• 

• The Soliloquy collection is an art that expresses both love and heartbreak. It takes these two ironical factors and blends them into one to form the perfect muse. It is a compilation of the creative's feelings and experiences during the duration of the collection.

  The collection is a beautiful adventure through the maze of love and heartbreak. The feelings derived from the experiences from these two factors. It is also a self reflection of one's aftermath. As the name implies the Soliloquy collection is understanding ones self and emotions

  The Man In Roses
  Deep down I have succumb to the weird feel of love, slowly the butterflies in my stomach are becoming a normality. Exploring the sides of the roses, I take every curve with care and caution hoping not to trip over any edges. The more I try so hard the more I get cut by the thorns of emotional clarity, the more I logically make my way through the maze the more I get lost. I have come to understand that my affiliated pleasure with roses is an expression of those walks through the maze of love and the falling of cupid arrows.
  

• Bleeding Through One Beat
  The chamber releases and with a single swift slice, the bullet tears through my flesh, ripping it's way through my heart. My shirt stained in blood, dripping in my inequities and imperfections. The pain exhausting beyond embrace. I gave my self to this demise, I feel into her arms just to feel her touch once more, to desire her lust, now she has left me for dead again. 

• awwww!  Enjoy the Look Book

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  Photographer- @tope_horpload
  Stylist- @magpayne1
  Hair - @bernardsmiless
  MUA- @beautybybellamere_
  Words by @chukwukanwobi
  Shoes by @monimorganshoes
  Model - @ifeoma_nwobu ( @fewmodels                         Model - @iamalimran ( @fewmodels

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Today being the last day of 2015 got me reflecting on how the year has been. The truth is, 2015 isn't top on the list of my great years, but then I have a lot of things to be thankful for, first being that, I am alive and not lying somewhere in a hospital bed. That I still have my Joy and peace after all I've been through. It can only be God.

So, through the not so great 2015, I did learn some things as I'm sure you did too. I mean we learn everyday from life. Some of the lessons are new and some, life taught me yet again.


                                    1

I have learned to let go and laugh more. Not to take things too seriously all the time 'cos life is short(I'm still gonna be around for the next 70yrs BTW), and perhaps not nearly as serious as we take it.


                                    2

To treat people, not as bad as they are but as good as I am. That i can't treat people badly and expect them to love and respect me. I shouldn't feel bad if the don't.


                                    3

That I am in charge of how I want to feel no mater the situation. To know that happiness is from within not in a thing. So I can will my mind to transmit desired mood per time under any circumstance. I can choose happiness

                             

                                   4

That worrying  is like holding an umbrella waiting for it to rain. it solves nothing. Instead, it clouds your mind with fear/ anxiety and get you all depressed.

But that it's OK to cry sometimes and let it all out(certainly, not in public). it's like refreshing or rebooting your system so as to think, reexamine and regroup your thoughts to do and act better.


                                        5

To appreciate the people in my life, even to the least, 'cos they each have something to contribute or teach.

To appreciate the contributions of my love ones, even in those rare moments when some do not meet my expectations(I probably don't always meet theirs), 'cos truth be told, they have really touched my life in many ways.


                                     6

That it's easier and simpler to be me and do me. Although man is basically a copycat and always trying to keep up with his 'neighbors', trying to do what someone did or has done is a grievous mistake that can blow in your face. one reason being that, the circumstances, situations and capacity are never the same. So, I should do my things as they best fit me and my circumstance allows.


                                           7

That I can't say I am helping someone when I am not doing what they want or need under the circumstance. I shouldn't feel bad if the appreciation gotten is not commensurate with the help rendered.



                                       8

That my dreams are legitimate. To rise above my circumstances and live them. To start, howbeit small, but dream for the top. It won't always be easy, but it would be worth it. To discipline myself to get up and do things even though I am not in the mood or feeling good(this isn't always easy).


                                       9

That I am more than I let myself be. I can be and do more. To explore my creative and business side. To go out more(this isn't easy for an indoor-fun kinda person) and meet people of like minds because networking and relationships are gateways to career successes.


                                       10

That what people think/say about me is their business. I cannot live my life to impress others or give in to the so-called societal pressures at the detriment of my joy and peace. That I owe no one an explanation of my life, except you are God or  paying my bills to the last dime.


                                        11

 To love myself and body. Be mindful of my lifestyle and what I consume in order to stay fit and healthy.


