Sister Shop and Blog

It's starting: Anne Michelle Heirlooms, two sisters who want to make beautiful things. The blog is still so brand new (header and buttons are on their way from our dear friend Tony in the UK) and many changes are to be expected as we get started. I'll post more about the etsy shop and keep you posted on the up and comings.

What exactly is it you ask?

We are sisters who love all things dainty and pretty. We make by hand custom veils and bridal hairpieces for you and your bridesmaids. We hope to expand to baby items and ballet hairpieces as well.

veil shoppe. hat shoppe. pretty pretty.

Thanks for your support!

my heart

Guess Who Just Turned 3?!

Of course (if you are familiar with my bleeding heart for animals) I had to pick the smallest, sickest, most helpless kitten in the rescue center.

Well, that and the fact she was a calico--sigh.

When I first got her a friend asked me, "how did you get a cat to breed with a moth?" she was so tiny she could sit in the palm of my hand.

And now she's a hearty, healthy, sassy, wonderful capeetie. She's got such beautiful stark markings.*

She's taken to my personality, mostly my sassing and whining at home (ask darling), so naturally we get along beautifully.

Fosse baby, we've had three wonderful years together--here's to you boogie.

*If everyone else can sap about their kids on their blogs I'm allowed to kitty shmooze on her birthday.
But seriously, how precious is she?

Paper Kitsch

Musings for Miss Whitney.

Grammar Snob

I wouldn't recommend this book as a writing aid. However, it is a nice conversational and humorous read about grammar, proper usage, horror stories at work, etc.--my props to the author as few topics are less humorous than grammar.

If you have ever looked at this blog you will see that I am not a complete grammar snob. The posts hyper-linked throughout this URL are ridden with mishap; however, blogs are informal and conversational and it's not necessary to write as though Norton is going to publish your blogwork in an anthology (unless you are a professional blogger).
(note: one of the most pervasive punctuation errors has been written correctly above. Independent Clause ; (semi-colon) however , (comma) Independent Clause. Unlike the popular: ,however,)

Irregardless (yes, I mean what I wrote), I'm tired of blog stalking at work and coming across:
*Than/Then: than= comparison, then= time
Threw/Through: threw= past tense of the verb "to throw", through: not a verb.
Their/They're/There: you know this one. you do.
You're/Your: you're=you are= contraction, your= possesive
Could of/Would of= you mean could've (i.e. could have/would have
Whether/Weather= whether= conjunction used to introduce alternatives, weather= climate
Over using "just" "really" and "very"

I'm not going to get too far into mechanics or style, this is mostly about word choice. Like I said, I'm not judging. I do the occasional effect/affect and have to think for an extra few seconds about lay/lie which is super difficult at times, I understand that. If stylistically you want to go for tons of italics, ellipsis... or long dash--I'm all about it. I only wish ppl wud take the time to read over they're writing really just once than they could c that its super easy to fix.

P.S. Because it took years before someone told me: i.e.= "that is" and e.g.= "example", they are not or rarely interchangeable.

Interestingly or not, April 2009 was the 50th anniversary of Strunk and White's The Elements of Style. A pocket-size 100 page pamphlet (really) it is regarded as one of the best books on usage that has been written to date (I was asked to buy a copy for a writing class in spring 2008). It's so famous it has an illustrated edition--it's a grammar book. And yes, White is E.B. White, like Charlotte's Web.

*This one particularly gets under my skin.
**Note: This is less in relation to the known readers of my blog and, as aforementioned, applicable to those random blogs I find to read while at work.mmmkay.

Teach For America

I'm so, so proud of darling. An estimated 50,000 applied, somewhere around (just under) 4,000 accepted. If you recognize it, you recognize it. Otherwise, I'm going to respect the darlings wishes and keep it somewhat hush until he announces the news after graduation. Since I've already said too much, please do the same. More about TFA here

waiting

oh me, oh my. I can feel the seconds click away. It's unfortunate that it could be as late as 5pm eastern time before anything is sent.

