Year In Rainbow

February 29, 2008

A Leap year, what was I doing four years ago? Well that was back when I had a hotmail account, worked at starbucks(green branding), lived on the upper west side, and had been doing burlesque for a year. This year, inspired as can be, inspiration coming out of my pores, inspiration on every corner, namely in the form of humans, take today for example any old leap year, just any day the last day of green. Who do I see very first thing when I get off work? Julie Atlas Muz on her bike, zooming through traffic, in many colors, in rainbow I’d say, who was I chatting with on the phone? Pinkie Special! With her green Skirt on

We went to see Jeffery Marsh who as you know I had seen on the train yesterday, when he and his beau Brad had invited me. Lovely and inspiring, I KNEW he would be, you know just a hunch, I mean when you meet a fellow in make-up on the J train at 10pm on a Thursday, you are bound to be friends for a long time, just pure intuition! So Jeffery and Rick played, then Pearl and the Beard, and then I approached Dan Fishback when really I wanted to know what he was eating(Yummy food at SideWalk!), and he played lovely music, some of which I had to leave in the middle of in order to make the best of my night and get some sleep before I catch a cold. I rarely make it to music shows so this was a TREAT!

So I chat with Miss Saturn on the phone and who do I see but the one and only Genesis P-Orridge wearing this exact lovely green sweatshirt, I wanted to stop and say hello but she was on the phone.

And before you new it I was on the train platform wishing I had stopped to say hello, but deciding to take a picture of how happy I was to have seen her in a lovely green jacket as the last image before the end of my green month.

Well who walks up to the same platform as me? Genesis herself, I have only learned a few things about her, that she and her love were making themselves up to “be one” and that meant Genesis had to undergo massive re constructive surgery to look like Breyer P-Orridge. And recently in October Genesis lost Breyer, their journey is inspiring and I have much to learn about them. So I saw Genesis and went up to her to say hello, and tell her how meaningful it was for her to be wearing that green coat, on this last day of Green February! She seemed inspired and we cuddled up in a car to chat about color and art and gender. She said there was a study in England that stated there were higher rates of suicide in mental institutions that were painted green, maybe it was the shade of green? She also encouraged me to question who made up that certain colors mean certain things, I think one person decided that a color meant something for them, and spread the gospel, like me and my year in rainbow, why is February green, well it just works with MY birthday, so what if the whole world took on February as green month and started associating it with Valentines day or February day whatever the holiday, it wouldn’t really mean anything just that I decided it was a green month.
Then it was time for me to get off at my stop . . .ah such inspiration I tell you, I almost missed my stop I was so drawn into her.

So inspired I came home and figured I didn’t have enough green photos even though I took a bunch earlier . . .

So I took all of the green stuff people had lent me and that I had bought or previously owned and put it all on my love seat . . .and got camera happy. Photographed here is, a green hoop Pinkie let me borrow, green fabric from Alicia’s moving left overs, green dress from London, green fancy prom dress from Christopher Hardwicks sister, multi green scarf from thrift store, green scarf my mom knitted, green skirt my mom made, green hat from Nasty, green stockings from Nasty, green necklace my mom made, green earings my mom made, green g-string I made, pasties I made, green headband from dollar store, two green shirts lent by Lukki, green shirt lent by JR, green nail polish, long johns and belt from Shelly, green jumpsuit lent by Julie, green vest from thrift store, green shirts from Broadway cheap-o-store, green pants from Savers in Providence Road Island, green shoes from Rainbow, green sweater from cousin Yoyis, green hoodie from Fancy Chance, green I heart NY shirt from Chinatown stall, and the green heart earmuffs from a dollar store.

Also a green shirt from Heidi that I haven’t seen yet!

This is one of my favorite gifts! This painting of me art modeling at the Society of Illustrators on February 21, such a great day and a great painting by Arkady Roytman from his blog Nude of the Day

It’s been a great month, I have to say I have never been into green, and now I LOVE it, here’s to more green in life!Here I am on top of it all! I like the yellow bag peeking out in front of me and the rainbow fans behind me, as if December(Yellow) and March(Rainbow) are framing me as if the future and past are with me!

Here’s the pile!

