Being all Fillosofikal.

So, a few things I've heard this week have resonated with me, and lead me to this general feeling of...well...peace.

Some were things that other people have said, and some were just things I realized on my own...

The 1st, is that I should stop worrying about what's going to happen in the future, because I'll know when I get there.

I had a small period for a few weeks where I was concerned with how others were perceiving me, because a couple of times my intentions were completely misunderstood, and I was stressing about how I could make people understand my intentions...but then I realized that I really have no control over how people think of me, and so it's probably their problem if they take things the wrong way - but then I had this internal struggle about weather or not that was really insensitive... A lot of stuff was swimming around in my little brain and confusing the hell out of me, so I've decided not to think about it anymore, and instead, to just be really conscious about sending out loads of love in the way that I know how regardless of weather or not other people know how to receive it...

...Which bought me to this conclusion that people put too many rules on 'how to love' and 'who to love' and 'how much should you show and how much should you self preserve'...and I decided that that's bullshit. Everyone deserves to love to their full capacity, without boundaries of who or how....which really helped me become more comfortable with the fact that I am really really crap at self preservation, and I generally wear my heart on my sleeve, and feel constantly vulnerable because of that...So you know what? If I feel love for someone/thing I'm just gonna let them know about it because in my humble opinion it can only really be a compliment to that person/thing, and if they are freaked out by it or uncomfortable or whatever, then it's their problem and they might need to go and do some work on their capability to receive love.

Hahaha. Anyway. Complex hippie love talk. But things make sense at the moment for me, and I'm feeling pretty good, and pretty comfortable just existing in the moment. Can I get a hight five? <3

Apparently I should blog...

Blue is not just for people with willies. Pink is not just for people with flaps.

Sniff sniff...

The year of the Rabbit is upon us! Can you feel it? A little softer, fluffier, slower, cuddlier...and of course, I'd be doing myself a dis-service if I didn't mention that they have sex a lot. WOO HOO! Year of the rabbit is also MY year, and dammit, I won't settle for a calm one!

There will be MUCH interpretive dance -


There will be unbridled unleashing of the inner faerie like never before -


And an artistic public toilet pilgrimage-


And of course, staying true to my beloved Rabbit...GETTING SEXY!


*Dusts hands and reclines in comfy grandad-esque chair.* My work here is done.

I miss my imagination...

Now, I'd say I'm a pretty imaginative person.

But I went for a walk today, feeling very sentimental, and in my little full moon bubble, heading for the beach, and I had this surge of regression into the imagination I had as a child. For a split second, in my mind, I was no longer myself, but a mermaid who had been captured to live on the land, and I was going to the beach to dip my toes in the water to remind myself of the place I longed to go back to....

And then, just as quickly as it was there, it was gone, and I was me again. I strained to get it back, to get lost in that moment again, but my silly adult brain kept butting in and I couldn't keep the story going.

When I was little, I used to live in those kind of stories. I didn't have a TV, or any electricity for that matter, so it was harder to get distracted, but I remember spending hours, even days, immersed in some kind of imaginary scenario. Some of them went for years, and every time I was on my own, I'd know exactly where I was 'up to', I had several ongoing imaginary characters that would pop in and out, and certain places at our house became irrelevant to their actual purposes, but became parts of my made up world. For example, I remember my trampoline was a flying contraption, which I flew around in and looked down upon the whole world, but when I climbed through one of the corner holes, that was a porthole to the real world....And my bath was a fresh water stream with a waterfall, and I was a lone water-nymph who lived there, disappearing behind the waterfall when people came there to swim.

But now, I can't even remember half of the characters and scenarios I used to live out every day when I was little, If I strain really hard, I can sometimes get tiny glimpses of them, but they slip away so easily. I would give anything to be able to have that imagination again, and If I ever have children, I think I'm going to have to take our lives back to simplicity, so that they can experience the wonder of a brain which is completely self-sufficient when it comes to entertaining themselves.

It's full moon. I'm feeling extremely nostalgic.

Mind Dump!

My little brain is a hearty chunky vegetable minestrone soup at the moment, if you get that metaphor...I probably could have gone for a better one, but there's something about visualizing the inside of my head as some kind of salty steaming veggie chunk-fest that gets me going...

