Life & festivals.

There really is no greater feeling in this world than that of being happy and content with who you are. Flaws and all.. Especially in a world that is somehow designed and addicted to telling us what or how to think, feel plus live your life. The way in which things should be done and how they have been done in the past. Society pressures.. Family and friends. Right now with me, I'm just happy with the person I am and the person I know I will be. I fought to become who I am, to be where I am and still fighting to reach my dreams.

I have learnt that nobody gives you happiness, you have to take it or better create it yourself. You've got to believe in your own abilities. The moment you realise this, trust me it makes room for incredible things to happen. Sometimes your journey may take a little longer but when you put your faith in God and stay committed to your goals, you will succeed.

These photos were taken by someone very close to my heart. We were at the Blankets and Wine festival in Kenya where we enjoyed good live music, moments with friends and strong drinks. We were cracking jokes, laughing, singing and dancing all the way through. It's wonderful to be surrounded by people with similar values and zeal for life as you do. I live for that.

I wish you all peace, love, success and happiness

xox

N

Delicate decor: Candles

Hey loves.
So I come with another interior post as all I've been thinking about is decorating lately. Mainly little living area decor ideas e.g candles, mirrors and wall hangings, lighting, rugs, clocks, decorative flowers and plants etc. As per blog title this post will solely be for candle and candle holders today. I personally looove candles as they help create a great ambiance plus mood in a room and scented ones give a lovely fragrance which can help relax or cheer you up. There are many variants of scented fragrances, practically every pleasant (sweet)smell you can think of I'm pretty sure has a candle that smells like it.

Scented candles really help affect moods, pleasant smells can help with the feelings of bliss, concentration, an energy boost, freshness, peace, romance, sound sleep and stress relief. Also candles can also help set the mood for a party and festive times for example evoke Christmas memories by burning berry, apple, pine and sugar cookie fragrances. You can also use the none scented ones(usually gifted to you) to decorate your home as great center pieces and focal points of the room/table etc. You can find all kinds of candle holders to match and compliment the setting of the room you're working with. Candles can be placed in glass, ceramic, silver, antique and even lantern holders. Below are some great creative ways you can use them as part of your home decor.

These giant multi wick candles placed on the center of the table are so pretty when burning.

These holders are quite dramatic and very bold. These type work well on the outside of a fire place like so or of a television display unit.

I love this glass hurricane candle holder they've placed beautifully in a towel tray in the bathroom

If you're going for that dramatic ancient grand decor.

This a lovely floral set which would prettify any bathroom.

The last set is divine. It's perfectly used in the bathroom and appears to have a wet feel and texture on the glass. The bubbles in the holders add to its gorgeousness and make the set even more appropriate for this room.

Once again I hope you enjoyed this post and that it has triggered your creative senses. Happy decorating!

Take care

N

Ndovu: The Golden Experience at Hyatt

Hello my loves..
Saturday night was absolutely amazing! Ndovu special malt has won a Monde Selection International High Quality Trophy from Brussels, Belgium. They have previously won two Gold awards for scoring over 80% for Ndovu which is a locally produced and Tanzanian wholly owned beer. This was a very special trophy as it was awarded for consecutive years of high quality and so the company decided throw a golden soiree to thank their main consumers/distributors.

It was held at the very posh Hotel Hyatt Regency, The Kilimanjaro, Dar es Salaam. Its a very beautiful hotel and the event was held in a very well decorated marquee out in the gardens. This event was another beer drinkers heaven as the Ndovu's were flowing like water and the finger foods were delicious. The entertainment was the stunning Vanessa Mdee who performed Come over, Closer and her new single. She's a great performer and was engaging the crowd well. There weren't too many people as it was strictly invite only and I think with the type of venue hosting the event they wanted to keep the numbers rather low. It was an incredible night and everything from food, drinks, entertainment, the DJ and decor were spectacular.
I was having so much fun and so the picture selection isn't all too brilliant unfortunately.
I wore a black full length double slit dress(which proved a proper struggle to sit elegantly in) with a gold bar belt and wine coloured T Strap Jeffery Campbell heels.

Inside the marquee,

this is an image that was taken with a phone camera. The decor was a lot of golds and fairy lights which made it feel like Christmas lol. I think the little plants having fairy lights in them could have something to do with that too.

By the time I was fed and watered enough to go take a picture of the trophy they had already whisked it off to safe keeping :( so I just took a picture of the mantel and glass box in which the kept the trophy in.

