BlogBaebe Celestial Pavilion

Haiku du jour

2012-01-29T13:23:00.000-05:00

tiny cold kissestempt me down the snowy roadwhite and pure with snowFor those who hate winter, my theory is that they don't spend enough time seeking its beauty. I like the calmness of it (even if a patch of ice lands me on my kiester.)

New Year's Eve 2012

2011-12-31T09:39:00.004-05:00

New Year's Eve and I /eye each other, like cats who /could be friends - maybe.

Haiku du jour

2011-12-24T21:42:00.000-05:00

Holiday cards flutter
in like snow, making my life
glitter and glisten.

Haiku du Jour

2011-12-23T08:22:00.000-05:00

the holiday calms
the morning rush, the world stills -
my heart opens wide

Blackout - Haiku du jour

2011-11-10T10:12:00.000-05:00

blackout tonight - no
noisy toys - now I can hear
the moon, see the wind

Life in Michigan involves power outages - a combination of trees, high winds, and downed power lines. It was startling to realize how many electrical gadgets get me through my day, but nice to just go to bed because there was nothing else to do.

Haiku 3 du Jour

2011-11-07T09:45:00.002-05:00

daily office joke -
morning coffee, mid-morning
scramble, closed restrooms

Haiku 2 du Jour

2011-11-07T08:54:00.000-05:00

the air grows colder,
noisy holidays draw near -
maple leaves linger

Haiku du Jour

2011-11-07T08:49:00.001-05:00

chasing yellow leaves,
I bid farewell to summer,
to another year

Fall - Haiku du Jour

2011-11-04T12:04:00.001-04:00

open skies over
a golden carpet of leaves -
endings and beginnings

Fall planting - Haiku du Jour

2011-10-24T08:35:00.000-04:00

for lilies, I will
bury gnarled bulbs deep in fall
for sweetness in spring.

Going to a lily bulb sale on Saturday meant that I spent a lot of time digging, weeding, and mulching on Sunday. And I had to put up the varmint fence a second time. It will all be worth it in the spring. I know.

Fall Garden - Haiku du Jour

2011-10-21T08:15:00.000-04:00

groomed and mulched,
brown earth settles in to sleep
and dream through winter

I took down the leggy tomato plants last weekend - a sure sign fall is here. Still deciding what to do with all the green tomatoes left.

haiku du jour

2011-10-19T09:03:00.001-04:00

Uninspired, I
Gaze at my blog's empty space
And nothing happens.

Nothing personal, but I'm just not coming up with ideas. I may be just going through a fallow phase. Sheesh.

Film shoot - Haiku du jour

2011-10-03T12:26:00.000-04:00

hats, gloves, cold night air,
no script, art is hard -
"it's a wrap", he says

An indie film maker has honored me with a role in a horror film, even though I have no acting experience. After many hours stumbling through the process of making art, it's very satisfying to hear the director tell us we delivered. I only got to bed at three, and the hoped-for campfire failed after several tries and much lighter fluid (damp wood), but it was worth it.

Hair toys - Haiku du Jour

2011-09-27T11:56:00.001-04:00

transparent cream and beige -
once protection, the horn comb
hoists my hair skyward

Once you have long hair, the hunger for hair toys/accessories begins. Some new toys arrived from Vietnam via Etsy. So not plastic!

Victory Rolls - Haiku du jour

2011-09-21T21:49:00.000-04:00

they cannot be small,
my victory rolls, my hair
demands opulence.

I dabble in retro looks, mostly to avoid falling into lazy hairstyle habits (the eternal frumpy ponytail, for example). My thick hair looks dreadful when I try small rolls, but suddenly turns cooperative when I twirl a large barrel. I look very Andrews Sister-ly tonight.

Blah - Haiku du jour

2011-09-09T12:20:00.000-04:00

seeking elegance
and delicate images -
no luck, i'm just blah.

This is what happens when inspiration deserts me, even on a Friday.

