**Please note some links are actual links to websites, some are just links to photos, you'll only know if you click!**
Day 1, Thursday, June 7
On Thursday, June 7, B and I packed our bags and hit the road...for around 5 hours... We had the amusement of discovering North, South Carolina and a few other odd ball things on the way. Also, I discovered Tom's Bacon Cheddar Fries and Uncle Buck's Bacon Jerky. I seriously love tacky truck stops for they have these amazing items as well as rhinestone belts and cowboy hats with leopard print and rhinestones. Had I the cash on hand they would have had all money money and I would be covered with shiny things.
We made it to the host hotel which would be our home for the next three days. However, thanks to having tons of points we made it to our three day hotel stay with my only having to pay for one day so whoot being economical. We were exhausted, played some text tag with Kisa von Teasa, and finally decided we were too tired to be functional or sociable and ended up at IHOP, this would prove to be a wonderful find for later evenings in the weekend.
Photos from the drive and around Charleston on Friday
Day 2, Friday, June 8
B and I woke up super early (okay, 8am, not that early, but well before burlesque standard time) so we could wander into Charleston, SC to take in some sights. We parked at the battery and then walked around down town checking out the sites. We'd been to Charleston before so it was nice to just wander around and admire the architecture and hunt for food. Pretty much all of my travel is based on following my tummy to new and exotic places, it's how I maintain my girlish figure. We had found some touristy brochures in the hotel lobby and one of them came with a $5 off coupon so we went to the Noisy Oyster to redeem our coupon. We started with She-Crab Soup. It was very flashy, the bowl comes out with a mound of crab in the middle of the bowl, they pour the soup around it and then add the Sherry at the table. Though tasty, was not as scrumptious as the hype would have us believe. We then had the Crab Cake Fried Green Tomato Tower. Though is sounded amazing, it left something to be desired. Had they been a bit more generous with the sauce it would have been better. We then split Shrimp and Grits which was very tasty as it also have sausage and other yummy bits in it! We then walked back to the car and headed for Folly Beach. We stripped down to swimsuits and dove in. Seriously, I always love some down time at a beach and with my 110 Sunblock I was not afraid! We spent a few hours there before heading back downtown to find dinner.
A few years ago we had wandered into a restaurant that we remembered to be amazing and we were determined to find it. We drove around in circles for about an hour to first find the place and then to find parking. The restaurant was Toast. It still existed and was everything we remembered it to be! They had a Bacon Bloody Mary! As if that wasn't enough as those are two great tastes that tasted like heaven together we had amazing food as well. We had swordfish skewers, the MOST AMAZING SHE-CRAB SOUP EVER! And an amazing crab cake sandwich with a roumalade mayo that was to die for. And with a seriously happy tummy it was time to go get ready to see some awesome burlesque!
So the producers of the festival, Selia de'Katzmeow and Dolly Dee, were smart and had the host hotel less then 2 miles from the venue along with a shuttle service provided by the hotel so people could get back and forth. What we didn't count on was that Army Wives decided to film ACROSS THE STREET! So the blocked the entire road and we couldn't get to the parking lot or the venue. We ended up parking a few blocks away and walking but all the circling and back tracking made us late. These ladies do not mess around, their show started on time so an hour late meant we missed the entire first half of the show. Apparently we walking in immediately after Atlanta performer Sunny Midnight got off stage. I was super sad to miss the first half of the show, but was very impressed with what a tight ship they were running. Sadly my pics are only of the second half, however, it was an amazing second half! Marc Slomski was an amazing MC for the festival and with my "homies" Fonda Lingue, Lola LeSoleil, Talloolah Love and Kisa von Teasa in the second half I was super excited that I didn't miss everyone that I know. I also managed to catch both of Burlesque Legend Gabriella Maze's performances along with a bunch of performers I had never gotten to see before which was wonderful. After we went to DIG, which was lame as they had crap service and messed up orders and bills, however, please enjoy the photos from the show!
Photos from Friday's Celabra-TEASE Showcase
Day 3, Saturday, June 9th SHOW DAY!
After a night of burlesque, nachos and booze I slept in. Not intentionally, but as I meant to take only one Tylenol PM and I am pretty sure I took two by mistake, I was unable to be woken until around 11/noonish. At this point I wander down stairs to go smoke and find B and Lola LeSoleil downstairs chatting. It is decided that food sounds amazing so we go back to Toast because my life is just better with Bacon Bloody Marys. Once we were done with brunch we came back to the hotel so we could all take a much needed nap. B and I chose to sleep in front of the TV in our hotel while Lola put on her super cute yellow bikini and napped by the pool in true vaca style!
I got to the venue at 6pm per my call time and did a quick walk through on the stage in my shoes to check for any gaps or weird spots on the stage. It seemed good to go and so was I! Sound guy, lighting guy, etc... were all there to ask/answer any questions, the whole experience was super professional and so easy. B was kind enough to run to the liquor store and pick up some rum so I could have a drink before the show. I had my two drink maximum before the show even started and as I was 10 slots in I was able to take a few pics before my performance and then a few after. The show over all was pretty amazing! So many amazing performers both on and off stage. Seriously, everyone was super nice and just wonderful back stage. You couldn't ask for a nicer group of people to be back stage with. I took a few back stage and then as much as I could of the show. So sorry I couldn't take more but, ya know, I was performing too, lol. However, I have to say one of my highlights for the evening didn't even happen on stage, Violet Vixen and I were back stage admiring all the purple costumes. Iris Le'Mour actually offered to let us roll around naked on her big purple costume! Seriously, made my night!
And the winners are:
Queen: Donna Denise
King and Most Humerous: Paco Fish
Most Classic: Smokin' McQueen
Most Original: Marla Meringue
Best Variety/Sideshow: EmpeRoar Fabulous
Sweetest Tease: Ida Claire
Producer's Choice: Iris Le'Mour
Myself, B, Sunny Midnight, Bourgeois Betty and our new friend Red Herring ended up at the magical IHOP! (Told ya finding an IHOP would help)
Photos from the Saturday Sweet Tease Pageant
Day 4, Sunday, June 10th
We wake up and scramble to pack everything up so we can be out of the hotel by check-out at noon. We headed over to The Mill to grab brunch and say our goodbyes. It was wonderful to see everyone and get to spend the weekend with so many amazing performers from all over the world. We drove home exhausted, but happy!
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