Spring Forth Helllloo, Spring! I can happily say I shot these photos without half freezing to death. Woop woop! Progress is being made. It’s officially Spring and it’s about time for real but I’m not going to blab about the weather like I usually do. Just know I’m happy about it. First thing first, is my hair. Yes, I have reverted back to braids. I had missed it so much and yes, it’s the same a similar style as what I had previously done (notice the braided base of the pony tail? Love it!). Honestly, I feel like this particular style of braids reflects where I am at this point in my life. Where that is exactly? Yeah, I don’t know either but I find myself going back to it so I will be wearing it till I can’t stand it anymore. I love it so much because it’s just so sleek and polished. And of course, it’s blue. *wink* Speaking of life, this is the last post I’ll be writing as an 18 year old *sheds tear*. Yes, hunnay, Miss LAJA and Miss LAJA’s birthday this Saturday! Miss LAJA turns 19… and 2! My baby will be 2 years, oh ma gasshh! *runs around like a proud mother duck* You don’t understand how happy I am. I’ve learnt so, so much. More for this site than the fact that I’m turning 19 because to be honest I’m not as excited as I’d like to be (working on that though). My friends say 19 is a weird age because you’re not 18 or 20 so you’re in the final year of being a teen and while you’re legally an adult, you’re still a teenage. Ha! I’ll save my spiel for the next post so wait for me at tha doe *tilts head* Finally onto the outfit, need I say more? Yellows, oranges, no tights and ankara? It’s quite obvious I’m ready for warm weather and of course, the countdown. Let’s hope the weather allows me. Countdown to LAJA Day, lovah and enjoy the rest of your week! Outfit Details Ankara skirt: Custom made (similar here) Top: Body Central Shoes: Charlotte Russe Bag: Dooney&Bourke Earrings/Bracelet/Ring: thrifted I’ll Always Be, Miss LAJA
Jabulani Bellas Duke’s African show was this past Tuesday and it was a blast, whirlwind and tornado of fun, excitement and high tension but my Jabulani Bellas and Beaus came out on top! Woop woop! Honestly, this was my first time feeling the heat of life or shall I say, the beautiful chaos life behind the scenes of a fashion show especially being a stylist and model. I tied the models’ geles (mine included) and funny enough I didn’t get the pictures of all them. I think I tied for over 20 Bellas (that’s what I’m calling us). Gosh,I thought I was dreaming but my hands reminded me that this was in fact a reality, haha. I’ve never tied for that many people under such short notice. I think I grew muscles and a six pack, haha. I had to be quick, effective and make sure they all looked stunning. Diariz God o, because they all did. My biggest fear which eventually came to pass was the geles falling apart before their due time. You see, I had to tie most of them before the fashion show which explains why most of the Bellas aren’t all dressed up in these photos. They were needed for very specific scenes and since I was the only one tieing, I didn’t want to leave it till the day of the show. Even with that, I can tell you I tied gele during and up until the end of the show. I had to learn how to use pins to hold them together to prevent my work from falling apart so that was a new and quite darn nerve wrecking experience. Even with the high tension and pressure, I actually really, really enjoyed it. Like really, really enjoyed it. Woop woop! I also got to select outfits Jabulani Beaus and some of the Bellas which was a lot of fun but one thing I realized about fashion shows is that it’s really not about you. I almost forgot that I was a model cause I was asking people “Do you have an outfit for this?”, “What are you wearing on your feet?”, “Have you tied your gele?” I had planned to get a billion pictures but since I was both styling and modelling, I had very little time to take proper pictures of my outfits for the fashion show because I was running everywhere (literally). #StylistLife. For some strange reason, my photos were not coming out right. It was rather frustrating. I definitely respect people that make up the glam squad or work BTS on any project (fashion stylists, hair stylists, makeup artists and many more), it not easy. The final presentation is a far cry from what happens underneath. I’ve come to the conclusion that BTS chaos for anything fashion is my type of chaos. It was a lovely experience and though my fingers died from numbness and pin pricks and my cuticles look eww, I will do it again and again and again. Till next year! Always, Miss LAJA
Take A Break Some photos from my Spring Break last week. I don’t know where to start. First thing first, I went on beach retreat with my campus Christian ministry where we stayed in rented beach houses. It was absolutely amazing and exactly what I needed. It was a great week of chilling and sleeping and eating and not sleeping and beaching. In short, It was absolutely stunning. One of my biggest highlights was paying a visiting to this 93 year old lady who still lived independently. She does the basics like cooking, light cleaning (she has someone who comes in to do heavy cleaning each week) and she still drives! Of course within the town to places like church and the post office but being able to drive at that age is still INSANE. I was inspired beyond words. That’s some #oldpeoplegoals right there. Another one of my