Hair Cravings: NETTED BUNS

...or whatever I should call them. But really, I have loved this look for a loooooong time...with the right setup, at least. Be they smoothed piece or spiral topper, I love the retro look of net over hair. Here are some spiral examples from Italian Vogue:

And online:

                         

                       

And in the other camp, here are smoothed buns, easy to just pin in and go, I'd imagine:

     

LOVE the use of color on those last 3. :) But those kinds of buns are so hard to find!!

Anyway, in trying to keep up with semi-regular posts on this thing, I thought I'd stick with my current theme and share a little bit of the pictures in the many folders of research on my computer. So that's what's on my mind tonight!

So far at TC's...

Hey all!

This Blogging thing is new so I have to keep up. Here in Houston, there's not much Drag (I'm told), and what there is is dwindling, as many people have lost the drive to try it (again, so I'm told). But I've sung now a few times at a charming bar called T.C.'s over in the main Montrose hot spot. For those not in Houston, Montrose is our ...Gayborhood. Not very big, but it's there. And a good chunk of the bars and clubs geared toward us are there as well, surrounded closely by like-minded shops and restaurants.

So I've sung at this joint, and while I'd recommend it (especially if I'm there ;) ), I thought it'd be best to keep up with my song list, again.


So, in reverse chronological order:

Drag-Off, Monday June 21st:
Featuring 18 Contestants performing for 3.5 hours, each vying for a spot on the regular TC's cast, this was a show, indeed. I was Contestant #12. With Sunflowers in my hair and a nervous spring in my step, I showed "How Lovely to Be a Woman" it is to an audience of... well, a lot of women. So I guess a lot of them knew, but enjoyed the number all the same, it seems. Then I sang my Heart out, all "Alone", which went over surprisingly well. Not that I don't enjoy the number, there were just some people who seemed very into it that I would not usually suspect to be into a song like that. Got my first tip of CHANGE. Haha someone gave me $2.50, very neatly presented. Very strange.

Following that, I cameo'd in the Open Mic night, which some may recall I won last week. I brought out Amy Winehouse and Lip-sync'd a Hot Mess number to "Rehab". Always fun, and got a lot of laughs--though I'm especially glad Rachel and Bret enjoyed it. I knew my mom would :) Closing my set (and the show, if I remember correctly?), I sang "Good Morning, Baltimore". I had never really realized before how great of a song that is for the Gays. I mean, it's about rejection, a desire to be accepted, and a yearn to be a star. How could I not have put THAT one together earlier? Haha a few people in the crowd said I should have used that set in the Competition, and perhaps they were right. I was just nervous about those songs being chosen by other Competitors. Oh well.


Wednesday, June 16, 2010:
My prize for winning Monday's "Open Mic" was the opportunity to appear alongside the usual cast on Wednesday night. I had a wonderful time with my friend Kate and met even more lovely people after my set, including Marcia Mink, who began to educate me on the International Imperial Court System of the United States (and Canada). Fascinating. I didn't know the crowd well going in, so I picked songs I thought were sure to be easy hits--or at least not confrontational misses. I apparently chose correctly, because Tanya Hyde gave me a lovely write up review for my "Part of Your World" (which was VERY shaky with my newly rediscovered nerves)--and people are still talking about it...in a good way. I also brought out Spex's favorite friend, the Unnnamed Hand Puppet--or Unnamed Hand Cowboy?--for my fun Lip-sync of the Faith Hill/Tim McGraw duet "Like We Never Loved at All". I had a blast, and I'm really hoping I perform more at this bar.


Monday, June 14, 2010:
Violet's Houston Debut! I gussied myself up and sang "Maybe This Time", which unfortunately (or perhaps, fortunately?) played through with a couple of second-long pauses in the tune. Sure it cracked the mood, but it made it almost painfully clear that I was singing live, and allowed me to, in signature Violet style, poke fun at the lyrics, adding after "All the odds are in my favor", a joking "...maybe not". Which went over very well, so I suppose it was a good thing. :) I didn't realize I would do more than one song (or that I would be the only contestant), so it's a good thing my CD had four numbers. The only other girl working that night was host Jenny LaRue, so I also performed "Somewhere That's Green" and "Never Been to Me", though without any costume changes. But my friends Rachel, Bret, and Stuart all got to come see the show, so that was lovely. Now that my mom is going to be a regular audience member here in Houston, I do enjoy when people come to sit with her.

