Paris photos up on my flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/diebuechsepics/sets/72157622526073991/

If a picture's worth a thousand words, I'll let them speak for me for the time being!

Still jet-lagged as all get-out, awake at 4:00 a.m., first day back at work yesterday.

Things I Miss about Home when I am in Paris, and Vice-Versa

When I am in Paris, this is what I miss back home:
1. My family, my friends and my precious little dog. I miss him a lot when I see all the other little dogs who get to come into bars and cafés in Paris with their mistresses.
2. My Ford Mustang. Because if I were driving it in Paris, I would be thought to be terminally chouette behind its wheel. Like in Serge Gainsbourg's song.
3. My own collection of ridiculous, impractical shoes. Because I am wearing trainers or ballet flats to hoof it across Paris ten hours a day when I'm there. And I know I have ridiculous shoes back home to rival any I see on passing fashionable Parisiennes. And I hate it that I can't wear the ridiculous, new blue suede gladiator sandals with five inch heels that I've just acquired in Paris until I get back home. Or whatever fashionable shoe monstrosity I've just purchased.
4. My black and white Converse Chuck Taylors. Should have brought 'em. Who knew?
5. Jalapeños
6. Netflix

When I am home, this is what I miss about Paris:
1. Baguettes
2. Croissants
3. Café crème
4. Street markets for food shopping rather than supermarkets
5. $4 French fashion magazines (as opposed to $17-$20 in the U.S.)
6. Monoprix and Prisunic for cheap French-brand cosmetics sold at Sephora here
7. Real French stockings
8. $4 glasses of spectacularly good wine or champagne, the strange apertifs of Europe
9. Artisan cheeses
10. Outrageously flirtatious/charming people
11. Bouquiniste stalls, used book stores, book stores in general
12. Cheap eateries representing the cuisines of the entire world
13. People-watching, eccentric and/or high fashion looks on the street
14. Beautiful shop window displays

What I never miss about Paris when I'm home
1. Rabbits on the menu, or skinned and prepped for cooking in the market stalls
2. Horse butchers
3. The metro
4. Beggars
5. Blisters from walking

Home. Safely. Exhausted.

But deeply grateful to Paris for all her glories and all the adventures she always offers me.

Over a thousand pictures to upload and process.

New shoes from Paris. New stockings.

And a couple of really good stories. But not tonight!

Off to airport now

I hope it won't be a long, long, disappointing travel day. Heavy fog here, rain all over the South and I'm routed through Atlanta to begin with. With a very short correspondence for my trans-Atlantic flight. Keep your fingers crossed that all goes smoothly for me and I don't have delays or miss my connection because of the weather.

Over and out for me, and I hope I return with a whole new set of tales of adventure and discovery in Paris!

Photos of the things in my carry-on

Packing light for Paris in October

Reader Gretchen asked me to elaborate on what I'm packing for Paris, since it will all fit into a large handbag and hopefully take me through ten days' activities without having to do laundry. I hoped to be able to photograph the contents of my carry-on and post it, but, alas! I've run out of time before I depart.

So here's the list, and the vendor, if it's new and I remember.
-- From J. Crew current season (I'm their poster child!), two pairs skinny leg corduroy jeans in light grey and dark, graphite grey; one pair I wear on the plane, the other I pack.
-- J. Crew: long, cardigan sweater, graphite grey, ruffle trim along v-front.
-- This season's J. Crew again, Tissue t, long-sleeved, deep v-necked, a kind of orchid/pink bright flower color.
-- Burgundy grosgrain trimmed scoop neck, long-sleeved J. Crew top.
-- Three racer-back tissue tank tops, to be worn under long graphite ruffled cardigan like a camisole or over jeans or with skirt: mauve (American Apparel), orchid (Urban Outfitters), hot pink (Urban Outfitters)
-- Black jersey pencil skirt, knee length with back vent, Boston Proper travel line
-- Black perforated (like eyelet) very sexy stretchy long-sleeved, button down shirt with French cuffs, Anne Fontaine 2008 season
-- Black racer-back tank top (American Apparel)
-- Black Hermès belt, narrow with silver hook buckle -- many seasons past
-- Silver Coach across-the-body smallish square silver metallic zip purse, this season
-- One striped, jersey, French Apache-dancer-looking mini dress by Make + Model from the lingerie section of Nordstrom, which I can wear to sleep in or as a robe, or as a dress with the leggings underneath or as a top over jeans: grey and navy stripes, lace-up bodice
-- Graphite Hue super opaque leggings, new this season
-- Black Repetto BB ballet flats
-- One pair herringbone crochet thigh-high black stockings purchased in Florence last winter
-- Nike trainers -- some kind of high-tech silver/grey mesh -- very comfortable; couple of pair socklets, which I'll wash out by hand.
-- One Missoni scarf in silver/grey/mauve/purple flamestitch (2006? season)
-- Silk flowers to pin on or wear in hair: purple, orchid, hot pink
-- One long string of pearls and earrings to match it
-- 3 pairs mesh panties to hand-wash; I'll wear a nude bra, pack a black one
-- Evening clutch, into which are packed the jewelery, my hairpins and elastics and my undies
-- Silver mesh travel umbrella
-- Driving gloves, tobacco colored (Madova, Florence)
-- Short, quilted black zip-front riding jacket, very trim-fitting although down-filled, purchased in Switzerland last season

