FLY LADY DIary

As of late...

2011-04-23T08:22:00.000-07:00

Damn it's been a while! My bad for this blogger slacking... Here's some newbies for your viewing enjoyment... (taken directly from our blog www.artistrepublic.org) cuz I'm lazy like dat!

Thanks to my biggest supporters @ManifesTO_Fest I've been able to represent LIVE PAINTING in the fullest form.

Here you see me paint live for the CBC HIP HOP SUMMIT that took place on April 1st, 2011 - keeping things phresh as ever... (shouts out to Isaak and Nyle whom I painted with that day)

Below is a live painting I did for the Greater Toronto Civic Action Summit where all the suits of Toronto came together to talk about the issues plaguing the city. It was nice to represent ART and LIVE PAINTING here. Below is an illified map of Toronto that I created with my undeniable paint skills...

Shouts out to MELO X and his manager Claude Dary for booking me to do cover art for his single "Black Apple With Love feat. Jesse Boykins III" available on iTunes NOW! (below)

In other BIG news, ya boy SWIZZ BEATZ loved my 24th Parralel painting so much that he tweeted and blogged it on his site www.swizzworld.com and hence it became a popular post and remained so for 2 weeks straight, right under Kanyeeezy. How bout that...

This has been my first blog in ages. Thanks for your patience... Please stay tuned for more and follow me on Twitter @flyladydi

My Birthday Week in NYC

2011-01-11T11:00:00.001-08:00

Just a brief overview of my bday party last week at KATRA NYC. A huge special thank you to @MrVoodooRay for pulling everything together.

Shout outs to the promoters Voodoo Ray, Daoud Abeid, Bam Amen Ra, Ant Boogie, Savior El Mundo and Lyricist Lounge - thank you BREDREN!

And to my fellow painting comrades Amanda Diva, Pesu, Andre Trenier (whose birthday was the same day!) and Ibrahim Baaith -> love y'all. Had a BLAST thanks again.

AND TO EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT FROM FAR AND WIDE -- THANK YOU SO MUCH YOU MADE AN IMPRINT ON MY HEART FOREVER!

here are just a few photos. thanks to all the photographers!

I also wanna give a special shout out to PESU and YAZ HIGASHIYA of OLD SOULZ NYC for putting me on to the collabo with PESU on Friday Jan 7, 2011 at FREEDOMPARTYNYC.COM in LE POISSON ROUGE in the Village. Had a great old time. Big thanks to Michael and his wife Veronica Perez-Aviles for taking it home :) She is also my birthda twin! Blessings...

i'm cheating on you.

2010-12-14T21:28:00.000-08:00

i'm now on TUMBLR! www.flyladydi.tumblr.com

it's better over there because:

1. it goes directly into your twitter feed
2. it's quicker.
3. it's easier to see stuff, and u can take it on the road.
4. there's an app for it (which makes it all the difference)
5. it's easier to blog.
6. it's the new shit.

i love blogger, and i love you followers. but i'm about to ride the next tidal wave...

tummmmmblllrrrr.....

see ya on the other side.

xoxo
love di

Born Creators XMAS Pop Up Shop!

2010-12-05T12:47:00.001-08:00

SUPPORT BROOKLYN-BASED BUSINESSES! My homies Zebi & Selena are having a pop-up shop selling their exclusive holiday jewelry collection. I wish I could attend - if ur in NYC check it out! Fri. Dec. 10th 6-11PM // 40 RENWICK ST. in SOHO (347) 342-8207. www.borncreators.com

The Persistence of Muscle Memory

2010-11-28T14:27:00.000-08:00

Just another human being
The only difference was a screen
I've seen him in life but
Only in my dreams.

I fell asleep
And in my slumber he came
Shook my hand hello and
He already knew my name.

Invited him to my house
He knew his way around
I heard the sound of his voice
It was a familiar sound.

Played a game
of Trivial Pursuing
I was green
He was blue
Knew exactly what he was doing.

Wrapped my head around some thoughts
Then it turned into a headlock
Then the arms stopped moving on the face
of the round clock.

At first it felt good,
But then I thought I might choke
Sexy Ass Bitch
The words he did spoke.

At first I thought
I was
Bugging out from the weed smoke
Took another toke
Fell asleep
And then I awoke...

That shit was surrealer than a Dali.

Chink About It...

2010-11-19T21:28:00.000-08:00

Hello. My name is Diana C. Reyes. And yes, I speak English.

But for now, pardon my French...

F*ck racism. F*ck stereotypes. And F*ck being called a CHINK.

Back in 1986, Markham (where I grew up) was being converted from farmland complete with barns and everything, and needless to say, my family were some of the new folks on the block, and we weren't white, which meant we stood out like sore thumbs.

My sister and I are Canadian born Filipinos, but neither of us look like 'typical Filipinos'. She looks more Japanese and I look more Chinese mixed with Black. Regardless of the fact, wherever we went, we were called "CHINKS."

I had never been called anything of the sort before I moved to Markham, but I knew it wasn't a good thing. It was always a white person who said it, out loud and to our faces, sometimes behind our backs within ear-shot. It never felt good, but I never retaliated. What could I do? I was a shy 6-year old and obviously felt very unwelcomed in our new neighbourhood. I felt totally defenseless. I felt dirty.

The other day, I went about 45 minutes up north to teach Graffiti with my new fam UNITY Charity to a school in Bolton, where there were maybe two Filipino kids and two Black kids, and the rest - all white.

While I was setting up the projector, behind my back, I heard a boy say, "She looks like a Chink." to his classmate. I looked behind and the girl he said that to punched him in the arm and they both looked at me guiltfully.

"Did I hear something?" I asked the boy.

"No. I was just talking to her." He said, not owning up to it at all. He knew what he did.

I couldn't BELIEVE it was November 2010, I am now 28-years old and STILL being called a FREAKING CHINK!

I was more hurt and outraged, and when this happens I tend to become very quiet. I just kind of stood around in disgust, ashamed, embarrassed and very hurt.

Whenever I was called a Chink, I would feel that the darkness of my golden brown skin was because I was dirty. Some of the kids on the block would call me "The Yucky Girl." And I started to feel that way. Sad but true.

I also encountered A LOT of ignorant racism while living in New York City those four years, but that's another blog...

I don't know if I said this on this blog before, but my life's goal as an entertainer is to put this racist shit away for good and just be considered an ARTIST. Not even an artist or a woman of colour. Just an ARTIST. Do you think it will ever come to pass?

There have been many entertainers before me who have tried. Margaret Cho was the first female Asian comedian my sister Angela and I had ever seen on TV and Ange and I would tape and memorize all of her comedy acts. To this day, I herald her as a hero. She had her own sitcom in the 90's called "All American Girl" focussed entirely around her and her Korean-American family. But, because of the 'roundness of her face', Cho starved herself resulting in kidney failure, and the producers hired a coach because they thought she wasn't considered 'Asian enough.' (BY WHO'S STANDARDS!?) Due to its low ratings and constant changes in content, the show lasted only one season.

Mind you, this was the early 90s, Cho has since moved on to becoming a stand-up ubersuccess, but she was like a god to us back then, and if she couldn't survive Hollywood, what chance did we have at it?

Last night I went to see John Leguizamo's one-man show called "GHETTO KLOWN" where he basically runs down his entire career from his first acting classes to his successful one-man shows on Broadway, to his many (sometimes stereotypical) tv and film roles. I also bought his book Pimps, Hos, Playa Hatas and My The Rest of My Hollywood Friends which I cannot put down (and will probably be finished reading by the time you finish reading this blog!) and I couldn't have picked up a more fitting book to read right now.

As some of you may know, I've announced my intent to apply for theatre school - simply because if I want to fulfill my life's goal to never be called Chink again as an entertainer, I have to train to become the best damn performer I can possibly be, and learn how to write and direct my own shows as well. F*ck this waiting for the phone to ring, crap! I'm not waiting around anymore for my agent to tell me I have an audition to be cast as a f*cking NANNY.

NO!!!!!!!

FUCK THAT SHIT!!!!!!!!!

Back to Leguizamo's book, I read a passage that was POW! right on the money about how I feel right now:

"I felt a longing to create some kind of legacy, a memory about surviving, about people who made it against the odds. If you're a minority in this country and you want to see your people accurately documented, it's a do-it-yourself project. So I decided to do it myself."

I'll let you know how the rest of the book pans out, but for now, I take comfort in knowing that there were SEVERAL before me - not just Cho and Leguizamo - who have been attempting or still attempt to break down these stereotypes and this racist bullshit. I intend to do the same.

And yet...

A new show called "Lake Shore" - a Canadian spin-off of "Jersey Shore" had to surface and because of it's offensive and controversial content is causing massive attention from the US and Canadian media.

They really had to go there just to get our attention.

It sickens me and I hope that NO network in their right minds picks it up. If it does get picked up, it'll be the saddest day of my life here on earth!

We'll cross that bridge when we get to it... But for now, I'mma hit the books.

xo

Di

Dare to Dance

2010-11-12T18:56:00.000-08:00

The past two weeks I've had the privilege of being a Dance Mentor to various schools in the Toronto area for the Toronto District School Board (TDSB)'s Dare to Dance competition.

Watching these high school kids create dances was quite a beautiful experience. It reminded me of my own process, and when I was in high school how passionate I was about dancing. That's all I EVER wanted to do!

I remember when I was in high school, I'd often be alone with nothing to do on Friday nights, so I would listen to Wreck-Shop radio on 93.7 WBLK and hear all the new Hip Hop and just dance to my hearts' content (this was 1997 when Hip Hop was still a little 'underground'). I used to sit and look at this picture of New York, and cry, thinking about how badly I wanted to go there and dance. And then I did it!

Two of the schools I coached made it to the Finals (Georges Vanier, and Central Technical School - CONGRATS!) and this made me extremely proud, because I saw their dance go from 0-60. And these two were the ones that didn't think they had a chance in the beginning, and now they have a chance to actually win it all!

Me and Heydon Park SS after their dress rehearsal.

(Georges Vanier SS - after the Semi-Finals)

The finals will be judged by ya boy, our beloved hometown proud choreographer LUTHER BROWN himself! (permanent judge on So You Think You Can Dance Canada) I'm SO EXCITED TO SEE THE FINALS!

Anyhoo, I'm lucky to have these opportunities, and that this job exists. It's PERFECT for me!

#LovingLife,

FLD.

crickets... tumbleweed... is this mic on?

2010-11-01T00:34:00.000-07:00

a lot of you guys tell me you're reading / keeping up with this here blog. i am uber proud to say i now have a healthy 140 blog followers, but haven't been getting any comment love. i'm never one to ask for them, but, wussup!? if u read something, say something!

maybe my posts haven't been uber comment-worthy? i donno, holla at yo sis!

swagger like me!

2010-10-31T23:53:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween 2010!

If you've been following my tweets or my status updates on facebook then you'll know I've been highly addicted to M.I.A.'s latest album /\/\/\y/\ album...

Halloween is here again so I decided to emulate her in the funniest way. If you know me at all you know I LOVE dressing up for HALLOWEEN, so this year I took no shorts.

I bought the polka-dot material for only $1.70 and stockings were mad cheap as well so I didn't spend much dough, but TIME I did spend. I sewed the circles back and front and sewed them onto a bra, and it was also difficult tryna lay the bigger circle flat as you can see above.

Also, finding the perfect round thing for a pregnant belly was also a challenge - I used a balloon and my baby nephew's blanket. LOL!

Here I am pictured tryna drive to Director X's birthday party at NYOOD with my big homie Jasmin Linton (you remember she's who I painted the above mural for) who dressed up as the Evil Queen from Snow White and looked AMAZING but didn't want to photographed. Boooo! For shame Jazzy. For shame.

Anyhooo...

RESPECT TO M.I.A.! This one's for you girl... XXXO

october news

2010-10-24T19:53:00.001-07:00

this month has been filled with ups and downs - but such is life!

the ups were definitely UPS though.

above are me pictured performing last night for Toronto Fashion Week for Salem's Line at MARO. i performed my own choreography along with my girl Krystal Garib who is on tour with A.R. Rahman (that's right, Mr. Jai Ho himself - who won an Oscar for SlumDog Millionaires' theme song)

definitely AMAZING times, the crowd was hype and we killed it!

also this evening my episode of Lost Girl was on... I got to see myself on TV -- woo hoo fun times.

hooray for me ;)

and i see (NYC)

2010-10-02T20:59:00.001-07:00

i must say this was probably the best visit to new york i have ever had. it was probably my (no lie) 30th time coming into the city - aside from the 4 years that i actually LIVED in new york, and i've had some GREAT times, but this was one of the BEST.

something about it, i don't know - everything just worked out perfectly. i laughed hard and a lot the whole trip, to the point where i had a mean cramp in my stomach the whole time... i got to see peeps i haven't seen in literally ages, and ultimately build with my fam.

and to think - none of this was about to go down. i'll explain.

most of you know, i was inadmissable to the US about 4 years ago, and banned from entering your precious country for 9 months back in 2006. (see details HERE). since then, everytime I try and cross the border, I get stopped and questioned by the Department of Homeland Security. this time was no exception. long story short, the officer gave me a REALLY hard time and i thought this trip was gonna be a wrap. i basically wrote it off, like it wasn't going to happen. then finally he let me through and i caught my flight within five minutes.

to think none of these pics would be here on this blog! right? CRAZY!

the first shot (above) is one i can't stop staring at. aside from the fact that it is one SEXY ass photo, it is one that contains myself, Ibrahim, Concep and Danny -- in other words, a photo opp that hasn't been in over TWO years. this was our last photo together (at afropunk july 08):

between ibi, 'cep and i - as some know - we three used to paint together A LOT back in 08, and when you have three passionate artists, sometimes heads tend to butt. we've all been through our ups and downs, but the fact that we three were together again in the same place at the same time, proved to me that there is yet more potential for us to build and create beautiful art together again. it just makes sense, i mean damn look how sexy we all look - the chemistry is just there.

moving on...

here is Mr. Voodoo Ray himself, his homegirl Claire, my tight homegirl Deva the Diva, myself, Crazy Legs and Michael Alexis just arriving at Toca Tuesdays at Sutra - my last soiree in the City.

of course i had to hit up Kid Robot NYC and peeped the ILL DUNNY! #inspiring.

voila c'est me and my actor homies Maya Washington whom you all know to be my personal photographer and long time friend from Tdot who now resides in Harlem with her hubby (see her detailed blog here) and Tigist Selam whom I met in Toronto through a mutual homie - celebrity photographer Mel D. Cole. we're here chillin' at Morningside Park for Sundae Sermon NYC - kinda like Soul Summit at Fort Greene Park. (excuse my lack of better pic below)

*also on a side note, because i almost missed my flight to new york, my luggage arrived on a later flight so i ended up having to wait an entire day for my bag to get there - had no clothes or nothing! - this was my first venture to the outside world, i finally had my shit! lol*

Cupcake man outside of URBAN OUTFITTERS. I wanna hump his leg. Somebody distract him while I steal his whole truck of cupcakes! It's as if someone looked inside my mind and saw exactly what I wanted to will into existence for centuries.

