12 days of refelction

I have never opened up and discuss my personal life on this blog. But I decided to change that and open up to my readers. This year have been really rough on me spiritually and mentally, So I am going to use my blog as a platform to rebuild myself to the person that I use to be. I know that many people are probably going through the same situations that I am (maybe worse), but sometimes listening to other peoples situation gives you encouragement to face your own problems.

With that being said I decided to join a friend of mines Ashanti and do The 12 days of Reflection Challenge.





Its time that I put some closure to this year and move on to something positive.

Miami Carnival 2011

This is my section for Miami Carnival 2011. There are a few spots left in the midline option.

Trinid Carnival 2012 Services

Trinidad Carnival 2012
Services

Registration begins on Friday, October 14, 2011. A minimum of $40us or 50% of the cost of your services will be taken at that time. Please send an email to www.carnivaldiva@gmail.com with your request of services prior to registration. Please include pictures or a detailed description on the items that you would like customized. Past customers get preference and a 5% discount on all services.

Carnival Divaz productions will be providing the following items for Trinidad Carnival 2012:

• Jeweled Tiara’s
• Elaborate Boots Decoration
• Decorated Bras with Matching boy shorts or frilled skirts
• Wire Bra Decoration
• Feathered Collars
• Jeweled Monokinis
• Matching accessories to suite your Monday or Tuesday costume

We are also selling jewelry, feathers, rhinestones, eye lashes, eye shadow, and glitter at a location in Woodbrook during carnival week.


* All payments will be received via PayPal or Western Union.

Deciding factors of choosing a costume for Trinidad Carnival 2012

This carnival season, I am focused on finding a costume that I am truly in love with and nothing else. I am not worried about what any of my friends like or even which band that they decide on playing in because this year even though we all played in the same band, we hardly seen one another. I need to find a costume that I am 100% in love with and so far I have not found that costume. Maybe that’s the designer in me that will always see little things that can be tweaked. A few costumes that have launched, has the potential to be a fab costume but missed the mark and needs a couple adjustments. So far only 1 costume has made my heart skip a beat and it have not been released yet. The likelihood of me getting in that section for carnival 2k12? Hmmmmmm lol. We shall see as what happens. Right after carnival, YUMA asked what color costume would I like to wear for carnival 2012. I answered and it seems that YUMA answered. Almost every band that launched so far has used my color of choice but I DON’T LIKE any of them. So here are my deciding factors for choosing a costume.


Costume Design

Jewel Panty- This is a must in any costume that I choose. As a person with a small waist and large hips, a jewel panty worked perfectly for me. No belt spinning around like a hoola hoop. Everything stayed where it needed to be the entire day.

Wire Bra- This is another must for me. As a person that has B cup breast I prefer wire bras over regular bras. I have not found a regular that flatters me besides the u-plunge bra. And majority of the bands do not use that type of bra because the colors are limited. A regular bra gives me too much coverage or the padded ones are so padded that my nipples show. 2k12 will be my 5th year in a row playing in a wire bra.

Color- I want to play in a color that I have never played in before. I realized last year that I play in almost the same set of colors year in, year out. I want to try something new. So red, green, beige, and blue are out for me.

Band Competition

For the first time ever this will be a deciding factor for me depending on whether or not I do an Individual. This year in YUMA I did get my 5 minutes of fame before my section. I was extremely grateful for that. If I choose to purchase a large costume I would like my 5 minutes of fame. LOL. I realized the “FUN” bands do not cater to the individuals in the band. When I played an Individual in Legacy, my section leaders had dancers bring me out. I had someone offer me drinks, food, and snacks the entire length of the parade. And Legacy does pass EVERY judging point. I paid far less than what I paid for my individual costume in Tribe and received no special treatment. I don’t mind if I have to pay extra for a runner, but it would be nice.


Costume Manufacturers

Who makes my costume is a HUGE concern of mines. Quality means everything for me and I want a beautiful costume that will look exactly like the prototype and hold up all day. I have experienced both good and bad costumes. Costume malfunctions can ruin my entire carnival experience.


Hopefully I have a pleasurable experience for carnival 2012.

Fast Forward from Trinidad Carnival until now.

My next couple of Blog entries will be my experiences from my Trinidad Carnival until now.
Its band launch season in NY and I am ready to give you full commentary on what’s going on with New York Labor Day bands. Here’s a few pics of various moments from March until now.

All pics are of Carnival Divaz or items made Carnival Divaz Productions.

Costume Customizing

How much more different should a person be able to alter their costume once they have paid and received their costume?

A friend and I ended up in a debate today over altering a costume. As a designer I never mind people altering a costume just a tad because it made them stand out and be unique, but I am absolutely against people making their own costume. Just because of the initial design and materials used, I do not want someone’s costume in my section to look completely different from the rest. It might end up looking like a bootleg version to the section or a bad reflection on you as a designer. This year numerous people have been placing orders to customize or create additional items for their costume. How drastic should a person be allowed to go? Is it disrespectful to the band/ designer if a person alters their costume? My friend stated that minor adjustments are cool, but adding large backpacks or collars is disrespectful to the designer and will cause a big issue with the band. What if the band gave you permission to customize you r costume, how far should a person be allowed to go? Should you obtain permission from the designer/ band? Some people believe that once you paid for a costume its free reign to do whatever they want to it, the band already received their money.

What’s your take on this issue?





* Picture from www.haitrim.com

Ramajay Mas - Aphrodite / Venus Shoe Post

I have been neglecting my poor blog, but I am back now and ready to blog from now until Trinidad carnival 2k11. Everyone have been asking about the footwear post that I did last year for every section in Ramajay. I apologize for its late appearance, but here goes the first section (Mines of Course LOL) Aphrodite.

Please visit www.ramajaymas.com to see the rest of the sections.

All shoes are from www.shoeocean.com.