Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Tuesday Musings...Much Ado

"If it prove so, then loving goes by haps.

Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps."


Hero (from Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare)




One of my favorites (and not just because I love the movie version with Keanu Reeves...sigh). And truly, who hasn't fallen into the trap?

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Tuesday Musings...Puppies and Sunshine



"Love isn't all puppies and sunshine. It makes you scared as hell."

Anya Bast, from Dark Enchantment



Just a sneek peak of my next review ;-)....

Monday, July 11, 2011

Five Things I Love...Tribal Fusion Bellydance




First, if you have no idea what Tribal Fusion Bellydance is, be sure to visit the page link to get a mini course (not all inclusive, and no pop quizzes!).



1.) Tribal Fusion Bellydance is a style that originated in California. Why is this on my list? Creativity and explosions of art are always to be celebrated! In a time when most schools are struggling with budgets and the arts are the first to be cut, it's a beautiful thing to know that art still has relevance and that this ever evolving art is inspiring dancers to create and explore.



2.) Bellydance celebrates all types of women! Young, old, any and every body type and ethnicity. Anyone can do it! (Don't roll your eyes! If everyone was perfect at something the first time they tried something, how boring would that be? Ugh!) Tattoos, piercings, Pagan, Christian, Buddhist, tall, short...it doesn't matter. All women are beautiful in their own way...I'm not a skinny girl. Curves are celebrated. I'm proud to say I look better in my bellydance wardrobe than most of my everyday and work clothes.




3.) I've to learned to take joy in learning. Especially the first few times..ok, maybe more like the first ten to twenty times...I tried to make my body do what I thought was impossible. I giggled. A lot. Which made it even more fun and enjoyable. There is so much we beat ourselves up over that having this outlook has expanded into other areas in my life.


4.) I dance with the most beautiful, generous, and loving women. The cattiness that is usually so prevalent when some women spend time together is not an issue. It has renewed my faith in so many ways! We help one another, whether its with making our stubborn hips and obliques make that crazy bumblebee walk work, fix a wayward costume piece, or just get a hug when you need it.



5.) Sharing...not only can I share my dance with an audience, students, and even you in some ways, I can share my interpretation and fusion of the style. New music, costumes, influences...there are no rules here.

Friday, July 8, 2011

To Read, Or Not To Read

It's still there, lurking and waiting. Sometimes, it looks at me with longing. Other times, the feeling generates guilt. I know it's mad at me or feels abandoned.
The It? My TO BE READ pile. Or, as my husband calls it, the collect dust while everything else speeds on by pile.
Truly, I'm not sure the culprit is as simple as a reading slump or as complicated as I have a life changing event coming in a little over two months.
I have a feeling it's a bit of both.
To be honest, I'm overwhelmed with everything I have to do to get ready for my lil bundle of chaotic joy. Even the everyday simple mundane tasks seem overwhelming. (Don't even get me started on the kitchen remodel that keeps getting stalled. Oy.)
So, to get myself out of my slump, I pulled out an oldie but a goodie. Okay, maybe not that oldie.
If you've visited me in the past, you know the love I have for Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely series. After a few months of overwhelming (are you sensing a theme here?) feelings, I knew the only thing that could pull me out of this funk was Irial. And Niall. And Seth. And Ash..and Donia...and I hope you get the point.
So, five books later, I've finally picked up something new...partially to help my brain take a break every now and then. I'll let you know how it works!
And, I've decided to let the parts of the brain that can't seem to let go have its own voice on a lil blog I've started. If you want to check it out, great. If not, that's cool. But I hope you'll stop back.