It's Akilah, Obviously!

The weather here in NYC is just abysmal and I’m overdue for a tan. I miss heat. I miss not having to wear a jacket and a coat! If you’ve followed my interests at all, you should know that I’m going to PlayList Live in Orlando in a few weeks. I’ve been dieting, yoga-ing, plotting, planning, shopping, daydreaming, and generally being way too excited for the long weekend that awaits. Did you know I love travelling? I absolutely love it; From 4am cab rides to airplane turbulence, to staying in a foreign bed, and eating and drinking about town.

Well if you didn’t know all that jazz, now you do, and that means you can look forward to me blogging about different travel things I enjoy!

♪“I watch the patchwork farms // slow fade into the ocean’s arms // calm down // release your cares // the stale taste of recycled air.”♪ These are lyrics to my favorite flight song, “Recycled Air” by The Postal Service. Their entire album Give Up is super relaxing to listen to in-flight, but I just like making new playlists for every new escapade.

I have 2 tips for building a relatively dope flight playlist:

1. Look for songs about flying. Start with the basics:

• “Come Fly With Me” by Frank Sinatra
• “Leaving on a Jet Plane” by John Denver
• “A Whole New World” from Aladdin
• “Fly Away” Lenny Kravitz
• “Fly Like an Eagle” Seal (yes, the dank version from the Space Jam Soundtrack)
• “Learn to Fly” Foo Fighters
• “Rocketman” by Elton John

2. Look for songs about your destination. Since I’m going to Orlando, I’m just gonna put songs by Disney, tropical sounding songs (like Beach Boys stuff), and Flo-Rida, but I’m sure if you’re going somewhere awesome, you should work on building that list. My NYC list is INSANE.

So that’s part one of this series on travel! I’ll keep this going because it’s one of my favorite things to do!

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My Christmas vacation is quickly coming to a close here in Kentucky/Cincinnati (yes, near where “Peeta” is from). It’s been super cold and snowy, but one thing I’ve missed more than Jay-Z misses Kanye being single is the space and the natural light. My tiny Brooklyn bedroom/apartment doesn’t really afford me any extra light or space, so it has been nice to stretch my little body out. Here are some of my favorite parts of my house:

My mom had this really big “travel” and “vintage” period, and I love these quirky old suitcases because they are simply decor. They serve no purpose aside from making the house feel like a home.

My mom has had these records since she was in high school. That peach box is real, it’s not some prop from Urban Outfitters. How cute?! I’m sure she doesn’t listen to the records anymore, but maybe one day we will.

Between the first picture and this one, you can hopefully tell what my mother’s favorite animal is. She adores elephants. There are elephants in almost every room of the house. 

This has been one of my favorite things since I was a kid. My sister and I used to pretend we were the two women in this tapestry and we would make up stories to go along with it. As an adult, I just love the Egyptian influence. Very swank.

At first, being black, the idea of living in the woods seemed like we were breaking all of the horror film rules. After living here for a while I started to feel more in-tune with nature. Almost like Pocahontas but less hot. The two decks on the front of my house that overlook the stream and my mother’s plant habit bring the outside in at every turn. I’m going to start buying plants for my NYC apartment asap.

And there you have it! All of these lovely things that I just love and plan to miss about my home.

(Source: itsakilahobviously.com)

 To me, Christmas is the best time of the entire year. I’m not particularly religious, and while I love giving gifts, I always feel too old to have a list for anyone else—but I do love it. Being able to take time off work (BIGGEST BONUS EVER) to see my darling family is so nice, and as much as I knock it, I love Kentucky and Cincinnati. I like the slower pace but the ability to go to a city if the feeling arises. I like driving. I like all of that. As a kid, Christmas really did mean Santa, and not sleeping at all the night before. My sister and I got walkie-talkies one year, and we would chat room to room about how we were holding up under the supreme anticipation. As we got older, we watched Titanic all day Christmas Eve to make the hours pass faster. I mean literally back to back to back (it’s a really long movie, okay?). 

I’ve only been home a few days, but I already know that it’s going to be one of the best Christmases ever, because I’m lucky to be able to give gifts and be here with my fam-bam. So whatever Christmas means to you, or whatever you’re celebrating in the colder seasons, I hope it is all you’ve wished for!

Happy Holidays!

(Source: itsakilahobviously.com)

The way we see ourselves is largely based on how others see us. Even the reflection in the looking glass is interpreted by everything that has ever influenced our ideas of beauty and lack thereof—even before our speedy membranes and neurons and other science words of which I loosely remember the meaning— have had the chance to fire. Photographers of merit have an innate gift,  a supreme talent of not only being in the moment, but shooting an image that actually mirrors our true selves. No wonder people used to think that the snap of a shutter could literally steal their soul. Like everyone else, I have perceived flaws that I’d like to change. When I look at Nessa’s photos, I don’t see any of my flaws as flaws. She didn’t airbrush them away, she just made them seem like beautiful quirks. Her photos have this dreamy, whimsical feeling, and I’ve never felt better about photos of myself. I’ve honestly never thought I could look girly and darling and interesting, and these photos have changed my outlook on myself. If a skilled artist can capture this in myself, then it must be there, right? It’s also worth noting that her casual professionalism made me feel less awkward in front of the lens. She was encouraging and specific about where my focus should be, and I could feel her vision evolving (that sounds so airy-fairy, but come on, you know what I mean) as we shot frame after frame.

So I think every single person should have photographer friends. Not only that, but they should seek out the artsier humans that can interpret all that we are in completely captivating, creative, lovely ways. It also doesn’t hurt that she’s hilarious, witty, and loads of fun to spend a chill weekend with. Please check her out on YouTube, Instagram, Her Blog, Twitter, and wherever else you can find her.

Big Kiss,

(Source: itsakilahobviously.com)