December 31, 2014

Berry Dakara Blog in 2014

Hey DDs!

*Who remembers what DD stands for? The first person to remember and comment will get a gift from me, REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU LIVE!*

Anyways, as 2015 rolls around the corner, I thought it would be nice to have a little reflection on the past year.

December 30, 2014

Top Google Searches of 2014

Yoooooooooooo!

Y'all should know by now that my very best friend in the whole world is GOOGLE!!! Google gives me all the celebrity gist I'm looking for, shows me places I want to go to, random information I randomly look up, and so much more. So it only makes sense for me to be very interested in what the Top Google searches of the year have been, right? Luckily they compiled different lists by global and country rankings, and you can find them all here.

GLOBAL RANKINGS


NIGERIA RANKINGS


The US Rankings are sooooooooooooo many, that I couldn't choose which to put here, so check them out over here.

You can also check out the UK Rankings here.

December 24, 2014

Christmas Giveaway Winner

Oops!

I forgot to announce the winner of the Christmas Giveaway yesterday - my apologies.



But before I get to it, I have to apologize to all my non-Lagos readers. Several of you weren't thrilled that I had yet another Lagos-only giveaway, and I was admonished for that. Ndo, pele, na tuba, ma binu, mi dispiace, je suis désolé, lo siento! In 2015, I promise to giveaway nationally and maybe even internationally (hopefully shipping isn't a bia bia!!!)

Anyways, onto the winner. There were 5 valid entries...

  1. Christy I.
  2. Fisayo F.
  3. Idy U.
  4. Thelma E.
  5. Folaranmi O.

 and the Random Generator gave me the number...



So massive congratulations to Ms. Thelma!!! I hope the shoes fit and Merry Christmas :)

December 21, 2014

Season's Greetings...

I need to put a disclaimer before I start this post...

*DISCLAIMER* This post is not meant to offend anyone who is non-Christian. If you ARE offended, let's just agree to disagree, and then go eat some seafood salad, followed by rosemary chicken with herb roasted potatoes, and finish it off with Rubis (chocolate) wine and a slice of almond vanilla cake topped with melted chocolate ice cream, crushed peanuts, and coconut candy.

The other day at work, I was walking along the hallway, saw a coworker. I was about to say hi when he greeted out, "COMPLIMENTS!!!" I literally screeched to a halt and had a very confused look on my face. I asked, "Compliments? As in, how? I don't understand."

He replied, "Compliments of the Season." And then it dawned on me that he was wishing me holiday cheer (lol, silly me). But the thing about it was, I was genuinely confused by his greeting. Coming from the States, where everyone tries to be politically correct, the non-religious, non-cultural greeting around this period is, "Happy Holidays." So I guess the Nigerian counterpart would be "Compliments [of the season]" right?

Well, after that exchange with my coworker, we went on to talk about holiday greetings in December. In the States, you have people celebrating Hanukkah, you have some others celebrating Kwanzaa, and then you have those celebrating Christmas (Christians focusing on the birth of Jesus Christ, and others focusing on Santa Claus). 

In the past, I've always said 'Merry Christmas' without really attaching any meaning to it. The truth of the matter is that it's become so commercialized, that more and more Christians are even forgetting that we celebrate Christmas because of Jesus Christ. This year though, I'm choosing to say it more intentionally. Fine, not everyone is a Christian. But if you're allowed to practice your religious beliefs freely, then why shouldn't I too? So with that, I say to you and yours...

MERRY CHRISTMAS

December 20, 2014

December 18, 2014

CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAY

I've been meaning to do a giveaway, and since I'm back now, this one is perfect timing, as we're just a week away from Christmas!!!



Blogging Tips: Blog Etiquette

Hi everyone!

I hope you're having a beautiful day so far, and if not, I hope it gets better for you :)

I've wanted to write about this for a while, but kept procrastinating for one reason or another. Sometimes I'd ask myself who gave me the right or confidence to think that I had any advice to give. At other times, I figured that as a new-ish blogger, and not enough years, experience, blog views, I was certainly not an expert and definitely in no position to dole out blogging tips. Yes, I admit I have insecurities about my blog - in fact, I may share it in another post. But the bottom line was that, I didn't think I had anything to offer.

However, that isn't true. The fact that I've gotten more than one email asking for advice, and others reaching out to me, means that the blog has impacted at least one person in a positive manner. And with that, I think it's good enough for me to share some tips.

December 17, 2014

Berry Lovely Links

I hope you're having a good week so far :) As always, I've rounded up some pretty interesting links to share with you.


December 15, 2014

Twas a Berry Full Weekend!

Yo yo,

Guess who's back!

