STYLING A SHIFT DRESS

 Day to Play

There is much more to wearing clothes than just covering up, trust me, ask any woman who knows her stuff well and possibly a shopaholic. Isn't that the excuse we all give when buying things we think we need but we just want the satisfaction of owning it?

At times you have to attend a function immediately after work and you don’t have the time to change into something less serious, or if you are like me, you’d rather die than carry clothes to change into; here is a trick you can work with.

First and foremost, when planning to attend to two things in a day you have to be careful when choosing your days outfit. For instance you cannot wear a business suit to a casual date and expect anyone to let loose around you. Try something like a knee-length shift dress with less than three colors (preferably one color) as it will be easy to fall into place with both activities.
For work, you can always throw on a nicely cut jacket of even tone that goes well with the dress, a loosely tied slim belt, studs and a simple necklace. If you do make up, ensure that you do some light make up fit for the day and not something that screams "I have a date tonight". You need shoes that can work for both day and night so you don’t have to carry another pair in your bag. Try flat shoes if your job involves a lot of running around and comfortable pair of heels will do if you don’t.

          

The transforming part is the interesting one.  Lose the studs and the inconspicuous necklace. You can do different looks depending on what you fancy and the occasion. Add a chunky colourful neck-piece and a matching bangle for a sassy-gone-rocker look. Coloured hoops can work or draping earrings if you may. Complete your look with a statement cocktail ring. If you are in love with ethnic pieces like I am, you can do draping metallic earrings and Aztec print metallic bangle. To spice up the look you can do an ethnic knuckle ring and another on the other hand.  If it feels like too much, feel free to lose one and avoid looking ratchet altogether. For the elegant but laid-back-lady add a pair of loops, a draping necklace and a cocktail ring to avoid looking like plain-Jane when you've given it your all.

                                         Strip your face of the stale make-up to apply a fresh look as desired. When it comes to your hair lose the clip and flip it. If it’s warm enough and you can handle the temperatures you can lose the coat as well too.  Knowing your style involves knowing what blends your skin colour and what goes well with most outfits.

Styling up an outfit or defining your style as a woman shouldn't be rocket science but getting the right accessory that goes with hair colour, nail polish and the detail on your jeans is a little bit close to launching a missile and people will judge you by that.

Losing a loved one in any way is not an easy thing. It gets tougher when that person is the pillar of your life. A friend of mine recently lost her dad and I could not even begin to think what it feels like to be in her shoes. It is almost impossible thinking that one day you will fall and no longer have anyone to genuinely fall back to.

Most of us have been blessed to have our parent’s right there with us all the way; seeing us through all the important milestones. But there is someone out there who is so bitter about never knowing the parent because of one reason or the other.

When I sit and reflect on how much of a support system my father has been, I do not think he deserves only one fathers’ day in the world. To me, every day, every minute, I celebrate this man that taught me of hope and resilience and being strong and helped me understand that there’s more to life than just expectations. The true expression of love and the best gift that God gave me for free.

I love you dad, and always will, no matter what ill always be your little girl. <3

For some of us it might not be our fathers but there has to be that person you never want to lose. Ever! Celebrate them nevertheless because it will be too late when either of you is put to rest.

GET IT TOGETHER

Who are these people and why are they giving us hard times? Where do they come from? I do not know a single sane person who supports that kind of unruly behavior.

I love watching games and cheering my team on every once in a while but I understand there are people who have made it their mission (probably their career too) to cheer matches in the most unruly and violent way. It looks like fun a few times then it becomes nuisance then it crosses over to madness.

Whenever I hear that my brothers from the lakeside are having a match I have to find an alternative route home. Who wants to get caught in traffic and the oblivious and bizarre ritual crowd scampering that goes on whenever these rascals are on the loose? And by the way I will never tell the difference between their win and loss. They win they come close to looting the town they lose same thing happens. They have become the ping pong on steroids version of Kristen Stewart.

Among the things I value, peace is one of them. And when peace is disturbed I do not think anything else can go on successfully. I do not like the tension that is looming everyone’s head when this kind of thing is taking place. I am certain there are people who are forced to shut down their business premises and some spend hours in traffic. News for you, time is money. Loses are made when engines purr on and on at the same spot and I am almost certain there has been a life lost as a result not to speak of the goods lost. At one point one of those guys attempted to grab someone’s all the way in his car. What nonsense!

