Oh “Snap! Orlando” did it again
Posted on May 26, 2015 1 Comment
PICTURE this: A fusion of light and movement through projection art curated by the most forward thinking digital artists, designers, and filmmakers.
Snap! Orlando brought out the big beamers outshining any other art show I’ve been able to venture to. An exhibition that will make any normal person turn into a photomaniac over night. BYOB Orlando (Bring Your Own Beamer) was a one night event that left me wanting more.
Here are a few of my favorite shots from the night with a brief description of the interactive play…
A morphing algorithm allowing the background to change shapes and colors in a mesmerizing way.
This interactive installation and cymatics projection involved a whole lot of work behind the scenes. Basically this awesome tech guru, Ginger, used a programming language known as Processing to create a code that would analyze color change through audio from this other artist’s GIF which in turn would send out a frequency to a speaker which activated cymatic visuals ending up as a lovely projection of light reflecting off the surface of the water showcasing patterns of sound vibrations.
A better breakdown of this masterpiece and artist check out: SPECTRE’M
A beautifully crafted GIF with downward facing rotating psychedelic planes. 
Interactive motion sensored Van Gogh. Yes please.
Before you shed a tear check out BYOB Orlando and SNAP! Orlando which will fulfill all your wildest dreams and satisfy your artist fixation one by one.
Profresh Photo Cred: Mark
“It”
Posted on March 31, 2015 1 Comment
I’m always up for the next big adventure and my next one includes a baby aka “it” – for now.
My husband and I decided to wait until “it’s” born to find out the sex because I’m sure you’ll agree that there are very little surprises in life and what an amazing one this will be. We also decided to keep the name(s) to ourselves because lets face it… opinions from others on our future “it” is better left unsaid.
What an amazing experience this pregnancy has been.
The first trimester (3 months) was about as pleasant as sitting on a cactus. Your hormones are all over the place. Annoyed* is your newfound adjective. You basically eat to “toss your salad”. Oh and you have now acquired a newfound super power (sense of smell) that gives you the nose equivalent to that of a Bloodhound. Prepare to smell everyone’s stink and turn your head when they speak to you directly or carry tic tacs on hand prepared for battle.
Before you swear off having children there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The second trimester…
So far (knock on wood) this has been smooth sailing thanks to an amazing husband and support from great friends and family.
My appetite has picked up quite a bit with pickles, strawberries, ice cream, burgers with bacon and other weird cravings on the weekly grocery list.
My body has changed a little. I have always been active and into running and swimming so the bun in the oven is baking in a small space, thankfully.
The first movements are weird… at first you may think you have gas bubbles but it’s the peanut swimming and squirming in its little oasis. They become more prevalent as you grow and you’ll get a strong karate kick or jab here and there. I notice it more before bed and after eating spicy foods or when I listen to dope beats (a musician in the making).
I also like to be completely honest about the experience of having your first child… it’s really scary, weird, and amazing all at the same time. I mean, you start thinking about what’s taking place in your body and the fact that you will have actual food for your newborn coming straight from your bosom. It’s weird. My husband asked why I thought it was weird and my explanation was this, “Could you imagine having milk streaming from any of your body parts?” Mmhmm weird.
I am so thankful though for this weird but amazing experience God has granted us. It is a blessing to even be able to conceive and I cannot wait to hold this life in my hands that I am growing inside of me and will be able to bring into this world. It is truly a miracle in the making.
The first time I saw my sonogram my husband and I were doing missionary work in Guatemala. A Cuban doctor took me in and showed us on the screen what looked to be a small human like formation that was intense to see for the first time. You process the fact that there is a human growing inside of you that will be the most important part of your life. There is no better feeling in the world. (Side note: a sonogram that cost us $27US)
My priority now is to live a life that I would want my child to live. My goal is to be what I want it to be and I want it to see what I want it to be. You feel me?
