ZAVYZAVIZAVE

I have a new blog

2009-07-30T17:53:00.000-07:00

I would scrape my knee for this

2009-05-21T17:42:00.000-07:00

I have a confession to make... I don't know how to ride a bike. When I was at the age that most people learn to bike I was turned off by the possibility of getting seriously scarred or injured. (my arm used to pop out of socket and I had nose bleeds as a child)

It never bothered me, I can skate/rollerblade , (I could do it as soon as I strapped them on) and I love walking. I do occasionally get slightly jealous when I see girls riding their beach cruisers in the summer time, which brings me to the The Madsen Precious Cargo Bike Precious indeed, Oh the places I'd go on this bike, I would name her Breehy-hinny-brinny-hoohy-hah (hoo-ha for short) she will be my steel and plastic steed.

I want this bike, which means I have to learn how to ride a bike ,which means I might get hurt or dirty. Long story short I would get hurt and dirty for this bike. It retails for $1,299 is that a lot for a bike ? Lucky for me I don't have to worry about paying for it, because I am going to ~~steal~~ win one if you click here

via The Scoop

Married to Shoes #5 Amish Hooker

2009-04-20T17:47:00.000-07:00

Its been so long since I did a married to shoes...
I have been a good girl, ignoring the urge to buy things I don't need...
a while ago I put on my (only pair of) black flats for a job interview and I noticed that one side had rips and tares on it !
I looked through my shoe collection for an alternate and I realized that I had no NORMAL shoes...
Until I bought these... Bronx Roxan

I know, these are not normal shoes , they are definitely look like something out of The Crucible, but I can wear them to a job interview. They remind me of one of my ex co-workers, she wore long skirts EVERYDAY, I used to tease her and call her Amish*Hooker because she looked innocent ,but she had a potty mouth.

*I have the utmost respect for the Amish, I would love to visit Amish country.

Jewelry and Metalsmithing

2009-04-09T21:13:00.001-07:00

Did I mention that I have been taking a intro jewelry and metalsmithing class....Since January ?

I feel like such a newbie, and I did not want to post any of my work, however
when I saw Ambika's on Into the Fray, I decided to share

We have only done 5 projects so far..
These pictures were taken by our instructor and posted on flickr.

The first was a mobile

I did not realize how morbid mine was until I saw it alongside everyone elses...
The requirement was 6 cut silhouettes, it was our intro to cutting, drilling, texturing and darkening.

The second was a pin !

I love pins ! We had to use a found piece of 2-d material, I used a hang tag from a sweatshirt from my alma mater, he/she is a zen banana slug ! This project introduced soldering, working with acrylic and cold connections.

I was not going for an insect theme the rest of my pieces are bug free I promise. Each one of my projects seems completely different to me, but during our critiques someone always seems to find a theme.

I am really happy with the way my last three pieces came out, I will post pictures when they become available.

Cartoon Style : Orange Blossom

2009-04-08T10:49:00.000-07:00

Orange Blossom from Strawberry Shortcake

So sweet, makes me want to smile. I was never really into strawberry shortcake and her crew, but my mom bought me an Orange Blossom pin that I wear often, and everyone loves it. Out of all the outfits this one is my favorite, I love everything about it especially the socks.

Cartoon Style : The Bettys guitarist

2009-04-03T13:39:00.000-07:00

The Bettys guitarist from Phineas and Ferb

I recently started watching this show, some kids I knew tried to tell me about it, but I was not listening, then one day my sister convinced me to watch it. Phineas and Ferb is a pretty good show, I only watched two episodes one was about them starting a fashion line, and the other was about their sister going on tour with this girl band called The Bettys . This chick is the lead singer of the Bettys, lets call her Betty.

Cartoon Style : Goo Fosters Home from Imaginary Friends

2009-03-17T10:00:00.000-07:00

Goo Fosters Home from Imaginary Friends

Goo both looks like me , skinny, bright colors, crazy hair ,check, check, check . Her full name is Goo Goo Gaa, and the story goes that her parents allowed her to name herself so they wouldn't stifle her creativity ,and her first words were Goo Goo Gaa. My first word was not Zavijava, but the line about creativity is definitely something my parents would say. BTW, I was two steps away from buying those yellow boots TWO.