Shouts out to my homegirl Natalia for all our FAT GIRL TENDENCIES n shit...

AND he situated himself outside of Urban Outfitters, a spot where hungry women be coming out after shopping amuck.

He's almost as smart as Ray Crock. #GENIUS! #TWOTHUMBSUP!

outside of FUNKBOX with the loves of my life NOEL and MELDAWGZ... I've known them since the beginning of time and their dance has transcended amazing in their particular styles (Noel's a locker, Melanie's a waacker). we got it in like old times. we had some great times together back and the day, still more to come...

me and my brother CRICKET. he is one of my all-time favorite dancers, and i also really love his artwork, it's pretty incredible. i salute you, James Colter! (he's the one that put me on for the FALL OUT BOY audition - little known fact)

me, Conrad and Marjory - aka my dance mom. you may recall my blog about her and her battle with breast cancer *if you scroll down you'll see it* - she means A LOT to me because a lot of what I practice dance-wise is what she taught me. i also have always considered her a dear friend who always cracks me the F up like no one else. she looked particularly gorgeous and really got it in on some dancing - apparently she hadn't cut a rug like that in a while, and i was glad i got to witness it. yes, that is a wig, but i prefer when she rocks the baldy. she looks GORGEOUS luckily she got a nice shaped head - haha! LOVE YOU MARJ.

and of course, i save this pic for last because it'll probably go down as one of my fave of all time. without them, i wouldn't be who i am - and that's being 100% real. when i first moved to new york in 2004, no one knew me, i was this new lil' asian girl taking 5 dance classes a week and working like a dog at sample sales and restaurants just to survive. they saw something in me and took me in as one of their own. they made me family and to this day, they are my family. they are living new york legends and i am forever grateful to them for ALWAYS having my back no matter what. VOODOO RAY and EJOE WILSON, y'all continue to crack me the f* up with your crazy antics and impromptu comedy skits, and enlighten me with your positive advice and encouraging words. i love you both more than you could ever know.

this is us at the bodega getting something to nibble on after a night of dancing, just like when we first met august 2004.

ah! memories... old and new... now to get a GREEN CARD so i can move back already...

the wheels are already in motion.

OMG I'm a GODMOTHER.

2010-08-30T21:42:00.000-07:00

GOD BLESS baby Ayden for he is the epitomizes the words CUTE FREAKING BABY! He was a real champ at the altar here as you could see - most babies cry and are mortified of priests (for good measure these days), but Ayden was his usually hammy self, laughing and giggling and loving up the attention.

I'm so lucky!

LOVE YOU AYDEN!

XOXOXOXOXO

Guest Columnist! YRB Magazine ART ISSUE 2010

2010-08-30T21:32:00.001-07:00

Major big ups to GINA PONCE over at YRB who has been down for the cause since day one... And also Yesima Sherrod - whom I met while working coat check at Lotus (about 3 years ago) - whom I gave my business card to and had a connect at YRB ever since.

Never downplay a job where you can make really good connections. You never know how it will serve you in the future.

And also, no matter what job you're doing (especially in NYC), be the very best at it no matter what it is! You never know who's watching!

Dusk Dances 2010

2010-08-30T21:17:00.000-07:00

Way back in February I got a call from Sylvie Bouchard - Director of Dusk Dances tellling me I got the local artist choreography commission. I hadn't expected a call, let alone a call telling me I got the gig. My homies over at ART STARTS - who always hook me up with the best gigs - urged me to submit an application to them and so I did, and the rest was history.

It was my first ever shot at choreographing anything to a finished product, I mean, I choreograph in class all the time, but when it came to a 10-minute dance piece I found it a little daunting! Mind you, I had only even choreographed 2-minute pieces THE MOST at a time, so I had my work cut out for me.

By the graces of God, I found the strength, will and inspiration to muster up 10-minutes of dance (see videos below) into a product I am very proud to show the world.

A huge big ups to DJ DIRTY DALE who mixed my music (he's my favorite House DJ in THE WORLD - he's also an amazing dancer), my Moms who helped make the costumes I designed, for my Dad for taking great pics, to Sylvie for hiring me, and for Liz, Erin and Kat for urging me to submit my application (love you guys!).

But of course, WHERE on earth would I be without my AMAZING DANCERS... (pictured here from left to right KABU, AKLASS, KNOX, myself, EMILY LAW, PAM aka DUNDEE and ALLIE HO SANG. I meant what I said (I want to do all of them lol).

ENJOY THE VIDS!

Dusk Dances - 'A Public Affair' from Bryan LaPointe on Vimeo.

My NEW YouTube Channel!

2010-08-22T12:59:00.000-07:00

Hello all yes big announcement, I've had a YouTube channel for years, but I needed a new one to start FRESH. So here it is! http://www.youtube.com/flyladydi.

Luckily the name is still original to ME!

I will be posting mostly vids of my dance classes, dance battles, dance reels, vlogs, random stuff and also of course painting and art related thangz...

STAY TUNED AND SUBSCRIBE!!!!!!!!!!

Here is my first upload!

(ME battling Esie Mensah at the Gadfly 2nd Anniversary Party to HOUSE MUSIC)

Here's a link to my old youtube as well ;) http://www.youtube.com/user/shelterlovechlid

Yep... Still got it!

2010-08-09T18:31:00.000-07:00

Last night was weird. I came to the Gadfly 2nd Anniversary party - entering the 2x2 all-styles dance battle with my homegirl Emily Law. I was tired as f*, not really in the mood to battle / dance, didn't really care what happened, etc. etc.

Mind you there are some pretty AMAZING dancers here in Toronto (poppers, to bboys to house dancers, to street jazz you name it) so the competition was FIERCE. I really didn't expect to make it past the prelims. But whatevs, I went for it, and to great reception.

I didn't understand why the crowd was so loud, I felt like I was doing nothing. I couldn't tell what was happening, I just danced. Even in the clip below -- no idea why people were yelling so loud!

In battles past, I gave it my all from the top, which I've learned is not the thing to do, cuz then you wear yourself out and don't finesse the track.

Long story short, Emily & I made THE SEMI-FINALS!! A first in all my battling history :))!!!!

Anyhoo - below is a snippet of proof that dance still exists in the life of Fly Lady Di, and in a big way.

Big ups to Apolonia & Ofilio for putting an amazing event together. To my partner Emily Law who SMASHED the cypher... and to my opponents Esie (who I met thru email before we met in person by chance!) and Mariano who I looked up to as a kid growing up watching him break dance on Rap City (MuchMusic). You gave us a run for our MONEY!

it's been a while, dear bloggy blog...

2010-07-14T18:54:00.001-07:00

obvi - as of late, i haven't had time to sit and blog as i'd wanted to. but so much has transpired since i last wrote...

i went to cuba with one of my besties Beza...

i'm currently teaching dance 2x a day 4x weekly - (8 CLASSES A WEEK!)for the next month which is pretty rad, but exhausting (in a good way)...

i've become obsessed with jonte (as seen above and below) even though i've known him for 5 years, i'm like his biggest obsessed fan, all because of this video...

blah blah blah new headshots....
(photo by Nathaniel Anderson)

hmmmm what else... 2 weekends ago i experienced pride weekend in toronto for the first time which was on point!

it really felt like how new york used to feel to me - full of people and love and good times... i miss my new york fam (but that's nothing new)...

annnnnnnnddd...

my baby nephew is just getting cuter and cuter.

oh and how can i forget my most recent acquisition - finding d'angelo's voodoo album for only $3 -- thus leading my thoughts to wax poetic, hence leading me to want to bust some rhymes... thanks d'angelo for inspiring me to blog and open up a bit 'one mo' gin' (keep scrolling down)

At times
A wave that splashes

Other times
The wave that crashes

I'm used to it by now

Just let it wash

'Cause no one's watching...

Thru ebb / flow

I run but can't hide

The waves multiply
From myself, I divide

So good
So bad
So sue me if I'm wrong

Mutual Love
Mutual Disdain
The same desire for so long

The tide knows no end

Yet still

I let it wash
I let it wash over

I let it wash over me.

Painting Process V | "Love Prayer" 6/10/10

2010-06-13T17:39:00.000-07:00

My homegirl Jasmin Linton commissioned me to paint a mural in her livingroom (which is 10 feet high and 16 feet long), so I did.

This took me approximately 50 hours or so... My influences were definitely ART NOUVEAU thanks to my trusty book! Peep -

Henri Meunier's "RAJAH", 1897. Lithograph.

Alphonse Mucha, "Monaco-Monte-Carlo" 1897. Lithograph

As well as this from an Art Nouveau vignette book:

Artist and Title unknown.

I won't busy this blog with text, I'll LET YOUR EYES DO THE TALKING!

ONE!

ME AND MY LITTLE LEGS! lmfao

(In Memory of her Siamese Fighting fish "PUNKY" who commited suicide - which coincidentally was a nickname as mine as well...)

FAT GIRL TENDANCIES

2010-05-16T19:43:00.000-07:00

If you have been reading this blog at all, you'd recall that a year ago I posted a blog about the book SKINNY BITCH called fly vegan di? where I deeply considered becoming vegan and cutting out the baddies... Needless to say, it didn't last. I still rock my sugar-binging, carb-loving, late-night snacking ways... In other words... My FAT GIRL TENDANCIES!

Myself and pal Natalia Serrano (aka Columbianita210 on Twitter), in addition to being an AMAZING fashion designer (Michael Kors, Target, etc.) have been Twittering this amazing #FatGirlTendancies phenomenon and I was inspired to list my very own.

Here they are!

You know you have Fat Girl Tendancies when:

*You keep a jar full of Betty Crocker's Chocolate Fudge Frosting in the fridge and go at it with a spoon when the mood should strike you... And it does... Often.

*You can't go to the movies without getting popcorn, peanut glossettes, sour kids and a diet coke. Even when dolo!

*At a restaurant you'll order a salad, drink tea or water, and for dessert, order the Chocolate Fudge Brownie cake warmed up with vanilla ice cream on the side.

*You don't feel bad about eating POUTINE.

*'That time of the month' is just a lucky excuse to eat more chips, chocolate and of course MAC N' CHEESE!

*After throwing a party, when everyone leaves, you're glad that there is all that grub left over!

*You walk by the cupcake shop just to look.

*No matter where you are in the City, you know the nearest restaurant that has a bangin' chocolate cake. Yup, you have them bookmarked on Google Maps.

*You send out a tweet if anyone else can recommend spots to find chocolate cake at in your town.

*When home alone in front of the TV, you can inhale an entire frozen pizza - with no regrets.

*You agree that the Caramel Chocolate Pretzel from Starbuck's is the best thing ever invented - who came up with with food that combines salty, sweet, sticky and crunchy! I mean c'mon, give this person an award (it was probably a girl who invented it lol)

and lastly,

*McNuggets, Fries, McAngus, Quarter Pounder, McFlurry and McGriddle are words that don't scare you.

HAH!

IF you have more, please comment them! Yeayyy...

-Fat Girl Inside a Dancer's Body

Painting Process IV "Monument" - Fall 2007

2010-05-01T13:31:00.000-07:00

Scrolling through my old cellphone I came across these process photos from my painting, "Monument" which I completed late 2007, early 2008. A week after I finished it, it was purchased by my friend Ronnie Stevenson (Production Manager of Ne-Yo).

It's interesting to take a look back at these, and remember what I was going thru while painting it.

Here we see I had a totally different intention upon its commencement...

The concept of this was, "Am I the one painting? Or the one being painted?"

That there's the full view...

Then, after applying a brighter color scheme - it started to sing and breathe a life unto it's own.

Notice the hearts attached to the Brooklyn Bridge... Which I later omitted.

Then I kept having trouble with the woman on the right... I kept reshaping her, adding fish to her legs, etc. Which I also omitted in the end.

If you look really closely at each of the angel's hair - they say "SINK" or "SWIM"

I eventually gave the painting woman on the left some cool sneaks and made them drip onto the angels wings... I omitted the full woman on the right completely and gave her a spooky white outline, with a hand, asking for something...

The buildings on the left say "HOLD ON" in the city lights... And on the right, they say "LET GO".

