Jay Z live at Madison Square Garden 09/11/2009

I don't know many other rappers who have done this.



I want to marry John Mayer OMG



wish I had Rihanna's shape (Child Genius took it :))

SNEAK PEEK of Oprah's interview with Jay-Z

Oprah talks about Jay-Z

REPLACED WITH ENTIRE CHARLIE ROSE INTERVIEW [HQ] Real Time With Bill Maher - 8/28/2009 - Jay-Z, Bill Moyers Part 1 // FULL episode

****THE VIDEO ABOVE WAS REMOVED FROM EVERYWHERE****

I AM REPLACING WITH CHARLIE ROSE INTERVIEW BELOW IN IT'S ENTIRETY:

BET Food for Thought Conversations with Jay-Z part 2...

Jay-Z "Food For Thought" Interview On BET (Part 2) [SoundDepth]- Watch more Music Videos at Vodpod.

BET Food for Thought Conversations with Jay-Z part 1...

Jay-Z "Food For Thought" Interview On BET (Part 1) [SoundDepth]- Watch more Music Videos at Vodpod.

You Inspire Me pt. 4...Jay Z

So let me first off state that this week will be Jay-Z week. I admire him for continuing to grow and stretch when so many hip-hop artists try to remain relevant by trying to remain young forever. There is beauty in growing older, gaining wisdom and still having something to say. Jay-Z is making Hip-Hop grow up by the nature of the fans who are in his age range who have always loved Hip-Hop but don't want to do the "Stanky Leg" (even though I can get down with the best of them just ask CG and BW). What people of my age range tend to forget is okay we are in the corporate world but we have a responsibility to share what got us there. I understand his "Do as I say not as I did" mentality because I use my life experiences to teach my children what NOT to do. I always explain to them this is MY TRUTH but make yours BETTER. A lot of his wordplay really motivates me and he is quite a witty dude. I will be posting a lot of his interviews he has conducted this week as well as a few more of my favorite albums of his. I also want to add I personally love Blueprint 3 there are only 3 songs I don't like and that is because of their production not because of his lyrics. I am also building a foundation to last more than 3 generations. So below is more of his bio:

Originally from Marcy Houses housing project in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City,[1] Jay-Z was abandoned by his father Adnes Reeves, He shot his brother in the shoulder for stealing his jewelry[7] when he was 12 years old.[8] Jay-Z attended Eli Whitney High School in Brooklyn, along with rapper AZ, until it was closed down. After that he attended George Westinghouse Information Technology High School in Downtown Brooklyn, which fellow rappers The Notorious B.I.G. and Busta Rhymes also attended, and Trenton Central High School in Trenton, New Jersey, but did not graduate.[9] In his music he refers to having been involved in selling crack cocaine.[8]

According to his mother, Gloria Carter, a young Jay-Z used to wake his siblings up at night banging out drum patterns on the kitchen table. Eventually, she bought him a boom box for his birthday, sparking his interest in music. He began freestyling, writing rhymes, and followed the music of many artists popular at the time. In his neighborhood, Carter was known as "Jazzy", a nickname that eventually developed into his stage name, "Jay-Z". The moniker is also an homage to his musical mentor, Jaz-O, as well as to the J/Z subway lines that have a stop at Marcy Avenue in Brooklyn.[1]The rest of his bio is here.

Visual and Written Inspiration 09/14/2009

image by j

"...Remind yourself. Nobody built like you, you design yourself..."
from A Dream, Blueprint 2, Jay-Z

Insight: We are fully responsible for our being. We are co-creators (with God) of our lives and can be whoever we choose to be.

Playing in the Shop all week: Jay-Z The Blueprint 3

The Blueprint 3

Susie Caldwell Interview...

At The Collective is a recently opened Artisan Co-op located on Elizabeth Street in the heart of Inman Park, a neighborhood in Atlanta known for original shops and restaurants. At The Collective currently have over 30 various Artisans, Craftspeople and Shopkeepers who exhibit at their location. From handcrafted herbal teas, all natural bath and body products, custom tailored clothing as well as hand painted furniture. All facets of design crafted locally are firmly represented here. I have repeatedly patronized since their grand opening because of the commitment to the local craftsperson. A few of the lines carried here are Sally B’s Skin Yummies all natural bath and body products, Apple Head Designs hand painted furnishings, and local Atlanta institution Forrester’s Greenhouse plants and organic vegetables. One of the individuals who help to ensure that the organization runs smoothly is Susie Caldwell.


