soulsistrin

My son (via bumblemama) soulsistrin he said badger-man, and…

That is so precious! I’ve always like badgers… or at least the idea of them I’ve never seen one. And anyone who’s into bees is winner in my book.

That person on Facebook never got back to me.

Which earrings lady?

Which ones!!

There’s a scene in one of my favourite movies, When Harry Met Sally, where Sally is upset about the state of her life..

She’s complaining about a whole list of things and at the end sobs, “And I’m gonna be forty!”

Harry exclaims, “When!”

She throws up her hands in despair and cries, “Someday!”

And my sister and I thought that was just hilarious. Anytime one of us was complaining we’d slip it in to lighten the mood. And the other one had to make sure to say “when” at the appropriate moment. And then we’d both cry, “Someday!” and crack up.

I miss my sister. We laugh a lot. I really miss laughing with her. We sound the same when we laugh too. She’s my darling. I can’t wait to see her in December.

twoyellows replied to your photo “New shipment of crystals!!! #excitements”

The clear ones!

Yes those are the ones I’ve been waiting for!

ladameblanc replied to your post “I don’t understand why people would contact me via the internet to…”

Creepy!

Well, it’s for my business page… I guess they’re not so versed in technology?

I don’t understand why people would contact me via the internet to request my phone number so they can ask me a question.

POF: Sends address request to my business page

POF: Posts message on my wall requesting phone number

Me: Messages them privately asking how I can help

POF:

POF:

POF:

Me: Responds to message on wall asking how I can help

POF: I would like to know how to buy the earrings

Me: Which ones?

POF:

POF:

POF:

POF:

POF:

(It’s been 38 minutes now. I’m still waiting for an answer. I know they’re going to respond as soon as I go back into the studio and start working again. Because of course they are.)

Not me. Talk to The Donald

nada que ver con ese pendejo

meyechael

replied to your

post

:

I was just wondering if I’m an immigrant. See, I…

According to Donald Trump, you’re Mexican.

¿who you calling Mexican ese?

thejamesboyle:

It has been proven that highly creative people’s brains work quite differently than other brains. That special brain wiring that can create such wonderful art, music, and writing can often lead to strain in a relationship, because of those differences. If you’ve ever loved a highly creative person, you know that it can seem like they live in their own little word at times, and that thought isn’t far from the truth. Here are some things to keep in mind when you are in love with a highly creative person:

1. Their Minds Don’t Slow Down

The highly creative mind is one that is running at full speed all the time. Although it can be a source of crazy, spontaneous fun – it can also be a burden. Highly creative people rarely keep normal sleep cycles, and are often prone to bouncing from one task to another throughout the day. It can be exhausting to try to keep up.

2. They are Cyclical

The flow of creativity is a cycle, full of highs and lows. Some people may consider this “manic” behavior, but in reality, it is just how the creative process works. Keep this in mind as your partner goes through these natural ebbs and flows. The low periods aren’t permanent.

3. They Need Time Alone

Creative minds need air to breathe. Whether it is their own little work space or an escape to somewhere quiet, they need a time and place to be alone with their thoughts. Some people are inclined to think that if nothing is being said that there is something wrong, but with creative people that is not the case. They are just working within their own head.

4. They are Intensely Focused

When a creative person is on task, they are fiercely intense. The change from being scatter-brained to hyper-focused can be difficult to deal with, so just understand that it is how their brains work. Don’t get frustrated.

5. Emotions Run Deeper

Creative people feel everything on a deeper level. What doesn’t seem like a big deal to you, can be crushing to them. It’s that same passion that goes into whatever they create that drives them to love you, so understand that with the good – comes the bad.

6. They Speak in Stories

Creative people often express themselves in experiences, instead of just saying what they want to say. It is a way of sharing themselves that personifies who they are. At times, it can be difficult to figure out what a creative person is saying, so don’t be afraid to read between the lines.

7. They Battle with Themselves

Being creative can be a serious internal struggle. Motivation, enthusiasm, direction, and drive can all be issues for creative people. Some days it is hard for them just to get out of bed, and other days you can’t get them to slow down. Be patient in the lulls, because there is usually a burst of activity right around the corner.

