Stylist Kim Johnston of Fringe Vintage prepping for Pinup and Boudoir Posturing and Posing workshop Sunday, October 6th

Kim Johnston owner and stylist of Fringe Vintage is excited to present a “Pinup and Boudoir Posturing and Posing” workshop for the Old Town Winchester Strolling Bridal Show this SUN, OCT 6th at 10:30am. Showcasing beautiful era-specific clothing, a small vignette set, a few props and discussing everything from what postures and poses work well to how to highlight your best features and radiate a gorgeous YOU! It’s a quick overview of some of our services offered and features live models with before and afters.  Located inside Moments by Misty photography studio in the Bright Center, Winchester, Virginia.  To register for this event, contact Blue Jay Events or register at the Old Court House Civil War Museum between 9am-10am.  Workshop has limited seating; so you must sign up fast! 

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CELEBRATE EARTH-DAY EVERY DAY

EVERY DAY is time to celebrate EARTH DAY!!!

Photo from Pinterest.

The World is in our hands.  We have the ability to shape it.

As of 1970, April 22nd is considered Earth Day, an opportunity to appreciate and generate awareness about the natural environment.  Over 1 billion people in 192 countries celebrate mother Earth on this day.  See www.earthday.org for more info.  

 

10 ideas for Celebrating the Earth every day:

1. Reduce car emissions by walking or bicycling places, or rideshare or carpool when necessary.
2. Reduce consumption of goods, especially packaged goods (ie grocery items in plastic and plasticized cardboard as well as clothing, cosmetics and household items in extraneous packaging and NO styrofoam ever!).  Reduce your consumption or STOP entirely from drinking sodas and water in plastic bottles and purchasing fast food.  Better for the environment and your health! 
3. Recycle ALL plastics, aluminum and styrofoam (if you must use it!).
4. Recycle (or up-cycle) old clothing, furniture and housewares in interesting ways making it seem "new" and fresh.  For example, sew on a lace applique to an old denim jacket and change the buttons.  Paint that ugly dresser and add new or vintage drawer pulls. 
5. Donate clothing, housewares and garden objects to your local charity or church, or have a yard sale!
6. Plant a tree or garden and tend to it using non-toxic chemicals, pesticides and fungicides.  Build your own compost.  Use essential oils and companion planting for pest management.
7. Choose sustainable food options like pesticide-chemical free produce from local farmers.  Grow, prepare and cook your own when possible!
8. Mend it!  Repair and restore items.  Pick one day a week or month, and do this; it feels really good!   Look for our Mend It Monday DIY classes and online tutorials.  
9. Choose more holistic ways in which to live.  Reduce your reliability on antibiotics and over-the-counter medicines and instead do the research and talk to your physician about using herbs, essential oils, vitamins, minerals and diet therapy.  Clean your house, your body and your clothing with naturally safe and effective ingredients like vinegar, borax, baking soda, salt, lemon and essential oils.  Use essential oils, borax and salt for natural pest management on pets and other pests.
10. Practice better breathing.  Exercise, meditate and do yoga for a more fulfilling life.   

 

---> Recycle ---> Reduce ---> Reuse ---> Restore ---> Reevaluate --->

Spread the word.  Plant a seed.  Pass it on!

Sustainable Living: DIY LAUNDRY DETERGENT

So, I just purchased another small bottle of laundry detergent at our local grocery store.  We use ECOS FREE & CLEAR, an all natural laundry detergent that costs $13.50 for 100 fluid ounces or 100 loads of laundry.  Yes, I said that right.  $13.50!!!  Expensive, right?!

I've been contemplating making my own ECO-FRIENDLY LAUNDRY DETERGENT for some time, and after some research and another expensive consumer transaction, I feel NOW IS THE TIME to MAKE MY OWN.

There are so many recipes & tutorials out there on making your own laundry detergents, fabric softeners and stain removers.  It can be a bit overwhelming.  However, here is an all natural washing powder I'd like to try. 

