imposterpockets' blog

too true

nobody@vox.com(imposterpockets) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:27:57 -0500

"like sands through the hourglass, so are the minutes of our friday."

-nh

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Muddy Thursday Mood

nobody@vox.com(imposterpockets) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:36:08 -0500

Getting stuck in the things that are fading, the friendships that have slipped through neglect and distance, place to go but no time to go. I need to make a disc of Neko Case and drive Columbia Parkway for a while to purge my system. Fall leaves, crisp air, something to clean out the dank regrets that are growing on the edges of my life.

Neko Case - Star Witness

Neko Case "If You Knew"

Neko Case "At Last" Pabst Theatre Milwaukee 3-30-06

neko case - look for me (I'll be around) @ central park

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Homemade Sugar/Salt Scrub

nobody@vox.com(imposterpockets) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:34:08 -0500

It's fall and my skin was feeling less than happy, so I decided to experiment with making an oily scrub using info from my Annie Bond book. I used 2 tablespoons of white sugar and 2 tablespoons of salt for the grainy, scrubber portion. The oil part of the recipe is where I ran into trouble. The recipes I read recommended grapeseed, apricot, or almond oil. My options on hand were coconut oil (very rich, and at cool room temperature it is a solid) or canola oil. Coconut it was! I also included a drop each of lavender and rosemary essential oils.

The result: Excellently scrubby. Sugar and salt dissolve in water, not oil, so my scrubby paste was perfectly gritty. The coconut oil was way too intense for this purpose. After using the paste, I had to soap off the excess oil. However, once that was done, there was just enough oil leftover to feel nice and moisturized.

I've got the remaining scrub stored in a canning jar ready for next time.

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Relief Engraving

nobody@vox.com(imposterpockets) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 21:02:49 -0500

Gorgeous work by Bijoux Extraordinaire

Mandarin Garnet Secret Garden Ring
I never thought I would appreciate orange stones until I saw this band. Check out the darker orange circular stones hidden around the border.

Hand Engraved Band with Yellow Diamond
Similar surprise appreciation for this yellow stone (wouldn't have to be an unethical diamond, many other options to choose from). Very small. Very perfect.

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Charleston, Also on the To-Do List

nobody@vox.com(imposterpockets) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:44:45 -0400

1920s Charleston

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Buttery Popcorn with Curry Powder

nobody@vox.com(imposterpockets) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 11:31:47 -0400

Nothing fancy. Mini bags of buttery popcorn from Orville, curry powder from Kroger brand. Addictive.

Popcorn Bliss

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Instructionals: The Wish List Grows

nobody@vox.com(imposterpockets) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:01:47 -0400

Too many emails to myself with lists of DVDs that have caught my eye. I'm consolidating them here to further mull over and make potential purchasing decisions.

Combin-ography with Bahaia

Combin-ography: Bridging the Gap Between Choreography and Improvisation - Bahaia
My instructional interests have started tending away from how to do specific moves and more towards, how to use the movements and how to do them well. This DVD seems like it will talk about how to create dances by understanding patterns in the music, and also how to confidently present improvised dance on the stage.

Secrets of the Stage Vol 1.

Secrets of the Stage: A Performance Course for Belly Dancers Vol. 1 - Michelle Joyce
This DVD is another selection of information about how to improve your presentation and create great dances. In addition to the expertise of the dancer who made the DVD, other dancers performances are included with excerpts of them speaking about what they were thinking and attempting to project.

Advanced Drill: Shimmy on Internal Hip Circle

Belly Dance Drillz and Intermediate Variations - Karen Barbee
Belly Dance Drillz and Advanced Variations - Karen Barbee
Layering and moves beyond (and even further beyond the basics) What she is showing in this video clip is something that I have attempted to figure out on my own, but someone who can explain it and break it down very clearly would be invaluable! These DVDs appear to be low on production quality, but high on content quality. I trade-off I will gladly make.

Veil and Arm Dancing with Amaya

Veil and Arm Dancing with Amaya
Another video with that appears to be made on a pretty low budget, but contains high quality information. I have read in other reviews that Amaya is demonstrating material that assumes the viewer has a foundation knowledge of veil work. I do not have that yet, but I am working on it. Once I have the basics down, this will be the next step toward doing really beautiful veilwork.

Pops, Locks & Shimmies 1 with Sadie & Kaya

Pops, Locks & Shimmies 2 with Sadie & Kaya

Pops, Locks & Shimmies 1 & 2 with Sadie and Kaya
Excuse the fact that these ladies look like strippers and check out their extreme isolation. The instruction (which you can see more of on the second preview) looks like it is very detailed. I love detailed.

Drum Solo with Nanna Candelaria

Drum Solo Technique and Choreography - Nanna Candelaria
I have not been able to find reviews of this DVD (likely because it is so new), but from its description, it looks like it may do what other drum solo DVDs do not, which is getting into the nuts and bolts of making each action crisp and discernable. How to control the moves, as opposed to simply demonstrating many different moves.

Sensual Passion: Bellydance Secrets of Tamalyn Dallal

Sensual Passion: Bellydance Secrets of Tamalyn Dallal
The cover of this DVD is ridiculous and the title is even worse, but the dancer presenting here has a wonderfully fluid technique. I tend toward the "arms through molasses" flowing work, but could definitely use some expert guidance.

Belly Dance Hip-Hop Liquid Fusion with Anasma

Belly Dance Hip-Hop Liquid Fusion - Anasma
This woman's bones are made of rubber bands one minute and rigid metal the next. After performing some muddled variations of this material thrown into dances by my troupe's choreographer, I am really ready to get a more precise understanding of this crazy style.

Dances of India: Ancient to Modern with Meera

Dances of India: Ancient to Modern - Meera
It is clear from the title that this is not going to present comprehensive information on any particular classical Indian Dance. However, it will suit my purposes quite well: getting instruction on basic Indian style dance in a very clear and detailed way. Other videos that I have seen and classes I have attempted to take throw the material at the students in a fast paced demonstration without ever breaking it down.

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Colors: Oily Gold

nobody@vox.com(imposterpockets) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 23:53:19 -0400

Badeinsel by die gräfin

Longing by fesign

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Colors: Red - Salmon - Coral - Tomato - Crimson

nobody@vox.com(imposterpockets) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 23:51:13 -0400

YEAH pattern 2008 by russoturisto

Digital Works by Bechira Sorin

Tea for Three by David Lanham

Mesmerizing Color by Christina Purdue

The Shade of Night Falls by Jordan Crane

Three Frames

Unknown via Illustrativo

Untitled by Slitrin

Untitled 2 by Slitrin

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Dandelion Thoughts

nobody@vox.com(imposterpockets) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 23:50:45 -0400

Greens
Making Dandelion Greens Palatable
A long article, but a good one that gets to the bottom of why the old generation maintains that the greens taste good, while we all find them to taste like really bitter weeds. Not a difference in taste buds, just a failure to ask all the right questions.

Roots
Dandelion Root Coffee
Dandelion and Chicory Root Coffee
Chicory roots are already high on my list of delicious things. Dandelion roots are supposed to be similar.

Flowers
Dandelion Wine
I have never had non-grape wine, but this one seems to be one to try. There are certain times in the season when dandelion flowers are everywhere.

Beware Round-Up sprayed dandelions:
Weed-Whacking Herbicide Proves Deadly to Human Cells
A delightful bit of science. Perhaps if I grew dandelions in a container garden and pinched off their flowers for wine, I could keep them from becoming a wild invasion.

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