Being Anastazia
MY FIRST TIME ORGANIZING A FASHION SHOW IN EUROPE
THE COLLECTION FROM SMOLYAN
COLLECTION BY MARIA
COLLECTION BY STACY & IVAN (yes, the dancer and model)
MY TRIP TO BOURGAS
Any event planner out there will agree with me when i say IT'S A PAIN IN THE NECK but a beautiful kind of pain especially if you love what you are doing.
I have hosted events before, fashion shows before but trust me when i tell you it gets even more complicated if you are not in your comfort zone #home
My visit in Bulgaria had motives and one of the biggest motive was to make/ host a fashion show that will not only be different and represent me as an African but leave people wondering what i will do next or if i am going to come back in Bulgaria.
Well, there goes the beautiful pain...
I did it! I hosted the fashion show!!
It took a lot of energy from me honestly i won't lie and i still have echoes of the models, designers and the whole team calling out my name to ask for confirmation of things.
I loved and love that kind of echo, makes me feel so important.
I started a fashion club when i got here, i did not do it to the success i had in mind, but i converted it into a series of training models (which i do best, follow my modeling agency on Instagram @nzuriafrikatz) and scouting for designers, which was fun cause it got me to travel and visit a lot of events so i can get designers.
Truth be told, i couldn't have done the fashion show without my sending and receiving organizations "Chamwino Arts Center" and "Open Space Foundation", in addition to that it was fully funded by "Erasmus +" under the "European Union"
It was quite an honor to work with all the powers.
The fashion show is called "Cultural Heritage Fashion Show", (notice i said "is" even though it is passed, that is because i hope to do it again) and as part of the supporters we had the "Smolyan School of Applied Arts" that brought in their designers and team.
I, being the promoter that i am, managed to bring in other designers and models to participate in the show, truly i could not have done it without them. My biggest disappointment is that i did not put that many pieces on the runway as i wanted to.
My publicity team was also "On Fire"
There were many photographers and we had "HD Fashion Tv" in the building.
The models were so into it, i couldn't have thanked them enough, especially because most of them were in exam season and even though it was a school night on 21st June 2018, they showed up for the love and support.
My good friends Ayubu Mbarazi and Ludovic Dupire (both singers) entertained the audience so much for a second even i forgot that i was a backstage manager to a fashion show. Ivan Twinomujuni was not so far either, he did some amazing contemporary African dance performance.
I can go on and on about this experience, clearly i am still very excited to have pulled it off so enjoy the photos i have layed out for you hopefully you will get a little fun and experience that we had.
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| Presentation from Smolyan school of applied arts |
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| Yes, i wasn't looking my best |
COLLECTION BY MERCYLINN
Ok, more photos will be posted soon....
With love,
Stacy 💕
MY TRIP TO BOURGAS
First off i am confused and not so sure if it is Burgas or Bourgas so correct me if i am wrong please...
Second things second..........
So you know, and I know... It has been a while.. maybe its because i have been so swamped up with work and my upcoming "Fashion show" that is right... I have another fashion show coming up, this time it is going to be in Sofia Bulgaria.
Here is a sneak peak to the show
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| Fashion Design by Andrew Kalema (FB) mr_designer_tz (IG) |
I said to myself my brains are going to blow up and so i decided to take a short "vacay" to Burgas just a little refreshment before i fully get back and get re-swamped in work again.
Here are frozen moments i captured to share with you... hope you enjoy ....
#kisses
It all started the night before, i couldn't sleep really, i was more obsessed with what i needed to pack, growing up in a city with a beach taught me how to take the beach for granted its funny how that night all i could think about was the beach.
To make all matters better or worse, our train was at night... i was half zombie half human i swear.
We arrived a little to early, the hostel apparently opens at 9 and you can only check in from 2pm, luckily the lady feared for the zombie apocalypse and let us check in at 9 am, we were outside from 6:00 am oh God, i wanted to pee so bad and to make it worse, i was still a zombie....
OKAAAAY!!! LET'S MOVE ONNNNN....
As soon as we CHECKED in the hostel and i slept for 3 good hours i was up and ready to go to the beach and of course tour around...
In the picture I am wearing a round hat, glasses and beach bag from "Jumbo" (I love that shop, everything is super cheap) and along with a "made well" shorts (that is the name of the brand) the top i got from a second hand shop i am not sure what is the name, the lebel is ripped out apparently, that is the down side of second hand shops.
At last, we were at the beach...I attempted to shop but the beach got the best of me.
(I am going to start cardio soon, that i am sure of) again bag and hat from "Jumbo" the robe however is a funny story, a day before i went to Burgas i stopped by a new shop round our neighbourhood and i spotted this baby, it was in the pajama section i was like"heeeeeeck!, YOU MUST NOT KNOW ABOUT ME!" and there... it became my new missing piece in my wardrobe, and guess what "IT'S A H&M piece"
Word of advice fashion people, don't stop at the normal clothing section check everywhere in the shop even the socks department, especially if you shop in a second hand shop, there is no shame in that.
After being pretty for so long and signing autographs all day , okay not autographs but people were asking to take pictures with me....
Turns out all I needed to be to get the Hollywood treatment was to be "African" in Bulgaria...
We went back to the hostel...
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| this guy was pretty cool |
showered, changed
and then headed for dinner.
The next day started over, i had another train back to Sofia to catch so i couldn't really go by the beach, i decided to eat, take photos and shop....
And finally... it was time to home... this was a beautiful journey and i cant wait to visit Burgas again....
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| yes you can't see my face the photographer was worried the train will leave us and so we had to make a "quicky"😁 |
Hope you enjoyed my trip and i took you with me...
With love..
Stacy💕
DEADLINES!!....UHH, NOT A FAN!
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| shot by Cuthbert MUA by Louise Harrison MUSE Stacy (me, myself and I) |
I admit I have been lazy....
It has been a while since i last posted i think it is over a month now and i can only apologize for my fault, I have let other activities get the best of me and my love for writting.
As much as this sounds like just another ordinary post i will tell you that it really is not, sometimes we experience blockages. .. ever heard of "writers' Block" or "designer's block" or anything of that sort?
Basically what happens is that you feel like you are blocked from your own creativity... from your own passion and for me i will tell you it bothered me so much that i could not pick up a pencil and sketch cause i had nothing new coming in or how i could not find anything interesting to write on my blog... it really bothered me... And that is when i realized its not about the blocks its about how much i fight them.. sometimes in life you just get stuck and you don't really feel like there is much to do.. the problem isn't the situation its how much you resist feeling that pinch.
I decided to give it time... rest on it... live in the moment besides #YOLO and one day i woke up with this urge to sketch and i have never felt better...i even saw so much improvement in my work... i am learning to sew now and even better have a fashion show coming up (i will promote in another post)
I learnt that sometimes we need to accept the blockages in order to emerge stronger in the future and i learn i miss you guys and my blog and my viewers mean a lot too... so I hope/pray/wish and advice you not to block yourself from feeling...dont prevent yourself and dont stress yourself with time/deadlines... (actually it is not a bad thing) but be realistic about what you are doing before stressing with a deadline. ..saying to yourself before you are 20 you want to own 5 houses and a bank... you can have that but take your time to carefully build... and strive..DON'T RUSH...
With Love
Stacy💕
AFRO PORTRAIT
I always wanted to try a colorful portrait shoot..and finally, i have.
I just hated that on that particular day it rained and we actually did the shoot outdoors, any who...
I did the shoot also because of an article i was writing for openspacebg.com which i will share very soon but i thought i should share my shoot try out...
I hope you enjoy the pictures...
Model: Stacy Oswald Phillipo
Photographer: Luc Noël Ingabire with his photography signature "Agafoto"
Hope you enjoyed, see you next time
with love,
Stacy💕
It's funny how the world, no thanks to social media feels like they have power over a person’s decision don't you think? I mean, my body my rules right? Let's talk about about make-up for example, some say "make-up is for insecure people" and some say “actually you look better without makeup” I think every woman (and man) have a right to self hygiene and their whole look in general.
The one thing I will agree with “the world” however is that if you are doing make-up, at least do it right.
I understood the art of shoes, the art or clothing, the art of styling but the one art that I so much desire to understand is the art of makeup.
I think every woman and man deserves a chance at good make-up and a good use of it for their personal hygiene.
In my everyday walk around in Sofia I was blessed to meet two very kind and beautiful women who not only inspired me but motivated me to know myself better.
Vanya Kokosharova & Lilia Georgieva
I loved their strong belief in every woman (and men) has a right to look beautiful and in my perspective I would say, you are beautiful the way you see yourself, of course if you have done it right. I feel as if sometimes people misunderstand the concept of make-up, it is not only about the beauty that comes with it rather it is the feeling that it delivers. I strongly feel like a different person when I have make-up on, it more like I am unstoppable and my confidence is shooting to the clouds.
