A Decade of Marriage

10 years ago I married my best friend. I can't say enough about him. He has a tender and loving heart, is full of affection and kindness, has a witty and wicked sense of humor.  He is a renaissance man who builds custom furniture with his hands, writes songs, sings, plays numerous musical instruments, can fearlessly sail a motocross bike through the air, and writes software code like no one's business. But he’s so much more than what he does and the gifts he brings to the world. He’s been my greatest support, my biggest fan, my mirror, a catalyst to help me grow, my traveling companion, my playmate, my caretaker, my lover, my muse, my partner in crime in all aspects of my life and the most loving husband I could ask for.

These past 10 years have been quite a journey complete with highs, lows, uncertainty, fear, joy, adventure, endings, beginnings, and an ever present love and appreciation for one another and the triad we’ve created of me, him and our union. I honor and cherish these past 10 years and do not take a single moment of our time together for granted. I hope the next decade together is just as adventurous and I not so secretly hope that it allows us to start a small family of our own :)

And speaking of family, a special thanks to my brother-in-law and his wife for their persistent mischief in introducing Gary and I to each other on May 22, 1999. We can't thank them enough for bringing us together. We knew their hunch was spot on when our first date lasted nearly 12 hours: we rode a taxi, train and bus just to get to the wrong entrance of The Cloisters, hopped a fence, hiked up a hill just to spend about 45 minutes exploring the museum. We talked for hours, ate lunch, dinner and dessert together and watched "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at the movie theater and then ended the evening by walking over 100 city blocks to the Upper East Side before going to our respective homes. Yes, it was a date to remember!

On our wedding day I read a long excerpt of Walt Whitman’s “Song of the Open Road” to Gary.

Allons! the road is before us!

It is safe--I have tried it--my own feet have tried it well--be not detain'd!

Let the paper remain on the desk unwritten, and the book on the

shelf unopen'd!

Let the tools remain in the workshop! let the money remain unearn'd!

Let the school stand! mind not the cry of the teacher!

Let the preacher preach in his pulpit! let the lawyer plead in the

court, and the judge expound the law.

Camerade, I give you my hand!

I give you my love more precious than money,

I give you myself before preaching or law;

Will you give me yourself? will you come travel with me?

Shall we stick by each other as long as we live?

And he read to me a poem by Leigh Hunt:

Jenny kissed me when we met,

Jumping from the chair she sat in;

Time, you thief, who love to get

Sweets into your list, put that in!

Say I'm weary, say I'm sad,

Say that health and wealth have missed me,

Say I'm growing old, but add,

Jenny kissed me.

And then we danced to our song:

August 2011 Newsletter

Hello everyone,

This will be a short(er) newsletter as I have plans to post several articles this month on my blog so please check it frequently. If you are on Facebook, please fan my Everybody, Love Your Body page to keep up with my article updates.

Learning to Fly together: July 28, 2011

I enter August with deep gratitude in my heart. On July 28, 2011, I will celebrate my 10th wedding anniversary. I feel incredibly lucky to be married to my best friend. These past ten years have brought abrupt change, death, illness, trauma and sadness. They have equally brought a deepening of love, laughter, immense joy, gratitude and a closeness that only comes with time and authentic connection. I would not change or trade this journey for anything.

To celebrate our anniversary, my husband and I are going away for a couple of days. Mollia Jensen, my dear friend and fellow Nia instructor, will be teaching my 6:30pm class at Fresh Fitness and Dance in Wallingford on Thursday, July 28th. Mollia is a fabulous Nia instructor. You will love her energy. She is playful, full of sweetness and she has terrific musical taste. With her I enjoy artists such as Olivia Newton-John, the Steve Miller Band and Rush. Mollia rocks! You can learn more about Mollia on her website: http://www.mahaflow.com. Please join her on Thursday eve this week!

Celebrating a year of teaching, learning and playing:

My first class (demo) with amazing supportive friends.
August 1, 2010 at the Civetta Dance Space.

Then, on August 1st, I celebrate my one-year anniversary teaching Nia! I have been a devoted Nia student for 8 years and the past year teaching has brought my relationship with Nia to an entirely new level of intimacy. As a student, I danced with joy and a spirit of playfulness. As a teacher, I move with joy and that same spirit of play but am more attuned to my body and to sensation. My dance arises from every single cell in my body instead of just my muscles, bones and mind. I will write more about my one year of teaching in an article next week.

