Throughout the week, I’ll have friends and colleagues send along inspirational videos and this story is so good that I decided to host it as a blog post. Ginger (Alexia), a fellow colleague and amazing friend sent me this video earlier this week about a man who developed a tremor in his hand that kept him from creating drawings that he loved. Instead of giving up on his passion, he decided to embrace this limitation and transcend it. Throughout the video he displays alternate methods of art which is MINDBLOWING. Living in Los Angeles, I’ve definitely come across some unique art forms but he’s surpassed anything I’ve even seen.
How many times have you endured a moment where you wanted to quit? You often come across brick walls, huge potholes, etc., but what makes you great is when you’re able to overcome these obstacles. Sometimes these obstacles are placed in front of you to test your strength or how bad you want something. Take a minute to step back and assess how much you want something. Phil Hansen displays this strength in this video where he’s able to embrace his limitations and change his perspective to make something great. When you embrace the person within and are able to adapt to your surroundings, you can do amazing things.
I’ve always been somewhat creative but that doesn’t mean I’ve been great at what I actually created. I was the sort of kid that never colored inside the lines, my art was more abstract than anything (and not on purpose), and used colors that were probably not the actual color of the drawing I had in front of me. Now that I’m older and I’m able to focus a bit more, I’m still not able color inside the lines, my art is still abstract, and I’ll choose a red crayon to make an orange (I’m special).
Well, that’s great Christian but why are other people supposed to care? I’m not quite sure to be honest but you and a date should hit up Color Me Mine. Their concept is simple. You pick any item that you would like to paint and you pay for it. You’re really able to see how creative someone is based on what they choose to paint and how they paint it. The idea of color me mine is that it’s a pottery studio where you’re able to select mugs, plates, Disney characters, pots, etc. and paint it accordingly. Once you’ve painted the item, they will tell you when to come back and purchase your new (and glossed) item. This makes for a great group date or even something intimate between you and a significant other. Bring out the creative side of you and throw paint on each other.. unless she’s wearing some sort of dress and expensive shoes. You’ll probably end up paying as much as you would for a dinner but it’s more- so the experience and acting like a child that you’re paying for. I highly doubt you wear clothes that you don’t mind getting a bit dirty. Lord knows I end up having paint on the back of my ear. Weird, right?!
Don’t you ever wish that you could bring along your closet with you wherever you go? Or perhaps do your shopping in the convenience of your front yard? If you’re looking to start a business or even invent a product, you’re probably looking to create something that provides convenience for the general public, right? Think about it for a second. Some of the best services were created with the premise that it would serve as something convenient for either a target audience or for the general public. Pizza delivery, Grocery delivery, Shoedazzle/JustFab, Fourth and Grand, and now (drum roll please)…The Dress Up Trunk.
My lovely colleague, Rani, turned a rather novel idea into a hobby and it seemingly became a business which has blossomed over the past couple years. The food truck craze has expanded immensely within the last decade and now we’re seeing this trend in every metropolitan city in the nation, and even globally! When you’re able to blend an automobile and food, you’re guaranteed to attract audiences. Depending on what is on your menu is what will differentiate you from your competition. Rani’s passion for handmade vintage clothing is what has been able to set her aside from those in the similar industry. When you’re able to combine your passion with convenience and novelty, you’re essentially establishing the foundation for your business. During my routine coffee binges in the morning at my current company, I’ve spoken to Rani numerous times about fixing her truck and having to get new materials for as long as I can remember. She has always been committed to what she enjoys doing and it’s reflected in her work.
I recall attending one of her first events in a parking lot in Venice where she showcased her truck for the first time (or one of her first times- excuse my memory). I was extremely intrigued by this idea because of how popular food trucks have become to be and it’s transcended into fashion. After stepping in through the back of the truck, I recall there being a trunk with quilted pillows (as shown above) on the right side, and a custom closet on the left side with various clothing items hanging. Being borderline obsessed with vintage clothing (and really vintage anything), I was immediately pleased with what I saw. What made it even better was that she told me these items were all hand- made which had me sold. If I was in a relationship, I probably would have bought the whole left side of the closet because I was infatuated with everything she had to offer. She displays everything from dresses to skirts to tops to accessories and everything underneath the kitchen sink (is that the correct phrase?).
She’s set up her truck at the Pasadena flea market multiple times and I suggest that if you ever see this truck on the street, you hop right in! Actually, you might want to wait before the truck comes to a complete stop and then hop in. I just don’t want to be held liable for your gullibility. I’m a huge fan for what she’s been able to accomplish not only because of the service she offers but the passion she has for craft. It takes a special person to invest so much time, money, and effort to create such an idea and I encourage you to like her facebook page and see where the truck ends up next! Who knows, it might be in your backyard and you may not know it. Well, not literally. You get my drift.
