Listening to Now

Jessie Ware

I'm currently vibing off Jessie Ware. Like major. I was hooked a while back when I first heard her, but now its one of those things were I've been pulled back into the greatness that is her voice. So much depth. Mostly though, I'm just appreciating her whole aesthetic. She has an incredibly refined style with some, "I couldn't care less what you think" dropped in - and I love it.

Florence and the Machine

Sweet sweet Florence. She could write the soundtrack to my life. And when it comes to depth of  voice and feeling, honestly there are few like this wonder. Her music is what I go to often when things just need to be understood. She gets me.

Music for you weekend... Sweet Hallelujah!

D

New Music - Menahan Street Band & Daley

Some pretty dope music to kick off your weekend. So so in love with this new group Mehahan Street Band and am definitely cycling through their music on repeat. They're a surprisingly unique instrumental jazz band from the Bushwick side of Brooklyn. I'm particularly in love with their Motown and funk sounds. Some of their collabs include Charles Bradley, a jazz-soul legend in his own right, Kid-Cudi, and Jay-Z. Loving their track The Contender. Check it out.

For that lights-low/ falsetto filled jam this weekend, Daley is that dude and I must say I'm incredibly in love with this man's voice. I'm also very much feeling his 80's fabulous style, both in some of his songs and his general personal style. This is a definite must add to your rotation this weekend. So good.

Happy Friday!

D.

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

Shameless webcam pics of my new do. 

Last week, I cut and permed my hair and I'm still getting used to it. I'm actually pretty surprised by myself with this decision, mostly because I'm the worlds most indecisive person EVER. I'm serious. It takes me a good 10 minutes in the jam isle just to decide what jam I want or that I really don't want any at all. Put me in the cereal isle and its game over. I'll be there all night, it's a process. Anyway, I was thinking for a while that I wanted to change my hair No more braids, no more fro. So after 4 years of being natural, I got it cut and permed. (Nothing to it, but to do it.) And I love it. Everyday its growing on me, literary.

 I'm not going write about how being natural was liberating or about feeling unliberated going back to the relaxed route. Honestly I didn't and don't feel any of those things. There's so much attachment and scrutiny over hair, over women's bodies in general, especially among black women. Debates on what is good hair and what's "right" for hair make it seem as though a woman's crop is either a lottery to the world's good graces or some type of spiritual journey. The reality is..really is...that its just hair; dead cells growing from the top of your head. Nothing more, nothing less. It doesn't need to be glorified or criticized  Just loved. Right? I l try to love my hair all the time. Whether its natural, braided or relaxed. That doesn't always mean I like it. But I love it, because it's mine no matter what it looks like. I'm getting used to seeing my self with this new do. But everyday, I'm liking it more and more. I'm not waiting for anyone's thumbs up or green light of approval. It's mine, and its growing on me, so that's enough.

Artisit Profile - Laura Mvula

Just discovered the soothing sounds of Laura Mvula and am very much in love. Such a beautiful depth to her sound. I'm quite unlearned regarding the African music scene, but its great to see such diverse sound coming out. Will definitely be following this one. Sadly she only has a few videos online, but I can't wait to hear more. Check out her video below.

Happy Friday!

D

I made this!

Roasted Red and Sweet Potato Hash with Poached Eggs.

Poached eggs are pretty much my jam right now. A little known fact about me: I work part-time on the weekends as a hostess at a little comfort food restaurant in San Francisco. It's been pretty cool so far seeing the interesting Mission hipsters that come through for our weekend brunch. It's been even more interesting getting to try all of the tasty dishes on the menu. And at the end of the shift, when the chefs whip up something for the staff, 9 times out of 10 its the breakfast hash with poached eggs. And its goood. I can't believe I've been missing on this poached egg train for all my life. Now, I just cant get enough of this yolky creamy goodness. And their so silly to make. Honestly, it looks like a disaster in a pot. But, man. So worth it. So this was my attempt to recreate my beloved breakfast hash. And it was pretty on point, if I do say so myself.

