Tag Archives: butterfly chair

A Mother’s Day Memory

I have one vivid memory of a Mother’s Day when I was about 10.  I was starting to experiment with cooking (this phase didn’t last very long) and I had perfected my Egg Foo Young recipe.  I was going to cook this for Mother’s Day breakfast.  I carefully picked out all the ingredients.  I made up a fancy menu which I presented to Mom who was going to get her breakfast in bed feast.  I fried up the onions.  I peeled the shrimp.  The aroma was wafting throughout the apartment.   I had a tray with a flower on it.  I happily presented the delicious meal to Mom.  The only problem was that she had the stomach flu and the smell of it cooking was making her even sicker and the sight of it was even worse.  But she happily accepted my gift and only told me years later that she was ready to run to the bathroom to throw it all up.  Even sick as a dog, she made me feel so special and absolutely loved.

Happy Mother’s Day to you all.  And that includes all of us who do not have children, but instead have chosen the furrier variety!

And as an aside, if  you are going to the National Stationery Show at Javits Center in NYC, please stop by the Hester and Cook Kitchen Papers booth where the Hilda Glasgow line will be on display.  Booth 2844.  See you there!

A Shared Birthday

Times

Mom was an avid crossword puzzler.  Or possibly fanatic would be a better word. She did the Sunday NY Times puzzle in ink. For those of you not in the NY area, this is the pinnacle of crosswords.  It’s a Sunday thing to sit down with some coffee and a pen (or pencil for those not quite so bold) and spend the day happily toiling over the squares and clues.

Much to my surprise, I found out that Mom and her beloved crossword puzzles had something in common – their birthday was one day apart.  She was born December 22, 1913 in Brooklyn and it was first published in the New York World (in New York as well) December 21 of the same year.  It’s their 100th birthday!  Mom was the 3rd daughter of Lazar and Cilka Richman (originally Reichman) and crossword (originally word-cross, changed because of a type setter’s error) was the baby of Arthur Wynne.  As an aside, Mr. Wynne asked his publisher if he should copyright the game, but was discouraged from doing this as his boss figured it was a passing fad. Let me point out that the New York World no longer exists…

In 1924,  a couple of recent Columbia University grads, Dick Simon and Lincoln Schuster, decided to publish a book of crosswords at the urging of Mr. Simon’s aunt.  And the rest is history.  In that same year, Mom was reading books like Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice.  It’s unknown if she owned the crossword book.

The crossword became so popular, that commuter rail lines had dictionaries in every car. There was a Broadway show called “Puzzles of 1925”. And the roaring 20’s wild style lead to inventive dresses with the puzzle as their fabric.  I think Mom would have loved this dress!il_340x270.419428205_oj53

 

The puzzles live on as do Mom’s beautiful drawings.  I know people are enjoying them both.  Happy 100th Birthday to Mom and Crosswords!

Celebrate Hilda’s Big Day

Mom and me baby bw011-Edit

August 4, 1958, Hilda was in Doctor’s Hospital on the Upper East Side of Manhattan giving birth to me, her only child. She was almost 45 years old and had been married 20 years. She decided she wanted a child and had no worries that there would be any problems. Nowadays, this is a much more common occurrence, but 55 years ago, it was almost unheard of. Mom was a ground breaker in many ways.

I can’t believe that I am 55 years old.  In my mind, I’m 25 years younger.  And people say that I don’t look my age, whatever 55 is supposed to look like.  But I do know that the excitement and success of having this new business makes me feel like I shouldn’t be getting the Senior discount at the supermarket.  Thanks Mom, for keeping me young!  You still are taking care of me.

Sandy c. 1957

Sandy c. 1957

Sandy circa 1957 is one of my very favorite drawings.  I just love her outfit!  You all give me  a gift every time I hear how much you love Mom’s work, so for my birthday present to you, from August 3 thru 5, a 9×12 Limited Edition Print of Sandy will be on sale for $37.50.  She’s 50% off!  I want everyone to be able to have her hanging in their boudoir.

Sandy is printed on a heavyweight fine art paper called BFK Rives, mimicking the look and feel of the original.  She is numbered and her name and date are hand written in the corner.  “The White Cabinet” seal is also embossed on the page to ensure that your have the real thing.

Thanks everyone.  I think this is going to be one of the best birthdays ever!

My New Favorites!

I’m just back from the AmericasMart Gift Show in Atlanta where we introduced a few new products and they are also my new favorites.

Round Placemat

Round Placemat

Of course when you arrive at the party, the table is set.  Then for your second course, the plate is removed and there your have a surprise and a visit from Cyd in her butterfly. This is a tear off pad of 25 sheets.

New Gift Wrap

New Gift Wrap

I wonder what the gals are talking about!  This is our new gift wrap that measures 22″x28″ and comes in rolls of 2 sheets.  I love this design because with the variation of so many drawings, one sheet can create several different package looks.

