on having an important job

I had a whole post written (and by written I mean I had it planned in my head) for today about all my favorite Charleston things and places. This means mostly a post talking about all the food I love to eat here. Fatty status. A Charleston heavy (get it?) post would be rather fitting for today since it is my last Friday in Charleston.

Cue the freaking out face emoji(s).

But then this week happened and Dear Lawd, this week has been so humbling. Wonderful? Bittersweet? With a pinch of sadness? And a spoonful of happiness? I can't even put into words what this week has been like which means I should definitely not try to write a blog about the week since blogs need words.

#oops

You see, I teach (roughly) around 150 kids a week. That's a lot of kids in not a lot of days <<<<my math skills are off the charts amazing. The youngest kids I teach are still wearing diapers or just being potty trained and they go all the way up to the high schooler who are just figuring out how to drive and what it's like to juggle obscene amounts of homework with obscene amounts of rehearsals with obscene amounts of social calendar appointments. 

This week I have had to say goodbye to these 150 kiddos. There's been a lot of See you later! And Of course, come visit me in Texas! And Yes, you can definitely ride in my moving truck and come with me! And even some Thanks for your mom's cell phone #, can't wait to FaceTime you! (side note: since when do four year olds know all about FaceTime?! Feeling so hashtag old these days).

I've been given flowers and the best handmade cards and gifts and other goodies, and it's all been so sweet and completely overwhelming, but the best thing I've been given? 

All the cheek kisses. All the second and third and fourth "last" hugs. The high fives. The We have to take a selfie so I never forget you! The fifth and sixth and seventh "last" hugs. The reassurance that what I've been doing for the past 3.5 years has been something.

Teaching dance is in no way seen as a job of importance and some days (a lot of days recently) it has felt like that. Unimportant. But knowing that I've made a difference, no matter how minuscule, in even one little student's life makes me want to saute and jump for joy. Plies are important, people, okay?

I come home at night and just collapse on the couch. From the couch I can look to my right and see all the pretty flowers perched on the empty table. I can see the stack of cards on the kitchen counter--the cards that I really need to go ahead and pack, but I just want to leave them out a little longer so I can read through them one (or three) more times.

I am so, so excited to begin this new chapter of our lives, but Texas you betta' not mess with ME. I'm leaving behind some precious people. 

Now please, you may go ahead back to your regularly scheduled, non-sappy, and mostly happy Friday activities. 

currently: the interesting edition

I feel like anytime something interesting is happening in my life that I should blog about it, but instead I always end up being busy with said interesting thing and then I don't blog...and then I get fired from blogging. Oh wait... that doesn't happen. But seriously, just know that I'm in a show right now (Catch Me If You Can) and the real Frank Abagnale Jr. lives here in Chucktown. He did what any once con-man extraordinaire would do and came to talk to our cast. It was amazing and one day I am going to write all about how interesting my life is at this moment.

One day.

For now we'll talk about the necessities. Like what I'm currently doing other than having an interesting life with Frank Abagnale Jr. 

wearing

Clothes. But also a brand new tattoo. It's spring break for the kiddos which means it's spring break for me which means one thing led to another and my friend and I ended up at the tattoo parlor Monday afternoon. The End. 

sipping

All the celebratory drinks with Ricky. <---another interesting thing/story in my life about which I will blog soon. Just know that Mr. Ricky Weiss is doing big things and that obviously means I'm doing big things too since, according to a certain ceremony 1.5 years ago, we are now one. 

wishlisting

For some reason the start of every new season makes me want to buy all of the new clothes. I also think about going through my current clothes and/or disposing of unworn items, but that takes a lot of effort so usually I just want to buy all the new clothes. WARNING: this idea does not work out very well--always dispose of the unworn clothes before bringing in new clothes or you take over your husband's closet space and he doesn't think that's very funny. 

writing

Does anyone else stress out about addressing envelopes in cute, creative ways? I blame Pinterest. I kind of blame myself for caring, but mostly I blame Pinterest for making me care. Seems fair. I recently addressed bridal shower invites for my best friend and it took me way too long to decide on how to address them. Priorities, people---I have them. 

exploring

The beautiful, amazing city of Charleston. I will never get old of discovering new cobble stone streets and painted doorways. Charleston, you're pretty boss (my 5th grade students taught me that saying something is boss means you're cool. Thank goodness I'm finally cool).

Linking up, as always, with Jenna and Anne!

giving thanks for fun

At 5:15 today I officially will be on Thanksgiving break. I'm planning on grand jete-ing out of modern class this afternoon and praising the education gods for cool beans teacher perks like school breaks. 