On the plane I'll wear one pair of the cord jeans, one top, one of the belts, the Repetto ballet flats for ease of passing through security and wear or carry the jacket, and I'll wear my everyday silver jewelery: hoops, ring, bracelet and diamond solitaire necklace

How I'll put it together --
For high-end shopping, the opera, cocktails etc:
Black skirt+black tank+Hermès belt, low-slung = little black dress (jacket over it, Repettos and maybe textured black stockings)
For sight-seeing/museums/shopping: Black skirt+any colored top+long ruffled sweater+pearls/flowers, maybe belt on top of cardigan
For photographing: Cord jeans+any colored top+cardigan or riding jacket+scarf+trainers
If it gets cold: leggings under cords or with skirt, layer long-sleeve tops over racerbacks, or vice-versa
Other options: Black skirt+black Ann Fontaine blouse, or black skirt+colored tank+black Anne Fontaine blouse as a jacket instead of the cardigan.

If I were going to take one additional piece, it would have been black pants or dark wash jeans. But all this is enough. As it is, I'm unlikely to wear every single piece I'm bringing before I return. I find I start to get depressed if I bring only dark colors to Europe, and end up shopping for bright pieces at places like H&M that are redundant with things I have at home just to boost my spirits while I'm there. So we'll see if my more colorful strategy works this trip! If I throw one more thing in, it will be another big, long colorful scarf I'll wear to the airport. I'd prefer to pack the ballet flats and wear the trainers, but getting them off to pass through security is a bitch, so I just stuff them full of other stuff and pack them.

Great Granny P photo shoot today!

With a new dresser and wig wranger who I tried out. She worked out great, so it looks like the Granny Panty machine is now four! Edited photos up on the Granny P flickr site tomorrow.

I'm packed.

My little book into which I transcribe all the opening hours and metro information I need for my destinations is ready.

And as I plan, I wonder if I will return to all the places I last visited with X. And the answer is, of course, Yes. It was my city before I ever shared it with him. And I will return, even, to our hotel. And then the whole circle is forever closed for me, a kind of exorcism of the heart.

It's my city. I'll be damned if I give it up over a failed romance. And there are new places I'm going to explore by myself this time. And I'm not spending a single moment of my precious time in the infernal Louvre.

Paris, je reviens!

But there are still a million loose ends I need to tie up at school before I depart a week from today. There just isn't enough time. But at least I now have the proper iPod adapter to keep my music going in Paris and I won't have to ration it. I love having the soundtrack playing along with what I see.

Just as a lark, tonight

...I tried packing for Paris week after next in a large purse. And I can do it. Everything suitable for days of photographing and museums, to excursions to Hermès and the opera, and everything that could happen in between. I am kind of an expert on packing light after all the trips I took to Europe in 2008. And I don't have any eBay purchases to haul along now for one who wanted to save on postage on his end, which makes it really easy to travel light. As is my way.

But I will use a real carry-on bag. Because, God knows, I am likely to succumb to the irresistable impulse to buy one really, really impractical pair of shoes while I'm in Paris and I'll need to be able to haul them home. Really, in Paris as long as one has planned for foot comfort it's perfectly easy to bring a few pieces in black or dark colors and be done with it. But I made it a challenge on myself: grey, inky purple, lilac, dusty pink. A tone poem.

