Tag Archives: lifestyle

Five Things

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Hello everyone and Happy Wednesday!

You’ve made it to Wednesday on the week before a long weekend! Which means, it’s really Thursday, if my math serves me correctly. In other news, pervasive fatigue seems to have taken over all of my people. Everyone is dragging, including myself. Honestly, I think this may have something to do with the fact that my boyfriend is broken. By boyfriend, I mean my coffee maker, and broken referring to the fact that all it seems to do now is crank out espresso like sludge. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it’s quite distressing. I think everyone is long overdue for a little vacation. I’m getting ready for a road trip up the coast to Portland and Seattle at the end of this week, so look for those adventures soon on Watch Me Juggle!

Continuing on to this week’s Five Things, I’ve been loving the articles on The Bold Italic lately. It’s quirky, San Francisco-specific pieces make me laugh and give me a little something to think about at the end of the day. Where else would you find trite little gems like this?

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Photo from Chris Michel, c/o The Bold Italic

Yes, they are Haikus inspired by all the different neighborhoods in San Francisco. Concise and accurate, my favorites have to be those depicting the Mission, Fisherman’s Wharf, and North Beach. Click the picture above to read them all!

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I’ve featured my beloved glass Camelbak water bottle on Five Things before, however, the fabulous boss-lady liked mine so much she purchased its twin at Athleta recently. So now we can mix up our water bottles as well as our coffee tumblers (which are also matching).

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Excuse my giant man hand.

Word has gotten out that Miss Eva likes candy, specifically gummy worms/bears.  I have received multiple packs of gummies from my students over the last weeks and couldn’t be happier. Pictured above are Gummy Rattlesnakes, delivered by one of the fantastic mothers at my school. So thoughtful! I was very amused by the level of detail on this little Haribo candy- look closely and you can see the eyes and a little squiggle design on the body. Too bad I had to eat it.

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Speaking of cute things, I was tooling around Baby Gap the other day, buying a little something-something for the little chunk I’m finally going to meet in Seattle this coming weekend, and I found this! It’s a knit crab hat. I just about died. Too bad I don’t know a child with a head small enough to fit in it, or I would have bought it in a heartbeat.

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I’m excited to announce that it’s peony season once again! I celebrate peony season the way other people celebrate football season. It’s just really exciting. I love those gorgeous flowers, especially the deep, wine colored blossoms. They’re the Scarlet O’Hara of the flower world. Yes, I just wrote that. I’m not ashamed.

EVA♥

Marina Girl Adventures

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Hello everyone!

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A rooftop snap from my Instagram. Rachel was a perturbed photobomb participant, to say the least. If you squint, you can see the Golden Gate in the background too!

This last weekend, I tagged along with my good friend Rachel to a joint birthday party at San Francisco’s Fort Mason. For those of you that are unfamiliar with San Francisco, the grassy field located in the Marina district is also lovingly known as “Frat Mason.” If 28 year-old Joe College types are your thing, I suggest you spend all your sunny weekends there, ladies. Like it’s sister Dolores Park, Fort Mason provides you with some amazing and hilarious people watching. On this occasion, I witnessed some drunken pinata bashing and overheard complete strangers’ loud, overdramatic gossip that had me stifling giggles.

Funnily enough, what I like so much about the Marina tends to be what I occasionally dislike about the Marina. It’s unlike any other part of San Francisco, home to beautiful views and a mix of old and new money. But, having lived in the Bay Area for so long, I can’t help but think that the majority of people who reside in this part of town are transplants that are, well, suspicious of the rest of San Francisco. Don’t even get me started on what they think of Oakland. I additionally find that the blonde-to-brunette ratio quite disturbing here (hint: yours truly lies in the minority). However, its distinct population and bustling main streets are what make it so fun to hang out in. No where else in the city would a band of girls parading down the street in the middle of the day with speakers blasting Rihanna be deemed socially acceptable. I was one of the people heading that group, I’ll admit it. In short, my afternoon looked like something out of the Selfie music video, except in the middle of the day and without that pervasive beat. If you ever find yourself taking life too seriously, this is the place to go; have a mimosa, maybe get your nails done, and enjoy the views. Admittedly, what prompted me to write this little blurb was a video I came across on The Bold Italic yesterday.

