My Favorite Things

A gentleman admirer recently asked how he could pamper me.  My first thoughts were just the fact that he was thinking of me and sharing his time with me meant the world to me.  But he gently suggested he would like to do something more, something special...and encouraged me to think of ways he could make my life a gentler, more beautiful place.

How amazing is that?  So, with that in mind...

Twenty-five Days til Christmas

or

Twenty-five Ways to please your Lover (me!)

1.  Dark Chocolate and Red Wine - if you don't already know the healthful benefits of dark chocolate and red wine, as well, you should take a second look.  And since this gentleman admirer already knew of my love for chocolate, he had a box sent to me of the most artistic, delicious chocolates I've ever had.

Here's proof ~

Before I devoured one of them, I had to take a thank you picture for him.  

2.  Yoga - my yoga practice is an important part of my well-being.  Whether a single class, a month or year pass, or even attending a class with me, this gift would touch me/us in a very special way.  I'm also eager to explore a fitness class, dance lessons, swimming, or racquet ball with a fine friend.  Might that interest you as well?

3.  Are you a 'sound' nerd like I am?  At your last visit did you notice how my speakers have been aging or how I had to lug my computer around so we could enjoy the music I chose for us.  How I'd love someone to figure out a whole house system.  Or maybe even some of those Bose headphones that would be particularly exciting for one of those visits where we play with sensory overload or deprivation!

4. What woman doesn't enjoy a trip to the hair salon?  I am no longer coloring my hair and love the dark ask blonde sprinkled with my life's experiences.  I know you love my perky hairstyle, and will appreciate that perfect stylist who knows just how to make my natural hair look great.

5.  Give the Gift of Music.  My closest friends know that I support the fine arts.  There are those who are without the means to attend concerts or take music lessons.  I like being an advocate for those people and making it possible for them to enjoy all the benefits of music.  If this interests you, let's chat!

6.  Give the Gift of Warmth.  I support several charitable organizations that give travel-size toiletries, socks, gloves, hats, and coats to those in need, especially with the temperatures hitting the teens.  I would love to connect with you, if you have items to donate.  

7.  The 7th Day of December is a Sunday.  A day of rest.  God, how glorious it would be not to have to tidy up around The Manor for one week.  Dusting, vacuuming, scrubbing, etc.  An Eco-groovy (since you know I live a clean and green lifestyle) cleaning service to make The Manor shine from tip to toe would be amazing.

8.  The weather is probably biting and cold and the thought of sinking into a hot tub and enjoying a massage at The Little Red Day Spa would be simply amazing.  They even have rather enticing packages available for couples.... :) 

9.  In thinking about enticing packages for couples, I enjoy offering Couples Bliss sessions along with one of my good friends, also skilled in touch.  Two tables side by side while you and someone special receive an indulgent touch from two Goddesses of Touch.  To make this possible, I would like to add a new massage table to my collection, preferably one that will be a bit roomier.  I like supporting local businesses and have found that Zenith Supplies has all I need for my Healing Touch interests. 

10.  The 10th Day of December is Wednesday - Hump Day.   Here's a fun place to enjoy the day in a sexy way.  I like supporting the Center for Sex-Positive Culture and a renewal of my membership would be a great gift, plus I could hold your hand (or more) if you wanted to check it out too.

11.  I know how you fellows love to keep your cars buffed and shining.  I simply don't have the patience!  I would rather buff and shine you.  :)  So, if a car wash and detailing is your thing, my nice new car and I would be ever so grateful.

12.  The 12th Day of December is a good friend's birthday and he LOVES being tied up.  I LOVE tying men up, but you already knew that.  Look at this green rope from Twisted Monk (the best hemp bondage rope supplier).  I could truss you up like a Christmas Tree....evil smile.

13.  Let's attend a Seattle Symphony Concert together, or perhaps you'd like to gift a season subscription, or a single concert.  Yo Yo Ma will be playing in Seattle on May 3rd?!  What a dream it would be for me to hear him in person.   A cello is one of the few instruments missing from my music room.  Maybe if I had one, I could be as good as Yo Yo. 

14.   Did you know I love to cook?  A good chef's knife would make prep work a breeze.  I'm told that this one fits in a smaller hand more easily, but then I discovered this one with an artsy look. Choices!

15.  More kitchen cravings -  I cannot help but drool when I see these, and I have been lusting after one since I was a teen.  True story!

16.  With continued thoughts of health and wellness an acupuncture appointment always makes a difference in my well-being.  Perhaps the idea frightens you.  If *I* can handle the needles, then surely you can.  If you'd like to explore this idea, we could enjoy a Happy Hour appointment together!

