A little late but still...

 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! This video is a little late, like two weeks really, but there you go.

I LOVE this song, but that won't stop me using it as a fun moment.

I dropped a line that says, "I had good intentions" ironically because I always do have good intentions, including to remember all the lines. :)

Christmas Eve

 

It's Christmas Eve here, 11pm, I'm about to go to bed. Food prep complete for tomorrow, presents all wrapped, crackers made, shop balanced and all tucked up for two days, and here we are.

My tiny tree is on the end of the kitchen bench - it's the only flat surface in our living area, but as it is enormous, the bench not the tree, it's not really in the way. It's actually the top third of a 7 foot tree, and David cleverly made it fit in the base with corrugated card. Kiwi ingenuity. I finished my day job last Friday and putting up the tree helped to flip me into holiday mode.

I had the most delicious late thanksgiving dinner at my friend Emily's where she just cooked the turkey legs and they were so good, I decided that was going to be our Christmas dinner. Then Jamie Oliver got on TV last week with boning and stuffing them. So, David boned them all out for me (we joked that he would have made an excellent butcher, which would horrify his lifelong vegetarian mother!) and tonight I stuffed and rolled 12 of them with pork sausagemeat, apricot and sage stuffing.

This year I have refused to bake any dried fruit foods as it is too hot! So I've made a trifle, experimenting with raspberry, rhubarb and orange flavours, with a dessert wine and Cointreau as the soak. The sponge is gluten free, and a bit dry but hopefully the booze and fruit will sort it out.

Late on Wednesday, having sewn up all the semi-constructed masks on my sewing table for the shop, I decided that masks were the new hats for Christmas crackers and made 12 more. They are all gorgeous, but sewing 30 masks was a mistake and my back is not happy with me. So on top of my knee, I'm hobbling around, getting on the floor every couple of hours to do stretches and hoping it will stop spasming. Cooking sitting on a bar stool is quite tricky!

On the News we are told that retail spending is down this year, but in our tranquil little shop we've had our best week ever in ten years. For this we are very, very thankful.

It's a funny time. Covid and bereavements and weather events and bad health - I don't feel much like celebrating. But because of this it is important to celebrate anyway. I'm sitting with things as they are - the good, and the bad. Rather than focus on either side, just to be with it. 

So on this Christmas Eve, I'm relaxing, contemplating bed and thinking of you all. Natalie if you read this I hope you are ok with the terrible tornado ripping through Kentucky. Sending love your way.

I wish for you all some peace and replenishment among the ambiguity. xo

Frock Tweaking

Hello! Long time no chat! I've been busy and it's all not very interesting really. I did the Christmas Caburlesque show on 4 December and we did a variation of it - bigger cast, more variety, over the hill in the Wairarapa.

I'm tired of my red Christmas dress really, so I decided to try something else. This dress I made in 2017, and I've honestly never loved it in spite of it being the most ambitious costume I've made. I just felt the result never delivered on the effort.

It feels like a dress a child would wear at a pageant. The bottom flounces droop instead of being deliciously frothy. It's not long enough or too long at the front. Meh. So, I stood in front of the mirror in it and pulled and hoiked and hitched, and bingo!

The result! the frothy flounce pops now, it has proper hi low, I prefer the assymetry and the hitch makes the dress a bit narrower. It's caught up with some strong stitches, and I'm going to play with the rest of the flounce to see if I can make it turn out more too.

It's the only costume I have that has a blue/green base as they're not really my colours but I LOVE the way the sequins on this fabric are shifting shades of blue, turquoise, lime and jade, just delicious!

The froth is green and blue organza, and because the fabric is translucent, the colours mix to make these turquoise colours. YUM.

I'm not sure that my Snag Christmas tree lights tights were the best choice to wear under them on the weekend but hey ho!

New Beginnings...

The Hunter Building, Robert Stout building tucked in "behind" it in the photo

I started a new job today. It's in a building that has been a part of my life since I was a teenager.

Back in the summer of 1982/83, I spent weeks making costumes for Romeo and Juliet in Hunter, which was not being used because it was very seismically unstable. By the mid 90s it was strengthened, restored and in use, and I was the person responsible for private hires for conferences, fashion shows and weddings. Then I was in Robert Stout in the Graduate Students Office.

