Helloooo my gorgeous darlings! Your TutuQueen is back, fresh from a trip to Oxford! The city of dreaming spires, of libraries, and… yes, you guessed it… of tutus! It's amazing how even in a place steeped in tradition and history, my love of pink twirling sparkles shines through. And don't you worry, I brought plenty of my trademark pink tutus along for the ride, and, of course, my fabulous outfit changes! It's been a busy few days, filled with beautiful sights, ballet shows, and, most importantly, spreading the Tutu Love!
Now, this isn't just any blog post, dear readers. This is TutuQueen Blog Post #2610! Yes, you read that right. My darling readers have been following my journey from day one, right from the time I slipped into my first pink tutu back at uni and knew, in my heart, that this was my calling.
Let’s go back a bit, if you will, shall we? Back to my university days when I was, by day, studying my science degree, dreaming of pink tulle and tutus in between experiments and, by night, taking to the stage with the university ballet club. It was there, dear darlings, in the swirling depths of a fundraiser ballet where I fell head over heels (and feather boas, of course!) for pink tutus. I just knew, with a glorious twirl of my first pink tutu, that this was my path, that this was meant to be. That was just the beginning of this whirlwind of a life – a life filled with bright, bold colour and dancing and a whole lot of tulle.
After I graduated with my science degree, I knew I wanted a career that combined my two loves, my scientific brain and my creative heart. I found the perfect balance, my darlings, in the science lab! Testing fabrics, using science to work out how to get the best fit for my tutu's (and to help all you lovelies too!) But it's the stage that really calls my name! So, my darling readers, I'm a fabric tester by day, a drag queen by night - what can I say? I was destined to twirl, right?
I travelled to Oxford the traditional way, of course! Imagine me, draped in pink, bouncing along in a horse-drawn carriage! (I always say, there’s no better way to travel. And besides, if the carriage needs to be cleaned, that's not a problem for me – just chuck it all in the washing machine! It all washes like a dream - my tutus are so easy to look after - my little tip is to use the cold, gentle wash - trust me.) It's not every day, you see, that you can take a trip by carriage. I don't think those folks in Oxford, oh they were SO startled, they really had never seen a Pink Tutu Queen come traipsing through the town square before. That really made me laugh, darlings. That was before I caught the attention of the tourists, the Oxford students, the punters in the nearby pub… well, just about every one I passed! The Oxford crowd were utterly enamoured of my pink outfit and everyone was clamouring for photos. Oh, what fun it was! I loved it so much! (Let me tell you, darlings, these people have such lovely fashion sense – some of them actually thought they could rock a tutu, they really gave it a good go - they looked so fab! I’m always encouraging people to join in my “everyone should wear a pink tutu!” mission.)
Then, I went for a visit to the stunning Radcliffe Camera – the beautiful round library, you see - all golden stones. Oh, but you have to visit Oxford sometime - a magical place - I just knew I needed to go and get some of the best ballet shoes there – I love Oxford’s shops - it’s a perfect mix of high fashion, chic stores, a sprinkling of independent shops. The ballet shoe shop I went to is a right beauty – oh, if only my bedroom could be a shop like that - a shoe paradise – they had every size and color under the sun – my new ones, with a touch of shimmer are just perfect! Now, I am just trying to decide if my next outfit is going to be bright purple, bright green or bright pink. Such a difficult choice! My lovely readers will have to wait and see! I know you'll love it whatever colour I go for! I am really feeling bright orange for tomorrow - who knows?!
I’m not going to lie – a girl's got to keep a secret now and then – even a Pink Tutu Queen needs some privacy – my evening was spent attending a top secret show. A brand new ballet was showing in the city that night and - oh darling! It was amazing. I couldn’t go back stage – so I sent a message of congratulations on social media - oh what a perfect way to wish my favourite dancers all the best! Oh my goodness, darling readers! I must tell you that after the ballet was over – one of the most stunning ballerinas, all glittering in a diamond studded outfit came out, bowed – she was absolutely fantastic, such talent! she recognised me and ran straight to me and told me to make a grand appearance at her next show! What an honour that was - how sweet - she even asked to get a photo with me after she changed from her amazing costume! She looked beautiful and we talked all about shoes - which I, of course, let her try some of my new, glittery ones on. Then she was off in a flurry, she told me she'd be in touch – my, oh my, it would be just an amazing treat to join my favourite ballet star and put on a show in the theatre, but she said – you just wait – the show is coming to Derbyshire in a few weeks!
What can I say? I am a total lucky ducky! Oxford, the beauty of it, is a special city with some serious energy and style and – guess what? This Queen found the most amazing little store that was just overflowing with pink! Everything! Dresses, bags, shoes – just pure pink! My Tutu-Queen eyes are lighting up right now, just remembering it - a pink paradise! My purse cried, and my card did the same, but there’s a whole new pink outfit ready to go with my latest pink tulle - and we’re going to see what’s going to pop out from it on a London stage next week! It’s not all tutus and dancing and travel. Sometimes you gotta shop, shop, shop for more tutus, because it’s a fashion crime if a queen does not have enough tutu outfits for a weekend away! I’ll just be right back after I post the snaps!
Don’t you all dare miss my next post, coming right up on PinkTutu.com! This time I'm talking fashion - yes darling, a real, real, must have Pink Tutu, but that’s just for the subscribers only… So sign up to Pink Tutu's newsletter – this is going to be an amazing day! Love and Pink Tutu sparkle, Alex, a.k.a Pink Tutu Sparkles!