Last lily - Haiku du jour

2011-08-23T09:08:00.000-04:00

lily petals fall,
maple leaves curl up brown, yet
summertime lingers

Haiku du jour - Lilies speak

2011-08-02T15:19:00.000-04:00

when a lily speaks,
sharp clove and soft vanilla
theads through the sweetness.

Haiku du Jour - Steamy Sunday

2011-08-01T08:13:00.000-04:00

A steamy Sunday -
I want coolness; in winter
I will wish for heat.

But you can't always get what you want. In fairness, this has been the hottest Michigan July on record in 134 years, and the second wettest. I hope August is more balanced.

Haiku du jour - Grey Rain

2011-07-28T09:16:00.000-04:00

rain waterfalls down-
flooding roads, drenching my shoes,
re-greening the world

Michigan blessed us today with a gullywasher, which I enjoy despite the stalled cars and non-functioning traffic signals. Walking to the building is like walking inside the dome of a grey pearl, and the air is fresh and damp, plumping up my skin. After hitting 100 degrees last week, we are so due.

Haiku du jour - 100 in Michigan

2011-07-26T12:10:00.000-04:00

cool air comes at dusk,
like a slow tide on the shore -
A/C can rest now.

Michigan survived a heat wave - it reached 100 degrees Farenheit last week. 100 in a northern state? Crazy. Fortunately, Michigan is used to crazy weather.

Haiku du Jour - Coffee

2011-07-20T08:59:00.000-04:00

In coffee's absence,
How much sleep would I need, how
Much life would I live?

As I fill Starbuck's coffers yet again, I wonder just how far I would have gotten in life if coffee had not been there to propel me through the boring, difficult, or just plain futile parts of life. A sobering idea.

Haiku du jour

2011-07-19T22:44:00.000-04:00

like a friendly hand,
my hair drapes around my neck -
constant companion

It only took two and a half years, but my hair is past the ugly stage, and able to be good company. Decoration, blanket and pillow - three in one.

Haiku du Jour

2011-07-19T07:53:00.000-04:00

the wall of heat that
leaves me gasping is the kiss
that unfurls the bloom

Just because I don't like the heat doesn't mean it's all bad.
Every year, Michigan gets a solid week of punishing heat. We cope. We're Midwesterners.

Haiku du Jour - Lilies and Fireflies

2011-07-18T21:48:00.000-04:00

I stake my lilies,
heavy, fragrant - fireflies
gather and applaud.

Excuse the long break - I've either been out of town, or trying to get things organized so that I could be out of town. I'm back at work in the yard, heat allowing, which has run wild again. Two lilies have toppled under the weight of their blossoms, so I provide support. Around dusk, I like to watch the fireflies. They visit everything I touch, and seem to approve.

Fourth of July - Haiku du Jour

2011-07-05T08:36:00.000-04:00

fiery flowers
hurl themselves across the sky -
dancing stars and smoke

Even if I only peek at other people's fireworks, I try to see some every 4th of July. Fireworks seem to capture the cheeky exuberace of the holiday best, and seeing them over the lake near my house is icing on the cake.

Haiku du Jour

2011-07-01T07:45:00.000-04:00

The soft morning light,
grass, water, flowers, and earth -
the scent of summer.

Michigan puts us through some rough winters, but spring and summer can be angelic. There is nothing like the balmy smell of a beautiful summer day coming your way - it sweetens the morning commute.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Perfume du jour: Carnation (Mona di Orio)

Named not after the flower but the bloom on a maiden's cheek (the French word carnation), this deliciously creamy and mildly spicy Floriental has top notes of bergamot, clove and geranium; middle notes of ylang ylang, violet, jasmine and precious woods; and base notes of musk, amber and styrax.

I am an unabashed perfume junkie who has just realized that her perfume decant stash is off the charts. New plan - perfume sample a day until I get down to the French's girl's number - one scent for day, one for night. We'll see how this goes. This is a lovely blend - a rich floral, but not cloying. Happy time!

