Happy New Year 2014!

Hope everyone is ready to welcome the new year with a bang! That said, be careful with those explosives and do wear protective eye-gear etc. Have fun but don´t be stupid, ok?

I want to thank everyone for the past year. It´s been partly hectic (both burlesque- and otherwise) but I have learned a lot and I got to meet some of my all-time idols, took some amazing workshops as well as taught my first own ones. I have met some good people and deepened some relationships to friendships. I lost a dog and a cat, gained a kitten and a puppy. I didn´t do as much in my garden that I wanted but I got to travel a lot. 

I am not making any new years´resolutions since I´m shit at keeping them but I will promise to try to get better at what I do, to evolve as a performer and not get stuck in a rut but to learn to be more forgiving to myself, to have more patience with things ( and people) and  to continue to try to treat others as I´d like to be treated. 

Have a great evening people! Much love,

yours, Gigi

With Sally Vanilla, photo Adam Monaghan

Happy Holidays!

...aaand we are back after one relaxing week of warm weather and sun! Arived early this morning and I had to set my alarm not to sleep the day away (I´m a terrible sleeper anyways and it takes me forever to `normalize´ if I´ve been up at strange hours).

I hope ya´ll have a wonderful Christmas, Yuletide, Midwinter fest - the days are getting longer again hurrah! I hope my Glittertribe all over the world (the term found from the lovely Champagne Sparkles and stolen because it´s so fitting <3 ) have a sparkling, fairydust-filled time! Relax and un-wind, I´m off to empty my suitcase and do some hard core laundry :)

Photo: JBM

Thank you!

Thank you to the Ravishing Shangri-La Rubies for organizing such a wonderful night yesterday! Superthanks to the public and my co-performers <3 Now I have emptied my suitcase of glitter and packed a pair of flip-flops and my leopardprint sarong because early Tuesday-morning this gal is off to some sun and beach!!!

Bent van der Bleu

CLASSY ladies :) with Olivia Rouge backstage

Lucia, faithfully by JBM

Lucia, faithfully by JBM

Bettie Blackheart, the Shangri-La Showgirls, Lady Laverna and me by Satu Jalkanen

Jingle them belles!

Hooyah! A little while left before Xmas...people are getting more and more uptight, the crowds are getting thicker, the mood is dropping...one can see those Neanderthalian looks on peoples faces at most shops these days...busy-busy-busy!!! Hang in there, folks! This comes eve-ry year so relax! If you hate cleaning, don´t do it! Dim the lights and light some candles. It´s supposed to be a joyous, relaxing holiday!
Since we (as in hubby and I) will be spending Xmas on a sunny beach this year I totally stopped my normal Christmas-craziness at... hrm, hanging up seasonal curtains and getting some flowers. I admit, it´s a sickness - I change our kitchen curtains four (!) times a year depending on the season but then again, it´s something I choose to do. Nobody expects it of me. So it´s fun...so far :)
I´m pretty tired, I admit. But I promise I´ll be back in full swing after Xmas! In the meanwhile GET THE TICKETS for Helsinki Burlesque Festival 2014!!! I mean it. This Saturday´s Yuletide Revue sold OUT and I know a LOT of peeps crying over it because they were not awake!!! Don´t let that happen to you. The line-up is *amazing* plus the festival workshop info is out, too! The tickets (at Tiketti) are selling FAST, more info here!!!

Have a merry week and hey -if you got those tickets, I´ll see you Saturday at Diana-näyttämö in Hellsinki!!!

By: JBM

Inspirational Saturday

 Snow! What a wonderful excuse for seasonal photos ;) I´m soon off to Tampere for a workshop with Champagne Sparkles who stole my heart at HBF with her wonderful & humorous numbers. She, and many more will perform later tonight at Tampere Tease organized again by our very own Olivia Rouge! See you there, my partners in glitter!

Photos by JBM

Add caption

Garden of Eden

Here´s some pictures (by Cerise Amarelle) from our gig in Pori last weekend :) Me and Sir Willy got a bit carried away on stage but we had fun! Also a couple (by Veera.K) from our previous time there, thank you so much to the *wonderful* audience -you made us feel super-welcome!!! It´s always a pleasure to perform in Kulttuurikulma! Have a great week, folks!

Lucia, faithfully ;)

Naked, duo with Pepper Sparkles

In Flames

Relief!