A week of special classes:
I will teach a week of special classes (8/1, 8/2, 8/3, 8/4, 8/6 and 8/7) the first week of August honoring my first year of teaching! Come dance with me! My playlist will include songs from the first routine I taught (Sanjana) as well as a compilation of songs from all of the routines I learned this past year.

NEWS! I am teaching Tuesday evenings for the entire month of August only! I will be subletting Susan Tate’s timeslot at the Dance Space.

Please join me for Nia Tuesdays in August:
When: Tuesday 8/2, 8/9, 8/16, 8/23 and 8/30
Time: 6:00pm – 7:00pm
Where: Civetta Dance Space in Greenwood
124 N 103rd St, Seattle, WA, 98133

Other than the addition of Tuesday evenings in August, my class schedule remains unchanged.

Sunday, August 14, 2011 - free special Belly Dancing class after Nia!:
Join me for my regular Nia class on Sunday, August 14, 2011 at Delilah's Belly Dance Studio in Fremont and stay for an extra half hour (11:30am - 12pm) for a free 30 min belly dance class taught by Delilah. I don't know about you but I can hardly wait to learn from Delilah!

"Circle Belidi; A Dance of Birthing and Reclaiming " This is a dance Delilah has taught dancers all over the world. It just might be the first belly dance folk dance! It's made up of 7 steps and is a fun and empowering ! Lasts 30 minutes immediatly following the Sunday Nia class.

I'm subbing in August:

• Friday, August 12, 2011, 6:00pm - 7:00pm at the Civetta Dance Space in Greenwood (for Jena Hennessey)
• Monday, August 15, 2011, 10:45am - 11:45am at Community Fitness 65th St Studio(for Randee Fox)
• Wednesday, August 17, 2011, 10:45am - 11:45am at Community Fitness 65th St Studio (for Jill Pagano)
• August 29, 2011, 10:45am - 11:45am at Community Fitness 65th St Studio (for Randee Fox)
• September 5, 2011 (Labor Day), 10:45am - 11:45am at Community Fitness 65th St Studio (for Randee Fox)

Joy is the theme:
The theme I have chosen for the month of August is Joy. That’s right Joy with a capital J! All August classes will include some variation on Joy. There is so much to celebrate, appreciate and honor. Join me whenever you can to dance your Joy.

Remember to check the blog for new article updates ☺

As always, I look forward to dancing with you this month!

Jennifer

Form and Freedom: Move it Your Way

The focus of tonight’s class is the exploration of Form and Freedom.

Form is provided by the steps, stances and the short sequences called katas (songs) in the routine. Freedom is the invitation for your unique spirit to inform and stimulate each step and stance you take. In Nia, spirit is defined as your unique self.

I will provide a structure (an option) and you bring your unique spirit to the dance. Class at 5:30pm at Open Flight Studio in the University District.

No Thinking Allowed, Just Dance and Change!

The focus of this morning’s class is Stage 5 of FreeDance -Authentic Movement: Change! The intent is to identify our movement tendencies and experiment with new ways of moving.

In this stage we are invited to try new ways of moving by changing our movement radically during a song. We will explore allowing new movement to originate or organically arise from our body and sensation, not from our mind/thought or imagination.

This stage and process is entirely about sensation. We will know our movement has changed when we sense different sensations. No thinking allowed. Just move to the music, sense your body and change!

Let’s play – 10:30am at Delilah’s Belly Dance Studio in Fremont. Oh and check out my banner at the studio :)

Enjoy Each Step of Your Dance

‎

"When you dance, your purpose is not to get to a certain place on the floor. 

It's to enjoy each step along the way." 

- Wayne Dyer

Thanks to the Nia Technique Facebook page for this great quote!

Dancing with Scarves

I've got dance scarves. Who wants to play tonight? 

6:30pm at Fresh Fitness and Dance in Wallingford. 

Let's make these babies fly!

10 Things you should know about Nia - by Laurie Bass

The following post was written by Laurie Bass, Nia Teacher, Nia 5 Stages Trainer and Next Generation Nia Trainer. She wrote this for her blog and I could not resist sharing these pearls with you. Thank you Laurie for sharing your “Top 10” list about Nia with us!

