Hello School Dayz!

Today some of you may have spent your day out with friends, at the beach, or maybe watching TV – NOT ME! Today was my first day back in school.  I am very sad my summer  is over but on the bright side ,  it does feel good to be going back to school as a Junior (whoop whoop)! No longer am I fresh-meat, or a socially lost sophomore, I’m an upperclassman  and I am totally in this I-don’t-give-a-sh**-I’m-a-Junior chill mode (ha-ha)!

Anyway, today went very well, it was great to see all my friends beautiful faces! And of course I had to take first day pictures for you! So here I am with my minimal-vintage-chillax-Jr.-dopeness.

Hip-Hop Turns 40

Hip-hop has left a legacy that seems to be growing with time. Throughout this month people have been celebrating Hip-Hop’s 40th birthday.

 

Grandmaster Flash

Everyone knows the names of the most well known Hip-Hop artists of today: Jay-Z, Kanye, Lil Wayne, Eminem, Drake and Niki Minaj, just to name a few. But to truly celebrate I wanted to have a full understanding of what Hip-Hop was before the money, glamour, bitches and pimps . So I went back to the days when Hip Hop was born.

“Let’s take it back (to the beginning). The August 11, 1973 rec room party in the Bronx is undeniably one of the  most famous parties in Hip-Hop’s history. Thrown by a father of Hip-Hop, DJ Kool Herc, it was here that Herc experimented with “the breaks” in records, elongating portions of them after noticing that dancers would choose certain points in a record to flock to the floor.” – pbs.org

But before that night, parties were bumping with the funky sounds of Motown. James Brown’s music used what would become an influential sound called “break beat”, a new dance style of “popping and locking” was being introduced and artists were using spoken word in their songs.”
 
Around the time of DJ Kool Hurc’s party in 73’, young Kurtis Blow, DJ Afrika Bambaata, and Grandmaster Flash spread the Hip-Hops sound of breaking and scratching throughout the streets. By the late 80’s Hip-Hop was no longer just a music style, it was an innovative life style.
 

The original flyer for what became the birth of hip-hop. - Upnorthrips

One by one, boundaries were being broken. Kurtis Blow becomes the first rapper signed to a major record label deal , The Sugar Hill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” is one of the first Hip-Hop singles to land on the Top 40 Charts, Salt n’ Pepa becomes the first well known female rap group, mainstream media gets its first taste of hip- hop on "Yo! MTV Raps.", and in 88’ DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince win the first ever Rap Grammy Award.

 

40-years later you, me and the world are celebrating the artists, the innovation, the sensation and the music that is, Hip-Hop.

 
References: pbs.org, about.com, npr.org

Fashion So Dope You Can’t Cope

   Currently #Trending in Fashion by savainfinite created with Polyvore

 

Over the past couple of weeks I’ve had the opportunity to go shopping! I’ve hit a couple different malls, outlets, and stores looking for things for the new school year. I can’t help but notice that there are some items that can be found in almost every store. If you haven’t been out lately here is a first look at these items that I have seen “trending”. As they say some trends are hot while others are a big NOT! Let me know what you think, and for those of you that are trend setters - what styles will we be seeing in the near future?

1. Galaxy Pattern - Even more stars and planets this year! 

Purple dress
etsy.com
 
Hair bow
hottopic.com
 
2. Felines - lions, tigers, and kitties...everywhere! Oh My!

Emma Cook tiger print t shirt
net-a-porter.com
 
Forever 21 head wrap headband
forever21.comp
 
3. Crop Turtle Necks - they make your upper half look slim.

Crop top turtleneck
$12 - glamorous.com
 
5. Camouflage - don't expect to go unseen wearing this.

Camo jacket
$57 - aeropostale.com
 
6. Leggings - pick a color, pattern, or print...the choices are endless!

Stretch waist pants
$42 - pret-a-beaute.com
 
H M black legging
$15 - hm.com
 
7. Cheetah Print - Seriously how many revivals can one trend get?!

Gourmet leather shoes
urbanoutfitters.com
 
White hat
etsy.com


8. Bib Necklace - currently searching for one that will match every Outfit.

Gold necklace
$20 - newlook.com


9. Flower Crowns- bring out your inner flower child. 

Gardenhead flower headband
urbanoutfitters.com

The Unplugged Life

 

                                                                                                        Photo By Nyoin

                                            

Since Friday I've been unplugged. NO PHONE, NO COMPUTER,  NO BLOGGING, Nada. According to my mom I had become a little obsessed with the whole blogging thing, I was going to bed at 1 o'clock at the earliest, and I was becoming crabby. So, she made me quite cold turkey, told me to “relax”!
 
