My Blog

Apology to all my friends!

pixie_spice — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 19:37:48 GMT

I am clearly Tribe Event and/or calendar challenged. If you got an event invite for Hiplash! Spring Fling more than once, or didn't get one at all...I'm sorry! The third time's the charm, I hear...but rather than spam your inbox I'll just post the info here: The correct date for the Spring Fling is Sunday, March 30th and doors open at 7pm. Hope to see you there!

Home again!

pixie_spice — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 20:41:09 GMT

I actually got home Wednesday night, but this is the first chance I've had to blog. I had a really nice family reunion at the Colorado River. My parents came from Tucson, and my sister & her family came from Alaska. We had four days together at an RV park right on the river bank. We went swimming a couple of times, went sight seeing at the London Bridge (no, it didn't fall down...they moved it to Arizona!), fed the ducks in the river, celebrated the Feb/Mar birthdays together, gazed at the stars (it's amazing how many more of them there are when there's no ambient light), and got reacquainted with each other. I got to spend some time hooping every day and spun my glow poi every night. I even managed to work out a new trick or two without any bruises. Everyone liked the hoops, but they LOVED the poi. Good thing I made six sets of practice poi before I went. I was able to send everyone home with a set, and my mom wants glow poi for her birthday in June. It's nice to be home again, though. My dog and cat missed me, and I missed my soft bed.

Testing for the Tribal Vagabond Tour

pixie_spice — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 21:57:27 GMT

I'm on vacation and took this picture a couple of minutes ago, riding down the I-10 near Desert Center...aka the middle of nowhere. This is going to be awesome when I go on tour with Hiplash! in July. I'll be able to post daily updates with pictures from the shows and workshops. How cool is that?

I hurt my wing. :(

pixie_spice — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 23:35:11 GMT

I have to replace one of the doors in my house. No problem, I thought...I'm a regular handyma'am. Unfortunately, there's no accounting for crappy construction. As I was removing the case molding, I discovered that the trim was only thing holding the door jamb up! Removing the old door jamb should have been a piece of cake, since I didn't even need a reciprocating saw to cut through the nails...right? Wrong! I went ahead and removed all the molding, then slipped the old door jamb out and CRASH! Not only was the door jamb not nailed into the rough opening...it wasn't even nailed together! As I pulled the old jamb out, the header fell. On me. It missed my head, but caught me square across the back of my left shoulder. I'm not broken, but it hurts like hell and it's starting to get stiff. Hiplash rehearses twice a week and tomorrow's a rehearsal day, I wanted to get video of my new poi trick tonight, and now I'm not sure I'm even going to be able to get the new door in. I'm also seriously wondering if my whole house was built so poorly. And if it was...when's it going to come crashing down around me?

Great Backyard Bird Count (and photo contest)

pixie_spice — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 03:52:02 GMT

The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent. The GBBC runs from February 15-18th this year. If you want to participate plan to count for at least 15 minutes, write down the greatest number you see together at one time from each species, then enter the numbers on the GBBC website. You can count in as many places and on as many of those days as you like, as long as you keep a separate list for each one. Complete instructions, an online bird guide to help identify species, details about the photo contest, and more are at: http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/ The picture is a Western Meadowlark that was in my backyard, btw.

The 'Wapsi Girl' Project!

pixie_spice — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 23:12:36 GMT

Paul Taylor, creator of my favorite webcomic "Wapsi Square", is starting up The 'Wapsi Girl' Project again and has asked me if I'm interested contributing. I don't know when, or even if I will be featured...but I'm so excited! I may not be a glyph reader in search of the ancient calendar machine or part of a fractured chimera, but I can relate to the emotional struggles and relationships of the characters. That's what makes "Wapsi Square" such a gem of a webcomic, and why I'm so excited to even be considered "Wapsi Girl" material. Wapsi Square: http://www.wapsisquare.com The 'Wapsi Girl' Project: http://wapsisquare.com/wapsi_girl_project.html

Are you a carrot, egg, or coffee bean?

