The Underwater Photoshoot in Vegas...

I have received the photos from my Las Vegas underwater shoot with Brett Stanley, The Underwater Photographer.

Brett was incredibly patient during the shoot.  The nose plug didn't fit properly at first, so I took on some water.  We went over the poses I wanted to do....then we scrapped the plan and he suggested poses I could actually do.  Once you're in the water, everything changes.  It was fairly difficult to get myself positioned, actually stick to the pole, then make a face that wasn't completely hideous.  The panic of NEEDING air took over more than once.

I really love the end result though.  And now that I understand how the whole thing works, I'd love to do another one and plan better poses.  Check them out below:

5th Annual Pole Expo

Timber Brown

Just a few days ago, I returned from my epic adventures at the 5th Annual Pole Expo.  I have attended four out of five years.  2013 was pretty epic as I was in my walking boot post foot surgery.  And 2014 ended up being epic thanks to me flipping out of the fly gym, smashing my face on the ground and injuring my foot and spine.

In 2016, I successfully attended Expo without injury.  I did not arrive with any injuries and I did not leave with any.  I am not counting the fact that I hurt my back dragging my 50 pound suitcase around BART on my way home -- I made it out of Vegas injury free!!

This trip was a whirlwind.  I flew in last Thursday and essentially went straight to my room to get ready for the Pole Classic competition and showcase.  The Mighty Grip team kindly invited Robert, Janette and me up to their VIP suite.  I have to say this was one of their best shows. 

Underwater with Brett Stanley

Friday began with a floor workshop with Rafaela Montanaro.  I am not super flexible and the room was packed way too tightly, so I feel like I didn't get to perform well.  I also feel like it is difficult to learn a routine in an hour.  I did, however, video it and want to work on it further at the studio.  I then had an underwater photoshoot with Brett Stanley.  It was an interesting experience.  I bought the nose plugs (literally could not have done the shoot without them).  However, in my first pass underwater, I took some water in and came up coughing.  So, I got nervous that it was a sign of things to come and had to calm myself down.  Brett was great, though!  He is very calming and he would give me advice on posing each time I went under.  I certainly didn't do any epic pole moves (which I was hoping for since I was weightless in the water), but I am happy with many of the shots and am excited to see the official proofs.  (The one I attached here is just an unedited phone shot of his iPad.) 

Pepper - Yesod, Bret, Kaleo

Friday evening was pretty awesome.  After I booked Pole Expo, I found out that my favorite band in the wholewideworld, Pepper, would not only be in Vegas on the one night I didn't have plans -- but would be performing in my hotel.  That was a no brainer.  I picked up tickets immediately.  They did a meet and greet at the tattoo shop beforehand, so I got to meet them again.  My yoga instructor, Theresa, trained with the lead guitar player's wife, so we also talked about yoga for a bit.  The concert was at the stage by the pool.  It was hot so my night ended with me in my bra and underwear in the pool.  I guess next time, I'll just plan accordingly and just bring a bathing suit.  You're welcome to the guy who kept losing his shit and thinking I was giving him his own personal strip show.  The show was off the hook and I had a great time!  Thank you to Angela and Justin for coming to the show with me!

Saturday started out a little more quiet.  I sat by the pool.  I had a flexibility workshop with David C. Owen in the afternoon (yeah, I suck at it).  Then, while most Pole Expo'ers went to Pole Show LA Vegas, Robert, Janette and I went for my very first strip club experience.  We had received a tip that locals liked the Palomino.  It was about a 15 minute Uber ride away, but it was worth it.  I think I expected to go in there and see abused women who were being forced into slavery, but I really didn't get that vibe.  I met a couple of really cool girls.  We sat along the stage and threw extra dollars for the girls who could actually do pole tricks.  I loved it!

