Fantasy is Reality

It's a teardripping shame that Parliament and Funkadelic have been reduced to clips of a crackheaded Muppet coughing up "Atomic Dog". George Clinton (aforesaid Muppet) was (is?) a genius of the mad scientist variety, concocting his psychoneurobiomusicological experiments with instruments of musicality. Personally, I've found his experiments rather intriguing.

Why?

Why?, originally uploaded by bijouxdejais.

Why? Just why? Why do some people hate themselves, their community and their world so much that they feel the need to actively destroy it? Where did this illness come from? How can it be cured?

54th and Ashland, Chicago

Kids with Snowman

Kids with Snowman, originally uploaded by bijouxdejais.

Here is a photo of some of the kids that lived in my apartment complex when I lived in Korea. I was really impressed with their snowman, it's perfect!

jan17

jan17, originally uploaded by bijouxdejais.

In Chicago during the winter, above freezing means warm. Hence short skirt and tights. I spent the afternoon watching "The Heiress" with my grandmother, and was reminded that hell hath no fury like that of a woman scorned.

thrifted blue bonnet with chiffon scarf tied in a bow.
silver/onyx earrings from ebay, blue rose studs from claire's on state street.
thrifted faux fur collar and velveteen jacket.
can't remember where the rhinestone brooch is from.
flower cameo ring from ebay.
black tiered skirt from crossroads trading, with three underskirts beneath.
two-toned tights from claire's.
thrifted ankle boots.

jan15

jan15, originally uploaded by bijouxdejais.

Went downtown today to meet a friend for an interview. I really wanted to wear my vintage nurse's cape today, and built everything else around that.
Hans totally melted down in the Chicago Cultural Center, so if you were there and heard a toddler screaming bloody murder it was most likely mine! :oP

vintage cap pinned with two hatpins.
cypriot boat earrings, new from the Peabody Essex Museum shop. these replaced a well-loved pair i lost back in college...
japanese print kerchief from a church sale.
vintage nurse's cape scored from last year's clothing swap at the empty bottle.
brown military style jacket.
various beaded bracelets, some gifted, some thrifted.
thrifted black/brown leather gloves.
thrifted pendleton wool skirt.
black leggings from H & M last year.
brown back lace-up boots from a neighborhood church sale a few years ago.

Sing A Message To You: A Meme

Using only song names from ONE ARTIST, cleverly answer these questions. Try not to repeat a song title. It's harder than you think.

Your Artist: Earth, Wind and Fire

Are you male or female: Sun Goddess

Describe yourself: Mighty Mighty

How do you feel about yourself: Yearnin', Learnin'

Describe where you currently live: Zanzibar

The first thing you think of when you wake up: Getaway

If you could go anywhere, where would you go: Boogie Wonderland

Your favorite form of transportation: Runnin'

Your best friend is: Lady Sun

Your favorite color is: Evolution Orange

What's the weather like: Sunshine

If your life were a TV show, what would it be called: Reasons

What is life to you: Celebrate

What is the best advice you have to give: That's the Way of the World

If you could change your name, what would it be: Jupiter

Your favorite food is: Serpentine Fire

How I would like to die: See The Light

My soul's present condition: Shining Star

The faults I can bear: Can't Hide Love

How would you describe your love life: Devotion

What are you going to post this as: Sing a Message to You


Wow, this is tough! But so fun. Try it!

neuro necklace

neuro necklace, originally uploaded by bijouxdejais.

My most recent etsy purchase from www.beatblack.etsy.com; I adore it. It's beautiful, thought-provoking and a little bit creepy.

The Old Plantation

If you can manage to look past the idiom of the time and the flaming hot stereotypes, you will see a very powerful metaphor for the Black experience in America. Unfairly handicapped and unfairly burdened with the legwork, Black people have basically had to invent rocket boots out of coat hangers in order to catch up with the rest of the world, only to have someone else pop up to take credit for it all.

Race Fail

see more Epic Fails

Imitation of Life

Every now and then I revisit this old film I watch with my grandmother. It's been like a tradition between us; whenever it was on television we'd stop whatever we were doing and watch it all the way through. Perhaps inspired by a myriad of things, I've been thinking lately about measures of "blackness", whatever that may mean, in relation to the question "how much should a person's race or ethnicity determine how fully she can live her life?"




In Sarah Jane's time it mattered a lot.



And yet, in the end she found her ill-gotten freedom wasn't worth the cost. Thank G-d I live in a time in which I can be myself and be Black, without having to choose.

jan11

jan11, originally uploaded by bijouxdejais.

I needed to go downtown today and run some errands, so this is what I wore. I made the bonnet I'm wearing just this morning, I like the way it turned out!

bonnet made this morning from a cloche hat and some jersey ribbon cut from an old t-shirt.
garnet earrings from valarie, and gold drop earrings from a coworker.
maroon/silver and maroon/gold scarves, one thrifted and one from H & M, wound together and tied in a bow.
flower print double breasted coat thrifted last year.
patchwork leather bag thrifted last month.
merino wool gloves thrifted a few years ago at hadassah.
tripp grommeted skirt purchased on ebay (not wearing the clangy straps today; not very practical for running around).
maroon ankle boots thrifted years ago.

Clifton Chenier

I could blame it on The Princess and the Frog, but lately I have really been craving some good zydeco music. It makes no pretense to be other than dance music, and it is born from such a melange of musical influences (African, Native American, Caribbean, French and Spanish, at the very least) that everyone can enjoy it. As you know I'm a sucker for the blues cadence so this track hit me like a ton of bricks.

union jack doc martens

union jack doc martens, originally uploaded by bijouxdejais.

Thrifted!!

I got a big ol' lump in my throat when I saw these...then calmly bought them, brought them home, tried them on and proceeded to squee my cheeks out! They're like Cadillacs for my feet.

on the street

on the street, originally uploaded by bijouxdejais.

My husband wearing his superfly vintage beaver coat. It was passed on to him by a family friend; he previous owner was Wilbur Campbell, a jazz drummer (naturally). Dappadocious!

Genius.

Who wants to deal with the permanency of facial hair, not to mention the upkeep? This gives you all of the good and none of the bad! So perfect for this generation, right?

I have been searching for these exact earrings for almost seven years. I bought them as a birthday gift to myself from the Fogg Museum at Harvard, and they were my favorite earrings at the time. They disappeared around graduation/move-out; I actually cried because I'd lost them. I'd look through craft fairs, online shops, department stores, anything even similar to them, and I found nothing!
It struck me this morning to try finding an online version of the Fogg Museum gift shop, and I found this shop, still affiliated with Harvard's museum system. Who'd have thunk to look in the same place twice?

jan7

jan7, originally uploaded by bijouxdejais.

I usually share pictures in which I'm all gussied up for the day, but that is not my state of being 100% of the time. I thought I'd share a shot of some "room wear" and give you a sense of what I wear around the house.

thrifted red/multicolor print fabric, worn as headwrap.
one white pearl earring & one black pearl earring, married by me.
lots of charms and medallions: st. joseph, opal heart, mermaid, unicorn, cameo...a bunch. mostly thrifted.
thrifted distressed contrast knit top over japanese print t-shirt.
drawstring half-pants over leggings, both thrifted years ago.
tabi socks purchased online.
zori thrifted years and years ago; these are my basic footwear around the house, i probably wear them everyday. they're starting to go, and i do have a backup pair once they finally give out, but i will wear them until they're unwearable. :o)