Cartoon Style

2009-03-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

The Secret Society of list Addicts listed their favorite shows when they were children, (I have always loved cartoons) racialicious also did a post on children's programming about the appearance of women of people of color etc and it got me thinking about some of my favorite cartoon characters who LOOK like me. So I have been playing around on polyvore forever ,but i never had a reason to post anything I made until now !

So I made 4 of these and here's the first one

Shana from Jem

I loved all the ladies of Jem even the bad ones, my mom taped episodes of the show for me, because I was too young to appreciate it when it came out. Shana doesn't look like me, look like me, like we are both black ,we both have big hair, and like bright colors, but she's like 5 shades browner then me. If I had a purple Afro I would rule the world, but, I do have a silver jacket in my closet RIGHT NOW.

Craft Fever

2009-03-10T10:11:00.000-07:00

The Jo-Ann's by my house is going out of business and I went to the liquidation sale and literally caught a craft fever, so many crafting possibilities I started getting delirious, and now I am sick.

I like to shop in silence no matter what it is for I hate chit chat it's distracting and unproductive, this lady was trying to pick my brain
Friend: (talking to the lady) these pants are trendy right ? (holds up a pattern) like will the kids will buy them if I make them ?
Lady: I don't think so, lets ask a kid (glances around eyes land on me) Hey you're in high school right ? (This lady looks to be in her late 20's early 30's)
Me: Blank Stare
Lady: You're probably thinking girl I am in college
My Mom: She's out of college
Me: Blank Stare
Lady: Are these pants trendy for high school girls ?
Me: No
Friend: Lets ask someone else...
Lady/Friend: (turn to an 8 YEAR OLD): Are these pants trendy for high school girls ?
Lady: (Glances at my fabric and patterns) Wow those are all really great is there anymore ?
Me: Blank Stare.... no

I can't find the exact pants but they are something like these

a loose pj type pant with draw strings not at the ankle but just ABOVE the ankle.

Press

2009-02-25T15:03:00.000-08:00

Black Girl With Long Hair
Craftzine
Craftster
Chronicle Books
Daily Diy
Hipster Run Off
Teen Diaries
Teen Diaries: Interview
Miss Nappturality

I don't want to know Victoria's Secret

2009-02-09T14:22:00.000-08:00

I can't stand Victoria's Secret...
They don't carry my bra size in store ,their undies never fit right ,AND there have been reports of there products causing itchy rashes and blisters , no thank you...
Adding black colleges/universities to the Pink line does not make up for shoddy products.

Compai and Threadbanger both have tutorials on how to make you own underwear.

Save some money ,recycle some fabric, and sharpen your craft skills.

M.I.A

2009-02-09T14:12:00.000-08:00

M.I.A almost makes me want to get married and have a baby
...almost

Nadya Suleman makes me want to get my tubes tied

100 Ideas #4

2009-02-06T12:04:00.000-08:00

From Keri Smith's list

4.Draw your dinner

I used paint
I had vegetarian pizza
a salad
Canada dry ginger ale
and mini chocolate teddy grahams

Help the Babies

2009-01-26T15:51:00.001-08:00

I don't think I knit well enough to pull this off ,but I may try... from crafty crafty
if you have the skills click the picture for a link to the pattern

Honda Fit Shoe Design Contest

2009-01-23T15:21:00.000-08:00

Cardboard Shoes

2009-01-23T15:04:00.000-08:00

I was reading the craft magazine blog today and I came across this:
The artist's name is Mike Leavitt

100 Ideas #3

2009-01-15T23:13:00.000-08:00

From Keri Smith's list

3. Buy something inexpensive as a symbol for your need to create

I bought an X-Acto knife, I had one but I lost it. The X-Acto knife symbolizes precision and focus, which I feel like I have been lacking recently so I need to focus on creating more and finishing what i start and the X-Acto Knife represents that.

100 Ideas #2

2009-01-13T21:02:00.000-08:00

From Keri Smith's list

2. Write a letter to yourself in the future

Dear Zavijava , (everyone will use my full name in the future)

Greetings from 2009 ! Remember the last two times we wrote a letter to our future selves ? The first was was full of expectations and the second one was full of doubts and this one will be full of sh*t jk, I hope we still amuse ourselves...this one will actually just list some things that we often we forget that we would benefit from remembering.

