SOCAN, Stones and Untrustworthy Drones

It can be hard to feel like you're making progress in today's incredibly uncertain emotional and financial climate. Things seem to have a way of spiralling out of control to the point where you wonder if the spiralling ever stopped. Mercury really seems like it's been in Retrograde for about 3 years now so I'm trying to find hope in the little things. Just the other day I received my first check from SOCAN and another person bought my album Doo-Wop Days The EP. So although things seem like they could not possibly be moving any slower, they are at least moving (if even in an infinitesimal way).

Two things I've learned to lean on in times like these are the library and stones. When as a teenager I hit my first (and worst) bout of depression I would (amongst other aides including therapy and medication) plop myself down on the library floor in the Self-Help section and fill my void with Robin Norwood, Iyanla Vanzant, M Scott Peck and Neale Donald Walsh.

These writers helped me immeasurably, they first let me know I was not alone and secondly they let me know why it was happening and what I could do about it. These are 3 of the most useful ways to support someone going through depression or anxiety and these are 3 of the most useful ways to support yourself.

The other trick (which is really less of a trick and more like a little bit of magic on earth) I learned was the value of gemstones. I'm a Taurus, we are the first Earth Sign in the zodiac and Venus is our ruling planet and goddess so Rose Quartz was kind of a no-brainer. I also developed an early appreciation for Hematite, what I love most about it is that it does not pick up other people's negative energy. It is particularly adept at keeping energy suckers and untrustworthy drones away due to its ability to protect and thwart dark energy and negativity, likewise it is one of the only stones that doesn't need to be cleansed when it passes hands. It's also a very grounding stone so sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming or dizzying for Taureans who are already fairly grounded already.

Those two are quite often my go-to stones but there are so many wonderful stones out there with so many wonderful attributes that it's worth it to head out and find the rock store in your city and have a look. I'm headed off to my stone store today since there's unfortunately been a few energy sucking people lurking in my life that could use a good banishing.

May your first week of March be ever in your favour! (are we still using that expression? Probably not) Well I bid you adieu with it anyhow! ❤️

P. S Here's a few pictures of me with an extraordinary Pyrite skull and some Tektite. 

The Dumbest Timeline

There are several working theories on the incredibly dumb timeline/ parallel universe we seem to have haphazardly slipped into. Some involve ripping a whole in the universe. Some involve Trump "winning" the 2016 election (highly possible) or the Cubs winning the World Series.  Even more disturbingly some venture into the Idiocracy territory and question humanity's overall intelligence from the get-go (can't argue with that). I myself, haven't the foggiest idea but I know this timeline is dumb as hell and/or possibly is hell or purgatory or something similar.

How does one deal with such things you ask? If I knew the answer to that then capitalism would at long last be my friend. No dear ones, I have no clue. So I've just been trying to keep my agitated head down and focus on music. My first offering in this vein was released on Valentine's Day of last year. It is called Doo-Wop Days, it is an EP and it is as happy as it is short. So if by chance you are losing your ever-loving (now hating) mind then give it a listen. 

I also wrangled up a fancy, schmancy website for your perusal. Okay it's not that fancy, but it's kinda schmancy and kitschy and cute and I like it so get off my back okay? I wish you the dearest of starts to your March and hope for a swift exit from this seemingly incessant long, dark tea-time of the soul for us all.

P. S I'm tea-totaling this month so all this liquor in the background is just wishful thinking, frankly. 

Always bet on Black.... and a nice matte lip

There's a lot of bad going on in the world right now, narrowing it down to North America there is more than enough orange evil to go around. I can't help my brothers and sisters in the States on the ground (a) because I'm Canadian and (b) because I'm not touching the States with a ten foot Canadian flagpole, so I decided to help in another way that is mutually beneficial. Buying Black. This means increasing my purchases within the Black community by buying from Black owned businesses and supporting Black artists and this is actually a lot of fun. It means picking up an Essence magazine with Ava Duvernay on the cover, or scooping up a copy of Ebony with Jurnee Smollett-Bell featured. It also means checking out Canada's only all Black Burlesque Troupe on March 23th in Toronto, lead and founded by Dainty Smith, picking up my peppy single Doo-Wop Days (see what I did there (didn't really do much just plugged myself) see! see!) or purchasing some lovely teas from a socially conscious tea shoppe out of Manitoulin Island. There's so many ways to support the community and one of my current favourites is of course...lipstick (the word is in the blog name people!) Some thrilling, relatively new Black run and founded lip companies that I'm over the moon about include:

The Lip Bar  founded by Melissa Butler after being erroneously shut down on Shark Tank, these lippies are now being worn by the likes of Taraji P Henson and featured in Essence magazine. I, myself can attest to the power of their #BawseLady shade (as seen below) and look forward to trying more shades from them in the future.

ColouredRaine founded by Loraine Roberts Dowdy is an electric brand filled with bright (and dark) colours to ensure you're dropping jaws in every room. My personal favourites are Tootsie and Cherry Blossom. Check out an online vlog review here.

For those with a lusty appetite for the finer things in life (and an obsession with the 90's cult classic 'The Craft'")   Gold Label Cosmetics is here to satisfy your every designer lip need. Lipsticks and Lip Pens even come in bundles according to shades and dark (or light) urges. As well, after my first purchase I was sent a personalized thank you email from the founder Kristen Elise Brown, herself, if that isn't customer service! Check out her story and some lovely lip swatches here.  I'll have more of an update on this once I receive my order of Dark Children and the Bogota Bundle....

