Granny Realness

These past few months of my life have been quite eventful. I have learned a lot about people around me but mostly myself. There comes a point when you have to have what me and a very close friend of mine call "Granny Realness". This is when you and whoever you are talking to enter a space where nothing but the truth can be told no matter how real it may get. This actually started after I told a my friend how honest and blunt my grandmother is about everything. Now this isn't a chance for you to just really tear into this person with malicious intent but rather be the one that removes the rose colored glasses they be wearing.

 

This was the case for the majority of my summer I had to really evaluate some situations I allowed to be ok as well as the true intentions of some of the people that I allowed to be so close to me. Being told that people really close to you don't really have your best interest in mind is a tough pill to swallow, actually realizing it for yourself if even harder. The granny realness comes in when you can have this conversation with that person that you choose, hear this, and as much as it may hurt, understand it. Now, Granny Realness isn't always as serious as distancing yourself from bad relationships sometimes its as light-hearted as chatting with friends about how much you really conceal your crazy around cute boys lol.

 

I say all of this to say that in life you always have to be able to be completely honest with yourself or have that one friend that will tell you how it is when you cant see it. Self-awareness is an amazing trait to have, look at it like granny realness with yourself, it allows you to be much more critical of the choices that YOU make instead of pointing fingers when shit doesn't go your way. I suggest you all get a Granny Realness session in as often as possible. If you cant have a very real and judgment free conversation with at least one person in your circle, if not everyone, you need a new circle. Now, that's some Granny Realness for you guys!

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Kassies Shoe Picks

I really feel like Kassie has truly tapped into my brain this go round because i literally love every fucking shoe she chose this time.Fall is right around the corner *thank god* and boots are a must as well as some bold color and pattern options. Toes can still be shown in the fall and cutouts have not left the building just yet many of these shoes can be worn through many seasons, styling is key. Check these shoes out and tell me what you guys think!!

In other news....

My last post about Russia and their Anti-gay laws has me being truly slapped in the face by a lot of other LGBT issues that are going on around the world. Now I am usually not one to write about political issues but when I come across something I feel passionate about it just happens. Shortly after hearing about the situation in with Russia I came across a situation with Australia.

 

Basically Australia is not allowing refugees from any country or asylum seekers to come and stake claim in Australia. From the articles that I've come across many of these refugees are coming from places where they are being persecuted and their lives are in danger such as Russia and being sent to Papua new guinea where its really NOT ok to identify as a homosexual and one could do 14 years in jail.

 

So the argument is weather or not this is right. I feel that just like any place in the world that you are not born in there are certain steps that one must go through in order to gain access. This is totally understandable but I think to just turn people down isn't cool, especially those who are literally running for their lives. Sending someone who is fleeing anti-gay laws to somewhere that has an anti-gay mentality is INSANE however this has been the procedure for quite sometime now. Although I don't believe that differentiating between homo/heterosexual refugees is the immediate concern, safety and making sure that people are not just being crammed into fucking slum holes is. This is really shining a negative light on Australia because now its beginning to snowball. There are currently protests, all types of speeches and talks of letting refugees free and allowing them to work going on over there to rectify this situation, I hope they figure something out soon because this shit is getting out of hand.

 

Just this morning I was reading and article about a Navy officer who proposed to his boyfriend after being away on a submarine for the last six months. You would think this would be a great thing; a man who is risking his life to protect ours, comes home and makes a commitment to the person he loves. This story being reported on US Today was met with some of the most disgusting and hateful comments I have read. In my opinion who this man lays down with is no one else's fucking business besides that person. One of the comments that bothered me the most was one that said this was all for show and attention. Like it or not these two are happy and living THEIR lives and at the end of the day the ignorant assholes who write hateful comments will continue to be bitter and miserable.

 

In a world where people are so quick to hate you for not being "normal" I just hope you guys that are not "normal" stay that way and hold true to who you are because you know what?? Being normal is pretty fucking boring.

 

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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2370225/Australia-bans-illegal-boat-refugees-settling-country-warns-new-unauthorised-asylum-seekers-sent-Papua-New-Guinea.html

 

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/election-2013/png-to-free-refugees-in-weeks/story-fn9qr68y-1226693865224

 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/08/13/sailor-proposes-boyfriend/2647761/

NO "Gay Propaganda" ALLOWED

So this morning as I was checking my Grindr....... don't even ask lol, I was stopped by a pop-up message about signing the petition to for the lift of the gay propaganda ban in Russia. Ok so if you guys aren't aware of whats going on don't be ashamed I wasn't either until just a few days ago when I walked in on a broadcast my grandma was watching from CNN or something and they were discussing it.

 

 

Basically Russia has put out a ban on any and all "gay propaganda" in the entire country and the dissemination of any of information promoting non-traditional sexual orientations. That all means that anything that can be perceived as promoting gay or "non-traditional" lifestyles  can get you into some trouble with the law. An interview that I was able to see had a reporter talking to a gay Russian man who flat out said how he could be arrested just for being overheard speaking about being gay.

 

This situation over in Russia has brought on a million protests and of course caused all types of bullshit and violence, many times leaving the protesters, not the assholes who attack and harass people for simply wanting to live their lives peacefully and feel very fucking free to be who they are, at fault. In the beginning it was basically a ban to keep this type of information from the eyes of minors, ok so that's like saying "no porn for anyone under 18" except in Russia its saying " nothing non-traditional aka nothing promoting a homosexual lifestyle can be done in the presence of anyone under 18 or over 18 at this point".  This coming with the approach of the 2014 winter Olympics in Sochi which has a lot of the openly gay competitors from around the world going IN on the bullshit that Russia is doing.