17.  One of my keen interests is in giving kinky massages.  Though I have my own style and expertise, I have always wanted to take the Bondassage Training and Elysium Training by Jaeleen Bennis and have felt that this is an unattainable goal.  You might be in store for a life-time of kinky massages should you make this dream come true.

18.  My studies of tantra have been far-reaching, but another dream of mine is the Urban Tantra Professional Training Program with Barbara Carrellas.  There are no words to express the depth of this work in my eyes.  

19.  It's the last Friday before Christmas.  I'd rather be enjoying a bit of jazz than shopping.  This is THE place to go and a lot of fun to experience with someone special.  You just won't be able to stop smiling if we go together.  Or if a private jazz concert is to your liking, a gift certificate for sheet music at a local music store would inspire me to learn your favorite piece.

20.  I do not often indulge, for my feet are so ticklish, but I love have my feet pampered and always wear toe rings and pretty polish.  Toe rings are always adjustable, so the size won't matter, and this is my favorite spot for a pedi/mani.

21.  The Longest Night of the Year is this day.  Wouldn't it be nice to share it with the twinkling of many lights, perhaps escaping to Leavenworth for the final night of the tree lighting?  I have never experienced Leavenworth, but you and I could!  Candles could be a good substitute for this evening and a promise of a getaway trip planned for the future.

22.  Sometimes I feel like a real dinosaur when it comes to techie types of things.  The one gadget I use every day, all day (it seems), and is my number one necessity is my computer.  Mine is rather old and so low on memory that it is limited in its functionality.  Replacing it would be a godsend!  

23.  Sometimes it's just gifts of little acts of service that can bring a grateful smile to someone's face.  Raking leaves, mowing the lawn, trimming the trees, or a multitude of other 'handy man' types of things are so appreciated.

24.  I've been neglectful of all those dainty, feminine things that I love to wear...lingerie, bracelets, scarves, dresses, shoes, fine stockings, earrings, silky things, velvety things, leather, cashmere.  All those sensuous things that make you want to touch, or exclaim "how beautiful".  

25.  Donate a Christmas Tree and Holiday Dinner to someone without, or if you wish for me to be a recipient, I prefer plants that are potted from this garden store and a lovely meal at Lark!

Symphonic Seductions 2014

It's that time of year again.  The start of a new season with our talented Seattle Symphony and dynamic Music Director Ludovic Morlot.  I get butterflies in my stomach wishing to attend and hoping eagerly to have a fabulous fellow offer his arm and accompany me.

Let's see....should I pen a Want Ad in the Classified Ads:

Spirited, Sophisticated sweetheart seeks

Charming, classical concert-loving chap

for delectable dining and symphonic seductions.

The Opening Night Concert and Gala for the Seattle Symphony is Saturday, September 13rd and if a pert, petite companion as your arm candy and mesmerizing musicologist is of particular interest to you, I'm just the gal for you!

I love any opportunity to support the fine arts.  We have so many fine musicians here in Seattle, not to mention the dynamic new Seattle Symphony Music Director Ludovic Morlot (in his third season) who kicks off the 2014–2015 season with a Paris-inspired program, together with one of the foremost artists of our time: violinist Gil Shaham.

Tickets are going fast, so contact me as soon as possible 

to make our special evening possible.

How romantic to share a concert, dinner, and dessert together...

THOUGH...

...if pure indulgence is a possibility, we could be swept away by the elegance of a Parisian evening by the Seine at a post-concert black-tie cocktail reception and dinner at the luxurious Fairmont Olympic Hotel.

>***<

Did I mention how much I love wearing my Little Black Dress 

and seeing my date dressed in his finest?

But...

...maybe red satin and pearls would set your heartbeat racing?

After all the Seattle Symphony motto is 'Listen Boldly.'  

How about 'Impress Boldly' and I'll be your Lady In Red!

>***<

 (and maybe what lies beneath the red satin will be our little secret)

Resurrection. Soaring Through Touch

It's all about resurrections this week.  Of many sorts.  
 
Not only because this Sunday is a deeply profound holy day for some and a fun holiday for many;
but also because 'resurrection', meaning a rising again, as from disuse; a recovery, reawakening, and rebirth, can be applied so beautifully to us. 
As in, what makes us experience life in a vibrant and exciting way, what makes us feel alive? 
I find myself thinking symbolically of those deeply profound experiences I've shared with a lover
of orgasmic 'rising again and reawakening'.

I find touch to be healing, especially in an intimate expression with a lover, a lover that is devoted to uplifting you to a new awareness.  Likewise, participating in my lover's resurrection, so to speak, is powerful for me.  It is their time to let go and melt into bliss under my luxurious and loving touch.  That said, it is not always easy to let go.

