More DIY?

Well, double DIY!
  Do you remember my post "How to make your own cowl scarf!"? Well in that post I showed you guys how I cut a $2 sweater from the 99cent store to make my own Cowl Scarf.

    You're probably wondering what I did with the rest of that sweater, huh? Well I asked my aunt to hem the bottom and now it is a cropped sweater!

  This simple outfit is a cut-in-half-$2 sweater, a tank top and riding pants (from Forever 21) and Creepers. Cute, Simple, Affordable.

Annual NYC Teen Poetry Slam

    Urban Word NYC is proud to host the Annual NYC Teen Poetry Slam at some of the city’s hottest venues, literary spaces and theaters. With nothing but a mic and their powerful voices, over 500 of New York City’s inspiring young poets, spoken word artists and emcees will recite their own original. This event spans 10 nights in March-April and culminates in an opportunity to compete at the Grand Slam Final held at Harlem's world famous Apollo Theater. The winner will join Urban Word's Slam team and represent New York in the Brave New Voices competition in California.
    For more information please visit UrbanWordNYC.org

Movie Review: Good Deeds

   Tyler Perry's Good Deeds is a film about a man with the "perfect life", he is extremely privileged but realizes that he does not love his life when he meets the cleaning lady for his building who's life is the complete opposite. Now, I know you're probably thinking you've heard this story before (the "coming of age, feel good, love story") and you know what comes next, but this story is very realistic and relatable. The film itself is not as predictable as Tyler Perry has been in the past. It seems that he has watched his past films, read reviews, and decided to do something different. In that factor he certainly succeeded. With a lot of Tyler Perry films comes complaints about cliche ideas, unrealistic, scenes and overdone stereotypes. Not all black people are Christian or even religious, and it seems Perry has finally realized that. There was not one church reference in Good Deeds, not that there is something wrong with portraying religion in film but Perry has had the trend of "beating us over the head" with it. Perry was also successful in casting of this film. Each character played their role perfectly. The plot line in Good Deeds was well developed and made up for Madea’s Big Happy family(which seemed to be unfinished) completely..

   Although Tyler Perry has strayed away from his typical themes it is still prevalent that this is a Tyler Perry film. He stayed true to himself and still produced something worth watching.  I suggest you all go see Good Deeds or watch it anyway you can.

Song of the Week

Murder to Excellence- KanYe West and Jay-Z

Quote of the week

"Hate is too great a burden to bear. It injures the hater more than it injures the hated."
                                                                                                    -Coretta Scott King

A simple bun to do with Senegalese twists

This can be done with Braids as well. Please visit http://iloveboxbraids.tumblr.com/

The history of Locs

    "Dreadlocks" are associated most closely with the Rastafari movement, but people from many groups in history before them have worn dreadlocks, including the Hindu Shiva worshippers of India and the Sufis Rafaees , the Maasai of East Africa, and the Sufis malangs and fakirs of Pakistan. The term "Dreadlocks" comes from Europeans referring to the style as dreadful, which is why I call them "Locs". Locs can represent a spiritual journey that is not just related to the Rastafari movement.
 




    The first known examples of locs date back to North Africa. In ancient dynastic Egypt examples of Egyptians wearing locked hairstyles and wigs have appeared on bas-reliefs, statuary and other artifacts. Mummified remains of ancient Egyptians with locks, as well as locked wigs, have also been recovered from archaeological sites. Pre-Columbian Aztec priests were described in Aztec codices  as wearing their hair untouched, allowing it to grow long and matted.  Cheikh Ibra Fall, founder of the Baye Fall school of the Mouride Brotherhood, claims that he was “the first dread in West Africa”.

  Locs in history has been worn by a variety of people:

• Africans 
• Buddhists 
• Rastafarians 
• African-Americans 
• Priests and Priestesses
• Witches and Wizards

Underground Artists presents: Limapalooza!

     A fundraiser event to fund our upcoming film Lima. Lima is a film uncovering the mysterious death of a young musician who has delved deep into the underground world of sex, drugs and rock and roll.
   This fundraiser will include a LIVE CONCERT hosted by our Owner and CEO: Mariah C Robinson. The concert will include free food, and cheap drinks.





Bands and performers that will be performing:

1. DRESS YOUR WOUNDS
2. MIKE LOVE CASTRO & Tony Cash
3. PAUL MARQUEZ
4. LIMA
5. OSIFER
6. BELLADONNA
7. STEREO SPACE
8. Due To Context
9. Wicked Intentions
10. NYLA ROSE
 & A special Performance by Anarchii Blake & Crew at half time!

For details about the location, prices, and policies please visit the Facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/events/301803243204922/
& our website

Bi-weekly product?? What??!

