Friday Tip

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! Thank you to everyone who came out for Valen-Tease last night. We had a great time and hope to be back at Thunder Road soon!

And now for your tip!

Bring slippers to your gigs.

Maybe not the marabou mules in the picture (although I love them for lounging at home), but something to keep your feet off the potentially cold and dirty dressing room floor while you’re getting ready or between acts. Yes, you could wear your show shoes, but why not give your feet a break from the heels.

I know some people who favor flip-flops, but I prefer grippy socks, like I wear in barre class. I get cold easily and the cozy socks help keep my toes warm, but don’t leave marks on my legs like taller socks might.

M2Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page.

Published in: on 15 February 2019 at 3:17 pm  Leave a Comment  
Tags:

Friday Tip

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! Before we get to your tip, I just want to mention that Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. One of my Little Books would be a wonderful gift for the burlesque lover in your life. Also, The Boston BeauTease are presenting Valent-Tease Day at Thunder Road that night. Not only will we be presenting our usual burlesque delights, but some of my students from B.A.B.E. will be making their burlesque debut. AND you’ll get to see the act I debuted in Los Angeles. Right now the only way to see it is to support me on Patreon.

With no further ado or commercials, here’s your tip!

If you have pets with fur, keep a lint brush in your show bag.

No matter how carefully you keep you costumes away from your fuzzy family members, somehow fur is still going to make an appearance — and of course it will contrast as highly as possible. Albert just loves to cuddle up to dark clothing…

Scratch points out that if you’ve forgotten your lint brush, there’s still hope, “you’re a burlesque dancer — you’ve got double-sided tape!”.

M2Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page.

Published in: on 8 February 2019 at 2:52 pm  Leave a Comment  
Tags: ,

Friday Tip

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! It sure is cold out there! I mean, Boston is nowhere near as bad as the Midwest, but it’s still No Fun At All. Here’s a tip to help you get through the day.

Eat a good breakfast.

Your mother was right! Don’t skip breakfast, especially when you’ve got a busy schedule. My favorite breakfast food is delicious, filling, good hot or good, has room for creativity, and is super easy to make — overnight oats.

At its simplest, overnight oats are just equal parts old-fashioned rolled oats and liquid. Don’t use instant oats because you’ll end up with mush. Don’t use steel-cut oats because they won’t soften enough. For the liquid you can can use milk (of any sort), fruit juice, or just plain water.

Put your oats and liquid in a container with whatever toppings and seasonings you like, cover, and stash in the fridge overnight. In the morning, eat. It’s that simple.

In the evening, I pour a half cup of oats and a half cup of liquid in a Pyrex container (as seen to the right), then add my toppings. I pop the lid on, stick it in the fridge, and ignore it until morning. I prefer my oats warm, so I microwave them for a minute or so (hence the glass container). But you can grab them right out of fridge and dig in.

Topping the oats is where thing get fun. You can add fresh or dried fruit, nuts, seeds, spices, fresh greens or herbs. I know oatmeal often has sweet toppings, but give savory oats a try.

A few suggestions:
Mina’s standard
Oats and water, pinch of salt. Toss some frozen mixed berries on top. In the morning the berries are thawed and when I nuke the oats, they turn into fruit compote. Sometimes I add a dash of natural cocoa powder for a hint of chocolate. It’s not sweetened, so only use it along with fruit, unless you like a bitter-tasting breakfast (just ask me know I know…)

Autumnal oats
Use apple cider for the liquid and add chopped apples, toasted walnuts, and dried cranberries. Sprinkle with a little cinnamon.

Savory sesame oats
Make the oats with water and add a splash of soy sauce and a dash of sesame oil. Top with sesame seeds and chopped scallions.

Almond Joy oats
This one is basically dessert.
Make the oats with milk. For true decadence, use chocolate almond milk (personally I think it’s a bit much). Top with toasted shredded coconut, toasted slivered almonds, and a few dark chocolate chips. If you warm this one, the chips get all melty and ooze through each bite.

M2Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page.

Published in: on 1 February 2019 at 2:53 pm  Leave a Comment  
Tags: ,

Friday Tip

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! I’m back in the frigid Northeast after a lovely couple of days in sunny California. I have a lot to tell you about! In the meantime, here’s your tip:

Miss Mina WriterDrill your moves on both sides and directions.

