PGI's December Girl- Ike
If you thought being a student was fun and you spent it in a perpetually nifty state, looking like you just stepped off a runway, every minute of the day, put your hands up! ..........Now ignoring those people. Lol, kidding.
This month our PGI girl is someone, who does make student life seem a little more glamorous than I would imagine! By contrast, my student make-up life comprised of bad hair days, stress pimple surprises, some eyeliner (usually drawn in a hurry and all squiggly), brow pencil, a little mascara and a dab of Vaseline lip therapy. I'd eye the liner blunder, ignore the pimple, cover up with large geek glasses and burst out the door!
You see why I feel the need to honor all the girls who make the effort to look good to class or work or bed, even? A thousand salutes and loads of respect. It really is something to be admired and celebrated.
A couple of weeks back, I had the pleasure of chatting with the wonderfully stunning Ike Saliu, she's someone whose style I greatly admire. She has a fun and brave sense of style and upholds this all while being a student! In case you missed it, we have the same name! She's the 'Ike' that actually cares about her fashion life as a student; I wish I had her around during my bad-liner days.
She has huge dreams of becoming a TV/media director one day, a day not too far away. She talks about slaying as a student, her favorite make-up vloggers/ lifestyle bloggers and what she misses about Nigeria.
Let's meet her!
Where do you go to school?
York University, Toronto
What are you studying?
Human Resource Management
What's your morning phone app sequence?
First, I reply messages i left hanging after falling asleep; then What’sApp, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Tumblr. Pose. Then my Bible app, then Elevate and Lumosity for my regular brain exercises.
Your student life makeup fix?
I draw my brows (they’re essential), apply foundation, set it with powder. If I am having a presentation, I’d put on eyeliner, apply blush and put on a nude lipstick but if I’m not, I'd simply use mascara. I usually go with a natural look for school.
How long does it take you to get ready?
1 hour, 30 minutes, if i have braids on. If I have a weave, 2 hours because i have to style it. It takes me 30-45 minutes to wear my makeup.
Favorite Makeup Vlogger?
I LOVE talking about my favorite YouTube make-up artists. I watch an awful lot of them but my two favorites would be Msrosposh and Sonjdradeluxe.
Recommended makeup remover?
Biore or Global beauty care make up cleansing wipes.
Clothes or Makeup?
I finally know what it feels like when people say they’re in love with two people. *laughs* I love and i’m crazy about both equally! That being said, if I am to pick, I’ll go with what had my heart first, since i was 6 years old; Make up
A makeup mugger is trying to steal your makeup purse, in a dark alley. He gives you a chance to take 3 items from it. What would they be?
Oh, this is a hard one, my Guess by Color Pop Lipstick, my eye liner(i feel naked without my liner) and my brow pencil, i can't go out without brows. Also this pencil can't be gotten in Canada, so respect that and step away, mugger.
Favorite nail polish color
Burgundy!! I also like purples, pinks and blues
What song describes you at 5.30AM?
Future ft Drake , Where Ya At? Tbh it describes me 24/7
Night time habits/routine?
When I get home, the first thing I do is open the pot/fridge/cupboard to search for food or snacks (this is because I am always hungry, no matter the time of the day). *Laughs* I make some tea and change into comfy clothes, wash my face (make up or no make up) , clear the bag I took out (i just love my bags being empty), turn on my laptop to either research, watch a movie or Youtube video or complete an assignment. If I'm home all day, I’ll look for food as usual, wash my face and be on my laptop .
What do you miss about Nigeria?
I miss being driven in a car! *laughs* I miss that i don’t get taxed when I shop. I miss the hawkers (i don’t know why). I miss suya, agbalumo (the best fruit ever), Christmas at home, my mom’s cooking, my parents and friends.
Favorite Blogs
Kummy-kaybee.blogspot.ca, Pages by Ike (I love it so much), E-online, Justjaredjnr, Blvckcosmic.tumblr.
What are you reading these days?
School texts, ugh .
What would rather be reading?
I'd rather be reading the books in my cupboard and Malcom Gladwell books
What are your winter study time must-haves?
