OOTN: yellow and thrifty accessories

D E T A I L S

• yellow shirt - JC Penny
• skinnies - Dress  Barn
• Shoes - Payless
• Necklace - goodwill
• earrings - H&M
• scarf - savers

M A K E U P

• Revlon foundation
• Urban Decay eye liner
• ULTA mascara

I LOVE this shirt! I feel like I don't wear it enough. I got it earlier this year but I haven't worn it until recently. I particularly enjoy the little ruching near the shoulders. I know the sheer top is a trend right now, and this one suits me just fine! If you've never gone thrifting before or are a little hesitant, start off with accessories. You're bound to find something you like in this category.

I wore this outfit to my cousin's graduation party. Now she's off to UCONN *tear of pride in little cuz* good luck Kimber!

sidenote: I love how big my puff is getting!

TTFN<3

For more on my style, clickity here!

Tune in Tuesday: "Rising Sun" by Exile

image via 

• Genre: JPop
• Released: 2011?
• First Listen: March 2012
• Found out through: Kiera's mix tape
• Listen to this while: Driving in the morning to start your day ^_^

Lately I've been getting into pop music from the other side of the world. I had no idea where to start originally, until I found out my friend knew a couple of groups in the KPop and JPop scene. I asked her to make me a mix tape and she made me two!

This. Is. My. JAYUM. I have dubbed this my official driving song. It's incredibly perky and full of sunshine--I mean come on, it's in the name. I may not understand what they're saying but you can bet I can understand their message. After looking this song up for more information other than it's super uplifting, I found out that this song was specifically written to lift the spirits of Japan after the earthquake. I think it's safe to say mission accomplished with this one.

here's a live version followed by the (shortened) music video:

The Quintessential "Hair Journey" Post

You might be thinking, "what the heck, a post about your hair?" Why yes! it's one of my most prized possessions. Having natural hair as a Black woman is a kind of big deal. For centuries, Black women in western countries have been straightening their hair. Natural, kinky hair was/is not proper and seen as demeaning and unkempt. This view on hair like mine is still prevalent; but the whole Natural Hair Movement is changing that. Thank goodness!

I am half Black, half Puerto Rican. But as you can see, my hair is all fro. Ever since I can remember my mom has used products to straighten my hair. Nothing too harsh; mostly those Just 4 Me kits that looked so awesome with all the pretty colors. This is basically the norm for every little Black girl with thick curly hair. I'll admit I had A LOT of hair that was incredibly thick. It'd be a chore to manage my hair without this nifty little relaxer, so thanks mom for all the wonderful styles! Although this picture doesn't quite showcase that... I was too busy having fun at the beach down the street from my house that day.... 

christmas party,  2008 ~ Also my last relaxer

As I got into my teens I never kept up with my hair; I'd get a relaxer twice a year and have my mom braid my hair most of the time. I was very active with sports and band all year round and pretty much a tomboy until I graduated high school. I was the princess of ponytails, wearing my hair out twice a year, right after my relaxer. Throughout this time I noticed my scalp not fairing too well with scabs and redness, so my mom and I tried a few different brands; but nothing worked. So by the time college came around, I just stopped. 

June 2009; before I knew what transitioning was...Same beach as the 2nd pic!

I didn't really know what I was getting into; I just knew I didn't want another relaxer. The picture above was a very popular hairstyle for me. *Wash condition, mousse, scrunch, air dry* It'd last a couple days, was super easy, and hid the fact that I have two very different textures going on. If it wasn't this, It was blow dried and pulled back into a bun or a ponytail, like this picture over here on the side.  This was actually the last event of pictures with my hair still relaxed, taken January of 2010 by Zack when we went to see Yankee Stadium. He's a huge fan. Also notice my rad warhol bag that I still own and love

I started looking into how to care for natural hair towards the end of 2009. There wasn't very much information so it took a while. But alas, YouTube had all of these hidden gems of natural hair vloggers, tutorials, and encouragement. It was overwhelming. I would literally spend hours every night watching videos. The vloggers that helped me decide to do the big chop (in the natural hair community, the moment you cut off all the relaxed hair) are NaturalChica, Naptural85, and BlackOnyx77. Late one night (March 5, 2010 to be exact) I went into the bathroom and just cut off all my relaxed ends. I went to bed grinning from ear to ear.

