Allow me to wish you a brilliant new year! During my reflecting on 2015 and gazing into 2016 with new eyes, one sentence has stuck with me. Mother says it is a message for me, dropped into my heart for a purpose. I have decided to wish this to all who care to accept it. And so, for you and you and you, today, I say, May your path be yours!
Ok. Ok. Ok. Why have I brought you here today?
For the Nigerians here, how many times have you heard the expression “all na packaging” and dismissed it as bull? I know I am guilty of doing that. Translated directly, all na packaging is pidgin for “it is all in the packaging” or “it all lies in the packaging”.
Well, I have come to realize, in the spirit of introspection, that I am a very visual consumer. Mmmm, MeeMee, but who isn’t?! Right? Who isn’t? Continue reading →
Yes, yes, yes, we should not wait for one day in the year to be grateful but I think that a reminder is always nice – to put life and living into perspective.
There is an article here that I think is a necessary read not only for this season but a good reminder on the relationship between gratefulness and happiness. Continue reading →
It’s election day in Nigeria! Will you/Did you plezz ya hand?
Today, AB and I are sharing with you a collective list of the things that we discovered and/or fell in love with in March.
In no particular order:
1. Ackee & Saltfish
I love this web series by Cecile Emeke. It follows the stories of two bestfriends Olivia & Rachel. Their exchanges are so funny (Olivia is a case!!) and episodes are 5 minutes long, very good for my limited 3rd world Internet. A new episode airs every Sunday at 5pm, GMT
2. Banana Bread
I would have said baking, but the only thing I can bake now is banana bread. I fell in love with this a few months ago, and I made mine with my two hands from scratch last month. It’s all I’ve baked ever since.
3. Big Sean’s Dark Sky Paradise
I think I like ‘IDFWU’ a weeeee bit more than I should. So after singing this for months, I finally decided to get the album, which happens to be Big Sean’s 3rd. So many times I’ve bumped this with no skips, from beginning to end. Listened to quite a few albums this month and Seanny boy did it for me. Love.
4. To Pimp A Butterfly
I have never paid attention to Kendrick Lamar’s music until now. This album is genius, I think. I think I’ve listened to it everyday in the last two weeks.
5. Chris Messina
Chris Messina. Chris Messina. My new celebrity crush. I met him at the beginning of the month, when I saw his Indie movie 28 Hotel Rooms. It’s based on an unrealistic premise (aren’t half of them?) but I liked it. Very interesting stuff. These 2 people hooked up one time at a hotel they were both staying at, and they made it a habit to meet everytime they were out of their cities, for work. She was married, he later got married. It got really complicated of course- and ended neither here nor there. But the story and the elements in it are a full discussion for another day. Last week, I saw season 1 of The Mindy Project which is heeeelarious by the way! To my great delight, he’s a regular on the show. Whoop!
6. Stacey Kent
AB said that if I made music, I’d probably sound like her. That’s probably why I love her so much! There’s something about her voice that makes me feel things… and then the music she creates with it? jadhburvheiualrbfubwhafh.
7. Yummly (+WP update)
I’ve had the Yummly app on my phone for a long time, but I only truly appreciated it this month. Yummly is an amazing app for recipes & beautiful food inspiration. It’s super easy to use. You can search recipe names or search by ingredients. I like to try new things with food, but I don’t always have the patience to troll the Internet for the inspo. Yummly makes it so much easier. If you’re looking for healthy recipes on the go, you can even use the Nutrition filter. And, after using the app for a while, it starts to customise suggestions for you.
(Also. The new WordPress upgrade for iOS is pretty dope. I’ve been using this app for two years, so I’m happy that FINALLY, we have an upgrade that’s worth the mb. If you’re a WP blogger, you want to have this!)
8. Crochet braids
I am currently wearing crochet braids that I made for myself. Love, love, love them. This month I have had a bunch of clients book to make crochet braids and boy, do I love doing them! For about a year and many many months, I have only protective styled with marley twists, now I have found the perfect switch up.
9. Brown Sugar
No more shall I use white sugar for anything but drinking gari. Brown sugar is so much better with everything- so nice & so moist. I encourage you to try it. Brown sugar pancakes anyone? Noms.
10. MAC Frost Lipstick in Fabby
I take it as a sign of maturity that I’m comfortable with nude lippie now. This shade, MAC Fabby is pretty nice. I like it a lot.
