How to you come up with the themes/topics for your articles? i kind of write about whatever pops into my head. sometimes it's based on what i'm into at the moment, sometimes it's just based on stuff that i'm seeing around a lot, and sometimes i find a bunch of cool things, and try to think of a theme that ties them all together. like with the last article i really loved the backless top from virginthreads, so i had to think of a way to work it into an article. the only thing i try not to write about is stuff that's super, duper trendy, not b/c i'm anti-trends (obvs i'm not). but i feel like stylethreader's don't need me to tell them that cowboy boots are hot this season. with stuff like that i'd probably just throw it in an outfit somewhere.
What are some of your other passions other than fashion?
i love music! i've always wanted to be a dj with turntables and the super huge headphones. that's my dream job. hopefully this summer i will finally be able to take this class that teaches you how to. also i'm really into community service. not to get all sappy but i thinking giving back (time, money, whatever) is sooooo very important
I know you mentioned at some point that you wanted to own your own clothing store (me too!! )... you can describe your idea of it more?
sure! i actually want to have a huge retail conglomerate (that's the only way i could fit in all the stuff i want to do). one part of it would be forever21/h&m type stores -- trendy clothes great price points, but they would be in the mid-west/other places where these types of stores aren't normally located. the other part would be a smaller boutique(s) that almost exclusively stocked new & emerging designers. this part would be in a major city, hopefully nyc. the thing that would tie them both together is that all the clothing is completely sweatshop free. i also want to open up production facilities in countries that have been devastated by civil war, in the hopes that the facilities would help bolster economic growth. sorry for the wordy answer i've had to think about this a lot lately.
Favorite foods? meals? restaurants? my favorite foods are the things my mom makes for me. something about having her cook makes the food taste better. it never tastes as good when i make it, even if i do everything exactly the same.
a lot of my favs are foods that are kind of indigenous to the area where from. i love cassava (yuca) it's kind of like a potatoe but with a grainier texture. my mom steams it with salt & butter and then we eat it with ripe avocado -- my favorite breakfast. my mom also makes this dish with farina/gari (kind of dry cereal). she stir fries it with spices, veggies, and fish. it's so good.
i don't get to eat out as much as i would like, but when i do i love going to asian/middle eastern restaurants. those are my favorite types of food. i don't really have a favorite restaurant, but the last time my dad was in nyc we went to 66 for dinner and it was yummy. they had chocolate flavored fortune cookies...delicious.
also i'm probably the only person in america who doesn't like italian food. i don't hate it, but it's never my first choice.
What would you do for a Klondike bar? so good and thick no room for a stick... that song is stuck in my head hmm, i don't know, and i can't think of a clever answer.
for a long time i didn't have a valid passport, so i couldn't really go anywhere exotic or interesting. but before my passport expired i went to liberia, west africa (where i'm from) and switzerland. i've been various places in the states, but nothing too exciting.
What was your favourite place? hands down my favorite was liberia b/c it was just so cool. i've lived in the states all my life, so it was great to finally have a sense of where i'm from. plus it's so beautiful. and i did all this stuff i had never done in the states, like swim in the ocean. i also had pet chickens. there were two baby chickens that lived in the yard and i got to feed them everyday. by the time i left they would eat rice out of my hands which was so cool to me, especially since i'd never been around farm animals before that.
the other thing is that they had these amazing tailors. you would go, they'd take your measurements, and then you would show them pictures of what you wanted and they would make it for you. literally you could bring them a page out of a magazine and they would copy it for you done to the last detail. and it was so cheap. i came back with boatloads of clothes.
Would you move there?
i'm not sure. there's been civil unrest on & off for the past two decades. when i was there last, we got out right b/f the 2nd civil war started. it's gotten more stable now, and they recently elected a new president so things look good. i also hope to go back there this summer, but i'm not 100% sure if that's going to happen. the other thing is i've lived in the states all my life, and i like it here, so it's not like i'm anxious to move (though i would love to live in london for a little bit). honestly i could live in/near nyc my entire life and be happy, as long as i travelled other places. i guess ultimately i'd love to have a summer home or something like that in liberia.