I've actually been back for almost a week. I'm not sure I'm flying Air France ever again - I was just so uncomfortable. And then I got into Lagos in the middle of election primaries and fake fuel scarcity. Well, thank God for journey mercies, and Cakes is sooooo happy I'm back and has threatened that he's never letting me travel again :p

This weekend was a very busy one. I had 4 events to attend (I know this is not the advice I gave in my How to NOT Spend ALL your money this Christmas post), but I had a lot of fun :)

December 13, 2014

How to NOT Spend all your Money this Christmas

Hey everyone,

Christmas is almost here, and if you have eyes and/or ears, you've noticed all the retailers, businesses, and promoters around trying to lure and seduce you into buying one or twenty things. SALES SALES SALES, they call out. DISCOUNTS, they cry out. YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS THIS ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME-EVENT, they scream. If you're anything like me, you're very highly tempted and have drummed up a long list of things you want to scoop up. But guess what happens if you buy everything you want [without having a busload of money to back it up] - you get broke! So I thought I should come to your rescue and help you save some money this holiday season.

December 11, 2014

Berry and the Babbling Brook

Since it's Fall/Autumn right now, the temperature's quite nippy, but I love it. I've been getting updates that the weather's stupidly hot in Nigeria - how far now?!?!?!?! Anyways, since it's pretty chill out here, it's nice being dressed in layers and boots. Spring is my all-time favorite season (minus allergies), but I really really like fall fashion. I got into it myself, and decided to take advantage of the surroundings. There's a lovely babbling brook behind our neighbor's house, with whom we share a lawn, so my mum generously agreed to go down with me and take my pictures for me :D - isn't she LOVERLY?!?!?!

Enjoy, and if you're in Nigeria, ndo/pele enh.


Berrydakara.com is LIVE!!!

Hey guys,

As you know, this year I've tried to improve on the blog - new design, [hopefully] improved content, and more. I've taken it a step further, and I'm proud to announce that I purchased a domain name, and now you can simply type in 'berrydakara.com' to access my blog.



I am still looking for ways to improve, and hopefully there will be bigger and better changes in the coming year.

Thanks so much for your support, kind words, constructive criticism over time.

Hugs and kisses from moi!


December 10, 2014

Berry Lovely Links

I hope you're having a good week so far :) As always, I've rounded up some pretty interesting links to share with you.




December 8, 2014

Berry Peachy Weekend

Hey people,

Yup, I'm still at home in Atlanta - hence, the PEACHY (Georgia's official state fruit is the Peach). This weekend was quite busy. I feel like I should be doing a lot of sleeping during this trip, but my body clock is bonkers!!! I'm sleeping waaaaaaaay late and waking up very early for no blawdy reason. I just don't get it. Oh well. I had a full weekend and right now I'm exhausted out of my mind. But so I don't get scolded for not posting, here's my weekend post ON TIME!!!



December 5, 2014

O Christmas Tree - Atlantic Station

During my last weekend post, I mentioned that on Thanksgiving weekend, my family and I went to Atlantic Station, a fun place in Atlanta with restaurants, shops, a movie theater, among other seasonal attractions. Because it's the holiday season, there's an ice skating rink and a huge Christmas tree, which of course I had to take pictures in front of :D

christmas tree at atlantic station, atlanta


December 4, 2014

Berry and Cakes in Bed

FUN FACT: About 10 years ago, I couldn't fathom sharing a bed with anyone - not even a husband. Yeah yeah yeah, I was being naive and very selfish. Sue me.

I declared, and very proudly and loudly too, that I would make sure that I had a separate bedroom whenever I got married. I was so sure that having to share a bed forever would be the most uncomfortable thing. Why?

AsoEbi Junkie GIVEAWAY Winner!

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Asoebi Junkie Giveaway!

To be fair, everyone needed to share the event flyer on either Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, and then leave a comment on the blog. To that end, we could count only 4 valid entries - I know a lot of non-Lagosians weren't too please (pele, ndo, sawry).



Without further ado, the winner of the 4 yards of lace fabric is...


Congrats to Amama :) Kindly get in touch with The Asoebi Junkie, so that you can meet up with her and collect your prize at the fair.

To everyone else, don't forget to attend the very first Asoebi Junkie Textile Fair THIS SATURDAY!


Erm, Cakes... maybe I want some fabric for Christmas and/or our anniversary :D You know where to go this weekend :)

December 3, 2014

Berry Lovely Links

Oops, I forgot to post Berry's Lovely Links last week.  Sawry about that. As always, these are random links I come across and I think are interesting to share, so enjoy :)



December 2, 2014

It's Beginning to look A Lot Like Christmas!

Hi guys,

I'm in quite a happy mood right now, because my other favorite time of the year (besides my birthday) is Christmas time!!! Read my It's December post from last year. Yup, I really enjoy this time of year :)

I love listening to Christmas music (Carol of the Bells is one of my favorite carol, and then 12 Drunken Days of Christmas), seeing Christmas decorations (the tree and putting up pretty ornaments is something I look forward to), watching Christmas-themed movies (my favorite is Love Actually) and so on.



