Finally, all four of my Princess Frog sculptures are displayed for Halloween at West 69th Street in New York City.
I was overjoyed when a young girl pointed at each frog and said, “Ribbit, Ribbit, Ribbit, Ribbit.”
West 69th Street is one of New York City’s iconic Halloween Streets, where over 2,000 children trick-or-treat annually.
Rapunzel
Once upon a time, there was a little frog, Who lives in a pond, in a cozy little bog One day, she meets a prince who is lost in the woods, And she asks him kindly If she can do him any good.
“Please help me find my way to the tower up ahead, Where my dear Rapunzel lives with her long, luscious hair, unfed.” The smart little frog knows the way, and she hops along the road, Leading the prince until they reach the tower of cobblestone
But when they find Rapunzel l, She is no longer a maid, But a slimy green frog, who has been cursed and betrayed. The prince is surprised, But he takes the frog in his hands, And kisses her on the cheek, Breaking the witch’s spell demands.
And lo and behold, The frog turns into a princess fair, With golden locks of hair and eyes like the sun’s glare. Hand in hand, the happy couple go on their merry way,
leaving the little frog to deal with the tower’s disarray.
On the floor, the frog sees Rapunzel‘s beautiful locks of hair
And decides to make a wig that she can wear Next, she sees a big pile of pretty, lacy dresses All of which seem fit for a Queen or Princess
Beautiful dresses covered with buttons and stripes,
others with purple flowers in designs she likes
The frog tries on a pink dress with long, pillowy sleeves She looks in the mirror and decides it suits her to a tee She hops to the bureau, where she finds a gold crown She stares in the mirror, sees her reflection, and laughs out loud
Suddenly, she hears a creak when the couple opens the door To find the little frog draped in velvet, pearls, and furs galore Rapunzel and the Prince shriek at the frog in delight Thrilled to see the frog beaming in jewels shining bright
Rapunzel runs to the little frog and gives her a squeeze “You saved my life, little frog. Take whatever you please.”
Without a drop of rain, I staged a few of my upcoming Princess Frogs displays for Halloween. It was my first time seeing all the display elements – Princess Frogs, signs, lily ponds, and foliage—together.
I was overjoyed when a young girl passing by screamed, “Princess Frogs!” when she spotted my display. Her mother told me that her daughter loves to dress up as a princess. My target audience gets me!! My display will be on one of New York City’s iconic Halloween Streets, where over 2,000 children trick-or-treat annually.
Everything, except the wigs and crowns, is made from recycled materials – water bottles, pizza boxes, FedEx boxes, paper towels, toilet paper rolls, New York Times newspapers, bubble wrap, coffee cans, lids, and packing foam.
Toad White
In the forest so green and wide,
Lives a toad, Toad White, with seven dwarfs by her side.
Her skin is bumpy, her voice so low,
But she is kind and gentle to all she knows
She spends her days hopping and leaping
and her nights on a lily pad, quietly sleeping
The Seven Dwarfs work in a field
harvesting corn that they later peel
She often visits them during the day
and reads them stories to keep them entertained
With her quick wit and sense of humor
she makes long days pass much sooner
One day, a prince passes her way,
And sees Toad White, a toad so gray.
He picks her up, kisses her head,
And suddenly, she is no longer dead.
Toad White transforms, to her surprise,
A princess now, before her eyes.
But she never forgets her humble start,
As a toad with a kind and gentle heart.
so the couple settles in a castle near a pond
so she will never forget her bond
with seven dwarfs who are her friends
so they all live happily together in the end
My Princess Frogs display is a twist on the perennial tale Frog Prince. Instead of a woman kissing a frog to break the spell and turn it back into a prince, I wondered if a man would be willing to kiss a frog and turn it back into a princess.
If a man was willing to kiss a frog, would the frog want to be turned back into a Princess? Sarah Ferguson, Diana Spencer, and Meghan Markle‘s comments about a princess’s real life make it clear it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. Life as a frog might be much easier than life as a princess.
Here’s a sneak peek at my Halloween 2024 displays: “Princess Frogs.” This year’s display explores whether a man is as willing as a woman to kiss a frog and whether a princess would prefer living as a frog over living as a princess.
In the modern version of the fairytale “The Frog Prince,” an evil witch transforms a prince into a frog. A princess breaks the spell by kissing the frog and transforming him into a prince.
In the past years, I have created Halloween displays about Central Park ghosts, the Van Der Voort Sisters, and Amy Winehouse.
I created the four Princess Frogs’ bodies using plastic water bottles and Coffeemate bottles, assorted Amazon boxes, the New York Times newspaper, paper towels and toilet paper rolls, foam (found in the garbage, and rolls and rolls of masking tape.
