Greetings faithful readers! Welcome to the end of March. I try not to wait till the last minute to post, but I have decent excuses, I promise!
It is currently 1:04AM EST on Tuesday March 30th. In a mere 14 hours, I will be headed to the airport for my flight to Scotland for the 2010 World Championships, hooray!!
A little Easter candy to help keep me awake!!
Unfortunately for me, I still have quite a number of tasks related to my full time job to accomplish before I leave the country, so it will be quite a late night/morning at this point. I'm a nerdy IT analyst by day and a crazed Irish Dancer by night; yes, I do dramatic "costume" changes a la Superman in the coat closet at work ;) My work teammates and other IT department counterparts do know about this tiny Irish Dance obsession I have and are wonderfully supportive!
So, how was everyone's St. Patrick's Day show season also known as March Madness? (channeling the NCAA university basketball tournament held every March if we do have non North American readers)
I personally find shows much more stressful than a feis. I get nervous for group numbers because I don't want to let the other members of the dance down if I miss my cue, fall on a slippery floor, or have a costume malfunction. The same goes for team dancing. I also work myself into a panic making sure I arrive on time and don't get lost while finding the building address. Brenda, my trusty GPS, helps me there ;)
While shows can be stressful, they can also be incredibly rewarding. The genuine smiles on the audience faces and their appreciative applause make performing a joy.
One of my best friends, who started my Irish Dance adventure with me almost 15 years ago, brought her son to watch me dance for the first time in a public setting. You can bet I'll try to get him to start dancing some day, only if he chooses ;)
Myself and Brody
Brody is much more interested in his cookie than posing; can't say I blame him!
I was also in charge of co-chairing a Pub Night to help fundraise for the Worlds. While it was stressful planning raffle baskets, food, musicians, and decorations, it was a huge success. The best part of the evening was my dad watching me dance for the first time in 9 years (He is Type A like me and a noisy, somewhat unorganized feis would put him in overdrive)
While I may moan and gripe about St. Patrick's Day and the work involved, Irish Dancing is something that I can't imagine my life without. Some days I wonder why I put myself through the intense pressure, long practices, saving my pennies for softshoes instead of going out to lunch, and sometimes putting my social life on hold for feiseanna, majors, and performances. Plain and simple... it's because I love it, it completes me, and makes me oh so happy.
I now present to you, how Irish Dancing has blessed me:
Life long friends who are support you in good times and bad
The ability to travel the world
Posing in front of Big Ben
Self portrait at the Giant's Causeway
To enjoy the simple and extremely random situations
A very scary clown building at the Syracuse Feis
Flexing our muscles in the official "Flex Area" in the back of a grocery store to warm up before a show
Most importantly, I find that no matter the competition result, I am so proud that I have worked hard and been able to accomplish so much in Irish Dancing. I never thought when I started my journey 15 years ago that I would still be dancing, no less at the World Championships for the 4th time. After the competition in Glasgow, it is off to Paris and Amsterdam for a vacation.
I will be sure to have many pictures and stories to share when I return in April :)
It is now 2:00PM EST.... and I have finally finished, with 1 hour to spare. Nothing like last minute.
Greetings all! Happy end of February! I'm sick and tired of the snow that's been dumped on my neck of the woods, so roll on spring!
Today I'd like to discuss a somewhat amusing subject that all Irish Dancers can relate to: What exactly is in our dance bags? Is there a small life form growing in there? Maybe a bubble/poodle sock we haven't seen since 2002?
I have a very bad habit of "dropping and running" In fact, my nickname in the family is the "Queen of Drop and Run". I stuff things in my dance bag and go off to the next practice,performance,country...
I gained inspiration for this post from a popular YouTube video tag of "What's in my purse", like the video shown below. No worries parents, this blog is rated G for all, so I picked a post that anyone can watch. You would be surprised how many consonant and vowel bombs (if you get my drift) can be unloaded in one video, but I digress:
If I showed everyone what's in my purse, you would most likely hyperventilate from laughing so hard. I live out of my car and purse; it's not a pretty sight at the moment. My purse of choice is a very large Puma bag that can hold half of the contents of my bathroom :)
Luckily for everyone reading, I had a feis last weekend, so my dance bag is remarkably cleaner than usual. So, let's take a peek at what was in my bag yesterday:
So here she is! Totally and completely stuffed to the gills and the zipper is only about 75% functional, but it's nice and compact, so I know my limits on how much of my dance items I can squish in there...