That morning I woke up to my mom yelling "WHAT'S ALL THIS HAIR DOING IN THE GARBAGE?" I sort of just looked up, pointed to my head, and clonked back out. The only person I told about it was Zack, and he was pretty nervous to begin with. My dad was totally shocked and my mom kept touching it and said, "well it's her hair she can do whatever she wants."

Whatever I want. :)

I've gotten an unbelievable amount of positive comments when people found out. I felt a little insecure, but I knew this was definitely for me. Everyone loved it!

The only other major thing I've done since is dying it this reddish color in September 2010. After I had my fill of this color I've been trimming the red out slowly but surely. You can still see it in the tips, but for now, I don't mind it.

Two years later, I haven't stopped looking into videos, tips, ideas, and products for natural hair. I've found out a wealth of information and only realized this after talking with one of my sister's friends about going natural. I told her I will share with her information on how to go natural, transitioning tips, talk about the BC (big chop), products, and anything else I know about hair like mine. I'm not turning this into a hair blog or anything, but my hair is a very important part of my style. My fro has gotten so many compliments and has become a part of who I am; I really think it reflects my style all on its own.

Now when you see a hair post, don't think it can't apply to your hair type. Lots of the hairstyles and products can be used for any hair type; especially the home made products I like to make and the masks for some TLC on your lovely tresses. 

I look forward to sharing with the world (and Nancy) all I know about hair. I love talking about it so much! Most importantly I love my hair. (in case you couldn't tell) 

TTFN<3

Tune in Tuesday: Light as a Feather by Chic Corea and Return to Forever

Genre: Jazz Fusion

Released: 1972

First Listen: 2007

Favorite Track: You're Everything

Found out through: Zack

Listen to this when you're: hosting a dinner party

Back in high school I was in the bassist in the jazz band. I didn't really listen to jazz on my own until Zack introduced me to this album. It's light, fun, and the solos are tight; not to mention the vocals of Flora Purim. This album is always one to put me in a good mood. I got the chance to see a Return to Forever reunion concert and they are still as amazing as ever. If you've never listened to jazz, this just might get you hooked.

Busy Busy Bee, this summer!

I can't believe june is almost over! I've been keeping myself busy trying to build up my etsy and and working towards maybe showing in some craft fairs. Not to mention working full time and starting p90x. I have so many ideas for this blog; never ending todo list! I cant wait to get some of the posts I have in mind published.

I'm shapin' up all the areas of my life, and it feels good! here's photos of some of the crafty things I've been up to:

starting a watercolor series on fruit

hopefully I can order prints soon

splurged on some lace...

...and some necessary supplies

made this awesome camera strap cover for my photography major friend for graduation :O)

made some new banners for my tumblrs

made lots of button pins

and watched moose try to fight the lawn mower.

I think this is going to be a great summer :)

TTFN<3

RADIOHEAD_LIVE in Mansfield, MA

I love my man, and we are obsessed with love Radiohead. We saw them four years ago at the same venue. I can't compare the two because they were both an amazing experience. JUST SO GOOD YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND UMMMPH.

*ahem* Anyways....

Caribou opened and it was just perfect to set me in the mood for a great concert. Their beats sound so much more intense live. It was my first time ever hearing anything by them and I absolutely adored it. I kept wiggling in my seat to their infectious groove; couldn't help myself! I made sure I didn't forget to purchase their album a couple days after the show.

Caribou - I wasn't actually able to see this with all the smokes and lights and daylight.

Comcast Center is an outdoor venue; really great actually. Except most bands' sets are best seen in darkness; no daylight to interfere with their lighting and smoke or whatever. So it was a bit of a downer because you weren't actually able to see anything....Not sure how Zack's camera was able to capture this but I'm glad it did! During intermission the sun had completely set in time for Radiohead's stage to shine ever so gloriously.

15 sets. HA. get it? I'm lame get over it. 

This was the most beautiful stage I've ever seen. For each song the screens would be lifted, lowered, and tilted in all sorts of directions in so many different colors. It was mesmerizing. Each matched the song's vibes perfectly. My absolute favorite color/set up combo was with one of my favorite songs, Everything In It's Right Place.