Be true to yourself, own what you do, try to do work that you feel you should not be getting paid for, practice yoga ,take a break, relax, everything happens for a reason, drink some water, take your vitamins, buy/make something pretty for someone else, be thankful, and breathe.

Love,
Me

100 Ideas: #1

2009-01-13T20:22:00.000-08:00

I was going through my bookmarks yesterday and I came across this 100 things list by Keri Smith, I bookmarked it like 2 years ago planning to use it but I never did. So I am going to use it now and chronicle it here. (BTW There are actually 95 things not 100.)

Today: Go for a walk. Draw or list things you find on the the sidewalk.

I would draw them but I can't scan the pictures right now...
A broken artist's pallet
A polka dotted empty cupcake wrapper
A thick tan rubber band
A prickly seed pod
Leaves and lots of cigarette butts

9 for 2009

2009-01-07T13:48:00.000-08:00

So, I was thinking about how crazy it is that people tend to be their own road blocks ,but really I was thinking about about myself...How I am my own road block. Like I have been in a rut, not even a rut because when I think of a rut I think of like driving down the street and your car getting stuck in like a hole and you are smashing the brakes and your tires are spinning and spinning but you are not moving, like a rut is being stuck and not knowing where you want to go or how to get out. For me its more like I pulled over got out the car and laid on the sidewalk, I saw that the gas was getting low and instead of rushing to get a fill up I just got a little pessimistically philosophical like" mmm my gas is going to run out, I should get a refill, but really whats the point ? I am just going to have to fill it up again..."
The point is that I don't know what the point is and I should not assume that I do ,or that the point is not worth reaching.

For the most part I know EXACTLY what I want out of life,there are things I could/should be working towards right now instead of laying on the sidewalk. I am thankful because there are so many people who do not know what they want ,or how to get what they want or, they CAN NOT get what they want or even what they need, and I am like having a pity party for myself on the sidewalk, GROSS.

So I went through all these emotions feeling mad, hopeless, disgusted now I am ready to make moves.

The biggest issue is my mindset, I mentioned trying to be more positive before, In the past I vocalized a lot of limitations for myself, "like I am never going to get married or I would never have kids", and its not that I am more likely to do either of those things now, I am just not going to say stuff like that, because I don't know whats going to happen in the future and by saying stuff like that out loud I am limiting my self.I feel like it is disrespectful to my future and "bad karma" to narrow my own possibilities.

Artist Statement

2008-12-18T13:06:00.000-08:00

Many of the things we cherish have purely nostalgic value, and little to no intrinsic value. My work explores value and symbolism, specifically the assignment of worth and meaning, what is valuable and meaningful for what reasons. Focusing on value and symbolism allows me to create pieces instilled with my own memories, experiences and inside jokes. Although the questions posed by my pieces may not be readily understood, they can still be appreciated; their meanings can be reassigned by those appraising them. The flexibility of meanings and symbols allow pieces to attain worth beyond their face value.

World Aids Day 2008

2008-12-01T10:28:00.000-08:00

HIV/AIDS prevention is something that I am really passionate about, please take the time to educate yourself about these issues, even if you think that you can't/will not be effected...

New Heavy D !!!!!

2008-11-28T11:18:00.000-08:00

I used to love this man
Long Distance Girlfriend

Wikipedia is missing an article

2008-11-20T19:05:00.000-08:00

I received this picture in an email today ! I know what you're thinking... so what ? BUT This picture has a story...
The guy who played Whitley's BF on a different world,(you know Julian the light skin one) took this picture of me at the African Marketplace over the summer... Sooo I hunted him down via the internet, and he sent it to me today. His real name is Dominic Hoffman AND he went to UC SANTA CRUZ (my alma mater !!!) true story. I am totally going to write a Wikipedia article about him.

Married to Shoes #4 Halloween Edition

2008-11-03T09:29:00.000-08:00

I was not in the mood for making an elaborate costume this year, but I felt like I had to dress up ,so I took a tip from the coveted and made a costume from things in my closet.
I was a 60's flight attendant, my favorite part of the costume was the hat and the shoes. The hat was my Nanny's ,and the only authentically 60's item in the costume.
I had never worn these shoes before they are by Fornarnia .When I bought them I thought they were the cutest things ever (I bought a ruby red pair also) but once I got them home I was a little intimidated they have so much going on, t-straps, toe cleavage, suede...

