I know the title is a little dramatic, but I just liked the sound of it so much when it popped into my head. A neutral alternative title could be “One Thing at a Time.”
I think I got a little overexcited about 2017. 2016 was full of change and delays and detours; I was laser-focused on getting back on track and making up for lost time. We’re one month in and my laser focus has turned into a light show with beams shooting every which way. It’s getting hard to see where I’m going.
I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I first received a copy of Competing Like a Pro: Spotlight Strategies to Help You Shine On and Off the Ballroom Floor almost a year ago, and I only read it in the last couple months. Jessika, the author of the book, actually took lessons at the same studio as me. We have never met in person, though I remember seeing her around. It may be awhile before we officially meet since I learned that she recently fulfilled her dream of moving to Costa Rica! She still plans to take lessons on return trips to the U.S.; they will just be spread out a bit more.
For 2017, I decided to start monthly interviews/guest posts. I want to share other ballroom dancers’ stories. Some have been inspired by ballroom to start other passion projects. Others found ballroom to be their saving grace. We all have one thing in common: a passion for ballroom dancing. If you have a story you want to share, please let me know!
To start the year off, I’d like you all to meet Cindy Muller, ballroom student and owner of My Ballroom Boutique! Cindy and I met virtually through this blog and Facebook, and we share similar financial struggles in making our competitive dreams come true.
It’s been two weeks since my last post?? Man, time sure flies when you’re sick and travelling. I’ve been feeling guilty about not dropping in to say hello and give you an update on the Girl with the Tree Tattoo. I hope you’ll forgive me for my absence. Here’s what’s been going on.
2016 was a rough year. Just in the last week, the world lost two amazing women, who were also two of my favorite Hollywood actors. Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds were an inspiration to me. Princess Leia showed us that we can be strong and feminine at the same time. The way Kathy Seldon (Debbie Reynolds’ character in Singin’ in the Rain) teases Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) as she’s driving him to Beverly Hills is my go-to when I’m searching for my Foxtrot character. I love the way she playfully puts him in his place and firmly stands up for herself, despite the fact he is a famous (and therefore intimidating) celebrity.
Hi everyone!
For those who celebrated, I hope you all had a very merry Christmas and/or are having a wonderful Hanukkah! I spent a lot of quality time with family, eating, talking, watching movies, baking and eating. I definitely need to do some extra Zumba this week!
Back in July, I wrote this cheesy motivational post about not giving up. Someone found it the other day, so it showed up in my blog statistics. I felt like doing a follow-up.
It’s been two and a half weeks since my last dance lesson, which was also the last time I danced ballroom at all. Being busy with other things, like driving across country, Thanksgiving, blog- and book-related work, and the day job (yes, still working the day job!), has helped keep the withdrawal symptoms tolerable. The Zumba game has helped too; I think it’s going to be my ticket to avoiding too much holiday weight gain in the next month. But finally, this morning, I broke out my ballroom practice shoes.
Back in July, one of my readers sent me What You See Is Not What You Do: A Simple Formula for Ballroom Dancing. Although he felt the book moved a little slowly, he highly recommended it for the great information it contained, which had helped him several times while trying to conquer a challenging new dance step. Four/five months later, I have finally found/made time to read the book and write up a review!
I confess – I’m jumping on the holiday bandwagon. Although many stores are ignoring the calendar and proper order of things, this Friday represents the beginning of a month-long shopping spree in America. Personally, I like to stay home and watch movies all day on Black Friday. A mall packed with eager and/or desperate crowds scrambling to find that perfect gift or best deal is not my idea of a good time.
If you’re like me and would rather shop online than in a crowded mall, I have a solution! The Dance Diaries series is going on sale this weekend, starting on Black Friday and going through Cyber Monday.
Anywhere you like to shop for digital books (i.e., Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iTunes, etc.), Learning Ballroom Dance and Ballroom Budgeting will be discounted to $2.99 and $3.99, respectively. You can also look for them on my own BookBaby shop pages.
Fun fact: if you buy my books directly through BookBaby, I get a greater percentage of the sale price AND the books are available in any eReader format you need – ePub, mobi and PDF.
If you have someone in your life who has been wanting to try ballroom, give the gift of inside knowledge with Learning Ballroom Dance.
If you know someone whose passion for ballroom is greater than the size of their wallet, give the gift of Ballroom Budgeting.
The sale is only during this crazy shopping weekend though! Friday through Monday, and then the prices go back to their usual amounts.
Please help spread the word, and as always, happy dancing!
The Girl with the Tree Tattoo 