For my lover that enjoys surrendering fully to my control of their resurrection, things can get a bit kinky.  They will not be able to escape my focus, as we explore a variety of new sensations, pushing them closer and closer, edging toward ultimate release.

The goal in either of these touch styles is the journey seeking vibrancy in our entire being.
 
I find great inspiration from music during intimacy.  This is especially moving at this time of year - Leonard Bernstein conducting the final movement of
Gustav Mahler's "Resurrection Symphony".

A passionate piece to be sure, and orgasmic for those who have the ears to truly hear.

It gives me reflection of how lovers conduct all the movements of their 'Resurrection Symphony' together.

There with and for each other,
through soaring and finally when ready to come back down to earth.

You Look Fantastic!

28 Ways to be a Better Lover

A month long celebration of love, romance, and spicy connections.

 

Day 10 - Compliment Your Sweetheart

Sometimes a reminder is needed!

Like many women, I spend a great deal of time selecting every detail of an outfit depending on multiple factors.  The best thing my sweetheart can say is "You look fantastic!" Noooo, not even "that's a beautiful dress" or "I love your earrings."  A woman wants to know she looks fantastic and that every detail she chose brought out her most attractive features.  Say this to a woman who just prepared for you and see what happens.

Need a few more compliments that a woman will love?

"I like the way your mind works"

"I could talk to you all night"

"Your smile lights up my day"

Of course, you'll need to really mean it!  These kinds of compliments get a woman in the mood.  Or perhaps I should say they get me in the mood.  Trust me, I know.  These are some compliments I've tucked away in my heart from special admirers that I will always remember. 

By the way, sometimes no words are needed.  A sudden, passionate kiss after she see your eyes on her will show your appreciation.

Speaking of Fantastic, Symphonie Fantastique with the Seattle Symphony and Morlot conducting is happening this week, just in time for Valentine's Day and for you to practice your complimenting skills.  I would adore dressing up for you and the symphony!

To inspire you .... From the Seattle times -
Hearts and flowers, a box of chocolates and a candlelight dinner are a perfectly acceptable way to show a sweetheart you care.
But if each day is truly Valentine’s Day and your infatuation with someone regularly crosses over into obsession, well, take a tip from Hector Berlioz and write an entire symphony about it.
Berlioz’s “Symphony fantastique,” composed in 1830 (revised in 1832) and inspired by his fixation on Irish-born actress Harriet Smithson, is the musical anchor for Seattle Symphony Orchestra’s Valentine’s week program of deeply — sometimes wildly — expressive music.
The program will find SSO music director Ludovic Morlot leading the orchestra through Berlioz’s story-driven “program symphony.”
Berlioz’s sometimes startling, written introductions to the work’s five movements — detailing an increasingly dark narrative about an artist’s “infernal passion” for a woman — will be in the program.
An important touchstone from the early Romantic period, “Fantastique” was inspired by a 24-year-old Berlioz’s presence at an 1827 production of “Hamlet” in Paris, where he was thunderstruck by Smithson’s performance as Ophelia. The colorful, impetuous Berlioz sent Smithson’s love letters, which went unanswered.
“Symphonie fantastique” is a drama about a musician haunted by an ideal woman and his subsequent descent into jealousy, self-destructiveness and delirium. Smithson eventually attended a concert (the audience also included Chopin, Liszt and Paganini) featuring a revised version of the piece and only then realized her connection to it.
Berlioz and Smithson married a year later. (Let’s skip the part where they eventually broke up.)
“Symphonie fantastique” was praised in an article by Robert Schumann, another giant of the Romantic era.
“The whole thing revolves around fantasy, and we know Schumann loved Berlioz’s format of fantasy,” says Morlot.
Small wonder the “Fantastique” is paired in the Seattle Symphony program with Schumann’s 1850 Cello Concerto in A minor, another essential Romantic work.
“I always find Schumann and Berlioz go well together,” says Morlot by phone from Brussels. “More and more, I want to offer music by Schumann to Seattle. It’s not so easy to program his music on its own and get an audience, so pairing him with a Berlioz warhorse from the Romantic repertoire, in the context of Valentine’s week, is an opportunity.”
French cellist Xavier Phillips, who has previously appeared with the Seattle orchestra, is guest soloist on the concerto. The piece, never played in Schumann’s short life, famously defies a few conventions by presenting no breaks between movements and downplaying virtuosity for much of its length.
The Cello Concerto includes musical gestures toward Clara Schumann, the composer’s wife, including a kind of dialogue between two cellos representing the spouses in the lyrical second movement.
SSO’s program opens with Emmanuel Chabrier’s 1891 “Bourrée fantasque,” written for solo piano but intended by Chabrier to be fully orchestrated. The latter task was left unfinished by the composer, and Morlot is presenting an 1898 orchestration by Felix Mottl.
“Chabrier is one of those French composers no one plays anymore,” says Morlot. “The piece is so inventive with melodies and it’s a wonderful little jewel. I just wanted to introduce a new voice to the Seattle audience.”