                                        12

To be grateful for how far God has brought me, for my achievements, howbeit, beneath my dreams. To do my possible best under any circumstance, work/pray harder and keep faith because it can only get better and better. That aging is a privilege denied many. To embrace it and own it.


My best is yet to come.

2015: I'm excited and hopeful. Bring it on!!! 



If you are reading this, I'm sure you learned one or more things in 2015. Do share one in the comment section. Also let me know which of my lessons you can relate to. Thanks.


Have a beautiful crossover to 2016


xoxo

-Aitee.

The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced that Petrol will sell for N86/litre beginning frm January 2016. Well, NNPC is to sell at N86/litre while other makerters will sell at N86.50/litre. Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC) is strongly against the removal of subsidy b the FG ans has said that it will not agree to it under any circumstance.

We hope this will help to alleviate the sufferings of Nigerian at petrol stations  because of scarcity and high price of petrol.

Yes, i do have a healthy natural hair. And by natural, i mean my retouched God-given hair.  I feel good about it because i like rocking my natural hair as much as i like braiding or fixing weave-on. I have gotten lots of compliment because of  it,. sometimes people try to or do actually touch my hair just to know if it's enhance with weave-on (I don't exactly like that part) or all mine. i have been asked how I got the transformation, so I have decided to share.

My hair wasn't always healthy or even had volume. I was one of those people with stubborn hair that needed retouching every other month but still the texture was nothing appealing. My hair wasnt growing or it was just breaking off faster than it grew.

Need I say that I tried and used so many hair relaxers and products, even popular high brands and expensive ones. I had also tried products with natural/native ingredients but didnt get the desired result. can you imagine how frustrating that can be? maybe you can.


Well, all that came to a gradual end when I made the choice to buy  VITALE OLIVE OIL  Anti-breakage No Lye Conditioning Relaxer ,with coconut oil and vitamins.






 


 Olive oil is a natural anti-breakage oil that penetrates inside the hair shaft enhancing the vitality and wellness of the hair. On the second time i used the product, I observed that my hair breakage was reduced significantly and my hair was smoother and full. My hair colour improved to a darker shade. My hair grew too, though I had to cut it shorter because that way I can style it desirably to something cute and funky if i want to.

The package contains products that condition and preserve the natural strength and glow of the hair. Since I started using this product I have not used any other hair treatment and I have my desired result. It can only get better.

So if you have a dry, stubborn, scanty or weak hair, You can give this a try. it might just be what you hair needs to be healthy. The product is quite affordable and a package can take up to 3 retouches.

 

Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade on Sunday during the Calabar biker's carnival, led a host of other bikers for a ride in the city.
It appears politics isn't his only game.
Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria is a place to be in December  for a colorful n electrifying carnival.



be inspired!!! -Aitee

Congratulations Emy&Udy

So yesterday was my cousin's wedding and I had a pretty good time. I got to see my aunts, uncles and cousins, most of whom I hadn't seen in a while. I realized later that we were too busy chatting and catching up in the short time we had(no thanks to my coming late because of other events), that taking selfies didn't come to mind.
Anyways, I was in a hopeful-blue-mood, so I decided to wear an all blue outfit. but then, on a second-stylish thought I decided to add red jewelries for a contrasting effect and added elegance.



be inspired!!! -Aitee

Hello Lovely people, Happy Midweek!!! I hope your holiday plan is taking shape.

 

Do you agree with Maya? 'cos I agree. Sometimes you have to  break the norm and think outside the box or as it is said, think there is no box at all.

 

To Win in your Daily life, you have to stop trying to always be normal, prim & proper. granted, there are needful times when being normal pays but to be truly exceptional, you have to let your imaginative/creative self run wild.

 

Attempt that which you are afraid of, which is outside your comfort zone and discover your hidden potentials and amazing self. Holiday is approaching, allow yourself to breath. maybe it's time to do that thing you have been contemplating but never got around to doing it.

Normal is so over rated.

Happy Holidays!!!!

 

xoxo

-Aitee

We hear people say all the time that money cannot buy happiness. I have even preached it myself because true happiness comes from deep personal connections and life experiences rather than material goods. Also a person's ability to savor experiences predicts their degree of happiness.

However, Tim Lemke takes a look at some of the research indicating that money does indeed play a role in making people happier as the people on the lowest end of the income scale are vulnerable to depression and other mental health problems.

