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... dance, fitness, food, health, life...

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Where did Monday go??

Not that I'm complaining. At all. But I was going to post a weekend re-cap on Monday, and lo-and-behold, as I made my way into Blogland this morning, I did a double-take when the calendar showed Wednesday. Shizam!

So. The weekend.

Friday was SO fun. More fun than I've had in a single evening for awhile... how about I tell you all about it in pictures??

The prep...


The BFF and I


Boy George was there!


The mob in action (I'm in there somewhere)


Wha-what?!?


And my all-time favorite photo of the night....


Ahhhhhh, good times. The latest on the video is that the camera crew is still in editing mode. Have no fear, I haven't forgotten my promise of flash mob footage!

The rest of the weekend was a continuation of Friday's wonderfulness... the weather was sunny and gorgeous, which put me in the best mood. I can never fully articulate how much I adore the sun and hot weather. Let not the ivory complexion fool you... I'm a sun baby! I got my first sunburn of the season - nothing horrible, but oopsy daisy. I couldn't help myself... I was sitting in the sun at a friend's graduation party on Sunday and could. not. move. It was heaven.

There are mimosas in heaven.

One perk to not realizing it's Wednesday until you do realize it's Wednesday, is that that week is already half over! And bonus - since it's Wednesday afternoon, we're officially on the downhill slide. Shizam!

Friday, May 21, 2010

T-minus 4 hours until I will don the neon and Party Like it's 1985!! (See the previous post if you have no idea what I'm talking about.) Am I getting anything done today? Absolutely not. Totally distracted with excitement.

In honor of tonight's festivities, here are the songs compiling the mix I will be performing to, in order...


One of my all-time faves

I know this technically came out late-70s, but it still rocks


Oh yes, we are busting out these moves...


Happy Friday everyone!!

xoxo
J

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Neon nostalgia

Remember the time when I talked about my dance adventures in my blog??? There's been so much going on in my life between break-ups, injuries, torturous visits to the dentist and becoming a business gal, that I almost forgot about my numero uno activity!!

I kid, I kid...

But really, I don't want you to think I'm giving up the tights and stage makeup for face cream and my own business cards... no no no. I will be rocking the two like I have a split personality.

So, yes, DANCE! In a couple weeks I will be teaching swing dance to teenagers at a local ballet studio's summer intensive. I'm hoping that maybe, just maybe, this will open doors to future teaching gigs there. I absolutely love to teach and share my love of dance. I'll also be teaching MJ's Thriller choreography to a group at my church, who will to teach it to kids in Nicaragua while on a mission trip down there this summer.

Oh MJ, how I heart you so...


AND! The current dance project I'm involved with has me so. excited. I can hardly stand it... you've all seen these YouTube clips of flash mob dances, right??



Sound of Music at Central Station in Antwerp, Belgium




Oprah's Kickoff Party with the Black Eyed Peas in Chicago, Illinois


That's right, y'all... li'l ol' Fort Collins, Colorado, is joining the Flash Mob ranks this Friday night! Now, it won't be nearly as big as Antwerp or Chicago as far as numbers go, but it's going to be pretty sweet. In celebration of downtown Fort Collins square's 25th anniversary, there is a big "square" (versus block) party, "Party... Like It's 1985"! There will be break dancers, a dj spinning old school 80s jams, and everyone is encouraged to rock their favorite 80s look. OH. MY. GAWWWD!!! I can't even begin to tell you how flippin' excited I am... I'm literally bouncing in my seat as I type this!


The flash mob dance we have planned to surprise the masses is complete with a menagerie of MJ moves, dance moves from Footloose, and our own stuff to Queen's We Will Rock You. [Disclaimer: don't worry, I'm sure most of the northern Colorado community doesn't read my blog, so the secret isn't out until we bust our moves...]

Ummm, can I tell you about my outfit?!?! [Insert teenage girl squeal here.] So, I'm not exactly in looooove with some of the 80s trends that are returning to fashion (shoulder pads?? gross), but I am seriously digging the neon. My outfit for this par-tay is giving me hardcore nostalgia... rubber neon bracelets, neon pink hoop earrings, leggings, leg warmers, off-the-shoulder top with neon splatter paint all over it... those were the days! I was mesmerized by all the neon accessories at Claire's the other night. I think I freaked out the store clerk with all my giggling and excited muttering, lol!


I know I leave you all hanging with my lack of personal photos most of the time, and you're always asking for dance vids which I never deliver... BUT we have film crews for the flash mob shenanigans and rumor has it that it will be posted up on YouTube. So have no fear, I will be rockin' MJ's moves in all my neon glory for all the interwebs to see... stay tuned...

xoxo
J

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Avon calling!

Say hello to the newest addition to the Avon Sale Rep ranks!

In an effort to get myself out of the hot financial mess I'm in, I finally decided on Avon as my second job. I considered other things... retail, waiting tables, babysitting/nannying... but Avon will fit best alongside my 9-to-5, since it's flexible and I set my own hours. I know that this means I have to be disciplined about expanding my business so I actually earn an income, that it's not going to just fall into my lap... but I'm not worried. I'm rather excited about this new adventure, so I don't think it will be an issue. Aaaaand, thinking ahead, if I can transition to doing this as my primary source of income before I venture out in the big world of dance, I will be thrilled. It's certain that I will be like most dancers and will need a job in addition to any dance work that I do, since the majority of dancers can't support themselves on their dance career alone (at least not when first starting out). Why not make it something I enjoy??

Once I figure out how to get a button or link permanently afixed to my blog, please come visit my online store! In the meantime, here's the link: Jessi's Avon. If you are interested in checking out Avon or Mark and don't already have an established relationship with your own Avon lady (or gentleman, I'm sure they exist), I'd love your business and support! I sent out the big email yesterday to people in my contacts (some of you are included in that list, so you should be getting an email) announcing the "grand opening" of my new Avon business. I love this feature... it will allow me to build my customer-base beyond where I live. That means my friend in Wisconsin can be my regular customer even though we live states away from each other. God bless the Internet.

Oh, and P.S... Avon is not just for the ladies! There is men's fragrance and gifts, and products and gifts for kids and teens.

So yeah, suddenly I'm a business gal! I'm thinking about marketing, customers, a home office, how on earth to organize all the brochures and samples so they don't overrun my house... the whole nine yards. If any seasoned business men or women have any entrepreneurial advice for this newbie, I'm all ears! I get overwhelmed thinking about all the details, but I'm so excited at the same time.

xoxo
J

Monday, May 10, 2010

Moving right along

Busy, busy 'round here at Better Late Than Never, wrapping up the semester and planning my summer.

My leg is getting better and better... I danced in the final concert of the semester, which was last weekend. It felt so great to dance again. The leg is not 100% recovered - getting to 100% is going to take a little while longer - but it's getting strong and more bendy with each passing day.

My heart is also getting better with each passing day. Dancing again, along with the amazing support of friends and family, is reviving my spirit.

The money situation is still no bueno, but I'm still working on a game plan... seeking help with some financial pros, applying for scholarships... things are still very high up in the air, but I'm not quite as freaked out about it. What will be will be.

Sorry this is so short and sweet, but work beckons... Happy Monday!

xoxo
J