{ Ask yourself... }

                                                                                  via FlowingData.com

 

 

***I've issued you a Thankful 30-day Challenge on instagram. 

Use the hashtag #30dot2012 to join in on a month of gratitude!*** 

 

{ Be }

Inspiration | Branches

When I need a recharge or inspiration, nature is the place I turn to.

So what could be better for fall and winter decor then braches?

 

planter | twig art | wall accent

garland | hooks |  jewelry display

herb marker | wreath | chandelier

shelves | votive | light

Inspiration | Maps

Don't you love the colors and design of maps? 
These days, most are digital and handy right on our smart phones. 
So, here are some fun ways to upcycle those old paper maps!
Do you have any creative ideas?  Share in the comments!

 

 mosaic globe | garland | necklace

coasters | dresser | window shade

lightshade | door treatment | jar lid

letters | wallpaper | frames

 

 

Erin Sparrow | Mermaid Manifestation

I rewatched this video last night.  It's so simple and stunningly beautiful. 

 Just the hoopspiration I need to get through the rest of the week.

 

 

May your hopes and dream be manifested.

{ Today }

image via Hoopnotica

Hoopalicious | Bristol Performance

Today I bring you the mother of modern hoop dance, Anah aka Hoopalicious.  She lives in San Francisco and is a hoop master of dance.  She has been hooping for 14 years now! This video shows perfectly the kind of hooping I hope to achieve someday.

Hoop On!

Nick Guzarrdo | Shifting Levels

I don't even remember how I came across Nick.  

But this video, Shifting Levels, blew me away when I first saw it.  At this point, he'd been hooping for less than a year O.o  

Nick Guzzardo, from Castle Rock, Colorado, very quickly picked up the art of hoop spinning after he saw it at Burning Man in 2009.  He now is a hooping superstar that teaches classes all over, was awarded the Newbie Hooper of 2011 and was nominated Male Hooper of the Year in 2012.  He has a fun go-go style dance and rocks the head hooping!  I was so nervous and intimidated to go to my first hoop workshop in Boulder cause Nick was gonna be there.   
But you know what?  
He was so nice and even hooked my phone up with a hula hooping cat widget :) 



Check out all his videos on YouTube here.  

Hoopin' | Chad Forsberg

I love Chad's hooping, especially the on body and off body folding and helicopters.  And his shoulder/chest rolls are so smooth!   Chad also came up with a new hoop move he calls "Corteo" where he rides the hoop a la cyr wheel style.  Check him out!  
He lives in Boulder, CO.

Oh, the Places You'll Go (at Burning Man)!

I am in love with this video!!
  Based on the Dr. Suess book, "Oh, the Places You'll Go!"
Burning Man's whimsy and weirdness is perfect for this.
It's also a great reminder that you never know where life will take you, the ups and downs.
It makes me want to go to Burning Man more than ever.  

Burning Man 2013 is in the works for me.  It can't come soon enough...

*Warning: brief nudity

Under the Bridge - Nick Broyd

Bringing colour to life

Canon Pixma: Bringing colour to life from Dentsu London on Vimeo.

Levi Stick magic

I bought one of these levitation sticks or Flow Wand at Return to Roots last month.  I've been practicing with it along side my hoop.  Its a lot of fun and am learning how to control it with smaller, more precise movements.  It's fun when you get in a flow and the momentum gets going.  I'd eventually like to get a longer string on it and work more on the non-string hand illusions.  Here are some of the video's I've come across that are giving me inspiration:

Pleasantville, Bliss, and Dancing with the Dark : Erin Sparrow

I love Erin's hoop dancing.  It's so graceful and precise, like a ballerina. 



Her silhouette videos are beautiful.

This slow motion video was so emotional and quickly became one of my favorites. 

Also, dancing in the rain?!  Awesome.

I am looking forward to the three day weekend! 
I am a week away from leaving to vend at Return to Roots (R2R) in Pennsylvania. 
I have so many projects to finish up.  I am excited and anxious to debut all the products Cally Chavez and I have been working on.  I will blog more about it next week and the weeks following while we are out on the road! 

 Have a happy hooping weekend!

{Glass Beach}

Here is a new travel destination I want to see. 

 A place called Glass Beach,  located in MacKerricher State Park near Fort Bragg, California.

During the early 20th century, people would throw their glass, appliances, even automobiles off the cliffs into the ocean.  It was used so frequently as a dumping ground it was nicknamed

"The Dumps" by the locals.

In the late 60's the area was closed and efforts were persued to clean up the beach. Over the next several decades the waves pounded, churned and polished the glass that washes up on shore now as beautiful sea glass.

 

 The beach is now part of the California State Park system and being protected from people removing the glass.

     I like to think that given enough time the Earth could repair all the damaging things we do to it, if only we were more aware and mindful.

via Reddit

Ring-o-graphy : Alexandra Savina



A different take on hula hoops.

Happy Monday!

Growth : Shayla Patton aka Ehli

This is favorite video of the moment.  I love how easy going her flow is.  

{Love the Process : Sandra "Safire" Sommerville}

Safire was one of the first hoopers I found on YouTube when I started my hooping journey. Her tutorials were so helpful as I was trying to learn Hoop basics 101. I came across this video a couple weeks after I started and helped me to realize with lots of practice, patience and dedication I could do this! I loved that she shows that there is a learning curve and dropping the hoop is just part of the process.

Have a great weekend everyone and happy hooping!

PS The Perseid Meteor showers are tonight!  Check it out if you can :)

{Lena Gutschank * Ariel Hooping to Muse}

This is in my future :)  So beautiful and talk about crazy upper body strength!

lena - aerial hoop from Lena Gutschank on Vimeo.

{Baxter Hooping}

This is Baxter and he is one badass ninja hooper. He started The Hoop Path out of Carrboro, NC.  His style is very meditative and he encourges you to practice blindfolded, a techinque that I have used a lot. I took a workshop from him in January and was instantly welcomed into the hooping family. I excited to be "going home" at the end of the month for the Hoop Path retreat in North Carolina for many days (and nights)of workshops, dancing and craziness!!