boston ballet x boston landmark orchestra = dreamland

The opening bars of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker will always get my heart pounding; I'm suddenly transported back to my 10-year-old self standing backstage in my costume, awaiting the feeling of those warm lights beating down and blinding me so all I can do is point my toes, hit my marks and smile on a cold December evening. Dancing ballet for 15 years will do that to you, especially if 10 of them involved performing in The Nutcracker every winter.

Sitting in my folding chair on Wednesday night at the Hatch, I was mesmerized by the Boston Landmarks Orchestra's celebration of Tchaikovsky's ballets in collaboration with the Boston Ballet. I was thrilled to see the first time these two institutions worked together to create a spectacular homage to one of my favorite composers. The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and Sleeping Beauty were all explained and explored, welcoming the packed outdoor audience to a shared fantasy of weightlessness, tragedy, and love. Jonathan McPhee, guest conductor and Boston Ballet Music Director and Principal Conductor, charmingly provided the plot context for the various excerpts from the ballets as well as a bit of Tchaikovsky's biography. I'm looking forward to seeing this evening of dance and music become a Boston tradition.

The show-stopper for me was the White Swan Pas de Deux performed by principals Lorna Feijoo and Nelson Madrigal. I can't think of a better way to portray early romance than through this piece.

Unless it's Romeo & Juliet, composed by Prokofiev, which the Boston Ballet will perform this fall.

On another note, who knew that the bear costume from Boston Ballet's The Nutcracker was made of tulle?

clover food truck, post-irene bliss downtown

A beautiful post-Irene day called for a stroll and get some of that vitamin D and spot a snazzy seersucker suit. I also grabbed a bite with a friend at Clover, a food truck that serves local fresh food in a very low-key, easy-going way. The sandwiches are delicious; I went along with the lighthearted attitude of the truck and ordered the egg and eggplant sandwich, definitely a win. My friend got the chickpea fritter sandwich (aka their version of falafel) which can be seen being served up above. Like I said, Clover isn't trying to be anything fancy or special; you can tell by the fact that they write on the white truck with black markers. After a weekend indoors anticipating Irene, I was completely satisfied eating that sandwich OUTSIDE in the sun. Yum.

Check out the menu here and the full location list here.

antique post cards, the gateway to antiques

It can be daunting to walk into an antiques market; lamps loom over old rocking chairs; cupboards are filled with a plethora of quaint glasswork; a stack of old Fortune magazines sulks by an old Bob's Big Boy figurine. As someone whose main collecting affinity is for vintage clothing, I've recently searched for the next cheap and easy thing to focus on when shopping. At around one dollar each (increasing with rarity, natch), post cards are extremely easy to come by and fun to pick for their nostalgic and local feel.

The cards above depict old hotels in New Hampshire, Dartmouth College and Phillips Exeter Academy. Most antique stores have stacks of them, categorized by location. Framed, matted, or in a dish as featured above, post cards are probably the least intimidating when it comes to handling antique objects. The prints are delightful to look at closely, but not as entertaining as the messages on the back. I wish I had such pretty handwriting.

vintage swedish rag rugs

The Country Gallery Antiques in Rupert, Vermont is home to gorgeous, customized Swedish and Danish antique furniture. For someone on a budget, it may not be as ideal as getting that DIY IKEA media center, but they also have an incredible collection of Swedish rag rugs from the thirties. Each with its own distinct color pattern that can tie any room together (insert Big Lewbowski reference here), the smaller rugs are under $40. Why get a copy at Urban Outfitters when you can buy the real thing? Though Urban is probably a little more convenient...

the artist, a silent film comeback?

The Weinstein Company released the new trailer for "The Artist", a silent film about a Hollywood leading man who loses it all with the changing times of the late twenties (modernity! talkies!) but finds love and support through his struggle. Or at least this extended trailer seems to present that plot. Starring French actor Jean Dujardin and featuring John Goodman and James Cromwell, the film looks like it will satisfy my post-Jazz Age Lawn Party withdrawal when it comes out.

I'm hoping it's a great film. I saw a restored version of "L'Argent" at Telluride Film Festival two years ago and it was magnificent with live accompaniment. I'll be honest, though, I wish that TWC expanded the script idea past the security of former hits ("Singin' in the Rain", ahem) and would use the silent medium in an innovative way, separated from its history.

the swimming hole

The colors of fall always start seeping into my mind around this time of year, if simply because of the chill I now feel around 7PM walking down Commonwealth Ave. In Vermont, fall began knocking on the door three weeks prior, the maples ever so subtly shedding tangerine-kissed leaves as the river water only just starts to heat up from the summer sun. Despite the growing presence of autumn, an afternoon swim in a quiet stream is still as refreshing as a cold glass of lemonade. I was drawn to the energetic green leaves, warm orange and rust, cool and stoic metal, and luminous stream water caressing the smooth rocks. A perfect fall palette found in a secluded Vermont stream.

somewhere beyond londonderry, vermont

the jazz age lawn party, governor's island, 2011

Sequins, lace, feathers, parasols, hats, suspenders, and sun. The 6th bi-annual Jazz Age Lawn Party on Governor's Island in New York saw the area's finest vintage enthusiasts sipping St. Germain cocktails (the event sponsor) and dancing to Michael Arenella & His Dreamland Orchestra. It was simply a vintage enthusiast's dream. If you left your parasol at home, there were at least 10 vendors ready to deck you out. A veritable Mecca for street style photographers, the Jazz Age party exceeded my expectations as a marvelous way to spend a weekend afternoon with intelligent people who respect the revelry of Jay Gatsby. Be sure to check the New York Times for Bill Cunningham's upcoming photography.