week next year. And Aunty could be my ticket. God only knows what I may find in her closet. She might have something so outrageous, some conversation piece (a la Iris) which might just get us in. Besides, she’d be a most memorable and appreciative guest. Did you see her in her fur? Check out Aunty At the Ashram. She’s always been a stickler for style. She takes great pride in how she dresses. She will not leave the house unless her clothes are perfectly “pressed” and she is in full make up. Even if it is just to greet the mailman!!

Adorn yourself in something….It’s Friday and It is Fashion Week Darling…

I'LL SHOW YOU AGELESS...

Ageless Apfel

Eighty-eight year old, Iris Apfel, is a master composer of fashion. Though not a model or designer, she expresses her personal identity through dress. She is so imaginative, words like daring, whimsical, and unique start to describe her. What remarkable panache! According to one of the postings at a recent exhibit of her ensembles, she uses her body as a canvas in unexpected ways. She lives up to the words of Oscar Wilde.. .One must be a work of art or wear a work of art. She is all that and more. According to Iris herself, whether her tastes are zen simple to madly baroque, ethnic or contemporary, serious or amazing…the process of putting things together is what it is all about.

After spending a couple of hours viewing her various wardrobes over the years, in a museum collection titled Rare Bird of Fashion, I can attest she lives up to her words. Apfel's eclectic pieces might come from a Parisian couture house, an American thrift shop, or a North African souk, or they may have been made to her own design in a tiny studio. A selection of audacious accessories also comes under the spotlight: a giant necklace made of bear claws, a turn-of-the-century Indian horse ornament worn as a necklace, a parrot's-head brooch in colored glass and rhinestones. Anything and everything is possible. And it is the end result that wows you!

I have been inspired. There will be some pictures posted of Aunty and me channeling our inner Iris.

What fun to use our creative side with dressing up… And how Ageless…