#Adulting

Adulting is the art of doing grown up things such as securing and holding down a career, starting and keeping a family, among other things. Why is it trending? Well, it's become a rarity at the age that was once advertised; from 18 to 21 to 25...and now encroaching 30. Yes, I know 30 year olds who are nowhere near where you'd expect an 'adult' to be, and that's not to say they are irresponsible or childish, just...times have changed! Also, what's expected to mark one out as an adult is so far skewed nowadays that it begs the question "what makes one an adult?" in the first place.

Coat : ASOS (free - #BrokeGirlsGuide Coming Soon) | Shirt : TM Lewin | Skirt : Mango

Broke Girl's Guide To: Pamper Party

The much anticipated second instalment of the 'Broke Girls' Guide' series is finally upon us, and this time, it is in collaboration with Bloggers' Hangout. I shed some light on how one might be able to floss while scraping pennies at the bottom of the barrel, and a lot of you were interested. So I thought, as well as mapping hacks out thematically (sub-headings below), I would also conclude each post as a listicle (list-article...its a thing). Without further adieu, here's how to indulge in high end/ luxurious products and services, without breaking the bank. 

Blazer : ZARA | Shirt : Primark | Trousers : ASOS (£1! Tips to come...) | Brogues : Miss KG (similar here)

Stylist Live

I was fortunate to attend 3 of the 4 days of Stylist Live last October, and my life truly changed for the better. It truly was a  cultural festival featuring everything a modern woman could possibly want from cocktails to beauty makeovers to fashion shows to award winning literature to live comedy and musical performances, to name but a few. I left in awe of the entire experience, and eager to absorb more knowledge, touch further bases, and network with even more amazing people the following day.

Lost Ones

Obviously being of the generation (and ethnic descent) where 'David Bowie' is nothing more than a public figure to me, it struck me as odd to see hours on end devoted to celebrity obituaries in the news last week. Mad Men (bear with me as I binge watched the entire 7 seasons in a short period of time, and will be frequently referencing it in posts) depicts an entirely different grieving culture to nowadays. It struck me as odd that employees were so personally attached to public figures, and would be huddled around the radio to hear updates and later cry at their loss. Nowadays, all we do is publicly acclaim some detached attachment to the figure e.g. early career inspiration, and keep it moving.

JOY

I went to watch JOY starring Jennifer Lawrence, Robert DeNiro and Bradley Cooper on New Year's Day, and it was fitting for the season. JOY is about a close-knit family who have four generations residing in one abode. JOY is the name of the protagonist (loosely based on a true tory of Joy Mangano, the creator of the miracle mop), played by the expressionless (blame the botox) Jennifer Lawrence, who is destined to become the matriarch of the family as a result of her relentless talent for creating things. JOY chronicles the plight of Joy the entrepreneur as she faces financial restraint, family feuds and status frustration, in a bid to make a success of an idea.

15 Lessons Learnt in 2015

Wow! We are only but a few days away from the end of 2015, and what a hell of a year it's been. I admit, I can be elusive and dance around metaphors in a bid to be more open about issues I face, but thankfully, you all read and appreciate the broad brush approach I've adopted this year and have joined in one or more discussions with me. So join me as I relive my best and worst lessons of 2015.

The Pursuit of Happy[ness]

I intended for today to be the final post of 2015, but then realised I've had the idea for this post (including the title) for over a year, and never got round to sharing it with you all, so here it is...a bonus post for 2015! Before this year began, I for sure was of the mindset that "If I accomplished X, I would be happier". X could be a job, or relationship...but I soon discovered there's no set end goal in life, and its the journey (and how we handle inevitable challenges) that's important. 

Pewter Trench : Forever 21 | Jumper : ARK | Leather Skirt : River Island

Entitled

I was contacted to attend the FDC Young Designers' Awards 2015, with proceeds supporting The Angelman Syndrome. I arrived only to be informed that the event was running late; the promised break refreshments were a myth; and the catwalks went on for an eternity without the models themselves being excused between 7+ long hours of strutting in stilettos. The evening culminated with a belly rumble and a takeaway on the train home. To my surprise, I received correspondence from the organiser asking for the agreed post, so here it is; a lesson in entitlement. Ever since the viral LinkedIn open letter aptly titled 'Why Milleannials keep dumping you', millennials have been branded spoiled, entitled employees. However, I believe we are simply misunderstood. As third or second generation migrants, we have witnessed the hard work of our predecessors go unmerited. We have seen a complete disregard for passion in the workplace, in favour of man hours. And so, upon entry into the workforce, we developed a 'work hard, play hard' mindset, and bred a sense of self-worth. 

Turtleneck/ Poloneck : Warehouse | Dress :H&M

THOT

THOT : That Hoe Over There

2015 has been feminism's biggest year yet! At the centre of the conversation was what in fact constituted feminism, and who could be classed as a feminist. The world at large, gender aside, was rising up to pledge allegiance to the cause. Yet, on the uglier side of the battle, people were choosing to jump on the bandwagon to further their personal cause. Feminism was used as a buzz word attached to brand endorsements, media publications, and any given event, to garner mass support. Slut walks, derogatory memes, and hypersexualised performances were branded free expression under the bracket of equal gender rights; feminism.

Shirt : TK Maxx | Top : H&M | Ankara Trousers : Designers' Marketplace, Abuja (similar here)

Tribe

I won tickets to StylistLive for 3 out of 4 days, last month and it was epic! It was exactly as described; an urban [feminist] festival, crammed full with enriching activities (talks, Q&As, roundtable discussions), live performances (intimate music concerts, book readings from famous authors, live stand-up comedy), fashion shows, giveaways, beauty treatments, photobooths, hair styling stations, and a million and one stalls to foray through and shop from. In the midst of it all, my sister heard a dumb nut ask "why can't they do this for men?". 

Disclaimer: PICTURE OVERLOAD! But be rest assured there are more pictures from StylistLive to come, and will feature in subsequent posts as I couldn't cram it all in here.

Hat : M&S | Jumper : TKMaxx | Ink Coated Jeans : Wallis

Taming the To-Do List

The irony about procrastinating reading a book written to increase productivity and curb procrastination, did not escape me. Having read Taming the To-Do List in its entirety in less than 24 hours, I have nothing short of praise and gratitude towards its author, Glynnis Whitwer. Not one to pick up non-fiction ever, this was the first 'self-help' book I'd ever read. Whitwer begins by narrating how she has struggled with accomplishing tasks and highlights procrastination as the root of her woes, before detailing how we can pin-point exactly how procrastination negates our efforts, and concluding with means of tackling the issue (with the help of God. Did I forget to mention it was a Christian self-help book?) 

"God has promised forgiveness to your repentance; but he has not promised tomorrow to your procrastination" St Augustine

Top : DIY Anakara (skirt here) | Shorts : Dorothy Perkins