'THE FASHION BUDGET SERIES' POST 2

Hello Everyone,

It's still the affordable fashion series and i hope we all learnt a thing or two from post one and are getting inspired, i know i am.

In post 2, we are focusing on accessories and how we can use them to update our ward robe if we are a bit cash strapped. Its not all the time, that you  totally change your wardrobe but with a few select accessory pieces, you can breathe some new life into those cloths that you are so tired of. Here we go..

• Embellished Sandals : Sandals are so comfortable when dressing down especially in this very hot weather( i cannot say for those in the west, i guess they need boots). Thong sandals in different colors give some sparkle to a casual outfit and gives you a bohemian vibe.  

• Colorful scarves: Even though the weather is very hot now. Harmattan is around the corner with its hazy, cold windy mornings ,filled with dust. Wear a colorful scarf to dress up your outfit, they also come in handy in winter and Autumn. Scarves can be worn on the neck,as headbands and tied on bags for a chic look. 

• Fun Bracelets: They are so affordable and come in bright cheerful colors. Wear one or many at a time and give your outfits a youthful zest. 

• Bright Heels: Do not buy another boring black shoe. Get some pop of color into your wardrobe with a bright colored pair of heels. I prefer pumps because they are versatile and can be won with jeans, skirts and dresses. 

• Skinny Belts: Belts have gone beyond functionality and can be a fashion statement especially when they come in color. Cinch in that waist with a bright colored skinny belt when wearing sweaters or a dress or even jeans. 

• Over sized neck pieces: They are on trend and in my opinion going to be here for a while. Buying statement neckpieces and wearing them with old cloths just give you a different look and they come in different price ranges, so its pocket friendly. 

Hope these tips go a long way in keeping you fashionable on a budget. More posts will come up on the Fashion budget series. Do not forget to send your suggestions to rasaqtobi@yahoo.com and follow me on twitter @tobirasaq. If you also want to get fabulous accessory pieces please visit the facebook page www.facebook.com/TheAccessoriesLounge. 

Cheers! 

Live Love and Laugh

The 'Fashion Budget Series' Post 1

Hello Ladies and Gents,

How was the weekend? Fun,chilled or in between? I spent the weekend at home. The weather these past couple of days has been extremely hot. Just raising my hand to swat away a fly makes me break out in sweat. Unfortunately, living in Nigeria means that hot weather does not give you an excuse to prance around in short shorts and crop tops( especially if you are not mobile).

Anyway lets get to the business of today. While i was just lounging about in my short shorts and tank tops ( indoors of course) browsing through the internet and fashion magazines. I could not help but feel a tad bit jealous of these celebrities ( some local and mostly international) with their $5000 hand bags and cashmere sweaters. What's a girl to do on a budget? No matter what all these fancy pants economists tell me with their graphs and pie charts and reports, the truth of the matter is that we are broke ( speaking for the common man i mean). The economy is comatose and our leaders are in a coma as well. I cannot believe that Nigerian senators receive a ward robe allowance of N621,061.37 about $4000 a month. Is this fair?

Anyway i digress... so what does this mean for young women who want to look good but do not have endless deep pockets, an oil company job, a 'sponsor' or a rich family background? It means you get creative. I did a post in the past ' single girl living on a budget' but that was more of a rant on our life style in general. These series of posts are going to be more practical and will actually give tips on how to look good on a limited amount of cash. Some of them will be sheer common sense, some from fashion websites that actually know what they are talking about and some might be from friends and even my own thoughts or ideas. Ready? Lets go...

• Going Vintage: I have always said that 'Vintage' is just a fancy way of saying 'Okrika' or 'second hand clothing'. I know some women will rather face boko haram insurgents than be caught ' bend down selecting' and Yaba and Lagos Island market is not for the faint of heart but you could stumble across some really good pieces.   

• The art of Mixing; a good fashionista knows that mixing and matching is a very smart way to go. You could pair an expensive pair of shoes with a less pricey blouse or dress. There is also no shame in repeating some pieces and wearing them in a different way. 

• Make it fit: No matter how expensive an outfit is, if it does not fit properly, it looks cheap. This goes for less pricey stuff as well. Making sure its tailored and fits right will make you look like a million bucks.   

This is it for the first post of the ' Fashion Budget Series'. More posts are coming and hope you enjoy, learn and even send suggestions. Please send your suggestions to rasaqtobi@yahoo.com or follow me on twitter @tobirasaq . 

Have a fab week ahead. 

Live,Love and Laugh

LAGOS FASHION AND DESIGN WEEK!!!

Hi guys,

Something exciting has been happening in the Lagos Fashion scene and that is the GTBank Lagos Fashion and Design week, 2013. This annual event kicked of on the 23rd of October to today 26th of October 2013. Designers from different parts of the continent have come together at the Eko Hotel to showcase their signature collections for the world  to see.





This event is an opportunity for Fashionistas, buyers, sellers etc to mingle and network. It's also an opportunity for Lagos socialites to 'SEE' and be 'SEEN'. Forty established and 10 upcoming talents  have been  presenting their latest creations at the event.

In my opinion and am sure many people agree, Nigerians are one of the most stylish people on earth. We have taken the art of looking good beyond fashion to way of life. This event is is an opportunity for a new generation of both established and new talent  to display their creative Genius. It is now most acceptable and even a status symbol to have Nigerian Designers make custom made designs to be won by celebrities and the like.

