Save the Boobies!

Apparently 2012 is my year for helping to save boobies (not just appreciate and promote them ;) ).

LUPEC Denver will be participating in the awesome breast cancer fundraiser/lady bartender speed competition "Speed Rack" February 12, 2012. Plus this week I'll be talking to Miss Jo "Boobs" Weldon about bringing her Pink Light Burlesque, providing free burlesque lessons to breast cancer patients and survivors.

I was immediately interested in Pink Light when Jo mentioned it to me earlier this year, but my feelings about the project have strengthened recently with the passing of my friend Jules Vogt who, after winning her first battle with cancer, produced a burlesque and variety show called Team Survivor Kabaret with fellow cancer survivors.

Check out picts from the first Pink Light Burlesque show earlier this month on the Pink Light Facebook page.

I'll have more updates on these events soon!

Non-Dairy Nog

Thehairpin.com writers tried out a few internet recipes for eggless eggnog, to mixed results.

 I think the only one I'll actually try (if I don't take their lazy way out and stick to Silk Nog, which I love) will be the avocado based one- mostly because I also like those weird avocado boba drinks they serve at my favorite local Vietnamese bowl place. And maybe the carrot one- mostly because they said it was good with rum.

Favorite moment in the blog (besides the end where they mix all the experiments together and drink it- and give it an A-) was this quote, "We like tofu. But tofu as eggnog? More like no tofucking way."


Yeah. No tofucking way.

Today's obsession- Thai Jewel-Scarabs

In general, I've got a thing for insects- the little aliens of our world. They're weird- they move like creatures from another planet even though they were some of the first creatures on this planet.

I've tortured them (so sorry to any grasshoppers I encountered as a child, when I did things to you to see how you worked...or didn't work), I ate them at a Denver Museum of Nature and Science lecture (tomato worms, when fried up, taste a lot like fried mushrooms) and thought this article on insect infused cocktails was fascinating (though you won't see me anywhere near that tarantula tea punch- spiders are not insects- they are monsters), I made a lot of art in art school referencing insects and I have a nice collection mounted above my fireplace, but I am especially enchanted by Thai Jewel-Scarabs.

I bought earrings and a pin made from their shells at Soho's Evolution,  then a friend sent me an article about Jan Fabre, an artist that covers dress forms, skulls, and a room in the palace in Brussels with the iridescent shells. 

Royal Palace in Brussels,
Jan Fabre's Heaven of Delight

Detail of Heaven of Delight

Then, today I read about this- a dress created in 1888 for Shakespearean actress Ellen Terry, captured on canvas by John Singer Sargent- still exists and was recently restored. 

Plus it turns out much of the world has been making beautiful objects out of the pretty beetle shells for a long, long time. Just tapping in to the history of mankind's love of shiny things. 

Polly of California

Sometimes I become completely obsessed with buying something expensive, but because I'm incredibly cheap, if I can't find it for what I think is a reasonable price, eventually I forget about it for a while until it seeps back into my brain and I become obsessed again. Current obsession? Polly of California steel tipped, wooden platform mules.

I think the most I've ever spent on shoes was $50 and that was on a pair that was originally $75 so even considering shoes that start at about $290 is fairly preposterous.

Even the knockoff Bordello/Pleaser is still $80 on Amazon and more from other sites.

The Atomic Bombshells, with
 Miss Indigo Blue, posing in Pollys.

Plus I've never even tried these shoes on. I've no idea if I can even walk in them. I think the first time I noticed them was when Miss Indigo Blue had them on at some convention or show we were both at and made them look 'kicky', fun, retro and sexy. I remember quizzing her about comfort, walk and danceability and she had nothing but good things to say- and so my obsession started. And I started noticing a lot of other performers wearing them:

Dirty Martini rocking her mules on the Cannes red carpet

Jo Boobs in her Sherry Britton tribute number:


And her gold shimmy fringe number



I want them, though I'll likely just continue to want unless I find a screaming deal in a color I like (gold, silver or any of the glitter ones) and in my size (I'm a size 9 ... and my birthday is in September...).