It´s that time of the year when a teacher is crammed with stuff to correct and things to read through...Just finished a HUGE pile that has been bugging me for a week and I am relieved!!!! I´m in pretty good time,as well. I´m pretty bad with schedules, usually a deadline is my best motivator but for once (please don´t let it be the last!) I´m on time :)
Burlesque-wise I have had an empty head for a while...a few good ideas, some great pieces of costumes and now also I got my music figured out for a number I want to do with that gorgeous boa I got from Fannie Annie! I had a Halloween-numer kinda planned but time and things got in the way so...next year! But after the Holidays (and a well-deserved vacation in the sun with my darling) I´ll get cracking! I have been bending, well if not quite like Beckham, at least more than usual at my yoga class, got some latin dance classes crammed in so trying hard to work on that movement/dancing bit that is so so hard for me :) Springtime will give you a new number from Gigi -that´s a promise! In the meantime, here´s our new group number from Thee Dizzy Daisies...Please keep in mind that this was the first (FIRST) official show for it so hopefully the coskup´s are excused ... I was nervous as heck, seldomly have I had stage nerves that bad before! On that note: I get more nervous with performing group numbers than solos. We discussed this with some performers, some said they get the opposite...I don´t know. I just fear I´ll screw things up for everyone, I guess. When I´m alone on stage it´s all on me -good, or bad. Especially the bad. I want to make my girls proud! We have an awesome group, three different personalities that all bring something to the mix. I hope you enjoy it and I really hope we get to do this again soon! The marvellous headpieces /that one unfortunately can´t see too well in the video) are made by the one-and-only Fiona Timantti, the video was shot by my hubby and final work was done by Lassi -thank you <3

Have a grreat weekend folks! Tomorrow performing in Pori so hope to see you there! Much love!

Tuesday, whats better than that!

Howdy-ho!
Trying to keep the flue abay (garlic, chili, lemon, ginger--- woollen socks, ibuprofein) because this Saturday we will be at Ravintola Kulttuurikulma again! This time with Thee Dizzy Daisies and Sir Willy which means you have the possibility to see our brand new "Aurora Borealis" number as a duo, plus mine and Willy´s 2nd EVER performance of "The Garden of Eden"...ya´ll should really get your tickets!

Last Saturday we saw a bunch of fun and talented acts take the stage for the first time at the Newcomer´s Night Vol.2 in Tampere! Thank you to all performers, I had a great night! Got to hang out afterwards at a beautiful appartment decorated in the 20-30´s style and spend time with good food and good friends, what´s better than that?!?

We got a new puppy to the farm, she´s a border collie and goes by the name of Elsa. One day she will be a strong and fierce shephard dog...now she´s just cute and whiny when left alone :) Our cat has been giving us the stink-eye ever since Elsa arrived haha!

I´ll leave you with a link to a marvelous article featuring the World Famous *BOB*. You can read it here, and what I really love about this inspirational woman was her reaction to the crap written in the comments was in the lines of "don´t hate back but write something beautiful". I love her <3 Thank you *BOB* for being a true Star and an inspiration!!!

Me and Pepper in Pori 08.11.13, pic by Veera

Pic: Veera

Pic: Veera

Tweety bird

All is lost. I finally gave in and joined Twitter. Sill trying to work out HOW it works but it seems that there are a lot of really interesting people tweeting out there (yeah, I know I´m veery late in this haha!). If you want to check out my nonsense I´m Pralinekaisa. But you have been warned, there really isn´t much to see folks :)
Getting ready for part one of my handstand workshop (part 2 is tomorrow)...excited and a bit anxious how I´ll do since I´ve had a disgusting headache all day. But then again that usually goes away in my hot yoga class so here´s hoping!
Xmas season is starting soon but before I give in...no that´s a lie because I ALREADY GAVE IN and bought lights! that I refurse to call anything else but "winter lights" since this darkness is driving me insane. I was thoroughlly dissapointed when they were only blue-and-white because the package showed these gorgeous lights in pink, green AND blue! So be warned: check out the small print on the box!!!
My point was bfore my evil twin took over: here are some Autumn photos for you, all taken by JBM. Enjoy! And have a grreat weekend everyone! Maybe I´ll see you tomorrow at the Newcomer´s Night! <3

Newcomers´Night Tampere

Hello hello!

It seems to be that Monday-nights is the time for blogging for me these days. Workwise it´s been the same as in my last post...as much as I love working as a teacher I have to say sometimes it´s friggin´ex-hausting!!! But then again, so is all work huh?! Thank goodness I´m doing my yoga challenge now since that is really giving me energy...Well sometimes. Last weekend we had friends for dinner and apart from that I was mostly on the couch watching "Whitechapel" on Netflix. Yes, absolutely braindead and oh my Goddess did I ever need that!!! I´ve been having a bit of whitdrawl symptoms with what series to get hooked on since all of True Blood, Homeland and especially my ab-so-lute favourite Lewis is all done! I tried to start on the L-Word (again) but after Lewis it just seemed too...fast. I do love my BBC drama <3 SO if you have any nice recommendations let me know! Not into the zombie thing, sorry. Only vampires for me. Plus, my sci-fi has been limited to old Star Trek´s.... I´m weird, I know :)
This week finds the calendar full apart from the "regular" stuff, -everything from correcting papers to a Black Sabbath gig, to handstand workshops and Newcomers´Night this Saturday! So no rest for the wicked :)  You can get all the information and performers here and I do recommend to get tickets beforehand since I´m sure it will be sold out (again). 
Oh and here´s a bit of advertisment for the Yuletide Revue in December! Have a grrreat week, folks!

