I grew up on Long Island - the home of Amy Fisher (the Long Island Lolita), Joey Buttafuoco, Amityville Horror house and Jones Beach Field 4 (go there for the most entertaining beach crowd EVA). Oh, and of course the accent! Mine was never that bad (thanks to good diction required for singing and debating) but I can pull it out at the drop of a hat, or if I’m angry or had a bit too much to drink. Not all things on LI are silly though. We have great deli’s, pizza and Italian Ices - plus my famiglia is still there so it’s not all bad. When I saw this flyer for a really cool event happening on Strong Island I had to post it immediately. The Guitar Center on Old Country Road is re-opening and the likes of Grandmaster Flash &, DJ Biz Markie, Envy on the Coast, DJ 2nd Nature & Steinski will be performing. The event is FREE and is this Thursday, July 31, at 7pm. Go for me and have some pizza!!!
Yesterday, Ali and I celebrated 6 years of marriage! Time goes by so quickly. I remember the day I met him in 1997 back in NYC when we were both in law school. He was such the California boy, and having grown up in NY, I loved that he had a different look from the guys I was used to seeing. I consider myself very lucky to have found someone so special to share my life with and I’m looking forward to many more anniversaries.
Ali & I are going to Singapore next week for a little vacation and I’ve been reading up on all the goodness to see, do and eat. I’m really excited about the trip, and as my first time there, I want to make sure I hit all the highlights. If anyone has any tips on a “must-see, -do, -eat,” etc., please let me know!!
I’ve known Sarah White for some time - she contacted me back in 2004 about the B-Girl Be Festival she was organizing. Mama got involved as a sponsor and since then we’ve been supporting each other in our endeavors. Her newest project is a blog called Wrong Lips and she did a feature on Mama. Check it out here!
Nothing makes me feel better in times of stress than a good whiff of something calming. Hawaiian Tropic tanning oil was doing it for me for a while, and then some WTAPS incense, but after having received a special gift in the mail those all seem like child’s play. A few months back I received the most luxurious candle I have ever had the pleasure of seeing or smelling from Bond no. 9. Bond no. 9 is a fragrance company that’s not only based in NYC, but uses the city as it’s muse. All scents are named after neighborhoods in the city like Chinatown, Little Italy, West Side, and Wall Street to name a few. Those who know me know that I have a “perfume should be French” mentality but Bond no. 9 is one of the very few exceptions to the rule. Everything they do from their scents, branding, and packaging are impeccable. Their scents automatically convey a sense of luxury that so many brands miss the mark on. Bond no. 9 has also done some amazing collaborations, most recently with Swarovski and The Andy Warhol Foundation.
I’m digressing, back to the candle! The candle comes packaged in a gorgeous white and gold box - not just any box - one that feels like there’s something very special inside. And, there is! The name of the scent I received is “So New York.” Before I lit the candle I smelled it and the first thing that hit me was the scent of chocolate. I don’t know anyone that enjoys chocolate more than me so I was ecstatic to be able to enjoy chocolate in a different sensory way. There are also notes of bergamot, plum, bittersweet espresso (another favorite), Patchouli (don’t worry, there is nothing hippy about this scent), lily of the valley, peony, musk and precious woods. These scents all combine to make one of the most sublime scents I have ever smelled. It’s not only about the smell - these are the best quality candles you could find. The candles hold 16-20% perfume concentration which is very high for candles. They use the best wax and wicks in the business which adds up to about 60 hours of burn time (that’s long for candles!). The candle comes with an embossed gilt gold cover to make sure the scent doesn’t fade when the candle is not in use.
This is by far the most beautiful and best smelling candle I have ever owned. If you or someone you know is a big fan of scents, I highly recommend this as a splurge for yourself or a gift for someone special. You can purchase the candles at Bond no. 9 boutiques in NYC, Saks Fifth Avenue or online.
A few weeks back I told you that Above was working in Italy with the screen print company Studiocromie on a 6-part ARROW MOBILE series. The fruits of their labor are on sale and you can purchase the first 3 prints of the set online. The prints are printed on magnani cotton paper and consist of a 4-color, 5-color and 6-color screen print with 2 color stenciling. Above did all the cutting and stenciling himself and each of the prints are signed. You can purchase individual prints here or the full set at a discounted price here.
Many thanks to Michaela for the head’s up on the newest company to bite Mama - Trash & Luxury. Apparently, biting one company wasn’t enough - they also bit Dime Piece’s “Makeup Not War” tee as well. So much for originality!
We took a small Khorasanee family vacation over the 4th of July weekend and spent a day at Disneyland, one of my favorite places in the world. The rides, the sweets, the characters - it never fails to put a giant smile on my face! That and seeing the Brothers Khorasanee together - they always manage to make me laugh all day. Take a look as some of my favorite pics from the day, taken by OHW2007.
M.I.S.S. July is here! For more info on the shoe and where to download the desktop and calendar go here. Many thanks to Upper Playground!
I hope you had a great 4th of July weekend. I went to Disneyland with the family and had a very relaxing, fun-filled weekend. I made myself leave the computer at home and left my cell phone in a locker all day. I felt so liberated and it was nice to just focus on having some fun in the sun. I’m just now getting back into the grind of things but I’ll have some photos of the trip up in the next few days.
We’re big fans of Above here at the Mama HQ and we just got word that he released part 2 of his 4-part South Central Remix series. It includes new footage and the most cases of Montana paint that I have ever seen. It’s enough to make any artist very, very jealous. You can view it here:
Above truly gives life to the phrase “never not working” and he’s currently in Italy traveling throughout the country and painting. He’s part of a collective of artists that are participating in the Fame Festival in Italy hosted by Studiocromie. It’s an amazing project with artists from all over the world including Dave Kinsey (USA), Conor Harrington, (IRELAND), Blu (ITALY), Ethos (BRAZIL), JR (FRANCE), Eine (U.K), Chloe Early (IRELAND), Above (USA), Erica il Cane (ITALY), Mantis (U.K.), Microbo (ITALY), BO130 (ITALY) and Lucy McLauchlan (U.K.). Between June and September, all of these artists are converging on Studiocromie to create new works, all of which will be shown at the final show in August. Check out the videos of Above’s work for the Fame Festival after the jump! Read the rest of this entry »
