A Bird on the Edge of Space

A BIRD ON THE EDGE OF SPACE.

 

Hold fast to dreams,
For if dreams die,
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams.
For if dreams go,
Life is a barren field
Covered with snow.

         -Langston Hughes

 

 

 The above is a draft written in July of 2013. I think I will finish it today. 

"SHE TOOK THE LEAP 

AND BUILT HER

WINGS ON THE WAY DOWN."  

 

The sign was posted on a house

just a mile down from my home,

in between the Phinney Ridge and Fremont neighborhoods, nailed up

on the wall between two doors of a duplex.  

The duplex still stands, 

the sign long gone, 

as I suspect the tenant who posted it. 

The neighborhoods have changed a bit, the result 

 

of progress and prosperity of industry, and yet, 

strangely, now slightly bled of beauty

and creativity. The folks who live there now

are less likely

 

to pin up a hand painted

piece of wood with the stencil of poesy. 

Dreams still stand, though. 

The arrogance of ambitions, the drive to go up, up, up

is still nestled in the hearts amongst us. 

In me. 

Is it also in you?

Currently, I'm in a tumble of urges

prompted by a lifelong dream. 

Seemingly

I am quite good

 

at failure. Um, failures.

Also, seemingly, I've become

convulsively, amazingly persistent in the drive

to keep dreaming.

Keep going. 

 

It's what makes this life switch the mundane

repetitive acts of eating, shitting and sleeping

to the divine push to make rainbows out of piss storms. 

Girl Icarus, 

you were never so good 

 

as the false belief that you could 

out shine your wings

in the orbits of the sun.

 

   

 

             - RQ Bella 

Glitter Grunge: Christmas Plaid, Seattle Style

Glitter + Grunge = keeping it real for the Christmas holidays.
This California girl is freezing her ass off, over here. So thank-you to Gracey for coining the term, and thank-you to Pendleton for providing the plaid. I'm now warm, and ready for a Seattle Christmas. I present to you: GLITTER GRUNGE. 

And, just in time for #BloggersSharingStyle.

Street Feet: Floral Revival

Floral Revival: Grunge Era Floral Doc Martens Blossom for Spring

As if to encourage Spring and leading by example, I've been wearing some form of floral for over a week now. Observe this ditzy print thrifted floral skirt ala grunge floral, paired with a blooming like mad vintage 90's era floral printed Dr. Martens. The term, I've learned to describe this look, is "punk/grunge revival," and since I was old enough to wear it the first time, perhaps I best step away from them now? What is it about Seattle that makes you crave all things 1992? I've been eyeing army jackets, tattered concert Tees, beanies, plaid, plaid, and more plaid, and a whole array of classic Docs.

Kind of revives my spirit, you know?

Street Feet: Booty Call

Falling Hard for Sofft: The Boots Say Style. The Feet Sigh Comfort.

Last week, I decided to keep these Sofft leather booties, and I am so glad I did. I can't believe how incredibly comfortable these shoes are! They are a stylish mid-heel, with padding in the interior, adding cushion to the balls of the feet and a slight arch support. They are leather inside and out, and are so breathable that my feet felt just as fresh at the end of the day, as I felt at the start. With their style savvy, quality construction and smart design, its easy to see why I've fallen hard for Sofft.

Street Feet: Coach Classic

I HEART Coach.

For shoes once described as "not exactly good looking, and not you one bit," these Coach flats have been kicking it in my wardrobe for over a decade now, so I'm going to go out on a limb and say they were probably a good investment. They are a result from a Macy's shopping spree made at a New Year's sale,  oh so long ago, whose purpose was to separate me from the Doc Marten brigade at the cafe that I was working at the time. I was sick of looking like every other slightly pierced and tatted downtown chicita, who stomped around in some variation of a thrifted black concert Tee, all wearing what seemed to be the same baggy pair of Levis lashed up with studded belts and grounded by the ubiquitous pair of black Doc Marten boots. 

Our non-conformity was getting to be a little too matchy-matchy for my taste, so all of a sudden I took up this persona of a prepster from the 1970's. Meaning a penchant for browns, greens and orange corduroys, flattering novelty T-shirts from the era, tweed and/or gingham, and

Street Feet: Leaping Leopard

Are these kicks simply the cat's meow? Or just purr-fect?

Street Feet: Red Swedish Clogs

Swedish Fish: Fishing For Compliments in these Candy Sweet Red Swedish Clogs in the Ballard district

Ballard is an historically rich community that boasts a proud (and colorful) Scandinavian heritage. So in my attempt to blend in last summer, I kicked down some good Americano dinero to purchase the candy apple red, tall yet traditional Swedish beauties that you see here. They are still being broken in, but I can see YEARS of good wear in these Nordic lovelies!

As they say in the old country: Lev ditt liv lokal, och älskar den globala (Live local, love global.)

You can also shop some awesome Swedish Clogs HERE

Picture Perfect: Local Color

Local Color: the sights and delights of Ballard. Seattle, Washington

The above is how I see the world. Because it's MY world. As I adjust to living in Seattle, specifically the Ballard district, I can not help but delight in the local color. The skyline, always a breath taker, competes with the most interesting of details- the white of frost, a red cart, a green window, a blue light and above all, a wonderful sense of place. 

Give Me Some Sugar, Seattle

Ladies, and one gentlemen: my bags are packed. I'm heading to Seattle.

I'm going to be paying a short visit to this fine and beautiful city to work with this lovely woman:

Shanley Knox, founder of the Nakate Project

Her name is Shanley Knox, and she is the founder of the Nakate Project. Nakate is an ethical fashion company that sells jewelry made by the women of, and support a village in Uganda, Africa. You can read more about what this project is about on their website: nakateproject.com