Knackered

Sometimes one needs something different from the every-day-things. Last Friday´s gig in Pori was a much-appreciated break from craziness of other kind :) It´s a long drive but very much worth it, we had a blast, so thank you! Special thanks to Veera -again! Thee Dizzy Daisies will be back at the end of the month and we are bringing Sir Willy Waterlily with us so better get tickets!!!
I am absolutely knackered so need to throw my feet up for a bit before heading to yoga. Have a great week!

P.S Teerenpeli Tease Winter Wonderland will be Saturday 7th of December in Tampere and Champagne Sparkles is both performing and giving a workshop there!!! You do NOT want to miss this! Also,  the line-up for Helsinki Burlesque Festival 2014 seems amazing... Kitten D´Vil, Perle Noire, Jett Adore, Scotty the Blue Bunny...tickets are on sale and they WILL sell out so better be safe than sorry!

I warmed up my "In Flames" number...a change of shoes made all the difference!

With Holy Curves! and Pepper crammed at the miniature backstage :)

Elevator ladies!

Olivia´s rack

Vaakuna hotel in Pori has an AMAZING brekkie <3

Well, well...

Yeah, so much for the noble idea of posting something every day last week...I was under my own private train ALL week...it felt like I was running behind stuff and never catching up on everything I needed to do. Plus my 40-day yoga challenge started but that´s only a good thing! The only bad about it is that it´s 30km away but it SO is worth the drive <3
Thank goodness I got all the papers corrected duing the weekend, answered the new question they had sent me from Sexpo ( I also volunteer as a sexual councellor for Sexpo-säätiö -foundation for sexual health in Finland)  and answer internet questions, and yes, in case you wonder I have an official training for it) plus got some home chores done that have been bugging me for ages! So productive, yes!
This Friday me, Pepper and the ladies of Holy Curves! will be shaking our tailfeathers at Ravintola Kulttuurikulma in Pori so if you´re on the West Coast do come see us! I´ll probably warm up my festival number (that has not been seen since!) so a little xtra treat for you good people out there :) AND we will be back on the 30th with Sandy, Pepper and Sir Willy Waterlily! So mark your calendars and get ready to rumble!!!

Photo: Emiliano Melandri

Yoga+cats=love

Which Witch?

As promised, a few more for Halloween by JBM! Have a grreat Tuesday! And OH yes, remember that Tampere Tease returns this Saturday with a Halloween Special featuring my girls Sandy Jungle and Pepper Sparkles among others <3

Halloween!

It´s pumpkin time again! Spent last Saturday with good friends, ate my first raw food vegan pumpkin pie ever (it was REALLY good!) and had spiderwebs in my hair :) I´ll try t post some of the Halloween-themed pictures that we took with Jari here this week, starting with this funny gif he made of me! Have a marvellous ghastly week everyone!

Photo: Jari B. Miettinen

Aurora Borealis II

The pictures from the Gala keep popping in! Here are some fantastic shots taken by Tuomas Lairila, thank you <3 Also notice the amazing headpieces made by Fiona Timantti!!!

 

Aurora Borealis

The Gala was quite amazing last weekend! If you want a little glimps of the glitz, here's a link (only in Finnish, sorry) with a short video attached! Our new group number "Aurora Borealis" was a success, I'm so proud of my girls! Me, I am just happy that I did not faint of nervousness before. I had like the worst case of stage fright in a looong time :) A slight cock-up yes, but not a bad show for a first. We got really good feedback, so thank you peeps <3
It's back to school marnie as of this week again, good to be back with some teenage energy! Have a greatnight, I'm off to yoha and will leave you with a couple of shots from our number-all taken by JBM.

Seasonal pictures and handstands

Hey Ho (let´go! like the Ramones would say)

Yesterday I had a photoshoot with Jari B. and we took some promo pictures for Halloween and Christmas. One has to be in good time with these things haha! Other than that this week has really been about yoga and finishing touches to the Daisies outfits. I made myself a promise: I´m going to master a handstand before this year is over! Crazy. Especially for me: I have NEVER been able to do it and I have balance-issues. But well, here I found myself signing up for a 2-day handstand workshop! It´s about going to that space of feeling out of your comfort zone and learn new things. And I´m sure I´ll get a good core-workout if nothing else :)

Here are some snaps I took yesterday at the shoot, the final pictures will appear at some point... Oh, and P.S: the Finnish Burlesque Gala is almost sold out so now it´s really time to get those tickets!!!