 

1. You’re Less Likely to Suffer From Depression

A 2012 report from Gallup revealed that people in poverty are more likely to suffer from health problems, with depression being the most common. About 30.9% of poor people said they have been diagnosed with depression at some point, compared to about 15.8% (half as many!) for those not in poverty.

2. Your Kids Brains Will Develop Better

PBS reported in June on the growing body of evidence supporting the idea that growing up in poverty can have a long-term impact on children’s cognitive development. In the most extreme cases, children endure “toxic stress” that is shown to actually chemically alter their brains.

 

3. You Can Afford an Education

A 2012 study by Pew and the University of Virginia found a connection between happiness and obtaining a college degree. A broad education, researchers concluded, can lead to a richer and more fulfilling life, as well as greater earning opportunities.

4. You’ll Avoid Student Loans

There’s been a lot written about the impact of student loans on young people, and there’s evidence that the crushing debt can actually be detrimental to happiness. An article published in the journal Social Science and Medicine concluded that student loan debt was related to “poorer psychological functioning” among young adults.

5. You Can Mentally Savor Life

When you have money, you don’t need to focus as much attention on acquiring it in order to meet your basic needs. This frees up your mind to actually savor the experiences of life, according to a 2010 article in Scientific American. The article concluded that “…a person’s ability to savor experiences predicts their degree of happiness.”

 

6. You’re “Buffered” From Sadness

A recent paper in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science concluded that there may not be a direct connection between money and happiness, per se. But, the authors said there was strong evidence that money prevented sadness. The study concluded that people with money can more easily “buffer” themselves against stressful events.

7. You’ll Be Free to Spend Money on Others

When you barely have enough to support yourself, you’re likely not thinking about giving back to others. But being generous with your money is a path to happiness, according to a Harvard study titled “Using Money to Benefit Others Pays Off.” In the study, researchers gave money to students to spend on either themselves or others by the end of the day. “People who had been assigned to spend the money on someone else reported feeling [a] happier mood over the course of the day than those assigned to spend the money on themselves,” the authors wrote.

 

8. You Can Spend Money on Experiences

There’s considerable evidence that buying “stuff” doesn’t make anyone any happier. But paying for experiences offers a good bang for your buck when it comes to happiness, according to the book Stumbling on Happiness. Whether it’s swimming with sharks off the coast of South Africa or hang gliding over a volcano in Hawaii, experiences do cost money.

9. You’re Less Likely to Be Lonely

A 2011 study in the Journal of Consumer Psychology concluded that people with meaningful social connections are generally happiest. And there is other evidence showing that people with less money are more likely to be lonely. The Guardian reported in 2014 that “Poor social networks should be

 

DO YOU AGREE? If Yes, Add other ways you think money can buy happiness

 

Multiple Award-winning & Record breaking singer Adele is the cover star for the latest issue of TIME. Her latest single "HELLO" dropped with a bang that resonates globally in the world of music. What with massive record sales and many music artists doing Cover of her 'Hello'. Hers is a classic case of Success & Fame without Nudity or self aggrandizement on social media in the name of personal branding.(this is a story for another day & time). When her 3rd & new album "25"(in it 'Hello") was released on Nov. 18, Adele shattered countless sales records, most significantly, she notched the biggest first-week sales on record when she sold a jaw-dropping 3.38 million copies in the United States.

 

READ Excerpts from the interview below!

On motherhood…

Releasing the biggest album of the year comes along with a demanding promotional schedule, but Adele says having her son Angelo, 3, along for the ride actually helped. "The other day I was saying, ‘Oh God, I’m finding this really hard again with a kid,’” she says. “I have no time for myself because in between doing this, all my spare time is with him. But then I realized, he’s been keeping me totally cool and calm about the whole thing.

 

On cut ting out social media in order to write her album

Privacy is key to being able to write a real record, whether people like it or not,” she says. “My life has changed so much, but I’ve made the realest record I can make, and it’s the real part of me. How am I supposed to write a real record if I’m waiting for half a million likes on a f—ing photo? That ain’t real.

 

On the secret behind her record breaking sales record…

It’s a bit ridiculous,” she says, reclined on the floor of her New York City hotel room on a chilly winter day. “I’m not even from America.” She sets down her cup of tea, brightening. “Maybe they think I’m related to the Queen. Americans are obsessed with the royal family.

