How have you guys been? Growing old I'm sure - lol. I've definitely missed posting on here and After a long talk with myself, I finally decided that its better now than never. I love blogging and content creating but over the years I got tired of creating content and seemingly not going anywhere with it. With time, a lot of other people started doing the same thing I was doing, seemingly better than I did and I gave up on trying. Not reaching the pinnacles I wanted to reach and other areas of my life affected my self confidence as well that I crawled into a shell and hid myself.
This year however has come with a lot of changes. Who would have ever expected that the world would come to a complete halt and everything would go back to basics? Never in a million years did I ever expect what 2020 has brought to our lives- quarantine, slowing down and taking stock, working from home etc. I had a lot of time to think and self reflect on the things I enjoy doing, who I am at the core of everything and what I want with my life. When I started blogging it was never about other people but how I wanted to express myself to the world. However the blogging world is brutal and yet other people on the internet can be supportive others aren't the nicest. At the end of the day that shouldn't really matter but
Life after Uni has come with its own challenges and one of them was job hunting for me. This is the one thing no one tells you about what you go through after you graduate. For some people who are fortunate enough to secure a job before they are done school, you will never know the struggle.
I went through a phase of almost semi-depression after I graduated because I was struggling to figure out what I wanted to do. I went from feeling excited and relieved that this school journey was over for now, to feeling anxious, unsure of myself and tired of being idle after a week of being at home doing nothing. All those career guidance workshops I attended, interview prepping sessions, CV and cover letter building seemed futile as I was struggling to secure interviews in the field I want to start my career in. In a space of a week, I'd send an average of 5 job applications to different companies and only a few would respond with interview options. Advice I would give to college students or recent graduate:
1. Trust the process: everytime I talked to friends and family, they kept telling me to trust the process, not to rush to want to enter the work field. This was hard for me because I had plans I expected would go right into motion after graduation. That wait made me feel so anxious
Mama I made it!! I'm featured on a website... a whole website.. me!! Pardon my excitement but this is such a huge milestone for me in the right direction. I will not divulge the details of how it came to be (but bless my friend who made it possible for me). I will however share the details of my experience at the photoshoot and let you in on what this amazing brand is about.
ABOUT THE BRAND: First things first, you may be wondering what Brand this is. This Clothing Line is called ShopVIRE, A Benin African traditional wear line. It is owned by a Trio of a mother and her two daughter, Benoite, Irene, and Ahouefa. They have spent almost three decades in North America but have always kept their culture close to heart through traditional Fon (their tribe) music, food, and clothing. According to their website, VIRE (pronounced vee-ray) is named after their maternal grandparents and is a celebration of their “third culture” experiences.
When asked why they started this brand, their response was "Our desire is to make African fashion accessible to everyone by merging materials sourced from Benin, the artistry of local Beninese craftsman, and the fashion and trends of the west. We also believe in honoring the contributions of each of our partners, therefore we ensure that each partner is recognized for their work by paying them a fair wage. We want you to know that when you buy from ViRe you are getting a one-of-a kind creation that is like you...authentic and unique."
I got to model some pieces from their ANKARA COLLECTION and I love the fit. The material used is not heavy and the quality of their products is impeccable.
ABOUT THE PHOTOSHOOT: I had the pleasure of working with an amazing team of models, the makeup artist and photographer, and most importantly one of the Trio who is based here in Vancouver, Irene Chibota. I was a bit nervous because this was my first time on a professional set but Irene made everyone feel comfortable, was always ready to listen and open to everyone's ideas. It was a refreshing experience to work with an owner who is so warm hearted, humble and clearly passionate about her work. The photographer, Manto Nakamura was bubbly and as you can see in some of the shots, made me smile and enjoy every single shot behind the frame. And can we take a moment to admire the simplicity of the makeup done by Emily Walsh. This was a welcome change from my regular full face beat and I can't get enough of the softness it exudes. To add the icing to the cake, we were all fed throughout the process. Honestly, if this is what set life is like, count me in please! Two of the outfits, the yellow jacket and kimono dress are featured on their website, (LINK HERE) and can be found under the "Women's Apparel" section.
I love every single piece I modeled and can't wait to see what the future holds for them. You can follow them on their Instagram (@shop.vire) for more on their new products and accessories.
Thanks for dropping by,
xoxo
Can I start by saying Happy Mother's Day to all the beautiful mothers out there. A couple of days late, I know. To all the women reading this, you are the foundation of our homes, your sacrifices are the reason we are who are today and we love you. I am thankful I got to see and spend time with my mum a few weeks ago when she came to visit. The older I get, the more I realize how much of a mummy's baby I am and my mum and I look insanely alike now that I'm older.
Your girl graduated !!! Mama I made it, class of 2018 was gooood? It just occurred to me that one of the biggest moments of my life should have been blog worthy or better yet, vlog worth. Truth is, prepping to that final day was an emotional and physical rollercoster that blogging was the last thing on my mind. There are some things people never tell you about that last push. Its exhausting, its exciting, its feelings of fear, hope and anticipation of a bright future bundled into one. Again, its good to remember that everyone is different but I can't begin to explain how anxious I was about everything coming together.
