Fall Crafts for Free!

Miss Ginger made these fall holiday wreaths for the entrance to La Riata, and she's so proud of them she wanted to share them with you!  They were easy to make, and best of all, they were FREE!  Not one single trip to the craft store!  It's all made from crap she had around the house!  You can do it, too, with a little resourcefulness and creativity! 

She started by making her wreath bases from some styrofoam sheets that came as packing material from a piece of furniture.  Styro wreaths at the craft store are SO expensive, but with a an inexpensive styrofoam cutter you can make them yourself from garbage!  Miss G taped 2 pieces together to make a wreath large enough for her door.

 For the next step Miss Ginger used brown craft paper, which she had in the garage in a perfect 9" width designed to fit a paint masking device that she can no longer find, but you could cut regular craft paper into strips... This would be a great use for all of that brown paper Amazon.com uses to pack all that stuff you buy from them, since you're going to crumple it up anyway! 

Begin by creating a double ring of crumpled paper on top of the styrofoam, using tape as needed to keep it in place. Then, begin wrapping the styrofoam and paper together with more crumpled paper to create the base of the wreath. 

When you're done it will look sort of like a paper coffee cake, as observed here by Miss Ginger's assistant, LittleRed Corvette, himself an expert in fall colorations! 

Miss Ginger didn't have any fall-hued ribbon to use as garland, but she did have miles of orange glitter-dot fabric left over from some ancient costume, so she sliced it into strips with a rotary cutter and put it to use! 

To make the bow she used more glitter dot in a different color, and wrapped it around a 5x10 piece of interfacing to give it body... you could use a sheet of paper if you don't have interfacing laying around.  She wrapped 4 pieces in total: one for each loop of the 2 bows. 

To shape the loops, she folded them wrong sides together, then gathered and stapled each loop.

Next, the 2 loops are stapled together... 

... a loop is created and wrapped around the connection to simulate a "knot"...

... and 2 more lengths of ribbon are added to create the tails.

Now the fun part:  decorating your wreaths!  Here's a little tip:  if you are making a pair of wreaths that will be shown together (like these double doors) then work on them together to make sure they balance.  You won't make them match completely, but you want to make sure they have the same density of elements so the will go together.  Miss Ginger likes to lay out all of her gee-gaw for both wreaths before she attaches anything,so she can make sure she's happy with the balance.

Miss Ginger used 3 elements on this wreath:  dried magnolia leaves from the yard that she sprayed with fall-colored spray paints, some glitter branch thingies left from an old christmas tree theme, and some gold plastic balls left over probably from the same tree. Use whatever you have, and if it's not the right color, spray it!  Pine cones, dried branches, old scratched ornaments... almost anything can be dolled up with some spray paint and some glitter! 

Once the layout was finalized, it took no time to hot-glue everything in place!  Miss G added greening pins to connect the heavier items directly to the styrofoam, but you could cut some paper clips into "u's" if you don't have greening pins.  Glue another pin or clip onto the back of each wreath for a hanger and you're ready to deck your halls with a gorgeous wreath made of trash!  


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What I do....

Just Teasing...

Hot Tranny Mess is the only way to describe the condition of Queen Ginger's updos after a season's worth of crown head!  The only thing that will tear up a wig faster than shoving a rhinestone crown into is is pulling the same crown back out, and as you can see, these 2 girls, once Miss Ginger's signature coifs, look like they've been rode hard and put up wet (that was one of Daddy G's favorite sayings!)


So, it's been wig week at Chez Ginger.  Queen G does not particularly enjoy wig week.  She's a seamstress, not a hair burner, so her wig keeping skills are not the best.  Still, there's no loss in trying to fix these 2 bird's nests: the worst she can do it not make them look any better, in which case their fate will be the same- garbage can!


Wig week starts with a good washing.  We start with a sink full of laundry detergent and warm water, to break down all the spray, sweat, and makeup.  After that, baby shampoo helps rinse out any remaining detergent, and then a good rinse with lots of cool water.  A good shake in the shower gets a lot of the water out, and then they hang upside down for the remaining water to drip out, and for the entire thing to dry.


