You missed one heckuva party

Dear Madonna,


It's now two weeks since the JulieFest weekend and the Madonna-inspired Fabulous Floor Show (which you missed!) and I'm finally able to catch my breath and drop you a line.

The turn-out for the dance workshops was excellent and Mike was amazing...as always. The show was fun, and my Papa Don't Preach/Sisters piece with Shelley, pictured above, went really well. Andy Haslett provided Cava for a toast after the show, and I was completely overwhelmed by the surprise presentation of a plaque representing the creation of The Epplett Award Fund. (Or as Mike coined, "The Eppies").

Hard to top, but the party continued the next day at The Gladstone Hotel with the Dear Johns - they were awesome! - and a guest appearance by Elvis. Best of all was just hanging around the hotel with friends and family, including my "sister by choice" Penny and brother, Andy.

Cava Karen stayed a few more days and we played tourist a bit, going to the Museum of Contempory Canadian Art (mocca), the CN Tower, and a final, fun cocktail hour at the Rooftop Bar of the Park Hyatt, where a "Mr. Zorro" bought us a bottle of champagne.

More pictures on my Facebook page. Friend me.

Julie

JulieFest Official Kick-off Party Tonight!

Dear Madonna,

Cava-girl Karen arrived yesterday, and she got a sneak peak at the opening number of the Madonna-inspired Fabulous Floorshow taking place this Saturday.

Mike Topel arrives today, and we'll be dancing to Karaoke at Noah's Ark tonight. (The address is 2777 Danforth Avenue at Dawes Road in case you arrive late and want to direct your limo on how to get there.)

Still many details to attend to but everything is coming together and everybody seems to be really looking forward to the weekend.

Still hoping you'll surprise us and just show up. Looking for a hotel? I recommend the new Hazelton Hotel in Yorkville. They have some beautiful suites, and it's within walking distance of my place.

Gotta run! I'm taking Karen to Christine's (my gym) today for a work-out.

Julie

Sticky & Sweet

Dear Madonna,

Diggin' the new album, and thanks for sending along that advance info about the concert dates. So glad you're making a stop in Toronto this time. Where are you staying? Will you be at the St-James again in Montreal? That's a such a gorgeous hotel.

I'm looking forward to playing '4 Minutes' tonight at the Toronto Swing Dance Society's Friday night dance. I'm teaching a couple of short lessons then deejaying part of the evening. It'll be one of the last opportunities for me to talk up JulieFest...which is now less than a week away, can you believe it?

Any word from Antonio (Bandaras) about whether he can make it? I'm still looking for Tango dancers....

Miss Julie

(The 'Miss' is an affectation I picked up in New Orleans)

Trashy Diva

Dear Madonna,

Just back from New Orleans. It was a good trip but I'm glad to get back to my own bed, and Zouk and Liza of course. (They're my cats and they really miss my lovin' when I'm away.)

The New Olreans trip was business, though I did fit in a night out dancing at Club Silouette in the suburb of Metarie hosted by local West Coast Swing pros Shawn and Kristen Moody.

I also managed to buy some souvenirs, mostly gifts. I read in a guidebook about a store in the French Quarter called "Trashy Diva" specializing in in clothing and handmade corsets. Woo-hoo! I bee-lined over there during one of our lunch breaks only to discover that they now only sell vintage-inspired ready-to-wear, and no lingerie. Oh well.

And, of course, I was nowhere near a record store on April 29th so will have to go out to HMV tomorrow to pick up my copy of Hard Candy.

Any word from Antonio, yet?

Miss Julie