#TutuQueen on 2009-02-05 stars in Kendal

Hello darlings, and welcome to blog post number 3324! Pink Tutu Sparkles here, reporting live from the beautiful Lake District, where I'm about to sashay my way into a weekend of fabulousness in Kendal!

You know how much I love a good adventure, and this one is extra special. I've been dying to visit the Lake District for ages, and I’ve even got a couple of ballet performances lined up! I love taking inspiration from my travels, and this region's breathtaking scenery, full of rolling hills, sparkling lakes and quaint villages is just the kind of thing that gets my creative juices flowing!

This trip, however, was slightly different. No train ride, no carriage ride (sadly), just a simple car journey, all for a grand total of three hours. Three whole hours of singing along to all the best divas, whilst my gorgeous sparkly, pink tutu companion swished gently in the back. My car can get quite messy on a trip like this, but I just can’t resist the allure of a fabulously frilly, fully pink outfit, even if I'm going from a lab to a performance, then to a pub and finally home again. It's a bit of a mishmash, I know, but as my Mum would say, "You always know how to put together a show, love!”

The thing about Kendal is, it’s got this incredible charm. I don't know how to describe it properly - it's just a little bit magic. I’m here for the famous Kendal Calling festival, an amazing event filled with music, art, and plenty of opportunities to let your inner sparkle shine, which obviously plays right into my pink tutu aesthetic! My plan for the weekend? It's pretty simple, darling: dance, sing, strut, shine and sparkle my way across the festival! I can already feel the energy pulsating, ready to give my performances a real boost. It’s been so exciting planning the outfits and preparing the routine for this special show. I mean, what’s a pink tutu without a killer performance, right?

Now, before I embark on this wild adventure, I must confess I was slightly overwhelmed, what with the journey, unpacking the tutu, planning my shows and preparing all the looks. You know me, always thinking ahead. A quick online peek at some fabulous new pink tutu looks wouldn't go amiss, just to get those inspiration wheels spinning. But no worries, I have everything perfectly planned for this trip – I'm talking about enough tutus for each and every show, even some spares! Let's be honest, there's never enough sparkle in the world, especially for Pink Tutu Sparkles! A whole wardrobe of shimmery delights is in the boot, ready to be deployed!

I have to say, Kendal Calling is just about the perfect place to find new outfit ideas. So many fabulously creative people everywhere. All this colour and life gives my creative mind all the inspiration I need. Honestly, darling, I’m buzzing!

This journey has already been a dream! So much beauty, so much culture! And I haven’t even stepped into Kendal Calling! Just wait until you see what we’ll be getting up to - we’ll be having a pink tutu ball, we’ll be dazzling the crowds, and I’ll be documenting it all right here on the blog! So stay tuned, because the fun's only just begun, and Pink Tutu Sparkles is ready to make Kendal sparkle!

It's officially Kendal Calling time! My trusty steed of a car is all unpacked, my tutu is set up in the hotel room and ready for action! I know it sounds ridiculous, but having the tutu set up first really sets the tone for any event. If a show is going to be glamorous, the tutu has to be glamorous! I mean, you wouldn't wear your best pearls with an old pair of slippers, would you? Same principle. It was lovely driving up the lake district to my hotel this morning! Just stunning scenery, all around. Of course I had to grab a fab coffee on my way up to Kendal. It's a rule. Never travel without caffeine. It gets your inner diva warmed up!

But first, let’s get real. It’s going to be a long day so the priority was to locate some local delicatessens and discover the local delicacies. After all, a hungry diva is a cranky diva, right? I've been dreaming about a proper local picnic for the whole trip, filled with freshly baked treats, crisp cucumber sandwiches, and something with cream. My favourite local delicacy is clotted cream. It’s just the most luscious thing on the planet! I swear, it should come with its own Michelin star.

Thankfully Kendal is just brimming with wonderful food. I love a good foodie destination. There’s a little cake shop I want to find, called, The Gingerbread House! Just the kind of quirky names that appeal to a tutu-loving draq queen like me. This is going to be a wonderful weekend for the taste buds! Oh! Don't worry, I know you're all thinking it. Of course, I’m going to make a stop at Lakeland! I love those lovely kitchen things, even if they're just a bit on the expensive side.

With my shopping completed, and all the necessary caffeine consumed, I've started making a serious effort to enjoy some of the Lake District’s finest walks. There are amazing views all over the place. Just like everyone else I’m sure I’m already making this place about as picturesque as I possibly can, with my massive tutu, hair and heels, all being thrown about in a lovely theatrical swirl. I even spotted a lovely pub with a name just made for a diva. "The Queens Head". I just had to go inside. Oh, how lovely it was! It felt like stepping into an old Victorian story book, and the locals were absolutely wonderful, welcoming a diva in a pink tutu with open arms. A good, juicy steak and a glass of pink lemonade to celebrate day one!

