Cherry Bomb: Carrie Borzillo-Vrenna's Ultimate How-To for Budding Rock Chicks

P.S. ‘A bonus one for the road: When you come up for air ... come up laughing.’?”

Designer Christian Joy on John Waters as a Style Inspiration

Advice from the author: Pinch a stranger’s butt and walk away.

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“A photograph in a fashion magazine that he [Waters] took that really has kept me thinking over the years. It was a photo of a giant tiger shrimp in a shoe, and my first reaction was, ‘What? I don’t get it. That’s stupid.’ Things are always kind of stupid when you don’t understand them. I saw the photo before I was making Karen’s [O. of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs] costumes or even doing fashion design. Then I started to make Karen’s costumes and suddenly that image of the shrimp in the shoe popped into my head again and I realized how really great and funny it was and from there the shrimp sort of became this really hilarious prop-esque thing for me. I actually made Karen a dress with a giant stuffed shrimp that hung like a stole around her neck. It was really funny. Karen ripped it apart with her teeth at a show in London and spit it in the audience. That was the best thing that could have ever happened to that shrimp. The outfit just kept on giving. Later, the shrimp photo came full circle for me when I saw a documentary on John Water,s and in it he talks about “shrimping,” which is a type of foot fetish for people who like to suck toes. Eight years later, I finally figured that photo out!”

Vrenna on Being Daring

Dare to be sexy: Pole-dance! Go to amateur night at the strip club or just use a street-sign pole while you’re waiting outside a club.

Dare to be a rock star: Sing Alanis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know” or Nine Inch Nails’ “Closer” (that’s the song that goes, “I want to f*&k you like an animal”) at the top of your lungs in a cute boy’s face at a karaoke bar.

Dare to be flirty: Pinch a stranger’s butt, and walk away.

Dare to be dangerous: Stage-dive at a punk-rock show.

Dare to be forward: Out of the blue, plant a kiss on the cute guy you’re talking to.

Dare to be racy: Don’t wear panties under your dress. But keep the legs closed when you exit the car. You want to be daring, not dumb. Blondie’s Debbie Harry used to go commando with class long before twits like Britney, Paris and Lindsay made it trashy.

Dare to be irresponsible: Spend your rent on an amazing new party dress by your favorite designer.

Dare to be different: When everyone else is wearing a cute little summery dress and flip-flops to the pool party, show up in short-shorts, stilettos, and a bikini top with glamour-puss hairdo and glamour-puss makeup — don’t forget the big black Jackie O sunglasses.

Dare to be silly: Childhood games rock. Suggest a game of Truth or Dare, Spin the Bottle, 7 Minutes in Heaven, or 20 Questions at the next house party you attend.

Art and text copyright © 2008 by Carrie Borzillo-Vrenna. Published by Simon Spotlight Entertainment, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc. Printed with permission of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Book signing, celebration and art show with Carrie Borzillo-Vrenna and illustrator Liz Adams at La Luz de Jesus Gallery, 4633 Hollywood Blvd., Silver Lake; Sat., Aug. 9, 3-7 p.m. (323) 666-7667. Additional signing at Billy Shire Fine Arts, 5790 Washington Blvd., Culver City (during the Shawn Barber exhibit); Sat., Aug. 16, 3-7 p.m. (323) 297-0600.