December 2014 Blog Hop: My Year in Photos!

It has, once again, been a crazy year.  Here are some highlights.  Sorry, I couldn't just pick one photo to represent each month and I'm sure I missed a bunch of things because I got tired of downloading photos.  And, since my life isn't just about pole, I really did include everything I did.  Enjoy!

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My Fifth Anniversary as a Twirly Girl

I really can't believe I have been on this pole dancing journey for five years.  On December 2, 2009, Rita and I walked through the doors of Twirly Girls and we never left.  Not long after, Bel nicknamed me the Twirling Viking Warrior.  This has been a really difficult week, so I would have otherwise planned a longer tribute to my family at Twirly Girls, but I think pictures speak louder than words, so enjoy a few photos from the last couple of years of my journey.

Using the woody band for pole moves

I had posted some photos on my fan page using a woody band to help me with cradle.  Someone asked for a video so I made one. 

Here are my warnings:  Never rely on the woody band to fully hold your weight.  It could snap, causing you to fall on your noggin.  Also, use a spotter, or at least never do dangerous moves when you are alone.  I learned that one the hard way once. 

I did make this video while alone in the studio.  I only did a half-invert so I wouldn't end up upside down and in a precarious position, which was very, very ugly.  I don't need to hear about how I am not strong enough to invert and shouldn't.  If I don't do exercises that get me upside down, I will never BE strong enough to invert. 

You also don't have to just use the woody band for inverting.  I also get down into push-up position and it helps me lower myself all the way to the floor and back up.  Get creative and post your photos on my fan page!

In the meantime, check out my video showing you a couple of ways I use woody bands:

Happy 4th Bloggerversary to Confessions of a Twirly Girl!

Today, Confessions of a Twirly Girl turns four years old!  You can read my post from last year HERE. 

There's so much the same as last year (and pretty much every year lately).  Learn to love myself no matter what the scale says and try harder at pole.  One big change is coming up.  I found a job only two blocks from my home, so I'll be able to walk to work in two short weeks.  I will get almost two hours a day of my life back and no more crazy BART stories!  I have been consistently going to yoga and pole for the last few months and I'm finally seeing some changes in my body.  Last night, I took a photo for the PDBA photo challenge and I could actually see some muscles in my legs again!  WOOHOO!

So here are some stats on my blog.

My pole-friendly Facebook profile had 2,300 friends last year.  This year, I'm down to 2,092.  That is partially due to me removing people I NEVER interacted with or thought might be spam profiles.  The Confessions fan page has 1,653 fans. 

Last year, I had about 1,400 Twitter followers.  Now, I'm up to almost 1,600.

Last year, my blog had a little under 165,000 views (now that I'm running Google Analytics, I am learning that the blog most likely counts each page view, and Analytics will just count the first visit to your site, so their numbers are slightly lower than my blog stats report).  This year, my all-time page view count is at 306,324.

What does all of this mean?  Not much.  It just means there are at least a few people who understand my struggles and perhaps enjoy my rants a bit.  You don't come to my page because you want to learn amazing pole tricks.  You come to discuss how we are all on our own journeys and we feel better knowing that we are in good company.  For that, I am very grateful.  Thank you again to each and every one of you who reads my blog.

So, what's new in the last year?  

I have been asked to be a Board Member for the Pole Dancing Bloggers Association.  We host monthly blog hops and weekly photo challenges.  We would love to get more people involved.  Even if you aren't a blogger, you can still participate in the photo challenges. 

I am still in the process of planning the Northern California Pole Presentational.  We almost have our location locked down and will be making an official announcement SOON. 

I want to thank everyone who takes the time to read my posts and would love to know more about you.  If you'd like to post a comment with your name and where you're from, I'd love to hear from you!

The Un-Pole-Lievable Show ROCKED!

If you missed Cowboy Wild's Un-Pole-Lievable Pole Show on November 30, I wanted to post videos and photos from some of the performances.  Check them out below.  Thank you to Liquidpulp Photography for coming back to the Bay Area and taking photos! 

