Hello my gorgeous glitterati! It's Pink Tutu Sparkles here, reporting live from the lovely, seaside town of Portsmouth. As always, I'm practically bouncing with excitement for you all. Can you even believe Iām already on my 1,551st blog post? Where has the time gone, I tell you? My diary is packed with fabulous gigs, thrilling adventures, and enough shopping to make your head spin!
But before we get into the fabulousness, let's chat a bit about how I got here. You see, darlings, this little pink flamingo travelled here byā¦ drumrollā¦ train! You see, a little bird told me the coastal air brings a special kind of shimmer, making tutus appear more... well... tutu-tastic, donāt you think? And whatās more delightful than a train journey with a full pink-hued suitcase overflowing with my latest sartorial creations? I mean, youāve got to look the part while you're touring!
Now, you might think getting a pink tutu-wearing drag queen like myself through the ticket barriers is a little chaotic. Au contraire, darling. Let me tell you, with my slight touch of sparkle and my bubbly enthusiasm, even the most grumpy station guard becomes a veritable fashion fan. Who can resist a sprinkle of charm and a touch of magic, hmm? They certainly weren't ready for my full, feathered boa! The conductor even offered me a free upgrade to first class because, in his own words, āYou add a bit of glamour to our train, dearie.ā
But thatās just the tip of the iceberg. When I arrived in Portsmouth, a full symphony orchestra met me at the platform. Iāll admit it was slightly terrifying, darlings, especially when the whole lot of them started playing āPinkā by Aerosmith ā my absolute favourite song! Of course, they didn't just play one song; it was a full concert with me on stage, complete with twirling, dancing, and, of course, lots of glitter cannons! It was sheer, unabashed chaos. Pure fun, though! The townsfolk, my darlings, they adore a good dose of sparkles and feathers ā I love them for it!
The eveningās main event was a fundraiser for the Portsmouth ballet school. Iād heard rumours of a grand fundraising event, and darlingā¦ I just had to see for myself. Now, a charity gala is one thing. But a pink-themed charity gala for the local ballet school? Well, that's what I call divine intervention! Not only did I get to meet a darling little ballerina named Polly ā just wait for her in next weekās blog post! ā I got to share the stage with the ballet students, teaching them a little dance routine. (Let me tell you, those kids, gifted I tell you!) Polly was so enthusiastic to take to the stage with me; she practically jumped onto my knee during the show, demanding to ādo a pirouetteā. My heart! They even included my "Glitter-tasticā dance routines into their show and encouraged every single person in the audience to join in. I love spreading sparkle, you know! I mean, it just seems like the only thing we need a little bit of more, donāt you agree?
I may be in the business of providing laughter, fun, and of course, plenty of shimmering glam ā and you can be sure thereās a ton of that in Portsmouth! But I do have a deeper message. You see, as we journey along this crazy, pink tutu-fied life, we're surrounded by an invisible barrier that keeps people from showing their true selves, and I just want to tell all of you to smash through that wall. We only get one chance at life ā and what a waste it would be to spend it playing it safe. Don't you think so, darling? We only get one life! So wear that tutu, wear that dress, paint those nails, whatever makes you feel good! As you know, I always have the motto āif in doubt, add more sparkles!ā Because who wouldn't want to live in a world where there's more glitter, more feathers, and, well, more Pink Tutu Sparkles?
Speaking of glitter, darlingā¦ after the show, the Mayorās office invited me for afternoon tea, you know! Whoād have thought, all that time at science university really paid off. Those fabric testing skills definitely paid off as the Mayor wore this lovely pink sequined dress! I'll admit I did a little (or maybe a lot!) of hair-fluffing and some serious sparkly face powder application. It's what you do when you get invited to a Mayor's tea party in Portsmouth, my darlings. (It turns out that you can find the best cakes on the seaside). And donāt worry, Iāve got a full recap of the Mayor's event, a picture gallery of all my adventures here in Portsmouth and my shopping finds!
For all of you who need a little bit more magic and a whole lot of sparkles, keep reading to the end, my little pink glitter butterflies! Iāll have an exciting update on the tutu-related happenings at the upcoming Portsmouth County Fair, and how you can find your perfect pink tutu if you're brave enough!