February 28, 2008

The day started out FABULOUS! I went for my first fitting at Garo Sparo’s studio for my new act that I’m doing to the Rolling Stones “She’s a Rainbow,” The costume is AMAZING, all I can say is WOW!

On my way saw this man walking backwards down the street with a log on his back, hmm? Was he working out? Is this “green” exercise, did he use salvaged redwoods? I took this shot from the bus so it’s a little blurry!

Starshine Burlesque said goodbye to Riffifi today as they are closing in a month or two. A sad world, but they are onto more fabulousness and a bigger venue at The Fortune Cookie Cabaret! And what an inspiring show! My dearest and nearest were performing Tigger!(did a awesome act to a Betty Davis song), Jo Boobs(did my favorite version of her red act to Lucrecia McEvil), Julie Atlas Muz(did a reverse strip to Another one bite the dust and literally left the building), Delirium Tremmens(did a gorgeous classic burlesque act all in gold) , Kiss-tastic go-go from Scarlet Sinclair, and of course Little Brooklyn(did a “me and my shadow” act with Noa D’ Klien to a French song called fittingly Riffifi) and Creamy Stevens(did a striptease to So long, farewell from the sound of music!)

I had a lovely time getting ready and eating dinner with Scarlet before hand, and then risking the cold to join the cast across town. We had spinach(green!) and fish tacos that had a green sauce over them!

There was lots of loveliness backstage as well as lots of green!

Here’s Scarlet in her new Kiss outfit, with Green Glittered(by the artistic brilliance of Little Brooklyn) money in her décolletage!

Here’s Misty Rivers with Delirium Tremmens and Tigger(with his green ipod)in the background!

Tigger! applies glitter in all the right places!

Jo Boobs and Delirium Tremmens side by side putting on their face! If you look closely you can see the shadow of my fingers on the wall and the green of my costume in the background!

Here I am performing!

And here I am at home trying to get a good shot of the earrings and necklace my mom made me as well as my make up.

And my favorite wool dress from the London thrift store where Fancy Chance works!

February 27, 2008

You know I expected green to be as dramatic as yellow in the chakra sense(the heart chakra), but I haven’t had any hugely green heart related events. Well except that I made the decision to drop my saturday at work so that I can “follow my heart” by teaching and gigging out with my open Saturdays!

So that’s exciting, and also my new green act is definately heart felt.

Oh I got back some pictures from the GREEN WITH ENVY BURLESQUE SHOW from Darren Meyham.Oh, and also some new pictures from Garo Sparo’s Fashion show!

This one I took at home today.

February 26, 2008

Today started early with a 7:30 cycle count at work, then I hopped over to yoga with my favorite teacher Anne, then I had a little sushi and went home to clean, I cleaned the front part of my room the other needs some severe re hauling namely some clothes to rid myself of, I think it’s time for another clothing swap!

I had a funny moment today with Maceo. I got home from yoga and went to go sit with him on the couch, he was low blood sugar and needed his nap. I sat down and he said,”I don’t want you to sit there.” I explained to him that we all share the living room and I can sit there too. He proceeded to flip out and call for his mom, Sharon came down to get him and apologized and explained that he needed a nap and some lunch. It was a funny moment because I thought, what if I had an adult roommate who would cry when I sat next to the? I’m sure there are adults that react like three year olds!

Anyway I cleaned and then took a break to go have an early bird special with Glenn Marla, you know when you eat dinner at 5:30, when it’s still afternoon. It was lovely, I used to work with Glenn so I’d see him everyday, it was awesome, but now I have to schedule when to see him! Any way I drew this at Curly’s they have yummy vegetarian food and crayons and paper to draw on, I really enjoyed drawing!

Here’s me and Glenn at Sparkle n Cynch.

Then we went to Rapture Cafe for tea Glen had “Sense of Peace” and I drank “Rose Mint.” We saw the Stevie Nicks book “Read between my lines”, Hattie walked up and we started talking about the Night of a Thousand Stevies and lo and behold Chi Chi Valenti shows up a minute later to hold auditions for the aforementioned event! There were two auditions, one was a lonely tribute with a lovely monologue and the other was a very inspired Stevie fan who sang over the vocal tracks of Rhiannon, she rocked it! We’ll see who is going to be performing! I’m going to be go-go dancing, I’m super excited and have a great costume idea! Hurray!

