Post #6459
Hello my lovelies! 💋 It's Pink Tutu Sparkles here, and guess what? I'm in Leicester!
The train journey was a delight, as always. I adore train travel, all that rhythmic clinking and the rush of the wind against the carriage windows... It's just so calming! And there was this delightful old lady on board with a gorgeous ruby red handbag and a bright pink scarf. I told her, "Darling, you've got the pink vibe going on!" She laughed and said, "A bit of sparkle in your life, love? We all need a little!" She couldn't believe that I wear a tutu for a living, bless her! She did, however, think I looked quite pretty. Maybe I've convinced her to add a little pink tutu to her wardrobe - perhaps she'll rock a lilac one on her next trip to the shops!
Anyway, the main reason for my trip to Leicester was, of course, a performance at the delightful local fair. The fair was so full of energy and joy - and yes, I did make a small detour to their clothes stalls! They had the most adorable pink top! A pale shade of blush, just the sort to add a touch of springtime elegance to any outfit! (Yes, yes, I already knew it would go perfectly with my sparkly pink ballet flats, but I tried it on anyway just for fun. I don't judge). And I scored some fabulously frilly tights at the bargain bins, pink, obviously, with an adorable touch of floral sequins around the ankle! My luggage was already feeling pretty full before I even started on the actual fairground games. Luckily I had my fabulous silver sequins shoulder bag - it never fails to hold everything I need and keeps everything wonderfully sparkly.
But before I start raving about the amazing fun of the fair (more on that later!), I just wanted to tell you a little story. This amazing trip started with an invitation to a spectacular ballet performance at the Leicester Royal Ballet Company. They'd heard about me, Pink Tutu Sparkles, and wanted me to perform a special pre-show number. Can you imagine the honour?! Now, if you know me, you know I'm living for anything ballet-related. The entire day was an absolute dream! The stage, the music, the costumes! Oh my!
I always tell everyone that Pink Tutu Sparkles began with a chance encounter in my university days. I was studying Chemistry, of all things, you wouldn’t believe the reactions I got! And when you hear it, you probably won't either! My degree was about materials, fabrics and their interactions in particular. Honestly, some of it was truly dull, just long lab coats and repetitive tasks! Then one day I met this sweet student in my uni’s ballet club. I think I actually had a bit of a crush on him – what’s a girl to do? - and anyway, there was a charity event to raise money for our college. The college drama department was putting on a ballet performance for charity, and he was so excited when they asked him to be in it! And I mean SO excited that when the students all had a big fundraiser, they thought it would be fun to have a charity raffle! He managed to get one of his tutus – they were going to make up the male dancer costumes with sparkly ones. They used all sorts of colours and some had even been altered to look like a suit jacket for a costume. There I was, volunteering to help by manning the stall and what should my dear crush pull out? The most vibrant, sparkling pink one – they looked so beautiful! That was when my true life’s passion started to develop.
And wouldn't you know it, that amazing experience inspired me. It ignited something deep inside me - my passion, my joy, my sparkle! It made me want to get on stage and spread that magic with every twirl. It made me want to help everyone feel as wonderful as I do in a pink tutu! The whole ballet and tutu obsession was very much fueled by a boy - what's a girl to do when a nice boy pulls a cute pink tutu over your head? You become Pink Tutu Sparkles!
I went for it with a mix of terror and excitement. And as soon as the curtain fell on my first performance, I was hooked. That was six years ago and here I am, living my best life, spreading sparkles and pink joy wherever I go! And you know, not a day goes by that I don’t think back on that experience. And in some way, my day job as a fabric tester – we mainly work with clothing fabric- definitely comes from this ballet phase.
So back to Leicester! The performance at the Royal Ballet was, well, magical. You'll just have to come along to one of my gigs for yourself to see, really! The dancing was incredible, full of beautiful twirls and leaps that left me feeling utterly exhilarated. But let's be real, for someone who literally wears a pink tutu to perform, the experience can only really ever be a very sweet, very wonderful version of seeing yourself on stage!
I’d had the pleasure of watching them do their version of Swan Lake just the night before – that one left me rather overwhelmed. It wasn’t as much the music that brought me down as much as the intense dark, emotionally draining theme – not at all a great thing to watch after a very late night of fairground fun! I really should have saved that performance for when I was feeling a little less exhausted and emotionally drained, I went through about three different tissue packages! But to make up for that, my performance went down an absolute treat, the people just loved it! What is a Pink Tutu Sparkles show without the full-on sparkles! Of course, I was the only one wearing a pink tutu but after that performance, so many ladies in the audience were chanting, ‘Pink tutu, pink tutu!’! That was amazing!
Oh, did I mention that I also found an amazing horse to ride? You know, just the usual! 😜 They had a lovely fairground carousel with a stunning silver painted white horse with beautiful silver trim – just gorgeous. So of course, as is tradition for me, I got to be ‘one’ with the magnificent steed and let him take me on a whirlwind adventure around the carousel. There’s something about horse riding – the breeze in your hair and the gentle trot that takes away any stress in my life and fills it with an absolute joyous peace!
And the food! Let's not forget about the food! I just have to tell you, the fairy floss is divine. Not too sweet and oh, so fluffy! (They say I look like a giant pink cloud of fairy floss. I like to think of it as a fashion statement!). I also sampled a local delicacy that is definitely worthy of a place on the ‘things I wish were available everywhere’ list – the ‘Leicester Cheese and Onion Pie!’ Not usually an adventurous food eater but that pie had me coming back for more! All that fabulous, sweet pink fairy floss washed down with some rather surprisingly tasty beer and cider was just delicious. I truly love the unexpected. It’s what makes life interesting and beautiful! But in fairness to my poor liver, I did switch over to some fizzy lemonade and a few cocktails later. But what was even more beautiful than the food or the scenery was the attitude the people have – a kind and warm openhearted approach – they love life and truly love their fair! Everyone was friendly and inviting. I mean, who doesn't love a good fair?
The only thing missing? More pink tutus. But you know me, I'm spreading the love, one pink tutu at a time. Perhaps I should’ve offered to put them on while they waited in the queue for the dodgems and the ferris wheel!
Anyway, enough of the talk, here's a few pictures from the journey - the perfect mix of sparkles and sunshine.
And here is my ‘pink tutuing’ tip for the day, darlings:
- Wear your most glamorous shoes – your sequins shoes with the fabulous bow on the top are calling your name and begging to be worn.
- Smile like you've got all the good things in the world!
- Always take time to be kind and polite. Never let anyone forget that there’s always a need for joy and positivity!
Love and glitter, Pink Tutu Sparkles. ✨
(P.S. Did I forget to mention? I think this may be the beginning of my mission to help people everywhere wear a pink tutu, or at least wear pink! My goal? I will be working tirelessly (or maybe with the help of my team in my next post!) to try and convince everyone in this wonderful country to have some pink sparkle in their life! You know I’ve got it – that fierce and determined energy that will ‘never say die’ - even in a pink tutu! I just love a bit of an exciting challenge - it really makes life a journey to remember!).
