Eternity & A Day I have this sense of urgency about life. I always feel I can do more, do better, reach higher. At the stage (and age) I’m in, I believe so strongly it’s the best time to try out new things, go out of my comfort zone, make mistakes because honestly, things only get more complicated as time goes on. This mindset definitely has it perks and downfall. One being you actually get to do really cool things that aren’t as common or you wouldn’t have done had you waited for “the right time”. There’s no such thing. On the other end, you tend to put wayyy too much pressure on yourself as you easily tend to forget that thing we call time and patience. I’m guilty, guilty, guilty all the way. I’m in such a position right now where I have to take critical decisions as to what direction I want to go in with Miss LAJA and my fashion career. The decision is a major game changer and will require quite some transition in my life. On the other end, it will lead me closer to achieving my dreams, goals and aspirations. I’ve read so much articles my brain is fried and I’ve spoken to may people. Then I realized I’m running because ultimately it’s up to me to make that decision. I know I always speak in riddles but I promise you, it’ll be very clear as to what the hell I’m talking about. It’s nothing bad, far from it. It’s a blessing and the potential opportunities scare me so much it’s hard to concentrate or think or sleep. All I ask is that you stay excited and you pray for me. Eternity & A Day by Paul Haslinger fills me with so much hope. I almost feel infinite when listening to it. I imagine myself at the highest peak of a mountain amongst the clouds in awe of the view. Sublime. There’s so much beauty and love the world has to offer and while it can be beautifully overwhelming, it’s so important to take things one step at a time, one day at a time because it’s there. Listen to the song, what does it remind you of? Outfit Details Dress: LAJA Styles Sweater: Windsor Blazer/Beret: Target Shoes: Audrey Brooks Coat: Metaphor Always, Miss LAJA
Gimme More Flare Happy February, sunshine! This week has been a whirlwind for me. So many meetings and appointments to keep up with. I wake up and before I know it, the day’s gone. I’m glad though because tomorrow, I’m seeing a BØRNS concert! *jumps up and down like a true fan girl* Being excited is such an understatement I can’t begin to explain, hahaha. I’ve always talked about how my friends don’t understand my music taste so I will be going alone. #SoloRanger Besides his popular jams, I’ve been listening to “American Money” on repeat (please tell me I’m not the only one, am I) so that’ll have to been my song of January. Any favorites from BØRNS? Tell me! I wore this outfit to brunch with my girlfriends. I’ve been loving living the knee-high life and I’m considering upgrading to the thigh-high life. I put my layering skills into play and wore this black skirt over my ankara dress to give it a different look. What do you think? It’s all about being innovative with your clothing, I’ve had this dress for about 3 years now. It’s not going anywhere. What are some versatile pieces in your wardrobe and what do you use them for? Enjoy the rest of your week and I’ll talk to you in a bit. Outfit details Ankara dress: LAJA Styles Skirt: old Shoes: Audrey Brooke Jacket: Bongo Earrings: Fulfill Jewelry Always, Miss LAJA
Disco Disco Although I draw my inspiration from basically everywhere, I’ll have to say that the 70s are my favorite period in fashion history. Flared bottoms, a-line skirts, chunky heels, high waists; that era calls to me so much. I love my flared bottoms to sweep the ground if not I find it way too awkward. This ankara blouse is another vintage piece from Mummy LAJA dearest and the cuts are absolutely exquisite. I never knew this day would come but I have been feeling this short hair SO hard. I shied away from short hairstyles because I didn’t think they were flattering for my face type but now, I’m hardcore contemplating staying short (and red) the whole of 2016. T’is really true, you’ll never know if something works or not if you don’t try it. I’ll leave you with that and hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend! Outfit details Ankara Blouse: Vintage Jumpsuit: Sunglasses: Nordstrom Rack Always, Miss LAJA
LAJA in Osborne II Gold tone, gold accents, LAJA loved gold. Always had and always will. After a wild night of merry, exotic cuisines and cocktails, she seeks some solace before her bittersweet departure. Taking in the clear blue waters and relishing the sun on her skin, enjoys the magical moment while pondering… Where next? Special thanks to SpringPark Yaad Hotel & Tours Osborne for partnering on this project. Outfit details Ankara skirt: LAJA Styles Blouse: Old Sandals: Charlotte Russe Jewelry: Fulfill Jewelry Sunglasses: Marc Jacobs Shot by: LAJA Photography & Fresco Genius