Susie Caldwell is a native of North Carolina but has called Atlanta Home since 1983. She has over 20 years experience as a Commercial Interior Designer and Project Manager, Antiques Dealer as well as having her own business in Home Renovation since 2002. She brings all these experiences and skills to her new venture as co-owner of, At The Collective, a new Artisan Co-op that brings together the talents of local artisans, craftspeople and shopkeepers to create a unique, one stop shopping experience in the heart of Inman Park. She so enjoys using her skills to not only create her merchandise but to do the design, layout and merchandising of ATC because it allows her to demonstrate how much she LOVES interacting and working with the members of the Co-op and its customers. This has given her the ideal opportunity to bring all her loves and interest together in one place. I decided to start my series 3 Questions from 3 Piece with Susie mainly because I just love At The Collective. So here we go:

What did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be an Actress/Artist. I pursued the Actress part in the early 90’s with the Discovery Channel however my love of creating overwhelmed that part.

What is your definition of Success?Achieving the fine balance between Happiness, Joy and Accomplishment to create abundance in all parts of my life.


What would your last meal be?It would be a Pepperoni Pizza with a Greek salad with extra feta cheese and calamati olives.


**please note this interview originally posted on Ofifteen however they are currently under renovation***

j

Just In Case 09/11/2009...

Boy Wonder

Child Genius

"Everything you need you already possess, you are perfect in all your imperfections."

Yoda

The One Mary J. Blige featuring Drake

The Energy.Never.Dies.....

my 3 favorite people in the World: My Uncle Gary, Child Genius and Boy Wonder

I love the title of The Black Eyed Peas new CD The E.N.D.. You know what the Energy Never Dies, as I prepare Child Genius for the start of her journey and we are prepping for interviews with Yale, Smith, Emory and Spelman I am reminded how very different her journey is from the start of my journey.

I joined the Air Force to get as far away from home as possible. I was an intelligent child without structure which is the worst combination. The Air Force broke me down to build me back up with structure and guidance, it literally saved me and afforded me a new world view. However when I joined everyone in my family laughed and stated I would be back in 2 weeks except the man in the picture above. My Uncle Gary is my Uncle by marriage. He gave me some of the best advice for a know-it-all fast in the pants 18 year old girl. He stated to me before I left,"This isn't going to be easy but don't give up on yourself" and this gem that serves me well to this day "You can never come back home because once you leave and come back everything will be different. You will have changed and everyone else will still be the same." Boy was he right. My Uncle Gary served 24 years in the U.S. Army and traveled the world. Whenever noone in Georgia had room for me I would go and stay with My Aunt and Uncle wherever they were stationed. A respite from the ugliness if only for a few weeks. He isn't perfect by any means but he has always been the closest person I have ever had to a father. Also I always thought he was soooo handsome.

I said all of the above to say I am starting a new series for Child Genius and Boy Wonder based on words of wisdom I want them to remember, just in case I don't finish the journey with them. It will be called Just In Case. I started to create another blog however I think that is too much so it will just be a new post here instead.

Enjoy,

j

Visual and Written Inspiration 09/10/2009

Atlanta Moves Fast

But Beneath the Blur

There is still life
images by BW


Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death.

Anais Nin

Playing in the Shop: The Black Eyed Peas Live

What is funny is my kids love The Black Eyed Peas and I used to love them when I as stationed in Texas in 1994!

j

My new Muses: The Brooklyn Circus

Okay so I just found out about this Brand/Movement and all of the gentlemen that I have read about on their blog are now my new Muses. I love their aesthetic and the way they are building their Brand. I follow that similar thought pattern that those who get it will find me as long as I stay true and authentic to my voice.

j

Visual and Written Inspiration 09/09/09

Business is Business

Always has been

Always will be
images by j


"I had to make my own living and my own opportunity! But I made it! Don't sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them!"
- Madam C.J. Walker, creator of a popular line of African-American hair care products and America's first black female millionaire

Playing in the Shop: Barry White Live

Sabrina Johnson Tackle That Task Interview...