I love this - “I always find Schumann and Berlioz go well together,” says Morlot.  Here we have 'complements' to go along with the compliments.

How are you doing with your preparation for Valentine's Day?  Have you tucked a few pearls of wisdom away or just had a good chuckle as you've been reading this month-long posting, or have you just gotten tickets to the symphony and are planning to invite me tonight?

Symphonic Seductions

Spirited, Sophisticated Sweetheart seeks Charming, Concert-loving Chap for Delectable Dining, Symphonic Seductions, and Concupiscent Companionship. 

Not restricted to Classical Concerts. 

Well-versed in the idioms of Jazz, Ballet, and Opera as well.

Have LBD (little black dress), will travel

The Seattle Symphony opened their 2013-14 season with a wonderful gala concert.  Lang Lang was STUNNING in the Prokofiev 3rd Piano Concerto.

Here is a recording snippet similar to what my sexy date and I experienced this evening.***  Of course, it was much better with the Seattle Symphony! What an INCREDIBLE pianist Lang Lang is!

He began lessons with Professor Zhu Ya-Fen at age three. At the age of five, he won first place at the Shenyang Piano Competition and performed his first public recital.
This one is even better:

Also of note were the Seattle Chorale and orchestra in Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances.  I felt the singers were quite bold and exciting in their difficult part of singing another language and counting for their entrances. :)

Here is the review - http://seattletimes.com/html/thearts/2021836150_langlangseattlexml.html

 * before we let our own fingers do the talking

Let's Paint The Town Red!

I love social engagements with travelers visiting Seattle on business or local friends.  Perhaps you are a visitor to Seattle who'd like to see the sights, or a local looking for a great way to spend a day.  Maybe dining out at a fine restaurant and catching the latest exhibit at Seattle's Art Museum or enjoying an evening of fabulous food and outstanding music at Jazz Alley is right up your alley, no pun intended.  Why go out alone, when it's always exciting to have a sophisticated, mature seductress on your arm to accompany you with enthusiasm and ardor to any number of interesting outings! 

As an avid classical music lover may I suggest a Seattle Symphony concert.   Perhaps you've been seeking a knowledgeable companion who shares your musical proclivities.   Perhaps you've never understood what could possibly be interesting about classical music.  I'll hold your hand throughout the entire 'ordeal' and give you good reason to smile.  Whether you love the symphony or not, I promise you'll enjoy a symphonic seduction to remember!

So, you've got some free time, a lovely lady in mind, and aren't sure what to do?  Here are a few varied suggestions for this Fall that I will keep updated for opportunities within and beyond the classical venue.

August -

ACT, A Contemporary Theatre presents In The Next Room, or the vibrator play

A stimulating comedy sure to create a buzz.  Ranging from the tender to the farcical, this smart comedy ponders marriage and intimacy, and how electricity came along to fuse them.

September -

Chris Botti at Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery

Pink Martini at Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery

Opening Night Concert & Gala w/Beethoven, Gershwin, and Ravel's Bolero - Seattle Symphony

Ludovic Morlot takes the stage in his first concert as Music Director in a program that nods to his French roots, and features a Seattle favorite: star cellist Joshua Roman. Welcome the Maestro with us. Special-purchase Gala tickets including cocktails, dinner, dancing and champagne intermission are available.

October -

The Atomic Bombshells Burlesque at Triple Door

The Atomic Bombshells are gearing up for our Future Space themed show! Our costume designers are working like androids to make this a spectacle of sci-fi costume splendor beyond even Barbarella (if you can imagine that, and we're sure you can!).

Rick Steves and the Cascade Symphony - EUROPE, a symphonic journey.

Emerald City Blues Festival  -  An amazing combination of dance instruction and great music.

For the 7th year running,  the most popular instructors we've ever had, dance legends Steven and Virginie, to match our star-studded staff, and dance to music of Solomon Douglas and Brother Yusef.

Cello Divas - Eight cellists and a soprano? That limelight better be pretty big. Chamber music group Simple Measures hosts a performance of Bachianas Brasileiras no. 5 by Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos.

Pilobolus, Dance Company, UW World Series

Acrobatics liquefied into poetry.These fan-favorites return to Seattle to delight audiences with their unique brand of dance.

