The Green Sofa...

I think I must have this Green Sofa from Urban Outfitters. It reminds me of the Santa Maria del Fiore... sigh, I miss Italy.

What Dreams are Made of...

Thank goodness its Fall.... =PIE TIME!

'Colliding Forces' Video

New Girl in an Old House...

So its no secret that I'm planning a big move within the next 2 weeks....I've been "moving" for about 2 months now, but Its taking me much longer than expected.  You see, Im actually sorta flipping a house at the moment... my mothers old home where she grew up in with my Grandmother and Great Grandma needs to be rented out, and I need to be renting so...  In the beginning mom's words were, "If we can all put at least 3 solid days of cleaning in, it should be ready." 

Well my friends, 3 days turned into 3 months, but the time is almost near, I can smell the fresh paint in the autumn breeze! (ok, not really) but dad and I did finish painting yesterday (my room is a Behr mix entitledMineral...it looks like ice, a light grey base with tints of blue), which may have been the happiest moment in this whole process.  So, now its on to what I've been looking forward to doing...the Interior Design. YES. So, as I journey through this process...the process of furniture thrifting coupled with multiple IKEA trips, researching the rules of feng shui, and cat proofing the pad for my little black cat Amani (we call her Monroe, cause shes such adiva)...  

...I'll be keeping a photo diary. Yay. Stay Tuned.

Amani/Mani/Monroe: The ultimate Diva Cat, waiting for her new home to be ready...Clearly you cant look royalty in the eyes

 

Mineral by Behr: Click Here, and you may have to calibrate your monitor to see the true color... ugh, dont get me into color issues with computers...I get so aggrivated. Thats why I painted my walls this neutral-grey-ish-color.  Its pretty crucial when doing any computer aided graphics projects in order to properly see the colors on your screen...

 

Mellow Nights!!

A BIG jazzyFAT DISASTER

So, if you're from Philly or South Jersey, or just a lover of ah...ehem, "Neo-Soul" I'm sure you will remember a little club downtown called, "The 5 Spot".    The 5 Spot was/is a place with a performance stage area upstairs, and a club/bar atmosphere downstairs.  Many greats of our time have started out doing shows here, including Musiq Soulchild and Jill Scott.  I believe it burned down a few years ago but... 

Anywhooo, before then a bunch of talented women musicians had a monthly show there called the Black Lily.  This is how I came to know one of my ultimate favorite groups.... theJazzyfatnastees...or endearingly called by my sister and I, "the Jazzy's"  Either way, I've always been the young one of the group, and so I never actually got a chance to go to Black Lily, because at the time I wasn't 21, and no I didn't have a fake.  smh. Either way a few years down the line after the Black Lily set fizzled out I had the opportunity to see the Jazzy's perform at World Cafe.  EXCITEMENT.  I went. I listened (uhhh, better yet, was entranced) and afterward, a good friend of mine had the bright idea that I go introduce myself and say hello.  

I knew it was a bad idea.  I said bright, as in innovative, not good.  

Oh well, I went against my better judgement, and walked over to one of the ladies, and proceeded to say hello, but I scared her (since she knew not that I was behind her)...and this ensued a chain reaction of her turning around, bumping into me, and spilling RED WINE all over her WHITE outfit. The rest of this story is unnecessary to tell, or rather yet, too embarrassing.  They are still my favorite group. However, I've constantly debated on wearing a disguise the next time I go to a concert.  

You, however really should check out their music, and when you do...think of me, SBG, the big scare and the fallin wine.  You're sure to get a chuckle or two. -SBG

Flo Soundwave Panel by Karim Rashid

SKINNY STYLE

A few years ago I delved into the world of blogging under the title "thatSkinnyBrownGirl"... It was fitting enough...I am a girl, I am brown, and yes, I am def on the skinny side. -trust me, this isn't always a positive label, especially now that the thicky curve look is IN-... Anyways, I still post for this blog: thatSkinnyBrownGirl ...mainly about silly events that happen in my life, interesting things I see day to day, thought-worthy quotes, a bit of suga, some spice...you know, just a mixture of things.  I never thought about narrowing this mixture down however... until a few days ago.