Sarah's Smash Shack

i heard about Sarah's Smash Shack in San Diego a few months ago on Morning Edition on NPR. Recently it has crept up in a few articles here and there, may I just say it is truly brilliant. Here's the jist: you may bring your own ceramic or purchase stacks of plates, cups, ashtrays, etc. You are given the opportunity, should you like, to take a sharpie to these items, writing all of your frustrations away. Set your ipod to whatever playlist you choose and the songs of your choice blast over the break room's killer stereo system. Goggles, helmet, go. Yes, the break room where you are allowed to throw and break anything you choose and best of all they clean up the mess for you. Like I said, brilliant. Apparently this is one local small business that is doing remarkably well in these trying times. Noteworthy note: They donate all of the broken ceramic pieces to local schools and art programs for mosaic making. How wonderful is that? I wish something similar were slightly closer to the Rocky Mountains.

BUST

I'm am coveting everything lily allen is wearing for the april/may 09 BUST Magazine photo shoot. Unfortunately I couldn't find a full photo of the dress she's wearing on the cover but I want it more than I want to eat next week. But seriously.
I love BUST magazine. It's a magazine for girls like myself, young twenty-something feminists with opinions about the world. Always about supporting local or small businesses, green life, featuring girls in all shapes and sizes, controversial and not, recipes, mini historical bios of people and products, decent articles, tips/tricks... I do, I really love it. It's one magazine that I have every issue of for the last 2 years and I still haven't gotten a subscription--I know, stupid and wasteful.

I just said it to myself, thinking of balloons, and wondering.

*Grand Teton National Park

Thoughts and Wonderings:
I would love the weather to warm up so darling and I can use all the wonderful camping gear we got for Christmas. Not to mention that waking up at 4:25AM is much easier to do when the weather is nice.

Thank you thank you to the lovely ladies that helped me with Mock Audition class at UVU. The dancers and I took time Wednesday to reflect on the class. Although it was admittedly hard: new people, pressure to learn quickly, pressure to remember choreography and perform simultaneously, those who came enjoyed it and recommend doing it in the future. They loved both combinations, the juxtaposition of the two instructors, and the confluence of advice from the two worlds of dance represented (musical theater/LA based music video). The most pervasive comment is that the class was "eye-opening" and a reminder of what to do in preparation for the auditions coming up. Can I now place a check mark next to the objective on my outline in the syllabus?

TFA results on Monday. eek

The semester is winding down and everything has come due. Grading papers is not easy or fun; however, I am so lucky and so grateful for the opportunity I have been given to teach at the schools I do. I've learned loads. If possible, I wouldn't mind making it a permanent career path a few years later in life. Of course it all depends on what the country's reform entails, and graduate school and all of those other constituents that come together to form ones future. Even in today's financially-frustrating-high unemployment-horrible year to graduate college status, I only have possibility ahead of me--youthful, fresh, and vibrant as I am.

My sisters kids are so funny. We took a trip to the aquarium today--which was ridiculously crowded--and I'm always in wonder around them. I think it's because children, as a demographic, are absent from my day to day interactions. They're hilarious, and adorable, and gross and interesting but I am definitely content with Fosse for the rest of the foreseeable future.

Oddly enough, nearly as interesting as children are creatures in aquariums. I have always lived in the desert and creatures of the sea and wetlands are incredible and bizarre, otherworldly and difficult to comprehend. ooh--I touched a sting ray today.

New choreography projects are underway and have my brain churning with ideas, music, costume creations, explorations and exploitations of space and people and movement...yum

peace. love.

Eggy Update

my sisters 3 little ones all had small sugar eggs to show me when I went home for Easter dinner yesterday. sigh.

Happy Easter

Few things will signify Easter Sunday morning to me the way panoramic sugar eggs do. I'm not sure what it is (to this day) that thrills me about their small dioramas, but how I so loved to hold and peek into the tiny world of sugar chicks, geese and bunnies. The mere fact of their exquisite existence was wonderful and beyond my comprehension skills--how does this come to be, so lovely and perfect? Holding and smelling the sugar egg while admiring the gorgeous intricate frosting art, they were, without a doubt, my favorite part of the day. I have always been a sucker for detail. Alas, I haven't seen one of these beauties in years.

This day the sun is shining, birds chirping, the cathedral bells outside my window are dancing, and coffee is about to brew--hope you have a lovely holiday as well!