Me and Marilyn

Me and Marilyn

Here I am posing with Marilyn.  She’s a decal made by Flavor Paper, the creator of the custom Trés Chic wallpaper.  I LOVE HER!!  Right now, she’s for display only, but you never know…  And on the right are our new small prints of Jeanne, Cyd and Sandy.  Different from the limited edition reproductions that I feature on my site,  they’re a very affordable way to have Hilda’s ladies hanging on your wall.

What do you think?  I’d love to know.

Thanks Angie, Dale, Robbie and everyone at Kitchen Papers who are making my dream come to life.

Who Were They and Where are These Drawings?

I know I’ve gotten a slow start, but I am now understanding the Pinterest addiction.  It’s my new museum, wandering the halls looking at beautiful images and never leaving my home.  Whether that’s entirely good is another story…  Of course, I wandered over to the Fashion Illustration Gallery and what outstanding images I found.

101b00831208af8c0a452984dde2fa2c 17291-robert-piguet-cape-1949-blossac-fashion-illustration-hprints-com

c3d28973cf17342127795294e24913bf

35bef6faf5c8204db2c534cc5d6dfb2e51fa8fa2b2ab64d2a04a6a5e5204b224

How great are all these?  And all anonymous.  For all I know  maybe one is Mom’s.  I hope there are other children and grand children out there who are rediscovering all these wonderful works of art before they get lost to the wind.

And now onto the next gallery. What will it be? – Great Designers or maybe, just for a smile, Cute Baby Animals.  This is the best museum!

Everyday is Mother’s Day for Me

Mom and Me circa 1992

Mom married Bernie Glasgow in 1938.  She was 25.  Dad was a painter and it was decided that they weren’t going to have kids.  She was fine with this. They had a great life together, enjoying work,  travel, friends and family.  But after almost 20 years, she decided she had changed her mind and I guess Dad agreed.  She was about 44 and had trouble conceiving. They went through all the tests available in 1957.  Not much more could be done.  So, just like she always did, she looked forward to a different adventure.  They bought a car and were planning a trip to Mexico and then… You know the rest. I was born August 4, 1958 and she was turning 45 in December.  I asked her if she ever had reservations about having a child so late in life, and a first child at that.  She said no.  She just knew it was going to be fine.  And it was. More than fine.

This whole experience of The White Cabinet has been an ode to my Mom.  How I miss her.  Thank you everyone for your comments, encouragement and memories of your own mothers.  Some people have told me that my story has inspired them to honor their Mom’s in their own way. I never thought that this would affect so many people.  It’s extraordinary.  Now onward to year 3 of this amazing journey.  I can’t imagine what lies ahead.

The White Cabinet + Kitchen Papers = Simply Divine!

Kitchen Papers Showroom in Atlanta

Kitchen Papers Showroom in Atlanta

We are so excited to finally be able to announce our new partnership with Hester & Cook Design Group aka Kitchen Papers, Cake Vintage and Knobstoppers.  Together, we have created The Hilda Glasgow Collection.  Our notecards are now (mostly) tall and slender just like the models and we are also offering note pads, place mats, napkins and invitations… just to start.  I met Dale Laurence at the LA Gift Show and he thought we’d be a perfect match. At first, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to share the gals, but quickly realized that Dale, Angie, Robbie and their whole team were a dream come true for me.

We launched the new line at AmericasMart in Atlanta last week.  It’s the largest gift show in the country and they have  permanent showroom there.  Over 200 stores placed order and now we are on to the NY International Gift Fair and then to other shows in the States and abroad.  Mom always liked trying to be a matchmaker when I was single without success. I preferred to handle that on my own.  However, I feel she’s still working it out there somewhere and  finally found the right match for us now and I couldn’t be happier.  For this, I’ll gratefully take her help!

The White Cabinet website will be on vacation until mid February when we will have all the new products for sale.  Here are some  snaps of the new line and our new friends.

Our beautiful display!

Our beautiful display

Lingerie Party Invitation

Lingerie Party Invitation

Bridal Show Invitation

Bridal Show Invitation

Party Invitation

Party Invitation

Napkins

Napkins

Skinny Notes

Skinny Notes

Note Pad

Note Pad

Angie and her team - Taylor, Kari, Natalie, Courtney, Meg and Katie

Angie (center) and her team – Taylor, Kari, Natalie, Courtney, Meg and Katie

So here’s to the beginning of the next phase.  it’s been about 2 1/2 years since the first thought of showing off these drawings again.  Now we are in close to 300 stores in the US, Great Britain, Japan and Australia.  Unbelievable!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The National Stationery Show! We’re a Hit!

This year was the year to step up the business.  I dove in, like I always do, and reserved a booth at The National Stationery Show, the premiere show in the country for paper goods.  The fact that I had never done anything like this before was intimidating, but with some chutzpah and a lot of help from family, old buddies and new paper friends via Trade Show Bootcamp, I can officially say that The White Cabinet and Hilda’s drawings were a smash hit.

We had a very small booth which served it’s purpose beautifully. Lloyd Stone at Manny Stone Decorators built it and he had the great idea to add that little extra corner to our space.  That made all the difference.  I love Lloyd! If you ever do a Javits Show, he’s the man to go to for all the booth details.

