Danielle Colby Striptease Historian | The Queen of Rust

God I love my job!

My friend Tiffany came across this incredible burlesque set from a burlesque performer named Jaime Jamison from the 1980s. This Photo of Jaime Jameson specifically is from 1984. This photo does not showcase Jaime wearing this incredible fire costume rather shows her in a completely different costume, that’s good enough for me because I have her contact information so that I can reach out to her and talk about her life as a burlesque stripper.

I appreciate the care with which Tiffany ...

😂🤔😂

Life

The Shape of Water

When you sit in silence long enough, you learn that silence has a motion. It glides over you without shape or form, exactly like water. Its color is silver. And silence has a sound you hear only after hours of wading inside it. The sound is soft, like flute notes rising up, like the words of glass speaking. Then there comes a point when you must shatter the blindness of its words, the blindness of its light.

Anne Spollen, The Shape of Water

The Perle Noire

Hello everyone! I’m so excited to be welcoming my friend and fellow performer, the Perle Noire to my home in Puerto Rico in December for my birthday showcase. This is a private show that I like to do, family and very close friends only, it’s certainly not a packed audience but it’s my favorite audience and always my favorite performers. We will be mostly housebound to avoid the Rona situation unless we are in the water. Normally the Perle Noire is so busy traveling around the world perf...

“New” vintage bondage costume

Many of you may or may not recognize this incredible woman, Tiffany, Tiffasaurus Rex, tiff little fingers, whatever you call her, she’s a dear friend of mine who helps out here in Puerto Rico with Barks Of Hope, not only is she a vet tech with a heart of gold but she is also the best vintage costume dealer!

This is one of the newest pieces I will be acquiring from her. I just purchased several costumes including this 1980s latex bondage costume, and “eaves leaves” black lace négl...

An Official Introduction To Hot Tawdry

Now, I know that I’ve mentioned my burlesque baby Hot Tawdry before but I don’t think Ive ever really told you about our history. 

Right around 2011 Pickers was hot hot hot! I never anticipated that much success that fast. I truly had no idea the way my life would change over the next years. Overwhelmed with my new life and what it meant I chose to leave LeClaire, Iowa. At the time I was living very close to the shop and was an easy target for weirdness. 

I had tried...

after the storm

Enjoying the calm and coffee at one of my favorite spots in Rincon, “cafe 413”.

We survived the deluge of the past couple of days.

We had a little stressful patch when the water flooded into my burlesque costume closet through the sides of the air conditioning window unit. It soaked 2 sets of feather fans, my feather green headdress and my Lynne O’NEIL original poster. Fortunately, I was able to dry everything with a blow dryer after power came back on. Thank the Gods it d...

Storm prep

As some of you may know, we have a storm coming towards us here in Puerto Rico. This is what I have done with my morning, I’ve taken all of my potted plants and moved them to safety so that they don’t get hurt in the storm. Took down all of my bamboo curtains. Taped the windows shut. We have yet to cover the pool and secure the Casita at Barks of Hope.

Jeremy Memphis and Oliver are headed up to Barks Of Hope to take care of the dogs and secure the Casita that Memphis has been fixin...

Say Hello To My Little Friends

These little fish are called Flagfin Mojarra, Eucinostomus melanopterus. They hang around the shallow sandy areas near coral reefs. But they also like to swim around people and will occasional swim by and peck at your feet. It doesn't hurt, but if you're not expecting it, it can be a little startling. 

Music: Dread Dub by Lloyd's All Stars

White Trash

Still studying my family history....

It’s incredible the changes that an agrarian economy will make on a community, a country of untilled land that we now know as America.

Essentially, the English mindset was that untilled, Unworked land is trash.

If the land was unworked, meaning there were no farms, then the land was basically up for grabs. The English paid no mind to the fact that the indigenous peoples that lived on American soil before they got here worked the land i...

Research

As I’m researching my family history from Ireland, whales, Scotland and Britain. My entire family history comes from these areas of the world.

I’m coming across some really incredible ancient tribes of Ireland and the British Isles, such as the Picts ( the tattooed or painted people, as Romana called them) and more southern Britons.

The Picts were an ancient civilization that is rumored to be heavily tattooed. The Picts wore their hair long on their head and lip but shaved t...

Amelia Therapy

Hello world, I was just laying in bed this morning thinking about all the moments of my life that make me smile. I like to do this in the morning because otherwise I tend to fixate on the negatives in the morning. It’s good to take time to sit in reflection with joyful moments.

It’s quite interesting how, in our memories joy and pain can be tightly entangled .

It’s strange how even our joyful moments can be rooted in pain. Like this photo... I look back with joy, thinking ...

Goodnight World

I’m thankful for you🖤

What are you thankful for tonight?