    YES everyone., I am reviewing a product!(well four) I don't do this very often but today my friends and I bought some lipstick from a beauty supply store on own way home. I decided to try out each color and post about them. So here's the video:

Ain't nuthin' new but the shoes

This was an outfit of the week almost a year ago. Therefore, I am an Outfit Repeater. BUT, There are slight differences. I am wearing heels that look like chucks(instead of my chucks) and different accessories. :)

    I am wearing my favorite vintage sweater from Metropolis. I can easily make a whole blog dedicated to myself wearing this sweater. I love it so very much and I need more like it. I didn't want to wear my large Owl necklace with it because I wear that a lot so I wore a wooden beaded necklace. Necklaces like this were really popular my sophomore year of high school (07/08) and I don't think they've gone out of style. As you can see I am wearing my new sneaker-boots which I discuss fully in my video "My mini shoe haul". And Finally to top it all off I am wearing a pair of Bamboo earring from Hot Topic. I am so glad I pulled this off. :). I re-created my favorite and most worn outfit.

Life is not a competition!

     I've noticed that a lot of people LITERALLY compete with each other in many aspects of life, via social networking sites. IT'S NOT THAT SERIOUS.

A song for Assata

    Song of the week and in the spirit of Black History month. "A song for Assata" is a song by Common from his 4th studio album "Like water for chocolate". The song is in honor of Assata Shakur who was an Activist and powerful member of the Black Panther Party. The Black Panther Party was an African-American revolutionary leftist organization active in the United States from 1966 until 1982. The Black Panther Party achieved national and international notoriety through its involvement in the Black Power movement and U.S. politics of the 1960s and 1970s. The group's "provocative rhetoric, militant posture, and cultural and political flourishes permanently altered the contours of American Identity.

Quote of the week

"Ever since I was a child I realized I had a lot of love to share from my soul. The Black tradition is a tradition of soul. Which is a gift of love and Joy. Soul is the most precious thing you can share. Because you're sharing yourself, and the world needs that gift now, more than ever. The child with AIDS in the ghetto is waiting for you along with the starving people in Africa and everyone else who needs healing. Make the world more beautiful by sharing with me the wonderful feeling you get when your soul is lifted up to become pure love. I accept this award on the behalf of all the children in the world, who are my inspiration and my hope...."
                                                                                         Michael Jackson, 1993 Soul Train humanitarian award acceptance speech. Happy Black History month.

Black History

    February is Black History here in America. This year to celebrate I plan on educating myself on Historic Black people and things I hadn't already known. Mostly related to Black American history. Over the years I've grown more and more pride in who I am and where I come from. I've noticed that I have not been educated a lot about Black history in school. Once I got to high school there was no such thing as a Black History month project, I guess it didn't fit the curriculum. Wherever you go during the month of February, you don't see Black History month decorations. You see, however, Valentines day decorations. So many people are quick to propagandize a superficial holiday(the government uses to make money) instead of reflecting on our nation's history. Black History Month is about remembrance. But, at this point in my life the negative side of me thinks Black History month in America is pointless. It's been overlooked for years to the point it's become obsolete. I recently heard the quote "There is no such thing about Black history... There is AMERICAN history". We should remember Historic Black people, places, and things EVERYDAY along with other historic people, places, and things we are already taught.
    I feel the best way is to take this opportunity to educate myself and look up iconic things related to Black American History that I have not been educated on. So I will be posting about the things I've learned,  throughout this month.

    The first thing I will discuss is BET.com's article "African-American's snubbed by The Oscars". The Oscars, or the Academy Awards, is an annual award show honoring the latest films and everyone who has taken part in the creation of them. Titles such as Best Actress, Best Supporting actor, Best Screen-play etc. are awarded to the best of those categories. In this article BET lists 16 Black Actors and Actresses who did not win Oscars but(as many feel) should have, and explains each occasion. The list goes as follows:

• Dorothy Dandridge: Carmen Jones Sidney Poitier: In the Heat of the Night(1967) 
• Cicely Tyson: Sounder 
• Danny Glover: The Color Purple(1985, this film hadn't won any Oscars, which caused a lot of controversy)
• Diahann Carroll: Claudine 
• James Earl Jones: Great White Hope, Claudine 
• Diana Ross: Lady Sings the Blues 
• Billy Dee Williams: Lady Sings the Blues 
• Whoopi Goldberg: The Color Purple 
• Angela Bassett: What’s Love Got to Do With It 
• Laurence Fishburne: What’s Love Got to Do With It 
• Samuel L. Jackson: Jungle Fever, Pulp Fiction 
• Will Smith: The Pursuit of Happyness 
• Viola Davis: Doubt 
• Derek Luke: Antwone Fisher 
• Kimberly Elise: Beloved

   I haven't seen all of these films, but I do agree with most of these points. Now, I did not make this post to dwell on the past or bring about any negative controversy. But Black History month is about remembrance and we should remember thee good along with the bad. All that makes us who we are. All that makes America the nation it is. Please read this article (by clicking here) for more information.