Longtime Yearning...

This is a dress I've had saved on my computer for a while. It was on a vintage site, and I think the dress was from 1953? or so. I wish I could find one like it. I think it would be AMAZING to wear something to visually striking, and then Oscar de la Renta showed similar sorts of graphic skirts a season or two ago.

How amazing would that be? I would love it with patent accessories in a pop of cobalt blue or even bright sunshine yellow. Or of course, any color. Kelly Green and Watermelon Pink are always fun bets, as is the inimitable Lipstick Red.

Wouldn't that be fun? Not that I'm a slave to labels, they were just the best "basic" shoes for the colors I could find. Google Images needs a makeover.


Anyway, now that I have the BLOG, I figure I could do a little series of these sorts of lusts of mine. A wishlist, if you will. And since my entire existence is pretty much a form of Fantasy, why not continue living as if it's all a wonderful dream? Like "Sex and the City" Fantasy Fashion... but in my head. <3

Backlog...

So here is the Info tab from my Facebook group. I was very good for a while there keeping up with my songlists. But I fell out of practice with my final months at college (which kept me far too busy to keep anything in my life organized), so I'm posting what I have. If somehow I magically remember what songs I sang when, I'll fill them in. But as is, I can only remember my St. Patrick's day setlist--or at least, part of it--so I imagine that won't happen. :) Anyway, enjoy:

1.15.2010:
Big weekend! This special last-minute Friday show fill-in featured recent repeats: "Part of Your World" and "Midnight Train to Georgia" in the 10:30p show. The 12:30a show featured the surprisingly well-received "Somewhere Over the Rainbow".

1.14.2010:
After helping Savannah Arts Academy with their Tuesday night Junk2Funk Fashion show, a rather slow week led up to tonight's choices: "Blow Gabriel, Blow" (making its downstairs debut) and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow".

1.7.2010:
Ah, back to the old familiar routine. This week, we brought out some feel-good songs to counteract a very unsettling Thursday afternoon. "Midnight Train to Georgia" opened the show, and everyone loved to sing along with song #2: the Disney classic "Part of Your World".

12.31.2009-1.1.2010:
New Year's Eve Masquerade! Even though I was nursing a sore throat and had been up far too long, I went for big Broadway bursting into the new year. "Don't Rain on My Parade" happened in our last show of 2009, and after the Countdown, I christened 2010 with a very tired-voice rendition of "Blow Gabriel, Blow" from the musical "Anything Goes".

12.20.2009:
Last-minute filling in!! FOUR songs in Violet's first Sunday Night appearance!! Two classics and two holiday specials, one for each show. First up: "Maybe This Time" and "All I Want for Christmas is You". For show #2, "How Lovely to Be a Woman" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas".

12.17.2009:
I looooove Chriiiiistmaaaaaaas!!!!! Tonight featured Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You" in a scandalous Santa onesie, followed by a revisit of the Christmas Charity Gala's "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas". Holiday Festivities well-received by all!! <3

12.10.2009:
Just one song this week! Club One had their annual (GORGEOUS) Charity Christmas Gala, featuring the full Cabaret and The Lady Chablis on the main stage upstairs. Violet OPENED THE SHOW of all Christmas classics with the old favorite "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas". So nerve-racking, but wonderful!!

12.3.2009:
It was a BIG night. In possibly one of her best shows, Violet performed big belty songs. First up was Christina Aguilera's "Candyman" (in a very short outfit), followed by Barbra Streisand's "Don't Rain on My Parade". Also, fans will notice there have been a few weeks when I accidentally planned songs featured the previous night on "Glee"? Well THIS time, Glee was a week behind ME, since that same song (the Broadway ballad) was on their finale!! SO HAPPY to be ahead of the curve.

11.26.2009:
Thanksgiviiiiiiiiing!!!! A drowsy, stuffy, well-stuffed Violet does "Pilgrim Fish" (as Jazzmyn called it) for a cover of Neil Diamond's "America", following it up with some Pocahontas attire for "Colors of the Wind". Get it? Pilgrim and Native? Thanksgiving? Yeah, it was hilarious.