Anyway my room is clean and my bed is made, hello clean green!

February 25, 2008

I try to keep positive and color oriented in my daily posts, but today was just weird. I leave the house, way on time, usually I run a few minutes late. The train comes, but as it’s waiting to meet up with the express train, it stalls. I run across the platform and try to get in the train, but it’s too packed, and when I try to run back to the local train the conductor closes the door, while looking right at me and gesturing to the express train as if there is a way for me to squeeze in. I feel awful, you see, because I’m on my way to work early to meet the guys who are going to fix the heater, since it’s been broken for a few weeks and off all weekend, and I don’t want to be late. So fortunately the heating guys are later than me, phew, save one or strike one?(I just keep saying Love and Abundance in my head, over and over.)

All is well, the fed ex guy comes and comments on my outfit(the green jumpsuit).

“You always have on the craziest outfits!”

I respond, “yeah, well it’s part of my project.” I then give him a flier.

“Oh, you’re a burlesque performer, cool!”

Jenny Rose shows up with her cute puppy Texas, we have a lovely little chat about her and her man Juan Jose’s three year anniversary. Just as we are about to open the store, we get a “jack-off” caller, ugh. The second time he calls I answer the phone in a deep voice, and he hangs up, the third time Jenny Rose answers and he gets explicit, the fourth time the phone rings twice and we don’t pick it up. Save two or strike two?

Morning is going well, lovely customers, even a friend comes in to buy a toy for their sweetie, I do some nice sales, then out of nowhere . . .severe stomach cramps and a run to the bathroom. Save three or Strike Three?

The rest of the day goes lovely. After work I help a friend with their new sex toy company Vergenza, it’s really fun and inspiring, plus her product is really cool!

I decide to go to whole foods for a quick bite and some email time, I get some awesome pictures that were taken last week at Unisex Salon,

Then I get a copy of a video, that I was interviewed for. This Columbia Journalism student interviewed me about neo-burlesque, the video was great and he told a nice story about neo-burlesque, but in the end he framed me, made me look like I hate strippers and that I think burlesque performers are better than strippers, ugh! Well I’ve written him back, asking him to change it, telling him that he misconstrued what I said, and he’s going to re-edit it!

Oh, yeah, and more explosive bathroom issues on my way home, ugh!

Anyway what a day, long and arduous, funny and weird day that deserves a fucked up photo like this!

February 24, 2008

Sara is moving away, well to the other side of Bedstuy with her lovely boyfriend Jake. So it’s for a good reason! We had a lovely going away brunch! This shot is funny because Maceo was crying about something as three year olds often do, and we were all still posing for the photo!

Afterwards I watched the green lushness of Lost, ate an avacado sandwich and went to rehearse with the Animal Crackers, Lea let me borrow a green hoop! Hurrah!

February 23, 2008

It was FREEZING at work today, our heater was broken, I wore ALL my green clothes, I am so thankful for the green long johns that Shelly gave me! Today at work, a customer was talking to my co-worker and they said, “oh the green lady already helped me.”

This month I’m the “green lady”, in my home town(Mendocino) we had the “cat lady’, she was probably mentally ill, she wore blue lipstick(though it might of been pen.) She was homeless, she always had cats around her. The eccentrics always stood out in Mendocino, because there were probably only about 4,000 residents. There was also “Big Al” he was almost seven feet tall, he took care of the local recreation center, and would walk around town with a big joint. He was also one of the only black men in Mendocino. I wonder what happened to these eccentrics, they would have fit right in to the old New York, today it’s all kahki’s and fleece, jcrew and gap, boring and bland, black and colorless . . .fortunately I have the eccentrics bagged, I am one of them, heck I’m even part of an eccentric dance troupe! Yeah, and all my friends are unique too!

After work I went to Dean and Mark’s 30th and 40th birthday, such lovely folks I’m very happy to have them in my life. Though I don’t see them as much as I want to! Here are the photo’s and of course there are always more at the Flickr set Mark and Dean’s 30/40 Birthday Party

Here are Dean and Mark.

Dean’s favorite color is green, so there is a ton of green stuff in his house!
This card is from Aaron Edwards and fantastic photographer.