I made my younger sister's costume, she was poison ivy

Halloween Costume Ideas for African Americans

2008-10-08T14:27:00.000-07:00

I am having trouble thinking of costume ideas ,and I tried Google, but nothing really came up... so I am compiling a list of costumes for black people. AOL Black Voices has a pretty good list up I am not going to repeat anything from that list so you should check it out.

SEXY

1. Betty Davis
She was funk singer and a model, if you google her you will find plenty of pictures of her sure to inspire a sexy costume. All you need is an Afro or Afro wig, some boots and a lot of attitude.

Male Counterpart: She was married to Miles Davis, but a Jimi Hendrix costume would also work.

2. Josephine BakerI don't know who's sexier then Josephine Baker... I would not advise going topless, if you really wanted to be racy you could wear a flesh colored top or body suit so you could still have the bare effect.

Male Counterpart: Cab Calloway or Sammy Davis Jr

MOVIE/TV

3. Dorothy from the Wiz (Diana Ross)
Another costume where you would need an Afro or a wig, a stuffed dog could work for Toto, or you could not have one and just keep looking for him like she does in the movie. BTW Her heels are silver like, not ruby.

Male Counterpart: Any of the male characters from the Wiz

4. Uhuru from Star TrackThis is a sexy costume, her dress/tunic was pretty short, don't forget to wear a pair of black boots and nylons.
2009 UPDATE:

Male Counterpart: Captain Kirk , Spock, or any one of the random black male crew members

5. Coffy/TNT Jackson/ Cleopatra Jones
You could dress the up and be sexy in something skimpy, or dress it down some and wear tight pants and a leather jacket. Check out Gangsta Girrl's blog for more Blaxploitation costume inspiration

Male Counterpart: A Shaft type, a black panther, a martial artist

SCARY

6. Tia Dalma:You will need dreds, or fake dreds, an old dress, and some jewlery
Male Counterpart: A pirate, a dead pirate, a voodoo priest

7. Abby:
Another Blaxploitation inspired costume

Male Counterpart: a priest ,a witch doctor, the devil

TRENDY

8. M.I.A or Santo GoldWear bright colors, metalics and animal prints at the same time.
Male Counterpart: Male dressed like a member of cool kids, or kidz in the hall

That's all I got...anyone else have any ideas ?

MY HAIR PART 2

2008-10-04T15:55:00.000-07:00

STYLING/MAINTENANCE

AFRO
Styling: As I mentioned before I gently scrunch and shape it , because it gets bigger and changes shape as it dries .If some parts of it look dry or frizzy ,I will wet them and add more Curly Meringue. Every time is ,different sometimes its really curly and it wont puff up, sometimes it goes up into a perfect puff. If it is not going up I will wet my roots with my hands, and then use a big clip to pull some sections forward so the roots will dry in an uplifted position. Sometimes I use clips, bobby pins, or a headband to get hair to go in the right direction and I leave them in. When it is mostly dry and I am satisfied with the shape I spray it with some oil.

SIDE NOTE: Sometimes I don't have time for any of this and I just run out the house with it half dry, and it takes care of its self.

Maintenance: My Afro is big, sometimes when I walk under trees, leaves get caught in it, I try to be aware of my increased height/bulk so I can avoid collecting debris or feeding people mouthfuls of my hair. I avoid wearing my Afro to concerts/ the movies because people can't see past it. I also try to avoid places like bars or clubs, it gets HOT under my Afro, I would say its at least 10-15 degrees hotter then temperature outside.
Before going to bed I pull all my hair forward (I try not to disturb the curls) and clip it down with a giant hair clip ,then I tie on a satin scarf and sleep. In the morning I shake it out, and re-shape it, if it is deflated I will wet it. My Afro usually lasts for 2 or 3 days, it could probably last longer, but I wouldn't force it, after the 3rd day I pull it into a ponytail.

