Dancing Beauty

I’m over 40 (45 now) and I returned to dancing 2 years ago!  I NEVER thought my body could move like it did 25 years ago when I was a pro dancer.  SURPRISE.. muscle memory is an amazing gift!

I started back in the ballroom after a 15 year break (that’s another story).  I tried to remember all my syllabus steps from American style ballroom aka “social” dancing.  AMAZED that this time around I would start competing – strictly for the exercise + JOY of it all.

A few partners, instructors & coaches later THIS HAPPENED!

Click link below for FULL video

“KNOWN” Dance Video

After 6 months of changing coaches and starting International Rumba from scratch, this was just my second time dancing with my AMAZING coach Nikolai Voronovich.

I am on a dancing journey now..  with the goal of competing in International style with Nikolai within the next year!

I invite you follow my journey, share my struggles, injuries and joys.  PLUS, I always have a bag FULL of BEAUTY musts.  I am always ready to help any and all dancers at events with their BEAUTY NEEDS & LASH applications (there will always be behind the scene moments).  I share my story, journey, life lessons & beauty tips/picks with you..

I hope to INSPIRE you, make you LAUGH & ENCOURAGE you to try something on your BUCKET LIST!

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Lesson:  Finding a good “coach” in any sport takes some time.  Once you find someone with the same passion, higher technical skills and a good connection – YOU WILL KNOW IT!  I dance for the pure sport, enjoyment & exercise now.  I want to see how good I can get BUT have fun in the process.

I KNEW I found the right coach & partner when he saw the potential in  me and was able to bring it out!  PLUS the fact that I can laugh WITH him at all my frustrations, mistakes and struggles along the way! (I had NO IDEA who he was before I started dancing with him.. I only figured it out when we began attending events & everyone was stopping him for photos!) So grateful to have found such a pro & well respected coach. (Crazy list of titles right?!?!?)

Beauty Tip:  My BEST pick for performance “body” makeup or summer leg makeup is Sally Hansen airbrush leg makeup.  Once it dries it is water & sweat proof.. I actually usually have it on long after event (even AFTER a shower for 2-3 days).  I apply it with my hands, directly on my legs before I get dressed and it sets very quickly.  5 stars!

Thanks for reading and stopping by.. I will be back next week talking about my love of KT TAPE.

Michelle xo

Make Sure You Tell Them

People circle into our lives for a reason and a season. Life goes by so quickly.. my Grama always told me this & I never believed her (until I hit my forties).

In this age of technology & distractions we sometimes miss out on the present. (Put your phone down and pay attention to that person in front of you).

People come into our lives for many reasons. Sometimes they stay for a lifetime, sometimes just a season and sometimes they dance in and out. When someone walks into your life and makes an impact – TELL THEM! Don’t wait.

I had a dream the other night… One of my favorite humans left my life & walked away, into their next adventure without truly knowing how I felt about them. I woke up and all day was haunted by the feeling of lost & sadness. I was scared this was my reality. Yes, it was just a dream, but had I told them ENOUGH how important they were in my life and how deeply I cared for them?

Whoever just came to your mind, STOP and call them. Send them a video message. Ask them to lunch. Take them to coffee, send them a handwritten letter, FaceTime them or just hug them and don’t let go. Don’t wait another day!

We are here to make a difference in each other’s lives. Don’t let anything go UNSAID. Tell those closest to you how much you care for them and love them. Tell them how your life would not be the same without them in it! And most importantly, enjoy every precious day & moment you have with them.

You will thank me for the reminder.

It’s A New Year.. What Makes YOU Fierce?

It’s a new year and one of my favorite words is FIERCE!  It ignites my passion.. my desire to be strong.. my wish to be fearless.. my ambition to persevere and my goals of being unforgettable!

A year ago in February, my Grama passed away.  We were very close & I loved her with all my heart.  She was one of my most special people: my cheerleader, my mom, my voice of reason, my greatest sounding board and LOVED to watch me dance!  While I was back East for her funeral I stumbled upon a ballroom dance studio I had NO IDEA existed a few blocks from my home in LA.  I contacted them while in NJ (I swear Grama sent me to them) and the rest is history.. I fell back in love with dancing because of the owners Katie & Erick (below) and the wonderful instructors (the events & other students are just a bonus).