Haiku du jour

2011-05-31T08:00:00.000-04:00

warm, wet wall of heat
under a cloudless blue sky -
summer is here now.

Michigan summers begin so abruptly that spring seems optional. It made for a beautiful Memorial Day weekend.

38G - Tanka du jour

2011-05-12T07:23:00.000-04:00

i can't find pretty
in 38G, she said
no lace, no colors, no pearls -
why less for the bloom,
and more for the bud?

At dinner, a friend of mine not only revealed her bra size, she also revealed that if she finds her size, the underpinnings are boring and dull. I was shocked. Girls need pretty, bras are for girls, why on earth make a bra that isn't pretty? Why condemn the buxom to blah, industrial stuff while the lesser blessed get Victoria's Secret? Another great cosmic wrong in women's wear.

Gray rain - Haiku du jour

2011-05-12T07:18:00.000-04:00

a gray rain washes
clean green grass and black asphalt
to start a new day

Lilies - Haiku du jour

2011-05-11T07:35:00.000-04:00

my lilies stretch tall
eccentric and demanding-
divas-in-waiting

The lilies look like alien pod creatures or jungle plants - spikey leaves on still squat stems in the not-quite-tidy bed. One - horrors - has been nibbled on. The protective fence is now up - this is war.

Haiku du jour

2011-05-09T16:03:00.000-04:00

i miss the classic
corsages mothers once wore-
banners in the breeze.

I hope all your Mother's Days went well. Mine did. And, once again, it only took fifteen minutes to eat. A family talent, I think.

Haiku du jour

2011-05-06T08:36:00.000-04:00

a ragged pine bough
tossed by the rough, endless wind-
calm on the green ground

A friend of mine lost a relative this week. My thoughts and prayers are with her and her family.

Haiku du jour

2011-05-06T08:25:00.000-04:00

my dough rises up
as round as a mushroom cap,
fragrant with promise

There's a lot to be said for bread-making. I don't have to get in the car, and it's more than an edible napkin. No preservatives needed

Haiku du jour

2011-05-04T07:44:00.000-04:00

the ducks come with spring -
stepping lightly on my lawn,
being neighborly

An adorable pair of mallard ducks come to town in the spring. It's fun to see them walk around with their orange feet, sometimes the brightest objects on a rainy day. The male was curled up in a nice puddle the other day - the one in the middle of the road. I'm glad I live in a quiet subdivision.

Haiku du jour

2011-05-03T07:32:00.000-04:00

blooms grace every branch
gasoline prices skyrocket -
new love for my bike

SS - sticker shock. I don't want to be a whiny American, but I do have sticker shock.

Michigan madness

2011-05-02T10:27:00.000-04:00

April snow cuts our
flip-flopped feet like crystal blades
geez - it's Spring, dammit.

If you're somewhere in Michigan sometime after February, and you see someone dashing across a store parking lot in shorts and flip-flops, no, we're not crazy. We're just defiant.

Spring is springing

2011-05-02T10:21:00.000-04:00

Green fresh wet earth smell,
the world unfurls its blossoms -
I pick up dead twigs

Spring is both pretty and horrendous. Beautiful blooms are mixed with the demands of yard work. So much to do, outdoors.

My film debut

2011-05-01T18:12:00.004-04:00

one half hour on film -
I speak my lines, take my cues
wow, it's happening

I, a non-actor, was invited to act in a locally-produced horror flick. My director shared a clip with me on Saturday. The story is interesting, and I want to see more - film to be released soon. I still can't believe I didn't end up on the cutting room floor.

Haiku du jour

2011-04-29T10:16:00.000-04:00

princess bride in white
a lacy drift of jasmine -
the world celebrates.

Congratulations to the new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Rant du jour - Birthers are Racist and Annoying

2011-04-28T08:00:00.001-04:00

Birthers - you know who you are - enough. Enough with ragging on the President of the United States about whether he's American enough to be President, or is even an American at all. Stop it. No other President has been so harassed. You sound like a blast from the late 1950's, when racism passed for sophistication in certain circles. No, thank you.