8. Intuition is Important

Creative people, because of their intense emotional tendencies, tend to rely on intuition over logic. They go with their gut. Some people consider this to be more on the “impulsive” end of the spectrum. The creative mind doesn’t rely on logic to make a decision, it relies on experience and passion.

9. They Struggle with Confidence

When people create, especially for a living, they are always struggling with acceptance. That is art. They have to wear their hearts on their sleeves, and so they always question whether or not what they are producing is good enough. Being supportive is the key to loving a creative person.

10. Growing Up is Hard to Do 

Creative people are almost always children at heart. That care-free nature can seem immature and impetuous – but it is all part of the deal. Understand that the aspects of their creative brains that you love are the same ones that make them somewhat irresponsible when it comes to being an adult.

Something i read today, which gave me a huge peace of mind. Perhaps i’m just too creative for my own good.

via: Justin Gammill

omg yes. thank you for this

I was just wondering if I’m an immigrant.

See, I wasn’t born in Trinidad. I moved here when I was about two years old.

But my parents were both born here. 

So I inherited my citizenship.

I can’t be an immigrant if my parents are from here right?

So what does that make me? A foreign born national?

Cause I’m not even eligible for citizenship in the country I was born in.

Yeah it’s not automatic for the people everywhere. Go figure.

I’m having an identity crisis.

I’m excited for you! I wish I could come hang out at your market!

Me too!

I mean I’m excited too and I wish you could come too! 

I love UpMarket. I don’t go often cause I always want to buy everything.

The have artisanal everything from food to jewellery to clothes to accessories. It’s awesome. I’m so excited to be a vendor there.

Should I make more bee earrings for upmarket? I’m wondering.

I was just putting on price tags on my stuff?  And man. I have a LOT of inventory.

I’m taking basically everything I have on my website. Plus a bunch of things I never bothered to list. Plus a bunch of new things.

Honestly I don’t know how I’m gonna arrange everything but I’ll make it work. 

Need to make some money!!!

I went into my bedroom to find a pen. Next thing I know I’m Facebook chatting with my high school best friend in Brazil about her Nazi grandfather and my Dad’s death.

Then it dawned on me that I was in there for a reason.

Found the pen.

Back to the studio.

I was just scrolling through Netflix for a new series to watch while I work and I came upon The Rockford Files. The theme song instantly started playing in my head. That used to be my ringtone for my Dad. And now I feel that thing in my body that’s a mixture of sadness and yearning for something you know you can never have again.

I miss my Dad.

trinilikesalt replied to your post “There’s a post I keep trying to write, regarding race in America, from…”

Write it. So what if it’s long?

We’ll see

ravelwithoutacause:

awildunknown:

anna-julia-coupe-de-ville:

vergible-woods:

dynastylnoire:

polyplasmic:

moxiebynature:

blackaudacity:

xalanay:

It makes me uneasy when American blacks wear traditionally African clothing from a region they are not from/aren’t raised in culturally. I see American blacks wearing dashikis and Kenyan tribal face paint/design and it just isn’t right to me because they are not from the region. Just because you’re black and genetically have recent roots in Africa doesn’t mean you have the right to appropriate culture from a region of Africa of your choosing. I know that American blacks were stripped of their choice to identify with the country that their ancestors were taken from, and it’s awful, but their roots are in America now, not “the motherland” or whatever some of yall call Africa. You’re American now, as much as it sucks; and it’s not your fault. As a Somali-American woman, seeing a white woman wearing a dirac or a bati or henna is just as offensive as seeing a black American woman wearing it.

If your interested, please read Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie about the point of view of Americanized African Blacks on American Blacks.

Do you feel equally as uncomfortable when Africans speak using slang and language created by Black Americans? Do you feel the same when you see Nigerians, Ethiopians and others wearing fashion and styles that were created by Black Americans? Or listening to Hip-Hop and rap? Should Black Americans feel equally as uncomfortable when an African does these things, as we do when white, Asian, etc people do it?

