Linkie Love: The Big Bad Burlesque Edition.

Rev up your wolf whistle, this is a post sure to tantalize your peepers,  featuring my favorite peelers, shakers, movers, and quakers in the beautiful world of burlesque.

By Ted D'Ottavio

by Amy Touchette

The World Famous Bob undoubtedly is one of the most inspirational women in burlesque. A modern bombshell with a twist, part Mae West with a touch of Divine, Bob has been at the forefront of the burlesque revival since the 90's. Advocate for eliminating sizeism in all of it's forms, (Yes, bashing thin girls is just as destructive and abusive in her book as discriminating against plus size gals. L-O-V-E.), mentored by drag queens in the early 90's, original siren of The Velvet Hammer Burlesque, avant garde performance artist, dream maker, tassel shaker, and body confidence coach, Bob embodies the pure creativity and empowered spirit of this beautiful art form at it's best. "The Dream Come True Girl" is a fascinating and motivating femme, one of the original radical self love warriors!

"It's our own fears that limit what's possible for us, and we never know what's on the other side of fear until we walk through it. I think it's good for people to hear that somebody who's established was scared once too." -Bob excerpt from Tassel Time Interview on fear and auditions. 

"The most political and powerful act that a woman can do is fully enjoy her life." -Bob on body confidence, and taking to the stage to share her joy in what she does.

Want to know more about this wonder woman of tease? I suggest starting with her Tassel Time interview, a free podcast you can download on itunes! *See more details below under "Listen"

There are SO many amazing burlesque related documentaries popping up, I can't wait to share them all with you! Here is one that recently found it's way onto my radar!

Mark Winmill Boylesque Darling

I really enjoyed The Art of Male Burlesque article on Filament Magazine's website. (Warning this is a NSFW site) I definitely love the movement. I personally have respect for anyone who has the guts to get up on stage and perform. 

The Decadent Gent takes you on a magical journey behind the velvet ropes and into the belly of the swarovski beast. A wonderful U.K. based *FREE* podcast chock full of wisdom from the finest crimson covered lips in the biz, featuring Kitten Deville, Dirty Martini, and Princess Farhana to name a few! Tassel Time is available on itunes or through the official website!

Lilly Christine

Tempest Storm

Lilly Christine

The Rockettes

A little bit of eye candy for you in the form of my fave burly-q photos! Want a further peek into the burlesque's glittering past and present? Take a looksie at a few fantabulous resources: 

Burlesque Daily 

The Burlesque Hall of Fame

Burlesque Pool on Flickr

Tumblr

Tempest Storm

Interested in taking a pair of tassels for a spin in your own boudoir or on stage? Here's a fun little tutorial that will have you twirling at home in no time! DIY pasties via MookyChick

Yours truly doing a candy strip tease! *Big* thanks to my dear friend Fernando for snapping pics!

Stay tuned this week for a special post about my road to burlesque, overcoming fear, costume disasters, the bumps, the grinds, and all the in between! 

I left my heart in....

 We recently took a spur of the moment road trip up to my favorite city by the sea, San Francisco. It was a quickie, but super inspiring as always! With only a few hours to zip through the city, we braced the blustery wind and enjoyed a stroll across the Golden Gate bridge, wandered through the markets and winding avenues by the piers, and chow-ed our way back to the car stopping off for coffee and treats along the way. I *somehow* managed to gravitate towards anything slightly cirque, and much to my delight, found this city is still bubbling over with vaudevillian delights. I cannot wait to return and spend proper time running amuck and having full fledged adventures in this city that's settled comfortably into a permanent nook in my heart.

Highway Honey

Sun prickles your skin, a welcome breeze gently drifts through a cracked window. Crumbled map nestled by your feet, a static laced song fills your ears. Steady hum of the road, moving mile after mile beneath your feet, your heart is content.

Can you tell I'm itching for a new adventure? Made my first little Etsy treasury today, definitely going to be a new addiction! (Just what I needed, another way to spend more time online, haha)

Highway Honey

Closet Confections: Blossom Dearie

I took my favorite little dress for another spin this weekend on a walk through the arboretum with my hubby. I adore this dress 1. it has poppies blooming along the hemline and 2. it's so bright it's like wearing cotton spun with sunshine. 

It was a beautiful June day, with love floating in on the soft breeze. There were two weddings nestled in my favorite nook of nature here in the city, and the mood was truly infectious. How can one help but feel tres romantique while wandering beneath the trees, listening to couples whisper their true heart's yearnings? Le sigh.

Idol: Gidget goes gardening ♥
Mantra: "Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, 

snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather,

only different kinds of good weather."

-John Ruskin

Soundtrack: "The Sunny Side of the Street" Billie Holiday
The Wardrobe:
Blossom Dearie Dress: Roadkill Ranch, Fullerton

Flatter-me Dhaaaling shoes: Target

Beltin' out: Forever21

Frenchie Fingerlette: Forever21

Bangles, Baubles, n' Beads: Tarina Tarantino mixed with vintage bakelite & lucite

Pumpkin 'Brelly: authentic Edwardian era, thrifted.

Burton before brunch.

Last week Los Angeles was a buzz with word that Tim Burton would be making a rare appearance at a special book signing for his fans...Pass up the ulitmate opportunity to meet the one artist who has shaped my own creative growth the most just because it was rumored that half of L.A. was showing up? No way pussy cat!!! So in the wee small hours of the morning, (after a night of restless tossing, much like a a sugar fueled kiddo anticipating a trip to Disneyland) I grabbed my lil' pumpkin parasol, and made a bee line for LACMA with two of my besties, Fernando and James! We were so giddy we hardly took a breath between all the excited chattering!

