Inkblot

Morning Ritual: "Pretty Wings"

2009-05-24T09:10:00.000-07:00

::sigh::

Maxwell is back and finer than ever! This song is beautiful and the video has an ethereal sorrow to it. We watch it every morning and can't wait until the first part of his trilogy, BLACKsummer'snight, drops on July 7th.

Maxwell - Pretty Wings.

We might have to sneak down to NOLA to see him at the Essence Festival.

Help Kids...Take Pics of Yourself!

2009-04-29T11:02:00.000-07:00

I know I know...politics again? Don't worry I have some great non-politico posts up my sleeve...but first..check this out!

Pass Florida's $1 Cigarette Tax!

"Sham, I am not in the legislature, how am I gonna do that?"
Good question....well, it's as simple as doing one of my favorite things...take a photo of yourself..

Here are mine and my homie Kyle's (we thought this counted toward office productivity):
Say cheese to your cell phone (like we did), digital cam or your computer's lovely lens and snap away!
Make sure to include a little sign about helping FL's children or Pass[ing] the Buck. When you're done, send it, along with your name, city and zip code over to: savesfloridakids@gmail.com. Hurry! They're trying to collect 1000 photos to stick on this map representing Florida's support by TODAY! Check out more info on the campaign here!

Journal!

2009-04-13T05:37:00.001-07:00

A little 7am drawing...7am?!

Bayou

2009-04-10T10:00:00.000-07:00

Perusing old black web comics and cartoons I used to read, I ran across a link to Gettosake and their ad for a new comic "Bayou" a fantasy/horror premiering at Zuda Comics. I ventured over to take a look...what a stunning piece of work!

Bayou's illustration and plot line are the perfect combination of whimsy and that strange, beautiful anguish I feel when I visit historical sites in the Old South...kudos to the Love Brothers for achieving such a delicate balance in this masterpiece. I breezed through all 190-something posted pages and can't wait for more additions. Check 'em out!

(images from www.gettosake.com)

Red Nose Studio

2009-04-10T08:59:00.000-07:00

Chris from Red Nose Studio is pretty much a genius. Initially receiving his training from the Art Academy in Cincinnati as a painter but later taught himself sculpture. Using everything you can think of, Chris creates three dimensional characters and environments and then photographs them for an incredible effect. Chris's miniature worlds have been featured in newspapers and magazines all over the world. CHECK HIM OUT!!!

love love LOVE

2009-04-06T12:39:00.000-07:00

...If you have not already fallen in love with this video :)

Journal!

2009-04-06T12:25:00.000-07:00

I'm gonna go back to posting my journal drawings! I don't know where i got this saying, but I insert it whenever i need an inspiring, life-altering quote for someone. The puzzled looks mean my job is finished. :)

Earth Hour

2009-03-25T10:58:00.001-07:00

I heard about Earth Hour a while back. It's not much of a sacrifice to make a big statement about climate change in our world, so why not do it? You'll have an excuse to play flashlight tag, take a relaxing candle-lit bath, or...err...practice your sweet raving skills with glow sticks...

No matter what you decide to do, or where you are in the world, switch off your lights for just an hour...

Earth Hour

Saturday
March 28th, 2009

8:30pm

Poof Pow SURPRISE! GUESS WHO'S BACK!?

2009-03-22T17:33:00.000-07:00

window open driving past the speed limit drivers view

=
EQUALS
the busiest person alive

But I'm back and action packed. I'm actually in Miami RIGHT NOW getting ready for WMC by..partying it up the weekend before? ...Checkin out the pre-parties and ordering my brand new, fancy ma-jigs for the nikon. I have been EVERYWHERE in the past few months. ATL, CHI-TOWN, TAMPA, MIAMI, ORLANDO! One who may not know would think that I must be ballin' outta control since gas still is not cheap. Nope. But I am finally getting paid for my work :) Which is crazy exciting! Here's a link to my lil sample portfolio. EXTREME WORK IN PROGRESS. So...
comment COMMENT COMMENT!!!

ps whoadies...I'm on TWITTER! twitter.com/JessAppleseeD

Power Shift 2009!

2009-03-19T16:00:00.000-07:00

I recently came back from Power Shift 2009! It's a youth conference on climate change that culminated with the largest public lobby effort on climate change in history...(tha's kind of a big deal!)
It was held in D.C. (clearly, one of my new favorite spots) with 12,000 other young people from all over the country hosting and attending workshops, panel discussions and caucuses so that we can figure out and work towards Green Jobs, a Green Economy and Clean Sustainable Energy in our future.

