Busy gal

Since the last post I've been to Canada for the Gals' Spring Fling, driven through 10 states, and gone to RCC twice.  Much to update on, and I will post pics.  Upcoming events are Triangles in Danbury on 6/16.  The theme is "Fetish Prom" and this month everyone will be staying at the Maron hotel.  Next weekend, June 23, I'll be at RCC again.  Summer is kicking up and looks like Saturdays will be well-attended during the nice weather.

So the trip to Gananoque, Ontario for the Gals' Spring Fling had a rough start.  I thought to pull out my passport the night before and put it into my purse so I wouldn't forget it.  Great idea, right?  Right....except it was nowhere to be found.  I tore my house apart looking for it, but since the last time I used it I wasn't even living in this house, I seriously wondered if I had completely lost it.  I was also dreading telling my sister Maureen that our planned trip might be cancelled because I wouldn't be able to cross the border.  I got very little sleep that night, and continued looking the next day.  About four hours after we had planned to start driving, I found it.  I quickly packed some clothes and we hit the road.

Maureen and I got as far as Utica, NY and caught a quick nap at a hotel there.  We continued early in the morning, and arrived in Gananoque with an hour to spare before the first activity we registered for.  We were to have lunch down the road in Rockport and then take a boat to Heart Island.  Heart Island is absolutely gorgeous.  There is the huge Boldt Castle and several outbuildings currently being restored.  They were originally a gift of love from George Boldt to his wife Louise, but building ceased and the island left to nature when Louise died suddenly.  The Thousand Islands Bridge Authority is doing a beautiful job with the huge amount of work restoring and maintaining the island. 

After about three hours left to ourselves to wander the island, everyone got back on the boat and we had a tour of the Thousand Islands of the St. Lawrence Seaway.  When we returned to the hotel, Charith was waiting for us.  Charith is a good friend that Maureen and I know from our high school days, and since he lived a mere 90 minutes away in Ottawa, we convinced him to come hang out with us for the weekend.  While the rest of the gals went to see Nunsense II at the local playhouse, Maureen, Charith and I headed to Ottawa to see his current stomping grounds. 

The highlight of the next day (Friday) was getting to know some of the girls before dinner and dancing at the Royal Canadian Legion.  There were many opportunities, including my favorite, the speed meeting.  As I moved from person to person, it got harder to move along after only five minutes.  It definitely succeeded in making everyone feel more comfortable chatting later on.  Friday also offered a presentation by Jan Brown about Fantasia Fair, which I will be attending and presenting at in October.  And of course dinner at the Legion was excellent, but dancing with the band afterwards was the best.  The band, The Reasons, were fantastic and foolishly left a spare mic set up which no one was shy about grabbing to play lead singer for a song or two. 

Saturday brought a pool party, best legs contest, and decorating for the big dinner Saturday night.  The weather was perfect for being outside, and I like to pretend I got a tan in the couple hours I was out in the sun.  Maureen and Charith wandered along Gananoque's main street to do some souvenier shopping while I helped transform the hotel's restaurant into our ballroom with plenty of balloons.  Before dinner was a fashion show, where a handful of girls modelled outfits purchased at Sears the day before.  The styles ranged from daytime casual to cocktail hour appropriate, and everyone had a great time with the show.  Dinner was a buffet, and everything was delicious.  The band of the night was the Mumbo Jumbo Voodoo Combo and played cajun and zydeco style music, to which everyone danced the night away.

Sunday was a lot of sad goodbyes as we exchanged contact info with new friends and packed everything for the long drive home.  Even Charith, who didn't know anyone other than Maureen and I, had an excellent time.  I'm already looking forward to next year.

Back in time

Saturday night Triangles was host to an 80's Fashion Flashback theme.  Cue the neon colors, lace, and leather!  I adore going all out for themes when I have the time to pull something together, which I definitely did this month!  Even though I know I only missed one party, it felt like forever since I've been down to Danbury.  It was soooo good to see everyone and catch up.  The day was hot, but the night was perfect for going out, and many people took full advantage of the patio.  Here's a couple of my favorite pics from the night.  Enjoy!

            

Important news!

Next week I head up to Canada for the Gals' Spring Fling.  There's so many fun outings on the itinerary, and I'm so excited to be a part of it!  As an added bonus, my sister will be coming with me, which really doubles the amount of fun I'd have (especially on the 7 hour car ride each way). 

After the Spring Fling I was scheduled to go to Be All in Chicago.  Unfortunately, none of the elements lined up early enough, and I decided to skip 2012.  Hopefully 2013 will come together a little more smoothly, and I will be able to attend. 

On a final and exciting note, I will begin working out of my home in Thompson, CT.  This is my first step toward creating a more open space with plenty of room for social time and photo shoots.  Additionally, I will have lots of shoes/clothes/accessories available to borrow.  I plan to decorate the space in the Golden Age of Hollywood style.   Hooray for Hollywood!  

Hopefully all will be done sometime in July, but will definitely keep everyone posted! This new space will allow me to fulfill more requests for people, and be more flexible on timing for appointments.

I would like to thank the Glamour Boutique for all the help and wish it future success.

Last call for the Fantasy Ball!

Tomorrow night is the Glamour Boutique Fantasy Ball.  It will be held at the Indian Meadows Country Club in Westborough from 8pm-1am.  Feel free to come early to change into your outfit right on site.  It's not too late to book a makeover; just send me an email!  I will have Marianna working with me there to help as many girls get ready as possible.

Hope to see you all there!