I started this painting in March 2007 and I think applied the last stroke before my birthday - January 2008. Yep! Took a whole 9 months for me to finish, folks...

Sometimes it does.

just thought i'd share!

Di

Pray for Mama Marj!

2010-04-07T12:57:00.001-07:00

It's crazy when you find out someone you love is sick. I JUST found out that my mama in House Dance Marjory aka LOTUS Smarth was diagnosed with breast cancer and has to undergo surgery tomorrow morning. Makes me really sad because I love Marj so much, it's hard for me know that someone I love and care for so much is sick! In the end I know Marj will get thru it, she is known for being a WARRIOR and a FREEDOM FIGHTER but you can't help but be concerned either way.

The first year I moved to New York, there she was, this tall lightskinned woman with these long dreadlocks who outright demanded your attention in the dance circle. A few months later after I befriended VOODOO RAY and EJOE, she welcomed me to take her dance class at FAZIL'S on 8th Avenue -- which eventually changed my life.

To this day, I utilize some of Marjory's techniques and warm-up moves in my dance class and I never go without mentioning their origin. Every student I've ever taught knows where I get 50% of my moves and inspiration from and that's Marjory.

Marj I love you with all my heart and I am forever indebted to being under your tutelage! I am praying for you with all my mindstrength and I just know you will come out of this like the warrior that you are.

GOD BLESS & I LOVE YOU MARJ!

This was us in Miami WMC 2007... LOVE YOU MARJ! kay bye :)

The Gatekeepers of NYC Nightlife

2010-03-22T14:15:00.000-07:00

Having worked in nightlife for almost 10 years in both Toronto and New York, I have seen my fair share of stuff! It really got interesting when I got the job at LOTUS NEW YORK as the hostess of the restaurant - where I kept people out if they didn't look right, have a reservation, or were just plain rude.

Chad G (aka "The Chad" - pictured right) took over and worked the door of the club as soon as I put my hostess stand away (lol aw memories). My job was to hand him the guest list and make additions to it whenever necessary. I remember him being so good at his job - respectful and cool at all times to everyone, and he kept the douchebags out, which made the party always very sexy.

I'm speaking on this now because his fellow NYC doorman SAM SNEED (pictured left of Chad) created a webisode series called THE GATEKEEPERS which can be seen at CREATIVECONTROL.TV. It is BRILLIANTLY shot by Akshay B., very New York, and very well edited and scored. Watching it makes me miss New York because of how cool this looks/sounds/relates to NYC life. I recommend highly that you check it out.

I really miss those nights working at LOTUS. They was some of the best times I've ever had in NY, and DEFINITELY the best place I've ever worked. Me and the homies from there still keep in touch hard body over Facebook... My hopes are that we all work together again, it was perfect chemistry... And of course, I miss the Chilean Sea Bass. Aw Memories...

The Power of Twitter (part 2)

2010-03-21T18:53:00.000-07:00

It's amazing. I randomly met a young man named Marcus from Chicago via Twitter (@MdBUniverseCity). Unbeknownst to him, he had posted my artwork on his wall (since who knows when) from the YRB commission I did 2 years ago (pictured above - "Keeping it REAL ESTATE" YRB's Politics Issue Aug 2008).

We met because of Theophilus London.

Peep how:

@FlyLadyDi: #nowplaying "TNT" by Theophilus London

@MdBUniverseCity: so you listen to Theophilus London? .... FTW!

@FlyLadyDi: Lol yup! I painted at a few shows he had in BK

@MdBUniverseCity: word? that's awesome. He's a dope artist. More people should listen to him.

@FlyLadyDi: I know!

@MdBUniverseCity: they'll catch on eventually. but, how long have you been painting?

@FlyLadyDi: All my life.

@MdBUniverseCity: that's dope. i love painters. i'd love to see some of your artwork.

@FlyLadyDi: check my web for my paintings! www.flyladydi.com

@MdBUniverseCity:woah! your artwork is AMAZING!! how much do you sell them for?

@FlyLadyDi: Lol thanks bud... Go to www.flyladydi.bigcartel.com for my prints! Very affordable.

@MdBUniverseCity: anytime :) so, do you mind if I use them for my blog?

@FlyLadyDi: Sure by all means! Thanks again!! :)...

@MdBUniverseCity:anytime :) you're extremely talented. i have to show the world this great talent

@FlyLadyDi: That is so unbelievably nice of you.

@MdBUniverseCity: http://mdbthehoodlum.tumblr.com/ check it out! @FlyLadyDi

***(HERE'S WHERE IT GETS INTERESTING)***

@MdBUniverseCity:I was just looking at your site again... And I realized I have some of your art of my wall. From the YRB mag.

@MdBUniverseCity: lowkey, I think I'm going to be one of your biggest supporters :)

@FlyLadyDi: Marcus your site is DOPE! Crazy about the YRB pic on ur wall -- show me if u can Twitpic!!!

@MdBUniverseCity: http://twitpic.com/1a4qwj <--- there it is.

MY MIND IS BLOWN.

So (NOT) Fly Lady DI!.... Beware y'all!

2010-03-13T16:54:00.001-08:00

Sooo... I searched 'Fly Lady Di' on my Twitter this morning, And I came across THIS BULLSHIT! --->>

Yeah! I know... *WHAT THE FUZZ!?*

Anyhoo -- I am just putting it out there, that there is a chick somewhere in Tdot claiming to have my same BRAND NAME. What the fuck is she thinking!? She will never win... I own the domain WWW.FLYLADYDI.COM, as well as a host of other domains if you are familiar:

www.facebook.com/FLYLADYDI

www.myspace.com/FLYLADYDI

www.FLYLADYDI.blogspot.com

FLYLADYDI@gmail.com

Some people say I should be flattered, but I just can't help but feel mad annoyed.

Anyhoo - you know the scoop! Don't be FOOLED!

YOU ARE PEEPING THE ORIGINAL FLY LADY DI est. 1995 ya betta ask somebody!

WOW

2010-02-22T11:40:00.000-08:00

This was the coolest pic I have ever randomly come across.

I was thumbing thru people's Twitter accounts and discovered this cutie pie wearing my GENERATION D shirt!

How awesomely cool! It was such a nice surprise and treat to see someone repping my stuff like that on some random stuff...

Follow HIM!

and

Follow ME! Lol...

Love Ya! xoxoxoxo

fuck(ing love) twitter!

2010-01-24T02:23:00.000-08:00

hahaha... sorry for the confusion guys.

a couple days ago, i did my usual last minute gmail check before going to bed.

i noticed i gotten an email from someone interested in my paintings.

i opened the email and saw that it was from a music exec in los angeles who works for BMI. all of the sudden my heart started racing. i almost crapped myself!

curiously, i asked her how she found me (because people just be finding me online these days)...

and she said it was because my homie MeLo-X had RT'd something I tweeted ("If I wasn't an ARTIST, then I wouldn't be anything.") and she found it interesting.

she then looked at my website and fell in love with my paintings.

FYI: MeLo-X is one of her writers (she is an Associate Director / Writer-Publisher Relations)

after this incident i vowed NEVER TO HATE TWITTER AGAIN!!!!!!!

i only recently decided to tweet again for some reason... i donno what it was. maybe it's the accessibility and coolness of apps like tweetdeck and echophone that just make it easier to share inane thoughts. either way, it fucking rocks!

people are watching and i have no clue who! it's pretty wild.

anyhoo, she bought a print from my amazing site - www.flyladydi.bigcartel.com and i sent it out to her today. the staples dude inspired me to laminate it, so i did. it came out incredible...

i can't wait to make more! but for now buy some of the ones that are available for only $10!

AMAZING!

iNsecure

2010-01-19T23:16:00.000-08:00

so if u follow me on TWITTER or are my homie on FACEBOOK then you probably heard that last week my iPhone fell into tha toilet!

kerplunk!

it took a dive for the worst...

i immediately turned it off, but it kept turning back on randomly. i knew smg was wrong, but i kept the faith.

i looked online for similar cases of course and they all said to stick it in a bowl of rice to absorb the moisture - after which it would be fine in a few days.

in the interim, i used my trusty back-up phone. a not-too-shabby little thing circa 2006. pictured here:

i gotta say, it was fine. i didn't exactly cry or lose sleep in its absence... i almost forgot i had an iPhone to begin with!

the only thing i really missed was google maps.

today i something told me to try and turn the iPhone on, so i did. and it didn't turn on.

uh oh!

so i went to the apple store and they replaced it for me (they didn't detect the water damage thank GOODNESS! if they did, it would negate the warranty).

so yayy!

so now i'm back in iPhone country... where my text messages pop up as little green bubbles, and i get to tweet from TweetDeck because I'm cool like that, and at the touch of a button I can update my FaceBook status, and see how many friend requests I have and blahblahblah...

maybe it's just my usually non-materialistic self, but i was neither here nor there without my iPhone. granted i paid some dollars to get one, and Lord knows if i had to pay for another phone, i wouldn't. but there was something so freeing without one.

having an iPhone is almost like having a baby, you constatnly have to know where it is, if it is safe, if it makes noise, you have to tend to it, you can't drop it! (let alone in a toilet), and you often go online to find answers on how to care for it.

it's some high-maintenance SHIT yo!

it's just another self-indulgent, distracting, time-eating machine... as if we don't have enough of those (cough cough, thanks for reading this blog).

sometimes gets me a little insecure, like, who's watching me... let me whip it out so they know i'm cool... i'm with it, i'm cool... i am one of you... i too can google anything i want at this very moment. what!? what's that you say? i can't hear you, my itunes is playing... LOL!

an iphone is just an accessory. in no way was i crippled by the possible loss of it.

all that to say, if it was gone for good, it would have been gone for good. i'm glad it's back in my life, however, but people have a lot more worries in this world than accessories like these, so no big freaking whoop!

my heart for HAITI

2010-01-17T22:19:00.001-08:00

i don't do well at all with the thought of death and mass destruction. but i have to stay aware.

the disaster in HAITI is insurmountable, and i cannot even begin to fathom what their lives must be like at this point.

we are lucky to have our living breaths, clean air, water, food and shelter. we are lucky to be free from injury, free from disease, free from disaster.

what really put things in perspective was this photo journal from TIME MAGAZINE:

Pictures from Shaul Schwarz and Timothy Fadek,
TIME's photographers in Port-au-Prince

these photos really set in stone what has occured, and the calamities the Haitian people are currently facing. very heartbreaking stuff!

many of my close friends are of Haitian descent (Melly Mel, Manushka Magloire, DJ Hard Hitting Hary, Mary Pryor, Marjory Smarth, Pascal Bernier, and the list goes on) - so this hits close to home.

my thoughts and prayers are with HAITI... as Melly Mel says, HAITI CHERIE!

im up at 5:55am...

2010-01-16T02:54:00.000-08:00

and i found this on my friend AFENI's page. it's too dope for words. it's from the book cover of 'WildSeed' by Octavia Butler.

i've been googling around to see who did the work, and as it appears it may have been her.

GENIUS!

now i want to go read the book...

stay focussed...

2010-01-15T21:01:00.000-08:00

(more random thoughts from fly lady di)

one must focus on ONE goal... ONE thing...

i've been too scatter brained

too *dick*stracted! these past couple of years!

what if i put it ALLLLLLLLL BEHIND ME NOWWWWWWWWWWWWW

and just truck on forward?

start anew?

yeah yo.

i can't rest on laurels. i gotta go in hard body like nobody's business.

but

why am i even telling you?!

i should just be DOING IT!!!!!!!!!

fuck the bullshit.

what? i am.

2010-01-14T20:20:00.000-08:00

my art is not for you

2010-01-13T11:19:00.000-08:00

i'm tired of people raping my craft... that's why i've recently decided not to do any artwork for anyone anymore (unless it's by my own free will). i can no longer deal with people so ignorant about how valuable my work really is...

i spoke to a fellow respected artist friend of mine who never does commissions - he said unless you and the client are on the exact same page about the work, then it's best left alone completely. and it's completely true.

doing artwork for anyone has never turned out well for me - either they had something else in mind, or they just weren't clear about what they themselves wanted and it just becomes a frustrating mess.

so unless you give me 100% FREE REIGN, then pleeease... don't ask me to do any artwork for you!

I APPRECIATE YOUR INTEREST IN MY WORK, but i just won't do it! it's not healthy for my state of mind or my art.

oldie but a goodie

2010-01-10T23:46:00.000-08:00

this is a mural i painted in sandra amarie's old loft on queen street west in toronto (when i first met her)... i don't think this mural is there anymore, but damn it was a gem. it was one of my first murals. i'm just glad people still have photos of it... thank u 'frostimus prime' for tagging me!

this was taken december 2006.

Fly Lady Di meets TAIWAN!

2010-01-04T08:09:00.000-08:00

thanks to ANGELA LIN and KIMI LIU from TAIPEI, TAIWAN, my merchandise is officially being sold overseas!

this will be the third official language i've been translated into (others have been japanese and french). needless to say, i am very excited!

i am the only designer representing canada, others are from the states, japan and taiwan.

YAY!

www.kaleidotshirt.com

beat goes on...

2009-12-30T07:19:00.001-08:00

don't sit there like some silly girl

if you wait too long

it'll be too late

i'm not telling you something new

there ain't no time to lose

it's time for you to

CEL

E

BRATE...

get up

little girl

it's time

your world

your life

your choice

it's time, live it up

you don't have the luxury of time

you have got to say what's on your mind

your head lost in the stars
you'll never go far

it's time for you to read the signs

say what you like

do what you feel
you know exactly who you are

the time is right now

you got to decide

stand in the back or be the *star*

i can't keep waiting for you

anticipating that you've

no

time to lose

i can't keep waiting for you...

