My dance blog is up and running. Still needs some work, but it's fine.

DANCERIFFIC.COM

It's nothing too special but I feel like I can help my students and their parents with info. I'm going to start interviewing some of my friends and get their outlooks on their dance careers, etc.

:)

030.

i need to take a day trip, road trip...something.

something to break the monotony of my life before september comes.

'cause i'm definitely will be working lots of hours after that. because i need to.

:)

029.

About a month ago, I found out that Bobby Flay had written a new cookbook - Burgers, Fries, and Shakes. He's my favorite chef/food personality, so I definitely wanted to check it out. My intention was to buy the book for a really good price on Amazon. But I snatched it up at the library a few weeks ago. Everything in the book looked so good. I made mental and physical notes on recipes that I wanted to try out, especially the Miami (aka Cuban) burger and the Mocha-Caramel Milkshake.

It is common knowledge that I, Melanie, appreciate the company called Starbucks Coffee. My favorite drinks are the white chocolate mocha (hot or iced), passion tea lemonade (sweetened), and the drink that I first had, several years ago, the mocha frappuccino.





Looking at the ingredients, I said to myself that I should probably give it a try. Even though I don't get it that often, it would still be a great idea to make it and potentially SAVE money... Last week I got all of my ingredients, all of them store-brand. (I saved about $10 doing so.) This morning, I went forward and made the drink.

The recipe called for whole milk and instant espresso powder. I just used the skim milk in the house (haven't really had much of whole milk in years...) and I used instant coffee. (In the end, didn't make a difference.) I didn't use the caramel - didn't think I needed, and I didn't.





Didn't take that long to assemble everything. I got permission to use my mom's new-fangled blender that she uses for her yogurt/berry breakfast shakes.

Poured it all into a cup. Totally forgot at first about the whipped cream that I was going to use. (Sigh of relief!) and topped it off with the chocolate syrup.



End result: It tasted GREAT. Tasted just like the frappuccino. Difference - there's no ice so there wasn't a choppy consistency once you drink about half of the content, which was nice. So....for the most part, I won't need to buy the frappuccino any longer. Now if I can find a white mocha recipe that tastes wonderful. That would be a shocker when the Melby doesn't buy Starbucks 3x a week.

xoxo

028.

Making plans. Working towards the future.

The recital has finished. Thank God! It was too long for my liking, but we'll see how things go for next year. It still amazes me how much people actually appreciate me. The girls (and their moms) in my younger class, collectively got me a bouquet beautiful pink roses, and a gift card. Isn't that sweet or what? It is nice to know that all the work and patience put forth can be rewarded. Just knowing that they remember their dances and behave in class makes me happy. I have a week off from teaching, and then back to it for the summer session. I'm praying that all the classes run.

I really enjoy reading quotations. I found a few that I especially like right now:

"Not the power to remember, but its very opposite,

the power to forget, is a necessary condition for our existence."

- St. Basil

So true! It's hard sometimes to forget things that have happened to you, or things you did that you regret...but forgiveness and the choice to forget those mistakes and cruelties, is a beautiful thing. Still working on it, of course. (That's why we're human...) But thankfully we have the mercy and grace from God to keep moving towards those goals.

"We're fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance."

- Japanese proverb

Self-explanatory. I went to SDT (the theatre group that I've been a part of two years in a row) last night (and I'll visit again tonight), and I watched a little bit of rehearsal with the choreographer I assisted last year, and it made me happy. I'm coming to grips in knowing that dancing is truly a part of my being. I just love being able to dance. Seeing people create movement to the music, teaching it to others, and seeing what they had envisioned come to life - that's awesome. I love that feeling. I guess I still like performing. Gotta get back into it. :D

Bad Mel for forgetting what we were talking about at church, but we looked at this Scripture near the end of the service:

"God is not a man that he should lie,

nor a son of man that he should change his mind.

Does he speak and then not act?

Does he promise and not fufill?"

- Numbers 23:19

That just popped at me like lighting! God is so faithful, in the small things and big. Staying true to His word, no matter what. I can take comfort and confidence in knowing this. In an ever-changing world where people switch ideas and flake out, I'm so thankful that whatever God wrote and said in the Bible will never change.

So random of a post, but I don't care. :)

xoxo

027.

Found out that I'll be teaching two days a week for the summer session. Hopefully all of the classes offered will run...if so, I'll be working/teaching a lot/making some money. Which is an answered prayer! God is so faithful to show me that if I remain calm and patient, and believe that He'll take care of me, He'll work everything out.  I will admit, I was a bit anxious, trying to find work for the summer...if my first option wasn't working out, then..I don't know what I'd be doing. But now I don't have to focus on that.  :)

Cool musician of the day/week/month, etc: GABE BONDOC. Awesomeness. He writes his own music, and does cool covers. My favorite - "You Give Me Something" (James Morrison). If you know me, you know that I truly love that song. And he does a good job doing his own interpretation.  Check him out. 

I've been finding some great quotations:

"What we are is God's fit to us. What we become is our gift to God." - Eleanor Powell

"Music is the outburst of the soul." - Frederick Delius

"Music is what feelings sound like." 

Busy weekend ahead. 

xoxo

026.

Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory is on as we speak.  Only one of my all-time favorite movies, EVER! Just a feel-good moment.  :)

Tomorrow starts the busiest week for me in a long time!  Three graduations, three grad parties, 2nd last week of teaching until later in the month, two dress rehearsals, Grandma coming down from NJ.  I'm not exactly sure which day she's coming though..regardless, my room has to be spotless (she'll be in my room).  And I...I will be in my old room - Michael & Matthew's room. Sleeping on the bottom bunk.  *shifty eyes* I don't know if I'll survive to next Sunday!  lol. I feel like they'd throw me out of the window while I sleep. lol. 

I'm serious about this: Moving down to Charleston, and going down to Folly Beach at least 3 times a week. At least after I get married.  I cannot wait until this happens.  I'm counting the days until we drive down there for vacation. 

Sometimes I wonder if I'm doing the right thing.... I question myself.  Is it worth it? Where are the results I've been looking for? Would it be right to give up and move on to something else?  I know, behind all of the doubts and insecurities, that everything will work out. Am I just bored, or not willing to stick to it.  Physically, I've been breaking down, but I deal with that.  Everyone knows that.  Mentally and emotionally, I'm starting to.  I'm not sure if I'm ready to admit that.  I still love what I do, but it takes a toll.  Maybe I need to shift gears.  I do know this - I need to pray about everything. 

xoxo

025.

Journal writing is an amazing thing.  I'm starting on my newest book that I received at Christmas time. My last one actually lasted a few days short of one complete year.  

Saturday night,  we (Dad, Melissa, Maia, Michael, and I) went to DC for the Orioles/Nationals game (Battle of the Beltway). I wasn't cheering for anyone in particular, but the others were split.  It was my first time going to Nationals Park. Really nice facility. I wouldn't mind going back just to experience the park. I would love to visit again when the Mets come down in September. *teehee*  

There were a lot of O's fans, especially in the section that we were sitting in.  Lot of yelling. Not that pleasant with the obnoxious fans. But, it still was entertaining.  In the end, the O's won, and my dad was pleased. (He's a lifelong O's fan.)

I loved this picture.

The next two weekends will be filled with graduations and graduation parties. Should be fun. Still in the process of finding gifts for my favorites....

how many times can i break 'til i shatter? 

over the line can't define what i'm after

i always turn this car around...

- of a revolution.

xoxo