Hey guys, it's me Tahitia and if you don't me borrowing a few minutes of your time I'd like to say goodbye to 2013, it's been a heck of a year hasn't it?

By the time you read this people all over the world will have started ringing in 2014, maybe even a few of you PUG ladies out there too if you live in Asia and or Australia. So before the New Year hits us here in Southern Ontario I'd like to take you all on a little recap the year that was in 2013.

Taking the Plunge

Just like every other year since 2010, I started 2013 off with a dip in the water at Van Wagners Beach, where I took a deep breath, thought of all the things that I'd want to accomplish this year and charged into the water full speed, wearing PUG's own Sophie Bikini Top and Amelia Bottom (sadly out of stock) :)

It was just a little bit nippy :)

Less than a week later, I was on the dance floor trying something very new.

Swinging and Hopping

This year hubby and I finally bit the bullet and signed up for swing dance lessons at a local tavern hosted by a club of Lindy Hoppers. We fell in love right away, and even though we've learned that it's going to be many MANY years before we're good enough to take part in a competition, we're definitely hooked on Lindy Hop.

There's just something amazing about being able to get spun on the dance floor by the person that you love the most, and as a girl isn't it just so much fun to be swung out on the dance floor? Here I'm not even mentioning the amazing friends we've met through Lindy Hop as well.

Whoever these people are they're amazing dancers :)

I remember one friend even invited us to a pool/Lindy party one hot summer night, we were all swing dancing on the docks at 11 and cannonballing into the water at midnight, even though poor hubby had to be at work for 5 in the morning the next day neither of us wanted to leave.

So yes, we made some amazing friends and we're planning on sticking with it for a long time to come. I definitely recommend Lindy Hop or any other kind of swing dancing for anyone interested :)

Burlesque Goes Mainstream

One of the reasons that I was so busy early in 2013, especially the first 2 weeks was because I was working 9 out of every 10 days at my day job AND rehearsing every minute that I wasn't working for the Dr. Seuss Burlesque Show that was being produced by my friend and mentor, Mz Kitty DeMure.

Kitty had an idea you see, to take burlesque shows out of the bars and the pubs and to put them into theaters. To do this she held auditions, even for her own students such as myself. She had a very high standard of excellence that she held her performers to, and she wanted all of our acts to come together in a single brilliant theme.

This was the ad for the Dr. Seuss show in London Ontario back in January. The show actually featured a giant hat!

First up was the Dr. Seuss burlesque show that I told you about earlier, and WOW were our shows a success! Packed houses, great reviews and loving audiences wanting more :)

Luckily there was a lull my burlesque schedule after February which left plenty of time to work and save up for something I've been wanting to do ever since finding Pinup Girl Clothing...

Viva Las Vegas Forever

I come from a town where at most I'm one of 2 or 3 girls at a massive event donning the pinup look, at Viva I was with thousands and I don't know if I'd ever felt more at home.

Oh I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting you :)

I met up with fellow PUG lady Kara Rex, and along with a beautiful girl named Darla Doherty that we met at the PUG burlesque show on the Friday night, we met her because I went up to tell her how much I loved her victory rolls and we totally hit it off.

Don't we make a cute trio? ;)

We had so much fun at the car show and the clothing booths that weekend, posing for so many adorable pics, meeting so many incredible people and just taking every minute of it all in.

Also this happened, but this always when girls get together :)

Trust me when I say that Micheline is every bit as nice as she is smart and beautiful as well!

I felt like I was home, like I was exactly where I wanted to be and with the people that I wanted to be with.

This woman is just amazing, her tattoos, her smile, her hair... total girl crush here :)

To get to actually meet the women who've made PUG a reality through years of hard work and endless dedication was just so inspiring :)

Did I mention that I met Doris Mayday too? If not then I totally met Doris Mayday :)

I'm not sure what else I can say about being in paradise and meeting so many people, including the Supreme Overlord herself!

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK I still can't believe that I met her!!!!


