TGIF!!! So much to do, so little time

Whats Popping guys?

Omo, its not easy oooo. You know i have whined in the past about how busy my life is? I was deceiving myself, my life just got a whole lot busier and crazy. So much has happened this past couple of weeks and all i can say to my creator is thank you. In the last quarter of this year, Almighty Allah has shown me that he can totally change your story once you have faith. The funny thing is, i am not one of the most faithful or should i say faith based person, you will ever meet. I am as pessimistic as they come and yet God  in his infinite mercy,still blessed me. I am not where i want to be yet, but for now, i am grateful for where i am because it could be much worse. I caught a glimpse of what 'worse' could be like and dear lord, i do not want to experience it, pessimist or not.

Anyway, as i said, these past couple of weeks have been insane and i had so many things to do with so little time. I started work at a new organisation, its a new media advertising agency filled with only young people that makes me feel old, and am not. Its a new direction for me and i must say i am excited and a bit anxious about my fitting into this world of digital fastness and whiz kids but ill try and soak up as much knowledge as possible. Then y'all know have been going on and on about the 'OPEN YARD SALE' and it was a good outing and i met new people and made new contacts. It was fun and we learnt so many things about project management and organizing an even in a short period of time( just two weeks). We intend on making it a quarterly event and we are going to improve on so many things. Sales could have been better but that's a general thing right now and it just goes to show the state of our economy and how it has been ruined so much, that people cannot do the one thing, Xmas is about, SHOP! but i digress, OPEN YARD SALE was a success depending on how you look at it.

The next day after the sale, i woke up bright and early and left my home at 6am to meet up with my colleagues at the ' EPE RESORT AND SPA"Llocated at Itoikin Road, Epe, Lagos state,Nigeria, for an end of the year retreat. Everyone had left the day before but i could not, because of the sale. All i can say is that it was an experience. It was filled with work, work and more work but we managed to have a bit of fun. As for the venue all can i say is 'Gorgeous'. The resort  in my regard, deserves a 5 star rating( the spa isn't functioning yet, sad face, that was what i was looking forward to). The accommodations were on point with 4 people to a 'chalet', that's two people to a room and beautiful grounds. The environment was serene and it felt like you were cut of from the world ( which is not a ad thing, if you live in crazy ass Lagos). Its a place to go for a weekend getaway with Le boo or your significant other.

Enough talk already! Ill let the pictures do the rest, starting from the yard sale..

I did take more pictures than these but they are on my camera. Ill try to download and share with you guys on subsequent posts. Now for my sojourn at Epe..

 

 

It was a wonderful experience and gave me the opportunity to get more comfortable with my new colleagues and have fun while doing it. Did i mention that the food was fantastic? So much sea food to choose from, sign... I ate so much that when i got home, i had to use some herbs to clear my stomach. I would recommend the 'Epe Resort and Spa' any day. 

Have a fantastic weekend ahead dolls and Happy Holidays, Christmas is just Five days away and it doesn't feel like it, yet. What a wonderful country we live in, our leaders should be given a big round of applause( eye rolling my eyes out). 

Live Love and Laugh and a Merry Xmas to You and a Happy new Year in advance. 

 

TGIF and Happy Holidays...

 Ho ho ho!

Its that special time of the year again. Even though am not a Christian, you cannot help but be drawn into the joy and mood of the season. Christmas time however, can also be a time of deep sadness if you are alone, going through challenges or just plain lonely. I have experienced my share of less than happy Xmas seasons but i always make sure that i have a good time either with friends or family. Xmas is definitely not the time to sit and mope and think about what went wrong during the year. Its a time to be thankful and be full of cheer even if you have to force it.






2013 has been one of those years, that you look back on and say Allahamdulilahi i survived it. So many ups and downs and for a minute the downs seemed to be more than ups.  I had set objectives that i intended to achieve this year e.g buy a car, change jobs, visit my sis in the UK, find a man and start my Masters degree. This year has just shown me that plan all you want, it can all change and man proposes, God disposes.  Needless to say my plans did not turn out the way i expected. I didn't get the car, i did change jobs ( but not the way i wanted and not to what i wanted or expected), i did not visit my sis in the UK but we started a business together regardless, i bought my application form for my masters but ASUU went on strike and i met a man and fell in love ( even though he was not who i had in mind). Looking back now, i am really grateful for everything, both the good and bad because it just showed me that pessimist and control freak that i am, i can survive upheavals and be the stronger for it.




OK, enough philosophical ramblings and let's get to the business of today. It's FRIDAY! and that means the much anticipated ' Open Yard Sale' is just two days away. Please join us on the 15th December(Sunday) at 100 Hours, Off Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos from 10am to 6pm. Everything you need for your beauty and fashion needs will be available for purchase at real affordable rates and the first 20 people to buy goods up to 15k get a freebie.  

