Riot and Frolic

a mostly ballroom dance, but also a bunch of other stuff, blog

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about

I own and rock people’s faces off teaching ballroom dancing at Dancers Studio in St. Paul, MN. My husband and I compete professionally in American style and wrangle eight children in our spare time. I’ve been teaching and competing in ballroom dancing for over 25 years and have lots of opinions on it. I am an expert by any means, but there are quite a few dancers who are better than me and I have a solid knowledge of basic technique, so suck it.

Month: August 2011

  • Projects Not Pinned

    I have a problem.  It's a compulsion really.   I love moving furniture.   Our house has a partially finished attic where I created a bit of a guest room (although I dare anyone to stay up there in the summer unless you have some spare pounds you'd like to lose; it doesn't have any…

  • Something Salad-y

    The recipes I have shared with you are not ground-breaking.  They're not particularly creative.  They're not even pretty (see: Dirty Bird).  But they are easy, quick, cheap, and have a short list of ingredients.  These are things I like when I "cook". Por ejemplo (¡Thank you, Senor B!), caprese salad.  Let me list for you the ingredients:…

  • List of Last Week’s Labors of Love

     - the newest addition to the fam, and no, it's not this awesome sandwich.  #3 Bratt girl graced us with her presence on Monday and we celebrated with some great grub from Nye's.  Oh Lord, it was good. – a nap on my stomach, even though I hate sleeping on my stomach. – one-handed typing…

  • The Chair and Other Nifty Gifties

    My friends are neat.  Not only has everyone and their mother (quite seriously, I've gotten a bunch of everyone's mothers) wished us good tidings on the new bairn (look it up; we don't live on a farm), but they bring us neat stuff, too! Gah!  Look at it!  It's so pretty!   I've been wanting a…

  • The Pinterest Project- It’s Like A Puzzle, But It Isn’t

    This week's project is Saltine Cracker Toffee from The Girl Who Ate Everything.  What isn't to love about the idea of it?  I love Heath Bars; it's a salty-sweet treat; it has four ingredients; little ladies can help make it; it's quick to make.  And look at it! So, if you click on the recipe name above, you'll…

  • Can’t Name This Post

    As promised, but a day late, is the most-wanted recipe for the Fabulous Fudge Bars from the St. Paul bakery, Bread & Chocolate.  I'm having a hard time naming this post since I've had other naming responsibilities this week… This picture does not do it justice.  Nothing can do it justice but a huge glass…

  • List of Last Week’s Labors of Love

    – actual labor.  Well, sort of.   I'm 42 weeks pregnant (hello, 10 and a half months!), so I'm in the process of being induced.  So, I'm chillin' with some monitors and doing some crochet.  Also watching, simutaneously, Wanted with James McAvoy and She's the Man with Amanda Bynes.  Such a great combo! James McAvoy…

  • Headgear

    Earlier this week, I told you about the headband challenge that was going on over at Little Miss Momma.  I was on it.  What else am I going to do while waiting for this baby but put on some sassy headbands and head out on the town? Well, I do a lot of this…  …

  • It’s Not Dancetastic

    Today is usually "dancetastic" day, but I cannot think of a thing to write on the subject.  It must be because I'm out of the game.  Two weeks and suddenly I'm lacking an opinion on something which I usually love to opine?  Maybe I should have this baby, so I can get opiniated again…  *crickets chirping…*…

  • The Pinterest Project- Experiment Cookin’

    This week- make your own glitter.   Really?  Neat! The first time I saw this, I said, "No way!  That is so cool!"  But then I thought about it.  Isn't glitter punched out of super-thin sheets of colored metal?  Why yes, says Wikipedia: "Glitter describes an assortment of very small (roughly 1 mm²) pieces of copolymer plastics, aluminum foil,…