THE teal Sim

This costume fits me perfect and I love the color. But I have this theory when you sell or get rid of one thing, then another appears. I wonder if husbands and boyfriends are like that? Just kidding.

If you go to the dahlal website, it is similar to Gilded Night without all the turquoise ruffles
https://www.dahlal.com/default.aspx?n=1&lpc=1&lpo=5

Here's the specs:


The set comes with a veil and some extra chiffon beaded piece, I have no idea what it is, the headband (velvet), two velvet beaded gloves, the beaded neckband, the bra and the belt that is attached to a long velvet skirt. If you know Sim, you know the bra has so many beads it's like fish scales. Not like these scanty naked lycra things I see these days (scoff). The bra is a heavy velvet base, it has silver beading , large crystals, and peacock iridescent fringe. The skirt is that deep gorgeous teal everyone drools over..NOT hunter green, it is indeed teal . The belt is attached and zips on the side. Tight fitting skirt but it is slit up one side so it does not inhibit movement. In fact it makes your ass look great. The skirt has the heavily beaded belt and then has the silver embellishments on the side, and is fully covered with medium length peacock fringe everywhere. A slight shimmy makes them all dance.

Take it quick before I change my mind. Every time i put it on..oh well just take it.

I bought it lightly used from a reputable vendor, I have tried it on but never danced or performed in it. It is in impeccable condition. No odor or sign of use.

$675 plus shipping FIRM. Customer is responsible for custom/taxes if it goes overseas.

Bra: Underbust 33 inches (the strap that goes where the back bra strap is). You might be able to get a 34 inch out of it but I'd say 33 to be safe so when you go do something fancy your strap doesn't burst.

Straps are each 15 inches long..I think it is meant to be worn halter style. You will probably have to move the hooks around in fact there is a hook and eye on the bra strap but no hooks on the halter straps. Widest part of the cup is 8 inches.

Probably built for a large C but I can cram double D's in there...

on the inside are some small hooks that poke thru the lining but nothing is torn

Length of skirt from middle of belt in the center (where the V dips a bit) to hem is 39 inches. From top of belt down the SIDE is 42 inches (I guess this accounts for booty room).
Belt is approximately 37 inches. Below the belt where the velvet skirt starts, it is stretchy so a pair of curvy hips could fit in it just fine. Depending on where you like to wear your belt, it worked for me to have a slimmer waistline and wear the belt low, and have enough room in the skirt for my booty and hips.

if you are looking for a matching silk veil, Tickle me Teal will match, so would A'Kai Bloom, Temptation, Hummingbird..

All SALES FINAL

email akaisilksinfo@yahoo.com

the real stars of dance

yesterday i watched a 'professionally made' dance video with many pro dancers..am not sure why i felt that way but after about 40 minutes i was bored.

tonight i've been watching old student night videos..maybe i'm more emotionally tied to those dancers because i knew/know them.

it's interesting how much you learn about your own dance, and style, and perceptions when you watch how things were a few years ago

the same recurring dream

well there's a few..one of the most common ones, that's actually pretty fun, is that i'm getting ready to perform and can't find a piece of the costume, or am finding multiple nonrelated parts, or can't find the veil, or can't decide on music.

usually these are the dreams i have to listen to and spend the day focusing on that part of creativity. no dyeing today. might go play.

dancer redefined

boy some days it just really hits you..i have dance in the blood. no matter how long it's been since you've shimmied, put on the right music and despite wisdom pain you are right back to where you were before. i was joking with a postal worker yesterday about his nice veins..seems i remember exactly how to start an iv after all these years. dance is the same. haven't practiced in ages but it's right there. gotta bump the cardio up to handle a forty five minute set but that should be pretty easy once we're surfing again. dance and surf go so well together. when i surfed my veil dancing was awesome..i was sooo strong

gotta dye some goodies today and i think the first set is for myself. i have an idea. second one will be for Mahisha..she's channeling some pop rock energy this way

photo taken at Makaha beach which may very well be our next home

bellydance and beach photos re: bhuz topic

posted for reference about a bhuz topic re: taking photos at a beach

here's some tips that come to mind

1) visit the beach at least once to see the layout..take note of when the tide comes in (it may determine where you are standing), where the sun angle is, check out the sand to see if it's safe to be barefoot (do you have sharp rocks or broken glass?) also if applicable see the safety conditions of the beach..are large waves that batter the rocks a problem? is it slippery? Hike around the area and get barefoot, check your footing and above all the safety. Are sand fleas gonna eat you alive? Should you clear away seaweed? Will there be a lot of tourists and do you care?

