Monday, June 22, 2009

Holidays in a Land Far Far Away

Well, kind of. I just arrived in Frankfurt/Main and no, Hesse does NOT qualify as far away, I know that :)
Instead of the train, which I usually take, I opted for the cheaper version, that is having somebody take me along in their car. I've heard all the horror stories of the terrible drivers and vaguely creepy people you meet when finding a ride on the internet, but www.mitfahrgelegenheit.de has so far been a fairly safe car pool. And I saved some serious money here, instead of paying 130€ for a stinky, crowded train (last time I had to sit on the floor, next to the restrooms! Gross!) I now pay 50€, including the VIP-feeling of having your own driver and the luxury of stops whenever I kindly ask for them.
Alright folks, it's been a long drive anyways and I need a shower now. Then I'll get ready for the evening - tonight is the last performance of "Waiting for Godot" at the English Theatre! That's one of my reasons to come to Frankfurt today and I'm really looking forward to it!
I'll tell you all about the play and the obligatory after-show-party soon :)

Have a fantastic week, everybody!

Fête de la Musique, pt. ll

Yes. I know. It's barely later than my last post. But I promise, I HAVE been out on the town. But first, the timing was bad and it started to rain literally the second me and my friend, the fabulous Fabulosita, left the house. Then, our timing was bad again and we found nothing but closed doors and more rain at the Sandsation. We decided to head over to a place that was 100% sure to be open AND had a roof. The Bassy Cowboy Club seemed a great idea at the time.

We were right. Two awesome bands and a couple of beers later, however, we decided to be REASONABLE. Did I ever mention that I dislike that word? Well, I do not like it. At all.
We went home anyways, too sober to ignore the fact that we have to get up early tomorrow. This picture here suggests something else.And here's for all of you who didn't believe that 10€ are enough for a fun night out - I only spent 5! Ha! Mind you, it wasn't the wildest night ever. But still, I think I made my point.
I'll try having a crazy party on a budget again, so make sure to come back :) I promise, it's going to be a lot wilder next time!

Good night everybody! Keep spreading the Glam! :)

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Fête de la Musique!

It's Fête de la Musique today! Switch off the computer and party, everybody! As this amazing free open-air concert is held in 340 cities worldwide, at least ONE is sure to be near you!
Find your Fête.

After last year's fête turned into an all-night-party including the obligatory watching of the sunrise at the club of the visionaries, I couldn't wait for the 21st of June this year. Berlin has 76 stages this time, most of which are open-air, all of which are free. The Fête de la Nuit later on is bound to be crowded as hell, but ridiculously cheap. The latter tends to heighten spirits tremendously, guaranteeing a wild night :)

I intend on spending not more than 10€ tonight. I won those last night, playing poker with the boys.

So you think 10 bucks are not going to last me all night? We'll find out. Because if it does work, I believe I can officially call myself budget hedonist.
I'll give you all the juicy details tomorrow! Now get up and rock the Fête!

Saturday, June 20, 2009

The Sweetest Coffee in a Long While

Today I went to the hairdresser to finally get those roots bleached. That is, I TRIED to go to the hairdresser - there was a queue of about 20 people waiting already when I arrived. I took a number and went for a little stroll, head up in the clouds and took a while to notice that I'd wandered into a part of my neighborhood that I've avoided so far. Uh-Oh. On second glance, however, the area was just as nice and clean and green as my street and I started wondering, why on earth I'd never been there. I even found the most adorable thrift/vintage interior store ever! Of course I forgot my camera, but I'll go again and take pictures. The owner of the store was absolutely darling, too. When it started to rain and I had to go from window-shopping to inside of the store, he made me a coffee (free!) and even played his guitar and his balalaika for me. At least I think it was a balalaika. I'll find out when I go back.

That little half an hour of sitting on a pale pink 1920s velvet armchair, sipping hot coffee and listening to my personal concert was probably the most relaxing thing I've done in a long while.