With an original topiary from Edward Scissorhands.

Needless to say, it was a mob scene, a sea of stripes and noir garbed fans as far as the eye could see, block after block. The prospects were looking, well, pretty grim...

Luckily, I ran into another pal of mine who was sweet enough to take us along on a private tour of the exhibit, before anyone else got to see! I snuck a few photos! Shhhh....

 We had one hour to run through the exhibit alone before the flood gates opened to the private ticket holders. Trying to soak it all in so quickly was definitely a challenge, but incredibly enjoyable, without having to stand on tippy toes and sardine in with a crowd.

Detail of Christopher Walken's cape from Sleepy Hollow. Look at the use of texture!!! Like charred meat and muscle tissue!

I had to take special notice of the derriere section of Johnny's Scissorhands suit. For purely professional interest. Of course...

 I definitely spent a lot of time drooling, simply mesmerized by the two pieces from my favorite costumer Colleen Atwood. Her use of textures, layering, and distressing are so incredible, and must be seen in person if you're a costume geek like me!

The glowy carousel room!

Blissed.

The exhibit is expansive, featuring sketches from his early childhood, original maquettes that have been sealed away in the Disney vaults, multi media moving sculptures, robots, original film props from sandworms to Catwoman's articulated claws... This is a must see with sketchpad in hand and at least four hours to veg and take in all the beauty...

As we were exiting the exhibit, a flash of silver curls atop a willowy frame glided by. It was Tim! He had been behind us in the show taking a peek, before being whisked off to go meet his fans, eagerly awaiting his signing. I had been too caught up in the macabery delights to notice who was following behind. 

Shortly after, I ran into a lovely woman I had been chatting fashion with while wandering around that morning. (she was excited about my favorite poppy dress and Edwardian silk striped parasol) Next thing I knew, a coveted, golden ticket was pressed firmly and secretely into the palm of my hand, then suddenly I was being pushed into a passing cluster of people. I was swept away with the little huddle towards a heavily gaurded door, with only a few moments to take in what was happening..

Timmy!!!

 ...And there he was. It was a blur, all of a sudden I was shaking hands & exchanging names (hehehe) with the very person who has had the largest creative impact on my life. To say it was surreal would be an understatement.

He said he loved my name, as we both realized we were still holding hands. Eeeep! I hadn't let go yet in  the rush of the exchange. (insert me blushing here. Goofball.). He was truly a pleasure to talk to, incredibly caring towards all of his fans, I even got him to giggle!...

My heart soared at the odd twists and turns the day had taken. I LOVE leaving things up to chance, by taking leaps, and just being kind to other people, you never know what kind of an adventure you may find yourself on, what new friends you may make, and beautiful treasures you may pick up along the way.
To this anonymous woman, who's name I don't even know, thank you, sincerely from the bottom of my heart. What you did was one of the most wonderful gifts I've ever been given. I truly wish I could find you and smother you with hugs, you made this gal's creative soul sing.

With Fernando & James my accomplices of the day, cuddling our autographed books.

My inner three year old is now completely satisfied having met the man who made the movie about Peewee and his shiny red bike that would start a lifelong love affair with the hypnotizing world that Tim Burton has created for all of us not afraid to blossom on the fringes of the norm.

*Photos thanks to PsychoBoys.com and my hubby's old camera. (*Mine's been on the fritz thanks to an unfortunate run in with a fizzy drink, leading to a bit  of a drought in the bloggie department*)

Things I Love...errr Friday, The Late Night Edition!

What has my heart singing at the moment...
Performing burlesque for the first time, and feeling giddy, riding on cloud 9, smile plastered to my face every day since. (I feel like a super hero, who gets naked and makes people smile)
Phone calls with my glamorous Grammy, planning visits to see her (and hearing absolute happiness shine through her voice as she's telling me about her wild late nights on the town until 2 am. Hehehe.)
Scoring a vintage 60's crop top (for $3!!), pairing with pigtails and hot pants ala Brigitte Bardot.
Continuing my copious amounts of bicycle adventures ( exercise + too fun = delightful )


The above, a darling video from She & Him.
Plotting oodles of summer adventures starting with; photo shoots in ghost towns, camping under big trees, bike rides across my favorite valley, & vintage scavenging adventures in the mid west.
Watermelon + spoon. A simple, but divine summer delight. Noms. Big time.


Love letters to Elsie These are seriously worth a good read. What a sweet gift to have a peek in on two people so truly inspiring to each other. It makes my heart do the happy dance and gives me a refreshed sense of how love should be. In every single form it comes in.
Vintage silver lame purses in the day time. Now that's original bling, baby.
The little red lady bug and swallow tail butterfly that landed on my toes while I was writing this in the park. Like little kisses from mother nature. Beautiful.

Brigitte Bardot

Surprise breezes blowing in off the ocean, like the last few breaths of fresh air, lingering bits of spring, tangling my hair and tickling my skin, before the summer heat clamps itself like a blanket over the city.


Mmmm. What made you feel blissed as can be this week?...

Girly A-Go-Go!

Oh, hell's bell's, its happened again, weeks have whirled by and I've been a naughty mistress of musings, neglecting my little bloggie!
It all started with a road trip to Las Vegas in a pink '64 Buick, followed by photo shoots in my fave mid century modern hideaway in Palm Springs, last minute adventures to San Francisco (including a blustery, but enjoyable walk across the golden gate bridge), planning and producing a very special show for my besty's bday, daily biking adventures on my cherry red 63' Schwinn (she's my little rust bucket with wings!) preparing my first burlesque act (meeeep!) and dancing until my legs turn to jello! So very much to share with you all,  and oodles of wonderful photos!!! We'll chat soon!