2) Ideally go when wind conditions are low and the lighting is overhead. We always seemed to be at the beach mid day which didn't make for the best lighting. You can bring a big sun reflector for sunset or sunrise pictures.

Expect it to be windy. It's almost always a bit breezy near the water.

3) I never look like I have makeup on in beach photos no matter how much i put it on so if Azhia can step in and give advice that would be great. Back when I was tan and tones I didn't wear much makeup though. Expect to sweat it off.

4) Bring a brush and expect to re-do your hair a lot. Even with a light breeze your hair won't behave. i've put in long extensions and lots of flowers and by the time we got to the beach, the wind was blowing so i'd ditch everything except maybe one flower behind the ear

5) how/where are you going to do your costume changes? Most beaches are public and not very private. I can almost guarantee you will have a crowd watching (bring business cards)

6) I personally like bright costume choices with a tropical turquoise beach and white sand. I love blowing veils and long circle skirts and lots of swishy fabric. But expect your fabric to have a mind of its own. You may want to layer your circle skirts so that if one blows open, you have coverage. I looooove the sexy, leggy look of circle skirts and no harem pants. Make sure to wear matching panties.

7) I loved wearing my Sim, a heavily beaded one with a straight velvet skirt, because the fabric did not blow around a lot, BUT it was hot and it is not the type of costume you want to wear around at the beach a lot

8) Bring veils , lots of them. The bigger and longer, the better. You will regret if you don't bring a lot of veils. Veil dancing at the beach is THE shit. Expect teh veils to blow out of your hands and possibly get wet.

9) bring a change of clothes so you dont have to wear your costume hiking in or out, if possible

10) bring lots of drinking water and sunscreen

here's some photos at various beach locations

breaks rules :)

ever feel oppressed by opinions and rules? spread your wings and fly your own path

signed,
the rebellious bellydancer

bottom photo of Mahisha and I proving that wings can fit in small spaces (this is the day she taught me how to dance with wings)

top photo, me on my own at Ala Moana mall stage in Honolulu

loving silk

i'm pretty tired but happy after a productive (and fun with the baby) day. just posting photos now of things that 'may' be listed soon.

played with some painting on both veils and clothing, below are the veils..i'm loving the element of surprise

when i have a moment

I will be dyeing some silk that will be very simple in color..they are not really solid color because solid would imply a very even finish..these will have a gentle blending of color but they will not be like the previous 'swirls' or meltdowns i've done in the past. they will be well blended so the boundaries between colors won't be as apparent.

The top two photos are examples of the newer type of blended color pattern, notice how the colors that mix are not as visible. The next photos show examples of the older swirls that have distinct boundaries and mixes of color. Of course both will still be available. I'm hoping these appeal to dancers who prefer a more simple, monochrome but not perfectly solid color veil. For solid color veils I still think your best bet is to shop at your local fabric store.





Will be dyeing them in the popular colors that most of us buy our costumes in: red, pink , fuschia, burgundy, silver, gold/sunflower, copper, chocolate, purple, green, teal, blue, turquoise, etc and probably a handful in pastels like peach, lilac, mint. Of course there will be some nude color ones. So check back and if you are in need of a simpler more monochrome style rectangle, email at akaisilksinfo@yahoo.com

the best way to change up your costume is with a veil

Recession got your spending down? I just wanted to point out that veils to a dancer are like accessories to a stylist. Think about a simple black top and pair of jeans. Accessories alone can really change the overall look of that outfit.

Veils are the same way (as are silk skirts). A basic gold or silver costume can take on a totally different look with the addition of different colored skirts and veils. You can go monochrome (all one color), or a multi colored skirt with a simple veil, or layer your skirts for a gypsy look, or layer with tribal accessories for a tribal look.

