Fans And Leopard Really transitioning for Fall. I’ve been all about that dark and neutral look for a bit. Especially with my lip colors. Can’t seem to get enough of those deep burgundy, brownish-reds. I even got a nail polish in that color. Looking forward to the fashion aspect of the season but not so much the change in weather. Boohoo! Speaking of which, I’m quite about to do something that Lord help me, is just eeek! It was one of those screw it or shall I say, YOLO moments and I’m nervous as heck while writing this. It probably doesn’t help typing it on here but it does help me blow off some steam. I’ll share what it is in due time. I feel it deserves a special post whether things go well or not. It’s just one of those life experiences that despite the outcome, there’s always a lesson learned. So wish me good luck even though I’m talking in circles, hehe! As for the outfit, fans and leopards prints mixed together are very interesting. I love how both color palettes play off each other. It tickles your eyes (good luck imagining that) and I ended up really liking how the combo turned out. Gosh, my facial expressions in these photos though, I couldn’t stop laughing. That’s why I love sunglasses, they control your facial expression and leave everything seamless… Seamlessly cool. Hope you enjoy the rest of your week and I’ll talk to you in a bit! Outfit Details Ankara Skirt: LAJA Styles (very few remaining) Shoes: Calvin Klein Bracelet: Fulfill Jewelry Always, Miss LAJA
LAJA Poppins In the middle of shooting these pictures, I felt so Mary Poppins. My outfit was just short of a little hat (still finding my place with them, not the biggest fan) and my matching umbrella. So there you go, introducing LAJA Poppins. This is another vintage ankara dress, courtesy Mummy LAJA. The sequins, buttons and even the design is so Mummy LAJA and I love it. It’s a very classy look and I went with the feel of the dress with a sleek up do and swarovski teardrop earrings. The first fall look on Miss LAJA, signifying the transition into fall. I find myself reaching out to deeper, more earthy shades. I look forward to shooting more outfits, yay! Speaking of which, New York fashion week is already here and I’m looking forward to peeping some of my favorite designers as well as be on the look out for upcoming ones… virtually, not physically. I know I will visit a couple of shows with time but for now, experiencing fashion week through my laptop will do. Wait, I would actually wear this ensemble to as show. The shoes aren’t too high to slay my movement and the dress has so many key elements in itself. Anyways, love it! I’ll wait till then. I hope you enjoy the rest of your week and I’ll talk to you in a bit! Outfit details Dress: Vintage Ankara courtesy Mummy LAJA Shoes: BCBG Purse: Antonio Melanie Earrings: Fulfill Jewelry Always, Miss LAJA
Blue Jeans I’m excited to share the second look from my #AnkaraInDisney trip. Yeah this isn’t Disney but I explain why the shoot had to pushed forward. Read the hilarious story here and peep the first outfit here. I love the concept of jeans and ankara. It’s something I have never done before and I look forward to combining African prints with other materials of different tectures… especially this fall. I have very few of my LAJA skirts left so you can pick them up while they last here. It’s so funny because while shooting these pictures, there were two elderly ladies sitting right next to me. They were having the typical girl talk that included boys (seems like the topic doesn’t loose interest even with age), friends, family, leisure and life in general. It was obvious they were best of friends and it was adorable listening to them while away time. I pray in my later years I have a girlfriend that I can talk about absolutely nothing and everything with.The moment was too precious. In other news, I’m back to braids! Yes, these are braids and I’ll most likely do a post about it. As you guessed, I’ve missed braids so much and it had been a while since I last did braids like these? Flashback to the fish bone braids, remember those? These are similar if not the exact same thing. Stay tuned for that article. I hope you enjoy your weekend and for those of you heading (or already in) school, I hope you have a kick ass start to the semester! As always, I’ll talk to you in a bit. Outfit details Ankara skirt: LAJA Styles (available) Crop top: Charlotte Russe Shoes: Anne Michelle Bracelet: Fulfill Jewelry Always, Miss LAJA
