Bug Fest is Back!

As far as 200th birthdays go, Lorenzo Langstroth doesn’t usually spring to mind like, say, Charles Darwin does. But come August 14th and 15th, the Philadelphia native’s name will be rolling off the tongues of 10-year-olds as easily as T. rex. That’s because Langstroth’s beloved bees will be the center of attention at the Academy of Natural Sciences’ third annual Bug Fest. “It’s such a fun weekend to celebrate all things ‘buggy.’ And, it’s a great opportunity for the kids and the parents to connect with the experts and our Academy scientists. Its always fun to see a world expert at Bug Fest nose-to-nose with a young child having a great conversation,” enthused Barbara Ceiga, the Academy’s vice president for public operations.

“Bees” is the theme of this year’s popular festival, which also celebrates insects of all kinds—yes, even roaches. Langstroth (1810-1895), a clergyman and teacher dubbed the father of American beekeeping, revolutionized the beekeeping industry by determining the amount of space a bee needs to survive and then inventing the movable frame beehive. The Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild is raising funds to place a historical marker at his birthplace at 106 South Front St.

With colony collapse disorder and new uses of bees as biodetectives regularly in the news, the Academy will be buzzing with experts and activities during Bug Fest weekend. The festival is free with museum admission. Visitors can:

• Watch Steve “The Beeman” grow a beard of bees and describe how bees are important pollinators.
• Discover more than 50 species of live insects and their relatives, including stick insects, tarantulas and vinegaroons. Touch them if you dare!
• Cheer on a favorite roach in the Roach Race 500.
• Talk with Academy scientists and members of the American Entomological Society, whose headquarters is the Academy.
• See rarely seen displays of the Academy’s world-renowned entomology specimen collection.
• Sample exotic foods made with insects and prepared by Cajun chef Zack Lemann.
• Learn how to properly collect and pin insects.

The third annual Bug Fest at the Academy of Natural Sciences allows visitors to get up close and personal with a bunch of creepy crawlers!

Bug Fest 2010
Saturday and Sunday, August 14 and 15, 10 am – 5 pm
Free with general admission

Returning Favorites

Spineless Wonders
Examine live stick insects, tarantulas, vinegaroons, and more. Touch them if you dare.

Bug Walk
Go outside with an entomologist and collect wild insects.

Meet Real Entomologists
Talk with scientists from the Academy’s Entomology Department and members of the American Entomological Society.

Roach Race 500
Cheer your favorite roach on to victory and learn what makes roaches run.

Got Bugs?
Learn how to collect and pin insects during this hands-on demonstration; insects, pins, and scientific labels are provided.

Museum Insects
Examine specimens from the collections from the Academy’s Entomology Department and the American
Entomological Society.

Anthropomorphic Arthropods of Henry McCook
The Academy Library is showcasing this classic by Henry McCook (1837-1911). Come see insects like you’ve never seen them before, alongside a few antique bug-collecting tools of trade.

Bug Ball
Join the activities, games, and fun for all at the Bug Ball.

Ask the Entomologist Booth
Ask an entomologist that question that’s been bugging you.

Creepy Crawly Crafts
Make a bug pooter (a bug collecting tool that vacuums) and a bug box to take home.

For more information, log on to www.ansp.org/bugfest.

Gorgeous table linens provided by our good friend Cindy Bene of Select Event Rentals. Beautiful floral arrangements courtesy of Paoli’s Flowers by Priscilla.

AroundMainLine.com welcomed over 300 Main Liners and local foodies at Susanna Foo’s Gourmet Kitchen in Radnor on Thursday evening July 22nd for the official launch party of Main Line Restaurant Week. Dozens of local restaurant owners and local chefs attended the magical evening—including many of our participating restaurants.

Special AML VIP guests included Michael Klein of the Philadelphia Inquirer and philly.com, Mickael Decoker, manager of Blackfish BYO in Conshohocken, Ronna Bonds of Chesterbrook’s popular EBar at the Embassy Suites, Prudential Fox Roach realtor Joan Hindin, CEO of Wayne’s popular women’s boutique Fresh Ayer Liz Ayerle, Brian Pieri of Conshohocken’s The Stone Rose, Dr. Catherine Foote of Foote Orthodontics, and AML photographers Heather Berkenstock and Courtney Apple.

The party included delicious free appetizers, great drink specials and a fantastic opportunity for local businesses and restaurants to network. Most importantly, the party allowed AML to connect with hundreds of new fans who will be dining out and participating in the inaugural Main Line Restaurant Week.

Incredible complimentary appetizers all night long really wowed the crowd!

The first ever Main Line Restaurant Week is launching this fall and promises to be the Philadelphia suburbs largest dining event ever! With dozens of the region’s finest restaurants participating in this weeklong event, Main Line Restaurant Week offers diners an exciting opportunity to dine all around the Main Line and surrounding suburbs for a great value. Main Line Restaurant Week begins Monday, September 27th through Sunday, October 3rd. Restaurants will be offering a special three-course, prix-fixe dinner at one of the four price points: $15, $20, $30 or $40. In addition, many of our participating restaurants will include cocktail specials and other exciting discounts. Lastly, all restaurants in the Philadelphia western suburbs are invited to participate in Main Line Restaurant Week.

What they are saying about the Main Line Restaurant Week Launch Party!

“Thank you to everyone who came to the MainLine Restaurant Week Launch Party last night. I hope everyone had a good time. We certainly enjoyed taking care of everyone! We are looking forward to the Mainline Restaurant Week!” —Susanna Foo, Susanna Foo Gourmet Kitchen

“What a fun party this was! Our meal there late night was superb…!” —Mary Katherine Schenkel

Be sure to visit us at mainlinerestaurantweek.com!