Specific things I'm loving this Christmas though, are:

December 1, 2014

Berry Thankful Weekend

Hi guys!

Before I start, don't forget to enter the AsoEbi Junkie Giveaway I'm having on the blog o!!! If you don't want it, you can enter and win it for me.

Okay, I wasn't going to put up a post until I got back to Lagos, but I've been admonished twice in a row (you know who you are). Sooooo, I'm currently away with my family in my other home (Atlanta). I'm having the most marvelous time with my siblings, mum, church family and most especially the cutest nephew of all time!!! I've been here for over a week and I'm wondering how to teleport Cakes over here, so we don't have to deal with Lagos traffic and Nigeria wahala.

Anyways, the highlights of the past week/weekend were Thanksgiving and a family outing yesterday to Atlantic Station (one of my favorite places in Atlanta - I wish I lived there actually). I'll put up pictures from the outing another time :)
A video posted by Berry Dakara (@berrydakara) on

November 30, 2014

GIVEAWAY: Asoebi Junkie Textile Fair

Hey everyone!!!

Who wants to win FOUR YARDS of LACE?!?!? I know I do! (In fact, maybe I should keep the details a secret and just win the fabric for myself). Okay, fine, I won't be wicked. See details below.

The Asoebi Junkie brand is one that promotes African fabrics and native wears. They also source and co-ordinate aso-ebi (fabrics) for events, bridal fabrics and also render personal shopping for exclusive fabrics to individuals. Next weekend, on December 6th, The Asoebi Junkie will be holding Nigeria's first ever textile fair! IN celebration of this upcoming event, they are generously giving away FOUR YARDS of LACE FABRIC (if you win, will you share with me? I just want 2 yards). 

November 28, 2014

This Weekend: A Stage Play 'Promise of the Future'

Hey everyone,

I was invited to see this play by a very intelligent and high-achieving young lady, and I thought it would be great to share it with you. Sorry the post is coming late, but if you haven't made plans already, you have a chance to go and see this enlightening production.




TEECOKS LITERARY INITIATIVE  #TLI  is at it again as it presents a stage play titled ‘PROMISE OF THE FUTURE’ a manuscript written by TOWUNMI COKER.
For those of you who haven’t heard about TLI, it’s a literary initiative aimed at impacting its environment through literature. One of its activities is the annual writing competition for secondary school students in Lagos State.
Promise of the Future is a stage play (based on a book of the same title that's out this November) that mirrors the life of a young girl, Ajoke, in her sojourn to better life and livelihood. Life takes a sudden turn when 12 year old Ajoke loses her parents in a fire accident. She becomes a maid and slowly has her life ruptured by the turn of events. There are twists as time slowly morphs her to a beautiful lady, but does the promise of the future hold beauty or more pain?

This play commemorates World HIV/AIDS Day, not just address unspoken fears but to enlighten and entertain. AIDS Awareness is essential to every individual across the world.

Venue: Main Auditorium, University of Lagos,   29th November 2014,    1pm,  4pm
Tickets: #500 for students with ID card       #2000 for adults         #5000 VIP

There will be enough fun and merriment, with lots to eat and drink. There will also be free gifts for the first twenty people to arrive.  

For more details call 08033843334 and check www.towunmicoker.com You can also follow @teewrites on Twitter.

November 24, 2014

Our Relationship is OVER!!!

Sorry guys, no weekend post today.

I know this is deeply personal, but the only way I know how to handle my feelings without crumbling is to write.

I found out something towards the end of last week that has irreparably broken our relationship. I've left and I'm currently having withdrawal symptoms. What I found out wouldn't have been a big deal if it was just one time that it happened. I would have been able to live with it. I WAS living with it. It was just once, so I could overlook it and move on. But twice?! In less than one week?! After all the praises I've shouted? After all the noise I made?! After spending so much time. I feel used, abused, and so very stupid. But I'll be fine. I chose to walk away.


November 19, 2014

Berry Lovely Links

It's another edition of Berry's Lovely Links. Today we will learn a blogging tip, be wowed by luxury travel, nod in agreement to annoying travelers, and more!




November 18, 2014

Berry Rocky Weekend

Hi guys!!!

Sorry this post is coming late. I usually like to put up my weekend posts on Mondays, but I was exhausted on Sunday night and couldn't bring myself to get the post ready. So here it is, better late than never :)

Olumo Rock!!! And the goat that photobombed us!



November 14, 2014

The 3 reasons NOT to have "Our" Song

Hey yo homies yo yo!