Not being combative, I have been trying to develop my opinion on this for a a few months now, so when I come across an African person who feels this way, I always try to start a dialogue

I am very invested in these types of conversation and hope this conversation grows.

I think it’s a very conflicting because… I’d hope some Africans aren’t genuinely, like, mad that Black Americans are trying to reestablish some kind of connection with Africa. Black American, Caribbean, and Afro Latinx culture have pretty clear ties to (West) Africa, so it makes sense that we’d turn to Africa for soul or root-searching. There’s a right way and a wrong way to do it, some folks do it wrong, but just trying? I mean, you can help them if it seems genuine, read ‘em if it seems like outright disregard, or mind your business and laugh about it with your friends.

i’m probably going to get my ass kicked for saying this, but re: what blackaudacity brought up, i sincerely think most people don’t even consider black american culture a real culture. sure, we’ll all have fun dragging people like iggy for being a wannabe in general, but even still, to black africans at large, the culture that we americans built in america is not considered as sacred and pure as their own. we are still fully expected to share, because that’s just how things have always been, but we are NOT in any way worthy of the same protection from cultural appropriation because our culture is simply not legitimate to them.

this is why i honestly think nobody but american, descended-from-enslaved-peoples, plain ol’ blacks will understand what our condition is like: 
“I know that American blacks were stripped of their choice to identify with the country that their ancestors were taken from, and it’s awful, but their roots are in America now, not “the motherland” or whatever some of yall call Africa.”

like, i want people to reeaaaally read that and tell me honestly what they expect of black americans. our “roots” are in america now, a country founded on the bones of natives, toiled and built with the blood, sweat, and tears of our own. and they think we should just be happy here? don’t get me wrong, i’m nothing more than proud of how black americans were able to build something out of nothing and make history during our short time here, but it’s disturbing to me to read that, through no fault of our own, we are apparently expected to be completely satisfied with our dubious cultural ties to america as a country which is in itself a monument to not only our own oppression but also the oppression of countless other peoples. like, from the very beginning of our education we are taught that our history began with slavery. think of how that shapes our sense of self, or our sense of community. and once we realize that hey, maybe there was something there BEFORE the trans atlantic, our eagerness to belong to something bigger than a culture born out of constant oppression shows.

in a perfect world, yes, every black american trying to get back to their “roots” will be perfectly educated regarding different ethnic groups in africa, but the fact of the matter is, most of us aren’t and that’s not by accident. in our passionate grasping for any sense of history beyond slavery, we are messy, and i don’t doubt we end up stepping on a few toes. but i think to hold us, a people whose cultures were purposefully erased and diluted, in the same regard as any given white american who just likes to get henna tattoos for funsies is a great misunderstanding of the dynamic in which the black american exists. and to deny us our yearning for something we lost long ago is yet another way in which to deny us our humanity. it is the continued lack of empathy for the black american condition – the condition which will spawn cultural trends that everyone is able to partake in and commercialize at will even when they recoil in disgust at the the thought of uneducated american blacks getting their hands on anything of theirs.

Black American culture is always up for grabs to every and for everyone. The second any black americans begin to try to grasp at anything that involves black culture outside of america we’re reminded real quick that we are the step cousins that only get claimed at family reunions when it’s time to do the nay nay. 

was the “Do you feel equally as uncomfortable..” question replied to? really wanna hear them thoughts

A lot of the Ghanaian clothing, patterns, etc that Black Americans use also came from an actual cultural exchange that took place in the 1960s and 1970s. A lot of West Africans were going to HBCUs and other colleges in the U.S. and vice versa. The school I went to currently has deep ties to high schools in Nigeria and a college in Ghana that does an exchange program from that time period. I can’t speak for other regions in Africa (just mainly Ghana, and to a lesser degree Nigeria), but Black Americans didn’t pull West African traditions out of their ass. 

I also deal with this problem a lot at my college. My school likes to talk about how “diverse” it is, but really the only black students are African or from the islands. I think only about 25% of my schools already small black population are black American.

And I genuinely have an issue with that.

It creates a terrible dynamic between the black American students and the African students, then with all of the white kids who don’t see the difference.