The corporate world has also come to realise that the fashion industry is a multi-billion dollar enterprise and have begun to show their support with the likes of Guaranty Trust Bank and MTN showing support through CSR initiatives.

OK! enough talk. Feast your eyes on some of the designs showcase by the designers and get inspired....

Ella & Gabby






Wana  Sambo





Another highlight of the event is the arrival of American Makeup Line  ' Maybelline' as official makeup sponsors of the Fashion week. Sign* So many make up brands to choose from, so little time. For more information please go to the links below.


That's all for now folks . All i can say is ' Get Ready World' for Africa. We are slowly but surely catching up even in fashion. Have a great weekend...

Live Love and Laugh.






Sources:
www.lagosfashionanddesignweek.com
www.bellanaija.com

thoughtful tuesday

Hi guys,

How's the week going? Hope you all are having better times than me. Right now am updating my Blog while in ikeja traffic. On my way back from a meeting that just made me look inwards. Everyone knows that there comes a time when your life is going at a pace that makes you sad or you are faced with decisions that frighten you and make you confused. Well am at that time. My only consolation is that I know this to shall pass.

So wherever you maybe and you think you are alone in this difficult times, be rest assured that you are not and this to shall pass. It will be alright in the end and if it's not alright, it is not the end.

Toodles!

Live Love and Laugh 

Eid Mubarak

Hello guys,

It's been  eons hasn't it? Some folks thought I had left for parts unknown. The truth is your girl has been alive and well but sometimes you have to go into seclusion and reassess your life. No am not having romantic drama( in fact that is going well).

Hopefully I'll be back to full time blogging soon but a woman has to got to eat and I could never do well as a 'kept woman', i need to work. One of the reasons my would be helpers found me so disagreeable to begin with. You can't call me at the last minute to accompany you to ' Asaba' for a weekend, i probably had plans. In fact am not sure 'runs' is a profitable business right now, everyone is tighter than the horses at 'TBS'. 2013 has been a very 'good ' year, am now a firm believer in the number 13 stigma. Could the economy be any worse?

Anyway it's the Sallah holidays and that means dentists might make some money at least. Sallah meat abounds for all and sundry and as a friend said a friend said ' if you have not eaten Sallah meat by now that means you have a shitty attitude in the neighbourhood'. Please eat meat if you are offered, as a Muslim, i can assure you, its not poison. If you have not combined Sallah meat and ijebu garri together, you have not lived.

Till next time.

Live, Love and Laugh

when life happens...

Hi guys,
It's been a minute. Am so sorry I have been out of circulation. As my title states life is happening right now but when everything settles down. I'll be back and better.
Miss you guys..
Live love and laugh

Mondays Musings on the BBA Finale

The end! The Big Brother Africa  phenomenon which stirred a lot of controversy both online and offline has finally come to an end with Delicious Dillish Matthews, the Namibian Housemate taking home the whooping price of $300,000( what a lucky girl,beautiful and rich to boot). 




I really tried  to follow the Big Brother show this year and i must say it was very interesting. I experienced varying emotions( from horror at the antics of Beverly, to amusement at the funny man's Sulu's undying love for Selly and pure feminine admiration for Hakim's body). The various love triangles and romances were also enough to get my attention, after all that was what the 'The Chase' was about and there was Drama Drama Drama!!! Who does not love Drama as long as you are not in the middle of it. It just makes you feel better about yourself,doesn't it?

I am happy that Dillish won, apart from the fact that she is a woman. I wasn't that enthused about the Nigerian housemates( call it unpatriotic and all, but it is what it is and i am entitled to an opinion). Apart from her obvious physical attributes( she is very pretty) she managed to keep her cool and stay faithful to her man while being on good terms with both the girls and guys in the house, at least she tried to be ( Hakim nominated her many times  because he considered her lazy, eat your heart out, Hakim). If i were her ' boo', I'd propose to her sharp sharp! Lock that girl down ASAP, if she comes to Nigeria, we will take her, a word is enough for the wise. 

She triumphed, despite her many nominations and she was never ' Head of House'. She was underestimated by her housemates( they probably thought she was all beauty and no brains) especially in my opinion by Elikem the Ghanian Housemate who just rubbed me the wrong way from the get go( I cannot fault his focus though and his determination, he used the platform to advertise his craft and got a hot woman to boot, Pokello) but i just didn't want him to win, His cockiness would have been too much to take. 

An acquaintance  of mine made this statement on his BB PM " The men were chasing the women and the women were chasing the money' Do you agree? For Example take Hakim and Cleo AKA The Ice queen. I think that Hakim was evicted because of Cleo. He lost focus in the game and was Cleo this and that and despite his ' Hunk Appeal' people were just over it. In my Opinion, Hakim was more into Cleo than she was in to him( just saying) and tried to minimize her ' Mushiness' which back fired on her according to my mum who watches Big Brother by the way. My mum's analysis of the finale is that the reason Cleo didn't win is because of her ' Aloofness'  because since its Guys that vote the most. They were probably put of by her character and voted more for Dillish who is warm and adorable and was Loyal to her man. African men love Loyalty.

Anyway, congrats to Dillish and i wish her and all the other housemates success in their future endevours...

Live Love and Laugh!