I was so pleased to learn about their workshop that they will be doing on the 28th of April. It is not every day that a professional make-up artist decides to share their knowledge to the world.
I managed to poke a few information from them about why they decided to do this, i thought perhaps it was just a best friend thing but the response was so selfless and very encouraging:-
Vanya “So, we have been knowing each other since years, we’ve decided to do this kind of events when I was still in Beijing, so once I got back we’ve started planning... we both have very similar ideas about social events, art, culture and so on. This is our first make up demo class paired with food and wine but we have been doing and will keep doing professional 60 hours courses. We believe that each woman should have at least some knowledge about how to put make - up correctly for any kind of occasion”.
What made me lose my mind even more was when they invited me to the workshop as a representative from Open Space Foundation to do a media coverage on their workshop, not only am I honored but I am also very glad that I can get the chance to share with you what I learnt and saw.
So, stay tuned for a makeup article from Open Space Foundation and of course Being Anastazia.
LET'S TALK MARBLE ONE TIME
We have to have a serious talk about marbles you guys,
I was so not in the "shopping mood" but as i was out get groceries i saw that one of my favorite outlet (second hand shops) were in fact inside the grocery stores.
It is crazy cause i never saw it there before, okay maybe because am actually very slow to notice things sometimes but i felt these babies calling my name.
I just had to go check it out!
I didn't want to go to the clothes department because i knew i would never come out of it anytime soon and i would die from hunger because i was really starving. I saw them... I saw an awesome pair of glasses and i just could not resist i had to go get them.
My plan is to give these baby a test drive and see how they justify me out there....
I will be back with more pictures of how i used them.
Till next time,
with love,
Stacy💕
VELIKO TARNOVO
After a very long thought between visiting my sister in Germany, traveling around Bulgaria and buying a camera which made me very broke I decided to visit Veliko Tarnovo with a couple of friends for the Easter weekend.
If I am being honest i was scared at first boding a train for the first time in a new country with very few people of my kind, going to a place with even fewer people of my kind i did not know what to expect but nothing would have ever been invented if we stuck to fear.
I have to say, I loved every second of the trip, from the train, I can't even remember the last time i was in a train, i mean, my brain wasn't even in a correct position, the whole company was a blessing to me and for me I LOVED EVERY MOMENT.
Even the weather was amazing!
We visited and watched Veliko's beautiful view from the mountain, and we watched the game of lights.
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| i wish u saw my face after i took this... |
I have to visit again if I am being honest. (I will post more pics as soon as i get them :*)
EASTER SEASON
It has been a crazy past couple of weeks...
I have been up and down and round and round all over Sofia, actually it is more like i had a mid term training for my EVS and strong obligations and commitments with turn ups that my hangover just ended yesterday but i did not even begin to think about skipping to write about EASTER!
The reason why i did not post on the actual Catholic or so Easter is because in Bulgaria, most people are Orthodox and they celebrate their Easter a week a head of the normal Catholic Easter, (I do not have the correct term for the two groups) in this case, Easter was on the 7th April 2018
I grew up with a strong Catholic belief and I would go to church with my family on the Easter Sunday, oh! before that, we would eat no meat on Good Friday, and the ceremonies follow up with a good family Easter meal.
I learnt very differently this year, I LEARNT ABOUT EASTER EGGS!
I know first egg has to be red as to symbolize the blood of Christ but everything else is still a blur to me and I am still learning about, I mean, if they do believe in "the blood of Christ" then why different Easters in these two churches?
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| usually first egg is full red so this is only a substitute |
MAYBE I WILL FIND OUT AND WRITE ABOUT THAT...
This Easter was the first that I spent away from my family, and i can say it was exciting because i had a new family here in Bulgaria that taught me how to paint easter eggs and I am eagerly waiting for the egg fighting (Will share pics) do not get too exited we are not throwing eggs at people.
On the other hand I was sad cause i miss my mom's delicious meal....
All in all, i would say, this Easter for me was a chance for me to travel, I went to Veliko Tarnovo (see next post) and i had so much fun and learnt so much new experiences. I hope it was the same for you...
Drop a comment below to share your Easter experience, what did you do this Easter??
ITS OFFICIAL! it starts today.
(The reason why I posted this post in #Beinganastazia and not NAMA is because it is more about how i feel. All other updates will be brought to you through the #NAMA page.....
Kisses :* )
I am so happy that today is the official start day for my fashion club although to be completely honest, I am kind of worried that i am not worried about people's appearances.
Will the show up? I really have no idea, I am happy that I received so many responses, yes even though most were from Tanzania, I am glad people back home are eager to see what I have installed for them when I go back however, finding people in Sofia is a bit tricky cause I do not really have that many friends to begin with and even the friends that I do have are not really about fashion.
I am excited to see how today goes and to get over workshop one already, i won't lie last week i was crushing with fear and worries and now I am just, " I will be okay"
Cross your fingers for me my darlings, I have got lots to do today and I Can't wait to get back to you with the results.
Until then, Stay safe....
With love
Stacy💕
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| Crop top by my sister Maria |
ADJUSTING TO FASHION IN BULGARIA.
Written & edited by Stacy Oswald
(First off, you guys should know that I wrote and published this article on https://www.openspacebg.com some time back but i thought i should share this today because really, I have really not spoken about this matter since i arrived in Bulgaria)
ENJOY!!!
When I received my EVS invitation letter from the Open Space Foundation, the first thought that crossed my mind was “ALL THE CLOTHES AND SHOES I WILL BUY” followed by “ALL THE FASHION SHOWS I WILL ATTEND”. I was super excited, I am actually ashamed to say for the first three months that is all I could think about rather than what exactly I will be doing when I get there.
I was lucky because I had two friends ahead of me that were doing the first six months of the EVS volunteer program at Open Space Foundation and they gave me all the spoilers including which shops to visit and where to go. What they forgot to mention however was the minimal levels of fashion shows (Someone else gave me the spoiler). The good thing was it helped me finally structure my mind and it helped me think of my personal project that I will do at the end of my volunteering time, yes! You guessed correctly. It will be a fashion show.
After months of waiting I finally landed in Sofia Bulgaria, and I remember thinking to myself, did someone forget to switch off the air conditioner all year? But no, that was the harsh winter of Sofia.
Honestly speaking, all I could think about at that time was ‘grab anything next to you and cover yourself’. I really wasn’t thinking about fashion whatsoever. I was thinking “SURVIVAL.”(wish i listened to my sister, she told me survival first.) I expected the cold winter but there is no way to prepare an African body to that kind of weather.
For the first two weeks there was no snow, it was cold, it was windy, but no snow. I was like, I travelled all this way just to get slapped by the wind? I need some snow, as if the cold was not enough, little did I know about all the complications that come with the white snow.
In a way it was good because no African boots can sustain the snow and the freezer, this finally called to my first official shopping experience in Sofia.
My receiving organization was deeply concerned about this matter,and finally started showing us (me and my fellow volunteers) all the super cool boutiques. Okay! Confession, I already knew where they were, I think all the H&M staff know me by now.
We started on the “Paolo Botticelli” website to search for boots, but of course I suggested we physically go to the Bulgarian mall just so I can calm my fashion demon inside me.
I tried almost every shoe my size, until I finally found the one I like, okay, i also tried those a bit bigger, my guy colleagues had to leave me behind but what do they know right?
I switched from boutique to boutique in Sofia because I had a mission, it’s the reason I came with few things. A girl has to dress.
The more I went out the more my body started getting adjusted to the weather and now, it was time for me to scout for the second hand stores. Sure my supervisor gave a hint of where some of them are but I had to peruse some more. I believe in secret treasures and I found it. I discovered “Mania” (my guy friends actually spotted it before I did), it is a classy second hand store with almost anything you need (minus makeup) And if you have their Mania card you get incredible discounts.
Moving to the next street I found also more chains of classy second hand stores, some were from the same owner, but I am sorry, I could not read the name, the clothes were nice, classy and moreover sustainable.
I suddenly fell in love with this street, it is the whole area around the mosque and the opposite side. Not only did I get clothes, I got makeup and so many accessories and I even made friends with an old couple in a local bakery shop, they sell pizzas for one leva, really tasty, I think it is because they liked my style.
My biggest problem now was my hair, how and who can take care of it? I managed to find great hair products around other stores like “Lilly” and surprisingly even “Billa” and to top it all up, my roommate can actually do different hairstyles. I have never felt luckier.
You think that is it? Turns out Bulgaria does have fashion shows, maybe not as many as in Millan and New York, but they exist and that is all i need to keep breathing.