Not only did I get to learn SO much about how to bring the green (in every sense of the term) back home, I also got to see all these awesome musical performances: Santigold, The London Souls and The (LEGENDARY) Roots all performed.

I have to say...The Roots RIPPED it with amazing tributes to J-Dilla and Fela Kuti laced into their signature sound -- it was soooo worth the trek back to my hotel from the metro station...(in the cold...and the snow...by myself :|)

Anyway, I made it back from my adventure with a green hard hat, early stages of frostbite and lobbying knowledge-a-plenty. Check out more photos, get info on climate change and getting green for you and your community with the links below:

Powershift '09!
Green For All
It's Getting Hot in Here

Shouts out to The League of Young Voters and the Community Empowerment Organization for sponsoring such an amazing trip (and just being generally awesome)!

Gainesville's not so bad...

2009-03-09T23:33:00.000-07:00

Recently-ish (like MONTHS ago) I went on a business trip for work to the beautiful Anna Maria Island. I had a really cute room at the Tortuga Inn, a local hotel with views of the beach and the bay in the area. Despite a mere one night stay, I was, of course, thinking of you guys, and decided to take a few destination shots, in case you're looking for a place to retreat to for some mental health days.

It was SO hard leaving my mini-vacay! The ride back, though grueling, featured interesting conversation about impoverished countries and a stop in Gainesville for a bathroom break and coffee. I know what you're thinking...

Gainesville? Eww!

My sentiments exactly, until I saw this awesome graffiti mural across from the Godforsaken Oaks Mall.

This beautiful piece was commissioned by a local high school SWAT (Students Working against Tobacco) group in 2002, but updated in 2008. It shows young people arming themselves (complete with pasta strainer helmets and serious determination) to unite against Big Tobacco. I was really impressed by this innovative idea from the Levy County youth, and glad to see their vision realized in this vivid, funky, representation. For more info on the Alachua/Levy County SWAT mural, check out this article.

In D.C.! (tweet)

2009-01-17T18:50:00.000-08:00

Hey!

I'm in D.C. for the inauguration (!) and of course, I wanted to keep ya'll updated, but I'm way too busy to blog with any frequency.

Sooooo...I've decided to join the bandwagon and use Twitter to keep a decent record of my adventures just for you guys (and umm, my grandkids). If you want to know what I'm up to, check the bottom right corner of Inkblot to see what's been up...or you can follow me!

Look out for LOTS of pics!

EDIT*--since I'm back, I've removed the feed in the corner, but you can still follow me if you like!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-09T13:25:00.001-08:00

Yeah, I know, we've been gone for a minute... still...it's given you a chance to miss us and gear up for a new year and new awesome posts! (see..there's a method to our madness.)

Anyhow, hopefully you've gotten 2009 off to a lovely start and are as excited as we are about what it'll bring.

You can look forward to reading lots of fun stuff about new projects, travel and interesting goodness we've discovered since you last heard from us. One, or maybe a few in particular will feature my upcoming adventure in Washington D.C. to see Obama inaugurated (!!!)

Until then, sit tight, this year's going to be an amazing the ride!

Peace!

LAST DAY TO REGISTER TO VOTE!

2008-10-06T07:45:00.001-07:00

Sup folks?

wondering where we've been?

The past week and a half we've been hustling to make sure that EVERYONE we see is registered to vote.

TODAY is the last day to register in Florida, so if you haven't already, or you're just not sure...make sure to click on our big blue link over to the right, complete the form, print it and drop it in the mail.

No matter who you're voting for, we have a crucial election on the line. Your vote is your voice, so make sure you register! (and if you have ANY questions about filling out your form, election dates, locations, etc...leave us a comment!)

We promise we'll be back with more funky artsy fly freshness in a bit. :)

NY Anyone?...

2008-09-29T11:23:00.000-07:00

Mmmkay,

It's Sham again...so I said to you all once before that one of my interests is theatre. What I didn't say is that I'm OBSESSED with it. I love being in, dreaming up and of course watching all sorts of interesting plays, especially musicals.