Sunday I woke up early to have my make-up done so I could do a photoshoot with Somer.  I think most people showed up wearing pole outfits and I busted out my pirate skirt and corset.  The shoot went really quickly and her direction was easy to follow.  I am also excited to see these proofs.  Sunday's workshop was Stripcraft with Lux ATL.  I love Lux's passion as she talks about accepting yourself.  I'm not even into chicks but her eye fucking alone during a lap dance is pretty fucking hot.  I also got to meet Eda from Eda Marbury's Climb To The Top.  We are besties now as we lapped dance each other in class.  Sunday night, Robert, Janette and I essentially ended our trip the best way we could -- front row for Thunder From Down Under.  It was a super fun show, but it was almost more entertaining to watch these ladies lose their shit for a little man meat.  I think I liked it because they didn't get down to banana hammocks during every performance.  I like to leave a little to the imagination. 

I flew home Monday to the post-Expo blues.  I'm still recovering from that.  There are so many people I didn't get to see (what, Nadia, how did that happen?!).  But I am looking forward to next year already!  Thank you to everyone I did see -- you helped contribute to a really fun trip!

Having make-up done for the underwater shoot

My Artista Activewear outfit for the underwater shoot

 

Dinner with my partners in crime and my polly pocket!

Steve Gale at the Pole Classic

My pirate outfit for the photoshoot with Somer

Artista Active Wear for the Plus-Sized Pole Dancer

When I posted about Pole Expo from the perspective of a plus-sized pole dancer, I mentioned that Artista Active Wear was one of the very few vendors who actually brought plus sized clothes to the show, and they were sold out by the time I stopped by to visit.  After my mention, Artista contacted me to offer a pair of their boudoir shorts to try, so I ordered a matching crop top and finally got to try them out this weekend!

I am six feet tall, 240 pounds and my measurements are 49 inches at the fullest part of the bust, 45 inch waist and 48 inch hips (I thought I was oddly shaped but I have been informed that people really do come in all shapes and sizes!).  I ordered both pieces in a 2X and they fit perfectly.  I technically could have worn the crop top as a sports bra (sans bra underneath) but did ultimately choose to wear a bra while I danced (and I know they offer other bra options that will provide more support should you need it).  I found that the bottom of the crop top kind of rolled up into my fat rolls when I sat down, so I just pulled it up to reside right under my bra line to kind of wear it sports bra-style, and it was perfectly comfortable.  The shorts provided wonderful coverage.  At no time did I feel like I was flashing the goods all over for everyone to see.  All-in-all, I felt like the clothing was well made, comfortable and beautiful.

Below, you can see some photos and a video I took.  I'm sorry I put the lace top over the outfit while I was dancing.  You probably won't get to see much more than the shorts.  But I do promise they were comfortable to dance in!

If you have any questions or have your own experiences with Artista to share, please feel free to leave a comment below!

Pole Mamas Pole Body Grip

Yet another sample provided in our Pole Expo goodie bags: Pole Mamas Pole Body Grip -- Sweet Janeiro sample.  The sample is adorable.  It looks like a tiny, fat chapstick.  One of the girls in our room, in fact, may have used it as chapstick before realizing what it was.  I did finally try it out in pole class last week.  It is a bee's wax type consistency.  It smells lovely.  And it gives some decent grip (less than iTac2, which would be the closest in product consistency, which is good since iTac2 is awesome for gluing me to a spinning pole).  Again, as I don't have sweaty hands, I can't say how it would work if you are sweaty, but for trying moves like Jasmine (which is what I'm trying to get without crying about kneepit pain), it worked great! 

Achy Muscles? Try Sore No More!

At Pole Expo, we were given a sample of Grounding Flight Aromatherapy's So No More in our goodie bags.  Remember how I smashed my face on the ground while I was there?  Well, I had expected to not be able to move the day after that little incident.  As I was going to bed, one of the girls in the room suggested I try the sample in our bag.  I realize that a product like this can't fix a ruptured disc, but it certainly did seem to help my muscles relax!  I was able to move around a lot better on Sunday than I expected. 

I have continued using the product on my neck and lower back in the last couple of weeks as my muscles take on various aches from being injured.  It is very gentle (not like the shock of my usual favorite, BioFreeze), so I can still use a heating pad with it.  It smells slightly lemony, so it also doesn't shock the senses like Icy Hot or BioFreeze.

So if you are looking for another way to ease those achy mucles, give Sore No More a try! 

