A Snail

Black Bird

A butterfly came by today

I wrote this little poem two weeks ago and then yesterday a butterfly really did come flying in the kitchen while I was doing the dishes and thinking about something that is close to my heart. I have never seen it indoors and took it as a good sign.

Vintage Beauty Stall

The Mini Vintage Makeovers last week went well and it didn't rain. There seem to be a lot of interest for this style of make-up and hair in our little town. I got a lot of compliments and made some new connections. Plus I tried to speak Dutch to costumers. Very pleased with how it turned out.

Mini Vintage Makeovers

Next Sunday, September 11, I will be  at Mercado de Belcrum doing Mini Vintage Makeovers.
Hopefully it won't rain:))

Black Bird

A trip to Den Bosch

Recently, after a Saturday lunch, we felt very adventurous and decided to go for a trip to Den Bosch
which is the capital of the province of North-Brabant where we have been living for almost two years now. We rarely leave our Breda; everyone seems to be travelling all the time, so I guess someone must stay home. Den Bosch means "The Forest" and is the hometown of the famous north Renaissance painter Hieronymus Bosch. Zoran took loads of pictures while I was staring into space
waiting for him to finish. The highlight of the trip was a final stop at a proper  pub with locals close to the Cathedral which was a treat after all the trendy places we had seen in town.

A Vintage Triumph Bra

I am a huge fan of Triumph bras. I owe a couple of Doreens which are a masterpiece of engineering and look still the same as in in the sixties when they were first made. I recently bought their Magic Boost bra and I am equally impressed. So when I found this vintage one in a thrift shop I was delighted and decided to keep it on display on a cute old wooden hanger in my boudoir:))

The Daks Dress

I was lucky to find this Daks dress (matching blouse and skirt) in a beautiful crepe cotton from the eighties, I think. I only had to make slight alterations to make it look more contemporary; I shortened
the skirt so that  it is a more flattering midi length and took in the blouse.
The clogs are Maguba from Sweden, they have a nice retro vibe, but are really hard to break in, so not the most comfortable at the moment but hopefully the leather will give in a bit.

We took the pictures in front of the entrance gate to Breda's Castle which is now the home to Dutch Royal  Military Academy. Not much is left from the Renaissance residence but the gate is from the 16th century and was one of the original entrances through the fortifications surrounding the castle.

During the impromptu photo shoot the most amazing thing happened. From around the corner appeared a very organised long row of geese going for an evening stroll or some important parade. It was such a  lovely sight with the adult ones taking care of the little ones, gliding effortlessly on the water and finally disappearing along the canal.

The Magician

Photography by A. Stopczanska
Makeup & Styling By Mimi Zorz

In these pictures I am wearing my beloved tailcoat, top hat and a fake big belly from my show The Rose and the Tailcoat. So much fun posing when you are in a character pretending to have magical powers. Also, this is my little  homage to the wonderful Charlie Chaplin and here is one of his quotes:
"To truly laugh, you must be able to take your pain, and play with it!"

A vintage blouse

Photography: Zoran Arizanovic
Fujifilm XT1 with Fujinon lens XF50-140mmF2.8

I am wearing a blouse that is older than I am (42 and 3 months, never thought I would get this far:));
and it belonged to Zoran's grandmother whom I have never met.The lipstick is Estee Lauder's Rebellious Rose. I am so used to wearing red and pink lipsticks so this seems  a bit too brown. Sometimes it takes time to get used to see new colours on your face. Otherwise is nice- creamy and very pigmented and the packaging
feels very luxurious.

Red And Turquoise

Photography by Zoran Arizanovic
Styling and Model : Mimi Zorz

I really like this red and turquoise combo but not wear it often, I think it was very popular in the fifties. The silk dress is a Monsoon one, via Oxfam online, it needs some alterations as the top is too wide and I am  not sure how to tackle that. Of course that is never a problem in pics, just in real life.

I bought the ring off Ebay a few years ago and been enjoying wearing it. Apparently it  belonged to a Mr. George Wood who lied about his age and joined the Merchant Navy in 1916 aged  14. He rose to leading signalman, which amused him as he was not good at spelling. It's nice to wear a bit of history.

Pink and Green

Photograpy by Zoran Arizanovic

I am wearing my new linen jacket with lovely pink and green dots which I found recently at a  second shop here in Breda. I am planning to sew a circle skirt in one of those colours if I gather the courage to wear it. I usually wear slim skirts but I think it's time to try something new. My lipstick is Pink a Punch by Rimmel. It is brighter in real life; it has a creamy texture and feels comfortable, really nice for Spring.

Makeup & Beer

Last week I taught my first makeup workshop at the International Women's Club here in Breda.
I think it went well and there are more to come. On the weekend our favourite pub had a beer promotion event and we happily tried a few pints of the nice Belgian beer. I am not really thrilled
to stand next to a horse but it was a good excuse to show my outfit which is quite nice if I may say so.

My new Etsy shop

I have just opened my Etsy shop where I sell digital prints of my watercolours and handmade dolls.
A small step for humanity, a big one for Mimi.  At the moment I will only ship in the Netherlands but that will change soon  as I learn more about how things work in  Etsy world. Here are a few examples.

Portrait Nr.7 - Babette

Photography by Agnieszka Stopczanska

Model: Babette

Hair & Makeup by me

Portrait Nr.6 - Esme

Photography by Agnieszka Stopczanska

Model: Esme
Hair & Makeup by me

Mimi in the Newspaper

I have been living in the Netherlands for more than a year now  and a week ago I had the opportunity to perform my magical dance and tricks  for the first time. It was a good night for me and hopefully there will be more to come in the future.

"The Magician Number"

Photography by Agnieszka Stopczanska

On the 22^nd of January 2016 I will be performing a short number from

my show The Rose and the Tailcoat  at Electron Cafe, Belcrum weg 19.

The show is part of the children's Cultuurnacht, a cultural night with events happening all around Breda. I will be sharing the stage with the illusionist Jochem Nooijen and we will be performing in blocks of twenty minutes at 19.15 ; 19.50 and at 20.25

About me:

I am a performer and illustrator and I create solo shows which combine movement and visual elements - animation, hand-made props and set design. In creating my shows I am influenced by old circus, silent films, books and everything magical.

“... The Rose and Tailcoat is a moving picture book from the past, a sensual nostalgia for silent movies, variety shows, the magic of old circus, an illustrated fairytale from those time when we were children and everything seemed so mysterious and exciting...”

A passage from a review

To watch the trailer and the whole show please visit my vimeo page

To buy tickets for the Cultuurnacht visit their website.