The civilized kind of rowdy has its own time and place; like rugby matches and a house party that is supposed to be a slight replica of project X where people just want to go all the way out and have fun without causing anyone trouble. Someone please educate those illiterate bunch of raccoons to get lives or get shipped to an island in the middle of the Pacific ocean where they can carry out their Neanderthal practices as the rest of us try and build the nation.

Get it together people, it’s a high time; before you are banned from even tuck shops in your estate.

A day after my gratitude post, the mother of all horror and tragedy Kenya has ever seen strikes. I have not been able to say anything appropriate because for one I was shaken and second I could not bring myself to imagine what those who were in that mall felt or experienced. Leave alone that; people who have lost their loved ones. *sigh. It broke my heart over and beyond.

For those of us who were seeing it all on TV it was like watching a combination of Olympus has fallen and some terrible horror movie (I never watch horror movies Because I end up dreaming so I cannot give reference) maybe scream ( because I watched ten minutes of it on mute). The gun shots, the explosions, the helpless children and adults alike, the pictures making rounds (thanks to social media) and the people who are real not actors. I mean there is nothing like taken 4 Scene 8, it was all so real.

People have lost their loved ones in there, some are missing so you do not even know if you are to hold a funeral or keep searching with the hope for finding them soon. Victims are in both in shock and in pain it is not possible to just say get well soon. You cannot even hug them, I saw a very young boy who was shot on the shoulders. Let me not even get started on the children. I doubt they will ever forget the bloody scenes and the deafening explosions they heard. Anyone who bangs anything could send them into shock. Poor kids.

On the other side, we have to say we cannot take back what has happened so we will sit here and pray for you all who were injured and for those of you who lost your loved ones may God be there for you till you all heal. We are with you all the way and now we are even stronger as a nation because our blood now flows through our veins. Do not give up, we have hope that you will be fine and that we will fight the enemy as one to the end.

As for the people who went into that building on the rescue mission, we cannot thank you enough. God bless your souls and may he keep you from harm as you fight for the helpless. Someone wrote “True heroes are the people that run towards gunshots when everyone else is running from them. The Kenyan police, military and Israelite forces we commend you!” And the commander-in-chief of the armed forces had this to say; “your response has been nothing short of wonderful. We could not in all fairness ask more of you. I am deeply moved and proud to be your President”

There’s only so much I can say. As we enter the three days of mourning let us say a prayer for those who have lost their lives and for those fighting for their’s but above all, let us give thanks for the life and be grateful for every little thing. Somebody Died Last night, But I Didn't. Somebody Didn't Wake Up This morning, But I Did. I'm Not Lucky, I'm BLESSED. Thank God!

BE GRATEFUL

This generation tends to have celebrations after celebrations after flipping celebrations. Enhe, world hug day, handshake day, whatever-you-want-to-call-it day. But among those random holidays the one that just coincides with my post today is Worlds Gratitude day which is on the 21^st of September.

Being the whinos that we constantly are its very hard to get things to thank for forget even seeing it. The thing is contagious and you never get well soon. It takes time, even so, you could be very careful not to catch any of that you know. Wherever you are in life just know that there’s someone else who has it worse than you do.

Give thanks for those around you, give thanks for the good health, and give thanks for the roof over your head. When there is peace at night (or day) that you can sleep or walk anywhere as you like give thanks because there are people who do not know what it feels like to be at peace as a nation or as a home. Speaking of walking, there are people without feet; or even if they have the feet they don’t feel them. Look at the crippled who cannot run for shelter when something comes their way or they cannot even cross the road even when there is a zebra crossing.

As you sulk, there are lots of people who are laughing their hearts out and they do not have half the things you have or any of the opportunities you’ve come across. When you do not want to get out of bed to fight for yourself, there are people who do not even have a bed or mattress but still think they are blessed and appreciate from the bottom of their hearts what they have.

Be grateful for every little thing; be grateful for those who pray for you and those who want the best for you. Be grateful for the challenges you encounter because at the end you will emerge a better person. What you are taking for granted someone is fasting for. Above all, be grateful for the good health and life because someone somewhere is fighting for their life.

You are blessed and gifted. The moment you start living like a blessed and gifted being, you will have began the journey to finding purpose in your life and happiness will be an added advantage. In all you do, be grateful and give thanks.