Keystone Conference!

Next week I'll be heading to Harrisburg, PA for the 4th Annual Keystone Conference.  Last year I had such a great time, so I'm very excited for this year's trip down.  I'll be available for makeovers Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  I still have appointments open, so if you'll be there and are interested, send me an email!

Fantasy Ball!

Another party at the Indian Meadows Country Club in Westborough is in the works!  Glamour Boutique is organizing and hosting the party, based on the great time everyone had at the Halloween party in October.  Mark your calendars for April 20^th, 8pm-1am.  Come dressed in fantasy attire, your classiest finery, or just in your favorite outfit.  Just keep it PG...or maybe PG-13. 

For those who haven't been, Indian Meadows is a great location.  It's right on Route 9 in Westborough, but is set back from the road so there's a lot of privacy.  There is space to change in right at the country club, and there are two rooms for the party.  There's a decent sized bar area, and a larger room with a dance floor.  Paula Howard will be DJing again, so be prepared to make good use of the dance floor!  There will be some snacks, and I'll be available for makeovers during the day at Glamour Boutique and also on-site in Westborough starting (most likely) around 6pm.  Book early; the last party at Indian Meadows I was booked solid all day.

Everyone that attended the Halloween party had a great time; it's a group of fun people and a classy, discrete location.  For more info, send me a message, or contact John at Glamour Boutique directly by emailing jwarrener@aol.com or calling 508-721-7800.

Triangles....again

It seems like the January party at Triangles just happened, and here we are coming up on the February party.  January’s Bettie Page Tribute was really great; many people attending paid tribute with Bettie’s signature hairstyle, polka dotted dresses, or pinup outfits.  This week is Valentine’s Day hangover theme, which includes lingerie.  Lingerie is always a popular theme, so I’m sure everyone will be decked out in their boudoir finery. 

I hope everyone had a lovely Valentine’s Day!  Even if you don’t have someone special to be romantic with, it’s a nice day to tell a friend you care about them. 

First Event Recap

What can I say about First Event that hasn't been said before?  I had an amazing time and got to meet so many new people, as well as reconnecting with some I haven't seen since FE 2011.  And of course there were many friends I see regularly attending as well.  The three vending days were very tiring, but I'm also so honored that so many people put their faces in my hands.  I also appreciate all the patience and flexibility granted to me to help out as many people as possible this weekend.

Thursday night, John's show came off fantastic.  A true dinner-theatre feel to the whole show, and I had a lot of fun with our duet and helping out the showgirls backstage.  The showgirls, by the way, did an outstanding job for the limited amount of practice time they had. 

Friday's fashion show went pretty smoothly.  The quick pace kept the girls hopping from one outfit to the next and the show was over before we knew it.  I worked on makeup right up to the start of the show, then switched gears immediately to 'stage mom' and helped with shoes, zippers, accessories, and wigs.  Straight afterwards, everyone headed to the bar to unwind first, then dance the rest of the night away. 

Saturday night was the big banquet with keynote speaker and "All the King's Men".  I did not attend, but heard the food was great and the overall banquet was a good time.  After packing up all my makeup, I had a couple of surprise people drop by looking for makeup, so did not get down to the bar until 9:30 or so.  Dancing commenced, and when the music finally stopped everyone was bummed at the mark of the end of the weekend. 

I would love to post pics of the weekend, so if anyone has nice ones of us together and wouldn't mind me posting them, please email them my way! 

Need wig help?

I am happy to announce that I am now offering wig care.  I have made this addition to my services after having many people come into sessions with wigs that have seen better days, but can't do anything about it.  Whether it's due to a lack of time, knowledge, or privacy, a wig that goes without proper care will start looking ratty months ahead of a wig that is taken care of.  A gentle combing followed by the right shampoo and conditioning treatment can make your wig look brand new again.  Drop off your wig along with a way to contact you, and I'll let you know when it's ready to be picked up.  Bring your wig before Monday, January 16th to ensure you'll look your best for First Event or give it new life after the long party weekend in Peabody. The pickup/dropoff location is Glamour Boutique in Auburn. Services are $20 per wig, but the way you will feel in your revived wig will be priceless.

First Event

I will be at First Event this year.  2012 will be my fifth First Event, though admittedly my first time I only stayed a few hours.  I'll be doing makeup in the vendor room again this year with Glamour Boutique.  I've already had many requests for makeovers and time slots are filling up fast, so me know if you're interested in taking one of my remaining time slots.

FE 2012 promises to bring some some fun new bits to evening entertainment.  Thursday night will be a musical revue by John Warrener.  John's show will also include showgirls, audience participation, and a few good laughs. 

Friday night is the annual Fashion Show, with a little something new this year.  Where in years past the models have been mostly MtF, this year there are a number of FtM's to not only model, but also escort down the runway.  Models can still sign up until Friday Jan. 6th by emailing Andrea at andreaziff@aol.com.  You can wear clothes out of your own collection, or visit one of the participating retailers to borrow clothes for the show (Glamour Boutique, Florence's Fashions, or Buffalo Exchange).  The three segments this year are International, Dressy/Formal, and Anything Goes.

I know the least about Saturday night's entertainment, aside from it being a group called All the King's Men.  From the clips online I've seen, the group seems very good.  After each night's entertainment has concluded, there will be a DJ and dance floor in the lounge.  There is a 'cover charge' of $10 for anyone not registered with the conference, but it is well worth it.  Last year, everyone had a blast dancing and it was the perfect way to unwind a little after a very full day.