Don't think, however, that I don't support the right to free speech. I do. I think the case of an out-of-town jerk who wanted to "protest" at a mosque (against the right of Muslims to be Muslims, as far as I can tell) may not necessarily have required jailing the guy. So, you're entitled to voice your opinion.

I just think you give your opinion its proper name. You are not protecting truth, justice and the American Way, you are being racist. This is not a citizenship issue, this is a "how-did-this guy-who-had-an-African-national-parent-get-to-be-in-charge" issue. You got the birth certificate, and none of you are satisfied. What are you going to ask for next? Mitochondrial DNA, to make sure his mama was really from Kansas? I wouldn't be surprised.

Why not be honest, drop the "birther" moniker, and proudly raise the flag of racial bias? Just admit you only want someone completely from your gene pool to sit in the White House. Better for the rest of us, and better for you. Look - Donald Trump wants to be your new best friend. Lucky you.

Haiku du jour

2011-04-28T07:21:00.000-04:00

waves of sideways rain -
wet, bright umbrellas crumple,
fragile spring blossoms

Haiku du jour

2011-04-26T08:45:00.001-04:00

silky falling rain,
evil pounding sinuses -
shoot me, shoot me now.

(This grumpy haiku was brought to you courtesy of the failure of my favorite sinus cocktail - Advil chased with coffee. Grrr. They expect me to show up with a brain, ya know.)

Haiku du jour

2011-04-25T07:10:00.000-04:00

it's apprasal time -
it gets boring really fast
to toot my own horn.

Haiku du jour 2

2011-04-22T08:45:00.000-04:00

a field of flowers
erupts at the grocery -
my spring and Easter.

Yeah, I have a Michigan accent

2011-04-22T08:42:00.002-04:00

It's true, I checked.

go to www.michigannative.com. There's a pronunciaton guide and everything. I'm not sure I agree that a Michigan accent sounds like a pirate from Kentucky with a head cold. Not quite buying it. But, yeah, I do say some of the words the Michigan way.

Haiku du jour

2011-04-22T08:40:00.000-04:00

a gray, sullen sky
in compensation makes all
other colors glow.

Haiku du jour

2011-04-21T07:30:00.000-04:00

a sullen gray sky
cannot hide a mild, sweet wind.
give it up, winter.

Haiku du jour

2011-04-20T09:56:00.000-04:00

brave blades of green grass
thrust through dark peat and white snow
rippling in the wind.

Welcome to Michigan - April Snow Showers

2011-04-18T08:57:00.000-04:00

Oh, the weather outside is frightful,
No spring for us - it's spiteful.
April the calendar shows,
But it snows, but it snows, but it snows!

Haiku du Jour

2011-04-13T07:59:00.000-04:00

A spring dilemma -
Turtleneck or polo shirt?
Life in Michigan.

Chartarum blog contribution

2011-04-13T07:56:00.000-04:00

Frances - Playing Dead in the Road

Most good horror flicks kill off a few people before the credits. As an acting challenge, it sounds like a fun one – you get your big moment AND make the audience sorry for you. All you have to do flop over and feign stillness, right? No problem, dogs do it all the time. So when John said he wanted to get some footage of his intrepid cast both surviving and not surviving, it sounded really cool and dramatic. I was geeked.
Of course, it’s tougher than it looks. First, there was the environment. For me, that meant putting on the flannel shirt jacket as if the evening were cooling off (it wasn’t), smearing on sun block (a redhead thing), and topping off everything with a layer of Deep Woods Off (mosquitoes). Make up? Not needed.

Then, there was traffic. There we were, artistically laid out on the quiet country road, holding back on breathing and twitching, and a car came by. And another. Followed by yet another, towing a trailer with two ATVs. There was even a motorcycle or two that halted shooting because of the distant noise. Had we had this much traffic before? Never (quiet country road, remember?) On the upside, by the time the ATVs passed we could position ourselves pretty quickly.

