SYTYCD: TNG Episode 3

I still like it. As a big ballroom fan, I was thrilled to see all the ballroom couples, especially since there was a dearth of ballroom last season. I felt so bad when the boy made it to the academy and his female partner didn't,  but I think the judges made the right decision. The boy is a very good dancer.

I don't know how they are going to whittle down this group from 100 dancers to just 10. This is an exceedingly talented bunch of young people.

librarianintx

SYTYCD: TNG Episode 2

I still think the show is charming. Even when the young dancer threw up on Paula. "She just squeezed me so tight that all the happiness came out ... on her jacket." You have to admit, that's a darn cute way to describe vomiting. Paula was very sweet and handled the situation with class.

My gripe with this episode - the outfits these girls were wearing! Honestly, I'm not a prude, but yeesh. I experienced a few Jon Benet Ramsey moments. The revealing costumes, the make-up ... too much. Even the boys - they were dancing contemporary, but being shirtless isn't a requirement for that genre, or any style of dance.

librarianintx

So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation

I finally watched the first episode. I actually liked it. The kids are quite talented. The parents and families were not annoying. Neither were the judges. I was entertained. The only cringy moment for me was at the end of the episode, when the young ballroom dancer cried and begged for her and her partner to have a second chance. After letting her get semi-hysterical for dramatic effect, Nigel consented, and the pair went through on the second attempt. Too much unnecessary drama there, and I think allowing some contestants to have more than one audition sets a bad precedence.  Otherwise, the show gets a surprising thumbs up from me.

librarianintx

Dancing with the Stars finale

I'm not going to write a traditional recap since the show ended weeks ago. I'll just say that it was a wonderful season as usual. Although I'm so proud of Nyle for winning and believe he is worthy of the title, I can't help feeling that Paige was robbed. She was SO strong all season. She is the whole package - dance ability, sex appeal, athleticism, and a great backstory.

I have to admit that I was underwhelmed by the competition part of the finale. Usually the freestyles are so exciting, so innovative, and I was honestly disappointed by all of them. In my opinion, Nyle's WAS the best, and often the person who performs the best freestyle wins the competition. I expected Paige's freestyle to blow me away. Given how outstanding all of her routines were this season, I was waiting for a "rock my world" performance with daredevil tricks and spicy moves. Her freestyle was lovely and intensely personal for her and Mark, but unfortunately it didn't affect me as much as I hoped it would. Nyle's freestyle was very powerful and it did move me, but overall I still wasn't as excited as I wanted to be.

The only routine I truly enjoyed that night was Paige and Mark's salsa. I loved the Pitbull song, the dress change, the way the dance floor exploded in a burst of red and orange that resembled fire. Paige was super sexy and the tricks were awesome. I yelled at the tv when Len said she didn't have enough hip action. Then I watched the routine a second time, and I could see what Len was saying...kind of. I think there was a lack of hip action because of the lifts and partnering. Still, I adored the routine. I thought it was caliente! That dance DID NOT deserve a 9!

Thanks for another entertaining season, Dancing with the Stars! See you in the fall!

librarianintx

So You Think You Can Dance

The new season has started, but I haven't seen any episodes yet. I'm two behind so far. I'm trying to decide if I want to watch this season. It's a given that I'm going to watch Dancing with the Stars every season. It's one of my favorite shows. But So You Think Can Dance has been waning for me over the years.  A big reason why are the judges. I've never been a fan of Nigel, Paula annoys me, and although I enjoy Jason Derulo as a singer and dancer, I don't think judging is his strong suit. This year the show is trying something new: So You Think You Can Dance kids edition. All of the dancers are young, not 18 and over like usual. I'm hesitant to start watching. Part of me thinks I won't like the new format. Part of me is afraid I WILL like it, and then I'll have another show to watch, when I'm trying to cut down on tv. Each episode has only been an hour so far, so maybe I'll give it a try. But I'm still waffling. Maybe I'll catch up this weekend. Maybe not.

librarianintx

Body washes

I have a mild addiction to body washes. I already have a few from Bath & Body Works, but whenever I get a coupon for a store brand, I buy another bottle. There are currently four in my shower, and a few more in the cabinet. My favorite scents are vanilla sugar, sweet pea, and orange. This morning I tried mandarin for the first time. I like it! I'm all into my surroundings smelling good. My mom gave me a butterfly nightlight that you can put scented oil in. It lasts for about three months, and wow, does my room smell great!

A friend was in my bathroom recently, and laughed at all the bottles in my shower. I don't mind. Variety is the spice of life. I enjoy choosing a scent based on what I'm wearing. I have a bunch of body sprays and lotions too, but i don't use the lotions much.

I've been through times in my life when taking a shower was an anxiety-producing experience. So I appreciate and relish the days when showering is the relaxing and rejuvenating activity that it is intended to be.

librarianintx

Shoes

A few years ago I found these great shoes at Payless. I was going to the Ms Wheelchair Foundation - a fancy affair at an upscale hotel in Houston. I was wearing a new pink dress and needed shoes to wear with it. Clothes are hard enough to find in my size, but shoes are even tougher. I typically wear a size 2 - that's a child size! It has been next to impossible for me to find adult-looking dressy shoes. And I can't handle anything with a heel because of my weak ankles and poor balance.

And then I found the dressy shoe of my dreams - peep toe, a wedge I can manage, cute little bow, but still adult-looking shoes - and I found them in pink! Hot damn! To my even further euphoria, I discovered they also came in black, brown, and red, and secured those a few weeks later.

These are the best dressy shoes I have ever had. Comfortable, attractive, and useful. I have worn the hell out of the black ones because I wear a lot of black.

So I guess I jinxed myself. I received multiple compliments in one day about the shoes, and I gushed about how comfortable they are. I wasn't lying. They ARE comfortable. But when you wear the same shoes for three days in a row, for 12+ hours a day, in the Texas heat, with no panty hose - yesterday my feet HURT, and I noticed the inside of the shoes had small spots of blood on them. I loved the shoes so much I tried to kill them - and my feet - by wearing them too much.

I am hoping I can clean them, but in the meantime, luckily I found another pair in black and in my size, and I ordered them online. I could not find them in any of the other colors I have, so I will have to be very careful with those.

After a good night's sleep and a gentle scrub in the shower, my feet are somewhat better today. Lesson learned I hope. Don't love your shoes more than you care about your feet.

librarianintx