LAJALights 2015 First of all, a big ass hug and bisous to you for sticking with me through the whole year of 2015. Thank you. I was talking with Mummy LAJA and it dawned on me that I achieved everything I wanted to for Miss LAJA this 2015 and I didn’t realize it till I actually sat down to start writing my goals for 2016; I got a new DSLR, I moved out of Blogger (yas Lord), I posted at least once a day on my social media accounts, I improved the quality of my images, produced more content than 2014… I could go on and on. I can remember writing down my goals in 2014 with excitement and doubt in my mind yet here we are. I’m writing this now because I want to read this in the near future and think “Lol when I thought this was “work”” Sometimes I want to tell myself to chill and see how far I’ve come then I think nah, there’s still SO much to be done. #SorryNotSorry but I am grateful. How would you describe your year in a word? Mine would be clarity. My mind is sharper and the path is getting clearer. I feel like I finally have found my focus on here; promoting the beauty, diversity and versatility of African prints. It just rolls off the tongue like du chocolat doesn’t it? When I’m talking to people about it, I’m like to myself “HUNTY, tell them though!” It’s what I love and what I want to continue doing. 2016 will be about challenging myself even more because I’m taking up more tasks with Miss LAJA, school and even my extracurricular activities (yeah, that sounds so primary school but I still say it ha). I also realized that I really like the concept of product design, branding and marketing. I want to look into that more in 2016. It gets me really excited just thinking about it, don’t worry I’ll let you know how it goes. God really came through as usual in 2015 by making me not GAF more and just doing me. It’s liberating, you should try it if you haven’t already. My highlight and lowlight for me this year has nothing to do with Miss LAJA but with Grandma LAJA who recently, by the Grace of God recovered from a terminal illness. I’m not here to preach but if there’s one thing I learnt this year, it’s that God is real. Literally saw him every day doing his THING in my life and that of my family. No jokes. Like I said earlier, things are clearer. You can even see the change reflected in my outfits. I’m still highly critical of myself (surprise) but it’s necessary because I always want to give you my best. No shitty or half-ass work. With that, here is a compilation of my outfits from this year. Enjoy them with me. This will be a tradition from hence forth. As long as Miss LAJA continues to exist, that is… See you next year, sexy! Cheers to slaying more print as often as possible and showing you that #AfricanprintsAreVersatile. See LAJALights 2014 See you next year, Miss LAJA
The Butterfly Effect Happy Wednesday! Here’s another vintage ankara piece that belongs to my mum and I have now permanently borrowed, hehe! I’m appreciating how the cold weather is being delayed here in North Carolina but loh and behold, the cold gradually seems to be winning *insert sad face* Anyways, while taking these pictures, a man commented that I looked like a butterfly in the garden (shucks) and I thought “Eureka!” I channeled my inner butterfly and decided to prance around to get my shoulders looking butterfly-y. Thanks, stranger! Trust me, it looks good here but not so attractive if you’re an onlooker passing by. Imagine seeing a girl violently swinging her upper body in from of a tripod. Alone. Yeah, kinda awkward but that’s all right. The things I do for you. No complaints though! I was casually scrolling through my Instagram feed and saw that there’s only two months till 2016. Whet? Like, whet? Seriously? Wow, warris going on? Time is just sprinting, sprinting. I was a little too mind blown. That’s some crazy stuff right there. Well, I hope you enjoy the rest of your week and I’ll talk to you in a bit! Outfit Details Ankara dress: Vintage Shoes: Dune Earring: Fulfill Jewelry Always, Miss LAJA
Crisp Leaves Hello sunshine! As I type this post currently, I’m not the happiest of bunnies. I had a fashion show I’m meant to go to. It’s actually to today but I thought it was yesterday (btw, you’re reading this in the future) but yes, I was so excited I forgot to double check the date. Ended up showing up to the event fully dressed and ready to slay the world but a kind lady pointed out that the 17th of October was a Saturday not a Friday. Girl, seriously? I actually didn’t know that and no, I’m not being sarcastic. Talk about awkward though. Ughhh! So I returned, pissed from wasted cab money and ordered my guilty pleasure, bad Chinese take out and settled down to watch Reign as therapy for my sorrow. This isn’t the first time something like this is happening to me so I wasn’t too hard on or surprised at myself. Patience Ashan-wa, patience. On the bright side, I now know the venue and have my whole outfit pulled together, haha! It’s an African fashion show and I’m really pumped. I wasn’t going to go so the whole ordeal was quite last minute but I have a good feeling about it and I love exploring life outside Dukie Duke! I’ll be LAJA-graming