Now, I have my hair covered, I have my makeup and accessories covered, I have pizza cover,and the couple gave me extra Bulgarian bread for free. They were so tasty. AND I can cope with the weather. I don’t think I will ever get used to it but I can handle it now.
Finally I am happy and I am not dressing for survival anymore,
I AM DRESSING FOR FASHION.
I CALL IT, BAGCHOLOGY..
WHAT BAGS ARE RIGHT FOR YOU AND YOUR BODY?
Sometimes people tend to get confused thinking that is you carry a "Victoria Becham" or "Michael Kors" bag that's all it takes, well truth is.... NO! you need more than a brand.
The magic in this is understanding about bags
I am tiny, so at the very beginning of womanhood especially being the last born in a family filled with girls, all I could think of was when can I grow into my sister's clothes, shoes and bags but the more I stole them (sorry sisters) I hated it, i felt like it looked better when they carried them but not me.
It was only a matter of time, I finally realized that i was the tiniest of all my sisters and that could have been one reason why they never looked good on me. After sometime, the fashionista in me awoke and girl was i glad.
Since then I knew just what to pick (oh yes, i never stopped stealing from my sisters, i just knew how to pimp it😇) and it looked perfect.
I forgot about this until last Thursday (1st March 2018) I went shopping..."AGAIN" and i ended up in this only bag store, what fascinated me was they were second hand bags, (yes, i'm not going to pretend i wear all first hand) the bags were so cheap and of course I went to the cheapest segment 😉....
The first bag that caught my eyes was a "Michael Kors" red bag.... I hate to admit it but i reverted back to my old ways, the bag was beautiful but not for me, it felt like it would be perfect for my mom but not me, i was so in love with it but the fashionista in me snapped me back to my senses as soon as I looked at myself on the mirror.
That is the point where most people can not decide whether or not to take it or leave it. I have a simple question that always helps to guide me in my shopping.
DOES MY WARDROBE REALLY NEED IT?
I realized then that it is very important for me to write about this and help you figure out which bag is perfect for your body size. If you follow all the rules you will be in safe hands.
So this one is for my fashionistas out there that their inner fashionistas have yet to be awaken....
Okay, i know, like Stacy what the heck do you mean?
Here is what you did not know or maybe what you have been ignoring when your inner fashionista is trying to reach out to you (do not ignore this fashionista)
Some materials may be perfectly fitting for your skin tone, body size and shape.
There are so many materials, all the way from leather to fabric be cautious. if you are the tiny type like me, avoid beaded round or boxed big bags. It will make you look like you are going for a mom's day out to the fish market.
You could never go wrong with leather, it is the most safest material.
I use clothed bags only for specific purposes, like this one I use to carry my laptop, documents and all the lazy things you can imagine. I usually pair tis look with classic jeans and rubbers.
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| This a "kitenge"(local African fabric) bag made with a local Tanzania designer. |
If you have a bit of an un-tiny body, you have an advantage, you can pretty much rock almost every type of bag but i would still recommend you to avoid carry just any kind of bag just because you saw someone else carry it.
I may be wrong, which brings me to the second rule...
Back on rule number one, you can rock the beaded bag only and only if you have the right design. Don't go for the hollow style. I personally love structure, I am not a fan of straight bags no matter the name of the brand. I love art on my bags...
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| Bag from #Atmosphere |
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| Bag from #Atmosphere |
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| I love my #LVbag |
RULE #3 STUDY YOUR BRAND
I don't mean "your" brand but the brand of the bag you want to buy from, look at their previous collections and if it is really legit. Some bags are duplicates of original designer bags which means they are either very fake or very low quality either ways it will make you look cheap too.
Brands have special materials that have a special effect on you, i really cannot explain it any deeper but remember there are more brands out there than "LV" and "FENDI" so only study the line, you will even get a chance to see samples of how their models rock the bags.
Sometimes it is not about your body, sometimes it is what you wear it with. Some wear a big backpack with a sunny dress. Really girl? really? and not any kind of cool back pack i am talking about the 20kg laptop bags. How do you expect to look dashing in that? first it will give you a hunchback.
I mean if you are going to carry a backpack, the least you can do is find a stylish backpack..
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| I am really not sure about the brand, at first i thought it was #PhillipPlein but when I got home i realized that it wasn't the logo (this could be a good example of a duplicate bag, i am not sure.) |
Okay, back to the bags, i love messenger bags or any cross body bags because they go with almost everything, to make it more dashing, cross it to your front rather than your side. that will just add a bit of color to your look.
But also I love the all time hand bags, I love them because i always put it on my arm which also adds in a bit of style. Try this and tell me the difference.
Guys... I would love to apologize for the poor quality of pictures.
Thanks for stopping by..
With love,
Stacy💕
BLACK PANTHER....!!!
OKAY........ WAIT?????
DID YOU WATCH IT? IF YOU DID THEN... WHAT WAS THAT? I MEAN..NEXT LEVEL THINGS RIGHT?
IF YOU HAVEN'T AND HAVE NO PLAN TO GO TO THE CINEMAS...I MEAN, IF YOU ARE WAITING FOR IT ON TORRENTS AND ALL....
DON'T WATCH IT FROM TORRENTS JUST NOW! WAIT TILL THE CLEAN VERSION IS OUT!
SERIOUSLY, (of which you will be the only person talking about it so go watch it on cinemas NOW!)
I just want to say that...uuhhhh... MARVEL IS NOT PLAYING!.. (Can you tell how happy I am about the movie from this blog post?)
I was blown away from start to finish.. I loved almost everything, I loved the fashion in the movie the most.
The costumes that the panthers were wearing are some next level coutures right there.
The entire cast is dressed in some fancy futuristic Afro punk costumes... and that is what "I" call "STATEMENT PIECES"
(picture source: IMBD)
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| source: strandartscentre.com |
I want to share every single piece but, this post will be overly long. Can i just say I love the "hoodie" piece that "Erik Kill-monger" puts on as the first royal piece to sit on his crown... you need to give it up to the costume designer..
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| is it just me or the guys in this movie are super hott!!! |
MEET THE COSTUME DESIGNER...
The designer "Ruth Carter" has done an impeccable job. I did art so i recognize so much art works and resemblances with the Prehistoric African empires that actually did have so much technology and so much advancements.... of course almost all were taken.
This movie really feels like a voice of the African people... I love the first scene when "Kill-monger" appears and says he will take the art piece from the museum and asks the museum lady if she kindly asked for the African artifacts when they (western) took them from Africa. This character was my second favorite character in the black panther.
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| Source: essence.com |
I mostly love the concept of the movie (apart from the wardrobe). I love that it states the truth in it and the truth is, Africa was very developed in so many ways... (okay do not want to go down to that road) but its about time someone actually does something to show that Africa is not about lions and jungles.
There is so much tradition attached in the movie, rituals, masks, scarification, markings, clothing, weaponry and so many more. I feel like the movie has well portrayed all the traditions i mentioned and more.
I truly loved the use of the masks... and in her words she says...
"We had an enormous number of boards that outlined the costume looks of each district of Wakanda. There’s a military guard that protects the palace, the Jabari tribe that lives in the mountains. There are the Dora Milaje that protect the king, the border tribes that police the border. I used ancient African history to come up with some of these ideas. For example, the Dogon tribe is one of the inspirations for the Jabari tribe in Wakanda. They wore these wonderful raffia skirts during the celebration they performed once a year. One of the northeastern inspirations was from the Tuareg, the subsaharan desert dwellers of Africa. In Wakanda, they were the merchant tribe and owned most of the wealth. We upped the ante and gave them a modern spin to create this new world."
source: TIME/ Entertainment
To read more of her interview follow link on TIME:
As I was looking for the right trailer i came across this video, I think it will be very helpful to not only understand Black Panther but Africa as well.
If i say i loved everything however, i will be lying. The only part i question, and it is not only for this movie but in so many movies that try to portray the accents. "THE ACCENTS"
I can see/hear right through them. Of course you get used to them after the first ten or forty minutes if you are as stubborn as me.
The actors are awesome! the roles were perfected but...
WHEN WILL HOLLYWOOD ACTUALLY CROSS THE BORDERS??
WHAT I WORE....
(I went to watch the black panther with my friends and it was pretty fun, i advice you to do the same.... unless you are a natural loner then that is something else.)
I know, some of you probably think i wore some pretty huge statement piece. maybe African or heels and all that fancy. And some of you that actually know me might think... She went in a "Lupita" outfit...
well.....wrong!
I wore an orange sweater and high waist very dark blue jeans with black boots and my brown "LV" bag. Confession though, I did think of dressing like "Lupita" from one of the scenes. The thought did cross my mind but for the first time in my life, I chose to at least try to act normal.
