Life Lessons from the Mermaid Parade 2009

Lessons I've learned from the Mermaid Parade (thus far):

• Regardless of the weather conditions, the Mermaid Parade is always worth it.
• Walking in the parade isn't as exciting if you don't have a routine planned out. (Pic from Mermaid Parade 2007)
  
• If you're going to walk, and you don't have a routine planned, you better have an amazing costume or just smile and wave at everyone - people will love you either way.
  
• The Mermaid Parade Ball has a lot of potential - good music, great performances, entertainment in dancing or rolling around. Either way, it's better to share with others.
  
• Charge your camera batteries and empty out your SD card beforehand.
• You can't be squeamish or blush easily.
• The Boardwalk at Coney Island has chicharrones (the flour kind sold from a shopping cart on the streets of L.A. and other Mexican-populated cities)!
• When in doubt, dance dance dance!
• As with anything, the Mermaid Parade is the best when experienced with awesome people and great friends.
• Any of the statements above could substitute "life" for "Mermaid Parade."
  

Lost Angels in Coney Island

Below are select pictures of me swirling around the boardwalk in my completed costume. All my pictures can be seen at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/thegreenestmermaid/MermaidParade62009#

Lola Staar's Dreamland Roller Rink - Mermaid Parade Ball Location


Leti in all her colorful glory.


Running with a silk veil by A'kai Silks












I wore some extra toule around my hips, along with one of my favorite hip scarves.




Ta da!

Pearls for the Parade

The Annual Coney Island Mermaid Parade is on Saturday, June 20th.

Every year, in celebration of the Summer Solstice, people come from all over in their best ocean-themed regalia to parade through the streets of Coney Island.

I first went in 2006 with a great group of friends, and we had an amazing time.

2006 Mermaid Parade

In 2007, we tried to be part of the parade, but found that it was much more exciting to watch than to participate. That is, we didn't have any routine planned. Perhaps if we did, we would have had a better time walking in the hot hot sun.

2007 Mermaid Parade

As you can see, I've worn generally the same costume every year. The mermaid tail is basically a Disney's The Little Mermaid version, and my top is a bra from my belly dancing closet. Some of the costumes from the parade are amazing, though! Super intricate, very creative, and absolutely beautiful for the most part. I love watching people in all their glory during the Mermaid Parade.

Since I took a break in 2008, I feel super re-energized about the parade. This year, I get to go with my best friend, another Los Angeles transplant on the East Coast. And because I'm sure that Leti will have something awesome to wear that she constructed with her own two hands, I was definitely inspired to work on my own costume again.

Initially, this bathing suit by a Victoria's Secret caught my eye:

Swim 2009 Catalogue

So, I bought just the top, and I thought about just putting some embellishments on it. But, it makes my boobs look ridiculous. They definitely don't have any lift in them, even with the little halter strap it comes with.

Luckily, I have a variety of bras that I was planning to get rid of because of a variety of things (generally falling apart, straps dig in in certain spots, just doesn't make my boobs look boobtastic, etc.) In the end, it seemed better to embellish the bra than to use the bathing suit top. Even more luckily, I had the perfect teal bra to match my tail.

On Saturday, I biked downtown and gathered materials at Winmil Fabrics in Chinatown and Windsor Buttons in Downtown Crossing. I think these are two fabulous hidden jewels in Boston. They've got fabric, trim, buttons galore, yarn, netting, beads.......I get so overwhelmed in stores like these!

Pearls, Beads, Coins, Needle & Thread

I love pearls. They're so beautiful, and it doesn't hurt that they come from one of my favorite places in the world - the ocean. I found the pearl and rainbowish beads at Windsor as well as the coin trim. Though the main project is for the Mermaid Parade, I couldn't stay away from belly dancing touches.

We can't pretend that mermaids don't have nipples..but they can at least be pretty...

I knew that I wanted to have nipples on my costume. For all my bravery, especially not being skinny or having flat abs, I just can't walk around all day with just pasties. I just can't. It's too much exposure for too long, and even this girl needs some shade once in a while.

Initially, I thought about just having netting all over the bra, but it turned out that it would seem much better to go a simpler route. I definitely had to put in little ornamental touches, like the mother of pearl areola and gold seashell nipple, and the little starfish in the middle of the bra. I also wanted to incorporate some shimmies into the bra, and added the coins. In the end, I felt that I should still incorporate the Victoria's Secret bathing suit top, but I would wear it under the bra. So, ladies and gentlemen, here's my first mermaid bra/belly dancing top:

LOVE!

I still plan on adding a little bit more to my mermaid tail, just to make it slightly different and to really personalize it. So, even if the beads don't all line up, and the nipples are a little low...I love my little attempt at bedazzling. Though this isn't a career changer for me, I'm really proud of myself for taking the time and energy to create this beautiful mermaid accessory.

Saturn's Return

Entering my late mid-twenties (disguised as my early late-twenties), my friend Joya clued me into "Saturn's Return." According to this astrological theory, this is the time when lots of changes occur - goals are attained, milestones are reached. Though it's not supposed to be about painful upheaval, I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't some of that thrown into the mix for the fun of it all.

Since April 23rd of 2009, I must say there have been a lot of things going on in this 27 year old's life. From the more personal part, I've had to make some decisions about how far I'm willing to stretch myself for other people. But, that's not necessarily something I'm ready to get into in the blogosphere (god, what a word I never thought I'd use...).

With my night job, I felt like there needed to be a change. I love the intimacy (pun intended!) of the house parties. But I knew I needed to take it to another level. So, I started with my personal contacts (especially Perry - the personification of a Rolodex), and received a couple of great leads! As of today, I will be doing a gig on June 14th at the Savant Project in Roxbury. I am super excited to get this kind of exposure for my business! The owner of the Savant Project seems like a great guy, and he seems to be doing quite well in that area. I also have one other person to get into contact with. Hopefully, before this week is over, I will have made contact and will have another meeting with a bartender about doing a bar promotion.

got toys? I do.

Then, there's belly dancing. It's an expensive hobby! But I love it. I've been signing onto different networks, learning about workshops in the area, and signing up to take classes with different teachers. I loveAmira Jamal, but I have a tendency to become super faithful to my teachers. While I think being faithful is a good thing, it can also limit a persons education. I was bummed that she wasn't going to do a summer session, but it was a clear sign that I needed to get out of that comfort zone. So, I've signed up as a member of the New England Belly Dance Association, signed up to take an upcoming workshop, and am planning to check out Najmat's classes at the Green Street Studios. Once I can afford it, there's a whole slew of workshops that I'm wanting to take before October.

(Picture taken by Nina Lytton)

Now, all of this takes a lot of money. Money that my day job doesn't necessarily help me out with. But, it feels great to have made all this headway with these 3 parts of my life.
I want to be wary about screaming, "Go ahead, Saturn!! Bring it on!!!"

But, for now, it doesn't feel too bad at all.

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