You guys know I like to give you Dating and Relationships Advice every now and then (e.g. Why Pet Names are Bad, Reasons to get Married, the Best Time to Break Up - which is around now btw).

So here I am listening to me and Cakes' song on my phone. I always like listening to it on the highest volume because it just evokes the passion in the song. I don't know if I told you, but a couple of weeks before our wedding, we had no clue what we wanted to dance to for our First Dance. I wanted Michael Jackson (wait, don't laugh... he has a very nice love song called "I Just Can't Stop Loving You"), and he wanted boring K-Ci and Jojo (nuh uh, the whole world has danced to their songs). I wanted a song that was beautiful, passionate, AND A DUET! (Sometimes I take this Girl Power stuff to the extreme :p) Anyways, we just couldn't agree on a song for a while. I mean, Cakes would say "yeah okay" to some of my choices, but I could just tell he wasn't really into them. I wanted our wedding to be OUR wedding, so I really wanted his input on a lot of things. Less than a month to the wedding... in fact, it was maybe 2 or 3 weeks to the wedding, we watched The Best Man Holiday, and in the funeral scene (where I didn't cry - clap for me) the most gorgeous song was featured: As by Marsha Ambrosius and Anthony Hamilton. It's a remake of an equally fun song, Always by Steve Wonder. I knew that THAT was our song immediately (although sha, shortly afterward my other husband Johnny aka John Legend almost made us change our minds with All of Me).

Okay, what does all this have to do with the title of this post? Well, let me tell you...

Good morning Mr. Speaker, Panel of Judges, Accurate Time Keeper, Co-debaters, and esteemed audience. I am here to oppose the motion that "All Couples Should have Our Song."

November 12, 2014

Berry Lovely Links

I started this series last week, and I got some good feedback (thanks for your comments). I must say I thought it would be super easy to get a bunch interesting or cool links for you to read, but for the life of me, it took more effort than I expected. Anyways, I think the links for today are funny or enlightening, so grab a drink and sip while you enjoy :)


britney spears, bridal shower, sex wedding night, bloggers


November 11, 2014

My Number 1 Problem with Beyonce

*DISCLAIMER #1* I don't hate Beyonce.

*DISCLAIMER #2* I haven't always had problems with Beyonce.

*DISCLAIMER #3* I'm not trying to step on any toes, so please don't call the Beygency on me. They're scary.

Now that that's out of the way, let me continue with this rant of sorts.

When Destiny's Child first came out in the 1990's, they were arguably my favorite female group in the world! Apart from a few songs which I downright hated, most of their music were my JAMS!!! Their Survivor album stands as one of my favorite albums of all time. It's just hit after hit after hit! I was a little irritated when they shook up the group (removing Letoya and LaTavia); but whatever, as long as the music kept coming, I was all good.

The biggest draw of Destiny's Child to me was Beyonce. I mean, she was pretty, she could dance, she had a booty, she was thick (thick of the 90s and 00s is not the same thick of today o), I hated the way she spoke, but overall, I reeeeeeeeeeeally liked her. In fact, I would pretend that I was her in my bedroom. I tried to mimic her modulations in all the songs, and I was just awed by her. It goes without saying that when she went solo, I was excited. Naughty Girl from her Dangerously in Love album remains on my Favorite Songs list forever and ever and ever!

November 10, 2014

Berry Filling Weekend

Hey y'all,

How was your weekend?! I can tell you mine was BEAUTIFUL! It was full of friends and food :) Lots and lots and lots of food! I think I ate enough to last me until 2015 :p

lost in lagos, chinese food, berry dakara, cakesiena

November 7, 2014

Berry at Sweet Kiwi Yogurt

I was going to put up these pictures as part of the weekend post, but since that one was quite long with a lot of pictures, I decided to split it up.

If you guys know me, you know I enjoy food. One of my favorite things in the world is ice cream - specifically, chocolate ice cream, or any ice cream with a Baileys flavor, topped with coconut candy, brownies, almonds and a smashed up waffle cone. Unfortunately, loving ice cream isn't great for my waist line, so every now and then, it's better to go with a healthier option = FROZEN YOGURT!!! And this is where Sweet Kiwi comes in.

frozen yogurt shop

November 5, 2014

Berry Lovely Links

I'm going to start this as a series every Wednesday. From my experience, I don't get that many views over the weekend, and that's usually when I'm catching up with other blogs and reading different things on the internet. So my thinking is that on Wednesdays, I'll put up links that I've found interesting, in order to help you alleviate stress, learn one or two things, inspire you, and more.

