Leonie Dawson 2015 Create your Shining year workbook preview

I know I know. I've been slack with blog posts again. Definitely need to be more on the ball with these this year. Hopefully what I will show you in this post will help with that.

I got the Life and Biz Edition Workbook by Leonie Dawson as a late Christmas Present from my dear friend I. She is so supportive of all my business endeavors and life that it meant a lot to get something so creatively helpful as a gift. I'm not usually one for self-help books and life planners etc, but this book's aesthetic is so up my alley that I am so excited to fill it in and actually use it.

The book is a colourful delight. It is full of cute sayings, quirky drawings by Leonie and spaces to fill in all your answers. The book is divided into Life and Business sides, each starting off saying goodbye to the previous year to get the slate clean for this year's planning.

It has lists for you to fill in, concepts to mull over, and  positive reinforcement to start implementing.

It also has handy ways of keeping track of goals etc monthly, and also includes a seperate planner to put up on the wall.

Over-all this looks like fun to fill in. I am dedicating myself to filling in a few pages at a time and hopefully it helps to focus my goals for this year.

I have the print version but it is also available in PDF (see link at the top) .

This year is going to be a shining one for Magpie Calls, Dance Tribe and Tarah!

2014 Year in Reflection

Hello Lovelies

Welcome to 2015!

It is that time when I go over the previous year and reflect on all the awesomeness that happened in various areas of my life and businesses.

I don't do this to bore the interwebz with my life story, but rather as a way to see if I am on the right path, if the plans I had previously are happening and how to continue to grow in all aspects.

There will be 3 sections to this- Magpie Calls, Dance Tribe and Personal.

MAGPIE CALLS:

This past year I decided to up the ante. I wanted to take MC into a more professional sphere of business and to branch out my ranges.  I started by doing a "Creative 'In Store' workshop with the Ruby Orchard. This course was designed for us Creative Businesses who want to price our work accordingly, how to work with suppliers and stores etc. Was a really informative and gave me the kick up the butt to want to make my brand and business presentable to stores and consumers

As a result I finally got the Fabulous Fathima Kathrada from Happiness Is to design a full Branding package for MC. I LOOOOOVE it and have started to incorporate it into all aspects of the Brand.

I have also wanted to start branching out into the Bridal and Special Occasions market. In 2014 I got to help make 2 Brides look Beautiful for their weddings, and I have 1 Commission for 2015 already. The plan for 2015 is to create a look book for boutiques etc, network more, place some pieces in boutiques etc. Maybe even do a Bridal Faire. LOTS planned and on the to-do list!

I am also wanting to get some more ready-made Bellydance peices together , including a range of Bindi's I have designed, mainly head-dresses/pieces, belts and other misc accessories.

Of course I will still make some fun and funky creations for everyday wear.


DANCE TRIBE:

This year has been a great one for myself and the studio.
In March Benni and Myself went to Las Vegas for Tribal Massive and trained with Zoe Jakes, Kami Liddle, Mira Betz, Sharon Kihara, Jill Parker and Amy Sigil. We performed our set "Red" on a Vegas Stage at the Massive Showcase and it was well recieved (A "That was Great" from Zoe Jakes made my Day)!. It was SO good to immerse ourselves for 8 days into this Dance style we love, and to be with Dancers from around the world who inspire and motivate me with their awesomeness.  I then got to be there for my friend when she went to New York to meet her family for the first time. A life-long dream realised.

In July I travelled to Joburg to perform in "Tribalation" an annual showcase of Tribal style Bellydance. I performed a solo entitled "sweet dreams", and also participated in another SA first- a group ATS colab with the Durban Tribal Collective and the Joburg Tribal Angels. Total Improvisation on stage , it was SOOOOO Fab and just epitomized the spirit of community in Tribal Bellydance.

I did a Fab workshop in Durban with the newly crowned "Drum Solo Queen" of SA Thelma Rose, and learnt great tips and Tricks for super shimmies and working with drum based music. SA has some talented dancers out there.

In November Dance Tribe and Left of Centre Dance put on our second annual studio production called "Tribal...The Gathering"- a Geeky themed showcase which incorporated multimedia intros and even an Acapella group. In the show Ioleen and I also performed a collaborative duet- another first for 2 Teachers from separate studios in KZN. We had 2 other studio Teachers join us as guest dancers and our dream of a collaborative, unified community is being realised- and we LOVE it!  We have had THE most awesome feedback from everyone and we have some very exciting things planned for the next couple of years. WATCH THIS SPACE.

