Hey y’all!
I have been under a rock for a minute and that’s going to change at the end of the month when school ends but I thought I’d share some pretty dopesome news.
I was feature on a hair blog!!! 😀 (I know eh! little ol’ me). Karina has an amazing natural hair blog and you should all check it out ^_^
http://www.shesgotnigeriancurls.com/post/116460937181/shesgotnigeriancurls-fro-feature-enang-of
Gathered Skirt
Hey beautiful people!
So I know I make a lot of skirts but I’m really not sorry. Winter has forced me into a rotating schedule of long sleeves, sweaters and pants. While that’s not all together horrible it gets boring after a while you know. I need to stick it to the weather and expand my skirt collection, I shall overcome!
This time I decided to make this gorgeous gathered skirt and I felt it came out really nice! I was inspired by a skirt my sister has and had hoped to make this a midi skirt but the amount of fabric I had wouldn’t have allowed that happen, nevertheless I am satisfied.
Making it was relatively easy, I cut out a rectangle 3 times the circumference of my waist (lessons learned from my first midi skirt). After that I set my sewing machine to the largest straight stitch setting and sewed along the edge so I could gather the skirt. After gathering, the rest was simply putting the ends together. I included a zipper which was a little difficult but not horribly so and I finished it off with a little pearl button. Overall I would rate the difficulty a 4/10.
Ooo, well this is completely unrelated but I’m really loving the flat twist crown in my hair…Made me feel very princessy 🙂
Pictures by Willyverse
Womanhood
I’ve always found the title “woman” troubling. More so in my teens than now, nevertheless it is a concept I am still negotiating. I’ve always felt more like a girl, a girl has minimal responsibilities, a girl can do so much more than a woman can. A woman is tied to social expectations and must conform or she will be shamed. A girl could conform to social expectations but the most she would get for deviating from the norm is a cautioning word, likely from the women around her.
I simply could not understand why people were so quick to thrust that word “woman” on me, and I was even more confused about why some people were so eager to adopt it. Cotton ball boobs does not a woman make! It must be earned, I felt. I still do really. A thirteen year old no matter how mature she may look or act is a G-I-R-L! Maybe one or two people may differ but for the majority I say girl.
She is a girl because she has likely achieved little. A woman is accomplished and has much to be proud of. A girl does not have the burden of making tough decisions (except of course between which teen pop sensation would grace her wall next). A woman must make many difficult decisions and she does so with grace. A woman carries great responsibility and exudes confidence with every step.
Then of course there’s me, straddling this fence. Not quite a woman but slowly leaving the carefree ways of a girl behind. I’m not entirely sure I’m ready to be a woman though, its far too grand. I like these inbetweenities where I can watch both phases and simply exist outside of the trappings of either.
Now as I am not yet a woman I can not speak from experience on what it means but I have had plenty experience being a girl and maybe I am idealizing womanhood. I certainly blame all the women in my life for setting such high standards, however maybe I just don’t know the struggle. Maybe every woman is just a girl in high heels, playing a part for the world’s applause. Maybe this is what I am wobbling towards, greatly unsure but faking it till I make it.
All is well
Holiday Shift Dress
Heya!! and *cough* happy new year!
I know that I have been away for more than a minute but I’m back!!! I needed time to re-energize and come back better than ever 🙂 . Anyhow, before the holiday season was really over I had to sneak in one holiday outfit :D. I felt it was the perfect New Year’s party dress but it would really work for everyday life. I fell in love with the colors and the pattern on this fabric at the store and was a little disappointed because it seemed that it was just a sample size. I was also really disappointed because I had been hunting down a fabric like this for a while. I quickly forgot about it and kept looking for other things in the store when my sister surfaces with the roll of fabric. Excited doesn’t begin to describe how I felt! (in my best new york accent) “It really warmed my heart!”
Anyhow, when I got home I wasted no time cranking this baby out. It took a few days and plenty of adjustments but I’m really happy with my results! My main challenges with this outfit were the darts and the sleeves. I’m yet to master this science of darts so its always trial and error for me. If anyone has a formula for them I would really appreciate that! Then the sleeves. (oh boy!) I had initially planned to have a regular short sleeve but for whatever reason as I started sewing I changed my mind and made it a cap sleeve. Now this shouldn’t have been a problem except I couldn’t get both sleeves to match. I honestly don’t know why these things happen to me. Anyhow after much fiddling, undoing and redoing, I finally got them to a tolerable resemblance. My excuse? sleeves shouldn’t be twins they should be sisters 😀 (same excuse I use when I mess up my cat eye)
I can see my self dressing this up for a semi-formal event or dressing it down for…well something less formal. Also, as I would be entering the workforce soon, is this the kind of dress one would wear to any work related function? I have a few other outfits brewing so expect me to ask this question a couple more times, but I guess I want to make my transition from student to worker as smooth and fashionable as possible.
