My Dance Room

I'm so happy to finally be able to post about my dance room! 

Growing up, I was a dancer. I took dance classes since I was 3 and barely out of diapers and began competing a few years later. 

I will be the first one to tell you-I am not good according to dance standards. My body is NOT made for dancing. My feet turn in, my knees are always bent. My legs, hips, and feet won't do what they are supposed to-I was practically born with deformed hips and had to have my right hip completely reconstructed. Trust me when I say, I wasn't born to be a dancer. 

But that didn't matter to me. I love dancing. It is my absolute favorite thing to do. I cant help it but feel the need to move, especially when a song comes on that makes me see the music. 

When I was growing up, I used to blast the radio and dance like a maniac in my room and that carried over to when I had my own apartments in my 20's where I would dance like a fool in the bathroom. (I have never admitted that to anyone until now!) Yes, slightly pathetic, but I couldn't help but find a way to dance. I have always thought how cool it would be to have my own "dance room" and figured when I grew up, I would find a way to make a "real" dance room. 

In addition to my love of dance, I started taking pole dance classes sporadically while I was living in Florida for grad school. When I moved back home, I took classes in this area as well, but again, would go sporadically. I would go for a few weeks and then stop again. And then, a few years ago, Ryan got and installed a pole for me in the basement at our last house. For my birthday this year, he gave me the ultimate dream present: my own dance room, complete with the pole. 

Since our basement has pretty low ceilings, we mad the decision to build the room in the garage where the ceilings are much higher and there is generally more room. 

We started with this: 

Ryan began by clearing out the back section of the garage on my side. I am forgoing my ability to park in the garage for the dance space. He then installed recess lights. After that, he cleaned the walls, ceiling, and piping and then painted the area with some left over paint from the bedroom and living room. We did get some white paint specifically for the ceiling area though. Then, he laid down some floors and installed the pole. 

Right now, I have the mirrors just propped up against the wall for the time until I can get the proper brackets to go into the concrete wall. 

It is pretty freaking awesome. since I found a new studio that is close to both home and my new job, I started taking classes regularly. (Wahoo-a 101 in 1001 goal!) Also, I have been using my dance room regularly and have now officially mastered a trick that I have been working towards since I started! (Yep, another 101 in 1001 goal!) I believe it is called the Gemini, but not totally sure. Although it is far from the most flattering photograph (I am holding my breath while upside down!), I was really proud of myself for finally figuring out how to do this with only one leg. 

Gemini

That's all I got for now, but if you are following along with my 101 in 1001 list, I can now cross off three more items on my list (build the dance room, go to pole classes regularly, and master a new trick) and add another $15.00 to my savings account. 

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Questions for you:

What has been the best birthday gift you have ever received?

Friends Making Monday-Have You Ever

Happy Monday! What's been going on in your neck of the woods?

This is the extent to what I have been doing.

I don't have much of anything that is interesting (yet..wait a few days, I will have something fun to post then!)

In the meantime, it's time for another edition of FMM. 

((If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section here at: www.alltheweigh.com so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. Please invite your blog readers to add their links here too so everyone has to opportunity to be seen. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!))- Kenlie

Have You Ever?

1. Jumped out of an airplane? YES! Twice! The most exhilarating thing I have ever done. The first time I felt a euphoric high for at least a week. I went with a group of guy friends a few months a few weeks before I had my hip reconstructed and a few months before I moved for Grad School. 

First time -May 2007
L-R: Brian, Dave, Tim, Alex, Me, Ed

The first of the foot picture

Post jump

It is impossible to take a decent looking picture as you are hanging out of an airplane. 

The second time was two years after our first jump. Most of the original jumpers were there. I took Ryan as a present for our first anniversary. 

The second timers. May 2009

May 2009.

May 2009. I wore the same sneakers to both 

2. Lived alone?  Yes. I lived with roommates in college and for a little while after college, but then I got my first "real" apartment and lived alone there. I LOVED IT! 

3. Met a celebrity? Bobbie Brown and Whitney Houston. They came to my dance recital for a few years. No big deal. And this was during the mid-1990's, just a few years into the height of her career. 

4. Said something to someone that you immediately regret saying? Can't really think of anything off the top of my head but I don't doubt that I have done that

5. Had a manicure/pedicure? Yep. I actually spoiled myself and got a pedicure over the weekend. I don't get them regularly but every now and then, I will treat myself to a pedicure. 

6.  Gotten a hickey? No comment

7. Owned a pet that was not a dog or a cat?  Hmmm. We had a parrot named Ruffles when I was really young. I don't remember too much about him other than when my father would walk into the room wearing his uniform, Ruffles would say "Go ahead. Make my day," and then proceed to fall off the perch and pretend he was dead. 

