...some bits & bobs

Hello to you lovely people of the blogging world.

I hope you're all having a wonderful Bank Holiday Weekend? Mine has consisted of me sitting on the sofa in my PJ's due to feeling a bit rough and run down. But it has also given me some time to sit down and write this blog post =]

I thought I'd let you know about some of the exciting things I've been up to/have planned.

So let's get straight to it!

1. Cushion Covers & a Bumbag 

I took on TWO new sewing projects over the past 2 weeks. I followed a pattern for the bumbag as I had never made one before. I found this AMAZING blog post by Daisy Janie. There are sooooooo many tutorials on how to make some gorgeous items! 

Check it out here

The instructions are so simple to follow and she has even made some templates for you to download and print out...what a BABE! 

Here is what hers looked like...                               

...and here's how mine turned out!

Now, it's definitely not perfect but for my first go, I think it's turned out pretty well. 

If anyone has any sewing tips that they'd like to share with me, please leave a comment below =]

I didn't use a pattern for the cushion covers as I have made them many times before. They follow a  simple envelope design and are super easy to make. If you'd like to make some yourself, here is an awesome video tutorial that explain what to do...

      2. New Ink 

Some of you who know me, will also know that I have quite a few tattoos. I like tattoos, always have & always will.
I recently entered a competition that was being held by my friend's NEW tattoo shop Carousel Custom Tattoos, Newbury
Now I won't go into much detail about the competition but the winner would get THREE hours of tattooing (in one session) for HALF PRICE!! So that's £90 instead of £180 aaaannnnddd

I WON!! 

I've wanted to get the top of my feet inked for yeeeaaarrrrss and I have been planning on getting my left foot done for a few months now. So I think you've probably all worked out what I going to do haha!!

I'm booked in on Wednesday 16th September so keep a eye out on Instagram/Twitter to see a picture!!

     3. Personalised Recipe Book

My boyfriend and I really enjoy cooking together. He is more into main meals and I prefer baking - together, we have all courses covered. Perfect! We decided to get a blank recipe book so that we could write down all of the recipes we have made and enjoyed.
The recipe book we bought was from Amazon and only cost £5.99 - Click here to get the same one!

Some of the recipes we have made so far are.....

Chocolate Chilli Cake
Crispy Chilli Beef
Reece's Pieces Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cupcakes
Tomato & Garlic Pasta Bake


Well that's it for now but I actually have another blog post lined up for once!!

Big loves xxx

...Flux Dance Theatre

Good evening world!

I wanted to take some time to introduce you to

Flux Dance Theatre

Those of you who follow me on Twitter will have noticed me retweeting a number of tweets written by Flux but you still may not know a lot about who FLUX is and what amazing things they are up to! 

If you've been a good little blog reader and already clicked the link above to visit their website, then you'll see that FLUX is made up of many different components and that it's not very surprising to see that they have SO many exciting things happening right now. 

I was given the wonderful opportunity to join FLUX last week to help create a new piece of work. It was such an interesting project to be involved in because it inspired & motivated me physically & mentally. The company of dancers that came together for this project were a combination of professional & youth dancers. That in itself is super exciting! As a group, we had a total of four days to generate movement material and create a brand spanking new piece. As you may imagine, everyone worked their socks off and the piece was finished with some extra time for a small informal sharing on the Friday afternoon. 

I don't really want to spend a lot of time telling you what the work is based on as I'd love for each and every one of you to go and check it out on Saturday 12th September at the British Science Fringe Festival, Bradford (For more info click HERE). 

But I will tell you this...

I have discovered that I am incredibly interested in

EPIGENETICS

Here's a little video to give you an idea about what an earth I'm waffling on about! 

I'm going to leave it there for this little post but if you don't want to know more about FLUX then check out their website http://www.fluxdancetheatre.com

OR

Follow FLUX on Twitter @FluxDance 

Until next time,

Big loves x

...WHYdance?

As some of you may or may not know, I'm currently involved in a very exciting project called

WHYdance?

What is WHYdance? & why is it so exciting? - I hear you ask.  

Here's everything you need to know =] 

WHAT is it? 

WHYdance? is a BRAND NEW blog created by a collective of TEN young writers. The blog itself is written for anyone and everyone to read but has a specific focus on encouraging young people to get involved, participate and (maybe one day) decide to take up Dance as a possible career. 