The post begins below:

Laurie Bass

Hello Every Beautiful Body,

My final blog assignment for the Nia Next Generation Training program was to answer the question, "If you were invited to present at TED, what would you say?" For those of you who don't know what TED is, in a nutshell, "TED presents talks from some of the world’s most fascinating people: education radicals, tech geniuses, medical mavericks, business gurus and music legends." What I have learned from perusing the site, is that there are some great speakers, ideas and fascinating people. Here are links to two of my favorite talks: Jill Taylor Bolt's Stroke of Insight and Try Something New for 30 Days.

Back to the dyanamic, self-discoverer and fascinating me....I would share my "Top 10" list of things you should know about The Nia Technique aka Nia...a fitness experience, healing practice and movement lifestyle that requires no special equipment or props. I discovered it in 1999. Nia is a practice, a company and culture that has continually evolved since 1983…much like yoga until the ‘90s - most people have never even heard of it. It is here, the countdown begins:

10: You’re gonna to sweat. Nia is a fitness practice and offers the ultimate pathway to peak conditioning based on the pleasure principle. Who couldn’t use more Pleasure in life? I grew up star athlete. I crashed and burned as a collegiate athlete. After 2 major surgeries, it was through Nia that I reclaimed my athleticism, my power, my grace and to living my life in that state of awareness called the Zone.

9: Your whole body gets conditioned. Nia utilizes 200/700 movement potential: moving your 200+ bones and 700+ muscles as they were designed up, down, and spiraling all around, opening and closing your joints targeting your base, core and upper extremities. Like yoga, it utilizes total body integration. Nia combined with yoga has done more for my flexibility and balance than yoga alone.

8: Nia puts you in the “driver’s seat.” You get to drive your body with the power of a Mazeratti or with the energy efficiency of a Prius. With conscious choice. No judgment. I learned early in my days as a Nia student to listen to my body, to guide myself, to make personal movement choices and decisions that were right for me. I then found myself making choices and decisions outside of class that were healing and healthier for me. I tuned into nutrition. I tuned into my personal happiness.

7: Nia offers an attitude adjustment. For those of you who “can’t dance, feel uncoordinated or are freaked out about cutting a groove in a group setting” I’ve got a news flash for you. YOU were BORN to MOVE. Nia philosophy 101: Through Movement We Find Health. A Nia class offers you perfect blend of “dancing like no one is watching” and moving together in community, to a phenomenal array of world music.

6: Nia offers a belt-level education system inspired by the martial arts. It also offers a somatic, self-healing practice that taps into your body’s natural ability to heal, to feel better, in 5 simple developmental moves called The Nia 5 Stages. White Belt is an exploration of sensing Your Body’s Way and inspires the desire for body knowledge. Green Belt focuses on the art of teaching Nia. Blue offers tools for communication, relationship and intimacy. Brown is an energy education. Black Belt is the belt of Mastery. The belts have been my path to personal and professional Mastery. I have a deep level of embodiment and skill, use my energy efficiently, mindfully, creatively, and have tapped into my personal power.

5: You can take 5 strokes off your golf score ~ it did mine! I went from a 15 to 10 handicap and won a club championship after I discovered Nia. It improves balance, timing & sensory awareness of club positioning. My point: it benefits cross-training for other sports and activities.

4: Nia is “nature’s little blue pill.” It will improve your love life. Yes, you will be a better lover. Do I need to lecture you that by being more physically fit, by paying attention to your body, by being better balanced in body, mind, emotion and spirit, you will increase your capacity for giving and receiving Pleasure?

3: Nia will empower you to accept and love yourself for who you are. Every time you step into a Nia class, you are stepping into the Now, into the present. Not what has been, open to possibility. You are enough. You are taught, through the power of focus and intent, that energy follows attention. I have learned to place my attention on what fills me with love, pleasure and inspiration.

2: Nia will connect you. To yourself. To your community. To a worldwide culture of like-minded “movers and groovers.” I have met my people, my tribe ~ locally and globally ~ who love to dance through life.