TWISTS
Styling: I have not twisted my hair in while ,it just takes too long, depending on their size it can take 1-3 hours. When I twist my hair I do it right after I get out the shower while my hair is still wet. (If you are worried about shrinkage do it while it's dry). I still have my hair in four sections, I start in the back by un-twising the section rubbing Curly Pudding on it (if I have not done so while in the shower). After the pudding I part it, sometimes I use a comb most of the time I use my fingers. I part them into the desired size I want and I use Shea butter while twisting. Once I am done I either leave them down, if I want curly twist I will make Bantu knots out of each individual twists or out of a few twists, if I want wavy twist I make a few big Bantu knots.

Maintenance: Twists are pretty easy to maintain, if they start to look dry I oil them a little, or a blow dry them, which melts the Shea butter and makes them shiny. Before I go to sleep I put my twists in a bun, if they are curly or wavy I make Bantu knots and I wear a satin scarf or bonnet. If I am dirt tired I just go to sleep,(I have a satin pillowcase) The hard part about twists is the aftermath, I only leave them twisted for about 2 weeks, after that I wear a twist out. Before I try to wash my hair I make sure all the twists are down, and I finger de-tangle, I try to let the shower water do most of the work.

Final Notes:
In reference to maintaining manageability and achieving growth... my hair is like a garden. My hair is "manageable" because I put in the time and effort, I try to make sure its moisturized and I check in on it through out the day/week , if I don't tend to it will go "wild". The more you tend to it daily the less major work you have to do in the long run. My hair grows because I give it the nutrients it needs from the inside and outside. I try to eat right, and I try to stay away from products with harmful chemical. I also understand my hair's limitations, every one is different,I am happy with the hair I have.

MY HAIR

2008-10-03T18:04:00.000-07:00

Someone asked me a question about my hair

"hey gorgeous hair! what's your regimen in terms of moisturization/health/product? Also what's your regimen in terms of styling/maintenance/manageability?? Holla back! Peace & Blessings, QB"

Ok this is for you
Queen Rhea B

I made a flickr just for this post !

I mentioned my hair before, well I mentioned the Miss Nappturality Contest. So I have "natural hair", in that I have never had a perm. I have however flat ironed, pressed and blow dried my hair before, but I don't anymore.

So I am going to break this down into two sections wash/dry, style/maintenance and I will talk about products at the end of each section.

WASH
I was my hair about once a week while I am in the shower.Before I get into the shower I part my hair into four sections and I de-tangle it with my fingers, then I braid it.(Sometimes I pre-poo)

So when I get into the shower I have 4 braids, I take the hair down one section at a time and I work in a rotation.I start off on the front left, unbraid the hair and get it nice and wet ,then I rub conditioner in between my hands then I put it my hair, and twist it instead of braiding it again (without washing the conditioner out).

After I have un-braided ,wet, conditioned and twisted my hair. I wash my face/body. Then I start at the beginning again, untwist, wash out conditioner ,detangle, add leave in conditioner (moisturizer) and re-twist, in the past I have used a wide tooth comb to detangle now I am experimenting with just using my fingers.

If I have a lot of product build-up or dandruff I will do a baking soda rinse, (all of my hair is down) this step goes after initially wetting my hair and before putting in product, after I have finished the rinse I separate my hair back into four seconds and resume my normal routine.

The final washing steps depends on how I am going to style my hair.

Afro/Wash and Go
If I am going to wear an Afro,I un-twist all my hair(this is the only other time that all my hair will be down at the same time when I am in the shower)As I un-twist each section, I make sure I rub moisturizer in from root to tip. Then I scrunch it with my hand to remove some of the water. Finally I lean forward cover my face with a towel and shake my head/hair 4 times gently (while still in the shower)to loosen the hair.

Twists/Braids
If I am going to twist my hair I do the same thing as an Afro except I don't take it all down, I take the four big twists down one at a time and I moisturize them from root to tip, then I re-twist them.

DRYING
I like to let my hair air dry. If I am wearing an Afro I will gently wrap my hair in a towel quickly get dressed ,and take off the towel, then I do whatever I need to do with the towel around my neck to catch drips, I will periodically scrunch and shape my Afro as it dries. It dries fairly quickly. If I am going to wear twists I usually start twisting my hair as soon as I get dressed then I let them air dry.

WHEW I did not realize how labor intensive my wash routine would look once I wrote it all out, It's not as long or cumbersome as it sounds.

PRODUCTS

I don't buy a lot of hair products, I usually use whatever my mom buys or I convince her to buy what I want.

