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.