1: Nia will inspire you to love what you do and to do what you love. I am that person who has always loved exploring my passion, to explore what turns me on. Those passions included peaking as an athlete (basketball star, track and golf champion), as an amateur photographer, as a barista/coffee entrepreneur. Nia, upon my discovery of it, breathed life and Joy into my previous role as Coffee Diva~ owner, businesswoman of a retail coffee. I shed that role, that personality, that life and chose to pursue my passion for Nia movement to play the role of Nia Diva. I can tell you, I'm having FUN. I'm doing what I love. I'm loving what I do.

What is your TOP 10?

Love, Laurie

The link to Laurie's original post: http://www.icontact-archive.com/YrYdGcd-pOSnX7y5itIURxeQEevbXxKv?w=2 

You are the Creative Source

Nia on Monday eve's at Open Flight Studio is back after a two-week interruption!

The focus of tonight's class is stage 4 of FreeDance (principle 4): The Creative Source - The Real You.

In essence, we are invited to work with our most powerful resource, our internal energy, to initiate and cultivate our movement.

The intent is to recognize that you are your greatest source of movement creativity. This stage asks us to be real with our feelings and simply allow our emotions to guide our movements. We are invited to allow every emotion we are experiencing to fill our form and design our gestures. These gestures become our dance.

Join me tonight at 5:30pm at Open Flight Studio in the University District.

Acting "As If"- Telling an Emotional Story through Movement

The focus of tonight’s class is exploring the third stage of FreeDance: Act “As If.” In this stage, we play with expression of our feelings and emotions through movement. In essence, we tell an emotional story through our dance.

We will be invited to listen, dance and tell yourself a story to stimulate and connect to your emotional body. Give yourself completely to playing “pretend” and safely find a place of comfort in all the sensations that arise when you allow emotions to be part of who you are.

The body is designed to feel a full spectrum of emotions. When you are conscious of your emotions, you become an interactive feeling partner with your body. This stage reminds you to integrate your full range of feelings into your movement and experience of Nia.

Our dance will be inspired by the Voice of FreeDance from the perspective of the emotional body:

“To your emotional body I offer the ability to be real, to be authentic in ways that help you express yourself organically. In my dance, all desires, feelings, and emotions, your light and dark sides, are welcome and encouraged. Dance my dance and discover how freeing it is to let your emotions run freely.”

Allow me to hold the space for you to play and explore. See you tonight at 6:30pm at Fresh Fitness and Dance in Wallingford.

Your Choice of Class Focus and Schedule for Week

The focus of this morning’s class is self-guided. You get to pick the focus for yourself. Whatever you choose to focus on must stimulate movement creativity.

With a continued focus on the first stage of FreeDance, we will go through a movement journey with the goal of discovering new ways to move and feel. Each song is structured to provide both whole-body conditioning and an opportunity for you to identify and change movement patterns.

Class this morning at 10:30am at Delilah’s Belly Dance Studio in Fremont.

Below is a summary of my schedule for this week:

Today: 10:30am at Delilah’s Belly Dance Studio in Fremont.

Monday, July 11, 2011, 5:30pm at Fresh Fitness and Dance in Wallingford.
Class venue change for just this one day. There is a performance at Open Flight Studio. Come join me for this special rehearsal class in breaking down the steps for a new routine I am learning called “SkyDancing.” Class by donation.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 9:30am at Mt Baker Community Club
I am subbing Tuesday morning at 9:30am for Mollia at the Mount Baker Community Club: 2811 Mount Rainier Drive S., Seattle

Wednesday, July 13, 2011, 5:30pm at Community Fitness 65th St Studio
Thursday, July 14, 2011, 6:30pm at Fresh Fitness and Dance in Wallingford
Saturday, July 16, 2011, 1:00pm at Community Fitness Roosevelt Studio
Sunday, July 17, 2011, 10:30am at Delilah’s Belly Dance Studio in Fremont

FreeDance Stage 1: Anything Goes

For the month of July we will be exploring and playing with expanding our personal movement vocabulary through the 8 stages of FreeDance.

Each stage provides an opportunity to witness your movement, change or tweak habits, and release any limitations or fears. Allow yourself to go through the process of emptying your mind, connect with body sensation, be stimulated by the music, and move in new expressive ways.

The focus of tonight’s class is the first stage of FreeDance, which is “Anything Goes Movement Wise.”