 

Why she’s so successful…

"The fact that I’m not shy or embarrassed to be falling apart,” she says when asked. “Everyone falls apart, I think. A lot of people try to be brave and not shed a tear. Sometimes when you know someone else feels as s— as you do, or approaches things in a certain way just like you do, it makes you feel better about yourself. Even though my music is melancholy, there’s also joy in that. I hope I do bring joy to people’s lives, and not just sadness, but I think there’s there’s a comfort in it. But I honestly don’t know. If I knew, I would bottle it, and sell it to everyone else.

 

 

 

On the supposed collaboration with Beyoncé she turned down….

Whoever started that rumour must have been having a laugh because anyone who knows me knows that my main priority in life outside of my child is Beyoncé,” she says. “I really wanted to do a duet on this album. I spoke to someone about it who I wanted to do it with, and we got on like a house on fire, and then we just couldn’t logistically really get it to work. I can’t say who it is because I want to do it in the future. That’s the only reason. It wasn’t Beyoncé!

 

She thinks artists should be a “package,” not a “brand.”

While personal branding has become an integral part of being a recording artist, Adele dislikes industry jargon. “I don’t like that word,” she says of “brand.” “It makes me sound like a fabric softener, or a packet of crisps. I’m not that. But there’s personality in an artist, and if you’re expecting people to let you in and give themselves to you, you have to be a whole package. I feel like some artists—and this isn’t shading any artist, just me trying to come up with my own explanation—the bigger they get, the more horrible they get, and the more unlikable. And I don’t care if you make an amazing album—if I don’t like you, I ain’t getting your record. I don’t want you being played in my house if I think you’re a bastard.”

 

Read the full interview here

 

The American University of Nigeria is now the official holder of the Guinness World Record for the most people crocheting simultaneously. The GWR Records Management Team announced the feat in a message posted online.

On August 24, 2015, an unprecedented group of 485 people recorded 20 minutes of simultaneous crocheting, a bid to beat a New York City group of 426 who crocheted simultaneously for 15 minutes in 2010.

The group needlework, an effort sponsored by AUN’s Student Government Association, was planned to coincide with Earth Day, to sensitize residents of Yola–the Adamawa State capital and seat of AUN–about the hazards of non-biodegradable litter.

Held inside the University’s Commencement Hall, the largest indoor venue in Nigeria’s northeast, the ecological twist to the event was that the crocheters used “plarn.” Plarn is a yarn that has been developed from used shopping bags which litter the countryside.

Since every nylon bag is reusable and renewable, the event drew attention to how cleaning up the environment can be sustainable and profitable.

Community women members of Yola EcoSentials, a group of social entrepreneurs promoted by AUN, walked the participants through the process before the kickoff of the simultaneous crocheting. The event served to publicize the University’s ‘waste to wealth’ initiative.

“In the light of negative news coming from the northeast, whenever the story of tenacity and togetherness is told, your achievement today will be a reference. This is what your sense of togetherness, teamwork, and can-do-it spirit has made possible,” said the Chief Information Officer, AVP Julius Ayuk Tabe.

 

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

 

The ‘Desert bloom’ collection by Abaya Lagos  is made up of gorgeous turbans in lovely hues, Handcrafted Embroidered Abayas (open front robes and kaftans; tunics and jackets) made from exquisite silks and velvets

 

 

Describing her collection as “the Evolution of Luxury“, the Creative Director, Salihat Rahaman said ” Each unique (handmade) piece has an added feel of elegance and luxury to it. Colours and textures are reminiscent of age-old Africa as well as Middle-Eastern Royalty, hence the theme “Ottoman meets Nubia. I find that I can change/ upgrade my look drastically but effortlessly with a single item of the collection, (either an abaya or turban), turning a regular outfit into something exotic and expensive looking. Bad hair days become a breeze using the turbans, and as an added advantage, I look chic and elegant while still covered up in all the “important” places. This gives me the utmost comfort and confidence. We want customers from different backgrounds to feel comfortable wearing Abaya Lagos merchandise regardless of cultural or religious ties”

 

I particularly like that one can throw one of these tunics and kaftans on jeans and a T-shirt or a skirt and top and you are good to go. Quite effortless.

 

 

 

Shoot credits
Photography: Emmanuel Oyeleke (Instagram @EmmanuelOyeleke)
Styling/Creative Direction: Ezinne Chinkata   (Instagram @zinkata1)
Hair: @Zubbydefinition
Make-up: @Makeupbyoma
Models: Beth Models Banke and Ugochi
For further enquiries contact Abaya Lagos: Instagram @Abaya_Lagos, Email: abayalagos@gmail.com