I am so excited because nothing gets me tingly like affordable fashion and beauty. The Accessories Lounge will be there with gorgeous pieces ranging from bracelets, neck pieces, earrings,rings,scarves and purses at really really affordable rates.  See you there..

Live Love and Laugh

Monday Musings ( A new Job, A New Era)

Hi Guys,


Life cannot get any crazier than this and at this rate i really do not know how i will cope because its getting crazier by the day.

Anyway, enough of me whining. I have some fantastic news to share with you guys... I HAVE A NEW JOB! I am sure you could have deduced that from the post title. For a couple of months, i was in between jobs and i used that time to focus on other aspects of my life e.g my fledgling accessories business with my sister, script writing, radio show idea brainstorming and even book editing and so much more. I was juggling all these while job hunting and going for interviews.  I hate being idle and i am a firm believer that the devil finds work for an idle hand.

This new job is both a familiar and new thing for me. Its advertising but not the traditional  type i am used to because it is based on Mobile Internet devices. Its exciting and scary at the same time, learning a new skill set, but i believe i am up to the challenge and with time ill learn and become a guru at it. My life is a journey of learning new things and besides its not too good for your CV to be idle. I thank God, that i got this opportunity because i know that am not any better than all my fellow job hunters out there. Its by his grace and mercy.

In other news, the ' Open Yard Sale' is still on and i consider this my first ever entrepreneurial event and i am excited because who does not like to make money? Please guys try and make it  a date with us on the 15th of December @ 100 hours, off Awolowo road, Ikoyi, Lagos. Its Christmas and this is the best time to shop especially at affordable prices. Cloths, shoes, make up, hair, female and male accessories will be available for purchase and The Accessories Lounge will be there with Fabulous female accessories. 



Do not miss this for the world!!! Have a great week ahead...


Live Love and Laugh

' The Open Yard Sale' is set to hit Lagos!!!

Hi guys,

When it rains it pours. Its been absolutely crazy this past couple of days and i know its only going to get crazier as the year comes to an end.

Anyway  am excited to announce to you that something is coming to town and its almost as good as SANTA! It's the first ever ' Open Yard Sale!!!' and it promises to be worth your while. The 'Open Yard sale' is an opportunity for you to get some Xmas shopping done at affordable rates. It's all about fashion and you get the opportunity to buy shoes,cloths,accessories for both male and female with makeup and gorgeous hair pieces.

The Accessories Lounge will be one of the vendors with our gorgeous array of accessory pieces for you to pick and choose from at affordable prices. If you cannot afford to buy an entire wardrobe, just buy a couple of accessory pieces and spruce up your closet.

So come one, come all and get your fashion and beauty on!!! Will keep you posted...

Live Love and Laugh

Protect your skin in this weather

Hi Guys, 

Its been insane these past couple of days and life has never been this out of control. Its been one thing or the other and at this rate, ill have to just lock myself somewhere and rest before i totally break down.  Is it me or PHCN has gone from bad to worse especially after their privatization?  Nothing worse than no electricity and heat. The weather has been so hot that you can literally crack an egg on the sidewalk and make an omelet. I have been so worried about sun damage to the skin because light or dark sinned, too much sun exposure isn't good. So i decided to do some l research and find out ways we can protect our skin and continue looking pretty because the foundation of beauty is having good skin. However, in this harsh economic times it has to be pocket friendly because we are all about affordable beauty and fashion.  So here we go... 

• Cover up:  One of the best ways to protect our skin from the sun's rays is to cover up  and wear sunscreen. During the sun rays most intense hours between 10 a.m and 4p.m, it has also been advised to stay in doors but if you have to go out make sure you cover up and wear sunscreen. The Skin Cancer Foundation says that wearing hats and clothing made of dark,tightly woven  materials absorb ultraviolet rays better than cotton fabrics and dry fabrics offer better protection than wet ones.   

• Screen it: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends wearing sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15. Be sure to spread it on thick enough: Applying only a thin coating of a sunscreen can reduce the effectiveness of the product by as much as 50 percent. Waterproof sunscreen is best if you'll be swimming. It is also advisable to apply it 20 to 30 minutes before exposure to allow your skin to absorb it and continue reapplying every two hours if sweating or getting wet and if you have fair skin, you can apply before going to bed to aid better absorption into the skin. 

I hope these tips helps? I will do another post on affordable skin care remedies that will not break the bank or wallet very soon.  

In other news, something exciting is coming from The Accessories Lounge very soon and i cannot wait. Till next time my darlings..

Live Love and Laugh 

Monday Musings ( The dying breed of Teachers)

Hi Guys,

I am so sorry i have not been active on the blogosphere this past week, its been hectic and am here to update you on what has been happening to your girl.