In November Ioleen and myself performing as The Durban Tribal Collective entered the South African Dance Teacher's Association competition under the Bellydance Division , and in the Tribal Category we won Gold. This was despite the lack of electricity because of load-shedding and dancing to the light of many cellphone torches.

I am really excited for the future of the studio and the ideas and plans I have for it. Thank you to all my students and our supporters for making it a wonderful year of dance.

PERSONAL:

This year has been one of consolidation- figuring out where I see my businesses going, making and building on new and old friendships and learning to be content with where I am in life, while still striving for goals and dreams. I finally see a light at the end of the tunnel and feel orientated in the world as a whole. I have great friends, businesses I love and am passionate about,  and a Family who are supportive of me and my dreams. :D I have had fun (and apparently dressed up as various characters a lot hehe).

2015 is the year of action- DOING so that dreams can eventually become reality. I've set good groundwork and now it is time to start building on that.

I hope you use this first part of 2015 to reflect on your own lives and not set unobtainable resolutions that are never finished, but to slowly start building up the life you want, bit by bit!

much love and sparkles

New Magpie Calls Branding!

Hey All. Well you might have noticed as you got onto the page that a few things have changed.

Well these changes are all a part of the new Magpie Calls Branding I had commissioned by the Fabulous Fathima Kathrada of Happiness Is. 

Although Magpie Calls started out as a hobby in 2012, directly from making costumes and accessories for dancing. It has grown more than I could have thought over the last couple of years, and it is time to take it to the next level. Branding was an obvious part of that growth!

Some Background on the name: As a Bellydancer I am a self-confessed Magpie and often joke that I have A.D.O.S (Attention Deficit Oooh Shiny) Disorder. When I started getting orders for my Fabric flower clips and accessories I felt I needed a name to go with this new business. I knew I wanted something to do with Magpies and I came across a poem that spoke of Magpie Calls, and I immediately thought THAT is what I want my accessories and creations to do- to call out to my fellow Magpies and draw them in. I want each pretty to find it's rightful owner- to have it call to their hearts and as each pretty is unique, it should belong to a particular owner! Hence the birth of Magpie Calls.

Now obviously this back story was fairly important to me and to how I wanted my Brand to move ahead. I chatted to Fathima about how I wanted something that was classic , yet also represented the fact that I like each pretty to be unique- that I mix old and new elements and try to always put my own spin onto my creations. I was also specifically wanting something that would be a great fit for getting into shops and into the Wedding Market. 

Here are some of the designs we went through during the back and forth process:

They are all pretty great, but just not quite what I wanted. After a couple of tweaks Fathima came up with this Gem...

 She even included versions with Bellydance and Bridal in the logo for the different branches of my business. So Cool.

Here is the logotypes I will be using for packaging and price tags:

 

 

And here are my awesome business cards- Yes I have three versions (I couldn't choose hehe)

Aren't they gorgeous? You would buy from me if I gave you one of these cards right? ;)

She also included other elements which will help me to add cohesion across the board in advertising, displays, social media and on the blog.

I am SO excited to see this all become a reality and over the next couple of months I will be switching all aspects of Magpie Calls over to the new Branding. First on the agenda... new business cards!

I really feel that this new look will elevate my business to a more professional level and enable my products to really stand out and be memorable. I can see 2015 being a really really good year for Magpie Calls!

Thank you to Fathima Kathrada Illustration and Design for such a wonderful job:D

Here are her contact details:
www.happinessisat.blogspot.com
fathima.kathrada@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/happinesscreates

much love

This is what I did on my Vacation!

I have been absent on the blog for the last month (did ya miss me?) as I was away in The States for Dance training and a holiday. Here is a sneak peek at some of the things I was up to. Look out for some future posts on some of the exhibits and creative stuff that happened while over there.

So I went to Las Vegas primarily for dancing, but had some fun too!

Visited the strip:

We saw some great exhibitions:

My Dance Wife and I danced on a Vegas stage for the Massive Showcase!

We were in Vegas to do The Tribal Massive advanced/professional workshops. 49 hours in 8 days, and here is my certificate to prove it!

We then went to New York for 4 days to site see, and for Benni to meet her friends and family.

