Top 5 MET gala looks

Volunteering

I really thought I could do life post-blogging, you know being super busy all the time doing grown women things but I missed my blog.  So I'm back, like the lover who tries to stay away but keeps coming back. *does smiley dancing thingy*


So I wrote this for the magazine I work with a while a go sharing my volunteer adventure from last year and now i thought I'd share (majorly edited but I saved the pics for you :) )

After many weeks of preparing documentation, having second thoughts and panic attacks about this trip, I was finally on my way to Ghana to volunteer my time. I had been wanting to do something a little more than ordinary for a while. Something like going to Spain to learn Spanish,  going on a safari cruise in Kenya,  going to China to intern or anything worthy of being ticked of a ‘things to do before you turn 30’ list. I started the process on my own initially but chickened out. And so, when a friend of mine asked if I was interested in going to volunteer in Ghana through an organisation called Original Volunteers, I knew this was my chance to finally do this. Two months and a bumpy one hour flight later, I was in Accra looking for Yao, the taxi driver who would be driving me 5 hours away to Mpraeso. Despite the Lagos-like traffic, what felt like extreme hunger and Yao’s bad taste in music, I was excited! This was an amazing opportunity to step out of my comfort zone, and immerse myself in a value giving experience.

The next day, I finally got to go to Sunrise school, one of the most deprived schools in the area, which was almost entirely built with the help of volunteers. As we got down from the bus walking to the school, the kids came and without thinking held the hand of the volunteer they thought was the best looking  (lol. i dunno what t the criteria was o). The girl by my side was Selina, a 5/6 year old who ended up being my companion most of the day (had to force her to go to her class).

walking down to sunrise--see each volunter has a student

selina-my walking partner

In class, the students mobbed me, shouting “what is your name? What is your name?!” I admit I had preconceived ideas of what they would be like but in fact, they were normal kids ...albeit with mismatched uniforms. In an exercise where I asked for volunteers to come out and tell us what they wanted to be in future, they all wanted to be doctors, footballers and “Madams”. It doesn't get realer than that..who doesn't want to become a Madam?! 

Jolly volunteers

The villages and communities I visited might as well have been in Nigeria for their similarities. I wondered to myself why I had to come all the way to a neighbouring country to volunteer. The answer was simple; there was an international organisation that made the link between community schools, hospitals, libraries and the outside world full of people ready to help. Why can't we have that same opportunity for willing volunteers to do something to help Nigerian schools, hospitals, communities? ( I now realise that there are but it takes you being proactive, in Nigeria everything is DIY)

Happy New year!!!

3 months away and the prodigal blogger is back to wish yous a happy new year!!!!! I feel like I'be been waiting for 2012 for a while. I mean we've been hearing about it forever...the Olympics, the end of the world and yeah there was the movie too. So all in all I'm. Welcoming the new year with open arms. 2011 was tres eventful! Graduated, moved to Nigeria for my service year, worked with a magazine as a fashion contributor and now ready to resume life as normal after so much activity! *phew* So maybe I am ready to settle down back as a regular blogger or maybe not... :s time will tell. But for now, I wish everyone reading this a beautiful new year that would be greater than all the past ones and God's continual grace over your lives.

Bisous!

The Arise Fashion Show

So if you've silently wished you could be in New York  this past week to witness New York Fashion Week..well you still can! You can catch the  NYFWArise Magazine:Made in Africa show tonight :) It would be streaming live on newyorktimes.com, arisemagazine.net and thisdaylive.com. When you check times be sure to note the time difference depending on what country you're watching from.


And while we're on our fashion things. Check out Lanvin's Fall  fun campaign movie. The clothes are beautiful and I loved watching the models dance so akwardly! Hehe. They may be featured in a world wide campaign but at least I can dance better than them :p Enjoy!

Introducing ROUCH and the lady behind it

Ronke Ladipo, the model turned image consultant turned fashion designer is another of my talented friends. Even before she began her modelling career, Ronke always had drive and determination. She did what she wanted to no matter the obstacles and this attitude is what has brought her this far. She recently launched her fashion line, ROUCH, which showcased at the African Fashion week in New York. So, I sent here a few interview questions, so you all could get to know this determined young fashionista.

How did Rouch come about?

I got motivated after looking back on when I was about 5 years old. My grandfather used to make me these beautiful dresses in ankara. I had so many of them and I loved them. Recently, I visited the lace factory in Austria, where they produce different kinds of lace materials and immediately fell in love with it. I saw how designers used these laces to sew lovely and different designs and I was impressed to see how lace could look so glamorous and chic With this recent inspiration and being the fashionista that most of my friends call me, I decided to pick up designing and come up with my own brand.

Tell me about Rouch?