The most affordable and easiest way to change the look of your costume and to get more mileage out of it (important for haflas and many performances) is with veils :)

What I did with the photos above is show you how a turquoise costume and a red costume can really be changed up with the addition of skirts and veils. For the cost of one Bella or Sim designer costume (which we all love) you can get approximately 6 to 8 complete skirt and veil sets. That's a lot of costume options!!

veils are back on tour with Bellydance Superstars

I'm pleased to announce that there will be a quantity of silk veils back on tour with THE Bellydance Superstars (see www.bellydancesuperstars.com for tour dates) . I am delighted that the silks will once again be a'veil'able at their merch tables, please ask to see the selection when you are at the shows!

please visit http://www.craftmarketer.com/

Crafters, this is a highly recommended source to help you market

http://www.craftmarketer.com/

and i have a story about how this is all related..

Two years ago I bought this book about how to market your crafts online, from this site Sell More of Your Crafts | Helping You Profit From Your Creativity

I signed up to James's newsletter ..the book was useful and his site has always been informative as well. He just sent out a newsletter the other day so I wrote back, thanking him, and asked him if he'd ever considered marketing his books on etsy..I am pretty sure I've seen a category for books (I dont think you can resell books but if you are the author you can market them) and also suggested to him to market in the forums as a lot of crafters would be interested. I even started a forum topic about his site and had quite a few people respond that they were going to check it out.

So he wrote back thanking me and offered to add my url to his site. And then he got to looking at my site, wrote back and asked...are you Laura King and did you used to bellydance in Colorado ? Yup..that's me.

Turns out he handles the email contact/newsletter for Adnan Sarhan of Sufi Foundation of America and Adnan Sarhan . Wayyyyy back when I first started akai, I was going to Adnan's workshops. Eva Cernik has also been a student.

One of the workshops I attended was a weekend long retreat in New Mexico. He led us thru many meditations..Ive tried to meditate on my own for many years but have never experienced anything quite like the meditations Adnan led us thru. He also teaches/advises on whirling. I was the impatient child and would always ask him..when are we going to spin , Adnan? He kept telling me, oh later today, and then maybe tomorrow. And then it never happened (I was a whirler on my own before knowing of him so I was like..huh? He told me I wasn't ready to spin..I still need to get back with him on that)

Anyways Adnan has been known to offer words of wisdom to people. He had once advised James to market his crafts book (and it has done well for him)..Ive since run across many other people who have been 'advised' by Adnan what their calling is, or what to focus on, etc. Adnan never told me that I'd make veils, but during one of the longer meditations, I saw large colorful veils swaying in the breeze and covering windows like light covers..something you'd see in one of those really cool asian movies. I kept saying hey maybe someday I'll make veils for a living but I never set out to make it happen, just sort of drifted into it.

Of course I lost contact when I first moved to San Francisco then Hawaii. I've always known how to contact Adnan but was afraid to tell him I still drink coffee :)

Today, James tells me that Adnan had asked about me a few months ago and they could not find me in the database (I'm sure I was originally part of their Sufi mailing list but since i change emails and addresses so often who could keep up). I had NO idea Adnan would be trying to get a hold of me, or that he would even remember me. Adnan must teach thousands of people. I figure he must remember me as his problem child. I remember him once telling me that i had great potential as a veil dancer (he didnt say bellydancer) but that i had to work on it and focus, etc. As many of you know I let dancing slide to focus on making veils for others to dance with.

So Adnan's behind all of this! I didnt see people on ebay making veils and say oh that looks like fun let me try. There is a pretty involved history to this and how it all came about and I don't think it was an accident.

James wrote about this briefly on his blog today Sell More of Your Crafts | Helping You Profit From Your Creativity ..James was at the workshop I was at and I remember him not directly but as a presence there, and I remember having emailed him years ago requesting to be put on the mailing list but didnt put two and two together.

I was so choked up to hear that Adnan's been trying to find me..he's in New York right now teaching, and i'm going to see if I can talk to him about sponsoring him for a workshop in Hawaii..but I can't wait to talk with him on the phone. I can't wait to find out what he needs to tell me or why he's been trying to find me all these years (the last time we talked, akai was in infancy stages..i dont even think i'd named akai yet)

Soo..by chance anyone out there also take a workshop by Adnan, or bought a veil from Tamsin, etc? Where else does this connection go?

here is Tamsin's site Silk veils in beautiful colors and blends.