Last but certainly not least, Beauty Bakerie a tasty confection of dessert named lippies and highlighters founded by the unsinkable Cashmere Nicole (who is more than a few success stories in her own right). I've yet to purchase any lippies from them but I have my eye on Raspberry Tiramisu, Cranberry Stiletto and She's Just Jelly and I'll let you know when I get my sticky, matte addicted puckers on them. In the meantime here's an online lip swatch to peruse.

Excitingly, along with being Black-Owned and founded, all the brands I've mentioned are cruelty free and/or vegan so no cute little fuzzies were harmed to achieve a higher level of lip-loving existence. If you give any of these brands a try (which I strongly encourage you to) drop me a note and let me know how it goes.

Kisses and Wishes to you,
2017 Me

P.S Click on the links to check out the cosmetics companies and events!

Have no fear, it's Suuuuuupermoon!!!

Well friends, kitten and magical, mystical ones, tonight is the night to get your witches brew out, read your tarot, dust off your spellbooks and make dreams come true. Not much to do but enjoy the magical moon. Watch a few magical movies like The Craft, Peace, Love and Misunderstanding or catch a few episodes of the now defunct Witches of East End.  If you really want to get kinky (and cheesy frankly)  try some Dante's Cove. Tonight is the night that mysteries unfurl as hallowe'en approaches and a Super-Hunter's Moon drops in for a spell. Have a magical, mystical, miraculous week!

KOMAKINO

This is the hour when the mysteries emerge. A strangeness so hard to reflect. A moment so moving, goes straight to your heart, The vision has never been met. The attraction is held like a weight deep inside, Something I'll never forget.

The pattern is set, her reaction will start, Complete but rejected too soon. Looking ahead in the grip of each fear, Recalls the life that we knew. The shadow that stood by the side of the road, Always reminds me of you.

How can I find the right way to control, All the conflict inside, all the problems beside, As the questions arise, and the answers don't fit, Into my way of things, Into my way of things.

JOY DIVISION 

P.S Here's some more weird vibey music for the Super, Hunter's moon. Hope you find what you're looking for!

Alas it is fall,

Did you ever imagine? I didn't, but I live in a dreamworld, what's your excuse? Regardless we are now to be besieged by angry red leaves that refuse to attend their former placements for a moment longer, they will now make a mad dash to the ground as we sip our cinnamon lattes thoughtfully and consider how we will once again pick a terrible last minute costume for an event we knew was going to happen all year. If this is not what you are thinking then I highly recommend thinking it because the alternative, (apocalypse nowish?) is just too unpleasant. Nay, I say, drink your mulled wine and coffee spiked with spiced rum (or chai for you tee-totalers out there) and imagine how you wish things to be, then get off your cute, little, cinnamon butt and go for it. After all if the ol' hourglass has been severely shaken we may as well make the best of the weird and wacky sand we have left, hey?

In keeping with that, here is my new obsession (not really that new, I've been obsessed with scores since I was a wee little peanut as you can see from my former blog on scoring, (I really need to get a handle on my use of parenthesis) I am absolutely desperate about it) hopefully it will motivate you to do something you have always longed to. Take your fears and put them asunder before your vessel lands down under! I mean, that was terrible but whatever, just do it! 

Have a desperately brilliant week!

Just When You Think You've Got it Down.....

You can hear the people peeing upstairs. Ah life! It sure does have a way of upending things and 2016 for absolutely certain. I have thus far been to a funeral, been hit by a car, laid off work and bid farewell to more fantastic artists than I care to mention. It's a doozy this year, and aren't we all just struggling to get out alive while still being clever enough to use the oxford comma?
As a result of the terror this year has rained upon us, I have decided to make this the unequivocal year that I finish and release my EP. I have One and a half songs left and we're nearly there, because while there may be darkness, an absence of liquor and a strange sensation that the robots pressed waaaay too many buttons and switched the matrix from a utopia to a dystopian hell (Aside: I think it's funny that autocorrect doesn't seem to know what dystopian means, in 2016? I mean really), you and I are still here, and so is the music folks, and that at the very least is worth some celebration. So queue up your Netflix, ready your wine and popcorn and watch every damn thing you ever wanted to watch, go outside and run every damn track you wanted to run, or get yourself on a bus and window watch every damn thing you wanted to window watch, paint that painting, finish that book, deck the halls or paint the halls. For God's sakes finish that damned script and tweak that damned novel because now is the time people!!!, and come the end of the year your ears will be very busy.

Peace (where you can find it) Love (within yourself) and Kittens (always kittens I mean, c'mon)!


P.S some pep for your step

La vida es un carnaval....

Okay, it's not but you believed me for a second didn't you? Well at least last night was a carnival because the incredible Sergio Mendes came to thrill Toronto with his incredible music and he played this right off the bat! He was (as expected) incredible, a true MC and he had some incredible back-up (sorry I'm simply gobsmacked) in his band and singers . This was all in support of the PanAm Games closing ceremonies in an event quite accurately dubbed Panamania. Which saw the likes of Mariana's Trench, Tessanne Chin, A Tribe Called Red, Colin James, Jully Black, Wyclef Jean, Serena Ryder, Calypso Rose and Kobo Town and so many more. Impending Panamania includes: Janelle Monae, Jann Arden, A Tribe Called Red, The Roots and many more.

Anyway, as expected I made a playlist in preparation for Sergio Mendes' arrival and it is as exciting as it appears, ladies and gents your Spanish music playlist (okay, the name kinda sucks). I must warn you that as I am now on deezer, as opposed to the newly defunct grooveshark, I don't believe this is viewable on your smart little phones unless you have a deezer account. Therefore, either sign up for deezer or listen on your laptop! Enjoy, beautiful people!!