A girl in my acting class asked me how she could overcome her fear of performing. This week, I’ve been thinking of an answer that would help her. The short of it is…BE YOURSELF!

I wasted a LOT of years trying to fit in. I remember the first time I went to a modeling agency. I was 15 and eager to please. This was in the 80’s when blondes like Kim Alexis and Jerry Hall ruled the runway. The first thing they told me was “Get a nose job” Of all the things I loathed about my body, my nose was not one of them. (My butt and my hips were another matter) Obviously I said, NO! to the nose job. They also said I might be “too exotic/ethnic”.
“What is ethnic about a little welsh girl from Idaho?” I said to myself.
So I highlighted my hair, wore frosty mauve lipstick and went to the tanning bed. (I tan VERY quickly) Little by little I tried to look like the other girls in the agency…clean cut in that Gap/Estee Lauder sort of way. Did I get more work? NO! I just looked rediculous and I felt horrible. I wanted Nocturna back. What was so wrong with being a dark, seductive, gothic beauty? After all, I WAS born that way. I was 22 before I started being myself.
And now, at 33.. I know the secret. BE YOURSELF! My performances are always soooo much better when I’m not trying to imitate someone else’s style. Cause you know what? YOU CAN’T and it will sound really cheap. Find out what YOUR style is and then WORK IT! You gotta have a shtick baby. Otherwise, you’re just another clone. So look inside yourself and LOVE your individuality. Love the parts of you that make you different…and very soon others will to! How can they notice YOU if you hide the talents that distinguish you from the rest? You have to give them a package..All nice and laid out for them so they don’t have to wonder, “can s/he pull this off?” Of course you can. But YOU have to believe it, or no one will. So….Don’t wait DarlinG! The world is waiting for your GGGGGGggrrrrrrrrandest performance right NOW!

Last night I spent a wonderful evening at the Toastmasters 23rd Anniversary Party. Lots of great speakers. I tend to be very quiet and reserved until I start singing. Then the dork/diva emerges in full force. I love singing sexy old songs. I sang:
I can’t give you anything but love
Cheek to Cheek
Sunny Side of the Street
Stardust
and a few Eva Cassidy tunes.

I really vamped it up..which I love to do..ON STAGE anyway. It couldn’t have gone better really. I came home flying. I wish Lorraine could have seen me. Speaking of Miss Fabulous..she will be here again around the 19th. Web conference? I think we could handle that Danth Guyth, but just for you-th.

More photos to come.
Next week Kitty and I are getting together for the Balticon merchandise. Big Fun, little cash. That’s our motto. We’ll have LaM t-shirts, baby LaMie T’s for the little people, Lorraine headbands, Malena potions, etc. etc, all things cool and creapy and last but not least….Nocturna underwear!!! Who could resist a bat winged Nocturna landing on their crotch? Hee hee
Cheek to cheek indeed…

Here’s a few photos of The Fabulous Lorraine’s Peacock Do. Yes, she is the queen of St. Patties. I guess I should have bought her green sequined undies to wear under her skirt. Velcro anyone?

Now, we’re off to eat Indian Food while wearing black victorian gowns and spider jewels….

wake up at 6! Oh yesssss! I may have converted Lorraine to VampTime. She is such a whirling vision of energy during the day. I just stumble around till about 2 in the afternoon. But…at night, Ohhhhhhhh darlinG! Let the show begin! I grab that mic and start recording on the 4 track. (Practice Tapes)
We have had a blast putting this Balticon show together. I’d say, Hey Lorraine listen to this. And I’d wail out “Blues in the Night” for her. (Hey, I learned to perform in a drag bar. That brings new meaning to the term perform. Those Divas don’t mess around) Little Miss Rainbow Bright just sits there and says,
“Ahhhhhhhhh. Yeah. That will work! Do you need a pole or a rope? How about a fog machine”
and I say, YES PLEASE. 2 would be perfect. Then go on about the costume changes and how I want to velcro my skirt to the dance shorts beneath. Ripping off your skirt is always a big hit. And I’m married to Mr. Gorgeous, so it can’t be THAT daring. Ohhh we’re plotting like fiends. Getting a lot of work done. Talking about the release of our EP. BIG surprises planned for the photos inside. It will be one of those, Cindy Crawford who? model moments for Lorraine again. (One of my best tricks is make-up and wardrobe) Super Model WORK!

So, not much to report..other than the ghost who kept knocking on the front door, the wailing banshee thingie that kept calling my name last night, and one fabulously dressed Hogsqueal sculpture. Yes, it’s all true. That’s the funny thing about us, our lives don’t seem real but they are.

Did I mention I wore my Maleficent hat for Lorraine. Yes, of course I have one. I’m just waiting for the Live Action Version…then I’ll pop over to the studio and say hello. Mwwaaaaaaaaa ha ha hahaa!

Lorraine has entered into the eye of the storm here at the Teves House.

( Lorraine here…Not sure what she means by that, but I am thinking I will find out, personally , I am up for anything! Malena has walked away from the computer and so, I am hijacking her post! MMMMwwwwhahahahah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is raining here and cold. Hmph. Could have had this in the Midwest. The company is good tho, and the music is fine . )

The Teves House has now officially been infested with Spiderwick creatures.

( a day later and she has once again walked away, silly girl, and yes, the place is covered in Spiderwick. I myself have been haveing a great time working on music, finding lyrics, watching Malena’s dance ideas and just enjoying the sunshine, which has finally come out. Today we got to the grocery store, which was fun. Who said LA was dull, hee-hee…Yomorrow, more music, we are going to have some fun live in a couple of months!!!! )

( ok, two days later now and our Malena is still sewing madly. Or like a madwomen, which of course, we know, is not an unuseuel state of mind for the girl, hee-hee , so I am hijacking her post and publishing the little guy so you don’t think we have left you forever, alone and forgotten.

We have a set list for Balti con done, and some ideas of how we are going to do the songs. If only we had a fog machine, strobe lights and some way for Malena to come down on a rope from the ceiling, THIS would be a SHOW… Actually, despite the lack of them , unless our con chair can work something more than minor miricles, hee-hee, it is going to be a really fun time. We have a lot of the songs from the cd and a whole bunch of favourates that we love and some that our producer, Adam Stemple does as well. If you haven’t heard Adam , either solo, or with the Tim Malloys, save some money for cd’s I am telling you! He is , simply, very, very good.

Personal Thing, and Marylin are both there on the set, as requested, not to worry.

Ok, I am going to make sewing girl some lunch, as one cannot live on music and art alone, and she never stops, at least not until the sun comes up…..

Pictures soon, promise!

Love and Hijacked Posts,
Lorraine)

Well, the green hair turned out to be a really fine idea, it’s lovely, kind of sea green with blonde and black. I’ll have Miss Kitty take a nice photo and we will post it, so you can see the green in all it’s glory!

It is hoped it will sustain me durning this marathon St Pats weekend. I had a friend tell me last night she had got my e-mail about the gig, but she laughed, and said I had made a typo, as it said I was playing Noon to 1:00am……

Sadly, I told her that was true, and she went silent and said: ” Can you DO that????”

We will find out. I’ll call Malena during the day, and she can post updates, maybe we can figure out how to do photos as well.

This weekend will be a little easier, I am off to LA today to work on music with Malena , in the sun and the warm, tho she told me to bring a raincoat. Rain? In LA???? I do not actually have a raincoat. I am not sure I even know where to BUY a raincoat.

We are going to work on our set for Balticon, let us know if there’s anything special anyone wants to hear, and we will try and go for it….

Love and Music,
Lorraine