So summer is here, and for me that means shaving my legs a lot more. I have been blessed with a lot of hair. I have beautiful thick shiny hair on my head, and A LOT of it. Now that wonderful advantage of having a full hair of thick hair means I have a lot of hair EVERYWHERE else. My eyebrows are huge, I have hair growing EVERYWHERE...lol. It is not a pretty picture.
So not only do I have a lot of hair all over my body it is dark, black hair. So that means on my legs it is more noticeable. I often in the summer shave my legs every day. Two years ago I was developing a rash on my legs from the shaving cream. So I did some research, and it turns out that shaving cream is just whipped soap...ummm duh I'm allergic to soap...lol. Like gees why didn't I figure that out for myself. It was then that I heard about people using hair conditioner to shave their legs. Umm conditioner? Ohhh okay. I had to let my rash heal for about a week, and then tried shaving with the conditioner. All I can say is WOW what an amazing product to shave your legs with. First off no more rashes! I get zero razor burn, and not only a super close shave, but my legs are soooo soft after. Another great advantage of using conditioner is that price doesn't matter. I usually buy dollar store conditioner to shave with, and it works better than any expensive shaving lotion!
So anyone else shave with conditioner? Do you have a favorite brand? Do you use something else to shave with other than shaving lotion or cream?
Oh gees I have my days all backwards, but whatever I'll share this photo anyways...lol. This is how I often see my Chris, when he is in the photography zone!
I had a whole other picture picked out, and uploaded it to picnik this morning, but it seems to have vanished...lol. So I'll use this one of my Chris. This was taken last summer. Chris LOVES taking pictures, and he is a very talented photographer. We spent a lot of time on this ship the Moyie that the City of Kaslo has restored. I've posted many a pic on my blog from that boat. This day was a photo date for us, we just enjoyed walking around the lovely old ship taking lots of pictures, and discovering things together. I know this summer we will have many more days like this.
Well I'm sure all of you are just sitting around your home waiting with baited breath to not only hear about my solo, but see a video as well! Well you don't have to wait any longer...lol.
So a little bit of info the choreography was all done by me, myself, and I. So if I don't like the dance I have no one to blame but myself. If you don't like the choreography well I guess you can complain to me...lol. This was my very FIRST belly dance solo. Well actually I guess the Belly Dance police would call it a fusion as I didn't use Middle Eastern music. Trust me there is a Belly Dance police out there...lol, and they are very vocal, and VERY opinionated. I'm happy that my teacher is okay with fuisng Belly Dance with other styles of music!
So as I said this is my first solo, my first taste at choreography. I noticed while watching the video I did make a few mistakes, and chest isolations need some work on them. At one point i was to be doing a hip circle, and bending my knees going straight down, and ooops almost fell over. Other than a few things I know I could do better I'm pretty happy with it.
Saturday night was fun, but the crowd was soooo quiet. It is considered good manners at a hafla to cheer, clap and make lots of noise. The dancers actually feed off of it. Other than the little girls my solo got some of the loudest response from the crowd. I have to admit it is a very different feeling to be up there all by myself on the stage.
Well I hope you guys enjoy it, and if not then oh well....lol.
So the music is Harry Belafonte, 'Jump in the Line.'
That's me dancing last yeat at a Restaurant in Beaumont.
So I have my Hafla this Saturday. Now I'm sure a bunch of you are wondering what a Hafla is. So here you go:
Hafla ~ A small, low-key social gathering centered around bellydancing and food. May include costume vendors and live music.
Another way to describe it is a dance recital with food...lol. It is a way for all of us taking dance classes with the same Teacher to see what each class, and student has been working on. To appreciate all the time, and effort we each put into our classes, and practice time. We get to show our family, and friends what we are learning. Often there are one or two dancers from outside of our area so we get to enjoy watching other dancers too. We get to dress up in fun costumes, put on to much makeup (think stage makeup, Drag Queen makeup...lol), put on lots of jewelry, bhindis, and just have fun.