Goodnight Team Super Volcano 🌋

Remember that you are loved. Eat a bedtime snack. Hydrate. Indulge in your bedtime ritual. Allow yourself rest, you deserve it💗

Sneak peek!

At my Union Western face mask made in traditional tattoo style. 🔥

This mask is the one I wear to perform my burning down the house routine not in these quarantine times.

http://unionwestern.com

🌴🌊🌊🌊🌴

Breakfast view

Goodnight Super Volcano 🌋

What do you do to wind down before bed?

I use lavender or neroli oil and do some light restorative yoga. I keep water next to my bed and anything I could possibly need in the night in a pretty basket next to my bed. I wake up about 6 times a night because I’m a bad sleeper. This keeps me in bed usually instead of wondering the house to look for cough drops or cortisone cream (mosquitoes and fire ant bites every day).

I also like to put a bit of natural fragrance on my pillows,...

Iguanas!

I love seeing these guys. They’re so cool looking but did you know that they’re an invasive species here in Puerto Rico?

I remember watching them from the tree tops in my first apartment on the island. They would get into fights and push each other out of the trees to the jungle floor way down below. These babies just bounce, shake it off and get back up.

If you ever creep up on one, be prepared for them to whip you with their big ole tail😂.

Folks are trying out in...

Just A Little Tease...

Just a little tease from a full set of photos I posted on the Volcano Tier. 

I hope you enjoy...

Goodnight Super Volcano 🌋 Family

This stone is called Larimar. It’s mined here in the Caribbean. Specifically in Dominican Republic. It is the stone that my Batey Girls family use for their jewelry.

This pendant brings me a sense of peace and tranquillity. I wear it in the ocean as often as possible to soak in the magic.

Tonight I’m sending magic to you🌊

An Exercise In Stillness

I have loved working with water flow  and movement in the water. I've been working on stillness and slowing  down my movements for more impact. I’ve noticed that even in photos it  looks more ethereal and dreamy. I struggle to stay in stillness on stage because I get so excited to communicate with my audience. I struggle to  stay in stillness IRL because my mind doesn’t like to slow down. 

So, enjoy this rare glimpse of me exercising stillness. 

Good morning team Super Volcano 🌋

Remember that you are loved and appreciated. Know that your support made it possible for us to buy lots of Dog food for Barks of Hope yesterday and are helping us to better our community here in PR daily. We are excited to be making great changes at the stables to better protect and advocate for our shelter thanks to you!

Thank you for coming on this journey with us, we are thrilled to have you!

Are you guys about ready for a Team Super Volcano 🌋 live video Q&A?

Sh...

How are you keeping your head above water?

I know that during these trying times it’s important that we do keep our heads above water. People have been asking me a lot lately how am I doing that?

Honestly, it depends on the day. Some days I don’t want to keep my head above water, sometimes I start to drown in my own sorrow and misery and trauma, sometimes I work hard to pull myself out of it. Honestly it depends on the day and what it brings. But the one thread of truth in all of it is that eventually, I work mys...

Goodnight Team Volcano 🌋

I love you 😘

The Apache Fire 🔥

This incredible costume came from the collection of the 1970’s&1980’s stripeazer “Apache Fire🔥 ”. I’m still researching her for more details so stay tuned for that episode of stripping History! This costume came with wood based fire wings. They are incredible but are in storage in my home in Illinois. Someday soon I will scoop them up to archive for you.

This

model

Is one of my favorite Burlesque performers Crocodile Lightning.

Wings!

I love wings! All wings, any kind of wings, I love wings! I’ve always wished I could dream of flying yet it’s only on rare occasion that I do (I usually dream about water which is super cool too) So when I have a chance to play with silky wings, my heart goes a flutter. If you are just starting out in Burlesque, it is a simple and fairly inexpensive way to make a costume and a routine stand out. You can usually find a beautiful set of wings or scarves or large silk fabric for around or un...

Breakfast

I’m my greenhouse💗

Some of my favorite spots in my home

Since the move around the corner from my old house in PR I have found a few new favorite places in my new safe space. Here are a few spots I love to lounge around in.

Sometimes when I feel stressed out I literally walk laps in my little house to take in the calming scenery, and it usually works.

It’s always an interesting process figuring out where my plants will feel happy when I move. It’s so funny, there’s so much like kids and sometimes pets. They have spaces in the ho...

Viejo San Juan

Last week, when the island was still open for travel we had a great road trip to Viejo San Juan. It’s where so much of Puerto Rico’s history has taken place. Including the many marches and manifestations that have taken place due to the social injustices that have taken place on this island. It also was always the Metropolitan center of the island. Still to this day it is where most of the more well known clubs, shows and social adventures are for tourists. We tend to stay away from spots...

Sunday Funday

One more for the road. Hope you all had a good Sunday.

I know I did...