R.I.P. Teena Marie

I saw a pop-up that I was recieving an email and saw that Lady T had died!!!!  I loved Teena Maries music. That was one white girl with a whole lot of soul. Below is my all time favorite Teena marie song, I Need Your Lovin. This was the first song I ever heard from her and it wasn't until I saw her on Solid Gold that I saw that she was white. I realized that good music is good music no matter the color of the person creating it. God bless her soul and my prayers to her daughter.

And my second favorite song... just because.

Merry Christmas!

Drawings

Some drawings I've done. I did the first two a couple of weeks ago in my life drawing class. The last three I did several years ago. I altered the picture of the couple slightly to fit my needs. I'll scan in the original picture so you can see the differnece when I find it in my mass of tear-sheets that I keep on file for inspiration.

Eye Candy!

Eye candy for the month of December is Nathan Owens. I forgot where I got this picture. I think it was from a blog I found from the male model forum I frequent. I don't have any other info on him at the moment, but he sure is good lookin'!

Marianne Williamson

She was a guest speaker at my church(Unity of New York) today. She was inspiring and made me think about myself, my life and the power I have within me. Sometimes I forget and let my thoughts run wild and I get scared, then I remember that I have access and can connect to a very powerful sourceat any time when I remember and tap into that source.  I believe in God, always have, but not the vengful, mean God I grew up being told about. I always knew within me( my spirit) that God was loving and kind and always on my side wanting for me everything I want for myself. Marianne Williamson reminded me today that having faith in the unseen is way more powerful than having faith in what is seen and the ignorance of the world. To believe and have faith with conviction, you can change the world! I'll start with changing my life first, that's enough for me to handle right now. LOL!

This picture was a bit blurry and you can't see her face clearly because she was moving and I turned off my flash. But she was gracious enough to sigh everyones books and takes photos after the service.

I look better than I did with Kyle Eastwood last Tuesday! LMAO!

What's Happening!

I'm one busy heffa! I'm behind on my posting because of shcool work which is sooooo time consuming, but I have a few minutes to post what I've been up to.

Last week, I went to see Anna Sui speak at my school. Her patternmaker, Anna Lou Plott, was my tailoring teacher years ago during my first go-round at Parsons. I wonder if she's still with Anna Sui now?

Something I did in my life drawing class on Monday. We were practicing perspective, drawing figures at different depths and still having them look like they were still in the same space. I was doing good until the last figure. I still think it looks cool, even with funky mistake of a figure at the end.

Tonight I went to see Kyle Eastwood(Clint Eastwood's eldest son) play with his jazz band at the Blue Note.  He plays the bass and his music is really good. I didn't know he was a musician even thought I did know how much of a jazz fan his father is. I only remember Kyle from the one movie he did with his father, Honkytonk Man way back in 1982. He's contributed to the sound tracks of several of his fathers movies such as, Invictus, Gran Torino and Letters From Iwo Jima.

The Blue Note allows you take pictures, but not with a flash, I guess so as not to distract the artists while they are playing since it's such a small venue. I was sitting very close to the stage. My fist two pictures came out blurry and when I adjusted my camera, I didn't realize my flash had turned back on! I got this good picture though I just wish the girls head wasn't in the frame, but you can still see Kyle pretty well. He looks like his father when he was younger, especially when he got into his music and he squinted, that's when he looked just like his father did in the Sergio Leone westerns he did.

I would love to deny that is me in the picture because I look so wrong!!!!!!! I could have sworn I was smiling and not talking and  lord knows I should have matted that shine on my face before I came out of the ladies room, but that  room was so small, you couldn't linger long in there to fix anything, I damn near fell into the broom closet! Anyway, I am showing my lack of vanity and providing proof of meeting Kyle Eastwood who was gracious enough to take this picture with me and shake my hand. He's a really nice guy. This is how close and up personal you can get with the artists at The Blue Note. I was able to get Nancy Wilsons autograph when I saw her perform there over a decade ago, before I had a digital camera!

