Hello Goodbye! Out With The Old In With The New!

Visit my new blog, Alexandra Joye Warren's Joyeclectic

"You say goodbye, I say hello!" The Beatles


It's been a very long time! I've had a lot of time to think and reflect, evaluate and reexamine. 29 has been a very interesting year. It's the transition from one decade to the next. No longer in the same boat as my friends who are 21-23, but I definitely am not in the same boat as my friends who are young mothers and fathers. I have a husband now and some decisions to make in terms of my career. Do I keep going or go full speed ahead in another direction? Should I get another graduate degree maybe an MBA or study interior design? Do I wait around for the next big audition or do I make my own work?

After months of pondering I think God is making it clear to keep dancing and choreographing, keep teaching, keep DJing, and to keep growing.

With 30 just 3 months away, I think I'm ready!

So it's time to officially retire this blog and start anew. My husband convinced me that I have a lot to share that you might want to hear about. I'm newly married, living in Harlem, a teaching artist, a performer trying to take it to next level, and a woman of God trying to imitate Jesus' example in everything I do. Let's continue the conversation at http://joyeclectic.tumblr.com/

See you there!

The Warmth of Other Suns

I just finished this book and I must say it is one of the most compelling, thought provoking, mind shifting books I've read in a long time. It's my first eBook read, via the Nook app on my iPad. Being a child of the migration myself, my parents individually leaving North Carolina and settling in Washington, D.C. I am fascinated by the stories of the brave men and women who travelled North and West for opportunities the South wouldn't allow them. Having made my own migration further south and then to New York, without any barriers or thought other than this is where I would like to work and live I am reexamining everything. You just have to read this.

Four Women

I absolutely love this performance of Four Women at the Black Girls Rock Awards!

BET Videos

The Fabulousness that is Lanvin- Paris Fashion Week

Need I say more?

Favorite Looks from New York Fashion Week- Spring 2011 Collections

These are the looks I would stomp the streets in next spring...
Rachel Roy





Tracy Reese

Sophie Theallet

Prabal Gurung

Jenny Packham

Jason Wu

Diane von Furstenburg


Catherine Malandrino

Less is More-Freeing myself from fashion,Embracing Style

Growing up, back to school shopping was simultaneously an excitement and a frustration. I began with a huge list of items I wanted, ended up fighting with my Mom in the store and left with maybe one or two items, much to my chagrin.

Once, I began to have my independence ( a driver's license, wheels, and some MONEY!) I began to collect clothing items galore! In college I prided my self with never repeating an outfit and after undergrad and grad school, out on my own in the fashion capitol of the world, I began to be known for choosing a shoe sale over groceries.

Inspired by Jean Chatzky's Today show experiment of eliminating her wardrobe to only 6 items for thirty days I decided I might be better off with less. Nina Garcia, fashion editor at Marie Claire and author is always mentioning how much she abhors the overloaded American girl's closet. So I began the purge. And I kept going and going and going.

Last Wednesday, I decided that I should make a list of how many items I minimally need per season. For instance, 7 summer dresses, 5 t-shirts, 2 slacks, etc. And then all the rest, no matter how cute or where I got it or how inexpensive or expensive it was, I sent off to the Goodwill. About 6 large bags worth. At first I was a little nervous, but I realized that I've been making much more conscious and better choices ever since. I FEEL more fashionable than ever and I get dressed so much faster. Even amidst a shopping fast (yes, this is third or fourth one so far, nothing except dire necessity until January) I'm feeling pretty good. I feel like I got a whole new fall wardrobe without buying not one new item. Mainly because I couldn't see everything that I had and now I'm challenging myself to make new combinations. On Sunday I wore, blazer which I hadn't worn since probably 2008, black cigarette slacks, and a pair of shoes that I've had since 2006 and got so many compliments. Probably because they've never seen me wear slacks. Why? Because I forgot that I even OWNED slacks!!!! Sure, the other day I wished I had a fuschia, strong shouldered cropped blazer but my tan one I got for $5 back in 2002 gives pretty much the same affect. In the words of Coco Chanel, "Fashion fades, style is eternal."

DJ Phoenix Get Fresh Mixtape

The wait is over! The DJ Phoenix Get Fresh Mixtape is FINALLY here!!!
The mix includes:
Fela Kuti
Moodyman+Malcolm X
Erykah Badu
Trey Songz
The Roots
Kid Sister
Kelis
La Roux
and so much more!

Go to this link http://eepurl.com/Nb_5 to get it before it's gone.
Enjoy!