Running: Yes!

Today was a MUCH better day! I caught my second wind by mile 3. Breathing was clam and easy right through mile 4. If only all my workouts could feel this great! Happy Friday, indeed!

Music: Ray LaMontagne - You Are The Best Thing

Team Shutterilla will be joining Tessa and Tim at The Bowl this weekend for the Ray LaMontagne concert. Delicious eats, stellar friends, twinkling stars, soulful music and blazing love...what more does a girl need?

Burning Man 2009: Music To My Ears!

Life: West LA Power Outage

Life: West LA Power Outage
Originally uploaded by Sanctuary-Studio

Eerie!

Some observations...

Lots of wreckage and burnt out flares in dark intersections. Lots of tow trucks towing mangled cars. Quite a few empty tow trucks driving around too. Sidewalks packed with local diners whose tables have been relocated outside. The lighting store on Bundy had power while the rest of the block was pitch black. Gas stations all have power. One side of the street may have power while the otherside does not. Same with neighboring intersections. I have power, thank gawd! Lots of people hanging out outside. Very dark bike riders....one riding with a flashlight in hand.

Running: Ugh!

No more two week breaks between now and when my braids go in for The Burn. I'm tired, sore and cranky...chai latte time.

Art: Destino - Disney v. Dali

[Right Some Good]

Wow...had not seen this!

Video: Crazy Clown @ Bass Ritual

Crazy Clown made a special appearance at Bass Ritual's Indepen-dance party last weekend. He claims to be Happy Clown but after seeing this I'll stick with Crazy! Click the photo to be taken directly to this short video...it's definitely worth watching!

Running: TGIMonday...

These past couple of weeks have been busy...as in, if-I-get-home-at-least-one-night-this-week-before-11pm-I'll-be-happy busy! Multiple hoop dance classes and fire training have been consuming most of my time these days and as excited (and nervous) as I was about lighting up last Wednesday I was also a little relieved knowing that after that evening my life would start getting back to normal. With so many back to back late nights I found it nearly impossible to pull myself out of bed those following mornings to get to the gym. In a blink of an eye there went another two weeks of no running. So today I say TGIMonday! Back to my regularly scheduled programming!

Music: Hmmm, Black Eyed Peas Steal Adam Freeland's 'Mancry'?

Read the full story on the Daily Swarm.

Hoop Dance: Photos- Lighting Up Ceremony

As promised, here are some wonderful pics and vids (courtesy of Farilla & Special Ops) documenting the Fire Groove lighting-up ceremony. HUGE thanks to them both for capturing these moments! What an incredible experience. I couldn't stop smiling for HOURS after we left the beach. Of course, I'm now itching to explore ALL of the other fire tools as well. Staves, fans, poi....hmm, what's next?! Time will tell...until then I'll continue to practice my hooping. So much to learn.

From the videos below you can see that I kept things simple for my first two twirls. It's a whole other world standing inside that fiery vortex. There was so much new-ness for my brain to digest in those moments. The fire whirling around my head was disorienting at times and trying to spin in sand was much tougher than expected. I suspect my courage to try different moves will grow the more I work with the fire. One thing is for sure, I'll never forget the sound the fire made as it swirled above my head for the first time. Completely wow'd! Thanks to everyone who came out in support...Mad Love to you all!

Lighting-Up...

Getting a feel for things...

"OMG, the SOUND!"...

Pure Bliss....

Twirl Number One (courtesy of Special Ops)...


Twirl Number Two (courtesy of Farilla)...

Life: Santa Monica Farmers Market

Life: Santa Monica Farmers Market
Originally uploaded by Sanctuary-Studio

Farilla and I rode our bikes over to Main Street this AM for a bite to eat and some fresh produce. After watching Food, Inc. last Friday afternoon we were both reminded why it's so important to buy locally grown organic products. If you haven't seen Food, Inc. I highly recommend checking it out asap. You're probably already well aware of some of the info about the American food industry discussed in this film but if Monsanto and GMOs sound foreign to you then you MUST see this documentary.

Life: Mr. America

Life: Mr. America
Originally uploaded by Sanctuary-Studio

Righteous!

Life: Clone Storm Trooper...

Life: Clone Storm Trooper...
Originally uploaded by Sanctuary-Studio

...totally appropriate!

Life: 4th Of July On Venice Beach

Life: 4th Of July On Venice Beach
Originally uploaded by Sanctuary-Studio

Jimmy, Nage & Lizziebot's very successful beachside fiesta!

Hoop Dance: Hoop-tusion Part Two

Hoop Dance: Hoop-tusion Part Two
Originally uploaded by Sanctuary-Studio

This is my bruised hip after our big night last night. As some of you know I've been taking Hoop Dance classes with Fire Groove these last couple of months. And, as of last week I added Special Ops' class to my already busy schedule. Last night marked the culmination to many
weeks of dedication and practice! Last night we ceremoniously lit up our Fire Hoops on Dockweiler Beach! The Fire Hoop is heavier than regular hoops so my hip took a bit of a beating. Adrenaline was cranking so I felt nothing but pure bliss. More photos and video to follow soon'ish!