I had just rushed from the tents at Bryant Park to Port Authority after viewing the ARISE: African Promise Collective Show for NY Fashion week.  -Side Note, I love greyhound.  I really do.  I'd much rather take the bus during my travels than ride the train. Cushy seats, no stops, and sometimes they play movies? YES.- 

Anywhooo....I was on a mini high.  You see, I had attended shows at fashion week this year, and a year prior, but the ARISE show was one that I'd been dying to see.  I just never had tickets...This year however I was able to finagle my way in, (Special SBG shoutout to my friend, photographer Todd Walker, for hooking me up!) 

Either way, as I stood in line I noticed out of the corner of my eye a fabulously dressed, curly haired fellow fashionista hanging onto an ARISE fashion magazine..."She must have attended the show." I thought to myself.  So, I asked her...she said "Yes", and that started a lovely conversation in which I was introduced to DC born-currently Philadelphian creative bloggerMs. Andrea "FlyGirlBlog" Pippins.  We began to chat about the show as we waited for the bus to arrive, and the conversation led to blogging. Never mind what the conversation was about in detail, just know that I was very impressed by Miss FlyGirl and inspired to create something of my own.  

Call me a biter... there truly are hundreds of fashion/style blogs.  Yet, I just see myself as another set of eyes...another point of view. I am a fellow artist taking a light from the torch and burning it in my own special way. There are tons of things, interesting people, creative pieces, and inspiring new trends that I see on my travels and just want to share with the world... so check out STYLESKINNY.TYPEPAD.COM  (go head/click on this link) and get the skinny on what's fresh in style. ...and don't worry, my crazy life and a whole lot more nonsense will continue to be posted on THATSKINNYBROWNGIRL2.BLOGSPOT.COM. Hope you enjoy both!

ps. I've posted about the rest of my time in the tents on the new site.

-SBG/thatSkinnyBrownGirl

skin⋅ny

  [skin-ee]  Show IPA adjective, -ni⋅er, -ni⋅est,noun–noun

5.	Slang. a. accurate information; data; facts. b. news, esp. if confidential; gossip: Here's the skinny on the latest Hollywood scandal.

Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Day 1

Day one of MBFW started off w/ seeing the BCBGMAXAZRIA show with my coworkers. As I walked into the show I spotted Blogzworth behind the scenes filming, and afterwards he threw the mic in my hand, pushing me in front of the camera...

I think I spit out "HEY WE'RE LIVE FROM MERCEDES BENZ FASHION WEEK PEOPLE!" before my hand started shaking...

Ya'll know Im more of a behind the scenes person...smh...either 

way I made my escape only to get a BBM 5 minutes after saying, I just missed interviewing Keri Hilson. oh how life works.

The front of the tents

H20 they gave out at the show. I liked the packaging.

BCBGMAXAZRIA show

BCBG Girls 

Later on I hit up Fashion's Night Out at Bloomingdale's 59th Street. NICE.  

Tons of drinks and DJs on each floor.

Gwen Stephanie performed and I got a nod and "hello" from Brian Reyes :) 

I heard Saks was poppin too...maybe next year. 

BELOW FormerFW Brian shows love for the brown girls:Amerie & Trace Ellis Ross

Later on I caught back up with Blogzworth and the rest of the ALLSMiLES team 

at their uptown studio.  We ended the night with chicken wraps, cheese cake, and cookies and cream icecream, which was eaten far before thoughts of snapping flicks came to mind.

More fashion week freshness to come!

I hope they're deleting my horrible on camera action in this photo....lol.

Its the most wonderful time of the yearrr.....

Its that time again folks.  The white tents have been up for a few days now, and I'm def. more than ready to catch the bus up to NY for MBFW...(yes, Greyhound, riding in style, but who's complaining? ...at least I get to see a show or two.)  Either way, I'm very excited to see what Tracy Reese, Mara Hoffman, and Jill Stuart have to offer...and of course BCBGMAXAZRIA and Herve Leger.  I also am interested in the ARISE: Promise of Africa Collective Show which will feature some of the most current designers from South Africa, Nigeria, and Madagascar...check the quote below...