Tea. A show or movie during my study break. Snacks. Chewing gum
4 Things Learnt....
1. Empty my bag/clutch when I get home (maybe I'll finally find that tub of lip color I've been looking for).
2. Wash my face every night, whether or not i put on makeup during the day
3. Learnt that Ike likes Future! ....... at 5.30am! Lol. Someone's clearly a morning person.
4. It's possible to look good as a student
Thank you so much, Ike for being PGI's December girl!!! Love you!
PGI loves to honor everyday people who inspire. The great news is, we are all capable of inspiring!
If you would like to be a PGI feature or would like to recommend someone (male or female) who is inspiring in anyway, please contact me here, or send me a DM on Instagram . Remember to mention in less than 4 lines why you think you or this person is inspiring. Brag Away 😎
Minimalist Santa: Nerdy Glam
New week, new crush-items! If you ask me about any of these items in my sleep, i definitely can tell you where to find them and spell out their corresponding URLs, its that deep.
1. Congrats to our Fitbit Give-Away winner! More give-aways coming up on PGI!
2. I'm currently reading this book and i recommend it highly. If you have any entrepreneurs in your life, grab them a copy.I think at least one quote from it frames my day, everyday. Available on Konga and Amazon.
3. And of course, you should be reading #2 while wearing these festive gems from Swarovski!
4. I currently have on yellow nail polish and as i type this post, a part of me is all giggly and bubbly on the inside. Yellow is such a delightful color....there is a reason minions are yellow... go figure
5. Who has caught this yellow-fever too? Yellow Carry-all Tote , Banana Republic
6. This is a painting from Debra Cartwright. I have one of her paintings in my creative space and 3 things hit me when i look at it; girl power, hair goals and #feistydoesit ! Mix some Jesus in and you are all set for 2016!
In other mistletoe-related news, let's remember to bless people who have no warmth (both physical and emotional) this season and always.
xx
6 Must-haves for Your Wedding Dress Fitting!
Wedding dress shopping!!! One of the most delightful things you'll ever do. You get to swim in endless pools of lace, silk, charmeuse, tulle, velvet (well, hopefully not velvet); you get to be as indecisive and irrational as you want and no one can do anything about it! Enjoy it while it lasts.
When I started my shopping, I wasn't really inexperienced because I had already gone on a pre-proposal wedding dress hunt (feel free to judge, read here). Still, I wish I had a list of things preparing me for my real dress hunt. Here's a little heads up.
After scheduling your visit to a local bridal shop for your fitting, make all necessary preparations to ensure your appointment goes smoothly. Below are 6 must-haves for your shopping experience convenience! Nothing fancy. They will help to simulate your big day as much as possible, so when you find the dress of your dreams and are standing in front of that three-way mirror, you can safely gasp and tell yourself that you aren't too far off from what you envisioned for your wedding day. The only pieces missing would be the groom and the angels singing. Here goes:
A Strapless bra
You will be trying on a ton of styles and if you know anything about wedding dress designers, you'd agree that baring clavicles and shoulders is what they do. Try to avoid bras with straps for the day, it masks the beauty and intent of some styles. Instead, opt for a strapless bra. Some silicon gels would have been splendid but they are very impractical for this because they probably will keep falling off.
A formal mess/Bun
Wear your hair as a formal mess or bun. If your wedding hair style is an updo, show up at your appointment with your hair already in a bun or some form of hair-pin-crazy updo. If you plan to have it down for the wedding, up, might still be ideal for the fitting, we don't want your pretty hair stuck in a zipper.
A pair of Heels
At your appointment, your stylist may ask you if you have your wedding shoes with you. They usually prefer if you do, so they can see if your shoes would work with the length and style of the dress.
If you haven't bought your wedding shoes, take along any pair of heels you think would be the same height as your wedding shoes. If after you read this post, you completely forget all i have said, have no fear, the store stylist will be glad to lend you a pair of heels for the duration of the fitting.
