July 31, 2015

Berry Lovely Links

Hey,

Cheers to the weekend!!! I've got some interesting links for you to read up on, so get cracking.



July 30, 2015

BLOG TALK: Blog Post Ideas

Hey hey hey!

How are y'all doin? Sometimes I feel like I run out of things to blog about. I really wonder how Style bloggers do it, especially the ones who post frequently. Do they have to continually buy clothes to keep up with blogging? My guess is getting a lot of free or discounted clothes, as well as buying a lot of separates that they can create multiple outfits from (like a Capsule Wardrobe). I have many plans for my Vlisco separates (and will hopefully share them on the blog).


Anyways, for times when I don't know what to blog about, there are a few things that I do to come up with a post.

July 29, 2015

Berry and Cakes' Training Conversations

It's been a while since I did one of these. Remember our other conversations in The Car, The Kitchen, and on Foot Massages?


Background: Cakes started taking Karate lessons a few weeks ago, and is doing pretty well. We'll be watching TV and the next thing I'll hear is "HI-YAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" and he's attempting to break the wall or somn random.

*One day, in the middle of the night around 3AM, I wake up to no Cakes in bed. The following morning...*

Berry: Cakes what time did you come back to sleep?
Cakes: Around 5AM.
Berry: Ah ah, what were you doing?
Cakes: I was training.
Berry: Oh wow, okay.

*thinking to myself *

Berry: Awww, Cakes is so dedicated to this stuff. Imagine him practicing in the middle of the night. And I'm such a slacker. I haven't worked out in weeks. I should be more like Cakesy Wakesy.

July 24, 2015

Berry Lovely Links

Hey,

Eeeek! I haven't posted these in a while. And yet I've been enjoying so many articles. Sorry I kept them to myself. I hope someone finds at least one of these interesting. 

July 23, 2015

REVIEW: Terra Kulture Restaurant

A few weeks ago, Cakes and I headed out to Terra Kulture to watch the Single in Gidi play. We had also purchased Dealdey coupons for 2 meals and intended to use them there. Unfortunately we forgot to print the coupons, but we were hungry and decided to eat anyways.

July 20, 2015

Berry Trippy Weekend

Hiya!

How was your looooooooong holiday weekend (Nigerian readers)? Or your regular weekend for those who didn't have a holiday?

Soooo, here I am on Monday night, exhausted out of my mind. If you follow me on Instagram you already know why. And if not, it's because like I mentioned in this post, I was heading to Abuja for the weekend. What I didn't say was that Cakes and I were driving from Lagos! Yup, a 10-hour drive to attend my uncle's birthday party and deliver the 34 cakes they ordered. 33 small cakes for each table, and 1 large cake for the celebrant - unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo of all the cakes piled up in the car :(


July 16, 2015

Style Post: Vlisco Hollandais courtesy of TW Magazine

During the TW Fitness Challenge shortly before my wedding, each of the ladies were required to subscribe to TW Magazine for a 1-year period. I used to enjoy waiting for my magazine to get to me and eagerly pored over the different issues. What I didn't pay attention to was the "Letters" section. I mean I read them, but never noticed that there was always a Star Letter that won a prize. Well, once I was told about it, I wrote a letter about the issue with Osas Ighodaro on the cover - and my letter was chosen as the winner in the next issue! I was really excited and couldn't wait to pick my prize, which was 6 yards of Vlisco fabric.

July 15, 2015

Learn How to Backup Your Blog on Blogger

Hey guys,

This is kinda random but this morning I suddenly remembered that I haven't backed up my blog in a while, and so I got it done within a few minutes. It occurred to me that some of you may have never done it or thought about it before, so I'm posting a short tutorial on how to backup your blog - this is for those whose blogs are on Blogger. But here's a link for those on Wordpress (apparently you can even schedule regular backups!).

blog, blogger, blogging tips, backup blog,

July 14, 2015

Berry Late Weekend Post

Have you ever been so tired your eyelids twitch randomly throughout the day? That's been happening to me since the weekend! I haven't been sleeping well, and so I wake up tired and it's just been a yucky cycle. I would have looked forward to resting over the upcoming long holiday weekend, but Cakes and I will be out and about the whole time - ABUJA readers, Imma be in yo city! Please leave comments below where I can get a nice henna tattoo for a reasonable price :)

Anyways, my weekend was pretty alright. I didn't take a lot of photos, but I was busy almost nonstop. On Saturday, Cakes and I headed to a birthday party for a friend's one-year old. Can I just say that first-birthday parties are really just excuses for the parents to party :p? The baby doesn't know what's going on - just that there are a bunch of people around and a lot of activity. Well, I had fun at the party and ate way too much food. Here are a few snaps below.

July 10, 2015

My Notes from BLUSH, BRUSHES & BUBBLY by Stella's Addiction

Hey hey,

So you already know I went to a makeup class put on by Stella's Addiction. There are similar classes in Lagos and Abuja - where you learn how to do your own makeup, not become a makeup artist. Here are my notes... well, mostly photos. I started taking notes at first but it's a really hands-on class, and it's better experienced or watched on Youtube.