8. Been outside of your home country?  Yes. I've traveled to Israel when I was 15 with my camp, 

1999-Dead Sea in Israel

Paris with my high school (when my mother decided to be a "chaperon" so we could go to Paris together), Aruba a couple of times with my family, Puerto Rico, Florence, Italy to visit my sister...

April 2010. Noses at Trevi Fountain, Rome

And most recently, Mexico with Ryan

August 2012. Carmen del Playa, Mexico

9. Kissed your best friend? Nope

10. Eaten food that fell on the floor?  5 second rule. 

11. Met someone online? No

12. Been on TV? Yes! Ryan and I went to a wedding last year that was feature on TLC's 4 weddings. When watching it back, we were able to catch glimpses of ourselves on T.V. and Ryan had a really funny moment when they featured his "Anyone have any water balloons?" comment after they released wish lanterns and one got caught in a tree. 

13. Had braces?  Twice. I had the regular silver braces in middle school while I was waiting for teeth to grow in. Then, a few years later, I had the pleasure of having braces while I was a junior and senior in high school. I was an orthodontic nightmare and I'm pretty sure that my parents ultimately paid for my orthodontists summer home after all the work I had done. 

14. Gone skinny dipping? I legitimately cannot remember

15. Been to the opera? Can't say that I have

16. Been caught making out by a policeman?  Not that I can remember

17. Sung in public? I have no shame in singing but I have the worlds worst voice. My favorite singing story is from a few years ago when Ryan and I were still in the beginning of our relationship and everything we did was hilarious and fun. We were at his house and started singing-like, belting out songs at the top of our lungs... "Baby Got Back," "Ice Ice Baby," Disney songs, and you name it-we sang it. Or shouted it at the top of our lungs as loud as possible for a decent period of time. A little while later, Ryan's roommate comes home, knocks on the door and says to us, "Hey, I just pulled into the driveway and could hear you guys singing. So can the entire street. In fact, the neighbors across the street set out some lawn chairs and grabbed a few beers. They're just sitting there, enjoying the free concert and laughing their asses off at you guys".  

18. Handed out candy on Halloween? Yes, I love doing that. I'm hoping we get trick-or-treaters in our new neighborhood this year. 

19. Been snowed in? Yes. Being from the Boston area, we get snow a lot. I love being snowed in and losing power.  

20. Fallen in front of other people? Don't think so

21. Cheated on a test? Yes. No further comment

22. Regretted saying “I love you” to someone? No. 

23. Finished a meal in a restaurant and realized that you didn't have your wallet? I realized mid-meal that I didn't have my wallet and called Ryan to bring it to me. 

24. Shot a gun? Yep. My camp offered riflery as an elective and it was always one one of my favorite activities. I actually want to go to a shooting range with my father soon. 

25. Heard a song that was written for (or about) you? Nothing comes to mind. 

Now its your turn! Ansdwer this week's questions and come back here to link up in the comments. 

Happy Monday-enjoy your week

Now it’s your turn to answer this week’s questions! Don’t forget to come back here and link up in the comments! Happy Monday, friends!

How To Make The Perfect Iced Coffee At Home and Things I'm Loving Lately

After not buying coffee for over a month, I keep finding it easier and easier to just not buy a coffee. By this time in the summer, I would have easily purchased an iced coffee to go multiple times a week.

The problem of making iced coffee at home, at least I have found, is that it is just too inconvenient. I never think to start it the night before so it can sit in the fridge overnight to get cold. If I tried to make it by pouring the hot coffee over ice, it would become water-y and a weird, lukewarm temperature. When I want my iced coffee, I want it now! And I don't want it to be all water-y either.

So, I found the perfect way to make an iced coffee so it is ready to go in as much time as it takes to make a cup of hot coffee.

The solution to making an iced coffee for you that doesn't require refrigeration time:  A MARTINI SHAKER! Genius! (Thanks Ryan for thinking of it!)

How to:
1. Make coffee as you usually do-just a tad bit stronger. I used our new french press (love it!)
2. Pour ice into the martini shaker and add your hot coffee.
3. Shake. The martini shaker instantly makes the coffee cold so you don't have to wait for it to chill sitting in the fridge.
4. Pour into a to-go cup and leave the house.

Yay! Iced coffee when you want it and the way you want. Love it!


Other things I'm loving lately:

1. This post! How cute!!! I had a 300 pound English Mastiff when I was growing up and I am trying really hard to convince Ryan that our next dog should be a French Mastiff. I LOOOOOOVE really big dogs and these guys are no exception

photo credit
Wouldn't these little guys be a perfect addition in our home??

2. This pairing of cheese and crackers. MMmmm delicious.

3. The show, Extreme Weight Loss. 

4. My new french press.

Questions for you:

1. What are you loving lately?

2. Do you like really big dogs?