Recently, I was checking out information on an Off-Broadway show that one of my elementary school friends is working with. I was delighted to find that it's no longer OFF Broadway, but is now running with the big dogs on Broadway! (I think my inner dork is showing) Anyhow....that production is cleverly called [title of show] and, from what I can see, is amazingly witty and fun. Check it out here.

While perusing [title of show]'s YouTube videos (which, by the way, are a riot) I found a mini tribute to the opening night of In The Heights. Of course I went ahead and checked out the In the Heights videos to see what it was....

I haven't seen or heard of a show this innovative since Rent!. It's a musical about life in Washington Heights, NY. An area heavily populated with Latinos during the period the play is set in. (Since then the area's been suffering from gentrification...but that's a whole other post).

It deals with struggle, cultural pride, identity and belonging, while infusing the musical influences of traditional Latino music, hip hop and jazz.

In it's brilliantly defiant way, In the Heights contradicts the sometimes haughty image of Broadway that pervades the public and drops the jaws of it's spectators. Since it's opening on Valentine's Day of this year, In the Heights has swept the Tonys (Broadway's Academy Awards) winning :

Best Musical
Best Original Score
Best Choreography
Best Orchestrations

Anyhow...if all of my excited banter hasn't got you interested...take a look at their videos.

My favorites are the recording session and the commercial...I've GOT to see this show, anyone up for a trip to New York?

ILovethese

2008-09-29T08:09:00.000-07:00

I LOVE sneakers but I never wear them because I have large feet and sneakers that fit correctly end up looking a lot like boats at the ends of my legs. :( But I might go against my rule book and get these super cute shoes by Creative Recreation on Karmaloop.com. I adore the color combination and the style. I think with the right outfit they can be dressed up and dressed down. CHECK 'EM OUT!

"REWIIIIIIIND!" -- all the way from GA.

2008-09-26T14:25:00.000-07:00

Hey errr bo-day.

Today I'm posting from my phone because I am in Valdosta, Georgia for part of the weekend getting my car fixed and visiting my big bro-ham! Woot!

Sooo....last night I went to one of my favorite poetry spots for Black on Black Rhyme's weekly Thursday night open mic and I can't help but to fall in love with not only the venue but the whole vibe that they so beautifully create.

So, I'm just vibin', listening to some poetry when out of nowhere, the host calls me on stage to do a poem. To his

surprise, I agree and transform this opportunity to dog me out about being "the one who sits in the back writing all kindsa poetry but never performs", into an opportunity to try out a brand spankin' new piece I have been workin' on for a while. I go on stage, make small talk, and as soon as the crowd goes silent...

BAM!

I erupt with the first few lines of my poem. The crowd is in awe! People are, oooh yes'n and that's right'n! Suddenly someone yells out "REWIIIIIIIIIND!!!!!" indicating that I've been ordered to go back and spit that line one more time! I'm feelin it! My heart is pounding, my eyes are squeezed shut and all I can hear is the cacophany of keys shaking in agreeance with my flow and right when I'm half through...

::suspense::

::suspense::

I forget all the flippin' words.

....

Good thing I had my journal on hand. :)

I went on with the piece and bowed gracefully off of the stage, but not before I nearly wiped out trying to get back to my seat.

I had fun. Everyone really enjoyed my piece but not nearly as much as I enjoyed delivering it.

I'm going to try and record me performing the piece this weekend so that I can show you guys.

Until next time, this is j.appleseed signing out.

Godspeed
--
Sent from my T-Mobile Sidekick®

Masters of the Universe!

2008-09-22T12:46:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, it's Sham!

If you're just tuning in, you might've missed Jess' eloquent and oh so flattering post introducing me to the the Inkblot fam. So check it out here before you start wondering if you've landed on the wrong blog.

To let you know a little more about me, I'm interested in so many areas that (in my world) end up tying into one another. I'm talking anything from theatre, creative writing, doodling, dance and song to DIY projects, fashion, politics, community organizing, philosophy, literary critique and science experiments.
To say the least, I'm a mixed bag and I'll be blogging all about it.

I'm really excited to share my ideas, projects and opinions with you all and hoping it'll lead to a unique exchange within the Inkblot family. Any-who, expect to see Jess and myself tag-teaming to bring you guys all kinds of greatness...tell your friends, your relatives, your Probation Officer, your dog.....to come check us out.