Shampoo
Hairobics Therapeutic Shampoo
Alba Mango Moisturizing Hair Wash

Conditioners
Alba Mango Moisturizing Hair Conditioner
Everytime
Kemi Kurl Lotion
Every once in a while
Rapid Recovery
For Afros Curly Meringue
For Twists Curly Pudding

The next section will be style/maintenance

Married to Shoes #3

2008-10-02T13:59:00.000-07:00

Well actually engaged.... since I only have one shoe
I bought this pair of Sugar Morigami boots for a ridiculously low price at a store that was going out of business 6 months ago, and I never wore them. I planned on selling them on EBAY because the pattern was just not me...Then I was reading Fly and I saw these quilted boots and I immediately wanted a pair, but I am broke.
So my brain went into overdrive, and I decided to make the most of my resources and I reupholstered the Sugars with some African Fabric I had from a gigantic pair of men's pants. I have only done one shoe so far....

I didn't take the shoe apart first, which I should have done... instead I stabbed myself 500 times while I was sewing. But I like the way it came out, I think I am going to add cowrie shells to it some where. Now all I need is the energy to do the other boot.

Seeing The Invincible Sounds of Summer

2008-09-24T23:05:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, I went up north to Berkeley for the Seeing the Invincible Sounds of Summer, Common /N.E.R.D show.... Pharrell was dancing/jumping the whole time, and Common was breakdancing! they are the most energetic rappers I have ever seen live. Chad Hugo was not there, but they performed songs off the new album and hits from the old ones.

I am really excited for Common's new album, two songs in particular which he performed The Eye and Sugar for Sex (I was a little disappointed in Finding Forever). I taped some of the show, it's on youtube, but the quality is not so good since I was dancing, jumping etc...

Overall it was a good show, probably the best concert I been to in 2008, it definitely beat rock the bells

Power of Positivity

2008-09-16T23:16:00.000-07:00

On an average day I would consider myself a realistic or pessimistic person. I try to keep my negative thoughts in check but sometimes they get the best of me. I wear bright colors to literally remind me to look at the bright side. I have been working on being more positive for the last couple of years and it has been working with mix results. Today I finally got it, like some karma in my life came around full circle, it's nothing big, I just got something that I needed right when I needed the most. Anyway, a while back my dad gave me a copy of the optimists creed ,and I usually think stuff like this is really corny, but this is something I can identify with.

Married to shoes #2

2008-09-15T23:54:00.000-07:00

Purple Haze, Purple Rain...
These were my B-day Shoes I bought them for myself a long time ago, but I did not wear them, they are the "Plum" Air Force 1's from the Nike Color Pack. I am not a big fan of AF1's they are kind of chunky,but I am sucker for crazy colors, I wish they smelled like candy.BTW I went to the LA County Fair for my B-day (Hence the Hay)

Play Time

2008-09-12T15:40:00.000-07:00

When I was a child my favorite activities were playing with legos, doing arts and crafts, reading and watching cartoons. Over the last few years I have noticed the trend of using legos to make jewelry etc and at first I thought cool and I ran to drag my buckets out of the back of my closet but the thought of drilling a hole or gluing my legos together made me a little queasy. So when I saw the Dee and Ricky heart pins on fredflare and the Lego Chains by Lyrics4Lyrics I decided to try my hand at making some non-permanent lego jewelry creations.

I had these random eye and mouth bricks and I made sad and happy hearts
and Ms Pac Man

I want one of these hoodies, maybe after I get a job
I wonder if I should make one of my creations into a chain to rock at the Common, N.E.R.D Concert.
Pendant by Lyrics4Lyrics via LateBoots

Married to Shoes #1

2008-09-11T11:03:00.000-07:00

I am starting a recurring segment called married to shoes ,where I will take a picture of and do a little write up about the shoes I wore that day. I have a lot of shoes that I have never worn before for whatever reason, and I hope this segment will motivate me to wear them.

So today's shoes are a pair of low wedges by vagabond, (I like that word vaaaagaaaabond) they are a nice icy lemony yellow color. I have never worn them before even though I love wedges and I love yellow shoes.

They make my legs looked ultra tan.