Pictures by: Willyverse
Reflecting on Nigeria
I couldn’t count the number of times I rolled my eyes while listening to this young man mouth off about the demerits of Nigeria. By the time he described Nigerians as narcissistic I had just about had it. In his opinion, Nigerians are always quick to remind the world that we’re the “giants of Africa” but what do we have to be proud of? The smug look on his face spoke volumes to me. He was either trying to annoy somebody (eg. Me) or he honestly believed what he was saying and was daring the audience to disagree. I would not honor his desires then simply to spite him but I will speak my mind here.
As Nigerians we love to complain. Its a natural talent that we seem to possess. If we do well, we ask why didn’t we do better? If we fail, we ask why didn’t someone else stop us from failing. We complain about the corruption in our country like we invented corruption. We complain about our diversity like its the greatest curse. We would complain about anything as long as you give us the chance. What we fail to do however, after all this complaining is 1) look at what caused the problem and 2)work to make it better.
Every time a Nigerian stands before me and tells me that we have no national identity all I see is a lack of understanding for where we as a country have come from. The country we now call Nigeria was a colonial construct that was set to ensure ease of colonial rule. The way Nigeria is set up was not for Nigerians to govern. It is a perfect representation of divide and rule because the people from one place to the next are so culturally different. It is hard to believe, with the sheer diversity of the nation that our people would mobilize to fight for independence; but we did. Our national identity should come in our shared history. We do not have to be Nigerian in the way that Americans are American to claim our national identity.
Every time a Nigerian suggests that secession of either the north or the south of Nigeria would solve all of our problems, I wonder how quickly we have forgotten the pain of the civil war. The lives of many people thrown in complete jeopardy because some people did what “seemed” to make the most sense. The north and the south of Nigeria have become very co-dependent irrespective of what some southern people might think. One would find it very difficult to survive without the other. The lives of civilians living in both parts would be horribly affected, and for what reason? Tribalism is our problem in the way some other countries have to deal with racism. As much as I hate to compare sites of inequity, I find this necessary in order to put things in context. Yes managing the power relations between multiple tribes is an incredibly difficult task but I don’t believe that it is impossible.
I am not naive. I know that there are many issues with Nigeria. I am often disappointed and frustrated with the people who lead us. I want more from and for the citizens. I expect so much from this country and it repeatedly falls below my expectations but I am not ashamed. I see potential in Nigeria. I am hopeful for a brighter day. Most importantly, I believe we have plenty to be proud of. There are Nigerians within the country and all over the world who are positively impacting the lives of millions. We are a resilient people who still find something to laugh about even in the darkest situations. We are smart, strong and we have such rich cultures. I don’t think that’s being narcissistic, it is choosing to acknowledge the positives when everyone insists on reminding you of the negatives.
picture by willyverse
I can’t believe I’m 20!
This was the age I looked up to when I was little and I imagined I would be so grown. I imagined I would have done so much with my life and everybody would know my name. Well 20 doesn’t quite look like that 
. I have spent the past few days/weeks leading up to today reflecting on what I have achieved. What I’m learning is that everybody has their own path in life. Of course you determine what that path looks like through the choices that you make or don’t make but each person’s journey through life is uniquely theirs. Yes I’ve felt a bit anxious about this birthday, what it means, the next phase of my life but I’m happy still. I’m happy to have made it this far. Happy for growth and the people I have met along the way who have helped me grow. I’m happy for the moments; big or small that have made me smile, cry or just feel. I’m grateful for who I have become and who I am becoming. I don’t know if I’m any wiser than I was a couple of hours ago as a 19 year old but hey! I’m ready for 20, ready to move forward and ready to be “grown”. This doesn’t mean I’m getting rid of all the “childish” things in my life (for those of you that had hoped for that :p ) but I’ve been working on being a responsible member of society so that should be sufficient for now.
#tanapp
Picture by Willyverse
First shot at making a shift dress
So as promised I’m here again with another post this week! I just might keep this up… Mightt
Anyhow a couple of weeks ago I saw Ona’s DIY shift dress and I instantly fell in love! I messaged her immediately to send me a pattern for the dress but here’s the thing, I’m a teensy bit impatient when it comes to new projects so I started to research how to make a shift dress. I finally decided on what I wanted and went ahead.
She sent me the pattern not long after, and while I don’t regret making the one I did I’m even more excited to give her’s a whirl! On another note, this was the first time the finished product actually looked just like my drawing!!! I guess this is a definite sign of progress so yayyy!