Lenses
If you wear glasses, lose them for the day and stick in some lenses. Remember you are trying to simulate your real day as much as possible. If you have no lenses, forget I said anything. Glasses it is.
[Considering wearing your glasses for your big day, get some inspiration from this beautiful bride i stumbled on! Too adorable.]
Friends
Take a friend or two or three, depending of the allowance of extra guests at the fitting appointment. Make sure, for the appointment, you select friends who have good judgement and are not afraid to tell you to step away from the goose feathered trumpet dress.
Photos
'Auditor' is every bride's second name. Take as many photographs as possible, every angle, every trim of every dress. You will be making yourself a cup of tea and staring at those dresses probably till your screen cracks if you are anything like me. Decisions. Decisions.
Have fun shopping! Share with us your wedding dress shopping experiences!
Minimalist Santa: Long-Throat List
You know how 'Less is more', and few is 'The new fad; minimalist, the new trend, indeed, I have made the big move from lots to lean. I've come to embrace simplicity and make the change from owning tons of stuff to just a handful of items, which is why my Christmas list is so sparce. However, minimalist doesn't mean wretched, in fact, I figured if I adopt this principle, I might as well go all out, get Hermes-y, Spade-y and Kors-y with my list! Just one of each, of course. Hehe. I guess going minimal might counter-intuitively make you greedy.
My Long-Throat List. I guess the candles kinda make the list more affordable for my secret Santa
1. Michael Korrs Rhea backpack ; 2. Light Up The Room Bangle by Kate Spade ; 3. Bath&BodyWorks Winter 3-Wick Candle
4. Bath&BodyWorks Frosted Cranberry 3-Wick Candle; 5. Tiddly Nail Polish by Butter; 6. Bouquets Sellier Twilly by Hermes
What are you craving this Christmas? Whatever it is, don't forget to pick up some scented candles to spice up the festive atmosphere.
What's on your long-throat list this Christmas? What's on your real list this Christmas ?
PGI's November Girl: Laju
One toasty warm Saturday afternoon in Lagos and by contrast a windy fall day in Madison, i had the awesome pleasure of chatting with the beautiful and talented Utseoritselaju Omagbitse Joanne (popularly known as Laju) via FaceTime. We have no photos from this event because we both were in Saturday-chill-mode. Pardon us.
Laju is a successful Lagos-based artist who has been sketching and painting for as long as she can remember. Last September, she had her first art exhibition themed: "Woman in Bloom" along with other artists who were involved in this event, which sought to contribute to the discussion on the process of self-actualization for the woman in a typically patriarchal society. It's wonderful knowing people who use their talent and passion to develop and improve their community. It's what we all strive to do. It's what we are all made for.
Let's meet Laju!
Hey, Laju! What's "Laju" short for and what does it mean?
Utseoritselaju which means the work of the Lord is too great
Where are you from?
Warri, Delta State, Nigeria
What is your morning app sequence?
Hmm… Instagram, WhatsApp or iMessage…. Instagram…again.. *laughs*
What do you do?
I'm a banker with Heritage Bank
Describe your art?
My art is mostly acrylics on canvas. I started with charcoal but then again, i love color! Right now though, i paint acrylics on canvas.
Acrylic paintings dry fast and that works for me. Oil paint is beautiful but I'm not that patient. *laughs* I'm thinking about working with charcoal and acrylics.
I work with female subjects, i find them easy to relate to and for now, African females because the color of our skin is just beautiful in real life and on canvas!
How and when did you start painting?
I actually started very young. I remember in primary school, I’d draw match-stick people, then they evolved into box-like images. I was always fascinated by the cartoon images I saw on TV, and wondered why I couldn’t make my drawings look like the cartoons, so i'd trace directly from the TV or from Archie comic books. That really helped. And of course, my art teacher in college, class mates and even family recognized my talent and kept urging me to do better. Over time, I’ve nurtured this skill and improved on my style and techniques
Most interesting muse?
I’d say female mannequins. I fell in love with them recently; the fragility of their posture amazes me. They've opened my mind up to a thousand ideas. Hopefully you’ll get to see what I come up with in my future artworks
What does your creative work space look like?