People say they will change their lifestyle when they have a child but I believe you should start emulating the character you want to see in your future children before you conceive. Simply put, the “do as I say not as I do” is out and the “do as I do” is in; A simple goal for us to strive for paving a brighter future for our children, their children, and ourselves.
Oh and please feel free to share any advice for the “it” in the making by leaving a comment. I love hearing stories from other parents and what helped them make their life a bit easier before, during, and after birth: Books, strollers, holistic alternatives for babies and all that jazz.
Ps. A time capsule message for my little angel ❤
“Your father and I cannot wait to meet you, see your first steps, watch you grow and learn, and show you all the beauty the world has to offer. Your daddy touches your little cocoon/ my belly once a day just to let you know he’s there. We look forward to showing you an abundance of love that will be with you long after we are gone. You will be our greatest creation yet.”
Featured Artist: Baowolf
Posted on March 31, 2015 Leave a Comment
Creeping up on the music scene is this newbie with fresh beats Baowolf!
His sounds are chill synths with an electronic flare. This underground artist is pretty hard to track due to the rookie status but I see a bright future ahead for this producer. All I know is that his name is Will. He likes pizza and beats so he must be cool. Not to mention has an amazing ear for the creation of new sounds which is what I personally crave.
Show Baowolf some love and help share the tunes!
Tweet @baewolftrap
Insta @willtheexplorer
Featured Artist: Swindle
Posted on January 23, 2015 Leave a Comment
If you enjoy jazz with an electronic twist you will love this…
Swindle is a multi-talented producer/musician from the UK who mixes funk, bass, piano, and more instrumentals that will satisfy your earbuds.
This 27-year-old has played at festivals with other big name favorites like Massive Attack, Kryptic Minds, and Mimosa. Hitting the music scene hard this year with an Asia tour is sure to boost his beats.
Not only does he have a unique sound but a peculiar style that is sure to influence his followers. The end of 2008 Swindle Productions was born. Here is an artistic video with imaginative animation full of fun twists and turns:
Follow this cool cat to the moon:
Tweet @Swindle
Insta @SwindleUK
A honeymoon with 30 kids
Posted on December 25, 2014 1 Comment
Earlier this year I told my mom I would marry the man that would drop everything to volunteer with me at a special children´s home in Guatemala.
I did.
I´m sure he didn´t expect half of our honeymoon to be spent at the children´s home with 30 kids but it was. Talk about taking one for the team.
A year of great risk and great reward…
I sold all of my stuff (everything) and left for Guatemala to volunteer and live at New Hope Coban, a children´s home in the mountains of Guatemala, in April, 2014. I spent 3 months at this home and became a different person.
July I was back in the states and had to get back to work. I had nothing in common with most anymore. The usual conversations didn´t excited me. I didn´t fit into my old social scene I used to thrive in. My perception of life had changed.
Laying out by a pool a girl told me about this dating app that I assumed was just like the rest, OkCupid. She was 32 and had met her now boyfriend of about a year on it. Then went on to say that she knew other people that it worked for so… I was still skeptical but figured what the heck.
I was in a new city. I didn´t go out anymore and my typical week was set: work out, work, and church. So I gave the app a try. I figured I could at least make a new friend along the way if nothing else.
My profile was a little sarcastic. Mainly I talked about how much I loved bacon, dreamed up new bacon dishes, and needed bacon to live.
I did´t really expect to meet anyone special. I stuck my blog link on there as well to run traffic to my site…. which works btw…and is still working.
After about 2 weeks I was over the app and forgot about it.
One day I saw a really nice email saying something about my blog and I had to read the rest of it so I clicked the link which brought me right back to the dating app.
A notification alerted me that I just had a match with this handsome guy… so of course I did what any curious single girl would do. I checked out the profile. Unfortunately it said this guys location was Portugal but I didn´t care after I read his whole profile. He was a computer nerd that was hot, genuine (judging from the profile), and wanted to learn how to break dance (humor*). Winner.
I shot over a message letting him know I could help him with the break dancing starting with a simple Roger Rabbit. We soon found out we both had a lot in common and that he was back home getting his Visa straightened out so we could meet for lunch. A lunch that lasted 3 hours.