Do you have any pets?/Would you like any pets? no, and it makes me sad. honestly i don't really have time for a pet, since i spend most of the day away from home. i'm hoping that when i go back to school i'll have more time to be a proper dog mommy and can get a pet then. i really want a pitbull. i don't know why, but i think they're adorable. i want a girl and i would name her bella. i also want a boy yorkie, and his name would be bubba.
What are your plans for the future!!!
get into grad school (hopefully columbia) start a business, maybe get married (to whom i don't know, but it'd be awesome if he were a dj. yes i am that shallow). enjoy life.
ayo -- i love fufu! my mom's making some soup right now. but no fufu. i don't have the stuff to make it :(
How old are you?
i turned 26 in october
I know you are originally from Liberia, have you lived her all your life?
yup! my parents came over when i was 1, so the US is all i know.
What countries have you been too?
just liberia & switzerland. when i was a baby my family went to the uk, but i don't remember.
Do you have any siblings? If so how many.
2 brothers, one is 10 years older than me, one is 7 years older than me
Do you have a favorite store? If so what is it?
my favorite store changes all the time. right now the list includes barney's co-op (because they always have cool stuff) and f21 b/c it helps fill in the gaps in my wardrobe. as far as ny specific stuff i really like atrium, a boutique in soho that has a really well edited selection. i always see hard to find stuff there (like that velvet mason blazer from blaec), work in progress for west coast cool, find outlet for discounts, and of course the hoochie stores on broadway b/c they have the most fun stuff.
What's the last show you went to??
i saw m.i.a this summer at summer stage. i wish i could go to more shows, but most of my frends aren't into the same music as me, so we can never agree on live shows.
What's the last CD you bought/downloaded?
so in theory this question should have a simple answer,but i'm feast of faminine with cds. i'll go a really long time without buying any and then get a ton. my last binge i bought
*ratatat -- cc's suggestion. it's very good
*esthero, wikked lil' grrls -- she's one of my favorite artists, but took forever to come out with a sophomore album
*nikka costa, can'tneverdidnothin' -- another fav.
*kanye west, late registration -- late to the party, but i have mixed feelings about him
*rilo kiley,more adventurous -- trying new stuff
and i also picked up some dj mix tapes. i have a cd buying problem...
"my favorite store changes all the time. right now the list includes barney's co-op (because they always have cool stuff) and f21 b/c it helps fill in the gaps in my wardrobe. as far as ny specific stuff i really like atrium, a boutique in soho that has a really well edited selection. i always see hard to find stuff there (like that velvet mason blazer from blaec), work in progress for west coast cool, find outlet for discounts, and of course the hoochie stores on broadway b/c they have the most fun stuff."
can you elaborate on:
hoochie stores on broadway- what part of broadway? what are some of your finds from there?
cool soho boutique- what is its name or location?
work in progress- what is this? sounds like something i'd like.
wow I don't even remember mentioning Ratatat here and I bet I haven't listened to them since then. I went on a one week kick but of course now I must find those mp3s!
I have a few things I want to ask but I'll let you answer the other ladies' questions first.
A few questions, I'll try to think of more later... You live in NJ, right? Where else have you lived through out your life? i'v alternated between boston & texas. we lived in boston for 7 years, moved to tx, and then moved back to boston. after i graduated from college i moved up here. i really like boston, it's such a pretty city, and i always think about moving back there. but then i remember how cold it gets.
Where do you want to travel and what kind of trip would you take there?so many places. i feel like i have to make up for all the time i couldn't travel. ideally i would to take next summer off and just spend the entire summer bumming across the globe. i want to go to spain & portugal and do touristy type things, visit my dad in liberia. i'd also go somewhere in asia and go mountain climbing or something outdoorsy, visit my friend in germany, and go to surf camp somewhere in the states. that would be the best summer vacation EVER. however i don't think i'll be able to finance that sort of jet set adventure.