So about three months ago I felt all cocky like, and boldly requested from my teacher that I do a solo for the June 18th Hafla. I selected my music, and started working on my dance. Well that was three months ago. Guess what? June 18th is THIS Saturday! THIS Saturday!!!! That just dawned on me yesterday when my teacher asked if I was still planning on doing my solo. Do you hear my knees banging together? Do you hear my teeth chattering? Do you hear my nerves? Well I do...lol.
As it turned out last night I didn't like my solo. So I practiced, and tried working it out, and got it a little better. I showed J Man, and of course he is as supportive as always ahhh Mommy how come you don't like it, it looks good. Have to love that kid. This morning while walking to work, and listening to my music for I swear the millionth time I worked out another part that I think I like better. So over lunch time I was able to practice some more, and I'm 85% certain that I might be happy with it. Tonight I'll video record it, and see how it looks. FYI if you dance or perform video record yourself, and you'll see flaws that a mirror doesn't catch. Keeping my fingers crossed that I like it. Keep in mind I'm also in four group numbers....lol. All of which I have to know just as well...lol.....5 dance numbers, four costume changes viva la bling....lol.
Well today I'm nervous so I started making lists to try to calm my nerves, and also so that I don't forget anything. Wow I can't believe the amount of crap, very important items that us dancers drag along to shows. While I was writing my list I got to the bottom of my list, and realized one very important thing missing that SHOULD have been at the top of my list my MUSIC....lol. So I totally took away any chance of not performing my solo, by emailing my music to my teacher. So now I have no excuses.
I however will find comfort in the fact that Chris I'm sure is nervous as well, but for a whole different reason. Like myself a couple of months ago he volunteered to make one of the dishes for the Hafla Saturday, and he's facing the same thing I am....Holy Crap Saturday is almost HERE! So he's busy trying to figure out numbers, amount of ingredients, enough cooking pots, and so on. I don't envy him, I'd rather perform than have to cook for eveyrone...lol. Bless him though for offering as he is so sweet, and I know his butter chicken will be amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So I'll spill the beans sorry Chris if you read this before Saturday here is the song I'm doing my solo to.
I'm sure everything will go well Saturday I just need to remember the music!
This picture was taken behind a coffee shop. There is a bunch of things painted on the back of the building. I like this for some reason...lol. This is the same coffee shop that I posted the pic a few weeks back with the quote 'Live with intention. Have the courage to leave your mark.'
So last night J Man took out all my 'flowers' put them on the floor, and started laying them out. He had fun playing with them, and coming out with his own layout. This is what he came up with. It is what I would have done, no, but I like what he did.
Interesting to see them all my 'flower's laid out. I do like how they all look. Right now I still plan on doing a colour wash type layout, and I think it will look good. Undecided about size at this point. I think if I ever get this done...lol... I think I would then start a monochromatic hexagon quilt. I would probably do all red as it is J Mans favourite colour.
Then last night while I watched the Canucks lose I basted some hexagons using the vintage fabric I got in the mail last night.
Here is the other package of fabric I ordered from Etsy. This vintage fabric set came from In The Old Schoolhouse The set was to have been 60 squares, but she sent me 68 woo hoo..no repeats..in wonderful condition! They all measure approx. 3" square. I can't wait to play with these tonight. I might as well as my hockey team the Canucks are losing at the moment....~sigh~ They also carry Fat 1/4's, 1/8's & 1/16's. Prices & shipping seem really good to me. Check out the shop In The Old Schoolhouse!
Well I sewed more hexagons together. I've gone back to strictly random. So I'm back to just pulling out a hexagon and sewing it into the flower I'll allow two fabrics per 'flower.' I'm not sure why I went back to random. I do know the 'flowers' seem to go together much faster when it is just random.....lol.
Again none of this fabric is brand new it is either reclaimed, traded, donated, or bought scraps or vintage fabric, but none brand new. It is an eco challenge, and creative challenge to see how this quilt will turn out without buying new fabric, but reclaiming fabric, using scraps, finding fabric at Thrift Stores, using old clothes etc. I'm really enjoying challenging myself this way.