As you all know, i am currently exploring all available options open to me and i must say its a bit scary but exhilarating at the same time. Not being committed to a 9-5 this past couple of months has been an experience.There is nothing like a steady pay check to give you a feeling of security and i am not quite ready to bid adieu to the corporate world but in the meantime am enjoying the experience and having a blast.

Well last week, my late dad's close  friend ( my dad was actually his best man)  gave me a call and said he needed my expertise on a book that was being put together for their former secondary school ( Ansarudeen High School,Surulere) principal's ( Alhaji  Shukrullah Babatunde Selem) 80th birthday / Book and Foundation Launch. He wanted me to go through the entire manuscript and edit and correct what needs to be corrected before the book went to print in three days for the event on the 17th of November( yesterday).

I was a bit scared and flattered because i did not want to do a shoddy job and disappoint my late dad, his friend and the entire old students association( AHOSA), so the whirl wind began. For the three days that i tried to help the editing team to put this book together, it was crazy. However, reading this book was very illuminating and made me think about the educational sector now compared to the time of my dad. 



Alhaji Selem by all accounts was a devoted educationist that dedicated his life to molding the lives of his students and whoever he came across, positively. To read the glowing recommendations from his former students and peers was an eye opener and got me thinking. What happened to the saying ' a teacher's reward is in heaven' . Our teachers ( primary,secondary and university) want their rewards in the here and now. I think Alhaji's Selem's breed of teachers are  a dying breed and its kind of sad. I have nothing against you wanting to be paid for what you do because it encourages you to do more but that passion to impact in the lives of the future generation by our teachers, is dead. When i was in the university, it seemed our lecturers took their jobs as an after thought and just did it because it was a job, the passion wasn't really there.


So who are we to blame for this rot in our educational sector? We cannot blame the teachers alone. Is it the Government?  Is it the parents? IS IT THE STUDENTS,THEMSELVES, THAT REBUFF THAT KIND OF INVOLVEMENT? I really do not know but I'd appreciate your thoughts on the subject.

Have a wonderful week ahead, be kind to one another...

Live Love and Laugh

Monday Movie Review ( Thor:The Dark World)

Hello Guys,

Its monday again and that means its back to the grind and hustle , either as an employee or employer, we all need to work to make money and basically survive. How was the weekend though? Good? Mine was really good. You know i went on, about how i was going to get in the water and start swimming lessons... well it didn't happen. This was a case of so many things to do and so little time. I didn't sabotage le boo's plans, if that's what you are thinking. So after all said and done when we couldn't go swimming,  so we went to watch a movie. Who better to watch my pretend lover with ( Chris Hemsworth) than my real life boo.  



I must confess that i am not a comic fan but no one churns out block buster movies like Marvel Studios and almost everyone of them is a hit . With the world mired in so many conflicts, there is no better way to forget your troubles ( apart from church, dancing and alcohol) than watching an action packed, exciting, fantasy filled movie and if there is a hunk to drool over, so much the better.   



The film is both a sequel to "The Avengers" and the first "Thor," catching up with the hero (Chris Hemsworth) shortly after he's delivered brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) to Asgard for King Odin (Anthony Hopkins) to punish following the events of "The Avengers." While Thor tries to bring peace back to his world, scientist, and the first film's love interest, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) pines for the demigod of her dreams back on Earth.

During a research trip to London, Jane falls into another realm, becomes infected with a mysterious substance and is saved by Thor, who takes her back to Asgard. Odin determines that Jane has come into contact with the Aether - a mysterious rock pursued by the dark elf Malekith (Christopher Eccleston). When the nine realms of the universe align, the Aether will allow Malekith to turn the entire world back into darkness - and unfortunately the alignment is about to happen again. 

It was a very enjoyable movie and an improvement from the first ' Thor' movie. The dark world seems to have more plot and detail and the characters were given more to play with for example Kat Dennings and Stellan Skarsgard were totally hilarious as Jane's colleagues and are given more to do especially in their roles for the climax of the movie. 


I also fell in love with Loki, (i have this weakness for villains in movies but  not in real life). His banter with his brother Thor, made the movie much more than just a mindless  action packed film filled with hot guys and girls and the fact that he actually does have a heart and mourned the death of his adopted mother, made him adorable. His unpredictability, wit and grudging love and respect for his adopted mother made me root for his redemption and i actually felt a bit sad when his character faked his death.

Then my handsome beef cake, My one and only Thor is much more than just a muscle bound action hero with more biceps than brains. Chris Hemsworth has charisma and screen presence that just draws your attention . In the movie, he also has a good sense of humor and is less broody and the chemistry with Natalie Portman sizzled even though there were no love scenes ( thank God!)

All in all, not a bad movie and a must see, if you are a lover of fantasy movies like ' Lord of the Rings' like i am.

Rock that Swim Suit!