Costume from the movie: Dr. Doolittle

Icons of Costume: Hollywood’s Golden Era and Beyond presents over 50 items selected from one of the most extensive collections of movie memorabilia, from Marlene Dietrich’s black velvet evening gown from Shanghai Express (1932) to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s black leather jacket from Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). Rare studio publicity stills, lobby cards and film props augment the experience, and an interactive “Screen Test” area allows visitors to act out their favorite scenes to be uploaded to the museum’s channel on YouTube.com.

“Fabric is very fragile. It is a miracle that any of the early costumes survived at all. Also, showing costumes and dressing them, showing them on mannequins can stress the seams. Preservation is a very complicated process with these costumes-especially since many of these we are approaching almost a hundred years in age,” explained Erika Jaeger-Smith, the Museum’s Associate Curator of Exhibitions.

Icons of Costume is a celebration of the art of costume design in movies. The exhibit includes fashion and accessories worn by such well-known stars as Greta Garbo, Barbara Stanwyck, Elizabeth Taylor, Ryan O’Neal, Dietrich and others. The designs are the work of some of Hollywood’s most celebrated designers including Edith Head, Adrian and Walter Plunkett.

Edith Head (United States, 1907 – 1982) The Great Man’s Lady, 1942, Paramount Pictures Barbara Stanwyck as Hannah Sempler.
Black silk velvet dress with silvered glass beads.

The importance of a film’s costumes in setting the mood of the narrative was not well understood by the early film industry. But in the 1920s, as movie costumes started to attract interest from viewers, studios set up costume departments and the costume designer, previously unheralded, began to be listed among the film’s credits. In some cases (Adrian is an example) the costume designer became an important part of the publicity of the film. In the 1930s, period film costume achieved its greatest impact on the fashions worn by ordinary men and women. In the case of Adrian, over 50,000 copies of a dress he designed for Joan Crawford in Letty Lynton were shipped to the Macy’s New York City stores alone. The legendary designers of the golden age of Hollywood, many of whom are included in the exhibition, continue to be a dominant influence on today’s fashions.

Still, it was not until 1948 that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences created the category for Best Costume Design. Several of the costumes in the exhibition are from films that received Oscars for Best Costume Design, and others were nominated.

Research into the history of costume design presents a host of problems. As studios changed hands over the years, priceless records were often either lost or discarded. Sketches, film continuity photographs, and other items in the costume department vital to the film’s integrity during a shoot were sold as Hollywood memorabilia to auction houses or, in recent years, to Internet sites, once the movie was completed.

In the early days of filmmaking, if an important costume wasn’t simply discarded or sold, it was re-used in another film to save time and money. Such was the case, for example, with the suit worn by Warren Beatty in Reds (included in this exhibition), which was also worn by Maximilian Schell in Judgment at Nuremberg. Also, costumes from the 1920s through the 1940s that were acquired by collectors sometimes suffered due to the fragility of the fabrics.

Icons of Costume: Hollywood's Golden Era and Beyond presents over 50 items selected from one of the most extensive collections of movie memorabilia. The exhibit runs through September 5th.

To even further confound the historian, studios often made multiple copies of a given costume while shooting a movie, so if one was damaged another would be available. Thus it’s sometimes impossible to know which of these multiple versions was actually worn by the star in the movie, and would therefore be considered authentic. Finally, after the movie was finished, more or less exact replicas of the most memorable and beloved costumes were sometimes created, often by the same companies that made the original garments. There are a few such objects in this exhibition, and they are clearly labeled as replicas.

Given these many challenges, the fact that such a large number of original costumes has survived at all is a testament to those caring individuals working today in the field of Hollywood costume research and presentation. Though he never won an Academy Award, Adrian is perhaps the most famous costume designer in Hollywood history. During his tenure at MGM (1928 to 1942) he was treated like a star, and was so well known that press releases would often trumpet his work as a special—sometimes the most important—element in a film.

While Adrian never owned an Oscar with his name on it, Edith Head was the most decorated costume designer ever, with thirty-five nominations and eight Oscars. She has the unusual distinction of receiving two Academy Awards in the same year (1950), when the category for Best Costume was still divided between black-and-white and color. On the night when famed costume designer Walter Plunkett received his Oscar for An American in Paris (1951), he overheard a reporter backstage ask Edith Head how many she had received. Plunkett answered for her: “Don’t let her kid you. She owns a fifty-acre estate surrounded by a picket fence made of nothing but Oscars!”

Plunkett himself was nominated ten times and set records for grand period costumes in lavish Hollywood extravaganzas. When asked how many costumes he designed for Gone with the Wind, he replied, “The only thing I remember is that the laundry bill was more than $10,000.”

The James A. Michener Art Museum is an independent, non-profit institution dedicated to preserving, interpreting and exhibiting the art and cultural heritage of the Bucks County, Pennsylvania region. In addition to hosting a changing schedule of exhibitions from around the country, the Museum is home to the largest public collection of Pennsylvania Impressionist paintings. The Museum offers a diverse program of educational activities that seek to develop a lifelong involvement in the arts. The Museum is located at 138 South Pine Street in Doylestown. For current Museum hours and admission information, visit our website at www.MichenerArtMuseum.org or call the main phone number: (215) 340-9800. Group Tours: extension 117 / School Tours: extension 124.

"Thank you for organizing such a wonderful event. We are excited to be part of the inaugural Main Line Restaurant Week." Susanna Foo, Susanna Foo's Gourmet Kitchen

AroundMainLine.com is throwing a fantastic launch party for the first ever Main Line Restaurant Week at Susanna Foo’s Gourmet Kitchen in Radnor July 22nd! In what promises to be one of the Main Line’s hottest summer events, guests will be treated to complimentary hors d’oeuvres, amazing drink specials and a festive atmosphere—with the suburbs top chefs and restaurant owners in attendance.

For more than 25 years, Susanna Foo has changed the paradigm of Chinese food melding traditional Chinese foods with classical French techniques. With two cookbooks and two internationally known restaurants, Chef Foo is a two-time James Beard Award winner and is widely recognized as one of America’s top Chinese chefs. Many Asian cuisine aficionados credit Foo with having brought Chinese food into the modern realm. In November 2006, she opened Susanna Foo Gourmet Kitchen in Radnor—now one of the Main Line’s most successful and respected restaurants.

