White Girl CAN Dance

I went out dancing Friday night with the girls from work. We had been talking about it since Monday. It sounded like a great time, all except for the dancing part; I don’t actually know how to dance. I had my last drink when I was 14 years old and have been sober ever since, liquid courage would not be an option. In high school I was one of those kids that smoked cigarettes behind the bleachers during football games and left the dance early and not always with the boy that I came with. When I did dance one of my guy friends made fun of me for my “white girl shuffle”.  I missed the whole go to clubs at 21 drink all night and dance phase, so I knew I would be a little out of my comfort zone. I did line dance a few years ago but I took the time to learn the steps so I wouldn’t look out of place. Friday night would be the test of my new body confidence.

Husband and I met my girlfriends at the casino for dinner first; the band didn’t start until 9:00pm. We were in the bar when the band was running through sound check. It was great to get to spend time with the girls outside of the office. The men that came with us could come and go from the casino floor while we waited for the band. When the band came on I surprised myself by getting onto the dance floor before my friend that had been talking it up all week. I let the music take over and just moved to it. Gone was the awkward stiffness I usually encounter, turns out I CAN dance! I didn’t know half of the top 40 songs and it didn’t matter. I was able to get down low, low, low! As the night went on I found it harder to pull myself off the dance floor, I even broke a sweat!  I am still grateful for my decision to wear sensible shoes; I went for the knee high lace up boots over a pair of heels. My shoe collection might need to include a few pairs of something comfortable just for dancing. I realize now that the only thing keeping me from having a great time on and off the dance floor is me. When I let go of all the things I think I can’t do and all the little things I don’t like about myself and focus on what I do like it turns out I am one sexy bitch who can have a good time. I wonder if the girls are up for going out again next Friday night.

My Tattoos





 

I was 36 when I sat for my first tattoo. If I had known how much I would love them I would have started sooner. I knew I wanted a tattoo of my horse An Image of Grace for several years before taking the plunge. I took my time to get the perfect picture and line up the tattoo artist. What surprised me was the amount of body confidence that came from getting a tattoo. All the shirts I bought that summer were tank tops, I went out of my way to show off my new ink. I live in the Pacific Northwest so I only get about 3 months of bare arm weather every year. I've since learned to be cold!

 

 

With my horse on my left arm my right arm looked bare and dull so I started dreaming about the next tattoo. I wanted a Rosie the Riveter Cowgirl. A celebration of all the strong independent women I know. Women who stack their own hay, hook up their horse trailers, drive tractors, spilt firewood and still look hot on the dance floor on a Friday night. This time I didn't have a picture to go off of and had to but a ton of trust in my tattoo artist who knocked it out of the park!

 

 

The second tattoo has increased the body confidence to a new level. I love to show her off, in person the tattoo just pops with color. She also gives me another reason to keep my arms toned, I don't want her having bigger guns that I do! I suspect there will be more ink in my future, I work in a tattoo friendly office but still plan to keep them where I can cover them, no job killers planned.

 



Friday Shoes

Appropriate footwear for the office? Who cares! 

Accountability Buddies

I just got back from a workout that I almost skipped. I have project plans from my morning phone calls that I still need to write up along with a whole host of other things to get to. As the minutes ticked closer to my lunch time cardio session I looked up one of my workout buddies on IM. She was away from her desk which meant she was already getting changed. My other workout buddy who is busier than I am this week had no intention of skipping out today. I grabbed my gym bag and headed down for a quickie. It was only 30 minutes on a spin bike, but it was exactly what I needed! Thanks to my accountability buddies moving it takes top billing in my hectic schedule.

Baiden Mitten Update

Since it seems the only hits this blog gets right now are for the Baiden Mitten review I figured I'd give you all an update. I still love my Baiden Mitten! I try to use it once a week but there are weeks I get to busy for the 20 minute soak in the tub so I miss a week. I've tried to use it after a 20 minute shower but never get the same results as I do when I get good and pruny in a hot bath. If I skip a week the amount of skin that comes off the next time is incredible if not downright gross! My skin is much smoother, the skin tone more even and less red. I haven't seen any change in cellulite and I'm not entirely convinced that I will.

