Saturday, September 28, 2013

Carytown feeds the Byrd...




 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 

 I attended Carytown feeds the Byrd Thursday night.  All the proceeds from the fashion event go to preserving the Byrd Theatre.   I was greeted in the lobby by friendly staff, purchased a drink ticket for a glass of bubbly and found a seat. 



Lots of ladies were dressed in 1920s garb in the audience, a few men matched their significant others in tuxedos.  



The fashion show was introduced by Raul Cantu, President of the Carytown Merchants Association and owner of Nacho Mama's and Shannon Siriano Greenwood, a dancer at RVA Dance Collective and the director of restaurant marketing at the Tobacco Company.  If Shannon's middle name sounds familiar, yes, she is the sister of Christian Siriano of Project Runway fame.

 

  
 
 

The first group of boutiques were Bygones, Ciao, Alternatives/Champagne and Shoes, West Coast Kix and Pink. 





 










 
  
 
 
 
 






There was an intermission with some time to purchase additional drinks and/or popcorn (yum). 




Then another set of boutiques took to the boards - Fab'rik/Champagne and Shoes, Artisans Shops/ Champagne and Shoes, Glass Boat, Eurotrash and Lex's of Carytown.


































  

The clothing was inspiring and the models owned the stage as they walked from side to side and then back to center before exiting.  They all did a final loop around the stage before disappearing into the wings.




A few parting words by the co-hosts and a cameo appearance by an adorable  bunny ended this part of the evening. We were invited to the after party at the C Street Restaurant at 3325 W. Cary St.

 



I needed little encouragement for free hors d'oeuvres (though it was a cash bar).  The highlight was an incredible performance by a female impersonator channeling Lady Gaga.  The dollar bills were flying from men and women in a couple of minutes and it was a memorable denouement to the fashion event. 

 




 
 

The party broke up around 11 pm, though there were other parties still in progress in Carytown as I walked to my car...



 

 
 
 
 
 

P.S.  Please excuse the quality of the pictures.  My trusty Canon Rebel needed a new battery at the last minute so I used the old point and shoot.  Not the same!





































Sunday, September 15, 2013

a little Lim has to go a long way?!

 

Well, the crowds weren't that bad at the local store and the selection was good.  I was surprised, expecting another Missoni madness...  I did restrain myself and only bought two items, the blouse and the handbag below.  I wish I could have purchased more, but I'm on a budget now...

 
 

this blouse fits very well, interesting print, runs true to size and reasonably priced at $39.99




I've been drooling over Phillip Lim bags for a couple of years, especially the tote shaped like this with zipped gussets. 

 So I got this one today for $54.99, it's quite spacious, looks like leather, though it's not.  I do miss that new leather smell...


Saturday, September 14, 2013

A is for art, B is for Bus Barn...

Across from the Cask on Robinson, the old GRTC tram/bus barns are being converted into works of art by local, regional and international artists.  The creativity is amazing and plentiful.  I took almost 300 shots and was challenged by the editing as each piece spoke to me in its own language. These are my picks.  There will be events today, 09.14.13, including performance artists.  I recommend that you attend and make your own picks. 
 
 
 

the front of one of the two large barns...




such a vivid pink...





have a seat?




a piece of this artist's creation...








this is the third piece of the triptych...



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




so colorful and imaginative...




a close up of the above painting, which identifies the artists...





each artist was loaned a mini cherry picker to assist him/her/them





this one really appealed to me with its "windows" and fashion theme...





this is another favorite, the horse looks ready to ride...





many of the artists were busy working as I walked through, clicking my camera...




black and white and such interesting faces...





a larger piece with bright saturated colors...





the first woman I spotted as she was in the midst of creating...




bull's eye!




first painting I saw with African-American theme...





starkly black and white... those pipes remind me...





this creature really struck me, enjoying himself on a beach somewhere?





look how one image flows into the next and the next...




a personal zoo...




the expression on this young face fascinated me...





another female artist, installing a sculptural piece into the wall with a blow torch...





flying creatures on bicycles in space...






a colorful statement with "LOVE"




interesting banner, I wish it was so...



another large painting as the artist continues...




a brief history of the depot...





this sculpture captured my attention with the colors and the flow...





okay, this one stumped me, kind of space ship meets_____?






love these colors and shapes...






metal sculptures about to fly away...




entrance to one of the barns for a tram/bus...




this is so compelling...





this is one of a series of smaller paintings on a long wall...





another group...




across from the wall, this face stood out as if observing all the activity...





another section of the wall that caught my eye...




the last painting on that wall...




two artists together in the midst of inspiration...






this artist creates a tribute to the contribution of African Americans to the trams/buses and surrounding neighborhood...





Not sure what this represents but it appealed to me in a visceral way...






this train looks ready to jump off the wall and leave the station...





a view of the colorful picnic tables that will be filled with people today... to eat, drink and take a load off...




a final look at the service garage that saw so many things... if it could talk, what stories it would tell....