NYCzzzzzz

I just got back from spending three weeks in The City that Doesn’t Sleep and boy, am I tired. 

Usually one would use an exclamation mark at the end of a sentence like the previous one to show special emphasis. Alas, I am too tired for such energetic punctuation; expect a lot of trailing of ellipsis marks as a true representation of my state of lethargy. 

I went to NYC to help a friend—let’s call him Philip, Hi Philip-- get ready for “Market”. What is “Market” you ask? Is it where you go to buy a fat pig? Is it jiggity-jig? Is it like going “Out Town”? (No, no, and not really.)

Market is like Fashion Week in NYC, only instead of showcasing haute couture it’s for textiles: sheets, bedding, towels (towels are THE WORST. Trust me on this.) At Market, there are no skinny models parading around. And no runways, just showrooms. But other than that—same-same. Buyers come to look at the product and place orders for their stores: Macy’s, Pottery Barn, Target, Walmart, Marshalls, etc. Philip’s job was to design the showrooms for various clients and show off their product. Three—then four-- overlapping jobs, all culminating at the same time. Busy doesn’t begin to describe it.

There are customers—like Waverly fabrics—that want a concept piece. In my humble opinion, concept pieces are the most creative and the most fun. More fun than just finding clever ways to make a bed or fold a towel. Philip’s idea for Waverly was to create an indoor greenhouse and use the fabrics to create topiaries. Plus, there were spinning plates and wallpaper and dancing brooms—truly, you should have been there. If you happen to go to NYC before April 7 you still can. The showroom was such a success that they are leaving it in place until then.

Philip, Fiona & Ray: Building a greenhouse...indoors. Because NYC

My job was to cover all 8,492 Styrofoam balls—give or take, that number might be slightly inflated. By eighty-four hundred-- 6” and 8” in diameter, with fabric. This involved a hot glue gun, industrial strength hot glue sticks, and lots of swearing. The bonus good news is that I can now become an international jewel thief because my fingertips are now fingerprint free. No flying to Switzerland for expensive fingerprint removal surgery, I DIYed it. I’m crafty like that.

Philip claims he invited me to NYC because I love gardening and flowers and who better to help him bring his greenhouse vision to life? I suspect he has an aversion to industrial strength hot glue and evil intent involving the Crown Jewels.

Next week: I discover the secret of TCTDS.