The food was green

People were wearing green!
Paige actually introduced me to Dean and Mark. Mark was wearing a whole costume of mops, Dean was wearing cute cut off shorts.

Aaron
I also met Aaron at Paige’s house.

J-Sun, in an amazing green jumpuit!

Lucien and Shannon in many colors!

Sarah and I attacked many with Kisses! Here’s Anne wiping them off!

Princess Honey Bucket the Turtle, such a sweetheart and of course decorated in many colors of green!

Shannon had a green 8 on her necklace!

Then there was Luna a lovely 6 year old neighbor! When I took off my polly’s to let her try them on, she hid them. I freaked out a little, as they are my favorite pair, I realized she just wanted to play with me! She is a funny little munchkin!

I think that Aaron Edwards took this photo!

and I KNOW he took this photo!

Mark and I did some modeling!

Then Derril and Machine Showed up, Machine of course made a green outfit just for the party!

February 22, 2008

Funny day, I wore the jump suit Scotty gave Julie, and Julie is letting me borrow.
I found this out on Sunday when Scotty said,”Did Julie Atlas Muz give you that”
“Yes”, wondering how he knew?
“Someone gave it to me, and I gave it to Julie.”
“Yeah, I love it”
“Good”

Anyway that’s what I wore, an older man with hearing aides comes into the shop and asks,
“What holiday is it that you are wearing all green?”
I explain to him what it’s about, after he takes his hearing aides out, makes it disorienting for him to hear me talk. I give him one of the Year in Rainbow flyers and he takes it and looks around the shop. On his way out, while I’m ringing up another customer he says,”on my next visit, I’ll bring you a frog!” I said,”Thank you.” But in my adult-freak-out-mind I thought,” What am I going to do with a frog? I can barely feed myself let alone another animal! I’m never home, I’d have to take it out for walks.”

Later on that night I went to see Lustre:a midwinter trans fest at PS 122, what a fantastic show. Justin Bond gave a really lovely performance so spiritual and down to earth, so connected, so California. Glenn Marla was in the show(that’s why we were there!) and he gave a smashing performance!

I met my friend Emily there and I saw Morty Diamond and Sady there as well, we sat together, but when I was telling Morty the story about the guy in the shop, I said,” I’d have to take the frog out for ‘hops’!” I thought it was funny!

Emily and I went to Sidewalk afterwards for a lovely bite to eat, she’s really inspired me because she opened her own massage and yoga studio in Brooklyn, check out her web site www.newyorkcitymassageandyoga.com

Part of the reason my photos are sparse was that I left my rechargeable batteries in the charger at work, so when I got home I took this video of myself, I didn’t know it had sound, so anyway here is an image of me from February 22! Go to this You Tube link, because for some reason the video kept showing up at the top of the page instead of here where I wanted it!

February 21, 2008

The day started at Garo Sparo’s studio, with a costume meeting, working on my new act to the song “She’s a Rainbow”, by the Rolling Stones, Amber Ray sent me the song at the beginning of the year and finally I’ve found a perfect dance for it! Anyway Garo and I were figuring out the colors of the rainbow and lo and behold what did we see on his wall, but rainbows, very lovely!

After work I went to art model at the society of illustrators, and who was there Amber Ray and another inspiration Legs Malone, it was her first time at the society and I believe she was a smashing success! I didn’t know who I was modeling with but it was a delight! She said,”take a picture of your makeup!” So I did but you can’t really see it, it’s green . . .

Lex Grey sang some beautiful music, and we modeled! It was the fastest three hours I have ever experienced modeling the energy was GREAT everyone had a smile on their face, I love it!

I was so energized that I went downtown to Unisex Salon where James Coppola had gathered the regular “Unitards” for some good ol fashion fun! Here’s Anya with some lovely green makeup on!

The theme for the party was kind of military, so there was a lot of green, green looks good on everyone! It’s definitely a “unisex” color!

February 20, 2008

Not too much going on today, I went to work, went to the gym, saw Andres(at the gym) who is working on an installation at Glasslands March 16, just super inspired to live in New York and be surrounded by inspiration!

It was super cold today, but I spent some time in the Sauna, yes, it felt real good!

Home again for an episode of Lost and sleep. That’s a rainbow-ish dress behind me from Ruby Valentine!