Susanna Foo’s is one of dozens of local restaurants across the Main Line and suburban region who will be participating in the Philadelphia suburb’s largest dining event ever this fall. The inaugural Main Line Restaurant Week will run from Monday September 27th through Sunday October 3rd. MLRW is created and organized by AroundMainLine.com.

Susanna Foo is widely recognized as one of America’s top Chinese chefs.

Participating restaurants will offer special, prix-fixe menus showcasing their chefs’ greatest dishes. Menus will feature discounted, three-course dinners (e.g. appetizer, entrée and dessert) priced at $15, $20, $30 or $40 per person. The week also includes a special calendar of food-themed events, including AroundMainLine.com’s 2nd Anniversary Birthday Bash at Gullifty’s in Rosemont, a special Wednesday Night Whinos at Dettera Restaurant and Wine Bar in Ambler, and a fun Monday Night Meetup in Malvern—hosted by The Desmond—and more. To stay informed of developing party details, be sure to join us on Facebook and Twitter to get the latest.

Our fun summer MLRW kickoff party at Susanna Foo’s will offer AML friends and fans and participating restaurants a chance to meet and mingle in anticipation of the fall dining event. The event is free and open to everyone 21 and over. It promises to be a night to remember—and the perfect celebration to set the tone for a very successful Main Line Restaurant Week fall 2010!

Main Line Restaurant Week Launch Party Details

When: July 22nd, 6pm-9pm

Where: Susanna Foo’s Gourmet Kitchen (Event will be held in the private dining room and outdoor patio in the rear of the restaurant)

Why: To celebrate the fantastic restaurants and chefs participating in Main Line Restaurant Week this fall!

RSVP: Please RSVP here on our Facebook evite or kindly email us your name and party number to: rsvp@aroundmainline.com

AML’s amazing Main Line Restaurant Week Launch party offers locals a chance to meet and mingle with the top chefs of the Main Line and surrounding burbs!

‘Entrance Fee’: Supply your email address at the door via a business card or one of our registration slips to enter. The event is free.

Food: Complimentary appetizers will be served to all attendees!

Radio Sponsor: 95.7 BEN-FM is our official radio sponsor for Main Line Restaurant Week fall 2010 and is supporting our exciting launch party as well!

Décor: Gorgeous table linens provided by Select Event Rentals (weparty.com)

Floral: Malvern’s Flowers by Priscilla (flowersbypriscilla.net) will provide the beautiful arrangements for the event.

Party Raffle: Bring business cards for networking but also for our party raffle. Drop a biz card at our registration table (or fill out a slip) for a chance to win dinner for two at Susanna Foo’s!

Website: Check out our prelaunch site: MainLineRestaurantWeek.com. The full site will be up in a few weeks with our growing list of awesome participating restaurants!

Facebook: Join our Main Line Restaurant Week Facebook fan page for updates and info all summer long!

Guidelines: This event is for attendees 21 and over. Children are not permitted. No cameras are allowed at AML events outside of working local media or approved food bloggers.

The Admiral Fell Inn is a renovated urban inn located on Baltimore’s celebrated waterfront.

AML sent the Berkenstock family of Lansdale for a fun three day summer vacation to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Thinking of taking the kiddos on the road? Don’t worry about figuring it all out—below is the perfect three day Baltimore family experience planned out for you. Want more information on planning a summer family vacation to Baltimore? Check out visitbaltimore.org for a complete guide and details for your Inner Harbor experience. Or, visit their new website—bmorehappy.com.

Safe travels!

Day 1

The Admiral Fell in What?
Admiral Fell Inn
www.admiral-fell-inn.com
888 South Broadway
Baltimore, MD 21231
(410) 522-7377

Located in Baltimore’s historic Fell’s Point, the Admiral Fell Inn is a renovated urban inn located on Baltimore’s celebrated waterfront. The Fell’s Point section of Baltimore is a jaunty water taxi ride across from the more famous section of Inner Harbor, but it’s not to be missed, especially if you prefer your lodging a little subdued. Fell’s Point itself is worth a trip, as its cobblestone streets are brimming with charming shops, boutiques, galleries, pubs, and restaurants.

With its spectacular setting on the Baltimore Harbor, the Inn is convenient to all of Baltimore’s major attractions. The lively and colorful district, founded in 1726 as the oldest waterfront community in Baltimore, is known for its old world charm and retains the feel of a European village with brick sidewalks and Belgian block streets. The historic Admiral Fell Inn has old world character and modern conveniences. The Admiral himself would surely have approved of air conditioning!

The kid in all of us will appreciate a pirate adventure aboard a real-looking pirate ship! Search for treasures and blast enemies with water cannons as you sail around the Inner Harbor!

Baltimore’s Booty
Urban Pirates
www.urbanpirates.com
410-327-8378

Johnny Depp and the Pirates of the Caribbean movies appear to have driven pirate popularity right off the big screen and into real life with the Urban Pirates. A pirate adventure aboard a real-looking pirate ship. Search for treasures and blast enemies with water cannons as you sail around Inner Harbor.

The crew of four salty dogs stays in character for the one-hour tour. All landlubbers are outfitted with pirate vests and waist sashes. The pirate crew then trains the new recruits in the ways of being pirate-y. And, the crew leads visitors in song and dance. When the ship comes under attack from a rival pirate, the new pirate recruits defend their ship with water cannons, soaking the attacking pirate and driving him off.

And if you think life at sea without toothpaste and teachers could rot a pirate’s teeth and brain, this crew will happily prove you wrong. They get all visitors involved in a challenging competition to build a boat out of a square of tinfoil, 4 popsicle sticks and a strip of duct tape. Teams have five minutes to build their best seafaring vessel. To win, it must not only float, but also hold cargo. The team with the boat that holds the most fishing weights before sinking is named champion (the record was an impressive 18 on this trip). Even better, Urban Pirates host adult only cruises in the evenings, which are BYOG (Bring Your Own Grog).