Your girl graduated !!! Mama I made it, class of 2018 was gooood? It just occurred to me that one of the biggest moments of my life should have been blog worthy or better yet, vlog worth. Truth is, prepping to that final day was an emotional and physical rollercoster that blogging was the last thing on my mind. There are some things people never tell you about that last push. Its exhausting, its exciting, its feelings of fear, hope and anticipation of a bright future bundled into one. Again, its good to remember that everyone is different but I can't begin to explain how anxious I was about everything coming together.
Looking back, I could write a book about everything I've learnt about myself and the world around me in the last couple of years. One verse that resonated with me during my tough times was Ecclesiastes 3 v 1
"to everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven"
and I learnt to trust in God's timing. Which leads me to my topic of this blog post.
How many times have you planned something and things don't work out the way you want them to ? Its almost counter intuitive to think that planning is the best way forward, yet things sometimes don't ever work according to plan. I have to admit that this notion tends to make me choose not to plan altogether. Experience is the best teacher so let me tell you this, DON'T PLAY YOURSELF. Even though things may not go according to plan, having a plan means you have a direction in your life. The "why or how" you go about it is what determines if it will work or not. When you make plans, seal them with a prayer and declare them in your life and watch God work his hand in your life.
With Uni finally behind me, the future holds so many possibilities for me. I'm excited about the rest of the year because I have so much I have planned in terms of my blog, my personal brand, my career and personal growth.
I still need to figure out how to fix my comment section but your girl isnt tech savvy so if you can help, please drop me an email : slimthickdiva@gmail.com or dm me on IG: @that_slimthickdiva.
About My Outfit:
Being a student taught me the importance of style on a budget. Looking good doesn't mean you should break the bank. Instead, mix and match pieces and work well with your body type. You know over the years I've grown to love thrifting. I thrifted this amazing skirt (the print is so in right now). I'd been wanting one of these skirts for the longest time but couldn't justify spending over $20 on a skirt like this so I purchased this for a whooping $5! Yep, you read right, $5. I paired it with a bodysuit from Urban Behavior (which was $10) and the belt was $5.99. I, being the shoe addict I am, don't mind splurging on a nice pair of shoes. I got these clear babies from Steve Madden as a graduation gift to myself (one of many by the way) on sale as well. To complete the look, I revamped an old wig to give this look the finishing touch it deserves. Yay or nay ??
Have a blessed week.
xx
I bumped into a friend the other day, or should I say an old friend maybe? I was really happy to see them but sad on the most part because of how things have changed between us.Its heartbreaking to know that we were once very good friends, but in that moment a lot felt different.I mean the air was different, the jokes had a bitter after taste and I couldn't help but wonder how our friendship became like that of 2 complete strangers. I mean there's no love lost but then its not like we are still as close as we used to be. The aftermath of this interaction, of course, was me thinking of the reasons why we aren't friends anymore because we'd once shared great laughs, secrets and our future dreams etc. Then I remembered, remembered how toxic the friendship ended up being for me, the constant judgement I'd felt in moments I felt I needed my friend the most, jealousy, betrayal just to name a few and I realized that I'm happy to wish my friend (ex) well from afar.
Sometimes, because something was good once upon a time doesn't mean you should go back to it. A lot of people are scared of being alone and would rather stay in friendships that are toxic just so that they can say they have friends. Growing up has taught me that its ok to let go and let God. When a friendship or relationship isn't serving the purpose it should be in your life, then its ok to let go so that you can be your best self. You really become like the people who you spend the most time with, and if you are in a negative space, you'll breed negativity into your life. In everything, no matter how hard it may seem at the time, walk away and you'll be surprised how life turns out. It obviously won't be easy because there's a level of comfort there that would take a long time to rebuild with new people (which is so tedious) but its all worth it. Remember quality over quantity
ABOUT MY OUTFIT: I'm all about clean lines and I always struggle to find a pair of pants that fits great. These stripped pants are so in right now and make me look a lot taller than I am (I'm 5'4 believe it or not. I paired them with a crisp white shirt and red heels for a pop of color.
Have a blessed week divas and thank you for dropping by
xx
Birthday month, was good??*Nicki Minaj voice
I can never contain my excitement during this time of the year and this year is a huge milestone for me. Its like having a new year's celebration all over again, only that this time it's dedicated to my personal growth.I'm filled with hope for whats in store for me as I know the plans I have for this year and I cant wait to share and make them a reality by the end of the year, but don't worry, you will be a part of the process and I'll keep you in the loop.
Goal planning is my key to stepping into my new age with a vision. I know I can't do it all by myself so I am greatly dependent on Jehovah's guidance. Up to this point, a lot of my progress in life seemed slower than I would have wanted, but that statement "trust God's timing" is true. This year is about becoming and coming into my own. Last year I struggled to accept myself, and was dimming my own light so that it wouldn't shine brightly in other people's eyes that by the end of the year, I couldn't recognize who I was in the mirror. It has taken some soul searching, prayer and determination to get myself back on my feet and fight for what I want, regardless of what anyone thinks.
ABOUT MY OUTFIT- I love skater skirts like a fat kid loves cake. Give me these anyday, anywhere and best believe I'll rock the life out of them. I've been so drawn to bright colors lately and this skirt is no different. I paired it with a poloneck top to bring to life a chic and classy look completed with a pair of pointy pumps from Zara. I'm sure you can agree that this month is starting off on the right note. Don't worry, I didn't break the bank. Both the top and skirt were thrifty finds so I spent less $15 for the whole look, minus the shoes of course.
Stay Fabulous Divas...xx