My time is over (I now have my phone and computer back) and I am glad to announce I have survived!
 
And not only did I survive, I feel good, rested, refreshed, centered. I have a new perspective on things. Next time I might even do the complete unplugged detoxification. By complete I mean no TV (I was "relaxing" by watching Netflix) and no cheats (I used the house phone to make calls)hehe!
 
For those of you reading this, you should try it before summer ends! You may find yourself connected in a whole other way ;)

Falling From the Nest

I walked out of my front door and “woomp” something falls out of a tree if front of me. “Oh my god…!!!!! Help someone help me…find a box, find a box…Mommmm!!! Is it dead, oh god I hope it’s not dead.”

This is how I freak out when birds fall out of a trees. “The thing looks deaf, dumb, and blind.” There's a  baby bird lying there, and I'm thinking, what the hell am I suppose to do?… “Mommmm!!!”. I find a box, some newspaper, waster, seeds, and gloves. At this point I feel better, I’m thinking “It’s cute…I’m going to save a bird today!…Daphne…I’ll call the little bird Daphne.”

Daphne is a female fledgling , a baby bird just beginning world exploration. Well , she didn’t get very far. And to think, she would have never made it if a guardian angle didn’t swoop in from above and save her (that would be me *wink wink*).   I was able to find out that that Daphne is ok (thank the lord for the internet!), she was just a brave little soul that wanted to take a risk and leave the nest early. I can just imagine little bird Daphne going around and asking “Are you my mother?” haha :)

So now what.
Well, Daphne is in my room chirping, pooping a lot, but doing well. I will probably release her or climb a ladder and find her nest, but I’m making sure she is nursed and fully recovered from that dramatic experience!

The way this bird fell out of it’s nest, right there in front of me, the moment I opened the door;  I can’t help wonder if there is a message  I’m suppose to read into. You see Daphne and I have a lot in common, we are both at a point where we have to admit that soon it will be time to become more independent, experience life by living it,  leave the nest if you will. Daphne took the leap…and ended up falling…WHAT THE SACK IS THAT SUPPOSE TO MEAN?!?!?!

Here is Daphne!

In That Moment…

 

SHOW SOME LOVE!

The Sunflower Patch

When I’m not in the best of moods, I’ll sometimes stop everything and go outside and ride my bike. Something about riding always clears my mind. I only need to take a short ride around the neighborhood and I feel instant relief.  
Not too long ago I had one of those days, I just spontaneously dropped everything and left to ride my bike. It was evening, the warmth of the day was settling down, it was quiet and peaceful, and I was completely absorbed in the moment. I rode passed houses, immersed in the colors of the gardens and the movement of the lake behind them. As I approached the end of the street there it was a beautiful sunflower patch. It was just picturesque.


I’d seen this sunflower patch before, but this time I was going to enter it. There was a mailbox and a never ending pathway off to the right of the field. I rode my bike only a couple yards in so I wouldn’t be yelled at by any possessive owners. I then stopped my bike and just stood there taking it in, surrounded by sunflowers taller than me, I was alone. This was one of life’s moments.   



Before I left I quickly picked a baby sunflower put it in my bicycle basket and rode home, saying hello to a woman walking her dog on the way. This whole experience was about 10min but it made me feel as good as if I had been away for 60. As you can tell I really had a lot of fun on this mini adventure, it made me feel really good. :)   



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Temi DollFace

Temi DollFace is a singer, songwriter, visionary, and a Naija girl with serious talent! I discovered Temi DollFace a few weeks ago, when I watched the music video for her debut single “Pata Pata”, which can be loosely translated to mean “The relationship is over…completely”.