Artists and Models

The joy of netflicks. I received Artists and Models(1955) 2 days ago and watched it last night. Now, despite the fact that my mother despises Jerry Lewis (as she does most physical comedians with the exception of Lucille Ball) I love love loved this movie as a kid. It's been years and years since I'd seen it. Dean Martin is sexy as ever, Jerry Lewis is--as always--himself, Doris Malone is as stunning as barbie when she steps out of the shower in heels, and a super young Shirley MacLaine is quirky and adorable (although you know my adoration of her lends me to bias). It's brilliant. Netflicks is brilliant. I'm seriously considering rush ordering it for my niece's 9th (yes, 9 years old!!!) birthday coming up later this month. It's about the age I fell for this movie, and since you could say she's nearly a clone of me, I know she'll also find love. I think stitching up a Bat Lady costume would be a stellar Halloween idea. And someone else could go as either The Vulture or the fat lady, no the bat lady, the fat lady.




*Another good note is that today while being paid at work I was finally able to vacuum and detail my car.

Improvisation Class Final Notes

First item to note: approximately 1/3 of my class did not show up to class on improv day. whether this is due to the nature of class or external influences is debatable.
Second item to note: class was successful.
Third item to note: my mind is overloaded with new things to plan for and experiment with in future teaching situations.

After gathering advice (thanks ladies), doing some online research, and exploring itunes to make new playlists; i felt as prepared as I could to teach the one improv class of the semester. With so many absent, I began class in a circle allowing us to get used to seeing each other and relying on one another to understand the next movement. I am so lucky to teach in a studio where one wall is floor to ceiling windows, we turned down the lights to let the natural light flood into the room. Breathing exercises, sun salutations, and an easy but movement intense warm-up. I explained my white board diagram, going over different techniques and guidance tools for improv and choreography creation some of which we did and did not use.

To begin. While still gathered around the board I asked everyone to remain still. Become hyper-aware of the body. Notice the first movement the body naturally wants to do. A minute or two passed and I started pointing them out as I saw them. Toes twitch, eyebrow itch, brushing bangs off the forehead, etc. I had them spread out on the floor, turned on music, and had them keep repeating this move--over and over--as we gradually added the techniques and qualities we had just discussed: let it grow, let it become abstract, let it move you across the room, let it change levels, let the timing change. We split into two groups to take turns watching and give one another feedback: What drew you to watch any particular person? What specifically caught your eye? Undoubtedly the most common answers were focus, and level changes.

Everyone back onto the floor. Begin again with this original organic movement. As you feel inspired, begin moving to the music. The song will play for 5 minutes. You must move the entire time. You must mirror someone else during this time, for how long? up to you. Use it when you get stuck, when you find something you like, whenever you feel like it. They danced for 5:45 without stopping. If class were longer I would have loved to do this in 2 groups letting them watch one another because some really great things came out. They loved the mirroring strategy claiming, it was cool because, "they were coming up with movement I would never normally do."

Back to the board. I had one of the modern dance majors in the class explain the concept of Chance Dance. We made our own version of chance dance using Annie's advice of dancing a situation or feeling. I brought 4x6 index cards and markers and as a group we came up with multiple situations: Finals week, a new relationship, last break up, getting lost, feeling insecure about the future, etc. And a second stack of adverbs. In groups of 3, each group chose one card from each pile. One situation, one adverb, I chose the music at random. Again, interesting things to see when the dancers were dedicated to their own movement.

At one point in class I put on "The Golden Afternoon" from Walt Disney's Alice in Wonderland soundtrack and told them to dance like they were 5. Dance like the fairy princess they always thought they were. It was brilliant advice to break down some of the security walls they had build up around themselves. Everyone laughing at themselves and at one another: it's okay to look stupid.

Truly I learned more about my own teaching styles and focuses more than anything. Truly. Thanks for the help, *love*, and curiosity. Next class is "mock audition" to get them prepared for spring audition season.

class is tomorrow

improvisation class is tomorrow, does no one else have advice or suggestions? nothing? nada? maybe i need to quit blogging...

you think you can't dance...