What was best about Viva is that it left with me with a lesson that I hadn't actually learned yet, that for as important as work and being financially responsible is, you really do need to treat yourself, your mind, your body and your spirit to what makes you happy. Life is very short, and it goes by so fast.

I made a promise to myself after Viva that I was going to live life differently, that if there was something I'd always wanted to do, I'd actually make an effort TO do it and not make a "rational excuse" of a reason why not to.

You only live once, and I was determined to live mine the way I wanted to... starting with a little idea I'd always had kicking around in the back of my mind.

I'm Ready for my Close Up

You see for a lot of reasons that I'm not going to get into, they make a LOT of movies and TV shows in my part of Southern Ontario, specifically between Hamilton and Toronto, a lot of which are American and British productions, so you've all probally seen TV & movies over the years that were filmed here in the Great White North.

Starting just after we got back from Viva, my husband and I contacted a friend of ours from our Steampunk club (I'm a steampunk btw, yes I'm a total nerd) who's a scientist but also a background actor (an extra) in her spare time. She hooked us up with an agent based in Hamilton, and less than 48 hours after e-mailing them a quick headshot of myself I was on my very first set, a Hallmark Christmas movie set in New York City called "A Very Merry Mixup". I wore PUG that first day on set, the Joanie Top in Navy and the Perfect Pencil Skirt in Red. You can see me in a restaurant scene in the very beginning of the movie, but I'm kind of a blur in the background.

Most of the times you'll see me on the screen I'm just a blur, but not all the time.

That's me to the right of the main character in this episode of the Murdoch Mysteries, a hit Canadian period piece :)

I've had so many fun times on set and I've gotten to play so many roles in so many amazing costumes. I've played a nurse, a police woman (I loved that uniform), a renaissance fair goer, a paranormal researcher, and once a very VERY naked woman (that last one didn't didn't require any costume at all actually ;) ), and I even got to be in a big budget feature film that opens in February and the name of the ... :)

The thing about being an extra/background performer is that you'll never make a lot of money. You get paid pretty well here in Ontario but at the best it's a part time job, especially in the winter months when absolutely NOBODY IS SHOOTING OUTSIDE BECAUSE IT'S SO COLD HERE!! Seriously, my first day on set we were all pretending that it was winter by wearing heavy coats and scarfs but it was totally t-shirt and short weather outside :) Back to my original point, it's a really good idea to have another steadier job.

I also admit that I approached this job in a way that you shouldn't, I'm a major fan girl and I REALLY wanted to get on a lot of cool shows that are shot here, and unfortunately for the most part that just didn't happen this year. I've learned that loosing out on parts is just part of the job, this year I was up for parts ranging from a dominatrix, a mutilated corpse, a tattooed burlesque performer in vintage lingerie, and for one reason or another I just wasn't what production looking for. That happens a lot and it's just something you have to get used to and learn not to take personally. 

When you do get the part though, and you're on the set under the lights right in front of the cameras when the director yells action, it's like no other job out there and that really makes all the lows worth it :)

Rolling With the Punches

While on the set of that movie that rhymes with Rompeii, I got to see something incredible, stunt performers in action. These are men and women, young and old of every race and look who know how to fall, how to get hit, punched, trampled, how to tumble, be thrown and how to make it all look amazing without getting hurt once.

I can't drive a car but I am up for getting nailed by one :)

Considering aside from dance I don't really have any background in physical activities, I looked into this and I found out that in Toronto there was a stunt school founded by the gentleman who was the stunt coordinator on that movie i mentioned above. After a couple of drop ins to see if I a) was interested and b) not too fragile to do this I signed up for a semester and I can now say that I know how to throw a person over a bar, GET thrown over a bar, how to pull someone by the hair and get pulled by the hair, do a superman punch and a lot of other awesome things.

