Carnaval Austin: some memories and pics from 2006 and a great link

By accident a couple of years ago I went to Carnaval Austin. I'm very partial to Brazilian music and I'd read somewhere it was a great party . The party part I didn't really care about but it seemed easy enough - a friend and his girlfriend were happy to take me along. I was caught off guard when they broke up a few days before, but I couldn't back out. The guy insisted I had to do some kind of costuming - which is SO not my natural inclination. Even as a little girl I was a failure at Halloween - dressing several years in a row in a crumby one piece bathing suit wearing a Miss America sash, or years later alternating between beatnik or gypsy (neither very far off my normal clothing choices.)

So I dragged myself down to Lucy in Disguise which, even though I really hate to costume, is nonetheless one of my favorite stores in Austin. Just for the color organization alone! And on the day of Carnavale there are wild throngs getting ready. I opted for a blue feather wig. Later, I begged a harlegquin eye mask off someone at our pre-party -which somehow pulled it more together just the littlest bit.

The party was a complete eye-opener! I'd had no idea what to expect, but I certainly wasn't expecting to see so many in various forms of undress. Pasties and body paint. It was hilarious to consider the couples who'd clearly spent hours getting ready to appear in so little - was this a form of extended foreplay? To hear a room of people murmur, "Damn you look hot!" For the short time I stayed, the temperament in the room was infectious. Funny, safe, benign, people out to just see and be seen against the backdrop of Brazilian drums.
















(Look at these girls - you think the psychology is, "I'm 20, I'm fabulous, let's let everyone feast their eyes!" I've never had the instinct one day in my life, ever.)


Trolling around for images from last night's affair (my daughter went for the first time and I was hoping to catch a look at her minimal costume) I came across this : Dana's Carnaval fan site which is a gas! Look at her in her costumes! Then look at her in her normal wear! Ah gee!! I repeat, I never, ever, ever costume myself, but you gotta love this.

From Dana's intro:

I like makeup and dancing and wigs and glitter and high heels and cowboy boots and tight pants and corsets and nail polish and push-up bras and so many other "girly" things. Fortunately, so do many of my girlfriends (and a few boyfriends!) so I have plenty of times to air out my drag queen alter ego. I think between J9, Sondra and me, we have over 40 wigs. I actually plan a wig index someday so you can see all the fabulous wigs we own. I'm a big proponent of "wig night" for girls across the world. Grab your best friends, find wigs and GO OUT, even if it's only for a drink or to dinner. Wigs are wonderful. FALSE EYELASHES are wonderful.