Ankara In Disney From my LAJAgram, you’ll know I was in Florida last week. Disney was one of my stops and it was a short and VERY eventful two days. I really need to share this story because it almost feels unreal that such events took place with such coincidences… Or shall I say divine intervention? The Day Before The day before Disney, my DSLR dropped to the ground for the first time in its (and my) entire life. I froze died inside. I had planned to shoot every single one of my outfits during the trip. I was ready; outfit, makeup looks all the way down to locations then this just happened. My lens protector broke BUT my camera and lenses were very okay. Phew! I had to postpone my shoot because my photos were just not coming out right. Yes, it was one of those days. You can see that outfit here. Onto the next day, you’ll think things actually turn out for the better… LOL, I say. LOL. Day 1 We visited Magic Kingdom on our first day and it was AMAZING! The rest of my family had already been so I was the only one extra starry eyed. There was a very lovely parade that reminded me so much of Universal Studios but we had ice cream, entered a whole bunch of rides and had a great time. Fast forward to 5pm, it started pouring out of no where #typicalFloridaweather. The wind was crazy and it pretty much ruined everything since we had to cut our day short. Here’s something you should know about me. You know I love photos, I really do. Keeping this in mind, I also happen to carry 3 cameras at the same time; my DSLR, my point and shoot and of course, my beloved phone. Yeah, don’t ask why. Now back to the story. It was pouring rain and we decided to leave since all the rides were closed down and the forecast wasn’t looking promising. There’s a tram that takes visitors to and from the car pack but lo and behold, we got of the wrong stop… Mind you, I was already wet because the tram was very open. No umbrella, no raincoat, nothing. Perfect. Just perfect. In the pouring rain with my battalion of gadgets in my purse. It was so bad. I was soaked down to my underwear. The only thing I kept thinking was “Oh my gosh, my cameras!” I thought my bag would offer some type of shield…How delirious of me, I know. One things for sure, movies make rain scenes look so romantic. Okay,I admit it was actually fun looking like a lost puppy in the rain. It would have made a better story if I didn’t have all my important things in one place. I wanted to fling someone to Jericho. I was pissed and in denial about the welfare of my cameras. Fifteen minutes later, we found our car (finally) and drove home. It rained all night. Day 2 I absolutely forgot about the events of the previous day and decided to shoot some outfits early in the morning. The denial was real. My DSLR was working but my lens were clouded. Water got in (duh) and I didn’t realize the gravity until I dismantled the parts and my camera was quite frankly dripping H20. Skipping the tantrum parts, Epcot park was on the agenda for the day! I had a great time although Epcot was more educational and there weren’t as many puke-inducing rides as I would have liked. Although I was down one camera, I still had 2 back ups; my phone and point-and-shoot. Evidence for why I say the gadget gods were against me; my second camera took two pictures and just stopped working. Just like that. I tried everything, the camera was just not having it. Now, I’m down to just my phone and that’s when the battery decides to die. At this point, I’m just a mess, ughh! The series of unfortunate events were just too much! There was so much to capture but unless someone creates a device that allows you relive people’s experiences or live through their eyes (that’ll be awesome), those images will forever be in my head to cherish. So, for the most part of day 2, I had no camera… and no outfit posts. Some highlights for me, I entered a kiddie ride and it was a “tour” around the world. I was SO excited when I saw various African prints (specifically ankara) in the section representing the African continent. A huge upgrade from desert safaris cohabited by wild animals and humans living in huts! #AnkaraInDisney! That was huge hit for me. Another one was the humongous ball. I took a million pictures with it. I couldn’t get enough. Later in the evening, I had Vietnamese food for the first time, more specifically Pho. My brother raved about it and being a culture and food junkie, I had to tick it off my bucket list! Anyone who knows me knows I’m a huge pasta/noodles fan. I was a very, very happy bunny. It ended on a really high note. Plus, I had missed Florida SO much and it was great to be back even for a short period. It holds a special place in my heart. I’ll definitely be back to Disney, I haven’t had my “fill” of it yet and there’s still so much to explore. I loved rocking my ankara pieces there, of course! Though I had to postpone all my shootings till later, it just really taught me that I need to calm down, put away the camera and enjoy the moment… Through my own eyes. Clearly, I was very disturbed but I survived. What’s your experience with Disney? Highlights? Lowlights? Let me know in the comments below! Always, Miss LAJA
