Sunday Morning

Morning Veggies

This Sunday morning I am sipping a green juice made of kale, romaine, lemon, ginger, grapes and honeycrisp apple. It was blended in a juicer that was gifted to me by a dear friend.  It makes the juice taste extra yummy to know that it contains her love.  I'm listening to a song called Mallard Island Hymn off of the National Parks soundtrack.  I'm wearing a cotton robe and fuzzy leg warmers. My feet are cold. 

Today I am off to celebrate the end of the Fall harvest with our local CSA (a farm share we participate in in our neighborhood).  Farmer Fred will be there to meet the members and talk about the season.  Then returning home to watch a movie and make candy apples.  Kev just came over and gave me a kiss, we both have green lips from the juice.

What are you doing with your Sunday?

Introducing...

For months now you have been asking for a class that will teach you the confidence, power, sensuality and sizzle that comes with learning burlesque, but without the pressure of a performance. At first I resisted, but at last you have seduced me. I surrender to you...and I present to you....Burlesque Undressed.


What first drew me to burlesque years ago was the unparalleled confidence burlesque dancers possess. This is not a confidence that unravels on a bad hair day, this kind of confidence is indestructible. As I began to study burlesque, what I noticed was that not only did I feel sexier and more sensual, but I felt like I could do anything. I no longer felt ashamed of my "flaws", inside or out. In fact, I found myself suddenly proud of them. I felt even more alluring because of them. After years of trying to be prettier, thinner, smarter, wittier, etc. in my quest to become compelling - I finally realized that compelling has nothing to do with perfection. Compelling is when a woman takes the impulse to shame herself about being imperfect and flushes that sh*t down the toilet.

There is nothing sexier than shamelessness. Join me November 1st, and let's turn those flaws into your best friends.

Sunday Morning...

Sitting here at the dining room table on a Sunday morning with my sweet husband. I'm wearing my pink pajamas, pink robe, and pink piggy slippers. The paper is strewn across the table amongst now empty coffee mugs and the rind of a brie wedge. We are listening to French Cafe Pandora.  Tonight I am going to perform at a birthday party and teach the ladies a striptease, then coming home to watch Vicky Cristina Barcelona and eat homemade potato leek soup with crusty bread.  Hopefully I'll be able to fit rearranging my bedroom furniture in there somewhere. 

How are you spending your Sunday?

Love,
Kitty

Return From Paris

Today marks a full week back from my 8-day vacation in Paris. Before I left I was warned of just how much I would love it there. As predicted, I was charmed beyond all recognition. One of the things I found most illuminating was the attention that is placed on beauty in Paris. The architecture, the gardens, the sculptures, the people. As my husband so wisely said on one of our afternoon walks: "It's like there's room for beauty in the budget here."


Room for beauty in the budget.


If I had to sum up the mission of The School of Charm and Cheek in one sentence, this one comes pretty close. We are about making room for beauty in every corner of life. Not as a superficial act, but as an act of deep spiritual responsibility. Let me clarify - I am by no means suggesting that we all take out a loan for extreme makeover. Beauty is not defined by what we have. It is how we prioritize beauty, and leave our creative mark on everything we touch that counts the most.


Beauty is important. Our sight is a sense. It inspires us to greatness and nourishes our soul. Yet how many of us have ever cast aside our longing for beauty - in our homes, our appearance, our surroundings - because we felt it was too frivolous, or a waste of time? That if we put too much attention on beauty, it must mean we are shallow, or have our priorities out of order? Sometimes this can be the case. Pursuing beauty from a place of ego alone (solely to impress others and gain their approval) is shallow, tremendously unfulfilling, and a place of spiritual starvation. True Beauty is much different than the ego driven kind. True Beauty comes from a place of deep self approval, despite what others might think. True Beauty is a tangible expression of that which is most intangible - the voice of our very own soul. True Beauty shapes our lives with meaning, and is a daring act of supreme self love.


The archetype we seek to embody at The School of Charm and Cheek is The Femme Vitale. The Femme Vitale is ruthless in her love for and practice of beauty. She creates art with everything she touches. She is a beauty advocate and activist. This does not mean one has to have an eye for style, or know their colors. It is simply the practice of loving what you love, and expressing that love with pride and abandon.


So today my darlings, I urge you to make room for beauty in the budget. Not just your financial budget, but in how you budget your time and attention, which are far more precious and valuable. Let your soul be fed, your creativity be inspired. Fill the world with the beauty that only you are capable of.