Love happy surprises

Place Vendome

What a delight to start a day with a happy surprise.
Veronique of French Girl in Seattle sent a blogging award my way !

The Sunshine Award, 

for "bloggers who positively and creatively inspire others in the blogosphere."

Yippi! Wow! Thank you so much dear Veronique for your kind and sweet words. 
Whenever I open your post I always find tons of interesting travel tips, funny characteristics or a quite thorough research to support an interesting topic. And how sweet of you to answer individually to every comment and visit your virtual friends to leave words of support.


As I'm new to blogging I already have a few dear virtual friends and even if I don't always comment, I still try not to miss the posts. They all are very inspirational in their own way.


Tish   http://afemmeduncertainage.blogspot.ca  - is always right to the point with a great sense of humor
Catherine                 http://www.cashmerelover.com  - brings a few beautiful thoughts and images for a day.
Heather                    http://lostinarles.blogspot.ca - dear Heather always brings a gift of a poetic essay and leaves it at my door (Mac)
Virginia Blue           http://blog.glamourdrops.com - oh, how I love her glam series of Cocktails  parties, Gems of the month, Rescue me,  and always some design discovery, ideas and great imagery.
Virginia Jones          http://paristhroughmylens.blogspot.ca   of course, for my Daily Paris smile. She was so generous to introduce me to a blogging community.
Greet  of Belgian Pearls, the most beautiful interior design blog for her impeccable, delicate style and graciousness.            http://belgianpearls.blogspot.ca
Carla Coulson          http://carlacoulson.com a very talented photographer and generous mentor always eager to share her experience and passion to photography with fellows bloggers.
Chantal                    http://www.metainteriors.com   for fabulous ultra modern interiors
Francine Gardner    http://fg-artdevivre.blogspot.ca  for chic and glam interiors and tireless quest for decorating ideas and talents.
Wolfie                      http://dailyplateofcrazy.com  Big Little Wolf's Daily Plate of Crazy, just the name of the blog tells it all: sharp shooting topics aiming to the core, daily reality check.

It is my great pleasure to follow the rules for recipients and name 10 bloggers who deserve the Award and link back to their blogs which in return is kindly expected of all the nominees: to name 10 blogs they love and invite friends to visit.

I'd like to excuse myself from answering 10 personal questions to save your precious time my friends. But ask me anything in your comments and I'll reply.
On the other hand I have so much to do before leaving for vacation I'm so anxious about. 
Next Monday we're going to Paris/Strasbourg for two weeks!
Lot's to be done before we leave.

There's no need to tell that packing for pas de trois to travel light is much more tricky than travel heavy and throw into large valise whatever seems to be needed on the trip. 

First I have to make three piles, than I have to edit, deduct and subtract. That leaves us with a fair equation: one suitcase for me, one  for my husband and son to share. Who wouldn't think it's only fair? The junior will have a carry on with cameras, tripod and stuff.
Can't wait!

Montmartre

Thank you for reading and visiting the nominated blogs. I'm sure you'll enjoy them as much as I do. 

May I wish  you all a wonderful summer.
Natalie

*All images copyright by Natalie Rapoport

Travel through the Glass. Part 2.

The historical collection in Corning Museum of Glass is unrivalled.

From all over the world through centuries. From very first found glass forms  up until now.

From ancient Egypt, Rome, Middle East, Mediterranean, Venetian, masteries from 18-19 century Russia, Spain and England, fantastic Art Nouveau from France and Belgium and no less beautiful Art Deco pieces by Tiffany .

 

Goblets, vases, lamps, petit objects, tableware, plates, perfume bottles, jewelry boxes, chandeliers, ship models, interior décor, figurines, beads and necklaces, screens and myriad of tiny beautiful things which you simply can’t even know what they were for.

Luxurious crystal with cut ornaments, milk glass and mosaic glass, pastels and brights. Plasticity of this amazing material is incredible in artistic and talented hands of unknown and famous Masters.

How could those unknown artists of long gone past achieve  and create all this beauty without all those sophisticated tools and possibilities starting with the highest temperature ovens, kilns, etc., without all that technological knowledge available  in modern times? And they created amazing treasures, melting their hearts and souls into these beauties.

 

Quite often the lost secrets had to be reinvented. CmoG supports innovations and aspiring talents.

It’s breathtaking to watch how a ball of fire turns into a beautiful object right in front of you.

 These tiny vessels for eye liner paint belonged to some fashionista in Egypt 500-300 BC.  

Girls always wanted to look pretty.

What todays glass artisans can do is pure magic. But it’s certainly a miracle that these highly fragile treasures survived against all odds through the centuries. There’s so much to see and admire.

Thank you for stopping by.

*All images copyright Natalie Rapoport

Travel through the Glass. Part 1.

Corning Glass Museum isn’t just a local landmark in a small town upstate NY.

It is THE  MUSEUM of GLASS and I won’t be mistaken to say the biggest and the best one in the world.

I’ve been to famous Murano Glass Museum and frankly anticipated and expected much more of it. It was a bit of disappointment: small, cramped, more about chemical compounds and  history of making (for all professionals interested) than masterpieces to admire. And a few visitors wondering  and looking for something to fill expectations.

This weekend we made a 4 hour drive to Corning for the second time. (Not an easy task if I mention two exhausting hours in the line on the US/Canada border.)

 

Corning Museum of Glass –CmoG is absolutely unique institution world wide known in artisan glass making community and glass fans. It won’t be an exaggeration to call it a Glass Art Mecca.  The worlds leading glass museum and a research center. Hundreds of thousands visitors yearly come here to learn and admire.

Established in 1950 on the base of Corning Glass Works factory founded in 1851, the museum soon separated into a non-profit entity and since then steadily growing and expanding despite all hard times and even natural disasters like 1972 flood, which left a thousands of library and glass treasures to be painstakingly restored.

 

Today the modern glass building houses the vast collection of glass masterpieces dated from ancient Egypt and Rome to nowadays, from many regions traditionally  famous for glass making and less known.

CmoG library collects every printed word about glass in many languages, so far there are about 400 000 entries. The museum became a research , teaching and practicing center with fantastically equipped studios, where the best artisans come to teach master classes and share new technics with aspiring glass makers.

The building itself is an architectural gem of exposition , which exhibits and displays various collections, fun installations, family friendly touchscreen stations and visuals in the very best interactive way possible. There’s an open demo studio with scheduled glass blowing shows. Fantastic!

  

Spacious and soft lighted there’s no a single right angle, only curves and ramps between two levels. Very clever layout and great interior design.

 

Exhibits are wonderfully grouped and carefully curated, lovingly preserved and accurately described. The collection isn’t frozen solid. We found it quite different from the last year, themed in other way.  

This is a magic travel in time through the glass and a very entertaining one.

And like through the mirror I decided to reflect backwards starting with modern glass. The variety of forms, shapes, textures and colors, the mastery of glass artists is astonishing.

Hope you’ll enjoy as much as we did.

 

 These delicious fruits the size of a giant beach balls look so fresh and juicy.

I wish everyone a lovely week.

*All images copyright Natalie Rapoport