 

It got cold...

I also hung out with some famous paintings:

 Was a great trip and this is only a snippet of what I did and saw and experienced. Keep an eye on the blog for some more detailed posts.


shimmies

While I am away!

Hey There everyone....
There will be a hiatus on the blog for the next few weeks while I am away in America learning tons of amazing dance things at The Tribal Massive in Las Vegas , and having a blast with my Dance Wife Benni. We will be doing workshops, performing, exploring and getting to visit New York for a couple days before I fly home. I leave today (EXCITEMENT)!

I will try to maybe post a few teaser shots and posts while I am there, but look out for some fun posts when I get back.

In the meantime have a check at the snazzy new outfit and look our Dance Tribe Mascot "Carmella" is sporting! All ready to meet her new (and old) fans from across the world.

much love and shimmies

Sani Pass and Lesotho trip 2013

Hi All.

Today I do a photo essay on our bellydance trip into the Drakensberg Mountains, up Sani Pass and into Lesotho last year.

As hosts of Kristine Adams' Durban Leg of her SA portion of her world tour, Ioleen and I , together with our Durban Tribal Collective cohorts Benni and Sam, and fellow dancer from Joburg Heather, decided to show Kristine some of KZN and Lesotho.

Sani Pass is only a few hours away from where we stay, so we woke up really early to drive up and be ready for our tour which started at 9am.

I love the Berg and we had a great Guide Matthew...such a funny guy, slightly strange,but really informative and I give him kudos for putting up with 6 Bellydancers for a day.

Our Ride for the day- let me tell you Landy's are NOT the most comfy car to ride in up a bumpy , windy mountain pass  hehe.

All of us (including Ioleen just peeking on the edge) ready for our trip. L-R: Benni , Sam, Me, Kristine, Heather, Ioleen.

Here is some info on Sani Pass, so you can see what I mean by bumpy and windy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sani_Pass

The first part of the trip happens in The Drakensberg Mountains (Tolkien's original inspiration for the hobbit and Lord of The Rings scenery). It is one of my favourite places, so serene, beautiful and majestic.

 You can see the road we were driving up just peeking from between  the mountain.

 A viewsite on the way up.

Loving the girls trip and the sisterhood of dance :D

 As we got closer to the top the mist came rolling down... at the lesotho border it was thick.

We made it to the top of the Pass. That is pretty flippin high!

Part of the tour was going further into Lesotho into the Maluti Mountains. It was like being in another world... so stark, and barren compared to the greenery of The Berg on the other side. It was Beautiful. 

At one stage it felt like we were on the moon. (That's our vehicle in the distance).

 We visted a local Basotho lady in her home.

 She made THE most delicious beer bread (made from local maize beer), and we bought some for our journey home.

The kids came to say hi, all warmly and brightly dressed.

We then had one of THE most special experiences ever!

As part of her tour Kristine is documenting ATS™ around the world by taking videos of dancers in their local places. We decided this trip would be a great video op, and boy were we right! We saw some local muscians playing and decided we had to accompany them.

This we got on video and you can find it here
Makes me smile whenever I watch it.

 All the Muscians and kids watching the video of themselves.

Our wonderful collaborators- The Basotho people!

On the way back we saw this guy- a shepherd in a typical Basotho blanket.

 

  Our last stop on the way back down was at the Sani-Top Pub. The highest pub in Africa.

 Enjoying our beverages on a mountain.

 Since the last time I was there in 2011 the pub has allowed patrons to make their mark on the walls of the establishment. Here Kristine marks her Africa stop of her world tour!

 Me trying to find  a clear spot to make my mark!

Here we go... for prosperity!

We stayed overnight at the bottom of the pass at the Sani  Lodge Backpackers. A place I would recommend to anyone looking for reasonable accommodation for Sani. I have stayed there twice now and have been happy both times. It is well-run, comfortable and clean. www.sanilodge.co.za .

Was an amazing trip (and will blog more about our trip back home via the Buddhist retreat centre in Ixopo soon). I really loved bonding with everyone and our Durban Tribal Collective is such a special group to me. Was lovely to really get to know Heather from Joburg as well.. a kindred spirit in Dance. Kristine taught us so much on her trip and I look forward to seeing all the adventures she gets up to.

Thanks for joining me on our adventure up a mountain.

love and shimmies