Gift Wrap

When I have the time, I really enjoy wrapping gifts. Here are a couple from this holiday season!

Snowed in.

The Northeast is experiencing a big snowstorm today, and having left work early, I took the opportunity to decorate my tree and bake some Christmas cookies. My mom gave me a tube of Pillsbury gingerbread dough, so I decided to bake it off. I was disappointed that it expanded so much when I bake it, but it left more room for decorating detail. I'm pretty happy with how they turned out.

Crafty Christmas

Here's my makeshift tree 30 seconds before my cat attacked it. While searching for decorations, I learned that I have three different shades of lime green sequins.

I have my life back.

The RISD Alumni Holiday Sale was this past Saturday. For the last two months, I've been spending every possible moment knitting, sewing, or covering stuff with glitter. This was my view every night after work:

I would knit for hours on end, watching [mostly terrible] dvds either rented from the Red Box at Stop & Shop, or purchased for $4 at Target. I sat hunched in my corner, surrounded my yarn, while my cat tried to destroy everything.


The day finally came, and my booth looked pretty good. Of course, I always want more product than I have, but all in all, it was a pretty successful day.

Baking Season

I always get really into the holiday season for some reason. I feel the need to bake, decorate, and listen to the Christmas radio station 24/7. I got the urge this weekend to bake and decorate sugar cookies, which surprisingly, I have never done. Here are the results:




They started out as snowflakes, but ended up looking like asterisks, which is ok with me. My next attempt will be gingerbread cookies.

It's That Time Again...

Brie and I spent last Saturday picking out the costumes for the recital. They really all start to look the same after 25 books full of spandex and sequins.

Here are a few things we settled on.

My lyrical (duo with Brie) costume for Dear Mr. President by P!nk and the Indigo Girls. We're wearing the pants version (there's no way our asses are going on stage in booty shorts).



We haven't chosen our tap costume yet, but we know it's going to involve fringe and/or sequins of some sort. We're dancing to a remix of Respect by Aretha Franklin. The costume will be somewhere along the lines of these:





For hip hop we're dancing to a mix of a bunch of Missy Elliott songs [yet to be chosen, but one is The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)] and I think we're wearing Adidas track suits. I would love it if they were black and silver.

My six and seven year-olds' ballet to Be Our Guest from Beauty and the Beast.



I can't remember what catalog their tap costume is from, but they're dancing to ABC by the Jackson Five ans they're wearing a pink and black school girl costume.

Cat Couture

Ok, so it's actually dog clothing. I've recently discovered that my cat [usually] doesn't mind wearing clothing. This is a very dangerous discovery for me, because now in addition to buying clothing for myself, I can also waste money on clothing for my cat. There isn't the same market for cat clothing that there is for dogs, but I've found that the size small dog clothing fits Gadoo perfectly.

Here is Gadoo in his new parka, purchased in the dollar section of Target. Stay tuned for more Gadoo Glamour Shots. (I am fully aware that I have completely lost my mind.)

Costumez

I've had a few halloween events to go to...acouple of halloween swing dances, so I needed more than one costume. I put these two together mostly with things I already had.
50's Housewife:


Flapper:

Happy Halloween

Gadoo was surprisingly open to wearing clothing. This opens up a whole new world of shopping: cat fashion.

Catching Up

I haven't posted in a while, because I've been busy, and what I've been busy with hasn't been all that exciting. Quick recap: in the past month I've been busier at work, started taking and teaching dance classes again, done some shoe shopping, and started strict(er) regimen at the gym.

Last night I got back from Monsters of Hip Hop, a weekend-long hip hop dance convention, where we (myself, the studio owner, and five students) took classes with some of th biggest names in choreographers. This was our third time going, but our first time bringing students, and it went suprisingly well. This time around, the tour made a stop in Worcester, MA, which was an infinitely easier trip than going to New Jersey, where it usually is.

All of the classes and choreographers were great this time. We all loved LUAM, who I also danced with at the Pulse in New York this past summer. I learned part of this dance on Saturday:



LUAM also has a great line of hip hop inspired clothing, Wild Child Nation. Since I abstained from buying one at the Pulse, I indulged in a cobalt blue hoody with white and metallic silver printing on it.