New York, NY (September 1, 2009): ARISE Magazine, riding on the success of February's inaugural launch, which culminated in a surprise appearance from international superstar Grace Jones, presents the ARISE Promise of Africa Collective star-studded runway show with four of the brightest design talents from across the African continent to Bryant Park on Friday, September 11, 2009. The show will continue the spectacle of what Hilary Alexander of the London Telegraph called “a style and cultural explosion as colourful and diverse as Africa itself.”

I just don't have tickets/invitation to this one...any suggestions?...I'm about to google.  Either way, I have to finish getting my things together and then I'll be off... Hopefully I can blog from my phone...I'm trying to figure out that one now too... 

Happy Idea Transition Day.

Happy Labor Day.  Hmmm, first year in a while that I haven't been gearing up for the West Indian Parade in BK.  Oh well.  Anyway, its odd that today is the day I realize a few things about my life in comparison to my work.  While there are many things that I do complete, there are even more things in my life that I've started, worked on, but have not finished.  This is hard to say.  Who likes to admit that they have glitches in anything?  Its not fun.  Either way, Its not like I don't finish anything I start... I finished school, I finish reading books, art projects, tasks at work etc.  

Its the intangible things I fail to complete. IDEAS.  My ideas are endless....my brain seems like a little "Idea workshop" that stays open on holidays and doesn't take vacation time. It produces a steady stream of ideas, which is good but there are so many hitting me at once; Its hard to pick the good ones...the ones that have a real chance of working, and running wit

h them.  So today, of all days, I'm making a vow to at least write everything down, 

no matter how crazy, weird, and/or intangible it may seem....and hopefully pick one or two to really put effort into making a definite reality. 

Mr. and Mrs. Murphy

Last night my sister and I went to a close friends wedding...I had to leave straight from work to attend, so as I was preparing my coworker and I had a short convo.

C/W: you going to wedding?

SBG: yup, a friends.

C/W: you married?

SBG: Nope, not me.

C/W: you have boyfriend?

SBG: ah, No, I don't have one of those either...

C/W: You need to go to more party.

SBG:huh?

C/W: In my country you have party.  You invite friend. Friend invite other friend. That friend invite another friend.  My daughter meet husband this way.

SBG: Sigh, thanks for the tips.

September 6

"Some people think that having self discipline prevents you from being open and natural. 

 They think you should just relax and let everything flow freely. 

 But to do so is not contradictory to being disciplined.  

In fact, you can be truly open only if you are disciplined.

-Lama Thubten Yeshe, In Wisdom Energy

Konnichiwa

My cousin Courtney sends Aijou (love) from Japan

Iced Mandarins!

KFC... :)

Roomates

Court's Marc by Marc Tote Bag: Bloomies

train station

$10 shirts

  some giant blow up thing

"Georgia O'Keeffe" Preview

Its BLUE BABY...

I had to give my friend Blue an official SBG Shout-Out after seeing him over the weekend at a friend's birthday party...

(btw Feliz Cumpleanos Nicole & T!)

Blue is a talented young man from Brooklyn, N.Y. out and about in the city taking photos of the world and leaving his mark as a Hip Hop artist as well.

You can catch him on the following tips...

For Music:

http://www.myspace.com/blue

For Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/blue 

For Photography:

http://www.modelmayhem.com/urbanoverdose

For The Urban Overdose TV Show:
http://www.youtube.com/urbanoverdose

(photo by BLUE of one of my best home-slices Corinne)

BLUE QUOTES: "I am a Hip-Hop Artist...I have to say that...because its "Deeper Than Rap" .... I love the culture...and I started doing photography because of that...capturing the Urban lifestyle."

SWAN FRIEND VISIT

A few mornings ago my swan friend came up to visit me...haven't seen him in a while, and haven't seen him since, but there is a new family of ducks on the rise...pics of them to come. 

There he goes...at least he brought peace for a moment...

Herbs

I began planting these little guys in a tiny 16 hole seedling tray about a week after my birthday which happens to be April 2oth.  Go figure...but no, these are actually LEGAL herbs. haha.  Anyway, I wanted them to be 100% organic and free of all of 'thatbadstuff,' so they're planted in Organic Miracle Grow Soil and fed by only the finest tap water the tri-state has to offer.  Who knew miracle grow could be 100% organic? ...hmmm, maybe I should research that.