The Beast in Beauty

The world could have its own definition of beautiful and so does the media and each ethnic region of existence. One person could look at one and not even notice them but the same person could be a hottie before someone else. 

The way I see it, men are the bigger bullies in this case. Men will say nasty things about a woman just because she has a forehead or because she is dark-skinned or acne or whatever it could be that they want to use. Including the body shape. Women are the curvier sex and trust me we can curve.  There are so many reasons why women curve but that’s a story for another day so women will have bigger torsos with smaller bottoms and  vice versa whereas some are even all the way from the top to the bottom.

Back to the bullies though. If you live in Kenya you have at least heard of #tujuane. I think it becomes a trending topic every Tuesday and don’t men have mean things to say about women. All the time people have to attack the woman. Even the women attack their own but it’s usually mild. But then again we are the ones who put ourselves out there on the chopping board. Why would you get out there and smear your sleazy self on national television?

Anyway, my trigger today is not even from social media. So, I was seated in front of these guys in the bus back home and there was traffic so there was plenty of time to browse the streets. I’m not sure what they were talking about before then but I heard them talk about some “ugly girl” and they happened to mention being dark skinned as one of the factors. I am a very dark skinned girl and I just had to look at whoever was talking and see how much of a Hottie McFly they could be. 

Why would you tell someone about the speck on their face when you have a log in your own eye? First of all you say dark girls are ugly and you are African. Well, all of your family could be light skinned and all, but you know what? Even Beyonce and Tyra are black, Trey songz and JCole too. As long as you have a stroke of dark running through your veins you are black and you are dark. Period. Let others be. Color means nothing. Stop dragging others down your drainage of negative vibes.  

Only the creator can judge the creation since with the hundreds of years of existence no one has been able to make anything close to a living being. Let the beast in the beauty exist without a pointing finger and let the beauty in the beast exist, because it doesn’t have to make sense. It just is. So let it be.

FIGHT THAT BLOCK

 

As cliché as it sounds, hard work pays. Not only that, but also has to have a stroke of smart to make you stand out. Because in this world, there is nothing that hasn’t been done. All people do is make things easier and funkier (who doesn’t want funky).

Before working on anything, people have to have a dream. Anything that you look forward to being be it tomorrow, a month or years. The least you can do for yourself is dream it. Dreaming in this case being visualizing what you want. The most vivid of dreamers have been able to work their steps towards their goal easily. When you choose to dream blurry visions, your walk to destiny will be hell because no matter how many resources you will have, it will never be enough and you will never get there as fast.

This is where the stroke of smart applies. Millionaires and paupers both have 24hours, don’t they? Where do this people get the time to work their way to billions? Personally, I’ve come to hate the Illuminati scapegoat. It could exist yes, but I do not have proof, so I will not sit here hands on the back of my neck and join in the chorus. What I believe is you have to want something so bad for you to have it. And you have to work both hard and smart to get to it.

It takes 10,000 hours of practice for you to get all the mistakes out. If you just sit there, the 10,000 hours will be past the days of your existence. But if you work hard enough it could take you a year and a half or less. See, by the time you get to 3000 hours, your skill is good enough and you can begin to get noticed. People want to know people, who are known, (explains the experience employers look for) very few people want to discover.

 If you will not put yourself out there, you could never be discovered and one day while sitting by the fireplace with your great grandchildren, you will tell them you wanted to be the best entrepreneur in town. The innocent faces will look up and ask why you never got to your dream. You will lie that you were in too deep in the village you never got the exposure when you actually knew every city joint in your youth. You will make the children grow up in self pity when you could’ve made it easier for them to get further into success.

You have to fight that block today as I am fighting my writers block. By all means, I will write even when I will not have the audience. And when I’m at my 10,000 hour, I know I will not be the same person I am at very few hours into my practice. Artiste, doctor, athlete, teacher, businessman, start now and start from the bottom. Work well, on your foundation and do not take shortcuts either. So that if what you are starting will live to be the greatest there has ever been, you will not have a shady and shaky foundation, and your heirs and heiress’ will thank you.

 So, today, get up and fight that block. You better have an “oh, well”, than an “what if”. Learn to be your number one fan even when everybody thinks you are wasting your time. Pat yourself on the back and you will be fine. Like being in a room without a door, bring the block down and free yourself to the greater heights you can achieve.