Speaking of songs, the setlist was absolutely positively unbelievable. They sprinkled tracks from almost all of their albums. They played all my favorites. ALL OF THEM. Well, all but Optimistic, but they played that last time I saw them. Seriously they knew I was there. I just get so lucky.

As some of you may or may not know, I am obsessed with Thom Yorke and his dance moves. He gets SO INTO IT and moves like no other. It's contagious, and I love it love it love it. And how can I not mention his voice? The voice that can so easily put me in a trance I'd hate to break out of? I have a problem, guys.

They had a second drummer who looks very much like Phil. Honestly, they were so tight that you could barely tell there were two sets, yet the complexity it offers was insane. Brain explosions occurred due to the complexity immediately with Bloom. Such a great way to start. SO GOOD. I thoroughly enjoyed the new song Identikit as well.

Last thing I need to mention is IDIOTEQUE. I have a relationship with this song. Zack would get jealous but he totally understands. When they played it live at this concert, they lit a fire under it and revved it up to an extraordinary level. The vibe of this song live is totally different than the studio version but I love it all the same. Needless to say it's my favorite song of all time hands down. I have no idea why other than how I feel when I hear it.

I'm SO glad we were able to make it to this concert; Radiohead is incredible live. I'm pretty sure Zack and I will forever attend every Radiohead concert we possibly can.

Tune in Tuesday: Swim by Caribou

• Genre: Experimental, electropop, folktronica
• Released: April 2010
• First Listen: Today!
• Favorite Track: Sun
• Found Out Through: Opened for Radiohead
• Listen to this when you're: Getting lost in your artwork.

This is the sort of album that you listen from start to finish. Each track flows so well into the next that it's easy to lose track of time. I absolutely love all the exotic and funky sounds they incorporate with their music. FUN FACT: I used to play the bass clarinet, so when I heard it on tracks like "Kaili" I was so excited! I found this album to be pretty upbeat and motivating. I listen to this album while crocheting and it was pretty easy to get into the groove. They were pretty good live, but I'll get to that when I talk about the concert from last week.


This is the first time I've listened to Swim,  and it's just the sort of thing I've been looking for. I want more!

TTFN <3

DIY: Ombre Canvas Shoes with Sharpies

I've been wanting to alter these plain Jane canvas shoes for quite some time, and I've finally found a fun and easy way to add some color. Just in time for summer!

You will need:

• Canvas shoes
• Rubbing alcohol
• A sponge, cotton pad, or dropper (something to drip the rubbing alcohol onto the shoe)
• Your choice of Sharpies
• Tester fabric (optional)
• Newspaper
• Bowl

Inspect your shoes if they're not new. Make sure they're relatively clean! I had to wash mine. They'll be fine in the washer machine with a couple of old towels. Remove the laces, get your stuff and head outside for this super fun craft! (if not outside, A well ventilated area is cool too)

What colors and fades do you want for your new kicks? I recommend a tester fabric because I found out later on that some colors don't spread at all, and some colors spread into other unexpected colors; although the surprise outcome is part of the fun.

To get colors to fade, color across the shoe with one or two colors, and immediately drip the rubbing alcohol over the color. To do this I poured some rubbing alcohol in a bowl, used the cotton pad to soak some up, and squeezed the pad over the color. The more rubbing alcohol, the more it spreads. You don't want to wait too long to drip the rubbing alcohol, because the sharpie ink could dry permanently. 

~ Color and drip, color and drip... ~

The teal in the middle didn't spread well, so I went back over with a blue that did

A few tips: 

• If you want to go back over a section, try to wait till it's a little dry at least. If you color on parts still really damp with rubbing alcohol, you'll dry out your marker.
• If you must and you're impatient like me, then go ahead. When the marker appears like there's no ink coming out, then grab a scrap sheet and color till it's revived.
• The ink spreads in all directions; experiment with other shapes and patterns if you'd like!
• Sharpie.com goes into greater depth about this technique.

Once you're all done, leave them out to dry over night. Once they're completely dry, the ink will stop spreading. Don't be afraid to go over a few spots if you feel like it! I did a OOTD post earlier with these shoes, if you want more pictures. I think they came out pretty great; I want more!

Let me know if you make these and how they turned out for ya! Hope you liked the tutorial; feel free to post any questions.

TTFN <3