Voices of FreeDance

To your physical body I am the freedom vessel that allows you to do exactly what is most spontaneous and organic to you. Use me to free up any constraints so that your movement includes all gestures – mime, emotional expression, dance, walking, sitting, singing, playing and exploring.

To your mental body I offer a way into the creative void of consciousness. The place where everything is possible, where unlimited potential resides. My unbound, open, and playful way of thinking gives you free reign to explore and create with absolute mindfulness.

To your emotional body I offer the ability to be real, to be authentic in ways that help you express yourself organically. In my dance, all desires, feelings, and emotions, your light and dark sides, are welcome and encouraged. Dance my dance and discover how freeing it is to let your emotions run freely.

To your spiritual body I offer the permission to sit back and be taken into the unknown as a way to explore new heights of freedom and expression. Play and exploration is my way. I love to take you to the playground of all playgrounds – the unexplored moment.

Adapted from Nia Technique online resources

Embrace this invitation tonight to be spontaneous, theatrical, and expand beyond your movement habits. Listen deeply to the your body. Allow your movements to evolve organically. Quiet your mind and move freely, following your own whims. FreeDance is the art of interacting with the music to express what you deeply sense. It’s truly about movement your way and your body’s way!

I will be using a shorter version of the special 80-minute indepenDance day routine. I wish we had 80 minutes to dance tonight but we’ll have to make the best of 55 minutes of bliss ☺

Join me tonight for a journey to a playground of unexplored moments! Allow me to be your movement co-pilot. Class at 6:30pm at Fresh Fitness and Dance in Wallingford.

July 2011 Newsletter

Hello everyone,

Summer has officially arrived in all her brilliance. She is shining her light on our lovely city and beckons us to dance! Ok, she beckons me to dance but so does Fall, Winter, and Spring :). I have noticed that the season of Summer infuses my dance with a lightness, brightness and expansiveness. I am feeling more adventurous about exploring my movement edges. I consider it my season of free dance.

FreeDance: 

Anything goes, movement wise. 

Let go of structure. 

Break out and move in spontaneous, free ways.

I began the month of July with a special July 4th class on FreeDance and IndepenDance (I pronounce as In Deep In Dance). FreeDance is the 4th (hence using it for my fourth of July class) principle of the Nia white belt. The intent of FreeDance is to stimulate movement creativity. FreeDance expands your movement choices, breaks rigidity and habits, and encourages your authentic dance. It creates an intimate connection between the music, and your body, mind, emotions and spirit.

How does it do this you ask? There are 8 distinct stages to FreeDance. Each stage is a layer of movement exploration. In that spirit, I will be compiling routines for the month of July to inspire you to discover new and creative ways to express yourself through movement. By the end of the month, we will have gone through all 8 stages of FreeDance, which are:

Stage 1: Freedance: Anything Goes Movement-Wise

Stage 2: Being Seduced By Music: The Art of Listening

Stage 3: Feeling and Emotions: Pretend, Fake It, Act as If

Stage 4: The Creative Source: The Real You

Stage 5: Authentic Movement: Change

Stage 6: Witness: Interfere… Judge… Not! Observe

Stage 7: Choreography: The Accidental “click”

Stage 8: Nia Class: Levels 1,2,3

Join me for the journey!

I only have 3 class announcements this month:

Monday, July 11, 2011
Class venue change for just this one day. There is a performance at Open Flight Studio on the evening of July 11th so NO class will be held at Open Flight Studio. Instead, I will hold a special class will be held at Fresh Fitness and Dance in Wallingford from 5:30pm – 6:30pm. This special class will be a practice session for a new routine I am learning. Come join me in breaking down the steps for a new routine!
Summary:
Join me on Monday, July 11, 2011 from 5:30pm – 6:30pm at Fresh Fitness and Dance in Wallingford  (4430 Corliss Ave. N, Seattle, WA, 98103) for a special rehearsal class for the routine “SkyDancing.” Class by donation.


Subbing Tuesday morning's in the Mount Baker neighborhood for 2 weeks!
I am subbing for my beautiful colleague Mollia Jensen at on the following days and times at the stunning Mt Baker Community Club space:

Tuesday, July 12, 2011: 9:30am – 10:30am
Tuesday, July 19, 2011: 9:30am – 10:30am

Both classes will be held at: The Mount Baker Community Club at 2811 Mount Rainier Drive S., Seattle

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Thursday, July 28, 2011 - Class Announcement
On Thursday, July 28, 2011, Mollia Jensen will be subbing for my 6:30pm class at Fresh Fitness and Dance as my husband and I celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary!

