Monthly Newsletter: May 2022 (No. 4)
Thank you for joining us here at Our Technicolor Life!
This is the fourth newsletter and monthly feature highlighting upcoming events, happenings, and general news of all channels of Our Technicolor Life.
We have a lot of new subscribers and we wanted to welcome everyone and thank you for following us! For those new to Our Technicolor Life, we are a husband-and-wife team that lives a vintage lifestyle and has a passion for the arts. We entertain, sing, travel, create, and host tea parties out of our historic home. Follow along each channel - tea, travel, entertainment, art, lifestyle, and more that make up Our Technicolor Life.
TEA
Our garden ought to look pretty good in May with all of the showers we hosted in April! At least by proxy right? We hosted several bridal showers this past month through our private party bookings for celebrations at The Old Capitol Tea Room. We host private parties for groups of 10 or more weekday or weekends based on schedule availability. Our private parties are a great way to have the full tea room experience with your family and friends. We frequently host bridal showers, baby showers, birthdays, book clubs, church meetings, appreciation celebrations, or just an excuse to play tea party with your own group.
If you are interested in more information about our private parties, please visit our private party information page where we've spent a lot of time and effort to make sure we've got all the details for you. It's also has many pictures & videos of previous private parties so you can see the set up.
Private parties are not themed like our public tea parties but a chance for you to host a special occasion or celebration with friends and family. If you would like your tea party themed, we have limited themes available as an add on package. *Sorry, we do not offer Murder Mystery or Grinch private parties.
To schedule a private party, please fill out our private party form and we will check the schedule for availability.
Our next private party availability starts in August. April, May, June, and July available weekends have all been booked. You can see dates that have already been booked on our handy dandy Upcoming Events calendar. As we move along into the Fall & Winter season, we have many themes scheduled for the months October - December. If you are interested in hosting a private party during October-December, we are offering weekday and weeknight bookings. Weekends during October-December are scheduled for our numerous seasonal and Holiday events. Stay tuned to our Upcoming Events page as we will begin sharing dates for the rest of the season. Tickets will not be on sale at this point but you’ll have save the dates and information when tickets go on sale.
April saw the return of fan favorite, our Be Our Guest Tea Party. The house was full of Belles…SO many beautiful Belles. And…a Beast. We love hosting this event even if the Beast is all paws when it comes to helping serve the tea. Check out all of the adorable Belles!
We also saw the return of our Murder Mystery tea parties and after a two year hiatus from our interactive murder mysteries, we are thrilled to be hosting a new and improved murder mystery format. In April, we hosted our Not A Clue Murder Mystery. It was such a lively and entertaining crowd that took lots of detailed notes in helping to solve the murder and provided lots of laughs as well. Our next Murder Mystery, Murder at the Capitol Club Friday June 15th is sold out but we’ll announce our August date soon.
If you are interested in booking one of our Murder Mystery Shows, we are now offering Murder Mystery Bookings. These bookings are for the interactive murder mystery show and cast. Host a Murder Mystery Party and book the Old Capitol Crew of actors to turn your average get-together into an unforgettable experience everyone can be a part of. Your murder mystery party is a themed event where your guests dress up to match an era or a genre. We will perform our Murder Mystery Show while you and your guests work together to solve a fictitious murder which will occur during the party. We come to you and our murder mystery parties are an immersive experience. We arrive fully costumed and you are encouraged to do the same! We provide additional props, music, & clothing pertaining to the Mystery. Perfect for corporate events, team building events, large celebrations, & civic groups.
You’ll witness and participate in our Murder Mystery Q&A session with our lead detective and see if you can solve the murder. For pricing and booking availability, please email theoldcapitoltearoom@gmail.com. Travel fees may apply.
May, June, & most of July is sold out for our public tea events. We currently have 3 tables available for our Moulin Rouge themed tea party featuring LIVE music by the Tin Pan Alley Cats Friday July 29th at 7pm. Get your tickets here.
We also have tables for new theme, Moulin Rouge Friday July 29th at 7pm featuring live music by the Tin Pan Alley Cats and of course some favorite songs from the movie, Moulin Rouge. A great excuse to dress up and have tea in the green fairy lounge.
Tables are first come, first served. Simply click on the event you'd like to attend, select your table, and add to cart where you will be prompted to check out. The tables are on a time limit so they will not stay in your cart past 20 minutes. You may need to refresh the event page if there are multiple guests checking out. Please check out promptly when purchasing your table.
Just a reminder that all tickets for our public themed teas are now being sold in the form of table sales. Prices are still the same as they always have been but the system has been streamlined so now you can...
1) See and directly purchase tables for public teas events available at all times.
2) Have more advanced notice for when public tea parties are being hosted.
3) Select your table.
ALL TICKET SALES ARE FINAL UPON PURHCASE. NO EXCEPTIONS.
TRAVEL
Granville, TN. Annual Mayberry-Lucy Festival
We had another great Mayberry-Lucy Day festival in Historic Granville, Tennessee! It was SO cold the entire day, UNTIL the final event and then the winds died down and the sun actually came out! Still, in spite of the rain, wind and the cold, it was fun day reconnecting with friends and making new ones!