Dinner in a Ship-Shaped Restaurant
Captain James Landing
www.captainjameslanding.com

A ship-shaped restaurant, Captain James offers steamed crabs on the dock (in season) Baltimore-style, breakfast all day and every variety of food you can think of. Walk East on Boston Street or along the promenade to view new, urban redevelopment, The Can Company shops and eateries, boats and gorgeous views.

Monkey Bread at Miss Shirley’s is a must! www.misshirleys.com

Day 2

Breakfast in Wild Style
Miss Shirley’s
750 E. Pratt Street
www.missshirleys.com

Miss Shirley’s is a signature breakfast and lunch spot in downtown Baltimore—walkable from the Inner Harbor. You must try the Funky Monkey Bread! Located one block from the Port Discovery Children’s Museum.

Big Fins, Small Fish and a Missing Flipper
The National Aquarium
www.aqua.org

The National Aquarium venues together hold living collections that include more than 16,000 animals from more than 660 species of fish, birds, amphibians, reptiles and marine mammals living in award-winning, naturalistic habitats.

The Baltimore Aquarium in the centerpiece of any visit to Inner Harbor. Home to more than 16,000 animals, the aquarium features the all-new 4-D Immersion Theater. Sharks, rays, clownfish (like Nemo!) and the giant sea turtle Calypso (pictured right) are just some of the wonders. Don’t miss the dolphin show. And jellyfish fans—you know who you are—must see the new exhibit.

Parents’ Choice
Maryland Science Center
www.mdsci.org

Named by Parents magazine as one of the country’s top 10 science museums, this is one of Baltimore’s premier locations. Enjoy three floors of hands-on exhibits, IMAX films, planetarium shows, kids’ room, observatory and more. Walkable from the National Aquarium—or take a water taxi to rest any weary legs.

Dinner with a View
The Rusty Scupper
www.selectrestaurants.com/rusty

Harborside Dining and Drink at Its Best...
The Rusty Skupper

The Rusty Scupper is an Inner Harbor institution and just a short stroll from the Maryland Science Center. Repeat visitors could no more skip the “skup” than avoid the aquarium. Renowned for their delicious Chesapeake Bay cuisine, The Scupper has been a popular dining experience since 1982—with romantic views of the Inner Harbor. If you’ve never had Baltimore crab cakes, this is the place to have your first.

Day 3

Funky French Toast
Blue Moon Café
1621 Aliceanna Street

Blue Moon is one of Fells Point’s most popular brunch spots. They say the captain crunch French toast tastes as unique as it sounds. You will enjoy fresh, flavorful food in a funky atmosphere at the Moon.

Stand in a Bubble
Port Discovery Children’s Museum
www.portdiscovery.org

Kids who groan at the sound of the word “museum” will love this place. You can touch everything. You can get wet. (Or stay dry, parents, with a little help.) The little ones will love the world of Curious George. The bigger kids can climb and slide. The museum offers three floors of educational and interactive exhibits, programs and activities for children ages 2 to 10 years old. And, everyone must try the bubble maker. Stand inside the circle, slowly raise the rope, and watch as a bubble rises up around you—amazing!

Inner Harbor Dragon Boats

Peddle Your Own Dragon Boat
Inner Harbor Dragon Boats

Take these dragon-inspired “Chessie” paddleboats out on the picturesque Inner Harbor, located just west of the Top Of The World building.

Top of the World Observation Level, World Trade Center
401 E. Pratt Street
www.baltimore.to/TopOfWorld/index.html

Baltimore’s World Trade Center is a must-see for anyone visiting Charm City. That’s because the 27th-floor observation deck—”Top of the World”—offers panoramic views of the Baltimore Inner Harbor and Downtown Baltimore. It is a great place to get a sense of the city. The observation level also contains exhibits about Baltimore and its economic renaissance. The World Trade Center is the tallest pentagonal building in the world offering breathtaking views of Baltimore from an elevation of 423 feet. It may be the best view of the Inner Harbor. It is certainly the highest!

With Conshohocken’s only open air dining setting, The Stone Rose Restaurant has become a popular neighborhood destination.

AML’s Monday Night Meetup, our fun, regular social get-together, returns this Monday evening, June 21st, at Conshohocken’s popular Stone Rose Restaurant. Stone Rose opened last October with owner Brian Pieri, a former executive in the financial industry, and executive chef Jason Mase spearheading one of the Philly’s burbs hottest new dining spots.

Stone Rose is tucked away off the main stream of restaurants in Conshohocken near the corner of 9th and Fayette—across from the Conshy Fire Department. The welcoming exterior with outdoor seating gives way to a cozy and sexy upscale neighborhood restaurant inside. The front room boasts a beautiful fifteen seat bar. The ‘Rose’ also has an intimate back room, rustic Italian accents and Conshy’s only open air dining setting.

Mase is a North Central, PA native who has been a chef for nineteen years. He joined The Stone Rose shortly after their opening last fall and boasts experience as the executive chef at The Guard House in Gladwyne and at The Four Seasons downtown. The cuisine is largely American continental with international influences. “We are fine dining with a comfort food spin. We try to use local, organic produce resourced from Southeastern PA,” explained Mase. His braised short ribs over homemade mac and cheese, a signature dish influenced by Jason’s mother’s recipe, is offered as an appetizer or entrée, a Rose customer favorite. In addition, pan seared diver scallops with prosciutto and pea risotto with roasted mushrooms in a mushroom cream sauce are a menu highlight. For a steady lunch crowd, Mase’s diners often order the seared burger, cooked in a cast iron pan on a bed of kosher salt—with Spanish onions, homemade French fries, and remoulade on a challah roll. And, beer geeks will be glad to know that Stone Rose only serves local beers on tap.