The faces are made from kid’s frog masks (bought online), cardboard from butter, soap, and foil boxes, and dollar-store Halloween plastic eyes (bought last year). I’m guilty of using every shortcut I can find for my displays. I made old-school paper mache using flour, water, and salt. My tip is to use brown packing paper, found in Amazon packages, rather than newspaper. It’s so much easier to work with and creates a smooth finish.
“I prefer Princess. I would love to be known as a diva later on in life when I’ve had far more experiences,” says Deborah Cox.
With six top-20 Billboard R&B singles and an impressive eleven number-one hits on Billboard’s Hot Dance Club Play, Deborah Cox can call herself anything she wants, including a multi-platinum selling artist.
Deborah Cox, inspired by her idol Whitney Houston, began performing in television commercials at age 12. “I remember wanting to be a singer from when I was a young girl,” she recalls. “I would sing a lot in my room as a kid and just fantasize about being an entertainer.”
She was hired as a professional backup vocalist for Céline Dion.
Clive Davis was signed to Arista Records by Clive Davis. Her debut album featured an infectious mix of pop and R&B and her first dance hit, “Who Do U Love.”
From there, Deborah Cox’s career hit its stride on the dance floor. he released a string of dance songs, “Things Just Ain’t The Same,” “Absolutely Not,” and “It Could’ve Been You,” that stormed the club scene. Some artists look down on being categorized as dance artists or having their songs remixed, but not her. ” I think it’s about reaching everybody on every different plane and every different level, and if I could remix the song and do a dance remix, that’s great,” she said. ” f I could do a classical version, that’ll be great too. It’s all just about expression.”
Her sophomore album produced the slow jam hit “Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here.” The soulful ballad became an instant sensation and held the then-record for the longest-running No. 1 R&B single of all time. But then, it got a second life on the dance floor and topped the Dance Charts.
When asked about reworking her signature ballads and dance floor stompers, she said, “My opinion is that music is music. As long as you approach doing a remix with truth, I don’t see the dance remixes being any different than a hip-hop remix—it’s really a different version of the song.”
Deborah Cox lived out her fantasies when she worked with her idol, Whitney Houston, on the song “Same Script, Different Cast” for the album Whitney: The Greatest Hits. Working alongside her idol, she said, “
It gave me a chance to really sit one-on-one with her and have that mentor-to-student sisterhood moment where we could just talk, kick it, and have raw conversations about the business, family, and so much more.”
She took another leap by performing Whtiney’s role in the musical rendition of the classic film, The Bodyguard. She performed the singing vocals on the Lifetime film, ‘I Will Always Love You: The Whitney Houston Story. “I knew I had some big shoes to fill,” says Deborah Cox.
I’m looking forward to seeing Deborah Cox on Broadway, starring in the revival of ‘The Wiz.’
Luther Vandross wrote “A Brand New Day,” also known as “Everybody Rejoice,” for the musical.
Join us for our Luther Vandross: Never Too Much birthday celebration featuring a Music Panel, Fashion Show, Luther Trivia Games, Live Performances, Style Vendors and Live DJ.
Come dressed in your Big 80s Bling!
Luther Vandross was known for wearing rhinestones, silk tuxedos, and tailcoats on stage and Versace, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, and Tom Ford off-stage! He wasn’t afraid of bright colors, animal prints, geometric patterns, and fringe. His style and incredible showmanship brought him legions of fans worldwide.
We’re celebrating the Glitz, Glamour, and Romantic Elegance that made his concerts memorable and set him apart from other entertainers.
MUSIC PANEL: Luther’s Vocalist, Cindy Mizelle, Luther’s Choreographer, James Ervin, and Graffiti Glamour Makeup Artistry Founder Alicia Mitchell give us a closer look into the Shine of the Rhinestones, Big Luscious Hairstyles, Bold Makeup, Graceful Moves, and Tight Harmonies comprising Luther’s iconic stage shows. Hosted by Max Szadek.
FASHION SHOW: Designers showcase their gorgeous creations inspired by Luther Vandross’s romantic elegance. See the latest styles from Harlem’s Heaven and Modafleur, among others! Hosted by Catherine Schuller.
LIVE PERFORMANCE: Luther’s most iconic songs performed by Luther’s most iconic songs by vocalist Keith Anthony Fluitt.
STYLISH VENDORS: Shop for apparel, jewelry, and teas from a dazzling array of small entrepreneurs.
COCKTAILS & LITE BITES: Enjoy signature cocktails and delicious appetizers.