Okay, I'm going to go practice my camera ready face! I will be ready next time to take a decent picture!

Eye Candy!

This is Larry Scott. I actually met him back in February 1998 backstage at a Tommy Hilfiger fashion show. He was really cool. I took a picture with him that I was going to post but I can't seem to find where I saved it...dayum! When I find it I will post it. He had been gone from modeling  for a minute, but I'm so glad to see him back. I"ll also be posting more pics of some of the celebs I've met in my fashion adventures. Until then, enjoy Larry for the month.

 I found the picture of me and Larry! It's from February 1998, right after Tommy Hilfiger's mens couture show. He was so cool when I asked to take this picture, he threw his arm around me and hammed it up! Ahhhh those were the days. *sigh*

Some design sketches

These are some designs I had to do for my Life Drawing class mid term and All-Japan assignment. I was so not paying attention when my teacher said this was for grade. I did this on they fly and the design in the middle was inspired by a close up of a fly! The design had to be inspired from insects. I chose a dragon fly inspiration for the first design on the left and a butterfly for the last one on the right. I so didn't need the extra work, but I am not willing to sacrafice my grade. I'm pulling a "B" so far and I want to improve to an "A". I love to draw, when I have the time to really sit and illustrate. Doing  30 -40sketches a week for a class tends to become tedious. That is how many sketches I have to do for my Fashion Core class. In fact I have to do 6 illustrations for Friday! Plus flats and a mood board!!! I'm going to need a drink on Friday night.
Below are the first 6 sketches I did for my Fashion Core class. I'm pulling a "C" in this class because I missed two classes. I think my illustration skills and my quick grasp of the assignments save me!

Oprah and the law of attraction!

I went to Chicago,Thursday September 24th for a Friday taping of the Oprah Winfrey Show! It was really exciting to be in the audience and see lady O at work. I'm not sure how much I can say about the show before it airs so I will just say it will air next Friday, October 8. What makes this experience all the more amazing is that I had seen her give away all this good stuff on her favorite things show one too many times and  declared out loud "God, I have to get on her show!" Now, I didn't say I had to be on a favorite things show(which I should have said!), just that I wanted to be on her show and I was, thanks to a friend of a friend! Lesson, here, declare with conviction what it is you want, release your attachment to the outcome and let God, the universe or whatever go to work on your behalf!

*I am so late with this and the show has since aired (two weeks ago!) I could not see myself or my friends in the audience at all!!!! When they did a wide shot of the audience at the end of the show, they put a transparent box with the credits over the area where we were sitting . What a disappointment! Eh, well, that's how it is sometimes. I can still say I was in the audience of the Oprah Show though! LOL!

Eye by Tony Tasset that was on the corner of Van Buren and State Street. All these cycalists suddenly appeared as I was taking the picture. I have no idea what the event was, but it was inteeresting to see all the people on thier funky bikes.

School project for photoshop.

This is an assignment I turned in a couple of weeks ago for my photoshop class. I'm proud of myself  because it turned out better than I expected and I got a really good critique in class as well. Now I can photshop some pictures for my vision board and some t-shirts! Yea!

Eye Candy!

I'm late again with the monthly eye candy, sorry! School is kickin' my a**! So much work. Anyway, this months eye candy is a picture I found trolling around the internet. I think I pulled it from a fashion website I frequent, but I don't remember. I like it because he looks like he is in costume(waking up after a night of debauchery) which is perfect for this Holloween, but he is also partly nekkid! So naughty...I like it! Enjoy!

Busy!

I have been busy as a mutha these last few weeks! It has been non stop since the week before labor day  when school started. I was rather dissapointed that school started before labor day instead of after, but it is what it is. I will be back over the weekeknd to give my fashion week report. I would have done it last week, which was fashion week, but I had soo much homework to do and catch up on it's not even funny and since Parsons school of design is more expensive than Harvard, there is now way in HEYELL I plan to fail any of my classes. I'm busting my a** to get caught up and even get ahead so I can have a little bit of a life.