Created by 941 Social Club, it’s a roast of all things Marina. Why? As Bold Italic writer Wendy Steiner says: “because making fun of Marina stereotypes is one of the purest joys of life.” The creator of the video is a Marina resident herself, so it’s all in good fun. I had a good laugh myself, partially because I’ve been to 90% of all the places shown. And yes, that strawberry concoction from The Tipsy Pig is juice.

Love,

EVA♥

A Dancer’s Guide to Youtube

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Hello everyone!

For a while, I’ve wanted to put together a compilation of my favorite dance-related pieces for my readers to enjoy. Now, this isn’t just any old rehearsal footage that you have to be a dancer to appreciate. The following videos are, to me, some of the must-see moments of dance. They’re the pieces I’ve shown to my friends who have, in some cases, zero interest/experience in dance. They’re the pieces that “ring my bell,” a little bit cutting edge, and also a little bit classical.

Watch and enjoy!

In the Middle Somewhat Elevated- William Forsythe

I’ve unfortunately never had the opportunity to see this ballet live. Originally choreographed for powerhouse Sylvie Guillem, I love the post-modern, glitch-filled music accompanied by the sharp lines of the dancers. The dancing, while thrillingly aggressive, is also juxtaposed by moments of pedestrian movement. It’s so incredibly dynamic, and my kind of ballet.

Petite Mort- Jiri Kylian

Undeniably sensual, this piece has been danced by ballet and modern companies alike. It’s beautiful and iconic, the kind of choreography that makes you experience the music in an entirely new way. It’s both beautiful and athletic, elegant and human- showcasing the wide range of the dancers’ skills.

Max- Ohad Naharin

I had the privilege of not only seeing Batsheva Dance Company perform this during my years spent in Santa Barbara, but also attended a Gaga master class led by the company members. Gaga, Naharin’s own movement language, was created after the Graham trained choreographer suffered a debilitating back injury and sought to integrate dance as a form of therapy. Thorugh Gaga, he emphasizes the importance of listening to one’s body and nurturing it’s sense of connectivity and awareness. Long story short, I have never seen anyone move like the dancers onstage in “Max.”  Filled with gesture and ritual, I felt like I was witnessing something sacred or perhaps a parody thereof.

Oh, Inverted World- Trey McIntyre 

Of course, I had to do a bit of a shout-out to one of my favorite companies ever, Smuin Ballet, and the wonderful piece renowned choreographer Trey McIntyre created for them to music from The Shins. Bridging the gaps between pop culture and the classics, I dare you not to enjoy this clip. (Because we can no longer be friends if you don’t, just saying.)

and…just for fun:

A-Z of Dance. 

There’s an unending supply of videos out there, and I honestly could make this an entire series on its own. I got so wrapped up in searching for my favorite videos, this post took entirely too long to comprise, as I, of course, had to stop and watch all of them on Youtube. Let me know what some of your own favorites are- I’m always looking to broaden my horizons!

Happy Monday,

EVA♥

100th Post

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Hello everyone and happy Friday!

Today marks the 100th post on Watch Me Juggle thus far.

That’s (well over) 100 times that I’ve sat at my computer to write a little something, both for myself and for whoever out there happens to be interested in my quirky life. I had a different topic planned for today, but I felt the need to write something extra prolific. As I sit here eating the remnants of my doughnut from yesterday morning, I’m not entirely sure where to begin.