LOL okay so call me a cornball - i posted madonna's lyrics on this blog. don't ask me why but that song makes me really happy - and i realized that the lyrics are more meaningful than i thought they'd be. i figured it'd be a good segue into the new year's -- time for me to be unafraid. this is life! i have to live it NOW!

IT'S DO OR DIE 2010 SUCKAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

holla.

results from your answers (nothing personal i promise!)

2009-12-21T20:52:00.001-08:00

i just want to THANK my ladies who responded right away. i read all the answers just now and can i just say it's amazing how similar a lot of our stories are.

here were some interesting patterns that i noticed.

*the majority of you have NEVER waitressed

*NONE of you became friends with the girl your dude was sleeping with (it was just me!)

*NONE of you did anything out of desperation for money. neither have i. but there were many thoughts of sugar-daddy, and call girl consideration (but who hasn't thought about it!?)

*i'd say it was a 80/20 split between those who have been broke, and those who haven't

*the people who answered from stable professions (ie: publishing, research) were never without a job. those in the creative field, however...

*and the majority of you have never gotten into a GIRLFIGHT (as an adult)! me neither, unless you consider me scratching my sister's face over the remote a girl fight. Lol.

*a lot of you had lenghthy answers for whether or not you knew something was wrong with your (or someone else's) relationship. i know i've totally been there myself and let it last for years. with different dudes.

*ALL of you have gotten involved with a co-worker (but who hasn't!? lol)

*i'd say ALL of you didn't find out until later that you met someone who has been either with your ex or the dude you're sleeping with.

SOME CRAZY INTERESTING SHIT! thanks again my ladies... and your name will be rolling in the credits. the fact that several of us share similar stories about being broke totally motivates me even more to write something like this -- because we need to see our stories on the big screen! this is something i would totally go to see because it reflects me. anyhow thanks again and happy holidays <3 Love Di.

ladies, answer me this!

2009-12-21T09:58:00.000-08:00

i am feverishly writing a story, but some of the story elements are coming up uninteresting -- so i figured i would ask you to help me develop them more.

below is a questionnaire with some rather juicy, personal questions. i'm asking YOU to help because A) your experiences are probably more interesting than mine, B) i want to see if there is a pattern in how all of you answer these questions and C) i want OUR stories to be reflected on screen / on paper, where we are being totally neglected! am i wrong?

i want this story to REALLY reflect the plight of the 20-30 something woman of colour trying to make it. if this means YOU (which it probably does), then copy and paste these questions and send them to flyladydi@gmail.com ASAP!!!!!!!

1. Have you ever slept with the person you were working with? If so, what were the consequences? how did you deal?

2. Have you ever done out-of-character for money out of desperation? If so, please explain.

3. What happened when you met the girl who was sleeping with same dude you were at the same time? (If this ever happened to you)

4. Did you ever work with or become friends with the woman sleeping with your dude? If so, how did you break the ice?

5. Have you ever waitressed? If so, what was the most ridiculous situation you've been in - good and or bad?

6. Have you ever been in a situation where you KNEW something was wrong about a relationship, but you said and did nothing out of desperation? Why? And how did you deal with it in the end?

7. Have you ever gotten a job simply by being at the right place and the right time?

8. Have you ever been in a girl fight? If so, please describe how it started, what was said and done and how it ended.

9. If u were ever broke for a stretch of time, what happened throughout and how did you deal with it? What did you eat?

10. Lastly, if you wish to be credited as a contributor for this project, please state your name. The answers to the questionaire will remain completely annonymous, they are strictly for story purposes.

YOUR ANSWERS WILL BE STRICTLY ANNONYMOUS AND I WILL USE THEM STRICTLY FOR STORY PURPOSES!

THANK YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

LOVE LADY DI <3

obamanation

2009-12-13T21:45:00.000-08:00

after seeing the OBAMAS on Oprah i was reminded of an experience i recently had when i went to new york 2 weeks ago.

at the border crossing into the US from Canada, whenever they swipe my passport, some sort of flag or alert pops up, because they always stop me or give me hell whenever i try to cross. (****see footnote).

so whenever i sat there in the us customs office, waiting for them to interrogate me, i would often look up and see this picture (which always gave me the CREEPS)

but this last time when i was stopped, i looked up and saw this picture instead.

i tell ya, it's a new day folks lol. i completely forgot we had a gorgeous black man as president of the united states. GOD BLESS AMERICA!!

it was a totally different experience. i almost didn't mind having to sit there as long lol...

the moral of this blog is, having the 'man's' foot in your ass is one thing, but if the foot happens to belong to a hunky black dude, it takes on a totally new meaning.

haha!

the end.

****(it's a long story, i got sent back to canada in early 2006 after they found out i was living in the new york without a visa, and banned me from the states for 9 months or until i got a visa, came back a year later with a visa blahblahblah...)

Competition for Hip Hop Judged by me! (mad late)

2009-12-08T10:21:00.000-08:00

a few saturdays ago (nov 21 to be exact), i had the privilege of judging the ONTARIO UNIVERSITY COMPETITION FOR HIP HOP DANCE or O.U.C.H. 2009 where universities from all over the province of ontario came to compete.

it was an honor to hear someone list my dance accomplishments to a screaming crowd of university students, and to perform a small showcase for them at the end - it truly felt like a career highlight in many ways.

congrats to the competition winners McMASTER UNIVERSITY! y'all put on an amazing show... not to mention U of T St. George, YORK and WATERLOO, you guys KILLED IT!

judges and OUCH volunteers.

to the other judges, WOW to be in your company made me ecstatic. big ups to TAZZ, MILES FABER, BRANDON ROACHE, and MARIANO -- you guys are legends in your time and i have nothing but utmost respect and love for you!

ONE LOVE!

Actor TRISTAN D. LALLA in Generation D!

2009-12-07T21:00:00.000-08:00

Gotta Love Him! For those who don't know Tristan D. Lalla is a thespian actor who hails from Montreal... You probably saw him in the feature film HOW SHE MOVE doing the hot step, but if you missed him you will surely see more of him; he already has 2 films in post production for in 2010!

This man has supported me since I was selling prints on MySpace (yeah, a lonnnngggg time ago!) and we've since been good friends. He's the shit - I'm lucky to have him in my DSHIRT!

GROS BISOUS, TRISTAN!!!!

xoxoxo

Di

why i went to new york...

2009-12-01T21:19:00.000-08:00

it was a combination of wanting to get away, and desperately wanting to see my friends, that willed itself into a trip to new york this past weekend. i did both, but i felt like i gained so much more. during my trip i realized a lot of things, and for the most part, who my REAL friends are. i always knew who they were in the past, but it's always nice to come 'home' to see them, and pick up exactly where you left off as if no time had passed at all. i am grateful that they took the time to see me; cleaned their homes and cooked or prepared food for me to eat; and actually sat, chilled, conversed deeply and bugged out with me while i was there. that to me was worth more than anything... i didn't really wanna go out and spread my energy too thin amongst the people i could have also seen -- i wanted to just lay-low and build with my peoples. GOD BLESS having great friends in your life, but also friends that are professionals with similar interests as yours whom you could also spit mad ideas with - which i also did copiously as well...

here's a iPictorial of my trip at random:

this was a painting i did live at one of the KATRA parties last summer when i had a residency there. voodoo ray owns it, and i'm glad he bought it, i like this one. and almost completely forgot about it.

when i walked out of the L train at Union Square and saw the lights off and shit boarded up at VIRGIN, i almost crapped myself... this really fucked me up, because it was a New York staple for me - a place to go when i had nothing better to do... now, it is no more :(...

hmmm... i had a bag of the peanuts for old time sake, and not only do they now cost a whopping $1.25 - i couldn't even eat the whole bag! i shared w/MELLY MEL... :)

they don't make it like this anywhere else in the world. hot, fresh, thin, yummy... i had to have a slice - even though i stopped eating stuff like this. i just had to, for old times sake.

met up with "DRE-DAY" - my ex whom i will have known for 10 years this coming August. we dated for 4 years long distance! i still love him very much ;)...

ya ya ya... shuddup. i know, times square is for tourists, and i guess i became one on this trip. not a bad photo considering i'm a bad photog and it was taken via my iPhone...

on the 'L' Train going into Williamsburg, Brooklyn to BEACON'S CLOSET probably the doooopest vintage spot in all of NYC. prices are actually reasonable! for new york, that's unheard of! lol.
MELLY MEL & AMBIKA (sp?)

This was one of my highlights - LAVALL "BRISK" CHICHESTER - a reeeally close homie of mine decided to make a banner of the logo I designed for his company, FOOTNOTE MEDIA GROUP - which no one has ever done for something i actually designed - nice feeling. we sat back for a second and looked at it. pretty dope. he's on his way to building a media empire. definitely one of my favorite peoples for sure.

me and voodoo ray. a legendary new yorker and definitely one of my closest friends. i really helped me when i was struggling as a dancer in the beginning when i first moved to nyc, and for that i am indebted forever. mind the wack photo - it was a series of wack photos, they just kept coming up horrible (on my end), but this was the keeper, i guess lol.

although no footage of it, i spent time with my ARTIST REPUBLIC partner and verrrrry close friend sir IBRAHIM YAQUT where his woman BERENIS cooked us up a bangin' meal while we sipped our bottle of SAKE. he showed me that he re-worked this piece -- fucking ill. he had an art-show with our other partner YANG CHI and when i saw the new pieces i almost shit myself they were SO fire. and of course, i forgot to take flicks of them... you'll probably see them eventually... if you're lucky.

I had 2 of these on 2 different mornings. 1 from BERGEN BAGELS and another from a BODEGA - the Entemman's jumpoff. Really too sweet, but shit, I was in New York and you live once, so twice I had to have my fix.

THIS also had me tight. the DKNY MURAL completely wiped out for the Holister - the WACKEST SHIT IN LIFE. I always looked forward to seeing that mural in SOHO, it was the icon that I looked up to, especially also because I love the DKNY brand, below is a googled image of the former... shit man, New York has CHANGED! and i don't like it!!!

Anyhow, now for some shout-outs & thank yous!

*to MANUSHKA for deep-cleaning your already stellar abode just for old Di Di and providing your extremely comfy bed... i am grateful to have stayed at MANUNU MANOR. enjoy the detox! lol

*to IRA, thanks for sharing the space and having early morning pillow talks, i love those.

*to MELLY MEL for the exciting new shade of NAILPOLISH! wew-hew thanks babes ;)

*VOODOO RAY for being himself and ordering us sushi.

*THE LADIES AT BRUNCH, you guys rocked my oatmeal.

*BERENIS and IBI for cooking and spending time, BERENIS IS A TALENTED ARTIST TOO! heads better start to recognize...

*DRE for the dinner and a movie... i could have spent another 5 hours with you! as always, time flew right by.

*ALICIA for helping me count the shirts... i'm excited to know where their new homes will be. let's start putting the wheels in motion. i'm glad you also agreed that it was a lesson that we learned together.

*LAVALL & KAYLLEN for offering up some good old fashion thanksgiving leftover desserts... the best ever! the deep convos were also what was up - kinda gave my brain multiple orgasms.

*MIKE @ SOLEFOOD - thanks for the tea! and shit, i forgot to get my babies, i'll get 'em next time ;)

*and to someone not to be named here... oooooooohhhhweeeeeeeeee!! thank you for all 3 rounds. LOL.

I Gotta Have It

2009-11-17T13:55:00.000-08:00

Around the time I last came to Nueva York (in June), I had the chance to speak on Rasu's camera about how Spike Lee influenced me as an artist. (view the clip HERE) That clip was passed around to one of Spike's staff, who then said I was bonefide Spike Joint material (acting-wise). In straight disbelief, I got hype on the possibility of actually working with the director I so long had admired. I began to do research - find every Spike Lee joint I could and watch with commentary, just so I could get a feel for how this man works, and how he casts roles. Then I slowly became obsessed with Spike Lee...

Recently I picked up this amazing book called "SPIKE LEE: That's my story and I'm sticking to it" as told by Kaleem Aftab - which details his entire career from his days of playing with a Super 8 camera to shooting Inside Man. The book is complete with interviews of his cast and crew, production notes and the social-political context which all his films take place. The book is baddd and luckily, I came across an even MORE intriguing book - his first, "Spike Lee's Gotta Have It".
In which he breaks down how incredibly difficult the filmmaking process is, especially one without any budget whatsoever - and this is all being told to you by the journal he kept while making the film. It's funny because I felt like I have so much in common with him, I still keep a journal, and evidently he was broke and famous at the same age I was. Its also the way he thinks, certain things he does, an his work ethic - and most of all - his unshakeable faith in himself as a filmmaker and the inevitable success that was encumbent upon his hard work and committment that makes me feel like I know this man like I know myself.
It's probably the craziest book I've ever read because he goes from having just the title for his then next film, "She's Gotta Have It" to having a script, to having a film, then to having film deals made and awards won because of the film - and none of it wasn't without a fight. It really made me realize that noone is just a genius and noone has overnight success and luck, especially noone of color living in the United States of America. The book inspired me to fight for what I believe, and do what I want to do BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY... Ya dig? Sho nuff.

If this was Oprah's show, and I was Oprah, I would give all of you readers a copy of your own to see what I'm talking about... But maybe u should try finding ur own copy! I know I gots to have mine lol...

"Live to Change Something Through ART..."

