Louis Comfort Tiffany & Brown Memorial Church in Baltimore

Greetings Sweeties...

Well, here I am back from my little, short vacation to Baltimore for my brother's

graduation from his residency at the University of Maryland. He is now officially

a surgeon, back here in Cali where he belongs & doing his fellowship in

vascular surgery at USC...I could not be any PROUDER!!

A few weeks ago, I went crazy on Pinterest, as I usually do, & started

a whole new category on Louis Comfort Tiffany. Being an interior design

major, I have always loved all elements of design, but Tiffany

has always been a favorite of mine.

While 'researching' for my Pinterest collection, I found out something that was

 completely unknown to me. I've been to Baltimore 5 or 6 times since my brother

has been going to school there & I couldn't imagine me NOT knowing this fact...

The Brown Memorial Park Avenue Presbyterian Church of

Baltimore, Maryland, has one of the worlds largest & finest 

collections of Tiffany art still in it's original setting.

OK...they had me at HELLO!!! 

So, even though this vacation was not about me & was filled with a schedule

of events & parties & ceremonies for the graduate,

my brother said there was a short window {good choice of words!!!} of time for me to see

something I wanted to see in Baltimore, to which I excitedly answered...

"I want to go to the church with all the TIFFANY WINDOWS in it!"

We were literally there within minutes. I grabbed my camera & bolted from

the car, clicking away as I walked towards this amazing Gothic cathedral.

Walking to each one of the locked doors, we were beginning

to realize this church was open by appointment only or

on Sundays & we had neither going for us.

Can anyone say...Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

As our very last resort, my brother & I opened a rod iron fence that was most

certainly not meant to be opened by the General Public. At the very moment

that the gates parted, a passer by says, "Can I help you?"

Looking to the sidewalk, now half way inside the OFF LIMITS area,

I start rambling a list of reasons from A through Z to this seemingly random

woman, of why I must get into the church. She smiles & asks us to come into

the church office which was in the building next door...a door we never tried.

 The Good Shepard by Wilbur Burnham

She introduces us to the church secretary who has a set of keys in her hand & as

she leads us into HEAVEN, she asks if we would like the lights on or off...

we say off & she floats away like an angel leaving us alone in

this room of LIGHT.

At this point, few words are needed...

The New Creation by Tiffany Studios

Saint Gabriel by Tiffany Studios

Saint John by Tiffany Studios

The Baptism of Christ by Tiffany Studios

I Am The Way by Tiffany Studios

Annunciation to the Shepherds by Tiffany Studios

Christ in Gethsemane by Tiffany Studios

An astonishing 63 panels of glass depict the story of a host of angels heralding

the birth of Jesus to the shepherds below.

The Holy City by Tiffany Studios

The Lord is my Shepherd by Pittsburgh Plate Glass Co

Lead Kingly Light by Tiffany Studios

If I Be Lifted Up by Tiffany Studios

I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes by Gorham Manufacturing Co

My Dad with The New Creation in the background

The Tiffany Windows of Brown Memorial are Sacred Glass,

& above all of those beautiful, beyond breathtaking windows...

are magnificent Gothic arches that seem to go on forever.

Can you tell that I LOVED it there?

Can you tell it was one of the HIGHLIGHTS of my trip?

Can you tell I'm going to HIGHLY recommend that you go

there if you ever go to Baltimore, Maryland?

Can you tell that I'm soooooooooooo excited that we got inside this glorious church

& that I didn't just have to enjoy these windows from the outside?

Now when you see me OCDing on Pinterest just remember...
Susie's crazy for doing so much PINNING, but she may be finding a

diamond in the rough with all her insane researching.
We may never know until she actually gets there!  ;)

XOXO

vintagesusie

Queen Elizabeth II & her Diamond Jubilee

Today is the last day of celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II's

Diamond Jubilee!!

The Diamond Jubilee is the 60 year anniversary of a monarch's reign & has only

happened once before in England's history when Queen Victoria

celebrated her Diamond Jubilee in 1897.

As I sit here watching CNN in preparation for the Queen & her family to come out

onto the balcony, I think of the history that had to happened in order to get 

Elizabeth Alexandra Mary to this moment.

She was an unlikely monarch.
Her father, King George VI, was the 2nd son of King George V,

who's eldest son Edward, was groomed to become the next King of England.

After the death of his father, Edward became King Edward VIII, but his reign

was to be short lived. He ruled England from January to December of 1936,

at which time he abdicated the throne for his American,

divorcee mistress, Wallis Simpson.

And of course as you know, that's a whole other story.  ;)

So, due to an unforeseen set of circumstances,
Elizabeth's father became King George VI.

Look at all the crowns in this picture...Yummmmy!!!

So the princess who would be Queen, started her royal journey to the monarchy.

Something I've always thought must be so heartbreaking, is the fact that in order

to become a King or Queen, your parent must die. During a time of great

sorrow, you must take on the tremendous responsibility of a nation.

But Queen Elizabeth II did it magnificently!!

