The Re-Up

I hate that I've abandoned this blog for so long. Moving things around (simple make-overs and what not). I will be back to posting, at least once a week. For now, I'll just say this: Never underestimate the power of a layer.

 

Sneak Peek

Much to report but exams are taking over so hope these will hold you over.

Danke and will be back shortly.
xxo, Natalie

Listening to as of late

[click here to download]

So, I've been listening to My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy: The Samples and have fallen in love with a lot of the tracks but I'll only mention a few to save time:

In High Places [Dark Fantasy by Mike Oldfield

It's Your Thing [Power] by Cold Grits

Afromerica [Power] by Continent no 6

The best thing to me was finding this song:

The same track that inspired one of my favourite Michael Jackson songs "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'". As I tried to sing the song to my parents, turns out they were already tuned onto the song. After my Mum taught me how to pronounce "Makossa" properly, my Dad told me the story of Manu Dibango.

Apparently Dibango was a "hard-up" (that means broke/struggling) headmaster, who had a talent for music. He was signed by an American label, flown out to the USA, recorded this song and it became a massive hit. I imagine his royalty checks to be bonkers for this song in particular.

PS: Soundtrack to Ghana Christmas '10

Back on this

Posts up this week, writing them as we speak :)

Ad Savvy: DO MORE

DO you see life as an adventure, as an opportunity to take on new challenges? Is it a voyage of discovery, for doing things you never thought you could? Whatever you do, wherever you go, replenish your energy and keep striving for MORE

-- Lucozade ad.

This ad is inspirational to me and I think should be for everyone: "whatever you do". DO MORE.

xxo,

Natalie

Poplin & Foie gras

*I have never eaten foie gras in my life*

Whenever I think of poplin, I always think of a blue shirt with a very thin cream pinstripe design. I have no idea why as poplin is a fabric not a pattern or design. Anywho... In these hot summer months I think this outfit would be perfect for a rooftop lunch. With an order of foie gras...

Foie gras by whyaliceist featuring Miu Miu shoes

I did want to include a "his" version but alas... For the guys, put away these rings, put on your penny loafers and look spiffy, accessories or not.

xxo,

Natalie

Back

Ah, I'm finally back. School's finally out and I'm very excited. To blog more, to work, to intern, travel around town and just enjoy the sun.

Bring out the SPF 30 people and for those little momentary times you are online, make sure to check back here.

xxo,

Natalie

PS So relieved to be able to rest... a little.

Tunnel Vision

Lately I have been feeling a lot of apprehension in doing things. Whether it be blogging, talking or just expressing myself. I've been scared that my opinions will be rejected, wholly misinterpreted, misunderstood and blown up to be something else that it wasn't in the first place - just my opinion.

"40['s] mom, always say don't ask permission, just ask forgiveness... So, forgive me"

-- Drake 'The Calm'

The apprehension - that's not a good thing. It acts a bottleneck, a blockage to good things to come. I speak using analogies a lot (it's just how my mind works) and one for this would be using a car and a tunnel.

(edited by me)

© Copyright Peter Thwaite and licensed for reuse under Creative Commons Licence

Imagine you are sitting in a car, your car. It's not an extravagant model but rather unadorned and simple - it gets the job done (well). Your car is in park. In front of a tunnel. The mouth of the tunnel is open wide, gaping. You can make out the road because of the lights above it. You can see the walls too, until that bend. Beyond the bend you don't know what lies there, instead you just know it's there. You don't know what it's going to throw at you so you feel you are unprepared. But think. You are in your car. You are comfortable there. So you can either stay there - in park, in comfort and never know what's around that bend.

Or you can remember - you are in YOUR car. You are comfortable there. You know what you have and you can be confident in that, turn the engine on and drive. Drive beyond that bend and just be comfortable that you know there is an end to the tunnel, envisage driving through it. And knowing that what you have is enough.

xxo,

Natalie

PS A great post that I feel relates: The Neglect Factor

Hi..!

Hi as in hiatus...

Exam season has swallowed me whole for the mean time, so I won't be blogging until it's died down a bit (which luckily will be by this time next week!)

