Crochet Boy

I didn't make this. I found it at a thrift store. Isn't she lovely?

- Shirt from Gap (similar to this one)

- Custom Shorts by Jamie Lau Designs

- Shoes from a thrift store

(Very) Simply Wrapped Pt. 1

I'm growing my hair out. I want dreadlocks.

Until my hair grows, I plan on wearing a bunch of head scarves. I bought two on Etsy (this one and this one), and I also bought a few from Rags A Go Go in Manhattan.

Using a rectangular scarf ( about 63 1/2 x 11 1/4 inches), here's how I make a very, very, very simple head wrap. This works nice with flow-y, silky scarves, which are not too long. 

Hold the ends tight in front of you.

Criss-cross.

Pull the ends back, behind you.

Make a comfortable knot.

Make another knot, then grab the right end and tuck it in the right side. Smooth it out.

Grab the left end, and tuck it in the left side. Smooth it out, too.

Adjust how it lays in your forehead, if necessary. Move it up, move it down or a combination of both. 

Just like that. Simple, right?

Sweatsuit

I bought this outfit, besides the socks, at Urban Jungle and the accompanying thrift store behind it this weekend in Brooklyn. I haven't worn sweats in a long time. They're so comfortable. 

Pepsi or Coke? I have no clue. Honestly, they both taste the same to me. I like this logo, though. It's like 1980s, Michael Jackson-era Pepsi. 

When I find a pair of shoes that fit and that I like, it's like I've struck gold. These are vintage Pierre Cardin's, and they fit so well. This was a magical find, especially considering that my right foot is about 1/4 of an inch longer than my left, or that scoliosis (which I have) causes my torso to push my right foot forward further than my left, giving me the appearance that it's longer. I don't know which one is true, and this is probably too much unimportant information for you, anyway.

I'm currently reading "Tar Baby" by Toni Morrison. This book is beautifully and powerfully written. It's immersive, with perfect transitions into small story lines that make up the larger one, like a river with streams or a tree with branches. Toni has such a poetic way of writing. This book feels experimental in its approach. It's not rigid. There are tangents and asides, but it all makes sense. It all fits. It's deep, too. The subject matters are complex, and it definitely gets you thinking.

I could go on and on...

I washed this outfit by hand, in a bucket in my tub. There was something so wonderful about this process. I need to do more hand-washing, and I need to wash with vinegar and castille soap more often. Vinegar is a great cleaning agent, and castille soap is just great, especially Dr. Bronner's.

I feel genuine. I am genuine, but I feel it now, too. I feel it's importance. It's like my soul is insisting that I be true to myself at all times. "All" is an overwhelming concept, and I don't know what it really means yet. I mean, I can't grasp it. Extremes like "all," "everything" and "nothing" elude me. 

I feel mentally distant, too, like I'm in a foggy field. I feel internal. To be honest, that's my comfort zone. 

I also feel vulnerable, but am happy with the idea that if I can resonate with someone/anyone, if I can echo their thoughts and if they can somehow connect with me, then being vulnerable is worth it.

Present Rhythm

These are the things that I'm currently thinking about, in no particular order:

- late-night phone conversations that fill me with hope; that are filled with hope

- uncorrupted dreams

- wild ambition, the kind that kingdoms are built on

- movies that linger ("The Iron Lady," "Paris is Burning," "The New World")

- supreme knowingness
- the frailty of humanity.
- destiny
- halal food is amazing, but (I think) my face is getting fat
- imperfections
- acceptance (?)

- "mistakes" that could be impossible to correct

- fear

- money, and my current apathy toward it

- the implications of indifference

- the fear of a theoretical edge

- the fear of falling, but the uncertainty of where or what I may fall to if I do fall

- vulnerability

- the true meaning of freedom (I don't have the answer to this)

- success, and the amount of work needed to attain it
- happiness versus discipline
- Michelle Obama
- genuine spirits
- politics
- vision

- strategies for winning
- methodical mindsets
- unwavering conviction
- a trust in one's spirit

- swing-dancing
- hamburgers and red wine
- a quest for good beer
- family and family responsibility
- singing and vocal chords.
- jealousy
- power, and an imaginary throne
- an obsessive search for validation (why?)

What I'm wearing:

• Shirt - thrifted
• Scarf - thrifted
• Jeans - vintage, from Rags-A-Go-Go
• Shoes - vintage, from Vice Versa
• Bag - thrifted

That's it.

Currently, I feel expansive.

I feel final. 

I feel circular, and present and groggy. 

Kept and powerful, I feel. 

I feel...

Cardigan - Vintage, gifted from Carol Cho, a former co-worker
Shirt - Thrifted, made by GiorgioHo
Necklace - from a 99 cent store in New York City.
Belt - Thrifted
Pants - Thrifted, made by Code Bleu
Shoes - Thrifted, made by Bally

*All photography by Lisa Cunningham.

Grey

• Undershirt from Uniqlo
• Middle shirt from a thrift store
• Grey cardigan from a thrift store
• Necklace from a 99 cent jewelry store
• Pants from H&M
• Flip flops from H&M
• Bag from a bed sheet set package that I got from Target