Crab and Avocado Salad

As for Pieri, a Conshohocken native, dashing entrepreneur and Penn State grad, the restaurant world is a new venture as he spent his first ten years out of college building a very successful career as a stock broker. Pieri met Mase through a friend and brought on lifelong friend Jim Maglio as general manager. Thanks to Pieri’s savvy marketing skills on their popular Twitter account (StoneRoseConshy), the restaurant has become the buzz of the burbs. “I was very aware of marketing strategies and client relations in my previous career. I kind of laugh when I see restaurants tweeting in all caps, or only using Twitter to talk about themselves and their daily menu ad naseum. It is a great connector and really a shared network—we have had dozens of customers walk through the door (from Twitter) and ask for me personally. That has been a large part of our early success,” said Pieri.

Stone Rose owner Brian Pieri will be our gracious host for AML’s next Monday Night Meetup.

As for the name, the restaurant is Pieri’s way of honoring his mother Rose, who he lost to cancer five years ago. “Everything here is personal—has personal meaning and is connected to my life. The pictures on the wall are my family and their vineyards from Italy. Jim came from a family of stone masons—so that’s how Stone Rose came about. This is my neighborhood, my customers are like family to me and it’s been a dream of mine,” explained Pieri.

AML Monday Night Meetup at Stone Rose Conshohocken

When: Monday June 21st 6-8pm

Where: Stone Rose Restaurant, 822 Fayette Street, Conshohocken

RSVP: Respond on our Facebook fan page.

Details: Monday Night Meetups are free and all are welcome to attend, 21 and over. No children permitted.

Phone: 484-532-7300

Website: www.thestoneroserestaurant.com

Facebook: StoneRose Conshohocken

Twitter: StoneRoseConshy

Hats by Katie's most famous hat is the Mini-Topper (tm). This style has been worn by Lisa Singer, Suzy Stafford, Sharon Chesson and Lana Wright in all the many combined driving World Championships they competed in, both here and overseas.

Twenty years ago, having a difficult time finding hats that were attractive and that fit well, Katie Whelan started making hats as a sideline. As her carriage driving career developed, so did the variety of hats she made for family and friends. Eventually the Long Island native, who grew up in Sugarloaf, New York, evolved the interest into a full-time occupation. Hats by Katie launched in 1990 with Whelan utilizing her arts minor from Boston’s Regis College as the basis for beginning a millinery business that is now world-renowned. That success has evolved, most recently, into an appointment-only shop in nearby Paris, Kentucky. “The main reason I started making the hats is because I have a big head and a lot of hair. I could not find any hats that fit me or that I particularly liked,” explained Whelan. A recent highlight of her career was winning the “Best Booth” award at the Royal Windsor Horse Show, Windsor, England.

Katie has been driving for 30 years. She has been pinned Grand Champion at Devon and at Walnut Hill, she represented the US at the 2003 and 2005 Pony World Championships, and she has been both national four-in-hand champion and national single horse champion-so she is well aware of what hats work for the driving community, for both pleasure drivers and combined drivers. As for Devon, Whelan has been a beloved boutique and popular shopping destination for Main Line ladies for over a decade. Her works of art have been worn at the world’s most prestigious equestrian events including the Horse Show, Kentucky Derby, Royal Ascot (one of the world’s most famous race meetings dating back to 1711 and attended by the Queen of England), the Walnut Hill Farm driving show in Pittsford, New York-among others. Hats by Katie has been featured in Southern Living Magazine and O Magazine—in which, in 2006, she outfiitted Oprah and a group of Winfrey’s dearest girlfriends with hats for a garden party shoot, including Oprah’s lifelong friend Maria Shriver.

Hats by Katie’s Katie Whelan at her Devon Horse Show booth beautifully modeling a one-of-a-kind creation.

AroundMainLine.com: How do you make your hats?

Katie Whelan: A hat starts very much like a dress pattern.
We have ‘blocks’ as they are called and there is a special block for the brim, a special block for the crown. And, then you sew them together. A well made hat, if you turn it upside down and look underneath the sweatband, will be sewn in two pieces. A cheaper hat is sewn in one piece.

There is a whole process to it. You take the straw or the felt or Sinamay and start working with the design. (Sinamay is a very popular material in hat making and is a natural fiber produced from the banana plant.) Sinamay comes in bolts, very much like fabric, and you mold it over the block, you pin it down, and you place it in an oven with sizing on it so it molds itself around the form.

AML: Like an actual oven?

KW: Yep, an ‘oven’ oven. You repeat the process with the brim, you sew them together and then you start doing your trim work.

AML: Ok, interesting. How long does it take to create one of our gorgeous hats?

KW: One of my dressier ones can take six hours to a couple of days—it’s really an assembly line process.

AML: Each of your designs is so unique. Where does your inspiration come from?

KW: Usually Europeans are a bit ahead of us as far as colors and trends, especially England. So, I will get the color patterns from England. A lot of time I will take a blank hat and decide what I want to do with it—I’ll see a flower in my trim bin or a grouping of feathers. Other times I have an idea in my head where I am headed and begin the creative process from there.

AML: Are there trends in hat as there are trends in fashion?

KW: Sure! And, depending on what event I am designing for designates the style too. (Kentucky) Derby ladies are always big hats, no matter what is in style. If its carriage driving, a medium brim is appropriate. The coaching people like the big brims. Steeplechase people like feathers, felt and more fall-inspired hats. It’s very much a time and place kind of thing.

“The whole trick of the hat is that the hat does not wear you, you wear the hat. If you live by that phrase, you will be fine,” explained Whelan.

AML: Your hats are worn around the world at all the major equestrian events. That is amazing!

KW: I do a lot to Ascot. Now that I have started showing in Europe with my ponies, I sold one of my feather hats right off my head. When I traveled back and forth recently to Europe, I delivered two more.

