Naimaland State of the Union July 2014

Australia and the US bonding over dance.

APRIL:

I met my Australian dance pal Kis, husband, and daughter in St. Louis for some costume shopping at Dahlal International's warehouse. We had a great morning walk around downtown St. Louis in search for breakfast. Then Kis and I took off to Dahlal's so we could nerd out over costumes. I custom ordered a Pharonics bedlah and Kis went home with an amazing black, orange, and yellow number. Custom ordering was pretty painless. I told Dahlal what I was looking for. She showed me a selection of bra and belt designs that could be custom ordered. I tried on one to decide on cup size. Then she took my measurements and color choices. I paid the down payment and that was that.

One third of one room inside the harem at the Dahlal Intenational warehouse in St. Louis.

 "To the window (to da window), to da wall, (to da wall) Till the sweat drop down my..."

Awards for most cut-outs goes to this dress. Even the sleeves and space between my knees in front had cut-outs. Sadly it did not come home with me.

I also went on a "glamping" trip to Huzzah Valley with my lady friends at the end of April. We lounged, we crafted, we went thrift shopping, we had a fire, and played games.

 

 Photo of me with Princess Farhana's The Belly Dance Handbook taken by the book's photographer and designer, Maharet Christina Hughes.

MAY:

I attended friends, Dean and Janice's pirate wedding and met up with dance friend Maharet. She has been living and working in LA since last year and came back to Springfield to photograph for the wedding. I off-handedly mentioned how I haven't ordered Princess Farhana's new book, which was designed by Marharet, because you cannot order the book signed by the designer. She promptly went to her car and brought back a copy of the book. She handed it to me saying she brought a copy to give to the first person who mentioned it. The wedding got underway before she had a chance to sign it for me but she managed to snap this pic before she left. I have yet to read it cover to cover only because I've been skipping to the parts that are most pertinent to me (and looking at the pictures.) I will say, out of the other BD books in my library, this is the most comprehensive and will be my go to reference for a while yet.

Yoga. I started doing yoga ten minutes-ish very day from May 21st to now (July.) My knee no longer hurts. My shoulders, neck, and wrists are doing great. My back pain has greatly improved.

I added 2 pallets to the existing flower bed in the back yard at the end of April.  May gave me purple, yellow, and salmon colored irises and the beginnings of day lillies.

JULY:

I will be making my first ever trip to the state of Indiana for ISAMETD's DANCING INSIDE THE MUSIC with Jonatan Gomes Derbaq and Deniz (OH.) on Saturday July 26, 2014. Naia and I will be headed out that Friday for the 6.5 hour drive to Indianapolis. I am crossing my fingures the custom bedleh I ordered at Dahlal's back in April will be in before our trip. It takes 12-14 weeks for the order to be completed and shipped from Egypt. I should be getting an email any day now. 

Dance has taken a backseat to X Files and gardening. The Husband Person and I are also doing an X Files marathon beginning to end, all 200 plus episodes and movies, which is taking us weeks to get through. The rest of the time I am outside picking bugs off of the vegetables and making homemade garden bug sprays.  Two more pallets and two more months in the garden and we've got radishes, cucumbers, pole beans, pumpkins, tomatoes, okra, squash, herbs, and wild flowers growing. I also added a border bed around the patio slab. 

I have to get back on the dance wagon ASAP. Greek Night was moved up to August 2nd. Then Bahia will be here for a workshop August 22nd. I am exited about both.

BONUS PIC: From my late February awards trip to Disney World. Guess who found the most fabulous pair of mouse ears in the whole park. Sequins AND appliques AND feathers, oh my!

~N