Te blog itself will contain blog posts, conversations between collective members, dance professionals, undergraduates, graduates etc... & features written by artists, companies and/or organisations. 

WHY is it exciting?

It's exciting because it's a unique project that I'm rather passionate about. I've always focused on sharing information and creating new opportunities for young people. WHYdance? is another platform for me to share what I know and shed some light upon my experience of working & training within the dance sector. 

HOW can I get involved? 

1. Check out the blog ----> HERE!
2. Find us on Facebook
3. Follow us on Twitter 
4. Follow us on Instagram at @whydancee
5. Email us at whydancee@gmail.com

It would be lovely to hear from you if you'd like to get involved. Whether it's something you're interested in reading, something you'd like to write a feature for or simply to recommend artists, companies & organisations you'd like to see features from. 

LET US KNOW!!

Big loves xxx

....Goodreads 2015 Reading Challenge

At the beginning of this year, I challenged myself to get into reading again.

I wanted to start reading again because I thought it would be a good replacement for my pre-bedtime social media check up. Also, I overthink WAY too much sometimes and having a good book on the go gives me something else to focus on. This gives my busy brain a chance to calm down *thumbs up*
Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy the odd rummage through various social media platforms before bed, but not every night.

Now, I'm a person who works best when there is a target to try and achieve. Dare I say, I work best under pressure. So I set off to find a reading challenge and that's when I came across the Goodreads 2015 Reading Challenge. 

It's SOOOO simple that I think you should all get involved!

Here's what you need to do!

1. Visit Goodreads
2. Make a FREE account 
3. Set your goal for the rest of 2015
4. Add a book each time you finish one 
5. Watch as you slowly reach your end goal

I have aimed to read 10 books in 2015. I've only read 4 so far but I'm on my 5th and there is still time yet!!

Want to see what books I've read? 

You can take a look at my profile here

I'd love to hear about any of your reading goals and also if you've got any book recommendations for me!

Big loves xx

...dance, life & the future

WOAH....

It's been ages since I last posted (sorry!) but life seems to have upgraded itself to the fast lane over the past month or so. I've been involved in some great projects, faced a few of my fears and made some important decisions.

I'm guessing that you would like the (no so) juicy details of what I'm rambling on about?

So as most you know, I am a freelance dance artist who is currently based in Newbury, Berkshire. Those of you who are also dance teachers will know all too well that the Summer term is SHOW TERM for each and every dance school/class under the sun. 

So far, I have been involved in FOUR shows this year: FAME with Park House School, Groovy Greeks with Newbury Stagecoach and the annual Dance In The Park & ACE Dance Company shows. As always it is an absolute joy to work with young performers and watch them progress throughout the years. 

As I previously mentioned in my ...Life As A Freelance Dance Artist blog post, I don't JUST teach these wonderful performers. Over the past few weeks I have been...

1. Making props
2. Hand painting costumes (33 t-shirts in fact....front & back)
3. Creating running orders
4. Designing programmes
5. Designing adverts & e-Flyers
6. Answering enquiries about DVD order forms
7. Arranging Thank You Presents for teachers
8. Editing music 
9. Being a social media whizz kid  

So there is another little insight into some of the many jobs us freelance dance people do.

I have also started working for another amazing company named Flux Dance Theatre that was founded by my good friend Charlotte Hale. This company has many strings to its bow but predominantly focuses on the theme of Moving Science. I'm not going to go into all of the different aspects of Flux's work but if you're interested then click the link above. 

In addition to this I have been choreographing two new dance pieces for Mixed Motion. I have made two pieces for the Senior dancers before but I also have the pleasure of working with the Juniors this year too! I love creating new pieces alongside young performers as it is such a valuable experience for them all. 

In my opinion, the more people you get to work with, the better! (for them and for me)

I always try to challenge the dancers that I'm working with as I believe that it's the one of the best ways to grow as an individual. I've seen so many young dancers doing the same routines day in and day out and don't get me wrong, those routines/moves are looking fierce....but I think that versatility never hurt anyone (I think it's very beneficial actually). I'm going to stop ranting about that now as I could go on for days!!