She was quite a beauty at the time she took the throne...

& exudes graciousness, confidence & elegance.

The Diamond Jubilee crown made for Queen Victoria...

OMG!!!!

One of her clothing ensembles designed by Angela Kelly for her Diamond Jubilee,

it took a year to design & create.

A few of the many festivities in Queen Elizabeth's honor...

a flotilla on the Thames in the Royal barge...

the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Concert in front of Buckingham Palace...

{she wore earplugs, how cute...}

& a Royal Carriage Ride...all of it, fit for a Queen!

Here's the moment I was waiting for, HRH The Queen, surrounded by her royal heirs.

Having had Diana as his mother, Prince William will make a wonderful King of

the People, just as Diana was the People's Princess.

CONGRATULATIONS

Queen Elizabeth II

on your Diamond Jubilee!!!

What a magnificent achievement!

And YES...I've already ordered my Diamond Jubilee souvenirs!!!

I got the mug & the tea towel above & it was in pounds,

so God only knows how much I really spent!!! LOL

XOXO

vintagesusie

Musing on Marie, Antoinette That Is...

It's a gorgeous morning here in our mountain HOME!!! :)))

We've been making some plans for the future of things we've wanted to do

here for a while, but haven't felt we could. The first big thing on the long list of

home remodeling to get done is going to be....

Drum Roll Please...

FRENCH DOORS!!!

Yes, I have coveted & longed for French Doors here forever & finally I will have One!

Now, since my house is no bigger then a cracker box, my door will not be as

magnificent as those seen here at the Palace of Versailles, but I will love

them just the same!!!

So...in honor of the occasion, I am watching Sofia Coppola's amazing 2006 vision of

Maria Antoinette!

For the past 6 years, I think there has been no doubt that this movie has some of the BEST
costuming & set design in movie history. Milena Canonero won an Academy Award for his
inspired designs & the magical world he creates for our beautiful young Queen.
Simply Scrumptious!!! 

This movie production was the first time ever that any film crew was allowed

to film a movie in it's entirety, at the Palace of Versailles...how cool is that!!

I haven't been to France yet, but it is at the top of my To Do List!!

Watching this movie gives you such a wonderful glimpse into the Palace

of Versailles & the glory & the decadence of the period...it's divine!

So, what are some of my musings as I watch this fabulous movie & dream

about the Queen of France, Marie Antoinette?? 

Is it possible that Marie, could have been any where near as stunningly,

beautiful as Kirsten Dunst is in every single scene of the movie??

Who's shoes were actually more exquisite...

Those that belonged to a Queen...

or the Manolo Blahnik's that were designed & created especially

for Sophia Coppola's film??

I think it's a toss up for me!!!

Were Maria Antoinette's gown's as opulent & extravagant &

over the top as history implies??

Looking at this portrait of Marie in her coronation gown & at the exquisite

fabric & style of gown below, I'd have to give that thought a BIG, YES!!!

Do you think Maria ever made wreaths of flowers for her & all her maids to wear...

because...

I just LOVE the idea of that!

Do you really think that Marie, during a period of time when her country was starving,

when they didn't even have bread, said in such a pompous, cruel & uncaring way...

"Let them eat cake!"???

It appears now, after a few hundred years, that there is absolutely no evidence

of her ever having said this. It was included in a book that was written by Rousseau 

in 1767 & refers to a 'great princess' saying...

'Qu'ils mangent de la brioche'.

The common opinion is that, "he invented it altogether."

From all accounts, historical & imagined, Marie Antoinette was a doting mother who

adored her children. It took her seven years to become pregnant, she had at least

two miscarriage & when her eldest son, the Dauphin of France died at the age of

seven, she was inconsolable. At the time when the French Revolution began to

truly escalate, Marie was in deep mourning over the loss of her son.

Marie changed many of the customs of the court, much to the dismay of the older generation.

She abandoned the use of heavy makeup & the wide hoops of the day that were so

popular, for a softer, simpler look using lighter, plainer fabrics like muslin.

During the American Revolution, the French were our allies & if it had not

been for their help, I wonder how it could have been possible for a colonial

state to fight & win a war against the most powerful nation on earth.

France was incurring debt partially from the resources that it used to help in

America's independence & who was responsible for this union between our

fledgling nation & a supreme power like France??

King Louis XVI & his Queen, Antoinette.

{Benjamin Franklin being received in the court of Louis XVI & Marie}

So, in the course of my musings, I've come to realize how much I have to be grateful

for to the court of Louis & Marie. I want to remember our sweet Marie Antoinette

as she was in some of the opening scenes of the movie, full of joy & innocence.

Because to think of her any other way is just too tragic.

{Marie at the age of thirteen}

She was the naive, young Princess of Austria when she first arrived in Paris.

She was all of fifteen when she married the future King of France.

She could never have known where this new life would take her.

She is forever fascinating & forever young.

Oh, & by the way, I know the music is a bit crazy,

but I LOVE this movie!!!  ;)

XOXO

vintagesusie