A while back, I came across a school project of mine from the 10th grade, a portfolio of sorts. In it was a resume, mock cover letter, examples of my work, and an essay projecting where I would be 10 years from now. I predicted that I would be a novelist Expat, with a BA in English, living in New Zealand. At 15, I didn’t honestly expect to still be dancing, least of all teaching dance, and I certainly didn’t expect that I would still be living in the Bay Area. Quite honestly, from my young introverted perspective, I didn’t expect my life to turn out how it has. I also didn’t necessarily want everything to go as I had predicted, because where’s the fun in that? I admittedly forgot a lot of the things that I was once passionate about, that were my goals when I was younger, yet some of those things simply manifested themselves in different ways. After a year of working a mundane desk job, spending way too much time writing carefully crafted emails to clients and perusing other people’s blogs on my breaks, I set up my account at WordPress, and decided to write one myself. As many of you know, shortly after, I decided to quite that job and go to New Zealand as well, which was possibly the best decision ever. The point is, I’m still not entirely where I’m going, but who is? There’s nothing we can be absolutely certain of. What I do know, or have figured out, rather, is that if you take smalls steps in the direction you wish to go in you might be able to find an even better path. It may not look like you think it will, but I can guarantee it will be yours, and no one else’s.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

insporumiLove,

EVA♥

Why You Should Make Time for Savasana, actually…

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Hello everyone!

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Alright, I know, before anyone starts, I am aware I’m not doing any form of yoga in this picture. It just took me about eight hours to find an image to match the sentiment of today’s post, a moment in the studio captured by the lovely Mary Lee Shalvoy. A moment between the moments of dancing. This is it, keep reading to figure it out.

I went to a yoga class recently and suddenly had an onslaught of thoughts that I wanted to share with you. You can call this an epiphany, but I wouldn’t really classify it as such, because it’s something I’ve inherently known for a while. I’m not here to preach, just to share an understanding really.

Those of you who know me, know that I’m a sucker for the ridiculous videos of Jenna Marbles. A while back, she posted a video listing the things ” [Jenna does not] Have Time For.” Among the amusing things listed were: making the bed, updating computer software, and receipts. Ain’t nobody got time for receipts. The last thing listed was Savasana, the pose that comes at the end of most yoga classes, also known as “corpse pose;” because that’s exactly what one does: lay there, corpse-like with the exception that one is breathing. Somewhat morbid, actually; it’s  frequently touted as the most challenging pose there is. Yes, you are just laying on your mat, in your own sweat. Yes, I am aware that we’re all busy people, but hear me out. I’m going to defend it for just a minute…

Some of my most favorite moments in life occur after something amazing has happened. Dancers will understand this- think of the adrenaline rush you’re accompanied by as you run offstage at the end of a piece. Ladies, have you ever gone out and had a wonderful time, danced in wildly inappropriate shoes for far too long and then felt the contentment in finally coming home? Have you ever come in from a really cold night to somewhere warm and comfortable? That feeling- that’s like Savasana. That’s all it is. Oddly enough, it’s in the moments that you cease doing whatever it is you are doing that you can fully appreciate them. Some people can wax philosophical or spiritual about the whole thing, yet that’s my understanding. Those moments in life are rejuvenating, or else why would we keep going? We would stay locked in our homes and our shells until we wasted away. Sometimes it’s harder than others- on bad days I’ve lain down at the end of class and felt those hollow, face-crumpling feelings that I’d pushed away all day come back to me. I’ve also had many other realizations that have helped me get through those kinds of moments. That’s all we can do sometimes. And breathe. Breathing is important.

….

EVA ♥

Watch Me Juggle…on Instagram

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Hello all!

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I’m on the Instagram bandwagon everyone! You can now follow me @Watchmejuggle!

I can honestly say I’m surprised at how much I enjoy this app. Despite my “following” numerous people completely independent of the app itself for a long time, I had lumped this particular application in with the likes of Twitter: primarily overrun with teenagers with a penchant for over-sharing. And, yes, maybe the stereotype of Instagram being the land of selfies, coffee art, and inspirational quotes rings true, but who cares! I honestly enjoy seeing those types of pictures posted by my good friends, and I clearly enjoy participating.