Working with synthetic hair is NOTHING like working with human hair! Human hair has natural oils and moisture that keep is soft and manageable, and your hair grows from the follicles in consistent sections, allowing all of the hairs to collect into locks, which can be formed into curls, sections, etc. by your hairdresser. 

Synthetic hair has no oil or moisture- it's like thousands of tiny pieces of curling ribbon all tied together at one end.  Because there is no oil to help the hairs slide along one another, and no moisture to keep the strands from becoming stiff, trying to get a comb through the stuff is dang near impossible!  A teasing pic like this is about the only thing that will go through it, and to make that work, you have to start with a small section at a time, working from the ends to the crown, taking longer and longer strokes until all the fibers in that section are separated.

It takes hours to pick through a wig in this manner, which is why "wig week" is so tedious!  There is one product Queen Ginger has discovered that makes the process easier- and it's right on the shelf at your local drug store! 

"No More Tangles" is a spray-in conditioner designed for children's hair, but Queen Ginger has discovered that it help replace some of the oils that synthetic hair is lacking, allowing the strands to slide along each other better, and allowing them to cling together to form locks that can later be sprayed into place.  It's a godsend, especially for wigs that have become really frizzy and matted.  It happens. Trust!

Once the wig is untangled, the sections can be managed and arranged to create your style.  Each lock can now be separated and sprayed to create a curl or section.  Always use a spray made for synthetic hair, for 2 reasons.  1st, synthetic hairspray is sticky, and will hold the hairs together to form a lock. whereas regular hairspray won't.  Secondly, synthetic hairspray dries with a crystal shine that makes synthetic hair look natural and lifelike.  Regular hairspray makes a wig look dull, like straw- or Lindsay Lohan's hair.


As disclaimed earlier, Queen Ginger is not the best coiffure artist on the drag circuit. But, I think you'll admit by looking at the before and after, she did save the 2 dos from the trash heap!

BEFORE

AFTER!!

Two Can Be the Loneliest Number!

So, here's the deal:  Queen Ginger has been doing this little blog for several years now, starting it back when she was just a princess!  It's never been about "being a blogger" or "standing for" anything, it's just a little corner of the interwebz where a drag queen can be herself, speak her mind, have some fun, and make a few friends along the way. And oh, what friends she's made! Her blog friends, like her friends in life, are not huge in numbers, but they are great, like-minded people that she's thrilled to have in her life!

Some, she's met in person, like her dear, dear sister David Dust, along with crazy Cousin Maddie!  On the west coast, she's got the Mermaid Momma, Creative Kailyn, and Fightin' Mad Mary!  And covering the middle of the country, Nutwood Beth and Bucko.   The more she thinks, the more she realizes she's met!  Chicago Dan, and everyone's 2nd favorite drag queen, Amber LeMay.  DJ Howard. Is she forgetting anyone? Oh, Sissy Mark! Who else....? 

And there's still more to meet!  Tug, and Auntie Flame, for sure!  Smalltown Bob, and Mr. and Mrs. Miss Alaineous! The world is filled with GingerSnaps, and Queen G wants to meet them all!  She's cooking up a few little round-ups around the country this spring, but tentatively we are looking at the 2nd weekend of Jazzfest in NOLA, the week after Easter in NYC, and a jaunt to the west coast sometime in May.  Any takers?

Meanwhile, let's reel things back in to the point of this post!  While Queen Ginger is all about quality, not quantity, she has realized that over these years, she has collected 98 wonderful, registered, card-carrying GingerSnaps, and for that she is truly grateful!  But, she also realizes, this box is a couple of 'snaps shy of full!  Wouldn't it be great to have an even 100?  

She only needs 2 more!!  C'mon, folks! If you've been reading, but you're not following, do a girl a favorite and set up a free google account so you can be an official "GingerSnap!" And, if you've got like-minded friends who might enjoy kicking back a few pinot grigios with the world's most entertaining drag queen, send 'em a link!  The world can only be a more FABULOUS place for it!

It's Official!

As all faithful GingerSnaps know: Miss Ginger will say just about ANYTHING!  Many people think it's because she lacks adequate filters.  But in truth, she has discovered, it's just in her DNA- all just part of being a REAL drag queen!

Down to the Wire!

