So Many Favorites…

I have so many favorite things this week, prepare yourself!

.power clutch.

I LOVE this new Essie color for the fall! I’m not usually a fan of dark nail polish (a year ago I never even wore nail polish), but I’m addicted to this color. I’m pretty sure I’ll be wearing it all winter :)

.running shoes.

My old running shoes bit the dust this week. I was at T.J.Maxx and just happened to find this new pair on sale. Woot! They’re the new Reebok Tone style (they’ve got little balls on the sole) so I’m still getting used to them. The shoes are designed so a completely different parts of my feet take the brunt of the pressure. And they’re pink. I love that about them. (Just started running again after the great illness, so I’ll start posting about that again soon!!)

image from google.com search

.evolution of the dance.

Nope, not that super awesome YouTube sensation, but a new piece for the dance team! We’re working on our own version of dance through the last century, which includes the Charleston, Lindy Hop, Jive, Mashed Potato, Twist, Monkey, Disco, Popping, Hip Hop, and House Dancing. It’s going to be epic.

image from google.com search

.english breakfast.

Last night was English breakfast night. Yum! We enjoyed eggs, bacon, potatoes, Heinz tomato beans, and fresh orange juice. Makes me remember the good times back in the Motherland. *sight* I miss London.

.spring has arrived.

I apologize to my friends in the North East, but the weather in Vegas is gorgeous. It’s been in the 60s all week and I’m loving wearing jeans, sweaters, and my fleece since the mornings are so cool (all the way down to the 40s!!!!). It’s finally feeling like autumn in the Southwest, but it’s definitely Spring at The Dancing Frog! I just made this cute little spring hat for a friend and I can’t wait to make more.

.snuggles.

I get to hang out with this pup all weekend long and I’m so excited! We were watching Breakfast at Tiffanys yesterday and we fell asleep all warm and cozy (clearly, Tiffanys is not one of my favorite movies).

.green smoothies.

I had always been terrified of green smoothies. How could something with so many green leafy veggies be a sweet treat? I was so dead wrong. I’m truly addicted to green smoothies now. The main ingredients are kale, collards, apples, and pears; the taste is pure pear and apple. YUM!

.whoopie pies.

Did you see the post about my first GF baking success. Woot! I may fail another million times, but at least I’ve had one success!!!

Delicious pumpkin cookies!

See?! Lots of favorites this week :)

Friday Favorites: My Talented Students

This post was not prompted by our placing 3rd in the Shakespeare competition, but by “Sunrise Idol” our annual talent show at school. I love that my kids are talented at so many different things!

Two of my guys played their ukeleles and sang:

Another two students danced:

One of my AP students rocked out on his guitar:

And our Mariachi band is absolutely incredible!!!

I know many of you wanted to see our performance at the Shakespeare Festival – here it is!!

Another Favorite Friday linked up to:

Miscellany Monday 10/10

one. husband

I am just so thankful for my husband – the last few months have been pure chaos with me being sick and heading to Utah this past weekend. He even went grocery shopping for me today on his day off :)

On our California adventure!

two. Utah

The Shakespeare Festival at Southern Utah University was amazing. We had 30 well behaved high schoolers and 4 exhausted chaperones! We brought them to see three plays, they attended workshops, and everyone had the opportunity to attend workshops. My dance kids did an outstanding job in their performance – can’t wait to get our results back!

I am one proud dance mama! They did their piece based on the witch's potion in Macbeth Act 4.

three. turtle

I’ve been working on a new creation for The Dancing Frog! It’s an infant turtle costume :) I think it’s a bit big for a newborn (I’ve got another portrait session Wednesday!!), so I might try making it a bit differently before then, but I’ve been wanting to figure it out for awhile, so I’m excited!

This little guy even has a matching hat :)

four. sunset

Southern Utah is one of those places that makes me happy and gives me reprieve from the desert. It is just gorgeous (and reminds me a bit of New Hampshire except with reddish rocks as well as granite). Here’s the sunset Saturday on the way back to Vegas:

Aren't those rich colors just gorgeous? The clouds look like grown up cotton candy!

five. doctor

Wednesday is the big day – my first appointment with the gastroenterologist. I’m definitely nervous, but excited at the thought of some kind of closure. Gluten free has definitely been helping and we started stocking up on some baking ingredients today. Pray for me at 11:30 PST if you think of it Wednesday!!!

I figured this was better than a picture associated with a GI doc ;)

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Yup, it’s another:

Miscellany Monday 10/3/11

There is so much on my mind at the moment – I apologize if my thoughts are not coherent!

1. Friendship
I’ve been thinking about friendship a lot lately and will be coming up with a post pretty soon. The long and short is that God has blessed me with some amazing friends! More coming soon…

This awesome lady has spoiled me with Salted Caramel Mochas, thrifting trips, and lots of laughter!

2. Dance Pictures

I’m giving a quiz in dance on Wednesday and was going through pictures online when I found these two neat ones. It’s all in the little things!

