PROPRIETIES

If only this country had the same fire and gusto with more important issues such as health care, minimum wage and  racism issues as it did with # freebritney.........

that's all

 

CATEGORY IS.....

 ....Autumnal Plaids

Miss Onyx Black

Category is...Tarts in Tartan...

Lawrence Cheney, Ellie Diamond

Category is....Retro Autumn Realness...

Quiches Lorraine

UPMADE

 I recently went into New Hope on one of my jaunts back home to the Casa. Once back,  I have three days to myself ( I could get used to three day weekends, just saying)  and decided to go into New Hope and see how everyone is fairing. Life is slowly returning to the town after the ravages of the pandemic claiming shops and business, but the latest tornado a few weeks back, wrecked havoc on the area very badly... and Ida, gave a set back as the Delaware yet again went over it's banks. The day I went,  all seems to be back to mostly normal. On my way to favorite French Bakery,  I discovered a new Shop called Upmade, and had the most friendly owner I ever met.

During the pandemic, for me at least, I have become way more supportive of small business only. Now more then ever, I'm avoiding big box retailers and chains in general, the customer service is just not there, and I've never been a online shopper for anything, if rarely. I like to support my local shops first and I love the sense of community. This place was great. Everything the owner carried is either made by local artisans, or from other small business, helping other smalls. The shop had everything from novelties to useful gift items, silly gifts, arty items and art work, and unique items made of recycled materials, and oodles of earth conscience care products and candles...I'm a huge sucker for those. 

Adored these lunch bags...

The scents were wonderful.

Thank goodness I now know where to buy ball wash!!!!

Time for  a seance..

A local lady makes these mice.

 I may have to go back and get a holiday one for my tree this year.

One of those jars of smug sticks came home with me. I love the smell of them over incense. And always nice to keep the bad spirits and omens out.

The staff and owner of this place impressed me most in addition to their wide assortment of fun and unusual offerings, which is why I like to shop small and local. The owner told me upon visiting New Hope just once it was love at first sight some years ago, so when the opportunity came along to contribute some magic to the town, he didn't need to think twice. I can't remember the last time I was so happy in a store and enjoying every corner. I was so impressed with the offering here, who knows, maybe a goodie basket will be the prize for the next parlor game winner?!? It's just nice to see this lovely little hamlet hanging in. They don't call it New Hope for no reason.

TRANS SISTAS

Here we are again...Arise.... for the next crowned Queen...Vanessa Van Cartier, the latest queen to win the crown of Drag Race Holland... and yet again, another trans female to follow Sonique as a winner,  and about high time these trans sistas get their due. Vanessa has long been very well known and is usually pretty stiff competition if you follow the drag pageant system. Vanessa is truly one of a kind. As a transgender drag queen and performer,  Vanessa is the only queen from Europe to win and hold the title of Miss World Continental, where she beat out the world's most popular and talented queens when it was held in Chicago, and then getting placed on the second season of RuPauls Drag Race Holland, where she pretty much ate up the competition without as much as breaking a sweat. No small feat, as the season had some of the stiffest competition yet for one cast. And About damn time these trans queen are allowed to compete. As I have said before, drag is drag.

We must remember that just a short few years ago, one of the preeminent drag queens in the world expressed his resistance to trans woman participating in Drag Race because when it's not cis men doing it, "drag loses it's sense of danger" And Ru added a trans woman have a "up" by taking hormones, which to him are nothing more then "performance-enhancing drugs." Don't get this wrong though. RuPaul knows that drag queens and trans sisters are and were part of same club and night scene. Ru never had anything against our trans sisters, but I think just had the old fashioned thinking of drag shows were just for cis males competing. Even some of the queens recently like Dahlia Sin and Adian Zane had issue with trans queens competing. Since many seasons have ended,  there have been many queens who went on the transition, many more then most know, most notably recently is the fabulous Gigi Goode. But it wasn't till the last season that a fully trans queen finally got on,  in the form of Gottmik. Ru has since opened the flood gates. Over the past decade with the show's success, Drag Con events, and festivals like Bushwig, drag is experiencing yet another sort of renaissance. Drag queens have become interchangeably our self help gurus and seasonal look books, and make up tutorial how- to's. "Who's your favorite drag queen"  is the new "What's your astrological sign" you ask me.