I added on a black chocker necklace, rings(cause it just won't be me) and did I mention? I did this amazing curls on my hair, (which was probably a terrible idea because my hair is naturally curly) but i loved my hair and that is what matters.
(sorry for the selfies)
ANYWAYS>>>>>
If you still have no clue or are a re-watcher like I am.... here is the trailer.....
With love,
Stacy💕
Valentines Photo Shoot Photos...
Hey lovies,
As I promised... some pictures from the last photo shoot..
#Valentine shoot.
#Enjoy
Stylist: Angie Wilde
Makeup artist: Stasy Ferdinand
Photographer: Gery Marianova
VALENTINES EDITION PACK!
Dear readers, Valentines came early...
I decided to create a special Valentines edition with different articles inside it just in case you get the "little lazy bug" to scroll to different pages. All Valentines article are here....
I hope you will love it and find it useful.
Consider this my gift from me to you...
THE LADY NYANGOUB IN THE LADY IN RED
It's kind of a funny story actually, I knew Nyangoub through a friend who worked in my modeling agency. I desperately needed someone to fill in the "stylist" position in my agency, I needed a sharp and edgy person who does not think about today rather five years from now.
I loved Nyangoub cause she felt like my little flower, wait did i say loved? I mean, I love her cause I was right about her.
She had so much innocence yet rawness that was only waiting for the right opportunity to shine. Honestly speaking, she was my most loyal colleagues in my agency.
Me being miles away and unable to actually attend her "exhibition" in the "Lady in Red" fashion that was held on the 10th/02/2018 the least I could do was give her this platform.
So, who is Nyangoub?
Nyangoub Yessy is a fashion designer and a stylist who started doing fashion related matters on her advanced studies in Moshi Kilimanjaro.
She started doing fashion effectively on 2015 as a Stylist at Nzuri Africa Modeling Agency (NAMA) on IG as @nzuriafrikatz
She created some of the most revolutionary styled shots when working with NAMA such as the railway shoots and Christmas shoot.
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| Models Eric & Jaymes |
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| Model Jaymes |
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| Model Coco |
After NAMA temporarily shut down, she carried on with her heart of fashion an worked with different notable individiuals in the Tanzania fashionin dustry such as Rio Paul in different activists and fashion related activities.
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| Nyangoub with Rio Paul |
On 2017 she participated on Lady in red fashion show by showcasing a single female wedding dress and participated again on 2018 the same fashion show and being able to showcase five different females wear.
For me this collection, I associated with the whole Valentines season, so in case you think..."Naaah!, I want to do a designer couture for valentines, you could always check her out via her mail maryyes18@gmail.com
And now, for a moment we have all been waiting for.
Here are some of the pieces she showcased this "Lady in Red" 2018
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| Nyangoub |
Her sense of whimsy, creativity and her nurturing nature made her an icon within her fields of work in schools and when working with different organizations as a volunteer.
In the near future I hope I can work with this young talent once more and I am eager to see what she has installed for the Tanzanian fashion industry.
Thanks for stopping by, till next time,
Stacy 💕
THE RED WARDROBE!
"The Red Wardrobe" does not mean that the paint of your closet or the clothes in the wardrobe are red, it simply means VALENTINE SEASON is here, which could only mean the love times are here and the couples are getting heated up. Everyone is getting everyone something special, making plans of where to go and what to do to make it memorable and some are just hoping Netflix and sweat pants will do the trick.
Sometimes we think we have to dress to impress, while some just think.."Whatever!" but here is the thing, love or no love, everyone deserves some sweet self love and that is why when i think about Valentines day, I think about three different people with different emotions..with very different hopes for this Valentine season.
One mood is the "first date", So you like this person, or not, either ways this person is your Valentine. You want to impress everyone on your way out including your date and you are thinking.. hmm, maybe it will cost me a fortune, maybe I will need a lot, but here is the best under budget items YOU must be having or if you don't then you could have because they are literally almost in every local store or even thrift/ second hand markets like Mwenge and Karume.
The key to standing out is how you style what you wear.
My stylist, Angie Wilde, in this shoot, paired up a cute floral sunny dress with a black fur coat and a brown belt on top of the two. She also paired black stockings and black boots. I am sorry guys I know the boots and the fur are a bit off for Tanzania but it was FREEZING cold.
The point however is the style,
She says " It's always true for a first date: don't overdo it!
A touch of craziness is required, but try to always have it under control so you will not leave the impression of a cat woman. If you choose a colorful dress, don't use shiny or massive jewelry and choose the rest of the outfit, bag, shoes, coat etc. In a monochromatic nuance. A belt is almost always good with a "not official" dress and, if you buy second hand, it helps you to adjust the dress to your shapes without much of an effort!"
The key to standing out is how you style what you wear.
My stylist, Angie Wilde, in this shoot, paired up a cute floral sunny dress with a black fur coat and a brown belt on top of the two. She also paired black stockings and black boots. I am sorry guys I know the boots and the fur are a bit off for Tanzania but it was FREEZING cold.
The point however is the style,
She says " It's always true for a first date: don't overdo it!
A touch of craziness is required, but try to always have it under control so you will not leave the impression of a cat woman. If you choose a colorful dress, don't use shiny or massive jewelry and choose the rest of the outfit, bag, shoes, coat etc. In a monochromatic nuance. A belt is almost always good with a "not official" dress and, if you buy second hand, it helps you to adjust the dress to your shapes without much of an effort!"
So you want to look cute yet daring and impressing? keep reading...
If you are a mall type of girl the Splash and Mr. Price are very good stores to get sunny dresses for an estimate of around thirty thousand Tshs to around sixty thousand. If you are thinking "how much types can I buy with that cash" the I suggest you go to a thrift market like Mwenge and you can get yourself a sunny dress from around three thousands Tshs to the maximum of twenty thousands Tshs ( do not buy if it is higher than that price), Karume could be even cheaper so check that out too.
You can get an almost similar coat minus the fur, or with the fur (it just won't make that much sense with the heat...but again it is rainy season so it could work) in the same stores and markets for almost the same price ranges.
Be sure to add in a cute necklace (My stylist is awesome) and can we please talk about the make up? yes my make up artist is on point, but I am sorry you have to read the next article for that.
I won't lie, having a good photographer added the "ing" in "Amazing"
If you are a mall type of girl the Splash and Mr. Price are very good stores to get sunny dresses for an estimate of around thirty thousand Tshs to around sixty thousand. If you are thinking "how much types can I buy with that cash" the I suggest you go to a thrift market like Mwenge and you can get yourself a sunny dress from around three thousands Tshs to the maximum of twenty thousands Tshs ( do not buy if it is higher than that price), Karume could be even cheaper so check that out too.
You can get an almost similar coat minus the fur, or with the fur (it just won't make that much sense with the heat...but again it is rainy season so it could work) in the same stores and markets for almost the same price ranges.
Be sure to add in a cute necklace (My stylist is awesome) and can we please talk about the make up? yes my make up artist is on point, but I am sorry you have to read the next article for that.
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| ignore the snow flake |
I won't lie, having a good photographer added the "ing" in "Amazing"
The second mood is the ordinary couple, this person has been dating for a while and valentines is a booked day for both of them.
The thing that most girls do is over dress. I mean it is okay to impress but you don't want to over impress, especially if you are short on budget so... Angie to the rescue,"Class is like blood, you can't choose yours. So, go with it. Select carefully the model of jeans that suits you better and go simple: he knows you already, so you don't need to make an astonishing first impression! Make him feel like he is walking with a proud Venus without spending so much or wasting time: you are more beautiful when you feel secure of your self. A good combination is always white (or black) and jeans. Rock it with fancy shoes, or a shining necklace and keep make up frenzy under control. He knows you, remember?"
That being said, she paired an awesome pair of high waist jeans with brown Zara heels (i still had my stockings on, it was freezing) a nice and clean white shirt with a trench coat and a Marvin hat. Can you guess where my stylist is from based on the look?
If we are being honest I will tell you this is the "cheapest look" you can gather. You obviously have a pair of high waist jeans but just cause its a special day, you can buy these at Mwenge for literally three thousand Tshs to about twenty thousands, some might get to twenty five but if you were me, you wouldn't buy over ten thousand from Mwenge unless it is from an actual boutique. The style however made the whole look more perfect. From the marvin hat design to the untucked shirt and the folded jeans.The trench coat was an extra A+
The last mood is the "I don't do love" type of look. I know, you think love is just not for you and you would rather stay in your pajamas all day, but let me tell you what: all the love you need is self love.
I did not leave you behind.