Finally, there was the business of getting into a good death pose. I’m not trained. Actors are trained in fainting, fighting, dying, and giving birth while Atlanta burns. Me? Pure MSU – Make Stuff Up. So, I probably died very neatly each time - no scraps, stubs, or damage to the glasses. But when John circulated with his camera, I stopped all movement, even if there was a pebble in my shoulder blade, an insane itch, or the “Dead Skunk” song playing in my head (why?) I was going to be good and dead, and John would add the dramatic gore later through movie magic. Would half my face be gone, or would I just be eviscerated? Exciting stuff to think about as John carefully stepped around and through us.

My conclusion? Way cool, but dogs make it look easy.

See more at www.Chartarum.com

Haiku du jour

2011-04-11T09:10:00.000-04:00

Lake flies mean it's spring -
Windows open, sleeves get short,
Garden tools come out.

Haiku du jour

2011-04-05T07:48:00.000-04:00

Magazine arrives -
Now I dream of boxwood combs
And camellia oil.

Haiku du Jour

2011-03-11T08:22:00.001-05:00

new snow this morning -
dotted with tracks of cat and
woodchuck - still winter.

Haiku du jour

2011-03-10T08:59:00.000-05:00

A Michigan spring
Starts with skunk fumes and gray fog
Pungent, but balmy.

Haiku du Jour

2011-03-09T09:11:00.000-05:00

Ice storm is coming
Crushing hopes for early spring
Trees glazed in crystal.

Haiku du jour

2011-03-07T07:59:00.000-05:00

Not coffee today,
Yogurt, says my body.
I blame exercise.

Haiku du jour 3

2011-02-22T15:22:00.000-05:00

Nick Cage's long legs
On the screen - fan mail won't do.
So inconvenient.

Haiku du jour 2

2011-02-22T08:20:00.000-05:00

Latest fashion find -
Bright string bikini panties -
Decades overdue.

Haiku du jour

2011-02-22T08:17:00.000-05:00

I am up at four
Such a strange event for me -
Dashing out the door.

Haiku du jour 2

2011-01-31T09:09:00.000-05:00

The New Lunar Year
Promises secret romance -
Lucky Rabbit Year.

Haiku du Jour

2011-01-31T09:07:00.000-05:00

A fog gray sky builds
A double armfulof snow
To blanket us soon.

Haiku du Jour

2011-01-19T07:52:00.000-05:00

Another brilliant
manager, another bad
mood. Where's my trust fund?

Haiku du jour

2011-01-07T08:28:00.000-05:00

My favorite perfume
flows over me like a veil
and lifts my spirits.

Haiku du Jour

2011-01-03T06:12:00.000-05:00

Gee, I'm back to work -
Another friggin' day of
"Let's stump the intern"

This grumpy haiku was brought to you courtesy of the end of vacay.

Haiku du jour

2010-12-13T16:42:00.000-05:00

My new hobby calls
For sequins and sparkly shoes.
The magpie effect.

Haiku du jour

2010-12-13T16:40:00.000-05:00

White, crunchy snow buries
My commute from north to south.
Where are the salt trucks?

Haiku du jour

2010-12-08T22:37:00.000-05:00

Training is lovely
Brain numb with information -
Derriere just numb

Haiku du Jour

2010-12-03T09:08:00.001-05:00

My rites of winter
Include lugging rock salt bags,
Setting out angels.

Haiku du Jour

2010-12-01T22:40:00.000-05:00

Flashing like a star,
My pastie flutters, airborne -
Wardrobe malfunction.

Burlesque Diary - Introducing Stella Soiree

2010-12-01T22:36:00.000-05:00

Miss Stella Soiree, beginner (very) burlesque dancer, made her debut in my basement tonight. It was about time I got out the feathers, heels, tape, and pasties, and put my new dance skills to use. Along with bumping, grinding, and losing the damn right pastie about three times, I learned a lot about Stella.

