Sunday January 24th

Dress rehearsal is done; Orchid and Doug are ready. I hope that any who are attending the wedding will travel safely.

This is your last reminder: Sunday, January 24th is "Orchid's Wedding" . Orchid marries Doug at a UFDC doll show. Yes, Orchid is a doll. Her elaborate cream silk and glittering Swarovski gown was two and one half years in the making. I am hoping you can join us for the event.

A lucky few will be able to see the original Io Moon Lumedoll in person, as The Moon is "ring bearer". Luckier still will be those will get the opportunity to purchase a Moon at IDEX at the end of January.

Please see the "Calendar" below for more details.

Orchid's Wedding Date

The long awaited date has been set ! Mark your colorful calendars for the first elegant event of 2010.
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Orchid will marry Doug on Sunday, January 24th, 2010 at Patchoque Manor here on the island. The town of Patchoque is located in Suffolk County on Long Island in New York.
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Yes, we are talking a dolls' wedding. No, I do not expect them to stand up and take their vows. If they simply stand up for the day, I will be more than pleased. Orchid is a UFDC Doll Fanciers' Triple Award winner. As such, she is accorded priviledges no other doll would dream. This year, the club will host her initial wedding celebration. It is my hope that Orchid and Doug will move on to a full blown party later in the year.
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You are all invited for January. An admission fee of five dollars or so goes to benefit the generous non-profit UFDC Doll Fanciers chapter hosting the day long show. More information on the UFDC and its many incarnations can be found here: http://www.ufdc.org/ .
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Music for Orchid, Doug, and their wedding can be found here: http://catcara.livejournal.com/ Tag: music.
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The date of Orchid's bridal shower has yet to be determined. We are hoping to do it this summer. Remember, you can always join the 'journal' and plan along with us.

Masquerade !

Often, I am asked, "What's next? What are you working on? Will you tell?" Hmmmm, the answer is: Lots of fun things. After the exhibition ends in September, Orchid will spend her time getting ready for her wedding which is in January 2010. Orchid's wedding, which you can most certainly attend if you are out this way, will be the next event at Patchogue Manor at the UFDC Doll Fanciers' Show http://www.ufdg.org .

Orchid's wedding will kick off a year of Masquerade hoopla, keeping me busy with Venetian Carnival masks, silken ball gowns, vintage embroidered jackets, Swarovski jewelled tiaras and yes, horse races. The 'horses' will be attending the balls and we will have a ball figuring out who the most handsome horse in the mini-herd is.

Keep your eyes out for "The Last Unicorn" as he emerges, late to the party from out of the rose garden, to see if we have a winner. Listen to us laugh and join in here: http://catcara.livejournal.com .

Labyrinth Ball Scene

Preparing for Orchid's wedding this January 2010, I ask myself the all important question: What will her wedding look like? What will the guests wear? The answer is this:

GoGaDoll 2009 Wedding Ceremony

As you know, Orchid gets married at a UFDC show this January 2010. In answer to the many queries of, "Will a minister preside?" The answer is, "No." She will be married in public, where you can indeed see her on her wedding day, but there will be no throwing of bouquets and no wedding hoopla. Knowing that we would like to do a catered party at a hall on the water later in the year, people ask, "Will there be a minister then?" The answer is still, "No."

Often I wondered, where do people get the idea that a minister should preside at a doll's wedding? In my mind for a doll show, surely chocolate kisses are enough. At a lavishly catered affair, wouldn't people be interested in socializing, dancing, and music? However, yes, dolls would be invited; it's a doll's wedding.

The Golden Gate Doll Association put on "Weddings San Francisco Style" this past weekend. For those of you who will someday attend Orchid's wedding to Doug here on the east coast, take notes on how different the affected affairs will be.

Orchid's Wedding

In our dreams, this is the party that we plan:

Tiara

The largest colorless diamond to be on the auction block in nearly two decades was sold on May 28 in Hong Kong. Christie's sold the 101.27 carat diamond, set in a tiara, to a private buyer for $6.21 million.
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Orchid would have liked this for her wedding.

Innocence

"A fine spring day, a carriage sprints between this world and the next." - Batou

"Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence", an animated film exploring the virtual reality which is more real than one thinks. The dolls depicted are based on the work of Hans Bellmer.
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The lives our dolls actually lead, evidenced and captured on photographs, and the philosophical implications of their lives has always interested me.
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No one would attempt to pigeon hole Orchid as a mere 'object of art'. Her luxurious life continues as she readies for her wedding to Doug in January 2010.
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Read more about "Innocence", and why it may be worth watching, here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%A4%E3%83%8E%E3%82%BB%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B9_%E6%94%BB%E6%AE%BB%E6%A9%9F%E5%8B%95%E9%9A%8A
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For still more, join us on the LiveJournal at http://catcara.livejournal.com where we ponder the dolls and the philosophical ramifications of playing with them.

Mardi Gras

We are still preparing for Orchid's Wedding. Some people have requested that it be black tie optional and mask optional. I am hoping that we will indeed have enough people to do a full scale party.

In the meantime, in Little Cow Harbor, everyday is Fat Tuesday.

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"Celebrate good times! C'mon!"

La Famiglia

Conveniently located off the Seaford Oyster Bay Expressway in Nassau County on the Island, La Famiglia specializes in utterly delicious Italian delicacies, served in utterly huge quantities, at an utterly fair price.

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My husband and I feasted upon enormous seafood stuffed portobello mushrooms, zuppa di mussels in a garlic red sauce, and outrageously tender ultra-fresh calamari in a hot sauce.