The only black communities on campus are specifically catered for African students, who honesty don’t share the same experiences. But my predominantly white school views it as the same thing. It’s like how this white girl I know said that they were serving more sushi (Japanese…fyi) in the cafeteria because we had a lot of new international students from China. Like what the actual fuck?!

There’s a weird disconnect around entitlement within the black community, and it’s hard to find a balance without the expense of the other. We have a habit of only supporting one “type” of black at a time, and that really fucking sucks. We’ve just been so brainwashed.

I just hope we find a way to be united again 

I’ve started referring to the website where I buy a lot of my stones from as “my dealer”.

Because every time I go on the site I get a rush and I have to stop myself from forking out more money for what is clearly becoming an addiction.

sheeeenabobeeeena replied to your post “There’s a post I keep trying to write, regarding race in America, from…”

I’d love to read it, if you ever decide to post and write it. 🙂

I have written so many versions of it… I just tried writing another and I ended up saving it to drafts where the others are. It’s such a large topic that I can come at from so many angles. I don’t know if I’ll ever get to the point where I can articulate in a concise manner what I’m trying to say… I keep trying and failing. It gets too long every time.

There’s a post I keep trying to write, regarding race in America, from the perspective of a West Indian.

And every time I try to write it I give up.

Because it’s too big for me to write without it turning into an essay.

The gist of it is that as a West Indian I didn’t grow up in a country where I was a minority, and everyone with power around me was a person of colour. 

And that I think that is a huge part of why many West Indians historically have not been able to understand or identify with the experience of the African American. 

I know I did not when I lived there. My mentality was y’all need to get over this slavery thing.

And it took me years to understand how different our experiences as POC are.

And it’s why I’m so vocal about the Black Lives Matter movement now.

Because I finally understand at least intellectually, what Black people in America have been screaming from the rooftops about all this time.

That’s a small part of what that essay was going to say. 

But it’s the most important part.

Make more. It’s so nice.

It is though isn’t it… mannnn…

autocorrect needs to learn that blech is a word

Ok I’m going.

I’m gonna be at Upmarket on Saturday!

As if I didn’t need more shit to stress me out this week.

Yay

omg stress

I have a chance to to sell at Upmarket this Saturday

It’s really short notice but I think it would be a great place to get my stuff out there.

I don’t know if I can pull this together for Saturday…

But I should do it right?

nightmaredisguised replied to your photo “I keep making all these pretty things and I never get to wear any of…”

GORGEOUS. You are so talented.

Thank you! *beams*

Me: Why is my tumblr not fullscreen?

Me: Because this is not Netflix

That’s gorgeous

Thank you 🙂 I really like it too

I was looking at the pic of one of your pieces and I started thinking “I wonder what kind of housewares she could design if she did that?” Like cutlery and glassware and bowls and such. Ever thought about that kinda thing…?

Lol that’s exactly the area I want to explore. I’ve done pottery before but I was interested in using glass to create my own line of housewares. I love working with glass it’s one of my absolute favourite mediums, it’s fascinating to sculpt and melt. I wanted to start with just bowls and plates. But that’s going to have to be years down the line from now. But it’s my next endeavour. That and a line of artisanal soaps.

My body is feeling tired. I’ve been working nonstop for weeks (with the exception of two days when I had the cold. I was in the studio after 11 last night.

I really do have a hard time staying away. My mind is constantly going and I’m always eager to execute my newest idea.

It’s funny. Even when I was working as a freelance graphic designer, I never put even a fraction of the energy I put into promoting myself as I do now. My approach was half assed at best and the only reason I ever got work was because of word of mouth. I hated promoting myself. Somehow it doesn’t seem to be a problem now.

I can be obsessive when I’m into something so my enthusiasm doesn’t surprise me. But I think I have a belief in myself now that I never had with design. I was always afraid someone would someday realize I was faking it, that I was an imposter who had no idea what she was doing. I still feel that way a tiny bit.

