Sometimes Love comes around...with shoes!

image via: APOT

image via: TTC

I have this new obsession, and it is in the form of the shoes above. My girls know me as a 'sandal and pumps' girl, barely seen in high heels or stylish shoes. But I have been slowly inching to the direction of better styled shoes, and its been a while now. The ones pictured have knocked me down! I love them and I hope I can find them one day in these South African streets. I guess this comes with growing up, considering that not so many years ago I would have never been seen in a dress or skirt unless it was my school uniform. How we grow...

Modern Art: The Plight of the Black

From Here I see What Happened and I Cried (1995 - 1996)

Carrie Mae Weems @ The Museum of Modern Art, New York

See the entire narration here.

Fashion meets Art

For Dior Couture AW 2009
Illustrator: David Downton (2011)

My first experience with chalk/ pastel drawing was in high school while I was experimenting with the different kinds of techniques I could express myself artistically in. Basic, five colour on box-back pencil outlined drawing. But the question was what would inspire the drawing?

The answer: Fashion!

It is tragic that the mystic drawing I did got destroyed by time, but accepting that memory fades, that one left a clear picture in my mind. It also won me an 'upcoming artist award' at an exhibition at Anne Bryant in East London. The silhouette of a lady, who originally was meant to be leaning on a lamp post, but ended up stepping on a puddle of water. Her slender body, flowing dress and tipping her top-hat as it slid over her eyes...priceless. Most striking about the image was the delicacy in which she stepped on the water and the little 'splash' she made. Oh my, what an exquisite picture I created.

So the question, why Fashion?

Well, if you know me at all, you will know that my dream was to be a fashion designer first. My mother was a dressmaker in her spare time, but interestingly enough, I never learnt how to sew. She cut patterns and went to sewing school tirelessly, but I never flinched. Yet deep down, I just wanted to be a fashion designer. Somehow I felt that what she did was too 'simple'. In my mind I saw the stuff Fashion in movies was made of.

Naturally, I made a lot of designs through out high school and I am happy to mention that many of them did see the light of day. My matric ball gown was my own creation, even my mother's graduation outfit. You might be asking yourself 'so where did Fashion go?'. Well, my application to study Fashion got rejected and my dream faded. I ended up with my third love, Writing.

So what was my second love then, you might be wondering...

My second love is: Art!

And then yesterday, while doing the usual trawling on the net, my first and second Love met. And today, writing bound everything together.

Sindz

Karla stuns me again

image via Karla's Closet

Fashion Photo's of the Day

This collar has revolutionized the image of coats I had. Amazing!

Class.

This is the next outfit I am eyeing out for a warmer day. My 'indian' style harem pants, heels, a tee and a blazer or cardigan.

Already pulled the Gwen Stefani black harem pants with stiletto's and a denim waistcoat outfit.

ps. I get outfit inspirations from these FPotD's, pity I am not big on documenting what I wear.

images via web & SFN

A little of Karla's Magic

Sometimes one has to appreciate FLAIR. Karla has done it!

Amazing

Greatness Achieved

It is day two after the race and I feel like I was run over by a huge truck! I walk like some sort of robot and I constantly wince in pain. This is the price I am paying for finishing my second marathon this year (the first being the JPMorgan 7.5km run) and with every jab of pain, I whisper 'GREATNESS' to myself and soldier on. I will admit, this marathon running thing has not been a big deal to me, I did it purely for interests sake. But after the overwhelming support and feedback from my friends and family, I realised that running marathons is more than just an interest. I make an impact on someone else's life and that for me is HUGE!

Anyway, I started the race 16mins late because honestly that is how long it took for the people at the very end of the line (me included) to start moving after the shot had gone off. I was determined to join some friends who were further up, but that ended up not happening. By some stroke of luck, while running on Grayston, I was joined by a young lady who went to the same high school as me. What a coincidence! She was so much fun to run with and I would not have performed as I did without her.

my start time

can you spot me?

getting my walk on

WE RUN JOZI x SINDZ

So by now, most Joburger's know that the Nike We Run Jozi 10K race is happening this coming weekend, and ofcourse, as a lover of things (and fitness) I signed up to run. How exciting is this?

I'm ecstatic! Not only because I get to flex some of my muscles, but also because I will be seeing a whole lot of new people on that route and it will be a ball to blog about. I doubt though that I will be running the whole distance, gosh I would dzie! So the plan is to run as much as I can, then do a street shoot so that you my reader can experience this with me.

Prenisha and I went to The Zone in Rosebank to go pick up the registration package which consists of some niceties, and a tee ofcourse, in true Nikey style. The plan was to run with my best friend, but he registered too late, so this here lady will be running SOLO! Nice right? Well he did promise to cheer me on...that counts.

Here are some pictures of the contents:

Freshin, signing out...

StreetSindz

I know its a little late BUT...

HELLO SPRING!

image via: web

Happy Friday! Chris Brown - Turn Up The Music

Ahhhh Better Dayzzzzzz!

Fashion Photo's of the Day

image via: sartorialist

images via: APOT

image via: fashionbreed

The importance of acceptance

One of the things that will always be inevitable is failure. To get to where we want to be, failure plays a huge part in carving the way. I have always been one who does not accept failing, because I believed I am incapable of failing completely. I believed that when I come to a harsh bend, I can always revert and find other ways of reaching my destination. So this has worked for me, for a very long time it has worked. I have never failed a grade, I have never failed in university, I have never failed in my ambitions (though these are and have taken time), but today instead of taking the road I mostly know, I admit FAILURE.