My skin is incredibly smooth and soft. I find that I use less moisturizer on it as I am not putting it on top of a layer of dead skin. I still break out at the same time once a month but I know that is a hormonal issue and not something an exfoliating mitten will prevent. My skin does clear up a lot faster now and the redness is greatly reduced. I keep my Baiden Mitten in the shower and throw in the wash with the clothes after a few uses to keep it from getting rank. I only had the wind burn feeling after using it the first time and I can add more pressure now as my skin is used to it. My tattoos still look like new, I see a difference the weeks I skip my Baiden Mitten time, they still look great just not as bright.

So They Take Their Clothes Off in Burlesque…

Husband and I attended our very first Burlesque show last night. The show was held at a casino and was put on by a local pin up boutique. The casino is just down the road from us and I had seen the show advertised about a month ago while waiting in the 2 for 1 buffet line. Husband asked if it was a “titty show” to which I told him “No way, not at that casino!” The event was limited to 200 tickets but was being held in a lounge that can be viewed from the slot machines and card tables. Little did I know about the curtain between the two rooms.

I saw this event as my first opportunity to dress up and not look totally out of place. I had the outfit planned out from my cute polka dot halter swing dress complete with petticoat to my sexy pinup peep toe heels topped off by fishnet stockings with seams! After some quality time on Cherry Doll Face’s YouTube channel I was ready for hair and makeup. I had planned to do her 1950’s Vintage Curly Hair ala Marilyn Monroe style. It looked easy enough and something my current length would support. For makeup the plan was to use her every day style – I hardly wear makeup as it is so the photo shoot makeup would be over the top. It’s been 9 weeks since I last had a haircut do to some unfortunate layers I’m still trying to grow out. Free tip: If your hair dresser starts telling you that she caught her husband sexting with another woman while she is cutting your hair make her STOP cutting your hair! It’s been over a year with a different hair dresser and I’m still paying the price of one man’s wandering thumbs! I’m not sure if it was the time between haircuts, the combination of products or new curling iron but my hair would not curl for anything last night. I struggled with pin curls only getting 2 pinned in the time it should have taken me to do the entire head. I finally got the bangs under control, used the flat iron to get some curl in the ends and pinned one side with a big red flower. Makeup was going good until the liquid liner which was when I remembered that I couldn’t draw a straight line with a ruler. I went back to my comfort zone and my handy black eyebrow pencil for liner. Brows are another thing I wasn’t ready for, they were freshly waxed at the Walmart that morning after my mani pedi – didn’t get my oil changed this time. When I attempted to draw them in, the brown liner was a shock against my strawberry blond hair. At this point I would seriously consider paying someone to teach me how to do my hair and makeup. It looks easy enough on YouTube watching someone that does it every day, but I end up feeling like I am learning how to play the violin at the age of 38. If I could go back and talk to 14 year old me I would encourage her to have at least one sleep over with the preppy girls, but of course Glam Rock was much more her style. Nothing like having a guy with longer hair than you teach you how to apply makeup.

But enough about me, you came here to hear about the topless Burlesque girls! The show was put on by a troupe from Seattle. The Emcee did a great job getting a crowd that was full of first timers prepped for what they were about to see, and yes boys and girls they did indeed take their tops off! The costumes were stunning right down to the sparkly pasties.  I was in awe at how comfortable each performer was in her body. I found myself down right excited to see meat on ribs and some extra skin at the top of waists. More than once I thought “She looks like me and she’s rocking it!” From what I could tell all of the breasts were real and I have to say I much preferred the ones on the more voluptuous women.  I’ve gained a lot of body confidence over the last few months as I have learned to love and respect the body that I am in. These women brought confidence to the next level by sharing it with their audience. The tentative crowd started to get into things during the second act and seemed much more at ease by the end of the show. The Emcee compared the screams and yells to a Burlesque performer to heroin to a drug addict. As the night went on you could feel the connection between the performers and the audience. I left there in awe of those amazing women and much more confident in my own beauty. I am now even more convinced that reclaming my body doesn't mean working to get back to a size 0 or even a size 4. Reclaiming my body has more to do with loving each inch of it at size 8.