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Upon discovering that I have a debilitating weakness for tangy key lime pie, the owner treated us to dessert on the house with our coffee and cappuchino. Hands down, it was the best key lime pie I have ever had outside of my beloved Conch Republic.

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Available for parties, and certainly on my list of 'Maybe we'll go HERE!' for Orchid's shower, find this wonderful restaurant here: http://www.lafamiglia-ny.com/west.html There is also an 'eastern location' in Smithtown.

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Doug Does It

He won! He won his red ribbon and the hearts of the ladies. Club members told me he was the hands down darling favorite of the show. Praise doesn't get any better than that.

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If you thought he was to die for as a winged dark "Cupid", just wait until you see him in black tie and tuxedo tails for the Victorian fairytale wedding.

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Mark your calendars for January 2010. Let Orchid's wedding preparations begin !

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Join us in the LiveJournal where you can leave your suggestions: http://catcara.livejournal.com/ .

Prince Poppycock

As we prepare for our upcoming parties, it is important to celebrate them in style. Whether it is the Masque Ball you are attending, an affair at the French Manoir, or Orchid's wedding on the Gold Coast remember that we like this randy dandy very much: http://www.youtube.com/user/JohnQuale . Find a short article on this beguiling fellow here: http://coilhouse.net/2008/01/18/the-dirty-rococo-of-prince-poppycock/
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If you find you like him, too, and you just can't get enough ostentatious silliness in your life then feel free to crash our perpetual parties. Visit: http://catcara.livejournal.com/ to hear us chat about what pretty panniers to wear and what pouffy poodles to drag along.

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Even Orchid doesn't know that I plan to bring my pink poodle to her wedding. Want to bring yours?

Veils Unveiled

Thank you dear friend for passing this to me. Yes, you were right, I completely loved it.

http://stylefrizz.com/200801/swarovskis-unbridaled-the-marriage-of-tradition-and-avant-garde/

Prima Donna

The conversation went something like this:
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"Did we decide who she's marrying yet? We said, 'Doug', right?"
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I said, "Well, that's the way that we're leaning. We effectively have two gorgeous guys and two gorgeous tuxedos."
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My friend said, "Awwwww, errrr. I don't know....."
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I said, "What's the problem?"

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She said, "How well would the marriage work?" I said, "What do you mean? You pick a gorgeous guy and the marriage works fine. We had issues with Alabaster and wanted her to have a choice. So, she has a choice. What's the problem?"
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My friend said, "Well, I've seen the pictures of him. The problem is this: what would a marriage between prima donnas be like? I mean: he's a bigger prima donna than she is."
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To continue the conversation and add your own comments, visit the LiveJournal at: http://catcara.livejournal.com .

Too Tiny Top Hat

The past two days were spent working on a top hat for the groom for the wedding.

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I finished, only to discover that the marvelous black vintage fur felt creation that I held in my hand was too tiny. Orchid likes it; I fixed it up for her with two hat pins and a veil.

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Now I have to start all over again.

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It's a good thing that the wedding isn't until January 2010.

Tiny Tux

Doug's tuxedo has arrived from overseas.

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What I'm wondering right now is, how would Orchid look in it?

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I suppose he could wear the pants and she could wear the jacket as they sing a duet.......

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To listen, visit http://catcara.livejournal.com Are you sure you don't have time? In addition to chatting about the source of the tuxedo, I've added music for Orchid and Doug to dance to.

Morbid Industries

While shopping for interesting toys and props for Nine today, I came upon these "Gortraits" by Morbid Industries. They are rather large portraits for your mansion which change their image as you walk past them. Of course, I was intrigued.
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Remember to mark your calendars for January 2010, as Orchid's Wedding starts then. Her wedding will begin with the UFDC show in January, which we will use as a "dry run" for set up, and will continue on to an actual party later in the year. ScaryMary is very busy scouting suitable locations. You can visit my first, favorite, and very flavorful pick, here: http://www.sansoucicaterers.com/ .
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To visit Morbid Industries and acquire "Gortraits" of your own ancestors, visit: http://www.morbidindustries.com/

Something Borrowed

Erin's silver antique spiderweb pin will be the "something borrowed" by Orchid for her wedding.

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It will look incredible on her silk gown. Of course, it's even more perfect because I use spiderwebs as one of my signatures.

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Amid cries of, "How cool is this! Now how friggin' cool, I can't wait!!" MyHusband said, "What is the whole state of New York crazy?" He said to Erin, "You guys are going to drive several hours down from upstate for a doll's wedding?"

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Erin chuckled and said, " Yes, we are going to the wedding. This is Orchid we're talking about. We're not going to miss it for the world. Orchid's going to be wearing my pin!"

Spotlight on Orchid

Well, that's where the spotlight usually is.
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We attended a party this weekend, Orchid came with us. After the cries and murmurrs and exclamations of, "She's fabulous! Simply fabulous!!" died down and after folks were had exhausted themselves admiring Orchid's Val Zeitler originals, people looked around and said, "Wait a minute. Where's Alabaster? Wasn't he here last year?"
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Well, yes, last year he was. But she wasn't. Usually, she's too busy being fabulous.
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See them both together as they perform "The Frog Prince" this October at Harborfields. He gets another chance to propose and of course you don't want to miss it. For directions and other information visit: www.harborfieldslibrary.org .

Wedding Veil

Orchid's wedding gown is designed and underway. I've allowed two and a half years for the completion of the gown. The first showing of the gown will be at UFDC Doll Fanciers' in January of 2010.
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The gown itself will be made of vintage silk. Her beaded veil, extending from her head piece, will be longer than the golden train in this picture.
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The elves are practicing now how to carry it.
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For more Victorian children's illustrations visit: www.nocloo.com .