Boozy Cupcakes

Cutie at the
Denver Derby Party

Last year I met Tiffany Rose Goodyear, owner of Yours Truly Cupcake and talked about cross promoting her cupcakes with burlesque. She not only makes kickass cupcakes, she also has adorable Cupcake Cuties who dress up like retro cigarette girls and are a great fit for burlesque shows (or really any place that needs a cute girl handing out cupcakes- so, like, everywhere) .


We reconnected recently when she joined my secret cocktail society, and I invited her to join me for the 5280 Top of the Town Party and the Colorado Cocktail Project competition on Monday. Over a pre-party cocktail at Lola's, I discovered that she's now focusing on spirit, beer and cocktail cupcakes- and she used Montanya Rum for a couple of flavors for her summer launch party! Two of their new summer flavors use Montanya Oro: Montanya Strawberry Daiquiri & Montanya Mojito.


Plus they also made Dark & Stormy’s and Lavender Lemonade cupcakes with Montanya rum for the Denver Derby party! I was supposed to go to the Derby party, but couldn't- now I'm doubly sad I missed it, both for the Montanya cupcakes and the Mint Julep cupcakes with Buffalo Trace – Kentucky Straight Bourbon Buttercream frosting. And Chocolate Bourbon, chocolate cake topped with chocolate Buffalo Trace Bourbon ganache with a light chocolate buttercream. Mmmmmm...



Some of her other awesome boozy flavors (btw - I need a dozen of these- heavy on the St. Germain flavor -for my birthday September 27- get it on your calendar and send them my way?):

∙ Strawberry Champagne ∙
Champagne Cake &
Strawberry Frosting
Infused with Champagne

∙ Margarita ∙
Margarita Cake &
Lime-Orange Frosting with Lime Slice
Infused with Tequila and Grand Marnier

∙ Moscow Mule ∙

Lime Vodka Cake &
Ginger Buttercream Frosting
Infused with Vodka and Gingerbeer

∙ Pabst Blue Ribbon ∙
PBR Vanilla Cake & PBR Frosting
Infused with Pabst Blue Ribbon

∙ Cosmopolitan ∙
Cranberry and Lime Vodka Cake &
Cran-Orange Frosting with Lemon Twist
Infused with Vodka and Curacao Liqueur

∙ St. Germain ∙
Champagne Cake &  St. Germain Frosting
Infused with Champagne and St. Germain Liqueur

∙ Irish Car Bomb ∙
Guinness Cake, Whiskey Ganache &
Irish Cream Buttercream

Infused with Guinness, Whiskey, and  Irish Cream Liqueur

Scroggin's Punch

With Montanya Rum!

Colorado Cocktail talk

Bryan, Sean and Brian and a whole lot of vodka collins'

THE Colorado Cocktail....coming Monday!

Being a born-and-raised, die hard Coloradoan, plus a super cocktail nerd, I'm pretty excited about the idea that this Monday night, Colorado will FINALLY have an official cocktail. Up until this point the closest we had to a drink that represents our great state was the Colorado Bulldog, which is...ew. Bartender and Westword cocktail blogger Sean Kenyon put forth the challenge to local bartenders to mix up what they thought was a cocktail befitting the Centennial State.

The rules:

1. The base spirit (at least 1.5 oz.) must be produced in Colorado.

2. The drink has a maximum of 7 ingredients (includes garnish)

3. All ingredients must be readily available. No homemade ingredients.

4. Anyone submitting a nominee must be a bartender working in a Colorado restaurant.

Many stepped up to the challenge and now it's been narrowed down to just a handful who will compete this Monday at the Colorado Cocktail Project. They'll be announced tomorrow on Westword's Cafe Society page.