The first two photos were taken after the first time I repotted them.  The second two were taken on 8/20/09 after the second repotting...lets just call them, 'Basil Takeover'. I've always wanted to grow an herb garden and am amazed every day at how something so large could come from something as small as a little seed...Anyway, if anyone wants fresh basil for cooking, I have three types and they are surely taking over day by day.  

I hope you enjoy, and join me for fresh chamomile tea in about two more months.... 

  

URBAN ROCK! BCBGMAXAZRIA/FALL09

Save the Bears!:BearNAKED wipes

During one of my many weekly trips to Beauty Heaven, aka. Cosmetic Store Sephora, a small pale pink package caught my eye...BearNAKED wipes

This little $12/30 facial wipes package donates a portion of all proceeds to the Natural Resources Defense Council's Polar Bear SOS initiative.   After finding out that global warming could bring Polar Bears close to extinction by 2050, model/actress Josie Maran created these wipes with the intention to sell a great product and create awareness for Polar Bear preservation.

THE NITTY GRITTY: 

-removes makeup and dirt

-natural ingredients: cucumber, vita. E, aloe vera

-no fragrance, parabens, nor petrochemical

-www.polarbearsos.org

Oasis Breaks Up...for Real This Time?

Oasis, pioneers of 1990s Britpop, announce breakup: TIMES ONLINE-Kaya Burgess

The Britpop pioneers Oasis have split up after Noel Gallagher, the lead guitarist and songwriter, said last night that he was quitting the group.

He and his brother Liam, the group’s lead singer, have long had a tempestuous relationship in the band, which released their first album 15 years ago and helped to lead the Britpop era in the mid-Nineties. It was this brotherly tension that reportedly led to the parting of ways.

Oasis had been due to perform at the Rock en Seine festival in Paris last night, but the crowd were told by Bloc Party, who were due to perform before Oasis, that the band would not be appearing.

Many of the crowd reportedly thought that the announcement was a joke until a message appeared on the big screens saying that Oasis would not be performing due to an “altercation within the band”.

The Scottish singer Amy Macdonald, who was playing in the festival last night, wrote on her Twitter page shortly after 9pm,

“Oasis cancelled again with one minute to stage time! Liam smashed Noel’s guitar, huuuge fight!”

In an official statement on the band’s website, Noel, 42, wrote last night: 

“It’s with some sadness and great relief to tell you that I quit Oasis tonight. People will write and say what they like, but I simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer.

Call to Artists:Mellow Nights

Mellow Massage Therapy Center in the East Falls section of Philadelphia is looking for artists for their bi-monthly event, Mellow Nights.  Mellow Nights will combine fine art, live music, and massage therapy as a fundraiser for various charitable organizations that support the same artistic endeavors. The first event will be held on Saturday, October 24, 2009.

The chosen artist will have their original artwork featured on the evening of the affair in a “gallery-opening style” event. Artwork will then be required to hang in the lobby and treatment rooms at Mellow Massage Therapy Center for a time period of 2 months.  

All pieces will be made available to clients for purchase. Whatever pieces are not sold must be picked up at the end of this 2 month period.

 We are looking for art that inspires and/or compliments a relaxing atmosphere.  Pieces should be of any medium, however they must be easily hung on a wall. Free standing sculptures will not qualify.

For submission, please provide a link to your electronic portfolio / website. You may also submit 5 samples of your work via e-mail attachment to info@mellowmassage.com. Please note, though only 5 pieces are required as submission for consideration, more may be needed for the exhibit dependent upon the size or the artwork.

You will be notified via email if we choose to display your art.  The deadline for submission is Monday, September 7, 2009. All submissions not chosen for the upcoming event will be considered for subsequent months.

Please send questions to Vanessa Hazzard-Tillman at vanessa@mellowmassage.com.

BLUE METHOD LIVE AT WORLD CAFE

We will ALWAYS love you...

R.I.P Aaliyah Haughton (January 16, 1979 - August 25, 2001)

If You're Interested, This is Interesting.