I failed to love without condition, without doubt, without judgement, and with peace. The details of my relationship really have nothing to do with this, me and my partner have been very happy together. The biggest issue is ME and my inability to have found a better way to love. I became all I ever feared of becoming before I committed myself to someone. I always had a fantasy in mind that because of my carefree past, I would be well prepared for a give-all future. Little did I know that give-all meant I was unable to be peaceful.

They say the things we go through in our pasts shape our today. I have had my fair share of disappointments, but I do wonder what shaped my inability to love completely. My mother and father are a good example of love that persevered and I have been surrounded by love all my life. And yet I have failed to be a great partner. I do not know how to love. I do not know how to be peaceful and I do not know how to live with a clear mind. I am doubtful, a deep pessimist and being alone for me is what I think answers all my problems. Since I do not know how why should I hurt others with my inadequacies?

I posted about finding love almost two years ago. I am not one to go public with my relationships, but what I found was beautiful. It still is, just that it has been tainted by so much that I can never change about myself. If I could take blame for anything, I would take blame for bringing misery to a dear man's life. It is not written anywhere how to do this love thing, but I know the way I am doing it is no way to love anyone. Why do I even call it love?

After everything I have gone through, and everything I have put my partner through, I lay down my weapons and stop fighting. I fear the unknown. I know I have to change, but I don't know if I can change. I have tried a million times, and I still surface the monster I have always been. I have no doubt in my mind that I am capable of being a better lover, a better friend, a better companion, a better sister, a better daughter. But I think I don't love myself enough to be better yet.

I look into other women's faces and wonder how they deal with their demons. I wonder how they love, how they are content with what they have, how they get over self doubt and self pity. I wonder how a man decided to marry them, how they got over being hurt, their pasts and moved on to a glorious now. I wonder if they have ever gone through the demons I face everyday, or if their demons are worse than mine. I often wish I could reach out to them and learn how to look as happy as they do. Clearly they are coping. I want them to share their stories with me, and teach me how to be better.

I cannot hide from my failure, unfortunately. And I will have to look into my partners eyes and wonder how he ever got to love a person like me. I will wake up next to him for the time that we have left, and I will wonder how our love would have been if I was a better person. I will one day learn how to be Love. The importance of accepting that I have failed is that I will now look at ways to succeed, even if it takes me a lifetime. We all know, the heart is no simple thing.

My heart bleeds
StreetSindz

Jazz on the Lake '12 ft Lira and Thandiswa

Remember I said I wanted an entourage to this years Jazz on the Lake gig on this post? Well all seemed to be going perfectly well until people decided not to pitch. So again, it was just my best friend and I in attendance and ofcourse, as per usual, we had a great time.

I don't wanna talk too much about it, so here is a photo series on it. All I will say is that if you still have not attended Jazz on the Lake at Zoolake, and you are staying in Joburg, you need to get yourself there. Next year is another year!

Enjoy:

Obviously I love Lira, signing out...
StreetSindz

An afternoon with Quaz

Meet Quaz. I first got introduced to him in 2009, when a friend of mine sent me tracks from his mixtape and I later saw him on Facebook. I invited him and we started occasionally chatting. It was only later in the year that I got to meet him face-to-face when he invited me to the Orange Book Vol2 book launch which took place in downtown Johannesburg, at Kekeletla! Library. He did not disappoint, he was everything I imagined he would be, based on the little that I had picked up from our chats. I was a stranger, and he treated me like he had known me for many years. It was many years before I saw Quaz again, this time at the 2012 Back to the City festival. Strangely, even though we barely see each other or talk, we still click. I consider him my friend. Real name Richard Rodriguez Roodt, he hails all the way from Potchefstroom. A spoken word artist, a teacher, a brother, a son, a friend, a community organizer with a smile of note, he gave me time in his day to take a brisk walk through the things that are not usually written about him.

Quaz's Mixtape

Poster for the book launch in 2009

The first day I met Quaz.

Sindz: Besides Poetry, what are you passionate about?

Quaz: Teaching! Most of the work I’ve done involved(s) teaching. Funny thing is it feels like I’m the student though. I’m always learning new things about myself, about people and life. I also love making music. Being in that space is the most liberating experience. It’s just you, God and your creativity. Oh, I also love cooking. I have the most disturbing addiction to the food channel.

S: What has been your most favourite read (book, website, article, etc.) and what are you reading currently?

Q: I have many favourite reads. I constantly run into new favourites. Sometimes it’s a tweet and sometimes it’s a facebook status. I read everything from books to websites, business documents to the back of air freshner cans. I love science fiction. I think Isaac Asimov is a Sci-Fi god so anything by him always gets my nod of approval. 'Indaba My Children' by Credo Mutwa totally changed the way I saw life. I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Spud. It reminded me so much of high school. I’m currently reading two books by two of my other favourite authors 'Jingo' by Terry Pratchett and a compilation of Afrikaans writing by Ingrid Jonker.

Alek Wek!

images via web

Martha Hunt for Free People

Sometimes I like what they like, and Martha Hunt for Free People is a refreshing step into the oncoming Spring Season in South Africa. Currently Neons and Pastels are in...oh and colour blocking, and I am one of those whose fashion know how lags behind in the race. So simple colourful dresses, short sleeved knits, and chunky accessories with a fresh looking face will be the order of my days.

Here Comes the Sun - Lookbook by Anthony Nocella

Every slender girl deserves a dress like this in her closet...

Knit could go well with skinny jeans and sandals, or even that wedge if you may.

Linen shorts are a must have for both Summer and Spring seasons.

I cannot pull this off as I am short, but for the taller of us ladies, I love the relaxed and hippie look.

Loose fitting prints are a must have.

On both arms? You have got to be kidding me! Works!!!

images from FGR

For the love of Spring, signing out...
StreetSindz