I'm actually going to skip the comment about facing my fears as I've decided just now that I am going to write a entirely separate post about that. What a treat for you guys, eh?!

Onto the big decision that I made....

I have been doing a lot of thinking recently about my career. I moved back to Newbury, just over a year ago, after living in London for over a year. I have always viewed this as a stepping stone to the next place and I am nearly ready to up my roots and move forward. 

Whilst thinking about this, I contemplated getting a 'normal' job for the sake of a regular and stable wage but the thought of sitting in an office from 9-5 each day makes me want to cry (I seriously look up to each and every person that does that). I scouted around for some potential part-time/freelance administration jobs but found nothing that would also allow me to teach/perform/choreograph. After a long while I decided that...

FREELANCING IS THE BEST OPTION FOR ME    =]

Now, I'm not saying that this is 100% the only thing that I am going to do for the rest of my life but it IS the only thing that is currently allowing me to do all of the things that I enjoy and love. 

So I have taken the plunge and enrolled myself onto a 'Start Your Own Business Course' which has 30 modules to help you get everything in order to set up your own business. EXCITING STUFF! 

I am not planning to set up the business until Summer 2016 as I think it would be wise to take my time with getting everything in order. I haven't done much yet but I have decided on a name but you'll have to wait to find out about that one =P 

I guess that's it for now! I just wanted to give you all a 'little insight into' my life at the moment. 

I'd love to hear about what you've been up to, so leave me a comment down below!

Big loves, 

Steph xxx

...#happydays for ONE YEAR!

That's it, you read it right! 

I have posted a picture on my Instagram every day for ONE YEAR!! (well it's slightly over now as I have been totally useless in writing this post) =[ 

Like many people, last year I jumped onto the band wagon and took on the #100happydays challenge. Those of you, who may have been hiding under a rock last year/travelling somewhere deep and exotic and don't know what I harping on about... The challenge was to post a picture to one of the many social media platforms every day for 100 days. The idea is that you have to post something that has made you happy that day. 

I loved this! I think it is important to focus on the things that make you happy! It is ever so easy to constantly focus upon the negative aspects of our lives...

Something bad happened at work today

I wish that I was fitter/healthier/slimmer/more toned/prettier/taller/shorter BLAH BLAH BLAH

Is it worth it?

Maybe I shouldn't have said that? Oh god, do they hate me? they probably hate me, dear lord WHY?

What am I doing with my life?

...and so on and so on!

So I took on the challenge, unaware that I would get instantly hooked and end up posting everyday for a year! That's right, a whole 365 days - MADNESS, I tell ya! 

As for all of us, a lot has changed in my lift over the past year and I thought it would be nice to share some of my favourite photos with you all =] 

Catch ups with friends

My first ever cake pops made for Easter! 

I developed a ridiculous obsession with Lush Bath Bombs

I choreographed FAME The Musical for Park House School 

Bruce and I went on a lovely winter walk

Russell loves Christmas and boxes

I met Monty the Penguin =] 

I went rock climbing for the first time & did alright!

BESTIVAL 2014

I went to Norwich for the first time 

I got this beauty tattooed on my thigh

PAINT!!

Now I challenge you all to start your own #100happydays and I look forward to seeing all of your pictures!

If you want to check out the rest of my pictures from the past year, you can find me on Instagram under the username _stephanieemma_

Big Loves, 

Steph xxx

...my first Blog Nomination - #LiebsterAward

Earlier today, a little Twitter notification popped up to inform me that the lovely Carina has nominated me and this blog for the #LiebsterAward.  This was one my highlights for the day as I never expected my blog to nominated for anything!

Carina has a lovely blog and I'd be delighted if you went over to show her some love - you can find her and her blog RIGHT HERE!

What is the Liebster Award? 

This award is given from one blogger to another and it appears to help bloggers to spread the love for their fellow bloggers (especially bloggers who are new to the community, like myself) 

What are the rules? 

There seem to be different rules depending on who has nominated. Here are the rules that Carina used in her blog post, it makes sense for me to use the same ones, I guess! 

• Thank the person who nominated you and link them
• Answer the 11 questions that were created for you by the person who nominated you
• Nominate small blogs that you love, deserve the award and have less that 200 followers
• Create a new set of 11 questions for the people you have nominated and notify them via social media or their blog.