Stella is lively. She'd like to be one of those sleek, elegant burlesque performers, but right now, she just wants to to have a whole lot of fun mixing dance moves in with her teasing. Not too much dancing - taking it off does seem to be the point. Right now, Stella's fascinated with the tune "Stripper's Delight", which is a brisk, romping number that lasts only 2:45 minutes. Stella may need to go a bit slower . .

Stella is not perfect, but parts of her are excellent. And if she drapes that blouse just right, there are some "dang" moments. (I would like to pause and thank my mommy for Stella's gams. Again, not perfect, but pretty fine.) Stella is going to add crunches to her morning yoga routine.

Once I find a decent pair of heels she can't fall off, and anchor that wayward pastie, Stella will be on her way. She wants me to take her to the End of Prohibition party in Ferndale on Saturday to see Lily LaRue. It could happen.

Haiku du jour

2010-11-28T21:46:00.000-05:00

My feather boa
fascinates, like snow falling.
Tassels must be next.

Haiku du jour

2010-11-19T08:07:00.000-05:00

My new year begins
with cards and birthday greetings
So good to be me

More Haiku du Jour

2010-11-15T08:17:00.000-05:00

Bitter coffee blights
The blossom of my morning
Like an unkind frost.

When did I become
So delicate a flower?
Once I was rugged.

Once I could drink coffee
Made with grounds and a tube sock.
Those days are long gone.

Haiku du jour

2010-11-15T07:52:00.000-05:00

Today's coffee is
Drek, and offends my palate.
Please pass the Starbuck's

The Burlesque Diary, Part 3

2010-11-14T12:19:00.000-05:00

The pasties, the bra, the boa, the gloves the dress. Yes. Today was the big time - taking most of it off, to the tune of "Harlem Nocturne", which I fortunately have on my burlesque music CD. (That hardly ever happens with a dance class - lucky me!) We started slow, first with boas (which are so fun and flirty. How did I make it past 40 without a boa? What was I thinking?) Boas are great - show, cover up, show, cover up, discard with a flourish. (As Lily said, burlesque is the art of making the little big, and making the big little).

Gloves were great, too - tease slooooowly, one finger at a time, ease them off, twirl and fling. My dress was a bit of a challenge - it's best if the back zipper is low, so you can just reach up the back to start it going. My dress? Zipper started at the neck. I had to fudge by pulling down to a reachable level. Turn your back, unzip. Turn to the front, one arm out, both arms out, hold dress up, show the back, ease down, bend over, puddle on floor, step out without killing self. Repeat with bra.

Now, I had excellent intentions of stripping down to pasties, but the dang tape wouldn't stick at the studio. It worked just fine at home, of course. So, I improvised but putting my shocking pink burlesque brassiere over my unitard. It came off just fine, but I realized that the unitard was a bit - um -inadequate for my front. No surprises occurred, though. My compadres did a lovely job of attaching their pasties, and they even color-coordinated their lingerie to the pasties. Red and black. Grey leopard print with pewter grey pasties. And when their brassieres hit the floor, they all looked FINE. Pasties make everything fabulous, dontcha know.

One of best things burlesque can give you is the realization that even if you are not perfect, most of you is excellent, regardless of shape or size. And some parts of you are probably better than excellent. And then there's that darn-I'm-good energy that we all need but have a hard time finding. I showed up for class a bit down, and I left feeling completely back to my perky self. I don't need Zoloft or Paxil, I need fun, heavily laced with slow music and sequins. And a burlesque name - I'm considering "Stella Soiree".

Try some burlesque - I think every woman's life needs some pasties, a feather boa, and good feelings.

Haiku du jour

2010-11-12T09:01:00.000-05:00

Another work day
I am placed but have no place.
Please pass the trust fund.

Haiku du jour

2010-11-10T12:30:00.000-05:00

Drizzling rain falls
The wet world is grey and green
Dark, yet refreshing.

