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Friday, October 19, 2012

Argyle Casual

Lesson day!  I love Fridays.  I love that its lesson day and that I can cruise the wonderful consignment shop across the street from the studio.  My Friday treats.  So much better than chocolate.

Today has been very overcast and chilly.  I struggled to get dressed this morning.  I wear a dress on most days...especially on dance day because it is more comfortable and Marcel can actually see what my feet are doing.  
*I should mention right now that the foot action is probably the LEAST important element of dance; we dance with out whole bodies and dance movement is generally not initiated by our feet! But he still needs to see what they are doing. *

I just wasn't feeling the dress today.  I wasn't feeling anything I put on today.  I was trying way too hard.  I do have to choose carefully...I need to be able to move while I dance and not get too hot or too cold.  Pants can't be too long or I'll trip on them.  Nothing can be restrictive.
I tried on several combinations of fussy clothing and everything felt restrictive and awkward. I finally decided to just go simple.  I felt better immediately.

The black pants have spandex so they have some 'give' and were easy to dance in. The Izod argyle pullover was thrifted for $2.00 last summer at a church operated thrift shop.  It was pristine and perfect.  It felt so comfy..and put me at ease.  Comfort clothing is like comfort food to me.

I paired it with my orange scarf for some cheerful color.  I felt cute enough and perfectly comfortable.  This scarf makes me smile!

Peyton's photography command today..."throw your hat up in the air and catch it"!  I'm not good at catching anything due to a visual depth perception impairment..so I caught it with my face.  Too bad Peyton didn't capture that.  He did get a big belly laugh, though!

This is the only thing I picked up at the consignment shop today.  I'm trying to rein in the spending, but I had an in-store credit and I fell in love with this little hat. 

On the way home....I snapped this far away pic of the county tactical team (similar to SWAT) practicing maneuvers.....it was pretty cool to watch. They were walking in formation in time with the armored vehicle..shields up.   I wish I could have gotten a bit closer!

My sweet little hat...I love the color.

Today, I'm recommitting to better eating; I've got to get into better shape.  I want to look my best in my competition dresses.  I want to be stronger and even more powerful on the dance floor.

I mentioned in my last post that my next event will be a showcase in December.  Well...thats not going to happen.  I was so looking forward to dancing a flirty foxtrot to the Lyle Lovett song all of you enjoyed.  Until I realized that the showcase is 40 days away.  Definitely not enough time to get that kind of tricky choreography perfected.  Unlike DWTS....we only get 1 or 2 hours a week together.  

Marcel and I had a heart to heart talk about my dance goals and we both agree that I can be my best on the comp floor if I focus my lesson time on comp dancing. I needed to choose between showcase or competition.  He  didn't give me an ultimatum...he allowed me to elaborate on my dance goals and it became clear to me.  I'm so much more passionate about competing.  There is so little time between comps and showcases that there its difficult and impractical to try and squeeze it all in.  He tells me that I am a 'very good' dancer and that I can be 'incredible' if I focus on the elements of movement that I haven't perfected yet.  It takes hard work...lots of hard work and perfection is still elusive, even to the pros at times.  But I'm going to work hard to achieve higher levels of accomplishment in my dance.
I'm going to forgo the showcase.  Indiana Challenge competition is in February.  If I begin now and work hard...I can be in top dance form by then.  We are also going to slowly create a high level showcase routine that we will present at some future point, but we're going to do this over the course of the year...to allow it to fully develop.  In the meantime; my focus and energy will be directed at competition practice.  
I'm going to pout for a moment about not showcasing; and then I'm going to get over it and work my butt off....literally and figuratively.
I'm going to enjoy the journey.  And then I'm going to kick dance butt.


28 comments:

  1. I hadn't thought of pairing a scarf with argyle... will have to try it myself. It's good to have others remind us what we need to focus on, so no need to feel too bad about skipping the showcase. Looking forward to more competition shots!

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    1. I feel a great sense of relief now that I've made the decision to let this showcase go. So much to do right now!

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  2. Your outfit looks lovely Lisa...that scarf is a great colour for Autumn:) Hope you have a good weekend!
    ~Anne xx

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    1. I looked forever to find that orange scarf...and I'm glad I found it; its been so versatile. Thank you for the compliment!

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  3. I love your outfit today. The orange scarf is so bright and sunny. Have a great weekend. Heather

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    1. The scarf makes me smile! You have a great weekend also, Heather.

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  4. Good for you sorting out your dance goals. There'll be other showcases anyway in the future right? I think it's okay not to do everything now now now. Sounds like you made the right decision if comp is what really gets you going - go kick dance butt lady!

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    1. Thank you....comp is my thing for sure. Its actually a relief to admit that I can't do it all right now!

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  5. We can never go wrong with argyle....& with that colorful scarf, you simply look classic & wonderful!!!

    REBECCA
    www.redtagchiclosangeles.com

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    1. Thank you Rebecca. I adore that sweater and I think its going to be well loved.

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  6. I love your argyle sweater. It made me smile because I thought of the days when I wore argyle socks and penny loafers:-) You look very stylish. I admire your commitment to perfect your dance skills and compete at a high level. I love that type of determination.

    http://foodfashionandflow.blogspot.com/

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    1. Thank you for the compliment!
      Dance competition means so much to me....I just have to put all my dance energies there and skip the things that don't get me there.

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  7. I totally know what you mean, it is so hard to get dressed on a cold grey day - I mean, there is literally nothing to wear on them.
    the sweater was a nice score!
    Chic on the Cheap

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    1. Lyddie I'm glad I'm not the only one what experiences that!

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  8. That is a cute little hat. During the cold season hats are one of my obsessions too! I think it is extremely helpful to set up goals - and I look forward to follow your comp dance goals here at the blog! You can do it!

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    1. Thank you! I love hats....
      I just have to set my priorities...and interrupting my lessons to learn choreography for a showcase just takes time away from my competition training...so..I'm committed now!

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  9. With regard to the outfit, sometimes simple and comfy beats all the alternatives. It's cute.

    With regard to your dancing, give yourself credit for the hard work and talent you're dedicating to it. Sounds like you're making the right choice on direction.

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    1. I agree with you...its the right decision; but I will miss trying to do it all...:)

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  10. This is a great outfit, sometimes all you need is a great jumper x

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    1. Thank you.....it was very easy and fuss free!

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  12. Sometimes a simple outfit is just what you need--sometimes I don't feel like wearing fussy clothes either! I love your orange scarf--it's perfect for fall!

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    1. Thank you Shea.....that was definitely a 'simple is best' day!

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"When you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect"--Mark Twain