Friends & Wineries

{::::This post was written last week::::}

Yesterday I had a blast with my friends Katie & Ashley. 

We spent the whole day in Woodinville going to wineries and out to lunch.

We started the day off at the Mark Ryan Winery. We chose it because the sign was pretty :)

For just $10.00 we got to try 5 different wines. The last one we tried was from a $52.00 bottle of wine, and...it was the only one I didn't like. Figures. I love white wines and very few red wines. They're growing on me though. Each time I drink it, I like it a little bit more.

After the Mark Ryan Winery I was feeling a little too happy (I'm a super lightweight) so we decided it was a good time to get lunch. We went to one of my favorite restaurants, "Purple". My lunch was delicious! Tomato soup and a BLTA. Mmmmmmm!!

We went to one more winery and it was my favorite of the two. I loved the wine and I can't wait to take Matt. I called my mom and told her the next time she's here we have to go to Woodinville so I can take her. I ended up buying some wine there for Mel's shower next weekend. Yum!
It's called Isenhower Cellars. My favorite is "Yakima Valley Pink Paintbrush Cabernet Franc Rose". Ashley bought some too. We loved it! I bought two bottles :)

Left to Right: Avery, Ashley, Katie, Me

It was so much fun. I'd never been wine tasting before. This was just my second time hanging out with Ashley and the three of us just had a blast..oh and Avery also had a blast ; ) She kept reaching for our wines the whole day, it was funny.

Here are the links to the two wineries we visited,
Isenhower Cellars

Mark Ryan

I am so ready to host Mel's Bridal Shower next weekend now. I went out yesterday and today and got almost everything I needed. Katie helped me with the wines and cheeses and I got all those yesterday. Today I got the favors (love), wine glasses, wine stoppers, a pourer so I can pour everyone the wine and tell them about them, ah...just so much fun stuff! I can't wait, I hope Mel loves it :)

I can't wait to plan my next day to Woodinville. Matt said he would go with me :) I'm excited that I have found something new that I love. It's so much fun to explore this area. Now I want to plan a trip to Napa Valley and go wine tasting there!! How awesome would that be?!

This weekend's plans (July 14 & 15)
*My team kids are performing at the Pickering Barn tomorrow and then I'm going to finish up all the crafty stuff for Mel's Shower and make any of the food that I can
*Mel's Shower is on Sunday and I am so excited!

-Chelsea-

Studio Update: We. Have. MIRRORS

We do We do!

We have mirrors.

I have mirrors.

Never again, ever again...never again in my whole entire life will I have to dance in front of our door mirror getting frustrated beyond belief because Matt can't possibly move the furniture over any more in our living room.

Ah. I want to cry....never. ever. again.

I have mirrors. It's real. 

I'm ready to grow as a dancer.

I'm not too old and I'm going to take full advantage of this. 

I can't wait to get over there tomorrow to teach my teams hip hop classes. I'm going to go all out.

This is what it's all about...

Right now, my dance kids are my kids. They always will be. We got couches yesterday and you would had thought it was Christmas at the studio. I can't wait to see how the react when they have mirrors to dance in tomorrow! They haven't really had that yet. In the preschool room we do hip hop in at the Community Center there is a mirror but it is on the side and we never usually use it. 

I could be crazy stressed out all day at camp and the second I get to the studio with my "kids" everything is all good. I love them so so much. One of my dance moms told me that the other day she overheard her daughter refer to it as "Our Studio". I love that. It is theirs. It's ours. I love that I get to watch them grow here. 

Here are the pictures of the studio as of this afternoon.

My haven. Here I get to create, teach, dream, grow, build, love and instill the same passion I have for dance into these kids. I feel very blessed.

In the past 5 months Emerald City Dance has grown from being a dance program at our local community center to our Studio, two more community centers and 6 preschools. It's all happening very fast, but I'm running with it. So far, so good. 

Bring. It. ON.

This is only the beginning of this adventure. 

We're in this together.

I'm so thankful that Matt and I are in the situation we are in right now and that Matt is able to help me so much with this. It is starting to feel more and more like "ours" instead of just my dream. It's obviously not his dream, but it's a huge part of his life now too. It will be a huge part of our children's lives as well. It will be their second home. I was telling Matt the other day that it's pretty cool that our kids will never know any different than their mommy & daddy owning a dance studio. As Katie says, they won't be just raised by us...but by an entire village. They'll have so many "big sisters" and tons of "moms". I love that. We already have like 10 babysitters. 

Next Steps:

*barres

*Walt Disney quotes all over the walls

*finish painting (office area/bathrooms)

*Office area 

*Outdoor parent area 

*Fix concrete area outside to make it accessible to our dancers and families

Matt told me yesterday that Walt Disney said Disneyland will never be complete. I hope that is what this is. I don't want us to ever stop growing and changing. My dream now is that this will become a place where we don't only have amazing dancers, but that we make a difference in these children's lives. I want to watch them grow to be girls with a passion and motivation to do great things in their lives. If that is dancing...great. If that means they become an incredible doctor one day...great. One of my kids told me at camp today that I'm her "2nd Mom". I love that so so much. 

