Ah, After Dark!
You’ve heard me mention this many times.
It inspires you! You meet new
people and your start getting into the groove about how far you can be yourself
with these new people you have found.
I was having a great conversation with my roomie at the time
the LOVELY Rachel Frank before all the classes started. I had mentioned in passing that if I did not
have pink hair I would go completely invisible.
I would be completely (and I mean completely) INCOGNITO! She wasn’t so sure about that though…she
seemed to think if someone really knew me, they would recognize me. I decided it was time to prove that point and
get inspired to do something wacky!!!!
I asked this lovely designer if I could have her style me up
in her designs really quick like…and even do a touch of makeup so that I would
be undetectable but also living my secret desire to be a “character”. For some odd reason in my mind, I think After
Dark was the perfect place to pull this off.
After all – I was only putting into action everything I had been taught.
I grabbed a black wig I had brought and the rest was all
designs & makeup by Rachel Frank.
My commitment to
character:
-completely covered my pink hair
-no glasses at all, I was blind – I mean blind!
-rachel and I wear the same size shoe, I even borrowed her shoes!
-took off my wedding ring and replaced it with her bunny
rabbit ring
-borrowed rachel’s black bag and inserted by super color
purse into it.
I basically did everything to shed EVERY object in my
personal wardrobe to make this happen.
I began to get really really really excited to start scaring
people. At first though, I had to walk
around like I fit in and was supposed to be there. Now, mind you – I thought Brooke Shaden would
be the funnest to scare, but I wasn’t sure where her class was. Being blind and all, I was kinda hoping they
were in the vicinity with a sign so I would find her class faster. Would you believe…that as I came down the
stairs I heard her voice and saw a blurry figure with long hair? Her entire class was sitting at the bottom of
the stairs learning about the $10 wardrobe.
TEE HEE HEE!
I couldn’t see if anyone was staring at me because I was
blind and I liked it that way. I had to
remind myself to maybe not even smile for a while just in case! I found my way to the back of the class and
plopped down to listen to what Brooke was teaching. I was half-listening and half-thinking to
myself as to WHEN to pop this on her. I
have this thing about NOT wanting to be disruptive so I had to carefully find
that perfect moment to appear and “re-appear”. I remember she took a picture and brought it
around…and I leaned in as if I could see the image (I could not) and I giggled
in the back asking a question of the girl beside me who DID recognize me when I
spoke. Then I waited some more…oh the
JOY of what will happen….what will she do? What will she say? LOL
Brooke took another picture demonstrating the lighting and
model and subject. She asked everyone to
come up and take a look at the camera on the tripod. I slowly made my way up there as she commented
“Come on all you slow people in the back!”…
I approached the camera and got in really really really
close so I could actually REALLY see the image and then I looked at her with my
eyes and said “I’m not slow!”. The
reaction on her face was priceless. First,
confusion for a second…then…a “wait what?’
At this point I can’t help laughing because the look on her face was
true surprise. Then the moment was over!
She saw who I was! HAHAAH!!!!! I told her “I’m just
commiting to character, which you totally get right?” Here is a picture of what I feel parts of her
reactions were…they were truly priceless….
Then she was like, you totally have to leave my class!!! I actually DID want to step out of the way
now that I had proved my point and had a laugh.
She continued with the class and I continued on my way giggling that
I’ve had so much fun just putting this together and proving a point to myself
and teaching myself about character. It
was truly priceless. I won’t ever forget
that. (yes, she DID forgive me later out of character---hahah She thought it was BRILLIANT.)
I began to move forward in a few of the other areas at Union
Station and scared a few more people.
Brian Demint walked past and gave me a friendly hello til I pushed him
further to recognize me. Then he
exclaimed “you look norrrmalll!!!! There is hope for you!!!”. Haahahah!!!
That too, was priceless. I
definitely got a few more giggles in as I moved forward with my quest. While I was finishing my scare with Dan
Frievalt…Brooke Shaden walked past again and completely gave me that look of
“you are totally freaking me out I’m SO not talking to you!!!” Bahahah!!!
Ah, life is good!
 |
| I scared both Dena and Brian Demint - and this was a still from a small video capture by Muja Rupam |
This next one I couldn’t stop laughing – even when I re-tell
the story. My friend Kelly told me I
should follow Presley around and see if she would recognize me. I took it a step further. I obnoxiously tail-gated her while walking
behind her. I remember she walked into
the room but then had to run back out for her phone charger! I stayed literally on her until I bent over
laughing at the stairs outside because she turned around and was like “excuse
me!” Then I said “heeeey”. Hahaah!! I was like telling her I was
purposely following her soooo close to the point of “personal space” being
invaded that it was just too funny to bear.
She recognized me and forgave me, I think ? Did you Presley? LOL
haahahaha
Ok so after all the shenanigans – I realized I needed a
decent picture of myself to capture this moment. Thankfully the lovely Tonja was going to her
next class and I asked her for a few minutes of her time and she obliged! I finished out my character with a quick
photo shoot and the results were so amazing! THANK YOU TONJA!!!!
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| Image by Jason & Tonja - Designs/Styling/MUA: Rachel Frank, RFD |
Thanks to everyone that made that last After Dark
special. I know I can be a handful, but
doggonit I had a blast!!!! WOW!!!!!
Thanks to everyone that made this happen.
Credits:
Clothing/Makeup: RFD by Rachel Frank
Photography: Images by Jason and Tonja
Location: After Dark Education, Union Station Hotel St Louis MO
p.s. thanks to EVERYONE i scared - it was a blast. :) And to those that recognized me? THANKS!
Full body shot by Jane Love (on her phone)
And for the words in a more ANIMATED version, less texty............
herez a quick video comment!!!