Here goes my first Lovely Links post!!!

jamie oliver nigeria



  1. Isn't it funny how Nigerians are plagued with The Foreign Accent Syndrome?
  2. For those of us in our 30's, here are 15 Things you should be doing now.
  3. Thank goodness! Someone who thinks this #JollofGate matter is silly. FREE JAMIE OLIVER!
  4. Have you heard what T-Pain sounds like without Autotune?
  5. Do you watch the best show ever, Game of Thrones? See what Westeros looks like in GRRM's mind. (George R. R. Martin aka the writer) 
  6. YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Check out this special look at Avengers: Age of Ultron film. I can't wait!

November 4, 2014

Monthly Breast Self-Exam and BC Secrecy

Hiya,

I'd like to address something that's been on my mind for a while though, and it's the issue of secrecy surrounding Breast Cancer, especially among Nigerians. Remember the Pink Pearl Foundation event I went to (see post here) - the founder mentioned that one of the biggest issues with forming a Breast Cancer support group is that people who have it aren't willing to speak up. They want to remain anonymous. I don't have Breast Cancer, and I pray I never do, so I cannot overly fault anyone who wishes to keep it a secret. However, I feel the need to point out that being quiet about it may not be the best option. 

First of all, there are hundreds - thousands of women out there who have Breast Cancer, so you have to know that you're not alone. In a difficult situation like this, wouldn't it be good to reach out to other women who are or have been in the same position as you? You might learn something new about how to cope with it better, or have someone you can vent to, or you might meet someone who can inspire you or give you tips on being comfortable and how to deal with it. 

November 3, 2014

Berry Pretty Salsa Weekend

Hola!

How's it going? How'd your weekend go? What'd you do? Who'd you see? What'd you eat? What'd you wear? Tell me, I'm listening... well, reading.

My weekend was pretty for the most part - we had a date night, courtesy of a group at church!
christian couple
Berry and Cakes. Don't we look nice? I think we do :)

October 31, 2014

One Lovely Blog Award - 7 Things About Me

Greetings Ladies and Gentlemen!

I trust you're having a good week so far, and looking forward to a better weekend?

I was notified by two lovely ladies that they'd both listed me to participate in the One Lovely Blog Award post. Ibbey blogs at My Blessing that is SCD (she's a fierce advocate for Sickle Cell Disease), and Titi blogs at Nuts About Health (she's an intelligent lady, wife and mother who lost 65lbs after giving birth to her son).We all go waaaay back, but I'm not sure I should write how we "met." Thanks ladies!

Anyways, the premise is this: 
  • Thank the person who nominated you and link to that blog
  • Share Seven things about yourself
  • Nominate 15 bloggers you admire (or as many as you can think of!)
  • Contact your bloggers to let them know that you’ve tagged them for the One Lovely Blog Award.

Before I start off with my 7 things, I'd like to say that I enjoy these kinda posts because they introduce you to new blogs, while helping your own blog with exposure. At the same time though, there are a lot of these posts going around (20 Random Facts, Being Me), and there's only so many random things you can share.

  1. I like listening to soundtracks when I'm bored. Most recently, it's been Sound of Music on repeat! But for now I'm enjoying The Lion King soundtrack :D
  2. I don't play any sports. Football, tennis, anything with flying balls - I just don't like because I'm sure I'll get hurt. Funny enough though, I ran 100M races during interhouse sports in secondary school. I may have stopped because of asthma.
  3. Another sports tidbit - the only sport I can watch from start to finish without complaining of boredom is American Football. 
  4. If I had to choose between spending money on Eating Out, Shopping (clothes), or Traveling, I'd most likely choose Travel first. Then food, and finally shopping.
  5. If I don't see the name of the car, along with the symbol, then I don't know what kind of car it is. I can't tell the difference between a Dodge Charger, Bentley, or Rolls Royce. In my head, they all look the same.
  6. I used to prefer heels to flats, and would strut around like the world was my personal runway. However, in the past few years, I've come to choose comfort over fashion. I don't know if it's me getting older, or me gaining weight... If I must wear heels now, they cannot be stilettos. No way, no how!
  7. I haven't bought perfume in years!!! First of all, it takes me about a year to go through a bottle of perfume. Every time my dad travels, he buys me perfume. So right now, I have about 3 years worth of perfume to go through. I have 2 or 3 bottles that I'm trying to finish and 3 new bottles I haven't opened. 
And there we have it!

Erm, blogs to nominate... I'll get back to this. 

October 29, 2014

Let Me Take A Selfie

Are you one of those people who misses out on their surroundings and experiences because they're too busy taking selfies?

Sooooooo, there I was on a Saturday evening. Cakes had gone to bed cos he woke up at 5am to head to the bakery. I was sitting there, watching TV and the episode of KUWTK where the Kardashians started their vacay in Thailand. In that episode, Kim was taking lots and lots of selfies while on vacay because she wanted to make a book of selfies for Kanye (well, it turns out it was also for the whole world too, because the book's on sale :p).

