No real exciting news to report, except, OH YEAH, that part where I'm headed to Rochester, NY this weekend for Girl Jam!

The last time I was in Rochester was a couple of years ago for their solo jazz event, Stompology. I wrote a blog on that, too! I feel pretty confident in saying that I will enjoy myself even more, this time around.
Not only am I excited to go see and dance with my Northeast friends, but this year I'll be playing all sorts of roles. I'll be DJing with Michael Gamble throughout the weekend, and performing Friday night. And, of course, because it's me, I'll be throwing my hat in the ring for the competitions on Saturday. I'm also super excited about the classes lined up with Laura Glaess, Jaya Gamble, and Giselle Anguizola, and to hear what the fabled Miss Mable Lee has to say!

All in all I expect it will be a good time, one that I've been looking forward to. I also expect I'll be a bit tired from trying to keep up with homework over my long weekend, and the two nearly-full-days of travel that will accompany it. I'll let you know whether it was worth it! (Here's a hint: it will be.)

For today's love of the YouTubes, I picked one of my favorite recent routines, which debuted at Lindy Focus just a little over a month ago. Andrew and Karen are fabulous dancers, and their choreography is just as good--full of great energy, great dancing, and great humor. I don't know if I know any other dancers that use their face to the extent that these two do. Plus, have you SEEN Karen's hair?!

Check out Andrew Thigpen and Karen Turman performing their most recent showcase routine at Lone Star Championships 2010, in Austin, TX. This routine had everyone going crazy with tears of laughter, and of course a standing ovation at Lindy Focus. Just watch, you'll see:

I've mentioned a couple times that I'm currently unemployed/have been unemployed since October. By that, of course, I mean that I'm not currently holding down a "day job", an 8-5 position like I'm used to working during the days. I still do plenty of things, "night jobs" or "side jobs" or whatever you want to call them, and usually I work on those during the day, as well--anything from teaching, to DJing, to event organizing, to writing and editing, to marketing stuff.

I have no problem with freelancing as a career option, and I know plenty of people who do it successfully. In fact, I'd love to reach a point sometime where I am able to be self-employed in a consultant/freelance way. My only problem with freelancing right now is that I don't have the knowledge (or, in some cases, the excess of skills) to make it work full-time for me. Right now, I'm not sure how I can turn my professional hobbies into a plain ol' profession. This especially applies to event organizing, which is the avenue I'd most like to pursue right now. I have all sorts of questions--how do I establish myself? How do I get word out about what I do? And, even if/once I pull a gig or two, how do I price myself? These are all things that can usually be answered with experience in similar roles, which is something else I haven't been able to find much of. Strangely enough, I feel that I am a pretty dang good event organizer, with very strong ideas at the very least, but all my experience has been in "non-professional" (meaning, not with any sort of firm or professional clients) settings.

I'd love to hear how others approach this freelance "problem", or what other resources you would recommend when pursuing self-employment. I have a feeling my friend Carl and all the rest of that lifestyle design community would have plenty to say on the subject, but I'm curious as to what others have to say, too.