This break and I, we've got some really good plans underway. Like mopping the floors, getting a haircut, cleaning the dust off of the baseboards, and ahhhhh, I can picture the sparkling clean apartment with my sparkling new haircut now. And both are shining bright Rihanna style, for sure. 

But the best plan of all? Going home for Thanksgiving. Home! The Nan! The fam! Now along with about 97.65% of the population, I'm much more of a Christmas gal. Thanksgiving has always felt more like an obstacle over which we have to jump on our way to Christmas--an obstacle with not-so-delicious food. So sue me, but it hasn't been until I've gotten older that my tastebuds have become acclimated to turkey and dressing. They will never ever become acclimated to cranberry sauce. Ick. However, in recent years I've found some ways to make Thanksgivings less obstacle-like and more fun time party-like. 

Take notes. You only have 6 more days to survive without letting your Christmas spirit burst from every inch of your body and you're going to need help keeping those Christmas spirits contained. 

one

Dress-up

I don't mean in the look-fancy-kinda-of-way. Even though when you know you be looking gooooood it does make everything more fun. I mean this is the 5-year old costume box dress-up kind of way. Dress the frick up! 

This fun time party trick started 6 years ago when my mom made us wear Pilgrim and Indian hats at the dinner table. I have a friend whose mom makes them wear full-on Pilgrim and Indian costumes at some point during the day. Roll your eyes all you want. Dressing up and pretending to be a child again is fun. Not dressing up and being an adult all the time is not fun. 

two

Get crafty

Everybody is all about crafting for Christmas, but whatever happened to crafting for Thanksgiving? Crafting is something for which I am very grateful so when is a better time to show my gratitude towards it than on the holiday of thankfulness?! Our turkey table will be sporting these crafted placemats. If this doesn't spell out f-u-n then shoot! I don't know what does.

^^sarcasm^^ ^^but it really does sound fun to me...^^

three

Roll with it

Rolls are delicious. I myself eat about 6 rolls during a typical Thanksgiving dinner because I think my body is deformed in the sense that it could run solely off of carbs and be completely fine. Regardless, I love bread of all kinds. And who doesn't love rolls with...a gratitude twist?! Taza posted this recipe for pumpkin-shaped rolls that include little stems of gratitude on top. All you need is some parchment paper, a pen, and some things for which you are grateful. Easy peasy. My mom and I did a variation of these several years ago on Thanksgiving, but these pumpkin-looking rolls are even cuter and more presh and all that. I will be writing I'm grateful for carbs with a cheesy Thanksgiving theme! Now, eat dem carbs. 

via

four
Drink
This fun time party time idea is brought to you by Freddie. I asked for his help brainstorming ways to make Thanksgiving more fun and this is what he said. The man knows how to party, obvs. So let's say drink some wine. Have some cocktails. Drink some sweet tea or water or Coke. When we were younger we thought it was the coolest thing if on Thanksgiving we drank our Coke from my mom's fancy crystal. Lesson #58 on how to be cool. Live and learn, people.

five

Famalama-ding-dong

ie: Spend time with your family

I know I only live one state and 5 hours away from family, but I will forever and always whine about missing them. Because one state away means not the same state which means I can't just drive over to their house and steal clothes from my sister. I mean...hug my sister. Anytime when we can all get together it makes my heart burst out of my chest, much like the Grinch's heart did when he realized he loved Christmas and the Whos were his lil' famalama. Me and the fam, the Grinch and the Who's, life is going to be really fab this week and I. Can't. Wait.

What are your tricks for some Thanksgiving fun?

Happy Friday!

Linking up with Karli.

currently: no sleep edition

writing

This blog post, obviously. Oh, you want to know what I'm actually factually handwriting? That would be anything and everything in list form. My current lists include: groceries, outfit ideas (so cliche and girly. so what), ideas for packing (yes, we're moving to a new apartment), and other random to-do things like thank you notes and e-mails to parents. Phew. 

anticipating

Remember ^^ up there when I said we are moving into a new apartment? I'm anticipating that. And decorating said new hardwood floored apartment. I'm in love. I mean, I see an IKEA trip needing to happen in the near future. I also see us needing to win the lottery before that IKEA trip. So yes, I am anticipating winning the lottery. 

missing

Our friends, Paul and Brian (otherwise known as our wedding coordinator and videographer), were in town for Labor Day weekend and they showed us a good time. Isn't that backwards? They got us out and partying in the city. I haven't stayed up until 2am in awhile. I haven't stayed up until 2am 3 days in a row in a longer while. And if that picture of Brian partnering me in the middle of a dance club at 2am doesn't explain what fun we got into this weekend then I just don't know how to explain it. Read: lots of wine. 

wearing

Leotard and tights. Forever and always. Amen. 

craving

Jeni's ice cream. Forever and always, again. I had it Sunday night and by Monday morning at 7:30 I was ready for more. I mean, my thought is if I'm going to run and exercise 6 days a week then I am totally allowed to eat ice cream every day (<<reason #35 why I am not a nutritionist or personal trainer).