The rest is history. Smitten and completely on the same track on everything from children to spirituality to music (anyone that knows my music taste knows it is not easy to match). Oh and he didn´t drink. (Heaven opens and angels singing here)
It´s like God took my cookie cutter perfectionistic vision of a man and placed him in my life. Prayers answered.
4 months later we eloped and are now spending Christmas at the children´s home in Guatemala.
¨When you know you know¨, truth in this case.
I believe God is leading this journey 100%. It has not been easy but the most rewarding year of my life on this planet to date. I have no clue how the next few years will unfold but I´m foreseeing some babies, composing and producing my own music, traveling, and more missionary work with the hubs.
Fairytales do come true.
Give ole Cupid a try. You never know. You might be one click or swipe away from your very own prince charming.
Slippers & PJ´s for Christmas
Posted on December 25, 2014 1 Comment
All 30 children were sitting patiently as they called their name one by one to get their Christmas present.
Trinity Baptist Church had families pick a child to buy a present for at New Hope Coban children´s home.
You could see nothing but smiles filling the room and each child bubbling with excitement.
As soon as all the gifts were passed out they were all allowed to open their present!
One by one they pulled out their gifts slowly and with care. Eyeing each find as if it were a foreign treasure they just dug up.
They each had a card with a family picture inside so they could see who picked out their present.
Every child received slippers & pj´s.
The ruffling soon subsides and a few tears run down their cheek.
One of the older girls, Florida, raises her hand and asks to speak.
¨Thank you so much for our gifts. I know there are alot of children who will not get this. I just wanted to let you know that I am very gratfeul for this and may God bless you.¨
All the children then stuck the picture of the family they received and stuck it in their Bible to pray for them always.
Some of these children have no family.
My words can barely do this scene justice. We have so much to be thankful for this Christmas.
Hug the necks of your family and cherish the memories you make. If you have someone that loves you, food on the table, water to drink, and a roof over your head this holiday you have everything one should ever want or need.
God blessed me by getting to see the true meaning of Christmas this year through spending it with his angels.
Now, I get to share this special moment with you.
Merry Christmas & God Bless
Your Heart Knows What´s Best For You
Posted on December 21, 2014 1 Comment
Follow your heart.
Be true to yourself.
Be true to your passion.
Do what you wish in your wildest dreams and let no one discourage you.
Use obstacles to fuel your strength for what´s to come.
Others will project their fears on you. Let it propel off of you like a drop of water hitting a hydrophobic coat.
Be fearless.
When you walk with purpose and passion and compassion for others the light will brighten your path.
When you walk with love in your heart you project love and receive it.
Love those who feed your soul.
Love those who feed your mind.
Write down your dreams, wishes, desires, and watch them manifest through belief and faith.
Detach from all materialism.
Cut the chord of unhealthy habits and people in your life.
When you are being the best YOU no one can shake your confidence, your faith, your happiness.
Keep love in your heart no matter how many times you are hurt.
Happiness, love, compassion, understanding, and peace come to those who stand strong in their faith and follow their heart.
Be authentically you without fear of others thoughts.
Keep your eyes on the heavens.
Keep your heart full of love.
Keep your feet in the light.
Stay true to yourself and watch life unfold before you like never before.
May God bless your journey.
#DjOneChain
Say Ello
Posted on December 17, 2014 Leave a Comment
EVERY ARTISTS VIRTUAL DREAMLAND AND PLAYGROUND
I jumped on the ELLO train and am thoroughly enjoying the ride…
This is a social media site that is brand new and similar to Facebook but better.
Ello, the Facebook Killer, was launched earlier this year as an Ad free social networking site that promises not to exploit your privacy.
Ello is free to use, but is looking for alternate ways to cash in conserving their promise. They are going to upsell features not yet launched comparable to LinkedIn. It is also selling specially branded t shirts in a partnership with threadless to generate more revenue.
