Open Mic Night at Walz Astoria

Last night my friend Kat McGivern and I attended the weekly Open Mic night at the Waltz Astoria, a wine/dessert/coffee bar and performance/art space in Astoria. I highly recommend checking this place out! It was a wonderful night full of lots of ridiculously talented people, really great coffee, cake, and watermelon ices. The atmosphere in there is warm, inviting and comfortable. Very familial, with a lot of performers returning week after week. Go there. Introduce yourself to Song (the appropriately named manager of the Waltz), order a drink from Song's adorable mother, have a chat with Pedro, and listen to some great music. They are also planning a series of visual art shows, with 4-6 artists or so at a time - small works only, priced $250 and under. Go hang out at the Walz and learn about it. Also, there is a great lineup of performers that are brought in on weekends, so check out the calender online at www.waltz-astoria.com.

Look at this now!

This is Eric Orchard's piece for the Totoro Forest Project. This might be one of my favorite things. Ever.

In other news, I just found my old copy of Sleeping Beauty, as retold by Jane Yolen, a wonderful writer who has worked with one of my favorite Professors (and illustrator) Dennis Nolan.


The illustrations are by Ruth Sanderson, and, though I was only three years old when this book was given to me by my grandparents, I can vividly remember loving these pictures! It is a truly beautiful book, and I am so excited to have re-discovered it!