Linking up with Jenna and Anne!

let's get technical

I had this moment yesterday. It happened while I was teaching. The kids were making up a combination based off of these ballet flashcards I had given them. I emphasized wanting them to work together as a unit to create this combination. I sat there dilly dallying waiting for them to finish when I started listening in on them as they worked their magic. 

How many balancés should we do?

Let's just go until we are all together.

Well, I think it would be better to have a set number so then we are dancing in unison.

Great idea!

How should we incorporate the pas de bouree?

Don't forget to use the correct port de bras!

They were being little 8 year old grown-ups. Little grown-up ballerinas who were applying the copious amounts of ballet technique I've tried to cram inside their growing brains for these past 9 months. In that moment my heart swelled a little a lot. 

You see, there are lots of days when I feel like I'm not the best teacher. I worry that I'm not doing a good enough job at sharing the appropriate amount of ballet knowledge with them. There's just so much to teach and how does one even begin to fit it all in?! 

How can I do my students right and teach them all the things they need to know?

But in that moment listening to them apply their newfound knowledge, listening to them remember little tricks of the trade (so to speak) from these past 9 months I realized that something is going right. Maybe they don't always turn out from their hip. Maybe they don't lift through the upper body as they're doing plies, but they're picking up on the true meaning of technique: not how many pirouettes you can squeeze out or if you can kick your leg to your forehead in a grande battement, but how you properly perform each little part of each movement. How your body is in line before you even think about performing a movement. 

And in that moment I thought Man, I love getting to teach these kids. Because they have managed to cram in a whole lotta of teaching me in these 9 months.

Now...go read some blogs that aren't sappy on a Friday and that don't overkill on the ballet talk.
Happy Friday!

the 7000 word post

Ever heard the saying A picture is worth a thousand words? Yes, yes you have. In response to that saying I will say Good thing. Because instead of giving you an actual 7000 word post, I will give you a 14 picture post and you will love it. 

Picture update ready to commence in 3, 2, 1. 

Lately I've been doing a whole lot of this:

This is called performing. I know this probably looks like a plethora of other odd things... but trust me, it's performing. 5 bonus points for anyone who can pick out me. 

And recently Freddie's been doing a whole lot of this:

A.K.A.--getting a big promotion! Fancy pants? Check. Celebratory drinks? Double check. Dinner at a fancy schmancy Chucktown restaurant to celebrate Freddiehusband's fancy pants-ness? Soon to be checked. 

And together, we have been doing a whole lot of this:

And this:

And this:

Charleston has been just downright dreamy lately. The kind of dreamy that makes Grey's Anatomy's McDreamy looks like McDreary. I feel like I've been having a lot of a-ha moments lately as in a-ha, this is totally where we're supposed to be and what we're supposed to be doing right now. But that's neither here nor there. 

For now, I'll leave you with this. This (read: Freddie 'n Emily) is the best part of it all.

Freaky Friday

What magical happenings will this Friday the 13 bring? 

Glad you asked. Let me tell you. 

1) One month from now I will be a college graduate. This time last year I didn't know which end of my life was up, so to speak, and here I am now. Got a gown in my closet and a mortar board...erm somewhere. See? Magic! This last month of school is so unnecessary. I'm like You want me to write what paper? You do realize I'm about to graduate and can't be worried with such things, right? 

2) I can't think of a good second point for this list. So let's just pretend there is something really awesome written here and you just can't imagine how a second point could contain so much awesomeness. Voila! Wait, I just thought of something. We flash mobbed the dining hall yesterday. There, awesome.  

3) My last performance(s) at Agnes is this weekend. Hey-oh! Come and see me dance-o! I am not kidding when I say that we have rehearsed our tail feathers off for this show. We literally have no tail feathers. Come and see tonight. Or tomorrow night. Or Sunday afternoon. Because we have worked really hard and my body has really disliked me and we have lived on ice and heating pads and who in their right mind would read my blog and not come see me perform? I mean, crazy. That's almost like reading my blog and not commenting on it. Wait, what? It would be magical if you all would come hit up Studio Dance Theatre with some lovin'.

oh lawd have mercy, too much greatness in one photo collage.

See all your magical faces there!

on working hard and playing harder

Once upon a time I swore I would never go to college and get a dance degree. I went on to say that I would never teach ballet, especially to children. I had taught ballet to young kids for years and always thought I would end up doing something else. Well folks, life is puhretty funny. Because here I am...about to graduate college with a dance degree and continue on with my new job of teaching dance to the cutest kids in Atlanta with a great new studio. And I couldn't be more excited about it. Freds told me I was obviously just denying the things that I really wanted to do.  

