Craft Fair Preview--Dog Bonnets & Felted Cakes

You'll find these adorables at the SSCOOP booth at the Sunnyside Gardens Park Oktoberfest & Craft Fair, Saturday, 10/11 from 12-6.

Also, I'm told that Two Lost Turkeys is traveling all the way from Williamsburg to make their Queens debut! Let's give 'em a warm Queens welcome... interpret how you will.

Celebration of Queens Arts

If you're interested in donating to local causes:

The Queens International Film Festival is proud to present our first annual "Celebration of Queens Arts" on November 7, 2008.

The event is going to be completely FREE of charge to the public and includes:

- A live concert by the Queens Symphony Orchestra Playing the Most Celebrated Film Scores of the 20th Century.

- A silent auction and exposition by the Alliance of Queens Artists.

- A book signing by Tony "Nap" Napoli - Author of the new bestseller "My Father, My Don"

-Plus much more to be added!


In order to put this celebration together, we need to raise $15,000. I would like to ask all of your help in accomplishing this. No matter how big or small you can donate, all donors will be put on the official banner for the event, and will receive a special "Thank You" gift.

I believe in leading by example however, so on behalf of Forest Hills Celebrity & Entertainment Magazine and JML Media Group, LLC, I will be the first to commit $500 towards our goal.


Thank you all so much for your time and consideration and I wish you all my best,

Joseph M. Lara
Senior Vice President
International Marketing, Media, & Sponsorships
Queens International Film Festival
(908) 310-1659

Crafters unite!

The Sunnyside Gardens Community Association's annual Craft Fair and Oktoberfest is happening Saturday, October 11th from 12-6 at Sunnyside Gardens Park on 39th Ave at 49th St. My friend Katie will be on hand to sell you her adorable appliqued baby tees and onesies. I'll have some more promo images up, so keep watching!

Meanwhile, I received this from one of the organizers:

We still have spots available for interested crafters, plus everyone should come check out this year's craft fair! The deadline for the 2nd Annual Sunnyside Gardens Park Craft Fair is coming up soon. This event will be bigger and better than last year as we are teaming up with the park's Oktoberfest, so there will be pumpkins, drinks and plenty of people - we hope you can join us.

Email me (clairedeveron -at- gmail -dot- com) for the vendor contract and contact info.

Your Friends and Neighbors Put on a Show

I received this email from some local readers, Sunnyside residents who are treading the boards.

MINNIE PEARL DOES BROADWAY

Grand Ol’ Opry and Hee Haw legend Minnie Pearl is down from Heaven for one night only to sing all the Broadway songs she never got a chance to perform. From A Chorus Line to The Wiz, Minnie belts out show tunes like only she can. She’ll tell stories and jokes and there will even be a door prize! There is also a question and answer period where Minnie answers questions from the audience. Assisting her onstage is the often talked about but never before seen Uncle Nabob. Cabaret artist Mark Alan Jones stars as Minnie Pearl with Darron Cardosa as Uncle Nabob.

Check out this video clip:



"Jones has captured the wide-eyed, plain-talking, man-hungry spinster handily!" -Cabaret Scenes Magazine
"Back from the dead and sassier than ever! Minnie and Nabob should have performing Broadway standards all along." -Theatreiseasy.com

Don’t Tell Mama
343 W 46th St. between Eighth and Ninth Aves.
212-757-0788
howdyminnie@yahoo.com

Monday October 6, 7:00 PM

Subway: A,C,E to 42nd St-Port Authority
$12 cover + two drink minimum

And Speaking of Crafting

I hear knitters are getting tipsy with alpaca over at the Grind on Thursday nights from 7:30-9:30. If Ruth ever figures out that bedtime means stay asleep, you'll see me over there working on a Knitted Farmyard for her.

Queens County Fair--So Much Fun--One More Day

Wesley, Ruth & I had a fantastic time at the Queens County Fair today. Did you know there's some guy in Woodside churning out prize winning produce? Or that you can carve heads out of golfballs? Or that baby goats are darn cute?

The fair also boasts the Amazing Maize Maze, a beer garden with live music, rides, and a craft showcase where I watched a woman do bobbin lace. I was transfixed and plan to take this on as my next craft right after Marie Walnut teaches me how to smock.

The fair runs one more day, but you will be able to get lost in the maze through October 26. Details are on the Queens Farm Museum site.

Boo, Starbucks

A Starbucks employee approached a group of moms yesterday & told them that a customer had complained about them because some of them were breastfeeding ZOMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This same Starbucks has "child free zone" graffitied on one of the changing tables.

Um, NYS law permits a mother to breastfeed her child in any public or private location.

N.Y. Penal Law § 245.01 et seq. says they can even ttake their tops off.

It's legal. Get over it. The Starbucks employee should not have said that. I mean, they have dealt with this before.

You know that friend you have who looks at your plate and says, "That looks so disgusting, how can you eat that?" That person is a jerk, just like people who can't enjoy their overpriced scorched coffee as long as a baby is eating something the AAP & the WHO recommend until at least a year. The Starbucks employee is just ignorant, but I think a complaint is in order.

If breastfeeding bothers you, DON'T LOOK! And I'll promise not to tell you that I think soy lattes are gross.

There are very few places that you can go & sit in this neighborhood without fear of having a drunk sit in your lap. And there are a lot of moms in this neighborhood who would love a reason to spend their coffee money at The Grind, where the coffee is bad in a different way but it's on the south side so nobody takes shit for doing what they want to do. Like pee on the street or deal drugs in front of a school. Breastfeeding is the least of our social compact issues.

And you know that Nourish has a garden in back? And coffee? Good coffee, BTW. Boost sales so she can get some space heaters for winter so we can say SBUX SUX CYA.

Oh, and while I wrote this post? I was breastfeeding ewwwwwwwww.

Check out the flowers popping up in the neighborhood to the west...

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=117858920094816011111.0004451ea3a13ae6bc699

Sunnyside Gardens' Squirrel - Breaking, Entering, and Eating

Just a little warning for fellow Sunnyside Gardens' residents. A hungry, brazen, and resourceful squirrel has broken into at least 2 kitchens by eating/ripping through window screens to get at food sitting on kitchen counters (even sealed food) within the last week. Not quite sure how to put a stop to him seeing as he scaled a brick facade to get through a second floor window, but if you happen to have just baked something tasty you may want to close your kitchen window or risk having a visitor for tea!