Nothing screams I don't do love the most like black and black leather so for this valentines, please slay with an all black outfit. A few added colors to your look also has to be dark.
So technically, Angie, my Italian stylist, paired black boots with black jeans with a black and deep maroon top and an amazing leather jacket. You of course could add a chocker necklace but please don't wear any skull earrings or bags or any kind of accessories cause then you would look dark and evil.
In her words she says "Make sure you have something black. Washed away black is not a good replacement for the real thing and says "I have no power" rather than "I know what I want". But to forget the colors and go all black is also a mistake: use colors to make the black shine. I know it sounds odd, but it's a simple truth: black is darker when you have something in contrast with it"
You can get any kind of similar tops and jeans from the stores and markets I mentioned above. For the boots, I would recommend Karume: you will be surprised how much pairs of shoes you will buy with only ten thousand Tshs. The backpack I am carrying is a bit costly in boutiques or even online stores you would get it from around thirty thousand tshs to forty five( it could go higher). At Mwenge I am sure you can get for around fifteen thousand tshs.
I hope you liked the article, feel free to comment and please subscribe to my blog. Come back on Friday to see more posted pictures of me and the team on the "being Anastazia" page.
Special thanks to:
My awesome Italian Stylist Angel Wilde
The bold and perfecting Photographer Gergana Kilinova
and my beautiful MUA (makeup artist) Stasy Ferdinand
See you tomorrow for the make up article....
With love
Stacy💕
HAPPY VALENTINES SEASON!!!The thing that most girls do is over dress. I mean it is okay to impress but you don't want to over impress, especially if you are short on budget so... Angie to the rescue,"Class is like blood, you can't choose yours. So, go with it. Select carefully the model of jeans that suits you better and go simple: he knows you already, so you don't need to make an astonishing first impression! Make him feel like he is walking with a proud Venus without spending so much or wasting time: you are more beautiful when you feel secure of your self. A good combination is always white (or black) and jeans. Rock it with fancy shoes, or a shining necklace and keep make up frenzy under control. He knows you, remember?"
That being said, she paired an awesome pair of high waist jeans with brown Zara heels (i still had my stockings on, it was freezing) a nice and clean white shirt with a trench coat and a Marvin hat. Can you guess where my stylist is from based on the look?
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| Correct...she is Italian! |
The last mood is the "I don't do love" type of look. I know, you think love is just not for you and you would rather stay in your pajamas all day, but let me tell you what: all the love you need is self love.
I did not leave you behind.
So technically, Angie, my Italian stylist, paired black boots with black jeans with a black and deep maroon top and an amazing leather jacket. You of course could add a chocker necklace but please don't wear any skull earrings or bags or any kind of accessories cause then you would look dark and evil.
In her words she says "Make sure you have something black. Washed away black is not a good replacement for the real thing and says "I have no power" rather than "I know what I want". But to forget the colors and go all black is also a mistake: use colors to make the black shine. I know it sounds odd, but it's a simple truth: black is darker when you have something in contrast with it"
You can get any kind of similar tops and jeans from the stores and markets I mentioned above. For the boots, I would recommend Karume: you will be surprised how much pairs of shoes you will buy with only ten thousand Tshs. The backpack I am carrying is a bit costly in boutiques or even online stores you would get it from around thirty thousand tshs to forty five( it could go higher). At Mwenge I am sure you can get for around fifteen thousand tshs.
I hope you liked the article, feel free to comment and please subscribe to my blog. Come back on Friday to see more posted pictures of me and the team on the "being Anastazia" page.
Special thanks to:
My awesome Italian Stylist Angel Wilde
The bold and perfecting Photographer Gergana Kilinova
and my beautiful MUA (makeup artist) Stasy Ferdinand
See you tomorrow for the make up article....
With love
Stacy💕
VALENTINE MAKEUPS
I hate to admit it but there is truth to the saying "girls care more about Valentines day than boys do". Of course it is not fully true but some what true.
We girls have a way for trying to make things special from little things that are meant to to impress... Make up being a girl's best friend is included in the "little things to make it special" list.
Like any best friend, your relationship has ups an downs and sometimes serious fights, sometimes its the eyebrow you can\t perfect and sometimes it is exactly what kind of make up are you doing?
Most people do not even understand that there are different make ups for different occassions and show up with a Gothic make up on a wedding...(are you starting to get the picture now?)
For this Valentine, I ask you for only one present and that is #NAILTHATMAKEUP
As I was a model in the photo shoot (I am suppose to get the VIP treatment) I had all my make up done for me...but i thought I should share the two make up looks that was used on me for this shoot. Basically it was a short shoot so there was no need for so many make up looks.
IF YOU FEEL VALENTINES DAY THEN THIS IS THE LOOK FOR YOU.....
The trick was in th eye shadow and the lipstick. That is what brought the "Uhh!" to the look. For both these looks we used a slightly smokey eye which by the way I have to add, most smokey eyesare one with dark eyeshadow colors however for this shoot my makeup artist (MUA) "Stacy Ferdinand" use a golden smokey eye effect for the smokey eye. She also used a cool shade of baby pink for my lipstick which sort of game me a nude look bit. I loved it every bit because for valentines, this look is be!
YOU DON'T FEEL VALENTINES? VERY WELL, KEEP READING...
Now Red is not your thing, and no way valentine is getting to you. You probably just want to carry around one red thing around just to prove a point. But like I said in my previous article, Its time for some self love.
So, You could always go "Gothic"
It does not have to be black, you could do a dark shade of maroon or even purple and do the original smokey eye in dark colors too. Do not forget your dark mascara that will add volume and length to your eyelashes.
Hope you enjoyed the article and thanks for stopping by..
With love...
Stacy💕
Dear Ophelia
Dear Ophelia
So you don't like the drama, you don't want to stress about what to wear and what make up to do or even better, you don't want to stress about where to take who?
I thought so. Here is an article from one of my good friend and colleague at the "Open Space Foundation" here in Bulgaria (that also happened to be my stylist in my previous shoot for "The Red Wardrobe"
Hope you enjoy the article...
Dear Ophelia
Or the evil things we do (to ourselves) for love
by Angela Maddalena
by Angela Maddalena
Valentine’s day is approaching, isn’t it so? Shops and cafes are “dressed” in red, chocolate is the next big business and the majority of the women in the Universe are desperately shaving their legs.
Apart from the totally acceptable necessity of not looking like Bigfoot (and I’m talking to you, brit. “fashionistas”), I always believed that this whole shebang of Valentine’s day is a loser’s business and I don’t feel the need to lie or be politically correct in this respect. Fact is that this whole thing is quite stupid. Before you say anything, I am not speaking out off the envy of a lonely heart. I’m happily in love. Still, i firmly believe this Valentine’s thing is something in between the festival of consumerism and a distorted vision of what a catholic festivity is, or shall be.
Leaving catholic saints alone, anyway, what is this thing all about? Because it is not only spending money in lingerie and sweet things. This is the happy side of it, although still consumeristic, and full of the beautiful idea of celebrating your loved one (if and when it’s true, for the majority of couples it usually results in fighting each other in way too crowded sushi restaurants). But what about those lonely ones that are about to subscribe their undying loyalty to Netflix? And, see, I’m not only talking about women. Yes, somehow is true that feminine side of the apple is more “sensitive” on the matter, but is not entirely true that “boys don’t cry”. And you know what I’m talking about.
There is a peculiar feeling, the Valentine’s Stress Syndrome (yes, I invented a name for it), that is pretty much like a post-traumatic stress syndrome on estrogen: people simply decide to acknowledge every personal and social failure ever occurred in their lives and cry about it eating sweets. Why this date in particular? I mean, you can actually cry every day, ain’t?
It’s because, sorry to state such an ovviety, you were told to.
Just like snow at Christmas, I mean come on!, it happens to be mandatory to cry on Valentine’s. Well, no, dears, it is not. First because in the traditional catholic festivity nothing was mentioned about chocolate and the apparent need of having a sweetheart in this particular day, second because is soooo mainstream and, last but not least, because you don’t need to.
It’s just a trick, this entire thing, set up to sell. Do you really wanna be sad for this?
If your answer is “no, off course not”, I have some simple suggestions for you:
before finding love, my personal way in living this Valentine’s day was not to notice it. People are selling more types of chocolate? Great, I like chocolate. But I never really felt the impulse of making a cocoon with my blankets and listen to Anouk’s Nobody’s wife (or whatever you like to listen when having a love related nervous breakdown). I was totally and naturally ignoring it.
And now? -You may ask – what’s the difference now?
I’ll tell you: nothing. Me and sweet half, we’ll be drinking wine from the same glass (Bulgarian tradition) because we are too lazy to wash two.
See, I always believed that nothing is hard if you do it with self esteem and knowledge.