Wanna try it? Here's the recipe

1. Set the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Cube up some red and sweet potatoes.

3. Toss 'em in a bowl along with 2 tbs of olive oil and all kinds of good seasoning. (I used some Cajun spices  of course, since I'm a southern girl.)

4. Pop them in the oven for about 30 minutes or until soft and golden. 

5. While the potatoes are roasting, cook some sliced onion, minced garlic, mushrooms, bell peppers, corn (clearly the list can be endless.) in a saucepan. Once cooked to yummy perfection, remove from the heat and set aside.

6. When the potatoes are done, add to saucepan along with the cooked veggies.

7. Lastly add some fresh spinach leaves and toss until their nice and wilted.

8. Add your poached eggs on top (I'm certainly no expert, so refer to this amazing cooking genius.) and you're golden.

Definitely one of my tastiest kitchen adventures thus far.

D.

Another Magic Thursday

Got to see the Macy's Christmas Tree Lighting last week in Union Square...and it was magical.

I had a teacher in 7th grade  (maybe 8th grade. My mind seems to stop remembering everything between  elementary school and high school, which is probably on purpose since middle school was an extremely awkward phase for just about everyone.) Anyway, back to this teacher. He would start every Thursday class by saying, "Another Magic Thursday." We all had no idea what this really meant or where it came from but we thought it was cool, so it caught on as things do in the 7th/8th grade. You know, just like slap on bracelets and punk rock. (No? This didn't happen to you?...Just me? Like I said, it was an awkward time which I have tried to block out of memory.) Anyway, now I realize that it was probably just a coping method, a bit of a self-help mantra, to get through another Thursday, especially one filled with awkwardly pubescent preteens, and on to the weekend. So now Mr. Beale, I finally understand. Another Magic Thursday it is. (minus the awkward preteen stuff. that I will never understand.)

On to the links. See whats happening around the interwebs.

1.Life is pretty much perfect right now, maybe not for Ryan Gosling or Channing Tatum though.

2. A great reminder. When you think you're having a bad day, there's probably someone who's having it worse.

3.Sometimes we need that real Real Talk.

4. I can't even take you right now. This is happening.

5. Speaking of donuts, I ate these donuts and they were bomb. I tried the maple bacon (I know.) and the passion fruit milk chocolate (my fav.) If you're ever in SF definitely check them out.

6. This book is amazing and has helped me think about the way I live this one wild life. Thanks for your spirit and whimsy, Bob Goff.

7. I just bought a new computer with Windows 8 and it makes close to no sense to me. But, I might understand how to use it a little more after this.

Alright. Onward to your magical Thursday.

D.

In Other News

shirt: h&m // pants: old navy // earrings: Treasure Island flea market find //

The ever wise words of Marc Johns. Indeed this is the motto of today. Throw on that striped shirt, some red lips and get on girl. Love his illustrations by the way.

Happy Thursday!

D

This one's for You

Well the time has come again, as it always does, unwelcome and without invitation. This ones for you fellas. Consider this little anecdote as a little piece of advice for whatever womanly relationships may be in your future. I'm talking about the little  "time of the month" as women's health magazines like to say, trying to make it sound all cute and innocent. Let's get this straight. Its not. It's not cute at all and it sure as heck isn't little. We're talking a week long biological pulverization on your own body, by your own body, without your consent. Oh and the way it comes is like having your boss show up to you place on the weekend, its awkward and unexpected.

The realization that this biological tornado is ready to whip through your body once again is a slow one, at least for me. It's starts after I've shoveled 5 chocolate bars into my face at work before 10am. (I blame this on all the office mommies who decided to steal their kids Halloween candy and force it upon us) Ahh you're here. Before I know it, I'm on a hormone induced roller coaster of emotions. Everything is emotional. And I mean EVERYTHING. The whole world is conspiring against me, and its not my fault, and oh my goodness  if you even look at me right now, I. will. cut. you. It can get pretty extreme.