This project however was not without hiccups. So since I was out of the country and away from my sewing machine for quite some time, Sally (my sewing machine) wasn’t quite moving like she ought to…okay to be perfectly honest, she wasn’t moving at all and I was freaking out!! In my panic I thought it might be a good idea to take my needle out but alas I clearly wasn’t focusing because I didn’t hold on to the needle and it fell into the bobbin part of my sewing machine (not sure what the real technical names are but basically the bottom half). My panic increased at this point because I wanted to get the needle out without breaking it seeing as I didn’t have a spare. Then I made yet another foolish decision and turned my machine upside down to get the needle out, this time it fell into the top part and that’s the last I have seen of that particular needle. That was when this happened..
You know that feeling you get when everything is going wrong and you keep thinking; “well could this possibly be any worse”? Yup that’s exactly how I felt.
Fast forward a few days later when I managed to get new needles, I finally cranked this baby out! This was also my first attempt at lining. I think I did a pretty decent job and I was thoroughly pleased with the finishing!! not a raw edge in sight.I added in a side zipper and a red border and tah dahhhh!!.
I’ve worn this out a number of times now and it’s so ridiculously comfortable:D I guess this is yet another post where all things worked together in the end. Also had a lot of fun taking pictures for this post! After an amazing lunch at Harlem Underground with my awesome sauce brother, we walked around taking pictures…perfect end to a rocky start.
Errmagashh I got nominated for the sunflower blogger award guys!!!!!!! Thank you Detuke for thinking of me :D. The rules are fairly simple;
Share 11 facts about yourself
Answer the questions set by the blogger who nominated you
nominate 11 bloggers
set 7 questions for the nominated bloggers
I’ve recently moved and started school so it’s taken me a little while to get this post up but regular posting should resume shortly 🙂 and since I haven’t posted in a while expect something on Wednesday too!!! Amazing eh? Okay lets get into it. Brace yourselves, its about to be a long one.
11 Facts about me;
1. I’m the last child in my family
2. This “facts about me” portion is making me uncomfortable cause I feel like I don’t “know” me all of a sudden
3. I’m Nigerian, from Akwa Ibom to be specific and no this doesn’t mean I’m ibo. (Its funny how often I actually have to explain this).
4. I’m in my fourth year in University
5. I looooove arguing about social issues. It literally gives me a rush
6. I also love me some candyyy
7. I’m an introvert but I have my extroverted moments
8. I’m an arts and crafts lover. If I can make it, paint it, weave it, glue it or draw it I’m good. (This is also where my whole color lover thing comes in)
9. I love to read
10. I consider myself to be a pretty cheerful person
11. I love plays and I’ve written a couple myself 🙂
Questions Set for Me;
If you could represent any brand, which one would you choose and why?
Okay this is a tough one. I feel that all brands have their weaknesses but if I absolutely had to choose, I would say either Kelloggs or Toms. Kelloggs because its a nostalgic brand for me and if all the things on the back of the cereal boxes are true, they have a real commitment to effecting social and environmental change. I would say Toms because its a social enterprise. Basically a true commitment of a company to improving the lives of other people matters most to me.
What is one interesting thing you’ve learned from reading my blog?
I find the style posts amazing. and I’ve found out about a few fashion-oriented businesses through you so that’s awesome sauce!
Do you have a phobia?
YESSSSS!! HEIGHTS AND WATER!!! Both make me feel like I’m about to die. I may or may not have embarrassing stories regarding crying on a wonderland ride…maybe I do, maybe I don’t.
If you were offered an all-expenses paid trip to anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
I would go to Italy. My only reason is that one of my favorite professors is Italian and he makes such a huge fuss about how amazing and beautiful Italy is so I would love to go just for the experience (on somebody else’s dime though)
What is something you’ve achieved that you’re most proud of?
Teaching myself to sew is something that I’m pretty proud of. Also, writing and directing my own plays would have to be way up there on my proud scale.
What is your dream job/career
I would like to work in an international organization and create policies that positively impact the lives of women and children in the global south.
Favorite post on Tuke’s Quest
I really liked your natural hair journey post. Firstly because I love reading natural hair stories and I also thought it was very story-like or to be a teeny bit bougie “it had great narrative flow”.
7 Questions I Set
1. What country are you in?
2. What inspired you to start blogging?
3. How would you describe your style?
4. What’s is your earliest memory?
5. What would you change about the world if you could?
6. What are your top three blogs?
7. What is your favorite post on my blog?
Yayyy Nomination time!
1. Afrolems
5. How do you solve a problem like…
7. Okay I don’t know who else to tag 😦
See you on Wednesday!!
2 and a half years natural and all I can say is…natural hair is not easy! Forget what you heard.