pixie_spice — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 20:48:08 GMT

Original source: http://www.new-mind.com/Library/carroteggcoffeebean.htm ARE YOU A CARROT, AN EGG, OR A COFFEE BEAN? by Mary Sullivan - used with her expressed permission. A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as if as soon as one problem was solved a new one arose. Her mother took her to the kitchen. The mother filled three pots with water. In the first, she placed carrots. In the second she placed eggs. And the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil without saying a word. About twenty minutes later, she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she said, "Tell me what you see." "Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied. (You known the tone of voice.) She brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did, and noted that they felt soft. She then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg inside. Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "So, what's the point, mother?" (Remember the tone of voice.) Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity - boiling water - but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid center. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its insides had become hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water...they had changed the water. "Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot , an egg, or a coffee bean?" Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity, do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship, or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my outer shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart? Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water - the very circumstances that bring the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor of the bean. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you instead of letting it change you. When the hours are the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate to another level? How do you handle Adversity? ARE YOU A CARROT, AN EGG, OR A COFFEE BEAN?

Because I'm evil...

pixie_spice — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 15:54:41 GMT

http://www.transbuddha.com/mediaHolder.php?id=747

Would you like some cheese to go with that whine?

pixie_spice — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 04:24:20 GMT

Hips of Fury is just over a week away. I really need to be rehearsing, but all I want to do is sleep because I'm sick. It's nothing serious, but I've got a sore throat and enough of a fever to make me hurt all over and feel like crap. Even my hair hurts! I'd whine more, but I just don't have the energy. :(

Hiplash and Hips of Fury

pixie_spice — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 19:53:31 GMT

Hips of Fury is coming up fast! If you've never heard of it, check out http://hipsoffury.net on the web or http://hipsoffury.tribe.net here on Tribe. Hips of Fury is a really cool Alternative Belly Dance Competition event in the Antelope Valley north of Los Angeles. There are workshops, vendors galore, and a spectacular evening show, too. Every year has a theme (last year's was sci-fi), and this year's theme is spies in honor of the year '007. Hips of Fury is very special to me, because it was the first big event I ever attended. This year is going to be even more special, because this year I'll be performing in the evening show as a member of Hiplash. You see...Hiplash's debut performance was on that very stage at last year's Hips of Fury. I attended the Evening Show workshop and got to dance alongside them on stage. Hiplash was awesome! They were newly formed, but they were amazing and I idolized them. During the workshop, there were times I'd forget to dance because I was so mesmerized watching them. Thankfully, that didn't happen on stage! Dancing with them was the highlight of my short belly dance career. I was inspired! I made a promise to myself to become a better dancer. I took up to three classes a week, performed with two troupes (the student troupe, Belly Vision and Galaxy), and spent countless nights practicing until the wee hours of the morning....hoping that "someday" I'd be good enough to dance with Hiplash instead of dancing alongside them. "Someday" became a reality for me when I auditioned for Hiplash in June...and was accepted as a peer by those I idolized. That blows me away! There's no time to rest on my laurels, though. Hiplash set the bar high last year, and I have to maintain that standard at the very least. My promise to myself now is to push it even higher when I return to the stage that started it all. Hips of Fury is only five weeks away...I'd better get busy! Picture of Hiplash (and friends) at Hips of Fury 2006 courtesy of http://renaissancefaire.net Copyright © 2007 Richard G Lowe Jr

Dusting off my pirate boots!

pixie_spice — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 18:11:16 GMT

Next Friday, September 21st, Hiplash will be dancing at the Exotic Blend Belly Dance Variety Show http://www.spiralhappens.com/exoticblend.html at Stells Coffee and Tea in Redlands, CA. This month features a swashbuckling theme, so we'll be performing our world famous http://cartrouble.nl/news/cnn/190707-1.html Pirate's Booty choreography. The Pirate's Booty has a special place in my heart because I performed it at my Hiplash debut back in July, and the set includes one of my all-time favorite Carty Mixes...Adam and the Ants "Jolly Roger". There's also a costume contest, so buckle your swash and come on out!