Instagram brings me back to the early days of Facebook, where security settings were straightforward and profiles consisted only of albums and wall posts. Your interactions on Instagram consist only of “liking” or commenting on other users’ pictures, and “tagging” friends in photos. That’s it! And don’t get me started on the wide variety of apps out there based solely on Instagram. Not enough filters for you? Never fear, there’s apps like Photo Editor by Aviary, Afterlight, and countless others to give you more of a variety. Then of course you have your editing apps to “touch up” your photos, apps featuring overlay capabilities to add writing or those hilarious little lights you see on some photos. The possibilities are seemingly endless. If posting your photos publicly isn’t your thing, you can make your profile entirely private or simply use it as a means to follow others. There’s really no obligation to post anything yourself. On the contrary, if you have a passion for selfies go forth! You’ll now be able to bond with others over this odd social trend. Quite a fun, artistic app really.

This world is an interesting place, so why not take photos and share them? Makes sense to me…

EVA♥

On Exhaustion

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Hello all!

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I’m sure everyone can commiserate with me when I say that last week was, well, one of those weeks. Despite my usually flexible schedule, I felt a psychotic obligation to cram as much as I possibly could in to each day. I had to do something. Every. Single. Minute. While scheduling as much as I could into each 16 hour period I was awake, proved to be quite productive, it left me with a distinct feeling of mind-numbing exhaustion. The kind of tired-feeling that is so pervasive you’re even too tired to sleep properly. After living in this destructive cycle for a while, I was just going through the motions. My normally perky self was relegated to simply looking for an opportunity to sit down whenever possible. After dragging myself to ballet class repeatedly, I found myself leaving early before the grand allegro (the big, traveling jumps at the very end of class),which is usually my favorite part. Ever watched a small child try to resist sleep? The staggering around, wandering aimlessly, incoherent mumbling- it was a state had become my life all of a sudden. Oh, and any kind of bad news left me on the verge of tears, regardless of where I was or who I was with. That happened too.

There have been many psychological studies done on the link between insomnia/exhaustion and creativity. Proust, Emily Bronte, Vladimir Nabokov, and many others struggled with insomnia that attributed to a few of their published works.  While I can’t claim to be even nearly as prolific, you, dear readers, have previously heard about my struggles to create new work under pressure. Miraculously enough, the days that I’m the most exhausted often turn out to be some of my more creative. Despite the fact that I’m teaching more than I’m performing as of late, there is still quite a bit of ‘performance factor’ that goes in to teaching each class. Students will mimic your energy; if you teach a class with the semblance of being “bogged down,”  it infects the whole of your work. On the other hand, there’s often this phenomenon of overcompensation that occurs, and you somehow end up teaching the best class of your life or churning out dances like it’s no big deal. This year has undoubtedly been one of the most creatively productive years of my life. Aside from this little blog situation I’ve been nurturing, I have choreographed 8 group dances, a solo, and collaborated on a duet this year- not bad, so far. I’m awfully tired, though. I’m hoping that I can make a concerted effort to relax more this week since my schedule has slowed down a bit. I’m really looking forward to spending a Monday evening in, perhaps with a glass of iced tea, a good book, and an early bedtime. It should clear all manner of ills.

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Thanks for reading, everyone. I’m still astonished at how many of you do!

Love,

EVA♥ 

Five Things

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Hello everyone!

I can’t believe it’s Wednesday already! I decided that, for this week’s Five Things, I would add a little theme. I know a common therapeutic exercise for when you’re feeling down is to create a simple list of the things you’re grateful for in life. For most people, it becomes quite obvious just how many things you have in life to be happy about. So you can stop crying about how some boy doesn’t like you (or whatever inane problem you have at the time) and live your life with a sense of contentment. Problems solved, ladies!

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If any of you know me, even remotely or just through my blog, you already know how grateful I am for food. This afternoon, I cooked up a big bunch of chard straight from the garden to serve alongside some pasta. I love food for all the practical reasons, (sustenance, energy, etc.) but also for the fact that food is comforting, delicious, and can bring people together.

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I’m so grateful to have a job doing what I love. I recently had a dream that I was a victim of some horrible accident that left me unable to dance. Morbid, I know, but I can’t tell you how relieved I was when I awoke to find that it was only a dream. Not only do I get to do what I love, but I have amazing coworkers, and I get to see these little dancers and their antics every week. Ok, now this is just a humble-brag, but whatever. It’s true. I’m living life as an artist and I’m very lucky.