I just posted a couple of youtube vids on the rest forum

i bought my second, third, fourth and fifth silk veils from her..gently used by previous workshoppers but ones i greatly loved for many years

for the love of a good costume

after over a year of not buying any costumes i picked up a neckelmanns on trade

www.neckelmanns.com

dudes these costumes rule!

it's lightweight
easy to carry
hooks are a piece of cake to move around or just use a diaper pin
if you break a bead you dont have a heart attack
even my well endowed figure up top fits just fine (and snug)
and the price!! excellent
i've always had nothing but great luck with neckelmanns
and they go with the skirts i dye for an easy no fuss affordable american cabaret look

pretty!!

SEEING RED

i'm not yelling you just need to turn down your computer

so what do you think happens when you are down to your last bit of red and were too lazy last week to bother ordering more (always with that thought in the back of the head that hey if i run out i cant work so i'll just go to the beach) . i decide, despite the brain squishing migraine that has clobbered me since a nap yesterday, to dye a few things so that tomorrow won't be as busy. i have two bottles of red left but of course that won't go far when i just got an order for 10 katerina veils.

we haven't put up a tent yet, just tied a tarp that has snapped the cords twice due to strong winds. i could hear my husband outside yesterday beating the hell out of something and i assumed he was hammering something into place to tie down the tarp again. it snapped. again. it's still fastened on one side, the leeward side, and it's blowing like a bitch in the wind. snapping. flapping. driving me nuts. but you won't see me get on a ladder to fix it. i should stay out of high places.

so being the brainiac i pulled the loose end down and weighted it with the fallen ladder. surely that will hold it. i'm lucky i didnt get my head sliced off when it lifted up. no really i did graduate college.

i weighted it down again with tubs of water. i'm lazy and wanted to get my work done. please note i dont have to dye today. it can wait. but i like punishment.

my arrangement was secure and i was feeling cocky and dyed a few different things, saving the red stuff til last. two katerina veils were reaching perfection when the tarp snapped in the wind again, first dragging the tub of water across the lawn then spilling it. the red dye that had of course been sitting next to it flipped in the air, sprayed me and the tarp, and now the tarp was flapping in the wind, covered in red. it was red rain. it was someone's blood. i was ready to kill. i wanted to beat my neighbor and his dog. i knew they were next door watching and laughing. assholes.

he heard me swear. he heard me say the muther of all words. you know the one. "ooohhhhhhhh fuuuuuuuuuuuudge" except i didnt say fudge. bonus points if you know what movie that is from. here's a hint it's a xmas classic.

to top it off i was rinsing the station with a hose that got out of control and ended up soaking my pants. i knew if i undressed down to my skivvies on the back porch someone would see but i did it anyways. i ate some potato chips to console my battle wounds and looking at the clock, it looks like i have a bit over two hours to wash up, lay down and stretch, and gather myself before picking up the baby.

those goddam veils better turn out nice.

wouldja like to try to dye stuff?

I'm clearing out a lot of white stuff that I don't have time to dye..or items I won't be offering anymore. It's also saving me the task of counting inventory for my accountant. All prices marked at the wholesale price I bought them for. Yeah it's a wash but my cupboards are holding less weight and I can focus on things I want to dye now:)

solid white veils at http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=17256473

the rest at www.akaisilks.etsy.com

if you missed what i've been up to..

in between riding a wave OVER a good size turtle the other day (dudes he was swimming about five feet underneath me) , entertaining the 13 month old ameri-nese baby of ours (he sounds kinda like a condiment dontcha think) , and making sure the twin tabbies are comfortable in their little paradise backyard, i've been messing with DEEtails. stuff that takes more time than just wildly throwing dyes about. i'm careless with liquids, i can't help it. but sometimes if i play the right music i can sit still long enough to mess with these. they are really quite simple. you draw your resist then little tiny drops of dye or paint go on the inside. blend if needed. don't get mad and throw the item across the room as i have on many occasions. errors can be fixed.

that's a little purse. a change purse. it's made of a soft plushy kind of silk. it's a pain in the keester to paint but i'm getting the hang of it.

here's another one. i messed up. you can see the absence of color on the bottom right side. oh well i'm keeping it because that color of green excites me. and all of those flowers took a long damn time to paint.

get a LOOOOONG stretcher for your silk, and do it in stages. draw out all your flowers or designs. if you don't drink a lot of coffee it's not hard. then do all the painting at once. all the ironing, etc. get your husband to cook dinner and scrub the kid. your back will hurt too much to do anything else!