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| Glittering Tree toppers at Wendy Addison's studio Theatre of Dreams |
A cold, clear holiday weekend, and what better way to enjoy the beauty of the San Francisco Bay Area than to escape the city and have a short adventure to Port Costa? It's been far too long since I last visited Wendy Addison's studio, and today the Theatre of Dreams is open!
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| Theatre of Dreams holiday shop in Port Costa; Bob's roasted nuts being sold outside |
Port Costa is a charming little place on the Carquinez Straight, at the end of a windy canyon road, and it's utterly beautiful in a frozen-in-time kind of way. And today it was nearly freezing so the Maestro and I began with a warming drink at the Warehouse Café, which in the summer is usually full of bikers, but was at that hour perfectly deserted. Then we went to visit the shop, which is housed in an old flat-front Victorian with a double wrap-around porch.
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| inside the Theatre of Dreams |
Inside the Theatre of Dreams is dark and twinkling with glitter ornaments, gift boxes, and mysterious shadows. Wendy's creations are made from antique ribbon, old sheet music, German glass glitter, letter-pressed phrases, vintage ephemera. Her work is as much about atmosphere and memory as it is about tactile beauty. Visiting her studio is a wonderful and inspiring experience.
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| a small diorama by Wendy Addison |
For a couple of weekends just after Thanksgiving, the Theatre of Dreams is open as a holiday shop.
Of course we ran into our old friend Kathleen Crowley there, another creative spirit and maker of beautiful things whose studio is in just downstream in Crockett. Weren't we supposed to make tiaras and just start wearing them all the time?
We lingered admiring the glittering décor and another warming drink at the Warehouse, and then wandered across the street to the refashioned Bull Valley Roadhouse for some excellent comfort food.
More nostalgia: more photos of the Theatre of Dreams in this previous post (2011) Cirque de Nöel.
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| A paper memento mori and Halloween gift boxes |
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| gift boxes displayed under the watchful shadow of a large faerie. |
The Theatre of Dreams annual holiday open house
Friday-Sunday November 27-29 and December 5-7
#11 Canyon Lake Drive, Port Costa, California
#11 Canyon Lake Drive, Port Costa, California
(510) 672-1900
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| a piano vignette inside the Bull Valley Roadhouse |
all photos in this post by Lynne Rutter - click to view larger
Thank you! I have been an admirer of Theatre of Dreams since your Cirque de Noel post. Her work is definitely inspirational....thanks for the great photos!
ReplyDeletethanks! I hope to get back over there next weekend too
DeleteI received a post card invitation in the mail that the event is also Fri, Sat, Sun Dec 11, 12, 13, 2015 10am-7pm. Are these dates and times accurate?
ReplyDelete