Sean and the COBG, the Distiller's Guild, Westword and the MCA combined forces to present two days celebrating Colorado's cocktail culture- the Colorado Cocktail Project June 26-27. Starting Sunday from noon - 6 there will be a marathon of cocktail lectures and a chance to taste a ton of Colorado spirits (including my delicious Montanya Rum- come by, say hi!). Then Monday night 5-9:30 you can throw your vote in for the best Colorado cocktail and find out which drink is the big winner.

I'll definitely be down at the MCA on Monday anticipating which amazing concoction will be certified and recognized as THE signature Colorado Cocktail. Join me?

"...and the band plays the polka while she strips!"

I heard the Andrew Sisters singing "Strip Polka" long before I ever even dreamed I'd be the modern version of the song's subject "Queenie". Once I'd found myself part of the new burlesque in 1998, I was dying to put together an act to it, but could never quite get it together. This Saturday night at the Rover on Broadway, the dream will be realized as punk polka outfit the Polkanauts will be backing me up- playing the polka while I strip. Be there at 9 pm and watch (my personal) history be made. It'll look something like this:

In way less fun news, the great Eddie Dane (aka Eric Christensen) passed away today. He started Danes Dames around the same time I started Burlesque As It Was. We met at Tease-o-rama in New Orleans where we connected as we commiserated about how we'd each brought at least one crazy unmanagable broad with us to the show and ended up bonding as we shared stories and secrets about producing burlesque. When I interviewed him for my book a few years later I realized he was really the only guy trying to bring back the vintage comedy along with the vintage strip- and doing it in a way that was actually funny (head over to your library and read old burlesque skits- they are beyond groaners). Just like the ladies of the new burlesque, he was taking the male roles, the 'men in the baggy pants' and giving them new life. He was a sweetheart of a man, and would do anything to hear the audience roar with laughter. I'm glad I got to spend a few minutes with him in the fall at Sparkly Devil's wedding and I hope he knew I was thinking about him at the end. I'm sure that wherever he is now, there are plenty of gorgeous be-pastied ladies, he's got a full glass of whiskey and he's telling dirty jokes to a room full of people clutching their sides.

Worst blogger ever

Ok, not the worst, but I am slacking way more than I'd like. Right now I'm excited by two spots on 38th, the new Lou's and just opening tonight, Stingray Lounge. I'm just always excited to see cool stuff moving into neighborhoods and on to streets that need a little boost. Frank Bonanno's new eatery has fantastic menu and a great cocktail list with eager and thoughtful bartenders and I'm sure the new spot Leigh and Margaret of Jonesy's, Bar Car and The Horseshoe are opening will be a welcome edition to what has always been a bit of a no-man's land (at least for places I would frequent --except for the tasty Buchi Cafe Cubano).

I'm also heading to Chicago in a couple weeks. Writer James Teitelbaum offered to spend his vacation time showing me the windy city, I'm booked to play the Everleigh Social Club March 27 and dance with a live band (my favorite), and I'll be spreading Montanya Rum love all over the city. Hoping to meet up with some of my LUPEC sisters, drink lovely cocktails, eat good food, and get to know a city I've only flirted with in the past.  Anyone reading this (if anyone is reading this) - let me know if you have any must-see suggestions!

Scattered!!

Feel like I'm pulled in a lot of directions today! Spent this morning taping my April March tribute act, so April can take a look and give me any last minute tweaking advice before I submit it next week for the Burlesque Hall of Fame event in June. Since then I've been working on the fashion show for LUPEC Prom, gave an interview to Simone at the DPL for their Overdue Love Club that I'm now hosting starting this Friday. I just compiled a list of my favorite downtown bars for the author of my favorite book on rum, Wayne Curtis who is swinging through D-town later this week, and tonight I'll be tasting scotch with my fellow Denver Whiskey Club members.

Right now I'm cracking a Yeti and stepping outside to enjoy the last minutes of a 65 degree February day in Colorado!