Just getting started

My husband Jim came to help me.  He’s 6’4″, so any high stuff that needed to be done, he accomplished.  The Javits Center is sometimes very strict about you using ladders.

Tall Jim and short me

And somehow it all came together like magic.  I had envisioned a recreation of Mom’s studio.  There wasn’t much room, but I brought her drawing table and a couple of other pieces.  And in the end, it did have the feeling of a room rather than a booth.

Getting there

and finally…

Ta dah!!

Believe it or not, this was 5 months in the planning, 100’s of hours of work and  2 days of non stop setting up at Javits to pull it together.  But it was all worth it.

Sunday at 9am the doors open and from then until Wednesday at 12pm, 11,000 people walked thru to discover the most beautiful paper products in the country. I really had no idea what to expect.  I decided not to set my expectations too high as I wanted to avoid disappointment.  Instead, the show exceeded all of my dreams.

My best friend Lisa Pines came to help on Sunday.  She and I go way back to when we were 3 and 4. Our mothers were friends. In fact, I stayed at Paula Pines’ (mother of Lisa) apartment. The booth was packed and we were selling!  Stores from California to New York to Florida, Dallas, Milwaukee were buying the products.  And then Jack Haro tapped me on the shoulder.  Jack was my liason with the GLM Group that manages the show.  I thought he was coming by to say hi, but instead, he announced that we had won 1st place in the Eco Chic Category of the New Product Competition for our and Flavor Paper’s Tres Chic Gift Wrap!  A trophy, a blue ribbon, photographers, reporters quoting me.  Now I know how Meryl Streep feels.

Tres Chic on display with the other winners

Posing for the photographers with Jack. It’s nice to be on the other side of the camera for a change!

Tres Chic Gift Wrap

And the next day, there we were in Stationery Today. Can you believe this?

Picture and a quote!

It couldn’t get much better, but then it did.  I was approached by reps, museums, and many many companies who were interested in licensing the images.  I really thought I was having a great dream.

My friend Emily Lyon helped me on day two and three.  By day two, my ankles had turned into cankles.  Standing on cement for 9 hours a day really takes it out of you. But it was exhilerating and exhausting at the same time.  I had visions of walking from Paula’s apartment on 8th street to Javits every day by way of Highline Park.  That only happened on Saturday and it was beautiful.

Highline Park Saturday morning

But in the end, I was happy to flop into a cab and rest my weary bones.

What an extraordinary experience.  Mom’s work will be seen nationwide and perhaps in Europe as well. (A store in London wants samples.) They LOVED it all. Every bit of it.  I wish she were here to see it all, but I have a feeling that she has helped to orchestrate the whole thing.  I’ve never worked so hard in my life, but everything fell into place perfectly.  I think Mom would have gotten a kick out of people enjoying her work, but I think what would have really made her happy was seeing her daughter enjoying every moment of this new adventure.

So Many New Things

We’ve been busy. Sorry I haven’t posted sooner.

Our first year exhibiting at The National Stationery Show is coming up soon.  May 20-23 – Javits Center NYC. Booth 1871. Be there or be square.

Flavor Paper and I have teamed up to create Trés Chic Gift Wrap.  A collage of over 30 drawings spanning 4 decades of fashion. How cool is this?

Little rubber stamps of Hildas work

so you can create things like this

I wish everyone could be having as much fun as I am!  I’ll update you all about the show in my next post.

This Girl Meets That Girl

When I was a kid, one of my favorite TV shows was That Girl, created by and starring Marlo Thomas.  Her character, Ann Marie, was an aspiring actress in her twenties, who moves to New York to find herself.  Of course she had the boyfriend, but this show’s focus was on a young woman trying enthusiastically to fulfill her dreams of becoming an actress.  If those of  you reading are in their early thirties or younger, you might say “big deal”, but in those years (the series aired from 1966-71), this was a groundbreaking concept to be shown on primetime television. It helped show a generation of girls that there were a lot of choices out there for us. Yes, we could even aspire to have out own apartment, even if it drove our fathers crazy! (New York was more affordable in those days ;-)) It was a comedy, so Ann Marie got herself into some wacky situations, almost always wearing the most fabulous mod clothing of the time.  She was cool. She was us in a few years.

I’ve always admired Marlo (I hope she doesn’t mind being on a first name basis), her work and her active role in the feminist movement, so you can only imagine my surprise when I got a call from Lori Weiss, one of Marlo’s producers for her Huffington Post website MarloThomas.com where women can go to find articles and information on health, career, relationships and  reinventing themselves over age 40.  Lori told me that they were starting a series called “It Ain’t Over Til It’s Over” about women like me who had changed their perspective on themselves mid stream and struck out on a new path. She wanted to include my story of The White Cabinet.  So this week is my turn.  I tell her every time I read one of her stories, I have to bring out the tissues. So be forewarned. Please share it and the other stories with everyone you know.  They are very inspiring.  I’m honored to be a part of it.