Bit of Blue

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So I spent a night in York last weekend, with my lovely lovely potential in laws and boyfriend. Was nice, its odd that I find it easier to get on with Nick's family than I do with my own. Don't really know what my family's beef is to be honest, whatever I do simply isn't good enough so I've given up trying to impress them I am just going to make me happy. I don't want sympathy, I know I am not the only person in the universe who has a grievance with their family, mine is so large just disappointing not one of them gives a monkeys. I feel welcome with Nick's peeps and it's nice, most of his friends pretty goddamn lovely to me too.

On the way back from York I did a shoot with Jonathan Keys, my third shoot with his fella. Really enjoy working with him we have a laugh and it's all very comfortable and laid back. I have been wanting to shoot at Newcastle Civic Centre for ages, I actually done a mini one with the kids and photographer Mandy Charlton about 3 weeks back and this encouraged me more to go forth with the fashion shoot.

The civic centre is lit up sort of blueish at night and I thought it would work really well with my hair. Here are a couple of images the first one I am presuming is my boyfriends favourite as he's liked/faved it on both my Flickr and Facebook. Ooh I am also wearing a delightful Scarlet Street Blouse from Able Grable (of which I have 4), in this shot! Was quite nice to wear a repro vintage piece and put it in a completely non vintage setting.

My dear friend Miss Matilda also used one of my images on her Etsy shop, from my shoot with Mark Pinder wearing my Miss Lola Burns frock and it sold within I a couple of house. The dress is now discontinued but if you wanted one I am sure Able Grable could rustle you up something similar.


Finished my bra for my Katy Perry shoot on the 9th, was going to be this morning but didn't happen, shame because I would of quite liked a print for a stage prop but it will probably be pushing it for time.

Shoots Shoot Shoots!

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Now actually waiting for images from 5 photographers, normally I dislike the wait but I think it's also kinda cool because by the time you get to see the pictures you've sort of forgotten the shoot itself so the images are a surprise and it brings the memories back.

I did a shoot with a fella in Darlington, but word on the street is that he takes a few months to return the images. Been there before though, I waited for about 4 months for some bridal images and got them back unedited. Get to learn valuable lessons about who is worth working with and who talks out of their arse. I am pleased that I can now interact with local models and burlesquey types to find out what people are like.

Here are a couple of images from the group shoot. One from Mr Shepy and one from delightful Miss Deborah Sanders.

Nothing really new going on, I have bored you already about my burlesque performances. Me and Nick are the same, just waiting for 'luck' to do it's thing and end this crappiness. I haven't been sleeping and that makes me a very very moody cow. Noticed how fake my smiles are on my shoots over the last few month, Dee La Faux. Anyway, I have a bra to customize for my Katy Perry tribute shoot. Tatty bye.

My 100th Blog!

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Well it's taken long enough, I can't actually remember what my first one was about and I am not going to look back over it, it would probably be cringeworthy, took me quite a while to develop a blogging style. I had planned to go a giveaway on my 100th blog but I'm not really sure what I would give away. Any ideas?

I realised I forgot to blog a shoot before I went blue! Naughty naughty Ms La Beau. I did a shoot with Newcastle gentleman and general techie type Mark Pinder and BananaStudio down the ol' Ouseburn.

Pin up was the general plan for the day, got some pretty fabulous shots of my Winter Wonderland act costume, sadly probably won't get to perform that again until next year! Boo.

Might have been a bit premature in pimping out my performance at The Shadow Gallery. My next performance is actually in Leicester, my first gig out of the North East and I am going all on my own. Nothing like a bit of an Anti Valentines night to put me in the mood for animistic love making. If any of you are about Leicester I'd love to be meeting you at Venus Star Presents... Red Light Burlesque - F**k Valentines. I will performing two acts, the first one I ever performed and a brand spanking (literally) new act.

Also went for a dress fitting yesterday (no not wedding dress, eesh) for an exciting project with other sexy North East burlesque types. My dress is going to be amazing. My friend Constance Peach, delightful young lady, took some super cute pictures of my daughter yesterday, I love this one of use together.



Dee La Blue

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I fancied a change, so I decided to go from a brunette which I have always been to attempting a head of blue hair. It's probably just a phase to be fair but a lot of my photos are starting to look the same and I wanted the challenge of working something different and it sure is! I had already booked a shoot with a photographer last week and thought he might want to cancel due to my hair colour change but that wasn't the case he was just as keen.

Took a few shots just in my lounge with my boyfriend, Nicholas Gray, just so I could debut the blue if you know what I mean. It's very different, and my Mum wasn't keen. I also took Nick to meet my Mum for the first time, it was a bit of a non event, I had been really worried leading up to it but it was fine. I also introduced Nick to the delicacy of a deep fried pizza kinda got a combined thumbs up and thumbs down!


I would encourage you to head over to Nick's Flickr where has been taking some pretty amazing night shots of late.

Had an amazing group shoot with some fabulous people, Shepy, Deborah Sanders, my friend Ellen, Constance Peach, Matt Wagster and a fantabulous alt model Cybertrash. I will blog the images as they come through. I was also lucky enough to have pics taken with all the other models :) Also awaiting images from the shoot I did in Darlington last week.

Doing a Katy Perry tribute shoot next weekend with a local photographer, copying the cover of the California Gurls single cover, I have also decided to do this for my next Burlesque act at the Shadow Gallery, this time in Durham rather than Sunderland.


Part of my costume is from the lovely HeyDay! Vintage Style Clothing site, not sure if you remember me blogging the amazingness of their vintage style trousers. You should head over to the lovely Shona's blog as they are having a Giveaway! Whoop! Also you should follow on Twitter - @HeyDayVS

Auld Lang Syne

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Well, it feels long ago now! Even though it was only a couple of weeks!