Spreading the Burlesque Love!

I started my burlesque school as the answer to all the ladies from my audiences who came up after a show asking, "How do I do this?". At the time I had a troupe, but it was already chock full of talented glitter queens, and I wanted a way to show all these other ladies how to shake it, and give them the tools to create performance and take it to the stage.

When I started Vivienne VaVoom's School of Burlesque in 2006 I took the great advice I received from Michelle L'amour and her Studio L'amour, Miss Indigo Blue, headmistress of the Academy of Burlesque in Seattle and Jo Boobs, headmistress of the School of Burlesque in New York and combined it with how I trained the girls who joined Burlesque As It Was, plus added a dash of all the things I wish I'd know when I started in 1998 with only videos and books to train with.

The school has grown and grown and now I sell out nearly every month! It started as a place for all those girls who wouldn't fit into my troupe, and has become an absolute labor of love. Every time I see a girl hit the stage with her first Queen number, every time a girl peels off a glove in the group Starlet act, and feels the warmth and encouragement of the audience and then runs off stage exclaiming, "When do I get to do that again!" I fall in love with burlesque all over again.

Most of my students come in ready to break out of some kind of shell- shyness, body image issues, stage fright, or the crippling idea that she'll never feel sexy onstage- and the process of breaking and finally destroying that shell is SO gratifying. They thank me after, but really I have to thank them for including me on their journey, for trusting me to take them where they want and need to go.

Last night was our first burlesque recital at Bender's Tavern and that room was filled with so much love (literally filled- standing room only) and encouragement. The back stage was chilly, but I never felt cold as I stood beside the light that filled all the ladies who took the stage last night- and I mean took it.

Corridor 44, Colorado Cocktail Contest and Smash Putt.

Thanks to Eryn at Corridor 44 for showing LUPEC Denver a great bubbly time on Monday! I'd never been there before and was delighted by the fabulous selection of champagne cocktails and the gorgeous space! We all started dreaming up parties we could throw in their swank and cozy back room.

LUPEC is encouraging you to drink with us at a happy hour every first Monday of the month! Follow us on FB for announcements!

I continued the night at MCA for a gathering of local distillers and Denver Bartenders to launch the Colorado Cocktail contest, the quest to develop a uniquely Colorado cocktail. Read all about it in Sean Kenyon's Westword blog. I'm really excited, as Montanya Rum's ambassador, to get to know the other local distillers and do my part to try and promote the fantastic liquor our state is producing!

Then as a blizzard ramped up, I headed over for one last hurrah with my new Smash Putt pals before they pack up and head back to Seattle. Since it was closed to the public I finally got a chance to play my favorite holes as many times as I wanted, drink a few cocktails from their local and small distillery stocked bar, shoot as many balls as I could on the firing range and sit down and chat with the folks I've been working for and beside for the last few weeks... until 8am! Pretty amazing way to spend a snowy night. Totally worth my having to sleep through most of Tuesday. Hopefully they'll come back to Denver again soon!

Wonder Woman toys for Grownup Ladies

MAC really tempted me with the Hello Kitty line, but I resisted. However, when they announced they were putting out Wonder Woman themed products, all resistance was futile.

Bought these last night- the lipstick is Russian Red, a color I'd wanted anyhow, and the polish is Obey Me red. Had to get that.

The Wonder Woman obsession started early with me- until I was old enough to realize it wasn't an occupational choice, I answered every, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" with the whole hearted answer that I wanted to be the Amazonian princess.

So of course, when someone started making lady sized Wonder Woman underoos, I had to have them, since I of course owned a set of the originals way back when I thought I might get to wear the real satin tights some day.

Gypsy!

Last night was the book event at Tattered Cover LODO for the fabulous Karen Abbott and her wonderful book on my favorite burlesque queen, Gypsy Rose Lee. Gypsy was a DIY girl after my own heart, a fiercely individual artist and total trailblazer.