(Spoiler Alert!!)
RuPaul's Drag Race is coming down to the wire with only 4 queens left standing after Shangela was finally sent packing after tonight's "hair raising" challenge?


Or is it 5 queens left standing?  In a dramatic admission of guilty feelings, Ru confided in the audience that her co-judges had criticized her for sending home worthy queens at the expense of others.  Is it coincidental that this revelation comes on the night Shangela is deservedly eliminated?  Many have accused Ru of turning a blind eye to many of Shangela's shortcomings, so tonight she puts bygones behind and gives the judges the opportunity to reverse her questionable decisions.


Currently, 4 girls are left standing:

Raja fancies herself a "glamour" queen, and claims to be savvy and experienced in the worlds of runways and red carpets.  She considers her looks to be "couture" and "high fashion".  Miss Ginger, unfortunately, finds Boy Raja infinitely more interesting than the drag persona, which Miss Ginger would classify as "genderfuck", not one of her favorite forms of drag.  Raja has often been the winner of RDR challenges, sometimes deservedly, and sometimes because she is smarter and more creative than her competition.  Raja comes across as extremely intelligent on the show, and is someone Miss G would definitely love to meet and get to know! Miss Ginger's reconnaissance tells her Raja is the fan favorite! 

Yara Sofia is this season's class clown.  Her heavy Puerto Rican accent gives her a crazy Charo meets Pink vibe, and she tends to rely on shtick and stereotypical deprecation when the challenges require eloquence or pronunciation. Her makeup is her strength, her presentation is her downfall, and her wardrobe is inconsistent- sometimes stunning, sometimes not.  Yara would be fun at parties, but Miss Ginger doesn't see her as America's next drag superstar!

If Yara is the queen of self deprecation,  then Manila Luzon is the Grand Imperial Empress for All Eternity of stereotypical drag!  A child of one Asian and one white parent, Manila has created a "Flower Drum Song" Pat Suzuki character for herself that is beautiful, funny, sometimes charming, and sometimes downright alarming!  Her cleverness is off the charts, and she creates characters and costumes with the ease of Lily Tomlin and the skill of Edith Head.  Miss Ginger thinks Manila could be a contender!

Alexis Mateo is another Puerto Rican queen who may be a bit cuter as a boy than a girl. Not that she's not a pretty girl, but she's a REALLY pretty boy!  Alexis is  talented, and her makeup is usually spot on, but her costuming and hair can be a bit iffy at times. She's extremely comfortable in her drag persona, and convincingly feminine, but Miss Ginger is not sure Alexis has enough audience appeal and stage drama to overtake Raja and Manila in the competition.














For the "twist" this season, Ru has challenged her co-judges to choose one girl from those previously eliminated to come back to the competition.  Will it be someone recent, like Shangela or Carmen, or will they reach farther back into the season, and bring back someone like India, Mimi, or Phoenix?

Miss Ginger is betting it might be Delta Work.  Delta has been a favorite among Miss G's readers, and has shown a great deal of talent and poise throughout the season.  The judges kept her longer than they've ever kept a plus-sized momma, so there may be hope yet for us big gurls!


Good luck to the top 4, and number 5, whoever you are!  Miss Ginger and the GingerSnaps are with you 'til the end!

Wow.

The pictures coming out of Japan are just horrifying!  It seems that our little Gulf Hurricanes are nothing compared to the power of an earthquake and the resultant tsunami! 


It boggles Miss Ginger's tiny little mind to imagine what devastation like this must look like!  She remembers the damage in the neighborhood after Hurricane Ike, but a hurricane covers much less ground than an earthquake and tsunami!  Oh, the humanity!

Now, it appears some degree of nuclear meltdown is underway.  This link takes you to an alarming depiction of what can happen! 


Now, certainly, Miss G is no nuclear physicist.. as a matter of fact, she had to use the dictionary to spell it...       ...but, there are a few things she understands here, and even more that she doesn't.