Should we open up the zipper and see what is inside? I have to admit, I was frightened to look...
Looks pretty kosher to me, let's keep going...
Ahh, yes... the Irish Dance essentials! Here we have my very old hardshoes that I refuse to give up. I am a stubborn mule about them; they are my BABIES and I will not break in new shoes *pout* We also have my practice ghillies and my feis gillies. Also shown are my 4 pairs of elastics to keep my hardshoes on my narrow "boat" feet.
Here we have some "feis leftovers". They generally don't stay in my bag too long after a competition, so I can make room for other unnecessary items! Shown are my lovely mint green bloomers, a hair doughnut so I can find my inner Marie Antoinette, 1 hair elastic, and 1 bottle of Rimmel Sun Shimmer. I use my Rimmel as "touch up" tanner, as I usually do a horrible job with my self tanner. I'm so pale I have to start tanning 3 evenings in a row before a feis.
Fairly self explanatory ;) I like to not offend my fellow dance mates with questionable scent sensations after my 400th Drunken Gauger set in a row...
I'd like to call this picture my "Ode to being an 'OLD' Senior Lady". Ibuprofen for those muscular aches and pains and/or a headache from 12 pairs of feet dancing in hardshoes at one time, my inhaler for when my exercise induced asthma comes out to play (Usually at the most inopportune time, like at the Worlds) and Biofreeze, which is the magic that pushes me through each dance class.
Continuing with my tired Senior Lady theme: Cough drops to keep my wee lungs open and actually processing air so I can finish my reel without collapsing mid step,as well as my ENERGY BOOSTERS, so I can keep up with those little wipper snappers (U8's and U9's) who keep on dancing even after their turns! We have a lemon protein bar, some delicious (NOT) orange energy Gu, and a packet of Gatorade!
Tissues! For all those moments in your life, like: Dance Class: *sob* I cant, I just can't do the hornpipe stamina again, please put me out of my misery. Feis: *whimper* I can't believe I just danced off the stage (been there, done that twice in one feis season) or why didn't anyone tell me I had lipstick all over my teeth? On the way HOME from dance class: *sniffle* Why does "Chariots of Fire" make me emotional every time I listen to it?!?
Handy tools of the trade! Gaffers tape that I slather all over my shoes to at least try to prevent me from falling on my toosh, one fabulous blister band aid, and scissors that are useful for much more than just cutting tape, shoelaces, clothing strings...
You can never have too many of these! Bobby pins help me attempt to keep my curly, unruly ginger POOF in line from start to finish at class or a feis.
The randoms!! Arguably the best finds in any dance bag, as it makes me wonder "What was I thinking when I placed that item in there?" I spy with my Ginger eye: my practice and general usage iPod, (I am an Irish Dance music JUNKIE, I constantly need fresh tunes or I get bored) Boots brand facial cleansing wipes that are particularly useful post-feis before going out to dinner, shoe polish for my held together with "love and tape" shoes, 1 empty bottle of sock glue, a headband to again help keep my hair out of my face, and a set of iPod speaker parts... the parts for the speaker whose power supply blew out a year ago, whoops :-x
And LAST but certainly not LEAST
Antibacterial spray: Because small children, though adorable and endearing, are full of lovely germs ;) I spray liberally before, during, and after class. Sometimes I spray their hands too!
Just to make everyone giggle a bit more, I have BONUS FOOTAGE of two of the shelves in my apartment bathroom! I can count 8 personal health/injury care products in the photos below. How many do can you find? *hint* One of the items is Tums, which are for pre-dance class or pre-feis nerves, haha.
I couldn't believe I had all of those products just sitting on the shelf. I couldn't make up that arrangement if I tried! All my non-dance friends get a great giggle looking at what's in my apartment. Therapy wobble boards, ice packs, muscle rub... I think that's what most young adults have in their apartment, right?!? * crickets chirp loudly*
Not to end this month's blog on a "Debbie Downer" note, but Aly and Nic have graciously given me the opportunity to share my thoughts, so here I go:
As some of you may know, my 21 year old brother Scott, the ONLY person Oliver (the family cat from January's blog) loved, passed away suddenly a month ago. It has been an extremely emotional month and will be for a long, long time. I want to thank all of my Irish Dance friends for their love, support, online and real hugs, and their friendship. My Irish Dance family is as much of a family as my blood family: Always there for a chat or a shoulder to lean on.