Vanessa performing in her gold theme matched sparkly dress

My friend Doris and I having a giggle and chit chat

The yummy sweet and savory finger foods

Some guests taking pictures on the fancy fainting couch 

So happy to have been invited to this event to celebrate Tanzania's own liquid gold, Ndovu. Brilliant event and make sure to try it because according to beer drinkers this is a very good malt.

xox

N

Storage solutions: living room edition

Hello fellow home design lovers :)
I bring this post for all new home owners, intellects, graduates and hoarders(side eye). This is probably your first house/apartment, you've just started a new job and your front door(when opened) hits the back door. So small that you have to hang your TV outside the window because it doesn't fit in the house. You find yourself getting so stressed surrounded by claustrophobic rooms, yikes! Well, suffer no longer as I am here to help :)
These are incredible storage ideas for if you're working with small spaces/rooms. People tend to just buy furniture without really taking account for the room layout and space availability. Proportional furniture really helps, light paints make the room look more spacious, making the colour scheme as cool and neutral as possible helps too. A cool coffee table or bed that has built in storage is ideal for a small home/room. Shelves are great for if you have a huge collection of books that you don't want to throw out and for setting pictures, candles, flowers, souvenirs etc..

I love this shelf display, holds so much and still quite modern chic. TV's mounted on to the walls always work great and save a lot of space.

 If you didn't/don't have a study where in the world would you keep those books and dvds? Also there is no way you can convince a graduate, book worm  or intellect to throw out old books because they might read/use that book 10 years from now!

Or just build some sturdy shelves

I love this below and it creates a great divide between two rooms(living and possibly dining room/kitchen)

Now for Coffee tables. Please refrain from buying one of those that doesn't let you store anything in them.

I thought I might throw this in for luxury but how yummy is this table(which has plenty of storage btw)?

You've got to make your home look nice and successfully create your small space.
Above all else remember to keep it as clean and tidy as possible, remove unnecessary clutter too. Try limit possessions to those meaningful however don't make it too cold and impersonal. I hope this posts helped you all!

Take care

xox

N

Outfit ideas?

Hello loves,
So I've been invited to a celebratory event for Ndovu Special Malt this Saturday. They're celebrating the win of being best Malt here in Tanzania for the 3rd time and their award is coming all the way from Geneva!! It's being held at the prestigious Hyatt Hotel and I'm so excited to go see the whole setting, I will take pictures plus blog on this event... Anyway below are some outfits that I put together to help inspire me and you if you've got a fancy event you're going to

The light pink set is really cute and light for the night. These sets are full of leathers, velvet and sparkles beautiful for the night.

xox

N

Reasons why you should travel as a couple.

Hey lovelies..
As you've seen from the bio on the right of the blog and have probably noticed by now from some of the content, I love to travel! I need to be out there seeing the world, experiencing different cultures and for perspective. Everyone should do as much of this as they possibly can because we live in a truly amazing world. This post however is for why you should do it with your loved one, excellent reasons include:

- People who collect experiences are generally more happier than people who collect things. Experiences continue to bring joy through memories long after the event has occurred. I recently traveled to Zanzibar with my man and it was an incredible experience, we had so fun and just have tonnes of great stories from it, it also brought us a lot closer.

-Travel is educational. We all read about the history of world and see plenty of documentaries but why not bring the TV to life, travel to the places history has touched! When you do that together it's guaranteed to make the relationship more interesting.

- Vacations don't have to be to far off places, expensive or long all the time. A weekend to the nearest natural setting will work wonders for your mental health(away from the city chaos) and for your connection to the earth and each other. 

- Activities during your vacation like hiking, camping, snorkeling and other physical activities work as great bonding exercises. The pride you feel after having tried something new together will give your relationship a boost. We went snorkeling and it was amazing!

-Working together to navigate through a strange place, having time to relax and have conversation, exploring ideas.. vacations provide lots of opportunities for relationship growth. They can also test the strength of a rocky one too, so try to pre-plan your holiday at least a little to avoid fighting and maximize enjoyment.

- Learning about other cultures always helps you appreciate your own life together.

- Swanky hotels! Great hotel service, rooms and that general feeling of being relaxed is always good for you as a couple. Taking breaks from reality(from own chaotic lives) is always recommended.

- You'll never forget the time you went snorkeling at sunset, or held hands and kissed under water in the Indian ocean, or how you gazed at the stars whilst having reassuring talks and sipped umbrella vodka drinks, basking in the sun enjoying the perfect view. In fact, holiday memories get sweeter with time :)

Bottom line: holidays put people in a good mood. Travelling lets you de-stress and get back to basics of enjoying each other(more) and all the good things life has to offer.