Anyways, Khloe points out that instead of paying attention to the experience, Kim is busy taking selfies and missing out on just enjoying everything that's happening. And that's why Khloe's usually my fave Kardashian - because she has sense (except for that whole French Montana thing).

October 27, 2014

What I Did This Weekend

Hiya!

How are you? How was your weekend? Did you get up to any fun?

Mine was kinda full. It actually felt like the weekend started last week Wednesday for me, cos I got to hang out with the Power Puff Girls after work (we watched they talked throughout, while I watched The Judge, starring the man I want to marry, Robert Downey Jr.); and then on Thursday, Cakes and I watched The Equalizer (blawdy violent movie, but Denzel is a total BAD A$$). On Friday, I was supposed to hang out with my girls, but it got canceled last minute... Boooooooooooooooo!

On Saturday morning, I headed over to Civic Center in VI for a Breast Cancer Awareness event. It was held by the Pink Pearl Foundation, which was founded 7 years ago. The founder, Orode Ryan-Okpu, is such an inspiration. She's 25 or so, and runs this foundation, is getting her Masters degree, has a husband, daughter and expecting one on the way! I mean, I feel like such an underachiever!!! Anyway, the point of the event was the launch of a support group for people with breast cancer. Apparently, there are no support groups out there, for women to join and meet regularly with healthcare professionals (nutritionists, fitness instructors, psychologists, etc). A major issue here is the shroud of secrecy Nigerians have when it comes to illness. I've witnessed it firsthand, but hopefully, there will be courageous women out there who will benefit from this program.


October 25, 2014

Article by moi on Bella Naija

Yo yo,

Quick FYI - I sent an article to Bella Naija, which was posted on Thursday. I've gotten mostly good comments and a lot of my friends and family have been sharing it around. Just in case YOU haven't seen it, you can click here to read.

In case you're wondering, the title of the article is "3 Things You Miss After Getting Married."

Shouts out to Miss Single in Gidi for proofreading before submission.

Have a nice rest of the weekend.

October 23, 2014

Celebrating...

Just a quick one here!

Yesterday was my dad's birthday :) My dad is shy so I won't post a picture, even though my fingers have been itching to since Tuesday. Anyways, I love my dad so much and a lot of people say I look most like him, and share some of his character traits - one of which is refusing to go to events if I wasn't invited :p. My dad is such an inspiring man - people who know him go on and on about how straightforward and honest he is. Integrity and humility are words that are usually used when people talk about him too.

He can also be VERRRRY goofy! You walk into a room, he sees you clearly, you see him clearly, and then he pretends he's sleeping and snoring. Yup, I do the exact same thing to Cakes all the time :D

I don't want to go on and on, but here's to my dad and wishing him waaaaaaaay many more years and wisdom and blessings and much more!

Continuing in the celebratory mood, today's my grandparents' 64th wedding anniversary!!! Can you beat that?! I just love the 2 of them so much!!! Hugs from me to you guys and hope I see you soon :)

wedding annirversary

October 20, 2014

Weekend Shenanigans: Read the Details!

Hey everyone!

How was your weekend? Mine was pretty good, but uneventful. Why? Because I didn't read the details. Okay, see what had happened was...

For the past week and a half, I looked forward to attending the Locs Styling Competition (organized by Locitude and Kinky Apothecary). It was going to be the same weekend that capped the Felabration celebrations, and would be held at the same venue - Freedom Park. So in my head, I made my plans. On Friday, I would get my hair done (crochet braids), and on Saturday afternoon, I would head over to Freedom Park to watch the styling competition and stay on for the Felabration performances of the evening. I've never been to any Felabration thingy, and truthfully, I barely even know any Fela song, but I'm just curious.

Anyways, on Friday afternoon, an hour before leaving work and heading to my hair appointment, I decided to put up an 'Events this Weekend' post for you guys. While composing the post, I copied the Locitude photo, and pasted it in the blog post, and then BAM! It hit me!

October 17, 2014

RANT: Morning People

Hi friends!

This is kind of a rant, but not quite because while I don't consider myself to be a morning person, I'm not exactly a night owl either. Here's the thing, I'm not an As-Soon-As-I-Wake-Up person. There are people that wake up and it's all bright and cheery, and birds are singing, and they're all CHEERIO, LA-DI-DA, TOP-O-THE-MORNING-TO-YA-MATE! Somebody like Cakes.

I am NOT in any way, shape or form, that person. I like to take my time in waking up (unless I wake up late and have to rush to work or church or wherever). My alarm snoozes for 30 minutes - I wish I could make it an hour. I don't like to be spoken to as soon as I wake up - Cakes wants to share and care bright and early. Nope, no music, turn the music off NOW! Cakes wants to listen to Worship songs as soon as he wakes up. I'm not interested in any form of light as soon as I wake up. Cakes will have his BRIGHT AS THE SUN phone light on, the AC light switch is on, the fan light is on, errythang is just blawdy on! I need to get used to being awake before I put any food in my mouth. Cakes can cook for Africa as soon as he steps out of bed. Me? Not so much.