And remember, darlings, be kind to each other. Be fabulous, be sparkly and never forget, you are utterly magical! Until next time, keep the shimmer in your steps,
XOXO,
Pink Tutu Sparkles
A peek behind the sparkly curtain (Part 1)You know I always love giving you all a little sneak peek into my life! It just feels like sharing the good times and laughter ā not to mention my fabulous adventures, with all of you!
So I took a ride down to the seaside for my gig this weekend. The smell of saltwater, a warm sun on your face. Nothing quite compares! I thought to myself that perhaps it was a little hot, maybe my sequins weren't the right decision... Oh! Darling, don't get me wrong. My sequined ensemble is always the right choice, it just makes those gorgeous seaside winds even more of a delightful experience, am I right?
Before I made it to the performance I couldnāt resist stopping at this charming little shop... just on the waterfront. It was filled with so many lovely trinkets, cute souvenirs, and you guessed itā¦ more sparkles! But I had to stop myself... I've got my pink tulle train to catch. After all, Iāve got my Portsmouth grand final performance to prep for, you see! I am very partial to a pink, glittery outfit!
*Picture 1. (caption): *"Pink Tutu Sparkles with a very glittery purse. Darling, a sequin bag is an essential!"
*Picture 2. (caption): * "Getting ready! Oh, you bet itās all about pink sequins and fluffy boa. Oh, what's a girl to do in this heat! Must. Stay. Cool. " (My hair stylist took over this one with this rather excellent ābeauty shotsā).
You know my hair, the crown of all Pink Tutu Sparkles... is a little out of control at times, and requires special care. And with my love of sparkle and everything pink, it just makes perfect sense that I do! Oh, I couldn't have dreamt of this hairdo without my new... let's call it a... hair brush with "bling." I mean, my little hair brush with 3,000 crystals just isn't enough! (A new purchase... and you just KNOW I'll include it in the "shop finds").
Picture 3 (caption): "My fabulous team getting me ready - they really did go to town on the eyelashes!" I swear I could fly with these!
Now, I am well known for the sheer amount of glittery goodness that makes up my stage makeup, darlings. It has to sparkle like those 1920ās Jazz Age girls with all their feather boas, dancing on the decks of luxury ships! The first gig, just a small venue but we did well! Youāve got to keep those dance shoes ready to twirl, my darlings, because those tips and tricks of being a pro come in very useful... especially when the band decided to add a fast-paced number and had me waltzing all over the stage, kicking my leg in a soubrette fashion - no mean feat on a wooden stage, you see!
(My best friend - we always call her my little muse, she is actually a wonderful hairdresser but knows her way around a costumeā¦ in a most glamorous fashion).
*Picture 4. (caption): *ā My little muse working her magic... you should see her dress... (pink sequins, naturally!)ā.
The venue was pretty packed. And the energyā¦ it was electric! Now, when you think "electric," Iām not just referring to the music. I'm referring to my energy, my enthusiasm, my sparkles, the magic... it's all a blend that simply electrrifies the crowd.
Oh! The excitement... You wouldnāt believe it darling. As we were taking a bow, this cute little boy... maybe six years old, he was standing by the front and just holding up a tutu! Not just any tutu eitherā¦ a pink one! Now this darling was all dressed up like his favourite Spiderman... and let me tell you, it's a great costume tooā¦ he had it down to perfection - you'd never have known that little boy had been at my show before! But the sparkleā¦ the way his little eyes sparkled at my āSparkle Symphonyā finale (my best number yet, if you donāt mind me bragging!)ā¦ darling it's simply what brings all this togetherā¦ you see!
Oh darling... it's these special little moments! The magic... these connections. Itās just such an uplifting feeling knowing that I am bringing joy, sparkle, and that unique ātutuā flair to people who just need it, need that sparkle. And of course, these people just keep wanting more.
Well, as you may have already guessedā¦ Iāve only got so many sequins and sparkly tulle! After all... my life's mission is to get everybody into their very own tutu. And guess what, my darlings, I can get them! With my new tutu collectionā¦ coming soon! (My design company, Pink Tutu Sparkles Designs - you know what, Iāve been a busy bee behind the scenes!) It is definitely worth your while... Oh... and I'm just starting. This is a big, very pink vision that will make all your wildest dreams come true! The very next stop... a visit to the lovely little fabric makers in Manchester! Yes, darling, I have a list and my special notebook for all of the fabric colours that you'll need! We are only a year or so out from our very first boutique - it's not far from the city!
Until next time, my little glitterati!
XOXO
Pink Tutu Sparkles.
The end.