First of all, she is aware that this is a completely different type of reactor than the one that cause Russia's devastating Chernobyl disaster,  so hopefully we don't have to fear anything like that.  She also understands at this point that the Japanese company that owns the reactors is willing to sacrifice the unit's future in order to protect the safety of the country and its people- by flooding the core with seawater,  they will render the aging plant useless. Miss Ginger can't help but wonder if an American company would ruin their plant to protect the people? And she is aware that the Japanese plant was of modern design, with all expected safety systems, and was well-managed, well-run,  and considered well-equipped for its situation.


But here's what Miss Ginger can't wrap her tiny drag queen brain around:  If protecting the cooling system is the crucial part of preventing a nuclear meltdown, why can't the plant be designed to be self-sustaining, so it creates the energy it needs to cool itself down?  Obviously, the power grid will be compromised in a natural disaster, and that's what triggers the shutdown in the first place.  But diesel generators don't seem like the smartest equipment to use as a backup.  They are restricted by fuel capacity, and, as discovered by this particular incident, are susceptible to flooding and physical damage.


Why could there not be a system to use heat from the reactor itself to create the energy needed to drive a cooling system?  Surely there is a way to safely generate some amount of steam from the hobbled reactor; enough to drive an electric generator that could run a cooling unit?!  It seems to Miss G that there could be a lot more designed into the plants to ensure they can shut down safely in case of an unanticipated disaster!


Does anyone know what the "worst case scenario" could be? Is there any risk to the US?

Rock the Vote!!

Texans (and all other's, for that matter!)  It's CRUCIAL that you make it out to vote Tuesday to help us elect former mayor Bill White to the Governor's Mansion!  We CANNOT tolerate another 4 years of "Prick" Perry and his repubican ilk!!


There are also TONS of races for various and sundry judges here in Harris County- please help us keep the Teabagging rebubicans OFF of those benches!!  We need judges who are impartial to protect our rights- not judges motivated to protect "big bidness"!


If you need help deciding which candidates will be most likely to support your rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,  take a look at the recommendations made by the Houston Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus!  And if you live elsewhere,  you may find some appropriate recommendations in this endorsement by the League of Drag Queen Voters!!

Miss Ginger certainly hopes that her dear readers will vote for candidates that are known to support human rights!  The rights to worship, speak, and love as we wish were the rights this country was founded upon, and those rights don't seem to be a high priority for the teabagging repubicans right now, who seem to be more more interested in protecting their own personal business interests than the civil liberties we Americans so graciously appreciate!


Rock your vote,  and make it count!!

Galveston, Oh, Galveston!

Almost 2 years to the day after Hurricane Ike tore across Galveston, Miss Ginger and her friends from the Krewe of Olympus spent their annual weekend retreat on the Island. Miss G had never been a real fan of Galveston- she always found it to be a bit seedy, run-down, and low-class. What a difference a little wind can make!

Newspapers and magazines were filled with images like this 2 years ago, so you might wonder

how the small Island has recovered since the storm. Very well, according to Miss G's recent observations! While you may still see the occasional "boat in the wrong place", and the venerable Flagship Hotel has not yet been restored, most of the Island looks like nothing

ever happened!

Most of the City of Galveston was protected by the Seawall, built after the devastating Hurricane of 1900 pretty much decimated the city. Prior to that, Galveston was an international trading city, on par with the likes of New Orleans, but the storm of 1900 wreaked so much havoc that much of the industry that sustained it moved inland. There are still vestiges of Galveston's Bell Epoque glory in the center of the city, along the Strand. The Seawall has become the resort destination

for the beach goers of South Texas, and is lined

with motels, hotels, and resorts of all ratings, from the practical Commodore to the ultra-chic San Luis Resort, Spa, and Conference Center.

Many of the cottages and homes along the streets that lead to Seawall Boulevard serve as vacation homes for fortunate Houstonians, and many also serve as vacation rentals. The Krewe's weekend adventure was centered just off the corner of

25th and Seawall, in a lovely 2-story owned by one of Miss Ginger's neighbors. This was where we ate, drank, cooked, drank, watched videos, drank, and sometimes slept. Did I mention that we also did a lot of drinking?

For a working-class city of only about 57,000 permanent residents, Galveston boasts a remarkable number of gay bars and venues, probably due its tourist trade. And like most small working-class cities, drag punctuates the landscape and defines the trade in each one!