Haiku du Jour

2010-11-09T11:30:00.000-05:00

Now I can French twist
My hair, and it almost stays
For almost the day.

Haiku du Jour

2010-11-08T21:09:00.000-05:00

Pasties become me
I am very va-va-voom
Instead of ho-hum.

The Burlesque Diary, Part 2

2010-11-08T19:31:00.011-05:00

Today was arts and crafts day. The lovely Lily put together little ziplock bags of materials, and brought plenty of scissors and glue for the class - pastie making. Not the meat pie pastie - think nipple covers.

Most public decency laws require an absence of complete nudity to be legal, hence, pasties and g-strings. According to Lily, Detroit strip artists are relatively modest, wearing full rear-coverage panties. In Grand Rapids, the center of the Dutch Reformed Church in Michigan, thongs rule (less restrictive ordinances.) Who'd have thought?

Any way, it's a very simple process. Take some cross-stitch canvas, and cut out a circle that covers your own nipple and aureola (I retired to the Ladies to be absolutely sure everything important was covered.) Cut to the center, make a judicious fold (pancakes vs party hats) and glue. After making this base, take a yard or so of sequins and the bottle of Fabri-tac glue, and glue the sequins around in overlapping rows.

It took on almost a Zen-like rhythm - tap on glue, tamp down sequins, mold with thumbs, discuss life. One adventurous lady went for the two-toned look - red and black spirals. At the end, they looked like luscious lollipops. One went with pewter gray - very sophisticated - and another snagged the holographic red ones - wow. They weren't merely sparkly red, they glowed. Note to self: holographic sequins rock.

Lily discussed variations as we tacked and pressed - she wanted to pass on a skill, not a party favor. If you cut a little hole in the middle and thread a tassel through before glueing and decorating, you will have tassel pasties. If you go to the fishing section of any big box store and find a lure thingy and attach it to the back of the tassel before threading through the base, you will have twirly tassels (hello, WalMart). We all brain-stormed on future pastie designs. Being highly-caffeineated, my taste ran toward Hello Kitty or skulls-and-crossbones for a pirate theme, but that was before I saw the holographic sequins.

Attaching the little darlings to les girls is actually easy - you can do double-sided Hollywood tape from Jo-Ann Fabrics, or toupee tape from Sally's Beauty Supply. Toupee tapes wins (it's cheaper!)

Moi? I went with a mauve pink. I took a photo, and they look like big buttons or tiny party hats (no, I can't get it into this post. Rats. No big deal - they were just laying in the palm of my hand.) And yes, I look BAD in my dainty mauve pasties. Very, very bad.

Next week - dresses and feather boas.

Haiku du Jour

2010-11-05T08:19:00.002-04:00

A girlfriend night out
Sangria and flamenco
Darn, we're fabulous!

The Burlesque Diary, Pt. 1

2010-10-30T20:55:00.003-04:00

I did it. I signed up for a series of burlesque lessons with the lovely and talented Lily LaRue, a local performance artist. Her Snowflake fan dance on YouTube caught my eye, and my fevered imagination conjured up my next life project: Fandancer by Fifty. Well, if you gotta turn 50, you might as well make it fun.

And burlesque is fun - it's artistic, expressive, and pretty. The fact that there's a sizeable burlesque underground in Detroit is a fitting yin to cyberporn's very unrealistic yang - slow, pretty, sparkly, and all about the process, not the goal.

So, this Saturday I showed up for my first class. There are four of us - me, an office manager/engineer (the economy sucks), a stay-at home mom, and a former female wrestler who believes burlesque is her true calling. All normal, all with hidden talents marinating below the surface. All had very nice legs, all were a bit conscious of our weight, and the the other three displayed very nice panties when we got to the skirts-off part. Me, I wore yoga pants. I'm not sure my derriere needs to see daylight yet - or my underwear. Somehow, I think shopping can fix this . . .