2009-11-12T13:10:00.000-08:00

One of the things I miss about Brooklyn is its amazing artists. Next Saturday (11/21/09), those who are lucky enough to be in the New York City area will be privy to witness 23 artists who were hand-picked by my homie RASU JILANI of COUP D'ETAT BROOKLYN" for the opening his "Live to Change Something Through Art" Exhibition at RESTORATION PLAZA. With this being nothing short of amazing,the show will include all of painting, photography, sculpture, video and installation by artists such as Molaundo Jones, Suhail Smith, Sam Wilson, Rob Fokused, Alice Mizrachi, Stephanie Land, Deka, SeeOne, One9, Alzo Slade, Ana Bravo, Berman Fenelus, Jen One, Reuben King, Amanda Diva, Nelson Rivas, Paul Deo, Robert Trujillo, Suncadm Bey, and my good friends Kwesi Abbensetts, Lichiban, Ibrahim, and Yang-Chi. If you don't find that exciting, you must not be breathing!

Thanks to RENAE BLUITT of CRUSH MEDIA, I've been able to take a more insightful look at this event, hence where I got the info for this blog... Thanks, RENAE! And now... *ahem* may I present to you some of their super-illified artwork!

(above left: LICHIBAN's "Superheros of Brooklyn", above right JENONE'S "Rasinskispike", right IBRAHIM's "untitled", below SUHAIL'S "Basquiat is King"... AMAAAAZING!!!!)

This is one of the things that makes me furious that I'm not in Brooklyn right now! The fact that I can't attend this show. Originally, I had planned to go, but I am slated to judge a UNIVERSITY DANCE COMPETITION at McMaster University... So I regrettfully won't be able to make it (though judging will be mad fun ;). I'm gonna miss this event, but I look forward to reading about on TWITTER and FACEBOOK...

RESPECT TO THE ARTISTS! and as they say... "Live to Change Something" (-Coup D'Etat Brooklyn)

LIBERATING STYLE Magazine featuring ME!

2009-11-10T14:44:00.000-08:00

Huge thanks to ANGELA CLAY and JOE YOUNG for this outstanding feature. Shouts also to Nathaniel Anderson my photographer for being so cool and professional working with me for the first time... Plus you're a hottie lol. And of course Sherlyn Torres my amazing makeup artist whom Ive graciously worked with for the second time, you never cease to amaze. And last but not least my Kuya Jodinand V. Aguillon (aka "Jodee") for providing me with the essential Pilipino threads and beads and to make me look extra extra glam lol -- lab u por-ebur... Big shouts out to Kapisanan Philippine Cultural Center for providing the space to prep this shoot on a Sunday. Thanks, Kevin and sorry for waking you! Lol

Nothing but love... Also featured in this issue is Lichiban an amazing friend and someone who Im honored to call my fellow artiste. She is astoundingly talented and she's made more than one appearance here on this blog... So y'all know I give her maddddd props lol... Anyhow enjoy this in-depth interview !!

Peace and Love

Fly Di

Day 1: the WILD-ROSE detox! lol

2009-11-05T18:26:00.000-08:00

No, it's not what you're thinking... I don't have to mix lemon and maple syrup in a bottle with cayenne pepper and drink it all day long. The WILD ROSE HERBAL D-TOX is a 12-day program whereby you take the tablets within the kit, along with 30 drops of this other stuff (blech!) and it's supposed to rid your body of the toxins you've taken in since your last cleanse (if you ever did one, that is). I kind of equate this to going to confession after years of sinning, and then saying your penance to relieve yourself of all those sins - it's the Catholic in me I guess - and the detox is kinda like your penance - which you say everyday by only eating specific foods (they give you a meal plan) and taking 2 of each tablet (there are 3 kinds) and the liquid with breakfast and dinner.

Today is DAY 1 for me, and it ain't so bad, except for the fact that I feel fatigued and slightly nauseus. I attended an orientation at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) about an upcoming exhibition, and I felt like I had smoked a joint or something - I started seeing stars. This is one of the side affects, which are noted alongside nausea, headache and other symptoms. It also states one might hafta go bafroom more than usual and I caught wind of that for sure with a grumbling tummy...

Other than feeling pissed I couldn't open a cup of jello-pudding snacks or a bag of chips, I feel aite... Which is really the whole point of me doing this - to become more disciplined with what I take into my body (you khow what I mean dammitt!)...

Anyhoo, more details as they arise.

TAH

TAH

(*PS: big shout out to GEETA KHANNA my homegirl who introduced this notion to me about a year ago. miss you bella!

i love halloween

2009-10-31T17:28:00.001-07:00

a girl can dream

2009-10-29T23:00:00.000-07:00

one day this will actually be true!... the power of visualization is A MUTHA!

Things that I am thankful for:

2009-10-26T07:35:00.000-07:00

My agent. My acting coach, Lewis. My older cousins. My bed. My new iPhone. My baby nephew Ayden. My sister Angela. My mother and my father. My father's music. The Internet. The ability to work and make money. Free healthcare. Kapisanan. The ability to finally realize what the crap is in my life, and the power to want to eliminate ALL of it.... The fact that you're reading this right now. My dance ability. My ability to see things before they actually happen. Facebook. My hair. Value Village. My life...

I was about ready to give up on the acting game, and the entertainment business in general. It's been getting difficult and the demons I my head weren't helping... I asked God, if I was really meant to be doing this, then give me a sign... And last night my acting agent Sandra Gillis (from Premier Artists) came to see my progress in my acting class... She had very encouraging words, and her being there alone is proof that I exist, and proof that I truly am meant to be doing this. (because it's rare to have an agent do that! That showed a true committment and investment in me...) She said I came a very long way, and so did my coach Lewis Baumander. I'm blessed to be working with the best in the business and Im thankful to God for that sign... Lol. He knows I needed it!

Thanks for reading!

-Di.

3.2 million of you!... pretty kewl.

2009-10-18T21:44:00.000-07:00

yes i know. i google myself, whatta narcissist! lol. but i have recently come to discover that i am a pretty popular search. with over 3 million results, i think that's pretty kewl!

now the pressure is on to create more dope shit! hahhahahahaaa... (*evil laugh*)

bye bye IRIE FOOD JOINT!

2009-10-06T20:01:00.000-07:00

anyone who knows me knows how much i used to loooove IRIE FOOD JOINT -- the place where i first learned how to waitress. it was there that i served many celebrities -- KELIS, LUDACRIS, WYCLEF JEAN, SPLIFF STAR, Olympic Gold Medalist DONOVAN BAILEY, Actor/Rapper MAESTRO FRESH WES, etc etc. back in the day (2003, 2004) this used to be THE SPOT! anyone who was anyone used to pass through there (NAOMI from ELEKTRIC RED used to frequent the place and i used to ask her how she got her VISA for the US -- hee hee). but owner CARL CASSELL is now closing its doors forever.

*TEAR!*

many of my friends out here who are doing their damn thing artistically have worked there. it's truly a legendary spot, and i'm gonna miss it, even though it fell off the past few years (just didn't have the same flava after Queen West became GENTRIFIED).

anyhow, SALUT! i still work for the owner at their other spot HARLEM so ain't no huge thang, but still, i'll miss IRIE.

peace!

-Di

finally about to get LAID...!

2009-10-01T19:43:00.000-07:00

thank goodness. it's been a while........ since i've talked to my good friend SHANNON BOODRAM author of her new book LAID! heh heh. had u there for a second, didn't i?!

well, as a sexual freak myself (who loves the DISCOURSE of sex, you pervs!) -- i've been fortunate enough to have parents who never sheltered me from the subject. so i precociously knew many things about sex from an early age. i've always loved the topic and have been fascinated by this wonderful thing of nature. i'm sure reading about it by a friend of mine will be even more fun... well sorta. heh.

here's the synopsis via BARNES & NOBLE

"In this hard-hitting anthology, journalist Shannon T. Boodram collects the compelling and personal firsthand accounts of young people dealing with sex in today’s world. Laid covers a range of important topics, from teens’ first times to STIs, abstinence to unplanned pregnancies. Boodram, an up-and-coming voice for her generation, engages teens and twentysomethings in honest dialogue and explores how they see and experience sex, how and why it shapes their beliefs, and what they have learned about themselves and their sexuality through their actions. Laid is a great conversation-starter, and doesn’t shy away from the personal topics. A great resource for young people, Laid invites teens and young adults to take a close-up look at sex and sexuality. Boodram’s chapters offer more than 40 personal narratives, from both female and male voices, with in-depth analyses, facts, and Q&As to further the discourse. Responsible and thought-provoking, Laid offers a range of honest perspectives on young adult sexuality in today’s easy access culture"

sounds sexy to me!

copies of LAID can be found at BARNES & NOBLE, CHAPTERS/INDIGO, AMAZON and BORDERS.

you should get LAID NOW!

bought my first art pieces!...

2009-09-20T08:47:00.001-07:00

the only thing funner than selling your artwork, is buying someone elses! yesterday at the OUTDOOR ART SHOW at TRINITY BELLWOODS PARK (WEST QUEEN WEST) i was lucky enough to meet another cool artist chick named JISUN CHUN... her work is silmilar to mine in her use of black, her neat and bold lines, and her use of geometry. needless to say, i was quite drawn.

i bought that piece (above)!

and she had other awesome work at hand... check it:

her work is very KANDINSKY

slash POLLOCK

slash NATIVE / INUIT ART

VERRRRRY fucking kewl!

she also hooked me up with this one! i was soooooo thrilled ...

my next acquisition of hers will be this one entitled "HYPE"...

i can't freaking wait! i want all her work, it's so dope...

If u wanna see more, go here.

SHE'S A BADASS!

Painting Process III | "Beza"

2009-09-08T22:20:00.001-07:00

She's one of my best friends - she has been for almost exactly 8 years. We met in Cutural Anthropology class at McGILL back in 2001 and we've been besties ever since. She actually introduced me to new deep soulful house music in 2002 and is GREATLY responsible for me wanting to learn to dance moves to go with this new beautiful and exciting music she introduced me to.

For her birthday this year I decided to draw her a portrait. Here's how the process went!

Complete as it was, the more I looked at it, the more I didn't think it looked like her. I started to get furious and even though the end result was satisfactory, the perfectionist in me wanted a better portrait. So I chose another reference...

And completed a whole 'nother drawing...

Always there for me, I couldn't have made it through these rough times without her! I couldn't be more proud to have her in my life as one of my very closest friends.

She currently works for as a producer for CBC National News Radio (our national broadcasting system). I'm so proud of her, it's ridiculous...

I love you BEZA! Happy birthday!!!!

dolo artist

2009-09-04T21:39:00.000-07:00

(random thoughts)

i've been doing a lot of thinking lately about all my simultaneous careers (art & dance) and as much as i love both of them i do ultimately hafta make a choice on which one i want to focus on more (common theme for my blog).

this year, after being out the dance game for 3 & 1/2 years, i was able to make a bit of a comeback - teaching 2 classes, getting called back for auditions and even booking gigs. but this wasn't easy and it still isn't. there are SO MANY POLITICS involved in the dance game -- there's a lot of fakeness, a lot of this to get that, as with any industry. as much as i LOVE DANCING and still don't feel as though i've gotten where i want to be with it -- and it's definitely proving a lot harder now that i'm 27 (yeah still young but feel much older than i was when i started). i often ask myself if i want to exert all that energy just to book a job, or have people *f___ w/ me, or get cast in something... i donno.

dance does not exist without others. one can never succeed as a dancer in solitude - much like life - we can't make it alone.

then there's art, however, where one can simply live alone in a cave, bang out some incredible gems and then expose them to the world... eventually becoming incredibly famous and valuable to society! -- right now this seems more appealing.

it's definitely been an easier ride for me as an artist as opposed to a dancer - with dance i've always met some resistance, even from the beginning. still, something in me reeeeeeeaaally wants to dance and show the world (but mainly myself) how incredible my dancing is and can be.

i donno we'll see... i'm not gonna give up one for the other. but it helps to dissect how i feel about 'em! thanks for listening ;)

my peeps between the sheets of CLAM MAGAZINE...

2009-08-28T18:15:00.000-07:00

Nothing makes me prouder to see my peeps from BROOKLYN hit the pages of CLAM MAGAZINE which I picked up at my local INDIGO... Namely LICHIBAN, JELSEN JARGON, RAYE6, and KWESI ABENSETTS to name a few. Not only are they my friends, they are some of the most talented and inspiring individuals I am privileged to know. (i stole the below jpeg from JELSEN'S BLOG haha). This past issue as based on 'the world around you'and they were each asked a set of interesting and insightful questions... They were also featured among talented artists from France to Brazil. The format of CLAM is interesting, the entire magazine is of these artists answering these questions. It kinda got boring and redundant after a while reading the same questions answered over again... But I found some interesting ones, like that of music producer WAJEED (whose answers I agreed with most) and KEZIA JONES - whom I thought was funny and honest.

Also among my peeps were friends of friends including DIAMOND GIRL, THEOPHILOUS LONDON II, DJ RASHIDA and AMIR EBRAHIMI who photographed most of the BK artists. Overall, a DOPE mag. Pick one up to see what BK is all about...

And click on my peeps' logos to see their websites / blogs (WHOM I AVIDLY FOLLOW!).

NOTHING BUT LOVE from DI <3

xoxoxo

love u LiZ! happy birthday...

2009-08-25T23:47:00.000-07:00

... sorry i couldn't be there on ur special day love <3...

(look she wore my shirt as a skirt how ADORABLE!)

ur da best!

love Di

iLuv these earphones!

2009-08-25T05:49:00.000-07:00

i've gone thru many earphones in my day... but these are by far THE BEST! i feel like i'm inside the music. iLuv them so much i had 2 blog about em.... haha!

the sound quality is incredible... if ur on the lookout for some good, affordable headphones, pick these up fa sho! i've got the pink ones of course ;)

ONLY $6.99 @ WINNER'S!