*laughs* That’s funny because my work space is my bed and the floor of my room…. That’s where the magic happens. Haha. To answer your question, Newpapers on the floor of my bedroom.
What do you do when you have a creative block?
I just stay away from trying to paint or sketch, because the more I try, the more I end up making everything worse…which is deeply depressing, although, sometimes I go online and view thousands of images related to the ideas I had in my head, to come up with something unique. *laughs*. Apart from these two, I just lay in my bed and stare at my ceiling.
But on a more serious note though , what works most times is staying away completely, it helps me cool off and also gives me a different perspective on my work
Art-crushing on this John Madu painting
What are your creative work must-haves?
An old piece of cloth to clean my brushes, my iPad/phone to refer to my saved ideas or the internet for clarification (when I get stuck)
Longest & Shortest time taken to complete a work
Longest, 1 month; Shortest, 4 hours
I am in love with this sketch
Default nail polish color
I usually don’t paint my nails *covers face* but if i had to choose, nude or purple
Who is(are) your greatest support system?
Family and close friends. They make me believe in myself
What song describes you at 5.30am?
Don’t wake me up by Chris Brown
I'm more of a 6am person
Quirkiest thing about you?
I like to sleep with the lights on. When I wake up in the middle of the night and there isn't power, I turn on the flashlight of my phone and fall asleep
Favorite cake flavor?
Red velvet
Favorite artist
Joseph Eze, Sara Golish, Nelson Makamo
Most frequent Lagos-traffic purchase?
Plantain chips, Super Yogo! *laughs*
Most random Lagos-traffic purchase?
A paint brush which wasn't really made for art but I used it anyway!
Do you love Lagos?
Yes! I love the people, they are lively and it's modern
What would you say to anyone considering painting your form of art?
Go for it!
*************
Thank you, Laju, for being our first PGI Girl! Love you Loads!
Get your bespoke acrylics on canvas paintings by Laju this Christmas!
Email: laluch.art@gmail.com
Phone: +2348170789192
Instagram: @laluch_
A shot from the September "Woman in Bloom" exhibition
Become a Blogger in 5 minutes!
This post took me about 5 minutes to read (and 2 weeks to write, lol), hence the title. I need to take out time to appreciate bloggers out there. They work really hard to ensure they provide the best quality for their readers , spend a lot of time getting posts together and usually don't go to bed until they know they got it right, only then, do they permit themselves to plop down on their with a smile on their faces because they know they have made someone's day. So, here's to bloggers out there!
I have been blogging for about one year now, actually 11 months. I seem to have fallen in love with it. From sourcing for a creative urge to sitting down in my space to build and design; watching responses and blog statistics; finding ways to be better; encouraging new and fellow bloggers; posting; interacting with all my great readers; giggling with people who send me private messages. I love it all and i'd be crazy not to encourage others to blog. Some people say it's therapeutic- the writing bit. I don't know about that, maybe, but I do know it's fun and challenging! Here are a few things i have learnt over the last 11 months both first-hand and second-hand, which have helped me on this super-exciting journey. Enjoy!
Set your vision and goals
A question i had to answer at some point on this journey was; what do you hope to achieve from blogging? My honest answer was and still is to provide a space where we all can be life/relationship hackers, unfazed by life's curve balls, which it throws at us all the time. Pagesbyike was created on that vision and serves as resource that draws from science, God, experiences and real people to provide its community with hacks! Understand what your vision is and run with it. Set goals to achieve this vision, then plan.....
Map out a blog plan
Something bloggers might struggle with is the consistency of putting up posts. We have other responsibilities that require our attention, of course and your readers completely understand....not! Lol! If they love what you write, they probably want it everyday, every hour even! Drawing up a blog plan to work with and setting deadlines, makes blogging much more tangible and manageable. I have learnt to always plan ahead, 3 months ahead. Having an idea of what you'd like to blog about ahead of time, takes out the initial nerve wreaking frazzle of the "What do i post?!!!" situation.
