It’s Wednesday and there’s more to celebrate other than humping. My peoples SOUL CUSTODY, aka Damian, Lady Shabaz, and Apollo Creed are finally releasing their album that they’ve been working on all year. I’ve heard it multiple times, I’ve listened to them practice, and I can’t tell you enough how freaking talented these guys are. Damian’s creative and original production, Allie’s ridiculously buttery voice, Apollo’s dirty sound when he spits… really REALLY something you’ve never heard and will love, if you appreciate good music.

Courtesy of a post by Miss Natasha Singh of  Singhnature.com, she had reminded me that during the last 2 years of living up the street from St. Lawrence market, I have had yet to explore the glory that is Sunday afternoon on Front and Jarvis. I made it a point that during Hangover Sunday, I would make a lovely bike trip down there to see what the haps is.

My, oh, My.

We sit and cringe at the thought of the organization of a Reunion. “Do I really wanna see these people? I think I’m cool with the regularly scheduled programming of my life, to not disrupt it’s routine and re-connect with these people.” And so we Do. We follow the comfortable route of what we’ve known in the past while and are completely okay with following that path.

But then What? So, What?

Make that effort to Stay Connected. You’d be surprised to know that despite time, distance, and all the things that fill the in-between, Connections, the Real ones, never falter. The dynamic may change but a true Connection remains the same… just… pick up where ya left off. There is nobody else in your life that knew you the way they knew you during that Time they knew you. And although, maybe not as close as before, they celebrate with you who you’ve become Today.

Dedicated to everyone who’s known me and played their integral part in my growth during the Time they were closest to me… know I am forever grateful. We are, and always will be… Connected.

— No photographic evidence, as contracted by an Oath sworn unto the Princess of Penton Islands… but Bachelorette parties are the best things to unite old friends and keep a solid connection strong. To think that these ladies knew me before I became who I am today, helped shaped me into who I am today, one of them even before I moved to Toronto, humbles me. Connection’s never dwindled… we pick up where we left off, and I have nothing but Love all day for You. Shouts to Bates, Simi, Berinstein, Barbie, Lauren, Ruth, Tina, Alan, AnnMarie and every Queen Diva of last night! This wedding is going to be UNREAL.

— Stick it Out. Yes, especially when the going gets tough… you convince yourself you’re over it, you don’t need it, that you’re done… and you don’t realize these thoughts and feelings are part of the process of the FULL EXPERIENCE. Yes. When it’s good, when it’s terrible, and when it’s just alright. It’s a new threshold to cross. It is… an initiation.

Bigger things to come. Huge.

[hott gyals!]

As per ush, if you weren’t there last Friday… I honestly don’t know what was more interesting. Mensa and Big Jacks held it down, and our special guest DJ Kariz was a treat to have on the decks! I was thoroughly smashed and enjoyed capturing the night, especially considering there were so many beautiful people there. I actually never stop surprising myself with how good these pictures turn out and how awesome everyone looks. Ya’ll make my job too easy!

Check em:

[taken at the reFRESH Ent. Boat Cruise Party]

And so closes the first chapter of my Summer. My last day of my internship at MuchMusic working for RapCity and The Wedge comes to an end tomorrow night. It’s been a crazy 3 months being introduced to that world, and needless to say, I am leaving with a brain full of knowledge, ideas, and a new perspective. Being there has taught me more about who I want to be, and what I want to be a stand for… and this, is the best thing MuchMusic has done for me.

With that being said, I also didn’t receive the second internship I applied for this summer, which was for a social media position for a company called Delvinia. They seemed like a really wicked company and the interview went really well, just wasn’t in the cards for me, I guess. But if I’m being completely honest, I felt that in my gut. Discovering that I would be spending the rest of my summer freelancing and grinding out on my Lovehard ish… actually made me the most excited.

I’ve been on a crazy inspiration spree as of late, writing constantly in my notebook the five million ideas exploding in my mind, and hitting up people who I’ve been eager to blog about/work with. I turn 23 next week, my Jordan year. I also leave for home, VanCity, for about a week-12days, and will be doing a whole series called Lovehard Goes to VanCity, where I’ll be hitting up all these super dope artists that I wanna show love to.

And when I get back… I’m goin harder.

So if you, yes you, reading this… would like to propose a special project (hopefully that could help me pay my rent and feed mi belly), hire me for my various photography/videography/social media management skrills… email me at char@lovehard.ca and let’s make big tings gwan!

[Written March 29th, 2009]

She rushes around the empty suite gathering her things. Lipstick, check. Wallet, check. Keys, check. The typical ‘get-ready’ montage of a woman putting together a last minute outfit is sequenced to ‘Move on Up’ by Curtis Mayfield. Her black ankle-cut boots click-clack on the hardwood floors as she makes her way into the bathroom to primp up her hair. Down? Up? Ugh. She chooses to compromise somewhere in between.

In the midst of her busyness, her eyes take hold of her reflection in the mirror. She pauses. She remembers this look. She remembers the exact same feelings she felt that day as she stares back into her own deep, brown eyes. She remembers her words.

“I will not cry. I will not cry. You are worth fighting for. One day, I promise you, you will get exactly what you deserve…”

She snaps back to two years later and asks herself what the hell she thinks she’s doing.

She is tired of fighting. She is tired of convincing. She is tired of working. She has felt this before, she has gone through it, and she has been hurt by it. She knows better… she knows she deserves Better Things.

She removes her jacket. She clips off her earrings. She slides into bed and wonders when that day will finally arrive…

— I am full of RASTA LOVE. Too many life learnings, moments of deep appreciation, lots of laughing, loving, squeezes, kisses, craziness and silliness that gwanned this week. Blessed. SO blessed.

I couldn’t have asked for a better week to officially kick off the summer. My homegirl Darylle, a super talented hip hop dancer/choreographer (of Diamonds in the Rough) based out of VanCity, hollered at me about a month ago asking if she could crash at my pad while she tested the waters out in TO to see if it would be a possible new home for her in the future. We had only ever seen each other around jams and hip hop dance competitions years back in VanCity, so having her stay with me and realizing this girl is my SISTREN, was such a blessing in disguise. Since Tuesday… we have gone out every single day and every single night. And this girl was DOWN, yo. For everything. It was like experiencing Toronto for the first time all over again through fresh VanCity eyeballs. My appreciation for the life I live in the concrete jungle deepened, especially remembering what it felt like to feel what Darylle felt this whole week.