OOO #54: Outfits, Ohio, and Other Things I Like
Someone came to my defense, seriously what was this plot, and the final installment of holiday decorations
Outfits
Ohio
Two weekends ago, I went to Ballet Met’s “The Nutcracker” with my sister-in-law. I have not seen “The Nutcracker” since I was very small and didn’t remember much about it other than Clara is the protagonist and there was probably a nutcracker at some point in it. I am much more familiar with the ballet’s score—it’s on semi-regular rotation on our record player, and I’ve definitely played it (or excerpts from it) with an orchestra over the years.
The following review has absolutely nothing to do with Ballet Met’s production of “The Nutcracker”—the ballet was beautifully staged and performed—and is completely based on the story itself.
Okay: what even is the plot of the Nutcracker, and why is Drosselmeyer allowed around children?! Drosselmeyer is an elected official and a magician toymaker who stirs up a lot of drama for no reason (why does he return to Clara’s house IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT to conjure dozens of mice to torment a child?) and generally behaves like a creep. I’m disappointed in Clara’s parents for allowing him into their home!
Next where did the prince come from? After this random Nutcracker/mouse battle that Drosselmeyer instigates for NO REASON, the Nutcracker is dying and then somehow is a prince?! And lives?! In some productions (and yes, I spent way too much time reading about this), Drosselmeyer turns the dying Nutcracker into the prince using his magic, whereas in others he mysteriously just turns into the prince randomly?? In the production I saw, the mice looked like they were eating the nutcracker, and I’ve decided that the mice freed the Nutcracker’s princely corporal form from its wooden prison. At least this version involves actual animal behavior (mice chewing stuff that they shouldn’t) and not Drosselmeyer and his creepy self.
The theme of the second act, as my sister in law puts it, is just “let us perform for you.” Clara is now inexplicably an adult, and she and her prince go to the Land of Sweets, run by the Sugar Plum Fairy (who is for sure my favorite character), and then watch a series of dances from different parts on the world, which has traditionally erred on the side of problematic.
And then Clara wakes up. That’s the ballet! My review (again of the story, not Ballet Met’s production, which was again, lovely): Too many mice! Too much Drosselmeyer! Too much cringe in the second act!
Other Things I Like
This is the last OOO before Christmas (!) and with it our “holiday decorations I like” wraps up with our final installment. Here are some miscellaneous decorations that make our house even cozier during the coziest season of the year!
Our Tree Skirt: We found this tree skirt last year (I’m pretty sure it’s from Target?) and I’m so glad we bought it. I like it because the lines are clean and crips and the colors are vibrant, so it doesn’t fight with, and instead compliments, the Christmas tree. My husband liked it because it reminded him of the scene in “A Charlie Brown Christmas” where Charlie and Linus go to the Christmas tree lot to find the tree for the school’s Christmas play, and the trees are beautiful bright blues and pinks and purples.
Wreath Witherspoon: I did NOT come up with the idea for “Wreath Witherspoon,” but I like it nonetheless because I like puns—our tree is named Agatha Christmastree and when we find a garland we like it will be called, you guessed, it Judy Garland. Unlike the tree skirt, my husband does not like Wreath Witherspoon very much, but that’s okay. My celebration of my Draper James/first season of “Big Little Lies”/Election queen will continue for years to come 😇.
Partridge in a Pear: As I mentioned previously, I love a good pun, and so I bought this partridge in a pear dish as soon as I saw it in the Columbia Heights Marshall’s. Except… partridges typically don’t have tufts on their heads (quails do), but a quail on a pear doesn’t make sense, so I’m calling it a partridge in a pear and making it a Christmas decoration. Whatever.
The Globe: One of my prized possessions is this model of the Globe Theatre from the Dickens’ Village Series. My grandmother had a huge Christmas village collection that she loved, and one of our favorite topics of conversation was how much we both enjoy Shakespeare. It now has a happy home on my dining room table—which was also hers!—for the holidays, and it makes me think of her and our weekly conversations every time I look at it. Side note: one of the most fun things I did during a trip to London in 2016 (hi Dan and Betsy!) was seeing a production of “Macbeth” at the Globe. It was magical being a groundling, and as you can imagine, the production was fantastic.
That’s it! Have a happy holiday season!
Oh, and your outfit is wonderful!
Totally loved this post, and I laughed out loud!