Rest and recovery

Well over the long weekend last week, I:

• officiated a funeral (Fri)
• worked (Sat)
• stepped in to stage manage a burlesque show, in drag of course (Sat night)
• attended a celebration for a friend who just got her permanent residency, yay!!!(Sunday arvo)
• judged Capital Drag, in drag (Sunday night) plus extras
• hosted a bunch of stellar sewing bloggers for a sesh watching episodes 1 and 2 of TGBSB (Monday arvo)
• attended a sewing bee Monday evening)

Caburlesque Seven Deadly Sins - me as a stage managing Devil, Sadie von Scrumptious the divine EMCEE as her absolutely slayingly sexy self! 

 

The Judges at Capital Drag. Debbie, me, Bernard and Ma Ma Deziyah. We got the best views of a fab show and were lit by the lamp I refurbished for Ivy

 

What a fantastic weekend of celebrating everything good in life - family, friendships, shows, sewing!
I bet you are wondering what Plus Extras means. Well, you see...
After Capital Drag finished at 11.30, I decided to walk home. The Ivy Bar is at the far end of the big street from the end I live just off of,  so it's really only about a 1k walk and although I live in the city, it IS the kind of city this gal in a sequinned dress can walk the streets of without feeling in danger. However, it IS winter here, and after a block I am thinking, IT'S COLD, WHY am I doing this?? Not a cab to be seen, I blame Uber for that one. Then I remembered my other favourite bar, S&M, was only a half a block away. (This stands for Scotty and Mal, the proprietors of this fine establishment, not the more traditional meaning, to be clear about the kinds of bars I frequent ;-) ).
As I plunged into its warm and noisy interior, I could see that Karaoke was on, and when a fully made up and dressed drag mamma arrives at a gay bar during Karaoke, it is only polite to sign up for a number. So, I got up and did That ole Devil Called Love, and enjoyed watching a very cute young man in a divine red blazer nail a Frank Sinatra standard. Hmm, I thought, I wonder if he would like to do a duet? Yes, he would, especially as he felt our chosen outfits co-ordinated so perfectly. And so we called up Cheek to Cheek!

and here is a screen dump of a video taken of this nutcase moment! Sammy's interpretation of Cheek to Cheek being fairly obvious from this pic!

Any Dr Who fans who are having a "I know that face" moment, yes it is Samuel Anderson who played teacher Danny Pink in Peter Capaldi's first outing as the Dr. He was in town for Armageddon and was a real charmer and lots of fun and great to sing an impromptu duet with.

I can't share the video as Scotty is having trouble working out how to share it beyond just me, but we'll get there I am sure! 

So I finally got home at 2.30am, having spread my glittery self comprehensively across my 'hood, and THAT is the reason for the title of this post.

After this big weekend, I was absolutely pooped. Too many late nights, possibly a bit too much pinot noir (although not that much really) and the consequent lack of sleep, I really needed down time.

Thanks to amazing staff, I got too take two afternoons off this week, and on Friday, I woke up at 5am, by 8.15 I realised I wasn't going to make it and went back to bed for three hours. Finally started feeling awake again. :)

But I did not sleep through those afternoons, no sirree. I used them to get my many and varied costume and act requirements underway. 

So, I am feeling better, I have got it clear in my head how to make and create all the things I need for my various acts, which had been bugging me, and now I just have to knuckle down and make it all happen. I have a show every weekend from now until end of August, many requiring new acts! 

Wish me luck and more afternoons off!

Oh the Liberty!

The Fabric Store has Liberty fabrics! So gorgeous. I have dipped into the sweatshirting for winter dresses - no I've not made any up, you will be the first to see when I do.
I have also been JONESING for a print called Alma for years.

This is the cool colourway - I prefer the black backgrounded version with warmer tones.
Anyway they have it in Tana Lawn, for $42m NZ. I have been to visit, felt it, held it up to myself, put it down and walked out at least twice.
I think this is a Thing. A Thing where one wants the unattainable, but when it IS attainable, it loses some of its allure.
Don't get me wrong, I ADORE this fabric. But in truth, I have three gorgeous lawns at home for next Summer's MaxiDress crop already. Really beautiful, Arts and Crafts inspired fabrics with poppies and things. And so, spending $134 on a dress length of Yet Another Fabric just became too hard.
You see, I am really, really keen on reducing my wardrobe down to the smallest number of workable items to have a glorious, Me Made, vibrant, self-expressively dressed life. I don't have the space for clothes I don't wear any more, not in my wardrobe rack, drawers, under my bed or in my heart.
The idea of a Few Good Things is playing more and more on my mind.

