My Style

Just some of my outfits these past couple of months that didn't make it to the blog...

The month of November and December has been all about birthday dinners among my group of friends.

 Dinner at Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant

Jumpsuit + Heels- ASOS (old)

Dinner at Maggiano's Little Italy

Dress- Akira, Heels- Steve Madden, Choker- ASOS

Dinner at Del Frisco's Steak House 

Dress- Akira, Heels- Steve Madden

 

Dinner at RPM Steak

Dress- ASOS, Belt + Heels- ASOS(old)

 

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!! 

I hope you are all celebrating with grateful hearts while keeping in mind that "Jesus is the reason for the season". 

Hope you all have reasons to be thankful. I do.

This year is coming to an end and as I look back, I can only say: Thank you God!

I look forward to the new year and seeing all my plans come to fruition in the help of God.

 

***

Yesterday, my friend Kennie got engaged and I was so excited for her. 

We, her friends knew that she was getting proposed to and planned with her Husband to be!

She was overjoyed! It all went down at RMP Steak.

 

 

 

 

On Becoming

On Becoming is a new book- a narrative nonfiction written by Toke Makinwa - an autobiography.

I got to know more about "Tokstarr" on YouTube, over 3 years ago when I subscribed to her vlogs, Toke Moments, an interesting weekly video series that I got hooked on. 
The babe knows how to tell juicy stories that'll leave you browsing for more!

Well, today Toke released her first book on iTunes for those that are unable to get a hold of the hard copy (which I would have preferred)... I read the synopsis and I knew I had to buy the book! 

I'll hold my reservations until I have read all of it, after which I'll write a review.

 

Edit: November 29

The time is now 12:25AM. I decided to read the intro to On Becoming, but ended up spending a little over 1hour reading 6 chapters 😳 Very intriguing I must say. Sad, too.

Going to sleep now as I have about 5 hours to rest before my 7am shift!

More to come.

 

Edit: December 2:

[I've been at work for the past 3 days so  I've been unable to edit the post). But here's what I'll summarize from the book].

Their love was on a roller-coaster; they'd break up numerous times (after her finding out that she's been cheated on), then get back together after he's asked for forgiveness and she's convinced herself that he's a changed man.

[Once a cheat, always a cheat. Guys!]

She talked about how she bleached her skin to "live up to the standards" of light skinned Anita- his side chick

He infected her with STI, probably contracted from Anita as she too had the itches as the text message suggests.

He got Anita pregnant and the news broke like wildfire, on gossip blogs...everywhere.

She saw the signs from the jump that would have prevented her from getting married to him, but she was blinded by love, and thought marriage would fix things.

Later on, she discussed her struggle moving on; moving out; finding herself again; the "pain that came with acceptance"; how thankful she is that she didn't have a child with Maje; how African women should be more independent as it is easier to escape abuse of any form.

She then wrote a reflection on the life she's lived, and an insight to the direction she's headed, and gave some advice in conclusion.

By the way, she lost her parents when she was 8 years old to a house fire and credits some of her struggles to having "daddy issues"-  not having a man in her life to direct her in the right path, thus, making Maje her ultimate idol.

***

I know there are two sides to every story, and in her case, 3 sides or even 4 and 5 sides (if we include the side women she's mentioned in this book).

Did she rush into marriage in hopes of fixing things? Did she actually "steal" Maje from Anita? Whatever questions you may have, you'd never fully understand her reasoning if you've never been through that path. I haven't, and so I can only say this:

No matter how blinded you are by love (provided you're not jazzed/your heart is in a calabash), you should realize that you cannot change a grown [cheating] man. You should have self-worth enough to walk out of an abusive relationship. A man should adore you and think the world of you, and vice versa. He should respect you and want to show you off to the world. 
Prayer, love and understanding are some keys to a successful relationship. You shouldn't feel as though you're walking on egg-shells around someone who's thought to be your soulmate. What is for you will be for you. Yes, as the saying goes, there's someone for everyone...but when God is involved, it'll be marvelous! Be true to yourself; don't drag relationships in hopes of making it work by all means, perhaps there's something you want from the other person. You won't die if you're not married.

Some screenshots I took while reading.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Congrats? Mr. President

Hey guys.

So it's been over 24 hours since I woke up to the news of Donald Trump being President-elect, a news which shocked Americans and vast majority of people around the world. I was filled with disappointment to say the least, and so I refrained from making any posts. 

