Today is the birthday of two of my dear friend, and favorite fancy ladies:
Christy Kane and Dame Darcy! Not only do they share a birthday,
but also a predilection for making beautiful and bizarre dolls, dark victoriana,
and all manner of tattered frippery! Both are amazing artists and musicians,
and if you are not already familiar with their work, I suggest you go explore!

Christy Kane (photo by Darla Teagarden)

A short film written by Christy Kane and starring the Sisters Kane.
Directed by the Chiodo Brothers.

Dame Darcy (photo by Marcel Dujour)

Golden Shoes!

The Elaborate Empire of Ache – directed by Lisa Hammer
The description makes me crack up!
“Caught on the living celluloid for the first time-
the hot-blooded mania of Dame Darcy
conversing with dolls no bigger than Gods foot…
SEE with your own dripping wet eye
the real life adventures of crazies on parade!
Your funny bone will CRACK as raw meat
all dripping with blood holds court with the distressed Dame.
You will run around in circles for a full 9 minutes
wondering why and screaming- YES!
See into the mind of mania.
Experience the pain of deranged psuedo-adolescence.
Fathom the work these broads put into this flickering monkey!
Dare to hold hands with danger and run blindfolded into the psycho fire.
Enjoy Dame Darcy’s underpants
and drink of the elixir of swell underground film-making! ”

Oh yes- if you never caught the Dame on Blind Date, it’s a must-see!
So goldang hilarious! The best is when they’re in the hot-tub
and she’s in her mermaid costume, speaking mermaid language!
Flippity-floppity!

Speaking of mermaids..
I’m super-sad to be missing the annual Coney Island Mermaid Parade once again..
One day I will make it there, in all my marine finery!
Until then, here are a few favorite images from past parades:

1. mermaid parade, 2. Iron Mermaiden, 3. lifesavers…, 4. sea glam, 5. flickr.com/photos/46555636@N00/175639160/,
6. Sideshows by the Seashore, 7. alitastar, 8. Coney Island Mermaid Parade 2008 / 20080621.10D.49264 / SML,
9. Mermaid Parade 2007 – Coney Island, 10. neptune/ poseidon with amphitrite/ aethra/ demeter/ alope/ amymone/ tyro/ medusa/ caeneus,
11. Mermaid Dog, 12. coney3646, 13. Mermaid Parade, 14. Untitled, 15. Untitled,
16. Untitled, 17. Astroland Girls, 18. tallman, 19. Marie Antoinette at the Mermaid Parade, 20. Mermaid Parade
Created with fd’s Flickr Toys.