Spread the love. Support Rani’s movement. Let’s Vibe.
Vibe with Rani
https://www.facebook.com/thedressuptrunk/
rani@thedressuptrunk.com
Oh, and don’t forget about this month’s giveaway here!
No, not like Obama. Yes, like the Rapper.
I’m blessed to have friends that love what they do and do what they love. It’s a beautiful thing to see those around me succeed and if there’s anything that I can do to help nurture their success, I’m all for it! I guess you can say I’m cut from a different clothes and others success motivates me. As much as I speak down on how pretentious and materialistic Los Angeles is, it’s a melting pot of cultures and crafts which brings those that may not seem compatible create some beautiful thangs. It appears that regardless of what your craft is, you’re able to establish your brand and your passion here in Los Angeles because of the networking that’s available. I have friends that are into acting, singing, rapping, interior designing, culinary arts, designing clothes, etc. but they have one common theme amongst them- passion. They don’t do it for the fame, the money, the entourage, but do it because they simply enjoy it.
My good friend Barak Nathaniel Yahud, better known by his stage name Barak The Rapper was born on August 24, 1989 in Tel Aviv, Israel. Barak moved to Los Angeles, CA at the age of nine and began speaking, reading and writing in the English language for the first time in his life. He picked up the language rather quickly and started writing poetry as well as song lyrics by the time he was twelve years old. Barak recorded his first song in a recording studio by the time he was fourteen. Hip Hop did not seem as the obvious choice of music for a fourteen year old Israeli born teenager however, artists such as Eminem, Tupac and Nas quickly inspired the poetry fanatic to start writing hip hop song lyrics. Throughout his high school years, Barak recorded different songs with various local artists however, never truly focused on his craft due to the fact that he was still very much preoccupied with school and sports. Sports took up most of Barak’s time growing up. He went on to run track at California State University, Northridge and graduated with a degree in Biology. Over the past few years Barak The Rapper has put together a couple mixtapes and a self titled EP which was released in June of 2012. Barak has worked with multiple artists on a number of mixtapes as well as albums. He has opened up for big name artists and performed in mainstream venues such as the El Rey Theatre and the Key club in Hollywood. Barak has recently performed on College Campuses such as California State University, Long Beach as well as other California campuses. Now at the age of 23, Barak The Rapper has never been more poised and ready to spread his music throughout the world of Hip Hop and enlighten music fans everywhere.
I’ve been able to attend several of his performances at multiple locations and I cannot begin to describe the vibe of the venue from the beginning of the performance until the end. We all know how it goes, a no- name artist comes up on stage at your local club and everyone immediately goes on their cell phones to avoid from listening to the performance. To be honest, I thought that his shows wouldn’t be any different but it all depends on how hyped you are that sets the tone for the rest of the show. Law of attraction! You can be a talented rapper or singer, but you need to be an amazing entertainer to get the crowd on your level. That goes from choosing the right track, to ensuring the bass is “slappin” at the right level, and everything in between. There’s all these additional variables that Barak takes under consideration before taking the stage that will put him on the forefront of the competition.
From those that I have spoke to in the entertainment business, they see that so many people go into a specific field because they know that it will gain them all the materialistic riches in the world and not necessarily because it’s something they love to do. I’m a huge fan of Barak, not because he’s great at what he does but because he loves what he does and it shows through his work. People that tell you that you can’t have had someone tell them the same thing and they believed it. He clearly can. If you’re passionate and have unconditional love for your craft, I guarantee it wil be portrayed in your art. Barak is able to take something as complex as love and simplify it so that those of any generation are able to relate to it (see his video “Love Purgatory” above if you haven’t already and if you’ve already seen it… see it again).
His next performance will be this April 5th at The Good Hurt in Venice Beach @ 8:00PM. The cover is $10, but the experience and good vibes cannot be quantified. He’ll be performing new tracks off of his new EP so be sure to go and support!
Spread the love. Support Barak’s movement. Let’s Vibe.
www.twitter.com/baraktherapper
www.facebook.com/baraktherapper
www.baraktherapper.com
www.youtube.com/baraktherapper
**Grand Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia pictured above
Seeing that as I love to travel (or should I say the thought of traveling), I’m always scouring the internet for unique places that most people might not have heard of. I’ll go to sites like Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, Examiner, etc. where they sometimes feature articles of some enchanting places. After compiling my top 10 places, which was more difficult than selecting my favorite cafes, I’ve listed them for you below. If you’ve been to any of these places, I’d love to hear your feedback as to how your experience was. This reminds me that I need a travel buddy to hopefully visit half of these places. They’re just magical. Almost Disney magical.