Pole Expo 2014 from the perspective of a plus-sized pole dancer

There are a lot of bloggers in the pole world now (although shockingly few came to Pole Expo).  Anyone could tell you about everything that was going on at Pole Expo.  I'm sure every pole dancer's feed was filled to the brim with Pole Expo/Las Vegas shenanigans last weekend.  So rather than *just* talk about my weekend, I wanted to talk about attending Pole Expo as a plus-sized pole dancer.

First off, this year I was really excited (and strangely, somewhat surprised) at the body diversity at Pole Expo.  I don't want to say there were a lot of "big girls" (sorry, Roz, I just can't stop myself from using that phrase) at Expo, but there were definitely a lot more than the oft-seen tiny pole dancers.  There were also a lot of tall girls.  It was really cool.

That being said, of all the vendors at the event, I found ONE that carried up to a 2X.  I would like to give a shout-out to Artista Active Wear for thinking about us (they were practically sold out of plus sizes the first day, if that tells you anything).  Wink would take measurements for a custom costume, but there's something about impulse buys and walking out of the vendor hall with your purchase in hand.  Bad Kitty does carry up to XL on their website but only brought up to size medium for most styles to the event.  I know there were a few other places that carry up to XL but I still want to point out that Artista is acknowledging that life doesn't end at extra large.  There are pole dancers beyond that size and it can be difficult to find good 2X pole shorts.

I generally stick to floor workshops at events like this.  I know I am not advanced enough for pole workshops, and feel like I would be uncomfortable and lost on a stage pole with one to two other people in a huge room full of stage poles with one pole star trying to instruct us all.  Last year, I signed up for a beginner workshop and the first move they did was an inversion.  "Lucky" for me, I was in a boot post-surgery, so I had transferred my workshop to Robert.  If I *had* shown up, I would have been very disappointed.  This year I took Cleo the Hurricane's floorplay workshop and Michelle Shimmy's booty workshop.  Both had simple routines that were mostly done on the floor.  While both required more flexibility than I really have, I felt like they were simple enough for me to at least follow.  I may not have looked sexy doing either routine but I really enjoyed them both. 

In the free Expo room, Nia Burks gave a talk on the challenges of pole.  I believe she was discussing body diversity and acceptance.  I was in a yoga class, and was extremely upset I missed her.  I hope I can get into contact with her and am hoping someone videoed her piece.  I was very happy that I got to see Roz give her speech about affinity groups in pole dance.  She used black girls and plus sized polers as examples in her world, but she really touched upon why it *is* okay to have these affinity groups in the world.  [Watch that speech HERE.]

I was very happy to see Mone't from Sacramento participating in the burlesque showcase and the go-go contest.  She is a plus sized dancer who always impresses me with her moves.  [Watch her Star Wars performance HERE.]

I was also excited to meet Emma Haslam O'Toole from Britain's Got Talent.  I really admire her pole dancing and can only hope to be as strong and flexible as she is one day!  I'm really bummed I didn't get a photo with Roz and Emma.  I call us the trinity of plus sized polers.  I just want to pretend I am more epic than I am. 

So, now that I've given you my plus size highlights, I want to just tell you about how the weekend went in general.  First off, our very own Patrick from Twirly Girls Pole Fitness competed in the Pole Classic.  He did so well!  I was really proud of him!  [Watch his video HERE.]  The competition and showcase was on Thursday night this year inside the Pearl theater, which is so much bigger than Rain Nightclub.

On Friday, a few of us walked part of the strip to see the sights.  I'll include some photos below.  I also had my Cleo workshop.  [Watch hot video of our dance HERE.]

Saturday was all kinds of awesome [read sarcasm].  I felt like I was running around a little too much.  As soon as I got into the pool, it was time to go to a meet-up at the Adult Playground.  I went upstairs and immediately jumped on to a Fly Gym, which I have been on a bunch of times.  I flipped upside down once and realized it was too close to the ground, so I jumped out and made it higher.  I then leaned back again, didn't open my legs wide enough and immediately flipped out of the thing.  On the way down, I hit four of my toes on the wall behind me and smashed my face on the floor (giving me carpet burn on my face, bruising my cheekbone and cracking my neck pretty hard).  It knocked me silly but I jumped up and said I was okay.  Definitely as the day progressed, I realized one of those toes was pretty badly injured.  The bruise is fantastic.  I actually had an x-ray this week to find out if it is broken.  Mostly, I was just embarrassed that I pulled such a rookie move in front of everyone. 