When I worked in an office for other people, buying fabric was a sanity valve. I had the money, I needed the creative outlet and I accumulated a lot. LOT. But now, I am self-employed, and I earn around a third of what I used to. Yup, for six days work too. But in those six days I can dress how I want to, not how other people think I ought to. So, the clothes I now make I love and wear and wear and wear.

Here's another thing - yesterday I officiated at my Uncle's funeral. It is something I do from time to time for people. We had a fantastic day of crying, laughing and bonding with family I've not seen for a long time. But of course how one dresses as a funeral celebrant is quite different to in the shop, or for on stage. I have to really reexamine my wardrobe for combinations that are formal, sombre and unflowing enough. I did a great job, I feel, and even put on some makeup - that's a trick these days - how does one put on makeup without eyelashes, glitter, contouring???
So, here I am, some alternate form of myself. Still a Me I can relate to, but not one of the more frequently seen Mes. And when I do cull my wardrobe (does anyone need 13 red thru purple merino tops?) I will need to let this Me have some options also. Possibly even whip up some more clothes for her.

Food for thought.

My mother doesn't love me enough

That explains everything! She told me that she didn't realise I was sick on video show day, so I confidently expected the videos to be amazing.
Well, they ARE amazing, thanks to SoundBitch our fab technician, even though it is him I am waving at in Perhaps to turn the music volume down, but honestly there is so much to manage the odd moment of disharmony is not worth getting one's sequins in a bunch over.
But, I sound like one of Bart Simpson's chain smoking aunties, Selma and Patty. HOW COULD SHE NOT NOTICE?

A voice like sandpaper!

That and the puffy face of the lurgy sufferer aside, I am pretty chuffed.

ONTO the VIDEO

Bored with 20,000 years of having to wear white and be wise, Lady Gladyournotreal lets us have it.

The downside of being a performer in her 50's - underwear. !

An oldie but a goodie.

So, maybe Mum loves me too much because she thinks everything I do is wonderful! I think that may be it as she is utterly fantastic. Daw :)

More pics of me!

Really, this is getting ridiculous! More photos of me! These from the Video show. Some signs of flueyness when I looked at these photos on my big work monitor, but on  my tablet and phone, not bad! ;-)
The show opened with my Lady Gladyournotreal The Elf act. I love this act - it's not a big belly laugh but it is fun. and I love this costume so much. I feel like a bride, daw.

 Oh this Lady Macbeth shot is fab isn't it? Clever timing on Ngahuia's part as I have no idea what I was doing. but the dress soon comes off thanks to popper tape, to reveal my true self - unicorn pjs and unicorn slippers.

Oh now, clearly I'm talking about the fish that got away! Goodness knows, but I love the way the peacocks in this costume seem to be crawling up me, possibly to nibble my pink hair!

 The sequin dress, looking a bit tamer, somehow. I think I was singing about Schmadonna

 How does bright green end up looking like gunmetal? Green is a hard colour to light because the colour light that would look good on it looks terrible on people, so it suffers. Oh well!

So there you go, more pictures of moi. I have some other projects that I need to progress, involving winter wardrobe plans. IF I get time between costuming!

A Quick Hello!

The Aussies have a saying - It's all on for young and old! How apt this is for my life right now. So much happening, some I can't share as yet (but soon!), but mostly I am trying to deal with it through a bleary fug of the Lurgie.
It's a horrible permutation. Unlike the usual "I'll just start in your head and move down to your chest in a couple of days" this one has taken my entire respiratory system by storm simultaneously. It was a gift from my lovely husband too, which is quite good really as he is already OK so I know I technically only have two more days of this to go!
Yesterday we had an afternoon cabaret which was about getting good video footage of the acts, with some audience for ambience. I was very moved that my mum and dad and dear friend Pam came to see it - Mum loves a good show but late nights are not her thing any more. Also excitingly my stepdaughter Sarah and her fiance and his parents all came to Wellington for the weekend and decided to come to the show as well, after a morning at Weta Cave. So really it was a family affair!