Facebook: ThePennyCloset
Twitter: Clauds_Love
Instagram: Clauds_Love
Website: thepennycloset.blogspot.com
“Style just can’t be bought. Instead of shelling out entire paychecks on a pair of jeans, invest the time into your creative mind. Be your own fashionista! Be you! And save! That’s what this blog is about. Look lavishly on an affordable budget.”
I had the pleasure of interviewing this lovely lady and what was initially supposed to be an interview in regards to her blog quickly turned into a discussion of life. I guess that’s what happens when you just vibe out. Living in Los Angeles, we’re constantly reminded of what we can’t afford whether it be the luxurious cars, the multi- million dollar home, belts that are worth thousands of dollar and so forth. Then again, I feel that some of us feel like we’re entitled to certain things because we live in such a society and the media instills that notion into our youth’s minds. Regardless, I wanted to capture the simplicity of life and how we have to work with what we’re given.. and if it looks good- well even better.
“Fashion can be bought. Style one must possess.”
Clauds blog, thepennycloset.blogspot.com, brings you diverse fashion tips without having to spend the hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars on those brand name items. Let’s be honest here, we all enjoy looking like a million bucks but don’t want to spend that amount- predominantly since we don’t have it. With her husband, Khristian, they’ve been able to collaborate on not only pictures but videos which is a nice touch on her site. Krs does a wonderful job capturing the items that compliment the outfit- which well all know that the little things become things. Her inspiration is drawn from other fashion blogs/shows and from there she is able to comprise outfits that she’s able to piece together from those ideas. She focuses on items that can make any women of any style look like they’ve walked out of a magazine because of the different looks that she’s able to give. The ability to make 3 different outfits out of the same clothes is what separates people with style and people who buy fashion. The variety of stores where she gets her items ranges from vintage stores in NoHo, to Aldo, to May Max, and so on. Check out the additional questions and quotes from the interview below:
What do you think is the biggest obstacle in today’s society?
“Finding your identity amongst those around you.”
What made you start your blog?
“I noticed that I would receive compliments from people about the outfits that I put together and how much they were and where I got them so I thought I’d put together a site where I could share that information.”
“People think I may be intimidating”
What is some advice that you’d give to young women nowadays?
“Express yourself more and don’t let people bring you down.”
If there is something that you could tell yourself 10 years ago, what would it be?
“I don’t think I’d ever marry a Salvadorian. Nope. Not me. Well we all know how that turned out.”
If you could have any super power what would it be?
“I’d make sure everyone had a home a roof over their head.” (world peace wasn’t an option- this isn’t a pageant. Ha!)
“I love that my husband surprises me and will put random stuff in my car or send me sweet text messages.”
Now that you’ve been in a relationship for 10 years, how have you made it work?
“He’s always made me laugh since day 1 back in high school and made me comfortable where I’m not being judged and criticized.”
What would you describe your style as?
“Depends on my mood that day but I can be sporty, classy, etc.”
Where’s one place you want to go and why?
“China. I love cherry blossoms and the culture out there, it’s just beautiful.”
I definitely encourage you to check our her blog, instagram, facebook, twitter, lookbook and everything in between (just don’t stalk her). Whatever your plans may be this weekend, take some time to vibe out with those around you this. Life is beautiful and it’s too short to be anything but happy. Go out there and be amazing!
I know I’m late with announcing the winner of the giveaway, but better late than never (I know Drake- “but never late is better”). After sorting out through more than 50 e-mails, it was difficult to narrow down the list to only the top 5 submissions. I probably should have been more elaborate when describing this giveaway that there’s only one winner… but now you know moving forward. When going through the submissions I was looking for topics that had sub- topics in which I would be able to write multiple articles about. There were some really detailed topics but I felt like they were copied and pasted from a Google search, which through me off completely (sorry to those that actually put time into it). Here were Josh’s topics and as simple as they were, I knew that they would serve as a spark for future articles:
Obviously there isn’t anything compared to New York or Paris Fashion Week, but I’m hella excited to attend several upcoming events this week during LA Fashion week. These designers will be showcasing their line for Summer/Fall 2013 and I’m eager to see what ideas everyone has. I’m most excited to attend Project Ethos with my amazing friend Krista this Tuesday, March 12, at Avalon in Hollywood. Project Ethos is an outlet for all up and coming designers, artists, and musicians. The event typically has different show rooms which display artists work as well as a runway show with performances in between designers. There’s more than 15 different events occurring throughout LA this week and I would highly suggest you go if you have an opportunity to. Although it’s labeled as “fashion week”, you’re able to witness everyone’s craft in which they showcase their art.
There are still tickets available for Project Ethos here and if you woud like a list of all events happening this week please see the LA Fashion Week calendar here.
Christian Liquigan
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Spread the love. Support the movement. Let's Vibe. 