On Sunday after church, I headed to Stella's Addiction Makeup Studio for her Blush, Brushes & Bubbly class. I signed up way back in January but had to postpone twice. I finally made it yesterday and it was a fun time with 9 other ladies. We learned different makeup techniques, how to highlight/contour, do a simple everyday eye, and also smokey eye (hence the title of this post). And yay me, I finally put on strip lashes all by myself!!! I definitely have to practice everything going forward.
Stella's Studio - 5 Wole Ariyo Street, Lekki Phase 1

July 7, 2015

Blessings in Disguise

Quick post here...
I woke up bright and early this morning, after snoozing only twice instead of three times. I had already gotten my stuff ready the night before - clothes, shoes, gym bag, food packs - so that I wouldn't spend too much time trying to figure out everything. So I was ready!

Unfortunately the person who usually brings to the gym next door to my office was running way late, 

July 6, 2015

Berry Smokey Weekend

Hello loverly ladies and lads!

How was your weekend? Pretty good, I hope. After my crazy busy weekend last week, my plan was to sit at home from Friday evening until Sunday morning for church and then a makeup class at Stella's Addiction makeup studio. I already had y'all blessing to stay home the whole weekend, but me and my restless feet!

July 3, 2015

Berry Dakara x Naija Nomads take INAGBE GRAND RESORT

FIRST OF ALL, INTRODUCTION!

NAIJANOMADS: So my travel writer buddy, Demola Ojo, buzzed me last Friday around noon inviting me on an all expense paid trip to INAGBE GRAND RESORT alongside travel bloggers and journalists. The resort is launching a new product called “THE EXPLORE CARD” and we were scheduled to leave at 2.30pm and spend the night there. I was just like, “Dude, I have a husband and a day job, I really can’t up and leave for some resort on such short notice.” He kindly arranged another trip for the next day and I was to help him recruit travel and lifestyle bloggers.  I bet when I sent Berry that message on Friday afternoon she must have thought “How last minute can Nigerians be???”

BERRY DAKARA: Lastminute.com much?!?! When I got the message on Twitter on Friday afternoon, I was like “YES! Woot woot, what’s the date so I can plan my calendar for July?” Then the bomb drops: “The excursion is TOMORROW MORNING!” Let me not lie, I almost did the GbogboBigz Girls act like, “Oh, so am I now a desperado that doesn’t have things to do?” But my Saturday plans were for evening, so I was 100% on board!

July 2, 2015

Welcome to the Second Half of 2015

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!!!

How do you feel about the year already being half gone? It feels like yesterday that Cakes and I were on the way to church on December 31st, then decided to make a brief stop at home first, and I woke up around 3am while he slept through all the knockouts and fireworks - we completely missed crossing over into 2015. Anyways, after the first quarter of the year passed, I promised I would do an update post of both my Blogging and Personal Goals. I procrastinated until kingdom come, so here I am doing the updates now :D

Are you following me on Instagram yet? @berrydakara

July 1, 2015

When You Lose A Loved One - Peace

This was not my intended post for today. I was going to write about being in the second half of the year and checking up on any goals you had at the start of 2015. But this morning, I felt something in my heart to write some encouraging words to people who have lost a loved one. I actually feel inadequate to write about it because I haven't lost someone extremely close to me. Also I'm not holier-than-thou and I struggle daily with being a Christian. But if I can share a word, that will help at least one person, then that's alright enough for me.

When my uncle died in November 2013, I was distraught. It's not like we were close or anything - I hadn't seen him in years until the September before his death. Before he got sick, he had been telling my mum that he was going to be at my wedding. The whole family was praying for months and months. I specifically used Bible verses to pray, because I was scared and thought that if I could read God's words back to Him, He didn't have a choice but to answer my prayers. (FACT: My Ogoni name means God Answers Prayers).

Anyway, my uncle died and it shook me to my core. For one thing, it hurt to see my mum, her siblings and my grandparents heartbroken. Secondly, I couldn't understand why God didn't answer our prayers. I mean, didn't He say "Ask and it will be given?" My faith and belief in God was shaken!

I stopped praying. I couldn't open my Bible to read anything. Going to church became a chore, and one that I didn't want to do. I was angry at God - and then feeling guilty at being angry at Him.

Eventually though, I remembered the verse about PEACE THAT PASSES UNDERSTANDING. I was going through a time where I didn't UNDERSTAND why my uncle died, why his family and friends had to be grief-stricken, and most especially why God didn't answer our prayers. I didn't UNDERSTAND. But that verse, Philippians 4:7 says,

7Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. [NLT]

I finally prayed. It wasn't a long prayer, but it was what I needed for that season: "God, I'm angry and I'm hurting and I don't understand why. But your peace is above understanding. So please please please, I beg of you, just give me peace. I'm losing my belief, I'm losing my trust. I don't want to, but I am. So you have to give me peace to make it through. Just give me peace."

I prayed this prayer for a long time, and even still do. Whenever someone I know loses a loved one, I pray for comfort, grace and above all, peace to help them hang on. And if you're in that position, that same prayer goes up for you.

Okay, so that's what I wanted to share.