Being a stuntwoman though isn't something you can be ready for over night. I've been advised that it's going to take daily training for anywhere between 5-7 years, that it will require mastering at least 2 forms of swordsmanship, 3 martial arts, horseback riding, archery, marksmanship and gymnastics, and even then I might not be lucky enough to ever get cast in a movie or a TV show. I've decided that this is worth it though, and that I want to be proud when I'm 80 years old of what I did now whether I ever get cast or not.

Striking a Pose

Throughout the summer time I was lucky enough when I wasn't working my day job and as an extra to get in quite a few pinup/rockabilly shoots and even a couple of steampunk shoots with quite a few different photographers thanks to Model Mayhem.

I've been lucky enough to work with some great photographers who've given me a lot of advice and have really helped me learn what parts of modeling I really love the most.

Here's a fun fact, we thought that these tracks were abandoned, until a train ran through just after we finished :)

I got to take part in location shsots on wild beaches in wind storms, long forgotten rail lines, restored Victorian train stations, vintage warplane airfields, there are so many amazing stories from photoshoots just this year.

A lot of this in all because of Model Mayhem so I really have to give them credit where credit is due, it really is a great way to network with photographers and even other models in your area, especially if like me you have no idea how to be a model and are just getting into the industry :)

Au Naturel

Though I do have to warn you that a lof of my pics are NSFW. You see I've discovered this year that I do actually have a strong passion for nude modeling, both in front of the camera and in front of an art class, and both have been great experiences.

Once you get past the fact that we all have parts of ourselves that we're not in love with, and even parts we might wish we can change, it's quite a liberating experience to show the world yourself in the most natural way. A friend of mine, a burlesque performer that I talk to over Facebook named Mimi Amore said this to me about nudity:

"On average we are only naked for about Ten minutes a day, to get changed and to have a shower (unless you have a really long shower and sleep naked) I think it’s really important to get used to being naked as we are always clothed and hidden... It’s natural and free, you aren’t hiding being anything."

Here's a censored version to protect you from unplanned an mooning :)

So there, I hope my foray into nude modeling doesn't offend and that this way you won't be surprised if you see more of me than you were expecting on MM some time :)

Dirty Dancing Burlesque, It Could Have Been Huge

With my day job, my job as an extra and as an art class model you can imagine how busy I was from the spring time to the fall, but I never forgot that above all else my mentor Kitty DeMure and her shows were my highest priority, because for all of Kitty's brilliant accomplishments as a producer and a performer herself, she was about to show the world her best work yet.

Dirty Dancing, a Burlesque Love Story.

With the help of classically trained dancers and performers, and even a professional choreographer, Kitty put together a cast that recreated the most memorable scenes from Dirty Dancing with breathtaking performances that left audiences speechless. I'm not going to lie, this was the most amazing show that I've EVER BEEN A PART OF.

This was our Johnny. Need I say more?

We had our debut show in Hamilton back in May, and performed in Stratford and even North Bay, which was quite the road trip in of itself. I wish I could show you all this show because I know you would have loved it, and I truly believed that this was a show that would be selling out theaters in Montreal, Vancouver, and even venues in Chicago, New York, Miami and San Francisco.



I won't bore you with the details of what went wrong, but we had some promotional issues, and ticket sales never met expectations. Our long awaited New Years Eve performance back here in Hamilton was cancelled at the last minute in a dispute with our venue, which left such a sour taste in Kitty DeMure's mouth that she disbanded the troupe, cancelled the remainder of the tour, ended all plans for future productions including the Queen inspired burlesque shows.

To make matters worse, Kitty's decided to move out west to try her luck in Alberta. This is the biggest heartbreak of all for me, to see this happen to one of my best friends. I'm going to do everything I can to make her vision of burlesque a reality again, though it may take some time it's a vision I believe in.

Yet even with this set back, I'm counting myself as very lucky this year, because late in the year as you might remember I got some very bad news after a trip to the doctor. I was once again facing the risk of blindness.

A Brown Eyed Girl

Right off the bat I want to let you all know that my recovery from the operation has been amazing, and I can see better out of my right eye than I have in years.

