COLLABORATE.

What does this stunning video tell us? COLLABORATE. MORE.

And ps. his ankles must be stronger than Hercules to withstand that kind of stress!

Cyd Charisse.

Happy Friday. This was one of my first encounters with a powerful, sexy feminine creature. One of my favorites dance pieces, in one of my favorite movies, of all time. Cyd Charisse — I worship you & your legs.

Stunning Criminals.

This is an absolutely captivating portolio of Australian criminal mugshots of the 1920s.

The lightning, the caught expressions, the european facial features. I find myself focused in on this visual history of “bad guys”–their skin, their dress, their posture.

Anyone with an imagination could just swim up dramatic cinematic-calibur stories surrounding these criminal portraits.

Full portfolio here.

Happiness.

Something I jotted down in my sparsely populated journal on January 1, 2011.

“Happiness, like love, isn’t always a feeling. It’s a decision.”

If you can make decisions on what to wear, what to eat, which pace at which to walk, why can’t you also decide your reaction to life’s surroundings? Deciding how someone can make you feel, or something can make you think. I believe we have so much more control than we give ourselves credit for, and it starts with our thoughts and internal judgements and dialogue. It starts right in our very center.

So…what are you gonna decide to feel today?

No dancer is ever allowed to say “I can’t” to learning choreography…again.

Geeks Vs. Nerds

For my Kindle Lovers…

Amazon is currently selling 3 styles of these BEAUTIFUL Cole Haan cases for 50% off! (Normally a $100 case)

You would think this was simply a high-cost luxury accessory, yet its solid construction is protective against falls on all sides, and its soft suede-interior protects against the Kindle’s casing getting scratched over time.

It is a supple pebble grain, hand-stained leather with a tan plush suede interior (I feel Ron Burgandy would approve) — and the latest generation Kindle 2 locks in there perfectly and securely. I’m in love!

I’m afraid that now my Kindle is better dressed than me.

You can order any of the 3 styles on the top of this page. I highly recommended.

Kindle Accessories Page
Kindle Pebble Grain Leather Case by Cole Hahn

More time under the sun.

This weekend finally brings us daylight savings time. We jump an hour forward, losing that yummy extra hour of Sunday “kip”, but gaining a much longer day of sunshine, later sunsets (that  I will actually get to see), and time for ourselves.

I love it, it’s probably one of my favorite moments of the year.  A sign that winter is ending, and warmer memories are in store.

Just think of what I would have time to do with now that I have that extra hour or two:

• Walks over the Brooklyn Bridge as the sun sets over the water.
• Meet and greets over a pint outside in the fresh air.
• Strolls on The High Line.
• Long lazy bike rides – twirling around Prospect’s outer edges, smelling the grass, and feeling the wind on my face.

I just hope that you watch a sunset with me sometime this week, to celebrate its enormous lift!

Music of note:
Broken Sorrow by Nuttin’ But Stringz
Collide (Acoustic Version) by Howie Day
Interstate Love Song (Live House Blend) by Stone Temple Pilots

Today…I feel grateful.

Today I feel grateful for…

The kindness of new friends
An unexpected hug
Dance and movement so fulfilling and so inner-reflective that it brings tears
Unshielded laughter
Small, new accomplishments
A healthy body and mind
Being in the best kind of love
Warmer breezes
Two eggs on a roll, with an iced coffee. My favorite NY breakfast.

Music of note:
The Scientist by Coldplay
We Do What We Want To by O + S

How lovely life can be…

…if one takes time to be friendly. I read that in Julia Child’s memoirs  on the train home tonight, and I silently connected with her on that note. Thinking back on the days in which I made the extra layer of effort, working and living life, but with a consciousness  to the connections I made with the people (strangers and not) around me. The more effort I made with them, the more satisfied and full the day seemed to me.

And yes, we have heard this all before, that relationships with people are one of the main purposes of life. But my point is that we have so much control over how grateful we feel about our own lives, and in most cases, it relates to the effort we make with people, and what we get from them in return. So, to me or anybody listening, the next time you stop for your morning coffee, or ask someone about their day while trying to get back to your desk…be present in that moment. Be patient. Listen, and I think, you will get so much more out of it, then by keeping to yourself, and keeping that undivided focus on the other thing you thought was more important. I definitely don’t think this happens for me everday, but, like Julia Child, I notice it when it does.

Music of note:
The Horse by Alessi Lauren-Marke
Games Again by Peter Broderick (this song is like taking a big, gorgeous breath, in and out…just to feel its renewal)