But I'm fine now.

For this election, for most, it was difficult picking the better evil. Secretary Clinton is not so far from pointed fingers...she has her flaws, but I could reason with her. Trump, on the other hand I know has some good in him, but I'm far off from agreeance with a lot of remarks made during and before his campaign.

I won't delve into the character in question, but I can say this to my family, friends, and the people of America:

1. For my Nigerians, let it be known that Trump is not sending you back, especially if you're a citizen/permanent resident. Na only us waka come?

2. Do not resort to violence. What do you think you'd achieve? Nothing! I saw a disheartening video of African-American males beating up an older Caucasian male-  a Trump supporter who look scared for his life. No matter what was said or done, fighting evil with evil will not get you anywhere. Even with the protests going on everywhere- violent or peaceful, Trump is here to stay and we must face the sad reality.

3. This election should have taught a lot of you that, and supports the motion which says America is the land of opportunity; a land of the free. A man like Trump, who had no political background, said the nastiest of things, acclaimed his dislike/hate for certain groups...is the 45th president of this great country.

4. See this election (disappointment?) as a blessing in disguise. At least, as a Christian, this is how I'd look at it henceforth. Life must go on, and we can't wallow in anger, bitterness, and sadness. Put forth that energy into something beneficial for you and yours.

5. Last but not the least, pray. Pray for the new President. Pray for God's guidance to lead the people of America in the right direction; that war not erupt, that allies not be cut; and that things work in our favor.

In summary, give Trump a chance. If it's 

African Fashion Week Chicago

What I wore

 

 

 

 

Clutch- Akira, Pink duster- ASOS, Pants- Forever21, Cami- Boohoo

This was a last minute look I put together because the Perspex boots I bought from EGO was ill-fitting, so I had to do an outfit change. 

SONGS OF THE WEEK

Pretty much my updated playlist.

Psquare- Bank Alert

Phyno- E sure for Me

Phyno- Pino Pino

Davido- Gbabe Oshi

Olamide- Orobo

Atlanta 2.0

How's your week going?

I'm on my 6th and final day off work... I had a very long weekend.

October 1st was Nigerian Independence Day and I wanted to experience the weekend in a different city as I've always celebrated in Chicago/ St. Louis. I asked my coworker friend, Kay to go with me on this mini vaca.

I got an evening flight out to ATL on Friday night, checked in at our hotel and waited on Kay's arrival. We ended up going to the first party of the weekend at Josephine's Lounge (I was there last year)- we were only there for an hour, but we were so tired, so that worked out for us.

S.N.- The trip was sorta last minute and our Airbnb options weren't viable, so we booked a room at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Buckhead.

Friday night. Dress from Boohoo

 On Saturday, we walked to Lenox Square mall which was 10 minutes away to have brunch and desperately purchase phone chargers because we didn't go with ours. We checked out some stores too.

 

Top- H&M, Sandals- Tory Burch

  

In front of Georgia Aquarium

Later on, we went to World of Coca~Cola. Now that visit was definitely planned (as a Coke addict); and it was informative. I enjoyed the tour, and got to satisfy my taste buds with various Coca~Cola products from around the world [I disliked "Beverly" soda from Italy].

 

 

Where my thirst was quenched

When we were done, we met up with a friend, then went to the salon to tend to Kay's roots :) 

The salon looked really nice.

Later that night, we celebrated Independence Day at club Eleven45, aka "the Nigerian club" as specified by our Uber driver, lol.

Uber selfie

Sunday was chill and relaxing. We went out to eat at Ike's Cafe & Grill, a Nigerian restaurant that I found very appeasing. It's a lot different from the naija restaurants in Chicago.

I had the spiciest Ayamase ever!! I took a few spoonfuls and traded my stew for Efo riro

Our weekend turn up ended at a Day party at Eden's lounge with Nigerian Djs, Ecool and King Ola. I had a blast, to say the least!

 

Top- Boohoo, Skirt- Zara, Shoes- Topshop

Not sure where I'll be next, but be rest assured that it'll be documented.

 

Wall of Frames?

Another season, another switch up.

Hey guys.

Happy Sunday! So this morning, I woke up with an idea in mind. Each weather season, I find myself trying to switch things around in my apartment. Now I only do this because I know I won't be moving anytime soon. In fact, I've promised myself that I'd be in this apartment until I pack my bags and move to my [future] husband's house. I mean, who likes moving? Not me!