But there's a little man swimming around in the soup, and due to its thick, gloopy chunkiness and high temperature, he's getting a little weary, so to prevent him from drowning I'm going to get my big brain spoon and scoop some chunks out so he can paddle with ease. Ok. I'm letting go of the metaphor now. Sorry.

Mind Dump #1: "Something needs to change"
And I actually have no Idea what it is. It could be something so simple, like, hacking away at my hair and rocking the 'Are-you-a-lesbian-or-are-you-just-from-freo-or-perhaps-you-are-both-but-we-shall-never-truly-know" Hairstyle, or...it could be anything on the grey scale between that and skipping the country. For now, my way of dealing with the restlessness that comes with not knowing what to do with myself, is to begin sewing ridiculous little cravats on to all of my old shirts. Works a dream, but I don't have a lot of shirts, so I might have to deal with the actual issue at some point.

Mind Dump #2: "I'm a rampant horny bitch but I'm also very picky and have an extremely hard-to-identify sexuality"...
These three things are not very conducive to one and other. Also, I miss having friends who I can just make out with. I used to have a few of those...*reminisces* ah, those were the simple days. (well, in actual fact, it wasn't that simple, it tended to get slightly confusing and eventually we all forgot how to exist within mainstream society's rules on 'how to be platonically affectionate' - but it sure was fun.)

Mind Dump #3: "Things I tell myself I'm going to do, but never actually do"
Save money to go traveling. Maintain enough cleanliness in my house so as not to illicit those heavy sighs from my housemates that I can hear from the other room. Dance every day. Not eat things with wheat in them. Fix bike and ride it. Create hilarious work out regime, make video, sell to the people, get bigger than Zumba. Make up awesome new Burlesque acts, practice them, make them actually good.

Mind Dump #4: "I'm actually bursting with love"
Which can actually be annoying when theres nowhere for it to go and you just wanna scream it from a rooftop. So here goes. *climbs on to rooftop, clears throat* TO ALL OF THE AMAZING PEOPLE IN MY LIFE - THE FAIRIES, MY WIVES, MY BOSSES, MY BROTHER, PEOPLE WHO CRAZY DANCE WITH ME IN PUBLIC, PEOPLE WHO PUT UP WITH MY WHINGING, PEOPLE WHO COME AND WATCH MY SHOWS, MY LONG TIME FRIENDS WHO I NEVER SEE ANYMORE, THE FRIENDS WHO FORCE ME TO DO THINGS THAT SCARE ME, (Ok...no more caps lock, you get the idea, I'm screaming from a rooftop.) I really have more things to be happy about than complain about. So I guess I'm going to leave it there. On a high, positive note.

Aghh fuck, my back really hurts.
Oh. Oops. ruined the positive ending.
You win some - You lose some. My little man can swim a bit better now.

Whirlwind update!

Since I spoke to you last...I have done many a shenanigan.
I came 4th in Miss Burlesque Australia!


Re-united with my fairy wifey...(And created a lyrical/interpretive dance company with her...but that's another story)


Got kinky at the fetball...


and kinky in a different way at Madame Devilles!!


I also started swing dancing classes, danced in a zombie fairy samba parade, became the mad hatter for a weekend, Traumatized people with happiness in a music video, and half-learned how to crochet.

Now that I've put it all into one sentence, it seems quite a lot! I wonder how I still have time to feel restless on a constant basis...

Doobie doobie doobie.

Doobie.

Thought I'd put a pic up of my new bedroom, which I like to call the 'shedoir' ... I love how being poor makes me so much more creative.



Although it has a lot less floor space to cover with my floordrobe, I think I actually prefer it to my old room...it fulfills my need for cubbies, which is a need that becomes more and more apparent in my life. Must have something to do with the fact I grew up in this shed...



Yep....that was my home. It had a tree growing through the middle of it. And...and outside bath..



Other luxurious aspects included, no electricity, the occasional option of hot water when you lit the fire, and a bunch of chooks running around. All I really had was that trampoline. But I was never bored. Makes you think doesn't it! So, I'm giving you all quite the insight to the yokel history of Ginger LaMinge, you may have more of an idea now of how I turned out so.....strange.