I wish you all the best, thanks for checking in, as always a gazillion posts to come and for any who are "suffering" from exams like I am? Let's get through it and smash our exams.

xxo,

Natalie

The Gatekeepers [video]

Kwame of Hey Nu World put me onto an online content label called Creative Control:

Creative Control is "the brain child of directors Coodie & Chike and media mogul Dame Dash"

What I like best is their fresh approach, they film somewhat candidly and the videos come out with a natural feel and real-life humour. The spaces they invite you to with their cameras and the spaces are what I love the most. I mean how else could I have known Dame Dash was a beast at Ping Pong?

They produce shows amongst other vids (and recently directed Erykah Badu's Window Seat video). One show they make is "The Gatekeepers" which my brother recommended I watch. It's about two doormen, Sam Sneed (who also directs the show) and The Chad. Watched it, I did and I loved it so, I'm sharing it with you :)

[YouTube] The Gatekeepers: Season Finale

See ladies, it not only the "haters" who share the same views on those "fashion faux-pas"! It's just people who have sense and taste who share those views. *smiles*

xxo,
Natalie

PS No shots fired, but these guys better come back for another season.

Write Like A Kid

So today, I saw a friend's list of goals. What was so different and refreshing about it was the aspirational feel to it. It wasn't materialistic, with a list of things to buy or get, but instead things to learn and grow from.

The style she wrote in was child-like, not in an immature way, but more like dreams. We laughed about it at the time, but I really liked the idea.

Her list went a little something like this:

1. Have an epic love story ("Something like Dear John, something to tell the children" - She said)

2. Climb a really big mountain

3. Learn to speak fluently in...

4. Run a marathon

and so on (it was like a page long and I can't remember the rest!) I liked it so much I wrote my own!

Try and write your own, it's actually fun and humbling... Takes you back to being a little kid, care-free and limitless.

xxo,

Natalie

P.S. Seriously, watch Shadrack & The Mandem = hilarity.

A Quick Note

"WHERE'S ALICE? OR NATALIE?"

I have not disappeared off the face of this earth ;) I've just been studying for some exams.

I will be posting regularly again though, so look out for a post tonight and the UniQlo x Glamour post next week!

xxo,

Natalie

Fav. TV Show theme songs

You know those shows that you ran home to watch after school and everyone had to be silent during the show? Even the theme song, because you need to be able to hear your backing track (aka theme song) whilst singing it? Yup, the Parkers and Moesha did that for me

The Parkers: Dang, mama!

Moesha: Mo to the E to the...

Even when they remixed it for the new season it still sounded good:

xxo,

Natalie

PS sing it out loud!

Thrifting... got it for cheap 001.2

The other four items I got at the charity shop last week:

Black quilted Primark clutch for £3. I really like the clasps and all the compartments, there's a place for everything.

Hot pink strapless New Look Dress for £4.95

Mustard bubble Dorothy Perkins skirt for £3.50

Three leaf brooch for 99p

See, you can get great finds on a budget! I got all these for just under £25, so don't doubt what you can find when you thrift shop. I don't know why but I always find thrift finds more special than some that's store-bought. Probably because the chances of someone else having the same item are so small and you get to put a new spin on an old piece.

Promise me you'll try it soon and happy thrifting! Let me know how it goes and what you find.

Expressions Realia has a great post for 1st time thrifters: Thrifting for Dummies

xxo,

Natalie

PS check back here later, I'll be blogging about a UniQlo event I attended yesterday.

Thrifting... got it for cheap 001.1

Thrifting is the American term for charity shopping. Yes, all these purchases are from a charity shop!

***

So this Friday was my second time thrifting and all the bougeois symptoms of a 1st time thrifter came back:

#1: It's normal to notice the old smell, tense your shoulders and not like it.
Don't worry you'll get used to and don't let it prevent you from digging into the racks and finding that great piece!

#2: It's normal to not want/be afraid to touch the clothes.
Even though you intend to shop, it can take a little time to get over the fact that these clothes are probably worn and not washed. That's not to say they are in poor condition though. Buying something from a thrift shop just means you'll have to wash it before you wear it, so it's cleaner when you do! Think about it, it's cleaner than buying something from a store.

After about 10 minutes those symptoms went away and I was settled.

***

Expressions Realia has a great post for 1st time thrifters: Thrifting for Dummies

My first buy:

Plaid Double Breasted Suit for £8.99

I won't ever wear these two items together. I'd look like a member of a Scottish clan on overdrive, but I love the blazer and the skirt by themselves. The details are just perfect. The blazer is double breasted with gold buttons and the skirt has pockets and can be worn as high waisted. I love pockets and high waisted skirts so it's perfect for me!