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups Borax
1 1/2 cups Washing Soda (aka soda ash or sodium carbonate found at most supermarkets or online)
1/2 cup Baking Soda
1 bar unscented soap like Fels Naptha soap or Castile soap

CREATE:
* Grate bar of soap.
* Mix Borax, washing soda, baking soda and grated soap together with a wooden spoon.
* Pour into a mason jar or other glass jar.

USE:
 ~3 Tablespoons of powder per load of laundry.

COST:  ~$3 bucks!

photos and recipe found on Pinterest from the SimpleMittons blog

We don't use FABRIC SOFTENER because of the phosphates, dyes and chemical fragrances as well as the residue it leaves behind (which break down the thread strength of fabrics not to mention the hormone disruptors, synthetic dyes and allergens they cause- for more info on this, read HERE).  However, I am tempted to MAKE and TRY THIS.

photo and recipe from Pinterest on the CampWander blog

INGREDIENTS:
1 Quart white vinegar (we buy organic)
25 drops essential oil (I  will use Young Living essential oil of Lemongrass or Lavender)
1 tsp rubbing alcohol (for emulsion)

CREATE:
* Mix all ingredients into a glass jar.

USE:
1/2 cup into rinse cycle
OR into fabric softener receptacle before starting wash cycle

Dance: a Contact Improvisation Workshop

So, this past Saturday, I went to a Contact Improvisation dance workshop led by performer/teacher/dance company director, Maurice Fraga of Ekilibre Dance Company.  It was held at the beautiful Dharma yoga studio.  

Below is a pic of our group moving with one another.  That's me on the far left.  

The 2 hour workshop was beyond my expectations, imagination and, at times, comfort level.  

One word to sum it all up- Interesting!

Had I googled Contact Improvisation dance beforehand, I would have known what to expect, but hey I didn't.  Check out these amazing videos of contact improv. 

Contact Improvisation Festival in Poland.

 

  West Coast Contact Improvisation Festival Video Lab.   

It intrigues me to watch, especially the pair with the guy out of his wheelchair.  

I bet this would be great therapy! 

Piano Recital by Silvan Negrutiu

My 1st post on this site.  A little daunting, yes.  But, hey that's just a feeling and one that I'll get past.

Last week I witnessed and participated in 2 fantastic performances in the Arts.

One, a piano performance called "A Minor Recital with Picardy Thirds."  The other, a participatory "Contact Improvisation" dance workshop.  Both led me to the same conclusion.  There doesn't have to be a story to everything.  Sometimes, things are what they are!  An experience that evokes emotion in that very moment.




Last Tues, Feb 12, 2013, I went to a Valentine's piano performance by Silvan Negrutiu at Shenandoah University.  It was his Doctoral Performance Recital, and it was incredible!  He played the following:
Ludwig Van Beethoven's 32 Variations on an Original Theme in C minor, W.O.80.  
Ludwig Van Beethoven's Sonata in C minor, Op. 111.   
Franz Liszt's Sonata in B minor, S. 178

Wish I had video of the evening's performance.  Instead, you can watch & hear Silvan here.

 

 and, here

 

It was an amazing experience and like nothing I've witnessed before. I have to admit my mind wandered a bit.  But in a good way!  Since it was my first time witnessing a solo pianist perform, well, solo with nobody on the stage but him, I imagined him an accompaniment.  I envisioned dancers performing lyrical numbers and an imaginary pull-down screen presenting blades of grass growing, flowers blooming and a couple picnic-ing and exhibiting acts of adoration.  Of course, these were just thoughts and images in my mind. 

By Liszt's Sonata, I settled into the fact it was just me actively listening to my friend, Silvan Negrutiu, wildly and beautifully playing the piano; no visual accompaniment needed.  Although, I occasionally saw colorful auras shooting out and cascading all around the piano.  He plays with such passion and panache!   It's an amazing feeling to succumb to such mind and soul-enriching melodies.  Silvan, if you're reading this, THANK YOU for teaching me to JUST BE.  You are so talented and cool!   

  

Not Silvan, Beethoven or Liszt but...

Beethoven's 32 Variations can be listened to Here; 

Beethoven's Sonata Here, 

 and Liszt's Sonata Here.