(here's a script below, in case you can't think of the right words to say)

You: Hey (Friend's/Relative's/ Probation Officer's /Dog's Name), have you heard about Inkblot?
Them: No....what's that, a psych experiment?
You: Naw, it's actually just the most amazing blog ever in life. It's written by Jess and Sham, and it would be no big deal but, you know, they're....
Them: They're what? hot-Hot-Hotties?
You: Well, yeah, they are uh-may-zing-ly hot, but it's not that, they're...
Them: WHAT? what is it?!
You: They're the graphic-design-artist-indy-fly-funky-fresh-politico-genius-BLOG MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE!
Them: (awe inspired) Jeez....I'm AWE-INSPIRED. I gotta subscribe to the RSS feed with the next computer I see!

After this dialogue, most people steal someone's laptop, or hand held mobile internet gadget thingy at a sidewalk cafe' to subscribe. So, get some bail money together (unless it's your P.O.) and uhh..do what you gotta do.

...I can tell this is gonna be fun. :)

I have an Etsy!!

2008-09-16T12:53:00.000-07:00

So, I have to advertise myself just a lil bit on here. I made these awesome greeting cards with my Gocco the other day and I decided to post them on Etsy and guess what?! I SOLD 2 PACKS ALREADY!!!! I know...its only two but I've never done this whole greeting-card-making thing before and I'm just really happy with the way they came out. I'll be posting some journals later this week too so keep an eye out for more designs especially since I'm pretty much going to Gocco everything at this point... :) www.JessicaAppleseeD.etsy.com

Introducing....

2008-09-16T11:15:00.000-07:00

SHAMILIA!!! 1..2..3..GO!

AplsD:
Whats your name/where you from?!

Sham: Shake-zula, the mic rula', the old shoola'...*ahem*, I mean, Shamilia

and I'm from Lauderdale...and Jamaica too, but I live in Tallahassee.

AplsD: What do you do?!:

Sham:

I mostly just live...but while I do that I write, read, think, sing, act, sew, doodle, dance around, make stuff, play with my hair and eat.

(Did you mean officially?..oh.. I'm a community organizer and political advocate, aspiring law student, grant manager and consultant, "artist," daughter, friend, lover and goodaz gyal.)

AplsD: Good answer! Oh, and Who is Mr. Sean Dawkins?! :

Sham: S-e-a-n Dawkins?! It's no secret, he's a good man. One that would wait for me in the cafeteria because my last name was so far from his in the lunch line. One that would carry my tray to my table for me. One that would always pick me in Heads Up Seven Up. He was the one...(in 1st grade) LMAO. But he's SOO out of the picture now.

AplsD: Anything else you want to say!?

Sham: Hi Mommy! Hi Daddy! Hi Andre! (Hey Des!)

- Lots of stuff...that's why I can't wait to jump in on this blogging thing.

- You should let me interview YOU son!

- We should think about HOW we want to be instead of WHAT we want to be when we grow up.

AplsD: Woot! 1..2..3...BREAK!

Soooo, everyone look forward to reading posts from me and Shamilia.

Thats MY friend....

2008-09-11T10:49:00.000-07:00

So I am officially back and action packed! (woot!) So Ive been the busiest person this side of the Mississippi ever since I got the position of PHOTO EDITOR OF THE UNIVERSE for Journey Magazine!!! I cannot explain how stoked (Yes, I said stoked) I am about this position. I'll be posting fun photo shoots that I will be doing for Journey right here on my blog for everyone (my 5 friends and my mama) to enjoy! Also, I'm interning for this AMAZING blog called Fly that you all should definitely check out here!

Aaaaand one other thing...

Since I'm going to be incredibly busy with school, Journey and Fly I am introducing a new contributor to InkBlot! Her name is Shamilia and she is sooooo very dope! Together we will be changing the blogosphere, posting our Adventures and hopefully brightening your days!

Where'd I go?!

2008-08-23T11:19:00.000-07:00

Rich Medina!

2008-07-05T13:31:00.000-07:00

I had the incredible opportunity of photographing and hanging out with the very talented Dj and spoken word artist Rich Medina. Mr.Medina has worked with artists like Weldon Irving, Don Blackman and Jill Scott and has showcased his talent all over the US and Europe. I absolutely love his eclectic blend of hip hop, soul, Latin and African beats. CHECK HIM OUT!!! ----> here :)

MC Lyte is dope

2008-07-02T06:08:00.000-07:00

While cruising the internet i stumbled upon Mc Lytes video "Ruffneck" on youtube. Then i realized that i've been real outta touch with what this woman is doing right now. I went to her myspace and, well damn, Mc Lyte is fly. Not that i hadn't known that before but this picture is dope. She almost makes me want to go back to a perm and cut my sh!t off (almost). Her jacket is pretty cute too. High five to MC Lyte for reminding me how fire you are. Show some love and visit her blog.

