Performing Arts-A Positive Experience for Kids

Lately the media is loving all of the negative shows and attitudes that are being brought to sports and performing arts.  Shows such as Dance Moms and  Cheer Nation are making these activities look horrible. They show parents and instructors screaming at the kids, drama between parents and kids, children who are half naked, and children being pushed too far physically and emotionally.  

I own a performing arts academy and cannot tell you how many times I've been asked if my academy is like Dance Moms.  My response is always absolutely not. We promote a safe and fun environment, while positively challenging the students to reach new goals.  We do not tolerate drama and if would arise, the  family would be asked to leave.  I hold my dance families to high standards and am very proud of the business I have created. 

My academy does have a competition team and my students have won awards regionally and nationally and we take pride in the fact that our students are happy, healthy, and can still win.  We don't yell and scream at them, but motivate them in positive ways.  Our competition team is one big family and you do have disagreements in families, but in the end, we always come together and get through it.  Our dance parents do a great job at encouraging their own children, as well other the rest of the kids. It's a great atmosphere. 

In the end, it's about more than just teaching them dance steps.  It's about teaching them responsibility, commitment, dedication, hard work, building self confidence, and making lifelong friends.  I am lucky to have such hard working, passionate dancers.  I know these kids will go far in life in anything they choose to pursue. 

My New Favorite Show

*New Girl*

I didn't feel well over the weekend, so I decided to skim through Netflix to see if anything caught my eye.  I ended up watching a show called "New Girl".  This show is hilarious.  It's about a girl named Jess, who caught her boyfriend cheating on her, so she looked online to find room mates.  She ended up moving into an apartment with three guys, who each have very interesting personalities.  

Jess is a school teacher with a very funny personality.  She is always bubbly and happy and tried to see the positive side of everything.  She gets into some very awkward and strange situations, but always gets out of them and gets her life back on track. She goes through relationships and other personal problems, but always making a humorous situation out of everything.  She also likes to sing songs about everything and do different voices and impersonations. 

At first her three new room mates had that "what did we just do by letting her move in here" thought, but they gradually begin to have a brother/sister relationship with her and help her out with her issues.  Jess also really cares about her room mates and tried to help them out.  The room mates are funny and each have their own unique personality. "Coach", just got back into the US from playing basketball in another country and is trying to figure out what to do with his life.  "Schmidt" is a very ocd lawyer and likes to have control over every situation. "Nick", attended law school and was closing to graduating and dropped out. He is trying to figure out what he wants to do and what he wants out of life. 

Overall these characters are all somehow "lost" and they are coming together and helping each other find their way.  If you're wanting a comical, light hearted show to watch, I highly suggest "New Girl".  It's on ABC and season 3 is getting ready to begin and is also shown on NetFlix. 

Wedding Bells

*Our Engagement*

On March 30th, 2012 KJ and I went for a walk on the beach to look for shells and sand dollars.  As I was looking in a massive pile of shells, KJ said "how about this one" and had a ring in his hand.  I was completely surprised and caught off guard. Of course, I said yes.

*Our Wedding*

(I don't have any of the professional pictures back yet, so these are ones taken by our friends and family)

KJ and I got married on August 24th, 2013 at Connection Pointe Christian Church in Brownsburg, IN. We had 5 groomsmen, 5 bridesmaids, 2 junior bridesmaids and seven flower girls.  We had around 200 guests.

Yes, we had seven lovely flower girls.  I own a dance studio and have had these seven little girls since they were in diapers.  They were beautiful and did a wonderful job!

*Our Reception*

We arrived at Primo West in Plainfield by limo for our reception.  The room was beautiful.  Our decorator completely transformed the entire room into a pink, black, silver, and white sparkly room.  They brought in several chandlers and had pink up lighting everywhere.  The ceiling had fabric draped with pretty lights and giant rhinestones. 

Our cake was delicious! It was made by Sugar Mama's in Mooresville (I highly recommend them) and I created the design.  Our flavors were Vanilla with strawberry filling, chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla. 

Everyone had a blast dancing! The kids were adorable dancing together!  I am very lucky to have such great people in my life.  Everything went perfectly on my wedding day thanks to the hard work of my friends, family, and the great companies that we worked with. 

Too Many Animals In This House

Crazy cat lady...I can top that!  I have always been a softy for cuddly cats and dogs.  I believe I have inherited this trait from my mom, who seems to attract every homeless animal within a 100 mile radius.  We currently have six cats and four dogs. Five dogs if you count my sister's dog who magically appears at my house for 2.5 weeks a month.  Yes, they can be adorable and sweet, but they can also be trouble makers!

Thanks to my younger sisters, our animals love to play dress up! They are good sports! Especially the male cats who get put in dresses! The girls have even dressed the dogs in their skirts and tanks tops!  Sometimes our dogs wear sunglasses and bikins! 

Mini is our sweet, 3 year old cocker spaniel.  She loves kids and is very attached to one of my sisters.  She will even sit on her lap and help her with her homework.  Mini can type, but is still working on using a mouse and texting on the phone. I'm sure with a little more help from my sister, she will have these mastered in no time!








This 5 year old male cat belongs to my sister.  When he was a kitten my sister would wrap him up in a blanket and push him around in her shopping cart.  Sir Ombre Kid Patrick (yes, she seriously named him that), is a great cat! He is very sweet and wears his dresses with a smile. Kid (as we call him for short), likes to put on fashion shows and show us his latest dance moves. 





Kid is known for his board game skills and is rarely beaten!








In my house, there is never a shortage of someone to snuggle, or love.  Our animals are very selfless and don't mind sharing bed, or couch with us!  

I think our pets all have large personalities and they are a major part of our family.  Do you have any pets with interesting hobbies, or qualities?