(BTW, it took a whole bottle of Vitameatavegamin to thaw out.)
It was an honor bringing a little Lucy love to the event!
Our Friday night included dinner with some of the invited guests including Keith Thibodeaux. Keith and his wife, Kathy, are just two of the kindest and warmest people you will ever meet. Keith, of course, played Little Ricky on I Love Lucy and Johnny Paul on The Andy Griffith Show.
Check out our shop to get some Not So Long Trailer merch! We have keychains, hand painted shoes, postcards, stickers, tote bags, Fab Four peg dolls, our Lucy & Desi combo pack of looseleaf teas, and more!
And…on the way home. We finally stopped!! I can’t even count the number of times we have driven by Dinosaur World on I-65 at the Cave City exit in Kentucky - always talking about stopping by, but never taking the time to do so.
This time we did!! And, I have got to say, we both were highly impressed with this kitschy roadside attraction. There are a LOT of really cool dinosaurs! Their website boasts over 150 life-size replicas. We didn’t count. But, there are a LOT!
We paid $30 as a couple and totally feel like we got our money’s worth! If you have kids that are dino-crazy, you need to make the trip! AND, there are three in the US! There is a Dinosaur World in both TX (Glen Rose) and Florida (Plant City), in addition to the one in Cave City, KY.
The Cave City location is open daily (except Thanksgiving and Christmas) from 8:30-5 CST.
In the words of Jimmy JJ Walker, it is Dino-mite!
Wild Lights at the Zoo
Every now and then, we actually get a night for an honest to goodness “date” night!
We had a great dinner at Varanese in Louisville and then headed over to the zoo for their “Wild Lights” lantern display! This traveling larger-than-life display is amazing!! The display is open to the public Thursday thru Sunday nights from 6:30-11:30. The lantern art is so rich in color and light and features insects and animals from all around the work. Tickets are $20/age 3 & up. Two and under are free. Parking is an additional charge of $6.
We had been waiting for things to warm up a bit before going and when we purchased the tickets (advance tickets are necessary) we thought surely it would be warmer. Not really. But, we still had a great time and absolutely loved walking the zoo under the full Pink Moon.
The display runs thru June 5 at the Louisville Zoo.
Keeneland
Springtime in Kentucky means flowers are blooming, sun is out, and it’s time to get ready for the greatest 2 minutes in sports with the Kentucky Derby! My family and I have been going to Churchill Downs ever since I was a baby and I’ve loved it ever since. Sure the space and facility has changed over the years but the magic of seeing the horses and being in the history of such legends still remains.
While we await the opening of Churchill Downs for their spring meet, we try to steal a couple of days away at the gorgeous Keeneland racetrack in Lexington, KY. Founded by horseman and opened in October of 1936, Keeneland has been unique in the Thoroughbred industry.
Keeneland Race Course has conducted live race meets in April and October since 1936. The 15-day spring meet is one of the richest in North America, with fifteen graded stakes races featuring the Blue Grass Stakes, a prep race for the Kentucky Derby. The 17-day fall meet features seventeen graded stakes races, six of which are Grade One events used as Breeders' Cup preps.
Keeneland takes pride in maintaining racing traditions; it was the last track in North America to broadcast race calls over its public-address system, not doing so until 1997. Most of the racing scenes of the 2003 movie Seabiscuit were shot at Keeneland, in part because of the track's "retro feel".[Keeneland was also used in the 2005 movie Dreamer and the 2010 movie Secretariat for several key scenes, including the running of the Belmont Stakes where the horse completes the Triple Crown.
New Orleans
We are SO excited to be visiting New Orleans again!! We were supposed to have been here in 2020 for Jeff’s railroad conference, but COVID struck. After two years of cancellations, the conference is finally happening…and we are HERE!!
AND, we just happen to be here during the city’s annual JazzFest, which also has new life after COVID. I’m not gonna lie, I overpacked. Like BIGTIME. Jeff made the mistake (his admission) of telling me that I could (overpack) since we weren’t camping and that the Jeep had plenty of room without all our other normal camping gear. So, hey, if you are going to give me the green light, you better believe I am going to take it!
These are pics from our first and second days in “The Big Easy”: getting settled in our AirBnB on Algiers Point, taking the ferry across to The French Quarter, exploring a bit of the city, dinner then beignets at Cafe’ Du Monde! We spent a week in NOLA so more pictures will be coming in our next newsletter.
ENTERTAINMENT
It’s funny how things work out sometimes, especially in Our Technicolor Life! We first visited this museum in French Lick, IN earlier this year. A friend had told us about the museum and the expansive circus diorama that was on display. That’s all I needed to hear to know that this museum was going to be a favorite of ours. And then this month were booked to play their annual fundraiser - 20s style. The Tin Pan Alley Cats helped put some “swing” into their “Flapper & Dappers” fundraising event at the historic French Lick American Legion. A hundred years ago, the “Legion” was originally a gambling hall called The Elite Cafe’.