Genius

2008-07-02T05:54:00.000-07:00

Hmm..

2008-06-30T14:11:00.000-07:00

So, i am incredibly lonely here in London. Don't get me wrong, the city is amazing. inspiration everywhere! But today i ventured to Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum and while i gazed open mouthed at Johnny Depp, i silently wished that i had some friends with me so that I, the photographer, could be photographed doing something obscene to the much-too-life-like wax effigy of Mr.Depp himself. It's O.K though, the museum was dope. Every last one of the sculptures really looked like they were staring right back at you, which ended up being mostly just scary and less cool. The neat part was that they even had some hanging out dressed and posed as tourists with cameras and fanny packs and shit pretending to take pictures. So of course i fell for it, im waiting for this wax Asian-impostor to get out the way of my perfect angle and shes not budging...::blushes:: "oh, my bad."
But other than loneliness, London is great and my family is ever greater. :)

Achoooo!

2008-06-26T02:14:00.000-07:00

I'm SICK!? Yea...how sad. I don't care 'cause i'm still gonna go out exploring...infecting the world i guess. I started eating dairy and fish again, a.k.a DEATH because i thought that if i didn't that there would be a great chance that i'd starve. Plus, what kind of tourist would i be without experiencing fish and chips in the HEART of fish-and-chips-land? But i'm almost certain that there is a link between me getting sick and eating animals again. Shit, might as well get it in while i can! And i will continue to tear UP some milk and cookies.

LONDON!

2008-06-25T08:31:00.000-07:00

omgah...I'm in London and it is amazing. Ive been keeping a journal full of sketches and notes of my whole trip so far so I'll post those along with blogging in the traditional fashion. Also, i'll post pictures of my trips and daily activities! I hope you guys enjoy it!!!

-moi

1999

2008-06-16T08:38:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine posted this video on his myspace bulletin and i nearly lost it. Back when i was a TV junky i used to wait for this commercial to come on so i could sing the song. Then I'd wait for the camera to pan down so i could see the hottie with the dreads and the high waters. ::sigh::

Southern Fried!

2008-06-15T18:32:00.000-07:00

So the 2nd largest poetry slam in the NATION was hosted right here in my little town of Tallahassee and oh man...AMAZING is definitely an understatement. I'm so sad that it is over and life in boring tally-ho is back to normal. I met some incredibly talented people this weekend and got lots of job offers (go me!). But anyway, i had a blast the entire weekend and took thousands of wonderful pictures. I'm still pullin' strands of my fro out trying to edit all the good ones but heres a link to a few of the ones i'm done with so far. Home you enjoy!!!

Oh yea, and Southern Fried has inspired me out of slam retirement...look out ;)

Biz Card

2008-05-30T11:58:00.000-07:00

I've been working on some designs for my business cards and after being shot down a million times by my friends and myself, I finally came up with this one. It still needs a lot of work but I think I'm on to something. I wanted a unique shape so I chose a circle because it can be folded to fit into traditional business card holders, pockets, wallets etc. I was thinking about putting an apple on the other side but I still don't know. Tell me what you think!

Link of the Day

2008-05-30T07:07:00.000-07:00

Album update!

2008-05-26T10:21:00.000-07:00

I updated my summer album! Check it out here!

2008-05-25T22:12:00.000-07:00

IM BACK!!!

2008-05-25T21:48:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'm sorry for not posting for so long but I have some really good posts coming up and you guys ( all 5 of my readers) will LOVE 'EM!
Anyhoo, here's a really cool site called WeFeelFine.org. basically it is a global database of bloggers emotions at a certain time. Every couple of minutes their system searches blogs from all over the world for the phrases "I feel" or "I am feeling" , records the sentence, categorizes it by the emotion (happy, sad, etc.), location, age gender and then turns this huge collection of emotions into interactive art. You gotta check it out to really understand it.
I love this site because i think it allows people to anonymously connect and share with bloggers all over the world and in your very own city.

