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"Blingit: A Sparkly Journey Through Dance, Art, and Life"

I'm Blingit. An Aussie SAHM who spends my life at the ballet studio with my kids and in my spare time i paint.

Today's blog is a bit different it is the STORY OF BLINGIT - not me... not my life story nothing quite as boring as that - the story behind the NAME ... BLINGIT. People often ask what that is about and people don't always get it right. But THIS is the true story of BLINGIT.

Alternate titles for this blog could include be...

"From Ballet Shoes to Rhinestones: The Story of Blingit"

"Blingit All Day: How I Became the Queen of Crystals"

"Why Everything I Touch Ends Up Covered in Rhinestones"

"BLING-IT all the way" ( Its just been Christmas remember)

Have you ever stared at something plain, ordinary, and just thought, "This could use some sparkle?" That’s me. All the time. Whether it’s a cheap T-shirt, a pair of worn-out ballet shoes, or my sewing projects, I can’t resist the urge to bling it up. Hence the name: Blingit. It’s a command, a lifestyle, and sometimes, a glitter-fueled obsession.

even if it is just 5 rhinestones on a collar, i put them there anyway just as a bling reminder. lol

my kids are the same. I regularly have to tell my 10 year old off for putting gems on furniture as i try to have a classy modern house. Not sure how this works with the glitter everywhere... but meh... lol

Let’s rewind a bit. Growing up, I did ballet. Not the prima ballerina kind—more like the "trying to hold my turnout while praying I don’t fall over" kind. In fact i was not super amazing. but i did ballet till i was about 18 or so. Fast forward a few decades, and now I’m back to recreational ballet, wobbling my way through pliés and pretending my hamstrings aren’t screaming. Actually it was my dodgy hip that i hurt and was like.. ok what can i do to fix it and i knew the exercises at ballet would challenge it like no other.

My kids, however, are serious about dance. Their studio is practically our second home. I’m there so much that I sometimes wonder if I should bring a sleeping bag. One child or another is there from 3:30 - 8:30pm Monday, wednesday, thursday, friday finish at 7 and saturday you can kiss the whole day goodbye as even I dance on a Saturday.

It’s no secret in the dance world that costumes are a big deal. And by "big deal," I mean everything. You can’t just have a tutu; it has to sparkle so much that the audience might need sunglasses. Even here in Australia these can cost $300 - $2000 even for student tutus. (obviously there is second hand so that helps, but a decent one second hand is about $300 - $500.) That’s where my love affair with rhinestones began. I started out cautiously, gluing a few crystals here and there, but pretty soon, I was hoarding them like a magpie. Now, I’ve got what might be the largest rhinestone collection outside of a Swarovski factory. except no more Swarovski as they stopped making them and im stuck with either Precocia or ones from China.

The name Blingit came about during a particularly late night of costume prep. I was elbow-deep in tulle, sequins, and fabric glue, and my husband wandered in, asking why everything in the house seemed to be slowly accumulating rhinestones. Without even thinking, I muttered, “Because you gotta bling it!” And that was it. The name stuck. When the dance teacher would say, "that costume is too boring" i would say... "relax! i can BLINGIT"

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A Blingit Household

The "bling it" philosophy isn’t just for costumes. It’s seeped into every corner of my life. Take T-shirts, for example. I’ve found that even the cheapest pair ov shoes from the bargain bin at k-mart look fabulous with a few well-placed crystals. it turned my kids shoes into the envy of every little girl at every party they went to. they looked like $400 designer shoes when really they cost about $4 tops.

Sewing, But Make It Sparkly

Sewing has always been a big part of my life. I make clothes for myself and my kids, but no project feels complete without a touch of sparkle. unhappily my recent hand injury has really put the kybosh on a lot of the sewing as i struggle with scissors. but i still can get into the crystals.

Funny enough, despite my rhinestone obsession, I’m not super into crafting. Scrapbooks, knitting, paper crafts… not really my thing. But give me fabric, a glue gun, and a pile of crystals, and I’ll happily work for hours. It’s not about making something from scratch—it’s about taking something ordinary and making it extraordinary. Bling it up.

Art and Bling

Aside from dance and sewing, I’ve also been exploring daily acrylic painting. While my paintings don’t usually feature rhinestones (yet), the same "bling it" philosophy applies. Art, like life, is better with a little flair. Sometimes, I’ll even paint abstract backgrounds that mimic the shimmer of crystals—just to keep the sparkle alive. Or i use metallic paints in paint pouring to make it fun.

What’s Next for Blingit?

Who knows? I’m always finding new things to rhinestone, paint, or sew. Whatever it is, one thing’s for sure: life is too short for boring clothes, plain costumes, or un-blinged T-shirts.