Miss Kitty Baby

I HAVE ARRIVED 2.20.2010

2010-02-20T21:46:00.000-08:00

In an effort to support the local arts and my friends, I stopped by a store opening this Saturday afternoon. Local artist and friend, Lynn Rosskamp, and a few other collaborative artists were holding an open house just a mile from my neighborhood. Lynn is most famous for her ultra cool & fun hats. Of hats she does wear many. She is an accomplished hat maker, painter, multi-media artist, greeting card maker, and yes – burlesque dancer. Lynn and her friends were presenting “Absolutely Fabulous”, a retail and studio space atop Queen Anne Hill. I walk in and it’s packed to the brim with friends, customers, art, hats, purses, and even cashmere stockings. I spot a delicious looking Lynn and she is very excited to proclaim, “Kitty, YOU have a hat!” Huh? I have a hat?

One of her big sellers is a plush black number with cute pink kitty ears. This is very popular with kids, teens, and ladies I hear. It was originally named “Eartha Kitten”. Apparently most of her customers didn’t get it. She decided on a new name and a bit of Seattle flavor. This adorable hat is now named “Kitty Baby”. For Real! It’s a huge honor to be included in Lynn’s art. I have so much admiration for her. Before you imagine I am feeding my own ego, it was she who stated, “You have Arrived!”

Lynn sells hats under the name Pingi Hats and creates other art under Three Cats Designs.

(I have arrived, part two) If you find yourself at Highway 99 Blues Club and in need of a tasty libation, order the Miss Kitty Baby: Pearl Pomegranite Vodka, Triple Sec, muddled limes and Cranberry. I can’t drink, but I hear it’s delicious!

PRETTY FOR A CAUSE 1.23.10

2010-01-24T08:15:00.000-08:00

A few years ago I started using my pin-up superpowers for a greater good: helping others. Along the way I get asked to do really cool events to benefit my own charity and other charities too.

Recently we were asked to help out with the Gay Bingo event because the theme was “Bootcamp”. This event benefits the Life Long Aids Alliance and the Chicken Soup Brigade. There was a 700+ room full of attendees and volunteers in various forms of cammo and military costume. It was also my first interaction with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. They were a mixture of drag, nun-ery, essential volunteer, and all around awesomeness. Their costumes were not only creative and spectacular, but their face/drag make-up was particularly intense. A whole lot of work goes in to their look.

Toward the end of the event I stumble upon this particular Sister VixXxen. Sister V was drenched in pink cammo and had one of the best faces in the room. We collided and demanded a photo together as I had a pink cammo thing going on too. Our get-to-know you conversation included a rash of fawning over how pretty and fabulous each other was. This led to the technical aspect of theatrical makeup application and the time it takes. Then of course we started bragging (or confessing) about how long it actually takes.

Sister VixXxen took the conversation for a turn. She talked about how every minute it takes to get in character and apply her face is worth it when she makes a hospice visit to cheer someone up. Or when someone calls to say they are just lonely and need a friendly voice to help them get through a hard day. Sister VixXxen says “Of course I will. Be right there.”

This just melted my heart. It reminded me why I do what I do. That our beauty is only make-up deep, but we can really make a difference when we take the time to use it to help others.

Sister VixXxen/Marcos Chavez III & Miss Kitty Baby

A POLITE AUDIENCE 1.12.10

2010-01-21T00:15:00.000-08:00

Have you ever gotten a tickle in your throat and gone into a coughing fit before it goes away? Even when you drink water or try to regulate your breathing, it seems to only stop torturing you when it’s good and ready. Your friends hover around you asking if you are ok and you nod and gasp as you become more embarrassed by this little fit your body is having. You try a drink of water and it seems to sooth it, but only for seconds. It never really does the trick. Only a good four to five minutes of spazzing out generally ends this chaos.

Imagine you are sitting in the front row of Naked Girls Reading. This would be the inaugural Naked Girls Reading event in our wonderfully creative city of Seattle. Michelle L’amour, it’s founder, has flown in from Chicago and is part of the cast on stage. Michelle and the other Naked Girls - Polly Wood, Heidi Von Haught, and Jesse Bell Jones are so lovely, poised, relaxed, and confident. We are now in the third act. Heidi is reading a passage from ‘Howl’. This is probably the most important reading of the night, because tonight’s theme is banned books. Not being much of a literary fool, I haven’t even heard of it. I am savoring every word of this poem that simply blows my mind for about 1000 reasons.