Because I was deeply sure of the total unnecessarily of this “market”, I simply never felt it.
I prefer to celebrate Carnival, that still is focused on wine and sweets but in a funnier way, and just try to take the proliferation of heart-shaped boxes on the 14th like a world celebration for Nirvana’s beautiful song.
But, if you don’t feel the need to involve unforgotten Kurt in the matter, let’s leave aside my personal fascination for grunge music and go back to the point. And the point is that you people actually have someone that loves you: you.
At least, you should.
If this Thing must be, for reason that neither me, nor the Bible understand, a love festivity, why not to use it to celebrate the one and only thing that will always stay by your side? Yeah, it is you, again. “Gotta love yourself, sis” (i’m 60% sure this line is from some B-movie I don’t recall anymore, but anyways is true).
Romantic period, hurray hurray, ended two centuries ago and nobody is actually dying out of a broken heart since “Pride and prejudice” was published.
(By the way, Turner and his fellowship of Romantics were more focused on the purity and might of the feelings and nature themselves, rather than on buying or selling crispy underpants, just to remark a fact).
Beautiful Ophelia, crazy for love, had an “accident” and fallen in to (not even so deep) water. Yeah, she died.
She eventually made three men very famous (Hamlet, Shakespeare and Millais, that portrayed her) but still she died. What for? She would have been a happy young lady if not for the obscure subculture cracking her thoughts: that you are not worthy, if someone doesn’t tell you that you are. That you are not important if someone doesn’t make you. That you gotta have someone to go to sushi bar with on a particular imposed day…
Dear Ophelia, please, do not die. Do not cry. Put those flowers in your hair, smile and move on: Hamlet was always too much focused on his mother, anyway!
—————-
by Angela Maddalena
Valentine’s day is approaching, isn’t it so? Shops and cafes are “dressed” in red, chocolate is the next big business and the majority of the women in the Universe are desperately shaving their legs.
Apart from the totally acceptable necessity of not looking like Bigfoot (and I’m talking to you, brit. “fashionistas”), I always believed that this whole shebang of Valentine’s day is a loser’s business and I don’t feel the need to lie or be politically correct in this respect. Fact is that this whole thing is quite stupid. Before you say anything, I am not speaking out off the envy of a lonely heart. I’m happily in love. Still, i firmly believe this Valentine’s thing is something in between the festival of consumerism and a distorted vision of what a catholic festivity is, or shall be.
Leaving catholic saints alone, anyway, what is this thing all about? Because it is not only spending money in lingerie and sweet things. This is the happy side of it, although still consumeristic, and full of the beautiful idea of celebrating your loved one (if and when it’s true, for the majority of couples it usually results in fighting each other in way too crowded sushi restaurants). But what about those lonely ones that are about to subscribe their undying loyalty to Netflix? And, see, I’m not only talking about women. Yes, somehow is true that feminine side of the apple is more “sensitive” on the matter, but is not entirely true that “boys don’t cry”. And you know what I’m talking about.
There is a peculiar feeling, the Valentine’s Stress Syndrome (yes, I invented a name for it), that is pretty much like a post-traumatic stress syndrome on estrogen: people simply decide to acknowledge every personal and social failure ever occurred in their lives and cry about it eating sweets. Why this date in particular? I mean, you can actually cry every day, ain’t?
It’s because, sorry to state such an ovviety, you were told to.
Just like snow at Christmas, I mean come on!, it happens to be mandatory to cry on Valentine’s. Well, no, dears, it is not. First because in the traditional catholic festivity nothing was mentioned about chocolate and the apparent need of having a sweetheart in this particular day, second because is soooo mainstream and, last but not least, because you don’t need to.
It’s just a trick, this entire thing, set up to sell. Do you really wanna be sad for this?
If your answer is “no, off course not”, I have some simple suggestions for you:
before finding love, my personal way in living this Valentine’s day was not to notice it. People are selling more types of chocolate? Great, I like chocolate. But I never really felt the impulse of making a cocoon with my blankets and listen to Anouk’s Nobody’s wife (or whatever you like to listen when having a love related nervous breakdown). I was totally and naturally ignoring it.
And now? -You may ask – what’s the difference now?
I’ll tell you: nothing. Me and sweet half, we’ll be drinking wine from the same glass (Bulgarian tradition) because we are too lazy to wash two.
See, I always believed that nothing is hard if you do it with self esteem and knowledge.
Because I was deeply sure of the total unnecessarily of this “market”, I simply never felt it.
I prefer to celebrate Carnival, that still is focused on wine and sweets but in a funnier way, and just try to take the proliferation of heart-shaped boxes on the 14th like a world celebration for Nirvana’s beautiful song.
But, if you don’t feel the need to involve unforgotten Kurt in the matter, let’s leave aside my personal fascination for grunge music and go back to the point. And the point is that you people actually have someone that loves you: you.
At least, you should.
If this Thing must be, for reason that neither me, nor the Bible understand, a love festivity, why not to use it to celebrate the one and only thing that will always stay by your side? Yeah, it is you, again. “Gotta love yourself, sis” (i’m 60% sure this line is from some B-movie I don’t recall anymore, but anyways is true).
Romantic period, hurray hurray, ended two centuries ago and nobody is actually dying out of a broken heart since “Pride and prejudice” was published.
(By the way, Turner and his fellowship of Romantics were more focused on the purity and might of the feelings and nature themselves, rather than on buying or selling crispy underpants, just to remark a fact).
Beautiful Ophelia, crazy for love, had an “accident” and fallen in to (not even so deep) water. Yeah, she died.
She eventually made three men very famous (Hamlet, Shakespeare and Millais, that portrayed her) but still she died. What for? She would have been a happy young lady if not for the obscure subculture cracking her thoughts: that you are not worthy, if someone doesn’t tell you that you are. That you are not important if someone doesn’t make you. That you gotta have someone to go to sushi bar with on a particular imposed day…
Dear Ophelia, please, do not die. Do not cry. Put those flowers in your hair, smile and move on: Hamlet was always too much focused on his mother, anyway!
—————-
BEST GIFTS TO GET HER/HIM THIS VALENTINES DAY
I was going to do two separate articles for this but then the more I kept writing the more I figured most of what I had to say were very similar so... here goes two sides of the same coin.
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| Image by Inner Voice Design |
Its true that girls are very weird yes amazing creatures and sometimes it is almost impossible to understand they say, I will tell you this though, I am a girl and the trick is in the actions.
Ain't nobody going to be mentioning dolls every time if she don't mean get me a damn doll, and it better be big too. Okay I am not saying to give us what we want but I am saying it is not as hard as you think it is to please your/a girl.
First thing you need to know in this article is that YOU DO NOT NEED TO WAIT FOR VALENTINES TO GIVE HER A GIFT.
Hold that thought, this article is not to defend women right so let's take it to the men...
Nothing beats the look on his face when you pull out a wrapped box (YES, WRAP THE PRESENT PUT IT IN A BOX, it makes it look classy and like you spent forever on it) and give him something, unless he is not the right one for you it doesn't matter if you wrap up a dead lizard or a smart watch he will love it anyway... Here is the top ten best gifts you can give him this Valentine. YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR VALENTINES TO SURPRISE HIM..
The secret in selecting any gift is to make sure that the person you are giving it to can not get it on their own or at least does not expect to get it. A good example is buying your girl make up, if it is a random make up or make up brand then DO NOT DO IT, Why you ask? BECAUSE SHE HAS MAKE UP AND PROBABLY CAN NOT LIVE WITHOUT IT. (Don't get a silly pair or earring too fro Mwenge) Unless you get her a special edition, okay! let me clear that up... make up brands have collections, like how Kylie lipsticks released different editions like the birthday edition, holiday edition even a valentine edition. The edition should be almost impossible for her to obtain like buying your Tanzanian girlfriend Fenty Beauty products, given that they are either expensive or impossible to get, you would need to order. Still I would not suggest you be very careful with that as a present. you could make it an ordinary day present. You don't need a special occasion to gift someone you love.
Now we have cleared the air, LET'S BEGIN OUR TOP THREE GIFT LIST HER/HIM
- Inscripted rings.
Get her a ring with her/his name on it, or with a message from you. Try the Michaelson line "always and forever" (YEAH! I am a die hard Originals fan... #JOMO #Klaus) or something sweet and romantic. Even better surprise her/him with couple rings. You don't need to order on line, well especially because you are practically out of time, you can go to a jeweler sculptor (Sonara) and this can be done for you.
2. Customized Mugs.
Okay this is not entirely terrible, it is even sweeter that it is cheaper (Just go to any big photography and printing store, they print mugs) I would suggest printing because then you can write anything you want on them. Or even better you can get special markers you can use to write on the mugs yourself.