Plodding along nicely.

The last couple of weeks have thrown me some interesting adventures, some of them desirable, some not so, so I guess it all evens out pretty nicely in the end. I'm delighted to report that my fundraiser at Devilles was a great success, I had a wonderful time, saw some old friends, and raised enough money for my flights, and some pocket money to re-vamp my props and costumes for Sydney! Woohoo Spotlight here I come!

I finally came to the acceptance that being a burlesque dancer and a fairy isn't really conducive to paying rent, so, instead of getting myself a 'proper' job, I've decided to rent my room out, and live in the shed. Sounds a little like I've turned into an eye-twitchingly crazy lady who may start throwing cats at people before we know it, but in actual fact, I am a cubby-maker extraordinaire, and have actually made said shed into a very desirable living space! My lovely brother even gave me a whole bunch of insulation to put up, which brings me to my next adventure, which I like to call "Silly lady knows not of the dangers of fibreglass insulation, and procures hearty rash." AGHH! stupid stupid me. I have never known a rash so painful, I do NOT endorse that anyone try playing with insulation without some kind of full body protective suit. Believe me. It sucks.

So, on a more positive note, I am no longer performing at Belgian Beer Cafe once a month, which is actually quite happy for me, because there is only so much corporate whoring I can do before I start feeling the low moral. I'm looking ever forward to my tour in Sydney and Melbourne in October, and then, next year, overseas baby! yeah!!

Pasties!

I think I'll give up my career as a burlesque dame to make unusually themed pasties. teehee! here is a selection of my collection!

"Fever"




"My Tits Heart You"




"Gender Confused"




"How do you like THEM apples"




"The Dumpster Diver"




"Burning Man"




"Mo"




"OOBIE DOOBIE!"


Currently taking requests for new themes! x

Organisey McGee from Channel Three

So, at the end of last year, everyone kept telling me that 2010 was promising to be a great year for all! I don't know how they figured this, I've heard many theories. Something about this year being the year of the Tiger, or lion, or some kind of large feline wilderbeast...and it being...powerful (or some junk) and then there are all those conspiracy theorists who think the world is gunna end in 2012 so we all just need to live it up until then... I honestly don't know if any of this is true, but what I do know, is that at the very least, the fact that everyone is going around giving kudos to 2010 is having some kind of amazing placebo effect on me! Everything's - a - happenin!

I'm quite delighted to report that Devilles Pad have decided to sponsor Ginger LaMinge/Vintage Reds, and we will be putting on a fund raising event on Aug 20 at Devilles, to get me over to Sydney and Melbourne for the Miss Burlesque Australia Grand Final and then a Vintage Reds Tour! So I am trying to get myself organised. I have lots of things to do! Firstly, organise this event, which has proven easier than I thought, because of all of the amazing performers who have put their hands up to do acts! I am one lucky lady.

Next step, finally film all of the Vintage Reds acts so I can make a showreel - locked in for next Thursday! Wee! And then, put together a good promo package to send out to venues etc. I am loving the excitement of actually getting things done that I have been meaning to achieve for quite some time, and so thankful for the people in my life who are supporting me! Safe to say, I'm on a bit of a high. GO 2010!!!!!

There must be something in the water...

Perth may be the most isolated city in the universe, and contain hoards of people who grow their metaphorical emo-fringes long and spindly and complain day and night that Perth is crap - but we certainly are the breeding ground for some saucy, and talented burlesque stars! Miss Burlesque Australia is being taken over by Perth girls! So far, apart from myself and miss Clara Cupcakes representing Perth, I'm excited to reveal that Miss Burlesque Tasmania is a Perth lass, and DELIGHTED to report that Miss Burlesque Melbourne is The Vintage Red's own Peachy Dream!!! (and dare I take a wild stab in the dark and forecast that perhaps a Perth girl might bring it home in the SA heat?) Let's just wait and see shall we...

Out come my big rusty metaphorical emo-fringe cutters, so I can do some pruning of those Perth-poo-pooing people - Perth is awesome. And sexy. And on that note, you should all come to Sydney in September, because there will be a big group of Perth gals taking their clothes off. Weeeee!

Excitement of Extreme Proportions!