AML: So, how does it work with an event such as Ascot? Or, for that matter a customer who wants a hat designed by you but is on the other side of the country or world? Since, obviously, everyone cannot meet with you one-on-one for a fitting.

KW: The Americans will come to me with an outfit and they will just take the hat over. Or some of the English people will email me, because I used to do the Royal Windsor show with my hats, and they let me know what they are thinking. They email me a picture of their outfit, head size and what they look like is important. If a customer is petite, I don’t want to do a hat so enormous in proportion to their body, it does not look right.

AML: Can any woman wear a hat?

KW: Yes, you just have to find the right one. That’s kind of a misnomer-they come in here during the Horse Show and say ‘Oh, I look terrible in hats.’ Well, first of all they are not wearing them correctly. The brim should be parallel to the ground. And the hat should be in proportion to your body. The whole trick of the hat is that the hat does not wear you, you wear the hat. If you live by that phrase, you will be fine.

Hats by Katie will be at the Horse Show through Sunday June 6th. Ms. Whelan has an appointment only shop in Paris, Kentucky. Kindly visit her website hatsbykatie.com, call 859-707-0818 or email: hatsbykatie@pinehurst.net

The Devon Horse Show and Country Fair is one of the largest and most prestigious outdoor equestrian events in the country. The Country Fair offers boutique shopping, great food and fun for the whole family. Proceeds of the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair benefit Bryn Mawr Hospital. For information please call 610-688-2554 or visit www.devonhorseshow.org. Join the Devon Horse Show Facebook page for daily updates.

A fresh face on Manayunk’s Main Street, Molly Cygan’s The Little Apple

A little piece of the O.C. has landed on Manayunk’s Main Street! Entrepreneur and Southern California native Molly Cygan opened The Little Apple boutique in February with an Etsy meets Anthropologie feel to the charming, and now popular, shop. Cygan, a 2006 Berkeley grad who boasts an art history degree, was inspired years ago by her boarding school days at Exeter Academy in New Hampshire. “The seeds were definitely planted when I was at boarding school at Exeter. Here we were-lots of young kids in a small town with disposable cash—but nowhere to spend it. I was determined when I went back for my five year reunion (at Exeter) to start looking into opening a little boutique. And, of course, when I returned the downtown was packed with great shops-so clearly a few other people had the same idea! So, I kind of gave it up at that time but still wanted to pursue opening my own shop when the time was just right,” explained Cygan.

That time came last fall. After Berkeley, Cygan lived in New York City briefly before moving to Philadelphia this past October with her fiancé, who is in medical school at Drexel. (They will be tying the knot at her parent’s house in Cal July 3rd.) It was then that she started to rethink the idea of her own storefront. “I started to check out some spaces around the city and nothing seemed to be a fit. Then, some of my fiancé’s friends suggested that I look into Manayunk and that’s when I found this space on Craig’s List. It needed some serious TLC but I could see the potential,” said Cygan.

The long, bright 900 square foot boutique is directly across from La Colombe coffee and down the corner from the new Saxby’s. It has old world charm accented by Cygan’s terrific sense of style that includes kitschy pick me ups—a fish stapler—to serious home décor accents—a preppy footstool by Main Line designer Chairloom (chairloom.net). The Little Apple boasts a vintage tin ceiling that Cygan had painted white, stain glass accents and gorgeous, original hard wood floors.

The Little Apple is a marvelous retail start-up in Manayunk where you'll find new, vintage and repurposed home goods, unique gifts and cards.

Cygan’s research found the building was built around the civil war and was once a cigar shop with the owner’s home above. Among the shops eclectic and fun mix of items are Lucia Candles, Louella Press stationery, jewelry from local Etsy artist Tree and Kimble, and vintage seltzer bottles. “I feel like the store has something for everyone and I try to find something new to bring in weekly—accessories, kitchen and entertaining accents, hostess gifts. And, my products are affordable, which I think is really important to shoppers these days,” said Cygan.

Once Cygan secured the Manayunk store front, she purchased, and admittedly devoured, Retail for Dummies and sought out advice from key business advisors—who encouraged her to jump start her brand on Twitter and Facebook immediately. “That same night I opened my Twitter account it was instantaneous feedback and interest. And the Facebook page has been active and growing—I am meeting a lot of people through it and they are walking through the door here. Social media is my main source of marketing—and it’s been amazing,” said Cygan.

Shop online with The Little Apple’s online store.

With her pending nuptials about a month away, Molly was inspired to begin a collection of bridal gifts and accents at Little Apple, including the line of flower pins and hairpieces (very SJP!) part of the Etsy store, Cultivar. A recent AML Etsy Phavorite, Cultivar’s line is made from reclaimed fabric and recycled beads. A customer came across the selection of artist Katie’s Reims pins and commissioned her one-of-a-kind bridal hairpiece from Reim. Cygan is considering expanding to a bridal registry for her customers.

For those who can’t make it to Manayunk but want to browse and shop online, Cygan recently launched an online store with her product line (thelittleapple.bigcartel.com) and is developing her website. “There seems to be so much going on in Manayunk right now. Saxby’s just moved in a few stores down and there’s a lot of new retail surrounding me, so I think this is a great space. And, I’m staying open late to accommodate the people who come to Manayunk to dine out after work and need to grab a gift, or who are looking to shop while they are here. It’s a great feeling and I am having a lot of fun with my store,” enthused Cygan.

More Info on The Little Apple

Online Store: thelittleapple.bigcartel.com

Publisher’s Product Pick: Adorable Rose Petal Cake Servers!

Address: 4353 Main Street, Manayunk

Phone: 267-335-4968

Store Hours: Wed through Sat 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday Noon to 5 p.m.

Facebook: The Little Apple

Twitter: TheLilAppleStor

Website: www.thelittleapplestore.com

The very popular Devon Hat Parade, with Horse Show enthusiast and celebrity Caron Kressley as emcee, is on Wednesday, June 2, from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Registration begins at 12:30.

