Blog Title

Today’s Blogging 101  and Writing 101 assignments are really fun and I wrote way too much to make them one post. So here’s the blogging post first. For this assignment we’re supposed to work on our blog titles and/or taglines or write a post about what inspired our blog title. I’m going with the latter here since I don’t desire a tagline and am very happy with my title.

 

So then, how did I come up with Dancing in Glitter? You may have noticed that this blog isn’t about dancing and I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned the word “glitter” before this post. Well I actually wasn’t trying to come up with a name for my blog because my blog didn’t exist and I hadn’t even thought of starting one.  I was writing up a submission for a crochet/knit challenge group on Ravelry, the basic idea was to make a project and tie it into something you regretted not getting to do, I ended up going in an entirely different direction with my write-up but one line that I’d wrote stuck with me. The write-up was about dancing as a snowflake in a production of The Nutcracker, unfortunately I didn’t get to do it and I was especially disappointed because I’d been looking forward to getting to dance as glittery “snow” drifted down from on high and swirled gently around me and all the other dancers. The image of “dancing in glitter” stuck with me and, I have no idea why, but I suddenly decided it would be the perfect name for a blog and I should really start one, so I did 🙂

To me, dancing in glitter is about being free and feeling beautiful. Because that’s how I always felt on stage, there was power and longing behind my movements and I never wanted those moments to end, I felt like I’d found the place I belonged and that I could do anything that I wanted, as long as I was willing to work for it.

Sadly my dance ambitions died a horrible lingering death…. but my art has done a pretty good job of helping me to realize I could still do something I love, I’ve just got to work even harder because, unlike with dancing, I don’t have much natural talent and I’ve never had formal lessons.

It’s rainbow-colored now, instead of just white, but I’m still dancing in that glitter. It’s a bit different but just as exciting and empowering and I want to share a little bit of that journey.

Hence the blog, and the title 🙂

Blogging101 & Writing101 – First Posts

So I’m participating in Blogging 101 and Writing 101 here on WordPress. I may or may not post everything I write from the prompts but I guess I’ll at least post the first prompt from each.

Blogging 101 – Introduce Yourself to the World

I already did this one pretty recently…. as in just two Saturdays ago in my Obligatory Awkward First Post and also on my about page…. I really don’t think anything has changed since then.

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Boy that was easy!  😉

On to the writing!

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Writing 101 – I Write Because….

I write because I have something to say. I guess that’s a rather simplistic answer to a question that could be answered with a lot of thought or emotion. But it’s the easiest way to say that I like to write. That I have things I need to get off my chest. That I like to feel like people are listening. That I have things I want to say out loud but am afraid of what others will think of me. That writing them on a blog is just as good because I can still get my thoughts out there. That because of blogging I’ve gotten to meet likeminded people.

Really I could say a lot of things about why I write and go into great detail on each point, but I’d rather just write and let my writing speak for itself.

Pin Up Style: Cool Videos

Just saw these videos and had to share.

First off; kudos to Buzzfeed Australia for doing these awesome videos! I like how they’re showing people that, regardless of gender or body size/shape, anyone can rock a pin up look. In my opinion pin up is all about feeling sexy and confident, whether that means a tight dress and bright lipstick or a black leather jacket and a pair of cool sunglasses.

I really love pin up style. Pin up, rockabilly, and vintage styles are some of my favorites to incorporate into my everyday wardrobe. And I’d totally wear that red outfit in the women’s video, pure gorgeousness!

I’d love to do a pin up photo shoot. If I ever do I’ll probably have to make my own outfit, no shops around here would have all the appropriate stuff in my size. Hot Topic actually does stock some accessories that would be awesome for pin up, but usually in Hot Topic I spend all my money on Doctor Who stuff so…. What little pin up-type stuff that I have is stuff I usually make myself.

But I think making my own outfit completely from scratch would just make it more fun and I could go as crazy as I wanted to… or not. Simple can be pretty too! 🙂

A Doily and a Dress.

I’ve been crocheting like crazy lately to try and keep my fingers nimble. I haven’t been diagnosed with anything yet (don’t get me started on how slow this process has been, it took me over four months just to get an appointment with a rheumatologist) but it’s likely I have rheumatoid arthritis. My only defense against the pain, swelling, and stiffness is just to keep moving as much as possible. Sometimes, when I’m especially fatigued, I sit back and play with Play-Doh, kinda fun actually to just play like I did when I was a little kid.

But anyway, lots of crocheting lately and I’ve completed a doily and a dress that I want to show off, I had a lot of fun with both.

First up is my Wistful Red doily which I made from the free Wisteria Doily Pattern on Red Heart’s website.

I followed the pattern through round 11. Then for round 12:
(sc, ch 3 picot) in 1st st, ch 2, large shell in next ch 3 sp, ch 2, sk 3 st, +(sc, ch 3 picot) in next st, ch 2, large shell in next ch 3 sp, ch 2, repeat from +, sl st to first sc.

I love how it turned out!

Second up is a “multiaccessorie” that was designed by one of my favorite crochet designers; Elena Madsen. I’m wearing it as a dress in the picture but it can also be worn as a skirt, scarf, or poncho. The pattern is called Color Flow Skirt and is available on Ravelry.

I’m so looking forward to wearing this, I’m going to try and find a black dress to wear it with as I think it will make the blue pop more. It’s definitely one of my favorite projects to date, I’m thinking of making another in red.