I took my first trip down to Austin, TX just last weekend, for the Lone Star Championships. What a great event! Extra kudos to Scott (Angelius) and Tena (Morales) for striking just the right chord with the event.
I got in Thursday night and was super excited to dance at the Fed, Austin's weekly Thursday night dance venue (and the place where activities would be taking place for the rest of the weekend, too). Lucky me, I got put on the guest list for the evening by one of my friends who is involved in the Austin scene--those kinds of things (not paying for a dance) kind of mean a lot when you're STILL unemployed, like I am. I, like quite a few others, was only lukewarm on the band playing that night, but I still managed to have some fun dances with locals and others who were in Austin early for the event. It was nice to catch up and be girly with Sharon again, too, even though I had just seen her two weeks ago at Lindy Focus. Then Brooks, Jo and I spent a couple hours hanging out at the afterparty, watching Nick Williams absolutely nail the part of Danny Zuko in the karaoke version of "Summer Lovin", and joining in with the others for the most entertaining version of "Love Shack" I've heard in a while. Yay, B-52s!
Friday was pretty low-key, involved some bubble tea and a little bit of shopping with Jo and my new friend Gina, plus airport runs and a bit of food, kind of, and then Brooks, Jo, and all the rest of us staying at their place headed over to the dance to meet up with Beth and Yossef and really kick off the rest of the weekend's dancing festivities. Namely, a lot of dancing and competing, and not a lot of sleeping or eating, necessarily.
I said it already, but I want to say it again: super kudos to Tena and Scott for putting on a really great event. Through all the competitions (and there were tons!), I never felt like I was running out of time to socialize or grab a dance with someone. The overall relaxed vibe of the event was exactly what I needed for that weekend--games time included--and I'm super happy that I got to go. I would love to see a little bit of time set aside for competitors to speak with the judges, since the competitions are mostly focused on the lead-follow of dancing, but I understand how hard it can/could be to arrange that. So instead, I'll just review videos of prelims to see what I can pick out. Yay for Yossef winning 2nd place in the Intermediate J&J, too! He and Mallory Griggs looked fantastic out there, and I'm glad Nashville was represented. Next year, I hope we can have even more Southeast representation (outside of the usual bunch of me, Michael, Jaya, Beth, Yossef, Jeramie, and Amber). There are dancers in the Southeast, I swear!
Lone Star is definitely an event I want to go back to next year, and Austin was a lot of fun to visit. Besides having a whole bunch of my friends there (and them wanting me to move there), what I saw of the city was interesting enough to keep my attention. Other highlights include:

-Nearly never having a bad dance at the event
-Still being able to dance as much as I was inspired to, and being inspired to try new things
-Giant City Sextet! They were just what I wanted to hear
-Late-night Fluxx games with something like 8 people and 14 rules on the board
-The Invitational J&J silliness (see videos for proof)
-Creating the "bored stripper face" with Beth and getting it down to a science
-Meeting Wingy and Edmund, two of the most awesome orang
-Good brisket at the Salt Lick in Driftwood, TX with about 50 dancers,even if they didn't have macaroni or rolls, and what kind of BBQ place doesn't have macaroni or rolls
-Mumbling and grumbling about how "grumpus" is totally a valid word and should count for Scrabble points for team MeBeth
-Gin&Strawberries, even though the recipe is more complicated than you think
-Meeting lots of great new people/dancers (and non-dancers!) and getting to spend some time/dance with them
--And of course, getting more time to hang out with some of my favorite people

Obviously, I would highly recommend going to the Lone Star Championships next year. I bet you'll have fun!

I'm on a productive roll today--today, of course, being these hours surrounding midnight, which is apparently when I do some of my best multitasking. And I've definitely got plenty to do before I head to Austin this weekend for the Lone Star Championships--so excited! I hope I'll see some of y'all there.

So I thought I'd share some more music with y'all, this time from an artist I've been completely diggin lately: Spike Hughes! He's got a great old-school chunky sound that I just love, probably influenced by folks like Adrian Rollini, Red Nichols, and Bix Beiderbecke, who Mr. Patrick "Spike" Hughes purportedly enjoyed listening to. And really, who can blame him?

Spike Hughes seems like a very interesting character, at the very least, so for those who are curious, I recommend checking out this site, which is a detailed and well-researched look at the artist. Didja know such an American sound could come from a British composer?

I'll leave you with this recommendation, for a song called Six Bell Stampede. You can find it on emusic (I've linked it below) on the album 1933 - The Complete Set, which I also recommend. Check out the great syncopations throughout, especially in the intro, and the sweet horns, all laid over that chuggy beat that just makes me want to dance. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

You can find Six Bell Stampede here, on emusic.

I didn't exactly have the greatest start to the New Year. 2010, for me, started off with me being an emotional wreck, still unemployed, and of course, sleep-deprived/dehydrated (woo, Lindy Focus!). Not the best of times.

But now that I've had a couple of full nights of sleep, some water, and some rejuvenating time with friends, I've been busy. Submitting more job applications, getting things together, all sorts of fun. And, it turns out, I found the secret to feeling on top of the world! Here's a hint: get things done.