I'm tired and sore, but I had a great time, and the weekend has renewed my love for dance.

Oh Shoes....

...the reason I am constantly broke. Although these didn't cost me any cash out of pocket, because I had a mall gift card! I had been eyeing these Nine West ballet flats for a while, but refused to pay $80 for them. I watched the price drop to $50, then $39.99, and I decided that that was reasonable (especially with a gift card).

The color of these suede with gold leather trim shoes is actually a bit more vibrant in reality than in the image; it's more of a bright fuschia than a dark pink. They look fabulous with narrow, straight-leg jeans, and can actually be worn with more clothing than one would think.

I believe my next purchase is going to be a larger shoe rack...

Bowlingshirt.com

In my search for saddle shoes and customized bowling shirts, I came across this fun website. Bowlingshirt.com is a great resource for all those sock hops you have to go to. I wish I had known about it weeks ago when I actually did go to a sock hop.

They have a great selection of customizable bowling shirts, poodle skirts/outfits, and saddle shoes, all reasonably priced. I'm awaiting an order of bowling shirts that I purchased for a birthday present. When those come in and I get to see the quality, I just may order some saddle shoes. I wish I had a reason to order a poodle skirt outfit, but I Just can't justify it, unfortunately.

Experiment: Glitter Nails

Those who know me, know I love all things sparkly. Which is why I needed sparkly nails. We all know that the premade glitter polish does not suffice. It is superficial sparkle, a mere "addition" of glitter rather than that nice dense quality that makes glitter so wonderful.
So I decided to try to make my own glitter nails. All I did was put on a clear coat and dusted it with ultra fine glitter immediately following the polish. Once it dried, I applied two to three more coats of clear top coat to seal in the the glitter. I was worried that it would chip off very easily, but it seems to be holding up really well. And it gave me the exact desired effect! It may be difficult to remove, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

Deal of the Week

I have been looking for a nice pair of glitter shoes for a while now, and by nice I mean not horribly tacky, and made well so that they don't leave a trail of glitter behind. I kind of gave up a couple months ago, because all of the glitter shoes I had found were awful.
This past weekend I took another trip to the Marshalls in Lincoln where I found the Betsey Johnson heels, and I was not dissappointed. I got these Michael Kors gunmetal glitter ballet flats on clearance for $15 ($98 retail)! I know that they are walking that fine line between awesome and awful, but I think the shape is a little more elegant than others I have seen. I'm pretty confident I can work 'em.

Oh, You Tube...

I know this is retarded, but I love it.

The Giragosian Cats

I recently met the newest addition to the Giragosian Cat family. I think her name is Benga, but I'm not sure if that's the final decision. She is adorable and sweet, and she is half Bengal cat, which gives her her spots and stripes. Unfortunately, she's my brother's cat, and will be living in New Hampshire most of the time so I won't be able to see her much...I was secretly hoping to switch her for Gadoo. I know, I'm a terrible parent.

Benga, sitting pretty.

Up close and dramatic.

Benga and Oscar eating in tandem.

Gadoo in his favorite sleeping position.

Happy Birthday Dana!

Here are some chocolate cinnamon cupcakes with cream cheese frosting I made for my boss's birthday.

Wade Robson Busted My Neck

I spent last night perfecting the combo from the dance below so I can teach it today. Unfortunately, after practicing it a million times, I can barely move my neck. I guess it comes with the territory. Hopefully I'll be able to move it enough to teach the dance this afternoon.

Tag, I'm It.

I've been tagged by Hannah at Printer & Piemaker. So without further ado, here are eight random facts about me:

1. I believe my true calling is to be a drag queen. Only then would my skill with sequins and rhinestones be put to proper use, and the need for restraint with such materials would be eliminated.

2. I have a cat named Gadoo, (which means cat in Armenian). I inherited him from my friend Trey, who realized he just wasn't a cat person. And admittedly, if all cats were like Gadoo, I'm not sure I'd be a cat person either. I love him dearly, he's adorable, and he purrs when I come home. But he's kind of a maniac. I fight with him more than anyone ever in my entire life (except maybe my brother when we were younger). I have scratches all over my body, and it's a test of speed and agility to get out of the house in the morning without him escaping (I failed miserably today).


