late night ideas

Fell asleep early, woke up around 11p.m. couldn't go back to sleep because of all the "noise" in my head. Got design ideas for Louis Vuitton bag (I don't own a single one) and a cork /wipe board. Plus saw vivid images of a photo series idea I had a month or so back. Had to read in order to peacefully fall asleep. Now the ironic thing is that I'm reading Russell Simmons "Do You!" book, so I finish the page I'm on, which is in the sub chapter about meditation, turn another page or so and he's talking "noise" that keeps you from falling asleep! Thought that was a bit creepy. After I'd finished doodling the design ideas and writing notes for magazine sections etc. I pick up this book that I'm currently reading to help me fall back asleep and begin reading about him experiencing the exact thing that made me pick the book up in the first place, along with the fact that I'd just taken a 3 hour nap.1:48p.m.

If I were A Rich Girl: March Edition

I can't remember who made that purse, I honestly forgot I even took the picture until I scrolled through my iPhotos yesterday. It was expensive and I saw it at Lord&Taylor is all I can tell you. Anyway there wasn't much I saw this month that I just had to have, the few things I really wanted I got, and didn't spend too much, well if you don't add it all together. Almost forgot, I found that same exact clutch that lead me into Francesca's for half the price! Of course I got it! It was $34 at Francesca's.5:41p.m.

some what work

Did photography for short film that will be going the festival route by next month, it was a two day shoot, the teaser/trailer will be on my *magazines website in May, during the soft launch. : )9:51p.m.

Day Nine...

Tossed and turned all last night, it was not a restful sleep, needless to say Vacation is over and I return to Retail Hell today.

Day 8

click photos to enlarge
First off I'm very sad that this vacation is almost over, the thought of returning to retail hell, I believe is making me physically ill as for the past two days I've been feeling slightly under the weather but I couldn't really feel it until yesterday as I began to freeze while taking pictures of my artist/boxer/teacher buddy Alex, and some of his crew. He had permission to paint the wall in this alley so it's quite alright that these photos and his name are up here. More on him next Sunday as I just got the idea to Special Sauce Sunday him for next week.12:20a.m.

Day Seven...

So yesterday was not a day with hard core plans but as I've mentioned there is a weekend to do list. Which I of course decided not to share on here but I did check a thing and a half off, and ran into some trouble in another area, completely unrelated to my day to day, but an issue none the less. Despite feeling guilt about not getting more checked off and working toward this mid-May soft online launch it was a good day.
I checked out a condo with CJ, and it spawned even more ideas for us. I must say that I can't wait to see where I'll be by the end of this year(well I definitely can, not rushing time over here as I am starting to actually feel 'older'). After further tuning into the Moptop Maven's blog and sharing with CJ some of her positivity posts where she meets with a friend and they go over their goals, over food and drinks, today because of our new shared goal, we decided to do something similar, but only once a month. Its just a more official version of what we already do every time we get on the phone or hang out. Plus the weather was nice and I got to babysit my nephews (which means I was happy to see them but only for the first hour). Anyway another thing I plan on doing soon is sketching out ideas for the swimsuit I want to make if I find more material, and posting them and maybe revisiting some of the Sexless in the City columns as was suggested to me. I'm feeling real positive in this moment despite and I can feel the intangible. 1:53a.m.

Day 6

(click photos to enlarge)
Listening to Lupe, not the new one, and posting after midnight so its something I don't have to do as part of my day tomorrow. These are left over pictures from the 14th, some of which might make it to Flickr. I spent about a total of 3 hours (not all at once) today adding "jakina ado photography" to many of those pictures, and Photoshop unexpectedly hit me with a message I can't remember that forced me to stop and re size them another way, don't know what that was about but I do know I have to hurry up and figure out this batch process operation, along with so many other things.
On another note, with all this talk of actor Anthony Mackie calling Black filmmakers lazy and so on, it dawned on me how lazy I actually am. For starters let me clear up that I did not agree with Mackie on that comment, however it just got me to thinking about work ethic and physically striving and how I have zeroed in on the concept of fear and lack of focus being my biggest issues when really I'm lazy on top of all that. I always think back to how it was only a few years ago that I held down three jobs, 18 credit hours and managed to squeeze in time with friends, and make clothes outside of school hours along with quite a few other things simultaneously. Of course I burnt myself out and had a few break downs and outs along the way but I was pumping and you couldn't tell me I wouldn't graduate and go on to having all the things I was working so hard toward. Yet here I am today thinking about all the things I want to do instead of getting off my lazy ass and doing what I need to do. After graduating a break was certainly in order but I have to get my mind,body, and spirit to understand that break time is over. (in other words I didn't do what I intended to today, again) 12:40a.m.

Day Five...

Finally Home. Checked out some of my birthday loot and took some bad cell shots yesterday. I also hung out outside since the weather FINALLY broke enough to not require a coat and the sun was beaming. It felt so good and just calming. So that was yesterday. I'm finally at the Mac so I should be getting photos ready to post to add to the Day three post as well as for posting tomorrow. I actually have plans on getting back to Magazine focus today, may even post my to do list, which is always quite personal to me, though I feel like it shouldn't be such a big deal or that anyone else would consider it a big deal either. Anyway back to this day. 2:08p.m.

Day 4...