Here's to your next trip :)

Take care

N

Current Obsession: Ikea Stockholm rug.

Hello beauties.
Every morning after I have an overview of what my days going to be like(work wise) I quickly open up all my favourite websites for my daily dose of inspiration. So anyway whilst browsing on interior design I couldn't help noticing Ikea's black and white striped Stockholm rug being used in almost every living space I'd come across. It retails for $199.00 which I don't think is bad for a statement rug such as this one.
I'm currently crushing on this piece, it brings edge to a room and of course I really love Black & White in home decor so it's perfect. Black and White are both flat colours which enable them to be used against other colours easily. Below are some images that display how versatile this piece is and how people have managed to incorporate it into their homes differently. It can be used in colour blocking to set off the pieces but there's a slight danger of making the space appear too busy so be careful of that.

I'm so in love with this piece, I honestly can't wait to style and decorate my own home. How do we feel about it? Too busy, too modern or not a fan of monochrome?

xox

N

What's In Our Bags?! With Kerry Washington

Hey loves..
So I stumbled upon this great YT video, a simple 'What's in my bag' but featuring Olivia Pope!!!!Oops sorry, I mean Kerry Washington LOL. She's such an amazing, beautiful woman and seems very composed even in real life(You Tube is real life right?). She shares what's in her bag, her low down on Scandal and of course does a little advertising for Neutrogena as she's a spokesperson and creative consultant for them. Enjoy!



How do we feel about Neutrogena and scandal? Omg, I cant wait eeek!

xox

N

Colour ft Aztec

Fragrance fanatic 01

Hey Dolls..
So I've decided to start a series of 'Fragrance fanatic' posts to help my readers with choice. There are so many different scents out there and more being launched every day, the industry is making the selection process increasingly difficult for us(not complaining). There is much to know where perfumes are concerned, you really shouldn't be walking around smelling like winter in the summer or like night time during the day LOL.

I believe that yes, one can have a signature scent that they stick to their entire life(makes life easier) but why limit yourself? I guess the reason why people do that maybe is because they'd rather wear only what they know and the familiarity is comforting. Very resistant to change. Personally I enjoy different beautiful smells, they all tell a different story and hold their individual memories. I have certain perfumes that remind me of different places and times in my life, isn't that special? A scent can bring back a memory(whether good or bad) same way a song can and that is magic :)

First in the series is

MARC JACOBS

Honey.

This here is Honey perfume for fall 2013.

This is so cute and charming with the little bee's buzzing around the 'Honey' bottle.

10/10 for packaging! Its a sweet floral scent perfect for summer(as if the bottle isn't obvious enough) or a lovely daytime fragrance. 

Notes: Pear, juicy mandarin, orange blossom, peach nectar, apricot, honeysuckle, honey, golden vanilla and smooth woods.

Dot. 

The above is Dot perfume for Spring 2012.

This delightful bottle has little polka dots on it and it just reminds me of ladybugs :)

9/10 for packaging just because I feel the heart flower petals(in black) are slightly too large so out of proportion(a little). This floral, sweet and fresh scent is ideal for spring plus warm summer evenings as the strong hints of coconut water and red berries are suited for that. 

Notes: Red berries, dragon fruit, honeysuckle, jasmine, orange blossom, vanilla, driftwood, coconut water and sensual musk.

Daisy Black.

Daisy Black edition launched in 2008.

This luxury black and gold magic in a bottle is a classic. It's still popular til this very day.

10/10 for packaging as its so sleek and sophisticated.

This is perfect for winter and night time as the woody, powdery scent is fitting for when the sun goes down. It's a more elegant(grown up) fragrance, intense and stays on for hours :). 

Notes: Violet leaf, wild strawberry, jasmine, musk, white woods, vanilla, gradenia and blood grapefruit.

Daisy Eau So Fresh

Daisy eau so fresh launched in 2011.

This is a very feminine bottle and with the pretty flowers up top.

10/10 for packaging because its really very girlie and delicate.

This fragrance is packed with sweet, fruity, floral smells which makes it perfect for spring/summer and mornings. It will leave a sweet, fresh smell on you, perfect way to start your day :)

Notes: grapefruit, raspberry, pear, jasmine, rose, violet, litchi, apple blossom, plum, virginia cedar and musk.

Marc Jacobs will forever score high with me where packaging is concerned because their bottles are so beautiful. They sit very pretty on your dressing table/vanity desk and that makes them such great gifts. I have Daisy Black and I absolutely love it. I love perfumes and I don't think a lady can have too many lol. What have you sampled and what perfume are you using at the moment?

xox

N