Yesterday Matt and I were brining the couches in and ballet had already begun (I do not teach that class). We were outside and could see the kids from the window. It was my Mini Team. All of my 5-8 year olds in their black leotards, pink tights, ballet shoes and hair in cute little buns. They were all lined up at the wall like they would be at a ballet barre. Matt and I put the couches down and just took it all in for a minute. It was so awesome to see them all there and to see another teacher with them and to see the beginning of all of this from the outside. It was a moment I will never forget. It is like those pictures you see of all the little girls lined up at the ballet barre...

Then....they all saw us...started waving...and, I disrupted class (fail) lol. 

Matt said, "Wow, the atmosphere here is so different than when you are in here with them teaching hip hop." Ha....yeah.....I'm kind of loud....which...makes them kind of loud....

Oh well, I like it that way ; ) 

Ok...done blogging now. Dance & Cheer Camp this week. 

Emerald-City-Dance! Yeah! ; ) I've been sporting my Sofee shorts and tanks all week. Love it!

-Chelsea-

Studio Progress:: It's Clean! / Thankful Thursday

Matt has helped me so incredibly much this week and I am so so thankful.

We watched Avery on Monday and instead of waking me up to go with him at 6am to get her, I woke up at 8:30 to find he was already back and had went alone to let me sleep. He found an amazing solution to make our website so much more professional, clean and organized and has been working on it like crazy this week. He came up with a great solution to keeping my files organized and for me to be able to share them between my laptop and iMac and to share them with Matt. He organized and moved furniture today at the studio and found the perfect solution for our floor cleaning dilemma. He even came to practice with me tonight and worked on summer camp things for me. Tonight he stayed at the studio with me until 10pm helping clean the floor and we chose the paint colors that we'll be painting in there tomorrow. 

I am so thankful for his help. Best husband ever. 

On that note, the studio is now 1/2 way clean. It is definitely empty except for our office area. 

Matt came up with some great ideas on how I should have our office area organized and set-up. He's way better at that than I am. I did have a vision in mind of how I wanted it to be, and being that I've been dreaming of this since I was 8 the vision was pretty set...but finally today I gave in and got rid of those cubicle walls so I now have an open office. An open office that must stay clean. An open office that the kids and parents can just waltz (literally) right into. I'm going to do my best to try to work with it for now and Matt agreed that if it drives me nuts after a while we can look into buying some divider walls (we found the ones they have in the Microsoft buildings that I want). 

I cannot believe it is already July 6th. 

Time is flying.

Things are all working out.

Money is just flying out the window with this studio and I have no idea how it's all working out. One day we need signs, the next mirrors, now barres and found out yesterday that there is no way in hell that I can dance on this fake laminate floor that's just layer over concrete (hurts so bad)...we need a dance floor. Yet, everything is getting paid on time. I am praying so so hard that this continues. I have yet to feel overwhelmed by that part of it (for too long at a time). Every time I feel overwhelmed I go back to my books only to realize we're just fine. We have been getting a few kids registering each day for Fall. My goal is that by September we have 100 kids at the studio aside from the team kids. We'll see...we are at 36 right now. 

It's 1:15am, I should not be up blogging but I just stopped working for the night and wanted some "me" time. Writing helps me sleep. Usually I write in my journal but I don't want to turn the light on because Matt's out. 

Favorite moment from the day:

I was scrubbing away at the floors (again, only this time I got half the place done in an hour and a half)...and I caught Matt just leaning up against the counter staring at me. Of course my reaction was, "Matt, c'mon...I cannot be here scrubbing and see you just standing there.." He said, "I just want to take this all in, I'm taking mental pictures. I'm really proud of you and want to remember this. Its awesome to see you here working for what you've always wanted." It made me tear up. I still have not had that moment at the studio of "whoa!..this is mine." 

I feel so lucky to have Matt. I told him the other day that it's hard because this is the one thing in my life that I've always pictured just doing alone. I never imagined that I'd have a husband that would be such a part of it like he is. I'm really thankful for that. I'm having a bit of a hard time sharing this one, but each day I get better at it and Matt gets better at offering suggestions in a way he knows I'll take to easily instead of getting offended that my dream is not always the right way to do everything. 

Night!

-Chelsea- 

Good Times!

Happy 4th of July!

Matt and I were invited out with Chris & Katie for some awesome plans, but decided last night that we are just going to chill today and head to the Sammamish fireworks tonight. Honestly, I'm just tired. 

Tonight we're going to grill out and I'm going to make a yummy pin I found (giant grilled s'mores cookie). Mmm...

I haven't written anything about our last weekend and it was super fun.

We went to Disney in Concert by the Seattle Symphony at Benaroya Hall.

It was so awesome. Not only was the orchestra amazing, but they had singers as well. (I loved that).

The Little Mermaid, Pirates of the Caribbean & The Lion King were my favorites. 

After, we went to Red Robin with Mel & Clint. Followed by drinks at "Mexico" and "Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter" 3D (for free, what what!)

Our brand new ferris wheel..I can't wait to ride it :)

Raspberry Margarita...mmmm!

Happy 4th of July, everyone. Now that I'm waking up a bit more I'm craving somewhat of an adventure today. Last year we went to Kirkland and got super sunburned. I think a nice walk with Matt & Cogsy sounds perfect today. A picnic maybe?!....

-Chelsea-