(gorgeous fellow T.Hype dancer)

It started when I told my Jazz class at UVU that we would have hip hop class the week after spring break. Now, I feel that I can pick up choreography thrown at me in just about any style so long as I can have some time with it, but choreographing hip hop is intimidating and hindering for one who does not list "B-Girl" on her resume. The first class was fine, I did well, was proud of myself for whipping something up, and was successful in relaying the choreography to fill the full 90 minutes of class.

The problems began just before the second class (we keep combos for 2 weeks to master choreography) where I add on to the existing choreography. I was stuck, so stuck, calling everyone I knew and finding no help or inspiration. After talking with a few friends and darling I came to the brilliant conclusion to base this class on "what do you do when you're stumped with choreography"? Trying out different strategies to refresh and revitalize the creative reactors of the brain. It was brilliant, we were going to improv (free movement), and review the existing choreography but change the music--letting each dancer get a feel for the song and then adapt the choreography accordingly--in hopes of creating something transferable to add back to the original music ... like i said brilliant.

It is day 2 and class is moving along quite lovely and normal, I talk to the dancers about my feelings and the challenge I faced with adding on to the the existing hip hop number, that I felt stuck, out of my element, etc. I acknowledge these are good challenges and I wanted to make this a group lesson and journey. Improv time now rolls around. Previously, I have tried a few mini improvisational sessions that I would say were less than successful, these dancers love structure, love it. so I figured I would try to structure this particular improvisational session and the rules are:
1. take the floor when you feel inspired
2. no more than 6 dancers at a time
3. you must dance for at least one count of eight
4. everyone must go at least once.
We get the soul circle going and no one takes the floor, I start things off myself and call on the next dancer to go--go, you can go now--to which I receive a blank stare. This is followed by more head shakes (left to right indicating no) and "I don't know what to do" 's gallore. I was stunned, I was prepared for anything but the "no" reaction. I'm teaching college, I would never have told my professor no. They told me no. On to choreography. The class was less than enthused about toying around with the existing choreography to new music. sigh.
I gave a few last runs of the combo with the original music at the end of class to "feel good about ourselves."

I have since talked to them about this bomb of a class. why? why do you call yourself a dancer to everyone you know, take dance class at school, but do not take the floor when it's available? We reflected on some of these issues and I asked them if they would be open to an entire class of improvisation. They said they'd be willing to give it a go, luckily it really got some of them thinking about their own motivations, their own insecurities, etc. so now, improv class....
ironically I have no idea how to structure improv class, I almost feel like I did teaching hip hop class. where to begin?
adverbs?

I know a few of you, most of you who occasionally glance at this silly blog are or have been dancers. any tips?

green cleaning

The March issue of Real Simple features an insightful spread of natural cleaners found already present in the home. I took particular interest as chemical based cleansers are sweet in taste or have some other equally enticing quality that draws my Fosse to have a lick, causing her to vomit a few hours later and I end up cleaning green cat regurgitation at 4:30AM--before coffee. You can find helpful starter links: here and here. This goes without saying I heart the magazine for the goodness and inspiration it brings to me, even though I'm less than adequate at taking the advice. check it

Coach McGuirk

If you are unfamiliar with the cartoon Home Movies you are completely missing out. I have seasons 1-3 on DVD and will gladly lend them to you. It's hilarious. Smart-humor absent of the crudeness present in nearly every other adult cartoon (although I appreciate these as well). It turns out Coach McGuirk is not only a youth soccer coach of fiction:

(from fox news...and no i don't subscribe to what the fox network has to say, it just happened to be the first 5 google hits of my search for an article.)

Youth Soccer Coach Resigns Over 'Losing Is for Losers' E-Mail

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

SCITUATE, Mass. — The coach of a soccer team for 6- and 7-year-old girls resigned after receiving criticism for a season-opening e-mail sent to parents.

Michael Kinahan wrote in his resignation letter to the board of the Scituate Youth Soccer League that people failed to see the humor in his e-mail, in which he said "losing is for losers" and encouraged parents to feed their daughters "undercooked red meat."

Kinahan, who dubbed his team "Green Death," said the e-mail was meant to give parents a "chuckle."

League registrar Chris Park told the Patriot Ledger of Quincy that some parents understood the tone of the e-mail. Others did not, and complained.

Coach McGuirk on Losing:


you tube "home movies cartoon" or "coach mcguirk" for endless time-wasters-at-work laughs.