Carina's Questions & My Answers

 1. What languages do you speak? 

 I'm embarrassed to say that I can only speak English fluently. I can speak basic French and German but only the the things that they teach you at school =[ not a lot else. *note to self, learn another language*

2. How did you come up with the name for your blog?

I was trying to think of a name that suited my content. I knew that I just wanted to write about things that were happening in my life, things I was enjoying and issues that I felt passionate about. After wrecking my brain for a while, I realised that I wanted my content to be an insight into my life and experiences and that's when 'A Little Insight Into' was born.

3. Name the top three places on your travel bucket list. 

Oooooh, this is a tough one! I'd say the...
West Coast of the USA - I've always wanted to drive from San Diego to Washington.
Hobbiton in New Zealand - I am a HUGE fan of The Hobbit & LOTR. The closest I've got so far is giving my friend my LOTR leggings to wear on her trip there

Mexico for Dia De Muertos (Day of the Dead) - It sounds a lot more terrifying and gross than it is. If you don't know about it, it is a Mexican Holiday where family and friends honour their deceased loved ones. I think that it's really nice that there is a holiday for people to share stories and celebrate the lives of lost ones.

4. Most inspiring bloggers?

I'd say that the bloggers that I get most of my inspiration from are Emmie from Carpe Diem Emmie & Elsie Larson & Emma Chapman from A Beautiful Mess

5. Have you ever been involved in guest posting and would you like to be in the future? 

I haven't guest posted before but I'd love to in the future.

6. Do you ever want kids?

Yes, I'd love to have kids one day <3

7. And what about pets? 

Well I currently have 2 cats and I love them dearly. However, I would like a dog and a pygmy hedgehog at some point in my life.

8. Do you have any networking tips for new bloggers? 

Being a new blogger, I don't really have a lot of advice as i'm still learning about this! I have recently been getting involved in a few bloggers twitter chats and have loved them. They are a great way to meet other bloggers and discuss topics that relate to different aspects of the blogging community.

9. Do you use Facebook for networking/spreading your blog? and how? 

I do! My blog is rather new and I took a deep breath and shared my blog on Facebook for the first time. I got a great response and now share when I've published a new post.

10. Favourite Movies? 

My most favourite movie of ALL TIME is The Nightmare Before Christmas. It has been my favourite film since I was a kid and it always will be. After that comes the Lord of the Rings (all 3)

11. How did your friends react when you told them you've started blogging? 

I'm not too sure how many of my friends know! I haven't told a lot of people but after sharing it on Facebook, I'm sure a lot of them know about it. Up until now, I haven't received any negative comments so I guess they like it or don't care hah!

My Nominations

The bloggers that I am nominating are Harry Casella and Carina Chung

My 11 Questions

1. Why did you start blogging? 

2. Did you have any New Years Resolutions this year? If so, what were they and have you kept any of them up?

3. Where's your most favourite place in the world?

4. If you could recommend a book to anyone, which book would it be? 

5. Describe yourself in 5 words.

6. Who is your inspiration in life?

7. Do you have any hobbies? If so, what are they?

8. What's your favourite food?

9. What are you passionate about?

10. If you were a type of biscuit, what biscuit would you be and why? 

11. Would you rather burp bubbles or fart glitter? 

I look forward to seeing your responses!! 

Big Loves, 

Steph xxx

...Be:Fit London 2015 (03/05/2015)

I got invited by Yasmin from Wild Lotus to attend Be:Fit London with her on Sunday 3rd May. The event was located between Angel and Islington at the Business Design Centre. 

Be:Fit London is the UK's only health and fitness festival that is specifically aimed at women. 

The festival featured a huge range of stalls run by brands such as Nestle Cereals, Cosmopolitan, Dangerous Days Out, Nakd Wholefoods and Teapigs. There was a live cooking station run by Total (greek yoghurt) where various chefs gave out tips for how to make yummy protein filled meals. You could even book into the Reebok Fitness Studio and take part in funky workshops run by House of Voga, Insanity, Boom Cycle and Contemporary Yoga. 

If that wasn't enough already, the second you entered the festival you were greeted by a cheerful staff member and a FREE goodie bag! As Yasmin and I went on the last day, when we were leaving we got asked if we would like another FREE goodie bag! Our arms were already aching but we obviously took another one! 

