Happy Valentine’s Day!

I am aware this is early – but it’s the last time I’m posting before V-day…

It was my first year in college when I started thinking a lil differently about Valentine’s Day. At the stroke of midnight, my girlfriends and I ran downstairs to the suite of boys we hung out with and attacked them with shaving cream and candy. We spent the day exchanging silly and ridiculous cards, sending each other candy-grams, and getting more than a lil drunky-pants (hey we were 19 – whaddaya want).

None of us spent even a moment wishing we had a boyfriend.

Think what you will about Valentine’s Day (e.g. romantic or overdone or commercialized or anyone really paying attention to who St.Valentine actually was or goddamn it I wish I had a boyfriend), but I always like to take this time to celebrate not just my partner (if I have one – this year I don’t).

I celebrate my girlfriends.

Yes, girls can be crazy and catty and manipulative and gossipy and whiny and bitchy. We can talk shit and stab between shoulder blades and generally play nice-to-ya-face-but-not-to-yer-back. There are some women who uphold every horrible stereotype that has ever been uttered about women.

And yet.

I know, from much experience, there is far and away more compassion and strength and understanding and kindness and honesty among women that cattiness and back-stabbing.

In my life, I am beyond fortunate to have the women I hold near and dear to my heart. They know me, and they love me for who that person is. They have heard my shit and have seen my best. They catch my tears, and aren’t afraid to tell me when I am being an ass. They celebrate and cry and laugh and bitch and commend and discuss and dance with me. Yes – we have fought and argued and yelled at each other, but those times were few and far between. They also served a purpose, and made us stronger.


These are women who were there when I was growing into the person I am now, be that from age 10 or age 25. No matter the distance between us or the days, weeks, or months since last we spoke – they are fundamental to my life.

I can never ever replace them. I am fully aware of how very lucky I am.

I celebrate their love for me, and mine for them, on Valentine’s Day, too. On this particular V-Day, and on this blog, I’d like to celebrate a very specific group of women that I adore.

My burlesque girls are pretty much awesome. We dance because we love it. We dance because it makes us happy. We dance because we believe women can reclaim the beauty of their own bodies, no matter how society defines them. We dance because we believe women can reclaim their sexuality, and celebrate it – whatever that means to them. We dance to entertain, to make people laugh and smile and sigh and, yes, get-turned-on. And, since some of us rock the silks/trapeze/lyra (aerials), sometimes *gasp!* too.

This Valentine’s Day, I celebrate my burlesque lovelies.

Plus, what better way to celebrate the naughty side of it?






... we do dance on bars...




... rockin' the silks (this is what I mean by "aerials")...













Yes... for Halloween last year, there was a stripping mummy...










Thought I knocked a pastie off with a skillet once...







... it's for a good cause!




... baby, would you eat that there snackcracker in your special outfit?













... my baby's leavin' on the 2:19...










Yeah... I'd be the one in thi-hi red leather boots... love those...













Oh, right. We're not just lovely ladies - we do showcase our Boylesque.




Partner balancing. Also pretty much awesome.







... and I said "no teasing, missy!" (yep - that's me on the right.)