I think when people big chop and they are dealing with about an inch of kink they assume that natural hair is easier to manage but alas that is but a phase in the never ending hair journey and it gets more difficult as time goes on. Now this is not to discourage anybody who is thinking of going natural because as annoying as my hair is sometimes I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve had way more fun with my curls than I ever did with straight hair. Anyhow, in the course of my natural journey, I have had many mishaps that are fairly amusing to look back on. Today, I shall tell the tale of my very first flexi rod set 🙂
I would start by saying I never big-chopped so at some point in my super long transition, I had to get creative with blending my two textures. Bantu knot outs had always worked for me but I was craving a change. Of course as most naturals would do, I skipped off to youtube for guidance and after many videos I was certain that flexi rods were the bees-knees!
I painstakingly prepped my hair the night before, spritzing with water, coating with shea butter and rolling like my youtubers were doing. Two hours and incredibly sore arms later I found my way to bed. Now all this suffering might have been better if I at least had a good night’s sleep. Alas, what they forgot to mention in all the videos I had watched was that those flexi-rods will stick painfully into my scalp and they would make me toss and turn all night. I just remember lying in bed trying to convince myself that beauty is pain and it would all be worthwhile when I have lush, bouncy curls in the morning.
I got out of bed (Can’t say I woke up because I never really slept) and took my precious time getting ready because I wanted to give my hair as much time a possible to set. Finally the moment of truth came. As I unrolled my first rod, it took everything in me not to cry. The one thing I have learned to fear the most about styling my natural hair happened…it did not dry. I stared at that section as it was slowly shrinking, willing it to magically transform into what I had seen on youtube. I slowly unraveled the rest of my hair and sat miserably staring at my reflection and trying to convince myself that it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was. Some pieces had dried more than others so my hair was unevenly stretched not to mention the odd straight pieces that just didn’t know what to do with themselves. In hindsight, I should just have pulled it into a bun and wrapped it but I was still clinging to what could have been.
I stuck a flower in it and carried my hot mess out, albeit a little self-conscious. I managed to convince myself that it wasn’t so bad and a few of my friends (bless them) boosted my confidence with very careful compliments…”I love how you put the flower in, it really brings out your features”. Alas my delusion could only last so long, I was forced to come to terms with my hot mess when one of my friends thought it fitting to ask why I hadn’t done anything to my hair that day. I stared at him not really knowing what to say. If only he knew just how much I had actually done.
Moral of the story? I don’t know, It was just a really bad hair day :p
This post is a classic case of “borrow borrow make me shine” (I don’t know if that really requires translation).
Being in Nigeria, with full access to my mum’s closet is absolute perfection! She has acculumated so many charming pieces and valuable resources over the years so naturally as her daughter, I think its my responsibility to give her possessions a whirl no? Well whether or not you agree with me, I did just that. My mom found this gorgeous fabric that she’s had since she graduated university and she hasn’t used it since, so I decided to help her by taking it off her hands :D. Surprise surprise…she also had a sewing machine (how amazing is this?? and how have I never known this?!). The minute I saw that fabric the first thing I thought was “Midi Skirt”and right after that I thought “I can’t afford to screw this up”. Now this wouldn’t be the first midi skirt I’ve made so maybe I was feeling a pinch too confident about my abilities but this skirt was w.o.r.k! The last midi skirt I made was an upcycle so I didn’t anticipate the challenges I might have making this from scratch. Basically, I had no clue what I was getting myself into.
I started by measuring my waist and how long I wanted it to be. From that point on I felt like I was on an island with no map and only a picture of my destination. I knew what I wanted to get but I had no idea how to achieve it. In hindsight, planning might have helped me here. If I had done a teeny bit of research before starting I would have know to cut the fabric to 3 times my waist size so when I added my pleats, I could achieve the fullness I wanted. I started off with something that looked like a pencil skirt gone wrong. Then I tried to make it more a-line but I only wrecked it more. It was only after research and lots of redone stitches that I managed to get it looking like this.
For difficulty, I would rate it a 5/10, it was not my easiest project but it would have been a lot easier if I had started properly. Oh and while we’re on the topic of difficulty, I think I’m starting to really get the hang of zippers! It took me a few attempts but I managed to keep my invisible zipper relatively invisible 😀
When I remake this skirt (note I did not say “if”), I will look into the slip stitch more seriously, I tried looking at a Pintrest picture tutorial when I was making this skirt. When that failed miserably, I decided to follow my heart and I managed to hem it somehow, not sure what that stitch is called but it did the job 😛 (the too-lazy-to-follow-the-pintrest-one stitch?)
With the many up’s and down I faced making this skirt I was reminded that this is what I signed up for when I decided to teach myself to sew. I signed up for trial and error, for hours spent redoing one seemingly simple thing, and of course for the absolute pride I feel when I’m done. It’s frustrating sometimes but its always worth it.
I decided to maintain the theme of “out of mama’s closet” and took her old sunglasses (which I intend to own), her scarf, and her book to accessorize this look. The humidity also lent me a ton of volume so as I said in the beginning…borrow borrow make me shine 🙂 
pictures by Willyverse
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