Looking back, I decided to come up with my own list of moments from the past year. 2012 was most certainly a year of endings, beginnings, new-found friends, and constant change. Thanks to everyone who took the journey with me!
10: BECOMING NABOO ROYALTY
From the moment I saw Phantom Menace, I knew I wanted to dress up as Queen Amidala. The makeup was the easy part. Figuring out the dress proved the be quite the challenge. After asking multiple seamstresses for help, I managed to connect with Jill Smolkin. She was more than excited to help put the massive gown together. And as it turns out, my best friend also finds inspiration with Amidala and we spent a few evenings putting the headpiece together.
Amidala's first appearance at Fan Expo Vancouver landed me in the pages of both the Province and the Vancouver Sun! Besides the scores of photo opportunities, it also led to a brief but amazing chat with Boba Fett himself, Jeremy Bulloch. The outfit also managed to steal me a flirtatious glance from Herculean hottie Kevin Sorbo.
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| [Top L-R: with Jeremy Bulloch; with lady Darth at PAX Bottom L-R: on the pages of The Province; getting goofy at Fan Expo] |
It took me eight years, but I finally managed to attend Vancouver's biggest summer fair. After an intensive summer and Pride Season, an evening at the PNE was a very welcome respite from all the hustle and bustle. One of the highlights was definitely Star Trek: The Exhibition. The gallery of designs, props, and costumes had me jumping around like a crazy fangirl, and helped inspire my IMATS creation a month later. Taking photos technically wasn't allowed, so there were laughs over a few stolen shots.
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| [Top L-R: in the photobooth with Glenn, award-winning PNE BBQ Bottom L-R: Original Star Trek costumes from the exhibition; with Glenn on the transporter pods] |
8: I'M (A) SUPER ON AIDA! THANKS FOR ASKING.
After visiting the Vancouver Opera offices to do a blog interview, I somehow landed a gig as one of the supernumeraries for their closing production, Aida. I apparently fit the bill perfectly, being the only super who didn't require bodypaint or a wig. Besides working intimately with some of the world's best singers on the Aida, I was also given the chance to cover Vancouver Opera's Overtures. I not only got to see Jennifer Hudson perform, my being totally shameless paid off by landing me a chance to dance with her!
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| [L-R: Robbie, Quinn Kelsey, me, Mlada Khudoley, Morris Robinson] |
Making art is sometimes about collaboration. Sometimes collaborations turns out amazing and sometimes it turns out in bitter, bitter divorce. Luckily things turned out in the former for my collaboration with some of my dearest friends on the Act 5 Creative Competition. We were tasked to form groups of three makeup artists, three models, and one photographer. Together we would come up with one set of fantasy-inspired "God" looks, and an original tropical-themed makeup. Our work together landed my stunning model Todd second place in the modelling category. As competitions can go, there were times when things were just grueling but altogether it ended being a great bonding experience for the entire team.
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| [Top L-R: Todd, Samantha and Nolan as Norse Gods; Makeup Artists Karley, Justin and Nicole Bottom L-R: Todd, Justin and Nelson celebrating Todd's win; Todd's sailor-inspired look] |
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| Wearing my first colored veils at my elevation ceremony |
The video to Sweet's Novice project for Elevation, "Catwalk for Life" at the 2012 AIDS Walk
5: WHAT HAPPENS IN FAERIE CAMP...
"Welcome home." The most precious of all Faerie sayings proved to be particularly resonant for me this year as I joined my Fae brothers at the BC Radical Faerie Gathering. A weekend which I fondly refer to as the weekend of "drag in the woods," I did actually spend the most of the weekend walking the campground in heels. I let me creativity out loose, churning out more outfits than Madonna on the set of Evita. The bestie had been inducted into the fold, which made the weekend all the more sweeter.
After the gathering I was given the amazing privilege of representing the faeries on the covers of Xtra West! Xtra had sent one of their writers to join us for the weekend. He not only returned with a wonderful article, he also returned as a tried-and-true Radical Faerie, which further spoke to how amazing of a weekend it was.
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| [Top L-R: May 2012 cover of Xtra West; SnapDragon and Marzipan perform; Monarch gets his face painted Bottom L-R: in a gifted dress from Tinkerbell; goofing around as the farmer's wife with Greyshard] |
The Exequatur celebration for the Abbey of the Long Cedar Canoe is an event that will always stay with me. An Exequatur is something that only happens once in an Abbey's history. I am very, very fortunate to have been part of such an amazing event. Initially I had my doubts. We didn't have the sound equipment that we wanted. And I thought the venue was less than ideal. But upon our arrival to the Exequatur ceremony, the sheer amount of smiles that filled the room and the overflowing love for the Sisters was definitely, definitely felt. The event very quickly became standing room only. The community made our event an undeniable success.
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| One joy, more joy, always joy! |
After eleven very intensive months at the City Square Campus of Blanche MacDonald Centre, my beloved class and I graduated on April 25th, 2012. Our time at Blanche was a crazy, fun-filled time where we all exchanged one-liners, passion for everything 90s, dinosaur tokens, teacher gossip, and not-so-secret secret birthday cards. After spending twenty or so hours every week together, it took some adjusting to not seeing everyone's faces. We've scattered back all across the globe, and I'm always eagerly anticipating the next crazy thing the glam fam does next. xoxo
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| [Top L-R: Our graduation ceremony; with CJ after our first final exam Bottom L-R: Two of my Blanche final projects] |
While eagerly awaiting for the results from the Act 5 Competition, I nearly screamed out loud in the middle of a coffee shop after receiving a letter of congratulations from Makeup Artist Magazine. I had been selected as one of eight finalists from all around the world to compete in the character competition at IMATS Sydney. I never expected to get in, and it turned out to be the opportunity of a lifetime.
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| [Top L-R: My IMATS Sydney Creation; the character competition aliens Bottom: becoming fast friends with fellow competitor Emma] |
I not only got to compete in IMATS, I was able to spend two incredible weeks in Sydney. I wasted no time at all exploring every possible destination I could. I went to at least four beaches, hung out with koalas, explored the museums, attended EB Games Expo, and took countless photos every step of the way (as everyone on my Facebook is fully aware).
The Sisters from Sydney have become a part of my chosen family and were instrumental to how amazing my trip went. I had reached out to the Sisters prior to my trip and they let me stay with them in their priory. I had lots of adventures just from hanging out with them alone. I spent the first night delivering food for a homeless shelter by bike while still affected by jetlag. And on my last night, Sister Carmen and I put on our respective nun outfits and rode out on bikes to take the Imperial by storm!
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| [Top L-R: with performers at Luna Park; with Sister Carmen at the Imperial Bottom L-R: EB Games Expo; with the Sydney Sisters] |
In mid-October, my Uncle Eric passed away after suffering a fatal heart attack right after rehearsing with his a Capella group, Tux. My mother's brother, I had spent a lot of weekends with Uncle Eric and his family. The only other person on both sides of my biological family to pursue the artistic path, he is sorely, sorely missed. The family brought the family together and his funeral brought many tears, memories, and amazing music from some of the best Pinoy singers in the industry. He leaves as his legacy his amazing music and two incredible sons.
Uncle, I know you're still rocking out that bass-baritone up in heaven.
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