Also, mark your calendar....Cowboy Wild's Good Old-Fashioned Pole-Down to benefit AIDS LifeCycle will be held on Saturday, February 1, 2014 at Club 1220.  All money raised will benefit Robert aka Cowboy Wild's AIDS LifeCycle ride!  If you are a local business or pole company that has gift certificates or items you would like to donate for the raffle, please let me know.  THANKS!

August Blog Hop: Pole Dance and Social Media

This month's blog hop is about pole dance and social media.  This is a very popular subject!  If you want to check out other posts in the blog hop, click HERE.  

I almost can't remember a time before Facebook (*cough, cough* Friendster and MySpace, although I really feel like the pole dance explosion happened after Facebook became THE social media site).  What an amazing tool to help me meet people around the world I never would have had the opportunity to meet in the not so distant past.  My very first memories linking pole dance and social media were finding the blogs of Heather Yesko and Jennifer of Pole Skivvies.  They both lived on the East Coast, but I "met" my first pole sisters very early after I started my pole adventures in 2009.  


Flash forward a few years and I interact on a daily basis with amazing pole dancers all over the world and feel like I know some of them very personally even though I've only met them once (or not at all).  Without blogs, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and the myriad of other social media outlets, I know I wouldn't be as in touch with my extended pole family.

Mina and Nadia

Even the subset of the Pole Dancing Bloggers has taken on its own form and we now have our very own social media sites.  Just for us bloggers!  Find us on Facebook.  Follow us on Twitter.  Join us on Instagram.  This month, we started a weekly photo challenge, so please feel free to participate!  The group was spearheaded by my beautiful pole sisters, Sheena in New York and Valentina in Italy, and I am very excited to be part of another group of amazing polers who are working hard to promote the pole industry.  I actually have an assignment for the PDB and need to get off my sorry injured butt and start pulling together my part.  :-)

I'm sure I have posted this many times in the past, but if you are trying to find me on social media sites, here are my links:

https://www.facebook.com/TwirlyGirlConfessions

http://www.twitter.com/lolorashel

http://www.instagram.com/lolorashel 
(sorry, there are a lot of selfies, bruises and cats...I really can't help myself)

 

Cosplay with the beautiful Leen Isabel

Other important links (for me) are pages I manage on Facebook and would love for people to join if you're interested.

Nor Cal Pole Posse...I try to keep Northern California studios and events posted on this page:  https://www.facebook.com/NorCalPolePosse

Twirl for a Cause...our fundraising pole dance page for events around the Bay Area:  https://www.facebook.com/TwirlForACause

As most of you know, I post about many topics, not just pole dancing.  But I try to tag things appropriately so you don't waste time reading anything you might not be interested in.  I feel like without the power of social media behind me, how else could I turn a simple legal secretary into a fiery pole dancing Viking Warrior?  Before the invention of Facebook fan pages, where it was suddenly okay to toot your own horn, I may have been committed into an insane asylum for telling people I had a Viking alter ego.  

Miss you, Cupkates Truck!

Without social media, I also wouldn't have access to so many fat/size acceptance groups to help build my confidence and self-esteem (and now to my new cosplay/Chunky Girl Comics friends!).  I wouldn't have so much support to help me realize that I am fabulous no matter what I weigh and that I shouldn't wait to lose weight to do all the things I want to do, whether its on the pole or in regular life.  I started using the hashtag (another social media invention) #myfatwashere to track the fun stuff I could do even though I'm not society's "normal" body type.  And without social media, how would I share my cupcake obsession?!

Kate of Pole Etak

I feel like social media is essential to the health of the pole industry.  Even when I can't make it to events, I love seeing photos and watching videos posted by others.  So social media keeps me connected.  I also feel like seeing others working on their moves motivates me to work on mine.  Part of why I was so eager to hurry and have surgery on my foot was so that I could heal and get back to pole dancing the way I used to.  


How do YOU feel like social media affects the pole industry?  What changes would you make, if any, to how we all interact with each other?

BadAzz

Jill Anne

Nadia n my boobs

SeanMichael