Tip #1: Send pictures of what you are looking at to a trusted friend.
I say this because sometimes an item can be so cheap you have to buy it, then when you get home you realise:
a) It's either hideous or b) it doesn't even fit.
I was going to buy a hideous denim jacket but my friend Fiona stopped me over BBM.

Tip #2: Use the changing room provided.
Fit is very important regardless of the age of an item. If it doesn't fit, you can't wear it that way and you can't alter it to, it isn't for you...

I'll post the other 4 items tomorrow!

xxo,

Natalie

My Chick Bad: Glee Audition [video]

The Candy Slice girls are back at it again with their cover of Ludacris featuring Diamond, Trina & Eve - My Chick Bad (Remix):

YouTube - My Chick Bad GLEE AUDITION - Candy Slice

As they said the P*ssy Rules the World version. I love barbershop quartets so this is right up my alley, I love it! Especially the girl at the back, beatboxing + those glasses + the rope chain! Take a look their renidition of Birdman featuring Drake - Money to Blow (with Wynter Gordon) here


Oh and the girl who did Diamond's rap killed it and kills it every time!


xxo, 
Natalie

Excuse Me, I Need to get to my Window Seat

So I am writing this at the dead of night (03:05am) and it's probably why I'm writing this.

First rambling:


Ever feel like you want to get away? It's not that anything and everything around you is too much, but you just want some tranquility. Not even to assess thoughts, reaffirm your goals - but just to be. Be still and by yourself.

I feel like that now. And whenever that happens I want to be somewhere beautiful, quiet, outside, any time of day. Cool, but warm and with an iPod full of Jay-Z (listening to Excuse Me Miss right now). 

Funny, but his music is my "get-away" music.

What's yours?


xxo,
Natalie


PS Erykah Badu's Window Seat shares some of the same feelings:

Kid Fury on the iPad and other things (Furious Thoughts 2) [video]

 [YouTube]Furious Thoughts 2! by Kid Fury

QUOTE:

"[The] only thing I'm spending my money on these days is: Food, Gas, Bills & Clothes 

'Cos I gotta eat, I gotta drive, I gotta stay out of debt and I gotta look good. Other than that..." *eye roll*

Love the facial expressions, Kid Fury is too funny. I love his YouTube videos.


xxo,
Natalie

Magazine Fiend 01

I love magazines. I have about 40 or so..



I wish I had a better way of storing them, though. I don't want to put them in boxes, because it's almost like they are hidden away. I'm not a fan of tearing pages either, I like for my magazines to be intact. The ideal storage solution for me would be to put them in bookcase squares spread against my wall, with some squares containing shoes and my jewellery "bowl". 


Example:

Just a little more randomly displayed.

(image source: Rosa-Fiona Bettina)

This post however, is actually about the magazines I want right now.

***

GQ April 2010: Shia LeBouf is on the cover. Not really exciting for me, but I have seen the spread online and I love the Wall Street(reminds me of Mad Men) concept. Also the guys from Street Etiquette
are featured too, which is not only something to be proud of but something they have earned! Excited to see that, plus GQ is a great men's magazine (the best out in my opinion). BUT I still haven't found this issue and I've been to countless shops (Tesco, 2 WHSmiths and my newsagents)

***

Complex February/March 2010: I've always liked Complex. The double covers and the features they have. Not much to say, self-explanatory. Plus I like Drake & Michelle Trachtenberg. Street Etiquette are in the issue too.

***

Nylon April 2010: Zoe Saldana. I like her and the interview seems to be interesting. 


xxo,
Natalie


PS I still love the internet.

Living the Life

I love "old school" Living the Life when the boys are back aka Ocean's 7 (JD, Johnta Austin, Trey Songz, B. Cox, Tyrone & Nelly). Pure hilarity.

My favourite episodes/installments are the ones with Johnta, I'm sorry but that man is too funny for words. Just take a look:

That Samuel L. Jackson face is about to be my new trademark. Side-eye on the extreme!

xxo,

Natalie

P.S. Yellow, black and white always look amazing together (see Gucci RTW Spring 2008 and Johnta in the above video)