Oh, The Glamourous Life!

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday!

I’m sorry that I’ve been a less than stellar correspondent lately. I been feeling a little overwhelmed lately, what with the New Year’s Eve Spectacular followed immediately by Bumps Upon a Grind and The Expo*. Also, preparing for some festivals as a soloist (to appear and to apply), making costumes, trying to keep Stately Babydoll Manor from squalor, and generally suffering from winter malaise.

But I will leave it all behind for a moment to deliver your much anticipated weekly tip.

Here’s your latest New Year, New Habit suggestion:

Answer your email in the order you receive it and as promptly as possible.

*The Expo is a massive undertaking and relies on a *lot* of people. Want to volunteer? How about displaying a costume? Do you know someone who wants to sponsor my tea party? Or just attend.

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy 2015! For the next month Friday Tips are going to be on the theme of New Year, New Habit.

Here’s the first one!

Once a month, go through your makeup kit. Replenish anything that’s running low. Replace anything that’s old. Get rid of anything you just don’t use. Clean your brushes. Organize everything.

A tidy makeup kit means peace of mind on show day.

This is the new makeup bag Scratch gave me for the holidays.

It’s the perfect size for my Beauty Butler palettes!

Wishing you peace, prosperity, and organization in the new year!

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! I hope you’ve been enjoying whatever festivities you celebrate this month.

Here’s your tip!

When you’re not able to iron a wrinkled garment, hang it up in the bathroom and take a very hot shower.

The steam will relax the fabric and you’ll get clean at the same time! You’ll want to keep the door and windows shut tight and keep any kind of fan off to trap the steam in the bathroom.

You can also use this trick to fluff boas. Just make sure they don’t get too wet in the process.

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday!

Here’s your tip!

Work out first thing in the morning.

Not only will you be energized for the day, it will be done and you can’t put it off until “later”. I don’t know about you, but for me “later” often becomes “never”.

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! Here’s your tip!

Fake it ’til you make it.

Dear Constant Reader,

I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving or a charming Thursday, depending on your locale and preferences.

Here’s your Friday Tip!

Take time to appreciate your family, however you define it.

Dear Constant Reader,

As I send this missive I’m winging my way to sunny California. A much needed change from frigid Boston.

Here’s your tip!

For visibility from stage, obey the heraldic rules of tincture.

What the heck does that mean? Back in the Middle Ages, when folks identified themselves with coats of arms, one wanted to make sure the images were clear & visible from a distance. You wouldn’t want to be attacked by your own army!

The rule of tinture is metal should not be put on metal, nor colour on colour. Metals are gold/yellow and silver/white. Colors are blue, red, green, purple, black.

If you have a design, image, or text you want to be really clear from stage, make sure it a color on a metal or vice versa. Black on yellow is really visible (think traffic signs); green on black, not so much.

Dear Constant Reader,

Today’s tip is a bit of wisdom I picked up from Bic Carrol at BurlyCon.

To make sure your makeup reads from stage, spray your mirror with Aqua Net. Then check your face.