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: November 2011

  • My Hat is Rad

    Yes.  Rad. I was cruising the interwebs the other day and came across this lady's cute crochet coffee cozy pattern (alliteration is awesome).  I kept poking around her blog and found out she makes, like, a million hats a month and has cute patterns available for purchase.  And she gives out 50% off coupons.  Maybe, she…

  • Internet Cookin’

    This year, I hosted Thanksgiving, and much to my ma's surprise, I can cook okay.   I give her a pass on her amount of amazement since I haven't been known to follow directions or have the greatest common sense in the past.  Note: years ago, I thought I could get to Duluth by heading…

  • List of Last Week’s Labors of Love

    – a full week with my posts on the scheduled days and subjects.  Score. – Whaaaa?  Have you forgotten?  I'm totally on a schedule… Monday- what you're reading.  I like to refer it as the LLLL post.   Tuesday– foooooooood.  Nom.  Let's go eat.  Hopefully a recipe.  Or a disater.  Or a success.  Wednesday– Crafty…

  • If You Are Not A Beginner…

    After many discussions with many people, experts (well, me) agree that Bronze dancers should know these things… the basic timing for each dance when to start a dance in time with the music how to continue dancing in time to the music Please, please do that.  Or return to Go and do not collect $200.…

  • The Pinterest Project- Thanks for the Sock Hair

    This week is another installment of Sock Hair, or heat-free styling.  Whatever.  Many of you know about my love affair with the sock bun (not the difficult, rolling kind, but the lazy, made-for-the uncoordinated kind) and now I'm going to start cheating on my bun with this hairstyle…   Yes, this girl is adorable and…

  • Pillow Talk

    Besides eating a bunch of popcorn and getting drunk by myself, my other late-night activities include sewing and crocheting.  I mean, the only reason I put the ladies to bed is to give me time to get stuff done.  Sleep, be damned!  *shake fist in the air* (Similarly to how I will never add up…

  • Buttered Up

    Let's say you're awesome.   And, let's face it, you are. Because you're reading this.   Now let's say you're hungry. I'll go ahead and assume you are because I always am and we're friends. You should go ahead and make some popcorn.  And not the lame microwave kind.  Stove-Top Popcorn Ingredients – oil –…

  • List of Last Week’s Labors of Love

    – the best weekend ever! – Friday, I started the day off right with the amazing fourth installment of the Twilight series, Breaking Dawn: Part 1 with my ladies, America and Ms. Brown.  Amazing might be the wrong word.  It was terribly AWESOME, in case you're wondering.  Just note the "terribly" part, too.  Be prepared for…

  • Unpaid Programming- Dance Version

    There are some products that I feel I could not live without while I'm on the dance floor.  If I don't use these products each time I have to sweat anxiously amongst unnaturally-tanned people, I sense impending disaster: possible wardrobe malfunctions, moving hair, or *gasp!* pale skin. This is the best self-tanning product ever.  I bought…

  • Motivation to Shake a Stick At

    Many of you know how I feel about running…                 [Buy this shirt for someone you love.  Or me.  Whatevs.] I'm not good at it.  But I do it.  Like Nike says.   And because… As much as I feel like dying at the beginning of each run…