Ginny's Easter

1) Hanging out with Woody.

I believe she's saying "Friends?" rather than "Edible?"

2) Meeting Molly:

The plea came out over Facebook that morning. 

The Doctor will be saving the world tonight,
and this lady doesn't have BBC America.
Anyone want to share their Matt Smith experience with me?

I'll bring you wine....
or fish fingers and custard if you prefer.

Send me a message!

So we Who'd it up with the best of them.

3) Bonnets & baking on Easter Sunday:

Easter Weekend.

Saturday was definitely sunnier, which was good as it led to a walk in the park, tea on the grill & drinks in the garden followed by Dr. Who-watching & enforced crafting. 

Two dollar dye kit.

 Sunday started with an Easter Egg hunt ....

to the mantlepiece.
A bucket for me & a bucket for Doug! 

Plus other indoor fun of baking & cooking until the guests arrived.

Springish drinks. 

Into Easter Weekend:

Sue's ribbon stash is the fanciest I know.

I'm just about over the lack of 4-day weekend as I type. We've managed to cram an awful lot of Easter-themed fun into the last week, today proved to be a good day at work as I'm sure Monday will be too. 

I've been venturing into as-yet- Uncharted Territory by sizing & sorting all the unsorted sports jackets and tuxedos. (If at first you succeed, expect to be expected to succeed again - the men's suits were so beautifully done, it seems.) 

I found this inside of an English sports jacket.

Loving the lining!

 Suit jackets have a life of their own. 

Hidden treasures sometimes emerge from way back when it was worn onstage.

Some of these are vintage-wear from the 30s, 50s, 60s; from Theatre Virginia and Theatre IV times.

My earlier discovery amused me rather. Who's in?!

Incidentally, Gene Cox.
Sue dated the jacket & show to 15 years ago.
We might have just missed the moment.

 It's also been a week for sorting through old stock -
75 containers of hats to be re-labelled & the oldest, shabbiest hats recycled. Consequently,
              

                   Easter bonnets for everyone!

Some cute 50s "Juliet caps" & some terrifying ones that
just say "table centrepiece" to me. Beaucoup de floral.

  Last night we seemingly skipped a season. Having only just talked over "springish"
plans for Sunday's lunch (Ham? Ham? for Easter dinner?  What ever happened
to sacrificing the lamb?!), we jumped directly to Summer. 

I liked its wordage. Michigan beer.

 Last night my duties were also outlined for the evening ahead: Maker of Hot Cross Buns.
Oh my. (But I'm the Queen of Yorkshire Puddings, right? I can take on Easter treats!)

"When shaggy & sticky, add zest."

CLING FILM.

They turned out okay, for a first attempt. And with yeast too. That's pretty much SCIENCE before you even start. Lots of standing & rising & waiting time. So bed by midnight meant that the frosted crosses were not perhaps so tidy-looking. They tasted pretty good though.

 

Today was a Lunch Out sort of day 

to bid farewell to something of a Willow Lawn institution. 

Underneath the theatre at Willow Lawn, is Padow's, permeating the dressing rooms 

and backstage with its scent of toasted rolls & pastrami. 

Today was Padow's last day in operation so a collective from the Rep (7 ½, the scene shop & costume shop) headed over for one final lunch there. (I figured I'd better get into practice for Sunday with some Virginia honeyed ham.)

After lunch, Sue & I took a trip over to Robinson in the Fan to check out Halcyon vintage shop's supplies. (We're on a hunt for a second blue tuxedo for the upcoming Next to Normal.)

 Whilst there I made a friend.   :) 

Vintage Schnauzzle.

Easter gifts from the 'shop ladies.
Sarah dyed the pretty pink egg herself.

Happy Easter, y'all!

Vanilla & Spice & all things Nice.

Down on West Broad, past K.Roger & the others, there's a place where the streets smell of spice... cinnamon ... vanilla... ever so nice.
 
  It's thanks to this factory by the roadside:

 

  Then by night, things get a little shiny & illuminated 

with a running sequence of lights:

 

Poe Sunday / Snow Sunday.

The Governor declared 2013 to be the Year of the Historic Home, 

meaning a weekend of free admission to any one of seven places in RVA.

  The Edgar Allan Poe Museum was second on my list, close enough to scoot 

there & back in the late afternoon, amongst the raindrops.

In the Enchanted Garden: 

 ___________

Post-Poe, 

Happy Spring!

 

Big flakes & falling fast.

But it's okay! BC brought provisions.

It became a "Funny Girl" Partay mixed night.

Woody.

This week? Woody happened.

Meet Doug's new girlfriend.

Woody is learning the power of "No!", how to not swat but be stroked instead & oftentimes how the snuggliest place to sleep in the house is curled up on the chest of The Manly Man. 

Going Green (Part II)

 The Irish Festival at Church Hill is hosted by St. Patrick's Church. 

We were gathered en masse, bright & early: Sarah, Julie, Geoff & Peder, Marcia & John, myself & The Manly Man. On the streets for 10 o'clock. 

  10 o'clock being when the Parade kicks off. 

This year, the chosen Grand Marshal to lead the parade was 

Tom McGranahan, our facilities manager at Willow Lawn.  

  

(This will help explain just why it was so important.) 

We were there to cheer Tom on.

The Hibees, whom Tom is a member of.

With splash of green.

Marcia set the pace for the morning, first in line at the Irish coffee stall. The Manly Man & I followed suit, having made our hellos.

It's good for you.
Strength-giver!

  

The Parade is proudly named as the World's Shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade, being all of two blocks long. Even so, there were the bagpipers, Irish dancers in cute skirts & lurid colours, a few honorary Celts
(not so well-attired Welshwomen) 

... and a distinct lack of dogs.  :(

Geoff was also taking part with his bagpiping crowd,
St. Andrew's Legion Pipes & Drums.

                             Meet Bucky Badger! 

We listened to the harps in St. Patrick's church, stall-browsed, 
(I saw HP sauce, Bird's Custard, Mackie's crisps & McV biscuits!)

ate Proper Pies, conversed & caught up with friends,
walked around St. John's - Give me liberty or give me death! - Church
and enjoyed a sneaky wee pint of the black stuff .... 

Stalls with hats! just about made up for the lack of dogs-in-hats.