Choose your subject matter
Write what you know but also test the waters. There's so much stuff to write on. Choose something that you are absolutely passionate about, not merely just interested in. I am super-passionate about making better life decisions and continuous self-improvement but i am interested in food recipes. I would gladly read food recipes off another blogger but i might not last a week blogging about recipes. Know you passions and differentiate them from your interests.
Don't be obsessed with statistics
O, the statistics!! I remember my first month writing, i think I was my only reader, lol and of course Ed. I'd check the blog metrics and there'd be only two counts for visitors. Needless to say, it was quite discouraging but Ed would always say "Just write", I don't think there's anything more inspiring than those two words. It outweighs all the technicality and stats and helps to focus on the right thing; passion.
Know your audience
It's helpful to know the demographics of your target audience. Some blogging platforms provide the geographical locations of your readers (blogger, squarespace). Blogger provides a very comprehensive geo-location analysis of your audience. When we were on blogger, sometimes, i'd see readers in Russia, Senegal or Alaska! It was terribly exciting and it helped me understand that i had to be more dynamic with my writing. Knowing your audience helps you tailor your posts to their needs and interests.
Help me tailor yours, send me a message here!
Respond to all comments
From my statistics, i can tell you that less than 10% of readers comment. If some readers from that very small percentage choose to comment, honor their comments with a response. Also, as a blogger, make it a habit to comment on other blogs. My friend says its like a sowing a seed, it will eventually come back to you too. Another reason is that your comment encourages those bloggers and it may also direct traffic to your blog if you leave an interesting comment.
Do give aways!
Giveaways are a great way to engage your audience. True, there may be people who just stop by for the freebies but hey, haven't we all. No judgement. My first giveaway is coming up soon! Watch out for that...christmas might be coming a little early this year!
Thank you, to all those who comment ever so frequently!
xx
What is your favorite blog? Are you thinking about starting a blog? Are you a new blogger? What are your main challenges? How long did it take you to read this post?
The One That Got Away
It took me 90 dresses, 3 continents and over 9 months to find my wedding dress. I figured all that time and fabric, a post is well deserved.
I started my search in London and the hunt very well could have ended in London because there on one London-typical cloudy Friday afternoon, I found Yaja. Yaja, the dress of my dreams! [I said London thrice, someone misses you, London! Four times, world record].
Where were we? I got random there, pardon me. Yes, the dress of my dreams. You know that saying "You know it when you see it." It's a little deeper than that. You don't just know it, you feel your heart strings lace up with the threads of the fabric! You can't take it off, you can't stop staring at yourself in the mirror, you can't breathe, you can't really imagine the wedding without the dress. This was the case with Yaja.
Yaja was a Yajaida princess wedding dress in the Pronovias Atelier 2015 collection and it sounds like every bit of its name; a long sleeve silk dress with this delicate pearl embroidery on the sleeve and a princess shaped skirt. I am not much of a fairy-tale believer but that day, for a minute i did see Princess Elsa run past my dressing room with a talking miniature snow man.
By the time i found Yaja, I had tried on about 60 dresses and honestly couldn't imagine a more beautiful dress [You really have to try it on to believe it]. I had never had an experience like this with any of the other 60 dresses. I never wanted to try on another dress! It was The One. I couldn't sleep! My general principle about shopping (and dating) is never buy (or date) anything (anyone) that doesn't get you thinking about it (him) at 2am. It (he) must be that remarkable and that's exactly what it was; remarkable.
Then reality hit me! Hit me hard in the face when i saw the price tag. Thank God for that slo-mo saliva-spilling whack-on-the-face reality check of price tags! lol.
Quickly, i dropped all theatrics, loosened all my heart-dress strings and jumped out of the dress. By evening, i had booked more dress-fitting appointments. Six appointments later and across the Atlantic, I found "The Other one", which proves the theory that there are two types of "The Ones", both in dress hunting and dating; The one and the The other one.
At this point you realize I have to be mildly clever to interpret that. I'll give it a shot.
