I must be crazy!!! Sorry Kay!!!

So you'll never believe what Ms Aluxism herself has done. In an attempt to get fit, lose weight and just have a healthier lifestyle, I have signed up for Shape magazine 10km run!!!

I'm absolutely excited and am really trying to live the new year, new things quote of mine, but at the same time I am absolutely terrified that I may bail out, or that I won't be fit enough in time, and also the pressure is on to get fit! I have exactly 11 weeks to get ready for this "little" challenge of mine, and guess what? I wasn't silly enough to do it alone! No, no, no sehnor!!! I asked my gorgeous, stunning friend Kay who is on the, "get healthy and super sexy" band wagon with me to join me in the 10km challenge.

I've already started with gym and changing my eating ways here and there, but now I really need to take it up a notch and be on a no fat, no friends, no drinks, basically no life diet for the next 11 weeks. I'll keep putting up post and picture of me, the fabulous one burning it up at the gym, and also my road to the 10km run.

Wish me luck!

One day hopefully, I'll be just as fit as my favourite Kardashian! Inspiration!

Happy new year, happy new things!!!

So it's a new year filled with new things and new possibilities! I feel that people, and I'm guilty of it too, feel that just because a new year has arrived, only now is it possible to correct old things or start new things. I must say that there is something very refreshing and comforting about a new year. For example: a new wardrobe, a new man, a new job and maybe even new dreams. Oh, and lets not forget about the ever famous new years resolution, that people love to make, but can't keep. I guess there is Solis and excitement knowing that there is something you have promised yourself you will do in the new year. I have promised to get healthy and drop some weight, find a job and give all my love and attention to buying things for my would be apartment and growing closet. This year I was told, is a year of action, making things happen and correcting things too. I couldn't have put it better myself.

I would also love to try and stay a bit more dedicated to my blog, and post more regularly, and add some really lovely and interesting reads towards it. I feel that this year, even more than any other year is so the year for my closet! I was in Cape Town for my December vacation and it hit me like a ton of bricks, that I hadn't developed a true hunger or lust for fashion. I've always felt that fashion is a mistress, it could never be a wife, because it is ever changing and just wants your money!lol. Fashion is an affair that you either parade for the world to see, or hide so you father, boyfriend or husband won't see what you've spent on one pair of shoes. I've always loved fashion, but never really gave it everything. So whilst gallivanting down the streets of Cape Town, I came across countless fabulous stores! Stores that truly embodied style and personified the phrase "to die for". I actually only bought 4 items(4 very expensive items), whilst I was in Cape Town, but what items they were. I got 3 stunning handbags, new and vintage and a vintage shirt, that truly is like no other. There were many other beautiful things I would have loved to buy, but I absolutely believe that you need the classics's first, then everything else will follow.

I have also decided that one of the many gifts to myself and my wardrobe, is to go to Cape Town quarterly and just fly in, shop and fly home. why not? What is life about if you can't spend it doing and getting what you want! Joburg has the style, but Cape Town has the stores! What's a girl to do!



My 3 new favourite things!!! Puts a smile on my face everyday!

Song of the month! Marvin Gaye - "Inner city blues"

I listen to a lot of music on a daily basis, well, because I wouldn't function without it. My love for music is similar to an addiction of chocolate, liquor or whatever it is that one would be addicted to. I have come into a new phase were I am very serious about Motown music. I have always adored the magical Motown sounds and have tried to put together a semi decent collection.

I have classic favourites like Donnie Hathaway, Diana Ross, Lionel Richie, Roberta Flack, Marvin Gaye and many more who have wowed me into this very alive genre of music. I say very alive because as much as it is not popular culture to listen to legendary music like that in this day, when you do listen to it, and you do love it, apart of you feels so alive, or feels as thought it missed out on one of the most exciting times in music.

My song of the month is "Inner city blues" by the one and only Marin Gaye, who is the quintessential pioneer of Motown music. I am addicted to his music and listen to it on a daily basis. There is something really special and real about music of that time. Lovers were really in love, people in the struggle were struggling and good times were just that, good.

"Inner city blues" is just a feel good song as far as I'm concerned, even though it speaks about struggle and pain. I guess I feel good, when I'm having an "inner city blues" day, when listening to this song. Each verse describes a problem everyone has encountered. The song speaks to people who have nothing, people who are struggling with day to day survival, and people who find it hard to pay taxes. Those people exist. I've even started noticing them ever since I developed a relationship with this song. You see them in traffic, on the street waiting for a taxi, in their luxury cars and on t.v. I guess, this song basically makes me feel like I'm not the only one whose struggling, there are plenty of others who are worse of them I am. But, irrespective of that, you go on with life after you've cried and complained about how unfair life is. It has a beautiful, soulful melody, that is very old school and very Motown. You can almost see the hipster's and Afro's as you close your eyes and listen to this master piece. Not to mention Marvin Gaye's very some, sultry, strong voice, seducing you with his words of disapproval. Go out and get it. It's a classic, it's Motown, it's Marvin Gaye!