So it's high time trans can compete. Trans people have had to differentiate and distance themselves from drag queens, asserting that their identities are entrant and permanent, This distancing has come with good reason considering the historic prevalence of transmisogyny with in drag spaces. Where do trans find themselves today: they are burdened with the task of always proving themselves, of the real in a society drunk on the myth of it's own naturalness. In a world where ideology masquerades as biology, they have to convince the doctors, the feminists and the partners and parents they they are real in order to be recognized, let alone respected. These trans performers have just as much right to perform drag as cis men. It blows my mind that as drag queens who have also had it hard with being rejected by members of the community, that no one would date because their considered to "fem" that they wouldn't accept a trans person doing drag. It is all art after all! So I take my hat off and roll out the welcome mat for our trans sisters and brothers to bring their best  drag personas.. So I condragulate Vanessa Van Cartier and Sonique on their crowning's.

So you know I'm all about the first AFAB queen, Victoria Scone being on this UK season. And she was 

FAB.U .LOUS!!!

She just may be the funniest queen on the show since Bianca Del Rio. The hilarity ensued already in the first half hour, where she had RuPaul already in hysterics.

MOOD BOARD

A regular reader of this blog will tell you if your new, I'm so a summer person first and fore most. Luckily, I'm one to find beauty in each season though,  and can honestly say,  I enjoy each one. I think I'd miss the changing of the seasons if I lived somewhere that didn't have them. It would feel as thought every day of the year would look and feel the same, with no reference point to the time of year it is. Needless to say, it always takes me a minute to change gears from summer into Autumn, more then any other. The first thing I don't like is the shorter days and getting dark early...and the cooler temps. I'm a hot house flower. And if I do any travel the fun times are over for now. Although, Pearly has talked me into a late Autumn visit back to P-town.  But once a week or two into the new equinox, I'm in! It means candle lit nights, fire pits, cashmere sweaters, I love me some plaid pants, wardrobe layering, mulled cider, brilliant fall colors, cooler breeze blowing in the windows at night...a nice time to add a extra blanket and nest. I like to sleep cooler. Love my comfort foods!!! I give most of those up in the late spring and summer and live mostly on fruits, veggies, seafood and cold pasta dishes ...so when fall rolls around look out! I go into cooking overload. And then of course the autumn bring about my favorite holiday...Halloween and the date I was bore. How old will I be? Well, somewhere between 40 and death. My current mood is a collection of not quite fall mood, but more like easing into it? What s your favorite season?

OUR NEWEST HOUSEBOY...

.....Matheus. 

Apparently he is not aware of house rules to not play with the Mistress's huge hat.

LATE NIGHT- RAYE

Raye is a fabulous singer and songwriter from London, who was rumored to be or had been dating the singer Drake.Apart from her link up to the famous singer, Raye has things of her own to claim to in the limelight. This beautiful Brit began as a professional singer in 2014. Born to parents of mixed ethnic groups, Raye is best know for her associations with several record labels, with numerous gigs with Jax Jones and Kojo Funds. In 2016 was her huge break with a single,  By Your Side and You Don't Know Me, and ever since has not stopped. I for some reason can't seem to escape my love of all things British. And no matter what mood I'm in, listening to Raye sing is much like the group ABBA...she is guaranteed to put me in a good mood, and her music will often get me going to her bops at home in my underwear. Her latest collaboration with with dj Joel Corry and Davis Guetta was my song of summer for 2021. Could it be I'm in love with her Amy Winehouse-ish eye liner? Just yet another beautiful brit in a very long line of my love for British songstresses.

IN THREE WORDS

 In this weekly feature. I'll share a guest with you all, and you tell me in only three words what comes to mind.

In three words...

Leonardo da Vinci

PORTRAITS

 

Anubis Finch- 11/12

Charity Kase 9th or 10th

Chroiza May 8th or 9th

Elektra Fence 11-12

Ella VaDay Top 4

Kitty Scott Klaus- Top 4

Krystal Versace Top 4

River Medway 8th or 9th

Scarlett Harlett 6th -7th

Vanity Milan- 5th or 6th

Veronica Green 9th or 10th

Victoria Scone Top 4

Take a good look...these are our delicious bitches for your consideration for the crown on RuPauls Drag Race UK season 3! I must root for my gals Ella VaDay, Anubis Finch and Victoria Scone!!!!! Good luck queens and don't fuck it up!!! If in the states, your ticket to viewing the show is on Wow Presents Plus, and will offer a free week-ling trial, and then after that be offering a $3,99 a month fee.

* MM#1 fAN asked me to place the queens, so I went back and placed where I feel they may land.