On Vacation

2008-05-04T21:01:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, I'm officially on summer vacation! I've been in Ft.Lauderdale visiting family and friends and have no time to post. Soooo, what i'm going to do it post links to my summer album whenever times like these arise so you can check out where I'm at and what i'm doing (stalkers).

PEACE!

Link of the day

2008-04-28T07:57:00.000-07:00

Bid 'Em In

2008-04-28T07:48:00.001-07:00

Mama's Day

2008-04-28T07:06:00.000-07:00

So my mom doesn't really do the whole mothers day thing, but since she has 5 daughters it ends up being more of a competition of who's gift is better. I often times lose because I'm broke but not this year damn it! Sorry. This year mothers day falls on my birthday, of course, and i promised myself that i was going to go ALL OUT (again). So, Ive been searching the Internet for cute gift ideas so i can impress the mommy, beat all my sisters, and still be able to have an awesome birthday. Then, the heavens parted and I remembered this really great idea from one of my favorite websites, Photojojo! Here, they teach you how to make your very own personalized photo journal! Which is perfect because she already loves to scrapbook and is getting into photography. They also have some other great gift ideas not just for mothers day. When i finish making the journal i will definitely post some pictures, until then you should make your mama a journal, too :)

John Lytle Wilson

2008-04-21T18:32:00.000-07:00

John Lytle Wilson is one of my favorite artists and lives right here in Tallahassee. He teaches at Florida State as well as Valdosta State Universities and teaches beginning drawing classes at different community centers. I had the opportunity to meet him and of course I totally froze up and forgot the thousand and one questions that were building up since I walked through the doors of his Exhibit at Tallahassee Community College. Anyway, I absolutely love how he addresses issues that plague humanity and substitutes them with animals and robots. Check out more of his work here

Gocco!

2008-04-17T18:19:00.000-07:00

So after weeks of waiting I FINALLY got my Gocco Printer in the mail and let me tell you, I went crazy, as you can see from the photos. Trust that i Gocco'ed every paper item in my world. I hand drew this cool little picture of my with a wine glass over my eye and made a photocopy of it and followed all the gocco instructions and poof pow SURPRISE i was printing my face everywhere. Im really excited because i can finally start up my Etsy store once i get a few more things printed. The sad thing is that the Gocco printer is an endangered species since RISO, the manufacturer, does not make them anymore. I'm kind of freaking out because supplies are limited; screens, ink, cleaner, etc. But so far I'm so flippin' excited. I'm thinking of printing graduation announcements for a little cash, since its that time again :)

Take my poll, its for school!

2008-04-17T09:37:00.001-07:00

What Gender is God?

Make your own poll

Obama Graffiti

2008-04-15T16:36:00.000-07:00

This is awesome. There's this indie coffee shop in Tallahassee called All Saints Cafe that i frequent during finals week to study and as i was walking back to my car, i noticed this really great piece of graffiti on the side of the building. The symbol on his head is the symbol that the cafe uses as their logo and i'm in love with Obamas punk rock mohawk. I think i enjoy this piece so much because it reflects the sentiment that young people love aobut Obama; that he is the closest thing to having a symbol for those who are not spoken for, minorities, the young, those who are marginalized in todays society.

Yea, she's a cutie

2008-04-10T09:56:00.001-07:00

This is Angel (I hate her name. I really wanted to name her monster or selecta or something equally cool). When I was in Ft.Lauderdale this weekend i was checkin' out the craigslist.com listing in West Palm for pets and stumbled upon hers and decided to check her out. Immediately i knew that i wanted her! Shes extremely well behaved, potty trained, crate trained, you name it. Shes not spayed but I'm thinking about doing it just because I definitely don't want her to get knocked up at the dog park by some unknown and end up on Maury. Then, we'd be stuck with a litter of puppies that i would be forced to give away in a world where there are THOUSANDS of dogs sitting in tiny poorly ventilated cages waiting to be adopted. :( sad thought. Anyhoo, she's wonderful. I'm looking for a vet to take her to because i think that she might have an ear infection. She keeps scratching at her ears every few minutes and giving me this sad "help me" look. I'd love some comments on other pet owners experiences with doggy ear infections. Thanks!

Cotton WHAT?!