The Granny Panty burlesque project continues

Seriously, it's like a machine, between costume making, photo shoots, two dance classes a week and trying to do the strength training I'm going to need to perform live on the walker in a few months. Plus musical research about what to set the numbers on, etc., etc. But I'm loving every minute of it! You can read Granny's blog by following the link in the sidebar of this blog if you're interested.

The semester is a killer. Some days I hardly have time to sit at my desk and read and answer e-mail because of all the meetings.

And I'm off to Paris, on my long-delayed "summer" vacation, in a couple of weeks. Whee!

I've been a poor blogger lately, haven't I?

The semester has been off to a hectic start, fraught with student-related dramas, some tragic. And I've been using what little time and energy I have left over for my own projects -- specifically, on Granny P -- which is going very, very well. I really enjoy being in a regular dance class again.

Uncharacteristically depressed today.

Perhaps it's the non-stop rain that meant no long walk for Buster and me this morning. Perhaps it's because I've still been feeling punk all week and not sleeping well, waking myself up coughing. In any case, I am blue tonight.

I've been sewing for over twenty-four hours and have lots to show for it: costumes for next weekend's photo shoot on my new project, costumes to perform in, various bits and pieces. I'm working on the final piece tonight, a virginal white batiste apron, like the nuns would sew. I should feel good about all this productivity and a whole new performance wardrobe.

I should feel happy because I love burlesque dance class, and because I have my first pole dance class tomorrow to look forward to.

But the iTunes plays French music, and Brazilian music, and it all seems to speak to me of melancholy. When it rains, I always long to be in bed with someone I'm madly in love with, making sweet, sweet love. Last night the rain was driving, melodious, so romantic. And I lay in bed and thought, "I'm not in love with anyone. I'm alone."

It will pass. Vivre sans vivre.

And, anyway, I go to Paris in a month. Once there, I can always run off with the Gypsies.

September 2009 Vogue: Inspirations

September 2009 Vogue: Inspirations
Originally uploaded by diebuechse

Ever trying to save you time and money, here's my research on the September "big book" --

RED, black and white houndstooth and tweeds, wide belt waist emphasis, Forties look, purple (but not with brown like last season), purple and near fuscia with leopard print, booties, over the knee boots, crazy gladiator-type shoes, socks with heels (yay!), boots with suits.

Yep, I think that's about it on the trends that caught my eye.

Long time, no write.

You know how I am when I get obsessed with an art project. And my new granny burlesque project has taken over my life in the course of just three short weeks. Photo shoots, wig wrangling, wardrobe designing, burlesque dance classes, pole dancing class...

Every walker I pass I have to stop and look at, thinking, "Hmmm. Would this one be a better one for my act? Wonder what other colors it comes in? Is it more stable than mine?"

And I was a little sick last week, although I just tried to keep on working through it. I'm feeling nearly 100% again today, and will use what's left of my three-day weekend to clean up my living room-turned-photography studio. It looks like a stripper store blew up downstairs in my house these days!

They're back.

The students, that is.

Whee!

On to the next thing. Granny burlesque.

I am not joking. The walker is incredibly stable, and, as they sang in Gypsy, "You gotta have a gimmick!"

http://grannypthegreypanther.blogspot.com/

Poor, once-beautiful gardenia.

A little over a year ago he said, "I thought I detected a hint of fear in your voice, as if you'd realized our complicated logistics have the potential to do you much harm." And I answered him, "No, not fear! Only joy!"

Unhanging the show. Argh. I'm dehydrated.

It's no fun taking it down.
Why does it seem it takes longer to take a show down than install it?

But the video is up of my "vows" dance. It's a re-performance because there were too many people in the space when I originally performed it to video it. But that's what I was wearing. Except my hair was down.



Or here, if you prefer. I have more recent performances and archive videos up both places. The short ones are on youtube, the long ones on exposureroom.

View on ExposureRoom

Laughing: Ali and I evidently made the society page of the Sunday newspaper.

(A week later: here's another one taken that night by Jimmie)


http://www.austin360.com/calendar/mediahub/media/slideshow/index.jsp?tId=175084

If you consider Gadjo Disko at a bar called the Cockpit as something A-list in the first place. We're photo 15, me in the dirndl and Heidi hair. Photo 34 is one of Cindy's creations and models, 41 is Jimmie in one of Cindy's creations, 47 is one of Cindy's creations and models.

Fun times. Next time I go there I'm wearing a goth dirndl and a garlic-and-crucifix-necklace, and dirt on my face.

Anti(dote)Wedding Exhibition and Performance images up on flickr