What a fun bridal picture!

This makes the photographer in me giddy. I might need to try this one!

 3. Gluten Free

Look what came today!!!! I can’t wait to start working through this. Gluten free has made a huge difference in my energy level and my GI issues, so I am starting to think this will be a long term change. Once I’ve got the time, I’m going to make some gluten-free brownies :)

I want to try the Gluten Free Gormet Bread book next!

4. Gypsies

On Thursday I’m taking 10 of the dance team kiddos to the Southern Utah University Shakespeare Festival on Thursday. It’s going to be a blast and we’re even bring a piece to compete with! Our piece is inspired by Act 4, Scene 1 of the Scottish Play (aka MacBeth) and includes 3 gypsy witches and 7 cauldron creatures. I’ve just about finished the costumes tonight, so I’m getting really excited!

Inspiration for the witches' costumes.

5. A Dream Come True

I’ve been wanting an apple corer for ages. Pretty much ever since making my first apple pie. I think I was probably 9, so, yea, it’s been awhile. Found a really nice one at Ross for $4, so my dreams are coming true! One day I’ll even get a fancy corer/peeler. But for now, I’m content with this fun little tool:

Yes, I found one in red that matches my Kitchenaid :)

6. Obsession

Just in case you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m completely obsessed with Starbucks’ new Salted Caramel Mocha. I love the sweet and saltiness. I’m so in love with it that I’m gathering all the ingredients to be able to make it at home. Yum.

This is happiness in a cup. Donations accepted.

all images from google.com image search

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Since it’s another Miscellany Monday, I’m linking up to the party:

 

Why I Love My Job

I haven’t been able to stop thinking about how much I love teaching at SMHS this week. I have been so blessed by my students and coworkers and just had to share some of the highlights of the week.

I have one student (a 9th grader in Dance I) who has had a major injury every week of school. He came back to school today after being in the hospital all day yesterday as a result of two stab wounds. He came limping into class, but had a great attitude and always participates as much as his doctors notes will allow. After class, I started talking with him and the two other boys in the class and had the opportunity to encourage them that gang life and the drug world do not pay off. One of the guys told me he figured that out for himself after witnessing a drive by shooting. I’m so glad I’m able to have serious conversations with them so early in the school year!

Another reason to be thankful is the new way I have been able to relate to students. Since I am coaching the dance team, I have a lot of time to spend with my students. I have been getting to know them on a much deeper level than last year. Two of the girls have been extremely open with me and we have already had several conversations about faith related topics. I have been so thankful for the opportunity to be involved in these kids lives more than I ever could if I were only in a core-curriculum classroom. I have worked hard to be transparent and show them my personality in order to be a mentor for those who need one.

Lastly, I am so thankful for all my students and their hard work. They keep me giggling all the time and I look forward to every moment with them. Here are some photos I took from our assembly two weeks ago.

Miscellany Monday 8/29/10

It’s another Miscellany Monday! There’s a lot swirling around in my head, so I can’t promise any of this is coherent :)

1.  FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

Woot! Today was another first day of school. I worked through my bad attitude over the weekend and was so ready for today. It was really fun to check out my blog post from last year’s first day (my very first day ever as a teacher). If you check out these pictures, you might notice some differences between then and now.

End of First Day 2010-2011 School Year

End of First Day 2011-2012 School Year

2. PAINTING THE DANCE STUDIO

Some of you have followed the saga of painting the dance studio at school. Here’s the progress from today.

The wall I painted today...

The drop cloths two of my dance team boys put up so I can paint more this week!!

The kids have been so pleased with the results – one even exclaimed, “I feel so inspired!”. (Note: this kid’s hair looks just like Rufio in Hook, but he’s too young to get the reference, so it drives me CRAZY! I’ll have to do a side by side comparison one of these days).

3. THE FINGER

Thanks to everyone who has checked up on my finger. I still refuse to go the ER because it seems to be healing well. :)

(I now spare you the anguish of a picture of a chunk of my finger falling off, you’re welcome).

4. B.R.A.T.

Keith likes to call my an Air Force brat. What he really means is that I’m only eating

• B.ananas
• R.ice
• A.pplesauce
• T.oast

Oh yea, and lots of Powerade! Yay electrolytes :)

I won’t get into the details of my diet change (and you definitely don’t want a picture), but let’s just say I’ve been under the weather due to some poor food choices.

I now leave you with a picture of my favorite brat from fictional literature:

Eustace Scrubb from Voyage of The Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis

image from narnia.wiki.com

5. BOOK

I’ve been reading this book lately. It’s really good. Can’t wait to share more with you when I’m done!

Captivating story telling always makes for a good read!

image from google.com search

6. GORDON RAMSEY

Remember when I confessed my undying guilty obsession with Kitchen Nightmares (was that really only a week ago?!)? Well, now Keith’s hooked too. I’m so proud!