Things weren't looking so great mid-October though, I'd just found out that my "good" eye, the eye I wasn't essentially blind in already was suffering from a detached retina and that an operation would be needed to reattach it immediately.

As with any operation, there are risks that things could go wrong, but without the operation total blindness was a certainty. So I went under the knife, which if you remember my blog on the topic was something I've done with my eyes a few times before now with not so great success. This time things worked out for the best, and for the first time in my life I'm going to be needed a weaker prescription of glasses.

The immediate recovery process was you could say interesting. I went to a Halloween ball the night after the operation, even most of my friends mistook my massive swollen eye as part of my costume, a 1950's swimsuit pageant winner who apparently was in a bar fight :)

I'm a beauty queen who knows how to fight :)

I'm still not happy with the friends and strangers who looked at my husband as if he'd hit me, that offends me to my core. Luckily my stunt friends just thought I'd taken a punch badly, and I even got to play a homeless person on a TV show who'd been beaten up, so in the end I'd say that that worked out :)

Fate's a Funny Thing

So there, that brings us to New Years Eve tonight. Things aren't perfect in my life, I wish I had more money, but who doesn't. I've so blessed to have an amazing year this year, and I can honestly say that it held so many surprises for me. I never would have guessed that I was capable of doing the things that I've done, but I guess fate always has a way of surprising us doesn't it? 

I laughed and I cried this year, and I lived. What more can you ask for?

Five Special Ladies of PUG

Now I'd like to take another minute to talk about some very special people that I'm proud to say I've gotten close to this year. You've all been so nice to me, and I'm proud to be able to call myself a friend to you. Getting to know you has been a special experience that I don't think I'll ever forget.

Aoife

You are the definition of a pinup Aoife, you're smile, your sophistication, your elegance, your charm, and a smile that lights up any room it's in. When I see you're outfits and the pictures of you wearing them I honestly wonder how pinup ever could have gone out of style.

Never stop smiling, the world needs more Aoife's :)

Brandi

Oh where to begin, I just love you so much. I've shared things with you that I never thought I'd share with anyone, we're so much alike you and I, what are the odds that we would have found each other through the entire expanse of the internet? You have a brilliant sense of style and I'm not lying when I say that I once googled "beautiful classic pinups" and your picture came up. You have such an incredible sense of optimism too, I know that you're going to be very successful. 

Never stop believing, you make all the rest of us believe too :)

Brandy

Wow, another Brandy, albeit spelled just a little different. You've given me so much advice on how to reach out to fans through my Facebook page, and I really feel like we got to know each other through our mutual Facebook pages and the stories and pictures we shared. You're smart, you're sweet, and you're an absolutely beautiful woman, and of course you're an incredible writer Brandy, I only wish that I could write these blogs as beautiful as some of the writing of yours that I've seen.

Never stop writing, it's a gift that makes the world richer :)

Leanna

I wonder if any other woman has done more for Pinup Girl Clothing than you? You're get togethers are the stories of legend, your retro lovely look leaves men and women breathless, you've connected women a world away through PUG Packages and you're doing your very best to bring burlesque to more people than ever. To top it all off you introduced me to Chrys Columbine, who herself is one of the most remarkable women that I've ever met. It's no surprise that Dita Von Teese is one of your tens of thousands of readers.

Never stop doing what you love, the world is going to know your name one day :)

Cela

You're a mother to two amazing girls, you're (or you were until you graduated) a full time student, and you did it all with so much grace and style. I'll never know how women like you can do so many things at once and make it all look so easy while looking so beautiful. Society heaps so many expectations on women, some less fair than others, but you not only met them, you've blown them out of the water.