I danced with Mollia before I became a teacher and I miss dancing with her. She’s a wonderful instructor and overall human being. To learn more about Mollia: http://www.mahaflow.com/about-me/
Please come dance with her Thursday, July 28th.

My current class schedule: http://everybodyloveyourbody.blogspot.com/p/class-schedule.html

I look forward to dancing with you this month and exploring our movement capabilities through the stages of FreeDance! Bring all that Vitamin D you’ve been soaking up and shine your light on the dance floor.

With warmth and a dancing heart,
Jennifer

Special IndepenDance Day Class

Please join me for a Special IndepenDance Day class on Monday, July 4, 2011, 1pm in Greenwood:
This special class will focus on discovering the freedom that comes with finding your own Independent Dance. 

Date: Monday, July 4, 2011

Time: 1:00pm - 2:20pm (80 min class)

Where: Civetta Dance Space in Greenwood - 124 N 103rd Street, Seattle, Washington 98133

Map: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=124+N+103rd+Street,+Seattle,+Washington+98133+&hl=en&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=33.901528,75.410156&z=16

Fee: $13

Class focus: The freedom and joy of FreeDance

Class description:

In this special class we will begin with a movement exploration of the five floor-based movements that make up the Nia 5 Stages. Knee pads will be provided. We will then experience an hour-long Nia class. Both parts of class will be done to music with the focus of FreeDance. We will be dancing to specific choreography and you will have an opportunity to explore your movements through a guided FreeDance. The intent of this special extended class is to discover your unique self-expression, experience freedom of movement, and to delve more deeply into your dance by using the stages of FreeDance.

Curious about the Nia 5 Stages, watch a short video demonstrating the five movements on my blog:http://everybodyloveyourbody.blogspot.com/2011/06/nia-5-stages-of-healing.html 

FreeDance was one of the most challenging aspects of Nia for me when I first started dancing back in 2003. It took time for me to let go and allow my body to move without fear of judgment or feeling awkward. I promise to guide you through the FreeDance songs with openness, love, and compassion. You will not experience any judgment in this class. Come play with me!

Dressing Up to Dance

Ever wonder where I get those fun sassy flare pants? Or tunic tops? They come from the Nia store and you can now purchase them directly online from my Nia profile page. And you get 40% off on select items. That's right, 40% off. Dig it! http://nianow.com/jennifer-earle

I have to admit that when I first started doing Nia as a student I didn't wear pretty dance clothes. In fact, I wore yoga pants and a t-shirt. In the very beginning I hid my body and didn't think about wearing clothing that made me feel beautiful or that had textures that were pleasing to touch. I did not create a sensual experience. Over time, I find myself selecting pants that were pleasant to touch and more form-fitting. I sought colorful tanks that showed my shoulders and arms. And then during my Nia white belt intensive training, I discovered Nia Wear.

My oh my! Nia clothing is beautiful, functional, durable and most styles fit me like a glove. My favorite item is the flare pant. They make me feel like I have wings on my feet when I dance. I love the tunic top (which can double as a skirt) and how it accentuates the shimmy of my shoulders, the sway of my hips and rotation of my rib cage. My absolute favorite is the Nia slanted dress. When I wear this dress, I can feel a shift in every movement - I feel more sensual, playful and alive in every cell. Now hear me singing..."these are a few of my faavvoorriittee things." :)



Nowadays, whenever I dance, even when I practice songs at home to prepare to teach, I select the most beautiful dance wear I can find. It is part of my movement ritual to honor my body with beautiful clothing. To move, not just for exercise, but in reverence and love for my body. The clothing is just the wrapping for this gift that is the Joy of Movement.

Along with Nia wear, you can also purchase Nia music (also 40% off for select CDs). I play Nia music even when I am driving in my car or sitting at my desk at work. The music takes me away to another place. Sometimes I can see myself, in my mind's eye, dancing to the music. And often times, I get up and I dance.

Take a peak at what I have selected as my favorite items at my Nia store:

http://nianow.com/jennifer-earle

And if you purchase any of these lovely items, I expect to see you on the dance floor with them :)