Most of us are stronger on one side of our body. Your hip bumps on your right might be crisp and strong, but the left… not so much. Drill on your weak side as much or even more than your strong side to make both sides strong. Similarly, drill circular moves, like grinds, going clockwise and counter-clockwise to become comfortable in both directions. For extra fun, drill any traveling moves starting on the right foot and then again starting on the left. You’ll be ready for anything!

M2Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page.

Published in: on 25 January 2019 at 3:44 pm  Leave a Comment  
Tags:

Friday Tip

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! If you’re in New England, I hope you’re prepared for the snow! If you’re in Los Angeles, I hope you’re prepared for me! I’ll be performing at Audrey DeLuxe’s Burlesque Bingo – The House of Knyle Edition on Sunday. If you’re in the area, I’d love to see you! I’m debuting a new act and it’s very different from my usual style.

And now for your tip!

Use invisible lip liner to keep your lipstick from feathering.

Invisible lip liner is clear and creates a barrier so your lipstick stays put. Put on your usual lip liner and then run a line of this stuff just outside the line. I always use it and it’s kind of magical.

M2Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page.

Published in: on 18 January 2019 at 3:03 pm  Leave a Comment  
Tags: ,

Friday Tip

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! Here’s your tip!

Use the same attachment method on all your detachable panel skirts.

If all your belts and panels have compatible snaps (or whatever else you use), you can mix and match your belts and panels, extending your costume wardrobe! I like to use the snap tape you can see in the photo and use the same size snaps for every costume. That particular belt has the burgundy sheer circular panels and rectangular black lace panels for two very different looks.

We also use this trick in our troupe costumes. We have a bunch of different sized performers, so we have belts of different sizes so that the panels can be swapped around. The snaps are sometimes set higher or lower on the belt to accommodate performers of different heights too.

M2Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page.

Published in: on 11 January 2019 at 12:28 pm  Leave a Comment  
Tags:

Friday Tip

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! It’s the first tip of 2019!

Fan dancing is much easier when your fans are right-and left-handed.

It’s quiet right now at BeauTease headquarters and we’re using the downtime for some skill-building. Everyone was eager to learn fan dancing and this tidbit came up while I was teaching. As you can see from the pictures, the staves of my fans open in different directions. This means you can hold the fans comfortably with the top stave closest to you.

Most ready-made fans are right-handed, which makes holding them in your left-hand awkward. It’s best to have the staves reversed for the left-hand fan before the fans are constructed, because it requires removing the support cord and restringing the staves. When ordering fans, specify that you want one right and one left.

At first, it can be hard to remember which one is which. You can discretely label them with an L and R on the back stave where it will be hidden by your hand. Or you could add a distinctive decoration to one fan, so you’ll know that one is, say, the right-hand fan and the one without is the left-hand. If it were a large rhinestone on the back of one fan, you could tell which was which by touch.

M2Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page.

Published in: on 4 January 2019 at 11:12 am  Leave a Comment  
Tags:

Friday Tip

Dear Constant Reader,

It’s the last Friday tip of 2018! Here’s something to reflect on for the coming year.

Miss MIna WriterBe generous.

Not necessarily with money, although that’s great. You can be generous with your time, your praise, your wisdom, your kindness. Especially kindness.

I hope you have a wonderful 2019!

M2Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page.

Published in: on 28 December 2018 at 2:26 pm  Leave a Comment  
Tags:

Friday Tip

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! Here’s your tip!

No ironing board? Use a folded towel.

A towel with give just a bit of padding and protect whatever surface you’re using from the heat and steam.

M2Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page.

Published in: on 21 December 2018 at 2:41 pm  Leave a Comment  
Tags:

Friday Tip

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! Your tip today is an old seamstress trick:

If you get blood on your fabric, spit on it.

We’ve all done it. You’re sewing along and stab your finger with the needle. Next thing you know there’s a little crimson stain on your sewing project. Quick! Dab some saliva on it. The blood stain will magically dissipate. I have no idea why or how it works, but I’ve saved my work this way. As soon as you can, properly wash the area with cold water and gentle soap to get out the spit and the last remnants of blood.

M2Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page.

Published in: on 14 December 2018 at 2:27 pm  Leave a Comment  
Tags:
« Older Entries
Newer Entries »