Terracotta Dreams

We are about to start a season of being totally busy. However, a couple of weekends ago, we were blessed by amazing weather and a walk around our neighborhood. We are lucky to be able to walk to a market filled with a ton of fresh produce, and a gardener's palace filled with a ton of greenery.

I admit that I am nervous about the next step of our journey. I love spending time with Loren, and that is going to be greatly reduced. I am so excited about being in a class again in order to move toward doing the things I love way more than what I do now.

But for this last day, I will dream of playing outside with my family.

"We have a Culture Raised on Watching."-Erwin McManus

Loren got me tickets for the deYoung museum for my birthday! They currently are having a Rudolf Nureyev exhibit-- one of my favorite dancers! I remember the period of time when I was taking classes in Atlanta, and my teacher showed us a video about Nureyev. I was hooked. I remember wanting to live art like that. Move and breathe it in. I am so thankful that I have had that chance and still have it everyday I wake up. It's been a hard marriage between dance and myself, but I love it more than ever.

The exhibit was fascinating! I loved seeing these costumes that I saw on video years ago. I also saw Margot Fonteyn's pointe shoes and a costume designed by Hanae Mori and worn by Sylvie Guillem.

Pause to take a moment to sigh.

We also wondered around the rest of the museum and saw a lot of really awesome art! While the textile section will remain my favorite, I love to see the beautiful, classical pieces that make up our history. We truly "have a culture raised on watching." Now it's more about film than live performance, but would it not be great to revert to live performances and witness the greatness of our times like Nureyev did?

Maybe it would create more community? More love? More compassion?


P.S.
My friend, Bianca, also accounted her visit in this post.Textiles are her thing, and I think it's really fun to read her perspective on the exhibit.

Number 27

It was my birthday yesterday! I love having my birthday close to the new year. It is almost like a double renewing celebration. I am truly blessed to have received so many well wishes from all over and from many different parts of my life!

If you have ever seen the How I Met Your Mother episode of Lily's birthday, that is how I am on my birthday. Watch it. I die laughing every time. This year I am feeling like my birthday is holding a lot of value for me. Like I said before, my personal new year. Therefore, my personal new year is coming with some goals in mind. I am sure this list will be edited, but for the time being, here it is.

Dreams for Year 27

1. Be creative EVERYday
2. Get my 200 hour yoga teaching certificate
3. Have 101 sales on etsy this year (talk about an intimidating goal)
4. Spend at least 3 weeks in Georgia
5. Spend at least 3 weeks in Oklahoma
6. Visit Yosemite
7. Spend a weekend with LG in la la land
8. Teach yoga ( specifically in California, Georgia, and Oaklahoma)
9. Witness the glory and beauty of the Grand Canyon
10. Visit a new country. Not Canada, but would still like to go there
11. Camp (I have NEVER camped outside of my Georgia backyard)
12. Sew myself something that I will actually wear
13. Visit Michelle in Colorado
14. Choreograph 3 pieces
15. Perform again
16. Participate in a Project Dance
17. Drive with the windows down on a hot night from Georgia to Alabama
18. See The Lumineers in concert
19. Have Grandpa teach Loren and me how to weld with his mad skills
20. Learn to sew more baby clothes
21. Blog regularly (3 times a week)
22. Write a story
23. See the Zac Brown Band in concert
24. Have a meal at Chez Pannise
25. Make a living doing the things I love, not corporate retail.
26. Eat at Julep
27. Take a ballet class from my alma mater, Belhaven University
28. Take a ballet class from Maurya Kerr, my favorite teacher. Ever.
29. Swim in the hot Atlantic Ocean and spend an entire day there!
30. Continue my gratitude project each week
31. Read 30 books

The Creator

The pressure of creating has been on my mind, living in my heart, growing in importance, stressing me out, all around me, making me cry, and giving my husband a reason to say "baby, take a deep breath." Here. Now. I can feel it in my soul.

What do you do when you are not sure what you are creating in the first place? What is the purpose for creating?

Create out of nothing?

What can I create out of nothing?

How did the "Star Breather" do it?

He said the word, and it was a creation in progress. The angels sung, mountains peaked, the ocean waves touched new earth-- for us to listen, to climb, and to ride.

Hallelujah.

I have all the props at my fingertips. The music to work with, the climb and decent, the water to swim through.

Now what?

New Year's Resolutions, and Getting Back to it

I can not believe it's 2013! Are y'all ready for this year?

I've been out of the picture since Thanksgiving. We had a little trip to Belize, then it was holiday madness until now.

Sort of.

January is full of birthdays between our families, including both Loren and myself!!! Yay! The birthdays will be keeping us busy.

I'm kicking off the year with a few resolutions including the JaNEWary workout plan from blogilates! I'm also gearing up for my yoga teacher training program that starts in February.

My "Hart [from] Dixie"

Today is a day that all of my hard labor fell to the floor in the form of cake pops.

It wasn't so bad. People helped, and were rewarded promptly with a wrapped pop of their own. A good time was had by all.

There lies a huge decision for me in this minor fiasco. Shall I quote the awesome show title, it could "Make it or Break it." Lately, these things have been breaking it. My husband encouraged me last night to really make today count.

Ok day "Bring it On."

*please excuse all references to lame ("and by lame, I mean awesome"-Barney Stinson) movies and shows.

Yoga, day by day

I've become obsessed with Yoga. It's an awesome workout for this high strung girl.  And I mean high strung.  Anxiety attacks me when I'm trying to get ready for work, even if I know I have plenty of time to get there. It's a bit ridiculous. I have suspicions that I have a high level of cortisol in my system.  I need to calm down. My goal has been to do at least ten minutes of yoga a day. Consecutively I'm on day five.  I would like to turn it into day three hundred sixty five. 

*fist pump*

 And I can tell a difference.

*double fist pump*

For me, I'm excited to connect my beliefs with my practice.  I've been
(slowly reading) Holy Yoga, which I am at first very turned off by the title.  It seems unattainable almost, unreal, to call what I do Holy. There were moments dancing that were sacred to me. That's where I could be found to be fully alive, and at times fully broken.  Even if I'm not in a dance classroom,  I want access to that every day. Maybe I can find it in yoga.