Tropicana So I have finally arrived in school and am mostly settled. I am so blown by the fact that I’m more than half way done through college. In all seriousness, where has time gone? I clearly remember being a confused freshman on move in. I had way too many boxes and too few hands but people eventually helped me move my baggage in. I was starry eyed and awestruck because I was in the college of my dreams and life couldn’t be any better. I came in wanting to be a doctor, more specifically a dermatologist. Fast forward to two years later consisting of many LOLs, just-kidding, are-you-serious and not-again, I can’t imagine myself anywhere near med school not to talk of thinking about the MCATs. It’s funny how much things change in 2 years. I look back at my old posts and the change is so real, haha. Maybe I’ll share my whole story on here sometime in the future but I can say wholeheartedly that I’m very happy with where I am (and going) in my college career. It’s pretty exciting! This happens to be one of the outfits I wore during my Disney trip. If I tell you the STRUGGLE I had with mother nature and my gadgets. It seemed like the universe was against all my cameras. Literally. But I’ll save the long story for my post on the Disney trip so stay tuned for that. See you soon and I’ll talked to you in a bit. Outfit details Ankara shorts: LAJA Styles Crop top: Charlotte Russe Earrings: Fulfill Jewelry Bag: Segolene en Cuir Always, Miss LAJA
Blushed My Way To The Top I really don’t remember the last time I wore pink (disregarding lipstick, of course) in any shade. This pastel pink crop top is too cute and I honestly don’t think I would have picked it up if I hadn’t thought of this ankara maxi the moment I set my eyes on it. I love colors but I find I gravitate towards stark and solid colors for lack of better words. Probably not the best way to describe what I mean but I naturally gravitate towards reds, oranges, deep blues, purples etc. Actually, deep is what I’ll best describe it as. Of course, these colors reflect my personality because I like to think of my personality as more like fireworks and less like cotton candy. I really hope that makes sense, haha! This crop top has my heart. I really want to try colors that aren’t as “deep” but fall is around the corner so fingers crossed to see how that goes. Speaking of fall, mehn, it’s already August. I can clearly remember this time last year when I decided to redesign my blog theme myself. From the scratch. Eeek! Yeah, it wasn’t the best but I was SO proud of it. I put in so much work and at that time, it was an “upgrade” from what my theme previously was. Hehe, cheers to upgrading! I want to upgrade Miss LAJA’s look because things have changed A LOT in the past year. I look at some sites and I don’t even know it’s blogger till I see the comment box! The ministry is seriously moving! It’s exciting! Anyways, I hope this month of August is filled with more progress, prosperity and peace (nailed the 3Ps!) Happy new month, lover! Don’t forget to check out my latest CollegeFashionista article and I’ll talk to you in a bit! Outfit details Skirt: LAJA Styles Top: Charlotte Russe Heels: BCBG Jewelry: Fulfill Jewelry Always, Miss LAJA
LAJA Unseen #6 Enjoy and don’t forget to check out the name of the pose above on LAJA-gram (@miss_laja). Any guesses? Leave them in the comments below! LAJA Unseen #5 | LAJA Unseen #4 | LAJA Unseen #3 PS, Check out my latest article on CollegeFashionista! It might have something to do with date night… *wink wink* LAJA Duckface The “Can You Like Not?” Pose The “Hide Yo Wife, Hide Yo Kids” Pose When Someone Brings More Food You Don’t Like When You’re Trying To Steal Shower Money During The Wedding The “Spaghetti Leg Pose” (Hmm, But This Was Too Much Though, lol) Don’t Even Ask. The BBHMM Pose “You better go away, didn’t you start it?” #PettyLAJA Always, Miss LAJA