October 16, 2014

Random Alert: Abortion

Hey y'all.

How's your week going? I've been blogging everyday for about a week now! It feels kinda weird. Like am I giving you guys too much to read? Should I blog every other day instead? While you're thinking about that, lemme get on with the post... which might be a little controversial.



A month ago in the teenage church where Cakes is one of the workers, I followed him there (as opposed to going to my church or the head church). On this particular Sunday, there was a guest speaker (who I think will join as a regular). She gave the teenagers different scenarios, asking them to pick one choice or another, explain why they picked that choice, and back it up with a Bible passage... let me say that these teenagers know their Bibles! (But erm, the ones that tried to defend premarital sex with a Bible verse found it extreeeeeeeeemely difficult :p)

Anyways, one of the scenarios talked about a young woman who while walking, was attacked and raped by a mad man, resulting in pregnancy. The question posed was: Should she abort or not? Let's even take away the mad man aspect. If a woman is raped by whoever and gets pregnant, do you think it's right for her to abort or not?

Yes or No?

Remember that this kind of situation happens everyday all over the world - to women and young teenage girls.

P.S. Don't ever Google "abortion" images! I think I'm scarred for life. :(

October 14, 2014

My problem with blogging

Hey guys,

I hope your week has gone off to a good start. Mine's been bleh because only God knows what I ate this weekend that's made my body go haywire :(

Anyways, as usual, I write on the fly and the topic of this post literally just came to me. I follow blogs using Bloglovin (it's a great tool for me to stay updated with my blog roll, and see all the latest posts from blogs that I follow - you can follow me and never miss a post via Bloglovin here). Anyways, here I am on a Monday evening and while I have Bloglovin open in one tab, I have 6 or 8 other blogs open in other tabs. I don't follow any of them on Bloglovin - not because I don't like them, but I feel like I'm already spending sooooooooo much time on blogging. I enjoy reading other blogs, because I get inspiration and learn from them. However, reading blog posts obviously takes more time than writing posts. I'm getting to the point now, that if I don't catch up with my Bloglovin every day, I have to read over 100 posts within a matter of 3 to 4 days.

nazuri curls america best glasses berry dakara
Berry Dakara Instagram - Who likes my new glasses?!

October 13, 2014

Wed Expo Weekend!

Guys, there are way too many pictures and I can't even begin to start writing about everything, so please check back later for updates, as I intend to post links to every company whose pictures are here. But for now, enjoy the photos :)



October 11, 2014

Sneak Peak: Wed Expo Lagos 2014

So I went to meet Cakes at TBS (Tafawa Balewa Square) yesterday after work, to see how Wed Expo was going. It's a little smaller this year, than the one Cakes and I visited last year, but there are still quite a number of vendors there. Some of them weren't done setting up, so I'm sure by today and tomorrow, it'll be very full.

BTW I'm happy to announce that Cakes has actually made some sales (WAY TO GOOOOO!!!), and some readers stopped by yesterday to say hi (You guys are too much!!!).

Anyways, just wanted to give you a sneak peek of what you can expect to see at Wed Expo - times 20!!!

CAKE FACTORYYYYYYYYYYYYY - Woot woot!!!


This is part of a traditional wedding cake

October 10, 2014

This Weekend: WED EXPO LAGOS!!!

Yoooooooooooooooooo,

Mehn, the LIB saga just took over this week sha :p But she's back, using her own domain now, with a lengthy post on what's gone down, so if you feel like reading - go right ahead and Google it. Speaking of Google, I hear they restored her old blog.

In the meantime, Wed Expo starts TODAY in 40 minutes, and guess who's exhibiting this time around :)

Hehe, no, not me. What can I exhibit there? Blog posts?

CAKES aka CAKESIENA aka CAKE FACTORY by K's CRAFT aka BERRY YUMMY HUBBY aka.. okay, I'll stop with the aka's.

Fashi, the cakes he made for exhibition are sooooooooooooo pretty! As in, even Little Miss Perfectionist Me said "Wowwww, I'm so proud of you." this morning! In Jesus' name, Cakes will only get better and bigger (as a vendor, not his rapidly increasing tummy)!!!

I wish I could post a picture of the cakes he's made here, but that would take the fun out of it, soooo, just come on over this weekend. I will most definitely be there tomorrow and Sunday, so bring your smiles on, because we shall be taking pictures (duh!). Not only does he have the pretty cakes to show, but there'll be cupcake bouquets ERRDAY, and also cakes for tasting :D

P.S. He said his booth is somewhere in the back :( so PLEASE take your time to look for him. Next time, we'll get a bigger booth.

sisi yemmie wedding
Source - Remember Sisi Yemmie won a N15million wedding courtesy of Wed Expo. The new competition starts today.
In addition, there are 2 other expos going on as well, and everything is at the same venue.