-di

FLY LADY DIary: The 1 Year Anniversary!

2009-08-17T09:37:00.000-07:00

It's been a great year indeed (for this blog at least)! Half in NY and half here in Toronto. Half painting and half dancing. Lol here are some of the highlights of this past blogging year... My fave JPEGS at random! Enjoy.

the dating game :(

2009-08-16T21:25:00.000-07:00

Dating can be FUN but it can also be a nightmare at times! It's hard to find a good dude - someone u can just kick it with and not be worried about him trying to get in ur pants (BECAUSE THEY ALL DO!). I've recently expressed my disdain for dating on my FACEBOOK status - which at first I thought went unnoticed. Then I came home to all these notifications!

Read what heads had to say! (click in for a closer look)

That wasn't it - my inbox was also replete with messages from peeps telling me that there was hope and that was 'cute enough' lol to find a next man. There was one message in particular from a former co-worker New York (whose ID I will protect) that I wanted to share with all of you. Since most of my followers are female, I thought a lot of you could benefit from reading what she had to say (again, click in for a closer look):

MAKE THAT LIST LADIES! And keep me posted. I'll be sure to do the same :)

PS: I found another hilarious video via SUPERNEWS on CURRENT TV about TEXING UR WAY TO LOVE... soooooooooooooooo funny! and soooooooo true!

LOVE (is out there),

Di. xoxoxo

fuck twitter

2009-08-12T21:33:00.000-07:00

...whew! and i thought it was just ME. i thought i would google 'fuck twitter' just to see who felt the same i do -- and apparently there are 49 million other people who do! (or at least have written 'fuck twitter' somewhere in the web universe...) it's interesting to see the extent some people have gone to announce their disdain for such a useless piece of shit website - another reason for people to become disengaged and uncourteous to their fellow human being in the flesh - standing right in front of them.

the best 'fuck to twitter' BY FAR was this one that i found on FREEWILLIAMSBURG.COM an incredible animated account by CURRENT TV showing how freaking LAME-O this whole Twitter bullshit has gotten.

...THEY said it too! not just me. LOL

GET BACK TO THE REAL WORLD U MOFOS! fuck a twitter yo...

same shirt, new look

2009-08-12T21:04:00.000-07:00

Model: Andrea Boston
Models: Hauke & Selena
Model: Kimaya McPherson
Model: Selena Ayala
Model: Hauke Gahrmann
Model: Selena Ayala
Model: Hauke Gahrmann
Model: Honey LaRochelle
Model: Michelle Salacan

Model: ME ! (fly lady di lol)

Last time I was in New York (beginning of June), I was fortunate enough to have helped put together a photoshoot for my GENERATION D-SHIRT LINE with my favorite people the SOLIVE ARTS movement (Kanako Haji, Alicia Boone & Tamika Brown), and our latest addition to the GEN D squad - a marketing genius by the name of Teresa "Tee" Walker (who has worked for Essence and In Style magazines to name a few) graciously styled the models to make sure they looked their best. I want to thank EVERYONE involved, including of course one of my FAVORITE PHOTOGRAPHERS in NEW YORK, ms. LIZ ALLEN of EMA PHOTOGRAPHY - you da besst ma! The models are credited above.

buy one for only 10 bucks man u can't beat dat wid a baseball bat! lol

GENERATIOND.BIGCARTEL.COM

MY DAD'S ARTWORK

2009-08-10T21:08:00.000-07:00

I've stated in almost all my interviews that the reason I became an ARTIST is because of my DAD. Him being Mr. Weldon V. Reyes - a graduate of University of Santo Tomas in the Phillipines (one of the best schools in Asia) with a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts.

When I was about 4 or 5 years old, I saw him paint these pieces and became so fascinated with painting altogether. I knew instantly that I would be a painter too - or at least strongly wanted to be. I would look at his paint set and his brushes and how he used them, mixed colours with water, etc. He was like a scientist or wizard and I would watch him for long amounts of time, or at least I remember.

Throughout my life he would teach me everything he knew, before I learned it in school - which is a huge reason why I aced all my art courses. I owe a lot to my pops for giving me the crazy art education that probably wasn't just taught - but also inherited.

We are about to go in on a COLLABO PROJECT me and him, but I thought I'd introduce y'all first!...

MAD PROPS TO YOU, DAD!

more to come........

-Di xoxo

(FYI: these were painted CIRCA 1986)

my new 'do

2009-08-06T13:33:00.001-07:00

ching chong chang! lol enjoy.

My Pilipino Obsession

2009-07-22T23:35:00.000-07:00

My KUYA (aka Pinoy bredren) Jodee Aguillon (known on YouTube as JODINAND) is responsible for my new YouTube addiction. Not only is he handsome and charming (or POGI as they say in Filipino), but he's fucking funny as all hell -- and I wonder if u need to be Pinoy to find him as hilarious as I do. Actually I don't think so, but see for urself anyways:

(everything u need to know about Pinoy stuff)

He always has me dying! His whole YouTube channel is gut-busting. He makes me proud to be FILIPINO (or even prouder).

SUBSCRIBE, PO! Love u JODEE!

parade

2009-07-20T18:38:00.000-07:00

trying my best to wanna
join the parade outside my window
but sometimes
it ain't that simple

that parade
a masquerade
this charade
a guessing game

a waiting game
for what's taking me so long
to figure this shit out

i see the dream plastered on a billboard
but why can't i sit still for the photoshoot
my silent mouth holds these thoughts
that recycle themselves as if thrown
into a blue bin
the hours pass into the months i look back upon
and wonder why i haven't scratched
half of my list off yet
is that demon really me
or a harbinger of truth
forcing me to retrace my steps
and look twice at what's ahead
maybe i haven't sacrificed enough yet
oh self-indulgent me
paying dues until my dying days
as someone once advised...
i donno maybe i'm just lazy
and complacent
but what's the rush
and why race anyways?

YAY! 81 Followers and I'M ON TV AGAIN!....

2009-07-17T01:58:00.001-07:00

what could be better than this? 6 months ago i was reeeeeeally questioning whether or not i was making the right decision pursuing dance again. that little devil on my left shoulder kept convincing me that i was too old, it was too late and that i should just give up.

6 months later, i book a dance gig.

life is really amazing. when you focus on being excellent at what you do, the universe comes and brings you some pretty awesome shit! honestly fyi: before this gig i hadn't booked a gig in 3 AND A HALF YEARS! (since Ashley Simpson's "L.O.V.E." video back in November 2005) it feels great to be back in the game, it really does.

LONG STORY SHORT... if ur in Canada, or in the States and have satellite and can somehow find CTV, check me out in the SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE CANADA promo! i haven't seen it yet but i heard u can see me! lol yayyyy....

and to all 81 of my followers that are reading this, THANK YOU for choosing me bloggy! my wish is to keep you as entertained, inspired and informed as possible. love you!

<3 lady di

wtf?

2009-07-02T23:12:00.000-07:00

why are you reading this right now? and how did you find me? what makes me soooo interesting that you are now taking the time out of your busy day of social networking to read what i hafta say? do you ever ask yourself these things? well ya should!

i've always been really fortunate to have people interested in my 'brand' of expression. ever since my first myspace page that i created in may 2005 - i had hundreds of requests the instant i put up my profile, and it didn't stop until i deleted my page at over 6,800 friends (before myspace took a turn for the worst). i put up yet another myspace which now has 3,000 friends and a facebook page with over 2,000 friends. and if ur reading this u r probably one of 80 of my blog followers (ps i love you) ...and then there was twitter.

at first, like everything else (myspace, facebook and even blogger), i put up a twitter page without even taking it seriously. i would dabble with it here and there, make fun of it, etc. and then things would get interesting - i would try and strategize ways to build an interest and the numbers would climb steadily.

twitter is a different story.

i'm starting to feel a certain typa way about myself now, and WHY? in all my fabulousness would i do that? all because my gosh darn twitter following fluctuates up and down - where i lose followers and gain them, almost by the second! beit so that i barely use it - not nearly as much as some cats, but regardless, it's putting me in a weird place, where i feel like i'm losing my superpowers! ouch.

so why do we do it??? why do we spend hours at a time trying to secure our online identities, make ourselves look cooler than we really are, gain numbers, get popular? and why does it work for some people and not others? what do we really hope to gain from all this crap?

i read a line in a book i recently read called 'chump change' about a writer who moves back to toronto from new york (sound familiar) in an effort to find whatever success he can. at one part he explained why he wanted to become a writer in the first place; and it was when he read steppenwolf - he was enthralled by the fact that someone would express so openly their own lonliness. anyways, the line in the book was (in essence) 'all people really wanna do is to call out to the world, 'is there someone out there just like me?' and it made perfect sense. we spend all this time trying to find people who understand our neurosis! because there are in fact people out there who do.

so the fact that you're reading this right now means ur probably as neurotic as yours truly... and if so, kudos to you!

ps: follow me on twitter: twitter.com/flyladydi

BONNE FETE MELLY MEL!

2009-07-01T22:03:00.001-07:00

In this life, we are lucky if we find people who we love being around, who we can relate to in different ways, who can bug out with, eat with and also be real with... In my life I am lucky enough to have MELLY MEL as my best friend. You may have seen or heard of her on this blog already, but since (yesterday) is her birthday, I wanted to formally introduce y'all to this amazing human being that I call my bff.

Her and I met on the set of HONEY, where we were cast as dancers, back in 2002.

Needless to say, with our love for food, candy, fashion, dance (and of course hot guys), we clicked instantly. Although she lived in Ottawa, we would take turns visiting each other, buy each other earrings that we would interchange, write letters and send flicks to one another, etc. and each time we got together, as it is now, it's always the best time I've ever had.

It's also important to know who she is - if you are to get to know me - because she's the one who introduced me to HOUSE DANCE. Without HER, I would never know that there was a formal way of learning House dance, acquiring the skills necessary to become successful and who's classes to take. Her and I used to go to the House Dance Conference together when I first moved to New York City back in 2004 -- and that's where we met everyone - Link, Caleaf, Ejoe, VooDoo Ray, Marjorie, Stretch, Tweetie, Danielle, and the list goes on. Without those times, I honestly wouldn't know ANYONE in New York, I wouldn't have found my niche and I wouldn't have truly felt like I belonged.

I'll never forget speaking to her from New York one day, she had a dilemma. Cirque du Soleil requested that she audition for a show they were casting called "The Beatles 'LOVE'" that was to take place at the Mirage in Las Vegas. For months on end we would go back and forth weighing the pros and cons of if she should take this job, and she eventually did -- and it changed her life. If you are in NYC right now and are in any venue that plays music, and Melly Mel is there, most likely you have or will witness some of the best dancing you've ever seen in your life (as seen on her dance reel below).

MELLY MEL DEMO REEL

Mel I love you so much! My sister and soul... You always inspire me to be the best and for that I am forever grateful. Today, and everyday, I celebrate you as a human being and I am fortunate to have you in my life....

Je t'aime, je t'aime, je t'aime Melly Mel! Bonne Fete a TOI Ma Cherie!!!!!!

Love Di

I will always 'Remember the Time'....

2009-06-25T22:32:00.000-07:00

i had a feeling it would happen... in a way, i'm very relieved for him, i could tell he was in a great deal of pain; i had a feeling he was just really unhappy. i feel as though he gave his life for us - for our entertainment. he was the ultimate entertainer, i don't think another single human being could ever top his success, his talent, and his discipline.

michael jackson epitomized what every entertainer aspires to be like... we are forever indebted to him for the example he gave to us as an artist, and the influence he had on us through his music and his dance. without him, my childhood definitely wouldn't have been the same! (i used to run whenever they played the 'thriller' video...)

the one connection i felt i definitely had with him was when i temped at SONY BMG and my job was to write updates for michael's website. coincidently, i had the gig right when mj was celebrating thriller's 25th anniversary and when the album was being inducted into the US National Treasury. click on the image below for a closer read at what i wrote.

YOU WILL BE MISSED, MJ! May you rest in peace now.....

Love Di

PS: CLICK HERE FOR MY ULTIMATE MJ SONG!

blah blah blog...

2009-06-24T19:50:00.000-07:00

sooooo i haven't posted up in a while... i've been meaning to blog about a BUNCHA things... like what it has been like auditioning lately... how your thoughts truly do manifest themselves (oh wait, i blogged about that already. heh.) and about some new pet peeves i've developed (when people use words like 'conversate' and 'addicting'... urrrrrgggggh!)... anyhoo u get the point. until next time, here is a random haiku from me to you:

you fill out a form
they call you into a room
then you show your ass

the end.

(FYI above is a photo by mayawashington.com (she just got married!!!!) taken in 2004 on my fire escape in harlem where i once lived...)

Fly Lady Flashback - BBOY HODOWN 2006!

2009-06-11T09:06:00.000-07:00

So as I was practicing this morning look what I found... clips of myself and KUMARI (my battle partner) from BBOY HODOWN 2006. That battle, and that week, was probably one of the funnest weeks I've ever experienced in my life.

Watching this clip, number one, I'm proud of my dancing (damn my footwork is clean as fuck!) and number two, on another note, what was I wearing? Ahhhh pink slouchy socks as someone once put it... (and if you listen closely to when I'm battling, you can hear him really loudly - lmfao)

Memmmooorieeeeeeees!!!!!!!!!!