Orange We Know I always wonder why my brain always seems to be the most active at night. I know I’m not alone but I find I come up with the best ideas at night. I always find myself jotting down several things and I’m there thinking where were you during daytime? I’m meant to be asleep but psych! That’s when the brain decides to go on overdrive. Anyways, the most recent encounter from what I like to call nighttime thinking was to compile the numerous videos on my phone and share them. More specifically from when I was in France a year ago. I seriously surprise myself by what I find on my phone. Photos, #LAJASelfies and videos of things I don’t recall taking. In short, my phone has suffered. Back to the video and France issue, I shared it on my Tumblr. I’ll be compiling and sharing the rest as time goes on. I love pictures but videos are just so magical. Throwing in footage and music with some editing here and there to create a type of “feel”. I really like it and I hope to explore more of that on here. I’m a very visual person and I love that when I listen to music, I can imagine a story in my head that goes with it. Doesn’t that happen to you? I love music and fashion independently but when combined, my heart just explodes with more love and happiness. I fall more in love with the song and the message/items have more value because there’s a story/memory attached to them. Gosh, it gets me so excited! I’m writing so much today because my brain’s on overdrive (yeah, nighttime thinking syndrome is happening again) and I’m currently listening to “F*ck Em Only We Know” by Banks. It’s such a light and carefree song despite the title. I can just imagine myself driving on a sunny day in California blasting this song with the windows rolled down. Live, laugh, love. It’s definitely number one on LAJA’s Summer 2015 playlist. Onto the outfit (finally), you know the drill; ankara + leather + sunglasses= #FeistyLAJA. The skirt reminds me of sunshine and fresh grass. The earrings and brooch I love because they add summer to the leather jacket. Yeah, leather during summer is quite cray but whatever, I was feeling it. Don’t forget to check out my latest article on CollegeFashionista. Enjoy the rest of your week and I’ll talk to you in a bit! Outfit Details Ankara Skirt: LAJA Styles Leather Jacket: Bongo Shoes: Antonio Melani Earring/Brooch: Fulfill Jewelry Always, Miss LAJA
Party In The Back Crop tops are cool and all but a reverse crop top? Hmm, very interesting concept. I sometimes feel very self conscious showing off my belly button. I don’t know why but I just feel weird. I’ll probably get over it eventually but till then. This ankara top with the space at the back really appeals to me. It’s just the right amount of skin and not too much to make me feel uncomfortable. Plus, these high-rise jeans have to be the best fitting pair I own. It hugs all the right places and it’s just plain comfortable. Amen for comfort in fashion. I’m usually an all back, high bun girl but I’ve been getting very adventurous with my hair styles lately. It’s really exciting and this messy bun is just been everything. I’m currently giving my hair a break and undergoing thorough treatment before I go back to braids. This is probably the longest I’ve gone without braiding my hair so for course, I have to get creative. It hasn’t been as bad. Plus, I’ve used it as an opportunity to really strengthen my natural hair routine. After the longest time, I think I’ve pretty much nailed it. Yay! Anyways, hope you enjoy your weekend and I’ll talk to you in a bitty bit! Outfit details Ankara top: Custom made Jeans: Levi’s Shoes: BCBG Always, Miss LAJA
AfroFaerie Lana del Rey has been giving me genuine life. I have been a fan for the longest time but you know when you stumble upon a gem song and you think; “where have you been my whole life?” When I listened to “West Coast“, I felt like I was floating through some fairytale fantasy. I had heard it before but I just really listened to it. Anyways, it’s on repeat non-stop till my ears fall off. It’s amazing how much music influences my fashion taste. Especially the story I want to tell with my images. When I listen to a song, I immediately conjoure a story in my head with the landscape, scene and even down to what I’m wearing… Of course, it has to include some sort of ankara, haha. But yes, music (and fashion) are great. As for this ankara dress and these shoes? Uhunn, honey! I’m such a (black) shoe girl and I almost psyched myself into picking the black pair instead. I have too many black shoes and I (with a great push from Mummy LAJA) felt I need to add more colors to my wardrobe. So, this happened and I look forward to staying away from black shoes. Wish me luck! Hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend and I’ll talk to you in a bit. Outfit details Dress: LAJA Styles Shoes: BCBG Swarovski earrings: Fulfill Jewelry Cuff bracelet: Fulfill Jewelry Always, Miss LAJA