(Marvin Gaye image is courtesy of google images)

Greenside Stories! "The office" review.

Today I decided to hit the vibey and young streets of Greenside, in hopes of capturing fashionable unsuspecting drifters for a school assignment. Fashion media is the subject, and I have to take pictures of what I think is on point street fashion.

So as I try to progress in my quest to find these fashionable young things, my classmates and I get totally distracted by a hip happening restaurant/club named the office. "What an odd name for a restaurant" is what came to my mates minds. It's a quirky, funky spot with half priced cocktails from 4pm - 6pm on friday, and tasty tapas to sooth a roaring appetite. The music is rather on the 80's and 90's side of life which adds charm and nostolgia to the place, not to forget the most important thing, the service! The service at the office is amazing!!! The waiters know just which concoction to offer a customer who is feeling down and out, on top of the world or feeling like a king. Service comes with a smile, plenty of laughs and probably to much liqour!

The office get's a 4/5 from Aluxism! It may not be on the fabulous side of life, but very much the fun side!

"Flashing lights"!

It's been quiet a while since I blogged about anything. My last post was about my work experience at fashion week which was amazing when I look upon it now. The past three months have been hectic. All I've been thinking about is money and working like a demand for it. I have Aluxism which is my brand that I am trying to grow into something sustainable, and into a money maker. I have no issues expressing that money is at the forefront of what I want to obtain, and feel like I'd be lying if I stated something else.

I watched the movie "Wall Street 2", that I felt captured how I feel about money, maybe not as extreme as some people, but the gist of the story I felt spoke to me. Money never sleeps, and neither should you if your on the paper chase. People confuse that fact that fame and money come hand in hand, that is not the case at all. I would rather say that power and money have a better chance. This is why I love Johannesburg. The stench of the hustlers spirit is very pungent and reeks from corner to corner. People in Johannesburg are like no other. We(some of us) work for our money in Jozi. We hustle, kick push and think about coasting once we've made headway. We see the flashing lights, Aston's and Bentley and want to have dinners at high end places like The Melrose Arch hotel and live at the Michelangelo in Sandton.

That is what we do it for here in the city of dreams. If anyone were to say different I'd say your lying. We do for imports like Fendi and Dolce, not for the local industry. Flashing lights is what I call this movement, because Kanye West said it best. "She don't believe in shooting stars, but she believes in shoes and cars"is the most appropriate quote for the female hustlers in my city. We do get blinded by the lights, that bigger things pass us by. But when a Joburg girl is focused, good luck keeping her back.

This post is to everyone who needs motivation and who aspires to live an Alux life, and that is a life not with style, but in it.

Deuces!

SAFW - Always a learning experiance.

Fashion week is upon us, and I am one of the many budding fashion lovers who is working at the festive event. It's day 3 of the event, I actually wanted to cover the event on my blog on a day to day basis, but time would not allow it. I have not see any shows due to the fact that I am working for SAFW behind the scenes. It is but a glamorous job that I have acquired, but one that I do enjoy. Helping the process of putting together a show is an intense and tedious process. There are lots of tears, laughs, cursing, shouting, rantings and a sense of solidarity at the end of the day. This job has reminded me of the reason I love fashion and why I want to be in the industry. The message come across loud and clear yesterday when I was on the brink of quitting. "Everything ain't for everyone" was the message that come out. I in vision my own vision and expectations of what I think SAFW will be or what its about, and year after year a different image exposes itself. I finally understand that I may notice or understand it, but have learnt something from it. And learning is one thing like fashion and trends that never stops.

Janelle Monae-That good old sound! Song of the month!!!

Janelle Monae is the artist with this months song of the month, which I haven't had in a while. What gets to me about this song is that it hasn't reached the level of success I feel it deserves in this country. People know how to jerk, lean back and side-kick, but have no idea how to do the tight rope or even know what it is!!!!

Let's start and look at the song, I love it. It's that old school, groovy, swing, soul music, where you had your background singers who rearly feature, but whose presence would be missed if they were not there. The trumpet makes this song for me so beautiful and makes me feel as though an element of jazz or fusion and are added when I hear it. The violin is ever so subtle yet so necessary. I can't help myself but rein act dance moves of the 60's, 70's and 80's when I listen to this song. Her voice has just the right amount of strength and soul to give it that umph that it has. The video, I'm not to clear on what's happening on that front, but they're dressed, I feel to the time and genre of this music that she sings. That music where you would watch your favourite group on TV performing 20 years back, and round up your friends, siblings and parents and watch in amazement while the artist thrilled your minds. The dance moves are very smooth and entertaining, and a bit tough to get down. But once perfected that's all you wanna do when you listen to this genre of music, and this song in particular! This song and artist are definitely something amazing and necessary to the music seen. I almost feel like I lost my faith in music! And then it was redeemed!

(Images are courtesy of google images)