 

I personally feel like this is just some sort of patriarchal power trip or like a "purification" tactic of sorts. Well whatever it is I don't like it and I think its bullshit. I get pissed off when any group tries to oppress another group for having beliefs and lifestyles (which in no way affect the lives of those not involved) that are different from their own.

 

Long story short I signed the petition that is going to be sent to the IOC (International Olympic Committee) which condemns these anti-gay bans that Russia has at the Olympics, this would put major pressure on the president of Russia to change them. The number is 300,000 signatures to get the petition to the IOC when I signed it was at about 306,000 signatures and counting....

 

 

*pictures from Google images*

 

Here are a few articles about the whole situation

http://www.policymic.com/articles/48411/russia-anti-gay-bill-russia-passes-radical-family-values-bill-while-president-announces-divorce-on-tv

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/01/blake-skjellerup-russia_n_3689573.html#next_slideshow

http://www.voanews.com/content/reu-russia-gaypropaganda-ban-stands-for-sochi-games/1716806.html

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Button up!!

 

  So as you know Ive been searching all over the net for some more fall inspiration so that I can figure out where I really want to take my look this season. I went to check out a label that I tend to really appreciate most seasons, ALTUZARRA. I really watch for this brand because the tailoring and the complexity of the garments that Joseph Altuzarra designs is just fucking ridiculous! I feel like its so bad ass in this very understated way.

    I am definitely some one who loves and appreciates a good jacket, I wouldn't mind owning one from Altuzarra... and Balmain but WE ALL already know that. Altuzarra's F/W 14' collection put an emphasis on the jacket as well as the precise tailoring that makes them amazing and fit so well. This idea was shown through pantsuits, tops, dresses, pieces that were layered, and even skirts that looked like double breasted military jackets with giant buttons AND slits for DAYS! Lets not even get started on the leather pieces and those sickening crotch high boots. The good thing for me is that I actually own some pieces that I could use to pull reference from some of the looks from this collection, minus the crotch high boots......... yes I own a leather dress lol, well suede anyway....

Check out some of my faves from the collection below!

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*photos from style.com*

 Click here to check out the full collection and more from Altuzarra

The Just-us System

       Today I'm really bothered to even be writing a post like this but I really just need to. Its really fucked up to me that in the year 2013 we, a nation that claims equality and justice for all, have a court system that will allow a very guilty man off the hook, yet again, for following, assaulting, and then gunning down an unarmed kid because of his own assumptions. It is my opinion, you guys are free to disagree with me if you want, that race played a huge part in this verdict. Those crooked prosecutors can say what they want, Trayyvon responded how most people would respond if some stranger came after them in the dark, regardless of race, he tried to defend himself. How dare they make that coward appear to be the victim because he started to get his ass kicked.

     Although the country would like to paint black men as these wild and dangerous, law-breakers, Zimmerman had absolutely NO right to do what he did and should have been punished for it. You make adult decisions you deserve adult consequences. Its really fucked up that now a Mother and Father have to watch as the man who killed their child walks the streets as a free man. Its also fucked up that even with all the evidence presented a jury could find "reasonable doubt" with this case, I am very curious to hear what that was. I never wish bad things on anyone but I do know what goes around come around and in the end we all get what we deserve............... Justice has not been served.

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The Omen

        Last night as I was winding down from work and looking through style.com for some fall inspiration I came across the collection of one of my favorites, Gareth Pugh. I honestly was glued to my computer gagging over look after look. This collection was entirely in Gray, Black, and White (one of my favorite color schemes) with a pop of this really deep blue. There was definitely a clear and cohesive aesthetic and story with this show that consisted of long hemlines and very sharp lines.

     I am absolutely a fan of floor length gown with some sort of structured jacket over it (very goth-chic) and I got a lot of that with some of these look. It gave me grown up Wednesday form Adam's Family realness. I could definitely see certain pieces that are signature Pugh and some styles that remind me of altered styles of past collections. I definitely have to give it to Pugh who in my opinion does a great job with creating these different worlds with atmosphere, characters (models), and fashion. I most definitely have some fall inspiration now!

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*photos are from style.com*

Click the link to check out the full collection
Gareth Pugh F/W13'

My Passion........................Fashion!

        So yesterday I stepped back into it all............... My first day at my new job and although it took what seemed like decades I finally made it on the schedule! Now as many of you know I have this love/hate relationship with retail and vowed to never go back, well a bitch is back in the building and I'm not feeling bad about my decision. I think what I really meant by not going back was returning to a store and being a sales associate, which I am currently doing for the summer lol (hey I have to start this new plan off somewhere right?) . I can honestly say that the time that I took off has allowed me to think about my plans and explore my interests without the stresses of super-bitch clients, incompetent co-workers, and dysfunctional "professional" workplaces. I used to think that being able to dress the mannequins in a store all cute and shit was my golden ticket, Ya know what?? uh uh......

       Over the last year or so I've been trying to  navigate this competitive, brutally honest, and sometimes intimidating realm called........... the fashion industry. I've learned that I needed to know so much more than I did/do in order to really make it. I've done things that I never thought I would have done, which at times was overwhelming, in order to be lead to this clearer view of where I want to be. I say all this this to say, this fashion thing is what makes me tick and the happiest, because of this I have to keep at it even when Its easier to just walk away and stop because I'm burned out at the time.

     If something is your passion you have to fight to get in the door, and just know that you may not always come through the front door like other people have. You may have to start with navigating the catacombs or coming through the attic....... lord knows I'm still somewhere in one of these places.

BOTTOM LINE: Find your passion and go after it no matter what! I know it may sound cliché but its SO true!



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*all photos are from Google images*