MAKING A SENSATION

Well, at least that's what I try to do. Since being back to work and getting acclimated to a new store location took about a month. Now almost four months later your Mistress has settled and has really made my mark in my new location. The store is much bigger that the one I was in for 11 years.  In case your a new reader, I'm a visual stylist for a pretty iconic department. Which means we are the ones you do most displays, mannequins, windows, floral arrangements, shop concepts and treatments, holiday décor and store signing, and have also  do the set ups for store events. This week and last have been extremely busy with holiday installations, as we're one store who generally waits till after thanksgiving to start the big things. Here's some of what I have been up too since being back.

This year our Christmas trim is a mixture of white and silver décor and huge lit balls, and other elements like our fashion for the mannequins is tied in with the forthcoming movie, The Greatest Showman. This is the main aisle in cosmetics.

Trees on ledge in fine jewelry and cosmetics.... both of these were labor intensive to work on . all the branches have to be bent just so.

My main floor mannequins turned out very nice I must say. One day a little boy stood , just staring at the mannequin in red, with his jaw open. And it reminded me of why I enjoy what I do. I can remember seeing things in a store when I was little and still remember them. These two mannequins took about three days to do from beginning to end. With exception of the boots and bodice's everything you see was made by hand, then rigged to hang. The mannequins also had to be sprayed gold. Much work. My boss was like, "Have a said before I like having a ex- drag queen on staff?" I loved the tie in with the movie, because any excuse to use plumes.....and I'm there!!!!

This was another moment in another area. This whole statement took about a day.

A small interior display window...

The hat is actually from my own collection I made!

This is an example of a little shop enhancement I did for another designer....

My biggest undertaking has been this shop, FSC Clothing, which is an urban streetwear brand. The colors, fixtures, layout, merchandising, and décor were all me. Probably the biggest one I have ever undertaken. Another plus to help me is my degree in interior design I think. 

A men's focal wall I did with cut paper snowflakes and silver stars I filled with LED cool blue fairy lights. Friends joke that the mannequins looks like the way I dress.....tight jeans!!!! Between painting the wall, installing elements dressing and styling the mannequin....a whole day.

Another day and a half. This window...with a party theme! And yes...the guy hanging from the chandelier was a royal PAIN IN THE ASS!!!! My ideas sometimes drive me nuts. I actually have dark wire around the neck and one arm, to the ceiling, and a thick wire around his waist tying back to the wall for further reinforcement.

And have I mentioned I'm more than happy we got a Tom Ford counter???? But do you think he showed up? HELL NO! I love his scents.

After seeing this, now you understand why after two or three gin and tonics in the evening, I sleep so well at night.

Thanks goodness I had those 4 months off this summer.

RIPPED FROM THE HEADLINES

POSTCARDS.....

.....From the edge! I had a lovely time away and had some much needed gin drinking relaxation in between feeding my face, visiting with pups, and eating, watching movies and eating some more... if there wasn't already a cream puff there. Now I just have to deal with the left overs my aunt sent me home with- and then some. Some observations from the holiday trip.

#1 While viewing the Philadelphia Dog Show, my mother's dog Lilith was very disgruntled she will probably never be in it. She said screw it.

But then the bone made her feel better.

#2 My aunt's dog Sophie. My aunt says she is the best behaved dog and very obedient. Matter of fact she doesn't even get up on the furniture. After said conversation, in the living room.

#3-My good friend, the Dame Courtney runs a very successful floral company. Very talented, and we always have him do the arrangement for her dinner. This year was no exception.

#4- That being said, he's not playing with a full deck. He sent me this in mid October. He didn't think I would see the tree. But Philly looks adorable.He bragged the tree was up later. I was like bitch please, I'm drunk for St Patrick's already!!!!

#5-  My personal assistant, Buster Bolfig Borghese got a new bed, and proves no matter how big it is, he STILL sleeps half in it!!!!

#6- My aunt still makes the best damn turkey and dinner every Thanksgiving. I wonder if it could be her Frigidaire stove? My the bird is mouth watering....

#7- The Lad joined us this year. I learned in a pinch his ass makes a good laptop stand.

#8- Time Flies. My aunt's grandsons, my second cousins, were there. Last time I saw them they were probably in elementary school, possibly middle school. Now there both in college and much taller then the Mistress.

#9- We went for drinks one night, and Smittey's made me a cock-a-tail.... I learned I like Manhattan's. What a shock right?

#10- The turkey myth.....it works.

So there's that.

SIMPLY THE BEST

While we're still away, we would be remiss if we didn't have a pre-post ready for a well deserved, and warm birthday wish for one of the hardest working and most talented women in music...the fiery and lively Tina Turner.....who made quite the life, through her private hell, but chose to rise out of it and still become a music legend, with many memorable moments. Our favorite performance is, but of course...