The Ello service claims several notable distinguishing intentions as a social network.
*never sell user data to advertisers or third parties
*never show advertisements
*not enforce a real-name policy
SOLD
Soon after I created my profile I noticed that ALL of the profiles I viewed were quality artists, painters, graphic designers, freelance writers, djs, producers, photographers, fashion designers…
THE CREATERS. THE MOVERS. THE SHAKERS.
I love the exclusivity of it right now because you send in your email and then they take about a day to approve your entry.
So go ahead and give it a whirl and don’t forget to say ELLO @djonechain
5 Reasons Guatemala > America
Posted on December 16, 2014 1 Comment
This post is going to be completely foreign to readers who have never traveled outside of the US or experienced culture in a third world country. You are missing out and I am going to tell you why…
I sold all of my stuff, quit my career, and flew over to Guatemala ¨solo¨to volunteer at a children´s refuge for 3 months in the mountains of Coban.
Why? I wanted my soul back and I found it along with my passion.
Corporate America stole it. After college all I wanted to do was make money. I paid my way through college with Hope Scholarship and worked my butt off to pay off what that didn´t cover. After a summer internship in Orlando at Fox35, which was awesome, I had a nice student loan to pay off as well. I got a job in outside sales immedietly after I left the nest and hit the ground running. I swung like a monkey grabbing each better new opportunity that came my way and landed into a great career. I had an amazing job, making great money, a fun social life, and everything you would want to achieve at 25 years old.
I had what i like to call a ¨come to Jesus moment¨during that time.
A wicked routine that´s easy to fall into…
Week: Work – 8 to 6 (for someone elses vision)
Weekend: Typical bar hop scene with friends, dance, drink, and be merry
I started noticing the same people doing the same things every weekend. It´s like I jumped outside of myself and did the V8 pop to the forehead. WAKE UP! I didn´t want to be that girl at the same bar with the same people every weekend. I didn´t want to work for someone else. I wanted to live a healthier lifestyle. I wanted change.
I lost my PASSION and I needed to find it. So I did what any person in this generation does to lift their spirits… googled inspirational quotes, read inspirational books, and did some soul searching online.
I lost sight of who I was and what I wanted. I took my life back into my hands and made some drastic decisions that left my friends and family thinking I had ¨fallen off my rocker¨(sorry if you don´t understand my southern idioms)
It was a slow progression to a new life but that´s all I needed to light a fire under my bottom.
Ok… now that you got the back story how in the world does Guatemala come into play you ask?
GOD. Yep. GOD. I´ll say it one more time for the non believers. GOD.
I would tell this juicy part but I´m saving it for MY BOOK!
Now, back to why Guatemala is awesome.
1) Guatemalans are the most hospitable and kind and humble people I have ever met. The rich and the poor. BOTH. The village people will invite you in and offer all they have which isn´t alot. Families are closer and spend more time together.
In the states a stranger is a stranger and if you see a random person walking around your yard you´d probable call the police instead of invite them in for dinner. Family time is cut in half due to the work load for most parents and less time together.
2) I love how with the upper class families it´s not frowned upon for kids to live at home through college. They don´t have student loans because their parents help them and during that time they save up for a home of their own. Most move out when they get married and by that time they have cash for their first home which they can pay for up front.
In the states unless your parents were successful enough to foot your college most likely you will have a student loan. After college a mortgage. Let´s face it America runs off credit. Most people live off of that sadly. The neverending debt that compiles until you die of stress because you can´t catch up. Companies lay off long time employees because they don´t want to fork out what they´re owed in their benefits package. Doctors are overworked and underpaid (the people that save lives). Most entry level positions pay 30K and after taxes you are eating Ramon noodles or calling your parents if you had that luxury. I love how companies are ONLY hiring temps because they don´t want to offer full benefits. Great job America you are single handedly hanging yourself.
