Let's Dance

As I mentioned in THIS POST, I am hoping to be a part of the Nap Time Dance Project. 

Check it out. The idea is brilliant! 

This is the video I submitted for the application.

Who says you have to have a studio to choreograph and dance?!.

The editing is rough, but the program we have is just the basic one that came with our camera. It's not perfect, by any means, and there are a few things I wish I could change.

In the Mood

For some background info, first read
THIS POST 

Here are three mood-boards that I created in hopes of getting some inspiration. 

You'll notice that the colors are similar to our current room. 

There are two reasons for this.

1) We have to work with what we have, and since we have a tiny apartment we want every room to follow a similar color scheme. Thus the consistent presence of blues, greens, and reds.

2) We really like these colors. We originally wanted to try something totally different, but when we really thought about it we realized that we love these colors. And that's a good enough reason to stick with them. We want the room to match our personal style, and rich, bold color is definitely our style. 

I'm leaning towards #1 and #3 because I love red and because I've been wanting to bring in more yellow,
but #2 would definitely give us the most change. 

Note: I only put in things that we will change. 

Also, the background color would be the color of an accent wall.

MOOD-BOARD #1

Accenting Red and Turquoise, bringing in yellow

MOOD-BOARD #2

Accenting Orange and Teal, a bit more neutral

MOOD-BOARD #3

Accenting Golden Yellow and Red

Which one is your favorite? 

Any other suggestions? 

I have way too much...

....time on my hands. And, as a result, I've been itching for a re-design of our living room space. I really do love our place, but I'm ready for a change, and ready to dive into some projects. Since my job this summer is to be a full-time mom, I have been thinking of some "budget friendly" ways I can get creative and create an updated look without spending a fortune. I also have to remind myself that this isn't our permanent home, and that the ultimate goal right now is saving for a house of our own. 

So, here are a few ideas that I have that will hopefully give some inexpensive change to that space. 

1. Sofa Slipcovers

• I've gone back and forth between wanting to recovering our sofas and just wanting to buy new slipcovers. Unfortunately buying durable material in a fabric that I love has proven to cost a lot more than the average $200 for some basic slipcovers; not to mention the time and energy it would take covering the sofas.

2. Pillow Covers

• We have a nice set of down pillows that are worth saving. Unfortunately the current covers on them are tearing and shredding at the corners. My goal is to find some inexpensive fabric, an easy pattern, and some time to make some new pillows. 

3. Spray Paint

• There's nothing like a new coat of paint to change and freshen things up. We have a darling side table that is in desperate need of paint. 
• I also have 2 or 3 lamps that I'd love to give new life to. 

4. Wing chair Reupholstery/Slipcover

• I really, really want to give reupholstering our thrift store wing chair a try. I've been watching videos and looking up tutorials to see if it even seems possible. So far it looks like a huge project, but definitely possible. The key will be to see if I can find a fabric that will work. 
• Slipcovering is obviously easier, but not really the look I want. Since we're going to slipcover our sofas it would be nice not to have a slipcovered chair as well. Plus, the options and fabrics for wing chair slipcovers are much less desirable than those for sofas/loveseats. 

5. Art Work 

• I'd love some bright, fresh, artwork in our living room. Right now almost every frame in there is black, and our pictures have very little color or pizazz. Sometimes I wish I could go back and tell my newly-wed self not to buy everything in black. Black gets old, really fast. 

So there you have it. My game-plan for our summer living room makeover. Obviously doing this on a budget means a lot of DIY projects, as well as using what we already have, and sticking to colors that are already dominant throughout our home. 

Here's one last look at our current living room

Goodbye old living room,

Hello summer projects!

Movement Monday

Monday again? Man, I really need to think of other things to post. 

Having recently joined the world of full-time, stay-at-home moms, I have discovered how full-time being a mom really is. Baby K is ALL OVER THE PLACE, and I find myself running after him to make sure he doesn't get into places he's not supposed to be. 

Why do babies automatically head straight for the places you don't want them to go? 

So, for today's movement post, I thought I'd post two to remind me how lucky I was to be able to take a technique class every day. I sure do miss those times. 

A Project

A friend of mine has started a dance project. I am hoping to get involved too. 

Without saying too much, this is what's been on my mind:

"Don't count every hour in the day, make every hour in the day count."
-Anonymous

Vague? Perhaps. That's okay. I'll tell more, and show more soon.

Fixed

I finally figured out why the blog wasn't showing that I had new posts. 

So, for all five of you who actually read this blog, the live-feed should be working now.
Yeah!

Monday Movement

This piece, from SYTYCD, is incredibly moving. 

The dancers are great, and the choreography is excellent. 

A Lesson Learned

As a member of the ballet faculty at BYU, I have recently been part of a discussion about the dance dress code. At BYU there is quite a different dress standard for dancers than you will find most anywhere else. It is expected that BYU students will maintain a general standard of modest dress and cleanliness. 

For anyone unfamiliar with BYU, or with the dance program, you can learn more HERE and HERE. 

Anyway, as a student it was very hard for me to understand the guidelines. The term "modesty" is quite subjective. What is modesty? Who determines exactly what is modest and what is not? Is modestly only about what we put on our body? Are we always modest when we are covered? 

With all of these questions going through my mind I decided that I needed to share some of my thoughts. Even now, as a faculty member, I still don't completely understand the reasons behind some of the dress code. However, I have learned the following valuable lesson.

(I wrote this as a contribution in a collaborative discussion.)

_____________________________________________________________

For some reason I feel like I need to share something I have learned recently, perhaps because there are probably some students who feel the same way as I have felt. 

I will be the first to admit that I have always had difficulty understanding the reasons for some parts of the dance dress code. It has always bothered me that gymnasts don't wear tights, cheerleaders wear short shorts, and many other BYU athletes are able to wear things that BYU dancers are not allowed.  Why can gymnasts dance in only a leotard, or why can cheerleaders wear really short shorts and dance within 15 feet of the crowd, or why can track athletes run around campus in very short shorts? Why is there such a huge discrepancy? If it is so immodest to show our legs then why are these athletes and cheerleaders able to do so (with much greater numbers of attendees than our dance patrons)?

The questions are endless....

I have finally come to the realization that perhaps I simply don't need to know. Even if it doesn't make sense, being obedient doesn't always mean that we understand the why or the why not. When we signed the honor code we agreed to live by the guidelines we were given. We had a choice in the matter. We can question, complain, and fight against it all we want, and we may still never understand. But I know that when we are obedient we are blessed. Our character and our integrity is greatly strengthened when we choose to be obedient. 

I have no doubt that there are students who feel this way, and I think this issue is much, much more than an issue of what is "modest" or "immodest." I believe modesty is so much more than physical dress. It is so much more than showing an extra 1/2" of shoulder, or an extra 4" of the back, or whether or not halter tops and spaghetti straps are too revealing. Being modest is a mindset; it has everything to do with the desires of our hearts, and with the intentions of our actions.

My hope is that we can ultimately express to our students the blessings that will undoubtedly come to them by simply being obedient.

_________________________________________________________

*More to come on "what is modesty?"