Two top notch exhibitions will add even greater variety to the Devon Horse Show, which already has a huge variety of horses competing, from hunters and jumpers to four-in-hand carriages, Saddlebreds, roadsters and Friesans among others. There will be a reining exhibition by Stacy Westfall on May 28-30, and the beloved Budweiser Clydesdales will perform in exhibition the last four evenings, Wednesday through Saturday, June 2nd through June 5th.

The Devon Horse Show and Country Fair has donated almost $14 million to Bryn Mawr Hospital over the nine decades of their association. It takes the efforts of over 2,000 volunteers, many of whom work year-round and all of whom work hours at the show, to keep the Country Fair ticking along. The Horse Show also has its volunteers, first and foremost Leonard A. King, chairman, and Wade McDevitt, president. But, it also has two professional horse show managers, David Distler and Peter Doubleday, as well as professional judges for its myriad divisions and a very competent office staff, including Amy Davis and Meg Wiederseim, who works year-round, and Kathy Gillmer who works from January through June.

There are 30 sky box holders and 436 box holders, some of whom share a box, and boxes are so prized that they are often handed down, generation to generation. An average of about 100,000 paying spectators attend the show annually, swelling the crowds of owners, riders, trainers and grooms that care for the approximately 1,500 horses that compete at Devon.

DHS opens with Junior weekend, including three days of equitation, hunters, jumpers, ponies and pony breeding classes on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

A number of champions from previous years will be at Devon again this year, including Laura Chapot, who has ridden the Open Jumper Champions and has been Leading Open Jumper Rider for three of the past five years; Scott Stewart, who has had a strangle hold on Leading Hunter Rider for the past six years; Philip Richter, last year’s Amateur Owner Jumper Champion; Reed Kessler, Leading Junior Jumper Rider; and Jessica Springsteen, last year’s Junior Hunter Champion who will show in Junior Jumpers this year.

Preceded by their familiar music, the Clydesdale eight-horse hitch will enter the Dixon Oval for the final four evenings of the horse show, accompanied by their Dalmation dog mascot. The driver will demonstrate how a Budweiser delivery wagon would maneuver in congested streets of old, and back the conveyance up to a loading dock. The docking procedure is followed by the hitch pivoting 180 degrees to pull away from the dock and continuing with its demonstration. The Budweiser Clydesdales will be stabled at the Devon show grounds, and spectators are welcome to visit these gentle giants.

This is the 77th Anniversary of the Budweiser Clydesdales, which were formally introduced to August A. Busch, Sr., and Anheuser-Busch on April 7, 1933 by August A. Busch, Jr., to celebrate the repeal of Prohibition. The first Clydesdales were brought to the United States by Canadians of Scottish descent that used the draft horses on their farms. To qualify for one of the five traveling hitches, a Budweiser Clydesdale must be a gelding at least 3-years-old, standing 18-hands, or six-feet, weighing between 1,800 and 2,300 pounds and be bay in color with four white stockings, a white blaze and a black mane and tail. Each harness and collar weighs 130 pounds, and an entire set is valued at over $54,000.

A blue ribbon at Devon…

Additional Special Events Calendar Devon Horse Show 2010

Family Day, Thursday, May 27th

This is the first of two Family Days for Devon, sponsored by Hartstrings. Children 12 and under will be admitted free and there will be free children’s raffle with drawings throughout the day.

Children’s Day, Saturday, May 29th

A variety of activities are planned in the Pavilion from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Devon Doggie Parade, Monday, May 31st

Children's Day is Saturday, May 29th, with a variety of activities in the Pavilion from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.

The Devon Doggie Parade will be on Monday, May 31 from 2:30 to 4 p.m. It is sponsored by Braxton’s and Wagsworth Manor, and there will be three categories; Look-a-Like, Devon Style, and Doggie Fashionista. A pre-registration event is at Braxton’s on May 22 from 12 to 3 p.m., with pre-registration continuing through May 26.

Family Day and Back Barn Tour, Tuesday, June 1st

The second Family Day is Tuesday, June 1st, featuring reduced prices on certain items.
The Back Barn Tour will be led on Tuesday, June 1, from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. Join in for a very fun “behind-the-scenes” look at Devon!

Devon Hat Parade with Carson Kressley, Wednesday, June 2nd

The very popular Devon Hat Parade, with Devon enthusiast and television personality Carson Kressley as emcee, is on Wednesday, June 2nd, from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Registration begins at 12:30.

FUN FACTS ABOUT DEVON!
DEVON HORSE SHOW AND COUNTRY FAIR 2010

1896: First Devon Horse Show, a one-day show with 30 classes and prize money of $10, $5 and a ribbon

1919: First Country Fair, Devon Horse Show and Country Fair was incorporated, Bryn Mawr Hospital became the beneficiary

1923: Main grandstand built

2009: Paid attendance – 95,134

2009: $320,000 donated to Bryn Mawr Hospital

1919 – 2009: Over $13.8 million donated to Bryn Mawr Hospital

2009 prize money: $400,990

2009: 2,500 horses entered, only those qualifying will show

COUNTRY FAIR FOOD, 2009: 47,557 tea sandwiches, 1,600 pounds of fudge, 11,640 hamburgers sold, 21,600 pounds of potatoes for fries, 9,600 hotdogs

The Devon Horse Show and Country Fair, May 27th to June 6th on Route 30 in Devon, PA benefits the Bryn Mawr Hospital. For additional information, kindly visit their website: www.devonhorseshow.org. For more information on these events, please call 610-525-2533. For ticket information, call 610-688-2554. The ticket office is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to noon. Devon is also selling tickets through TicketLeap, but ticket packages and seats for the Grand Prix Thursday evening will not be sold over the internet in 2010.

The Devon Horse Show and Country Fair is one of the largest and most prestigious outdoor equestrian events in the country.