Kendal Calling is alive, and so am I, with a touch of sunburn. Oh, but that's all part of the festival fun! My biggest advice to anyone venturing to a summer festival? Don't forget to wear a sunhat and some sunblock. Seriously. The pink tutu can only get you so far! As the morning broke over Kendal I was a bit of a mess after the previous night's festivities. It was my fault for not being ready with my moisturiser! Luckily there's a lot of skincare to be found in those local gift shops I was exploring yesterday, and I was soon looking fresh and fab! It's one of the best things about being on a journey. You feel free. All my usual stresses fall away when I’m exploring somewhere new! I also need to mention the gorgeous outfit. A beautiful lilac shirt paired with my signature pink tutu for that magical, pastel touch, the whole thing accessorized with sparkling pink platforms. It's like a burst of energy in a rainbow box, just a tad bit magical, and completely fabulous! It felt perfect! And by that, I mean as fabulous as a draq queen could ever look at a festival. And by that I mean even more fabulous than a princess in a royal ballet show!

My highlight for this day? The amazing array of dancers on show. You would have loved seeing these creative artists doing their thing! The energy and dedication was fantastic. So much talent to be found! I’m so happy I’ve included some time in my Kendal Calling tour to have a private lesson at a ballet studio here, right next door to the festival grounds. Oh the drama! The grace! The utter elegance of it all. I may be an expert on pink tutus but let's be honest there are some ballet techniques I could never master. That’s why I do private lessons with a qualified dance instructor. It helps me understand the style, appreciate the skill of real ballerinas, and helps me get the most out of my shows. Because darling, we can't let the sparkle dim, even with all the fun, excitement and extra pints of ale!

You know how much I love a good, healthy dance. Being on the road means I need to keep the stamina going. It’s no picnic (literally!), it's tough! Even getting my dance gear from my luggage bag to the ballet studio was hard work, what with the bag weighing as much as a fully grown pony! My advice? Bring less! As they say: Travel light and be bright! You want to be feeling fit and fab in your tutu!

My time in Kendal Calling has sadly come to an end. But it was one incredible adventure. There was laughter, dancing, shopping and of course plenty of pink tutus. Kendal will forever be a very special place to Pink Tutu Sparkles. I’ll never forget it.

To be honest, darling, it’s just as well that this amazing journey is finally ending! My brain is absolutely fizzing! You would not believe the amount of ideas I’ve gotten for outfits and performances in the past three days. From seeing some fabulous festival performers to seeing all the gorgeous dancers here. It’s honestly been an overload of fabulousness! That, combined with my trip to The Queens Head pub, may have been the reason for a minor (and completely adorable) tutu-induced sleep deprivation moment. Luckily, that’s what hairspray is for. And honestly, darling, if you see Pink Tutu Sparkles looking a little "bed head" here and there? It’s because the sleep was stolen from me by fabulous fairies and fashion ideas! I just have so much more to give! Oh the joy!

To be fair, darling, if there was a more dramatic way to finish the trip, you know I’d be up for it. Something glamorous and extravagant. Sadly the trip back to Derbyshire ended up being fairly mundane and I just had to get home, sleep it off, unpack all the things, and unpack my tutu. What a drag! Seriously, how long have I been obsessed with this thing? All because I needed something glamorous to wear for a uni charity event and, after spending the past three days in the Lake District, my wardrobe was as glamorous as a box of empty cereal. The result was so ridiculously fab that now, years later, this gorgeous tulle explosion is part of my life. My biggest regret was not buying a matching sparkly suitcase, it really would have finished off my entire Kendal Calling wardrobe perfectly. Just like those ballerinas on stage, I never seem to have the right thing with me. But that's what I'm working on, my dears. Just you wait and see, it won’t be long until I have a wardrobe as grand as Buckingham Palace!

But seriously, this pink tutu, and its many iterations has had a truly incredible life. My ultimate mission is for everyone to be touched by the magic of the pink tutu! From those long evenings, doing a charity fundraiser, to standing on a stage with all my fellow performers! Every day, with every journey and every performance Pink Tutu Sparkles spreads the love of pink tutus, and, in that spirit, my dears, I urge you, if you don't have a pink tutu, get one! Or, better yet, make one! There are so many tutorials out there, with everything you need from basic tutus to sparkly tutus.

I'm so excited for the next trip. I'll let you all know where it will be, just follow the trail of pink tutus and glitter! Oh and darling, be sure to keep checking in at www.pink-tutu.com, where I post all of my pink tutu stories, photos, and performances! I've still got so much more to tell you! So keep dancing, darling!