Her music is a mix of pop, soul, and afro-beat, it’s Like a Beyoncé’, Stevie Wonder, and Fela Kuti concoction, which she calls “Drama Soul” …and I love it. Not to mention the music video itself, that went full out with the whole vintage, retro, 1950’s American TV style, with a touch of West African culture and dance. It really is the cutest thing, but seriously, watch it for yourself! http://youtu.be/7EinxcEiDNU

TemiDollface is a Nigerian singer and songwriter based between London and Nigeria. For more on her, find her on: Twitter & Instagram: @Temidollface  Site: www.temimusic.com

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It’s Ok…

I am a person that is driven. There are things I want to do, places I want to go. I have this apt sense of the future, it’s what I live for, to reach my goals and dreams.

But there is a part of me, a gray area, an inner critic, the ego. I am my worst enemy, always telling me what to do, what not to say, telling me that I'm not doing enough, judging, comparing, and devouring the full potential that is me.

They say identifying your problem is the first step to recovery, which means I've started the processes of getting rid of this critic. It’s one of the main things that I've been working on in my life. Sometimes just as I feel like I'm growing and becoming more centered, I find myself thrown into a new situation where I am swallowed up, chewed and spit out – “two steps back” as they say.

This aspect that I'm trying to get rid of can be described and seen in so many ways. It’s the thing that keeps me from expressing, asking for what I want, loving another, saying what I need to say; it makes me self conscious, it causes fear,  it tells me I’m limited even though I know I’m infinite, it controls me.

But every time I have an experience where I am able to take control and silence my critic, I know that growth is happening. I build strength, confidence, like an immunity. Even writing this post proves to myself that I'm getting somewhere. I’ve had beautiful people in my life be my teachers; my parents, uncles and aunts, siblings, and friends. And I know with out a doubt I’ll be completely free to be fully me, in time.

I guess I'm just telling myself as well as others that may be going through this too, its ok. It takes time to fully understand yourself,  and find your own way, but know that in this moment you are what you are, and that ok.

 

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Ear Food!!!

When I hear good music, I know it's good music, and who am I not to share? My EARS ARE currently being fed by – Lorde!

Lorde is 16-yr.-old singer, songwriter, youngin’ like me. She's from New Zealand, and SHE IS TALENTED. It is so good to be hearing a young female artist out there who's sound doesn't seam like it's been tampered with by some synthesizers or song generators.
Her music can fit into the styles of indie, pop, and electronics but what I love most is that her music so raw and minimal. When I heard she wrote her songs...I died (but was revived so I could listen to more of her music).
But of course there's more to find out and more to love...
So, check out her 2013 EP "The Love Club" and make sure to listen to the track that's getting all the rave (which I love) called "Royals" featuring amazing lyrics and some hot vocal harmonies. 

LET LORDE FEED YOUR EARS!- Remember her. Got it? Good. You will thank me. ;)

Click here for Lorde's website >>> http://www.lorde.co.nz/

Into The Woods

 

Top: Marshalls, Skirt: Made by my grandma :) using Nigerian fabrics, Earrings: Forever 21 

Now we are really rolling with the first official fashion shots on SAVA! This look is pretty simple with only three pieces but what gives it spark is the detail of the patterns. At first I wasn’t sure if this look would really work, but I didn’t have much of a choice (I was on vacation and a lot of my stuff was being washed) but experimentation is the father of fashion right?! And voila you get this edgy lion print with this chick print circle skirt perfect for roll playing both the lion from The Wizard of Oz and Alice from Wonderland. Into the woods we go…

The Light

   

In the beginning there was simply I

I was a light, a light so bright, and so vibrant, so unexplainable, that it couldn’t even be recognized

This light was placed among those that would not, could not distinguish it

And so the light itself forgot that it was a light

In this limiting belief its light began to dim

The light restricted and constrained itself to the area of the conformed, square, box of those around it

The light continued this way through life

But every once in a while it would find itself, sparking, igniting

And the light knew, somehow, it was more…

Everything the light did, every person the light encountered, every experience the light had, would make the light more conscious to its true state

Positive events caused the light to radiate and negative events would cast a shadow causing the light to glow

You see, the things that happened, good and bad; they all had one purpose, and that was to allow the light shine

The light continued this way through life

And the more it became aware, the more it had the ability to spark the light in others

And all around, more and more, conformity was broken down, boxes were no more, and everywhere there was light

I realized and understood it was indefinable, limitless

I was once again pure light

And the world was boundless.

 

Written By: Summer O.