Sunday was a little more relaxed.  I had my Shimmy workshop (which was pretty difficult with my injured toe).  [Watch video of the routine HERE.]  It is also the day I went home.  I had a 5:45 PM flight (delayed due to weather, once again), so I got to relax around the hotel most of the day.

I feel like I should have done way more than I did.  More workshops.  More free seminars.  More pool time.  More going out.  I need more hours in the day to do *all* the stuff!!  But I also need my 8 hours of sleep and time to recover from the workshops.  There has to be some balance.

In the end, I did have a great time.  I got to see old friends and make new ones.  We have outgrown The Palms.  Pole Expo next year will be at Hard Rock, which is closer to the airport and will be able to hold all of us a little better.  I believe Pole Expo had between 1,200 and 1,400 attendees this year.  In its third year, it has certainly grown into one of the largest pole events in the world.  I am happy I have been able to attend all three years to watch it grow and flourish.  Successful events like these help breed more success in the industry in general.

Did you go to Pole Expo?  Which vendors did you love?  Which workshops were your favorite?  I want to hear about your experiences below!  

Emma Haslam from Britain's Got Talent

Steven Retchless from America's Got Talent

You can't take us anywhere

Had to jump back on the horse immediately

Cleo the Hurricane

Shimmy workshop - photo by Nina Reed Photography

sad toe

 

Cowboy Wild and me at Caesar's #splitsontree

ahhhhhhhhhhh the sugar factory!!!!

Minions!

I wanted to post about Minions earlier this week but I just have a lot going on.  Stuff I have talked about in the past.  Stuff I can't talk about publicly.  I really do need a clone of myself, though.  

Anyway, I'm still feeling kinda blah but I thought a Minion post might help cheer me up.  

First off, I am somewhat quietly obsessed with Minions.  You know Minions, they are the cute little worker bees from Despicable Me.  I adore them.  I want to have them.  So, for my birthday, my friend Yolanda made me Minion cupcakes.  I believe there were a dozen or so, and our group had dessert at the restaurant, so I was sent home with a box full of Minion cupcakes.  I have no business eating a dozen Minion cupcakes.  So my Minions went on adventures!

I have been keeping a photo album of Minions on Facebook.  Since not everyone is my Facebook friend, I wanted to share some of the funnier photos here.  

Bert at the pool with me on my actual birthday

Creeper Dwayne at my birthday dinner (on my actual birthday)

Dan ate Stuart at the dinner a couple of nights before my birthday

Dave was birthday dinner dessert

Dean at Happy Hour

Dean at Twirly Girls

Dwayne at birthday night dinner with me

Jose/Josefiend at the drag show

Jose watching porn with Robert at the drag show

MINIONS!

Sam is in the front.  Bill is behind him.  Ted is facing backwards.  He's always in trouble.

Simon is in the freezer. 

Steve got ate by me

Todd at Pole Expo in Vegas

Todd at the Bad Kitty booth

Todd getting a spray tan (shellac) before Vegas

Todd at the Rhinestones and RazorBlades booth...they made him a necklace!!!

Todd loves dirty girls!

Todd on the stove

Todd the pool shark

Todd loves to watch

Todd got a new home in Vegas

Where the eff is Todd?!

Whoops.  Sorry, Bert.

Whooops.  Sorry, Dean.

Zeus begs to eat Sam

Zeus wants toe at Dave too

Years ago, I started taking photos of an awesomely creepy tree in Clayton and made a Facebook fan page.  Claycord.com ran my story and I was attacked by a few people for having too much time on my hands.  Ironic that by bothering to read the story and respond, they also must have too much time on their hands.  Anyway, I am learning that sometimes you need to be able to smile at silly things.  I'm sure Yolanda had no idea that making me these cupcakes would still be bringing me so much joy a month after my birthday (Sam, Bill, Ted and Simon are still in my house and ready for photos).  So, thank you to Yolanda for making me these Minions and I hope everyone enjoyed their adventures as much as I did!