highlights was just staying up super late watching movies, playing games and just chatting with friends about random stuff like silly characters cartoons to relationships. Playing Jenga and cards really pushed my heart rate to its limits. Talk about tension, geez! I definitely appreciated late night or shall I say early morning conversations. It’s probably a mixture of the delirium you feel from staying up too late and just really good company. I already accepted the fact that I talk a lot a long time ago but I actually surprised myself some nights. I’d say to myself “Dayumm, Ashan-wa you actually need to shut up and chill”. I’ll just take it as evidence of a good time so no complaints here, haha. One last thing was definitely the weather because… Well, because. The odds were in our favor and it was gorgeous despite the grim weather forecasts. The sky and sunsets were magnifique I can’t explain how much I enjoyed waking up to crashing waves and a bright sunny day in the morning… actually more like 1:30pm cause that’s when I actually opened my eyes. Sorry not sorry. It was definitely a blessed week and I hope you enjoy the pictures. Now I want a house on the beach, haha! I can’t wait to share the pictures from the DukeAfrica show and talk about the experience. Gosh, it was crazy, crazy fun but till then, the interview I did with Duke a while back is finally out so check it out here! This is official my first video interview. Talk about #BlueDevilLove. Cheers to many more! [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fQ-Wjp_888%5D Always, Miss LAJA
Beyond The Skyline With Spring Break coming to an end, I truly, truly feel refreshed. This week felt like a dream. There are so many things I’ll miss from waking up at 1:30pm to sleeping at 5am because I’m playing games with friends or just chatting about all sorts of things for hours. The weather was beyond stunning this week despite the dim forecasts and I can actually feel my energy coming up, for real. I know some say the sun drains them and call me crazy but I actually draw energy from the sun. Could this mean I’m secretly a plant? *snickers at science joke* Anyways, I kept things really minimal by sticking to basics, few accessories and spiced it up with my flared LAJA ankara skirt (I styled the other one here) with these lovely, lady killer, booties. Simple and chic. Really reflecting how I’ve been feeling these past few days. As the temperatures rise, I hope to soak up enough sun to zap my creativity out of hibernation. It’s happening. Slowly but surely. Have a great weekend! Always, Miss LAJA
Halters On The Beach Greetings, I hope you’re having a good week whether you’re on Spring break or not. I’m on Spring break and I couldn’t be any happier. It feels great to leave campus. I must confess, creative-wise, I’ve been soo burnt out lately mostly due to the the bi-polar weather and school but like all things, this too will pass. I’m currently on a beach retreat with my campus ministry and this is EXACTLY what I needed. Just escaping school/work to a different and more tolerable climate. I’ve been taking things easy these past few days to catch up on lost sleep and genuinely relax meaning chilling out with great people, laughing A LOT, deepening my faith and just enjoying the moment. Notice I didn’t sport my usual bold lips or flicked liner and that’s all part chilling process but I’m not sure how long I can do without the lipstick though. I already miss it, haha! The waves are gorgeous and I love falling asleep and waking up to them. Oh, there are trees everywhere and well, I really like trees. Keeping that in mind, I paired this stunning ankara halter top with matching shorts and I basically hopped around the beach much to my friend’s delight since she took most of these photos. I wore a mini dress in the same print a while back and though the water was too chilly to get in, it was nice dipping my feet and running out because they hurt for the cold, haha. I don’t like forcing the creative juices to flow because I feel my work isn’t as quality or authentic and the well’s pretty dry now but it will come back. Giving you guys my best makes me really happy so if you’re on a break, do make the most of it and relax. If not, then take some time out this weekend for you and you alone. Have a great rest of the week and I’ll talk to you in a bit. Always, Miss LAJA
Sisterhood Of The Travelling Gele I present to you (some) of the promo pictures for Duke Africa’s annual Jabulani Show. Oh ma gashhh, I’m sooo in love! Happy New Month, loverrss! March is a special month for me because Miss LAJA, Miss LAJA (yes, I said it twice) and Daddy LAJA celebrate our birthdays and for many more reasons! It’s a countdown! Get excited! This year’s theme for the African Exposition presented by Duke Africa is “The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Headwrap”. For this project, I was the stylist, model and photo editor and I had so much fun during the shoot! I might even be modelling in the fashion show… *wink wink* What I’m most proud are the geles *sniffs and flicks tears*. I’m so happy with how they turned out. My strength was put to the test, haha. The tugging and jumping was real as you know for those of you familiar with the art of tying gele. What do you think of the photos? Hit or Miss? You already know I’m in love with them if not, I wouldn’t put them on here, haha! Countdown to Spring Break, I cannot wait. Hold on tight, we’re almost there! Team Directors: Stephanie Ogwo and Ozioma Uwazurike Photographers: Stephanie Ogwo and Kolapo Aluko Editors: Ashan-wa Aliogo and Stephanie Ogwo Styling: Ashan-wa Aliogo Models: Mariel Rosario, Kolapo Aluko, Martina Tiku, Joseph Bassey, Zamantha Granados, Ashan-wa Aliogo The Jabulani Show is 17th March 2015 in Reynold’s Theatre, Duke Univeristy from 8-10pm. Come through and have a swell time celebrating Africa and her culture! Always, Miss LAJA