What then is the remedy, you ask. If you're thinking buckets of ice-cream novelties and romantic chick flicks, try it. I dare you. That stuffs for the faint of heart and light of period. No, what I'm talking about is hour-long marathons of Ultimate Ninja Warrior and fried chocolate things. I don't even know what type of chocolate things. Just anything, bring it. There's a scene in the movie "No Strings Attached" where Ashton Kutcher, brings a pmsing Natalie Portman  a box of cupcakes and a CD of songs along the lines of Leona Lewis-Bleeding Love. Cute. Bring the cupcakes. Heck, bring the Leona Lewis CD.  I could use a good cry. But for your own welfare, drop the goods and leave. Trust me.

 As ridiculous as it is, one thing's for sure, despite the ups and downs of this biological thrill ride you realize how fabulous this female body really is. With the back-aches, the cramps, and the sheer inconvenience of it all, there comes a certain strength to deal with other things in life (like you- our periodless friends of the world.) In all seriousness, I do believe a woman's strength is unparalleled.  It's different from a mans strength in that's less about doing and more about being. About enduring. And it probably has something to do with this monthly event and maybe bringing forth life out of your insides. Anyway, at the end of it all you realize that indeed you are fabulous, you're strong. Its several days after the chocolate, spicy, Ultimate Ninja cravings and the world is all right again. Everything makes emotional sense and you've kicked this thing in the pants (till next month.) That, or you're 65 years old, kicking it on a skateboard, with no periods attached. Why? Because you're fabulous.

So that's it in a nutshell.

D.

pms. I hope that's me when I'm old. Straight chilling.

New Music

Solange - Losing You

Such a stylish video. Loving the creativity behind this. Check it out!

D.

Global Forum Recap

//one// Inside the Global Forum  //two//Hearing the story of a former trafficked victim turned NPO founder //three//One of my favorite moments, hearing Lelia Jana (Samasource) speak  //four// Ultimate icing on the cake, grabbing a picture with Bob Goff. Such an incredible spirit.// (sorry for the blurry pics.)

What a whirl-wind couple of weeks it has been. Lots of things happening in life, in the world that I'm very excited about. One of the things I love most in life is meeting passionate and "doing" people. Being at the 2012 Global Forum on Human Trafficking last week was like a 2 day buffet of crazy bold, passionate, and innovative human beings. One thing was for sure, you couldn't leave that conference unchanged by the stories heard over the two days; stories of survivors, of brothel-door-busters/sex-slave-rescuers, of socially minded business leaders and pastors to passion driven major league baseball players. It was great. But it wasn't about being moved by how awesome the speakers were-and they were all pretty awesome. It was about bringing together the collective energies of everyone there to motivate ourselves to be better doers. To not just go to conferences about things, but to put fire to our feet and feet to our beliefs. God talks about how "they will  know us by our actions." But a lot of times when I think of action, I think of things that are comfortable to me, the kind of actions that are tame, with all the t's crossed and i's dotted, the kind of actions that don't interrupt you when you're speaking. You know, the ones that involve minimal commitment and even less heart.  And most importantly the kind of actions that wouldn't dare ask you to do more than put the $5 bucks that you were saving for your pumpkin soy latte into an offering basket lest you feel too "uncomfortable" or deprived. That's not what He could have meant. The people at this conference were a great reminder of life in real action; of healing wounded people, of starting companies with nothing but ambition, of creating new ways of thinking, of giving up opportunity to pursue passion, of messing up, getting disappointing and doing it all again. I want my life to be that kind of life. The kind that really does things. This conference was a great reminder that sometimes all you have to do is just start.                       

Monday Funday

Monday Funday? I'm convinced that if I keep repeating this over and over again, it might actually turn out to be true. Clearly Mondays need a little motivation for me. Who am I kidding? Monday's need a lot of motivation. The subtle dent I've made in my bed this weekend from the extra hours of lounging calls me back as soon as Monday morning sets in. Which might explain why I've been late to work...

