The Exiles' Carnal Carnival on Friday Dec 21st was an anniversary of sorts for me - the first year anniversary of my "official" entry into the scene. Last year I went to check out if this stuff was for me - and it was. This year I was on the committee planning the event, and I suggested and helped run a booth on Sensation Play.

On the one hand, it takes a lot of planning to pull off something like this, but on the other hand it went pretty smoothly because everyone knew their responsibilities, and did them. We have a great volunteer coordinator, and she got tons of wimmin to help. And we drew a great crowd, which is always what really makes an event work. We had tarot reading, sensation play, piercing, spanking, paddling, flogging, fire play, bootblacking, lap dancing, plus some fun games like Dick Toss (use your imagination).

I tried to be a bit lower key - y'all know how easy it is for me to go over the top - but I was way outdone in that category by the woman who ran the "Vibrator Races" booth. (And for all of you dirty-minded readers, this was mini vibrators racing down a sloped track against each other, not a bunch of women with vibrators seeing who could get off the fastest. Although that could have been fun, too...) She had lights, music, checkered flags, the whole works. Plus she wore the pants, boots, hat and beard of Santa Claus - barechested, with a leather harness which nicely showed off her pierced nipples. If that won't draw women to yer booth, I don't know what will!

I'd suggested Sensation Play because I thought it would appeal to newcomers, and it did. We had a steady stream of customers all evening, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. My booth partner brought alcohol, to clean things off between visitors, and my large feathers (stolen from a Ren fair hat) were a big hit. The hairbrush was popular, too. And I had fun with my favorite pervertable, the fork, which can stroke, poke, spank and tickle, as one wishes.

In the end it was a big success - boots were shined, breasts were pierced, the rope harness maker ran out of rope, and afterwards a lot of us headed over to the Citadel for the Queer Playground party. Mixed in with the BDSM was a nice little ritual for the Winter Solstice, and I did a more extensive sensation play scene with a woman who hadn't had her chance at the Carnival. Mmm, fun.