Halloweekend....

Wow, time flies when you're having fun! I have so much to blog about, yet I've been finding it hard to motivate myself to get typing and note down my thoughts...but the time has now come.

I love dressing up, and given that Americans go all out for Halloween, I have celebrated this holiday in San Francisco for the past few years.

I can safely say that this year has been my funnest Halloween yet! I even got to visit a pumpkin patch for the first time in my life, and then carved one (this is where my competitive streak came out) which was a great way to get into the festive spirit (actual spirits - namely, gin - also helped with this).










The pumpkins were surprisingly easier to scoop out than I had imagined, and I saved all the seeds to toast in the oven the next day....unfortunately, they didn't come out so great, as I forgot they were in there and burnt them a little...






October 31st fell on a Sunday this year, so it ended up being a Halloweekend full of fun. Friday kicked off with the party that the swing dance community has been awaiting with much excitement - the now annual Zombie Prom.






Held at Verdi Club, the Zombie Prom featured live music from the Hi-Rhythm Hustlers and Stompy Jones, plus Dj Oran Scott was on hand to play some killer (muahahahha!) sets. Hats off to Tanoa Stewart for organising such a fun party, and for going all out with the decorations. The joint was packed and it was great that so many people made a real effort with their costumes....there were some seriously terrifying zombies walking around!










I went as zombie Jessica Rabbit, and my boyfriend went as a zombie priest, and it was fun from the moment we started getting ready, to the moment I got to peel my eyelashes (yay I managed to glue them on and get them to stay in place all night!) off at the end of the night. I scored on the costume this year, as I found my dress at Goodwill for a bargainalicious $4, and managed to customise it into a pretty accurate representation of the original. I loved wearing a wig too, for the night, although having that much hair (which kept going in my eyes, my mouth...) got to be a little tedious - I have no idea how people with really long hair deal with having it everywhere about them, as it would drive me nuts having a mane that had a life of its own.








The night was the perfect mix of dancing and socialising. I found it tricky to dance too much (and by too much, I mean dancing to nearly every song), due to the combination of make-up, sweat and long hair, but I still managed to meet my exercise quota, and the music was so good, it was impossible not to dance.


It was great to see so many friends in costume (I didn't recognise them all!) and I found it highly amusing when people I knew didn't recognise me with red hair!








All in all a top night, and most certainly the best Halloween party I have been to thus far....


Sunday, Team Brunch hit Mission Beach Cafe in costume, where I had a seriously delicious short rib hash, with yams, brussel sprouts, apple, sweet potato and crème fraiche. I liked the vibe of the place, the 80s pop music was awesome, and our waiter was very knowledgable and helpful with regards to the dishes and his preferences. That said, although my food was yummy, I thought it was a little over priced at $15 for a breakfast dish.


I went to brunch as the devil, and I don't know if it was because it was warm out, or I was tired, or what, but I was so happy to get home and get out of costume, as my wig was driving me nuts, the horny hairband gave me a headache, and the make up was making me feel yucky. It was all worth it though, when on the walk back to the car, Michael Jackson and I were chased down the street and each got given medals for our costumes. Oh to get recognition....




Sunday night we celebrated in Alameda with a tiki twist at Forbidden Island's Hulaween party. Again, there were some great costumes (the lady who dressed up as a scorpion bowl was amazing) and a contest showcasing the crème de la crème of the bunch.


DJ Tanoa was on the decks and the music was the perfect mix of Halloween themed songs and then everything from the 50s to the 80s which got people up and dancing.....whooooooaaaaa here she comes, look out boy, she'll chew you up....






I went as a mime artist, on the arm of a handsome sailor. I think my mime was successful when I saw my boyfriend in his sailor uniform, as my eyeballs nearly popped out of their sockets, although, I still need to learn the gestures for 'the coconut shrimp, spicy chicken bites and monkeypods at Forbidden Island are delicious' - because they are.

Fancy Footwork...

Last week we went to check out Stompy Jones at the Top of the Mark lounge at the Mark Hopkins Hotel. Apart from being swanky and having a nice little dance floor, it also has a great 360 degree view of the city. As if this wasn't enough, they also serve you Japanese rice cracker snack thingies in big silver martini glasses.






So decked out in our best gear, we climbed up the hill (and then up the elevator) to the top floor and enjoyed an evening of fancy. Fancy bar, fancy outfits, fancy cocktails, fancy dancing.






I really enjoyed the evening! Stompy Jones were on top form as usual, and it was fun dressing up and being able to dance with only one or two other couples on the floor. I also really enjoyed the opportunity to dress up smart and try somewhere new. The cocktails are overpriced ($13 a pop) but they are good, and you get to enjoy them in a nice environment. Plus the dance floor is great.




Our fancy outfits did not feel so fancy, however, when we ran out of petrol on the way home and had to pull up on the side of the freeway....

So onwards and upwards, it was time to get fancy schmancy pants again last Saturday for the Black Couture Ball.


The Ball was held across seven venues on Fillmore - some you had to pay to get in to, and other were free - and the dress code was vintage (1900-1960s) black tie.


Our friends Slim Jenkins, an up-and-coming, swingin' bluesy seven piece band were playing at Bruno's Pizzeria Cucina so we went along to support them and have a dance.





Whilst Slim Jenkins rocked the joint, I'm going to have to say, the venue itself was a real disappointment to me. It was small and cramped and didn't allow much space for dancing. But what was worse, was that more than half the customers, who were just out for dinner (rather than knowing about the event) were dressed in jeans and t-shirts. Now, this is not their fault, of course, but given that it was only the minority who were dressed to the nines, I felt like my outfit was wasted on this pizza joint.




Then to make matters worse, my boyfriend and a friend of mine were handed invitations to strut their stuff in the fashion show being held that evening at Yoshi's, but when we tried to go in, the lady at the door pulled me back by my arm and told us we needed to purchase ($30) wristbands to gain entry. This is where I got annoyed. LADY, do not pull my arm, and do not have your people handing out these invites in the street if you only want people who have paid for tickets to enter. Hand them out to people inside the venue (who have your poxy wristbands) or make sure you are organised enough not to cause this type of embarrassing situation. It's not our fault if you went to hunt for talent on the streets because there weren't enough fashionable people in Yoshi's.


She then changed her mind and decided to let us in, but by that point I no longer wanted to be a part of their event. I think the idea of the Black Couture Ball was great, but I would have liked to have seen it on perhaps a smaller but more cohesive scale. I think the tickets to get into Yoshi's should have been cheaper and there should have been a dress code to get in to all the venues involved.

So anyway, after the brief Yoshi lady encounter, we promptly went back to the pizza joint and listened to the rest of Slim Jenkins' set. They are a really fun band, and play a great selection of danceable music - with style and personality. They all look like they are really enjoying themselves when they perform, and similarly the crowd all love being entertained by them. I am looking forward to seeing them play at Amnesia later this month.