Scott was a brilliant poet and a master of the English language. He had the ability to craft poems so beautiful and so thought provoking that it was astounding. I also needed a dictionary and thesaurus to read them, but that's beside the point ;)
While I'll never do him justice, I'd like to share some of my thoughts:
Carpe Diem! Do what you love and always follow your dreams. Take the time to tell the people you love how MUCH you love them. Don't sit around waiting for life to happen, go and DO it! If you have always wanted to go skydiving, pick up the phone and make an appointment.
At the end of a bad feis or a plain old "no good, very bad" day, just remember that a brand new day is right around the corner. Laugh, live, love and ENJOY LIFE!!!
Also, a little Scotty-ism: Always dress smashingly from head to toe; you never know what occasion you may need to be prepared for. ;)
I take comfort that I now have a very special guardian angel watching over me. Scott, look out for me buddy. I miss and love you!
As some of you may be aware, we've got a fabulous new crafter here at I Heart That! Dance: Head of Papercrafting and Senior VP in charge of Things Which Require Gluing, Laura Church! Proud mom to both a Irish dancing daughter and son, she'll be filling out our shop with her amazing cards, scrapbook kits and other fun stuff during the coming year.
And we are extra happy to introduce her work by blogging about a wonderful charity effort she is involved with: The Boom Effect. "Sonic Boom" is the alias of the daughter of podcasting pioneer Tee Morris, co-creator of Podiobooks.com, writer of four social media books, and the first novelist to serialise his novel.
Tee's wife Natalie passed away suddenly on January 5th, 2010, leaving him raising his daughter alone. From The Boom Effect:
The podcasting, writing, and social media community gathered around and within days had raised over $10,000 to cover funeral expenses and other pressing bills Tee was facing. This response was incredible, and showed just how much Tee has touched the lives of others.
However now, as a community we are turning our attention to Sonic Boom’s future. She is only five now, and relying on Tee to provide everything for her. We have the aim of providing a trust buffer for her, so that she can go to college if she wants.
Nothing is going to replace her mother, but the funds raised will give more opportunities . So writers, podcasters and creative types of all stripes are offering up items for auction.
Laura, a self-proclaimed Podiobooks addict, has donated one of her amazing pre-made scrapbooks for this auction -- her page for the event can be found here:
Now I’d like to introduce you to a very special member of my household..
Meet Oliver
*holds a few seconds for a collective “awww”: 5, 4, 3, 2…*
Ok,now that you have that out of your system…
Oliver is the "family" cat that lives at my parents’ house. I certainly wouldn’t want to claim sole ownership of the cute yet incorrigible little fuzzball.
I travel to and stay my parents house to attend dance class on the weekends, as I live an hour away from one of my school’s locations. Oliver only has to tolerate me on the weekends.
Oliver is not a people person. He’s not a mean or outwardly vicious cat; he’s just a cat with a fierce independence streak. Oliver doesn't sit in laps, nor does he really like to be pet or loved by people (The only person he really adores in the family is one of my brothers, the middle child). He’s quite content to find a hiding place in the house or claim ownership to any bed he fancies, much like Goldilocks. He then will give you annoyed look if you try, to say sleep in your own bed, when he’s occupying it, much like this:
Oliver and I are like oil and vinegar. I tend to “love him up” a tad too much. An extra hug here or there really ruffles his feathers. He only goes into my room for my bed, since I’m not there most of the time, or to look out the window to dream of being a free cat in the great outdoors.
"Please, someone... anyone.. let me outta here!!!!"
For the most part, he avoids me like the plague and trots very quickly away from me if I’m in his general direction (thanks to my affinity for forehead kisses).. except in one special situation ;)
The basement in the house is his domain. It houses all of his basic needs (food, restroom, toys) plus oodles of hiding spaces. The only place he really wants to “play” is in the basement, which unfortunately for me, is the only place I can practice when I’m here on the weekend.
The fact that I’m occupying his basement whilst practicing makes Oliver think that I’m there to cater to his every whim; I can’t very well shut him out of his “room”, so practicing becomes somewhat of a challenge, as I’d like to illustrate below.
Picture this: It’s a cold January evening and a fire has been set at the hearth.
Hmm, does anyone see Oliver basking in the glow of the flames?!?
Well… maybe he’s enjoying the peace and solitude of his personal kitty bed in the kitchen?