2008-04-07T07:46:00.000-07:00

While speaking to a group of Journalist, Condoleezza Rice explained that the U.S still has a national "birth defect" when dealing with the issue of race, which ultimately kept African-Americans from possessing the same rights as Whites. When CNN host, Lou Dobbs was asked to respond to Rice's statements on "The Situation Room", he expressed how he’s sick of ‘cotton pickin’ black leaders telling him how he can and can’t talk about race. He tried to catch himself but unfortunately for him he was unsuccessful (insert foot in mouth...now)! Dobbs ended up blurting out the word "cotton" and continued to ramble on trying to salvage his point. On top of that, CNN completely omitted the word "cotton" from their transcripts of the show...
Shocking? Hell no! I think that it is disgusting and hilarious that in the very same response he goes on to say that "there is no country on the face of the earth as progressive, as racially and ethnically diverse as our own". Just foolish.

I've included a video of Dobb's response here as well.

In Ft.Lauderdale!

2008-04-06T15:00:00.000-07:00

Sorry guys, no posts this weekend :(

Natural Hair

2008-04-01T12:06:00.000-07:00

I cut my permed hair off in May of 2006 and have been beyond happy with my kinks and curls ever since. I LOVE my natural hair but sometimes it's pretty difficult finding the right type of products to use in it to keep it healthy. Lately, I have been using Nubian Heritage hair products and have been very pleased with the results. I have fallen in love with their Coconut & Papaya shampoo and conditioner. They leave my hair smelling amazing and making it incredibly soft, moisturized and manageable. The best thing about Nubian Heritage products is that you can check out all of the labels and know that they are all natural, shea butter based products. A Nubian Heritage store just opened in Tallahassee so I know I will never be without (whew!).

Oh yea, and check out their body washes and bar soaps!

ZULUROSE

2008-04-01T09:20:00.000-07:00

I'm feelin' this clothing line called ZULUROSE . The have some really eye catching patterns and pay close attention to detail. What I like most is that kinda of new school, vintage, indigenous feel to their collections and the photography featured on the site. It sucks that they don't have any stores in my area, though. :(

Tamales

2008-03-30T19:31:00.000-07:00

Sorry that it takes me so long to blog. I'm so busy in the afternoon that I have to wait until I get home in the evenings to update. Anyway, this weekend I went to Orlando to go see some family who were down visiting from Albuquerque. For the first time in years, I witnessed my mama and my my aunts seriously throwing DOWN in the kitchen. Tamales, enchiladas, tortillas, beans, salsa, tostadas, machaca you name it and they were making it. Needless to say, I had to be airlifted back to Tallahassee seeing as I was too full to fit into my car. When I got home, I was so inspired by those beautiful Mexican women that I decided to go ahead and attempt to make some home-made tamales.

To be continued...

New Stuff

2008-03-30T18:54:00.000-07:00

This is my very first creation since I started experimenting with watercolors and ink and text and all kinds of stuff. I have millions of ideas, I'm just having problems executing them because I am pretty unfamiliar with those mediums. I'm really excited with the way that this one and some of the others turned out, though! I'm gonna start a flikr site for all my artwork and adventures and stuff so you guys can keep up :)

Imagining Ourselves

2008-03-29T17:12:00.000-07:00

My sister bought me this book a few years back and whenever I find myself stuck and without inspiration I open it up and voila, inspiration all ova the place. Harvard graduate student, Paula Goldman asked women around the world between the ages of 20 and 40: "What defines your generation of women?" and received over 3,000 responses from 57 countries! The book only includes 105 responses but contains poetry, photography, paintings, essays, stories and so much more. Imagining Ourselves is definitely one of my favorite books and I strongly suggest that you (women, especially) check it out.

The Death of the Polaroid

2008-03-29T17:01:00.000-07:00

Polaroid has announced that after this year, there will be NO MORE POLAROID INSTANT FILM!! How could Polaroid do this to me?! The book that I am working on now totally consists of polaroids and sketches and stuff. Wtf, Polaroid...
WTF

So, lets all do our part to save the Polaroid <---click here

Falling Water

2008-03-28T21:54:00.000-07:00

So, I'm great friends with some architecture students who told me about this piece of architectural genius by the great Frank Lloyd Wright. Falling Water was designed in 1935 and is considered a masterpiece for it detail and integration into the natural environment (among other things). Definitely check this video of it out and if you have the opportunity to actually visit Falling Water, go for it.

2008-03-27T23:39:00.000-07:00

Look what i made.
It's definitely a work in progress. I'm not very good at the whole photoshop business and I've only taken one graphic design course, but I play around in CS3 enough to be a photoshop master of the universe...
one day