After dinner a few of us, including Mee Maw and Miss Ginger's favorite lawnmowing lesbian, decided to make a little pub crawl. Right next to our beach rental was Robert's Lafitte, said to be the oldest gay bar in the state of Texas since the closing of Mary's here in Houston. It's a small place, kind rough looking from the outside, with plenty of patina on the inside. According the drag queen hosting the show, "there's a pool out back, unless you're from the health department. It's closed on Tuesday's for cleaning, so come on Wednesday if your funny about those things!" Locals tell me that it's filled with chlorine on Tuesday, which reacts with the ammonia in the water and creates a huge cloud that lasts most of the day. Miss Ginger chose to stay away entirely!

There's a drag show every night, and the four queens that entertained us Saturday night did a great job! It's a shame we couldn't stay until Monday, the anniversary of Ike, because the bar never closed when Ike came through, and even though the power was out and there was an inch of water on the floor, those girls did their show by flashlight, and every year since have commemorated the date with a "Flashlight Show" that you just know would be a hoot!

If Robert's Lafitte is the oldest and "roughest" bar in Galveston, Stars Beach Club is probably the newest and nicest. The place is filled with fiber optic pinpoints in the ceiling and the bar, with as state of the art light show and a liquid gel dance floors filled with still more LED's. The dance floor was closed the night we arrived, however, because apparently the establishment has just discovered the floor has a 400 pound weight limit, as proven by that evening's entertainment! The gel is contained in rectangular "bays" under the surface of the floor, and this girl's weight had broken on of the dividers, allowing the gel to squish from bay to bay, rendering the surface unstable. Quelle domage! It sit's right across from the seawall and seems to cater to a mixed crowd of vacationers looking for a casual place to get their groove on!

Since we had missed the show at Stars, we decided to head into town to 3rd Coast, where we caught the end of a show hosted by Texas's Twins of Drag, Kara and Tara Dion. Twin brothers by birth, Kara and Tara have been rocking the South Texas drag scene as long as Miss Ginger can remember, and they are just a skinny and pretty as ever! There was quite a crowd, including several recognizable Houstonians, but after a short while, our little group became over-vodkaed, and it was time to make like a baby and head out!

So Miss Ginger has reconsidered Galveston a weekend destination- it's fun, diverse, and just different enough from home to make it worth the trip! Miss G's not much of a beach person, so the fact that the water is brown and the beach is narrow is not a problem for her! Pick a hotel with a nice pool and a proximity to the party and you'll have a gay ole time!

Channel Your Inner Meana Garzilla!

Who says Marie Claire is the only place worthy of a fashion director? Miss Ginger's pretty sure we have at least 70 of them right here on TFBOFGG, and now, America's Favorite Department Store gives us a chance to prove just that!

Check out Macy's Fashion Director Sitelet to see what all the cool chics and dudes will be wearing this season, and enter the Daily Fashion Challenge to show the world all the great looks you can put together!

Now, as a highly skilled fashion professional, it would be unfair for Miss G to enter the contest against all the amateur fashonistas out there, but she has put together a couple of "looks" just to show you how cool the site is!

Today's Challenge was to "create a look to meet your ex for coffee." Miss G started by creating a look for Boy G. She wanted him to look youthful, spirited, and confident. She chose a pink Polo from Ralph Lauren, Seven for All Mankind Jeans, and Puma sneaks for a look that says "too busy and fun for you!" Boy G has an ex, and he could total rock this look at Starbucks with him!

Next, Miss Ginger created a look for herself! She has no exes, as she never ends a relationship! Even the biggest asshat on Earth may prove useful to her at some point in life! But, there's always room for one more, so Miss G started with a knock out Jones New York dress in electric blue, her signature color! Then, she added the sexiest ankle-strap stilletos she could find, and perfectly coordinated accessories to complete the ensemble!

Check out the site, and make a look or 2 for Miss Ginger! Please! And post a screen shot so we can all see your handiwork!

2 Big Chances to see Miss Ginger!

There are 2 big chances to see Miss Ginger coming up in July that you won't want to miss! On Saturday, July 18th, James Martinez hosts "The Sounds and Style of a Texas Summer" benefitting the Ressurection Metropolitan Community Church's Food Pantry. Many folks don't realize that the summer months really wreak havoc on a food pantry, because with kids out of school, demand is high, and with so many people on vacation, donations are low! So come on out and help us feed the hungry!

