Halloween Party

Anyone who knows me well knows that I love having parties, especially for Halloween. This year I was excited to break in our new condo with a full spread of Halloween decorations, candy, and treats. My friends from work, Jenna and Sarah, came as Ann and Leslie from the T.V. show Parks and Recreation, whose characters at one time dressed up as Rosie the Riveter and Gabby Douglas. I was Paul Bunyan and John was a scary teddy bear. Neighbors Deon and Paul joined us later, as well as my good friend Anna, who came in from New York. We had lots of champagne, cake, and good conversation. I love this time of year, especially since it's nice to spend time getting to know new and old friends.

Victoria and Albert Museum

The Victoria and Albert Museum is a wonderfully vast and expansive museum that is incredibly unique and exhilarating. The galleries are huge and contain a wide variety of beautiful objects that surprise and engage anyone when encountering them. Named after Queen Victoria and her beloved husband Albert, the museum was established to honor them. Not only does it honor the memory of such remarkable historical figures, it also is a supreme showcase of the British endeavors to encapsulate human culture and significance. One primary example of this can be found with a very specific example--the Portland Vase. Based on an ancient Greek vase housed in the British Museum, Josiah Wedgwood created his signature version of the Portland Vase in the late 1700's, which is housed at the V&A (see below). 

I was amazed by encountering two huge atriums filled with cast copies of ancient sculptures, called the Cast Courts. The most predominant object, actually two objects, since it's split in half, is Trajan's Column. From huge to miniature, the V&A had galleries for painting, decorative arts, a whole section for theatrical set models and costumes, along with a gallery for elaborate tapestries. An additional remarkable feature of the museum is the beautiful cafe, designed by William Morris and his company. Morris' linear nature-inspired motifs adorn the walls surrounding museum visitors and even decorated the carts for food trays.

The V&A is truly a remarkable place. It was incredible spending a morning inside such a wonderful institution.