Grandparents Day

2008-09-10T11:32:00.000-07:00

I know that grandparents day was September 7th, but I have been thinking about my grandparents lately. All of my grandparents are dead, but I knew all of them and I was very close to my mothers mother. I think that a lot of people take their grandparent for granted.

At about nine years old I was at my mothers mother's (aka Grandma) house and she was having a conversation with my mom and I just stared at her, and I started to wonder who she was, like I knew who she was, but who was she really ,like I had never taken the time to get to know her. So from then on I made it my mission to get to know her. I started asking her questions and hanging out with her everyday, we would watch the news and read the news paper and discuss the current events.

My Grandma was a really smart lady, she never went to college ,but she knew alot ,she had skills, she was well read and possessed a scathing sense of humor. The better I got to know her the more I realized how like her I was. This might sound cheesy but she became one of my best friends. In the years before her death she taught me alot , she introduced me to crafty things like sewing, embroidery, paper mache etc, she raised my knowledge and interest in current events, and taught me to question.

Although I did not get to know my fathers mother (aka Nanny) as well my my mom's mom she and I had a lot in common also . Both of my grandmothers were crafty ladies, Nanny knitted, crocheted and she made dolls/hats. She was a nurse and she taught the black children in her neighborhood how to swim. She was a savvy business woman , that did not play when it came to her family or money.

Both of my grandmothers instilled in me the importance of acquiring knowledge, having practical skills and 'acting right'. I often think about them when making decisions or facing difficult situations, and even though they are no longer here I always think "oh no I can't do that or I can't go there" what would Nanny/Grandma say. I am so glad that I got to know them better.

P.S I didn't forget about my Grand-daddy and Gran-Gran, I just did not know them as well as my Grandma and Nanny, and I regret that, but I know that both of them were hard working man who were in the service and did the best they could to provide for their families. My Grand-Daddy was on the PTA, and he drove an ice cream truck !!!. My Gran-Gran was super stylish and he and he helped build the house he and my grandmother lived in.

I encourage other people to get to know their grandparents if they are still living ,and if they are not get to know your parents or other older relatives better. My grandparents were not perfect people and getting to know them was a struggle, everything about their lives was not sunshine and lollipops but getting to know them helped me learn more about myself, my parents and life in general.

There are ideas and activities for Grandparents Day that can be used all year along here, and here is some info on the history of Grand Parent's Day.

Avocado Smoothie

2008-09-10T11:03:00.000-07:00

I am trying to get my weight up,(BTW I am vegetarian for those who did not know)and today I tried a new breakfast smoothie.
Ingredients:
1 ripe Avocado
Handful Strawberries
1 ripe Mango
Half a handful of spinach
1 1/2 Banana's (frozen)
A chunk of frozen watermelon (about the size of an Altoids container)
Handful of ice

I think that's it, I was throwing random stuff in like the watermelon to make it thinner because it's really thick ,and my blender was having some trouble, but in the end it was creamy and delicious.

Etsy

2008-09-05T11:13:00.001-07:00

I just opened an ETSY SHOP !!! there isn't anything in it yet, but I am just excited that I took that first step, I will be working on it so check up on it every now and then

Embellished Jackets and why I want Complete Embellishing: Techniques and Projects

2008-09-03T14:58:00.000-07:00

I am trying to keep up my promise of updating regularly
Here are my first attempts at embellishing jackets

This one is a denim jacket that I got from the gap, I bought a t-shirt from a vendor at farmers market and cut out the Lion image, then I sewed the cowrie shells on and I made the Adinkra symbol patches, it took forever.

This jacket I bought off eBay, the image on the back came from a skirt that I could never fit that I cut out and put onto a tote, after the handles on the tote broke, I transferred the image to this jacket. The patches on the shoulders , and the Z on the back are iron-ons I made with photo shop. The gold bow buttons on the front I took off a shirt, the Egyptian cameo belonged to my grandmother. The other side has a name tag that I made with a wood burner, and two pins I brought at craft fairs, I made the sneaker and Afro Cameo patch, the boot patch came from express. The quote is Rebecca West. I will take better pictures later

I like these jackets but I feel like I can do better, the Lion one is kinda boring and The green one is kinda busy...My mom and my sister want me to make embellish jackets for them,and I want them to be really good, I think that I would benefit from some guidance from Kayte Terry's new book Complete Embellishing: Techniques and Projects maybe I will win it with some birthday luck, mine is Sept 6 !

