Miss Mina Murray

Dear Constant Reader,

This Friday is the calm before the storm that is Vamps After Midnite. On Monday Hell Week begins! Do you have your tickets?

This tip is for audience members, but obviously not you, my Dear Reader. You already know this.

Turn your phone off and enjoy the show.

I know we spent a lot of time without performances where audience and performer were in the same space.Just a little reminder that phones can be very distracting not just to you, but everyone around you. They make noise and light…

Dear Constant Reader,

 I cannot believe I haven’t reviewed this book until now…

The Burlesque Handbook by Jo Weldon, 2010.

The Burlesque Handbook was published over ten years ago, but it has never been out of print. It was the first practical guide to being a burlesque performer and remains the best. As Headmistress of The New York School of Burlesque, Jo has been teaching burlesque to all levels from beginners to professionals. Her classes and related material over the years became the foundations of this…

Dear Constant Reader,

It’s Friday! I made a silly video yesterday, which has nothing to do with burlesque, but maybe it will make you smile. Here’s your tip!

One is funny. Three is funny. After that you have to go for 20.

Doing a comedy bit is funny on its own, but repetition can make it even funnier. However, three times is much funnier than two. But four times is not funnier than three. If you want to do it more than three times, you just have to keep doing it as many times as you can, which just gets…

Dear Constant Reader,

It’s October! I, for one, am very grateful because September was an awful month. I know changing the calendar page doesn’t automatically make everything better, but at least it feels like there is potential for things to be better. To start things off right, here is your tip!

Don’t be fooled by glitter-dot fabric.

It may look like a cheap and easy way to get some sparkle in your costume, but then you run it through the sewing machine only to end up with gummy needles that dull quickly…

Dear Constant Reader,

It’s the first Friday of Fall! I hope you had a lovely equinox. Here’s your tip, courtesy of Scratch!

Help out your emcee — tell them the pronunciation of your name and your pronouns.

The host wants to give you a great introduction; give them the tools to get it right.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 12 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.

Dear Constant Reader,

I am (slowly, too slowly) turning my mountains of fabric into useful items. I came across this fabulous feather print:

You can’t tell from the photo, but the highlights are metallic silver. It’s a cotton fabric, about 45″ wide and I think I have 5 yards.

What should I do with it? I think it could make a very interesting dress, but beyond that, I’m stumped. I turn to you, my faithful readers for suggestions.

I have many fine qualities and skills, but draping is not one of them, so a…

Dear Constant Reader,

It’s Friday! How about a tip?

Use hairnets to preserve your wigs’ styles.

After you go to all the effort to style your wig, put a hairnet over it to keep it looking good until you’re ready to wear it.

[You can find all my previous Tips on this page.]

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 12 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.

Dear Constant Reader,

I have  a complicated relationship with writing. It’s my main form of communication, but I don’t think I’m a good writer. Writing is a slow and painstaking process for me and I’m never confident in the result. It can take me weeks to write one book review here. I agonize over word choice and sentence structure. And I’m always a little embarrassed to hit “Publish”.

So it surprises the hell out of me when people praise my writing. I received a number of compliments on my most recent…

Dear Constant Reader,

(no Friday Tip this week. I think this will explain why)

I’ve always believed cats are a gift from the Universe. When you need a cat, one comes into your life. However, the Universe can also take cats away…

Nine years ago, Albert A. Cat wandered into our life. If you’ve been reading my missives that long you know how Scratch, not a cat person, found him on the street and they immediately knew they needed each other. He is a delight and the center of our little world. 

Three years ago…

Dear Constant Reader,

I’m writing this in haste for The Expo begins today. Here’s your tip!

Buy from independent stores, artists, and craftspeople.

The big businesses will do just fine without your patronage, but these folks may not. The Expo has a fine selection of Vendors the weekend for your burlesque needs and desires. And there are many lovely small businesses here in Salem that deserve your support.

These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 12 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become…