We're in the attic of Robert Stout (refer my crazy red scribble) with opening windows and no lift. It's fabulous. I used to be on Level 2, so I've gone up in the world! I think it would make a fabulous apartment.

Also, today as I was having those intro meetings with project team members explaining how it all works, one was telling me how he got to be there because of the experience he had from his home town in Canada. I asked him where in Canada and he was all, "Oh, nowhere you'd have heard of," but sure enough he is from Saskatoon. My spiritual other home!

Small world, all connections.

New Hair

 I had a hair cut yesterday. Years of long hair all the same length ended abruptly. I've been watching YouTube a lot and love love love those vintage mid century hairstyles based on the Horseshoe cut. Here is my icon of style herself, Jessica Kellgren-Fozard.

The Horseshoe cut in action!

 Anyway, I discussed it with my hairdresser who knows it well as he styles a lot of drag wigs like this! and it looks pretty ok as a modern straight layered look too. So we set forth.

The result I am loving. Marty put a few curls into it for me too.

I will be applying pink soon. I don't mind the grey but given I am so pale, the lack of definition of my hairline isn't working for me. 

As for curls, hrmph. I used heated rollers last night and the pin curled the whole lot and wrapped in a sil scarf and slept on it. the results were less curly than this and by this evening have nearly dropped out.

Dang old age. My hair through my whole life to me mid 40s took a curl if I so much as waved a curler near to it. But for the last 10 years it sulks and refuses to have a bar of it. Unless I put it in rags and Shirley Temple isn't my style icon! ;-)

Sewing small projects

 I'm working on a couple of garments that need slow sewing, so to give myself satisfaction, I'm also doing some quick win projects too.

OK so with NZ in semi lockdown and mandatory mask wearing, the shop is selling them almost as fast as four of us can make them. I've made at least 25 for the shop, but I'm also making some for me and for friends who have specific tastes.

My friend who shares a love of Frida and Mary is getting three masks, these are just cut out so far but I love the so much!

As for me, I've made a couple with plastic stays going across and up/down, to try and create space to breathe. They are a bit beaky but I don't care. I LOVE this rose fabric

This one is a gorgeous ombre of fizzy bubbles and I love how it reads different colours on either side.

As well as masks, I've been feeling the cold footwise and find that socks bite into my ankles and slippers are all so synthetic they feel yicky.

So, I made some! Using the Twig and Tale Wayfarer Shoe pattern, I made these cuties. Outer is a pair of old jeans, lined with some Liberty cord, and the sole is suede. All out of what was in the house. They're just enough warm for the house in this early spring weather. They were so easy, I think I'll make some warmer ones for winter.

So there you go, small wins. 

I went back to the office on Monday, quite eerie with only about 20% of our team coming in. But it really has helped me to get my head back in the game. Swapping slipper for masks.

Sewing is happening chez iRon!

 iRonically, without using an iRon! This blog started out as a sewing one but meh, I don't get much chance. 

So, today I tagged out of work for the rest of the week and I'm sewing. This is the Adrienne Blouse by Friday Pattern Company. It's so utterly ridiculously ME, it's almost a parody. Red with black lace with red roses. Red red red.

 I am so in love. The red bit is fine merino and the sleeves are black net embroidered with red roses with a merino lining. VERY on brand. And that is just the beginning.

This current situation is sick making. Looking at what has happened in NSW with rampant Delta in the community only weeks after being Covid free, we may be in lockdown for at least another week.

Lockdown Level 4 here is no going out except for a walk in a mask, only supermarkets, pharmacies, petrol stations and dairies (corner shops) are allowed to open.

I am really missing my twice daily oat flat white.

Delta Dawn..

We have a case of covid in the community up in Auckland, just one, but he was out and about for six days before getting a test, and there's no obvious link back to MIQ, which is normally where cases come from.

So our very sensible PM just shut the country down. For Auckland, seven days, for the rest of us, three days. This will stop any further spread. Hopefully.

Given the tragic situation in Fiji and Australia, who both moved too slowly and all their hard work was undone in weeks, I can't see the usual mouth breathers having a crack at the government for doing this.

As for me, I am going to make the most of it! I'm in my own home this time around with meaningful work to do. And unlike last time, when I was focussed on closing up the shop and so never got to take anything home from work, I have everything I need and we had 6 hours notice and the shop was already closed.

