Songs I Currently Have On Repeat

Here are some of the songs that have been on heavy repeat for me lately. Some are fairly new, some are a bit old. Just click on the little play buttons and/or the songs and they will play in the little media player located in the bottom left corner of your screen. If the songs do not play, just refresh your screen and try again.

Lonely Town by fLako feat. Dirg Gerner

I recently came across this amazing London-based producer by the name of fLako. It was love at first listen, to say the least. The above song really resonated with me; I love the mellow beat and the simple yet poignant lyrics. Another song from fLako that really captured my attention is his remix of Ez Up, originally by Slum Village. His take on the song is too smooth!

Ain't That Peculiar (Remix) by Oddisee
Oddisee is amazing, ‘tis all. I love what he did with this Marvin Gaye classic. Make sure you check out his mixtape, Odd Renditions, which consists of Oddisee’s remixes of Bon Iver’s “Paralyzed”, Metronomy’s “The Gold Is Mine” and K-Os's “Man I Use To Be”.

Deeper by THEESatisfaction
I absolutely LOVE this duo! THEESatisfaction’s music is absolutely gorgeous; it caresses the soul. Their sound is so smooth and has a great deal of depth. My mind can’t help but to travel back to Floetry when I listen to these 2, and that is definitely not a bad thing. You can listen to THEESatisfaction’s entire album, Awe Naturale, by clicking here. 

Patiently, We Bloom by Diggs Duke
Diggs Duke is such a fantastic artist in every sense of the word. This song is a perfect example of his wide range of talents; all of the vocals and instruments in the track were performed by him. 

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The Coiffure Project

The Coiffure Project is a brilliant portrait series created by Baltimore-based photographer Glenford Nunez which captures the boundless beauty and effortless elegance of natural hair. I love the idea of this series and I tip my hat to Mr. Nunez for capturing such amazing shots. To see more of the project and to follow its growth, click here.

www.trustyourphotographer.com

Herds of the Fathers: The Old Raritan Collection

Herds of the Fathers, a New Jersey-based brand which specializes in leather goods and accessories for men, is one of my favorite brands that I have had the privilege of featuring on this blog. A couple of days ago, the brand announced the official release of a new line of products entitled The Old Raritan Collection. I cannot help but to be in awe of the fine craftsmanship put into this company’s products and the overall quality of the company itself. It truly shows when business owners fully invest their hearts and souls into their work, and that is exactly what Tobi Babajide and Jason Akoi have done with Herds of the Fathers.

Such great attention was given to every detail of the products in The Old Raritan Collection. From the lush paisley print lining the inside of the bags, to the carved wooden tags adorning each product; it is clear that Tobi and Jason really took their time to produce exceptional goods for you all to enjoy. I was able to catch up with Tobi (photoed directly below) and ask him a couple of questions about the new line. His responses to my questions accompany these gorgeous photos from the lookbook for The Old Raritan Collection. Enjoy!

“This line is more of a collection than the previous line. When you look at the products you will see instantly what we were trying to achieve.”
  

“These are pieces that an average person would use in a  day to day routine, pieces that anyone can carry and pair-able with any look and you don't have to be stylish or trendy to use any of the products.”

“The inspiration behind the collection name "Old Raritan Collection" is a reflection of where we went school and the birthplace of our company. We wanted all our collections from here on out to have roots.”

“When a customer purchases a bag, 10 years down the line they will know exactly what collection it was a part of.”

www.herdsofthefathers.com

New Vintage Store Find: Nifty Thrifty Love

I have probably said this a million and one times but let me say it once more for those of you who may not have been listening: I absolutely love vintage clothing. I love owning pieces that no one else within a thousand mile radius will have. I love having bits of some sort of history hanging in my closet. I even love the process of digging through racks and racks of clothing, searching for something that catches my eye. However, there are times when one may want to skip that whole digging process and, instead, turn to other alternatives in order to satisfy all of one's vintage needs. This is where online vintage boutiques come into play. I have noticed a boom in the number of online vintage stores in the past year or so. I believe owning such a store is a great business venture for a college student wanting to slowly ease into the entrepreneurial world to embark on. Another thing I have probably said about a million and one times is that I have so much love for people who are balancing school with other endeavors.

Back in March, a friend of mine told me about an up and coming online vintage boutique called Nifty Thrifty Love (which just had its official online opening on April 28). I was extremely impressed by the clothing that this store offers and was excited to get in contact with the owner of the store, a lovely young lady named Ashley Harris (photoed below). 

Please enjoy my mini interview with Ashley as we discuss her motivation for opening her own online vintage boutique, her plans for the future, and why she thinks you should shop vintage.

What inspired you to create Nifty Thrifty Love and how did the store come about?

I’m one of those people who love hanging out with their grandma and mine just happens to love hanging out at thrift shops. My grandma's love for thrift shops fueled my addiction and astonishment for them as well, and I decided to do something with it. I wanted to share the wonderful places you can shop around and the things you can find from places other than the mall and high priced stores. I created Nifty Thrifty Love for that purpose and made all of the items very affordable for any budget.

What are your future goals for yourself and your company?

             First, I must finish school. Transferring from school to school has done a little damage, but I’ll be celebrating an associate’s degree from Montgomery College in May. After graduation I’m going to work towards a Bachelors Degree.  Also, I’m going to aim to have a successful business and to eventually add my own designs/creations to Nifty Thrifty Love’s site. I’ve also taken up modeling and acting so I am aiming to become the best that I can be in those fields as well.

Why do you think people should shop vintage?

In today’s society where there’s a shortage in money, shopping vintage is very easy on the pockets. Not only is it economically friendly, in most cases vintage clothing is made with higher quality materials and greater precision compared to the clothing that is made today. When you shop vintage, you can also find clothing and other items from all different areas and time periods in the world, which is awesome! 

www.niftythriftylove.com

A Yellow Man

I’m sure you all remember Chioma Wodu, a lovely young lady that I featured some time ago. In her ‘She’s Got That Good Good’ feature, I included the introductory video to the group she is a part of called A Yellow Man.

After that post went up, I received e-mails from several of my readers asking where they could find more of A Yellow Man’s music. At the time, the group was still in the process of working on their upcoming EP. However, I am extremely excited to announce that this dynamic trio has now graced us with 2 amazing videos for 2 absolutely incredible songs entitled My Lyrics Are Alive and 3000 Miles Of Youth. The first track, My Lyrics Are Alive, is phenomenal; the profound lyrics and production are spot on as well as the cinematography (not to mention the awesome clothes that these 3 are rocking in this video). 3000 Miles Of Youth is an equally amazing song with an extremely well thought out video that complements the depth of the track so seamlessly. Much respect goes to Paul Akinrinlola, the brilliant director of both of these videos. I really love the hopeful message A Yellow Man chose to convey in their music. It is absolutely refreshing to listen to music that sounds dope while having so much substance. Be sure to 'like' their facebook group & to follow them on twitter to keep up with all their new releases!

A Yellow Man, you 3 have most definitely got that good good.