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I have some very gorgeous, fabulous friends (unfortunately, not all of them are pictured here). They hold me up no matter what, and they’re more like family to me, really. The only unfortunate thing is, I’m not sure I could ever be grateful enough to have them in my life. They’re a pretty fantastic bunch. Thanks for being around, ladies.

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I’m grateful that I’ve gotten to travel to some obscenely beautiful and amazing places. I’ve been able to fly around the world, hike up many a dormant volcano, dance on the Great Wall of China, and spend Christmas stomping through the snow in Austria. I’m just getting started! Up next is wine tasting in Mexico, walking on the beaches of Thailand, and learning how to make bread in my grandmother’s kitchen. On her wood-burning stove in Austria, of course.

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And lastly, I know it might seem silly, but I’m grateful to have a morning cup of coffee in a place that finally feels like home. Bonus points for my home having a little purple bathroom I can call my own! I moved around so much after college, it got to a point where I was afraid to settle down, to unpack my suitcase, and be content. I literally spent over a month sleeping on an air mattress because I was too frightened to go out and buy real furniture. True story. I’m so grateful that I learned to let go a little, and that things often do work out for the best.

One of my most favorite people of all time, Miss Audrey Hepburn, favored a little poem by Sam Levenson entitled “Time Tested Beauty Tips. So I leave today’s blog/exercise in being grateful with this:

” Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you’ll find one at the end of each of your arms.

As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries or the way she combs her hair.

The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.”

EVA ♥

May Flowers

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Hello all!

IMG_1568Bunches of beautiful ranunculus. The delicate, cabbage-like blossoms remind me of mini-peonies. Their little alien stems have a mind of their own, though…

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A little known fact about me is that I had a brief stint in floral design, back in the day. I’m sure you all can agree with me when I say that there’s just something about flowers. As a child, I imagined that working in a florists’ shop would be the most relaxing and pleasant job ever, and I was right (for the most part). Usually flowers accompany celebratory occasions: weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, but occasionally you are greeted with: “My girlfriend’s barn caught on fire, and her horse died. She’s pretty upset.” True story. Unfortunately, we did not have an equine specific condolence card for the poor gal but I threw together a bouquet that I hoped would cheer her up a bit.

I’ve never been the person with the green thumb, but I’ve always loved having flowers in my home. Like most artistic endeavors, working with flowers turned out to be a difficult way of making a living, but I so enjoyed it. Over the years, I tried to retain all the little tricks I learned in the business; what season is best for each flower, how to cut them so they last longer, and how to artfully arrange them in any type of vase. I learned not to be afraid of mixing nontraditional flowers and greenery together. Yes, that actual stalk of kale looks beautiful with those roses. Mix strange colors together, it will work itself out. Gathering flowers for a bouquet is intuitive, if anything. Everyone will have their own way of doing things, and what constitutes a “good” bouquet is entirely subjective. When in doubt, throw in some fresh herbs (mint is my favorite) to liven things up. Learn to choose wisely: flowers like stock and alstroemeria are inexpensive, last an incredibly long time, and are a great way to bolster any arrangement. If you want something full and beautiful, but don’t want to break the bank, throw several bunches of alstroemeria together. They’ll last for at least a week, if not longer. 

One of the best “insider” tips I’ve ever received was from a woman at Pike’s Place Market in Seattle. In preparation for my friend’s wedding, we dashed to the flower section of the market in the search for any blue-toned flowers we could find to bolster the pew markers and centerpieces. When she learned of our attempts to jerry-rig wedding flowers, she told us that mixing a bit of crushed ibuprofen in the water would boost any flower’s staying power. Refrigeration also helps tremendously. Then again, I am also the sort of person that keeps their bread in the fridge, so there’s that…

Get out their and enjoy all the spring blossoms everyone! It doesn’t have to be a special occasion, just another day to treat yourself.

EVA♥