What's your favorite iTunes playlist? ooh, this is hard. i tend to make playlists, listen to them obsessively, get bored, make a new list, and start the cycle over again. there are a couple that i keep on regular rotation, so i'll have to to through and see which of those are my favs.
Who are your favorite artists? another difficult one. i definitely have artists that i like more than others, but choosing a favorite is soo hard, and i feel if i say someone is my favorite i should own all their albums and there are some artists that i really like but can't say that of. i also like a lot of newer artists, but i always feel like 1 album isn't really enough info. to determine if an artist is going to be a fav. plus i'm a libra and super indecisive.
if forced to choose, i would probably pick the doors as my all time favorite b/c i've always been intrigued by them.
then i would say a tribe called quest because i don't think i've ever heard atcq song that i didn't like.
i also like a lot of jay-z's stuff b/c imo he's the most clever mainstream rapper.
talib kweli b/c i just do, and beck a lot too. there's a ton of beck on my ipod. as far as newer artists, my favorites are nikka costa, esthero, and the strokes (though technically i guess they're not really even newish anymore)
Who are you embarrassed to like?mariah carey. the kicker is i can't stand most of her early ballady stuff. but i love her looney, hooched out, post Tommy Mottola phase. also i have a lot of teeny bopper music. not like hillary duff, but random obscure songs by like 13 year old one (semi) hit wonders. like there's this song by beyonce's sister, solange, that i love. i think it's b/c a lot of the songs are really innocent and about crushes, which is my favorite subject for songs.
If you had a friend from out of town come to visit what would you do with them? my favorite way to enjoy the city is just walk around and take in all the people/slights. we would probably start downtown, by the world trade center, and then walk up broadway through chinatown, and bum around soho. i always pick soho for guests b/c it's easy and you can find everything, chains/boutiques/street vendors in one spot.
honey, you've got great taste in music. Beck is all over my iPod too, and I love Talib Kweli. His song Get By is one of my faves. And you got me hooked on Nikka Costa after posting about her on another thread.
Haha, I have Mariah Carey on right now! It started with All I Want For Christmas and then just spread. I'm always afraid someone's gonna drop by when I'm listening to this sort of music.
Here are my ?s: What are you going to grad school for? i want to get an mba
What's the most amazing meal you've ever had? right now it was this chilean sea bass i had at a steak house in atlanta. i went there with my family over the summer and it was so yummy. the fish literally melted in my mouth.
What's your favorite alcoholic and non-alcoholic drink? non-alcoholic i like strawberry kiwi crystal light & pina colada smoothies, especially if they're from orange julius. alcoholic: i don't really like cocktails that much. my drink of choice is ketel one & soda. if it's a not too busy i ask the bartender to put a splash of rose's limewater in it too. it's really refreshing, but not sickeningly sweet.
If you didn't live in NYC, where else in the country would you want to live?the top choices would be either boston or washington dc. i'm all about the east coats and want to liver somewhere where i can walk a lot. however either of those cities are places to settle, if i ever want to leave the nyc area. i don't think i would want to live there now. la has always been a contender, and depending on how the school think works out i might end up there. if not permanently at least ofr the next 2 years.
What's your favorite thing to do on the weekends? sleep! ideally i would wake up at like 10, go for a run outside, come home have breakfast, and then go shopping. if it's cold & snowy, i would skip the run and spend a day catching up on the tv i've missed. i especially love it when i'm home on the weekend & catch a marathon of an mtv reality show like next or my super sweet 16. i also do a lot of indulging on the weekends. i try to watch what i eat during the week, so on sat & sun i can chow down on croissants & ice-cream.
