Friday Tip!

Dear Constant Reader,

It’s Friday and we’re on the verge of a storm here in New England. Of course, the Boston Babydolls will still be presenting Brrrlesque at Laugh Boston tonight and Brigitte and I are still planning to warm up the audience of Bettie Page Reveals All at the Coolidge Corner Theatre tomorrow at midnight.

Here’s your tip!

Give your bras a break!

Avoid wearing the same bra two days in a row. Like any vacation, the day off gives an opportunity to relax and rest and ultimately be happier. The fabric gets a chance to dry out from contact with your skin (especially if your bra has padding. I won’t tell.). The elastic can contract fully after being under tension for most of a day. Just simply rotating through your bras can prolong their fit and life.

Obviously, I’m talking about everyday bras here. Show bras are a different story, since we’re not wearing them for hours and hours on end (usually). Still, air your bras out after each show.

M2

Published in: on 13 December 2013 at 1:46 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Friday Tip!

Dear Constant Reader,

I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving! Today, the day after Thanksgiving, has become known as Black Friday and everyone is supposed to rush to the Big Box stores and spend, spend, spend! I hate it. First and foremost I hate the culture of obligatory gift-giving and the idea that buying some mass-produced junk shows somehow that you care. I’d much rather people give gifts because they find something that’s *perfect* for someone and not because they feel they have to.

In today’s Friday Tip, I’d like to propose an alternative to mall shopping:

Buy your holiday gifts from some of the independent artists and craftspeople in the burlesque community.

There are many talented people connected to the burlesque world with fabulous goods for sale. By patronizing them, you’re supporting the community and getting unique and interesting gifts for your friends and loved ones. Win all around!

M2

Published in: on 29 November 2013 at 10:30 am  Leave a Comment  
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Friday Tip!

Dear Constant Reader,

I had expected to be writing this from the Suffolk County Courthouse. Not because I am in any trouble with the law. Perish the thought! I am, as they say, a good girl. No, no, it’s because, besides being a glamourous showgirl, I am also a responsible citizen of the Commonwealth. In other words, I thought I had jury duty today. However, the Court was kind enough not to require any jury pools and I am at liberty, so to speak.

But enough about that, here is your Friday Tip!

Stretch *after* you warm up.

Stretching is *not* the same thing as warming up. Get your muscles warm before you stretch them. Just be active for at least 5 minutes and get your blood moving. I like to hoop, but failing that will run down my body rolling or circling the appropriate body part: neck, shoulders, wrists, arms, chest, hips, ankles, legs, and end with a few squats and side jumps (a la Evie Sphinx). Squats are awesome.

The best time for stretching is after your work out. Your muscles will be all warm and loose. You’ll be able to stretch much further than when you were cold. And don’t forget to cool down!

M2

Published in: on 22 November 2013 at 11:00 am  Leave a Comment  
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Friday Tip!

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! Last Friday I was all the way across the country. Modern travel is amazing, but it can be exhausting and stressful. Airline schedules disrupt your normal sleeping patterns. Unfamiliar beds keep you from sleeping well.

Bring whatever little luxuries you need to be relaxed and comfortable while traveling.

Perhaps that’s your own pillow or a small blanket. Or packets of your favorite tea (while enjoying your soothing beverage, put the warm tea bags on your eyes to reduce puffiness). Scratch is easily disturbed by noises while sleeping, so he always packs earplugs. I like to bring a sleep mask. It both blocks light and gives people the visual cue that I’m sleeping, so don’t bug me.

My favorite mask is made by Not Your Grandmother’s Linen. It’s lined in satin, so it feels lovely and even the elastic is satin-covered, so it doesn’t tangle in your hair. The best part is that there’s a little satin pillow across the bottom of the mask to keep light from creeping in around your nose.

Both airplanes and hotels tend to be very dry, with recirculated air. Drink plenty of water and slather on the moisturizer. Before the TSA got fussy about liquids, I always carried an atomizer filled with rosewater and would periodically spritz my face. Refreshing and relaxing!

What’s your favorite travel comfort?

M2

Published in: on 15 November 2013 at 9:57 am  Comments (2)  
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Friday Tip!