At any rate, after a nice history of burlesque and a stretch, we donned our heels, button down shirts, and skirts, and went to work. We strutted, we unbuttoned the buttons sloooooooooooowly, and we got out of the skirts without hurting ourselves. And we teased. Damn, teasing feels GOOD. Really good. And it was over much too soon. Can't wait for next week.

Next time: Pastie making workshop. (a. Pah-stee: a pot pie. b. Pay-stee: Sparkly nipple covers.) We're making (b).

Tanka du jour

2010-09-22T14:17:00.004-04:00

A Heian lady
Would blacken her teeth, shave her
Eyebrows, drawing new ones in,
Arcing like black moths.
Would I follow suit
and be fashion's slave?

I've picked up my Genji Monogatari again, and I admire those tough Japanese heroines who had to work so piece together a life behind walls. I think I might be temperamentally unsuited to the time.

Dita Dream

2010-07-30T00:02:00.002-04:00

I want to be a
Fan dancer by age 50 -
What a way to go!

It may be early senility, or latent madness, but I want to be Dita von Teese when I grow up. There's a lot working against it - weight, glasses, varicose veins, a loathing of high heels - but, you never know.

Tanka and Haiku du jour

2010-07-26T12:10:00.004-04:00

Wanted - one good man
Not brat, prince, tyrant, or boss -
I only want a good man
Not one who acts good,
A faux Prince Charming.

Internet dating
Is like fishing - looking for
The pearl among clams.

I went to dinner with some friends who both were experimenting with internet dating scenes. Both told me not to be too honest about what I want, for fear of putting off potential dates. But, I said, that was my plan. Some people I want to put off. Maybe I'm not getting the spirit of the thing.

Another Day

2010-07-21T08:29:00.001-04:00

Another work day
Hours of nothing to do
Tax dollars flow out

Sinus Day

2010-07-20T08:54:00.001-04:00

The sun shines brightly
My face pounds and my thoughts slow
Drugs, caffeine, and time.

Haiku du Jour - Sugar wax

2010-07-14T08:48:00.001-04:00

Sugar, water and
lemon juice make my bathroom
into my hammam

Haiku du jour - 071410

2010-07-14T08:33:00.001-04:00

Weeding and mulching,
Dusk creeps in - I stop to watch
Fireflies dancing

The Suburban Mall

2010-07-12T09:50:00.001-04:00

Despise not the mall,
The noisy, shiny market
That eats my dark moods.

Lily of the valley

2010-07-12T09:46:00.002-04:00

Fragrant silver bells
Rise from a sea of green leaves
Joy enters the heart

I made this up for an online perfume draw - just trying to stand out from a sea of "pick me, pick me". Maybe it will work.

Haiku du jour

2010-04-28T19:40:00.001-04:00

Spring bursts out in clumps
And I try to rein things in
Die, evil weeds, die.

Haiku du jour

2010-04-26T11:00:00.002-04:00

On a slow work day,
One cannot check one's email
enough times, alas.

Ah, a no-work day -
Is chewing through my arm Zen?
Probably not.

Sue's Haiku, 2

2010-04-26T08:35:00.001-04:00

Adult? What good that?
Responsibilities, work,
Chores, stress, bills. Bummer

Sue's Haiku

2010-04-23T07:48:00.001-04:00

An under-used mind
Becomes the devil's workshop.
Can cause much trouble

-S

Causing much trouble
Can be lots of fun, sometimes
But I'm adult.

-J

Haiku du jour

2010-04-21T20:04:00.001-04:00

Perfume's siren calls
This week I'll try Chanel, I think
Number 5 beckons

Haiku du jour

2010-04-20T08:36:00.002-04:00

An under-used mind
Is a mad whirlwind of thought
Especially mine

Work is good - really
It keeps my dark side busy,
calm, and distracted.

Leslie Haiku

2010-04-14T18:05:00.001-04:00

I share this birthday
With all my friends, old and new
Cheers to great friendships!