What's your favorite ice cream flavor? i love ice-cream! i have two favorites. one is poundcake that this place in my neighborhood makes, they put little pieces of poundcake in it. my other favorite is maggie moo's better batter. this is seriously the best ice-cream ever. i always get it with a chocolate brownie smushed in. it's delicious.
where would you like to be 10 years from now? i'd like to be happily married, but i don't know if that will happen, and successfully running my company, or something along those lines. maybe a kid, but not 100% sure.
since you like music, which 3 musicians (living or dead) would you love to have dinner with? jim morrison b/c i the doors and think it could be an interesting evening. aretha franklin b/c she's just a legend, and i love to talk to her about how she's managed to stay relevent for so long without resorting to gimmicks, and dr. dre though i'm more interested in his work as a producer than his work as a musician.
favorite thing about living in NYC? i love soo much about living here. not to get all sappy but i always knew i wanted to live in/near nyc. part of the appeal is i like feeling as though there are endless options and opportunities so i never feel stagnant. and the people opportunities are awesome.
when you open your boutiques, will you please, please put one in my neighborhood? no problem! i've always wanted to visit arizona.
Funny because I actually love her! I went to her site some time ago and emailed them asking what was up with a sophomore cd??? I got a reply saying it was coming soon...4 years later it finally came out.
I'm also a huge Nikki Costa fan...
honey wrote:
*esthero, wikked lil' grrls -- she's one of my favorite artists, but took forever to come out with a sophomore album trying new stuff and i also picked up some dj mix tapes. i have a cd buying problem...
ayo -- i feel like i spent an eternity waiting for esthero to come out with a second cd. the really annoying thing was that she didn't really release any singles to tide her fans over while she was working on it.
lynnie -- most of the hoochie stores are on the main strip of broadway, where the chain stores are. a couple of the good ones are mystique boutique, amstermdam boutique, and necessary clothing. of course they're really hit or miss, but you can get some great pieces to add into your wardrobe. some of my favorite finds are the black dress/skirt i wore in my last threadstyle, and this pinstriped blazer with 3/4 lengthed sleeves that was an almost exact replica of one i saw in lucky for like $300+.
atrium (the first store) is on bdwy & bleecker. the best way to describe it is urban. imo the buyer does a really great job of selecting stuff, and a ton of stuff that has been featured on celebs i've seen there before i even found it on the internet.
the second store, work in progress is across from bloomies in soho. i think i associate it with west coast stuff, b/c they sell a lot of brands that i've seen on the girl from stylediary (emerge, ron herman) and i think of her style as west coast cool. the only thing i don't like about it is that sometimes the sales people can be high pressure. well really just one lady but she annoyed me a lot.
cc -- the post about ratatat was from a loooong time ago. when i read it, i put their cd in my cart at amazon, and i finally got around to actually buying stuff the other day.
sorry this is so late honey here are a few from me what astrological sign are you , and is your personaity like it or is it way off? i'm a libra. as far as having libra traits yes/no. i'm extremely indecisive, like i'm still trying to make up my mind about which snow boots i want to buy. total libra trait. but in other things i don't think i am. like libras ares supposed to be really manipulative. i don't think i'm manipulative, but i'm not really an objective observer.
I know this next one may be werid , sorry Do you believe in sprits? do you mean ghosts? i don't really believe in those. but when i lived in tx, we went to this real hardcore pentecostal church. and i saw a lot of really freaky things like people who were allegedly demon possessed, could have been mentally ill and it just really freaked me out. i still can't watch movies like the exorcist & the omen b/c they're too creepy.
Do you like to read, if so what are some of your fav.?yes, though i haven't had time to in awhile. my all time fav. book is probably for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf. it's actually a choreopoem/play, but i read it in book format so i'm counting it. another fav. of mine is cubana, it's a collection of short stories by cuban authors. more lighthearted favs are a confederacy of dunces & the girl's guide to hunting & fishing.
Do you like to cook, if so what are your fav. things to cook?no! when i'm really rich i'm going to hire a personal chef.