While I was away in school, I'd always dreamed of living in a loft or a high-rise building overlooking Lake Michigan or Downtown Chicago, but after I graduated, I immediately got a job after NCLEX (thank God) and had little time to shop around for apartments...so, I settled. My current space isn't bad at all- I live on the 14th floor and Lake Michigan is right behind the building. But that's by the way.

I love interior decoration; styling, and all things of the Art world, so putting things together in my cozy space comes easy for me. I thought: If I were to live in a loft, my decors would be rustic or industrial; and if it were to be a high-rise building, it'd be modern. Right now, I'm kinda everywhere- bedroom is sorta nautical/mid-modern, and my living room is...just there.

Last year, I had started a Wall of Frames section in an area between my bedroom and bathroom, but then I soon realized the space was just too small and wasn't living up to my expectations, and that's when I thought: why don't I fill up a space with wall-clocks!? 

I didn't go crazy on my purchases. The clocks bought from Target, Marshall's and T.J. Maxx had reasonable price tags. I postponed my trip to IKEA (they have beautiful, inexpensive clocks!). 

I'm not fully satisfied with the look. I need to add 2-3 more clocks [I promise I won't go crazy with it].

How is your apartment/home styled?

Share in the comment section.

The City That Never Sleeps- NYC

I know, I know. No blog post in over a month. I gotta do better, y'all.

Anyway, let me start by saying this past weekend was so much fun! Some of my girlfriends and I decided to go on a trip to New York for Labor Day weekend. We weren't going to explore the city per say...we just wanted to have some fun and relaxing time. I mean, we work so hard; that break was needed biko.

Yabo, me, Kennie

Yabo, Kennie, and I caught a 6AM flight from Midway airport on Friday which I almost missed! God bless my Uber driver...and Yabo for waking me up lol.

We stayed at a cozy Airbnb apartment in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn (it had its flaws, but I won't delve into that). The neighborhood wasn't bad at all, but we had no business exploring it. We got some Thai food down the street; did some groceries, and awaited the other half of the group.

Friday night, we went to Lexicon nightclub where Dj Tunez kept us on our feet all night long!

Friday night Snap Chat excerpt

On Saturday, we had a Romper-and-the-City day. Cute right? Hehe. 

We went to some stores downtown Manhattan; checked out Madison Square Garden, and walked past the Empire State building. We didn't get to Times Square because... I forget. But like I stated earlier, we didn't necessarily go to NY to explore.

I must include that we were the center of attraction everywhere we went. People knew we weren't from the city, I guess from the way we looked at our surroundings, and/or the way we were dressed. We even got stopped for some photos.

With Mobs

Romper- H&M, Sandal- Saks Fifth Avenue (Melissa + Jason Wu)

Sooo, we were supposed to go to a lounge that Saturday night, but we all thought it'd be a great idea to take a nap after eating, you know, to get some energy...but child, we found ourselves awake at 1am!

 LOL, I kinda saw that coming. Don't allow China take "naps" before a night out.

Best bae.
Top- H&M

We dedicated Sunday to Coney Island. I loved every bit of Coney Island and the vibe it exuded- from the rides, to the street snacks, to the beach view...what a sight!

When we were through, we were told that the Caribbean Carnival was a few blocks away, but babes couldn't be bothered- we'd gotten so tired. We grabbed dinner at Festac Grill, a naija restaurant and headed home.

L-R: Yabo/Yabz, Me, Tokunboh/Toks, Mobola/Mob, Kennie/Ken, Vanessa/Van

After resting in (we dared not take a nap this time), we headed to Copacabanna nightclub in NYC. I don't remember who the Nigerian DJ was, but it was "LIT". If you follow me on Snap Chat, you know how it went down.

On Monday [Labor Day], we stayed in; watched videos on YouTube, talked, and napped. I napped 3 times I believe (now you know my secret to looking young, lol).

Later that evening, we went to a Day Party hosted by a friend of mine, Gbenga "Cap B". 

Popular Nigerian DJ, DJ Obi was on the turntables. He was spectacular!

Top- Boohoo, Satin Shorts- H&M, Heels- Steve Madden

After all was said and done, we packed up and flew back to Chicago at 6am today [Tuesday].

I'd definitely like to go back to explore the city.

I look forward to my next trip already!

We'll talk soon.

C.U.