…and then I feel it. A horrible tickle in the right side of my throat. I am in the middle of a really yucky cold that has attacked my throat, lungs, sinuses, and left me constantly fatigued. So this tickle is not going down without a fight. My best defense would be coughing it out. This is NOT an option! The room is totally silent as the controversial obscene tales of Howl flow from Heidi’s mouth. I fight to suppress this coughing fit. If I breathe too deeply I will cough. If I close my mouth, I can’t breathe because my nose is stuffed up. I fight and fight and fight. The tears are running down my cheeks. Snot is flowing out my nose and I was probably drooling. For anyone who has experienced CS Gas training…that’s pretty much what I looked like. Should I leave the theater? Even though I am in the front, I am on the end. I could sneak away. Yeah right. The room has hardwood floors and I am wearing very solid heels. If I move even one inch from my seat the whole audience and Miss Heidi will become distracted and the magic of her reading will be gone. Luckily my table mate had a bottle of water. I tapped her on the shoulder and motioned to it with desperate eyes. The water helped, but only a little. Luckily when this began, Heidi was 2/3 finished with her reading. I have no idea what she read during that last part, but I am sure it was amazing. As the applause roared, I coughed my little heart out and breathed long gasps of relief that I didn’t ruin the show. Only my table mate really knowing what happened…

Not so fast! As we mingled with and loved the readers at the end of the evening, Miss Jesse Bell Jones complimented me for being such a trooper. She had seen the entire fiasco go down from her poise on the stage! Well, I can only hope I built up some good points with future audiences of my own.

WILL THE MOVIE ‘BURLESQUE’ HURT US OR HELP US? 12.28.09

2009-12-30T00:47:00.000-08:00

‘BURLESQUE’ is due for release November 2010. Starring Christina Aguilera and Cher. Dita Von Teese is somehow involved. Not sure if it is consulting, acting, or both. It is supposed to go like this: Small town girl lands in LA and ends up dancing at a Neo-Burlesque club(Wow a whole club devoted to burlesque? It must be fiction!) Cher is plays the club owner who used to be a former dancer. I wonder what age she will be playing? Ideally…she would be playing a character who, in reality, would have danced when no one was actually dancing burlesque historically. I already smell a rat.

How this could hurt us: It could very well make a mockery of the art we love so much. It could teach the mainstream public that burlesque is something it’s not. It could dilute it even more than it already is. To draw a clear line around what is burlesque is nearly impossible. There are some pretty commercial productions out there calling themselves burlesque that I think a lot of performers would be disappointed in. This movie, if popular, could further increase the number of shows lightly on the fringe of burlesque that are calling themselves such and cashing in, but not loving the art.

How this could help us: The movie could be a big hit and open the public’s eyes to the fact that burlesque shows are happening in their very town. It could increase the attendance at our shows and therefore increase our fan base. It could help people understand how cool what we do actually is. It could open up more opportunities for venues, shows, and even higher paying gigs.

I know one thing it has already done. It’s gotten me nervous. Eleven months early.

OLD AND FABULOUS 12.27.09

2009-12-27T20:22:00.000-08:00

I have the pleasure of living in a beautiful 1929 Art Deco building nestled in a sweet little neighborhood. Sprinkled among the tenants are several old queens. Two of which live directly across the hall from me. They are the most adorable aging little old men. They always, always look out for each other. They look out for me too.

It saddens me to think that people somewhere would actually question their relationship…but that’s another platform.

Every time I ride the elevator with them or pet their doggie in the hallway, I fall in love with them a little bit more.

On my way in tonight I passed my their doorway that was halfway open. From my view I immediately saw an enlarged and framed photograph of their little Chihuahua in the hallway. My eye was then drawn down to the leopard print rug on the floor. I can only imagine the awesomeness I would encounter if I ventured further into their little world.

I must say I love being surrounded by the old and fabulous.

THE HOLIDAY TEXT MESSAGE 12.26.09

2009-12-26T22:47:00.000-08:00

The Holiday Text Message usually occurs on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve. I personally like the HTM. It’s a nice little greeting you can send to or receive from your friends, relatives, and acquaintances. You can say Happy Whatever to the people you wouldn’t normally call on this occasion, but that you would say this greeting to if you saw them face-to-face.

