SAFE SEX PROMOTED THRU INNOVATIVE FASHION

Fashion show in China demonstrates condoms can not only be worn after cocktail hour...but also during! Talk about innovation!

TRINIDAD >>> BUTCH DIVA

TRYING TRADITION ON FOR SIZE...

Ahhh, the head piece to a Trinidad carnival costume, the icing on the cake, and all that was missing from the costume I attempted this first go round. Seen here trying my cousin's on for size and studying the construction. Not hard to execute at all...imagination here I come. The more feathers, the more splendor!

OVERWHELMINGLY MOTIVATED TO INSPIRE...

...10 minutes to 1am and I'm aware that my body is tired, but my mind is racing and sleep is the last thing on my radar. Ever since coming back from Trinidad, I've been on a whirlwind of emotions, brain spazzems, epiphanies, and revelations. All concerning me...and the woman I want to be, and the future and empire I want to build. You ever see something so crystal clear that it almost makes you giggle a lil' bit?? Well I'm seeing something right now folks...and I don't quite want to give it all up yet but trust me when I tell ya, you will be proud and down for the cause! "Where there's a will there's a way", is how I like to look at it sometimes, and I'm surely willing to see this idea out to the end... I'm on this new kick where no matter how tired I actually am and how much "I don't feel like it"...I have to push myself to accomplish at the very least three goals a day related to bringing me closer to my goals in life. Imagine that!! Imagine how a mentality such as that, can bring so much joy and purpose to your agenda. It could range from the process of just doing things to educate myself on certain topics, fashion trends, business practices, etc. to blogging, research on the Internet, to organizing my workspace, to spreading the word about the mission...etc etc. But you get the hint right!

Pretty please with sugar and strawberries on top > Don't make me say it again...Stay tuned for moooooore!

TRINIDAD >>> DOWN AND DIRRRTY!

J'ouvert is the raw heart of Trinidad carnival. It is a massive, night-time street party that begins in central Port of Spain in the middle of the night, about 3:30 in the morning to be exact, before the daytime carnival parades. Really it is a continuation of the 'fetes', the parties, of the night before, as tens of thousands of revellers spill out onto the streets looking for more fun. They dance till dawn and beyond - j'ouvert (pronounced jouvay) is a creole corruption of the French jour ouvert.





The streets were full of the sound of steel pan bands and the sights of mud / axle grease / chocolate / and paint splattered grinding bodies... You simply have to see the antics to believe it! Surely, if you walk by looking too clean or too smart, you will be the easiest target for someone that has already gotten a dirty head start to come up and give you nice big bear hug!!! Granted - that's practically how it went down for me but I embraced it with open arms because I wanted to be a part of the tradition and take the experience for everything it was worth. So NO! that's not new highlights my friends, that's a head full of mud dried hours later! What a feeling of rejuvenation!!!




...After all was said and done, it took hosing me down in the backyard and 3 hair washes to recover!!!

THERE ARE BLUE DEVILS ON THE HIGHEST MOUNTAINS OF TRINIDAD!!!

I have never seen or experienced anything like the tradition of the "BLUE DEVILS", in my life! And you can only see it up in a town in the mountains. This is suprisingly a celebration that actually has a panel of judges who decide the best creativity and innovation in causing a ruckas. The whole village was out and didn't fret for a sec over the blue gore and red food coloring symbolizing blood and wild chants...but of course my foreigner ass was scared to death!!! But I still managed to get some shots of the experience for you! You had to be there to believe it folks!

THE ISLANDS OF TRINIDAD & TOBAGO >>> HEALTHY BEACH READING...

Enjoying the peace and serenity of knowing success is in the air..."The Girls Guide to Building a Million Dollar Business" was a Christmas gift from my best friend, and I haven't been able to put it down since cracking it open. Stay tuned for pointers and resourceful info I've noted from the book...such as -

Create a Unique Value Proposition

"Million dollar women business owners are leaders, not followers. They see the world differently. Their businesses flourish because they identify unique market opportunities and deliver products and services in unique s way. They are innovators and inventors who are transforming the world with new ideas. One would never describe their enterprises as the same old same old. They fill market voids and continually strive to find better and better delivery processes. Innovation, creativity, and imagination in products and services are requirements to excel in business today." - Author Susan Wilson Solovic