Here's what we got...

I am buzzing to try everything but don't want to use it all at once. In addition to all of these amazing treats, we were constantly given samples of different products whilst we were at the event. My favourite products that we consumed were the Oats + Chia Banana & Mango, Vanilla Almond Butter and Mint Chocolate Bounce Bars. It's safe to say that I will be buying these in the future, especially as they are all Wheat and Dairy free (for those of you who don't know, I'm intolerant to both).

Also two of the stores gave us some really helpful leaflets/cards. The first was from Push: Mind and Body. This company offers the UK's first ever Re-Bootcamp - sounds amazing, right?! They believe that combining high-intensity exercise, nutrition, coaching and mindfulness will help you to access the tools you need for a better life. Makes sense. 

On the back of their business cards, they printed their Top 10 Tips For Living A Better Life and here they are...

The other company who gave us some handy nutrition tips was Wyldsson. This company focuses on providing clean and healthy food that tastes great. I bought some of their Madagascar Vanilla & Barberry Nut Butter and one of their Organic Persian Mulberry ProMix and they are INCREDIBLE!! If you like that kind of food then you have to give them a try because I promise that you will love their products just as much as me!

Wyldsson's handy tip that they gave us was about the hidden sugars found in food nowadays. I've read a lot about this recently, so I'm guessing people are becoming more aware of this now. Hidden sugars can be found under a list of different names.

Here's that list....

Finally, we both got to have a go on a Powerplate. They are amazingly odd. They work your body super hard but you don't really have to do much except actively engage your muscles. Don't get me wrong, I still felt like I'd had an awesome workout! After working both of our legs, we got to lay down and get a leg massage from the Powerplate. It was fab! 

Why do I not have on of these at home? 

(they are super pricey, that's why)

Anyways, we both had a lovely day and found some new products/companies that we really love. Hopefully, Wild Lotus will be able to have their own stall there next year. *fingers crossed* 

See you there again next year!

Big Loves, 

Steph x

...all things aerial and hoopy

Early today I took part in my first ever Bloggers Twitter Chat using the hashtag #socialbloggers - todays topic was 'Stepping Out of your Comfort Zone' which made me think of how I've been venturing outside of my comfort zone.

In the past few months I have been involving myself in some new and exciting hobbies and I have been feeling great because of it.

'What have you been up to then Steph?' I hear you asking...

Here's what!

1. Aerial Hoop 
I started participating in Aerial Hoop classes in January and have been obsessed ever since. The bruises can be rather off-putting but a good chum told me that 'bruises are just the trophies of what you've done' and I like to think that is true. 

The class that I go to is held at Spin City Newbury every Wednesday from 6-7pm. They are taught by my beautiful friend Yasmin Strong, who is an absolute aerial wizard!!
Have a look for yourselves...

The class is a beginners class where you learn how to get in and out of the hoop safely, build upper body strength, learn all of the beginners moves and begin to put a routine together. As well as gaining these new skills, I have made a new group of friends and my confidence has risen. 

I'd recommend that each any every one of you should try an aerial class at some point in your lives. It makes you reignite your childhood sense of fun, creativity and risk. It's amazing! 

Check out Spin City *here*

2. Aerial Yoga

I began going to aerial Yoga classes earlier on this year and instantly fell in love with it. 

As a dancer, I have found difficult to find deeper stretches to improve my flexibility due to being rather flexible already. Aerial Yoga has provided me with equipment to find these stretches. 

But you'll be pleased to know that you don't have to be a dancer to reap the benefits of this type of class!

Aerial Yoga uses slings that support your weight - whether that be one limb or your entire body (you can even use it like a hammock) 

This is amazing for relaxation, stretching and for an all round sense of fun! You get to invert (go upside down), swing, play AND get a work out at the same time! WINNER! 

After igniting my love for Aerial Yoga, I have since started training to become an Aerial Yoga Instructor. I am doing my training through the Wild Lotus Studio that is based in Newbury, Berkshire. They are holding an Aerial Yoga Instructor Training in May 2016! 