Then again, sometimes all you need to do is just start...which requires getting out of bed when the alarm rings the first time and catching the 1st bus to work not the 5th. One step at a time folks. Anyway..here's a little motivation for your super fun Monday. (believe it, ok?)

• This website will surely be your Monday salvation. What's not to love about free full-length movie audio recordings. If this doesn't ease your mornings, my friend I must say there is little hope.
• Last week I meet a sweet lady on BART who works at probably the coolest restaurant I've ever heard of. Its called Opaque/ Dining in the Dark. Basically is a totally sensory dining experience. You dine in complete darkness and are served by a waitress or waiter who is either partially or completely blind. I'm not entirely sure how everything works out (for example finding your way to the bathroom) but it looks amazing, if you can afford the $99/person price tag! Talk about feeding the senses. (see what I did there?)
• Very excited for this conference on Thursday and Friday on Human Trafficking. It's hosted by Not for Sale, a great organization out of the Bay area. So many great speakers that I can't wait to hear from, i.e. Francis Chan, Bob Goff (whose book I just bought, coincidence...no.),Leila Janah, and the Duchess of York (nbd.)
• I'm gonna eat you.
• This is a cool website with cool things. 
• Happy Birthday Bob Ross! Your show was my jam back in the day.
• Here's some inspiration for your Halloween costume. I'm loving the Ron Swanson one, of course.

D.

Huzzah!

It lives. On the day of my 23rd trip around the sun, I'd like to return my heart to one of its truest loves; writing blogging. It's been a while since I've been here, and with all the changes happening, I figure, what better time than now to take record of all life's happenings. Thus, this blog. My literary bay-bay of sorts.

Since moving out here to the city so much has happened. So many lessons learned.  Let me tell you. Like:

• Where not to park you car in the city. And inadvertently where the SF auto return is located. By now I can take you there with my eyes closed.
• How you can't go knocking on people's doors at 10pm at night asking for an electric drill like they're your dorm neighbors from college. Usually this is not well received from your asian neighbors.
• Standing over a stove and making food like a grown person is the TRUTH. Sometimes cooking something is exactly what you need to clear your head space.
• How phone calls with friends just might be the best medicine ever. Even when we haven't talked in ages, I love how hearing the voice of people you love can be that true and swift validation no "thumbs up" icon can give.
• Sometimes being domestic/ a homebody on a Friday and or Saturday night is my jam. It's not that I'm not down with the get down (do people still say this or am I actually 60 yrs old?) It's not that i dont want to hang out with my girls and paint the city red. It's just that sometimes, all I want is my couch, a blanket, the latest episodes of Parks and Rec, Parenthood, or the Colbert Report and Corinne Bailey Rae. Corinne is always a good idea. Always.
• Craigslist is my jam. For all the times I've hated (rightfully so, there are some sketchy people out there) you have proven me wrong by the overwhelming generosity of strangers willing to sell me their stuff for mad cheap.
• Your mom can be the greatest wisdom and truest friend in your life. Love her.
• When all else fails, cereal for breakfast, lunch and dinner does the trick. Delicious and nutritious.

The list can go on. The point is, with all the bills, the trips to auto return, the frustrations of working, I'm learning. I'm learning that loving what you have is far better than lusting for what you don't. I'm learning that I'm blessed to share the company and know some of the silliest, craziest, tell you the truth when you dont want to hear it, call you at just the right time blessed friends and family this side of Heaven. And crazy things too, like how crushed red peppers are not crushed red bell peppers. (For a non-spicy food girl from New Orleans, this matters a lot.) And most importantly, how magenta lipstick looks dang good on these lips. Watch out.

On this 23rd birthday of mine, my heart smiles because I have and continue to learn so much about myself, about life and love. Sometimes it hurts. A lot. And sometimes, God rocks your world with so much good lovin all you can do is sit back and smile that wild beautiful smile right back.

So that's me right about now. Learning and smiling, laughing and lovin. And it's all good.

Onwards and Upwards.

Doris