The Devon Horse Show has been honored with the United States Equestrian Federation’s designation as a USEF Heritage Competition. A historic Pennsylvania equestrian event that has become a part of the fabric of the American horse show scene and a Main Line family tradition, Devon is only the fourth show to receive this honor. Devon opens Thursday, May 27 with a full day of equitation in the Dixon Oval and pony breeding in the Gold Ring. Children 12 and under will be admitted free on opening day, courtesy of Hartstrings, a locally headquartered children’s clothing company.

The Devon Horse Show and Country Fair, May 27th to June 6th, benefits the Bryn Mawr Hospital, to which it has donated almost $14 million. New footing in the Dixon Oval at Devon has been installed by Equestrian Services International, which has provided the footing for the 2008 Olympics in Hong Kong, and jumper riders are thrilled with it. A Devon favorite is Laura Chapot, who has ridden the Open Jumper Champion for three of the past five years and has also been Leading Open Jumper Rider three of the past five years. Chapot is bringing a new grand prix horse to Devon this year, Tsarin, a mare she got only recently in Europe. Chapot is bringing three additional horses, Bradbury, Valentia and Chili Pepper as well as a couple of young horses for the Five-Year Old, Six-Year-Old and Seven/Eight-Year-Old sections which will compete Tuesday and Wednesday, June 1st and June 2nd. Open Jumpers compete Tuesday May 31 through Saturday, June 5.

The Country Fair offers boutique shopping, great food and fun for the whole family-including the famous Devon Ferris wheel. Proceeds of the Devon Horse Show benefit Bryn Mawr Hospital.

Philip Richter returns to the Devon Horse Show to defend his championship on Glasgow in Amateur Owner Jumpers on Friday and Saturday, June 4 and 5. Richter qualified two horses to show in the Amateur Owner section, the returning champion Glasgow and Ray Ray. Glasgow is a former grand prix jumper who was campaigned very successfully by Norman Dello Joio that Richter has been riding for three years. “Riding Glasgow in High Amateurs is like taking a machine gun to a quail hunt,” said Richter. “He knows he’s so talented. He’s a real athlete and a real competitor, but he’s always a gentleman. He always tries to win.”

DHS opens with Junior weekend, including three days of equitation, hunters, jumpers, ponies and pony breeding classes on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Junior hunters and jumpers and ponies compete Friday and Saturday, May 28th and May 29th, and the Carriage Pleasure Drive opens a week of adult competition on Sunday May 30th, arriving at the Dixon Oval at 2 p.m., followed by Pony Jumpers Sunday evening. Hunters compete Monday through Wednesday, June 1st through June 3rd, with Side Saddle featured Wednesday afternoon, and Saddlebreds, harness ponies, fine harness, Friesians, roadsters and coaching begin Wednesday, June 2nd. Breeding classes take over Thursday, June 3rd followed by “Devon at Sunset” at 4:30, featuring the piece de resistance of the Devon Horse Show, the $100,000 Grand Prix at 8 p.m. on Thursday night.

The beloved Budweiser Clydesdales will perform in exhibition the last four evenings of the Devon Horse Show, Wednesday through Saturday, June 2th through June 5th.

The Open Jumper’s Gambler’s Choice is Friday evening, June 4th, at 7:30 p.m., and the $50,000 Idle Dice Open Jumper Stake, followed by the awarding of the Championship and the Leading Rider title are the last classes Saturday evening, June 5th. The $25,000 Hunter Derby, competed for in a two round format, begins at 10 a.m., Sunday, June 6th. There will be a reining exhibition by Stacy Westfall on May 28-30, and the beloved Budweiser Clydesdales will perform in exhibition the last four evenings, Wednesday through Saturday, June 2nd through June 5th .

For the first time, fans of the Devon Horse Show & Country Fair will be able to purchase tickets online. TicketLeap, the nation’s fastest growing online ticketing company, has partnered with Devon to power their ticketing for the 2010 show, which begins on May 27th and runs through June 6th. Meg Wiederseim, Ticket Chairman of the Devon Horse Show & Country Fair, shared her thoughts about the partnership. “We are very excited to be offering customers an online ticket purchasing option this year. TicketLeap, a local Philadelphia company, has provided us excellent customer support, and we look forward to a long relationship with them.”

Tickets can be purchased online at www.thedevonhorseshow.org or by visiting devonhorseshow.ticketleap.com. All major credit cards are accepted for online transactions from both sites. Fans that purchase tickets online for any event over the course of the horse show will benefit from the opportunity to bypass the lines at the Gate.

Fashion at Devon is such a big part of the horse show culture. The Devon Hat Day continues, with emcee Carson Kressley, on Wednesday, June 2, from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Registration begins at 12:30.

The Country Fair has redesigned and rebuilt some of its most public spaces, including the Garden Café Pavilion, the Souvenir and the Candy booths, expanded the picnic grove and renovated the interior of the Art Gallery. The Country Fair offers boutique shopping for sportswear, often appliquéd with a horse, dog or fox design, gorgeous hats, boots, beautiful gold and silver jewelry, again often with an equestrian design, paintings and prints, leather goods, collectibles and souvenirs.

Food to tempt any and all palates ranges from gourmet dining in the Garden Cafe to hot dogs and hamburgers and the famous Devon tea sandwiches, Devon fudge and lemon sticks.
Rides and games line the west end of the Fair and include the Ferris wheel, merry-go-round and all kinds of fun games with prizes. For ticket information, call 610-688-2554. The ticket office is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to noon. General admission is $8 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under and seniors 65 and over. Ticket packages and seats for the Grand Prix Thursday evening will not be sold over the internet in 2010.

The Devon Horse Show and Country Fair is one of the largest and most prestigious outdoor equestrian events in the country. The Country Fair offers boutique shopping, great food and fun for the whole family. Proceeds of the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair benefit Bryn Mawr Hospital. For information please call 610-688-2554 or visit www.devonhorseshow.org. Join the Devon Horse Show Facebook page for daily updates.