I was thinking today how this must have been a wee bit like living through a world war. Admittedly nobody is dropping bombs on us, but the every day life bit, where you just have to get on with it but there's this massive abnormality looming all the time - that. 

ANYHOO here's a pic of me after my first vaccination jab on Monday, in an off the shoulder top, showing off my sticking plaster!

This just in!

Son Jack sent me this one today. Are we this manic? Probably!!!

Post Show Selfie

 It was a fun show, I like this face. TV Stick makes for a deeper look.

My son in law in the background. gorgeous human!
 

She PINK!!!

 Happy Saturday everyone from this glamorous Granny!

Working from Home

 I've had an epiphany about working from home. Last year it nearly did for my sanity, but now I have a lovely little desk, a comfy chair, a big monitor and a window with decent light, in a room I love and it's a game changer.

My own laptop and a whiteboard are on a chair just to the left (I'm left handed) so I have music playing on that one while I work on my teeny work one. Thank goodness for big monitors at reasonable prices! And on my beloved whiteboard I can plan and brainstorm and organise things

When we went into proper lockdown in April last year, I was caught completely short. I immediately took leave because I needed to be at the shop looking after locking it down too, and so got no time to collect furniture or equipment. It was dire with a broken chair and no decent screen or keyboard!

Anyway that was a long time ago in a flat and job far away. Most of us work from home at least one day a week to alleviate the space issues in the office. And I find I do really get a lot of work done in my happy place!

Dino Quilt

 So the dinosaur quilt that tried to wreck my back is done, delivered and made the recipient cry. I feel my work there is done.

It's not everyone's idea of a baby quilt that is for sure! but given developmentally babies really only see bright colours, and her Mama is nuts about dinosaurs, I am unapologetic in my pastel dodging ways.

Felix held it up for me and even when he is just peering over the top, you can see how mischievous he is!

Red roses are another Mama favourite.

It is SO good getting this finished. I thought I would during lockdown but I lose my sewjo, my gojo and every other creative jo going! now I am crazy busy, I am getting stuff done.

Oh the irony. Time is about as objective as the climate.

Parking

 

Our city council in their wisdom is trying to keep cars out of the city by hiking up parking charges and extending their hours of operation. 

Wellington is not a big city and the buses are rubbish - they neither cover the whole area or run extended hours. 

I've done official things to object, however being me, I wrote some songs about it. Last night these went into my Music Quiz round. I thought you might enjoy them:

From Suburbia - Tune of In Suburbia by The Pet Shop Boys

Lost in the city, where the wardens
Are ticketing suburban cars
Mother's got her hairdo to be done
She can’t afford to park her car
Stood by the bus stop hour after hour
But the buses never come
She calls an Uber, twenty minutes
That cancels after 21
She can’t get a ride into town today from suburbia
Can’t get a ride into town today from suburbia...

Ticket my Ride - Tune of Ticket to Ride by The Beatles

I think I'm gonna be sad
I think it's today, yeah
I want to drive into town
but it’s not okay
They’re gonna ticket my ride
They’re gonna ticket my ride
They’re gonna ticket my ride
And they don't care

Yesterday - the Beatles

Yesterday I could drive to town from far away
Now it’s far too much we have to pay
Oh, I preferred it yesterday
Suddenly it costs far more than it used to be
There's a warden hangin' over me
Oh I preferred it yesterday
Why’d things have to change,
I don't know, they wouldn't say
I parked an hour too long, now I long for yesterday
Yesterday, town was such an easy gig to play
Now I‘m risking being towed away
Oh, I preferred it yesterday

Joan Baez I may not be, but a protest song I can do!

T-Rex Injuries

 I know that homo sapiens did not inhabit the Earth at the same time as dinosaurs but we'd all agree they are DANGEROUS. And they still are today!

Dinosaur quilt mid quilting

This quilt is a panel featuring lurid and savage looking dinosaurs, I love it!! I made up the patchwork top in 2019, and having a Saturday to devote to sewing at a quilting retreat, I proceeded to quilt it.

Quilting is the part where you use stitching to hold the top, batting and backing together. It takes time.

All in all I sewed from 10am-9pm, with breaks for lunch and dinner, and to go talk to people from time to time.

