Sailing the seas of glitter

Howdy ya´ll!

I have no clue about the title but since the photos have sea and sailors and I have had a Primus song in me head most of today...yup you guessed it: "Seas of cheese" I figured it´s kind of appropriate.

Bettie, Pepper and me last night at the gig in Pirunkirkko. Pic by Sandy Jungle.

 

Please don´t ask me about the Primus song, maybe it had to do with the fact that there has been a lot of early 90´s music on Radio Helsinki lately... That was a time when I was all grungepunk and checkered shirts and army boots with red laces (still very cool by the way) and hair as spiky as my tongue. All I wanted was to be Nina Hagen. (I still want to be like her :)

It took me a few years to get over myself and my Sonic Youth-fazed weltangst and one year in sunny California 1994/95 took me a long way. Oh the gigs at Berkeley Square and Gilman St., the piercings, the second hand shopping of the Haight and the Sunday morning market at Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley *sigh*
Then I had somewhat of a revelation in the form of one Gwen Stefani. I think the video I originally paid attention to was "Don´t speak" -  here´s this gorgeous girl with red lipstick and an old-fashioned dress...wow. The song that really got to me was "Sunday morning" with that great ska-vibe -and still that red lipstick! I never had the courage to try that lipstick until almost 15 years later. Can you imagine. Youth really is waisted on the young and insecure.

I always had a thingy for sailors ...

Oh well, but here I am now; in my red lipstick and my old-fashioned dresses and still getting kicks out of ska-vibes. So what has changes in 17 years?

Well, apart from my boobs being a tad more grounded I...really don´t now. Marital status, home I live in, hobbies for sure but...I´d say the biggest difference has been in self-confidence and in self-irony. Now I can honestly say I have that. And it´s not just an act of trying to be cool :)

I had a really good conversation last night coming back from our gig with Bettie, Sandy and Pepper about how many people talk about hating their bodies, their appearance, their what-nots. How much energy people waste on being miserable, unsecure and unhappy about their looks because we are pressed into impossible beauty standards. I have no resolution for this, I only know what works for me but trust me: self-esteem is something everyone can -and should work on! Look at yourself and find at least one nice part on your body. I´m sure there are plenty more. We don´t all fit into size 34 dresses or have perky tits but SO WHAT?!
I promise I´ll try to remember this the next day I have a bloated, miserable feeling and there´s that gargoyle looking back at me from the mirror.
I promise if you promise.

Oh shit, and P.S almost forgot! Here´s gorgeous Gwen and that great ska-vibe:

Happy Halloween!

Spooky Halloween ya´ll !

Well, I didn´t go to Tampere. Nor Helsinki. No time. Too tired. *sigh*

Picture from:http://www.archive.org/details

I found this marvellous clip to cheer your Halloween up though...if your like me, stuck at home...
Miss Dirty Martini- my idol <3

Dirty Martinis Halloween

Shitloads of pumpkins, spider webs and such to you all!!!!

Hats!

Photo and hat from and by Fiona Timantti (www.fionatimantti.fi)

It´s been a tired Monday...After a wonderful weekend full of activity I -of course- didn´t get to sleep soon enough last night so it has  been one sticky day today.

The best news today came from Fiona Timantti: my hats are done and I´ll get them on Thursday <3 Hurrah!!!!

I have to post this pic here of one of them, it´s just wonderful! The other one is for my new number (to go with the dress here ) - I´ll be sure to post some pictures as soon as I get it!

I also got my delivery from Trashy Diva just in time for the Gala but unfortunately there´s no pictures of me wearing the 40´s dress. New opportunity in two weeks when I´m wearing it again for a friends wedding....

This week will be busy, busy...tomorrow rehearsing both my Diamonds and Naked with the girls for a private gig coming up and we need to get Thee Dizzys monetary-business sorted as well so going to the tax-office with Sandy on Thursday. Pheew, lots to learn! :)

But now I´m off to bed with a good book and a couple of cats! Have a wonderful beginning of the week!

Thee Dizzy Daisies on stage

Hello lovelies! Here´s some photos of last Saturday´s gig at the Finnish Burlesque Gala. All pics are taken by Jari B. Miettinen.

Deer in headlight!

I have been laughing my butt off at this picture! It´s the three of us, backstage just a bit before our show - me in total distress listening to the song *one more time*, Sandy and Pepper glazed as well :D Awesome! There´s no business like showbusiness hahaha!!!!

Pic by Cherrie A. Dorable

Here´s a link to the song, enjoy!   The Capital Beat playing Naked live

Suomi Burleski Gaala / Finnish Burlesque Gala 2011

Rudy Ruthless, Sandy and Pepper

Monday. What a glorious excuse to be tired! Here are some pictures from last Saturday ... unfortunately I don´t have as many as I´d like to - I was too busy being nervous and then my partner in crime was enjoying the shows too much so he forgot to take pictures! There are a few here that are taken by others so it´ll be mentioned in the captions. 

The glorious Fiona Timantti, DJing away

Bent van der Bleu (with my brand new card in his pocket!) and Jac

Cherrie A. Dorable with Pepper

Pepper with Layla de Light

Hostess with the mostess, directly from Espoo! Babu G

Bent wearing Tyra Therman

Space Kiki Hawaii!

Backstage being nervous
Photo by: Tinker Bell

Daisies backstage
Photo by: Tinker Bell

Naked!

Hell Monty <3

Everybody! Up front the fantastic The Itty Bitty Tease Cabaret.

Holy Curves! Cherrie A. Dorable & Olivia Rouge

Designated leather daddy of the evening, Jac.

We got mail (and sparkling wine!)

