Alana - The Grandest of Openings

It's all kinda a blur - it went so smoothly, the time just evaporated before our eyes.  We planned our Grand Opening celebration for Joyce's new store in grandest style, and the attendance and positive support were phenomenal.  Models and music and food and fun.  More on the clothes at Joyce's department - Alanatude.blogspot.com.  We're going to try to feature something every day, so keep checking it.  If you subscribe to Joyce's posts on Facebook, the daily entries are echoed there as well.  There are still some technical issues with duplicate posts. Patience please.

There were a few things that didn't get done - we had no phone line for credit card processing or talking to the outside world.  And a certain Demon Valve was not working - parts did not arrive in time ....

Joyce's friend Greg from Wild Flour Bakery gave us a wonderful assortment of cookies, muffins, and Danish rolls.  And at two o'clock on Sunday, April 10, 2011,  two days before Joyce's birthday, it began with music:

Bette Larson started off the entertainment in the common atrium with her sophisticated piano and vocal sparkle.   That's her friend Jim Henderson in the safari helmet.  He did a few vaudeville numbers with Bette, to the delight of the ever-growing audience.

Nathan Qi, who has been doing recitals at our studio at the age of 8, performed selections by Chopin, Bach, and Beethoven.  It is amazing - this was his first concert on an electronic keyboard, and he was superb.

And our dear friend Jude Kinnear serenaded us for an hour.  Cutting-edge original pieces delivered with an intimacy that sounds like it's coming from inside your own head.  And she re-discovers classics - from the Monkees to the Moody Blues, she brings new aspects to familiar old pieces.  And my favorite - her heart-rending version of Baby It's You!


Then, of course, there were the in-store activities, which only Joyce could preside over.  Men kind of avoided that part of the Skylight Court. "You just go look, Honey - I'll stay out here and listen to the music and have a cookie."   Yes, it was a veritable feeding frenzy in there - not for the timid.

And the models had fun with Joyce's fashion discoveries:

Winston the Dog barked in the front door, but he didn't come inside.  Thanks for coming, Winston. He went for a walk with A.L., his Dad, while Momma shopped.

More reports on the Grand Opening in weeks to come - we've got so many fond memories, photos, and videos to share.  I know Alana will be a big success.  Thank you, Joyce, for bringing all the good times to life

Thanks for listening and contributing. I'd love to hear from you.