This is a drawing I did yesterday in my life drawing class only this was not a life darwing. This was a pose fro a picture in a magazine and I got creative witht hte outfit. I'm going to do another drawing using one of my original design concepts as I forgot to bring them for the class as I was  suppose too yesterday. I'm really liking the class as I love to draw and my teacher( Glen Hilario) is an excellent illustrator. He showed us some of his work yesterday and I was simply drooling in awe. I was so inspired. I look forward to going back to doing something that I love more often and got away from when I was working full-time. I was so caught  up in the rat race I let myself get away from something that brings me joy and relaxes me. I also realized I can make money doing this, so I have great incentive to get better, not just for my grade, although i do want to get an "A" for the class!

Last week my friend Adrian, flew in from Texas for the weekend. We went for a walk after a late lunch and came upon Whoopie Goldberg standing outside of Madame Tussaud's, lol!

You never know who you will see at any given time in and around NYC. Earlier this evening I was standing on the corner of 81st and Broadway having a long(two hour!) conversation with my friends Lauren and Yoni, when Yoni see Alec Baldwin coming out of the Starbucks!!! He was in a grey suit, he's on the chunky, but not fat side and rather handsome in person. I was slow whipping out my camera so I didn't get a picture(DAYUM!). I don't know what the hell my problem was because Alec was walking on the slow side. He walked by us and across the street to a waiting car. I remember the three didgits og the liscense, but I'm not going to post it. I am going to play that number in the pick three numbers lottery!

This picture is from google search.

Eye Candy!

I'm so late with the eye candy for this month and I was going to wait until I got back to NYC to post this, but I figured I should just post it while it was on my mind. I'm in MD with my family for the Labor Day weekend and in the area where my family lives has the worst internet EVER!!!! Even Verizon doesn't get dsl in the area! What the hay-yell?!?!?

 Anyway, this months eye candy is a little asian persuasion I found trolling some model agency sites. I really should find out exactly which one to give credit for the pic(oops!). I'll add it later, but any way this is Mikael Kroeber in all his finest. I love a guy with a tight body, don't you?

Fashion/Art on the Sidewalk

This exhibition prominently displayed down Broadway sponsored by The Fashion Center was put up last month. I was in midtown for orientation for school (which I was so late for and missed!) and  passed this on my way to another meeting so I stopped to take a few pictures.

Naeem Khan

Catherine Malandrino

Niyati Karwat & Emily Saunders

(Parsons students)

Stephen Burrows

Isaac Mizrahi

These are along the pedestrian area between 40th and 41st streets on Broadway. When I get a chance I may walk down Broadway and have a look at all the other mannequins on display.

Target Kaleidoscopic Spectacular

I did a freelance job for two days for Targets fall collection. I was expecting the traditomal fashion, models walk down the runway, pose and walk back. Boy was I wrong. I underestimated the spectacular part. They did a whole big a$$ production in The Standard Hotel down in the meat packing district on 14/13th street near 10th avenue. The rented out, I believe all the rooms on the south side of the hotel and most of the north ide for the executives. I was in room 1015working with the dancers, shout out to Kaitlyn, John, Taylor and Lauren! Seeing it on the iside was one thing, but seeing it from the outside was something else!I had to watch several videos and I thought this one had the best perspective and it was really clear, but he edited at least five or six minutes out, but you see most of the show. I can even make out Taylor and Lauren during the green segment at 3:13! They are directly across from the green lit room on the left of that solid black line, above the room that isn't lit! I was in the bathroom turning on the led lights for the last segment,which Lauren was dancing.