I spent the latter half of today in a magical organizing frenzy. I cleaned out my entire wardrobe, organized my email inbox and caught up on any remaining emails I had been meaning to send out, cooked a meal from things hanging around the pantry, got rid of any trash around the house, and took care of a side project I had been meaning to do for months now (sewing on buttons that had come off of clothes). Sure, I spent 6 hours doing it, but 11 buttons, 3 tupperware containers, and 7 bags of clothes later, I'm feeling fantastic. Accomplishment is probably the best thing to cure any doldrums you might be going through. PLUS, it turns out that I am now pretty dang good at threading small needles without a threader.

If you decide to attempt this rainy-day cure of getting things done, here are some tips:
1.) Start as early as you can in the day. Have your coffee, read some, then spend the afternoon getting all sorts of stuff done. Don't wait until 8PM, like me.
2.) Try not to stay up too late, or at least don't have any early appointments the following morning. What use is feeling like King/Queen of the world if it's overwhelmed by sleepiness? Don't stay up until 3AM when you have to be awake again at 9:30AM, like me.
3.) Try to stay focused on whatever it is you're trying to accomplish. Don't let yourself get distracted by cleaning the litterbox while you're in the middle of hanging up clothes, like me.
4.) You'll probably be the most productive if you have a solitary workspace so that it's just you (and maybe your music). Don't try and sew on buttons when your cat is deciding that against your arm is the best place to have a nap. Thankfully, I managed to avoid poking Beulah with a tiny needle, even though she wanted to be in every inconvenient place (because she's a cat, and that's what they do).

I hope that this helps any of you who also had a craptacular New Year (and I know you're out there). If nothing else, maybe it will help you get a start on your goals or resolutions. Happy 2010!

Hey blogosphere!

I know, it's been a long time since I've written. To be fair, I've had semester finals and lingering unemployment to deal with, so I've had plenty to occupy my time.
Now, it's almost Christmastime...which, for me, only means so much (because my family is on the opposite coast). Chances are that I'll be spending my December 25th packing for MY Christmas--Lindy Focus!!

Lindy Focus is my absolute favorite dance event of all time. It's a week of amazing dances and challenging classes and hanging out in hotel rooms with every dancer I could ever want to see, pretty much. This year, I'll be helping to cook for the teachers, and I'll also be debuting a routine with Morgan Kestner that was inspired a bit by Sister Kate (Seattle's girls vintage jazz troupe) and all sorts of girly dancing. I can't wait! Coincidentally, I found the perfect shoes to wear (since my own black heels are now worn out). Of course, I'll also be bringing my washboard and having fun with that, and dancing my heart out. If I come home and can walk on January 2nd, I'll be surprised.

In the meantime, I'll leave you with another youtube clip, which should do until I can post again. This one is of Todd and Mia's 2nd place dance during the ACBC at All Balboa Weekend this year (2009). They were my favorite couple to watch in the competition, completely joyous, and dressed fabulously of course. If you're not convinced they're having fun, check out what happens around 0:28. Adorable!

This week's clip is a fantastic example of social dance, and one that I was lucky enough to witness live :) Here's Chance Bushman and Kelly Arsenault, two top-notch dancers, dancing together to one of the many live (AMAZING) bands that played New Orlean's French Quarter Festival this year in April. I love the interaction they have with each other, and the awesome musicality and footwork exhibited. As you can tell by the background applause, the crowd loves it too! My favorite part might be that little section around 1:17ish.

This is the part where I'm a little behind on blog posts (hey, it's my birthday week! I can do that), so I decide to share something I know very well: girly things! I'm listing here for you some of the details about my favorite websites that make me happy to be a girl.