The always stunningly chic Lassi

Me and Sandy
Photo by: Cherry Dee

Photo by: Cherry Dee



I hope to get some more photos from our show! Tomorrow I´ll get organized at the new dancing studio (aka try to get all my outfits there and get them boxed up and labeled) and then rehearsals and planning with Sandy and Pepper!
So, until the next time, kisskiss!

Thank you!

The Finnish Burlesque Gala was marvelous!!! Thank you Bettie and crew for organizing; a va-va-voom-start for the 5th anniversary of Helsinki Burlesque festivities! I´ll put up some pictures soon, now I´ll nurse my aching feet (the price one pays for those wonderful Pin Up Girl Clothing shoes....) and go plant some tulips in the fresh air. I´m sure i´ll find glitter in funny places for a week but that´s the way we like it!
Sandy & Pepper - I love you girls <3 Good start for a great adventure!

A long days night

Our loot at the store.

It´s been a loong but productive day. Since pictures often say more than words and since I am pooped here´s some parts of today in photos.
I went shopping today with Tinker Bell and Cherry Dee to a well-known Swedish store that has anything and everything a bunch of people might need for a new (very empty) dance studio.

Cherry´s Ford Taunus being unpacked. Yes, Taunus. It´s marvellous.

Cherry and the empty space (with a hola-hoop).

Tink figuring out our new pink chairs. Why does it always seem like there´s pieces missing or left over?

I´d like to brag about our golden shower but it is only a golden toilet.

Lumea´s poles and a test-drive for the new curtains.

I found some boxes for my hats! Yey! No more dust!

Evening-rehersals with Thee Daisies and Emiliano the Clam.

Our new bra´s. It´s like the Russian matuschka-doll of breast-wear: we´re all different sizes that fit nicely in another.

 With this I bid you good night. I hope the moon, the dog and my nerves let me sleep tonight!

Pow(d)er up!

Photo by: Pin Up Helsinki

  Well, the civilian me is off for a few days thanks to "Autumn vacation" but that does not take the stress offa thangs... Here I am, slightly panic -y about appearance, moves and such since my first group-number is coming up in 3 days. Wish me luck! I do have the bestest girls with me <3

I hope you got your tickets because they´re sold out! I will see you Saturday (or before with some geared-up posts :)

Inspiration

Sally Rand

If you´ve never (or rarely) been out in the Finnish archipelago you should definetly get out there. I´m not sure how long I´d be happy on a small island with cirka 50 people but for a weekend it was perfect. Gorgeous nature - and a lot of birdwatchers. Which gives me the perfect opportunity to bring up fan dancing (you know...birds --> feathers...)

The Finnish Burlesque Gala (as mentioned here) is coming up this weekend and Thee Daisies have been practicing... I feel that I still have to get more time on my part since it really looks easier than it is. The whole *point* is that it should be airy and sensuous.
Easier said than done.

So I have been watching some old videos of Sally Rand: the legendary lady of (nude) fan dancing.
I really hope I can pull my part and look more like the swan I spotted on Utö island last Saturday and less of the crow.

You should see this: Sally Rand fan dance

Talking about birds and feathers Fiona Timantti posted this wonderful picture in her facebook profile and I had to steal it. It´s just hilarious <3 One really shouldn´t judge the book by it´s covers. Have a lovely evening folks!

Men-up, gear up!

It´s been a really looong day! Lots to do at work but the day ended in a really nice thing: a meeting at our new rehearsing studio! There´s The Itty Bitty Tease Cabaret, us Dizzies, a poledance group called Lumea and Bollywood-dancer Katri who all rented a space together! I think it will work out really good; a lot of creative, crazy people sharing and practicing - and even the idea of learning from eachother came up tonight <3

The other thing that made me smile today (well, I also got some workout done AND sushi, so xtra bonus there) were these manly pin-up´s aka "men-up´s" that have been cirkulating Facebook. The photographer Rion Sabean quite nailed it down to the facial expressions and extended toes :)
Check it out, I´m sure you´ll enjoy them as much as I have!

Pic by: Rion Sabean

http://www.flickr.com/photos/clickandclash/5658642294/in/set-72157626584908000/

Glitter and glue

Gigi, Sandy & Pepper 

We had  really good rehearsals with Thee Dizzy Daisies yesterday. Since I´m the only one who has NOT been fan-dancing before Sandy´s and Pepper´s advice (and patience) is golden. Being 1/3 of a group is brilliant; so many crazy ideas flying around. And laughter. I´m a big believer in that a shared sorrow is half a sorrow and a shared joy is double. In this case I´d say triple! 

As I got home I spent the evening finishing my pixie-cupcakes and my pasties with my new 

Swarowski´s. What I *should have* been doing is sewing stuff to my *other* bra (the one coming up in two weeks!) but I just.did.not.have.the.juice :) i will do it next week on the bus to Utö-island. 

The other exciting news for the weekend is that we got a new studio to rehearse in together with The Itty Bitty Tease Cabaret and Lumia (poledancers)! Awesome!!!!  A big thank you to everybody who worked hard on that and made it happen! <3

New pasties and the pixie-cupcakes :)

New (final) logo!

By Bettie Blackheart

My new logo got some adjustments done- Bettie did a really good job, I love it! Chocolate shoes... two things most women love, so put together... You just can´t go wrong! Apart from having had a nice afternoon in Hellsinki rehearsing Thee Daisies new number and Swarowski-shopping I planted some 250 tulip bulbs - and five hyacinths. Even writing that makes me feel like Hyacinth Bucket :) Next up will be sowing the pink rhinestones to my bra for the group number...Which really is NOT my favourite thing since patience is really not one of my virtues. Or as Michelle L´amour today put in her Facebook update: "My patience is getting as small as my g-strings." 

Amen.