Ankara Bandeau So, I took some of the extra ankara material from my different skirts (available for sale here) and I played around with it. I have so many little scraps so I joined them together and made this little ankara belt. I also used the bigger piece as a headband. Yes, the creative juices were flowing and I like to think of it as recycling. Stylish recycling. I decided to match it with this sweater turtle neck dress and my fire booties. Honestly, the fact that I could bare my arms had me crying tears of joy (no, the wind wasn’t involved this time). It was still cold (around 5-6 degrees Celsius) but with how low the temperature had been, this felt quite warm. I know it sounds crazy but I feel like Mother Nature was trying to makeup for the brutal weather last week. Some people were even in shorts, hahaha. It actually snowed again and I’m hoping this winter craze ends cause Spring Break is fast approaching and I want need my warm weather! Speaking of Spring Break, what are your plans? Mine’s at the beginning of March (aka Miss LAJA/Miss LAJA’s month) so the school workload is getting crazyy but I believe it’ll work out. I’m going of campus and I really can’t wait! There will be more info as it draws closer but till then, hang in there. Have a great rest of the week, loverr! Always, Miss LAJA
Tunnel Vision I must tell you, this is the most challenged I’ve been fashion wise this winter because this past week was the coldest we’ve had in NC. You know I’m not the fondest about the cold weather so when I saw the weather predict -17 degrees celsius. No. Just no. Of course all I wanted to do was hibernate and we did have a snow day so classes got cancelled (woop woop!) but now it’s really annoying because everywhere is crazy slippery and not the safe. The motivation to dressup was low mostly because I had no idea where to start in my wardrobe and I have been stubborn about doing winter shopping. Anyways, I was arguing with two of my friends (one from Colorado and the other from Chicago) on how to look stylish and not catch pneumonia. They challenged me and this ensemble. The temptation to wear all black was strong but I resisted haha. Speaking of black, I tried black nail polish for the first time. I had been reluctant for the longest because I thought it’d look weird on dark skin. However I was inspired by a fellow blogger and now I’m in love. It’s so different from the usual bright colors I use on my nails like red, purple and blue but it is gorgeous! I also used a matte top coat and I was hooked. I guess you can say I’ve joined the dark side haha. I hope you had a great week and have a restful weekend. I’ll talk to you in a bit! Outfit Details Ankara Skirt: Custom-made (purchase some here) Winter Jacket: New Look Coat: Windsor Sweater: Target Earrings: Fulfill Jewelry Always, Miss LAJA
LAJA Unseen #3 #LAJAUnseen the 3rd. I’m think of adding photos of when I was younger. That’s when things get really rough, haha! Yes? Don’t forget to check out LAJAgram (@miss_laja) for the name of the pose above. Also, I’m so happy to say I’ve finally set up my online boutique called LAJA (yasss!) so you can order ankara skirts and more while stock (yassssss!) lasts AND yes babe, international shipping is available. YassssSSSssssss! Enjoy and I’ll talk to you in a bit! LAJA Unseen 1| LAJA Unseen 2 The “Boy’s So Fine Imma Have To Lean” Pose The “Did I Hear You Right?” OR The “Oh No She Didn’t” OR The “Flamingo LAJA” Pose The “I Might Look Like A Chameleon But Brows On Fuh-Leek Da What?!” Pose The “Friday Is That You?” OR The “Look At The Monkey I’ve Been Looking For” Pose The “Tell Me You Got Me Whipping My Hair Back & Forth” Pose The “Wagwan, You Feel Me Bloodz” Pose The “Hold Up Let Me Stylishly Sniff My Wrist” Pose The “You Don’t Say?” Pose The “I Don’t Care, I Offically Have #LongHairProblems” Pose Always, Miss LAJA
PS I Love You Join LAJA as she discovers the beauty of love and all the emotions that come with it… This project is so close to my heart because this is my first time doing a post like this. Coming up with the “storyline” and being able to capture my message through pictures was really fun and I hope you’re able to see it or interpret it as you like. Adding my own twist, I got creative with the Valentine season (while including ankara, of course) so I could do something different from last year 🙂 I decided it’s not every time, blabbing, blabbing from my end. Sometimes, I just want the photos to speak for themselves. What do you think? Do you want more posts with “story lines”? Eeek, I definitely want to do more like this! They’re so exciting! Happy Valentine’s Day, my love. Enjoy it to the fullest regardless of your relationship status. Outfit Details Ankara Boubou: Custom-made Orange Sandals: Ralph Lauren Silver Heels: BCBG Earrings/Bracelet: Fulfill Jewelry J: Hey… LAJA: Hey, you… J: You got my message… LAJA: I did, thank you but… J: But I want you to know I meant it, I love you. LAJA: I know… and I love you too… Always, Miss LAJA