all about it so make sure to follow me on there! I missed wearing these killer wedges so much. They were at a point my everyday shoes because they are super comfortable. It takes a bit getting used to but after a couple of wears, I could pretty much nae-nae or do whatever I want in them. This ankara top and the background just melts my heart. It’s so green and leafy. The sequins on the blouse remind me so much of my mum because she is addicted to sequins. She puts them on all her sewn African print clothing. My hair was just something else and decided to do its own thing. I was going for full glamour hair but the curls were like, nahh. We want to be messy instead so I said okay and here we are today. I’ve found that trees and greenery have a special place in my heart. I feel so at home wherever there are trees. I also noticed I literally gravitate towards them when I’m taking pictures. It’s not on purpose but looking through my past posts, I noticed the trend and I’m loving it! Gives my site a very ethereal and vibrant feel. Anyways, I’m going to sleep and get ready for the fashion show tomorrow evening. That’s a lie actually I’m going to watch more TV shows and read up random articles, hehe. Have a lovely weekend and wish me success! Please like, comment and share! I enjoy seeing your feedback. What do you want me to write about? Any requests? Outfit Details Ankara Blouse: LAJA Styles Skirt: old Blazer: New Look Shoes: Windsor Swarovski Earrings: Fulfill Jewelry Always, Miss LAJA
Pumpkin Just finished with Fall break and gradually coming back to the reality that is school. It flew by way too fast though. The rest was very much needed. Gave me a lot of time to clear my head and take time to catch up on leisure activities. I was so occupied with stuff I didn’t even realize that the new season of CW’s Reign (my favorite TV show at the moment) had started. I was raving and way too happy to see hunky Narcisse again *insert love-struck emoji* I missed Craig Parker’s beautiful face. Do you watch Reign? Who’s your favorite character on the show? I’m fangirling so hard right now but I’m soo pumped for this season and ever since his role as Lord Rahl in “Legend Of The Seeker”, I’ve been hooked on him with a capital H. But seriously, how can you not be? Anyways, over the break, I went on a mini tour of downtown Durham. It was great getting off campus and learning about the city’s history and roots. You know I love culture so this was a huge treat for me. It was crazy that I had passed these buildings and museums several times and didn’t realize what I was missing. It helped me really appreciate the surroundings more and really take out time to see what’s around me. The weather has been top notch so it was really nice to walk around. Onto my outfit, I went for a very casual look today. Seriously, the outfits I put in the least effort always turn out the best. Can someone please explain this phenomenon to me? You guys seem to like it too so yay (or nay) for simpler ankara print looks? I have to speak on these earrings. I like to call them my stripper hoops, don’t ask why. That’s the first thing that came to my mind when I bought them, haha! I’m an earrings girl and this is the biggest pair I own. Can’t say they’re the easiest to wear since they fall of way too easily but hey, it makes my outfit slay life and I feel so fierce in them! Hope you enjoy the rest of your week and I’ll talk to you in a bit! Outfit Details Ankara skirt: LAJA Styles Blouse: Target Sandles: Ralph Lauren Earrings: Rainbows Always, Miss LAJA
White Out Oh, white. White, white. One of my least favorite colours to wear mostly because I stain everywhere and everything. Plus, if it’s not worn well, you look bigger. Am I the only one who feels that way? Hopefully not. However, I had an all white event and literally had to DIG and RAVAGE through my wardrobe to find something to put together. Ended up picking up a few things but I had mixed feeling about this outfit. After shooting and looking over the pictures, I thought hmm, I kinda like this. It’s very out of my comfort zone just how my blog pushes me every single time. Of course, I had to throw on an ankara jacket to make the outfit more Miss LAJA, haha! I added the orange clutch for an extra does of colours since you know, I’m all about that colour life! Anyways, I hope you enjoy you enjoy your weekend! I’ll talk to you in a bit! Outfit Detail Jacket: LAJA Styles Croptop: Charlotte Russe Skirt: Rainbows Shoes: Audrey Brooke Always, Miss LAJA
Cottage Away From Home LAJA goes on another one of her adventures away from home. Her arrival reveals two sides she simultaneously embraces and struggles with. Something about the cottage forces her to confront both sides. To understand that the two distinct parts form a whole, one LAJA. What in the cottage, how and why, we’ll probably never know. But, she left with a different view of the world, ready for her next adventure. Outfit details Dress: LAJA Styles Earrings/Bracelet: Fulfill Jewelry Belt: Express Always, Miss LAJA