This Past Friday offered a plethora of extraordinary options; The Walters Art Museum in Mt Vernon hosted a First Friday event with cocktails, live music and more with free admission. I was able to make it in before 8 with enough time to peruse the exhibit, guzzle a cocktail and shop the gift shop sale. I think under normal circumstances, I would have enjoyed the exhibit. I mean, what girl doesn't love jewelry? Unfortunately, with the influx of other museum-goers also taking advantage of gratis admission, things can get a bit hairy. It was actually REALLY crowded. I like the idea of lots of Baltimoreans wanting to go to museums; but no one enjoys themselves when they have to read exhibit blurbs from 6 feet away because their are four couples in front of you blocking everything including the actual display. I made do the best I could by just seeking out the pieces I had the most interest in and not exactly following the formal display order.
Of course the Tiffany's brooch (pictured above) was tremendous in person. Made so large, it was not intended for actual wear. Additionally, Lalique had a similar floral themed brooch fabricated of glass pansies, rivaling the size and detail of the orchid. Both pieces a product of the early 20th century.
A dinner reservation at Dogwood in Hampden to follow. I was to meet one of my girlfriends on the Avenue for a bite to eat. Of course, being First Friday's on the Avenue, I was a bit tardy having ducked into a couple of my favorite boutiques to investigate their sales. Shine Collective had an impressive turnout, considering the recession. The Fall/Winter collection worked well together and definitely had some stand-out, unique pieces.
Back to dinner...so, having made a reservation, you would think we could be seated once we were both there right? Nope. I mean they were totally busy, I mean hello-it was Friday night so that is to be expected. We were finally seated half an hour after our reservation. Knowing the chef has its benefits because all we had to do was select an entree and the "rest" of the meal was taken care of. We were treated like demi-gods; which is what you hope to expect when dining out.