Nope! He must be on the move, maybe hiding under a bed or near a heat register… I guess I’m in the clear to practice!
I did have my camera running during a few test trebles. Usually this gets him running into the basement from wherever he may be lurking. Unfortunately, like most animals, they don't do something when you want to catch them in the act.
However, just a mere 10 seconds later, a certain someone appeared, trying to lure me into playing by showing some affection, instead of practicing my hornpipe drills!
Please excuse the nasally Northern voice. (Anyone want to hazard a guess at where exactly I'm from based on my accent?) You never really know how horrible you sound till you get it on camera! *mucho embarrassing*
So, being a dedicated dancer, I continued my quest to get some work done by ignoring my practicing "buddy"...
As you will see below, Oliver stalks in the background during my practice sessions, usually looking pathetically at his favorite little orange ball and then glancing longingly at me, hoping against hope that I will stop my work and play a little game of fetch. He is also fascinated with the mirror that I have in front of my singular floorboard to practice. He has come dangerously close to knocking the whole thing over.
Anytime I stop to: think about what I want to work on next, have a sip of water, or change music from my hornpipe to my set, he will come up and rub against my legs to attract my attention. Yes, this is the same feline that runs away from me at any other opportunity.
In the clip below, he also manages to knock over the camera…he’s lucky it just fell back on the chair:
I really hope my TC's don't find this.. sorry about the arms and hand, it was for demo purposes only ;) :-x *nervous giggle*
So in the end, I really do think that deep down, Oliver has a secret evil plan to make sure I can never get a good practice session done when I’m at home. Thanks to my little fuzzy friend, it’s a pretty safe bet I’ll never be the next Michael Flatley ;)
Maybe he’d be a little nicer to me if I didn’t do things like THIS:
Don't you wish your pets had thought bubbles? I'm not sure I'd like to know what he's thinking anyway ;)
Are you sick of the holiday hustle and bustle, shoveling snow/putting up decorations, and the crowds at the mall? Worried about how many holiday cookies you can consume and still fit into your costume?
Are your dancers’ toes itching to jig in their snowman adorned woolen socks? Can’t wait to hear the sounds of accordions and fiddles drifting out of a school gymnasium on a Saturday afternoon at a feis?
Never fear!
Starting in 2010, sit back and relax and read the monthly musings of a Senior Lady’s adventures in Irish Dance!
My name is Colleen aka Ginger (ginger pants, ginger snap, you get the drift..)
Your friendly guest blogger jumping on the beach in San Diego
I’ve had the great fortune to be in the Irish Dance world for over 14 years, traveling the world and doing what I love.
Stay tuned for hints, tips, and tricks of the Irish Dance trade, as well as a story or two on fascinating topics as “Fake hair and You: How to change your hair to any color of the rainbow in as little as two minutes” and “New Brand Name Irish Dance Dress = Raisin Bran for dinner”.
and get a second item of equal or lesser value for 50% off! AND you can still use our 10% off discount code on your entire order!
The sale will run until midnight EST TODAY ONLY Monday November 30th.
Now for some fine print: The 50% is off the ORIGINAL price of the item. Remember to use the coupon code for the 10% on checkout, and we will refund the 50% off one item once we get the receipt from Paypal. We can also send a revised invoice if you prefer so you don't have to pay first and get refunded, but we won't remove the item from the shop until payment is complete. If you want to do it this way just send us an message right on ArtFire via the Contact Artisan button with the items you want or an email directly at
Well, according to the current weather forecast anyway. The point being, it is not out TODAY, which is the day I had planned to take photos of all our stock items and list them in our Artfire shop.
But, with deadlines fast approaching for shipping (see this post) I really want to let you guys know what we've got in stock and ready to ship! So I'm going to post a list -- if you want anything, just send us an email at thegirls@iheartthatdance.com and we will send you a link to make the credit card payment.
If you'd like to see a picture of something, just let me know and I can snap a quick one -- it's taking the e-commerce worthy fancy schmancy ones that take sunny days and lots of time.
Now for the list (tartans used in applique are listed where applicable). Links will be added as the items become available over at Artfire (note the prices there are in USD)!
Pajama Pants: $25 Canadian + shipping & tax where applicable
In addition to the things listed here, we also have a wide variety of MP3 player felted cozies (like this one), Zippy makeup pouches and hair accessories in stock! Just send us an email at