Hello Again

2009-06-11T05:59:00.001-07:00

Dear Fear of Success,

So we meet again. I thought I had met with Success and forgot about you, but, here you are... Greeting me every morning and tucking me in at night. I don't know why we keep revisiting the same old sordid love-affair with one another - when we obviously don't belong. I thought I gave you the business a long time ago, thought I had kicked you in the butt, but here you are again back for more. You're always getting in the way of Success and I, and I don't appreciate it -- for I want me and Success to go all the way someday, you know? Stop slowing me down, you asshole. I know I'm clinging on to you for dear life right now, but it's only 'cuz I'm used to you and your smell. I guess I'm like an animal in that way... But really -

FUCK OFF ALREADY!

Yours Truly,

Diana.

Fly Lady Di wuz here...

2009-06-09T19:04:00.000-07:00

i came back to new york last week feeling like i came home. i hadn't been in six months as you may know, but it felt like i never left. a lot had changed since i've last been, but it felt like no time had past at all. weird.

well, throughout my trip i've run into some life lessons. i pieced a few of them together on the 10-hour bus ride home last night... thought i would share some with you...

*in teaching, i must be patient - because the student is really ME.

*a BEST FRIEND is someone you always feel like you've known in past life, but just met for the first time.

*if someone is annoying or bothering you - pay close attention to their actions. they are simply demonstrating to you how it feels when you do that same exact thing to others... real talk!

*i shouldn't put too much on my plate... as a multi-talent, it's hard not to wanna do everything people ask of you. it's a blessing to have so many gifts, but i really have to be selective of where i put my energy. i should only bite off as much as i can chew....

*i apologize if i let anyone down last week -- i am a busy girl and my trip was short! you will see me sooner than later.

needless to say i've had some hits and some misses last week - you really can't win 'em all. there were some amazing moments that i got to capture on camera (before my camera committed suicide into my hot tea after LADIES LOVE THE BREAKS)...

i luckily got to catch up with my homegirls YUKO and MARI J from LUSSW Magazine Japan who let me in on a KID CUDI photoshoot in DUMBO...

At LADIES LOVE THE BREAKS, I finally got to meet the legendary graf artist TOOFLY NYC and ALICE MIZRACHI of YOUNITY at that party as well. Big ups to Miss Vanilla Medallions, Chuck Anthony, Laval aka Brisk and his GF Kayllen, my photog friend Michelle Wilson and of course MARTHALICIA who let me go in on her Muhammed Ali painting, but got super sidetracked when Bilal got on the mic I got lost in the music......... !!!

check out the new branding for my D Shirt Line. On the right panel Selena Ayala (my homegirl and supermodel) was kind enough to model it for us (among others you will get to see soon!). photos of course by LIZ ALLEN of EMA PHOTOGRAPHY (i'm gon' always use her for my photos)! MAJOR HUGE bigups to SOLIVE ARTS MOVEMENT for providing the venue and of course the shirts... but more on that later!

later alligators!

HONEY MAGAZINE features a day in my life!

2009-06-02T08:24:00.000-07:00

Hey folks! Big thanks to Courtney Willis for posting up this day-in-the-life article on ME. To see the story click HERE.

BIG UPS TO HONEYMAG.COM!

dance dance!

2009-05-27T16:53:00.000-07:00

here are some new flyers for y'all...! i'm excited to be back visiting NYC for a minute, and luckily i get to teach some HOUSE CHOREOGRAPHY in NYC ! it will be a fundraising effort for Lil' Raggamuffins Summer Camp which I will be a part of this year ;)... hopefully u can make it!

peace y'all see u in New York next WEEK!

moving on...

2009-05-10T17:58:00.000-07:00

you never realize what you have until you no longer have it. the cliche rang majorly true for me, having to move out of the old Markham abode I called home for the past 20 years. it was the only symbol of permanence in my life and now it belongs to someone else's family. pictured here are some shots of my closet, the site of where, when i was eleven, decided to make a kiss print in it with my mom's lipstick - so that someone would have something to look at when i moved out. it would sybolize me having lived there... also pictured is the space where i measured my height as a kid -- you can see where i'm at now at the top (27.4 months). the last flick is one that Maya took of me back in January. it was my purple room - the place where i could just relax and be myself. no matter what was going on in my life, i knew my room would be there, welcoming me with open arms... i painted it when i was 15 and when i knew we were moving, i refused to paint over it. i can't even go back there again, it will just be way too hard.

driving away after the move was done, i started sobbing like a little bitch! i haven't cried like that in a really long time. i mean uncontrollable hysterics. i needed that though... you get so attached to something and then it's gone. that just goes to show, never take anything for granted ever. it'll take me a while to fully accept and acknowledge that place doesn't exist for me anymore, but i realized we need to embrace change in our lives and move on to the next chapter with fearlessness and enthusiasm.

so here's to you, 66 upton...

i do have super powers

2009-04-28T19:43:00.000-07:00

As cheezy as this may sound, House Dancing is one of the only skills I really have. I realized that recently. I mean, yeah I can draw and paint n' everything, but chasing money with those skills was a big headache (last year... oh gosh). I know House Dancing is not all that popular right now (though it is gaining speed, and FAST) but I love it and it feels super-human that I'm able to choreograph to it so easily and so well. One day... if I'm lucky enough, it will bring me greater success than I could have ever dreamed...! I just hope u can come to class and see what I mean.

These photos were taken by LEE PHAM from the Break It Down street dance battle a while back (Feb 1, I believe). I was one of the House judges. It was incredible - did me really proud to come from such a talented city. Here are other people who have super powers (amazing photos).

SEE YOU IN CLASS!

what my mind sounds like lately:

2009-04-27T22:54:00.000-07:00

believe it or not!

you're amazing. there's only one you. you have super powers. you kick ass. you suck. you have no talent. you're not really good at anything. you're ugly. you should just give up. why don't you just give up? things are hard for a reason. you should keep going. it's not the destination, it's the journey. don't expect it to take a year, expect it to take ten years. don't give up! keep going. just take it day by day. you're a failure. you'll never amount to anything. you suck. just give up now. what are you thinking? who are you? who are you kidding? who are you trying to fool? you are the most talented woman alive. you are worth millions of dollars. you are a part of history. you are a pioneer, a leader. you are the 21st century woman! just stop. throw in the towel and call it a day already. you suck.

blaaaaaaaahhblaaaaaaaaahhblaaaaaaaaaaahhh...

shut it up!

Fly Lady Di SUPPORTS SOLIVE! ARTS MOVEMENT

2009-04-24T20:18:00.000-07:00

If it wasn't for SO LIVE! ARTS MOVEMENT, Fly Lady Di would only be half a success... THANK YOU GUYS for all that you have done and continue to do - to help me make ART my BUSINESS! I love you Kanako, Ashley, Tamika and of course ALICIA BOONE for helping me kickstart thangs in Brooklyn! ONE LOVE! BIGUPS!

GO SUPPORT THE ARTISTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So Live! Arts
presents
Make Art Your Business
3rd Annual Art Show

When: Sunday, April 26 2009
Time: 6:00 PM

Where: Pratt Brooklyn

Where: NoName Cafe in Willoughby Hall

Add: 215 Willoughby Ave. b/w Classon Ave. and Hall St.

How: G train or B38 bus to Clinton-Washington

Absolutely No Charge
FREE

Combination of video screening, group art show, and musical performance, live painting and more.

Please come out and support the show, Art Students, Greater Art Community, and So Live! Arts.

Featured Artists:
Fly Lady Di, Crystal Clarity, Kirarin, Concep, PESU, Riz22, Mistah Metro, Dawn Okoro, Lexi Bella, Marissa Olney, Julia Cocuzza, Alicia P, Mio Tobiyama, Jayson Natienza,
Rolando Brown, Jullien Gordon, Joel Mejia, Chet Green and many many more.

i asked, you ANSWERED!

2009-04-14T18:03:00.000-07:00

I really wanted to thank you for participating in my little survey... (now i know who my REAL friends ARE! LOL.) I can honestly say I not only learned some valuable info about websites, (ie: which ones succeed, which ones are popular) but I also saw patterns in you ANSWERED the survey. Thanks for the entertainment. Here's what I found!:

by far, the most listed website in all the answers was wikipedia.org. other most common responses were google.com, nytimes.com, amazon.com, ebay.com and youtube.com (most of you asked, "does that count as a social networking site?" LOL!).

i asked,

what's your favorite website (that's NOT a social networking site) and why?

personally, i love art-dept.com. it's clean, easy to navigate and provides constant inspiration to a young visual artist (my fave illustrators are kristian russell, fiona wiley and liselotte watkins)

a lot of you said,

various things for various reasons. but, more than one of you answered:

wikipedia.org
nytimes.com -- "Have to stay up-to-date of what to be afraid of."
google.com

i asked,

name 5 websites you visit often (that are NOT social networking sites):

me personally: imeem.com, youtube.com, missjackdavey.com, wikipedia.org and imdb.com

most of you named the usual:

youtube.com
google.com
wikipedia.com
nytimes.com
weather
your financial institution

people with websites put their own personal web sites! most of them, artists.

more than 1 of you answered:

okayplayer.com -- all of my people in the music industry included this

dailycandy.com
nahright.com
hypebeast.com
alltop.com
karmaloop.com

kanyeuniversecity.com/blog/ -- this was very popular

huffingtonpost.com
pandora.com (not available in Canada!)
google.com/reader
bbc.co.uk
cnn.com

oprah.com

deviantart.com
karmaloop.com
etsy.com

imdb.com

those who included a porn site added either a "lol" or a "hahaha" next to it. my favorite was, "hey, i'm honest"

(lubetube.com is my personal fave.)

youporn.com
freeones.com
lubetube.com
pornhub.com
assparade.com
parlour.com -- i just found out this is a porn site! LOL

i asked,

what kind of things do you purchase online, and what sites do you purchase them on?

i personally buy music and movies online using itunes. i also bought flyladydi.com as you know ;)

a lot of you don't shop online (*tisk tisk*)... but for those who do, here's what you buy:

books
music
accessories
concert tickets
plane tickets
vintage / rare / discount clothing
shoes
domains
computers
tshirts

and you buy them from:

amazon.com
ebay.com
kayak.com
bluefly.com
itunes.com
etsy.com
ticketmaster.com

i asked,

what kind of things do you often find yourself 'Google-ing'?

most artists i know google themselves (i'm guilty of this too!... badddd...)
along with images

surprisingly, one of the most popular things you Google is:

recipes

more than one of you said you Google the following:

someone they just met (i know i do this ALL the time)
people
movies
restaurants
travel / vacations
inspiring people / biographies
artists
locations / directions
unusual / unbelievable information

in general, most of you Google stuff that is related to your field of work or endeavor... other than that, here were some of your funny answers:

"sometimes i google google- beware"
"Researching a cute lady I may have just met and want to know she is not a serial killer out on bail."
"I even spend a lot of time researching what other people search and analyzing the analytics."

age range?: (A) 18-25 (B) 26-35 (C) 36-45

most of you are B

what's your occupation?:

for most of you who work 9-5 -- you only named one thing (ie: Senior Financial Analyst)

for all of you artsy people, you named mulitple things (ie: Producer / Web Designer / Stay at Home Mom / Emcee)

hee hee hee...

so what was the point of this survey? well, i certainly learned from it far more than i thought i would. it opened my eyes (and hopefully yours too) to what is popular beyond my own personal scope. it's nice to be a part of this dialogue, and it's nice to know that people will indeed take the time to help you out if they believe in you and what you're doing. now for my website....(*hands together thinking of a scheme...*) i gotta come up with some shit that will top all of these!

class starts THIS THURSDAY!

2009-04-10T12:37:00.000-07:00

i'm a little nervous. but i'm more excited than anything! lol... i'm way less nervous from when it was my very first class (oh gosh i was such a mess inside that time!)

anyways... i'll be doing something new. bringing house dance to the mainstream PROPERLY. a lot of "hip hop choreographers" want to go ahead and use "house dance steps" in their routines. they don't know what the f*ck they're doing! i'm here to set 'em straight....

Celebrities wear GENERATION D!

2009-03-30T20:28:00.000-07:00

i'm convinced, i created a monster. my GENERATION D SHIRTS are about to take over the world. they already are! i was more than shocked and pleased to find that MARIO VAN PEEBLES himself wore my DSHIRT on his new show MARIO'S GREEN HOUSE on Equator HD. this is huuuuuuuuge! i couldn't ask for a greater endorsement. THANK YOU SUPER MARIO!

Check out his new show MARIO'S GREEN HOUSE on Equator HD!

Over the last 2 & 1/2 years, I have been fortunate enough for people to take a liking to my one and only tshirt design so far... It all started out as a birthday gift I made for one of my best friend BEZA's homeboy. The first time I made it, I knew I would be rich. So, I put it up on MySpace in August 2006, and as of last year, SOLIVE ARTS MOVEMENT and I have teamed up to bring you the new and improved version -- with tighter graphic decals that last longer and stay brighter... big ups to you ladies!!