There are different levels of jewelry making. There’s fine jewelry like Tiffany’s and Cartier. I have no idea how to make stuff like that. I don’t have the education. What I make is considered artisanal jewelry. Jewelry with a handcrafted look. And for that I’m qualified. And confident. Because there aren’t really any rules. As long as it’s wearable and someone wants to buy it then it’s valid.

There are no tiers to graphic design. You either learn the rules or you produce shitty work. I think because I had little formal education in the field I always felt a little insecure.

What I did have however, was an intuitive understanding of design. I’d like to think I had a little bit of talent too. That took me far but I don’t think I was ever going to produce anything that broke the mold. I think I was more talented as an illustrator but there weren’t exactly many opportunities for me there.

I don’t know if I’ll be making jewelry forever. I have other interests I want to explore. Other plans. I’ve always been one to immerse myself in something and then abandon it when I’ve had enough. But it’s really doing it for me right now. I’m excited about it every day. And that’s a really fantastic feeling. So I’m just going to ride it out and see how far it takes me. Could be for the long haul. Never know. Either way I’d be fine.

Ever tell you about my iced coffee episode at Rituals Starlite? I asked for one and the counter staff COULD NOT COMPREHEND what I was saying. “How yuh mean iced coffee? Yuh mean a Chiller?” They gave me HOT coffee over ice. Resulted in grossness.

wtf? Their coffee is disgusting. Everything is made from this powdered crap. Blech.

Actually I’ve been feeling for coffee all day. Iced coffee.

And as I wrote that I remember the jingle for Nescafé iced coffee (that they’d pronounce like ice café) from Trinidad that ran back when I was in my teens. And hearing it always made me happy because it meant that I was back home in the country I loved. And that made me happy cause it meant I got to see Chris.

Who is quietly sleeping next to me right now.

It always comes back to him doesn’t it?

Anyway. I want iced coffee is what I’m saying.

I do not understand why I feel for coffee at these asinine hours

Most days I work in the studio are incident free.
Today? Not so much. I just washed my hands and they’re burning. Scrapes and cuts I guess. I think I may have sawed my finger ever so slightly.

The other day I nearly set my apron on fire. That didn’t smell so nice. It took a while to stop smoking. Glad it wasn’t my lap.

My Facebook page (for Sundara Jewelry) reached 900 likes today!

I’d love to say it was just because of word of mouth but I’ve done quite a bit of advertising. It can be really inexpensive and for me it’s yielded big results.

Still I’m totally psyched. 900 likes in five weeks is pretty awesome. 🙂

Had my breakfast, took my shower, now I think it’s time to crawl back in bed. Yesssssss

triniwindowseat:

arabellesicardi:

But truly………………..I wish more credit was given to intuition. If it feels bad, it is bad. It’s not in your head. I would have been spared so much heartache and so many nightmares if I trusted myself more when I needed to. If you have to bend over backwards to rationalize shit, it is truly shit, and you need to get the fuck out of dodge. 

Truth.

I saw your Instagram post with the 2 before this, lol. I’d say try setting again and maybe play around with another bee composition eventually.

nah. I don’t like it. I prefer it with just the bee alone. plus I don’t have enough stones to keep playing around with, those tiny stones are expensive!

My phone is a Trini.

I love you phone!

Every time I beat keifel at trivia crack I feel super smart. It’s like I never stand a chance with him. Like I’ll have the paintbrush and the entertainment icon and hell have geography and I’ll miss a question and the next message I’ll get is that he won the game and I’m all like wtf.

therealhamster:

do you ever just wanna do a backflip but realize you cant

yes!

Gosh I’ve been productive today. And I made one of those pairs of earrings twice cause I kept fucking with the wire and it snapped. STEUPS.

Sundara. Sanskrit word meaning beautiful.

That’s the name of my brand.

My Indian friend Rohan told me how it was pronounced the other day.

Súndara.

Accent on the first syllable.

I love it. It sounds so much more beautiful that way.

I can’t stop saying it in my head.

I will take the credit for this dadgummit!

you’re allowed, my maker hahahaha

They were just playing some old school dub in my neighbourhood and it made me so happy. Dub reminds me of my teenage years and being with Chris and tearing around Trinidad in that red car he used to have. It reminds me of the happiest, most carefree time in my life when all we had to worry about was where we were going tonight. I miss those days so much. I miss those versions of us so much. I still see them sometimes though. And I really love it when that happens. 