Hi guys,

The weekend is here again and that means its time to relax, catch up with friends and family and generally just chill. My plans for this weekend include swimming lessons. Le boo loves to swim and has been after me to get into the water. I do not know how to swim and i admit i am a bit ashamed and defensive about it. It's not my fault i cannot swim, i was never taught. Anyway, he has volunteered to teach me and that in itself promises to be a very interesting experience. I see it as a test of our relationship, if he can get me to swim and we do not break up in the process or i drown, then i guess i have reached my last bus stop.

Apart from my fear of drowning and ruining my hair, i also have this fear of looking terrible in a bathing suit. Be it a one piece or a bikini, i do not feel that i have the body to carry it of. I am fortunate to be very slim but i want to look like Halle Berry or a Victoria secret model. I wish i could fill out a swim suit the way they do and looking smoking hot while at it. Most girls want to look fit and slim, i want to look fit and curvy. Being skinny is not all it seems to be. I want to step out in my swim suit and make lee boo's heart and every male around stop for just a second. Well, a girl can dream can she? In Tobi fashion, i know a real issue when i see one and i also know that am not the only girl with hang ups about her body,especially when you have to be half dressed. So i decided to do a little research on tips to look good in a swimsuit and share them with you:

•  Cut back on salt ; This reduces water retention in your body and bloating. 
• Drink more water ; This actually also helps in reducing water retention, bloating and not to mention fatigue. 
• Cut out Dairy: This should be easy for me because am not crazy about milk and i can do without it for a couple of days. This also helps in reducing bloating. 
• Get the right one: Just like any outfit, you need to get a swim suit that fits your body type . Get one that accentuates the part of your body you love and  draws less attention to the parts, you are not crazy about. 
• Accessorize: I cannot stress how much accessories make or break an outfit. A floppy sun hat or cat eye sunglasses will make you feel like a movie star. You can use accessories as a means to cover up or to show of your shape. Get a fabulous cover up that flatters your shape and still showcase the parts you want to show of . You can tie a sarong to cover up your legs and hips or wear a tunic top that hits you mid thigh, if you want to cover up your not-toned stomach. 
• Fake it, till You make it! ;Stand up straight and be confident. This is the best tip and is the sexiest thing a woman can have. Even if you are having an off day, smile and strut your stuff like a super model. 

Well, i hope all these tips help, i intend on following them because i think its a little to late to hit the gym, since the weekend is here already. However i do know that i still need to eat well and exercise so i can feel confident in whatever i wear and am sure you agree with me. 

However, if you  start to feel lazy and need a kick in the pants and inspiration. Here are the pictures of the Black contestants in the Miss Universe Pageant, 2013. The pageant will hold tomorrow on the 8th of November in Moscow,Russia.

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

I am so envious but feel inspired at the same time( I can do this!). Have a great weekend guys. 

Live, Love and Laugh.

Ace that Interview...

Hi Guys, 

How has the week been? Its Thursday and that means we can start wiggling our behinds because the weekend is here. 

Before we start grooving for the weekend lets discuss something serious.The high rate of unemployment in Nigeria and how its affecting the economy. You are probably wondering why am talking about something this depressing. Well, its because another batch of Youth Corpers are currently at their Orientation camps now.It is really depressing that one batch has passed out and another batch has gone in and there is no guarantee of jobs when they do join the labour market. It makes everything bleak and very depressing but as we Nigerians always say ' IT IS WELL'. 

However, someone told me that no matter how dire the situation is, if you are very good  at what you do, you will get a job. Unfortunately that is not the case in Nigeria, competence or skill is no guarantee that you will get a good job but to make our chances better,i have decided to do a blog post on getting ready for an interview. Going in for an interview can be very nerve wracking and sometimes letting your nerves get the best of you  or being ill prepared can ruin your chances of getting that dream job. So here we go... 

• Practice:  practice makes perfect ( or at least as close to perfect as you can be). Try and practice answering interview questions and practice your responses to typical job interview questions and prepare examples to describe your skills. 
• Research :  This is very vital. Make sure you find out as much as you can about the company and role you are interviewing for. 
• Be on Time : This is very important and will give a good impression about you. Make sure you never get to an interview late and if you cannot avoid it, please call ahead. 
• Look Good: Now this is my favourite part of the whole process. Wearing the outfit and looking sharp will boost your confidence and whether you like it or not , You are also appraised on how you dress. You cannot go in for an interview in marketing or Business Development wearing a T-shirt and Jeans. Dress according to the industry you applying for a job in but no matter how crazy or creative, it may be, look put together. Here are some pictorial guides. 

 

 

If you notice, am tilting towards wearing a skirt. They make you look feminine and smart and you can be subtly sexy ( not skanky) with a pencil skirt. I believe a little sexy can be brought into an interview but as long as you are not a total air head. 

Live Love laugh