Here is a look at who's been wearing GENERATION D.............

the agytators, media

marta, bgirl/mom

selena ayala, model

raydar ellis, rapper (photo on fusicology by human)

mike baker, music producer, LA

melly mel, famous dancer

jenn9 & melly mel, world class dancers

hisa, house dancer

kanako haji, solivearts movement

ME!

melly mel, world class dancer

tokyo girl (unknown - thanks Fujiko for the pic!)

jenn9 & melly mel, world class dancers

jenn9 & melly mel, world class dancers

dax, music producer

@ fresh produce nyc

eriklyn, tokyo

bgirl bounce

universal music interns @ fresh produce nyc

dj jme, toronto house dj (amazing)

darp malone, amazing toronto musician

aquatine, dancer & cutie pie (photo by stephanie land)

alaric campbell, photographer

Here's a look at where my shirts have reached so far in the world... One day, I will turn the whole map red:

visited 8 states (3.55%)

NOW GO BUY ONE FOR YOURSELF! (click on the above)

the MAIN ingredient

2009-03-29T21:25:00.001-07:00

i can honestly say i've been in LOVE twice in my life... in two radically different episodes. the first time i was in love, it was all the things it's supposed to be: supportive, carefree, nurturing, etc. the second time was an intense rollercoaster of emotion that was terrifying, intense yet powerful. lately in my acting classes, i've been told that i carry too much from my past that i should just let go of. (i knew he was referring to my latter experience of 'love') my coach said that i will never progress until i convert this pain into something i can use to empower, not hinder me. it came as a shock to me that someone who barely knew me from a month ago, saw so profoundly where my head is at (or maybe i just made it obvious). in any case, he was right.

as most of you know, i've been on the hunt for some knowledge... reading a lot, doing research, taking classes and workshops and teaching (because the best way to learn is to teach) - and as mentioned in a previous post i've recently been up on THINK & GROW RICH by NAPOLEAN HILL. i came across this one particular passage that struck a chord with me (once again), and i thought i should share it with you (it's pretty deep):

"One Who Loves Truly Can Never Lose Entirely"

Memories of love never pass. They linger, guide, and influence long after the source of stimulation has faded. There is nothing new in this. Every person who has been moved by genuine love knows that it leaves enduring traces upon the human heart. The effect of love endures, because love is spiritual in nature... Go back into your yesterdays, at time, and bathe your mind in the beautiful memories of past love. It will give you a source of escape from the npleasant realities of life, and maybe - who knows? - your mind will yield to you, during this temporary retreat into the world of fantasy, ideas or plans which may change the entire financial or spiritual status of your life...

Dismiss, also, the thought that love never comes but once. Love may come and go, times without number, but there are no two love experiences which affect one in just the same way. There may be, and there usually is, one love experience which leaves a deeper imprint on the heart than all the others, but all love experiences are beneficial, except to the person who becomes resentful and cynical when love makes its departure. Love is, without question, life's greatest experience."

Long and short, love is the main ingredient. Looking back at my two experiences of love, during my first experience I was probably the happiest I've ever been -- and consequently I achieved many concrete successes during that time as well.

In my art, in my dancing, and in my acting, I almost trained myself to go to a place of pain in order to create (my second love experience). I always felt like, as an artist, that was the way to go -- the only way to find 'it' was to go deep within and find that rooted pain that most of us harbor for years. For the first time, I was told that there is another way, a way to flip it, and come from a place of empowerment. And what greater thing to empower your being than with love...

It all makes sense to me now. LOVE = SUCCESS. It is the greatest force in the world and it's funny how fast we forget, or at least how fast I forgot, how powerfully it can serve you if you are willing to let it...

MY NEW YORK STATE OF MIND...

2009-03-24T17:38:00.000-07:00

CLICK on any of the above for my latest magazine interview (I'm on page 20)! THANKS TRUNG for the linkup :)

-Di.

sewing the SEEDS...

2009-03-18T22:50:00.000-07:00

believe it or not, it is rather difficult having multiple talents. each day i struggle with having to figure out which one in particular i want to pursue as a career. i feel as though i have succeeded at all i have attempted (dancing and painting), yet i still find myself unable to figure out what i should butter my bread with... (how exactly am i going to make my millions?)

in the midst of my soul searching, i came across this book that my dad always had lying around the house called "Think & Grow Rich" by Napolean Hill. i never paid the book any mind until now, and it was only after reading the chapter on "ORGANIZED PLANNING" that i understood why i was compelled to pick it up.

similar to "The Secret", this book reaffirms that you should mentally call upon what it is you want, and then render it with conducive actions. but when i came across the aforementioned chapter, it gave me a little more than i could conjure up with common knowledge. there was this one particular passage on leadership that i wanted to share ... it somehow struck a chord with me:

"Most Leaders Begin as Followers.

Broadly speaking, there are two types of people in the world. One type is known as leaders, and the other as followers. Decide at the outset whether you intend to become a leader in your chosen calling, or remain a follower. The difference in compensation is vast. The follower cannot reasonably expect the compensation to which a leader is entitled, although many followers make the mistake of expecting such pay.

It is no disgrace to be a follower. On the other hand, it is not credit to remain a follower. Most great leaders began in the capacity of followers. They became great leaders, because they were intelligent followers. With few exceptions the man who cannot follow a leader intelligently, cannot become an efficient leader. the man who can follow a leader most efficiently, is usually the man who develops into leadership most rapidly. An intelligent follower has many advantages among them the opportunity to acquire knowledge from his leader."

the word 'leader' always scared be - simply because it carries with it so many responsibilities. and once one of your followers fail, you are responsible for that failure as well. i figure the only way to be the best at doing something and get compensated for it, is to become a leader in that field. i guess i gotta just grow some balls!... and also figure out wtf i want to do! i wanna do it all really, i think i can do it. nah... i KNOW i can do it all. heck, i did it in high school! lol.

i shall leave you with a recurring quote that i absolutely love from the book:

"EVERY FAILURE CARRIES WITH IT THE SEED OF AN EQUIVALENT OR GREATER SUCCESS!"

Fly Lady FLASHBACK

2009-03-16T21:00:00.000-07:00

From Sunday September 11, 2005. Nick @ Night in CENTRAL PARK, NYC.

THANKS DENYSE! Great memories...

lol look how skinny i was! ahhhhhhh !

danny i hate you for this!

2009-03-06T23:34:00.000-08:00

...as a big booty girl myself, and despite the fact that the below video is obscene, obnoxious and objectionable, my amazing friends in bk made it (and it is actually quite impressive!) hence i am posting it to my wonderful blog. not to be shown to anyone 12 and under! lol.

enjoy!

SHOUTS OUT TO SELENA, GEETA, ZUQUAN, and of course the amazing DANNY and NETIC of Game Rebellion! I miss all u muthafuckerz so much.

fly vegan di?

2009-03-01T16:43:00.001-08:00

ahhh this was me. august 2002. i was 20-years old, dancing 3 or 4 hours a day every day and jogging for 35 minutes every morning. i ate anything i wanted and stayed this thin, simply because i was so active. i was conscious of what i ate, but i never deprived myself of anything i loved to eat (i treated myself to a frappuchino every time i booked a dance job)...

...fast forward to NOW. currently 27-years old wanting to re-start my dance career. WHAT AM I THINKING? i do the same things i did when i was 20, only now i feel like i'm moving through sludge when i do it. what GIVES?!

...thanks to the book 'SKINNY BITCH', i've realized what gives... it was the SUGAR!

this book (below) has been the reason for the new attitude towards food which i am now advocating. chapters like 'sugar is the devil' and 'you are what you eat' have made things all the more clear on why it is so much harder for me to look the way i did when i was 20.

simply by reading it, i realized the true bane of my existence - the sugar! all this time it was making me feel good - but only for short moments of time - leaving me to feel bad and shitty thereafter... it once was synonymous for all the pleasure in my life, only to leave me so un-fit and unhappy with how i looked...

(sounds like an ex boyfriend! LOL)

it wasn't only realizing it was the sugar, it was also the cigarettes and the alcohol (because they all fittingly go hand-in-hand).

i was never super big on eating meat, but this book certainly solidified my desire to change my lifestyle and not include meat, fish, eggs, etc. it scared me into wanting to become vegan!... here are some highlights from this amazing book:

"What the fuck? The USDA will protect the data confidentiality of famers that are supplying the public with contaminated meat? Why don't they just give all the ranchers blowjobs, too?" p.96

"Whenever you see the words 'fat-free' or 'low-fat', think of the words 'chemical shit storm'" p.17

"Of course it's easier to socialize after you've had a few drinks. But being a fat pig will hinder you, sober or drunk. And habitual drinking equals fat-pig syndrome." p.12

READ IT!

my paints on 106 & PARK!

2009-03-01T14:18:00.000-08:00

a great homie of mine mr. ANT BOOGIE of the AMOUNTBOYZ is back from Madonna's STICKY & SWEET TOUR and going full force with his site amongst other dance-related events in NEW YORK CITY...

during the New York leg of his tour, ANT had asked me to paint some of his lense-less glasses (how original, lol) which I did, and he recently repped them on BET'S 106 & PARK! I was so excited when I saw it!... Thanks ANT ;)

This is a great look!

I posted the video below for your viewing enjoyment... AMAZING DANCING. Peace to all my dancer homies in NYC I love you guys and I am sooooooo fucking proud to know y'all!

FYI: the AmountBoyz are a BIG, MAJOR reason why I moved to New York in the first place! I dreamed of dancing with them, which I eventually did and still wish to do in the future.

if ur in NYC and you're a dancer... i HIGHLY SUGGEST going to this party!

f i n a l l y !

2009-02-25T21:33:00.000-08:00

FLYLADYDI.COM!

GO THERE NOW

DOWNLOAD MY PRESSKIT

i hope he's nothing like you

2009-02-22T11:11:00.000-08:00

for years
i've wondered if i hated you
or if i really loved you but
just wanted you to grow up
you've been the bane of my existence
for as long as i can remember
sometimes i see your beauty
sometimes i wanna kill you
or at least make u hurt, the way u make me hurt
you taught me by example
of all the things i shouldn't do
i compare every guy to you
its amazing how two people
with so much in common
can't see eye to eye most of the time
through it all
you've taught me a lot
mostly about myself
because you remind me of all the things i despise.
i will never be the kind of artist you are
committed to nothing but your own self-hatred
afraid of letting go, and loving your talents
and even though my rage for you is deep
i will always find it in my heart to love and forgive you
for all the bullshit.

i just hope the next one is nothing like you, Dad.

...in yet another TRACE MAGAZINE!

2009-02-21T09:33:00.001-08:00

i feel so special. of the THOUSANDS of people that were there that night, they chose to put me and my homie MANUSHKA MAGLOIRE (the current Events Manager over at VIBE MAGAZINE) in the spread - along with Lindsay Lohan, T.I. and M.I.A. i'm so honored what can i say? TRACE MAG has shown FLY LADY DI nothin' but love since the beginning... i have nothing but love BACK!

peace <3

-Di

fly di in jersey last week...

2009-02-15T19:00:00.000-08:00

THANKS TO MICHELLE WILSON FOR THE PHOTO and the link... Click on the above photo for details!

styleaholics interview

2009-02-13T00:31:00.000-08:00

pardon my meathead folks... ! i kept forgetting to post this interview. click on the photos to link it up!

THANK YOU TO SIGOURNEY SALLEY for the dope new posting :)...

LOVE = DANCING

2009-02-11T23:45:00.001-08:00

i've recently discovered striking similarities!

*sometimes says he's gonna call back... but he doesn't!

*just when i think i get it... they really wanted someone else!

*oh it hurts so bad... but it's a pain that i keep going back to! ouch... yes.

*it's amazing what i do to get it.

*once i commit to it... my life revolves around it, it's all i think about.

*i can stray away from it for years, and whenever i go back, it feels like the very first time.

*i just keep wanting him to want me... then i complain once i get it.

*callbacks are just a fucking TEASE! whatever happened to if you get the job, you get it after one fucking audition!? rrrrrrrrrgh... stop playing with my emotions.

*once i'm back with it, i never wanna stop. then, that pain hits, and i remember why i left... then i remember why i love it, so then i go back.

*makes me feel SO ALIVE.

*i feel hungry after (LOL).

*you never know what they're looking for.

*once i do get it... oh man, the JOY is like no other. only us dancers can know that JOY. even for just that moment.

house battle i judged last sunday...

2009-02-09T16:16:00.000-08:00

... was sick, stupid, dumb. i am so proud of toronto house dancers, they've come such a long way since i left (dec 2006). i used to teach a house class and knox (brotha in the blue shirt) was one of my students. he sez i motivated him to learn more and now he's a BEAST! i always knew he would be. BIG SHOUT OUTS to OFILIO too (his opponent).

this is the best dancing i have seen in YEARS! by far...

you can see me at times on stage wearing the rainbow hoodie!

RANDOM THOUGHTS part deuce...

2009-02-08T22:30:00.001-08:00

i miss new york pizza.

i'm jealous that it's so warm in new york right now, that's another thing that i miss.

glad to finally have unlimited text messages again.

i love hearing that my ny friends will possibly visit me here SOON! woohoo (doing backflips)...

MAD HAPPY that I am DANCING AGAIN! I'm back baby... I'M B A C K!!!!

i remember how hard it is to dance, you have to practise all the time for shit that may or may not pop off... either way, i'm not in it for the money, i'm dancing cuz it's the one things that truly brings me joy (i'm finding other ways to make money now too).

i really wanna see that 'he's not into you' movie.

woohoo! 3 new texts!

i miss him.

today my ipod had to restore itself and it magically uploaded all of our songs. that one album we used to play...

will it ever feel that way again?

i miss my friends in brooklyn... (you khow who you are, chances are it be YOU)

i'm glad i'm in TORONTO dancing, i keep hearing the NY dance scene is mad wack (that's why i jumped out the game and started painting)

feels nice to finally have a business partner again, it feels real (shouts out to MC, my right-brain)

i made THE BOMBEST MELTAGE TODAY: spinach, goat cheese, black olives, cherry tomatoes, parmesean - herbed and spiced down (salt, pepper, garlic powder, basil, parsley)... with baked season chicken and potatoes... the rolls royce of all meltages. mel would be proud.

i gorged on chocolate today: ice cream, cake, cheesecake - don't worry i'm going to the gym tomorrow.

today is the only day in 6 days straight that i missed the gym, so RELAX you MOFOS.

the GRAMMY'S SUCKED ASS this year.