3. I have a slight obsession with resetting my odometer when I fill my gas tank. I find it very satisfying.

4. My ring finger is significantly shorter on my left hand than my right.

5. I've seen the movie "With Honors" about 200 times. It was the first dvd I ever bought, because it was $6. I used to put it on in the background while I was doing artwork in college. I find it very comforting.

6. I came in second place at the Junior Club Championship in the girls division at the golf course my family belonged to when I was 13. Of course, there were only two girls competing. But I have a large trophy to show for it.

7. When I'm not thinking about anything in particular, and no other songs are stuck in my head, marching band music plays in my brain.

8. I own a sparkly blue bowling ball named blue thunder and bowling shoes, yet I am a terrible bowler.

At this point I'm supposed to tag 8 more people, and since tag backs aren't allowed, I don't think I know anyone else with a blog. So sadly, I break the chain.

Vegas, Here I Come!

I know these are totally insane, but they were impossible to pass up.

I went to Marshall's at the Lincoln Mall for the first time today. They have one of those "shoe megastores" inside it, and this was by far the best one I've seen. They have a huge clearance section where I found these gems, sparkling upon the top shelf. Upon first glance I thought, "wow, those are kind amazing." Upon futher inspection, I realized what a treasure they truly were.

Not only were these red satin, rhinestoned, strappy stiletto-heeled sandals, they were BETSEY JOHNSON red satin, rhinestoned, strappy stiletto-heeled sandals! Originally priced at $170, I got these babies for $30. I had to get them for the principal of the matter. They couldn't just sit there on the shelf of a Marshall's in Lincoln, Rhode Island whose residents have no appreciation for such gold. This entry should be subtitled "Diary of a Shoe Addict."

Of course, I have nothing to wear with them, or a place to wear them, but that can be arranged. Or else I can save them for my future as a Vegas showgirl.

I heart cupcakes.

Okay people. My birthday is coming up, and I wouldn't be upset if I got this for a birthday cake.


This fabulous pan is available online at Sur la Table, *wink wink*.

Pretty Leaves

These colorful plants were outside of the Warwick Mall, of all places.

Yay!

Cherries were only $1.99 a pound this week!

Excess.

I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of my new Converse. They're beautiful. Of course I don't need them. Internet shopping is a dangerous thing.

BDC Summer Dance Fest/ The Pulse

Last night I got back from my weekend in New York for the Broadway Dance Center's Summer Dance Fest/The Pulse. Aside from getting a very sore neck and butt, I had an amazing time. We danced with Mia Michaels, Wade Robson, Cris Judd, Brian Freedman, and many many more. Unfortunately, I didn't get any picture because I didn't feel like waiting in line.

I also took a class with Rusty, the dance captain for Legally Blonde, the musical, and learned a dance break from the show. Another highlight was a class with Lane Napper, who does a lot of choreography for television, especially Disney shows. He was a great teacher and had a ton of personality...great for kids. He brought four kids with him who will be in a new Nickelodeon show called "iCarly" ( a spin off of Drake and Josh) that will air in the fall— they were adorable.

I'm so lucky to have danced with some of the biggest and most unique choreographers of today.

I met Jason Samuels Smith, one of the greatest tap dancers of today, and got an autographed poster.


Some of Mia's work.


iCarly.

Bored Cops.

Last night my roommate and I decided that, although we were tired, we would venture out of the house to get a drink and be social on a Sunday night. How are we rewarded for trying something new? By being pulled over. Supposedly I ran a stop sign, which, I'm pretty sure I didn't....I probably didn't stop long enough.

Thankfully, he let me go because of my sparkling clean driving record. This was excellent, considering my insurance rate had just dropped again this year, and I really didn't need it to go up!

Cooking!

Monday night I realized that it had been at least a month since I had actually cooked myself dinner. I had been so busy, and was doing a Lean Cuisine diet thing, which wasn't bad, but when I have the time and energy to cook, I really enjoy it.

With the warm weather here, I was inspired to make some refreshing summer food.

I LOVE cilantro.


Gotta have lime.


Guacamole.


Edamame.


Gadoo playing with and eating the edamame.



"Asian" Cole Slaw.