January 31, 2012

A bit of Les Femme Moda

Here are some bits and pieces of our Les Femme Moda and LFM petite!

These two are best friends with all the laughs, pouts and everything else a true friendship comes with.







Top :vintage. sweater : roxy . skirt : right bank baby. jeans : h&m . tights: vintage. backpack: skip hop fox. boots: nordstrom (old) hat: nyc street market

And these are some of mama's pics:






coat & bag: anthropologie. jeans: current/elliott. scarf: michael by mk. lipstick: ruby woo mac  adorable attachment in blue suit: selfmade, compliments of nature.

January 30, 2012

Live your dream


For a very long time I wanted to start series that would break certain stereotypes concerning life, marriage, professions and motherhood.

The one that is very personal to me is professions and motherhood. In more details - DANCE as a profession, and motherhood.

As many of you already know, I am a professional dancer. Never, ever  did I think in my life that I would be a person that would get married young. More so, have children.  I contemplated , possibly, one. Maaaaybe, two - at very most, but after I am retired and over 35. I had plans for a well-set career, a car ( in Europe this one is NOT a necessity , as in most places in US, but is a luxury) , an apartment or a house...
I have not reached that 35 year old mark yet.  I am married. I do have a car ( though I refuse to use it for my daily run-arounds. Health is first, Lovelies! Health is first...); a house;  a very well established , successful and fulfilling career in dance with nice addition of being acknowledged as a choreographer, and... I have four little sweet-bugs. Four.

If someone were to tell me this , say, ten years ago, I would LAUGH and say to whoever it was that they've got some crazy imagination. I would never consider it.  My love for dance is too important and my career started young - as to many in Europe, at 13 to be precise. I was raised on a very strong stereotype about what a real dancer is supposed to be like. Please, note the real part. It was seen that one cannot combine both - motherhood and the demands that dancing discipline has for one's body. It was seen as impossible. Undo-able. Ridiculous.
I remember witnessing the dilemmas that many young women faced : marriage or career? Motherhood or career? In 90% of the cases career won. After all, there is a very strong selection of the dancers throughout the schooling years, and those that were not devoted enough were "written off" long before they were even faced with this decision, never even making it into real professional world. Note , that the modern day queen of ballet - Maya Plicetskaya is childless by choice. Her art is her child, as she said it many times herself.

So, in my mind the decision was easy - I chose the stage, until my "magic 35". With my career starting at 13, by the time I came of "age" ( 16 vs american 21), I had plenty of experience. By 18 I knew exactly what I wanted. In going with the flow I moved to US. By me-self onsie. By 22 I successfully turned down two offers from two very nice men, and was completely involved with my life and career. And that is when I stumbled and met "the one"... To make a long story shorter, let me just say this:  I made it very clear what my plans for my life were.

He made a very swift and unexpected move.And I accepted.

About half a year later we were expecting our first child and, while I was thrilled, the stereotype that I've been raised/trained/taught with started to have it's effect on me. I stalled my career. I was lucky to be able to take university technique classes throughout pregnancy , but I was sure that was "the end". I would HAVE to transition to teaching that I was also conditioned to despise this young. Teaching is for retired, not young... It crushed me. I remember my son being 3 months old, and me crying one day into my mom's shoulder while watching one of my old performance videos from NYC. And I remember her telling me , probably more of a motherly love, then anything else - she has stronger stereotype imprints then I ever had - " Don't cry... You can still have it all ! So you have a child, and?? Just pull yourself together and keep going". Though I shook my head then, her words seeded that crucial "maybe..." in my all-too-willing mind and heart, and I started to test the ground. It was not as easy as it appeared to those around me, but it was also not impossible - as I was conditioned to believe. And this is really where the first real thought crossed my mind that I actually can be what I am - a dancer, and a mother. Just as a women is designed by God to be. And I took the chance.

Fast-forward through several years, all 10 of them. Years filled with jobs, performances, national and international shows, tours, wonderful ( and horrible too) company directors , discoveries of my passion - and acknowledgement  as - for choreography(er) .  And through these 10 years I had the rest of my 4 children, blessed to be able to continue dancing through every pregnancy until "THE day", and back working, at latest, 3 weeks after the birth. I'm always busy. Insanely busy. And I love every minute. I cannot imagine my life without both parts. but my stereotype was not the only one that had to be shattered on my way to success. And I believe that anyone can do it.