Rouch by Ronke is simply for the classy and confident individual. My first collection,which I showcased recently at the African fashion week New York (AFWNY), is a mixture of both African and lace fabric. My summer collection was inspired the beautiful natural colours we have here in Africa. Like the ocean, the grass, the earthy brown, the sun, the animals and of course the beautiful tough black skin. Rouch by Ronke is mostly vintage and retro and a bit modern and it’s for the age range of 15-50.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In 10 years time, I see myself being able to have established ROUCH in different countries and also dressing up the big celebs in New York, Paris, Milan etc.  I hope I can sit back relax and see what I have accomplished

Tell me one thing you do to constantly improve yourself?

What I always do to improve myself is take corrections and take constructive critiques. I also love to read a lot of high fashion magazines and old school videos where I get my vintage ideas. I watch a lot of project runway and I like to see myself as a perfectionist.

Do you have any other projects in the works?

I am working on making a wardrobe for a TV soap opera and also getting ROUCH into different stores.

Any advice to anyone trying to make it in the fashion industry?

I would advise anyone trying to get into the industry to really have a passion for what they are about to get into. Because everything is not as rosy as it looks on the outside. There’s a lot of hard work to it and it takes a lot of determination. They should never force anything. You either have it or you don’t. And like I always say image is everything! You need to work on yourself before trying to work on others.

Thanks Ronke!

N thats it folks! Check out the ROUCH website on http://rouchbyronke.com/

A poem

This piece was written by Feyi Sodipo (follow her on twitter @feefey). I love it because its written so simply, honestly and beautifully and I can identify with it.
I just had to share this so enjoy!
.......................................................................................................................
They don’t understand, yet I must stand.


I’m all alone but I need space. Is it in my mind or is it my mind?

I must be free but they push and prod. They don’t believe me...how should I believe?

I must retrace the steps and enter into my psyche, then I can help me and He could fix me.

But I being weak think I am strong. The admittance of frailty I mistake for strength, being broken, presuming whole.

I fake it and feign it, I am invincible and tough and smart and I hate it.

I need Him. He loves me but my folly has me in shackles. Beautiful shackles, they adorn me I say.



Now I turn violent, the chains are tightening. I’m on the edge.

I am tall and strong and...Empty.

He stays calling, reaching out. Unconditional love.

He frees me and holds me and loves me. And I hurt Him and push Him

I weaken and fall. Yet He holds on, drawing me close and helping me up.

I feel the love, it heals me. I need no analgesic, His love is my drug.

I am His, He is mine.

My saviour, my lover, my Jesus.

Natural Hair

So, I've been meaning to document my hair journey and hair state of mind for a while. In September 2010, I decided to cut my hair. I finally gave in to the urge after a long time of wanting to cut it but not being bold enough to. (see this post from 2010)

After getting over the initial shock, I loovved my short hair!

....but after a while I started missing my hair and just let it grow back.

I had initially planned to do a rihanna type mushroom cut when it grew back but somehow I got into this natural business. I have a couple of friends, one of who is Michelle, who has been natural  for years (and has a really cool natural hair blog) and they along with Solange, numerous youTubers and bloggers got me to consider going natural.

So, I played with my TWA for a bit. This was fun and frustrating at the same time because most of the time I didn't know what to do with it but I got excited everytime I found something that worked.

Right now my hair has grown much longer and fuller and I don't know what to do to it anymore. When I tell my natural friends this, they're like "Dami noo, don't quit! you're using the wrong conditioner/oil/pre poo..." I have been overwhelmed by the amount of product you need to try out as a natural head. In the beginning I was so ready to go out and buy after seeing like 100 YouTube videos, I was convinced I knew all I needed to. I went out and got some Shea butter from Nigeria, coconut oil, natural this, natural that. But after a couple of months I am convinced they cannot work on my super hard and unruly hair and I think I give up.

I read DatfunkyFro's blog (which is really cool by the way) and I came across this post. I am definitely not natural in my head yet. I still imagine myself with sleek relaxed hair and as much as I loove how beautiful natural hair can look, I might have to accept that my hair will never look like that and even if it could, I will always lust after sleek hair and being able to leave my hair out in a weavee!

I will probably cut my hair again at some point and I might not relax it just yet but the thing with hair is I think people take it too seriously with #teamnatural/short hair Vs #teamweave/relaxed hair. As long as you keep your healthy, I don't see a problem. Too much of everything isnt good, so obvs don't over relax, over-straighten, over-braid/weave or whatever to your hair. I'm one of the people that accepts the benefits of living in the 21st century, be that relaxers or the Internet.

At the end of the day, keep your hair healthy and rock it how you like it!

Peace, love and beautiful locks!