Not often enough, however.

Since then my back has been in spasm. Erk. I can hardly walk. The dinosaurs got me.

But we're in lockdown alert 2 thanks to an Australian tourist who spent the weekend in Wellington, visiting exhibitions and cafes and partying at a bar all night, while positive with Covid. So I wasn't going to be out and about much anyway.

Trans Tasman relations come with a high price.

Pointy stick, steep slope.

 I've been pushing something uphill with a pointed stick since forever. I've found it hard to get up in the morning, but I can't sleep, and my brain is porridge. I put this all down to working 6-7 days a week.

So, yesterday I was so tired I took a day off. And mentioned to my son Jack that I had a bit of a pain in my chest and tingles in my left arm. It was kind of worrying me but I was explaining it all way - oh it's muscular, I'm left handed etc. Jack cut through all of this with a call to Health Line and they sent an ambulance! I was so embarrassed, such a fuss, but he reminded me of what I would say to someone else in the same situation and of course, I'd be bustling them off to ED as well.

I had an ECG and blood pressure test in the ambulance, then the probably 1k drive to the hospital, I insisted on walking in, Debbie came to join us and I spent the day in there having tests.

The outcome is, my heart, blood pressure, blood sugar and other vitals are all really good. The pain IS muscles, but, the winner on the day was, I am anaemic. Very anaemic. Which explains why I have been so tired and unable to string thoughts together. And, I have to give up the antiflam medicine that has been keeping my knee pain under control as it is wreaking havoc on my system. So that's fun.

Anyway this morning I joined a Zoom call through my work with Dr Siouxsie Wiles, NZ's foremost science communicator. Because I was on my home laptop, my home Zoom image came up! My friend Lucille who was also in the call at work, took this screen shot. So funny. We're all pink together.

Scrubbed up

 We, (Leo, Hans and I) did a wee gig last night and decided not to go full clown, so I did a Frida look.

I don't think I've worn this little slap in years! Well, when wearing slap that is! I put MASCARA on, can you believe it?! It's probably the second time in 5 years. Normally I just put on false lashes, it's easier.

It was a fun gig -we did Catering Song, So Happy Together and the mash up of The Winner takes it all, I'm not OK and Dust in the Wind. We call it inter-generational angsty wailing. I'd love to think of a song from the 50s to replace Dust in the Wind as it is very close to Abba erawise. Except that existential crises songs really only started coming out in the late 60s!

Not born this way.

 Sometimes I have to do The Work in order to achieve the outcome. Bah. Lady faffing irritates me unless I'm doing it for stage.

However, last night I decided to pink my greys. This is not a euphemism!

Awkward gladwrap time waiting for it to "take"

Interim result before properly brushing out. The hair framing my face is the greyest so I get a lovely halo of pink this way.

It's apparent from the background that I took these on Sunday, which is laundry day in our house. Many of my clothes need hanging to dry not tumble drying and the dry things are piled on the ironing board over my shoulder.

I made a promise to myself that we wouldn't just leave the ironing board up all the time, but the reality is, it is a very useful surface. If I could choose to add a room to our apartment it would be a laundry! I love laundries - a room dedicated to doing practical things.

In our first house, I painted our laundry the colour of a fresh lawn. Loved it. Miss it. It had a concrete floor and I used it as a place to spray costumes and such - and when we sold, it still had the pattern of Ynci's tab skirt-armour laid out in silver spray painted silhouette. Sadly I have no photos from that production (Lords and Ladies 2004)

Ah the compromises of apartment living. If we win the lottery, the only possible access to an alternative domestic arrangement, I want a not very big house, with a bath and a laundry that has access to the outside.

None of which is related to pink hair, but that's where my thoughts went.

Money! We all need it!

 A bit of a laugh for you all. On the 24th Hansel and I did a gig in Christchurch - we did a couple of spots but this is the first one I got video for so here you are!

People love this act because after the first song, which is from 42nd St, it's all really famous songs - but it takes a couple of moments to recognise them and the laughter tracks on that.

I blinking love getting on stage in this ridiculous costume!! But it someone told me seven years ago that I'd be doing it, I'd have died. Just goes to show you can do anything if you get used to it! ;-)

Huge props to Ray Shipley our MC. It was their first time hosting a variety show and they warmed up to it over the course of the night to being so hyped they were shrieking by the end and jumping around the stage! Total babe!