First up is ModCloth! One of my favorite places to get clothing/accessories/decor from indie designers, and a lot of it is vintage-inspired. As anyone of my girly friends knows, I love pretty much everything they have :) They also have amazing customer service and fantastic shipping! The site and company have a great community feel to them, and promote the idea of fans being involved as much as possible, through picture-sharing, contests, and all sorts of good stuff. Plus, like any good website, you can make wishlists and share them with your friends/family (perfect for the holidays).
Check them out or Check out my wishlist

Next, try Lulu's, for similar fare. Sometimes Lulu's and ModCloth will have the same items, but one site will have them cheaper than the other. Lulu's carries a few more mainstream brands that you might recognize, such as Billabong and Soda, that you might not find on ModCloth. I haven't picked up anything from Lulu's yet, but it's definitely a place I love to look!
You can find Lulu's here

Of course, where would any girl be without Etsy? This independent marketplace is pretty well known as a great place to find just about anything you could want. You might have to fish a bit for what you really want, but you'll get it for a good price! I especially like to buy hairpieces from Etsy (fascinators and stuff), but I've also bought a fantastic skirt and an adorable pair of shoes from them, and I have my eye on a gorgeous ring, all vintage. It's especially a great place to get one-of-a-kind type stuff. The only real con I've found is that shipping from etsy producers can be a bit costly, sometimes. But, since you can communicate directly with the shop owner through messages on the site (or even through email), sometimes you can work them down a bit if it's reasonable.
One of my favorite Etsy shops is here!

The last two I'll include are some of my favorite physical shops to visit, but they also have a website. Forever 21 and Charlotte Russe probably make up a good half of my wardrobe at any given time. They're great about having plenty of stuff that's on-trend and adorable, and they're some of the cheapest trendy pieces you can find! Of course, sometimes their quality is related to their price; I've had a shirt fall apart after only a few wears if I wasn't careeful. Overall, it's really cute clothing for a REALLY good price, and the stores are a fabulous place to go if you're looking for a trend you think you could rock but aren't sure, and don't want to spend a lot of money on. I prefer shopping in their stores because sometimes fit can be a little wonky, but their online service is just as good, and the return policy (at least at Charlotte Russe) is pretty great too. I highly recommend checking out these chains if they're in a mall near you!
Check out Charlotte Russe and Forever 21 online.

Enjoy! (Even if your wallets don't)

I just got back from my second trip (ever) to Seattle, WA, for the Emerald City Blues Festival. This trip was much rainier (pun not intended, Mt. Rainier) than my previous one, for Camp Jitterbug.
The event itself was fabulous--ask any of the attendees, teachers, DJs, or anyone else that got swept up into the fray. ECBF seems to have gathered a reputation for greatness in the blues community, and it really shows. This year featured instructors Steven Mitchell and Virginie Jensen (my first time to see them!), Ogden Sawyer and Amanda Gruhl (ditto), Mike Legett and Topher Howard (<3), and Brenda Collins and Barry (whose last name I don't know but he is a badass anyway). All the instructors were fantastic, but for some reason, I always come away from Brenda's critiques classes with my mind completely blown--so that was probably my class time highlight.
The organizers also managed to get Kim Massie from St. Louis to play with Solomon Douglas's band. Solomon had been working on new charts for the weekend, and his hard work definitely showed--Kim's voice was matched well by the musicians and it was the most phenomenal night of live music that I think I've enjoyed at a blues event.
In addition to the great music and teachers, ECBF featured a host of my favorite DJs (Bill Speidel, Tina Davis, Steven Watkins, and Downtown Julie Brown!) and some of the best social dancing anywhere. It's apparent that this is one of the events that people mark down on their schedules far in advance, and all of that combined makes for a great event.

Videos are up on youtube from the strictly contest, the jack and jill, and the cabaret show Sunday night. I have to say that my favorite routine from the weekend was courtesy of Brenda Collins, Karissa Lightsmith, and Anna (who I don't know but whose dancing I enjoy)--a slightly risque, animalistic, Cotton Club-esque show of oddity and interest. Look it up! You won't be sorry.
Overall, the weekend was killer. I wish that I had been able to spend more time in Seattle, and also that I hadn't ended up sick by Sunday, but I would definitely go again. Congrats to Topher and Martin for putting on a fabulous event, and thanks to everyone who helped enhance my experience--especially my host, Jennifer. It was nice to see more of Seattle and enjoy another subset of activities in the city. Next time, I won't forget my umbrella.