My last performance was on the 29th of December at the Blackfriar's Ballroom for Gully Sutherland's Emporium of Extraordinary Entertainment. I had an amazing time, a chance to hang out with some friends and make some new ones. Folks like Alfie Joey and Mirabelle Blush, were particularly lovely to me! It was just an amazing evening, with a lovely warm atmosphere, the lady responsible for the fab event is Miss Daisy Stays!

I performed two acts. I was very excited about debuting my Winter Wonderland act, my costume had been a bit of a pain in the tushie because of the mega snow we experienced in the run up to Christmas, I didn't really get what I wanted but I still got some cute images by Jazzy Lemon of me in action. I depended on the High St, with my costume being mostly from Topshop and H&M. It was literally the most fun I could have with fake snow. Quite sad that I probably won't get to perform this act again until next year. Boo!

I also performed my 'I'm gonna wash that man right outta my hair' act, I should probably work on a slightly more catchy title for it! I really like to get use out of my Revamp Sailor outfit as it was one of my 21st Century Pin Up prizes and it was that which kicked all my burlesque ambition into gear.


I am a little bit behind in my blog to be honest! Naughty Ms La Beau! Had a lovely intimate shoot with my boyfriend last night and a fab time with a bunch of buddies at a group shoot today, don't think it could of went better than it did! Looking forward to sharing images soon.

My Top 10 of 2010 (as stolen from Shepy)

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Last year was quite a big year for me photographically and in every other sense really. Life changing!

These are my top 10 images that shaped my modeling in 2010 and best represent the Dani as much as the Dee La Beau. I was going to try and not be gooey but really my best times this year have been with my boyfriend, I can't change that and wouldn't want to.

January 2010
The day I met Nicholas Gray my favourite image in my portfolio to date.

February 2010
Another image by my darling Nicholas, you know that crazy bitch who goes in the sea at 6:00am in the back end of Winter! That was me and it was worth it because I got an image that has received more comments, faves and likes than I have ever had before.


March 2010
This shoot was done on my birthday with my friend Ellen, everything that was going on around this time was utter utter bollocks. Just for one day though it was just me an Ellen and being pretty for Nicole at The Hourglass, an amazing woman!

May 2010
Now officially in a relationship with we did a shoot at the studio at Nick's uni, this image is particularly dear to me, not going to tell the universe why. It's also the photo I have used on my rail card.

July 2010
Had a shoot with a guy called Grahame Jenkins who also lives in the middle of no-where/Northumberland in a weird kinda waste land. I love this image, something sort of intense but attractive about it.

July 2010
Another and last studio shoot with my Mr this year, I love this image, I think I look a bit like Lisa Stansfield, I don't expect people to agree, it has been my Twitter avatar for ages and one of the few images of me I look at it and think 'Wow maybe I'm not so bad'.

August 2010
Fantastic location shoot with another inhabitant from The Val Mr Richard Hanley along with lovely MUA Josephine Birkett, both amazing people. The shoot was in local record shop Steel Wheels I had an amazing time and was delighted with the images. This isn't my favourite image from the shoot but I can't find the disc!

October 2010
Another Nick image from his 'This Summer' set, got my badass on a German billboard, kinda wonder what people thought looking at this neon clad Superhero who is actually a solo Mum of two who lives in a 2 bedroom flat above a shop! (I have also used the billboard image as I can't remember when it was actually taken I want to say June though)


November 2010
I had a quickly arranged location shoot with friend Deborah Sanders, I had my first shoot ever with her in January 2008 and it was lovely to work with her again, I am shooting with her in a couple of weeks time too. I also borrowed some amazing vintage clothing from a locals shop including this amazing green frock.



October/November/December 2010
Basically my burlesque bit! It seemed like the natural progression from what I was doing, I enjoy everything about it, the people I have met, the events I have attended, the ideas, the getting of my fat arse in my lounge and having a bit dance. I love it! Me and Constance Peach were talking about how spoilt the North East burlesque scene is having a photographer called Paul Wright shooting the events it seems only fitting that I use one of his images.


I know I have missed a lot of shoots and stuff out but I these are the images of me that stand out and make me most proud of what I am and what I have achieved.

Battered and Broken but Clean Slate!

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Well I didn't blog in December much did I? I always seemed busy but didn't really achieve much, this shall probably also be the theme of 2011, I'm waiting. Waiting for Nick to get a job, waiting for my youngest to start school, I am looking forward to a time when I am in control of my own destiny. I am not unreasonable, I just want the simple things but to obtain them I have to be patient and that isn't really my strong point.

2010 brought me lots of problems but with it a lot of love and a lot of happiness, towards the back end of the year I had it all crash down and I'm trying to build myself back up. I had my confidence knocked and for a moment I forgot who I was. I blame myself a lot, and feel I am not not good enough and I need to snap out of it. Since then I have been experiencing panic attacks, and downward spirals of negativity and I hate it.

On to good things! I have a boyfriend who I adore, I have two amazing kids who make me smile and feel so lucky everyday, I have made loads of friends this year, I am a more free and independent person than I have ever been. I just get on with it because I have to. My family have been absolutely useless and zero support and I don't have any problem saying that where they might find it. The short of it is 2011 cannot be worse than 2010. Need not worry about what I have lost, focus on what I have learned.

Have a shoot booked tomorrow, and one with the kids on Sunday with lovely lady called Mandy Charlton, really excited about doing a shoot with the kids! I also have burlesque bookings as late as August it's quite nice to be in demand. I am also waiting for images from a shoot I did on Christmas Eve

2011 is the year I am going to dedicate to my children, my relationship and working out what I want to do with my life. It's going to be full of love and new experiences.