Halloween Planning

2008-08-13T14:59:00.000-07:00

Halloween is probably my favorite holiday, and it is never to early to start planning for this years costume. In the past I would make my costume on a whim the night or week of Halloween, but in recent times I have steadily became more invested in creating a creative and quality costume. I have no idea what I am going to be this year...As I look back at my last few costumes, I am not sure I can top myself, I think I reached my peak with the shoe costume

YAY 2008

2008-01-04T19:26:00.000-08:00

First post of the new year ! I didn't think I had any resolutions then I remembered my poor neglected blog and decided my resolution would be to post more.
So here I am !

UPDATES:

I entered the Miss Nappturality competition and........... I was chosen as a contestant It's like Americas Next Top Model except online with natural hair models, and I have to complete hair challanges and all that jazz ,soooo now you have to follow the contest obsessively and vote for me .

me being nappy and playing with a little friend

I work at an After School Program for middle school students and I am starting an art class/club and we are going to do all kinds of not crappy projects, but I need a name for the club that will make everyone want to join and I have yet to come up with one so I am open to suggestions

for right now that is all

Oh yeah Thank you to...my sister who bought me a hello kitty waffle maker , I love waffles and I hate pancakes

My first interview

2007-12-12T10:32:00.000-08:00

Once again big shout out to teen diaries they interviewed me a while back after I won their halloween costume contest http://www.teendiariesonline.com/pt/blog/default.aspx?id=243&t=HALLOWEEN-COSTUME-CONTEST-WINNERCONTI

Thanks TEEN DIARIES

2007-11-10T10:17:00.000-08:00

I won the costume contest at Teen Diaries http://www.teendiariesonline.com/pt/blog/track.aspx?id=233 , shout out to teen diaries

Olympic Inspried

2007-11-03T10:38:00.000-07:00

I was asked to draw the cover for my Black Grad ceremony program at UC Santa Cruz
inspired by

Hallowen: if the shoe fits....JUST WEAR IT

2007-11-01T14:33:00.000-07:00

I was a NIKE DUNK for Halloween

(I made this !!!)

I have white Barbie sneaker earrings, shoe strings braided into my hair with pink barbie sneakers at the end, and a pink swoosh on my face.

THE SNEAKER:Made from painted poster board and felt for the stripes, such a PAIN, it was inspired by this shoe

Here is a link to the tutorial I posted on instructables. I used Shin Tanka's PDF for a mini nike as a visual pattern

THE SHOE BOX: its a giant replica of a Nike shoe box , it was a plain box that I did surgery on and painted,

Here's an instructable on how to make this costume

I made my sisters costume, she was Wonder Woman

I put my name on everything

2007-10-02T09:22:00.000-07:00

My mom was throwing away an old computer so I hijacked the keys from the keyboard.

"Ala peanut butter sandwiches!" a new belt buckle

Zavimark

2007-10-02T09:09:00.000-07:00

I made my friend this birthday card a while back

she is black and Mexican, and she loves Japanese culture so I made her a card that reflected that, it's supposed to say happy birthday in Japanese script

New Luggage

2007-10-02T08:33:00.001-07:00

I don't know if you can tell by now but I love bright colors...
my dad bought me some new luggage that needed to be spruced up asap

(acrylic paint mixed with fabric medium)

More shoes

2007-10-02T08:06:00.000-07:00

I am really bad about taking pictures of things...I think this is the only picture I have of these shoes
(paint markers)

they were inspired by the Morris Brown Video by outkast

I liked the argyle/harlequin look of the singing walls

The walls of my room were too blank

2007-10-02T07:33:00.000-07:00

so Lupe went through the rasterbator

an I was feeling

you gotta love a giant scentless paper air freshener...
there was more but I forgot to take pictures and then I moved

I'm making fake 10's... aka bored on photoshop

2007-10-01T19:35:00.000-07:00

Got my vans on

2007-10-01T18:31:00.000-07:00

These are one of the first pairs of shoes that I painted

(acrylic paint mixed with fabric medium)

I am finally starting this !

2007-10-01T18:30:00.000-07:00

This is a place where I will display some of my projects and ideas...