My makeup game was great yesterday and I had five costume changes, and two hair changes. I think I win the pro award too because my mother didn't realise I had the lurgie! She has such a radar for that kind of thing too. Ah, the slap that transformeth the face and fooleth the world.

Photos will be forthcoming as the ever amazing Ngahuia was present along with Andrew the video magician. He had cameras on tripods set up on tables all over the place. Should be interesting!

In closing here are two very bad selfies of my makeup mid application. Warning: eyes designed for huge lashes before lashes are applied look seriously weird!

The Outtakes from the 'Hood!

People I carefully selected the first round of photos, for glamour. This one I've selected because they are silly. And not always flattering. I love these kinds of photos.

 Bah, I'm getting cramp in my left leg!

 To know me in real life is to understand that my tongue is a mobile and offensive weapon.

 Our gate. I love this pic but not the way my bolero has parted company with my shoulders. So vain!

 An interior shot at the laundromat. Nga and I are both generous souls and we carefully thumped and leaned on this washing machine to make sure it was strong enough to take my weight. It coped very well.

 I just love this photo for its perspective. These old shops at the top end of Cuba St were all relocated from when the new bypass was put in, so it is charming in a new and 'put together' way that the original ramshackle hodge podge wasn't. I am a little sad about that, actually. But I am standing outside a wonderful jewellers, his name is Jeremy and he is a total sweetie.

 Another from inside Marthas. I call it "Pretending to be interested in hats" which from my hairdo, I clearly am not.

 Through the window of Marthas. I was actually pretending Nga was paparazzi and trying to shoo her off but I look like a prisoner trying to hail down a potential saviour!

Oh dear. The one setting I had planned was me draped seductively on the concrete couch outside Comfort Hotel. Made by Weta Workshop, it is heated and looks so comfy. IT IS CONCRETE. IT IS NOT COMFY. I could not find a position I could hold for more than 10 seconds without pain. This was the end result. It's the only one where I just look like Jabba the Hutt, instead of Jabba the Hutt giving birth.
But please don't take that a the voice of upset - I love it, it's the hilarious side of photo shoots and why I can be bothered with them, because that's what makes them fun!

Hanging in my neighbourhood.

On Sunday I got a bit Frida Kahlo sans monobrow, and headed out with my favourite photographer Ngahuia from Ataahua Photography, to get snapped in the Cuba St quarter of Wellington.

 This is in my building, on the exposed walkway. I cannot reach my foot, no surprises!

 At ground level, the very dark shape in the distance behind me is the rubbish skip. Such a glam life!

 One of the many muralled walls in the area. To my left and up a floor, some students were drinking tea in their flat and sending encouraging waves to us.

 I don't know who lives there, but I felt the need to get in!

 Perching on a working washing machine in the laundromat. Oh the shame of being caught!

 Taking a break in Martha's Pantry, a delightful tea shop en route. The staff were very enthused and lent me a fan and a tea service. Isn't the light in there just delicious!

 This is Doc. He turned up on his bike and asked to be in the photo with me. He used to live in this place and assumed I now did. Such a honey!

I love this shot. It is outside the Salvation Army's headquarters on Cuba, with these big pillars, so great to lean on. 

It was such a lovely afternoon. We got as far as the Comfort Hotel and stopped for coffee and noms before traipsing back the three blocks covered to my place.

I love my city! I mean this larger than life woman in a FULL ON sequin dress, on a super sunny day so totes dazzling, and crazy drag makeup just wandering around being photographed, and everyone is beaming and saying nice things! I felt like a star!

It's also nice to have some great photos of this dress. It has been a bit upstaged since I discovered the strapless dresses and the peacock thing, but really it is divine. Isn't it?

And my lovely friend Kate gave me these earrings, the last of several gifts of fantastic earrings by jewellery designer Colleen Toland, from the 90s. They are huge and showy and just perfect for Constance.