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! I’m currently in Seattle at BurlyCon, learning all sorts of wonderful things that might become Friday Tips someday.

Your tip today is about treating your hair right:

Shampoo your scalp, condition your ends.

M2

Published in: on 8 November 2013 at 11:00 am  Leave a Comment  
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Friday Tip!

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! Here’s your tip!

Invest in professional quality fishnets.

They’re made of a very strong elastic that really holds and shapes everything. You’ll want to make sure you clip the waistband to avoid a weird silhouette (I speak from experience here!). Yes, they are much more expensive and yes, they’ll leave net-dents on your legs. They’re very durable and can actually be mended, so they’ll last much longer than the cheaper ones. They’ve got solid soles, so you’re not standing on mesh. If you get them in a color close to your skin tone, they’re practically invisible and all the audience sees is your great legs and amazing ass!

Here’s a pair in action!

M2

Published in: on 1 November 2013 at 2:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Friday Tip!

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! This week’s tip was inspired by recent personal experience.

Don’t bobble your buttons; make your removes a snap!

Cute, no?

I love a good button tease. Slowly slipping a little button out of its snug hole, gliding the fingers down to the next one, all the while eyes are on the audience… Lovely.

However, if those buttons are devilish, don’t fumble around. Replace them with snaps. Well, don’t *replace* the buttons, because they are a lovely detail and make your garment look finished. Hide the snaps under them. This will mean that your garment now opens the opposite way, so be aware of that.

And don’t forget my previous tip about positioning snaps!

I was rehearsing an act for the Halloween show at the Landsdowne Pub on Tuesday which involves a prim blouse with a ton of buttons down the front in sets of three. Here’s the catch: only the middle button of the three is a fastener. It was making me crazy trying to unfasten the correct button smoothly and without looking. Snaps it is!

But to make the blouse look right, I couldn’t just sew snaps under the buttons, because of those decorative buttons flanking each buttonhole. I had to remove the “real” button and sew it on top of the buttonhole between the other two and then sew on the snaps. I think it came out pretty well.

Here it is being modeled by My Little Friend. I don’t think it’s obvious that those buttons are now faux. Decide for yourself when you see it in action on Tuesday night.

M2

Published in: on 25 October 2013 at 10:25 am  Leave a Comment  
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Friday Tip!

Dear Constant Reader,

As we get closer to Halloween, here’s a tip that’s applicable all year ’round, but especially now.

Consider very strongly before investing in an all-black costume.

We all love black. It’s sexy, slimming, and mysterious. However, details and contrast are often lost. Backdrops in venues are frequently black, making you vanish into the curtain. Also, because there’s low contrast, your gloved hand is going to be invisible against your gown, making your come hither gestures also invisible.

Here’s an illustration:
champagne on ice
Can you see my black stocking against the black curtains in the background? Yeah, me neither.

Combine black with accent colors and your costume will be more versatile and visible.

M2

Published in: on 18 October 2013 at 10:31 am  Leave a Comment  
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Friday Tip!

Dear Constant Reader,

It’s Friday and time for your tip!

Sing your choreography.

This is a trick we picked up from Betty. If you sing the steps of your dance to the tune of your song, they’re easier to remember.

Just the other day we were talking about an act we haven’t done in nearly a year and ended up chorusing “To the right, to the left, bounce in a circle, shoulder shift!” to the tune of “Little Brown Jug”. I can’t hear the opening of Joe Jackson’s “Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t My Baby” without thinking “lunge outward, now turn around, lunge inward, now turn again”.

Try it! It’s fun!

M2

Published in: on 11 October 2013 at 1:35 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Friday Tip!

Dear Constant Reader,

Thank you all for the messages of support and sympathy about our venue woes. The W. R. Athskellar Cabinet of Curiosities will be seen someday, just not this October.

On to your Friday tip!

It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great.

I’m quoting Jimmy Dugan from A League of Their Own which Scratch thinks is the greatest movie about burlesque* ever. He frequently identifies with the Rockford Peaches’ manager and quotes him often.

M2
* And the greatest baseball movie too. I respectfully disagree in that Bull Durham is the greatest baseball movie.

Published in: on 4 October 2013 at 2:19 pm  Leave a Comment  
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