Me and Karen. Jo Weldon described her as having "The biggest and most beautiful eyes", and she really does!



I was honored to be asked to perform as part of the event and recreated  Gypsy's very funny and very PG (appropriate for the Tattered Cover audience) striptease "Psychology of a Stripper" from "Stage Door Canteen". I piled my hair up Gypsy style and found a few things in my closet that echoed her outfit. I was nervous as all heck and convinced I would never remember the whole monologue, but I did alright and only left out one line. As usual the striptease was much easier than the talking!



Check out Karen's brilliant version, taking Gypsy's act and spoofing it as the, "Psychology of an Author".





Smash Putt- LAST WEEKEND!!

I've been bartending the last few Saturdays at the amazing Smash Putt golf course and if you haven't been there you MUST GO!!! The last nights are tonight and Sunday. Tonight is their big blow-out party and Boba Fett and the Americans marching band will be filling the place with even more crazy sound than usual!

My favorite hole- the infinity hole!

As a (former? future?) installation artist, I adore what the Seattle founders of this wacky/arty putt putt course have acomplished- it really is a total experience- from the surprising and fun course, to the bar stocked with local and small distilleries (including my favorite Montanya Rum - also a favorite of the staff). The touring course will hopefully be coming back, but won't you be kicking yourself if you miss it and they don't come back? Yes you will.

I might pop by tonight to check out the chaos, but I'll definitely be there Sunday (superbowl? what superbowl?) smashing a few balls, drinking a few cocktails made with some of the finest booze in the Rocky Mountains (they also have Ransom Gin, which I mentioned in my last post, and I highly recommend you try) so please join me.

If you make it by- please do yourself a favor poke around every corner- I went the first weekend, which was super empty (lucky me! Every weekend after was packed) and didn't realize there were hidden lounges and other holes all over the place!

How I learned to love gin

In college I drank gin and tonics because everyone else was drinking them, and they kind of tasted like christmas, but when I experienced several episodes of excruciating late night leg cramps after nights of g&t imbibing, I swore off gin and switched to vodka tonics. The leg cramps stopped and from then on I avoided the juniper beverage. Looking back it was likely the quality of the Pinesol flavored well gin served to me at the Compound, Snake Pit and Rock Island that was messing with my muscles, so now that we're in an age where the gin category has exploded from a handful of choices to an incredible plethera of both large and small distilleries putting out really fine gin, I no longer fear the Dutch Courage.

I've explored a few of the gins out there- Leopold Brothers, Plymouth, Hendrick's, Bols Genever, Hayman's Old Tom, Ransom's Old Tom and a couple others- but it was a real treat to have a guided tasting yesterday with AKA Wine Geek Steve Olson. I knew a little about the history of gin, and was familiar with the wide variety of flavor profiles of the many gins out there, from dry to sweet, and everything in between, but for almost three hours, Steve filled my head (and the heads of nearly 40 stellar local bartenders filling the basement of TAG) with both an in depth history of the very old liquor category and tasting notes that had me inspired to rush home to play with the gin and vintage cocktail books I've got in my home bar.

I'd tasted most of the seven gins set out for the tasting (Tanqeray, Sapphire, Bols Genever, Ransom, Plymouth, (crap forgot #6!)) but the one I had not tasted was the Tanqueray Ten and it really surprised me. Not knowing much about it I expected it to be fairly similar to regular Tanqueray, but the flavor was really different. Steve described it as, "...a fruit basket in your mouth." and it really was. There was an astonishing variety of citrus flavors rising up with the juniper and coriander as I held it on my tongue and even more in the finish. Plus it's sweeter and someone who really jumped back in with gin whole heartedly when I tasted the old tom gins and Bols Genever, it's definitely a gin that fits my taste.

The Big Clean



Before

 I am a mess- and as my mother will attest, I have always been a mess. I'm generally not a dirt and mold and gunk kind of mess (ew), but I am the 'I'll put that away later' and never do kind of mess. Especially in my basement, where I don't have to look at it every day and so the mess can't taunt and embarrass me.