Comedy School

 This year I am taking on learning new things. It's been a while since I put myself into a course of any kind, and it's awesome!

First up - NZ Comedy School, with this guy, Neil Thornton. One of the kindest, funniest and most aware men I've ever known.

We hosted an award show together once. Didn't actually plan our costumes, but this happened!

Neil is from New York, came here with his doctor husband, and decided to take on the stand up comedy scene like a boss. 

It's a four class, two one-on-one sessions course culminating in a graduation show at the Fringe Bar. Mine is this Thursday. Eep!

I've done stand up before and I do funny stuff on stage all the time, but never with any kind of writing basis, because the idea of planning to say something and crafting it is confronting. What if it's no good?

But I'm pushing through and having fun. Why? OMG i would love to do gigs where it doesn't take 2 hours of hair and makeup and costuming!

Put your lashes on?!

 I'm internationally famous in my own home town. Yee Haw. 

This article come out in print tomorrow but thanks to the cleverness of the interwebs, the online is available today.

Photo by Aden Meser Photography

Cuba Dupa at last!

 Cuba Dupa actually happened this year. The last two were curtailed by the mosque massacre in 2019 and the plague in 2020. So, much relief when the early showers cleared well before noon and an estimated 120,000 people took to Wellington's Cuba Quarter with fun in mind!

 Me? I heard it. I went in the back door of our Cuba St shop, and out again. I never left the shop. I knew people would come to say hello, we had a wonderful guest artist in our shop, and I was happier out of the crowds. I love that it happens and I am happy to stay on the perimeter. Crowds are not my jam.

Here are some photos screen captured from the Facebook page. The originals are here.

My friend Jane second top left in full colourful steam punk

 I feel these photos capture the spirit of the event. It is HUGE. I can't believe we get to do this in the times of plague, but we're case free for some time now. I hope you all, whatever country you're in, get to mix and mingle safely again soon xo

The Menagerie

 Alright, stop me if you've heard this one: What's huge, terrifying, and hangs out in an alley?

Us!!! Photo of Clever Hansel pointing to a poster of us on the day of The Menagerie. I thought I had posted about it already, but as I didn't here we go!

 

The original photo by Aden Meser Photography. Colourful!!! Somehow in every photo from this photoshoot, my legs were hidden and it became quite a running joke. 

 And here's proof it actually happened!!!!! The stage is huge -the venue has 1500 seats and 1100 of them had bums on.

A day in a life!

Saturday 13 March dawned fine and clear - perfect for a 24 hour whirlwind trip to Christchurch. The reason was to judge and perform at Bling it On, New Zealand's only burlesque contest for group acts.

As a country we practise contact tracing through a QR code app, and wear masks on public transport, including planes. It's a tiny price to pay for continuing a reasonably free lifestyle within our own borders. I love this mask - it has an internal pocket for a tissue which helps to keep it fresh to wear even in warm weather. A lovely day for flying!

My favourite flying pig mask seemed appropriate for a plane ride

 I got picked up by my lovely friend Jacinta and after a flying visit to take our friend Adele out for coffee, it was home to slap on a pound of warpaint and don a sequinned dress.

Glamour for an evening of judging and belting out a song

After a marathon 3+ hour show, where we lucky judges got front row seats, even though we had to mark and write notes frantically during the MC breaks, and I was so blown away by the improved quality of performances from five years go when I hosted the first show in 2017.

The glamour of all the performers onstage for the curtain call and awards. So proud!

It was a very late night then up earlyish to eat a delicious breakfast cooked by Jacinta's husband Craig, and back to the airport again to return home to a Sunday of relaxing.

It's a busy time for me as I hate being bored so kept my life full of things to do while waiting for a full time contract, and now I have one I am working through those commitments while only picking up a few more. The NZ Fringe Festival is in full swing in Wellington, so I am also reviewing a couple of nights a week - going to a show then getting home to write 300-400 erudite words about it before I can get to bed before my 7am alarm goes off.

I'm sure I will get used to it - I always do! I guess it was apt that the song I performed was Grin and Bare it from the TV show Smash!

Bye Bye Bed!

 While new job fervour continues, so does adapting to being home in our own place.