Sometimes The One is over-rated. I think I may have had about 2 "The Ones" before Ed. Well, see how those turned out *crickets*. The great thing is, life always provides us with face-whacking reality checks that indicate the possibility of a life of inexplicable delight and contentment with another -"the other one", without ever having a feeling that you settled for less, maybe even much more!
I loved my final wedding dress. I loved it in a different way from Yaja. It was more concrete, the bond we had, definitely much more affordable. Strangely, my final dress was valued at a price higher than Yaja's and I got it at about 70% off! Talk about a match made in heaven. While shopping for a dress, don't be fixated on the one you can't have, sometimes, the other one might be the keeper. Plus, if you aren't willing to spend a certain amount of money on a wedding dress, then be prepared to make dreaded C word - compromise and to move on quickly. If you think about it, you are only ever going to wear it that one time. My wedding dress now sits in my closet wondering what else the future holds for it. Not a lot , that much I can tell it; so don't shop sentimentally, saves you so much stress and money!
Nevertheless, Yaja will always have a place in my heart but she is someone else's match made in heaven, just like my ex "The One's"- belonging to other people; and they'd be glad i didn't buy.
xx
This is a very small fraction of all the dresses I tried on! However, Yaja is in there! Which is your favorite dress?
Shopping tip: Eat before any appointment, forget that flat-belly-for-wedding-dress-appointment gist. Well, no eba of course but just eat something because it gets really tiring!
Have fun!
7 days = Creativity
This post is inspired by Brit and Co's #iamcreative initiative. I think they just broke my excitement scale.
Next week is my creativity week. I will be taking 7 days out to create something unique, never mind unsightly, at least it would be all me. I plan to do this activity for at least an hour everyday starting Monday. I have a pack of paint brushes that I use as accent decor, I guess it's time to put them to work. I also might try to bake something or make a drawing of some sort. Whatever it is, it's going to be thoroughly exciting and i can't wait to show it to you. No judgement, remember! Safe space and all. Lol.
Some creativity tips i'll be working with include:
Know thyself, Ike: Clearly there will be no creating before 6am as it is widely known that i am not a morning person and do not like to be spoken to before the hour of 9.
Habits, Chores: I have to make sure all my chores are done the night before. I don't think Picasso woke up to a sink full of dishes and was bursting with inspiration and enthusiasm.
Ignore social media, just a little bit: I'm going to be a little behind on the memes and trends. Please, please tag me in all of them, I'll catch up during the weekend.
Read on new creative project: YouTube it, that's creativity heaven.
Exercise everyday and stay still: Exercise and moments of silence are awesome for creativity, though on opposite sides of the spectrum. The shower is known for crazy epiphanies and inspiration too. However, I will not be exercising in the shower in an attempt to kill two birds with one stone, although the thought has crossed my mind.
Show at least one person your work, artists do not like to show people what they've done but your work is all you! Plus you get better everyday. By day 7, you actually might consider a career change.
Would you like to get in on this challenge? .......unleash your inner creator? Here are some ideas of stuff to create and activities to engage in:
- An entirely new dish with strange ingredients
- A painting you'd be proud to hang on your wall or give to the president, either works, no pressure
- Photoshop editing, you could download a trial and watch what you can do to a picture of your ex! No, not that one, the other one, the awful one with nose hair! I'm kidding, no meaness. Try editing one of you favorite photos. Watch YouTube videos to help breeze through.
- Knit something burgundy, color of the season and rightly so!
- Write something, anything; an experience, a story, a recipe, anything.
- Bake something you'd usually buy.
- If knitting and cooking is too Stepford-wives for you, there's also graffiti, murals, ceiling work(MichaelAngelo style), sewing(Stepford again), sewing with leather and metal, designing, dress-making for dolls (I used to be a pro!), carving, sculpturing, web designing. There's just so much to do.
Art and creativity is renown for improving and maintaining health. If you are stressed and having a tough week, well, art and creativity is exactly the pill you need to pop. It's wonderful, feeling proud about something you have made with your hands or mind. When you get discouraged, think out loud to yourself "God is the great creator, and guess who was made in his image." Wink.
What are you going to create?