Last year I cleaned it up and organized it so that there was a place for all my costumes, supplies, storage etc. And it looked good for a while. And then it didn't, and I just let it pile up. Finally it was getting to be a hazaard zone, where every time I went down there I risked falling, being covered by piles of stuff and never getting up again. So I attacked. 

After



Things are in their place- I took all the costume making supplies out of the costume room (except the fabric bins- there's just no other place for them to live) so I can start building costumes again. It's still cluttered looking, I just have too much stuff, but at least now I can reach and find and use the clutter. I also have big plans for all the stuff I've accumulated with the plan to make them into hats, headdresses, costumes, etc. and the new clean space will definitely help. I even created a little makeup area in the costume room.

I've also got a small pile of stuff I need to fix, and discovered a few things missing that I need to go in search for. It's nice to know I don't need to dread looking for costumes for a show, or a pair of scissors. I unearthed my long lost swaravski ear buds, and created a basket of  'things that could become costumes'. I feel organized and ready to create!

Cheers to Gypsy Rose Lee

Tomorrow Gypsy Rose Lee would have turned 100. She was a burlesque dancer and producer, an accomplished seamstress and costume designer, the author of a play and several books (a couple that were turned into movies), she acted in films and TV, had her own television talk show and her life story was turned into one of the most popular and successful musicals of all time, Gypsy (which is about to be relaunched on to the big screen by Barbra Streisand).

I've always felt a great connection to Gypsy- I feel like I share her DIY attitude and her desire to do more and be more. Plus burlesque changed both of us for the better. For her it took an awkward girl who had no place in Vaudeville, gave her a stage and made her a star --and for me burlesque transformed my very shy and awkward self into an elegant, confident woman. We both cultivated stage personas that eventually we mostly transformed into, onstage and off. Burlesque made us both published writers, and while it defines who we are to the general public, we both have used that fact to achieve greater goals rather than letting it limit us, as it could.

When I went out to Exotic World in 2005 to help them pack up and make the move to Vegas, photographer Don Spiro was recording the museum pieces before they were stored away, and asked me to model Gypsy's gorgeous drapey green velvet dress and black shoes. Gypsy was just a half inch taller than my 5'9 and I have a similar frame, so the dress fit me perfectly, though her size 10's were a size large for me. I remember feeling slightly electrified thinking that I was literally standing in Gypsy's shoes and dress.

Author Karen Abbott just released an in-depth and entertaining biography of Gypsy American Rose:A Nation Laid Bare: The Life and Times of Gypsy Rose Lee and she'll be here in Denver on February 5th at the Tattered Cover in Lodo, where yours truly will be recreating a couple of Gypsy's numbers! If you happen to be in New York tomorrow, celebrate Gypsy's birthday with Karen and some of the city's finest burlesque performers at the New York Public Library.

And for a quick peek at this amazing woman, this terrific article from Life Magazine from December 14, 1942 catches her at the height of her success (plus check out all the holiday and booze ads- fantastic!).

She was an incredible woman and as I'm also a cocktail girl, I suggest lifting a glass to toast the great lady, maybe a gin and tonic (her favorite) or this cocktail, known as 'The Gypsy': Equal parts gin and sweet vermouth, and a maraschino cherry. Cheers to Gypsy!

2010 in Review

Started 2010 off in Helsinki in February for the publication of my book in Finnish, and the Helsinki Burlesque Festival. Then I was invited to perform at and judge the Texas Burlesque festival in the spring, and I started a short lived but much loved job as a tour guide for Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey, which led to my current employment with Montanya Rum, Colorado’s finest rum- recognized and praised nationally and internationally. They took me to New Orleans for my first Tales of the Cocktail where I learned a lot, drank a lot of amazing cocktails, met a ton of wonderful people, including a ton of LUPEC ladies, at our first national meet-up, and basically had the time of my life.