The next day, July 19th, Miss Ginger joins the rest of the Juleps as we crown a new Mr./Ms. and Miss Mint Julep! It's Legacy's biggest community fund raiser of the year, and it's always lots and lots of fun! Come on out and see where Miss Ginger got her humble beginning!

Mark in DE left a comment asking "Miss Ginger, do you always wear your hair up?" and the answer is "yes, pretty much always, except for character parts". Yasee, Mark, in the summer in Houston, it's 104 degrees in the shade, and those wigs we wear on stage are 1000% polyester from China. They are hot as hell on the coolest of days, and in the summer heat, just about the last thing you want dripping down your neck is a mop of sweaty polyester! You'll notice in the pics I post that most of us girls wear updo's or short hair. Plus, I think updo's are more befitting Miss Ginger's elegant wardrobe, doncha think?!

FINALLY!

FINALLY! Miss G has gotten her weight below 200 pounds!!! It took 2 months, but 36 pounds later she can officially say she is below 200! Damn, it feels good! Maybe Miss G will be the first Drag Queen on a NutriSystem commercial! Can you just picture it?

I think this might be Miss G's 4th of July anthem:

Bad, Bad, Gurl/Boy!!!

Ginger was a bad, bad gurl today! She TOTALLY cheated on her diet!!! One of the secrets to her loss of 20 pounds is that she has stayed off the "sauce" for about 24 days- it made a big difference! But today, she got crocked- at "Crocker" of all places!!!



Crocker is a "not new" bar here in the Houston Montrose area. I call it not new because it one of those buildings in the midst of the gayborhood that runs as a bar for a while, then closes, then reopens with a new name, then closes, the reopens, etc. If it were on Dynasty is would be named Crystal Martinis BriarPatch Crocker Carrington!

ANYHO- Boy Ginger went there with Miss Sonna to support a couple of this year's candidates for Mint Julep- the uber cute Alex and a newish drag queen who's name escapes her at the moment- Vivica, I think! He sent Boy G because he KNEW Miss Ginger would drink too much. Boy G was going to alternate Mich Ultras and water and keep the calorie count below 200.

Well, guess what. He drank like 6-sh, (he lost count) and not one single bottle of water!! So instead of 200 calories it was almost 600, maybe more, and he has totally blown the diet for the day!! Miss Ginger is PISSED at him!!! She stayed home all for naught! For as good as he was, she coulda gone out and had a GOOD TIME!

Anyho, you gotts love the sign outside of Crocker! It has become so iconic they are now using it as a logo!

Happy Easter from Project Bunway!

The Texas Weather did not look like it was going to cooperate with Houston's annual Bunnies on the Bayou Celebration, and as Boy Ginger pulled into the parking garage at Bayou Place, he thought he might be able to get to the tent before the rain started. But in the short time it took to park the truck and walk to the stairs, the skies opened up, and by the time Boy Ginger arrived at Fish Plaza it came a gullywasher! It poured for about an hour, and shortly after the rain stopped, the volunteers began setting up the bars, and all the folks around Camp Bunny got busy with their decorations!

Not knowing what the weather would do, Project Bunway got scaled back a bit, and we chose not to haul out the white runway or deck chairs for the judges. Instead, we brought a roll of trash bags, some scissors, and duct tape, and introduced the buntestants to the "rainwear challenge". We figured with inclement weather, it was about as clever as we could be, and if it stayed nasty, we'd make lots of friends with our trashbag rainwear!

As it turns out, after the storm came through the weather was absolutely GORGEOUS! It was more warm than cool, with a nice breeze in the shade. Once the weather came around, people poured into the plaza in masses, and BOTB was the huge success everyone expected!

And of course, with pretty weather, shirts started coming off, and even one of Houston's most venerable drag queens got all butch and boyish!

And, dear DD, don't think we forgot to get a pic of your Houston Dust Bunnies at Bunnies on the Bayou! That's Str8upwithatwist with Boy G down near the fountains of Fish Plaza!