AND, they have a “Circus Day” event coming up in June on the 25th! French Lick is more than just the home of basketball legend Larry Bird, it is the home of Pluto Water and this delightful museum! Thank you for inviting us to perform!
What great fun with our most recent Tin Pan Alley Cats do The Limbo in Louisville!!
Thank you to those who came and hung out with us! You guys were awesome!!
We look forward to our next monthly mini-concert at The Limbo on May 25! Live music 8-10pm. The theme that night will be “Chicago”! We’ll be featuring music from that movie throughout our two-hour set. So, get dressed up in your flapper or dapper best and come join us for what promises to be another fun evening! You can tune into our LIVE that was streamed on Facebook. #tinpanalleycats
The Limbo is the coolest tiki bar experience with delectable cocktails, live entertainment, incredible decor, pinball machines galore, and will transport you to another worldly paradise. Oh, and did we mention, Graham, the bartender makes delicious cocktails! Seriously!
Located in downtown Louisville at 411 West Chestnut Street, we'll see you next month. Stay tuned for next month's theme but save the date for Wednesday April 27th 8-10pm!
Rosie & the Rockabillies are back to regular rehearsals in preparation for our spring and summer festival lineup. Check out the upcoming events on the home page for full line up of festivals and performances. We added a few more dates in June so check out that upcoming events page. In the meantime, here's a sneak peek of band rehearsal the other night.
Son of a Preacher Man
We also have several bookings of our Lucy & Desi Tribute Show in May! Our I Love Lucy Tribute to Lucy & Desi whole show includes video clips, sound clips, live skits and songs fully costumed in multiple iconic “I Love Lucy” outfits. The show is 55 minutes and also includes meet & greet and photos if desired. We are based out of the Southern Indiana area but do travel with our show and other entertainment offerings based on schedule availability. Limited weekday availability for outside the Louisville/Southern Indiana area. We start booking for travel, teas, festivals, gigs, and other bookings in January. If you are interested in booking one of our entertainment services (Tin Pan Alley Cats, Rosie & the Rockabillies, Lucy & Desi Tribute Show, The Music That Helped Win the War) please fill out our booking form. Travel fees apply based on location and date/time(s). We will check schedule availability with pricing available upon request.
Booking Form:
ART
The 148th Run for the Roses are just a week away. It was a whirlwind of flowers, tulle, ribbons, bows, and feather galore in my studio this past month! After a two year hiatus making Oaks and Derby hats (other than for myself) it is so nice to be making hats and fascinators again. I've been making hats for the last 8 years and this year was one for the books! Here are some of my recent hat creations!
I also managed to fit in a mural during all of the Derby festivities! Our good friends are expecting their first baby boy this spring and wanted to have the nursery painted in a colorful under the sea theme with some of their favorite sea creatures! This mural took two days and 14 hours to complete.
This month also brought in some very cool commissions for custom painted nesting dol.ls. These sets were a lot of fun to paint with all the bright colors! I paint a lot of different themes and sets of nesting dolls so if you have something in mind, please just send me a message about what kind of nesting doll set you would like. I have more examples of past work on my Maiden.Kentucky business page and Esty shop.
LIFESTYLE
Thirty-three years ago April 26th, we lost our beloved Lucy. I was only two at the time, so I have no remembrance of that day. But, I discovered some video tapes while staying at my grandma’s house one day when I was six. I would stay there after school while my parents worked. They were videos of I Love Lucy. I became infatuated. I watched them over and over and over again - for years. I remember when we had something like a “heroes” day at grade school one year. I dressed up as Lucy. Most of my classmates had no idea who I was. Still, Lucy was my hero.
I learned many of her comedy bits at a very early age. I can’t begin to count how many times I have seen every episode. I still, to this day, laugh out loud at every episode I watch. The show is timeless. LUCY is timeless. She has brought laughter to millions around the world. It is said that Lucy’s face and name know no country or continental boundary. She was loved the world over then and still now. Lucy fans all have a deep connection. And, it brings so much joy to me when I encounter a very young Lucy fan when we are traveling with our show and trailer. It gives me joy that the love for Lucy will just continue to grow and grow and grow.
The photos below are from our visit to Lucy’s hometown of Jamestown, NY, back in early October.
Thus concludes our April and we move into May in Our Technicolor Life! Please explore the website and share with friends & family! We try to make this website a one stop shop for all of our events. Don‘t forget to subscribe so you stay in the loop and check out our upcoming events section right on the home page! Yours truly, Carrie & Jeff
AT A GLANCE - May EVENTS 💕 Private Tea Party Booking - May 14th 💕Mary Poppins Sing Along - May 15th *SOLD OUT 💕 Private Booking Lucy & Desi Tribute Show - May 17th *Not open to public 💕Private Booking Lucy & Desi Tribute Show - May 19th. *Not open to public
💕Tin Pan Alley Cats at the Limbo - May 25th (8-10pm)
💕 Private Tea Party Booking - May 28th
💕 Alice & Mad Hatter Tea Party - May 29th *SOLD OUT
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