I'm moving!

That's right... the last week of May 2008 I'm moving myself to Littleton, CO to be near some family, the mountains and cooler weather!

I'm planning on having a good-bye shindig mid-May before I go so if you're interested in coming let me know :)

I'll be living with my dad and step mom till I find a place of my own... then I'll either locate to Boulder near my brother or Denver near my sister depending on the job scene...

I adore all the Arizona bellydancing sisters and I know we'll meet again before long. And hey, if you need to beat the summer heat, come visit me!

I'm thinking about taking classes with Sadie and/or Suzanna Del Vehccio in the CO-area. Does anyone know of other good dance teachers in the area??


Love and shimmies~
Nielle

other blogs

hey y'all... I seem to be on myspace the most due to a majority of people using that more...

so if you want to know what's going on with me, go to:

www.myspace.com/shimmygirl

or

360.yahoo.com/sunshinesongbird

where in the world is nielle?

for those who are wondering what happened to me, i have been sucked into the abyss of full time work and school. i'm going back for my degree in information technology... i also got a promotion at work and our ASU office is moving to phoenix, so my workload there seems to have tripled. every once in a while i try to schedule a break from classes so i can do some belly dance, but unfortunately belly dance is kind of on hold for me right now.

i miss all my shimmy sisters... don't forget about me... I'll be baaack!

i did manage to take a mini-vacation to northern arizona last month with my dad (picture)... ahh 3 days of on-the-road bliss... i miss it!

A great Tom Robbins quote

"She would dedicate herself to...well, she'd have to call it "beauty," for want of a better word. She wouldn't be sentimental about it, or self-righteous, or even spiritual and pure. And she wouldn't get defensive when ridiculed or misunderstood. Beauty she would not carry like a banner, nor would she take refuge from the world in it like a hermit in a shack. Beauty would just be her every day thing."

-Tom Robbins, Skinny Legs and All

Dalai Lama Quote of the Week

Meditations on Desire

Desire is the source of endless problems. The more desires we have, the more we have to plan and work hard to realize them. Some time ago a businessman told me that the more he developed his company, the more he felt like making it even bigger. And the more he tried to make it bigger, the more he found he had to lie and fight mercilessly against his competitors. He had come to realize that wanting more and more made no sense, and that he only had to reduce the size of his business for competition to become less fierce so he would be able to carry out his work honestly. I found his testimony very true.

-- by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, edited by Matthieu Ricard, translated by Christian Bruyat and Dominique Messent, from 365 Dalai Lama: Daily Advice from the Heart

My Inner Self and True Nature

While you appear gentle and soft and are emotionally supportive of others, you are also very curious and inquisitive, with a childlike interest in everything new. This combination makes you a winner with children because you share their curiosity and love of play, and you also empathize with them. Psychology is probably also an interest of yours, and you are very effective dealing with people on a one-to-one basis. You surprise people sometimes because behind your soft, rounded appearance you are quite sharp, quick and intelligent.

You are, in many ways, an eternal child. Your mind is bright, alert, curious, flexible, playful and always eager for new experiences--and your attention span is often quite brief. You grasp ideas quickly and once your initial curiosity has been satisfied, you want to go on to something else. You crave frequent change, variety, meeting new situations and people.

It may be hard for you to decide just where your talents and true vocation lie, for you have a multitude of interests and are loathe to limit yourself by concentrating on just one. You are easily distracted by all of the other fascinating possibilities. Your curiosity and restlessness propel you into many different experiences in life, and you are willing to taste or try anything once. Doing the same thing over and over again, even it is something you do well, is real drudgery for you.

You live in your head a great deal--reading, observing, thinking, spinning ideas around--and you need mental stimulation every bit as much as you need food and drink. In fact, if you had to choose between a good book or movie and a good lunch, you would very likely choose the former. You have a creative mind and often live by your wits.

You are also a very social creature, with a strong need to communicate and to interact with people. You enjoy using and playing with words and have a real flair for getting your ideas across in a clever, interesting, articulate manner. Writing or speaking are areas you have talent for.

You also have a rather light and mischievous sense of humor, and often do not take anything too seriously. Though you crave emotional involvement, it is hard for you to achieve it, for you are frequently unwilling to commit yourself to anything, to take responsibility, or to limit your personal freedom and mobility.

Your happiness lies in using your creativity and your language skills to communicate something meaningful, to teach, inspire, or bring people together. You have an unbiased mind and can usually offer a fresh, clear, uncluttered perspective. Your faults are your lack of constancy and persistence, and your tendency to overlook or ignore deep emotional issues and other people's feelings.

Leading groups and classes, and being involved in community efforts, social activities, events or movements are areas where you really shine and express your creativity. An awareness of politics or the larger social impact of individual actions is natural to you.

You have big aspirations and the desire to succeed in life in a grand way. You tend to exaggerate, to promise more than is possible and to misjudge through being overly optimistic. However, you never lose your hopes for the future. Restlessness and discontent with responsibilities and limitations in life can be troublesome for you.

You are extremely sensitive, compassionate and giving, often to your own personal disadvantage. Your ideals and spiritual values motivate you, and you cannot live only for personal gain or materialistic concerns. There must be an element of beauty, magic, imagination, inspiration or creativity in what you do. Otherwise you become listless and aimless. The arts, theater, music and/or charitable works suit you well.

daily meditation

In the beginning mindfulness takes away worries and fears about past and future and keeps us anchored in the present. In the end it points to the right view of the self.

-Ayya Khema, "Be an Island"

Quote for the day

Today's Quote

In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.

-Dietrich Bonhoeffer

i'm a giver ;)

I had to take a personality quiz for a class... thought I'd share :)

GIVER
Personal strengths—You value honesty and authenticity
above all else. You enjoy close relationships with those you
love and there is a strong spirituality in your nature. Making
a difference in the world is important to you, and you enjoy
cultivating potential in yourself and others. You are a person
of peace. You are a natural romantic. You dislike hypocrisy
and deception.
Work/school—You function best in a warm, harmonious
working environment with the possibility of interacting with
openness and honesty. You prefer to avoid conflict and hostility.
You thrive when your creative approach to your work
is appreciated and praised.
Relationships—You thrive in relationships that include warm,
intimate talks. You feel closer to people when they express
their feelings and are open and responsive. You think
romance, touch, and appreciation are necessary for survival.
You blossom when others express a loving commitment to
you and you are able to contribute to the relationship.
Learning—You enjoy studying with others and also helping
them learn. Study groups are very effective for you to
remember difficult information.

hidden passion number - totally describes me!

Your First Hidden Passion Number is 3

You are highly social and have a gift for self- expression. You love to entertain and attend parties. You are exceedingly popular, and a good friend.

You are highly talented in one or more of the arts -- writing, acting, music, or painting.

You need excitement. When things are dull, you tend to fantasize and sometimes exaggerate.

You are very inspiring and motivating to others. You are blessed with a considerable amount of charm and charisma. You are highly optimistic, which can make you a bit of a rolling stone. You think that the grass is always going to be greener on the other side of the hill.

You need discipline and focus to make the most of your talents. You can fall victim to scattering your energies. You have to guard against being selfish and indulging in too much sensory gratification.