When the HTM first gained popularity, not everyone was on board. Not everyone had unlimited texts and not everyone knew what to do with all of the attention. And then there are the folks who don’t have your number but you have theirs. Your message is usually followed by a “Who is this?” return text.

This brings me to the funny or colorful Holiday Text. Some folks have a campier sense of humor than others so more interesting text messages are sent. This makes the “Who is this?” return text even funnier.

I admit I am guilty of sending both regular and funny HTM. I had every intention of following through this Christmas. After all I got at least 15 of them myself. Settled down on Christmas day, I take a break from the yummy food and movie marathon. I draft the perfect message with a nice Christmas greeting but a little campy and sweet at the same time. This being my first Christmas with an iPhone, I am still figuring out how to mass text. Needless to say, it was taking a very long time to add each recipient one by one. And then I get to ten recipients and it stops. Won’t let me add any more. Whoa Nellie. I usually send about 150 – 175 of these things. Sadly, technology got the best of me. I was in the middle of a food/couch/movie coma and not really in the mood to spend an hour lightly touching my iPhone just to participate in this social activity.

So while I find the Holiday Text Message a delightful activity…I was unable to participate.

Although there is always New Year’s Eve. That is of course when everyone sends them AT THE SAME TIME. Ahhh the chaos ensues….

2009-12-24T00:22:00.000-08:00

WHY I LOVE ROCKLOVE 12.23.09

I first collided with Rocklove in fall of '07 when she wanted to create a piece of jewelry to help with fundraising for my troop support charity, The Pinup Angels.

Her in New York, me in Seattle...a coffee date was out. However, this was much bigger than emails so a few get-to-know-you phone calls happened. I really liked this girl. I liked her jewelry and her ideas. I really loved a particular piece called the 'Plumeria Anchor' from her Pin-Up Collection. I had just purchased an anchor pendant of my own a few months earlier so I couldn't justify buying another one. She told me the story about carving the cast three times before she was happy with it and that it was one of her favorite creations.

The following year, we got to meet in person and share a booth and a hotel room at Ink & Iron in Long Beach. It was official. The Pinup Angels and Rocklove were in love. We now team up for several events a year. Thanks to modern communications, I always stay in touch with Allison despite being on different coasts. I have followed her successes and her woes. I have offered congrats and consoled her. I support her.

One struggle for her has been being an independent jewelry designer and a one-woman show in a market flooded with mass-produced inventory. Will she be able to compete? Will she be forced out of business? Will she have to give in to carrying mass produced, imported stock?

A few months back she called me all excited about an event she was attending. She needed a special costume piece that my burlesque costuming skills would be perfect for. She was going to be a Dead Sea siren for the Shipwrecks Ball. She really wanted to stand out for this one. I was commissioned to make a set of pasties that we more like 'boob outfits'. She would be wearing these along with body paint and a lovely skirt and belt. There was no top to her costume. The simple round nipple covers just wouldn't do. I created a lovely shape according to her requests. I approached the construction of these darlings with extra special care. After all, she would be wearing them all night, not just for a few second reveal at the end of an act. Happy with my job, I mailed them off. Soon after I heard from a very happy and excited Allison with her very first set of pasties in hand.

Not only was she attending the Shipwrecks Ball, but now modeling for Dr. Sketchy's in her fantastic outfit. My little boob outfits were really gonna have a big night out!

Now it's my turn. As a trade for my work, I chose the Plumeria Anchor that I have wanted so dearly for three years now. My little box comes in the mail and this thing is just beautiful. The weight, the feel, the craftsmanship, the design. Even the chain she chose compliments it so well. The way it is designed the charm will slide on the chain, but never go past the clasp. Noticing the solder that holds the chain to the clasp, I imagine her at her workbench in her Brooklyn apartment working between Twitter posts and a movie marathon to keep her company. The final touch is the heart attached to the clasp with the letters ROCKLOVE stamped into it. I know she made this and stamped it at her very own workbench. It's that personal touch from a dear friend that will allow me to cherish this piece forever.

Why do I love Rocklove? Because it's better.

Miss Kitty Baby Twirls Her Tassles Today!

2007-01-14T03:14:00.000-08:00

Let Miss Kitty Baby Temp and Tease her way into your heart with a classic burlesque review. Please click the link and vote Miss Kitty Baby into the Viva Las Vegas Burlesque contest. Thank you for your support! xoxo Kitty Baby

http://www.vivalasvegas.net/intranet/vote_main.php