I cannot handle overly negative bloggers. Everyone should post what they want, but I am the kind of person that absorbs it. It can be too much. I always end up unfollowing. Likewise people posting complaints about what others post. Just unfollow.

Yes me too. I am not into policing what other people post on their blogs. I always have to remember that following someone is a choice. I have unfollowed people and then re-followed them after. Sometimes you need a break. But I’ll never tell anyone what to write on their blog.

I always love discovering new people to follow here on tumblr. Every so often I’ll look up the notes on people I really like, and if they have followers I’m not following I’ll check out their blogs. I’ve found that it’s a good way to gauge if I’ll like the person’s content or not.

If I start following a new personal blog and they don’t eventually follow me back I unfollow. I decided a while ago that I’m not going to invest my time in anyone who’s not invested in me. It’s not personal. Not everyone is going to like my little corner of the world here. But I enjoy forming relationships with the people I follow. And I’m not into one-sided relationships. There are a few exceptions to that rule but that’s only because said bloggers are phenomenal writers so I’m there for the content not the relationship.

When someone follows me I check out their blog. Unless they are a reblog blog I will always follow back. I do follow theme blogs but not when they are run as a personal tumblr. 

I will eventually unfollow personal blogs that depress me. I really don’t want to read about how your life sucks twelve times a day. It’s exhausting and it depresses me. I understand that for some people their tumblrs serve as a place to vent or as a personal diary of sorts. But having a public blog means you have to consider your audience. And if I’m your audience I have a limit to how much negativity I can handle. It’s not that I don’t care. It’s that I have to care about myself too and that’s not healthy for me. It takes a really long time for me to get to that point but it’s happened a few times.

I was telling Chris the other day that my relationship with many of my friends here are more real to me in some ways than those with my real life friends. I know much more about what’s going on in your lives. We interact a lot more often. I definitely share more of myself here than I do outside. I think sometimes  the reason why I’m able to live my life as I do, working from home and spending so much of my time on my own, is because of the relationships I’ve formed here. I never feel alone. I keep it in perspective but my friendships here are very important to me. My life is richer for it. And while I’m unlikely to ever go to a meetup (people en masse blech), I definitely hope I meet some of you one on one in the future, near or far. I absolutely know that we will have a fucking blast. I’m looking forward to sharing good food and even more drinks. You know who you are.

mrs4n6 replied to your post “red-oman replied to your post:I’m trying to decide if I want to work…”

I want the bees on everything. A ring, earrings, bracelets…all the things!!!

They seem to be very popular!

Those bee earrings in silver would be perfection.

Yeah I’m thinking so man… I was thinking too of adding a tiny cabochon (like the size of the ones on the rings) in citrine like a little drop of honey, what you think?

I’m trying to decide if I want to work on soldering today or if I want to do some resin/crystal work.

My soldering station is already set up so maybe that. 

I was working on this ring yesterday that I’d had in mind forever and it was beautiful in my head put in practice? I total dud. It looks horrible. I’m just going to have to use the metal for scrap. I’m so bummed.

So maybe I’ll make a silver version of those cute bee earrings everybody likes so much. Yes.

There’s something I love about artists, and that’s how we support each other, by following each other, by comments, by reblogging each other’s work… We don’t have to know each other or interact. But I love it when I see another artist that I follow has liked or reblogged something of mine. I love supporting other artists. We all share an understanding of what it’s like to pursue your art and everything that comes with it. It is unspoken. And I love when we support rather than compete with each other. It’s a beautiful thing.

I’m bored.

Can y’all send me some asks?

Feelin’ too tired tuh geh off de bed an cook…

Is jus’ stew chicken but still…

Nah daiz easy ting ah doh have tuh do nuttin’ man…. 

Leh mih geh mih ass orf de bed an go an cook de people an dem food oui

The finished product is beautiful!

Thank you! I have two pieces to add to the side and then to string it on a chain 🙂