A Sunday's Nostalgia

The New York City Easter Parade has been an annual tradition since Civil War days and features marchers in elaborate Easter finery, including some of the fanciest Easter bonnets imaginable.

Hundreds of New Yorkers on Easter Sunday, April 24, 2011 stepped out dressed in their finery planned months ahead for a grand Easter parade down Fifth Avenue starting at St. Patricks Cathedral.

What I was expecting was a procession of extremely fancy men and women stepping out of St. Patricks Cathedral. The women were clad in exquisite designs with a dashing man accompanying her in his formal attire. In this era, even with so many streets closed, my intent was to watch and capture this New York tradition and of course take a close glimpse of Bonnets, Fascinators and the imaginative ensembles of families who have kept this tradition for decades. Looking at all the hats, I realized this group I was taking a picture of was in fact a New York Milliner with her entourage surrounding her wearing Fab Hats and Fascinators. What made me smile was two of the girls gave me their business card. I laughed thinking New Yorkers always creative in peddling their wares.

The weather was vibrant and with my imagination full of stories, I headed towards the Church. I doubted I would not see any highly polished carriages, and thought perhaps would catch family pets dressed in small bonnets, or even tamed snakes with a colorful bow. What I saw were remnants of the past. Gone were the themes of current events. There was no hat tilted to the side which was a sinking Titanic, no Silver Cross Prams and babies in lace, organza and velvet with nanny’s in their frilly bonnet and the proud parents dressed to the nines walking behind. Maybe it’s a gone era, maybe the Easter Parade is a free spirited display and example of the world we live in today. Yes, the early 20th century is long gone but here I am in this magical city New York which is now  my home.  Suddenly I am dancing to the ragtime music, wishing I  were in a silk skirt so that I could jitterbug, and taking note minute by minute, as I watch the ladies stroll by dressed up in thrift shop findings.

Obviously, it was time to go and sit in Central Park to meet up with my hubby think about next year dressing myself and a few special friends in wonderful styled regalia fit for a Queen. As I ran down 5th Avenue, I thought of finding a Turner classic movie to watch called The Easter Parade with Judy Garland and Fred Astaire now it all made sense. I remembered the verse, “In your Easter Bonnet with all the frills upon it you’ll be the finest lady in the Easter Parade.

'My mum brought me in a stroller and now I bring her'... xoxo 

Hopefully next year I will be in the parade walking with friends all styled by me!

Love 

Carole

Reading Room: May

If you ever watched Saturday Night Live (SNL) you will know Tina Fey as the hilarious anchor of the Weekend Update (2000-2006), fast forward a couple of years and she has become the creator of one of the funniest and most successful shows on television. 30 Rock has acquired a cult following and earned itself many prestigious awards including the Emmy in 2007 for Outstanding Comedy Series. 

Bossypants is a hilarious memoir style read where the author takes us through her experiences in standup and her progression into television, she spares herself at no expense, seeing humour in every aspect of life. As a mother she shares her personal take on the truth of parenting and as a woman objectively analyzes her ups and downs. This is a great read not only for those recently familiar with Fey's work but for all of those interested in modern comedy. I saw this book among gift ideas for father's day in the bookstore, but this book knows no gender. Both males and females will find it equally entertaining. This is a perfect summer read, it is light, perceptive and definitely worth a laugh or two.

From Amazon.com 

Amazon Best Books of the Month, April 2011: Tina Fey’s new book Bossypants is short, messy, and impossibly funny (an apt description of the comedian herself). From her humble roots growing up in Pennsylvania to her days doing amateur improv in Chicago to her early sketches on Saturday Night Live, Fey gives us a fascinating glimpse behind the curtain of modern comedy with equal doses of wit, candor, and self-deprecation. Some of the funniest chapters feature the differences between male and female comedy writers ("men urinate in cups"), her cruise ship honeymoon ("it’s very Poseidon Adventure"), and advice about breastfeeding ("I had an obligation to my child to pretend to try"). But the chaos of Fey’s life is best detailed when she’s dividing her efforts equally between rehearsing her Sarah Palin impression, trying to get Oprah to appear on 30 Rock, and planning her daughter’s Peter Pan-themed birthday. Bossypants gets to the heart of why Tina Fey remains universally adored: she embodies the hectic, too-many-things-to-juggle lifestyle we all have, but instead of complaining about it, she can just laugh it off. --Kevin Nguyen

Reading Room: April

I wanted to start a new section on the blog where I share with you the latest and most talked about books in fashion and pop culture. I already mentioned one book I have recently read, 'Hungry' by Crystal Renn a couple of months ago (to view the entry click here). I always stumble upon great reads during my research or just when I am flipping through a magazine (and even sometimes channel surfing), there, literally is inspiration everywhere. I picked up the copy of 'Unbearable Lightnesss' at a Christmas Dinner we went to in December. Intrigued by the fact it was written by Portia de Rossi (aka. Ellen de Generes' significant other) I read it in one sitting. I love books which require me to reach out and research the topic. I googled constantly white reading this book, they don't provide you with many photos, and they also often refer to clips from Ally McBeal. There are some great interviews with Portia also if you find yourself wanting to know more. A word of warning to those with weak stomachs, she goes into some horrid details in the book, describing her battle with anorexia. Overall it's a great read, definitely an eye opener to both the disease itself as well as the elusive world that is Hollywood.