Squeee! Look, you've caught me going squee, and I only do that when there is something squee-worthy to squee about...

I am MISS BURLESQUE PERTH!

What a whirlwind day of excitement and nerves yesterday was! 10 saucy Perth Burlesque lasses crammed themselves into a tiny change room at the Fremantle Town Hall, running on little but adrenaline, and with absolutely no idea what the day would bring. Backstage was a crazy soup of hanging gowns, feathers and hats, wigs and glitter, and boobs...so many boobs. The day was a very long one, with the doors opening at 2pm and the show finishing at 7pm, and needless to say, everyone involved was exhausted by the end. But I couldn't be happier with the results! Miss Clara Cupcakes took out the 1st prize and the crowning title 'Miss Burlesque WA' and boy was she fantastic! What a gal! And the runner up and winner of the 'Miss Burlesque Perth' crown, was YOURS TRULY! Both of us will be flying to Sydney in September to compete for the title of 'Miss Burlesque Australia'. I still cant wipe the grin off my face.

What I loved the most about the day was a great sense of community within the Perth Burlesque Scene. The crowd was absolutely amazing and gave so much of their energy to all of the performers. And what a a turn out! The stunning setting of the Freo Town Hall was PACKED to the rafters with an awesome crowd, laughing, cheering, stomping their feet, bringing down the house. The girls backstage were all lovely too. To be honest, the aspect of 'competition' in this competition was putting me off a little, I'm not a competitive person. But I'm delighted to report that all of the Perth gals were not only fiercley attractive and full of personality and pizazz, they were all genuinely friendly people and everyone was very supportive of each other. I'm defiantly in a little bubble right now, and feeling the lurve.

So the next step, prepare for Sydney. I'm looking for some sponsors this time, because I really need to up the ante with the costume side of things. I've gotten this far, I may as well add that extra mile of sparkle and go the whole hog! I've also never been to Sydney, so this is very exciting - I've been looking for and excuse!

Well, I'm going to drag my exhausted buttock off to bed, It's been a huge weekend, I'm EXTREMELY sore, and need my pillow. stat. Much love everyone.
x Ginger LaMinge!

This just in. Cat prevents burlesque dancer from productivity.

It's not my fault I swear!! My little cat, Mcgee, seems to have upped her cuteness/sookiness levels in the last week, and melts me into this small puddle of goo whenever she enters the room, and then proceeds to make herself into the tiniest purring ball possible on top of me - where am I supposed to go from there, I ask? How am I supposed to get up and polish my acts with THAT, being so annoyingly adorable? Sigh...The road to crazy-cat-lady town is not as long as I'd expected. I'm almost there.

I finally hauled my lazy ass out to go and see some of the local burlesque happening in Perth tonight! I've been so wrapped up in my own little burlesque bubble, that I haven't gotten much of a chance to be a spectator lately. There were some pretty saucy ladies dancing tonight, at a show called 'Crier Dans L'Horreur'...lots and lots of fake blood involved. I won 'best costume' with my 'child-slave-abattoir-worker' blood splattered nightgown and semi headless doll...I never did claim that free jug of beer I was awarded though...Oh well. Fun night anyway.

In other news, Cheeeeeeeeeeeese.

BRrrRRrrRRR-Lesque

This week, is dedicated to the saucy, seductive, silly art of the tease! (Let's be honest now, most of my weeks are...) But this week seems to be exceptionally loaded with the stuff! Allow me to bore you with a long list of upcomings.

Miss Burlesque Australia is fast approaching, so I'm frantically getting everything organised at the last minute...(ok, continuing with today's theme of 'honesty', I'm actually nested in my bed, with a purring ball of cat in my lap, face-stalking and changing my blog's name to 'cheese' with absolutely no intention of practicing/organising...) heh. ANYWAY. So there's that. And then a hundred other gigs, which I'm definitly not complaining about!

But, I've also managed to come down with a deliciously mucus-y head cold which makes me EXTREMELY sexually attractive to anyone who might cross my path. Terrible timing of course, I'm going to be sneezing and snorting all over the judges and audience members at MBA. The photo shoot for the West Australian was yesterday, and it was lurrrvely to meet some of the other girls who are competing...they are all ridiculously saucy and wearing costumes which 'out-fabuloused' everything I own, ever! It's cool though, I plan on wearing facial expressions so big that no one will notice what I'm wearing...due to their retinas shattering...from too much cheesecake. I really do have to work on getting my face under control at some point though...it tends to get me into trouble.