And the moral of the story? Be nice to people. Smile at them for no reason at all. They will do amazing things for you, some small, some big, just because. Return the favor.
(I'm making muffins right now to bring one over to the fleamarket tomorrow where I know that said shop owner will be :) )

Oh, and then it took like 3 hours to get my roots done. Seriously. I'm not going to hairdressers who don't make appontments anymore. Duh.

Friday, June 19, 2009

The best way to earn money

Yesterday I got an email from a photographer - boy, was I excited when I realized, he's actually offering to PAY me for my modelling. It's not a first, but still happens very rarely. And it's getting even better - the picture of me and two other models might even end up on the cover of a book! Plus, I get some extra cash in that case - how awesome is that?!

While I was preparing for the shoot I had a hard time picking my outfit, because I needed to look younger. I'm young enough, but I needed to look like a teenager. So I took off the killer heels and the curve-a-licious dress and went for something a little more "teenage-y".
After a few changes I decided to wear stripey shorts, a colorful t-shirt and my beloved Vans.



I even braided my hair, which made me realize how seriously I need to bleach my roots, and used only a hint of make-up. Nah, that's a lie. Of course I used half a ton of make-up for a flawless complexion, but I tried to make it look as "natural" as possible. Light pink gloss on the lips, no eyeliner, the works.

The other girls and I had a fun time, meandering through the city, looking like best friends on a shopping spree while our photographer, always on the hunt for good candid shots, was all over us like a paparazzi.

And here's today's tip for glamming up the routine:

Arrange for a photo shoot with a friend who can handle a camera/photoshop reasonably well. Wear something that's been sitting in your wardrobe unworn for ages, waiting for the perfect occasion. Put on too much make-up (that is acually going to be neccessary, because make-up tends to magically disappear on pictures!).Maybe you have a friend who loves to do make-up and you can get her/his help?
Now take a good look at how "real" models pose and look, practice in front of a mirror in the whole outfit. Wear some insanely high heels. Feeling confident and gorgeous yet? Good, then take it to the streets and have your photo shoot in the nearest park or where-ever you find the right background for the amazing YOU. And don't let people who stare intimidate you - they're probably just jealous :)

If you enjoyed your little photo shoot, why don't you use the pictures you just took to upload them on modelmayhem or (for Germany/Switzerland/Austria) Model-Kartei? That way, you have a realistic chance to actually work with semi-professional and professional make-up artists, photographers and studios either for very little money, on a tfp-arrangement (time for pictures) or you might even get paid for your work.

Is there a better and more glamourous way to earn money than by simply looking fabulous and allowing somebody to take your picture? I don't think so :)

And just by the way: That's me on Model-Kartei.Enjoy!

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Welcome to our exciting Journey!

Sit back, relax, take a sip of that Martini while I answer a few questions that might arise:

What is this place anyway?

Just like I explained in that "About me"-bit, this blog is all about being your glamourous, glittery, extravagant self without spending every last penny on it. Because, let's face it, being fashionable and living large is REALLY. EFFIN. EXPENSIVE.
So now let's find out
if and how it is possible to enjoy all the beautiful things life has to offer in a big city - fabulous food, exclusive entertainment, traveling to exotic destinations, perfect parties and those gotta-have-'em-now-shoes to go with your outrageous outfit - all on a moderate budget.



And how is that supposed to work?

There will be a lot of remodelling and crafting, of course. Many sequins and rhinestones will be stitched and glued to many a garment. Cheap restaurants will be visited, looking for hidden gems. Bouncers will be charmed ;) ... no, mum, I'm kidding. Honestly.
I'll basically give away my secret quick&easy ways to glam-ming up your appartment, as well as your nights out on the town and your everyday style. However, I DON'T want to preach and I really don't want this to be a monologue, so every little comment or email is greatly appreciated.
Last but certainly not least, I'll tell stories from my life - sometimes not-so-glamourous, but always good fun.

What's the Cash Jar for?

For every month that I reach my goal of saving 200+€, I will add a piece of candy to the jar so you guys can keep track of my proceedings. It's also a motivation for myself to stay focused on my main goal: traveling to the other end of the world with my best friend :)

So are you ready to get started?

Great! Let's go!

Spread the Glam, share it with your friends!