There was some controversy as Target has been accused of giving money to some anti-gay, right-wing republican in Minnesota who's running for govenor. There were protesters out and about and you will be able to see a sign pass in front of the camera a couple of times and here them shouting "shame" until the music drowns them out. I haven't shopped in Target in a few months, mostly because I didn't have much money to spend there or anywhere else, but I will gladly except money from Target  through the company I freelance for. A sista has bills to pay! I will however, not spend my money at Target until they stop supporting extreme politicians and that goes for any company giving donations this election season.


Shout out to my friend Ayaba for coming out to see it! Sorry it was last minute, but glad you enjoyed it!


* Just a side note, this should have been posted yesterday as the show took place the day before on 8/18, but the video wouldn't load properly. Hey, I'm new at this, LOL!

I Met Someone From the Movie The Secret!

If you know the movie The Secret, then you may remember Lisa Nichols who was featured in the revised version. A church friend invited me to a presentation last week and informed me that Ms Nichols would be speaking that night. I didn't want to miss the opportunity to see her and I'm glad I went. She is a very dynamic and empowering speaker.

Deja vu!

I was in Fort Tryon Park today doing exactly what I did last week; enjoying the lovely weather and reading and I looked over my shoulder and there was another wedding taking place! I couldn't hear the ceremony as well as last week so I don't know the happy couples name, but congratulations to them just the same!

Eye Candy!

Ahhhhhh, David Gandy. My eyes tear up at how beautiful he is. And he's British! I'm ever so slightly obsessed with him.

Mmmm mmm!

Saturday Wedding in The Park!

So I went out to enjoy this lovely low humidity day. I made a stop at Dunkin Donuts for a coffee and vanilla bean coolatta then strolled on up to Fort Tryon Park. I sat on a bench reading from my Sony reader,which I love!, enjoying the cool breeze, the sunshine and the great view of the Hudson river, George Washington Bridge and New Jersey. Then music began to play, a three piece orchestra. The music was very relaxing I almost fell asleep. I heard someone say that there was going to be a wedding. I looked over my shoulder and they were setting up the chairs while the musicians played as the guests arrived.  I went back to reading for a bit and when I looked over my shoulder again the wedding party was walking up. I didn't get thier picture, but I got a really nice one of the bride and her parents.

Awww! She looked so pretty and happy!

You can barely make out the bride and groom( Chris & Laura!). I was sitting on a bench not too far away.

The happy couple after they were married! The two men on the bench were some of the random people in the park who witnessed the wedding.

I love the randomness of things you can see or experience when you wonder around the New York. It's one of the reasons I never leave home without my camera and invested a new one! I never know what I might be able to capture in my wanderings!

It's hot in herre!!!!

It's hot a  mutha! A heatwave is one thing but four back to back to back...to back is unbearable. It's unbearable  for me because I don't have air conditioning beacuse my bloody bedroom window does not open from the bottom (F**K!)  and I have no room (or money) for the portable ac. I have fans blowing hot air around. My skin is prickly, sticky and  ichy. I'm moving like a slug, my brain is overheated and quite frankly I'm about to snap! I want to just rip my skin off, but I don't think that would help. I can only stick my head in the refrigerator isn't very practical although it does help somewhat.

According to the local meteorologist, Lee Goldberg on ABC 7 here in NYC, there are at least three more days of this hell hot weather before  things cool down. I hope those rains come around my way in the mean time to cool it down until Sunday. Until then, I'll be sweatin' it out.

Eye Candy!

In honor of the Veuve Clicquot Charity Polo match I saw today, my eye candy is Nacho Figueras and Prince Harry. I was ambivalent about Nacho until I saw him on Oprah several months ago. He was so sexy, flirty and charming! I was smitten from that moment on. Prince Harry wasn't my favorite of the British royal brothers until these last few years. He's grown into a real handsome young man. Enjoy!

p.s.: this picture is from a yahoo search and I believe it's from today as this is what they were wearing before the match started. And Nacho does not smile in pictures I wonder why? He smiled when he was on Oprah.