Stitch it Good LIVE Tuesday Topics

 Well hello there!

Tuesday's show was a super exciting day for Stitch it Good as it was my first LIVE broadcast since the shut down last March.  A little history is helpful to celebrate just what an accomplishment this is.  Back in March, WPRB stopped broadcasting from our studio and moved to a rotating playlist.  Within days, the board, staff and students committed to developing a pathway for DJs to once again offer programming.   Shortly thereafter, in April and May many of us began pre-recording our shows which were then broadcast througout the week.  During the summer, the staff and students added a new Playlist system which enabled us to interact with WPRB listeners in real time, enriching the listener experience.

In December, the opportunity to broadcast live was offered to DJs who were interested.  I was hesitant at first - broadcasting live is exciting but also presents challenges as I would be doing this from home.  After the insurrection on our nation's Capitol, it was reinforced to us how important LIVE broadcasting is.  And with that, I decided to embark on another WPRB broadcasting adventure.

For yesterday's show I decided to take it easy with some of my favorite topics and musical genres including Pyrex, knitting, cocktail music, jazz and big band.  You can see the complete playlist over here.  

It's also National Hobby Month so let's start with one of my favorite hobbies: collecting vintage kitchenware.

I started collecting Pyrex in my late 20's not yet understanding why I was so drawn to this colorful kitchen glassware.  It wasn't until a visit to my grandmother's, when helping to clean her kitchen, that I opened a cabinet and saw the classic primary 4 bowl set.  Those were the exact bowls that she and I used to make Jell-O during my weekend stays with her.  After her passing, I received her set which is the foundation of my collection.  I am now the keeper of many other Pyrex pieces from family.  Friends will often pass along pieces from their family.  Others keep a lookout for my favorite colors. And on occasion I will purchase Pyrex at thrift stores, flea markets and antique malls.  Each piece brings joy and color to the kitchen.  

Want to learn more about Pyrex?  This article from The Smithsonian Magazine is great intro.  Interested in adding some festive Pyrex prints and home decor to your house?  Visit Pocono Modern.  And finally, to add a retro vibe to your new Pyrex or plain white Pyrex, consider purchasing vinyl decals from an Etsy vendor.  I like Alley R Creations and Antlers and Evergreens.

I played the theme song from The Apartment which was composed by Charles Williams and performed by Ferrante and Teicher.  This lead to a brief discussion of one of my other favorite Billy Wilder films, "One, Two, Three."  Billy Wilder's screenplays always delight and his directing brought out the best in his actors including Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, and Marilyn Monroe.  

During winter I always have a bag of knitting nearby.  I continue to stitch a colorful striped scarf using Rowan Felted Tweed and also plan to knit a hat for the Princeton Public Library Knit for Others Program.  This past weekend I knit along as I attended a number of presentations during the VK Virtual Live event.  One of my favorites was a Zoom presentation from Franklin Habit, a knitwear designer and illustrator of delightful knitting woodland animals.        

The newest fabric collection from Lysa Flower, Rebel Girl, has captured my attention with it's fun retro 80's vibe of cassettes, colorful mini hearts, drum kits and a creative play on pink leopard print.  Visit her website for a variety of fun quilt patterns.    

On a final note, I heard a new way of thinking about being a "glass half full or empty" person.  Basically, just be happy to have a glass with water in it.  That's now how I'm approaching life.  Being present, seeing what's in front of me, and feeling grateful.      

Next week I plan to continue with the retro vibe as I ease my way into LIVE broadcasting.  As always, thanks for listening and your support.

xoxo

Happy Stitching.