Ok, ok....I think I can muster a surge of energy to practice now...I can do it...I can d- zZzzZZzZZZzzZZZZzzZZZZzzzz...

All things go!

Very excited to report that I'm feeling very motivated and inspired this week, and actually getting things done. I've almost got everything I need in the way of costumes for Miss Burlesque Australia - and managed to only spend about $100! This is the result of a lot of clever op-shopping (I never look past the op-shop lingerie section, It grosses most people out knowing that certain items may have once been close to other people's wrinkly bits, but I on the contrary LOVE a saucy second hand intimate!! (and there is this little thing called 'soap', everyone! teehee.) Also, A lot of crafty sewing, garment alterations, hot gluing (my hot glue gun has been my BEST FRIEND this week!) and I also managed to get a couple of 'sponsors' - from apparition costume hire, who lent me some lovely bits free of charge, and 'Glamorous' a friend of mine who has just started up a business selling delicious shoes and stockings etc! I was having some stress before, because I thought this competition was going to blow my (extremely low) budget - but where there's a will, there's a way, and I love the way that being poor makes you more creative!

Here is a pic of a corset that I embellished. I bought the corset plain on ebay for about $60 and decorated it with faded lace and ribbon from the op-shop! (I'm wearing this in my 'Classic Routine')---------------------------------------------------->

Purrdy huh!

I've been choreographing for the last couple of days as well, dancing round my room like an idiot, constantly forgetting that my window is open - the people across the street are probably getting an interesting show...

I think it may all come together nicely after all.

After the MBA comp is over, I think my next project is to organise a trip to Melbourne to do some Vintage Red shows with the lurrrvely Miss 'Peachy Dream'. So I've got lots of good things to look forward to, and keep me busy.

Life is good.

Op-Shop WIN

Op shop Birthday Gift from my beloved housemate "Limpi" = WIN!Blue op shop dress = Another WIN!!! (and showing my undying love for limp, for the previous op shop win)

Ok...now THIS one, I got from the op-shop DUMPSTER! yes. You heard correctly. Dumpster Dress = WIN!!!!
I do love op-shops. Yes. I do.

Begerk!

Sighhhh. I'm having one of those days where I can't seem to tell if I'm happy, and productive, and organized, and great, or just going a little bit stir crazy - crazy eye twitching style. I'm craving some human interaction, yet at the same time I feel like crawling into my doona cave and curling up in a tiny ball and hiding from the world. I'm a walking contradiction today! On the plus side, I did manage to make a pair of sequin panties and sequin nipple tassles at work on Monday. Such an innapropriate thing to be doing in a Fairy shop, but it was oh so quiet, and I was lonely with no customers to annoy me, I needed sexy sequin panties to keep me company. And what great company they were.

My brain seems to have taken up thinking about burlesque on a full time basis at the moment, I have so much to organise for upcoming gigs, Miss Burlesque Australia, and then also all of the other things I've been dreaming of doing... some gigs in Melbourne with the Saucy miss Peachy Dream for starters...Get some new photos done, get some cards printed, find other venues to perform at so I don't have to whore myself out to the evil corporates (AKA Belgium Beer) anymore... (ok, I retract that a little, they aren't actually that evil, but the customers are cruddy mc crud face in the face with crud, and leave me with low moral. blergh)

Anyway, thats me today. Squee. Squee indeed.

Today.

Today, this is me.

Things about me today:
- My lips hurt.
- Spraying stuff into my wine to make it preservative free makes me look like a big dork, but prevents me from getting a rash.
- I really feel like fizzy water. Right...about...now.
- I always seem to feel like fizzy water.
- What is it about fizzy water that I like so much?
- Maybe it's time I purchased a water fizzer so I can get my fizzy water for free...
-My cat is very vocal.
-I don't know what to do with myself.