Carmen - Seattle Opera

Bizet’s sexy thriller about a soldier’s ill-fated obsession with the ultimate femme fatale is arguably the world’s most popular opera. Featuring truly brilliant orchestration, an unrivaled procession of hit tunes, and a stage full of gypsies, smugglers, factory girls, and “tor-ee-a-dors,” Carmen packs all the sizzle of Spanish culture into an irresistible theatrical event. 

The Lord of the Rings with the Munich Symphony - Watch Frodo start his quest to save Middle-earth on the big screen as the Munich Symphony plays the Oscar-winning score to The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

SEDUCTION - Be seduced at the Seattle Erotic Arts Festival's official Halloween Party!

 

November -

Earshot Jazz presents Keith Jarrett

"Very simply, this is jazz at its finest," says the Los Angeles Times. The International Herald-Tribune adds, "The trio of Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette is about as good as jazz gets." This event is presented by Earshot Jazz, Seattle's nonprofit music, arts and service organization formed in 1984 to support jazz in the community.

Harvest Wine Tour and Cork Games

Head to the Olympic Peninsula where in between sips of new wine releases or perhaps a "Hot Spirited Apple Wine Toddy" you can try your hand at the "bung hole toss" or a host of other unique "cork games".

ACT, A Contemporary Theatre presents Double Indemnity

A nail-biting take on the famous novel probes the shadowy human soul.  Lust, intrigue, and cliffhanging twists amp up this much-loved crime tale, which Billy Wilder also adapted for his classic noir film.

Cool Yule - Seattle Men's Chorus
What would November and December be without “Seattle’s Other Holiday Tradition?” Plan now to bring your neighbors and friends to the unforgettable experience that is SEATTLE MEN'S CHORUS’ annual holiday musical extravaganza. This year a live swing band, complete with winds and brass, will complement a program filled with holiday favorites.

Sophie Milman at Jazz Alley
International Vocal Jazz Sensation Touring in Support of her New Release "In The Moonlight"

Café Nordo: 'To Savor Tomorrow'                                                                                             

A dinner-theater phenomenon!  "To Savor Tomorrow" focuses on futuristic food in sync with the 1962 World's Fair's upbeat vision of technology to come. It is plated as a Cold War spy vs. spy spoof, an absurd farce with dashes of James Bond and Alfred Hitchcock. 

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/thearts/2016673058_nordo06.html

Babeland presents
Tristan Taormino's Expert Guide to the G-Spot and Female Ejaculation.  A subject of special interest to me, and hopefully, you!

Williamette Valley Wineries - Wine Country Thanksgiving

Kick off the holiday season with this unforgettable wine tasting weekend in the Willamette Valley! More than 160 wineries and tasting rooms will open their doors for special tastings, food pairings, live music & more.  I do love a good Pinot!

Town Hall Concerts
Joshua Roman, former principal cellist with the Seattle Symphony, performs all six Bach Cello Suites.

December/January 
Pink Martini Holiday Show with the Seattle Symphony
Hosted at The Paramount Theater.  “All of us in Pink Martini have studied different languages as well as different styles of music from different parts of the world. So inevitably, our repertoire is wildly diverse,” says Lauderdale. “At one moment, you feel like you’re in the middle of a samba parade in Rio de Janeiro, and in the next moment, you’re in a French music hall of the 1930s or a palazzo in Napoli. It’s a bit like an urban musical travelogue. We’re very much an American band, but we spend a lot of time abroad … and therefore have the incredible diplomatic opportunity to represent a broader, more inclusive America … the America which remains the most heterogeneously populated country in the world … comprised of people of every country, every language, every religion.”

Land of the Sweets - The Burlesque Nutcracker at the Triple Door

Experience what’s made Seattle’s “audiences for these sold-out shows…go wild” (Seattle Times) and discover what the discriminating burlesque aficionado has come to expect from a Verlaine & McCann production! Land of the Sweets turns the winter-time event you’ve dreaded since childhood into an unpretentious smash-up of classical dance and vintage bump at the hepist holiday party since the end of prohibition.  

Beethoven's Ninth Symphony - Seattle Symphony

Welcome 2012 with Seattle Symphony! Start your evening with Beethoven’s mighty Ninth Symphony — featuring his famous “Ode to Joy” finale. Then, hail the New Year with a post-concert countdown and celebration.  Or enjoy the final days of 2011 in concert with Beethoven's Ninth December 28-30.

Your day or evening out is something special - let me know what you desire, and I'll take care of the rest.  The possibilities are only limited by our imaginations.  Our time together will be unforgettable! 

And now, would you help me with my zipper. please?