MrC aka David, bought a cast iron antique bedstead 40 years ago, and it is the only bed we've had, although the actual sleeping bit was transformed into a queen size in about 2004.

I love it to bits, but it jangles like a tambourine when anyone moves or there's even a tiny earthquake, and in our exceptionally narrow bedroom it made getting around the end of it pretty tricky.

So, given the mattress needed an upgrade anyway, we decided that now was the time for a new bed, which arrived last Thursday.

Dang it is pretty. And my wedding day horseshoe has hung off this bed head since our wedding night!

It component parts. The brass could do with a polish, but I rather like it dull and old looking. Like me.

Anyway I posted on Facebook if anyone wanted a brass bed and within 12 hours had a very keen taker - actually someone who, had I had time to think about it, I would have just asked straight away. You know some people just are brass bed types!

So, now we have a goodly extra 25cm at the end of the new bed. But oh my it is so boring. We have plans to make a splendid head board of some sort to compensate. 

but one that is comfortable to sit up against this time!

Ironing work clothes...

 ...I start on Monday! I'll be a business analyst in our Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. It's a one year contract and I am intending to learn lots and give lots of value.

This is the job I did interview practice for. I had a verbal offer less than an hour after I left the building, which is super encouraging. 

So, today I am hauling out all my work dresses and tunics and pressing them. Because nobody wants to work with someone who looks like they just did the walk of shame!!!

Upsy Daisy and all that

 Well, we're back in partial lockdown again. L3 for Auckland, which is like most of the rest of the world is in, and L2 for the rest of us which is basically a restriction of gathering sizes and trying to maintain social distance. 

It's really worrying. It turns out that a case caught by a worker in an airport facility has transmitted through the community up there, not hugely, but then two of those people who turned out to be positive had done shifts in their respective jobs at Kmart and KFC. So suddenly the likelihood of a huge outbreak just appeared out of the blue, as they do. Their workplaces tell me everything we need to know about why they did this.

These people live in South Auckland, which is high in low income families, many of whom are paying almost their entire income to greedy landlords. Not turning up for work is inconceivable. Years of being treated like a number and paid minimum wage will have resulted in any messages from management, even if they are giving them out, being seen as suspicious. Who cares about the greater good when you can't see the end of the week yourself.

This is where we've got to. Last week I drove out to my sister's and took a less direct route, driving past where my aunt and her family lived in a state house enclave that held maybe 200 two storey family homes. The buildings were well past their use-by date by this century but I had forgotten that the cleared land had been sold off and turned into private residences. Multiply this many times and it's no wonder that three ex hotels in Wellington are now emergency housing, a situation so spectacularly unsuitable I just can't EVEN.

And it gets worse and worse. House prices are sky rocketing here, because they can. So, rents are following suit. Does it matter if the landlord bought the place ten years ago for half the price? Apparently not. Apparently it's not illegal to charge a rent based on today's value thus benefitting from the housing market, then also selling at today's value, which is technically double dipping.

I'm so disgusted by where neo-liberalism has gotten us. I know that the search is on to find out where the virus originated but I'm pretty sure the PROBLEM of the virus originated and is perpetuated by the ever increasing gap between the haves and have nots. 

And this is why two people who went to work instead of staying home is not a story of selfishness on their part, but a story of them being at the whim of a huge chain of selfishness of global proportions. 

Baby you're a STAR ...interview

I had two agency interviews today, different agencies, different roles in different organisations, both with a link to keeping Covid out of our country. 

I have been warned in both cases that the work is stressful and ambiguous, with shifting priorities, which will be a surprise to nobody. But also, the teams working in these spaces are really thriving. I imagine this is because the work has a real purpose to it. For once.

I bought the shop and quit my very well paid job because it all just seemed like a terrible waste of time and money to me. I couldn't see the point of the work we were doing and it was very hard on my brain and heart.

The reason for the title is that STAR interviews are a thing. STAR is an initialism for Situation, Task, Action, Result. Being one of life's ramblers I am not so great at this but one of my interviews today was practice for the actual event tomorrow and we did roleplay. It was GREAT!!! Really helped me to focus on what I did do and achieve on those prior roles. The agent for that role is a STAR in his own right as far as I am concerned.

Cross fingers for me!