Greetings friends and fans,

I am only now somewhat recovered from the Teaseorama weekend and the events immediately following. ToR was incredible, all I had hoped it would be and more. I was bummed to get there so late Friday night, but my rockstar date, Chester (of the Cock-T's), made up for all that stress by having a perfect seat waiting for me when I got there and was just looking so doggone good a girl could hardly remain frazzled from 2 hours of traffic. I *heart* Chester.

While I was too late to get things going in the bazaar Friday night, I was able to put my 4 days of no sleep to better use on Saturday night, when after my performance (rocking it to Cameo's "Word up!" with my other burlesque main squeeze, Gorilla X) I was able to set up shop and had a surprisingly profitable night. Folks seemed to love my feathered hair pieces and vintage notion jewelry and I even got orders for two sets of "sprung*" pasties. Yay! Enough to pay back my sweetheart and have enough left over to pick up my pain medication on Monday morning. Phew. (and a real triumph, as my sweetheart – tho he never came out and said it – was dubious as to whether these things I seem to spend so much time making, would actually sell. And sell they did! To the tune of nearly $300. not bad for a couple hours of hanging out in the bazaar. My poor sweetheart has been so supportive whilst I've been unemployed; job hunting and not finding and this was going to allow me to pay for some stuff myself.)

After ToR, Pookie, Miss Marion and I headed over to the after-party at the Climate, where I was scheduled to perform a new routine to "American Woman" – that's the Guess Who, btw, not Steppenwolf or Led Zeppelin or any of the other bands people asked about - with Siren Sapphire, which went off very well, I think. That, my friends, is where thing went awry.

After the number, I went down to the bar and got a soda and a cocktail from my girl Jenya at the bar. I dropped my little bag with my money from the ToR bazaar sales and the receipts into the bottom of my costume bag, and set off for some fun. I made a round of the party and went upstairs to see if I could track down Don, Pookie or Marion, but all were AWOL. I went back downstairs and didn't get far before I was derailed by Tigger and Millionaire in the cushion room. I spent quite awhile in there, (what happens in the cushion room stays in the cushion room) and eventually, Don and Pookie wandered in. We finally decide it's time to get outta' dodge, when I realize that my little plaid bag, the very one I had dropped into the bottom of my bag is now sitting on top of the few costume pieces that had not made it back onto me after the gig upstairs. The little bag is soaking wet and has some coins in the bottom, but no receipts and no money. And I fall apart. All of my profits went the way of a party pickpocket. SUCKS! We search the cushion room and my bag several more times, no dice. Eventually Don & Pookie have to take off. And I am sitting there, paralyzed with anger and frustration by this turn of events. DAMMMMIT to bloody hell. I really want to thank D & P, Millionaire, Rose Pistola, Sparkly and Fudgie (who won my heart forever by making the photog delete the photos of my crying jag in the corner) and anyone else who helped me out that night. Marion, I owe you a ride home, from Paris if necessary, and thank you for understanding and letting me head home.

As if this isn't enough (I feel like Job right now – Jobella) the next afternoon, someone sideswiped my car, fresh back from my sweetheart's trip to Napa and took off the driver side mirror, rendering it un-driveable. Damn again. Now I am out all my profit, have no contacts or accounting for my recent sales and I have to get my car fixed. Double damn with a spooning of damn on top and great big helping of goddammmit on the side.

Please, please, please, If you bought anything from me on Saturday night, or signed my mailing list or made an order for the "sprung" pasties or a feather/veil cloche hair ornament, I need your info again. (Jake & Mynxie, I still have yours). I will do my best to get those together from memory, but it would be a huge help to get your info via tribe/myspace or my website. I also need to know where to send stuff! (www.opheliaswaterfall.net)

If you have a charitable heart and want to contribute to "the betty blue door & mirror repair fund," or to help me get back on track, that would rock the world and make me eternally grateful.
(via paypal: cancangal@aol.com).

I have *tons* of new designs for hair ornaments and jewelry in the making and plan on having it up on my website for custom order or sale by the beginning of November. I can't wait to show off the new pretties and all the cool things one can do with springs!

Yours in gratitude & rhinestones,

~ophelia coeur de noir

www.myspace.com/opheliaswaterfall

www.people.tribe.net/cancangal

www.opheliaswaterfall.net

cancangal@aol.com

*If there exist any photos of the heart spring pasties and codpiece from the "Word up!" number, I'd love to see some. I also lost my ToR goody bag and the two ToR programs I had managed to score. (One for me and one to send to my papa in NY)