I have spent the week in Charleston training for my new teaching job. The studio originated in Charleston and brought a location to Atlanta this last year. Teaching proper dance technique to kiddos is no joke and I have had the pleasure of observing, learning, and teaching a grand total of seventeen classes this week. Seventeen! This is a dream come true for a dance freak like me. As if reliving my glory days of ballet classes and rehearsals in the studio life wasn't exciting enough, I got to spend this week at the beach and in this beautiful city! !!! Exclamation points all over the place, people!!! 

!!!!

I met the sweetest teachers here in Charleston and am so excited to begin work with their studio this summer in Atlanta. So technically, while I did spend my spring break week working, I consider it more of playing. I got to work play dance with some sweet, sweet children and spend free time getting my freckles on at the beach. I also got to eat a plethora of nom-licious local food. Charleston, you were too sweet (and delicious) to me. Thanks for making me not want to return to the ATL tomorrow. I love you long time! Promise I will be right back. That promise only makes me feel better, I MUST COME BACK. 

p.s.--I often forget I do not have sun friendly skin. Every summer we go through the same thing. I'm like Heeeey body, let's go get our tan on! And my body responds, Heeey stupid pants, hope you enjoy your terrible sunburn! Well, if you can tell at all from the last picture my latest sunburn work of art is a two toned body. One side blood red and one side bright and white. It's called body art and I am the master. 

flashy not trashy

Have you ever watched flash mobs on YouTube and been like, "Wow dude, awesome" or, "I WANT TO BE IN ONE!!!" or, "Uh, when can I see one in person?" Especially the flash mob proposals. Oh my gosh, I die every time. And when he pulls the ring out it's like omg, no way?! Surprise every time, right?

Last week the Flash Mobs gods were feeling really generous and answered our little flashy prayers. Studio Dance Theatre, my college dance company, was asked to perform in a flash mob. At the High Museum. For College Night. Chyeah people, we flash mob in style. None of this flash mob on sidewalks business. We considered the offer for a full hundredth of a second before screaming YES YES YES and dancing and jumping up and down and doing cartwheels and...you get the picture. We were those "I WANT TO BE IN ONE!" kind of people. 

With only a week to prepare, we got to business. Secretly choreographing and secretly have rehearsals with the secret group of 25 dancers. Two rehearsals later (we can I say, we're also smart flash mobbers) we were ready for the big day. The plan was for us to be meandering around and in the dance party at College Night. Suddenly, the DJ would play a song to which we all just happened to know a choreographed dance and gradually we would add in until all 25 of us were dancing for the last part. 

It was a BLAST. And a half. The crowd was screaming, we were screaming, and I bet even the Security guards were looking like they had some ants in their pants. I mean, come on, it's a flash mob! A flash mob! Everyone loves a good ole flash mob!! !!

If you hate flash mobs, then you probably hate this blog. Sorry I'm not sorry. 

Now, a week later, we are all in a deep state of no flash mobs depression. So watch out, you never know when we will strike next ;) No one pulled out a rock of a ring and proposed after our flash mob so that is just going to have to happen next time in order to fulfill my dream of dancing in a flash mob proposal. Flash Mob gods, did you hear that? Get on it. 

this video is not the best quality, but what can I say? It's hard for a little phone camera to catch all the awesomeness that was this flash mob.

she's a dancing machine

I haven't posted in forever. And for those of you that have long been searching for the definition of forever, I have it here: 2 weeks. In these two weeks that I have been absent I have been busy doing a lot of things:

Singing Celine Dion music like my life is musical about how my heart will go on and stuff like that.

Researching gifted education like it is my job. Or just my grade...

Eating Peanut Butter M&Ms like I always do.

Sleeping in like I didn't have a goal to run three times a week.

Rehearsing like I have a dance show coming up or something.

Oh wait! I do have a dance performance coming up! Today! and tomorrow! 

In the midst of all this Celine-ing and education-ing and m&m-ing, I have been a dancing fool. My heavily bruised knees and tulle burned legs will back me up on that. I have also created a habit out of literally passing out in a heavily induced slumber every single night. Anyways, I say all of this so that you will come to my shows! Yes, you! And you. And anyone who reads this. In fact, if you read this blog it is mandatory that you have to come to my dance show. (good thing only my family read it, they won't let me down!) 

There is going to be ballet and some not ballet and some modern and some fun at these shows. So come have some fun with moi. And mes amis. 

See you there! With flowers and other luscious gifts for us dancers, I am sure!

p.s.--the Jackson 5 were obviously singing about us Agnes Scott Dancers in their song. 

p.p.s.-- here is a picture to make you want to come even more...