Month: November 2017

Closet Curation: Episode #1

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Untitled #313

 

I spent the day sewing my Thanksgiving dress. It is made with a rather lovely fabric that I have had my eye on for over a year. The fabric, which has black cutouts in a floral motif pasted on a white net background, is one that I recently acquired. Luckily, I was not too scared about cutting it so my Thanksgiving dress is coming to life. I am excited to show off my creation once it is done.

Recently, I have come to a point where I have to acknowledge that I have a fashion problem. The thing is I hate shopping…I truly hate shopping for clothes or shoes or anything that has to go be sized and goes on my body. It gives me anxiety.

When I got into sewing last year, I made a deal with myself that I would not shop for clothes. I promised myself that I would spend time making my own clothes instead. I made the deal as a sort of commitment to sustainability. What I have found though is that it has become an excuse to hoard fabric and avoiding shopping for clothes.

So I have to rethink this strategy. I have to find a way to shop for clothes and make my clothes at the same time. I really have to go back to the drawing board and plan my closet. With my experienced eye, I know that I am lacking both basics and stand-out pieces. Since my clothes are not well edited, I constantly find myself feeling insecure about the way I look. This is especially true when I have special events to attend.

I am taking the first step by making this Thanksgiving dress. I made a lovely dress last year that my darling friend, Bi, cut out for me and then I sewed it. This year, I have used a McCall’s pattern from my stash. Bi is still helping me install a zipper since I am scared to do it myself.

Beyond Thanksgiving, I have to sit down and plan my wardrobe. I am dreaming of basics from H&M and then dressier pieces that I can make myself. I am excited to see the evolution of my closet.

Is anyone else looking forward to curating their clothes?

#thursdaytune: Simisola by Simi

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My love of Simi’s music goes way back a few years. I remember posting up one of her songs on one of my old blogs. There is just something about her voice that I have always found rather refreshing. I am a bit of a late comer to her album. Don’t blame me! I am just discovering how to listen to Naija music while living in Boston. I don’t have a lot of Nigerians around me so I actively have to find ways to stay engaged.

Anyway, this album is amazing. I was in Nigeria and everywhere I went, Simi’s Joromi was on play. That song is pretty cool. But my fave at the moment is Aimasiko. It is almost a gospel song but it just speaks to having hope and faith in God. The whole album is highly listenable (if that is a word). There is something about songs like HipHopHurray that sticks with you once you have listened once.

If you are looking to discovering more of Simi’s music, can I recommend that you listen to her collaborations with Falz. Those songs straddle a fine line between comedy and romance. I find that Simi has a way of picking her work that I love. I have yet to find a bad song from her.

 

 

To Love, Joy and Laughter

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Death is not something I engage with on the regular. I have been lucky in my lifetime not to have had too many traumatic losses. The only nod to my mortality has been my choice to live my life fully and strive for happiness.

I guess 2017 did not get the memo on my life motto. This second half of 2017 has made me think of my mortality in ways that are real. At this point, I am grateful to still be living. Still, I find myself not thinking about death but thinking about life, despite my recent forced acknowledgment of my own mortality. I find that as I start to regain my health, I am more interested in ways to live fully. How do I recover from what has been a traumatic health scare and affirm my life with my choices? How do I live with grace?

I have been laying low for over a week now. I am not allowed to do anything major at the moment. In some of my low moments being an invalid, I questioned how I could be strong in one moment and unable to lift my bags in the next. I have cried at the vulnerability required to say I need help.

The one thing that has been amazing about this trauma has been discovering how much love have in my life. It is in the moments when I am talking to my parents and they are both concerned but so gentle. In that moment, I am no longer 31. I am their child. It is negotiating with my older sister if I can go out for an hour or two. My independence be damned, I am her little sister. It is in my friends creating a cozy corner in their home so that I can nap while visiting. It is in my best friend being emotional the first day I sounded like myself in a long time.

Things have been scary for me. Things will be scary for me. But none of that matters because I recognize that if I can keep my life filled with love, joy and laughter, it will get better. I’ll always have my family and friends to carry me through, near or far.

As I get through this moment, I have come to understand that I needed this trauma. I needed it to remind me to live. To not take time for granted. To do the things that I am scared of. It was a reminder that I am not alive forever. I need to not regret the things I haven’t done. I need to do more. I need to be fearless. I need to truly chase the impossible.