Keep on following your dreams, women like you know how to make a dream a reality :)

Bucket List Time

So a little more than a year ago started a thread here on our bucket lists and things that we all want to do one day. So after a full year here's a quick update on the things that I said I'd try to get done and a couple of new things I'm aiming for :)

Go Cliff Jumping - I need to learn to be a better swimmer first but that will happen and this too will happen :)


Learn to Swing Dance - CHECK! It's still a work in progress but hubby and I have a good start :)



Be in a Rocky Horror Picture Show Shadow Cast - I was recovering from eye surgery and had to miss this year's in October, but there's always next year :)



Be a Movie Extra - CHECK! See above :)


Skinny Dip in the Ocean - This one WILL happen I just need to GET to the ocean first. Do lakes count because if so...


Go the Edwardian Ball - This will happen, maybe just not this year.


Kiss a Dolphin - Again, I have to get to the ocean first :)

More for the List in 2014 & Other Things to DO

So here are a few new ones that I'd love to add to my list. I hope you like them!

Learn to speak French. It's a beautiful language, I'm Canadian and I've adopted a French name as my own so there's no reason not to speak it :)



Learn archery. This is an absolute must for being a stunt woman and it's also a pretty bad ass skill to have either way :)



Learn to ride a horse. I just love horses and there's no reason any more to put off learning to ride :)



Become a published model. This one's pretty self-explanatory, let's see if we can make this happen :)


I also have some real plans for some great photoshoots this year, it won't be easy finding the time but they're definitely going to be worth it :)

First off I have a HUGE stockpile of PUG outfits that I still have to have my picture taken in for the Fan Photo section of the site here. There are at least 3 items to shoot, there might be more, I'll have to check my orders :)

Second, I became a huge fan of Bioshock this year, not just one video game but the ENTIRE SERIES OF GAMES

It might not be pinup related but I'm going to try to do a few shoots where I'm dressed up as a main character in beautiful Edwardian clothing.

Russian professional cosplayer Anna Moleva as Edwardian Elizabeth.

A more pinup looking late 1940's outfit (even though the game takes place in the late 1950's... if you know the story of the game that would totally make sense).



Professional cosplayer  Ver1sa as Elizabeth from Burial at Sea.

Even a crazy drug fueled psychic marauder. Again, if you knew the video game you'd understand how cool this is, and this costume will be a good one to wear to cons too :)

I think I can pull it off :)

This next shoot is an idea I had from a Facebook graphic I found the other day from one of the pinup/rockabilly pages I follow. Just like with our bioshock pic above this is going to require a bit of makeup but I think it's totally dooable and it would be a heck of a lot of fun :)


A bit of zombie makeup for our male model will be required :)

This last idea came from a little back and forth Brandy Cross and I had the other day where I said I really should do a "Marilyn Moment" photoshoot on Facebook and Brandy told me that if I do it I should do it in front of a real train station over a real subway grate. So now I have this idea of my photographer friend Melanie waiting for the right time on a weekend in front of Union Station in Toronto, running out to pose for a couple of pics as the subway roars underneath and then quickly running away just fast as we got there.


That should be fun :)

Aside from that I'm definitely up for some winter themed pics.

Courtesy of Kristelle O'Chocolat :)

Some more pinup shots., some rockabilly car shots, a bubble bath/shower shoot.

Samantha Sweets, a very talented and devoted doll :)

A Mardi Gras shot...


My fellow Canuck Riddle :)

... some Christmas shots for next year and even a New Years shot for next year too :)

That Just About Sums It Up

So there you have it, those are my modelling plans & my bucket list plans for 2014. As for everything else, I'm planning on upgrading my day job skills with some courses at the local university so I can make a higher salary and buy more PUG, go on more trips to Viva and other fun things.

Most importantly I plan on being just as busy and active here on Pinup Girl Style and on PUG's Twitter and Facebook pages. I can't even imagine where I'd be in my life right now if I didn't have Pinup Girl Clothing. I've said it before and I'll say it again, you guys have made such an amazing difference in my life.

So I'm looking forward to getting to know you all even better and to meeting even more of you in 2014. My ultimate dream of course though is to one day be a Pinup Girl Clothing model, it's a long shot but you never know what the future holds.

Take care and hugs,

Tahitia :)