Sabrina Johnson Tackle That Task

A native of Dallas, Texas, Atlanta is now home for Sabrina Johnson of Tackle That Task!. In 2005, she felt something was missing from her professional work and started a home organizing service called Tackle That Task!. Now a certified Home Staging Expert, Sabrina also provides redesign services. When asked what her goal is for Tackle That Task!, Sabrina proudly stated, "For every client that I serve, my desire is to provide the design task that is needed. Depending on the stage of homeownership this may look different, but the end result will always be the same--to help every home look and feel its best".


Even at an early age, it seems that design was a part Sabrina's life. This included the best decorated rooms her budget would allow. When materials weren't available to make things possible, she used her sewing talent and renovating skills to make projects possible. Her study of interior design and art enhanced what she felt was a natural bent toward decorating. According to Sabrina, she rarely walks into a room without analyzing every element of it; in part to admire the decor, but also to think about how it could be made better.

I am very fortunate and excited to interview Sabrina because she is the complete opposite of me so it is always a thrill just to talk to her for ideas. I also had the good fortune to utilize Sabrina’s services last year when I had the bright idea of opening two retail spaces at the same time. She managed to corral all of my funky out there ideas and cohesively execute my vision.


This didn’t happen without some temper tantrums on my part since I have a tendency to want to write on every surface. Oh well on to the interview…


What is your decorating style as it relates to your home?

My style is traditional with a hint of World Market eclectic. I love the look of say a traditional chair paired with a bamboo table or vases with symbolic writing. I don't like things that match, but those that blend and complement one another.

What are the areas you most enjoy in your home?

I am very fortunate to have a really large living room. Again, I have great windows. So much so, that the Roman shades are rarely let down. There's no doubt that the fireplace is the greatest feature of the room, and I love the floor to ceiling stone. Its position in the corner makes it even more unique.





I also love the cafe corner because I am fortunate enough to have 2 windows in my kitchen. On Saturday mornings, I love to sit there and enjoy a cup of coffee. I can also watch a little T.V., read or enjoy the outdoors from that little area. It is a great spot.




What was the most challenging part of decorating your own home?

The most challenging aspect of decorating my home has been doing it in a way that is cost effective. We moved from a small condo, and didn't have much furniture. Now, we have four bedrooms, and a bonus room. Talk about space! There is so much to decorate. My approach has been to take it a room at a time, and of course everything must be paid for in CASH or else it doesn't come home with me. The fun part has been making this happen without breaking my budget. I have done a lot of painting, and scoured discount stores, Craig's List, and garage sales to find great deco items that don't cost a lot. Blending these items with more expensive pieces helps me achieve my decorating goals.


Of course I could not let Sabrina off the hook with easy questions so here are a few more to spice it up:

Would you do your job even if you weren't paid?

Absolutely! I was actually decorating for free too much. I want people to have beautiful homes, and don't mind taking all the steps necessary to make that happen.

If you could be anywhere in the World right this moment, where and why?
I would be at the beach. I love the fresh air and sand along with the serenity that the beach brings.

Is there any decorating style you don't feel comfortable working with?

I don't really care for contemporary rooms that have a true minimalist approach. These designs always look cold to me; like something is missing. However, if a client desired this style, I would still work hard to deliver this look.

What is the first thing you want to do when you walk into someone's home?
Remove all of the clutter, clutter, clutter, ugh! I think clutter just crowds your mind. The first step in giving your home a great look is just paring down. Even if a house isn't decorated, it will look and feel better by having a place for everything, and putting away the things that aren't needed.




***please note since Ofifteen is renovating I decided to repost the interview here. I am also reposting Susie's interview as well.***

Visual and Written Inspiration 09/08/2009

image of j at 5 yrs old


“We plan our lives according to a dream that came to us in our childhood, and we find that life alters our plans. And yet, at the end, from a rare height, we also see that our dream was our fate. It's just that providence had other ideas as to how we would get there. Destiny plans a different route, or turns the dream around, as if it were a riddle, and fulfills the dream in ways we couldn't have expected.”
Ben Okri

Playing in the Shop: Tina & Ike Turner Proud Mary

Women's Global Artisan Network

I had a wonderful conversation yesterday at Mutana with Uwimana concerning this great organization. You can help several ways by going to www.wgan.com or www.change.org/wgan to learn more information about the organization. Also they are participating in a contest on Idea Blob here is the link (it is best viewed in Mozilla Firefox) www.ideablob.com/5767