If you would like more details click *here*

3. Hula Hoop

Like many of us, I loved hula hooping as a kid. I had no special tricks, I was just pretty good at hooping around my waist. I once hula hooped for 45mins without stopping! 

Last week I had the urge to start hooping again. I mentioned it to my friend and she said that her friend Roxy was just about to pop over to have a hula hoop play around in the park. So obviously I tagged along and went for a play. I am not kidding when I say...

I HAD THE BESTEST TIME

I learnt a few basic tricks and got to spend an afternoon hooping in the sunshine. HEAVEN

Since then I have been practising my new tricks and bought my very own hoop from Roxy. 

Roxy is an incredible teacher, performer and person. 

Check out her crazy hoop skills here...

So there you have it! I have gone a little aerial and hooping mad!

What crazy and fun things have you been doing recently? I'd love to know! 

Big Loves, 

Steph x

...Life as a Freelance Dance Artist

I absolutely LOVE being a freelancer but that doesn't mean that it's always easy. In fact, most of the time it isn't.

Earlier on today, I was thinking about why I enjoy pursuing a career where I am constantly looking for the next job, never really knowing how much I am going to earn each month and why I'm always facing statements like 'you could really do with some more work' and questions such as 'when are you going to get a real job?'

Even though being a freelance dance artist is tough, I could never see myself being anything else. For all of those people who wonder why us freelance dancers love doing what we do, here is a little list of why it is 100% AWESOME! 

• We earn money doing what we love. Life is too short to be stuck in a career that you hate
• We get to work with incredible people of all ages
• Our place of work changes quite frequently, meaning we get to go on mini adventures on a regular basis
• We have the excitement of not knowing where we will be and/or what we will be doing this time next year
• We have control over what jobs we are involved in, allowing us to select roles that inspire us and help us develop & grow 
• We have a great sense of community with all of our fellow freelancers
• We get to be creative and have fun on a daily basis
• We inspire younger generations to express themselves and think creatively 
• There is always something new & exciting to learn
• We hold more skills then people may think, which are transferable to a variety of other job roles
• Most of us do everything. Our accounts, taxes, administration, project management, funding applications, curating/programming, invoicing... (the list goes on & on & on)
• Our careers can take us down so many different paths, in numerous fields of work
• We are really in touch with our bodies and tend to look after them better than the average person. (some may disagree with this point)

There are SO many other points that I could add to this list but this post would become more of an essay if I were to carry on! 

What do you other freelancers think? 

Leave a comment and let me know. 

Big Loves, 

Steph 

Spring Equinox 2015

I apologise for the delay in posting this, I have stupidly been delaying my first blog post because I'm an idiot who seems to be going through some form of QUARTER LIFE CRISIS!

Anyway, that's a whole other blog post in itself, right?

On Tuesday 24th March, I had the wonderful opportunity to help out at the annual Spring Equinox show at the Corn Exchange in Newbury, Berkshire. This wonderful platform for young local dancers has been running for quite a few years now and was created by my wonderful friend, Laura Kelleher-Byrne (she is an absolute dance wizard, i'll have you know!)

This year there were gorgeous performances by ACE Dance Company, Junior & Senior West Berkshire Youth Dance Company's, NCYDC, D@anga and EEDC.

 The reason why I wanted to blog about this event is because it gave me an opportunity to reflect on my journey as a dancer and also realise how much I've grown as an individual. I had the joys of being an audience member throughout all of the dress rehearsals and the pleasure of helping backstage during the performance itself. During both of these roles, it made me realise how lucky the young dancers (both past and present) of Newbury are. Considering that Newbury is a pretty small town, there are endless opportunities for young individuals to express themselves through this art form. Sometimes the dance world can get incredibly competitive and nasty but luckily for me, Newbury's dance scene is wonderful.

I can't quite remember the year but I also performed at this event and it was so exciting. To think that I performed here with ACE Dance Company, then went on to complete my degree at Coventry University, moved to London and then moved back to Newbury feels somewhat cyclical.

That's something to think about eh?

 Each and every child, parent & dance teacher that was involved with Spring Equinox left feeling positive, inspired and a general overall sense of achievement. In particular, I was overwhelmed with pride for how brilliant everything and everyone was and I CANNOT wait until all of the summer dance shows to get here!

What inspires you to follow your passions? 

Steph x

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