Bucket List

A few years ago I was feeling bored and wistful, so I wrote a little list of stuff that I wanted to do. Some of the things on the list were things I were actually aiming for, and some were just things that popped into my mind. I think there were about 10 things on the list. Then, at the beginning of this year when I was rifling through of my goody boxes (heh) I found it - and guess what! I had achieved 6 out of 1o!! I cant remember what they all were, one was "Go to drama school" (Tick) another was "Live above a shop" (Tick) and the others were pretty obscure as well but I can't recall at this very moment. Wow. The powers of manifestation huh? Anyway, So I thought it was about time to create another "Bucket list" (things to do before I kick the bucket)...a much heartier one. And I've also gone ahead and included things that are more than likely impossible, but still, you just never know how strong my manifestation powers are!! So...here we go:

-Learn another language
-Live in Berlin
-Be a drag king
-Make an interpretive dance fittness video in an 80's g-string leotard, and sell to the people, and get bigger than Zumba
-Perform Burlesque in NYC, and Paris
-Become a lesbian sex scene coach on hollywood movie sets (haha I stole that idea from the L word...It sounds like fun!)
-Have a children's TV show
-Have a show in Melbourne/Edinburgh comedy festival and Karridale/Tas Circus Festival
-Record an album
-Become good at trapeze again
-Get all my teeth fixed
-Say yes when they ask me if I want to wrestle at lesbian mud wrestling haha
-Learn contact juggling
-Hold an evening of erotic fiction
-Go to Canada
-Tell someone completely random who I think is beautiful, that I think they are beautiful.
-Be in a movie
-Make out with Regina Spektor
-See a Tim Minchin concert
-Be completely body painted
-Own a car that isn't about to explode
-Have sex in a church (points if it's with a nun hehe)
-Go to Eurovision (or...be a backup interpretive dancer at Eurovision!)

Heheheh. So. Let's see how many of those I can tick off. I better get out of my bed if I wish to achieve anything! x

Stuff is happening.

Lots of stuff! 1stly- (reason for the saucy undie pic to your left...) I got in to the WA heats of the Miss Burlesque Australia Comp! Tres exciting. What makes it doubly exciting is that the lovely miss Peachy Dream (my original other Vintage Red) got in to the VIC heats! Yay! I was originally a little reluctant to enter...have no idea why really - I just thought that perhaps my over the top face and lack of *actual* dance moves might not really fit with what the comp was looking for, but my friends kept pressuring me to enter, and I caved. And I'm glad I did becasue I'm now quite excited to make up some ridiculous solo routines, and try to scavenge together some amazing costumes. Woo! Vote me! (Ginger LeMinge) hehe. I know....

Other stuff that is happening! I sung! In front of people and everything! (yet ANOTHER resut of friend peer pressuring) Maisie conned me into doing an open mic at Mojos - becasue she ALSO roped me into doing a gig at Kulcha on Saturday night and I was shitting myself about it, so she figured a little open mic practice wouldn't go astray. Well, It went really well, and basically I should be thankful that I have friends that challenge and believe in me. The guy at Mojos even said he'd like me to do other gigs there! I don't know if I'd be up for that just yet, but I'm feeling quite proud of myself at the moment.
So...that, there ------------------------------------->
is a picture of me singing at Mojos. It's quite small, but if you look closely you can see that my hair looks like that of a CRAZY LADY's!! I had just come straight from a hair competition where I was modeling an EXTREME hairdoo for a hairdressing student. She used about three cans of hairspray on my hair, and had bits piled up here, and bits poking out there, and curly bits, and punk-like bits. It was very avante gard hehe. It took her about 5 hours to do, and my hair felt like...er...paper? The hair comp was a bit ridiculous actually, I had to laugh. All of the people there were EVER so serious about hair. The judges were a very wanky looking bunch of people with some *serious* hair-scrutinising faces on, and all the boys were wearing too much rouge to eccentuate their already chiseled cheek bones. The hair was also pretty out there, I thought MINE was crazy until I walked past a girl who looked like she had what could only be described as a crimped vagina on her head...

Well, It's a big weekend for me this week. Burlesque gig at Devilles on Friday Night, Singing at Kulcha on Saturday night, and then Modeling for Burlesque Baby and Suzi Homemaker at the Tattoo Expo on Sunday morning. All fun stuff though!

Knickers!