Visual and Written Inspiration 09/07/2009

Playing in the clouds again

Sometimes it's a blur

Beauty in the strangest places
images by j
When a man chooses to endure adversity in an effort to discover the limits of his own potential, he elevates his conversation and nothing stays the same. When any one of us determines to run our own race out loud, willing, shamelessly to chase a possibility through the fire and in spite of the pain, we risk finding out that we really do have something important to say.
Possibility dictates that it must be pursued. Greatness demands that you pay a handsome price. I have failed, over and over, to challenge myself to go the distance. I have declined to pay the price. Discouraged and yet pretending not to be, I have toyed with the prospect of surrendering and admitting to defeat.
Still --
I want to know for myself what there is to know about the reality that exists on the other side of resignation and self doubt. I want to really try one day. I want one day to fly.
Do I really believe that it's never too late to begin again? Am I courageous enough to risk finding out that I do have something more to say? I am confronted by the deadly strain of resignation; the kind that quietly haunts you everyday. I am challenged by the reality that --
you've got to really chase a dream...
Dana

Playing in the Shop this week: 09/07/2009 mix

Playing 09/07/2009

You inspire me part three... Cathy Hughes

Cathy Hughes

For more information you can click the link above however here is the part that gets me everytime:

In 1979, Hughes founded Radio One, and with then-husband Dewey Hughes bought AM radio station WOL 1450 in Washington, D.C.[2] After the previous employees had destroyed the facility,[citation needed] she faced financial difficulties and subsequently lost her home and moved with her young son to live at the station. Her fortunes began to change when she revamped the R&B station to a 24-hour talk radio format. Hughes is also a minority owner of BET industries.

Hughes and Radio One went on to own 70 radio stations in nine major markets in the U.S. As of 2007, Hughes's son, Alfred Liggins, III, serves as CEO and president of Radio One, and Hughes as chairperson.

In January 2004, Radio One launched TV One, a national cable and satellite television network which bills itself as the "lifestyle and entertainment network for African-American adults." Hughes interviews prominent personalities, usually in the entertainment industry, for the network's talk program TV One on One.

Both Cathy Hughes and her son, Alfred Liggins have been named Entrepreneur of the Year by the company Ernst & Young. She is also a notable member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Also when shopping for a loan to rebuild the radio station Ms. Hughes was told no over 40 times but that did not deter her she was determined to here a yes. It came in the 41st answer.

I truly believe that in Life when we are dealing with challenges and difficulties if we doggedly look for the lesson instead of wallowing in the misery we become better, stronger, wiser and leaner. I have said to myself during this building a business and raising children phase of my life that "This too shall pass" there have been many obstacles to what I have visualized for my business and my children. However we must always remember that these obstacles are temporary and work our plan to remove them, it is not immediate the returns may very well be 5-10 years away but we can not lose sight of what our original purpose as we defined it.

Ms. Hughes continues to inspire me because she brought her son onboard to assist with the business and train him to lead. Bravo Ms. Hughes Bravo!

j

Visual and Written Inspiration 09/04/2009

images by j

There are no extra pieces in the universe. Everyone is here because he or she has a place to fill, and every piece must fit itself into the big jigsaw puzzle.
Deepak Chopra

Playing in the Shop: James Brown and The J.B.'s

You inspire me part two... B.Smith

B.Smith

Here is part of her bio for the rest click the link above:
Smith extends her lifestyle expertise as the owner of three successful B. Smith restaurants. Recognized by Elle Décor as one of America’s ten most outstanding non-professional chefs, she opened her first restaurant in 1986; her longtime establishments currently include those on Restaurant Row in New York; in the historic Beaux-Arts Union Station in Washington, D.C.; and the scenic Long Island Hampton village of Sag Harbor.

Smith’s flair for décor, demonstrated in the ambiance of her restaurants, led to the development of her first home collection, which debuted at Bed Bath & Beyond in Spring 2001. The B. Smith with Style Home Collection is the first line from an African-American woman to be sold at the retailer and includes bedding (duvet and comforter sets, coverlets, quilts, coordinated sheets, decorative pillows, window treatments) as well as tabletop, bath ensembles and area rugs, doormats, wall art, candles, bathroom furniture, door mats, and paper products.