 

And then there's this gem.

And she still looks great for 78.

Happy Birthday Tina!

GIVE THANKS

May you all be having a happy and relaxing day, and may no injuries have occurred from flying pants buttons.

I'm truly thankful for each of you always stopping by, new and old friends alike. I wish you all a peaceful day and a 

Happy Thanksgiving

🦃🦃🦃

THE HOLIDAY ROAD

Yes dear readers, the Mistress is going over the river and through the woods for the holiday later today........

well, hell, you didn't think I went horse back did you???? And I can tell you right now if you think that thermos is hot coffee think again? A lovely rest stop picture isn't it? Travel in style I say. One meets the most interesting characters in those places....but that's another story, maybe over turkey left overs I'll tell you some.Speaking of turkeys....

Here's my Tom the Turkey bird in a apothecary!!!!! Soon to be replaced with snow and balls. All I know is, I hear, that the average person consumes about 4500 calories on Thanksgiving Day! But.... I shall continue to be thankful of how truly blessed we all are! We are blessed so that we can bless others. I am going to sign off as I'm heading to the ancestral manor, but did not want to do so without Giving THANKs* to all of you.... dear fellow bloggers & loyal Borghese readers! Sharing my thoughts, inspirations, my errr...'random-silliness, has certainly been so much MORE FUN!

I will be returning next week, as I have off till Tuesday. I should be able to walk by then.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

🍁🏵🍁

I LOVE A PARADE

vintage Philadelphia

It may shock you as racy and huh, well, modern, as I can be, I'm am very surprisingly deep in traditions. I love to keep the old traditions going and like to keep childhood memories alive. For that reason I love parades. Our fair hamlet here has a fourth of July and a Halloween parade, and if I'm around I always go. I think it is a good way to keep the feeling of community alive and get out and meet some of the neighbors. But the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Philadelphia Parade always are part of my holiday traditions. Watching the parade while the tempting dinner cooks with smells of turkey, sage, thyme, stuffing and all the fixins. I can smell it already. Since the company I work for is owned by Macy's, we are eligible to be in the parade, as dancers and balloon handlers. While I have never done so, as I'm usually away, several of my co-workers have and said it's quite something. Over the past 88 years, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has become an irreplaceable staple of Thanksgiving festivities.  Every year, millions of Americans flock to the streets of Manhattan to see the parade in-person or gather around their television sets to watch the parade from home.  But we're all given a swell facts book about the parade and I found some of these facts quite interesting. Did you know?

The first Macy's Day Parade was on November 27 in 1924 and was referred to as the Macy's Christmas Parade. The parade originally featured Macy's employees and live animals from the Central Park Zoo. Floats, instead of balloons.

An estimated 250,000 spectators attended the first parade. Today, about 3.5 million people attend.

Balloons replaced live animals in 1927. Macy's first parade balloon, Felix the Cat, was filled with air, but balloons started to be inflated with helium the following year. Initially, the balloons didn't have a safety valve to release the helium, so they were released into the air at the closing of each year's parade. Each balloon had a return address label attached to it. Beginning in 1929, Macy's began offering a $50 reward to anyone who returned a balloon. This only lasted until 1932, when Macy's found it to be a safety hazard.

The first Mickey Mouse balloon debuted in 1934, while fellow Disney character Donald Duck was introduced in 1962.

Today, about 2-3 thousand volunteers are needed to handle the balloons. Each volunteer must weigh at least 120 pounds and be in good health. Each balloon is handled by about 50 volunteers.

The parade was suspended during WWII from 1942-1944 because rubber and helium were needed for the war.

The parade became a more prominent part of American culture after footage from the 1946 parade was featured in the movie 'Miracle on 34th Street.'

NBC has been the official television broadcaster of the parade since 1952. And for years Betty White and Lorne Green were the hosts for the parade.

The Radio City Rockettes appeared in the parade for the first time in 1957.

After 9/11, Macy's reintroduced an old Harold the Fireman balloon from 1948 to commemorate those who helped in the aftermath of the attacks.

I'd be remised if I didn't mention Philadelphia. The Macy’s parade in New York often gets all the attention and credit on Thanksgiving Day, but not many people realize that the very first Thanksgiving Day parade took place in Philadelphia in 1920, and hosted by Gimbels.The Gimbels Thanksgiving Day Parade almost didn’t happen in 1986, when the department store was bought by Sterns. Fortunately, ABC decided to take over and remains the main sponsor to this day. 

Are the Thanksgiving Parades something you watch or part of your traditions?