Bartending at RumFest

Montanya also sent me to London for Rum Fest, where we were one of five rums nominated for a Golden Barrel award in the ‘Best Rum in North America’ category! Yes, it’s that good.

Montanya also made it possible for me to attend one of my favorite events, Tiki Oasis. I’ve always attended as a burlesque performer, and while that was always fun, it was even better as a sponsor. Tiki people love rum, and so they loved me!

I was honored to be invited to perform at the Burlesque Hall of Fame event in Las Vegas, The New York Burlesque Festival, The Southwest Burlesque Showcase, The Great Burlesque Exposition in Boston, along with the Texas and Helsinki festivals.



Locally, BurlyCute (who put me on a giant moving billboard downtown) and Immundo Burlesque gave me lots of stage time, plus Westword’s Artopia, the Cala Inn in Dillon, Fresh City Life at the Denver Public Library, Ginger Sexton’s Apocalyptic Ball and the Denver Modernism Show all let me shake my tail feathers (and feather fans) on their stages.

I was lucky enough to go to two burlesque weddings! The first was in the spring and was the wedding of burlesque historian, Jaye Furlonger- now Jaye MacAskill at the Little White Chapel in Vegas with Dixie Evans, Tempest Storm and Laura Herbert in attendance.

Then in San Fran in the fall, Sparkly Devil married the west coast’s most fabulous and foul mouthed export from Brooklyn, a gent known as Bones. I performed as part of the wild and wacky burlesque reception and the next night at Hubba Hubba in Oakland at the post-wedding show produced by Sparkly.

Trying April's makeup style

Just before the New York festival, I headed upstate to spend some time with April March, who when we first met a few years ago gave me one of the biggest compliments of my life. She said I move like she did when she used to perform! We’re working on a tribute act to her- she travels and speaks about her career, but doesn’t perform anymore, plus there’s not much footage of her performances, so I’m hoping to give the world a view of what it was like to see her live back in the day. We picked out music and the costume and prop and hopefully we’ll get to debut it at the Exotic World Weekend this year!

My burlesque school is really taking off with sell out classes and a ton of fabulous ladies graduating with honors and wanting to take it to the next level to be professional performers! I’m so excited!

Vintage lifestyles magazine, Milkcow called my burlesque school one of the top 10 in the world!



LUPEC Denver is more organized, connected and driven than ever before. I’m so proud of us!



Dita's Be Cointreauversial
costume at Contreau Prive



I took a side trip to Paris and stayed in the shadow of the Sacre Coeur with Forest, the author or Paris' finest cocktail blog, http://52martinis.blogspot.com/ and had a couple cocktails with burlesque mover and shaker Gentry de Paris. Plus I spent an evening at Dita Von Teese's fabulous temporary club, Cointreau Prive where I sipped great cocktails and had a chance to drool over a couple of her costumes on display.

I was able to see Dita, one of my favorite artists, in New Orleans performing three acts I’d been dying to see live. She’s the epitome of the self created showgirl. Plus I had a story published in the international online burlesque magazine, 21^st Century Burlesque about that Dita show in NOLA.

I had a bit part in Katharyn Grant’s movie Carolina Blue as a 70’s hooker!

Marie Vlasic painted my portrait

 which ended up on a billboard downtown!



I’ve always been fortunate enough to have great friends and colleagues and this year I feel like I’ve met more amazing people than ever before, mostly from the burlesque and the cocktail world.

As usual, I’ve really got no idea what 2011 will bring, but I’m hopeful for good things. I’d like to write more, and I feel like I’m ready to produce shows again after a long self imposed hiatus. Definitely stay tuned for at least a one night re-launch of Vivienne VaVoom’s “Burlesque As It Was”!

Happy New Year to you all, follow the golden rule, and above all else, do what makes you happiest!

Love,

Michelle/Vivienne