What I really admire and continues to push me is how B. Smith continues to expand her enterprise and how it relates to her interests. Her story pushes me because she does not allow normal conventions to define her or her sense of style. I actually use to purchase her B.Smith magazine and was very disappointed when it was no longer available in my area. I also watched her show (when I had cable) and to me I felt she reached out to an audience (me) that the normal design shows don't really look for. So there you have inspiration number two B. Smith.

j

Visual and Written Inspiration 09/03/2009

images by j


To dream anything that you want to dream. That is the beauty of the human mind. To do anything that you want to do. That is the strength of the human will. To trust yourself to test your limits. That is the courage to succeed.
Bernard Edmonds

Hey Ya Outkast Live on the Late Show

B Love...

image by j

So the above image are paintings that hang on the wall on the way into the Lab. I posted them there so I can look up and remind myself to B Love and Fly Free. It has taken me a while to understand who exactly I am now and what my spirit is working on during my time on this Earth. There is a book titled "The Secret Life of Bees" I read it initially about 5 years ago then bought a copy for Child Genius when she turned 13. I am all 3 of the sisters rolled into 1. I have the sensitivity of May, the anger of June and the unconditional love of August. It was the anger of June that has almost wiped me out a few times however it has also saved me more times than I can count. It is because I was so angry that I was able to leave home, that same anger helped me block the horrible things that happened to me as a child until my spirit was ready to deal and that same anger helped me walk away from my marriage. However at this point in my walk I have learned to operate from a standpoint of love that if I do not love a person, place or thing then I don't need it in my circle. I also fully understand my need for freedom it is essential to my very being. That is part of the reason why it will take a special person to continue on this walk with me because I NEED my space. I also remind myself with the hearts to Stretch, Fly, Be and Live Free. Yep everyday.

j

Visual and Written Inspiration 09/02/2009

images by j

I have never met a person whose greatest need was anything other than real, unconditional love. You can find it in a simple act of kindness toward someone who needs help. There is no mistaking love. You feel it in your heart. It is the common fiber of life, the flame of that heats our soul, energizes our spirit and supplies passion to our lives. It is our connection to God and to each other.
Elizabeth Kubler-Ross
The Wheel of Life (Scribner)

Outkast Ms. Jackson Grammys Live

You inspire me part one...Jo Malone

Being a small business owner I have several people/businesses whom I admire and follow their stories as inspiration for my little engine...I want to share with you three of the people I admire and why.


The first for obvious reasons is Jo Malone. I admire and have actually read quite a bit about the beginnings of this company before it was sold to Estee Lauder. Below is part of her story that inspires me every.single.time:
"When she left school she worked in a florist's, but when her mother became ill, Jo took over her clientele, building up the list from 12 to 2,000. She was amazing facialist, by all accounts, and it's said that the very grand would send private jets to whisk her abroad and back, just for the touch of her fingers.

Her first fragrance was Nutmeg & Ginger (still a bestseller), which she combined in a bath-oil as a thank-you gift to her clients. I'm so dumb about scents that I ask how you get the smell out of a nutmeg, imagining there is a big machine that squeezes it really hard.

She kindly takes me through the chemical replication of "living" fragrances, which is how it is all done. I ask whether there are any delicious smells that are impossible to reproduce. "Bluebells," she says, "and sweet peas. I love the smell of sweet peas and I've tried for years and years and years...." She just has a knack for scent. "I know I have ability and a gift. I don't know how I do it. If I were to sit and study it maybe it would disappear, so I just do it."

Her Nutmeg & Ginger wowed all the people who are wowed by such things. Many returned, begging for more. By this time she was married to Gary, a surveyor, who encouraged her to rent premises in Chelsea, develop more fragrances, open her first little shop. They initially manufactured enough stock for two years. They were sold out in six weeks. And the rest is pretty much history, including, in 1999, a buy-out from Estée Lauder said to be worth between £5m and £10m." For the entire interview click here.

In part of the interview it is explained that Jo Malone sees in fragrance and has one of the best "noses" in the business. You see I also see in fragrance however I cannot abide artificial or synthetic fragrances which is why I only blend all natural scents. I can ALWAYS smell when a fragrance is synthetic and I also tend to get Migraines if I am around too many synthetic fragrances at once. Her story pushes me because she started small and built her business one brick at a time.

Stay tuned for the two other people/businesses that inspire me later this week.

j

Visual and Written Inspiration 09/01/2009

Couldn't Sleep

Tried to Write

Couldn't Stop Thinking About...
images by j

A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.
Oscar Wilde

Playing in the Shop: Outkast - Rosa Parks