WINE EXPO
wine and spirits exhibition lagos
Source - I just hope there's enough Rubis there
BEAUTY EXPO
africa beauty expo
Source
On one hand, this is the worst time to be broke. On the other hand, it means
QUALITY spending vs QUANTITY spending.
The expos are being held at Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos Island, and the times are from 10am to 6pm everyday this weekend, starting today. 

Okay, I gotta go. LOVE YA!!!

October 8, 2014

So... this Linda Ikeji Drama and What You can Learn from it

Hey everyone,

If you have any connection whatsoever with Nigeria, chances are that you've heard of Linda Ikeji, and you need no introduction. To those who don't know who she is, Linda Ikeji is the most popular blogger in Nigeria, with daily site views in the hundreds of thousands, if not millions! I mean, I checked Alexa.com to see the websites most read in Nigeria, and Lindaikeji.blogspot.com was ranked #11. Yes, she is THAT popular, making millions of Naira MONTHLY just from banner ads. Some time last week, I went on her blog and counted all the ads on her site and assuming each company paid for 1 month, that was just under N11,000,000.00 (yup, 11 million naira - that's about $67,000 - IN ONE MONTH). I didn't even bother counting the number of sponsored posts, which at the last rates check, went to the tune of N50,000 per post (about $300). Consider that there are maybe 5 to 10, if not more, of those sponsored posts per day. And, because Linda Ikeji is an entertainment aka gossip blogger, word is that a lot of wealthy people pay her to NOT write about them. So, basically, this chick is raking in lots and lots of money.

October 6, 2014

Posers!

Yo yo!

Ciao miei amici! Come va?! Sta bene, grazie :)

So am I the only one who's wondered about photos posted on social media sharing apps and websites? I'm talking specifically about pictures posted on Instagram and the use of photo editing software. I don't mean using photo apps or even Instagram apps to apply filters to your photographs. I mean using software like Photoshop to edit your pictures before posting them to your Imstagram account.

I won't even talk about one or two people I've seen who used the fish-eye tool on their pictures to make it seem like their hips or butts are bigger than they are. Dear friends (And Beyonce), if you're going to do all that, please make sure that door frames, stairs, tables, walls, and all linear objects around you are STRAIGHT!!! It really makes me laugh when I see a picture on Instagram and the door frame or wall behind the person is curved.

There's this account that I don't really follow but check out from time to time. I'm not hating o (that's reserved for another account :p) but this chick's face is ALWAYS smooth. Not smooth due to makeup or gorgeous skin kind of smooth. I'm talking about 'other world' kind of smooth. Like you can almost see a halo radiating from her skin. And the thing about it is that she's very pretty and I think that she does actually have very good skin, BUT I'm 100% sure that she edits her pictures because her skin doesn't look real in her Instagram pictures!!!

*Confession time* I used to be like that some kind times like that, I can't even front :p

The picture on the left!!! But you people, let's also take a look at my waist/tummy. Chai

Lol, this was my Valentine's profile picture in 2012

This is from 2009.
Anyways I'm asking, why would anyone go to the trouble of taking a picture with their phone, moving the picture to a computer for editing purposes, and putting the edited picture back on their phone for posting? Isn't that a little too much? I think it screams insecurity (if I had known I would look like I look now, back then in 2009, I wouldn't have retouched ANY photo yo!).

Okay, I'm done wondering since I just answered my own question.

Carry on with what you were doing :)

October 4, 2014

Event This Weekend: MYOPIA

You guys know how I love theater and stage plays, so I thought to share one that's coming up this Sunday.

Cima Brawn Limited presents a Nigerian stage play MYOPIA by Chidinma Uzodike, which will be staged on the 5th of October 2014 at Swiss International, D’Palms Airport, Ajao Estate, Off International Airport road.




MYOPIA, is about a young girl’s determination to overcome family and societal discrimination against the female gender. We are so excited about presenting this exciting performance with a stern message, and we hope you will share in this experience by attending.

October 3, 2014

First Impression: Afro Riri Haircare

Hiya!!!

I mentioned that I had a couple of reviews to post, and to stay tuned, and today I'd like to introduce you to Afroriri Haircare products. Afroriri Haircare is a Nigerian company with locally made products - they are located in Calabar and deliver all over Nigeria and even to the Ukraine.

I noticed them on Instagram a couple of months ago, and when they contacted me via email about sending a few of their products, I happily agreed. I was sent their Honey Moisturizing Shampoo, Luxe Detangling Conditioner and Luxe Hair Butter.