3) Having lunch with Guatemalans is an all day thing and very enjoyable. No one is glued to technology. They genuinely enjoy their company, stay engaged in conversation with no interruptions, and lots of laughter. It´s normal to have a 3 hour lunch. OH AND THE FOOD IS FRESH! NO PRESERVATIVES. The soil here is rich and every farmers dream come true.
Go ahead and check out the cancer stats in the world. America is the one of the highest. The importance of money has diminished the quality of life meaning our life source… OUR FOOD adding in preservatives. Fast food don´t even get me started. Natural and organic will save your life literally. I started eating clean 2 years ago and juicing vegetables. I cured my LIFETIME migraines that I had since I was 3 years old. I cured my sinus infections which are now nonexistent. I have not been sick because I eat really clean. Oh and I quit drinking alcohol. Healthy feels great and I love this lifestyle.
4) 7Q to 1 AMERICAN DOLLAR
Need I say more
5) The scenery is breathtaking in all parts of the country: Balck sand beaches from previous volcanic eruptions, Mayan ruins- some of the oldest historical sites in the world, Lake Atitlan which is magical, and my favorite children´s home in the whole world, New Hope Coban, where the children are angels and I´m convinced is heaven on earth.
After my 3 month stint volunteering in the country my perception of life as I knew it changed forever. I saw death in America and life in Guatemala. I saw children full of laughter and smiles who had NOTHING. I saw village people with less than the homeless in America but more than the richest. I saw a poor country whose people live off of necessity not materialism and quanity and credit. I see people who LOVE with everything in their being and give ALL THEY HAVE to complete strangers. COMPASSION. LOVE. RAW AND REAL LIFE. That´s what I want. Organic and natural not processed or preserved.
America was no longer the land of opportunity but the graveyard of debt, stress, and obesity.
I urge everyone to volunteer abroad in a third world country at least once. Jump outside that bubble and open your eyes to a new world. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. You will leave to help others who will end up helping you.
“The mind, once stretched by a new idea, never returns to its original dimensions.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
New Hope Day 2 – Best Christmas Ever…
Posted on December 14, 2014 Leave a Comment
It’s funny how the older I get the less stuff I want. Christmas used to be my favorite holiday as a child because it meant lots of toys! Now Christmas is my favorite holiday because of the special people I spend it with and the memories I can make.
This Christmas was a bit different. I didn’t get to spend it with my family in the states. Instead I got to spend it with 30 beautiful children who own my heart at New Hope Coban children’s home in Guatemala.
My husband and I wanted to bring over a gift for each child at the home, ages ranging 3 – 23 years old. Unfortunately, we couldn’t fit a lot in our bags due to our month stay so we had to be creative. I suggested going to the Dollar Tree and for US$40 we were out the door with a toy for each!
Yes, we bought Christmas for a WHOLE children’s home for US $40 bucks and it was the best $40 dollars we have ever spent…
Tonight we decided to give the kids their presents early and their reactions were priceless.
I picked out fake mustaches for each child because lets face it they are AWESOME and who doesn’t appreciate a good fake mustache?
We had each child put on their mustache before they received their gifts and we all laughed until our faces were sore and our stomachs hurt.
The older boys got Whoopee Cushions because every boy needs this in a lifetime. THEY LOVED THEM and laughed and laughed and whoopeed until they couldn’t breath.
Each child hugged our necks for their gifts which made it worth every cent. The gratitude they show is so great that we can all learn from them.
Isn’t it amazing that for US $40 you can give a WHOLE children’s home a Christmas full of love and laughter and smiles?
Today just made me personally reflect on my previous Christmas holidays and this one by far reigns supreme.
I challenge you to look outside of yourself and help someone in need this holiday season. Brighten someones day with a selfless act by giving a gift out of love without the expectancy of a returned favor. The Dollar Tree has some wonderful gifts that are bound to make anyone smile and it’s well worth every penny.
Happy Holidays from New Hope Coban Children’s Home (Heaven On Earth)
May God use you as a light in someone else’s life this season.
MANY BLESSINGS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT 🙂
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