Sneak peek

pixie_spice — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 00:30:59 GMT

These are my accessories for the all-new, all-fun choreography I'll be performing with Hiplash at Tribal Cafe on Saturday. Julia made the gloves for me. Thanks, Julia! I decorated them with sequins, and made the mini hat (which I affectionately refer to as my "pimp hat"), too. Wanna see the rest of the costume? Come to Tribal Cafe!

Hiplash at Tribal Cafe!

pixie_spice — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 01:37:53 GMT

Hiplash is dancing at 5:15 pm (doors open at 5) on Saturday. I'm really getting excited about it now. The all-new choreography is set, the costumes are almost finished, and it's going to be FUN! I hope to see some familiar, friendly faces in the audience, and I can't wait to see the other performances. The after-party promises to be great, too, with Raquy and the Cavemen, DJ Amar, and The Barbary Coast Shakedown!

RIP tribal bra

pixie_spice — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 23:56:46 GMT

My kitty, Yoshi, decided to use it as a litterbox. I removed all the coins & metal, soaked it in an enzyme solution, then washed it...twice. It's drying now, and I think the base can be salvaged. I also think Yoshi will make a nice pair of slippers. That's a JOKE! It's my own fault for not getting her spayed. Yoshi was in heat, and she does strange things when she wants a man. Don't we all...LOL!

Hiplash on YouTube!

pixie_spice — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 07:37:45 GMT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6ZdMpWJJEw Here's a video of my beautiful and talented Hiplash sisters, Dana, Faizeh, & Blume dancing to the sounds of Solace, LIVE at the TaXim showcase on July 6, 2007. Enjoy! Picture courtesy of http://www.renaissancefaire.net Copyright © 2007 Richard G Lowe Jr

Practicing my "Wicked City Woman" walk

pixie_spice — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 00:58:17 GMT

Part of Hiplash's choreography for Tribal Cafe requires me to do a sexy walk across the stage (twice). Now, I do lots of things "sexy", but walking isn't one of them. Trust me on this...it's not pretty. I'm just glad nobody brought a video camera to rehearsal, because it would have made excellent blackmail material. It was THAT bad. So Faizeh suggested that I learn to do the "Wicked City Woman" walk from I Love Lucy. I found the video on YouTube ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHuf2WTdb_s ) and I'm practicing. My pets are scared. Will I master the art of the sexy walk in time for Tribal Cafe? You'll just have to come and see. If you do, consider yourself warned and please try not to laugh.

Getting excited for Tribal Cafe

pixie_spice — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 01:49:13 GMT

Tribal Cafe ( http://www.tribalcafe.info ) is coming up in about 3 1/2 weeks and I'm starting to get really excited! This will be my first festival performing with Hiplash. We're dancing on Saturday, August 18th. Faizeh has put together an awesome mix of music for us. It's a little traditional, a little jazzy, a little lyrical, and a whole lotta fun! I'm not going to give anything away, but the costuming's going to be fun, too. Speaking of costuming...I'd better get working on it or I'll be dancing naked. The costuming's fun, but not THAT fun! ;)

Honestly, I'm not that narcissistic

pixie_spice — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 01:36:24 GMT

Looking at my photo section it may be hard to believe, but I'm really not. In fact, I often dislike photos of myself for one reason or another. I look cross-eyed in this one, my hair's sticking out funny in that one, I blinked, I'm sticking out my tongue (look closer at the picture above if you don't believe me)...the list goes on. Good shots are hard to come by, and the photo shoot for Moondance proved to me that the difficulty grows exponentially the more people there are. It's human nature to want to choose the photo that shows me at my best. But if I pick out a group shot where I'm not cross-eyed, blinking, sticking out my tongue, or having a bad hair day...someone else in the picture almost certainly is, and I'd feel badly about posting it to my album. So I post pictures of myself and look narcissistic instead...at least I don't have to feel guilty about it. :)