You can visit sites like Pinterest for some Ideas.
(I AM NOT GOING TO POST THE "MR. RIGHT" AND "MRS ALWAYS RIGHT" MUGS, SORRY!)
Ok, I am sorry for over posting mugs... They were cute and I just couldn't decide. 🙈
3. Personalized gift books.
I recently came across this and I thought it was pretty awesome. Okay, maybe you won't be able to order it this valentines but you could still get it for a post valentines gift.
3. Travel
Yes, I know what your thinking, Travel? say what? okay, I do not mean travel across the country whatsoever but you will be surprised how many places just a bit far from town you can actually visit. It could be a like a get away.
One thing to consider also is that Wednesday is a weekday and it is a terrible day to pull this off unless you are not working/ schooling or you are a damn good liar to convince people you will be sick from Wednesday throughout the week. SO I suggest if you are neither you cold always make the plans for the weekend.
For example if you are in Dar es salaam you could go to Bagamoyo, book a sweet motel or if you are under budget you could always do the hostels "They are not bad"
You can also do Bongoyo Island, or Mbudya iy you under budget but heads up!! carry your own music, drinks and snacks.
And why not Morogoro? even Mikumi? it is so much cheaper for Tanzanian citizens especially if you students, I mean if you can afford then why go to dinner everyday? If you arent in Dar then You can always visit the areas near you.
4. Treat her/ him
You should know the concept of treating him/her is very different with the gender. For her, you could give her a good spa treatment and you could go watch the game with him. Spend some quality time. You can just go to a bar and watch the game together.
Yes spa can be a bit costly but you don't have to take her to the double tree Spa. There are so many local Spa centers. If that is not enough, treat your girl to a homemade spa treatment.
Here is what I mean, invite her to your place or where ever you can get privacy, get a few scented candles with hot oil and as soon as she walks in.... Get into character, you aren't her guy no more, you her masseuse. (Things could get better after all 😏)
5. Cross activities.
Do things like watching football with him or playing video game with him... (My boyfriend goes crazy when I play Fifa with him...of course, cause I always loose.) but take her and wait for her at the saloon, go shopping with her especially if she goes to local markets (Kusagula Mwenge, Karume, K/koo or anywhere else for that matter)
Make some time for each other, especially if you hardly do it. Don't spend time complaining about him wanting to watch UEFA when you could go with, I know, you will probably not understand anything but it will mean something to him.
Thanks for stopping by, hope you loved it.
HAPPY VALENTINES....
With love,
Stacy💕
CAPPUCCINO!
Pardon my late post, but yesterday was Wednesday and to "Being Anastazia" Wednesday is a challenge day so I want to write about just that.
Me and my grey sweater and my sparky backpack (Hope you don' mind the filter)
Since i got to Bulgaria I have always been around people, I went everywhere with everyone or at least someone and so I thought you know what? for once I am gonna take this challenge and do it on my own.
So I put on my black jeans, Grey sweat shirt and black trench coat (It wasn't so cold which made me very happy) and I begun my journey to the trump station. I got in and sure a couple of people still look at me like I am from the national African museum but I don't blame them... there are very few black people here so most people stare and take a selfie with the first black person they see... what makes it more funny is that I usually don't care about people with my skin color (I actually think every one is equal, I really don't see color) but for the first time in my life coming here I actually do.
I jump at the first black person I see and interact....aaaaaaanywaaaay ☺!!!!! That's not what this is about.
I dropped by this very famous stop called"NDK" and made my way to the subway and took one to Cerdica where I met my friend "Kai" who is from Barcelona.
It was really funny actually cause we hugged but i was too excited that I got there on my own and well... I did ask for the first washroom I could get.. hehe so we went to the Cinema and I used the washroom and we started looking for the postal office cause my sister actually sent me a package.
Finally we got the package and because the sun was so beautiful, we took a walk and ended up at this really awesome coffee shop/ restaurant , I ordered a cappuccino and it taste better than any I have ever tried...
we talked and talked and talkeeeeed till one of us (It was not me) snapped and reminded us that we don't live in that restaurant.
In the end I got back in the train and into the trump with my huge box got home tried on everything that was in the box I LOOOOOVED THE BOOTS BIG SIS and sat down to start bragging at my boyfriend that I did it all alone. Honestly I am very happy I took this challenge.
So think...when was the last time YOU did something new?
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| 😋 |
Thanks for reading my silly challenge, If you have any challenges of your own and you would love people to read, do not hesitate to email me.
With love..
Stacy💕
MY EXPERIENCE IN BULGARIA.
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| That was very freezing. |
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| Sofia...(means wisdom) |
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| Don't let the socks fool you...I am freezing. |
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| I stole shoes from Luca...haaha they were veeeery big had to put them aside. |
Bulgaria is a basically very beautiful although it is very cold. Since I got here it has turned up from 7 degrees to -5 degrees and it is snowing like crazy. I can't entirely say I hate it..I mean it is beautiful however it can get annoying for out going people like me.
Truth be told the language is very challenging yet interesting, I don't want to call it hard because I will be blocking my mind from learning the language.
I checked in a hotel, it's called "Hotel Festa Sofia" honestly, it is so nice, I loved my stay there especially the part that I had to try out the new "dish" , people here love pork and cheese more than anything.
I met so many new friends might I add fashion forward friend like Daniella (from Poland), Imen (from France) and so many more guy friends that was very sad to say goodbye to.
Clubs are free so that is a yeeeeaaaaaaeeeeeyyyy for me... things are so cheap... I love all the cheap snacks I can get here but the most challenging part is THE FASHION.
here is why:-
1. It is hard to find your own fashion because it is more about keeping warm than looking good. Okay, to be honest, for me it took me like a week before I found my fashion but I have seen people go for a whole month looking for their style. So far you should just look for interesting pieces and colors and you will be good.
2. Make up is cheaper than clothes, but you can still find second hand stores. Things are very cheap yet very fabulous. I love all the designer stores, can't believe i walked by 'Phillip Plein', okay not the person but the store.
I wish we had all these designer store. In Tanzania it is more of I import products, don't matter who or which designer it's from and I open a store call it "Being Anastazia" then sell all the products in there. Felt good to officially get a legit H&M shoes and bag (despite how they tripped recently) I loved the experience.
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| slippers from Jumbo |
3. Okay... I can go on and on but main point are pics....
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| David always being a pain. |
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| Stay tuned for more please... |
TIPS TO ALWAYS LOOK FASHIONABLE FOR MEN
Although same rules apply i thought it won't be so bad if i wrote an especially special article for men given that the person that requested it is a man.
Like I said before, all rules are the same, every thing from color psychology to make sure it fits is all applicable for both gender, however,
Style is not about imitating who wore what rather than being comfortable in your own skin. You can use inspirations from different celebrities and style icons but you should know that imitating is not what is going to make you fashionable. You need to turn the style to your own comfort zone.
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| Abel Kipaso |
1. Dress to fit your lifestyle.
Imitating sometimes becomes too compelling that you act and live in a certain way that you really shouldn't. If you do daily walks to a bus stop and don't even get a seat all the way to Posta then why are you wearing that heavy leather jacket? It's Tanzania. IT'S HOT!
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| Osse Sinare (CEO OGS studios) |
2. Act like what you are wearing.
Don't dress like a prince and act like a beggar, No.No!! If you are going for an office look make sure you carry the sophisticated and classy cover with you. If you are going with a casual look don't go around acting like a boss. Your attitude should go with what your wearing.
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| Osse & Lavidos |
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| Ali kiba |
3. S H O P GODDAMN IT!!
Stop making "i'm a guy" excuses and visit any local clothing store you can access. There is no shame in 'kusagula' (buying from thrift centers like Karume and Mwenge' the point is get a new piece in your closet every once in a while. And do not go with the 'i don't have money' excuse either, I don't care if you have to save 1000 Tshs per day for a month but make a budget, i am telling you IT IS WORTH IT!
4. Buy lasting quality
I am not going to pretend that 'kusagula' is a bad thing. I do it myself too. There is no shame in that. But you can look like you bought your clothes from an expensive boutique from the materials you pick. Pay attention to the fabric and details on the cloth you want to buy. (WILL MAKE A POST ABOUT THIS)
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| Sheria Ngowi |
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| Sultan by Foremen |
5. Make sure it fits.
Like I said all rules apply for male and female. Stop wearing your grandfather's coat as it is just because that is how he gave you. Take it to a fine men's wear tailor and get it customized to fit you.
Wear everything fitting your body and shape and better yet PLEASE PLEASE WEAR YOUR PANTS ON YOUR WAIST LINE NOT YOU A** and everything should be clean and neat. Please iron your clothes and dust you shoes off.