What did you fall in love with this month? Can you guess which of us loves what? Have a happy, safe weekend, beauts!
On Valentine’s Day, Afoma did the What’s In My Bag tag (see her colourful post here) and she nominated us. Ebun also did the tag, over here. Because I’m a little nosy, I kind of enjoyed reading about the contents of their bags so it was only fair to do the tag. Although, I think you may be a little disappointed here. Nothing interesting in my bag. Without further ado:
Sunglasses- my favourite pair, they’re from Forever 21. I’ve had them for almost 2 years now. I rarely wear them these days, mainly because walking under the hot sun is no longer a part of my daily routine. NYSC days, they were a staple. Also I’m very very shortsighted, my prescription glasses are not optional. I can only wear Sunnies when my eyes aren’t really in use. I still carry them around though, just in case.
Bad Feminist- I pledged to read 50 books this year, and so far, I’ve been slacking. Will still make it! This book has been rotating from bag to bag since January. Enough disrespect, I should finish it by next week. And then, another book will be put on bag duty, to keep me company in uncomfortable spaces, and during long waits.
A notebook- the black notebook under the novel, to scribble in when I’m on the go. It isn’t always this one in particular, I just make sure to carry a notebook.
White Powder- because most days, Lagos is too hot for makeup, in my opinion.
Power bank + Phone cable
Pens
Lip balm (in the heart shaped Beauty Boss tin)
Lippie: I always carry whatever lipstick I’m wearing for the day, although I rarely need to reapply because making it through the day with my lipstick very very intact is one of my many talents. ^_^ These days it’s usually either MAC Fabby or my (and the people’s) fave, Ruby Woo.
Ventolin Inhaler: a necessary prop since I was 10. Funny thing- every time I think I’ve outgrown my Asthma & stop taking my inhaler with me, it comes back like LOL JK.
Phone
Wallet- this very pretty wallet was a Christmas present from my aunt. :’) And, I always have bobby pins in my wallet.
So, to keep this going, I’m tagging in no particular order:
This is a long overdue tag by Afoma of ihundasmusings.com. I was a little reluctant because my bag = dump. But hey! I finally gave it a good spring cleaning and overhaul. You’ll be surprised how much money ends us hiding in my bag, never be to discovered until decades later. I’ll probably be one of those grandmas that’ll bequeath her handbag to her favourite grandchild. This grandchild will get mad when she finds out that all she gets is grandma’s old, cluttered handbag. But one day, three years later, when she decides to clean out the bag, she’ll find so much money stashed away, she won’t know what to do with herself. Nollywood, knock yourself out.
Alrighty, here are the contents of my everyday bag:
(Bottom – Top):
1. Wallet: My mum ‘bought’ this for me for my 19th birthday (she probably doesn’t know she did). I can’t bring myself to change it after all this time.
2. Glasses case.
3. Umbrella: Yup, spring is sorta kinda here. Which means non-stop rain.
4. Glam Body Lotion: Kim K’s product line. I really like it. It’s shimmery and smells really good. I use it as a hand lotion.
5. EOS Lip Balm: Whoever invented this packaging basically discovered gold. Everybody and their mother has one of these, if not multiple.
6. Keys: You see that keyholder with the star? My romantic friend, Uby, named a star after me for my 21st birthday. The keyholder was sent from the astrologers as a memento.
7. Revlon lip butter (pink truffle)
8. Painkillers. Not sure why those are in there. I probably got them once, a year ago, on an emergency, and they just never left the bag.
9. Flowery tag thingy: Supposed to be for IDs and keys or something. Everyone was getting one at work and I got one too because, crowd mentality.
10. Little book: I write. I prefer pen and paper to typing. So I use this book for when I’m on the go and am hit with a brilliant idea.
11. Work ID.
12. Blister lip balm: perfect for winter.
13. H&M matte lipstick
14. Revlon (black cherry): Favourite lipstick.
15. Hand sanitizers.
16. Index cards: I have no idea why I carry this around.
17. Baby wipes: From spills to runny nose to bathroom saviour. I have made a habit of having these in my bag. They’re great.
And that’s my bag’s content.
That’s all folks! I hope you have a brilliant start to the new week, beauts!
The Kink And I 