I started dancing at 10 yrs old.  I taught, performed & competed all throughout school.  I turned professional at the age of 19 and continued my career until 26.  I taught ballroom at a Fred Astaire studio from 22-24 yrs old.  I lived my dream of being a dancer and performing professionally all over the country.  But I hadn’t ballroom danced in about 15 years (even just for fun).

Dancing has ALWAYS been my heart, my love, my joy, my passion.

When I retired I couldn’t figure out how to enjoy it for fun.. so I gave it up.

Last February I walked into the studio (shaking & heart pounding – thinking WHAT AM I DOING? I can’t do this anymore!) I was greeted by one of the sweetest guys I have ever had the pleasure of meeting (or dancing with) and I haven’t stopped smiling yet!   In a year I have lost 25 pounds.. bought a dozen glittering gowns.. danced & sung more songs then I can remember, laughed uncontrollably (while dancing), felt like a princess (more than once) and entered my first EVER competition in December.

I am FIERCE!  I am having the time of my life.. inspiring others to dare to try something new.. sharing my joy, reminding others talent SHOULD be shared and hoping to become awesome in TANGO (my worst dance, in my mind) by this years end.  I am  not giving up!  I have over done it and injured myself multiple times last year.  But I’ve kept going. I can’t remember as much as I would like to or as quickly as I used to, BUT I AM FIERCE.  I feel good.  I’m graceful.  I’m happy.  I’m taking chances.  I’m NOT giving up!

What is it that you would LOVE to try this year?  What lights a spark in your heart? What do you do and no matter how hard you try, you can’t stop smiling (this is a problem for my TANGO).  Do that!  Try that!  If it scares you a little, it means there is a WONDERFUL treasure awaiting you on the other side.. it’s wrapped in a gorgeous package with a tag on it with YOUR name.. “YOU ARE FIERCE“.. It’s just waiting to be opened.. discovered.. shared.. and ONLY YOU can unwrap it!

Remember, DON’T let anyone or anything STOP you.. especially when you soul is whispering to you.. listen to it!  It’s usually IMPORTANT.

Please share your adventures & journey with me!  I can’t wait to hear what makes YOU FIERCE!(because you are)

New Year, Let’s get real!

There is nothing like browsing gorgeous pictures online or in magazines, especially during award season. I want. I wish. I wonder. Sigh..

Having a makeup artist, hairstylist, great lighting and photoshop editors makes EVERYONE look great – trust me, I KNOW. At the start or end of my day, I don’t even come close to seeing a semblance in my mirror. Do you?

I hate to be Debbie Downer, but those people in the photos aren’t recognizable in their mirror at home after the event – once everything is off.  Good news: They are just as normal as you and I – only they have a BEAUTY TRIBE.

So it’s a new year.. I want to help you with real beauty concerns, questions & frustrations.  I want to give you real solutions, hope and inspiration!  So let’s GET REAL! Who’s with me?

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Here is your first Beauty “TO DO” for 2016.. schedule in #MeTime this year & regularly!  Whatever you have to do; add it to your calendar, phone, schedule an alarm or  stratigically place sticky notes – DO IT & be consistent!  Here’s list to help start you off.

I will be back with more TO DOs for YOU and your perfectly, perfect (and annoying) imperfections!  Together we will GET REAL and feel more BEAUTIFUL by the end of 2016..  Cheers!!!  ~Michelle

#TellYourStory2014

Each year one of my dearest friends, Kristin Kane of Water Closet Soap and I pick a theme of intention, to guide us through the New Year.

When we reconnected after 20 years, the following New Year, in 2012 we chose “Gratitude”.  We hand wrote letters of thanks throughout the entire year and reminded everyone we could about the importance of being Grateful.

In 2013 we chose “Inspire”.  All year we followed our hearts, shared our passions, shouted encouraging words and helped made giant leaps for our local national charities of choice (Decoding Dyslexia & Boys and Girls Club of America)
as well as spread advocacy & awareness.

For 2014 we have chosen, “Tell Your Story”.  Branding isn’t just about selling, its about sharing.

Every other week we will be posting the #abcsof2014. With 26 letters of the alphabet, we hope to inspire and share what our story is with a word for every letter throughout the year.

26 letters and 52 weeks is 1 letter every 2 weeks starting with “A”.

If you would like to find us and/or join us, we will be on all the social media platforms and would love to hear YOUR story.  Just add the hashtag: #TellYourStory2014 to your posts!

Here’s to a beautiful 2014 & the sharing of many wonderful stories..

HAPPY NEW YEAR!