I have been encouraged by so many to tell my story. And I will. But I think that hearing from more then one person and their own ways of climbing the mountain will be even better. Motherhood enriched my life. It made me be an amazing dancer - forgive my saying so boldly. Not technical - that part takes double effort, but when does it not, really - but expressive. The vault of the emotions that I have unlocked when I had my first child had only increased and deepened over the years, unleashing something I never knew I had inside. It saddens me to think that due to stereotypes women are forced to deprive themselves of something that makes them whole beings.

My hope is that these series will help all those that need it just as much as my heart needed those words from my mother long 10 years ago...

Til next Monday! Tune in tomorrow for some Les Femme!


PS please, don't hesitate to email me, leave a comment or contact me in any other way if you'd like to be featured in Live your dream series, or know someone that should be.

January 29, 2012

LivingNotes giveaway winner!


Congrats, Amy! You can email me with details and I'll get your book to you ASAP!
Thank you everyone for playing!

I am very excited to be working with some wonderful sponsors, and expecting lots of fun giveaways in near future. Stay tuned!

January 28, 2012

insta bits&pieces...

Some bits & pieces from my iphone :









here is to saturday bits&pieces : we got snowed on a walk, a lot and very wet, but we loved it. note that red basket - it stayed on the head like that almost the entire remainder of the day. it was popular. ike's ice-cream is the best and so are la bonne vie macarons. love, love, love. we don't usually go the sugar route , but this week was different. a piece of my morning ... my little besties, while the little man is in montessori. there is a little peek to the amazing photo shoot with an amazing photographer. coming soon to share later. and book time from Diana's view.

have a fab weekend! next is going to be awesome. i just know it .

PS and thank you bleubird for encouragement, xo.

January 27, 2012

Show & Tell

I'm launching new series SHOW&TELL. Inspired by my daughter's Friday school  and Bleubird Vintage bits&pieces, SHOW&TELL will take you through my week in pictures, my cool finds in weblinks, my ideas in notepad, or just show&tell something fun, interesting and inspirational.

I loved putting it together for you as I went through the week. This particular one was filled with some fun inspirational quotes on my instagram and pinterest (@livingnotes) , so here you go!





I loved this Valentine's DECORATION DIY
What an Awesome Idea!
Dancer or not , every one must know HOW
Love THIS bag!
My kind of COOL
If you are local, here is a great sale!

And here is a happy weekend from us to you! Have fun...


   
and get some Zzz's!



Hope you enjoyed it!

PS don't forget to enter the giveaway!


January 26, 2012

A little Les Femme ...

Here is a little peak on what Les Femme Moda entitled for our play time in the snow:





 
coat : anthropologie . scarf: rosebush theology. hat : anthropologie. jeans : current/elliott. boots: miz-mooz. lipstick : julie hewett noir femme. adorable red basket: complements of the school.  

I think mademoiselle made good use of it, wouldn't you agree?

What do you like to do in the snow? Do you like snow?


Sometimes...


Sometimes it is just nice to put some nice music on, forget about "supposed to"s and enjoy the day just as it is.

Life has been so busy lately that I often felt like I am in the old fashion movie , right there at the end, watching the credits and frames just fly by my eyes. I see everything, but it's gone and replaced by something else - even if just as wonderful or better - before I am ready to move on. I love it. And wouldn't have it any other way.  But yesterday I felt I needed some "me" time . Not "me" as in myself alone. "Me" as in me enjoying the moment the way I felt I wanted, my way.


So, I turned some nice music on, and went outside. It was cold, wet, and almost dreary. I turned off my tweets, instagram, put the phone on the airplane mode , and put the little ones in my Stokke.  I picked up older kids from school and then we just walked.  Not particularly anywhere, not particularly with a time limit or a destination deadline. We walked slowly on the gorgeous path that is near by their school. It snowed. Big. Wet. And unexpected. I watched kids play, make snowmen and eat it too. And it was so much fun to forget about everything and just have fun.

Today my life is back to my wonderful extra busy, and I wouldn't trade it for anything, but yesterday, those few hours were very special.

Do you have a favorite "recharge" route? How do you unwind?

PS : and don't forget to enter a GIVEAWAY!

 
 
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