Not much yesterday, went out to Oakbrook mall for the first time and got this blouse from a little shop named Francesca's. I feel like i've seen one of these shops in the city somewhere before, can't think of where. Anyhow it was a clutch in the window that caught my eye and I ended up just getting the top. Think I'll end up going back for the clutch and a cute set of three different size bangles. The top was $20, the tag says "tini lili" but the lot of them had different brands on the tags. it came in dark gray and dark blue as well. 1:25p.m. (I promise the mag is not far from my thoughts...)

Day Three...

Yesterday was good. It was a simple birthday with with an unexpected twist and loads of small delights. I don't know how many times I tell myself this, but I guess now I'm just saying it on this blog but I'm just grateful. But back to the subject which is yesterday, for starters by the end of the day I'd taken I think 262 photos, mostly in the Garfield Park Conservatory...which was the unexpected twist. Unfortunately I'm not at home with my best friend Mac so I cant really upload/show you any of those pictures however I will again leave you with low res, cell phones shots. Either later tonight or tomorrow sometime, (more likely tomorrow)I will add details through photo, to this post. Goodnight, back to the future tomorrow. 11:09p.m.

*3/17/11 Back to give more details...
First stop, was Roosevelt Street, in the south loop to get filters for my new 50mm lens and to look for swimsuit material, as I have it in mind to make myself a new swimsuit for Miami in July. Unfortunately none of the fabric below was that blend of Nylon and Spandex. So off to Jo-Ann's we headed...




Got turned around on the way to Jo-Ann's and saw these nice wall paintings further East on Roosevelt in the movies and Target complex.
I've been wanting to make some jewelry for the last couple years and check that section out every time I go in Jo-Ann's. I also got some brown swimsuit material, but I'm still on the look out for something to mix it with.

After a bit more running around we finally made it to a closed Garfield Park Conservatory. The boyfriend has been saying for months how it's one of the best in the Country and neither us had been before the nice security guard let us join the walking ladies. I must say that even with a few days left of vacation that was best part. I think I'm making a photographer out of the boyfriend. Dinner at P.F. Changs was the last part of the day where I tried Calamari for the first time, not as bad as I thought it would be, and their Shrimp with Candied Walnuts was okay, but not as good as the very similar dish I had a couple days before at Dragonfly (posted under Day One).



(click photos to enlarge)
I'll be posting more photos from the day on my Flickr by the end of the week click here to go to my flickr.

Day 2...

So umm yea, I didn't do anything yesterday, well not really. Worked out, went to the beauty supply store bought a comb and a headband. Then went to CJ' house and talked positivity and shit, like we do, watched both Kill Bill's headed home, blogged and the got picked up and started today, which was a bit more exciting... By the way, Today March 14th is my Birthday, and I got just what I asked for! See you tomorrow. 10:51p.m.

Day One...

I was supposed to leave my house by noon that day with pretty much just my camera and notepad to go to a workshop or two at the annual Chicago Creative Expo but I spent a long time trying to figure out what to write in this interview request email, then as the time went on I got a bit discouraged because already my day wasn't going the way I wanted it to...
First stop Randolph street for a late Mandarin lunch at Dragonfly Restaurant with my girl CJ. We split and order of Shanghai Spring Rolls ( 2 little egg rolls) and Sweet and Spicy Wings ( 6 delicious pieces of chicken -weren't all wings as the menu said) and Honey Walnut Prawns (first picture). Those slight crunchy friend shrimp (that come with rice) will be the main reason I go back. Our bill was $29.97, which I guess wasn't so bad ( of course I wasn't planning on spending any money when I woke up that day but I'm pretty much over it -well still getting over it. It wasn't much but I'm really cheap and every penny counts, so don't judge me and my cheapness!) Moving along, the decor was pretty nice but I hated how they sat everyone so close to each other for their convenience, as opposed to thinking about the patrons comfort, but we were leaving when people really started to come in around 5p.m.ish
The space near the elevator of the W on Lakeshore Drive. We were at the eleventh floor of the wrong W. Id bee to a party years ago at this W and thought it was the only on in Chicago. however when we knocked o the door to room 1111 and no one answered, a phone call to a our buddy lead us to the other W hotel on Adams still downtown Chicago.

The elevator in the W hotel on Adams. It was very dark and there was this pretty cool 3D effect going on in there, the blue/green circles seemed to be coming out enough to touch us. Very cool and unexpected.The writings on the wall of my buddies room at the W hotel on Adams. The lounge in that place was definitely telling me I'd be back.
I'm on vacation from work for this week, and I'd like to see if I can post a few pics of everyday of it... we'll see how this goes. This is all from yesterday Saturday March 12th and I'm not sure what I'll post about tomorrow as I didn't do a thing all day today except watch Kill Bill with CJ.
Dragonfly Mandarin Restaurant
832 W. Randolph
Chicago, IL 60607

W Hotel- City Center
172 W. Adams

W Hotel -Lakeshore
644 N. Lakeshore Drive
9:31p.m.

Special Sauce Sunday: Featurette Brianna Mccarthy

So um yea, the work speaks for itself. Brianna Mccarthy is the artist behind these gorgeous images above. I was clicking through one of my new favorite blogs, The Moptop Maven.blogspot.com, when I came across one of the sketches above. Brianna was the topic of the post I scrolled upon and I could instantly see why. I linked on her to her self titled blog, briannamccarthy.blogspot.com (google her for more info) to discover more and more work of the same caliber as knew I’d not only have to give her the special sauce feature, but I’ll be purchasing some work for my hallway, whenever I get one…12:06p.m.