7. END OF AUGUST, MEANS THE END OF 50% OFF!

Yup, I’m sad to say it, but there are only two days left in the 50% off sale at Dancing Willow Photography! Just use BIRTHDAY50 at checkout for your discount!

Did I mention there's a 50% discount in my shop for two more days?!

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It’s a party! Linking up to Miscellany Monday:

Fit Friday 8/26

Well, sad to say, I only ran once this week. I’m up to running 4 minutes at a time and it wasn’t as horrible as I anticipated. I made myself stay nice and slow and I did alright.

Thursday was a district-wide Dance professional development day and all we did was dance! I learned some lyrical-african fusion choreography and had a blast. However, since my dancer feet and muscles are out of shape, I’m paying for it now! I’m so sore and my feet are still recovering:

You know there's not much skin left when you can see the blood rise to the surface in hot water!

School starts next week, but we won’t be doing too much dancing until the week after. I am really looking forward to getting a bit of a cardio work out in 4 times a day! Woot!

 

 

 

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Don’t forget about the 50% discount at the Etsy store! It’s only valid until Wednesday, August 31!! Use coupon code BIRTHDAY50 at check out.

 

 

Transformation Thursday: The Dance Studio

I feel like this is kind of a cheat post. It’s more of a “Working Towards a Transformation” Thursday. I guess that counts.

Since I am now officially teaching dance more than physics, I feel it is my duty to make the studio feel more like a home and a permanent space.

Isn't this just plain icky?!

My first instinct was yellow since our colors are yellow and purple – I love a nice, warm, buttery yellow. And then my friend Melissa pointed out how yellow the floors are (and only half the lights are on!!). Ick. If the walls are yellow, we’ll all look sick every day!

Since we have those lovely windows over the mirror, I want the space to be light, airy, natural, and comfortable. Our kids join clubs and programs for a safe haven and when they feel safe, they’ll truly be able to develop their creativity and artistry.

Here’s the basic proposal I’ll be presenting to my principal:

This is theoretically the same view as the picture, I'm clearly not talented in much more than drawing straight lines with a ruler :)

I really liked the idea of a soft sage color for the walls. It would definitely meet my goals of creating a calming safe haven, but also using the natural light to my advantage and bringing colors of nature inside.

Eddie Bauer "Gardner Green"

The far wall will have “Dance is…” painted by some of our very talented graffiti artists in blue. I’d really love it if they could add touches of yellow and purple to tie in the school colors.

Valspar National Trust "Filoli Dark Iris"

I like how clean this style is, but we'll see what our artists have in mind.

image from google.com search

The lines under “Dance is…” would be clothes line or wire so that throughout the year, kids can add their own thoughts, drawings, and words that finish the sentence. By the end of the year, we’ll have a whole collage!!

On the right, above the mirrors and the windows, we really want to put a quote (the dance team was all over that and even had a suggestion!): “Dance is not just a movement, it’s a passion” is the current forerunner.

On the left wall, we’ll have all sorts of posters creating a collage of iconic dancers and choreographers from a variety of eras, ethnicities, and genres. Most of my dancers have no other training than what they get at school, so they need exposure to the dance world outside of hip hop.

On the wall not pictured, the kids really want to include some sort of memorabilia from graduating team members. Their idea was hand prints with the name and year painted in it, but I hate the idea that they could get painted over. I think a good compromise would be to frame hand prints from each group of graduates (or even foot prints – we are dancers after all!). We could also do head shots of each graduating dancer with their signature – just to add something artsy fartsy!!

So, there’s my proposal. We’ll see what my principal thinks tomorrow!

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It’s a party! Linking to:

Ready For School!!

Wow, so this week flew by and I’m having to combine posts; this will constitute this week’s Transformation Thursday and Fit Friday posts.

My Thursday transformation was into that of dance teacher at school. I went in to observe the MineRockaz (the dance crew) and had to put my “Bossy Bertha” hat on right away to remind the kiddos that being on the school dance team is no joke and I’ll kick them off faster than they realize. Phew! Today’s practice will reveal how much of the message they got.

The other part of my dancing physics teacher transformation is an awesome outfit I put together for teaching!

First (and most important): The Shoes! One of my birthday presents this year was a pair of Merrell Pureglove Barefoot shoes. They are made for running, hiking, and walking and feel like I’m not wearing anything at all. I hate wearing shoes, so this is a great find :)

I love the bright red color!!!

Last night Ana and I went to the Gap Outlet so I could burn the rest of a gift card and I found the cutest shirt and softest pants ever:

So comfy :)

Last is this super awesome watch. I hate being tied to a wall clock in a dance studio, so some birthday money paid for this one – it was originally $55 and I got it for $20!! Woot!

Isn't she purdy?!

As for Fit Friday – I just had to let you know that my run yesterday almost killed me. I’m up to running 3 minutes at a time and I thought my legs were going to turn to dust beneath me. My left shin is starting to act up, so I’m going to take a couple extra days before the next run!

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It’s a party! Linked to: