Winter Solstice Celebration

Here are some shots from my Winter Solstice Celebration I DJed at the Old Roxy with Wassaic Community Farm and Freedom Food Alliance. My camera got passed around a bit, a collection of shots through multiple attendees eyes!

Snacks

Peeled and sliced oranges, honey, olive oil, sea salt, enjoy!

9 days away

Thats right I am having a Winter Solstice Party on 12/21/12! So excited for this for many reasons. One is that it will be at the Old Roxy Hotel aka the Wassaic Community Farm, Freedom Food Alliance and Vroom Cooperative house. I am excited to be back on the ones and twos for the people. I have missed DJing parties opened to the public and I am pumped to do it on such a powerful day. The Winter Solstice or 12/21/12 aka dooms day can represent a lot of things but mostly change. Change in ourselves, change in the world. change in the way we see the world and ourselves. As the DJ Doctor I want to help bring people to this new state of consciousness the best way possible. How may you ask? By partying ourselves silly with the anticipation and unknown of what will happen next. What would you do if you were at a party and the world was coming to an end? 

Yes, Kendrick

Today's rainy day called for some new sounds in my ear. Kendrick Lamar definitely did the trick. I first feel in love with Lamar when I heard A.D.H.D. I think it's his honest, fearless, flow that when I hear him it's like hearing West Coast rap music for the very first time. The Compton rapper's highly anticipated major label debut album good kid, m.A.A.d city came out yesterday. After listening to every single track I declare that it is most definitely PERFECT. Every song walking you through a new chapter of Lamar's life.  My favorite track is below, but most definitely listen to the full album here.

Also I love Compton and Money Trees

New Tunes New Hooping

I am kinda obsessed with the band Mean Lady who describe themselves as "two kids from Delaware that want to play at Bonnaroo."  That is basically the only piece of information I know about them and maybe all I need, because their sound is perfect. I fell in love with their song Bop Bop after hearing it on a Miss Moss playlist. I have been overplaying their E.P. on Kid Friendly which you can have at a name your own price rate. Definitely give them a listen and below is a video of me hooping to Bop Bop. I hope they make it to Bonnarroo and when they do I can hoop at the show.

Welcome Back

FINALLY after my blog suffered a bit of a illness for a couple of months I have reclaimed her back! I have missed blogging so much and I am looking forward to being back and sharing all things I love. I have been up to a lot since I last blogged from DJing, going to shows, traveling and living life to the fullest. This weekend I am throwing a party at the Lantern Inn with Wassaic Community Farm! If you are in the Litchfield/ Dutchess County your attendance is required. All others please come too! In the meantime stay tuned for some Goldfeather love back in yo life.

The Return of the Leading Ladies

Today marks the first official full day of summer. It's been a long time coming but the season is officially here. Growing up I always spent my summers chilling in nature with my best friend Isabelle jamming out to whatever classic summer tunes we were obsessed with. Good music always sets the tone as a soundtrack for a great summer. So many artists are releasing their CDs in hopes to be the summer song everyone has on repeat. However for me there are two ladies I am so happy are back on the scene. Every girl (or at least me and Isabelle) went through a Fiona Apple and Cat Power phase growing up. I remember the first time I heard the song Free by Cat Power. Isabelle introduced it to me and it blew my world. I was instantly obsessed with the honest grit soaked with Blues in her voice. I can't tell you how many times I have listened to Fiona Apples song Sullen Girl, that song definitely got me through puberty haha. Followed by basically every songs she has ever made, I was and still am obsessed with Apple. After both these artists have been on a hiatus from releasing new music for years I am SO delighted both wonderfully talented women have returned with new sounds and amazing sounds at that. Below is Fiona Apple performing on Jimmy Fallon with The Roots. Apple performed the song Anything We Want off her new album The Idler Wheel is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cord Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do. Followed by Cat Powers new song Ruin off her new album Sun. I cannot wait to listen to both these albums I already know they will be the soundtrack to my summer. 

My weekend

This past weekend I had a lot happening for both my jobs. I covered the Wassaic Project Summer Benefit for the newspaper and got to DJ at he Lantern Inn on Saturday night. With Fathers Day on top of that I was exhausted by Sunday. But I took lots of photos with my iphone and canon rebel that I wanted to share. Some snaps of where I have been and new people I have encountered during my weekend adventures. 

I am crazy for artist Ghost of a Dream's work. I first saw his instillation at the 2011 Wassaic Project Summer Festival with Remember When Tomorrow, which you can see how much I adored it in this photo. But Ghost of a Dream pieces were shown at the benefit as a preview to the Summer Festival which I cannot wait for in August!

I took this photo for the paper and really liked the way the lighting came out.

I had the pleasure of meeting legendary artist Ultra Violet at the Benefit as well. I am embarrassed to say I didn't know thats who she was when I met her! But she was quick to let me know and I soon found out she was one of Andy Warhol's muses and worked for Salvador Deli, oh my! She was quite fabulous and I may have redeemed myself when she said she liked my sandalls!

I also met her friend designer Gemma Kahng!

My friend Stephanie snapped this photo of me DJing Saturday night with Dustin. First time I had a set with another DJ, it was so much fun! Also peep the vintage lime green corset I got at Pumpkin House in Millbrook, NY.

As all Father's days should go and basically every day my family BBQ at Macedonia State Park. Yum!

 My brother came home for fathers day as well which was fun but I had even more fun with the friends he brought along. We look like we are blooming out the tree.

Kent Falls is the place to be during this time of year. 

Her name is Mookie. That is all. 

Happy Fathers Day, Dad! 

Girls will be Girls

I am obsessed with HBOs new series Girls. After hearing about all the hype I finally spent two days watching every episode of the first season and now can't believe the season finale is already here. This show is so well written by the talented and young Lena Dunham. What I love about this show is that all the characters although they stem from characters we have seen in other shows (Sex in the City, Gossip Girls) they each have depth and don't fall into the typical archetypes they might usually for me. Although the female stars of the show have been getting a lot of the recognition I want to shout out the boys of girls. I  think the complexity of the leading male Adam makes the show really addicting. The fact that the boys don't fall in to that "bro" category that most men on television have portrayed recently make it a refreshing show. Of coarse HBO knows how to keep things fresh and current in their shows too with their references to pop culture and music which I appreciate. But most of all the show is really funny, especially the"crackcident" episode.
My only problem with the show which I expressed via twitter this week is the lack of diversity. Like there are no people of color and they live in Brooklyn, say what? I love this show because its about my generation which is girls in their early twenties trying to make sense of life after college but before real adult life.  I still relate to this show despite the girls being a different skin tone then me because we go through the same emotions and experiences that all girls of this age go through. However when will there be a show about young, interesting, talented, cool girls of color were the girl isn't the token or is in the show at all. It makes it seem like girls of different races don't matter or don't need to be represented on television. Which is disappointing and sad.
I think that television even more so than movies still has yet to wrap their heads around the concept of how to represent young women of color on television without making it seem cliche or forced diversity. Regardless of my rant I freaking love Girls and I think Lena Dunham is wonderful as an actress and writer. As an aspiring writer instead of complaining about what Girls is lacking I am going to be active and make my own change. Who knows maybe I will write a show about African American, African or Caribbean girls in 2012. Lets just say I have officially been inspired.

                                                                via blog.1800cabletv

Blog Lovin

So apologies are in order for my blogging hiatus. I have no real excuse for my absence other than I simply fell out of the weekly groove of blogging for a couple weeks and was focused on other things. But I am definitely back and what better way to return than with some blog loving. One of my best friends from studying abroad in South Africa Adam Anderson recently started his own blog the The Posdog Blog. Adam ever since I have met him has spread the message of feeding your positive dog to everyone he knows. Feeding your positive dog is a metaphor for living a positive life. Anytime anyone ever complained in South Africa he always said feed the positive dog. Adam also has an ear for wonderful music of all genres but especially hip hop. I rely on him for exposing me to new artists and he posts all of his musical discoveries on his blog for everyone to enjoy. Adam recently asked me to be his first ever interviewee for his blog and of coarse I happily accepted. The interview is below and you can check out the original post here.

Quincey

Over the weekend my dog Quincey passed away. I loved Quincey more than I could possibly describe and it has been very tough losing his presence. He lived a long life of 13 years and I am forever grateful of our time together. We had a beautiful ceremony around the teepee with my friends and family everyone shared what they loved most about him. I wrote the story of our life the night he passed. I wanted to share it on here. My dad said it is his eulogy. Although this is a rough draft I wanted to share it here along with a few photos of my wonderful little man, I love and will miss you so much.

There are few things as magical in this world than the relationship between a dog and a human. It’s like a kinship connected from the moment your canine chooses you. My dog Quincey was a little brother, best friend, life partner, perpetual lover and straight up awesome little guy. I remember the first day I got him I begged my parents for a puppy. We had tried another test run with a dog but it didn’t quite work. Then my mom brought home Quincey the runt of a litter of puppies from a kid in her second grade class. When Quincey was a puppy we were always finding his poop in the house and he would always run onto route seven barking at incoming traffic as though he was a giant lab. Although in time Quincey learned not to run in the road and to poop outdoors, he was always a force not to be underestimated or reckoned with. Although some called him rat dog, caterpillar and toy pup. Quincey was not just any old lap dog. He ran outside all day and all night, barked as protection from squirrels to strangers and couldn’t ever fully go to sleep until all members of the Hill family were home, all while being dashingly charming and incredibly attractive. Anyone who ever met him knew how much he truly loved the belly rub. He loved the belly rub so much he would hug me with his little paws never wanting me to let go. He wanted to make sure I knew what love was, because he loved me very much. Quincey was named after Quincey Jones and for good reason he had the voice of a wolf howling at the moon a long drawl and soulful swag. When I was younger I would play my accordion and Quincey would howl along we were our own little band. As I grew up Quincey grew up with me he saw me off to college and missed me when I was in South Africa. But I always came back to give my boy a belly rub and take him on a walk to see the cows in our fields. One of the best parts about moving back home from college was being able to spend some quality time with Quincey again. I never realized that as I was getting older so was he although he never looked a day over three weeks old. I will say at times I did take him for granted. I got so used to him always being there sometimes I didn’t want to give him a belly rub or take him for a walk and I couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t stop barking angrily. But when Quincey trachea collapsed this winter he sent me the message. The vet told me he didn’t think he would make it through the night. Quincey let me know that although he wants to be the ball of energy feisty pup he is he was getting old and needed me to take care of him as so. And I did I spoiled him and our relationship got stronger. Because I knew this just wasn’t any old dog that you put in a doghouse and give a bone. Quincey frolicked through woods, drank from natural springs, loved his family and extended family and was most definitely a gay black man in a past life. I am so grateful that Quincey made it through that night and we got to have the spring. Because it was during that time that I finally could hear and understand him and knew exactly what he was thinking. So I didn’t just give him a belly rub anymore I proudly became his personal message therapist. Quincey would follow me everywhere, and watched me hula hoop even though I know it made him dizzy and I will miss his presence so much. The day Quincey passed I was out the house until late at night. When I returned he was in his bed I walked over gave him a belly rub and kissed his furry face. He passed away minutes after. I am so happy he waited for me and said goodbye before going on to his next adventure, I wish I could come with.     

    

girl crush

I am going pretty bananas over Azealia Banks right now. It all began with 212 which I will be honest didnt instantly love. But After another few listens I was jumping through the air as though I was next to her in the video. But when I heard new song Jumanji which is below I was sold. I love that she credits Aaliyah as one of her influences.

via dancilblog

Also RIP the Disco Queen Donna Summer! A beautiful fly girl that paved the way for future fly girls like Banks! I will be raging to both your tunes at my next Dj Doctor.

Things I like

Bohemian Dream is my tumblr summer mood board. Its filled with dream catchers, fairy-like ladies and psychedelic landscapes.

I saw this video on evencleveland and my jaw dropped. Its like a real life Up. 

via Thema: Wunderkammer

Especially now that all of the dandelions are out I really am visually in love with this instillation, it almost looks magnetic.

via The kitchn

I am an avocado fanatic if we could turn into what we eat too much of I would totally be an avocado. But it wasn't until recently I discovered the wonderful taste of avocado with honey on toast! Check out the recipe for Simply the Best Breakfast Ever? and give it a try, it will blow your mind. (I like to add red chili flakes too,for an extra kick)

I really like this collaboration. I have been a fan of the Dirty Projectors ever since my friend Adam introduced me to them and I first feel in love with Major Lazer with his song Pon de floor. When I heard this What So Not Remix I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Two artist I would never had expected together, but so good.

via hearty magazine

I just got a pair of floral print Doc Martens that I love, but when I saw that Docs were teaming up with Liberty London I wanted to hit myself over the head! I guess in some way I can justify owning two pairs of floral print Doc Martens because this collection of shoes and bags is too perfect to pass up.