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