"THE MINORITY REPORT" HIGHLIGHTS BUTCH DIVA

Long time friend Al has finally taken the stand and is now a part of the blog life! Congrats Al!!! He explains THE MINORITY REPORT to be "...Pop culture, Performing arts, Fashion forecasting, Social commentary, Political views, and good ol' fashion Gossip, and place them in a mixing bowl. Pour water, and stir. Then add Entertainment news, Tech advances, Movie and Music reviews, with a pinch of sarcasm plus some dry wit for good measure. And toss'em all into a blender. That's pretty much the idea I had when deciding to create this blog. Sort of a one-stop shop for the "minority" of folks that like to keep abreast of the ever-changing world around them but just don't have the time..." While browsing my daily leads today, I was pleased to find he has taken the time to introduce BUTCH DIVA to his peers...

THE MINORITY REPORT says, "Ladies and gentleman (mainly the ladies) I'm more than proud to present to you the future of where fashion is going, or at least where it NEEDS to be. Give it up people, and put your hands together for (drum roll) Butch Diva. Designer and brand owner Tiffany Rhodes.(I call her Big Tif) like a lot of us she was unhappy with some of the choices her wardrobe offered. So she took it into her own hands...literally, and started making clothes for herself and soon after others. Her niche, hard edgy pieces with a classy diva-ish tone. She brainstormed on a name and B.D. was born. As you can see from the photos, the clothes almost look like they've been electrocuted by Broadway's neon lights. The prettiest girl in the room will also be the "Brightest"now, if she's smart enough to rock Butch Diva. She's a bad 'Glama Mama'!"

Be sure to tune in to THE MINORITY REPORT for more on fashion, people, places, issues of interest and more! Linkable via FEATURED FRIENDS OF BUTCH DIVA on your right...

CARNIVAL COSTUME CAMP OUT!!!

...Just to think - right next door to us was a lil shack type of a house in which people were still hand making their costumes days before carnival. It reminded me of a costume camp just beacause it looked like they were in it to push an all nighter yet they were very comfortable and at peace with the task. I was truly grateful for the first hand experience...and days later I got to see it all come together as so...

DESIGN WITH A PURPOSE >>> H&M's 'FASHION AGAINST AIDS' PROJECT

H&M wanted to join in on the effort to get young people's attention in realizing the risk of infection applies to everyone and protecting yourself is more than just the sensible thing to do but the necessary thing to do. They rounded up a group of personally chosen artists and designers to create artwork for tank tops, t- shirts, hoodies and so on. Every artist designed at least one piece of clothing, and then H&M produced a Fashion Against AIDS apparel collection - all made of 100% organic cotton and currently selling in stores. 25% of the sales proceeds are donated through DAA (Designers Against AIDS) and YouthAIDS, to raise awareness and prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS worldwide.

"COUNTDOWN TO MADNESS"

..."Countdown to madness..." was actually part of the lyrics to one of the popular road march songs down in Trinidad ...and for me, that’s exactly what it was- the countdown! I made the bases {the body} of my costumes while still home, and saved the beading for once I got down there, and turns out that was the best idea because I was able to get a better sense of what their traditional costumes looked like in person. I had done some initial research prior to the trip and so I wasn't too far off, but now that the experience has come and gone, I know for sure the imagination can go on a creative rampage triple times over if just given the time to process it! "Splendor" is one word they use to describe it, and that great it surely was! My over-achiever tendancies kept me motivated to construct something to be a part of the festivities- and I was still at it up until minutes before leaving for carnival! Which made the experience twice as special.

TRINIDAD TRIES BUTCH DIVA ON FOR SIZE!!!

...my dear cuz Neisha {who I just met for the first time on this trip} couldn't get enough of BUTCH DIVA!! I left her with a few pieces to get the momentum going, as she is known for partying from dusk till dawn and the style was right up her alley. In return she let me play dress up with her on my last day in town. We had a blast!! We must've been at it trying on BUTCH DIVA samples and parading up and down the block taking pictures for hours! Everybody who knew her didn't even recognize her! And everyone who didn't know her wanted to know her! It was pretty cool actually, not to mention very rewarding to see her having fun and feeling good in the clothes. Doing it for a purpose...that experience is everything!