Hiplash at Hip Drop

pixie_spice — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 06:52:02 GMT

So last night was my Hiplash debut at the Hip Drop showcase. First of all, Enchanted Deva's Last Wish and Treasures is truly a gem of a store. It's a feast for the eyes, complete with life-sized pirate sculptures dropping in on the store from ropes on the ceiling. And there are treasures galore...wonderful pirate garb (that I would wear every day if I could), trinkets, and jewels. There was a nice selection of tribal belly dance pieces, too. Secondly, the hostesses, Eshta & Celeste, were warm and inviting. The $5 cover charge includes not only the show, but food, as well. I didn't check it out too closely because I was a little (okay...a lot) nervous, but I did see hummus & pita and fresh fruit. Lastly, the dancing. The dancers were all wonderful and I really mean that. Well...there was one little pirate who got a bit confused during her troupe's choreography, but I...I mean she...was probably just a little (okay...a lot) nervous. :) One more thing...Richard Lowe was there taking photos in case you missed it. In fact, the picture in my blog here is one of his, Copyright © 2007 Richard G Lowe Jr. Check out http://www.renaissancefaire.net/ for more pictures. Julia, in true pirate spirit, is apparently trying to steal my flower!

Pirate Boots and Pirate's Booty

pixie_spice — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 23:41:30 GMT

Tomorrow night (Wednesday, July 11th) is my first performance with Hiplash! We're dancing to a set of pirate music that includes one of my all-time favorite Carty Mixes...Adam & the Ants "Jolly Roger". I'm very excited about it! Okay, you've seen my pirate boots. If you want to see the Pirate's Booty, you've got to come to the show! The Hip Drop at Enchanted Deva's (a really cool pirate shop) http://www.myspace.com/thehipdropla

Doin' the myspace thing

pixie_spice — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 16:35:59 GMT

I finally gave in and created a myspace page. There's not a whole lot on it yet, but feel free to check it out anyway: http://www.myspace.com/pixie_spice

Hiplash at Punk Raqs

pixie_spice — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 21:40:34 GMT

Hiplash will be performing at Punk Raqs tomorrow (Saturday, June 30). http://www.freewebs.com/mecdainlandempire/events.htm I won't be performing with them yet (my Hiplash debut is in July), but I got a sneak peek at rehearsal this morning. If you can go see the show...you're in for a treat!

Girls on Film

pixie_spice — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 06:44:16 GMT

I got to do a photo shoot with Hiplash today! Blume is going to be working on Moondance Belly Dance's website ( www.moondancebellydance.com ) and Hiplash got to model some of their gorgeous tribal costuming. I frantically finished coining my tribal bra this afternoon so I could wear it for the shoot. I had so much fun! We took some outdoor shots as well as some in the studio. I love these ladies and I love these clothes! I especially loved the brocade top, the 15 yard skirt with brocade trim, and the one I just HAD to have...their new 25 yard tie-dyed skirt, which I got in blue, purple, & turquoise. That's one skirt with three colors, by the way...not three skirts. I'll update my blog when the pics are up!

Hiplash!

pixie_spice — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 01:39:42 GMT

I've never kept a blog before...mainly because I never had much of anything to write about before. Now I do! One week ago, I auditioned for an opening in a really cool American Tribal Style (and sometimes fusion) troupe, Hiplash, and I got IN! Today was my first rehearsal. I can't wait until I get to perform with them. I'm so excited!!! They are getting ready to dance on Friday at Exotic Blend (at Stell Coffee & Tea in Redlands). I don't want to give away all their secrets, so I'll just say the theme of the night is DISCO! If you're in the area, you should go see these foxy ladies boogie...they're really far out! Are you hip? Okay...enough with the bad 70s slang. Check 'em out if you can, you won't regret it! UPDATE: The date for Exotic Blend has been changed to June 22nd. Unfortunately, scheduling conflicts mean Hiplash can't be there. That's the bad news. The good news is that Dana's other troupe, Desert Lotus Tribal, will be there shakin' their groove thing! The other good news is that Hiplash will be at Exotic Blend in September, and I get to dance with them!!!