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| Kennedy George, Nominated as stylist of the year 2017 Swahili fashion week (IG @gatho_beevans) |
6. TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF/ SELF LOVE
Boys will be boys.... I see that just as another lazy excuse not to clean your room. Tell me, how do you expect to have a good and bright day if your hair and body not so good? or it stinks? or better yet..your own bedroom looks like something crawled on it and died? it all starts with where you sleep.
Find a fitting order to place everything in your room and closet. Do not mix up dirty clothes with clean ones and change that bed sheet stop acting and saying that you are waiting for a woman to come do it for you... dude grow up..
- Ok back to the body. Make sure you shower at least 2-3 times a day
- Wash your hair with shampoo.. not that poor soap bar (you are going to leave hair on it)
- Get a hair do. The best way is finding a loyal barber. You need to know which hair style fits you and your life style don't go with a 'kiduku' when you are working in a court. This is something only you can figure out
- Do not feel lazy to take care of yourself. Make it a habit. AND DO NOT COMPLAIN ABOUT THE COSTS THAT COME WITH IT!
- Maintain your facial hair. Keeping your facial hair may not be the most flattering look for you so work on it, experiment. And if it does look good on you then at least trim and keep it neat.
- Get a signature cologne. use a specific smell that when you walk in the room no one needs to turn around to make sure its's you. Trust me it is a good feeling. Go for designer brands, they are more rare for the majority to have but if it ends up being too expensive you can just pick something affordable for you and stick by it. You can also try buying from stores like Tianshi and Ori-flame very few people buy from there.Sometime our sweat can bring discomfort to us and the people next to us. You can go for body sprays like any 'AXE' product and you also need a deodorant up your armpits this will really help get rid of the irritating stink.
Sometimes however the stink is just DEMONIC, I would advice you meet with your skin care doctor or go to big skin care stores like S H Amon, they can really prescribe you something for it. but real quick I would advice you to use a 'mild soap' for your showers, you can try to search for home remedies to cut the stink on YouTube and you could have wet wipes that you should use to wipe your armpits before you respray yourself or at least get a handkerchief.
Feet is another case though, I would recommend you see your doctor as well and you could also use feet lotions from places like Tianshi and Oriflame as most of them are medicinal.
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| Idris Sultan |
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| Osse Sinare (CEO OGS studios) |
7. Accessorize.
It is never bad to add in a classy watch, glasses, a hat or even a scarf. The list goes on and on but let me make a point. TYING A BANDANNA ON YOUR HEAD, ARM AND LEG DOES NOT CUT IT. This makes you look primitive and stupid, no offense i get you are going through a phase but please get over it soon. You need to be classy put that good belt on with that amazing watch. A tip, you look better matching your belt color with the color of your shoes.
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| Idris Sultan |
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| Kennedy George, Nominated as stylist of the year 2017 Swahili fashion week (IG @gatho_beevans) |
8. LASTLY, CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE
Stop being so negative and primitive thinking that fashion is not your thing and only a certain group of people can get involved with fashion and style. I say you say that because you really don't know where to begin. Being clean and wearing neat does not change your sexuality nor does it make you less of yourself. In fact, it makes you more confident and help you love yourself more. If you have issues beginning this feel free to contact me, I will better advice you or hook you up with good stylists or better yet, carry that annoying friend of yours that over spends on clothes and takes a long time dressing up. That could be a good start.
Feel free to contact me via +255 688046506/ sophillipo@gmail.com girl or boy, you are all welcome!!
I hope you had a lot to benefit from this article. Thanks for stopping by,
With love
Stacy💕
TIPS TO ALWAYS LOOK FASHIONABLE..
First i would like to give my deep appreciation to Naamala Samson, one of my loyal readers for requesting this topic...hope it helps..it may appear as most of them are girl tips but same tips apply for both male and female.
So one thing to agree with is that it really doesn't matter what you do or who you are, looking good is a disease everyone suffers from, some more than others and some like me are beyond repair.
Truth is some struggle to always look good, some are flawless, I mean they don't even need to lift a finger and they spell " F L A W L E S S " but there are those that no matter what they just don't seem to get it right...If you are one of those mostly affected or mostly struggling.. this post is for you.
FIRST THINGS FIRST, you need to understand and know some very important factors that may break or make your look.
1. Your body type
2. Body size
3. Skin color and so much more from H to T (Head to toes)
But here are the basics that will help anyone of any body type/shape and profession as well as occasion.
Dress for your body shape and not size
this photo was taken a while back but i hope you get it!
I get , it's confusing. Let me help you get it, you now how people say skinny people shouldn't wear tight things, I man opinions like that are what get you lost in your dressing world.
Rule #1 is to observe your body shape, do you have curves or are just skinny? (will upload a post about what is best to wear with which body shape) so in this case, always show your best feature eg, if you have long legs, short clothes are for you, if you have curves, go for something that will highlight them.
Go for colors that make your skin P-O-P!!!
Sometimes we are compelled with wearing a color just because it is our favorite color, but truth be told sometimes the shade doesn't really favor our skin. Best to know if you are dark the best colors that work for you are cool colors like blue, green, this however this does not mean warm colors won't look good on you rather you should be able to pick the right shade for your skin.
Understand color psychology.
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| damn i was skinny...also taken a while back. |
For example, black complements white (not on the color wheel), Yellow vs green and so on.
Embrace your flaws
Instead of hiding what you hate about yourself make it an inspiration of finding your personal style. Example, you have issues with your tummy try things that aren't so tight on it, if you are too skinny avoid wearing full body slim fits, observe your weakness, is it height? (not that being too tall or short is bad) but people will always be humans and before your eyes you will hate something about yourself. I first encourage you to fight against the hate and build love but that will take ages so in the mean time USE IT!
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| SCREW IT! |
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| you still gotta rock it though... |
MAKE SURE IT FITS
Ok people!!! there is a very thick line between FIT & TIGHT!! these are two different things. It may be loose but it fits your body. Don't wear a size that a plus size would wear if your skinny or vice versa. You could wear buggy clothes but make sure they are your body size buggy.
FLATTERING RATHER THAN S L U T T Y
Don't over do it. Hit the breaks a bit. The last thing we want is for you going slutty or inappropriate. Just because you have beautiful legs don't mean you should wear that over short mini skirt. Dress according to the occasion and make sure you don't loose yourself in this. You are your own audience but that won't keep everyone else's eyes off you, make sure they don't concentrate on your skin instead of your style.
Make it playful..
There is a number of things you can do to make your clothing life fun
You could start by picking a color theme.
Make sure you have not more than 3 colors on you. This is your maximum number of colors you get to play with on your outfit more than that you may be taking a very big risk that could either leave you as a trend or an Xmas tree.
Pick your piece of the day.
This is my personal favorite. I like selecting pieces that i make sure all eyes can't stop looking at. I mostly love going with bags and shoes and even accessories. So try that, you will love it.
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| Shot by Emblematic photography |
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| Shot by Rex Tuntu |
Do a dress rehearsal.
Prepare every day the night before, have your own fashion show in your room. This will pump you up and keep you excited for the next day. A smile is a very valuable accessory in your outfit. You won't have it if you prepared 10 minutes before go time.. trust me You need It!
Take a nice shower in the morning, boy or girl you need wet wipes and a handkerchief. Keep your skin fresh and hydrated by drinking water. In between your breaks take time to visit the washroom, re-do your hair (comb it or restyle it), if you are into make up, wash out the one you have, mostly lipstick for women as you don't really have much time to re-do your concealer but you can add an extra layer of powder and mascara. Refresh your smell as well, I personally always have a body splash or spray and a small hand lotion. This will make you feel good about yourself. walk out of there like a boss.
BE COMFORTABLE IN YOUR OWN SKIN
SLAY that look! sometimes you may make a clothing mistake and regret why you picked that tight jean instead of the boyfriend jeans of better why in the world did you wear that short skirt? the best way is to rock is to not be pulling it down every 5 minutes and rock it. What's done is done rock it now you will amend later, who knows? it might en up being a good thing/style for you.
PHOTO GALLERY...Hope u pick a few
From the gallery, i hope you see every little bit of what i'v been trying to tell you..
pick a theme & a piece trust me..you won't regret it!
Hope this article has been helpful.. feel free to ask me any questions..
XOXO..Stacy💕
Shoot #2 A patterned black dress with slits...
This dress is my fav...i dont know if its because of the slits (mpasuo) or because it also happens to be my late Sister Stalla's dress...
In this shoot i pared it with a cute hat that i bought at Slipway, you could never go wrong with a round hat for a day on the beach... and a golden chocker necklace to match with the sunrays of that hour..
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