What’s you’re cigarrette? Or let me re-word that. While under heavy and unecessary stress, what keeps you entertained and occupied? When you’re in need of a break, a small one at that, what do you do to keep the mental juices flowing? 

For a select few of us who are the worst at verbal communication, it’s as simple as sketching; the pad and the pen. Whenever I’m hit with a revelation of some sort, something funky, something corny, or even poetic, I make it a note in my pad. And maybe if it communicates well enough with the veins in my wrist, and my fingers can agree, it somehow finds its way onto the pages of my sketchbook.

Although I’m a studio-art student, I’m also a student of life. Sociological strifes, improper judgements, musical woes, and other scenarios of society never fail to find their many ways into my mind. What better way to release that than onto paper?

-Peace in pieces

Samuel

Click images to purchase

So here is the story. These tees were apart of the Fall ‘09 collection but for one reason, or another, they never made it online. No worries, they are the same Connoisseurs goodness so get then while their here (no restocks as usual.)

Hard Work & Wealth

Wale A.

In the craziness of life, sometimes, we get so absorbed in our work that we forget to have fun; even when its work you love doing. We humans tend to make a routine of things, which then, suck all the joy and glee possible. This is not an excuse for the lack of posts on the site, its a declaration of a realization. We needed to take time out from the site, to find the fun again, do other things that inspire us in order to make the blog experience always fresh and always refreshing.

I always preach constant self evaluation because its the only way, brethren. Never fear to do what ever it is you have interest in. Take a chance whenever you can because the mystery of never knowing always feels worse than a failed attempt. Lets break away from being the generation filled with followers and be the triumphant explorers we were as children before the worries of the world complicated our hours. With the risk of sounding like a Levi’s commercial I’ll leave you with this: GO FORTH without cower, with the determination of a hungry cheetah and the work ethic of an ant.

till next time (which will be sooner than later)

Wale A.

Live First…. Create After…. Stay tuned….

Every once in a while I get really excited about great music, this is one of those times, DTMD are not only part of our super extended family, but also the most organic and rejuvenating sound to come out of the wreck that is called the  hip hop music industry.

Describing how DTMD is like that group or reminiscent of that other group or sound like that other group you love would be selling them short and taking away from their original funk.

DTMD however is the closest thing to the music you still wish they made today, it will actually be the music you’re glad they still make today but wish for more.

I’m not comparing but I feel like 9th wonder, exile, blu, and black thought had  frankenstein twins and their names are DUNC and TOINE, click on the image or right HERE!!! and enjoy a masterpiece

100% of the proceeds go towards the haiti relief effort, click the image or go to the store to purchase.

This Tee shirt will be available on Friday Jan, 22, 2010 at 6pm Eastern time, all proceeds will be donated to the relief effort in Haiti

This shirt was a part of the original Fall/winter collection for 2009 but was supposed to release a little later as a special limited package, when the Haiti disaster struck we knew we had to respond in a fashion that would make our mothers proud. The Progress Tee was to show our growth as we have our four little workers building the “C” which stands for Connoisseurs, but now it will stand for us all coming together to help Haiti in anyway we can, not just because we can, but because we should and want to.

Remember that we are all connected whether we admit it or not, so honor our connectedness and help our brethren overseas. Buying this tee is only one of the ways you can do it, there is the redcross and yele text messaging service which you can use to donate, please help, and help now.

Today is a symbolic day in the history of African American and even more importantly in the history of Americans as a whole. I’m not going to sit here and give you a history lesson, I’m just going to try to strike a feeling. In the graciousness of MLK, in the spirit of his dream, lets all come together and help out in Haiti.

We all should have done something earlier but selfish human nature, ignorant of our connectedness blinds us. We were set to release a limited t-shirt this week before the devastation in Haiti, since the crisis, we’ve decided all proceeds from this release will go to build our fallen brethren back up, spread the word, I’ll post images tomorrow of the t shirt.

Also you can donate to the red cross to help out more, send everything, money, clothing, whatever you can give, Please.

images courtesy of  united nations programme

Unlike most of you who usually give and receive gifts this time of the year, over in my home this time is not exactly celebrated in the popular St. Nicholas praising, gift giving fashion. We usually wake up, go to church, and come home and have a family lunch.

This year however, something possesed my family to partake in this splendid gift giving idea and whats even better is we get to pick our own gifts, I’m done with my gift shopping as of 15 minutes ago and assembled a list of a few items I would love to recieve this Christmas and figured I’d share with you guys.

1. The Quoddy Deck boots are my craving at the moment and I can’t get enough of them, the brown colorway especially, I am willing to overlook the price because they just look too good to pass up.

2. I love socks, all kinds but this Camp socks by J.crew is perfect with its black toes and heathered bust.

3. I’ve walked into a sunglass hut for the past year and each time I tried on these tortoise clubmasters, they are going to be a great alternative to my all black everything polo shades.

4. The Wool trilby hat is going to be a great replacement for my fedora that has gone through hell in the last 5 years.

5. I’m tired of the crappy zoom on the 18-55mm so frankly its time to upgrade.

6. And the gift I will never get because it doesn’t exist, is the green J crew beanie I created on photoshop. they made the perfect beanie, just not the right colors.

We know it’s been quiet lately, quiet like ghost towns in old scooby doo cartoons. we sincerely apologize, between trying to finish assignments and study for finals, the duo has been really busy, and since we will never make a post for the sake of posting, we have been absent.

I personally have  seven finals  that will go on till next week friday but I think Sam gets done a little earlier so expect the same quality goodness you’ve come to love return very soon .

To all my college folks, GOOD LUCK!! hang in there, it’s trial by fire time