11.19.2009:
Finals are OVER!!!!!! A very relieved and excited Violet (finally feeling better) busts out Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance With Somebody". Afterwards, she slowed it down with Bette Midler's "The Rose", which is apparently one of Cale's favorite songs. What luck! :)

11.12.2009:
Violet started her set with "Good Morning, Baltimore" from the Broadway "Hairspray" to a pretty receptive, cheerful audience--many in the throes of finals. "Next up was another cheerful tune: "Super Trouper" by Abba... intended to be a sing-along, but no one was feeling the chorus-y spirit. Oh well. :)

11.5.2009:
COUNTRY NIGHT: Violet opened with LeAnn Rimes' "Blue" to show off her new birthday earrings from Destiny Myklz, and followed it up with some TWANGY Dixie Chicks impersonation for "Goodbye Earl". So nasal, so gruff, so funny. So good.

11.2.2009:
Clips from Violet's opening night performances are uploaded by TJ and tagged. Exciting! Hope they're a pleasant trip down memory lane. Special audio guest-star by the bartender in the background. :)

10.29.2009:
A slightly-stuffy but Hallowe'en festive Violet quietly puts out Queen's "Somebody to Love", unfortunately without vampire teeth and pictures of classic Hollywood ghouls, followed by "Unchained Melody" for recently, dearly departed Patrick Swayze. For Hallowe'en goodness, the plan was to have play-dough and mimic the pottery wheel scene, but time constraint and late supplies=no dice. Still, the performances were RECORDED, so those will be fun to watch played back, I hope.

10.24.2009:
SPECIAL PERFORMANCE AT THE GENDER BENDER BALL, quite possibly the birthplace of yours truly... or at least an important step on the way to the events leading to my birth.. or something!!! Violet arrives a LITTLE later than planned, but with plenty of time before her number, that old staple of hers (and very appropriate for the party), "How Lovely to Be a Woman". A flattered Violet happily accommodates the audience's request for an encore... and on the same CD from Friday's upstairs debut two weeks before,  finds "Maybe This Time", pointing out that she did NOT get it from Glee, but has actually seen the movie "Cabaret". After four entire consecutive, proud years, the crown of Queen finally passes on to someone from the next generation of SCAD.

10.22:2009:
Busting out another old favorite, Violet sings Melissa Manchester's "Don't Cry Out Loud" in a kicky LITTLE knit number, following the performance with "There Are Worse Things I Could Do" from Grease to show off her new booties. It was a sassy week, indeed, but very very fun.

10.15.2009:
Repeating Friday's new song, "Maybe This Time" was well-received by the downstairs group as well. Somewhat unfortunately, the choice of Heart's "Alone" lined up with Kristen Chenoweth's "Glee" set from that week's show, which aired just the night before. Oops, guess great minds think alike?

10.9.2009:
Violet's mainstage debut!! Revisits of "How Lovely to Be a Woman" and "Stand By Your Man" worked well with the 10:30p show crowd, which included some familiar fan club friends, and a few friends I didn't expect to see! Lovely surprise. The 12:30a show brought the new song for the week: "Maybe This Time" from Cabaret (a longtime favorite of mine). New friends, hopefully new fans, and new confidence. What a lovely weekend. :)

10.8.2008:
Though not TECHNICALLY Violet's birthday (it was her identical twin brother's, but not hers... don't read too much into that), there was a HUGE turnout of the Violet fan club for last night's barely-performed "La Vie en Rose" in the original Edith Piaf French, and the slightly-sick-husky "Le Jazz Hot" from one of her all-time favorite movies, Victor/Victoria. Many dollars, many friends, and much much love. AND VIOLET'S FIRST $20 TIP!!!!!

10.1.2009:
Violet does Disney! A very receptive audience of drunk newbies sways along to "Part of Your World," along with an abbreviated section of the Violet fan club, and then it's a trip down memory lane for Violet's revisiting of her debut song from L.A.: Martina McBride's "Broken Wing".

9. 24. 2009: Violet takes a night off, but keeps the gals company upstairs at the Miss Gay Savannah Pageant. Maybe she'll enter the next one, coming in March. :)

9.17.2009:
Fresh from performing in the opening night of "Hedwig and the Angry Inch", Violet hops downstairs to hold a 60's singalong with Petula Clark's "Downtown". For song number two, it's "Stand By Your Man"--hopefully a fitting message for a gay bar. Much love to and from the audience--and Violet's first $5 bill tip!

9.16.2009:
Group Membership reaches 69! **teehee**

9.10.2009:
Violet sings "How Lovely to be a Woman" and "All By Myself" at Club One to a house quasi-packed with friends and strangers, receiving a heart-warming round of applause to welcome her into the bosom of Club One's cast of characters.