Making a Little Whimsy

Okay, I’ll be honest here…I can whine about a lot of stuff but I really do enjoy life and her magical ways. So I thought I would write a bit about the whimsy of women considering we really do make the world more colorful, visually beautiful and vibrant!  Sometimes it’s taking a siesta and enjoying the sunshine encircling you like a blanket or it’s the wind swinging the hammock, either way the point is, there’s always something to appreciate about life. So if any of you are feeling the blues…let’s make a little whimsy!

Now and then we all need to make a splash, make some noise so we can feel alive. If the winter blues occasionally take hold of me, making me feel blah inside, every once in a while for whimsy sake; I wear my hip scarf with my gypsy skirts and walk around the grocery store making a jingling noise saying out loud, “here I am!”  We are entertainers after all and it’s only natural that when we aren’t on stage, we still want to be the center of attention or maybe it’s me because I’m a Gemini but I doubt this…

Day in and day out we can get stuck in the same clothes, jeans or pajama bottoms…comfy clothes that can be thrown on in a moments notice. Winter can make goose bumps a fact of life and because of this, why would anyone even want to wear something that could expose an inch of flesh? With this being said, come on girls, if we don’t occasionally dress up we’ll set ourselves up for those middle of the week blues, Sunday blues or whatever blues. I have a red velvet top that I can pair up with a couple skirts and I feel like a sexy vixen every time I wear. I’ll share a secret with you too, it’s even gotten me out of a few tickets so it’s Dan’s favorite top!

Coming out of winter can be comparative to a car running on empty. Getting to the gas station can be a bit daunting when you’re running on fumes. I highly recommend getting whimsical with a banana split, hot fudge sundae or your favorite ice cream to wake you up from your winter slumber. Yes I know what some of you health food enthusiasts might say, but I’m only recommending this for every once in a while especially now that we are getting out of winter. Ice cream takes me back to my childhood and along with it are those amazing memories of  laughing, licking my ice cream before it melted on my dress then playing in the park. All three of those memories go together like a milkshake so it doesn’t hurt to start a good mind set for the beginning of Spring in order to get our inspiration and creative ideas flowing.

Lipstick is my whimsical signature mark that finishes off my make up, almost like an artists final stroke that finishes off a painting. Red lipstick is the sign of rose blossoms, poetry, sensuality and some saucy fantasies. Pink lipstick reminds me of ice tea, garden parties and running barefoot in the house. Purple is the color of wine, song and laughter and I like to wear a combination of pink and purple for no other reason than I just like to. It’s the color of the Sandia Mountains here at home when the sun is setting on them, lighting them in all their glory. I guess like all artists I like to imitate nature at her finest. My burgundy lipstick is for those special occasions when I go out for the evening and feel like a million bucks! I have a variety of shades of this particular color that I save for those special moments when I feel the evening will be like a fairy book romance. After all, as women we have to occasionally feel like the heroine in a novel that is swept away by her hero.  As a result of my chameleon ability I recommend to all my friends to  wear a color that isn’t normal for them or one that they usually don’t wear at that time of the day.  I think we should all wear colors we  normally don’t wear. All we have to do is smile our beautiful smiles and believe me, people will wonder what we’re up to.

Preparing for Spring is something I think all women should do and the best way to prepare is to get a massage, facial, pedicure or manicure. Working out the slow months with a massage can rejuvenate any dancer and doing the prepping and primping is the natural telltale of womanhood. We know that our skin needs to be soft to the touch and our hair shiny and healthy just like we need meditation for our soul so we can wake up the muse within ourselves who inspires us to dance and create  great choreographies . Pampering is a must for dancers and entertainers alike because we are more physical than the average person and working with our bodies. Bottom line is, for whimsy sake, take care of your body and enjoy the fruits of your labor in a body that glows.

Because of the mundane schedules of today’s working woman, I feel it is imperative that dance be required at the most inopportune times for all belly dancers! Dance around your desk at work, the hall to the copy machine, a wiggle in the break room and a twirl around corners. Dance to your car and blast your favorite song as you go to lunch or head home. Let the world know that under those work close a belly dancer is alive and ready to burst forth dancing. After all the belly dancer in us never sleeps, she waits for the seasons of creativity to come and go like the cycles of mother moon. Finger cymbals, drum music and a favorite song that gets the blood flowing is a way we show the world we are not mortal women but belly dancers through and through.

One thing my daughter and I do that always makes us feel good is to go see a good movie on the big screen. Popcorn, candy, hotdogs and let’s not forget the pickle, is like being a kid again. I’m a pickle junkie and for some reason pickles and movies just go together for me. The whimsy in me feels it’s good to take a break from reality and enjoy being taken away and entertained. This is especially important for people who are in their own right, entertainers because being a constant muse can exhaust even the stalwart of dancers. Taking a break just adds more fuel to the creative fire and  I always find that ideas come to me that I wouldn’t think of otherwise if I didn’t take a couple hours break.

Whimsy isn’t just a word that means dream, desire or fancy, it’s also a way of living life so that we don’t get bombarded with reality. Whimsy is chocolate in all its sugary, rich and decadent glory that reminds us one mouthful of delight at a time that life is to be tasted, savored and enjoyed even if the alarm clocks of our lives can’t be ignored.

News

Jareeda Belly Dance magazine’s next issue is Health and I know there are many of you wondering how to stay healthy during this flu season or maybe you’ve always wondered about your shakras and how they relate to your belly dancing and so much more…if so find out by subscribing to: www.jareeda.com

My book, “The Divine Unrest-My Stories and Views on Belly Dance” is now available on paperback. It’s only $12.99 so if you have a birthday coming up get my book as a gift. https://www.createspace.com/4181322

I’m finishing up on the choreography book and we will send out a special announcement when it’s available. I’m hoping it will be a good companion with “The Divine Unrest,” and my videos that are out already. Remember to check out my membership site, www.bellydancevillage.com